Spatial Cluster Change of Schistosoma japonicum Transmission Foci in Indonesia During the Schistosomiasis Elimination Program.

PURPOSE: The Government of Indonesia committed to eliminating schistosomiasis by 2025. Collaboratively snail control became one of the crucial strategies to ensure that the prevalence of Schistosoma japonicum in Oncomelania hupensis lindoensis reaches zero by the end of the program. This research investigated the spatial cluster change of S. japonicum transmission foci in Indonesia between 2017 and 2021. METHODS: We mapped the snail foci, collected the snails, and calculated the snail density. We also conducted laboratory tests to detect the existence of cercariae in the snails. Identified infected snails were used to calculate the infection rate (IR) or snails' prevalence of schistosome cercariae among freshwater snails. We then analysed the spatial cluster using the Getis-Ord Gi* statistic to identify the hot and cold spots. RESULTS: The 5-year schistosomiasis elimination program successfully declined 18.84% of the snail foci and reduced 40.37% of the infected snail foci. Local spatial autocorrelation of snail density and infection rate identified that in 2017 and 2021, the number of cold spots decreased by 53.91% and 0%, while hot spots increased by 2.63% and 56.1%. The presence of more hot spots suggests a rise in the number of foci with high snail density and infection rates. The implementation of snail control was not optimal, and the parasite transmission through domestic animals still existed, causing the spatial cluster of hot spots to change during this period. Most hotspots have been observed near settlements, primarily in cocoa plantations, developed and deserted rice fields, grassland, and bush wetlands. CONCLUSION: During the schistosomiasis elimination program, the number of hot spots increased while cold spots decreased, and there were notable changes in the geographical distribution of hot spots, indicating a shift in the clustering pattern of schistosomiasis cases. The findings become essential for policymakers, particularly in selecting priority areas for intervention. In the Discussion section, we demonstrated the selection process based on the existence of hot and cold spots. Furthermore, we proposed that enhancing cross-sector integration is crucial, particularly in connection with the management of S. japonicum transmission through domestic animals.

Shell-Driven Localized Oxide Nanoparticles Determine the Thermal Stability of Microencapsulated Phase Change Material.

Not all encapsulation techniques are universally apt for every type of phase change material (PCM), highlighting the imperative for methodological precision. This study addresses the challenges of microencapsulated PCM (MEPCM) arising from the immiscible pairing of α-Al2O3 nanoparticles with Sn microparticles. The high-speed impact blending (HIB) dry synthesis technique is employed, facilitating large-volume production of Sn@α-Al2O3 MEPCMs. The resulting MEPCMs not only seamlessly endure 100 cycles of melting-solidification but also, with the strategic incorporation of a glass frit, exhibit remarkable thermal durability, withstanding up to 1000 melting-solidification cycles. Even under ultrafast thermal fluctuations, the α-Al2O3 shell remained resilient through 100 cycles. A marked reduction in supercooling is observed, which is attributed to the formation of SnO and SnO2 nanoparticles within the α-Al2O3 crystal lattice. The atomically resolved interface dynamics between SnO2 and α-Al2O3 play a pivotal role, lowering the energy barrier for Sn nuclei formation during solidification. This affects the accelerated Sn nucleation rate, effectively suppressing supercooling. Such insights offer a deeper understanding of the interplay between nanoscale crystal lattice imperfections and their implications for energy storage applications.

Development of blood hemoglobin level early detection device based on a noninvasive optical platform.

Blood hemoglobin levels are a reliable indicator for anemia screening, which generally uses an invasive system or takes blood using a syringe. Spectrophotometry can work by "substituting" the use of a phlebotomy tube needle with electromagnetic wave radiation or light. This study aims to develop and carry out a noninvasive diagnostic test for measuring hemoglobin levels. There are three main stages in this research: (i) measuring hemoglobin concentration and scanning an incident wavelength on standard hemoglobin solutions and blood controls, (ii) making a prototype variant of a noninvasive blood hemoglobin level measurement device, and (iii) testing the technology unit on the developed prototype. The measured hemoglobin value by the Trax Control Meter for low, middle, and high levels is almost the same as the expected range values, namely, 13.09, 16.8, and 17.81 g/dL, respectively. Three sets of device prototype variants were successfully developed: (i) the noninvasive blood hemoglobin level measuring device based on Raspberry Pi Prototype on Infant Finger and Thigh Probes, (ii) the level measuring prototype noninvasive hemoglobin in blood based on Internet of Things and WebServer, and (iii) the prototype of noninvasive blood hemoglobin level measuring device on in vitro probe with reflectance method. Testing the accuracy of the Biorad MeterTrax Trilevel using a multiformula regression calculation using the ZunZun server shows that the tool has an accuracy ranging from 0.12 to 0.30 g/dL.

Experiments on Adversarial Examples for Deep Learning Model Using Multimodal Sensors.

Recently, artificial intelligence (AI) based on IoT sensors has been widely used, which has increased the risk of attacks targeting AI. Adversarial examples are among the most serious types of attacks in which the attacker designs inputs that can cause the machine learning system to generate incorrect outputs. Considering the architecture using multiple sensor devices, hacking even a few sensors can create a significant risk; an attacker can attack the machine learning model through the hacked sensors. Some studies demonstrated the possibility of adversarial examples on the deep neural network (DNN) model based on IoT sensors, but it was assumed that an attacker must access all features. The impact of hacking only a few sensors has not been discussed thus far. Therefore, in this study, we discuss the possibility of attacks on DNN models by hacking only a small number of sensors. In this scenario, the attacker first hacks few sensors in the system, obtains the values of the hacked sensors, and changes them to manipulate the system, but the attacker cannot obtain and change the values of the other sensors. We perform experiments using the human activity recognition model with three sensor devices attached to the chest, wrist, and ankle of a user, and demonstrate that attacks are possible by hacking a small number of sensors.

