93 research outputs found
Pseudo-distances on symplectomorphism groups and applications to flux theory
Starting from a given norm on the vector space of exact 1-forms of a compact
symplectic manifold, we produce pseudo-distances on its symplectomorphism group
by generalizing an idea due to Banyaga. We prove that in some cases (which
include Banyaga's construction), their restriction to the Hamiltonian
diffeomorphism group is equivalent to the distance induced by the initial norm
on exact 1-forms. We also define genuine "distances to the Hamiltonian
diffeomorphism group" which we use to derive several consequences, mainly in
terms of flux groups.Comment: 21 pages, no figure; v2. various typos corrected, some references
added. Published in Mathematische Zeitschrif
Antibody prevalence to African swine fever virus, Mycobacterium bovis, foot-and-​mouth disease virus, Rift Valley fever virus, influenza A virus, and Brucella and Leptospira spp. in free-ranging warthog (Phacochoerus africanus) populations in South Africa
The warthog (Phacochoerus africanus) can be used as a model for investigating disease
transmission at the human, wildlife, and livestock interface. An omnivore and scavenger, a warthog
moves freely between natural ecotypes, farmland, and human communities and is susceptible to
diseases of zoonotic, agricultural, and conservation concern. A retrospective study using 100 individual
serum samples collected from May 1999 to August 2016 was performed to determine antibody
prevalence to seven pathogens in warthogs from five locations in northeastern South Africa. Higher
prevalence of antibodies to African swine fever virus and Mycobacterium bovis were detected in
warthogs from the Greater Kruger National Park ecosystem in comparison to lower prevalence of
antibodies to M. bovis and no antibodies to African swine fever virus in warthogs from uMhkuze Game
Reserve. Low prevalence of antibodies to foot-and-mouth disease virus, Rift Valley fever virus, and
influenza A virus was detected in all locations, and no antibodies against Brucella and Leptospira spp.
were detected. No statistically significant difference in antibody prevalence was found between sexes
for any disease. At the univariate analysis, M. bovis seropositivity was significantly different among age
categories, with 49% (35/71) of adults found positive versus 29% (4/14) of juveniles and 9% (1/11) of
sub-adults (Fisher’s exact test, P¼0.020), and between the sampling locations (Fisher’s exact test,
PÂĽ0.001). The multivariate model results indicated that juvenile warthogs had lower odds of testing
positive to M. bovis antibodies than adults (juveniles’ odds ratio [OR]¼0.17, 95% confidence interval
[CI]: 0.02–1.0), although this result was not statistically significant at the 5% level (P¼0.052). For
warthogs sampled at Satara Buffalo Camp, the odds (OR¼0.22, 95% CI: 0.035–0.96) of being M. bovis
antibody positive were significantly lower (PÂĽ0.043) than for warthogs sampled at Skukuza. Of
particular interest in this study was the detection of warthogs seropositive for influenza A virus.KNP Veterinary Wildlife Services, South African Medical Research Council, National Research Foundation of South Africa and Smithsonian Institution National Zoological Park.http://www.jwildlifedis.orgam2021PharmacologyProduction Animal Studie
Characterizing epidemiological and genotypic features of Mycobacterium bovis infection in wild dogs (Lycaon pictus)
Mycobacterium bovis (M. bovis) infects a wide range of wildlife species and has recently been discovered in the endangered African wild dog (Lycaon pictus). This study aimed to characterize the epidemiology of tuberculosis (TB) in wild dogs in endemic areas of South Africa. We describe 12 TB cases in wild dogs from Kruger National Park (KNP), Hluhluwe–iMfolozi Park (HiP) and a private facility in Hoedspruit from 2015 to 2017. Spoligotyping was used to identify the disease-causing M. bovis strain in these cases, and whole-genome sequencing was performed on 5 M. bovis isolates (KNP = 2 and HiP = 3) to investigate genomic diversity as well as the relationship to other isolates found in these geographical areas. Three distinct strain types were responsible for the M. bovis infections in this species. The SB0121 strain was observed in wild dogs from KNP, whereas SB0130 was responsible for infection in wild dogs from HiP. A novel strain, SB2681, was also identified in the HiP wild dogs. Whole-genome sequence analysis suggests that different infection sources exist among these wild dogs and that inter-species transmission most likely occurred between wildlife predators and prey located within shared geographical areas. This study highlights the importance of regular disease surveillance to identify and characterize potential threats for successful control of infection and protection of endangered species.The South African Medical Research Council and the National Research Foundation.http://wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/tbedhj2022Paraclinical Science
Fatal Tuberculosis in a Free-Ranging African Elephant and One Health Implications of Human Pathogens in Wildlife
Tuberculosis (TB) in humans is a global public health concern and the discovery of animal cases of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection and disease, especially in multi-host settings, also has significant implications for public health, veterinary disease control, and conservation endeavors. This paper describes a fatal case of Mtb disease in a free-ranging African elephant (Loxodonta africana) in a high human TB burden region. Necropsy revealed extensive granulomatous pneumonia, from which Mtb was isolated and identified as a member of LAM3/F11 lineage; a common lineage found in humans in South Africa. These findings are contextualized within a framework of emerging Mtb disease in wildlife globally and highlights the importance of the One Health paradigm in addressing this anthroponotic threat to wildlife and the zoonotic implications
Objectivity and realms of explanation in academic journal articles concerning sex/gender: a comparison of Gender studies and the other social sciences
South-South cooperation in health: bringing in theory, politics, history, and social justice
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