Chinese Coast Guard Cutter Hits Philippine Supply Boat in S. China Sea

China Coast Guard cutter makes contact with a Philippine supply boat (PCG)

PUBLISHED DEC 10, 2023 8:34 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

 

 

On Sunday, a China Coast Guard cutter "rammed" a Philippine supply boat as it attempted to make the transit to Second Thomas Shoal, where the Philippine military maintains a small outpost. The supply boat was unharmed and reached the garrison aboard a decaying WWII landing ship, the BRP Sierra Madre. The interaction - along with other serious damage caused by Chinese vessels over the weekend - suggests that China has a  new willingness to escalate in its recurring confrontations. 

According to PCG spokesman Commodore Jay Tarriela, the cutters BRP Cabra and BRP Sindangan attempted to escort a supply convoy of two wooden boats to the shoal, as they have many times before. The convoy encountered resistance from the China Coast Guard, as expected. 

Tarriela reports that Chinese cutter CCG 5204 - a familiar presence - used its water cannon in an attempt to deter the supply boat Kalavaan. The high-pressure water cannon caused "severe damage to Kalavaan's engines," said Tarriela, disabling the vessel. The cutter BRP Sindangan took Kalavaan in tow and returned to the shelter of Ulugan Bay, Palawan. 

Meanwhile, the smaller Chinese cutter CCG 21556 pursued the supply boat Unaizah Mae 1. During a close-quarters interaction, 21556 "rammed" the Unaizah, according to Tarriela. A Philippine video of the scene appears to show that the cutter's reinforced port bow made contact with the Unaizah's starboard quarter, nudging Unaizah. 

However, the China Coast Guard suggested that Unaizah Mae 1 struck the CCG 21556's bow with her stern, and provided a different video that appears to show Unaizah turning to port in the moments before contact.  

The collision bore some similarity to a previous interaction at Second Thomas Shoal in October, when CCG 5203 made light contact with the Unaizah May 2's starboard quarter. 

The resupply runs to Second Thomas Shoal typically involve tense standoffs between the China Coast Guard and the Philippine Coast Guard. China claims ownership of the Spratly Islands and surrounding waters, including areas within the Philippine exclusive economic zone, like Second Thomas Shoal. Beijing has repeatedly ordered Manila to withdraw from the BRP Sierra Madre, but Philippine forces have held out, thanks to high-risk missions like Sunday's. 

In previous confrontations, Chinese forces have used aggressive maneuvering, water cannons, acoustic devices (LRAD) and laser target illuminators to deter Philippine supply boats. The PCG has long warned that these tactics increase the risk of collision.

Tarriela noted that Second Thomas Shoal is a low-tide elevation, not a habitable island capable of supporting a sovereignty claim, and he emphasized that it lies within the Philippine Exclusive Economic Zone. In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague dismissed Chinese assertions of sovereignty over Philippine waters.

"The systematic and consistent manner in which the People's Republic of China carries out these illegal and irresponsible actions puts into question and significant doubt the sincerity of its calls for peaceful dialogue. Peace and stability cannot be achieved without due regard for the legitimate, well-established, and legally settled rights of others," said Tarriela. 

Multiple encounters

Sunday's run-in at Second Thomas Shoal was just one of three menacing encounters between Philippine vessels and Chinese "gray zone" forces over the weekend. 

On Saturday, during a mission to support Philippine fishermen at disputed Scarborough Shoal, civilian boats from the Philippines’ Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources ran into opposition from the China Coast Guard. CCG cutters used water cannons and Long Range Acoustic Devices (LRADs, also known as sound cannons) on three of the bureau's boats. The LRADs performed as designed, incapacitating some crewmembers and causing others temporary discomfort. The CCG also deployed small boat crews and strung a new floating barrier across the entrance to the shoal. 