Modulation of the carrier balance of lead-halide perovskite nanocrystals by polyelectrolyte hole transport layers for near-infrared light-emitting diodes.

An alternative material, methylamine (MA)-doped poly[3-(4-carboxymethyl)thiophene-2,5-diyl] (P3CT) as hole transport layer (HTL) was investigated for efficient solution-processed near-infrared perovskite light-emitting diodes (NIR PeLEDs). The best NIR PeLEDs performance was achieved with an optimized composition ratio of the MA-doped P3CT (1:1) due to the balance of the electron and hole carrier in the active layer. The charge-balanced NIR PeLEDs exhibit the highest radiance of 858.37 W sr-1 m-2, a low turn-on voltage of 1.82 V, and an external quantum efficiency of 7.44%. Our findings show that using P3CT as an alternative HTL has the potential to significantly improve PeLED performance, allowing it to play a role in the development of practical applications in high-power NIR LEDs.

Effects of rotational thromboelastometry-guided transfusion management in patients undergoing surgical intervention for postpartum hemorrhage: An observational study.

BACKGROUND: Postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) can be associated with coagulopathy, which may be difficult to rapidly assess and may exacerbate blood loss. Rotational thromboelastometry (ROTEM) at the point of care can guide clinician choice of blood products and has been shown in some settings to reduce transfusions and improve outcomes. This hospital-based observational study aims to measure effects of a ROTEM-guided transfusion protocol on transfusion practice and clinical outcomes in patients with PPH managed in the operating theater. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: We compared a retrospective cohort of 450 consecutive patients with PPH treated in the operating theater before the introduction of a ROTEM-guided transfusion algorithm in June 2016, with 450 patients treated after its introduction. Multivariate regression was used to evaluate the effect of ROTEM introduction on the primary outcome, patients requiring a packed red blood cell (PRBC) transfusion and adjusting for demographic and obstetric confounders. Secondary outcomes included other blood product transfusions, hysterectomy, and intensive care unit admission. RESULTS: A total of 90 (20%) of patients treated prior to ROTEM introduction received a PRBC transfusion, compared with 102 (22.7%) of those treated after ROTEM introduction (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.0-2.0, p = .04). There was no difference in PRBC transfusion in patients undergoing caesarean section (95% CI 0.5-1.8, p = .99). There was a trend toward increased use of cryoprecipitate and reduced use of platelets and fresh frozen plasma after ROTEM introduction. CONCLUSION: In our institution, the introduction of ROTEM-guided transfusion did not reduce PRBC transfusion in patients with PPH treated in the operating theater.

Catalyst-loaded micro-encapsulated phase change material for thermal control of exothermic reaction.

CO2 methanation is a promising technology to enable the use of CO2 as a resource. Thermal control of CO2 methanation, which is a highly active exothermic reaction, is important to avoid thermal runaway and subsequent degradation of the catalyst. Using the heat storage capacity of a phase change material (PCM) for thermal control of the reaction is a novel passive approach. In this study a novel structure was developed, wherein catalysts were directly loaded onto a micro-encapsulated PCM (MEPCM). The MEPCM was prepared in three steps consisting of a boehmite treatment, precipitation treatment, and heat oxidation treatment, and an impregnation process was adopted to prepare a Ni catalyst. The catalyst-loaded MEPCM did not show any breakage or deformation of the capsule or a decrease in the heat storage capacity after the impregnation treatment. MEPCM demonstrated a higher potential as an alternative catalyst support in CO2 methanation than the commercially available α-Al2O3 particle. In addition, the heat storage capacity of the catalyst-loaded MEPCM suppressed the temperature rise of the catalyst bed at a high heat absorption rate (2.5 MW m-3). In conclusion, the catalyst-loaded MEPCM is a high-speed, high-precision thermal control device because of its high-density energy storage and resolution of a spatial gap between the catalyst and cooling devices. This novel concept has the potential to overcome the technical challenges faced by efficiency enhancement of industrial chemical reactions.

Ultrafast Iron-Making Method: Carbon Combustion Synthesis from Carbon-Infiltrated Goethite Ore.

Carbon-infiltrated iron ores were prepared from a coal-tar solution and selected calcined iron sources (i.e., goethite (FeOOH) ore, high-grade hematite ore, and Fe2O3 reagent grain). A several hundred micrometer thick carbon layer was deposited on the surface of all iron sources. Because the tar solution successfully penetrated into its nanopores, only goethite ore possessed a significant amount of carbon in its interior nanopores. The carbon-infiltrated ores were heated rapidly in an oxygen atmosphere in the combustion synthesis experiments. Carbon combustion occurred at the ore surface, with the ore temperature increasing suddenly during the experiments. Fast reduction to metallic iron was observed only in the carbon-infiltrated goethite ore, regardless of the oxygen atmosphere. Close contact between the goethite ore and the carbon in its nanoporous interior facilitated the fast reduction. The apparent reduction reaction of goethite ore is akin to a direct reduction reaction (i.e., FeO x + C → FeO x-1 + CO).