Can Domestic Food Production Provide Future Urban Populations with Food and Nutrition Security?—Insights from Bangladesh, Kenya and Uganda

Population growth and urbanization increasingly put pressure on our planet's availability of areas needed for food production. The dependencies on domestically produced food are increasingly judged favourable, following the consequences of the Ukrainian war, with escalating fuel and grain prices and less accessibilities to low-income groups. It is, however, unclear whether land is domestically available. Applying a food system approach, the main aim of this article is to investigate spatial foodsheds and theoretical self-sufficiency for food production needed to supply increasing future populations in a selection of cities, including estimates for Dhaka in Bangladesh, Nairobi in Kenya and Kampala in Uganda. The projected foodshed scenario areas for the years 2020 and 2050 are estimated for the production of three core products currently extensively produced and consumed in the three countries. They show that it is not possible to feed an ever-increasing urban population based on domestic production alone. International trade, new technological developments and new consumer demands for less area-intensive food production systems may give solutions to the immense challenge of feeding the world's population with nutritious food in 2050. However, to ensure fair and inclusive transition pathways for low-income groups: (1) affordability and accessibility of trade opportunities, technologies and products, (2) a common vision aiming for the SDGs, including SDG2: Zero hunger and SDG11: Sustainable Cities and Communities as well as (3) best practices in co-creation and cooperation with the most vulnerable urban and rural populations, are highly needed.

Environmental Sustainability and Territorial Competitiveness: A Comparison between Italian Provinces

The emergence of globalisation and the removal of obstacles between markets have heightened rivalry between territorial areas. To have a competitive advantage, the regions have to be unique. As one of the tactics used to boost their reputation on a territorial level, territories are progressively adopting environmental policies for sustainable and shared prosperity. Indeed, effective management of urban growth depends heavily on sustainable development. In this regard, the literature occasionally refers to the "green branding” of cities, a strategy that makes use of environmental aspects to boost the allure of metropolitan environments. There is currently little consensus in the literature on the measuring of environmental performance, and no statistical study has been done to confirm the efficacy of these measures in terms of territorial competitiveness. Therefore, it is important to determine whether there is a relationship between a territory's level of sustainability and competitiveness in Italy. According to the statistical analysis of the Italian provinces, the Northeast, Northwest, Centre, and Islands are the four geographical regions with the highest average scores. This unquestionably indicates a basic comprehension and supports the notion that there is a relationship between the two variables. However, it also serves as a warning about how geographical disparities in Italy represent a major issue affecting the most diverse sectors. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic problem has drastically altered consumer demands and goals, leading consumers to seek out more sustainable travel and cities that are designed with citizens' requirements in mind. It will therefore become more and more important to research how public and private administrators, as well as policy makers, react to these changes.

Critical Commentary: Beyond growth and density: Recentring the demographic drivers of urban health and risk in the global south

Debates within urban studies concerning the relationship between urbanisation and infectious disease focus on issues of urban population growth, density, migration and connectivity. However, an effective long-term risk and wellbeing agenda, without which the threat of future pandemics cannot be mitigated, must also take account of demographic forces and changes as critical drivers of transmission and mortality risk within and beyond cities. A better understanding of the dynamics of fertility, mortality and changing age structures – key determinants of urban decline/growth in addition to migration – provides the foundation upon which healthier cities and a healthy global urban system can be developed. The study of how basic demographic attributes and trends are distributed in space and how they interact with risks, including those of infectious disease, must be incorporated as a priority into a post-COVID-19 urban public health agenda. This perspective concurs with recent debates in urban studies emphasising the demographic drivers of urban change. Moreover, it raises critical questions about the microbial and environmental emphasis of much research on the interface of urban health and governance.