"The aggression and provocations perpetrated by the China Coast Guard and their Chinese Maritime Militia against our vessels and personnel over the weekend have only further steeled our determination to defend and protect our nation's sovereignty," said Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in a statement. "Bajo de Masinloc [Scarborough Shoal] is sovereign Philippine territory and an integral part of our archipelago. No one but the Philippines has a legitimate right or legal basis to operate anywhere in the West Philippine Sea. The illegal presence in our waters and dangerous actions against our citizens is an outright and blatant violation of international law and the rules-based international order."

Meanwhile, a civilian "humanitarian" convoy operated by activist group Atin Ito ("This Is Ours") had also planned to visit Philippine outposts in the Spratly Islands in order to deliver Christmas gifts and supplies. The Philippine government had attempted to discourage the civilian convoy for months, citing the risk that its citizens might run in encounters with Chinese forces. On Sunday, after "constant shadowing of four Chinese vessels" - including two PLA Navy warships - the Atin Ito convoy decided to turn around and head back to Palawan. The decision was taken in consultation with the Philippine Coast Guard, organizers said. 

 

COVID-19 pandemic study shows adherence to infection precaution measures among healthcare personnel varies by job role

Researchers recommend changes to training and strategy to better protect healthcare workers in the future

Peer-Reviewed Publication

ASSOCIATION FOR PROFESSIONALS IN INFECTION CONTROL

Arlington, Va. — December 7, 2023 — A new study published today in the American Journal of Infection Control (AJIC), based on a survey of healthcare professionals conducted during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, suggests that new efforts may be needed to strengthen infection prevention precautions and protect staff members at the highest risk of exposure to dangerous pathogens. This is believed to be the first study of pandemic-era infection precautions to include a broad variety of healthcare jobs. Researchers found that workers who had the highest risk of exposure to SARS-CoV-2 were also the most likely to report errors in their own adherence to infection prevention measures.

 

Many infection prevention studies have been performed to understand how healthcare professionals’ compliance with precaution guidelines held up during the COVID-19 pandemic, but until now most of those studies have focused on physicians and nurses. This new study expands on that body of research by including other members of the healthcare profession who experienced exposure risk, including respiratory, physical, and speech therapists; food services; environmental services; and clinical dieticians. Typical infection prevention and control measures include practices such as hand hygiene and the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) such as masks, gloves, and gowns.

For this study, researchers analyzed responses to surveys from 191 healthcare personnel at the University of North Carolina Medical Center. Participants were enrolled between July 2020 and January 2021 and were asked to report their experiences in SARS-CoV-2 exposure and adherence or non-adherence to infection precaution protocols. Respondents were grouped into three broad categories: physicians, advanced practice providers, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners (45%); registered nurses (27%); and other, which included therapists, dieticians, and members of food and environmental services (28%). In addition to the self-reported survey data, study researchers also routinely observed healthcare staff and monitored their compliance with infection precautions to collect validation data. Generally, the trends reported in survey responses and by the observers was concordant.

Data analysis showed statistically significant differences between job role, risk of potential exposure to SARS-CoV-2, and likelihood of making errors in infection precaution adherence. For example, 57.4% of registered nurses completed job tasks that placed them at a higher risk of SARS-CoV-2 exposure, compared to nearly 29% of physicians and 38% of the “other” category. Healthcare personnel who were more likely to be exposed to the virus were also 5.74 times more likely to report at least one error in infection precautions in the previous 2 weeks, such as failure to don protective gear.

“While error rates varied by job type, what this study really shows is that all three groups of healthcare personnel were at risk of SARS-CoV-2 exposure and were making errors in adherence to infection prevention protocols during the height of the pandemic,” said Emily J. Haas, PhD, a research health scientist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory, and lead author of the study. “This is a clear demonstration that we need to improve engagement in our training for emergency preparedness and to create a more strategic response that will help our healthcare workers stay safe even in times of extreme stress.”

In this study, researchers also found that:

• Adherence to PPE guidelines varied by job type: more registered nurses (33.3%) and physicians (26.5%) reported at least one error in the previous two weeks than those in the “other” category (9.6%).
• Respondents reported reliable access to PPE, with most saying they always had access to gowns (93%), gloves (99%), eye shields (98%), and face masks (98%).
• Hand hygiene was the infection precaution most frequently performed incorrectly, with study observers noting that hand and glove hygiene protocols were only adhered to 40% of the time between visits to rooms with patients who had COVID-19.

