Poverty-stricken Areas Research Articles

Research on the status and prospect of microgrid technology

Abstract. With the increasing demand for electrical energy and the appeal of environmental protection, the world has started to pay attention to the application of microgrids. A microgrid is a grid with many advantages, such as independence, effectiveness in working, and environmental friendliness, and can solve both energy and environmental problems. The paper reviews the microgrid system: how it functions, how it has advantages in energy and environmental aspects, and the prospects of microgrid in the future using a literature review. Microgrid has a flexible operation since it can find the optimum solution for generation, transmission, and distribution by shifting smoothly between island mode (which generates electricity by itself and directly transmits it to the supply side) and grid-connected mode (which connects to macrogrid and is dependent on its power supply). It also has energy reliability for its control system and energy storage system to coordinate the output power, which enhances the utility of energy resources. Microgrid has great potential for solving energy problems in remote or poverty-stricken areas and has unlimited prospects in industry, residential communities, and utilities and energy providers.

Spatial–Temporal Analysis of Greenness and Its Relationship with Poverty in China

Ecological environmental protection and poverty alleviation are of great significance for the study of human–land relationship coordination and sustainable development, and they have also been a focus of attention in China in the past few decades. In this study, we chose 13 contiguous poverty-stricken areas in China as the study area. Using MODIS Leaf Area Index (LAI) data from 2000 to 2020, the spatial–temporal changes in greenness were obtained using the Bayesian spatial–temporal model (BYM). Spatial autocorrelation was used to identify the spatial distribution of poverty using socio-economic statistical data. Driving factors, including natural factors, poverty factors, and the Grain for Green Policy (GTGP), and their influence on greenness were analyzed by using the Geodetector model for detecting spatial differentiation and factors’ interactions. The results showed the following: (1) In 13 contiguous poverty-stricken areas (CPSAs) in China, 59% of the area presented an increasing trend of greenness. (2) In 2000, the high poverty levels with larger MPI values were widely distributed. After 20 years, the overall MPI value was lower, except in some northwest regions with increased MPI values. The spatial autocorrelation of poverty, which relates to the mutual influence of poverty in adjacent areas, also decreased. (3) In the study area, 65.24% of the regions showed strong synergistic effect between greening progress and poverty reduction in the interaction between poverty status and green development. With the improvement of greenness level, the positive correlation between poverty alleviation and ecological environment improvement has become increasingly close. (4) The impacts of interaction factors with the highest q values changed from temperature interacting with precision to regional division interacting with the Grain for Green Policy. The conclusions are that from 2000 to 2020, the impact of natural factors, geographical division, and poverty status on greenness has shown a decreasing trend; The effect of the Grain for Green Policy is gradually increasing; At the same time, the interaction and overlapping effects between the Grain for Green Policy and poverty were increasing. Taking into account the needs of ecological environment, poverty alleviation, and rural revitalization, this research provides valuable reference for formulating and implementing relevant policies based on the actual situation in different regions to promote harmonious coexistence between human-land relationship.

Investigating the Interrelationship between the Desire for a Cohesive Community and Opioid Abuse: A Neuropsychological Study of Demon Copperhead

