The Village Component Of African Cities

A Geographical Proceedings (GP) article on the evolution of African cities.The aim of this paper is to explore a few ideas about the evolving morphology of cities in Sub-Saharan Africa. It will attempt to demonstrate, that with the passage of time and the diminishing influence of western colonialism, African cities are becoming increasingly similar to one another and to Third World cities elsewhere

Understanding the causes of bile duct liver cancer

Why does south-east Asia have such a high prevalence of bile duct liver cancer? Dr Michael Smout of James Cook University, winner of science communication competition FameLab in Australia, explains the link between the deadly disease and a parasitic worm found in uncooked fish. Michael is competing at the FameLab international final in Cheltenham on 3-5 June 2014

GREEN ware: Low-temperature ceramics incorporating recycled waste

This project investigates vitrified studio ceramics below 1000oC, incorporating industrial and agricultural wastes from New South Wales (NSW), Australia. Ceramic firing practices are placed within the socio-political context of the climate change debate. A survey of environmental art includes a discussion of material and process choices, and leads to definitions of sustainability, green chemistry and green engineering. Desirable characteristics of clay bodies are explained: workability, low shrinkage during drying, dry strength, fired strength, resistance to abrasion and lack of permeability. Approaches for lowering sintering temperature are reviewed, as is literature on the inclusion in clay and glaze of industrial, municipal and agricultural waste. The selection and collection of waste materials for tests is documented, microscopy provides information about their morphology, and quarry tailings are compared with other proprietary materials known to have a fine particle size. Further characterisation of the waste materials is achieved by X-ray diffraction and percentage analysis. The process of triaxial blending is adapted to apply to clay bodies, with flux materials chosen to extend the temperature range within which a sample would not slump, achieve an acceptable level of vitrification and low porosity, influence the expansion of body and glaze to counteract crazing, introduce control over salt migration, and reduce hazard profiles. Fired strength is tested, and a novel method of displaying shrinkage and absorption trends is presented and utilised. Low-fire ceramic articles are made from the clays and glazes developed. Additives and procedural changes successfully counteract thixotropy and efflorescence resulting from flux inclusion, and proprietary clay is blended with low-fire clays to achieve a compromise between workability and vitrification

Potential for transmission of zoonotic helminth infections among dingoes and dogs in the Wet Tropics of North Queensland, Australia

Wild dogs (dingoes, free-ranging domestic dogs and hybrids) have the potential to pose a threat to biodiversity conservation and the health of domestic animals, livestock and humans in the Wet Tropics bioregion of north Queensland. The increasing human population in the Wet Tropics will inevitably result in more frequent interactions between people and wild dogs. One potential interaction is the transmission or 'spillover' of diseases, including zoonotic parasites, from dingoes to the area's native fauna, livestock, domestic animals, human residents and visitors. Investigating all potential hosts and their interactions is hence necessary to understand and mitigate the possibility of 'spill-over' or 'spill-back' of zoonotic infection. Indigenous communities are at particular risk due to limited management of domestic dog health and the ability of community dogs to roam free, possibly contacting dingoes and their habitat and resources. Dogs remain an integral part of Indigenous community culture and the health and treatment of dogs is intrinsically linked to community health and well-being. Research was undertaken in and around rural and remote Indigenous communities to understand the disease status of dingoes and sympatric community dogs. Using various parasitological techniques, combined with radio telemetry to track the movements of dingoes and free-roaming domestic dogs, risks of transmission of infection from dingoes to dogs and then people in Indigenous communities, or vice versa, were examined. Faecal samples collected from tracked dingoes revealed 100% infection with the zoonotic hookworm Ancylostoma caninum, and one animal was infected with Ancylostoma ceylanicum; this is the first report of this parasite in dingoes. A similar result was found for necropsied dingoes; however, a much more elevated infection rate was seen in dingo scats. Those scats positively sequenced for hookworm, contained A. ceylanicum, A. caninum and A. braziliense, with A. ceylanicum the dominant species in Mount Windsor National Park, with a prevalence of 100%, but decreasing to 68% and 30.8% in scats collected from northern and southern rural suburbs of Cairns, respectively. I also observed, for the first time, the presence of A. ceylanicum infection in domestic dogs (21.7%) and soil (55.6%) in an Indigenous community and found it was present in soil samples from two out of the three popular tourist locations sampled. Due to the ability of A. ceylanicum to cause a patent infection in humans, the zoonotic risk arising from this wild dog reservoir to communities in the Wet Tropics is of concern. Domestic dogs also had a high prevalence of A. caninum with 100%, 96.4%, and 88.0% infection of tracked dogs, necropsied dogs and dog scats, respectively, but A. ceylanicum was not found. Similar levels of infection of the zoonotic roundworm Toxocara canis were found in dingoes and domestic dogs. However, whipworm Trichuris vulpis infection was far more prevalent in domestic dog necropsies (78.6%) than in dingo necropsies (3.7%). Dirofilaria immitis infection was found in high prevalence with 71% infection seen in dingoes in low density housing areas. This result highlights the importance of dingoes as reservoir hosts of heartworm disease and that the subsequent risk of infection to companion animals and humans depends on local factors such as housing density, possibly linked to chemotherapeutic heartworm control in domestic dogs and climate. Eleven dingoes and seven free-roaming domestic dogs were fitted with GPS collars and tracked over an extended period. Dingo home ranges almost completely overlapped those of the domestic dogs and dingoes spent a substantial amount of time in areas used by dogs. I found that dingoes and dogs appeared to avoid direct contact however this spatial overlap in resource use presents an opportunity for the indirect spill-over and spill-back of zoonotic parasites, facilitated by the parasite's ability to survive for longer periods in the Wet Tropic's warm and humid conditions. Tracking and camera trap deployment in the Yarrabah community showed that the community rubbish tip and animal carcasses provided concentrated anthropogenic food sources for dogs and dingoes, and transmission risk is elevated in these locations. Two dog health days were conducted in the Yarrabah Aboriginal community to provide free veterinary consultation for pets, provide community members with information about new dog laws and registration and to provide information about parasites infecting dogs and the possible public health risks associated with them. This resulted in the provision of treatment and veterinary consultation to 134 dogs and one cat along with the development of guidelines for domestic animal management which I prepared and presented to Yarrabah Council to assist in the introduction of registration of pets. By using a "One Health" approach that integrated the disciplines of veterinary parasitology, epidemiology and ecological analysis of canids' home range and resource use, I was able to establish the prevalence of parasitic pathogens and the current status of infection in dingoes and determine the pathways and mechanisms which lead to the potential risk of transmission of infections among dingoes, wildlife, domestic animals and humans. I determined that hot spots of infection transmission are likely to be sources of anthropogenic-derived food such as the rubbish tip, animal carcasses and public congregational areas such as school sporting grounds. Similar risks are likely to occur in other Indigenous communities in the Wet Tropics and warrant investigation and intervention. Through collaboration with local, experienced environmental health workers I was able to achieve the overall aim of this project which was to determine, and provide workable and sustainable animal and health management practices to reduce the risk of spill-over of parasitic infection from dingoes to domestic dogs (or vice-versa). Mitigation measures should include exclusion fencing of the rubbish tip, effective disposal of animal carcasses, public education to increase community awareness about local zoonotic diseases and their prevention, along with regular chemoprophylactic therapy of community dogs and improved management of dogs and their diseases in Indigenous communities