“This study adds to our understanding of healthcare personnel compliance with infection prevention protocols during COVID-19 and highlights improvement opportunities,” said Patricia Jackson, RN, BSN, MA, CIC, FAPIC, 2023 APIC president. “Infection preventionists can use this information in their education and outreach to strengthen preparedness for future outbreaks and to improve the safety of the day-to-day delivery of healthcare.”  

About APIC

Founded in 1972, the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) is the leading association for infection preventionists and epidemiologists. With more than 15,000 members, APIC advances the science and practice of infection prevention and control. APIC carries out its mission through research, advocacy, and patient safety; education, credentialing, and certification; and fostering development of the infection prevention and control workforce of the future. Together with our members and partners, we are working toward a safer world through the prevention of infection. Join us and learn more at apic.org.

About AJIC

As the official peer-reviewed journal of APIC, The American Journal of Infection Control (AJIC) is the foremost resource on infection control, epidemiology, infectious diseases, quality management, occupational health, and disease prevention. Published by Elsevier, AJIC also publishes infection control guidelines from APIC and the CDC. AJIC is included in Index Medicus and CINAHL. Visit AJIC at ajicjournal.org.

NOTES FOR EDITORS

“Infection precaution adherence varies by potential exposure risks to SARS-CoV-2 and job role: findings from a U.S. medical center,” by Emily J. Haas, Kaitlin Kelly-Reif, Mihili Edirisooriya, Laura Reynolds, Cherese N. Parker, Deanna Zhu, David J. Weber, Emily Sickbert-Bennett, Ross M Boyce, Emily J Ciccone, and Allison E. Aiello, was published online in AJIC on December 7, 2023. Access online at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajic.2023.10.010

AUTHORS

Emily Joy Haas, PhD (corresponding author: wcq3@cdc.gov), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory

Kaitlin Kelly-Reif, PhD, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Division of Field Studies and Engineering

Mihili Edirisooriya, PhD, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory

Laura Reynolds, MPH, BSN, RN, CPH, COHN-S, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Respiratory Health Division

Cherese N. Parker, MPH, Columbia University

Deanna Zhu, BA, University of North Carolina Medical Center, Department of Infection Prevention

David Jay Weber, MD, MPH, FIDSA, FSHEA, FRSM (London), University of North Carolina Medical Center, Department of Infection Prevention

Emily Sickbert-Bennett, PhD, MS, CIC, FSHEA, University of North Carolina Medical Center, Department of Infection Prevention

Ross M. Boyce, MD, MSc, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases

Emily J. Ciccone, MD, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases

Allison E. Aiello, PhD, Columbia University

# # #

 

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JOURNAL

American Journal of Infection Control

DOI

10.1016/j.ajic.2023.10.010 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Survey

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

People

ARTICLE TITLE

Infection precaution adherence varies by potential exposure risks to SARS-CoV-2 and job role: findings from a U.S. medical center

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

7-Dec-2023

COI STATEMENT

Allison E. Aiello reports consulting with Analysis Group Inc. Ethics approval and consent to participate: This study was reviewed, and determined that the risk involved was no more than minimal by the blinded IRB (Protocol #20-0942). All individuals provided informed consent prior to participation.

 

Revealing the landscape of software as a medical device industry

Peer-Reviewed Publication

TOKYO INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

 

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 RESEARCHERS FROM TOKYO INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY HIGHLIGHT THE DIVERSE AND EMERGING NATURE OF SAMD, ITS GROWTH POTENTIAL, AND TRANSFORMATIVE IMPACT ON HEALTHCARE SERVICES, IN A NEW STUDY.