Abstract Foregrounding the increasing global crisis of opioids as the “leading cause of deaths in fatal overdoses,” the World Drug Report 2023, published by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), mentioned that in 2021 more than 80,000 people died due to opioid overdose in the United States of America. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the national public health protection agency in the United States, has reported that “the predicted number of drug overdose deaths showed an increase of 0.5% from the 12 months ending in December 2021 to the 12 months ending in December 2022, from 109,179 to 179,680” (“Provisional Data”). Although the trajectory of opioid use disorders (OUDs) has affected different sociodemographic groups in the country since its first wave in the 1990s, teenagers in poverty-stricken rural areas are more vulnerable to such addiction (Keyes et al.). Poor parental guidance, impoverishment, troubled childhoods, detrimental familial structure, scarce opportunities, and accessibility to opioids are often considered to be the primary risk factors for unprivileged teenagers to develop a psychic reliance on opioids for engendering a perpetual sense of contentment. According to the incentive sensitization theory, the persistent desire to transcend physical and psychical limitations for a sense of relief, triggered by chronic drug misuse, often evokes a sense of “wanting” or incentive salience, a compulsive inclination towards drug-associated stimuli (Berridge and Robinson, “Drug Addiction” 22). This intense desire of “wanting” often generates a perpetual sensitization of the mesolimbic systems in the brain which is also activated by mental representations of drug-associated cues (Robinson and Berridge 3139). Focusing on drug-induced changes in the brain such as hypersensitization and neuroadaptation, this study analyzes Barbara Kingsolver’s Demon Copperhead, a modern reimagining of David Copperfield by Charles Dickens. The selected text addresses primarily some pertinent socio-political crises, such as the poor foster care system, poverty, and the engrossing opioid endemic in Southern Appalachia. However, this study attempts to analyze the precarious state of some characters, who become addicted to opioids seeking recognition from peer groups and perpetual psychic stability, in the selected text from a neuropsychological perspective.

Policy evaluation and optimization for photovoltaic poverty alleviation projects in Anhui Province of China

To synergize climate mitigation with poverty alleviation, China has implemented photovoltaic poverty alleviation (PVPA) projects since 2014, with Anhui Province being among the initial pilot regions. However, further exploration is needed to determine the extent to which this policy can improve the economic status of poverty-stricken areas. This study aims to evaluate the effects of PVPA projects in Anhui Province from a macroscopic perspective and via the panel data from 11 poverty-stricken counties, including 5 pilot counties, between 2011 and 2018. By employing the differences-in-differences (DID) model and synthetic control method (SCM) model, this study calculated the treatment effects of the PVPA policy. The analysis revealed that the policy did not significantly increase rural residential income at the county level. The insignificant treatment effects reflect a weak policy implementation. The PVPA policy tries to synergize the energy-climate-poverty nexus, requiring the coordination of various stakeholders and departments. Meanwhile, governance theory highlights the multivariate character of policy and considers the role of multiple social actors. Therefore, it is necessary to explore the governance factors when the policy implementation is weak. Further investigation of the PVPA projects reveals that the main governance challenges include insufficient motivation, information asymmetry, conflicts of interest, renewable energy curtailment, and the absence of proper maintenance and benefit distribution mechanisms. Considering the principles of good governance, recommendations for enhancing the effectiveness of the PVPA policy are proposed.

MobilenetV2-RC: A lightweight network model for retinopathy classification in retinal OCT images

Abstract Retinopathy is an important ophthalmic disease that causes blindness in the elderly population. With the global old peoples increasing, the ophthalmic healthcare system is more and significant to pre-diagnosis. Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) is considered the gold standard for ophthalmic treatment and diagnosis. OCT technologies and equipment continue to develop towards the intelligence and convenience for requirements of rapid diagnosis in the remote and poverty-stricken areas. We proposed an improved MobilenetV2 lightweight model for retinopathy classification (MobilenetV2-RC), which incorporates Spatial and Channel Reconstruction Convolution (SCConv) and the improved Convolutional Block Attention Module (CBAM) attention mechanism into the framework. Not only can it effectively limit feature redundancy to reduce model parameters, but also enhance the ability of feature representation to improve classification accuracy. The parameters of the proposed model are only 1.96 M with an overall accuracy of 98.96%, which is higher 3.32% than the original MobilenetV2. Compared with ResNet18, InceptionV3, and VGG16_BN, the overall accuracy is increased by 4.6%, 6.3%, and 3.9%, respectively. The test results of UCSD and Duke open-source datasets are more remarkable. Experimental results show that our proposed algorithm has strong reliability and generalization for the accurate classification of retinopathy, and a greater application prospect in the intelligent diagnosis of ophthalmology and mobile detection terminals.