The First Wave of COVID-19 in Forensic Psychiatry: A Rapid Review Series

At the beginning of the pandemic, experts expected an increasing number of hospitalizations in forensic settings, uncontrollable outbreaks of COVID-19, and deterioration of mental health of residents within institutions. Certain publications corroborated these concerns;however, no synthesis of the results of empirical publications at the initial stage of the pandemic has yet been conducted. Three rapid reviews were conducted on these topics. Besides almost a two-fold decrease in the total number of urgent consultations/hospitalizations, there were no changes in the number of involuntary hospitalizations, suicide attempts, and psychoses. The COVID-19 morbidity and mortality rates in secure institutions were compatible with the general population. However, the lockdown period was associated with a significant increase in self-harm in secure settings.

Telerheumatology: Origins, current practice, and future directions

This book details the practice of telerheumatology. Telemedicine is defined as the delivery of healthcare and the exchange of healthcare information across distances. Following, telerheumatology is the delivery of rheumatology care through telemedicine. There exists an increasing demand from patients, caregivers, and healthcare systems for access to academic specialists through telemedicine. This has been the case for the past several years and the demand has only increased with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. There is currently a lack of rheumatologists in rural areas and that is expected to spread to a general lack by 2025. Telerheumatology offers an excellent and timely solution to fill these gaps and provide care. © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022. All rights reserved.

Bodies in Transit: Speculation and the Biopolitical Imaginary

This essay explores the Bodies in Transit archive, an artifact of mid-nineteenth-century public health administration in New York City. The ledgers, which tracked the transit of every corpse that moved through the island of Manhattan between 1859 and 1894 and categorized entrants by their cause of death, nationality, and occupation, present a unique lens through which I explore the intersections of speculation, biopolitics, and urban space. I first establish a conceptual framework of "speculation" by dissecting its etymological genealogy, the roots of which share a preoccupation with vision and sight. I note that in practice, the ing and rationalizing tendencies of speculation operate by envisioning, calculating, and coercing specific outcomes into realization. I apply this framework to Bodies in Transit to historicize the ways in which biopolitics, the means through which the state forms, represents, and manages populations, are indexed to speculative economic practices. I read Bodies in Transit through the framework of speculation to articulate a field of meaning that illuminates the complex material and epistemic conditions surrounding its implementation and utility. As I argue, the ledgers were a response to the acceleration of real estate speculation in Manhattan, a trend that incentivized property owners to disinter burial grounds to relocate corpses to rural areas, and thereby connected the speculative logics of real estate to those of public health, spatial order, and surveillance. By thinking across and through the layered meanings of "speculation," this essay illuminates how the state's economy of knowledge is intimately related to biopolitical practices of surveillance and representations of financial value in the modern city.

Cumulative excess deaths in New Zealand in the COVID-19 era: biases from ignoring changes in population growth rates

Accurate data on health and economic outcomes are needed to evaluate policy responses to COVID-19. A potentially comprehensive health indicator is excess deaths, which shows the gap between all-cause deaths and deaths to be expected under normal circumstances. New Zealand's public health community has seized upon an excess deaths series that seemingly shows negative cumulative excess mortality in the first three years of COVID-19 - in other words, fewer deaths than expected. This is a flawed measure because it ignores changes in population growth. There was a rapid rise in deaths in New Zealand in the 2015-19 period, due to immigration-driven population growth rates of two percent per annum. This growth came almost to a standstill after the border closed in March 2020 so methods of extrapolating from the past to predict future deaths, to ascertain if actual deaths exceed the projection, must take account of this sharp change in population growth rates. Rather than New Zealand being unique, in having negative cumulative excess deaths in the COVID-19 era, as claimed by public health commentators, cumulative deaths are about four percent above expected deaths once population changes are accounted for. Several developed countries had better outcomes according to this indicator.