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CREDIT: TOKYO INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLGOY

There has been a surge in academic and business interest in software as a medical device (SaMD). It enables medical professionals to streamline existing medical practices and make innovative medical processes such as digital therapeutics a reality. Furthermore, SaMD is a billion-dollar market. However, it is not clearly understood as a technological change and emerging industry. This enlightened researchers from Tokyo Institute of Technology to a new study. They reviewed FDA-approved SaMDs to shed light on the market landscape, the role of SaMDs, and the innovation within the industry. Their findings highlight the industry's diversity and potential for growth and advocate improving healthcare-related data access.

Software as a Medical Device (SaMD) is an emerging field aimed at assisting medical professionals in diagnosing, monitoring, treating, or preventing diseases. The International Medical Device Regulators Forum defines SaMD as software intended for medical purposes, but not part of a hardware medical device. This refers to a wide range of software such as health apps on smartphones or wearable devices that monitor and track health, as well as complex medical imaging software for X-rays, MRIs, and CT scans. However, the SaMD industry is still in its nascent stages of development and requires clarity on innovation, the market landscape, and the regulatory environment.

To address the limitations associated with current SaMD research, researchers from Tokyo Institute of Technology (Tokyo Tech) and the University of Tokyo recently conducted a comprehensive review of various aspects of SaMDs over the past decade, utilizing data from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the authoritative body for approving commercially marketed medical devices in the United States. Professor Shintaro Sengoku, Jiajie Zhang, and Jiakan Yu, the authors of the study published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research, state: “The objectives of our work are to clarify the innovation process of SaMD, identify the prevailing typology of such innovation, and elucidate the underlying mechanisms driving the SaMD innovation process.”

The researchers collected information on FDA-approved SaMDs from the OpenFDA website. They also gathered profiles of 268 companies associated with these devices from various sources, including Crunchbase, Bloomberg, PichBook.com, and SaMD company websites. To be considered a SaMD, a device had to function as standalone software fulfilling medical functions. Devices operating solely as part of hardware or requiring additional hardware were excluded from the review.

The findings reveal significant growth in the SaMD industry. Between 2012 and 2021, the number of FDA-approved SaMDs increased from one to 581. Most SaMDs were developed for medical image processing and radiological analysis (78%), followed by cardiology, neurology, ophthalmology, and dentistry. The researchers also identified notable progress in artificial intelligence/machine learning based SaMDs, accounting for 22% of all FDA-approved SaMDs, marking what researchers are calling the 'third AI boom' in healthcare.

The United States leads in SaMD approvals (262 devices, 45%), followed by Germany, South Korea, and the Netherlands. Established companies in the medical device industry such as Siemens, General Electric, and Philips launched the most SaMDs (237 devices, 40.8%). These companies focus on incremental innovations to improve existing medical processes, such as image resolution or reducing manpower requirements for medical image processing.

New entrants or start-ups that were formed after 2012 accounted for about 37% (215 devices) of the launches. These small and micro companies focus on disruptive innovation which enables new medical practices, such as digital therapeutics and remote monitoring. Another notable player is the pharmaceutical industry, which is actively engaged in the digitalization process of healthcare, with significant investments in SaMD initiatives.

The study highlights the diversity and emerging nature of SaMD, its potential for growth, and its transformative impact on healthcare services. The findings emphasize that accelerated growth in this sector is closely linked to data accessibility in driving disruptive innovation within the industry. New entrants focusing on disruptive innovations will need to build their datasets or access existing data within the healthcare system.

“Governments and academic institutions should facilitate data accessibility as a public good to accelerate innovation in SaMD,” conclude the three authors, outlining recommendations for future developments in the industry.

This study was funded by the Japan Science and Technology Agency, Program on open innovation platform for industry-academia co-creation (COI-NEXT), "Center of health longevity and nursing innovation with global ecosystem" (Grant No. JPMJPF2202).