Rural transformation development: spatiotemporal evolution and mechanisms in the Garze-Ngawa-Liangshan region, Southwest China

ABSTRACT Rural transformation development (RTD) is crucial for achieving sustainable development in poverty-stricken rural areas. The Garze-Ngawa-Liangshan (GNL) region, an impoverished minority area in Southwest China, has undergone significant RTD in recent decades. This study establishes a comprehensive evaluation index model encompassing economy, population, land use and land cover, society, and ecology to explore the spatiotemporal variations of RTD and the differences in the transformation mechanisms in the GNL region. The results reveal that RTD in the GNL region exhibited notable spatiotemporal variation from 2000 to 2019. Despite considerable heterogeneity in spatial distribution, regional disparities in RTD have decreased, partly due to policy implementation. Importantly, the speed and magnitude of RTD, often overlooked in previous studies, are critical indicators for assessing its reasonableness. The ecological environment is particularly significant for RTD assessment, especially in China’s ecologically fragile mountainous rural areas. Our findings suggest that promoting balanced regional development is essential in poverty-stricken areas. This study provides valuable theoretical references for planners and policymakers in implementing rural revitalization strategies.

The geographical distribution of scorpions, implication of venom toxins, envenomation, and potential therapeutics in Southern and Northern Africa.

Scorpions are predatory arachnids whose venomous sting primarily affects people in tropical and subtropical regions. Most scorpion stings can only cause localized pain without severe envenomation. Less than one-third of the stings cause systemic envenoming and possibly lead to death. About 350,000 scorpion stings in Northern Africa are recorded yearly, resulting in about 810 deaths. In Eastern/Southern Africa, there are about 79,000 stings recorded yearly, resulting in 245 deaths. Farmers and those living in poverty-stricken areas are among the most vulnerable to getting stung by scorpions. However, compared to adults, children are at greater risk of severe envenomation. Scorpion venom is made up of complex mixtures dominated by peptides and proteins that confer its potency and toxicity. These venom toxins have intra- and interspecies variations associated with the scorpion's habitat, sex, diet, and age. These variations alter the activity of antivenoms used to treat scorpion sting envenomation. Thus, the study of the proteome composition of medically important scorpion venoms needs to be scaled up along their geographical distribution and contributions to envenomation in Southern and Northern Africa. This will help the production of safer, more effective, and broad-spectrum antivenoms within these regions. Here, we review the clinical implications of scorpion sting envenomation in Southern and Northern Africa. We further highlight the compositions of scorpion venoms and tools used in scorpion venomics. We discuss current antivenoms used against scorpion sting envenomation and suggestions for future production of better antivenoms or alternatives. Finally, we discuss the therapeutic properties of scorpion venom.

Financial resilience-focused program: A single group pretest–posttest intervention to change financial risk perception among teenagers in an ethnic minority poverty-stricken area in China

PurposeThis study examined the effects of a single-group pretest–posttest intervention in changing the level of financial risk perceptions among teenagers from the perspective of the financial resilience framework. Method37 teenagers completed the six-week nonrandomised intervention with follow-up tests at Weeks 8 and 22. Based on the pretest scores of the Internet Financial Risk Perception Scale, the participants were divided into high- and low-risk perception groups. Bayesian repeated variance analysis was then used to evaluate the influence of the intervention on financial risk perception. ResultsCompared with the baseline level, the low-risk perception group showed an increase in total financial risk perception and each subdimension. Decreased changes were observed in the long term, although no sufficient evidence was found for changes in the high-risk perception group after the intervention. ConclusionsThe financial resilience-focused framework and its corresponding program neutralizes the perceived risk. Furthermore, similar interventions should consider the initial level of risk perception among participants.