Cluster Analysis as a Means of Identifying Types of Demographic Characteristics (Russian Rural Population, European Part of Russia, Early 20(th) to Early 21(st) Century)

The object of study is the demographic characteristics of the Russian rural population of the European part of Russia (at the level of individual governorates, regions, and republics) from the beginning of the twentieth century to the beginning of the twenty-first century. These data are analyzed in the context of general demographic trends. The goal is to identify regions with similar demographic indicators during several chronological periods (1902, 1940, 2002, 2020) and to observe the transformation of demographic characteristics in different periods of history and in different regions of European Russia. This provides the necessary material for making assumptions about the connection between demographic types and natural-geographical, economic-geographical, and ethnogeographical factors. The principal research method, multivariate cluster analysis, is a tool for identifying stable groups of typologically homogeneous objects. The clustering of regions was carried out on the basis of three key demographic indicators: fertility, mortality, and natural growth. The authors came to the conclusion that, as early as the beginning of the twentieth century, Russian agrarian society was already at different demographic stages, evolving from a traditional to a modernized society. In the middle of the century, discrepancies in the rates of demographic transition became noticeable, manifested in some conventional "dividing" lines such as the ones between Russian oblasts and some national republics;the ones between agro-industrial and industrial-agrarian regions;the ones between southern and northern territories;and, finally, the ones between the regions and republics close to and distant from Moscow. The entwinement of these lines gave rise to various cluster groupings and, apparently, led to some consequent variability in the types of demographic characteristics in different regions, which is also recorded at the beginning of the twentieth century. The authors also pay attention to types of "demographic responses" of different regions to the coronavirus pandemic.

Analysis of Electricity and Water Consumption in Existing Mosque Buildings in the UAE

According to the World Economic Forum, the building sector is responsible for 40% of global energy consumption and 33% of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and this is expected to increase due to population growth and the subsequent impact on the environment, economy and health. To tackle the problem, countries have set new construction codes, policies and regulations for the construction of new buildings in an effort to make them greener. However, there is a need to enhance the status of the existing buildings, especially mosques, as they are the main contributors to energy usage and water consumption in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Therefore, this research seeks to fill this gap, aiming to evaluate the energy usage and water consumption practices employed in the existing mosque buildings within the UAE and to provide recommendations for improving the sustainability of mosques, with a focus on the environmental and economic pillars. The methodology relies mainly on data collected from 146 existing mosque buildings that have undergone energy saving audits across the UAE. Descriptive statistical analysis is performed to analyze the data from the period of 2018–2019 in order to determine the most significant factors related to energy inefficiency in existing mosque buildings in the UAE and to determine the most cost-effective and energy-saving corrective measures for energy and water conservation. The findings further enhance the standard of experience for mosque visitors (social aspect);reduce energy bill expenses, providing an acceptable return on investment from the proposed energy conservation measures for stakeholders (economic);and reduce the overall energy consumption, which can reduce the total CO2 emissions from mosque buildings (environmental).

Reuse of Sludge as Organic Soil Amendment: Insights into the Current Situation and Potential Challenges

Sludge generation as an organic by-product of wastewater treatment has seen a consistent increase worldwide due to population growth and industrial activities. This poses a chronic challenge regarding management options and environmental concerns. The agricultural valorization of unconventional organic materials has become inevitable, especially in semi-arid and arid countries that suffer from depleted soils and shortages in farm manure supply. High-income countries have also been interested in this recycling practice to mitigate landfilling or incineration issues. Sewage and some industrial sludges contain a complex mixture of beneficial and harmful substances, which varies with the origin of effluents. Therefore, sludge land application should be well managed in order to achieve sustainable agro-environmental goals. This review paper focuses on different aspects related to sludge reuse in agriculture, starting by investigating the diversity of sludge types and composition. In addition to the preponderant urban sewage sludge, the less-studied industrial sludges, such as those generated from pulp and paper mills or gas-to-liquid industries, are hereby addressed as well. Then, post-land application effects are discussed in relation to sludge quality, dose, and reuse conditions. The present paper also examines the disparities between guidelines that determine sludge conformity for land application in various countries or regions. Accordingly, special attention is given to increasing risks related to emerging pollutants in sludge such as pharmaceuticals, which have been overused since the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic. This exhaustive investigation will assist the establishment of sustainable strategies for the safe agricultural reuse of biosolids.

