339 research outputs found
Reproductive Health Issues AfTecting Displaced Populations
The provision of reproductive health
services for displaced populations has
gained momentum since the 1994 International
Conference on Population and
Development (ICPD). The ICPD Programme
of Action sets reproductive
health within a rights framework and
highlights the needs of refugees and internally
displaced populations. This paper
looks at the background to
reproductive health for refugees, offers
some lessons learned from Marie Stopes
International's refugee programming
experience and highlights possible future
interventions.La prise en compte des questions
d'obstétrique pour les personnes
déplacées a gagné un surcroît d'attention
depuis la Conférence Internationale sur
la population et le Développement de
1994. Le programme d'action ayant
découlé de cette conférence place
l'obstétrique dans le cadre adéquat et met
en relief les besoins des réfugiés et des
personnes déplacées à l'intérieur des
frontières nationales. Cet article propose
un rappel historique de la question de
l'obstétrique pour les réfugiés, suggère
quelques leçons à tirer de l'expérience
d'organisation des réfugiés de Marie
Stopes International, et signale les interventions futures
possibles
Investigating the Relationship Between Turbulence and Lightning
No abstract availabl
Space Solar Power with SunSynchronous Orbits
The basic problem being addressed here is the high initial cost of solar power satellite (SPS) systems. The cost is higher for GEO orbits because of the large solar array and transmitter sizes required from that distance, and the expense of lifting such a mass into the higher orbits. Aperture size is proportional to the distance the power is beamed; thus transmitter apertures can be smaller when nearer to Earth.
Decreasing the distance energy must be beamed through space means that the powersat need not be so large, or as expensive. Implementation of sunsynchronous sunsats will likely be a more complex operation, but this limitation is lessened by the cost savings resulting from the smaller mass to be delivered to lower, more accessible orbits.
The development of an economically viable space energy system on a global basis is made more attainable using satellites equipped with equatorial orbiting reflectors for the sharing of energy. The development of wireless power transmission (WPT) is critical to the emergence of sustainable private and government space ventures, including space lift, space exploration and space development. The pursuit of space-based solar power in the lower orbits will greatly expand the need for space lift capability which will help to accelerate these developments.
Advisors: Royce Jones, Prof. Don Flournoy, John Bowditch
Space Solar Power with SunSynchronous Orbits from Space Communication Journal on Vimeo
The extracellular Leucine-Rich Repeat superfamily; a comparative survey and analysis of evolutionary relationships and expression patterns
Correction to Dolan J, Walshe K, Alsbury S, Hokamp K, O'Keeffe S, Okafuji T, Miller SF, Tear G, Mitchell KJ: The extracellular leucine-rich repeat superfamily; a comparative survey and analysis of evolutionary relationships and expression patterns. BMC Genomics 2007, 8:320
Mycobacterium bovis genomics reveals transmission of infection between cattle and deer in Ireland
Control of bovine tuberculosis (bTB), caused by Mycobacterium bovis, in the Republic of Ireland costs €84 million each year. Badgers are recognised as being a wildlife source for M. bovis infection of cattle. Deer are thought to act as spillover hosts for infection; however, population density is recognised as an important driver in shifting their epidemiological role, and deer populations across the country have been increasing in density and range. County Wicklow represents one specific area in the Republic of Ireland that has had consistently high bTB prevalence for over a decade, despite control operations in both cattle and badgers. The area is also known to have a high density of deer. Our research used whole genome sequencing of M. bovis sourced from infected cattle, deer, and badgers in County Wicklow to evaluate whether the epidemiological role of deer could have shifted from spillover host to source. Our analyses reveal that cattle and deer share highly similar M. bovis strains suggesting that transmission between these species is occurring in the area. In addition, the high level of diversity observed in the sampled deer population suggests deer may be acting as a source of infection for local cattle populations. These findings have important implications for the control and ultimate eradication of bTB in Ireland
Applying a WASH risk assessment tool in a rural South African setting to identify risks and opportunities for climate resilient communities
Climate change threatens the health and well-being of populations. We conducted a risk
assessment of two climate-related variables (i.e., temperature and rainfall) and associated water,
sanitation and hygiene (WASH)-related exposures and vulnerabilities for people living in Mopani
District, Limpopo province, South Africa. Primary and secondary data were applied in a qualitative and quantitative assessment to generate classifications of risk (i.e., low, medium, or high) for
components of hazard/threat, human exposure, and human vulnerability. Climate-related threats
were likely to impact human health due to the relatively high risk of waterborne diseases and