The Effect of Government Policies on Investment in Poverty-Stricken Areas in South Africa

Purpose: The aim of the study was to analyze the effect of government policies on investment in poverty-stricken areas. Methodology: This study adopted a desk methodology. A desk study research design is commonly known as secondary data collection. This is basically collecting data from existing resources preferably because of its low cost advantage as compared to a field research. Our current study looked into already published studies and reports as the data was easily accessed through online journals and libraries. Findings: Government policies positively impact investment in poverty-stricken areas, fostering economic revitalization and poverty alleviation. Targeted fiscal incentives, infrastructure development, and microfinance initiatives stimulate investment, create jobs, and improve livelihoods. These interventions attract private sector investment, encourage entrepreneurship, and foster sustainable development. Overall, government policies play a crucial role in unlocking economic potential and promoting inclusive growth in marginalized regions. Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: Institutional theory, political economy theory & developmental state theory may be used to anchor future studies on effect of government policies on investment in poverty-stricken areas. The research on the effect of government policies on investment offers valuable insights for practitioners involved in poverty alleviation efforts and economic development initiatives. The research contributes to the formulation of informed policy decisions aimed at addressing poverty and promoting investment in marginalized regions.

Prevalence and risk factors of intestinal parasitoses among residents of Ekemkpon and Idim Ita of Cross River State, Nigeria

Background: intestinal parasitic infections are the most common infections in the world, with the most prevalent burden occurring in poverty-stricken areas. Intestinal parasitic infections are endemic in certain parts of Nigeria as a result of poor hygiene practices and pollution, which result in contamination of food and water. In semi-urban and rural communities where the dwellers are generally poor and uneducated and lack basic amenities like potable water supply and good sanitary facilities, intestinal parasitic infections cause major health problems. This study was to evaluate the influence of socio-demographic factors in the transmission of intestinal parasitoses among the residents of Ekemkpon and Idim Ita Communities of Cross River State, Nigeria. Materials and Methods: this was a cross-sectional survey between April 2019 and August 2019. Samples were obtained from 359 participants in the study areas and examined for stool analysis using direct microscopy and brine floatation technique. Socio-demographic data of the study subjects were obtained using questionnaires. Results: the prevalence of intestinal parasites was higher in Ekemkpon (41.0%) than in Idim Ita (14.9%). Participants with mixed infections in Ekemkpon were 7.9%, while those in Idim Ita were 2.2%. The study has shown that level of education had an influence on the transmission of intestinal parasites in Ekemkpon (p<0.05). Open defecation played a major role as a source of contamination of domestic water and farm products in the Ekemkpon community. The overall helminthic infections in the two study areas were higher than the protozoan infections observed in this study. The only intestinal protozoa in Ekemkpon was Entamoeba histolytica/dispar while hookworm species were the commonest helminthic parasites in Ekemkpon. Balantidium coli (4.4%) was the most prevalent intestinal protozoan parasites in Idim Ita while hookworm and Ascaris lumbricoides (2.8%) were the most occurring helminthic parasites in Idim Ita. Conclusions: it is recommended that strategies aimed at health education, diagnosing and treating those positive for intestinal parasite infections, and improving the general well-being of the masses be encouraged.

Spatial Distribution Characteristics and Influencing Factors of Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Yunnan, Guangxi, and Guizhou Rocky Desertification Area

The Yunnan, Guangxi, and Guizhou rocky desertification area is characterized by a fragile ecological environment, along with the inhabitation of many ethnic minorities, making it the region with the most poverty-alleviation targets among the 14 concentrated poverty-stricken areas in China. However, this area has obvious cultural resources, but it lacks systematic study. Therefore, integral investigation and research which can promote the sustainable development with abundant culture resource should pay more attention to it. This study, with 1113 national and provincial intangible cultural heritage projects in this area as research objects, used ArcGIS to visualize their geographic data for research. Geodetector was used to quantify the influence of relevant factors and analyze the distribution characteristics and influencing factors of intangible cultural heritage in this region. By providing a correlative strategy, the aim is to promote the coordinated development of the regional cultural economy. The results are as follows: (1) Guizhou exhibits the highest distribution of intangible cultural heritage projects, followed by Guangxi and Yunnan, indicating an uneven number of intangible cultural heritage projects. (2) A spatial analysis shows the clustered spatial distribution of intangible cultural heritage projects in this area, forming a high-density core area and multiple sub high-density areas with high spatial autocorrelation. (3) The spatial distribution of intangible cultural heritage in the rocky desertification areas of Yunnan, Guangxi, and Guizhou is generally correlated with survival orientation and natural environmental factors and positively correlated with development orientation and social, economic, ethnic, and cultural factors. Among many factors, cultural environment quantity exhibits the strongest correlation with the spatial distribution of intangible cultural heritage. (4) Based on the degree of correlation with different influencing factors, four development strategies are proposed: digitization of intangible cultural heritage inheritance and development, multi-media intangible cultural heritage creation and dissemination, innovative construction of intangible cultural heritage exhibitions, and tourism-driven dynamic inheritance of intangible cultural heritage.