＃＃＃

• Sengoku Laboratory

About Tokyo Institute of Technology

Tokyo Tech stands at the forefront of research and higher education as the leading university for science and technology in Japan. Tokyo Tech researchers excel in fields ranging from materials science to biology, computer science, and physics. Founded in 1881, Tokyo Tech hosts over 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students per year, who develop into scientific leaders and some of the most sought-after engineers in industry. Embodying the Japanese philosophy of “monotsukuri,” meaning “technical ingenuity and innovation,” the Tokyo Tech community strives to contribute to society through high-impact research.

https://www.titech.ac.jp/english/

---

JOURNAL

Journal of Medical Internet Research

DOI

10.2196/47505 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Data/statistical analysis

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Not applicable

ARTICLE TITLE

Innovation Process and Industrial System of US Food and Drug Administration–Approved Software as a Medical Device: Review and Content Analysis

 

Software DJ creates automated pop song mashups #Acoustics23

Automated software mixes drums, vocals to create unique musical combinations

Reports and Proceedings

ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA

 

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THE ALGORITHM WORKS TO ISOLATE AND BLEND INDIVIDUAL COMPONENTS FROM MULTIPLE SONGS TO PRODUCE A UNIQUE COMPOSITE WITH A PLEASING SOUND. CREDIT: XINYANG WU

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CREDIT: THE ALGORITHM WORKS TO ISOLATE AND BLEND INDIVIDUAL COMPONENTS FROM MULTIPLE SONGS TO PRODUCE A UNIQUE COMPOSITE WITH A PLEASING SOUND. CREDIT: XINYANG WU

SYDNEY, Dec. 7, 2023 – Song mashups are a staple of many DJs, who mix the vocals and instrumentals from two or more tracks into a seamless blend, creating a new and exciting final product. While the result is fun to listen to, the creation process can often be challenging, requiring knowledge and expertise to select the right tracks and mash them together perfectly.

Xinyang Wu from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology took a different approach, designing a computer algorithm to intelligently create mashups using the drum tracks from one song and the vocals and instrumentals from another. He will present his work Dec. 7 at 4:20 p.m. Australian Eastern Daylight Time, as part of Acoustics 2023, running Dec. 4-8 at the International Convention Centre Sydney.

While some algorithms and automated software can attempt to create song mashups, their results are often clunky and unrefined. These methods layer the complete, unaltered tracks on top of each other, aligning them based on detected key moments in the music, rather than skillfully combining the vocals and instrumentals of different songs.

“Imagine trying to make a gourmet meal with only a microwave – that’s sort of what automated mashup software is up against compared to a pro chef, or in this case, a professional music composer,” said Wu. “These pros can get their hands on the original ingredients of a song – the separate vocals, drums, and instruments, known as stems – which lets them mix and match with precision.”

His algorithm takes a different approach, mimicking the process used by professionals. The software works to isolate the stems from each song and identify the most dynamic moments. It adjusts the tempo of the instrumental tracks and adds the drum beat mashup at exactly the right moment for maximum effect.

The result is a unique blend of pleasing lyrics and exciting instrumentals with wide-ranging appeal.

“From what I’ve observed, there’s a clear trend in what listeners prefer in mashups,” said Wu. “Hip-hop drumbeats are the crowd favorite – people seem to really enjoy the groove and rhythm that these beats bring to a mashup.”

Now that the software has been tested on drum tracks, the team plans to tackle bass mashups next. For Wu, the dream is to expand the algorithm to incorporate the full instrumental suite and put user-friendly mashup technology directly into the hands of listeners.

“Our ultimate goal is creating an app where users can pick any two songs and choose how to mash them up – whether it’s switching out the drums, bass, instrumentals, or everything together with the other song’s vocals,” said Wu.

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----------------------- MORE MEETING INFORMATION -----------------------

The Acoustical Society of America is joining the Australian Acoustical Society to co-host Acoustics 2023 in Sydney. This collaborative event will incorporate the Western Pacific Acoustics Conference and the Pacific Rim Underwater Acoustics Conference.

Main meeting website: https://acoustics23sydney.org/  
Technical program: https://eppro01.ativ.me/src/EventPilot/php/express/web/planner.php?id=ASAFALL23    

ASA PRESS ROOM

In the coming weeks, ASA’s Press Room will be updated with newsworthy stories and the press conference schedule at https://acoustics.org/asa-press-room/. 