WASH-associated pathogens. Vulnerabilities that increased the susceptibility of the population to
these adverse outcomes included environmental, human, physical infrastructure, and political and
institutional elements. People of low socio-economic status were found to be least likely to cope
with changes in these hazards. By identifying and assessing the risk to sanitation services and water
supply, evidence exists to inform actions of government and WASH sector partners. This evidence
should also be used to guide disaster risk reduction, and climate change and human health adaptation
planning.DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT : The laboratory sample data are available from the National Health
Laboratory Services. All hazard-related data were extracted from publicly available manuscripts as
cited in the text.The South African Medical Research Council and the National Research Foundation. The A.P.C. was funded by the South African Medical Research Council.https://www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerphGeography, Geoinformatics and Meteorolog
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Coexistence in an African pastoral landscape: Evidence that livestock and wildlife temporally partition water resources
Funder: Department of Plant Sciences, University of OxfordFunder: Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical GardensFunder: Department of Zoology, University of OxfordFunder: Rob Walker GrantAbstract: African rangelands support substantial wildlife populations alongside pastoralists and livestock. Recent wildlife declines are often attributed to competition with livestock over water and grazing, in part because livestock are thought to spatially displace wildlife. However, more evidence is needed to understand this interaction and inform rangeland management. Here, we analysed the temporal overlap between wildlife and livestock at water points in a community‐governed area of Kenya's South Rift Valley, which is a dry season refuge where Maasai pastoralists, livestock and wildlife co‐occur. We used camera traps to capture images at water points in two time periods: first, when nearby settlements were unoccupied, and second, as people and their herds moved into the area. We measured wildlife activity (independent detections per hour) and the difference in temporal overlap between livestock and wildlife. We found no evidence that daily wildlife activity declined despite increased human and livestock settlement. However, temporal partitioning between livestock and wildlife at watering points increased with wildlife using water resources more at night. Maasai corral livestock overnight to protect them from predation, allowing wildlife to persist in a livestock‐dominated landscape. Our study demonstrates humans and wildlife co‐adapting to mitigate competition for shared water resources, thereby facilitating spatial coexistence
Bulla Regia II : Excavations in the Christian cemetery
This paper reports the preliminary results from three seasons of excavations in the Christian cemetery by the Tunisian-British Bulla Regia Archaeological Project. In 2017-2019, excavations in, and around, the Late Antique church in the western cemetery uncovered a complex funerary landscape with a variety of different tomb types, including mosaic caisson tombs, simple masonry tombs, amphora tombs, and earthen graves and multiple funerary mensae. The mosaics, inscriptions and finds (ceramics, glass, coins) studied in 2022 support a fourth to seventh century date for the main period of use of the cemetery
Global population genomics of two subspecies of Cryptosporidium hominis during 500 years of evolution
Cryptosporidiosis is a major global health problem and a primary cause of diarrhoea, particularly in young children in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The zoonotic Cryptosporidium parvum and anthroponotic C. hominis cause most human infections. Here, we present a comprehensive whole-genome study of C. hominis, comprising 114 isolates from 16 countries within five continents. We detect two lineages with distinct biology and demography, which diverged circa 500 years ago. We consider these lineages two subspecies and propose the names C. hominis hominis and C. hominis aquapotentis (gp60 subtype IbA10G2). In our study, C. h. hominis is almost exclusively represented by isolates from LMICs in Africa and Asia and appears to have undergone recent population contraction. In contrast, C. h. aquapotentis was found in high-income countries, mainly in Europe, North America and Oceania, and appears to be expanding. Notably, C. h. aquapotentis is associated with high rates of direct human-to-human transmission, which may explain its success in countries with well-developed environmental sanitation infrastructure. Intriguingly, we detected genomic regions of introgression following secondary contact between the subspecies. This resulted in high diversity and divergence in genomic islands of putative virulence genes (GIPVs), including muc5 (CHUDEA2_430) and a hypothetical protein (CHUDEA6_5270). This diversity is maintained by balancing selection, suggesting a coevolutionary arms race with the host. Lastly, we find that recent gene flow from C. h. aquapotentis to C. h. hominis, likely associated with increased human migration, may be driving evolution of more virulent C. hominis variants
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