Dynamic Changes in Ecosystem Service Value and Ecological Compensation in Original Continuous Poverty-Stricken Areas of China

The original contiguous poverty-stricken areas of China (OCPSAC) are a regional complex with natural and human attributes. Their ecosystem services are highly complex in their contribution to human well-being. The region’s ecosystem is unstable and socio-economic development is unbalanced, making it a key area for research and the implementation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Therefore, it has become the focus of social attention. This study obtained satellite remote sensing images of the Landsat8 based on the Google Earth Engine. The dynamic characteristics of the spatial and temporal distribution of the OCPSAC’s land use changes in 2015 and 2022 were analyzed. The characteristics of the changes in ecosystem service value (ESV) were quantitatively evaluated through the revised ESV equivalent scale, and the ecological compensation (EC) standards and EC priority level suitable for the region were explored. The research results showed that: (1) the OCPSAC land use types were mainly grassland, forests, and deserts, accounting for more than 80% of the research area; (2) the OCPSAC’s ESV reached CNY 115.578 billion, and the Tibet Region (TR) and Tibetan Region of Four Provinces (TRFP) had the highest ESVs, accounting for 32.28% and 19.64%, respectively. Among individual ESVs, hydrological regulation (HR) and climate regulation (CR) had the highest values, accounting for 55.23% of the research area; (3) the ESV of the research area presented the characteristics of being high in the middle and low at both ends. From the terrain perspective, the areas with a higher ESV per unit area were distributed in the second altitude gradient, followed by China’s third altitude gradient, and the first altitude gradient was the lowest; (4) in the period of 2015–2022, the ESV increased by CNY 21.39 billion, of which TR’s ESV increased by CNY 17.44 billion. From the perspective of a single ESV, the value of waste treatment (WT), HR, nutrient cycle (NC), and provide aesthetic landscape (PAL) increased by CNY 24.38 billion; and (5) in 2022, the EC standard of the OCPSAC was CNY 917.14 billion. High-EC-value areas were mainly distributed in TR and TRFP, accounting for 72.79% of the total compensation amount, of which only TR’s EC amount exceeded a GDP of 2022, accounting for 4.77% of the total compensation. The purpose of this study was to provide a reference for ecosystem sustainability and EC.

Spatial Identification and Distribution Pattern of the Complexity of Rural Poverty in China Using Multisource Spatial Data