LAY LANGUAGE PAPERS

ASA will also share dozens of lay language papers about topics covered at the conference. Lay language papers are summaries (300-500 words) of presentations written by scientists for a general audience. They will be accompanied by photos, audio, and video. Learn more at https://acoustics.org/lay-language-papers/.

PRESS REGISTRATION

ASA will grant free registration to credentialed and professional freelance journalists. If you are a reporter and would like to attend the meeting or virtual press conferences, contact AIP Media Services at media@aip.org. For urgent requests, AIP staff can also help with setting up interviews and obtaining images, sound clips, or background information.

ABOUT THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA

The Acoustical Society of America (ASA) is the premier international scientific society in acoustics devoted to the science and technology of sound. Its 7,000 members worldwide represent a broad spectrum of the study of acoustics. ASA publications include The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America (the world’s leading journal on acoustics), JASA Express Letters, Proceedings of Meetings on Acoustics, Acoustics Today magazine, books, and standards on acoustics. The society also holds two major scientific meetings each year. See https://acousticalsociety.org/.

ABOUT THE AUSTRALIAN ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY

The Australian Acoustical Society (AAS) is the peak technical society for individuals working in acoustics in Australia. The AAS aims to promote and advance the science and practice of acoustics in all its branches to the wider community and provide support to acousticians. Its diverse membership is made up from academia, consultancies, industry, equipment manufacturers and retailers, and all levels of Government. The Society supports research and provides regular forums for those who practice or study acoustics across a wide range of fields The principal activities of the Society are technical meetings held by each State Division, annual conferences which are held by the State Divisions and the ASNZ in rotation, and publication of the journal Acoustics Australia. https://www.acoustics.org.au/ 

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ORNL, Caterpillar collaborate to advance methanol use in marine engines

Business Announcement

DOE/OAK RIDGE NATIONAL LABORATORY

 

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THE OAK RIDGE NATIONAL LABORATORY AND CATERPILLAR INC. COLLABORATION FOCUSES ON A FOUR-STROKE INTERNAL COMBUSTION MARINE ENGINE THAT WILL BE MODIFIED TO RUN ON METHANOL AT THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY’S NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH CENTER. THE RESEARCH SUPPORTS EFFORTS TO DECARBONIZE THE MARINE INDUSTRY BY USING ALTERNATIVE FUEL SOURCES

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CREDIT: GENEVIEVE MARTIN, ORNL/U.S. DEPT. OF ENERGY

The Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Caterpillar Inc. have entered into a cooperative research and development agreement, or CRADA, to investigate using methanol as an alternative fuel source for four-stroke internal combustion marine engines. The collaboration supports efforts to decarbonize the marine industry, a hard-to-electrify transportation sector.

As the United States continues to seek ways to reduce environmentally harmful greenhouse gas, or GHG emissions, methanol is an attractive fuel alternative to diesel because it reduces carbon emissions. Methanol also reduces emissions of nitrogen oxides and sulfur oxides. In addition, methanol’s relatively high energy density makes it easier to store on marine vessels than gaseous fuels meaning it can be more easily integrated into overall existing engine design and operation.

Although methanol has many advantages, it is more difficult to ignite than diesel. Under the terms of the CRADA, ORNL researchers will work with Caterpillar over the next few years to identify, develop and test hardware configurations and operating strategies required to maximize use of methanol in engines retrofitted for methanol.

Research will be conducted on Caterpillar’s in-line 6-cylinder marine engine that has been modified for methanol use and installed at DOE’s National Transportation Research Center at ORNL. New engine designs will also be considered, and several engine combustion strategies will be explored including dual-fuel, dimethyl ether reforming and spark-ignited prechambers. Caterpillar will support ORNL by providing additional materials and research expertise to enable engine performance, efficiency and durability while reducing GHG and other emissions.

