Telecommunications Research Articles

Electronic Interactions in Coulombic Associated Photoactive Macrocycles to Chemically Modified MoS2 Nanosheets.

Whilst functionalization of transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), and more specifically MoS2, has flourished the past decade, the accommodation of photoactive molecules on their lattice has unlocked the potentiality of this family of materials in a series of optoelectronic and energy related applications. The electronic communication between the chromophore and MoS2, in such systems, has been thoroughly studied, in cases where the grafting of the former on the latter is secured through covalent bonding. However, comparatively less attention has been drawn in cases where the chromophore is electrostatically anchored on MoS2, a means that potentially provides alternative ways of spatially accommodating the ligand on the TMD's extended environment, which directly affects the electronic communication between the two entities. In this work, we comparatively study the photophysical characteristics of three separate nanoensembles, where MoS2 is electrostatically hosting a Zn-phthalocyanine, a Zn-porphyrin, and a boron-dipyrromethene, that complementary cover a wide range of visible absorption, via UV-Vis and photoluminescence spectroscopy. The results highlight the strong interactions in the excited state across all chromophores, while the ground-state interactions vary from chromophore to chromophore, indicating a distinct energy exchange dependent on the specific nanoensemble.

Electronic Communication Between Single Atomic Nickel and Iron‐Nitrogen Species Promote the Bifunctional Oxygen Evolution and Reduction for Efficient Rechargeable Zinc‐Air Battery

AbstractThe reversible oxygen evolution/reduction reaction (OER/ORR) have been recognized as the key electrochemical process for next‐generation energy conversion and storage (ECS) devices, such as fuel cells and metal‐air batteries. However, the intrinsic large overpotential barrier caused by oxygen‐containing intermediates (*OH, *O, and *OOH) greatly hamper the reaction kinetics of OER/ORR. In this work, a dual‐functional OER/ORR electrocatalyst composed of Ni single atomic sites and FeN0.0324 nanoclusters within a unique core–shell structure of FeN0.0324@NiN4/C is constructed. Benefiting from the efficient synergistic electronic effect of single atomic Ni and FeN0.0324, the FeN0.0324@NiN4/C exhibits excellent electrocatalytic activities for OER with an overpotential of 258 mV at 10 mA cm−2 and ORR with a half‐wave potential (E1/2) of 0.89 V. A liquid zinc‐air battery assembled by FeN0.0324@NiN4/C achieves a maximum peak power density of 180.9 mW cm−2 and cycle endurance stability of more than 150 h. Density functional theory (DFT) calculation indicates that the d‐band center near the Fermi level of NiN4‐FeN4 is shifted more upward in comparison with pristine NiN4H, which effectively optimizes the adsorption of *O and alleviates the troublesome OER process. This study provides a new platform for the construction of new OER/ORR electrocatalysts in the field of energy storage devices.

The resilience of critical information infrastructure topology in the cyberspace

Modern trends in the decentralization and branching of systems that process, store, and transmit information enhance system resilience. Increasingly, technological systems and operational technologies rely on electronic communications from third-party operators and cyberspace. However, these trends introduce new cybersecurity challenges and contradictions. This article presents risk-informed approaches to designing and modernizing the topology of critical information infrastructure (CII). Such approaches involve making decisions and implementing security measures based on a thorough assessment of organizational risks. By evaluating the likelihood and impact of threats, vulnerabilities, and potential consequences, resources are prioritized to achieve a balance between security, functionality, and cost-effectiveness. The recommendations focus on practices for assessing cybersecurity risks, particularly those arising from cyberattacks targeting external (cyberspace) connections of CII. They also emphasize enhancing the protection of critical information assets from such threats. Unlike general cybersecurity measures, these recommendations specifically address risks associated with CII’s cyberspace topology, providing additional or supplementary measures to existing procedures within the information security lifecycle.