Spatial and Temporal Analysis of 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-Ncov) Cases in Selangor, Malaysia

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to wreak devastation on public health systems warldwide, particularly in Selangor, Malay sia, COVID-1 9 was reported from October 2020 to October 2021 at prevalent rate . In order to control and prevent: tlie spread of this pandemic, which is already underway, there is need to comprehend the spatial dimension of this disease. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to describe the patterns of COVID-a9 virus transmission in the state of Selangor. Methods: Using a Geographic Information System (GIS), and the Moran's Index (MI), spatial distribution of COVID-19 across the entire mukim was mapped and spatial statistical analysis was carried out with indications of local spatial correlations. Results: The finding revealed that the clusters were concentrated in the western and southern regions (Global Moran's I = 0.468, p = 0.05, Z = 7.01) of the state oi Selangor, thus, this research provides important information on the regional distribution and temporal dynamtcs of COV4D-Í9. Conclusion: Aa assessment ot COVID-14's geographic spread can help enhance healih care programs and resource allouation in Malaysia, specifically Selangorwhere the COVID-19 is pandemic.

Estimating post-pandemic effects of working from home and teleconferencing on travel behaviour

Like in many other countries, the Dutch government instructed people to work from home where possible during the COVID-19 pandemic to halt the transmission of the virus. This policy seems to have resulted in a structural increase in working from home and teleconferencing that will outlast the pandemic. However, the longer-term effects on travel behaviour are still unclear. Making use of panel data collected using the Netherlands Mobility Panel, this paper has two main aims. First, it analyses developments in working from home and teleconferencing since COVID-19. Second, it estimates the expected post-pandemic effects on travel behaviour. The results show that compared to before the pandemic, the average number of hours that people work from home has doubled and roughly two-thirds of respondents indicate that they teleconference more often. We estimate that structural, post-pandemic increases in working from home and teleconferencing will result in a negative effect on distances travelled by train (-3% to-9%), by bus, tram, and metro (-1% to-5%) and car (-1 to-5%). The estimated effect on the distance travelled by bicycle (-2% to 0%), and walking (0% to +1%) is smaller or even positive, due to people making more complementary trips for other purposes when working from home. When interpreting these results, we should keep in mind that due to various other factors, such as population growth, total travel demand will still grow in the near future. © 2023, TU Delft. All rights reserved.

Therapeutic landscapes during the COVID-19 pandemic: increased and intensified interactions with nature

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a drastic impact on the course of everyday life for much of the world's population and many people have experienced an unprecedented increase in anxiety and depression while their access to a range of coping mechanisms has been reduced. For those privileged enough to have nearby and safe access to natural environments, green and blue spaces have become an important enabler of everyday wellbeing. In this paper we explore the role of everyday interactions with nature for the maintenance of wellbeing, during the first and second ‘wave' of infections in the Netherlands. Based on qualitative interviews with 30 participants in spring/summer and autumn of 2020, we detail how relationships with nature in the local surroundings and in the home qualitatively and effectively changed in response to COVID-19 induced confinement, resulting in the becoming-therapeutic of everyday micro-geographies. Amongst our participants, the conditions of semi-lockdown gave rise to increased interactions with nature, both in their outdoor surroundings and in the home. These increased interactions also led to intensified emotional and sensory experiences with nature and a greater sense of familiarity with their surroundings, which strengthened place-attachments and contributed to an increased sense of wellbeing.

Recent Demographic Trends in France Ongoing Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic at Both Regional and National Levels