“We look forward to working with Caterpillar to develop near-term combustion strategies that can be retrofitted on existing engines to realize immediate reductions in carbon emissions. We also will develop long-term combustion strategies for new engine technologies that achieve 100% displacement of diesel fuel with methanol,” said ORNL’s Jim Szybist, section head for Propulsion Science. “The research we conduct over the next few years will be a significant contributor to decarbonization efforts globally.”

The project supports DOE’s Vehicle Technologies Office’s focus on reducing GHG emissions from off-road vehicles such as railway, aviation and heavy transportation vehicles used in agriculture, construction, mining and marine vessels. These sectors are significantly more challenging to decarbonize than on-road, light-duty transportation applications and require unique solutions.

“Caterpillar is proud to be working with ORNL as we develop the technology for a lower carbon future. Our marine customers across the U.S. have been clear that methanol will play a key role in their journey to net-zero emissions. The maritime industry has unique challenges that can’t necessarily be met by technologies being developed for other transportation sectors, so it is important to have this collaboration with ORNL to accelerate the technology and set the path for the future,” said Brad Johnson, vice president of Caterpillar Marine.

In addition to DOE’s Vehicle Technologies Office, the collaboration is funded by the U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administration.

UT-Battelle manages ORNL for the Department of Energy’s Office of Science, the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States. The Office of Science is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, please visit energy.gov/science.

A collaboration between Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Caterpillar Inc. will investigate using methanol as an alternative fuel source for marine vessels. Members of the research team kicked off the project with the installation of a 6-cylinder engine at the Department of Energy’s National Transportation Research Center at ORNL. Pictured from left, are Jim Szybist, ORNL; Kevin Stork, DOE’s Vehicle Technologies Office; Will Watson, Caterpillar Inc.; Rick Raines, ORNL; and Galen Hon, U.S. Maritime Administration.

CREDIT

Genevieve Martin, ORNL/U.S. Dept. of Energy

 

North Korea and beyond: AI-powered satellite analysis reveals the unseen economic landscape of underdeveloped nations​

Peer-Reviewed Publication

THE KOREA ADVANCED INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (KAIST)

 

IMAGE: 

IMAGE 1. NIGHTLIGHT SATELLITE IMAGES OF NORTH KOREA (TOP-LEFT: BACKGROUND PHOTO PROVIDED BY NASA'S EARTH OBSERVATORY). SOUTH KOREA APPEARS BRIGHTLY LIT COMPARED TO NORTH KOREA, WHICH IS MOSTLY DARK EXCEPT FOR PYONGYANG. IN CONTRAST, THE MODEL DEVELOPED BY THE RESEARCH TEAM USES DAYTIME SATELLITE IMAGERY TO PREDICT MORE DETAILED ECONOMIC PREDICTIONS FOR NORTH KOREA (TOP-RIGHT) AND FIVE ASIAN COUNTRIES (BOTTOM: BACKGROUND PHOTO FROM GOOGLE EARTH).

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CREDIT: IBS DATA SCIENCE GROUP

The United Nations reports that more than 700 million people are in extreme poverty, earning less than two dollars a day. However, an accurate assessment of poverty remains a global challenge. For example, 53 countries have not conducted agricultural surveys in the past 15 years, and 17 countries have not published a population census. To fill this data gap, new technologies are being explored to estimate poverty using alternative sources such as street views, aerial photos, and satellite images.

 

The paper published in Nature Communications demonstrates how artificial intelligence (AI) can help analyze economic conditions from daytime satellite imagery. This new technology can even apply to the least developed countries - such as North Korea - that do not have reliable statistical data for typical machine learning training. 

 

The researchers used Sentinel-2 satellite images from the European Space Agency (ESA) that are publicly available. They split these images into small six-square-kilometer grids. At this zoom level, visual information such as buildings, roads, and greenery can be used to quantify economic indicators. As a result, the team obtained the first ever fine-grained economic map of regions like North Korea. The same algorithm was applied to other underdeveloped countries in Asia: North Korea, Nepal, Laos, Myanmar, Bangladesh, and Cambodia (see Image 1). 