Public control of outer space: towards the formulation of the problem

This article is devoted to the analysis of issues related to the possibility of organizing and implementing public control (control of the civil society of the peoples of the United Nations) over the processes of exploration and use of outer space. The authors note that outer space is of exceptional value and importance for the processes of conservation and development of mankind, since: the exploration of outer space in the last decade has been carried out at a rapidly growing pace; modern telecommunications technologies are not possible without the use of outer space; outer space is the most important condition for ensuring the defense security of states; the danger of environmental pollution of near space by waste has increased. There are serious risks of additional militarization of outer space (up to the placement of weapons of mass destruction in it); the activities of private economic entities in outer space are poorly controlled by the international community and the civil society of the peoples of the United Nations. A number of scientific research methods are used in the work, in particular: formal-logical; comparative-legal; historical-legal; statistical; sociological; method of analyzing specific legal situations. The authors note that the organization and implementation of public control (control of the civil society of the peoples of the United Nations) over the processes of exploration and use of outer space are fraught with a number of problems: the UN Charter and international legislation do not directly fix the grounds and limits of the implementation of this control; the norms of international space law do not always detail the possibility of participation of civil society institutions in the control of the study and use of outer space; there is no certainty as to which subjects of public control (control of the civil society of the peoples of the United Nations) should organize and conduct its activities for the processes of exploration and use of outer space; these subjects are not endowed with a set of real powers that can ensure the legality of the above-mentioned processes; these subjects have a weak material and technical base; there is no mechanism for bringing to legal responsibility those responsible for countering the legitimate control activities of the above-mentioned entities.

Metrics for Evaluating Telemedicine in Randomized Controlled Trials: Scoping Review.

Telemedicine involves medical, diagnostic, and treatment-related services using telecommunication technology. Not only does telemedicine contribute to improved patient quality of life and satisfaction by reducing travel time and allowing patients to be seen in their usual environment, but it also has the potential to improve disease management by making it easier for patients to see a doctor. Recently, owing to IT developments, research on telemedicine has been increasing; however, its usefulness and limitations in randomized controlled trials remain unclear because of the multifaceted effects of telemedicine. Furthermore, the specific metrics that can be used as cross-disciplinary indicators when comparing telemedicine and face-to-face care also remain undefined. This review aimed to provide an overview of the general and cross-disciplinarity metrics used to compare telemedicine with in-person care in randomized controlled trials. In addition, we identified previously unevaluated indicators and suggested those that should be prioritized in future clinical trials. MEDLINE and Embase databases were searched for publications that met the inclusion criteria according to PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis Extension for Scoping Reviews). Original, English-language articles on randomized controlled trials comparing some forms of telemedicine with face-to-face care from January 2019 to March 2024 were included, and the basic information and general metrics used in these studies were summarized. Of the 2275 articles initially identified, 79 were included in the final analysis. The commonly used metrics that can be used across medical specialties were divided into the following 3 categories: (1) patient-centeredness (67/79, 85%), including patient satisfaction, workload, and quality of life; (2) patient outcomes (57/79, 72%), including general clinical parameters such as death, admission, and adverse events; and (3) cost-effectiveness (40/79, 51%), including cost assessment and quality-adjusted life year. Notably, only 25 (32%) of 79 studies evaluated all the 3 categories. Other metrics, such as staff convenience, system usability, and environmental impact, were extracted as indicators in different directions from the three categories above, although few previous reports have evaluated them (staff convenience: 8/79, 10%; system usability: 3/79, 4%; and environmental impact: 2/79, 3%). A significant variation was observed in the metrics used across previous studies. Notably, general indicators should be used to enhance the understandability of the results for people in other areas, even if disease-specific indicators are used. In addition, indicators should be established to include all three commonly used categories of measures to ensure a comprehensive evaluation: patient-centeredness, patient outcomes, and cost-effectiveness. Staff convenience, system usability, and environmental impact are important indicators that should be used in future trials. Moreover, standardization of the evaluation metrics is desired for future clinical trials and studies. Open Science Forum Registries YH5S7; https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/YH5S7.