Regional poverty is one of the most serious challenges facing the world today. Poverty, antipoverty, and poverty alleviation are the focus of the attention of scholars and the public. This paper takes China’s counties as the research unit, selects the influencing factors of poverty from natural and socio-economic factors, establishes an evaluation index system, simulates the natural poverty index and socio-economic poverty eradication index of each county, and clarifies the distribution characteristics of spatial poverty using GIS spatial analysis and BP artificial neural network. The results indicate that natural factors are the main cause of poverty in Chinese counties, with 710 counties having a high natural poverty index, accounting for nearly 30% of the total number of counties in the country. The national county-level natural poverty index shows a clear strip distribution pattern along latitude and longitude, with a strip distribution from north to south and from west to east; socio-economic factors have played a certain role in poverty alleviation, with as many as 1521 counties with low socio-economic poverty alleviation indices, accounting for approximately 64% of the total number of counties in the country. The spatial distribution of the county-level socio-economic poverty alleviation index is relatively fragmented. Through spatial scanning statistics, a total of 44 county poverty pressure index risk clusters reached a statistical significance level, involving 243 counties and districts. In poverty reduction practice, the internal counties and districts of contiguous poverty-stricken areas should strengthen cooperation and exchange. In the process of poverty alleviation and development, targeted poverty alleviation and economic development should be carried out based on the poverty-dominant type and self-development ability of the county, in order to improve efficiency. Regions that are relatively prosperous and have taken the lead in poverty reduction should play a leading and exemplary role in strengthening the radiation power of regional central cities. The prominent feature of this study is the comprehensive utilization of multisource data and the use of new spatial analysis methods (flexible spatial scanning method is widely used in the field of infectious disease prevention and control research). By constructing a multidimensional poverty measurement system that includes natural and social factors, it distinguishes the differences between the factors that cause poverty and the factors that eliminate poverty in regional poverty. At the same time, the flexible spatial scanning detection method was used to detect the differentiation mechanism of poverty spatial patterns.

The impact of poverty alleviation policy on the industrial structure: Evidence from the Qinba Mountain contiguous poverty-stricken areas

In 2015, the Chinese government issued the Decision on Poverty Alleviation(DPA), requiring poverty-stricken areas to develop local characteristic industries based on their resource endowments, to promote industrial structure diversification and industrial structure upgrading through industry-driven poverty alleviation. However, existing research lacks empirical analysis to evaluate it. Therefore, this paper takes poor counties in the Qinba Mountain contiguous poverty-stricken areas(QMCPA) as an example, using the difference in difference model and boundary effect model to evaluate whether DPA has promoted industrial structure upgrading and industrial structure diversification in poor counties. The results show that the DPA has promoted industrial structure upgrading and improved industrial structure diversification in the QMCPA. However, the effectiveness of it is not sufficient. Poor counties have failed to maintain the policy requirement of developing characteristic industries based on local natural resource endowments, leading to a decline in the degree of industrial structure diversification in the later period of the policy. This study indicates that local governments should strive to develop advantageous industries and form a division of labor and cooperation with neighboring areas, strengthen inter-regional cooperation and contact, and enhance anti-risk capabilities to avoid homogenized competition. Studying the changes in industrial structure in the QMCPA has important significance for the long-term stable development and poverty elimination of various poor areas.

Research on the Identification of Rural Revitalization Potential and Precise Financial Support in Poverty-Stricken Areas

Research on the Identification of Rural Revitalization Potential and Precise Financial Support in Poverty-Stricken Areas

Research on Educational Inequality among Students in Poverty-stricken Areas in China

Education in reality and the constant pursuit of equality of education, are both sides of the same problem. This article makes research on educational inequality in rural education and urban education. To sort out and explain the reasons for the existing inequality in the field of education, this article involves reasons for inequality in education in rural regions and available ways to alleviate it. The inequality in education is not that some students can attend schools and some cannot, problems in deep are much more worth being concerned about. In the study, the author finds that students in disadvantaged are mainly in different sorts of inequality, like curriculum, teacher quality, and educational investments. It leads to improper and unequal allocation of education resources, and then students in rural regions cannot have access to education in quality and generate their living environment for the next generation. Solutions to alleviate existing problems are listed in the following parts of the research, namely offering incentive pay for teachers, applying local resources in the curriculum, and offering educational programs on vocational training and guidance for disadvantaged juniors.

