Impact of University engagement on environmental resilience of urban spaces in Asia and Africa. SUEUAA Thematic Paper Series, TPS 103/19

By 2030 most of the globes inhabitants will be living with cities. It is therefore important that cities are resilient to sustenance and energy challenge in the face of increasing demands from population expansion and increasing environmental variability and uncertainty brought about by intensifying climate change. The Strengthening Urban Engagement of Universities in Asia and Africa (SUEUAA) project aims to enhance university engagement capacity in this context and optimise engagement strategy to maximise impact in urban areas. We use the term ‘environmental resilience’ to encapsulate both energy and sustenance challenges. We believe these must be tackled in a holistic manner as there are intimate links between the production and usage of energy, food and water and consequent generation and disposal of waste. This paper focuses on the experiences and vision of SUEUAA partners in Johannesburg (South Africa), Dar es Salaam (Tanzania), Duhok (Iraq), Sanandaj (Iran), and Manila (Philippines), so it encapsulates views and solutions for engagement strategies on several environmental challenges facing cities in very different climatic situations

Impact of University engagement on environmental resilience of urban spaces in Asia and Africa. SUEUAA Thematic Paper Series, TPS 103/19

By 2030 most of the globes inhabitants will be living with cities. It is therefore important that cities are resilient to sustenance and energy challenge in the face of increasing demands from population expansion and increasing environmental variability and uncertainty brought about by intensifying climate change. The Strengthening Urban Engagement of Universities in Asia and Africa (SUEUAA) project aims to enhance university engagement capacity in this context and optimise engagement strategy to maximise impact in urban areas. We use the term ‘environmental resilience’ to encapsulate both energy and sustenance challenges. We believe these must be tackled in a holistic manner as there are intimate links between the production and usage of energy, food and water and consequent generation and disposal of waste. This paper focuses on the experiences and vision of SUEUAA partners in Johannesburg (South Africa), Dar es Salaam (Tanzania), Duhok (Iraq), Sanandaj (Iran), and Manila (Philippines), so it encapsulates views and solutions for engagement strategies on several environmental challenges facing cities in very different climatic situations

Impact of University engagement on environmental resilience of urban spaces in Asia and Africa

By 2030 most of the globes inhabitants will be living with cities. It is therefore important that cities are resilient to sustenance and energy challenge in the face of increasing demands from population expansion and increasing environmental variability and uncertainty brought about by intensifying climate change. The Strengthening Urban Engagement of Universities in Asia and Africa (SUEUAA) project aims to enhance university engagement capacity in this context and optimise engagement strategy to maximise impact in urban areas. We use the term 'environmental resilience' to encapsulate both energy and sustenance challenges. We believe these must be tackled in a holistic manner as there are intimate links between the production and usage of energy, food and water and consequent generation and disposal of waste. This paper focuses on the experiences and vision of SUEUAA partners in Johannesburg (South Africa), Dar es Salaam (Tanzania), Duhok (Iraq), Sanandaj (Iran), and Manila (Philippines), so it encapsulates views and solutions for engagement strategies on several environmental challenges facing cities in very different climatic situations

Myosin-I nomenclature

We suggest that the vertebrate myosin-I field adopt a common nomenclature system based on the names adopted by the Human Genome Organization (HUGO). At present, the myosin-I nomenclature is very confusing; not only are several systems in use, but several different genes have been given the same name. Despite their faults, we believe that the names adopted by the HUGO nomenclature group for genome annotation are the best compromise, and we recommend universal adoption

Mortality and pulmonary complications in patients undergoing surgery with perioperative SARS-CoV-2 infection: an international cohort study

Background: The impact of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) on postoperative recovery needs to be understood to inform clinical decision making during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. This study reports 30-day mortality and pulmonary complication rates in patients with perioperative SARS-CoV-2 infection. Methods: This international, multicentre, cohort study at 235 hospitals in 24 countries included all patients undergoing surgery who had SARS-CoV-2 infection confirmed within 7 days before or 30 days after surgery. The primary outcome measure was 30-day postoperative mortality and was assessed in all enrolled patients. The main secondary outcome measure was pulmonary complications, defined as pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome, or unexpected postoperative ventilation. Findings: This analysis includes 1128 patients who had surgery between Jan 1 and March 31, 2020, of whom 835 (74·0%) had emergency surgery and 280 (24·8%) had elective surgery. SARS-CoV-2 infection was confirmed preoperatively in 294 (26·1%) patients. 30-day mortality was 23·8% (268 of 1128). Pulmonary complications occurred in 577 (51·2%) of 1128 patients; 30-day mortality in these patients was 38·0% (219 of 577), accounting for 81·7% (219 of 268) of all deaths. In adjusted analyses, 30-day mortality was associated with male sex (odds ratio 1·75 [95% CI 1·28–2·40], p\textless0·0001), age 70 years or older versus younger than 70 years (2·30 [1·65–3·22], p\textless0·0001), American Society of Anesthesiologists grades 3–5 versus grades 1–2 (2·35 [1·57–3·53], p\textless0·0001), malignant versus benign or obstetric diagnosis (1·55 [1·01–2·39], p=0·046), emergency versus elective surgery (1·67 [1·06–2·63], p=0·026), and major versus minor surgery (1·52 [1·01–2·31], p=0·047). Interpretation: Postoperative pulmonary complications occur in half of patients with perioperative SARS-CoV-2 infection and are associated with high mortality. Thresholds for surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic should be higher than during normal practice, particularly in men aged 70 years and older. Consideration should be given for postponing non-urgent procedures and promoting non-operative treatment to delay or avoid the need for surgery. Funding: National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland, Bowel and Cancer Research, Bowel Disease Research Foundation, Association of Upper Gastrointestinal Surgeons, British Association of Surgical Oncology, British Gynaecological Cancer Society, European Society of Coloproctology, NIHR Academy, Sarcoma UK, Vascular Society for Great Britain and Ireland, and Yorkshire Cancer Research