The Impact of Tele pharmacy in Rural Healthcare

In many nations, the rapid expansion of information and telecommunication technology use has a significant impact on healthcare delivery. Geographical and demographic characteristics, however, frequently make it difficult for rural areas and residents to access healthcare services. Telepharmacy, a relatively new term for pharmaceutical services, allows a qualified pharmacist to provide healthcare services, including medication reviews, patient counseling, and prescription verification, to patients who live far from a hospital, pharmacy, or healthcare facility. Economic benefits, patient satisfaction due to medication access and information in rural areas, easy access to healthcare services in remote and rural locations, effective patient counseling, and a lack of local pharmacists and pharmacy services are just a few of the well-known advantages of telepharmacy. Although telepharmacy is an excellent idea, its implementation can occasionally be difficult. There are hazards and legal issues that come with implementing these techniques that must be resolved. Significant time, money, and effort are required for the technology, software, connectivity, and operational costs associated with telepharmacy startup. One of the main obstacles to telepharmacy services for rural hospitals with fewer patients seems to be cost.Furthermore, there are still issues with the execution and uniformity of the telepharmacy law. A properly-designed system, however, has the power to transform pharmacy practice in ways that benefit rural communities as well as the hospitals or retail pharmacies that provide these services.

Understanding the emerging success factors gap of accounting information systems in developing countries – a systematic literature review

PurposeWhile the adoption of accounting information systems (AIS) is crucial in developing countries owing to the rapidly changing business environment, the emerging factors in its successful implementation continue to be inconsistent. This systematic literature review (SLR) aims to understand the emerging factors of underlying successful AIS implementation, with a specific focus on developing countries.Design/methodology/approachA total of 70 empirical studies from 2017 to 2024 were analysed using an SLR technique. Studies including the search term “accounting information systems” OR “AIS” AND “developing countries” in their titles, keywords or abstracts were retrieved from five digital databases. The articles were analysed and synthesised using thematic analysis.FindingsThe findings revealed six key themes: (1) AIS literacy, (2) automation in AIS, (3) cloud-based AIS, (4) cultural factors, (5) environmental factors and (6) mobile accessibility and 25 subthemes.Practical implicationsA comprehensive understanding of these gaps will enable academics, policymakers and AIS professionals to make well-informed decisions and enhance the efficacy and efficiency of AIS operations.Originality/valueThe thematic analysis highlights the theoretical gaps and exposes areas where the connection between factors may be inadequate to indicate future study avenues.

P-1788. Impact of standardized audit and feedback script and guide to reduce empiric fluoroquinolone use at two community hospitals

Abstract Background Fluoroquinolones are one of a few oral options for drug-resistant gram-negative infections. Preservation of their susceptibility is an important goal for many antimicrobial stewardship programs. There are a multitude of antimicrobial stewardship efforts to reduce their use in hospitalized patients with community-acquired infections to reduce resistance and prevent adverse effects. At our institutions, fluoroquinolone susceptibility rates are lower than guideline recommendations for use in many community-acquired infections warranting targeted interventions in empiric use. Standardized script and guide used by pharmacists during daily audit and feedback of fluoroquinolones in hospitalized adult patients. Methods At two community hospitals in northern Virginia, a standardized script and guide were created and implemented in May of 2023 for use in prospective audit and feedback of fluoroquinolones in hospitalized adult patients (Figure 1). The script and guide are used by pharmacists during daily antimicrobial stewardship monitoring and order verification to reduce the use of fluoroquinolones in the empiric treatment of community-acquired infections. Interventions were made by pharmacists either in person or via electronic communication in the electronic health record (EHR). Interventions were documented in the EHR for future analysis. A pre-implementation period of May 2022 to April 2023 was compared to a post-standardized script implementation period of May 2023 to April 2024.Figure 2Fluoroquinolone interventions Fluoroquinolone interventions by month from May 2022 through April 2024. Interventions were documented by pharmacists during daily antimicrobial stewardship monitoring in hospitalized adult patients. Pre-implementation, the average number of interventions per month was 6. Post-implementation, the average number of interventions per month was 20. Results A total of 71 documented interventions were made between May 2022 to April 2023 prior to implementation of the standardized script and guide. After the standardized script and guide were implemented, a total of 240 interventions were documented between May 2023 and April 2024 (Figure 2). After implementation, there was an average monthly increase of 16 interventions per month. The acceptance rate of interventions was 80% for pre-implementation and 86% post-implementation. Monthly average day of therapy per 1000 patient days present (DOT/1000) decreased post-implementation from 41 (DOT/1000) to 31 (DOT/1000), a difference of 10 DOT/1000 (p< 0.05) (Figure 3).Figure 3- Days of therapy per 1000 patient days present for fluoroquinolones The days of therapy per 1000 patient days (DOT/1000) for fluoroquinolones from May 2022 through April 2024. Pre-implementation the average monthly DOT/1000 was 41 and post-implementation the average monthly DOT/1000 was 31 a decrease of 10 DOT/1000 (p<0.05). Conclusion A standardized script and guide can reduce inpatient fluoroquinolone use for community-acquired infections in hospitalized adults when used by pharmacists during daily antimicrobial stewardship monitoring. Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures

TELEMEDICINE AND MEDICAL MALPRACTICE

Digitization in healthcare covers many topics such as artificial intelligence, robotic surgery, wearable health technologies, nanotechnology, 3D printers, virtual reality applications, electronic prescription, and remote health delivery services (telemedicine). Among these developments, telemedicine is one of the applications that are expected to cause significant changes in the classical patient-physician relationship in the near future. Telemedicine is defined as the use of electronic information and communication technologies to provide and support health services in situations where distance is a problem. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), telemedicine applications are divided into five main categories: teleradiology, teledermatology, telepathology, telepsychiatry, and telemonitorization. Due to the increasing need and demand after the COVID-19 epidemic in Turkey, the "Regulation on the Delivery of Remote Health Services" was published in the Official Gazette dated 10.02.2022. Telemedicine applications, which are fast, effective and financially sustainable healthcare services, have various advantages and disadvantages. This system offers main advantages such as increasing the quality of health services, decreasing economic costs, providing equally accessible health services to everyone, including those living in different age groups and/or rural areas, alleviating the workload of the emergency service, and preventing the increasing incidence of violence in health. Besides lack of face-to-face communication, insurance payment coverage, and digital security problems are the possible disadvantages of the system. The lack of the necessary legal infrastructure and the new implementation of telemedicine pose significant risks in terms of malpractice. In addition to informed consent, diagnosis, follow-up, treatment, consultation, and medical record processes, in these cases, it is important for medical malpractice evaluation to reveal the differences between telemedicine from classical medical education teachings and to draw its legal framework clearly. In our study, it is planned to guide the possible processes in Turkey by considering the approaches to malpractice in the practices of countries where telemedicine is applied.

Security of differential phase shift QKD from relativistic principles

The design of quantum protocols for secure key generation poses many challenges: On the one hand, they need to be practical concerning experimental realisations. On the other hand, their theoretical description must be simple enough to allow for a security proof against all possible attacks. Often, these two requirements are in conflict with each other, and the differential phase shift (DPS) QKD protocol exemplifies these difficulties: It is designed to be implementable with current optical telecommunication technology, which, for this protocol, comes at the cost that many standard security proof techniques do not apply to it. After about 20 years since its invention, this work presents the first full security proof of DPS QKD against general attacks, including finite-size effects. The proof combines techniques from quantum information theory, quantum optics, and relativity. We first give a security proof of a QKD protocol whose security stems from relativistic constraints. We then show that security of DPS QKD can be reduced to security of the relativistic protocol. In addition, we show that coherent attacks on the DPS protocol are, in fact, stronger than collective attacks. Our results have broad implications for the development of secure and reliable quantum communication technologies, as they shed light on the range of applicability of state-of-the-art security proof techniques.