The Influence of Individual Characteristics on Poverty and The Role of Churches in Poverty Alleviation: A Case Study in Cianjur Regency, West Java

A significant challenge for developing nations, including Indonesia, is the occurrence of poverty. An example of a poverty-stricken area based on the number of poor people is Cianjur Regency. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze the influence of religiosity, work ethics, age, education, occupation, and gender on the poverty level. It also intended to examine the perspectives of churches in Cianjur regarding poverty and its role in poverty mitigation. The methodology used was a mixed method with 100 respondents, and the sample size was determined proportionally and randomly from churches located in Cianjur Regency. The results from the BPS (Central Bureau of Statistics) showed that 18% of the 100 respondents lived in poverty, as opposed to the remaining 82%. In terms of work ethics, 71%, 29%, and 0% belonged to the high, moderate, and low categories, respectively. The independent variables that significantly affect the poverty level are religiosity, age, and occupation. The independent variables that were not significant were work ethics, education, and sex. This study also shows that the five churches had diverse perspectives on poverty. Some actively implemented programs are aimed at poverty reduction, while others lack specific initiatives to address poverty.

Biosensor-based multiple cross displacement amplification platform for visual and rapid identification of hepatitis C virus.

Hepatitis C remains a global health problem, especially in poverty-stricken areas. A rapid and sensitive point-of-care (POC) diagnostic tool is critical for the early detection and timely treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Here, for the first time, we reported a novel molecular diagnostic assay, termed reverse transcription multiple cross displacement amplification integrated with a gold-nanoparticle-based lateral flow biosensor (RT-MCDA-AuNPs-LFB), which was developed for rapid, sensitive, specific, and visual identification of HCV. HCV-RT-MCDA induced rapid isothermal amplification through a specific primer set targeting the 5'untranslated region gene from the major HCV genotypes 1b, 2a, 3b, 6a, and 3a that are prevalent in China. The optimal reaction temperature and time for RT-MCDA-AuNPs-LFB were 68°C and 25 min, respectively. The limit of detection of the assay was 10 copies per test, and the specificity was 100% for the experimental strains. The whole detection procedure, including crude nucleic acid isolation (~5 min), RT-MCDA (68°C, 25 min), and visual AuNPs-LFB result confirmation (less than 2 min), was performed within 35 min. The preliminary results indicated that the HCV-RT-MCDA-AuNPs-LFB assay could be a valuable tool for sensitive, specific, visual, cost-saving, and rapid detection of HCV and has potential as a POC diagnostic platform for field screening and early clinical detection of HCV infection.

Can fiscal transfers effectively reduce poverty in the Gorontalo Province?

The central government has increasingly diversified and expanded fiscal transfers to local authorities to enhance community welfare rapidly. However, in Gorontalo, although poverty rates have declined, the pace of reduction has slowed despite an increase in the value of transfers. This study aims to identify the fiscal transfer mechanisms most effective in reducing Gorontalo's poverty rate. It focuses on several types of fiscal transfers, including the Special Allocation Fund (DAK), Village Fund Allocation (ADD), Family Hope Program (Program Keluarga Harapan, PKH), Smart Indonesia Program (Program Indonesis Pintar, PIP), and Social Assistance. Utilizing panel data regression analysis covering all six districts/cities in Gorontalo Province over the last five years (2018-2022) and employing the Fixed Effects Model (FEM), the findings suggest that PIP assistance has the most significant impact on poverty reduction, although its effects are more long-term. Moreover, the study finds that while ADD transfers notably enhance community welfare, the two-decade-long DAK transfers have inadvertently worsened poverty levels in Gorontalo. This issue stems from the DAK's allocation formula, which does not directly target the income improvement of low-income populations. Both PKH and Social Assistance have shown little positive effect on poverty alleviation in the region. Consequently, the study recommends that the government prioritize expanding and funding enhancement of PIP assistance, considering many underprivileged individuals remain unreached by this support. Additionally, it suggests increasing the ADD to accelerate development in poverty-stricken rural areas.

The Influencing Factors and Improvement Strategies of Professional Identity of Rural Primary and Secondary School Teachers in Poverty-Stricken Areas

The Influencing Factors and Improvement Strategies of Professional Identity of Rural Primary and Secondary School Teachers in Poverty-Stricken Areas