 

The key feature of their research model is the "human-machine collaborative approach," which lets researchers combine human input with AI predictions for areas with scarce data. In this research, ten human experts compared satellite images and judged the economic conditions in the area, with the AI learning from this human data and giving economic scores to each image. The results showed that the Human-AI collaborative approach outperformed machine-only learning algorithms.

 

 

 < Image 1. Nightlight satellite images of North Korea (Top-left: Background photo provided by NASA's Earth Observatory). South Korea appears brightly lit compared to North Korea, which is mostly dark except for Pyongyang. In contrast, the model developed by the research team uses daytime satellite imagery to predict more detailed economic predictions for North Korea (top-right) and five Asian countries (Bottom: Background photo from Google Earth). >

 

The research was led by an interdisciplinary team of computer scientists, economists, and a geographer from KAIST & IBS (Donghyun Ahn, Meeyoung Cha, Jihee Kim), Sogang University (Hyunjoo Yang), HKUST (Sangyoon Park), and NUS (Jeasurk Yang). Dr Charles Axelsson, Associate Editor at Nature Communications, handled this paper during the peer review process at the journal.

 

The research team found that the scores showed a strong correlation with traditional socio-economic metrics such as population density, employment, and number of businesses. This demonstrates the wide applicability and scalability of the approach, particularly in data-scarce countries. Furthermore, the model's strength lies in its ability to detect annual changes in economic conditions at a more detailed geospatial level without using any survey data (see Image 2). 

 

 

< Image 2. Differences in satellite imagery and economic scores in North Korea between 2016 and 2019. Significant development was found in the Wonsan Kalma area (top), one of the tourist development zones, but no changes were observed in the Wiwon Industrial Development Zone (bottom). (Background photo: Sentinel-2 satellite imagery provided by the European Space Agency (ESA)). >

 

This model would be especially valuable for rapidly monitoring the progress of Sustainable Development Goals such as reducing poverty and promoting more equitable and sustainable growth on an international scale. The model can also be adapted to measure various social and environmental indicators. For example, it can be trained to identify regions with high vulnerability to climate change and disasters to provide timely guidance on disaster relief efforts.

 

As an example, the researchers explored how North Korea changed before and after the United Nations sanctions against the country. By applying the model to satellite images of North Korea both in 2016 and in 2019, the researchers discovered three key trends in the country's economic development between 2016 and 2019. First, economic growth in North Korea became more concentrated in Pyongyang and major cities, exacerbating the urban-rural divide. Second, satellite imagery revealed significant changes in areas designated for tourism and economic development, such as new building construction and other meaningful alterations. Third, traditional industrial and export development zones showed relatively minor changes.

 

Meeyoung Cha, a data scientist in the team explained, "This is an important interdisciplinary effort to address global challenges like poverty. We plan to apply our AI algorithm to other international issues, such as monitoring carbon emissions, disaster damage detection, and the impact of climate change."

An economist on the research team, Jihee Kim, commented that this approach would enable detailed examinations of economic conditions in the developing world at a low cost, reducing data disparities between developed and developing nations. She further emphasized that this is most essential because many public policies require economic measurements to achieve their goals, whether they are for growth, equality, or sustainability. 

 

The research team has made the source code publicly available via GitHub and plans to continue improving the technology, applying it to new satellite images updated annually. The results of this study, with Ph.D. candidate Donghyun Ahn at KAIST and Ph.D. candidate Jeasurk Yang at NUS as joint first authors, were published in Nature Communications under the title "A human-machine collaborative approach measures economic development using satellite imagery." 

  

Image 2. Differences in satellite imagery and economic scores in North Korea between 2016 and 2019. Significant development was found in the Wonsan Kalma area (top), one of the tourist development zones, but no changes were observed in the Wiwon Industrial Development Zone (bottom). (Background photo: Sentinel-2 satellite imagery provided by the European Space Agency (ESA)).

CREDIT

IBS Data Science Group

JOURNAL

Nature Communications

DOI

10.1038/s41467-023-42122-8 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Meta-analysis

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Not applicable

ARTICLE TITLE

A human-machine collaborative approach measures economic development using satellite imagery