Recent Update on Teledermatology

ABSTRACTIntroductionTeledermatology, a branch of telemedicine, utilizes telecommunication technologies for remote dermatological care, covering diagnosis, treatment planning, and patient monitoring. This study presents a review of the latest advances in teledermatology.MethodDatabase searches were performed within PubMed, EMBase, and Google Scholar using the keywords “Artificial Intelligence,” “Teledermatology,” “Telemedicine,” and “Dermatology.” All relevant documents were screened and included in the study.ResultsTeledermatology employs synchronous and asynchronous interactions alongside remote monitoring, breaking geographical barriers to access dermatologic expertise. Supported by digital imaging, secure communication platforms, and artificial intelligence, teledermatology aids in diagnosis, treatment, and follow‐up. In education, teledermatology facilitates remote learning, case review, and interdisciplinary collaboration, providing access to diverse patient populations and mentorship opportunities. It also contributes to continuing medical education and telemedicine skill development. In research, teledermatology supports epidemiological studies, diagnostic accuracy assessments, clinical trials, and quality improvement initiatives. Despite its benefits, challenges like image quality, regulatory issues, and the digital divide persist.ConclusionThe evolution of teledermatology depends on technological advancements, regulatory frameworks, and reimbursement models. By addressing challenges and embracing innovation, teledermatology promises to enhance dermatologic care, patient outcomes, and healthcare efficiency in the digital era.

Molecular Nanojunction Catalyst for Oxygen Evolution Reaction

AbstractAchieving close integration and strong electronic communication between molecular catalysts and conductive substrates is crucial for developing the stability and catalytic activity of the nanomaterials. However, constructing molecular heterostructure catalyst usually need complex and demanding synthesis processes. Herein, a facile and universal “molecular nanojunction” strategy is developed to prepare molecular catalysts with high stability and catalytic activity by improving the coplanarity of the molecular nanojunction catalysts and facilitating efficient electron transfer. The density function theory (DFT) calculations and in situ characterization indicate that the molecular nanojunction catalyst reduces excessive *OH adsorption and accelerates the deprotonation process, thereby promoting oxygen generation. The “molecular nanojunction” catalyst shows better oxygen evolution reaction (OER) performance than most reported molecular catalysts. What's more, the molecular nanojunction catalysts are applied in alkaline anion exchange membrane (AEM) electrolysis cells, exhibiting excellent catalytic performance.

Educator Sexual Misconduct: A Description of Electronic Communication Use

ABSTRACT While media reports of educator sexual misconduct (ESM) often note educators’ use of electronic communication, few have systematically explored electronic communication use in ESM. This study describes educators who use electronic communication when committing sexual misconduct and the nature of this communication. The author inductively and deductively coded Kentucky Education Professional Standards Board disciplinary action records (N = 74) to descriptively and statistically analyze electronic communication use by educator characteristics. In this sample, most educators used electronic communication and committed misconduct both in-person and through electronic means. Educators who were male, taught middle school, or held a Rank III certification more often committed misconduct solely through electronic communication. Future research recommendations and ESM prevention, such as proactive policies and trainings targeting electronic communication, are discussed.

Development of deontological principles for professional activities of judicial process participants in the context of judiciary digitalization

This research is dedicated to analyzing the impact of judiciary digitalization on the development of deontological principles of professional activities of judicial process participants. In modern conditions, digital technologies become an integral part of the legal system, changing the traditional methods of work of judges, lawyers, investigators, and other specialists. The implementation of electronic case management systems, online conferences, and digital communication tools enhances the efficiency and accessibility of judicial services, reduces the time for case review, and decreases the risks of corruption. However, this process is accompanied by challenges such as ensuring cybersecurity, protecting personal data, and providing equal access to digital resources for all participants. Digitalization also affects the ethical norms and professional responsibility of judicial process participants. Enhancing the transparency of judicial processes requires professionals to adhere to principles of honesty and openness, as well as ensuring the confidentiality of information. The use of electronic communication tools imposes the need to maintain high ethical standards in the virtual space, including avoiding conflicts of interest and ensuring fairness in interactions between parties. One of the key aspects of the study is the necessity for ongoing professional training and adaptation to rapid technological changes. Participants in the judicial process must master new digital tools, understand their capabilities and risks, which promotes the development of ethical awareness and professional competence. This ensures high quality of judicial decisions and increases public trust in the judicial system. The conclusions of the study emphasize that the digitalization of the judiciary is a catalyst for the development of deontological principles of professional activity, contributing to the creation of a more transparent, fair, and reliable judicial system. The integration of digital technologies not only enhances the efficiency of judicial processes but also forms new ethical standards, which are the foundation for modern legal practice.