On 1 January 2022, the population of France was 67.8 million, 187,000 more than on 1 January 2021. Numbers of births, abortions, and marriages in 2021 were higher than in 2020 but did not return to the levels observed before the COVID-19 pandemic (2019). Mortality followed a similar pattern, with an improvement in 2021, but not a return to pre-crisis levels. In 2021, France was one of nine countries in EU-27 with positive natural population increase, although net migration made a larger contribution to demographic growth. The French population is still growing, therefore, but more slowly than before the pandemic. In 2020, admissions of third-country nationals with a residence permit fell sharply due to the health crisis. Admissions for employment reasons decreased most markedly. Inflows were concentrated in the Paris region (Ile-de-France). In 2021, the total fertility rate increased very slightly (1.83 children per woman) due mainly to an increase in rates at ages 30–39, with an age profile that varies across regions. The number of abortions remained stable between 2020 and 2021, but the share of medical abortions is increasing each year (77% in 2021), above all those managed in non-hospital settings. There are large geographical disparities, however, due to inequalities in care provision at local level. The upturn in marriages in 2021 only partially made up for those that could not be celebrated in 2020. PACS unions outnumbered marriages for the first time in 2020. Marriages are more frequent in eastern France, and PACS civil unions along the Atlantic coast and in the south-west. While lower than in 2020, the number of deaths remained high in 2021. Life expectancy in 2021 was still 4.6 months lower than in 2019 for men, and 1.4 months lower for women. Estimated excess mortality was 6.3% in 2021, after reaching 7.5% in 2020. The most affected regions are not necessarily those where mortality was initially high.Alternate :Le 1er janvier 2022, la France comptait 67,8 millions d'habitants soit 187 000 de plus qu'au 1er janvier 2021. Les nombres de naissances, d'IVG et de mariages en 2021 ont augmente si on les compare a 2020, sans toutefois retrouver les niveaux observes avant la crise sanitaire (2019). Il en est de meme pour les deces dont le nombre a diminue, mais reste encore superieur a celui observe en 2019. En 2021, la France fait partie des 9 pays europeens parmi les 27 dont le solde naturel est positif. Son solde migratoire l'est egalement et, en 2021, est superieur au solde naturel. Au total, la population de la France continue d'augmenter, mais a un rythme plus faible qu'avant la pandemie. En 2020, les flux d'entrees de personnes venant de pays tiers avec un titre de sejour ont tres fortement diminue du fait de la crise sanitaire. Ce sont les titres pour raison professionnelle qui ont le plus baisse. Les demandes se concentrent en Ile-de-France. En 2021, l'indice conjoncturel de fecondite augmente tres legerement (1,83 enfant par femme), principalement du fait de la hausse des taux entre 30 et 39 ans. Le profil par age varie selon les regions. Le recours a l'avortement est plutot stable entre 2020 et 2021, mais la part des IVG realisees par la methode medicamenteuse augmente d'annee en annee (77 % en 2021), surtout celles pratiquees en cabinet de ville. Cependant, on observe d'importantes differences territoriales, du fait d'une offre de soins inegale au niveau local. En 2021, le rattrapage des mariages qui n'ont pu etre celebres en 2020 n'a ete que partiel. Pour la premiere fois en 2020, le nombre de pacs depasse celui des mariages. Les mariages sont plus frequents sur le flanc est du pays et les pacs sur la facade atlantique et dans le SudOuest. Le nombre de deces reste important en 2021 malgre une amelioration par rapport a 2020. L'esperance de vie en 2021 reste inferieure de 4,6 mois pour les hommes par rapport a 2019, et de 1,4 mois pour les femmes. La surmortalite est estimee a 6,3 % en 2021 apres avoir ete de 7,5 % en 2020. Les regions les plus touchees ne sont pas necessairement celles ou a mortalite etait initialement forte.Alternate :El 1 de enero de 2022, Francia contaba con 67,8 millones de habitantes, es decir, 187 000 mas que el 1 de enero de 2021. El numero de nacimientos, de IVE y de matrimonios en 2021 aumento en comparacion a 2020, pero sin alcanzar los niveles observados antes de la crisis sanitaria (2019). Lo mismo ocurrio con las defunciones, cuyo numero disminuyo, aunque seguia siendo superior al observado en 2019. En 2021, Francia se encontraba entre los 9 paises europeos de los 27 cuyo crecimiento vegetativo era positivo. El saldo migratorio tambien lo era y, en 2021, fue superior al crecimiento vegetativo. En su conjunto, la poblacion de Francia continua aumentando, pero a un ritmo mas lento que antes de la pandemia. En 2020, los flujos de entradas de personas provenientes de paises terceros con permiso de residencia disminuyeron considerablemente debido a la crisis sanitaria. Los visados por razones profesionales fueron los que mas cayeron. Las solicitudes se concentraban en Ile-de-France. En 2021, el indice coyuntural de fecundidad experimento un ligero aumento (1,83 hijos por mujer), principalmente por la subida de las tasas entre los 30 y los 39 anos. El perfil por edad varia segun las regiones. El recurso al aborto se mantiene mas bien estable entre 2020 y 2021, pero la parte de IVE realizadas por el metodo farmacologico aumenta ano tras ano (77 % en 2021), sobre todo las practicadas en consultorios urbanos. No obstante, se observan importantes diferencias territoriales, por una oferta de atencion sanitaria desigual a nivel local. En 2021, la recuperacion de matrimonios que no pudieron celebrarse en 2020 tan solo fue parcial. Por primera vez en 2020, el numero de PACS (Pacto Civil de Solidaridad) sobrepasaba al de matrimonios. Los matrimonios son mas frecuentes en el este del pais y los PACS en la costa atlantica y en el suroeste. El numero de defunciones seguia siendo importante en 2021 aunque hubiera mejorado con respecto a 2020. La esperanza de vida en 2021 se redujo 4,6 meses para los hombres con respecto a 2019, y 1,4 meses para las mujeres. El exceso de mortalidad se estima en 6,3 % en 2021 tras haber alcanzado el 7,5 % en 2020. Las regiones mas afectadas no son necesariamente aquellas que presentaban en principio una mortalidad mas acusada.