Assessing Medical Discrimination, Mistrust, and Healthcare Engagement as Predictors of COVID-19 Vaccination among Transgender and Gender Diverse Individuals

As of March 11th 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a global pandemic. Early studies conducted among LGBT+ communities indicated that individuals of color and transgender individuals were more likely to express hesitation towards a possible COVID-19 vaccine. Such hesitation can be explained by historical medical mistreatment of people of color and LGBT+ communities which contributes to higher medical mistrust within these populations. The present study assessed vaccination behaviors among a sample of transgender and gender diverse individuals (N=385) and results indicated an association amongst experiences of discrimination in healthcare, medical mistrust, COVID-19 mistrust, barriers to vaccination, and having not receive a booster at the time of the study. Although race did not significantly contribute to any findings, binary gender predicted a delay in initial vaccination and having not received a booster at the time of the study. Participants who engaged in telehealth had lower vaccine hesitancy, lower COVID-19 mistrust, and lower perceived barrier to vaccination compared to participants who did not utilize telehealth during the pandemic. These results provide support for previous findings regarding TGD health, discrimination, and mistrust and contribute novel findings to the role of these factors when assessing COVID-19 vaccination behaviors amidst the ongoing pandemic

Swipe Right for Condoms and Testing: Differences in High-Risk Sexual Behavior and Sexual Health Beliefs Among Dating App Users Compared to Non-App Users

Millions of Americans are currently using smartphone dating applications (apps) to socialize and meet with others. In some cases, app-based conversations lead to sexual interactions. Previous research examining the relationship between the use of dating apps and sexual behaviors has found that individuals who use dating apps and meet with partners from the app are more likely to engage in high-risk sexual behaviors such as having multiple partners and inconsistent condom use. Individuals between the ages of 18 and 24 are the group most likely to be using dating apps compared to other age groups and are a high-risk group for contracting sexually transmitted infections (STIs). While much research has been done regarding the use of dating apps among men who have sex with men (MSM), the literature on dating app use among other populations is still developing. The purpose of this study is to examine how dating app users differ from non-app users in terms of high-risk sexual behavior and sexual health beliefs related to STI prevention and testing

Strategic planning for water security in developing countries

Water security is an increasing problem in many areas of the world, exacerbated by population growth, economic development and climate change. Infrastructure such as reservoirs may be used to increase water security, and this requires planning over an extended period for approval and construction before new infrastructure can be operational. Long term planning is sensitive however to uncertainty about the future, including for example on local impacts of climate change. This paper proposes a strategic planning approach to water security with a 15 – 40 years’ time horizon, consideration of various scenarios and a focus on “no-regrets” actions which would strengthen resilience and bring benefits in all scenarios. Examples of these are actions to reduce water losses and to manage demand for water. The paper draws on research conducted for the EU SWITCH project in the city of Alexandria, Egypt, and on other studies in south and south-east Asia