Web-Based Document Tracking System for Catanduanes State University with QR-Code Technology: In Alignment with Republic Act No. 11032

Tracing in a university setting is usually beset with inaccuracies, misplaced files, and delay retrieval. This research is, therefore, designed to develop a web-based document tracking system that integrates QR-code technology specifically tailored for Catanduanes State University (CatSU). It shall be designed to further enhance efficiency in document tracking to complement administrative processes and purport compliance with Republic Act No. 11032, otherwise known as the Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act of 2018. Through document tracking, the system reduces the risk of human error and allows transparency of both sent and received documents. Developed using HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and PHP, along with a centralized database implemented on an Apache server, QR codes uniquely identify each document for real-time status tracking. The system evaluation, performed on ISO/IEC 25010 software quality criteria, gave it a rating of "Excellent." Overall, the mean score of critical parameters of Functional Suitability, Performance Efficiency, Compatibility, Usability, Reliability, Security, Maintainability, and Portability are in the range of 4.94. This high rating signifies that the system can further document management and administrative procedures at CatSU. Other recommendations include expanding the system's capabilities, training the users, and the development of mobile access. Overall, the DTS provides an effective solution for the document tracking needs of CatSU, which enables transparency, accuracy, and compliance with RA 11032, besides the potential of the backbone toward scalability and further improvements.

Applicability of Cybercrime Conventions to International Cooperation in the Fight against Child Abuses on the Internet during Armed Conflicts

Information and telecommunication technologies are intensively used to aggravate the humanitarian condition of children being disproportionately affected by military conflicts. Although international humanitarian law contains a significant number of norms providing special protection of children, most issues related to child abuses on the Internet are enshrined in specific treaties that may be not applicable during international military conflicts. The present article addresses the norms of the law of treaties related to the effects of armed conflicts on treaties, including cybercrime conventions; it discusses the applicability of the existing cybercrime treaties during armed conflicts.

EVALUATION SUBSTATION PROTECTION SYSTEM FROM LIGHTNING STRIKES AT 150KV JATIGEDE SUBSTATION

Grounding serves a crucial role in the field lightning protection, electric power, and electric power communications networks. The grounding system's purpose is to guide the flow of electrical charges to the ground mass as rapidly as feasible. The goal of this study is to analyze the grounding system utilized to ensure the continuity of electrical energy production and delivery. In this study, quantitative methods are used to calculate lightning parameters, substation protection by earthing wires and protection towers, earthing system, mesh voltages, touch voltages and step voltages. According to IEEE 80-2013 (latest revision) standards, an ideal earthing application should have a resistance value of 1Ω. The results of the analysis and calculation of the grounding system using the grid grounding type obtained a value of 0.28276 Ω (1Ω), and mesh voltage 0,851314 kV. The protection system which consists of a 103.47288 M ground wire and a 55.27325 M protection tower, is capable of protecting the substation from lightning strikes with a peak current of 51.32913 kA. The touch voltage for humans weighing 50kg and 70kg is 133.39304 V and 180.54060 V, and the step voltage results in 185.5770 V and 251.1690 V. When the grounding current at touch and step voltages is considered, the values become 442.87730 kV and 616.17712 kV. Both exceed the allowed levels of 626 and 2,216 V.

Promising Electromagnetic Interference Shielding Materials: Hybrid Fillers Reinforced Bio‐Based Composites

ABSTRACTElectromagnetic pollution, also known as electromagnetic interference (EMI) issues, is a growing concern as electronic and telecommunication technologies advance. The resulting urgent demand for EMI shielding materials underscores the need for the development of high‐performance, environmentally friendly shielding materials. Here, we assess the impact of multiscale carbon‐based hybrid filler on the EMI shielding performance of polyamide 11/poly(lactic acid) composites. The effects of the amounts (0.5 to 5 wt%) of graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) and multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) nanofillers in carbon fiber (CF)/GNP and CF/MWCNT‐reinforced hybrid composites were comparatively investigated. The composites were fabricated through melt blending/compression molding and subsequently characterized in terms of morphological, fiber length, electrical properties, and EMI shielding effectiveness (EMI SE). Morphological imaging revealed a good adhesion between the fillers and the matrix, indicating a favorable interaction. The fiber length analysis demonstrated that fiber lengths were longer in CF/GNP hybrid composites than in CF/MWCNT. The EMI SE measurements showed the synergistic effects of the fillers in the X and Ku bands. The highest EMI SE values at 10 GHz and 16 GHz for the 20CF‐5GNP composite were 34 and 40 dB, respectively.

Multi‐Layered Structure as an Efficient Design for Improving Electromagnetic Wave Absorbing Properties of Polypropylene/EVA/Carbon Nanotube Composites

ABSTRACTFlexible and lightweight conducting polymer composites for application as electromagnetic wave absorbing (EMWA) materials were prepared by a one‐step melt‐blending procedure using a polypropylene/EVA (50:50 wt%) blend filled with carbon nanotube. The co‐continuous structure and the preferential localization of CNT in the EVA phase and at the interface are responsible for the low percolation threshold (0.02 vol%) and a conductivity of 10−3 S m−1 with 1.5 wt% of CNT. Metal‐backed configuration was used for measuring the electromagnetic attenuation in both X‐ (8–12 GHz) and Ku‐band (12–18 GHz). Samples 3 mm thick were compared with three‐layered structures constituted by three layers of 1 mm each. The best EMWA response in terms of minimum reflection loss (RL) (−35.5 dB) and large effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) (6.6 GHz) was observed for the three‐layered system with the appropriate arrangement. The low cost of polymer components and processing conditions, lightweight, and processability, due to the low amount of CNT, make this system a promising candidate for applications in both civilian and military areas as telecommunication and stealth technology.

Readiness to deliver quality curative care for under-five children at health posts in Ethiopia

BackgroundThe institutionalization of village health services with salaried community health workers has been established in Ethiopia for over a decade. However, there are serious concerns about the capacity of health posts to provide quality curative care for children under-five.Understanding the readiness of health posts is crucial for improving the care given to sick children. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the readiness of health posts to deliver quality curative care for children under-five in four regional states in Ethiopia.MethodsA facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted at selected health posts across 10 zones in the Amhara, Oromia, SNNP, and Tigray regions. Study participants, including health posts and health extension workers, were selected using a two-stage stratified cluster sampling strategy. The readiness of health post was assessed in terms of infrastructure, human resources, medicines, medical equipment and supplies and job aids. The variations in health post readiness were analyzed using a One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA).ResultsA survey was conducted on 169 health posts and 276 health extension workers. The majority of health posts had a toilet facility (83%) and water supply (62%). However, less than a quarter had electricity connection (22%) and communication equipment (18%). Over three-fourths of health extension workers were trained (83%) and supervised (78%) on clinical management of sick children. Less than half (44%) had received clinical mentorship. Availability of essential medicines ranged from 81% for zinc tablets to 28% for cotrimoxazole. Similarly, availability of essential medical equipment varied from 57% for blood pressure apparatus to 86% for thermometer and 99% for Mid-Upper Arm Circumference tape. Only a small portion of health posts (8%) had all critical items for infection prevention practices, which are essential for quality care. Overall, the average percentage availability of items to provide quality curative care to children was 66%, with health post preparedness significantly varying across regions (P < 0.0001).ConclusionsThe readiness for delivering quality curative care was below standard and significantly varied among health posts across regions. Serious attention is needed to ensure the sustained availability of critical inputs such as trained health extension workers, medicines, medical equipment, and supplies, which is paramount for delivering quality care.