A study on next-generation digital tool for health data management: the e-Pulse portal

Purpose: This study aims to investigate the working way of the e-Pulse portal in Turkiye as a sample of a next-generation digital tool for health data management. Accordingly, this study focuses on explaining the structure and key services of the e-Pulse portal in the context of health data management. Design/methodology/approach: This study is a technical paper that will explain how the e-Pulse portal works in Turkiye. Accordingly, the data are based on secondary sources and mostly the official website of the e-Pulse portal. As a sample case, this study investigates the e-Pulse portal from Turkiye. The data are categorized by tables, and some key factors are classified based on review results. Finding(s): As a result of the review of the e-Pulse portal's sample account, it is seen that the e-Pulse portal provides comprehensive data for personal health data for both individuals and healthcare professionals. By permitting healthcare professionals, users or patients can share their personal health data on specific dates and numbers whenever they need and want. When sharing recorded personal health data, citizens or patients can get more efficient healthcare service on the time. Research limitations/implications: By giving descriptive evidence and review through the e-Pulse portal, countries with high-populated can see the key e-services and elements to manage health data through digital tools. On the other side, this study has some limitations. This study investigated the e-Pulse portal and its e-services for Turkiye and gave some findings mostly based on subjective deduction. Another digital portal can give different findings for the literature. Practical implications: Based on the e-Pulse portal case, it is determined that by creating a digital portal with recorded personal up-to-date health data, healthcare services can be ensured more efficiently among high-populated countries in the long term. While population growth and pandemic possibilities such as COVID-19 increase throughout the world, serving more patients with these portals will increase efficiency and service quality, provided that patient information is well protected. Originality/value: This study reveals key e-services and segments to provide personal health data management by a next-generation digital tool based on the e-Pulse portal. The main contribution of this study is expected to guide other countries when adapting next-generation technology or systems to manage health data in the future.Copyright © 2023, Emerald Publishing Limited.

Spatio-temporal evolution dynamic, effect and governance policy of construction land use in urban agglomeration: case study of Yangtze River Delta, China

The urban construction land change is the most obvious and complex spatial phenomenon in urban agglomerations which has attracted extensive attention of scholars in different fields. Yangtze River Delta Urban Agglomeration is the most mature urban agglomeration in China, a typical representative in both China and the world. This paper analyzes the evolution dynamic, effect and governance policy of urban construction land in Yangtze River Delta Urban Agglomeration 2011-2020 using a combination of BCG model, decoupling model and GIS tools. The findings are as follows. (1) There are large intercity differences in urban construction land in urban agglomerations, but the spatial heterogeneity is gradually decreasing. (2) The change trends and evolution patterns of urban construction land in urban agglomerations are increasingly diversified, with emergence of a variety of types such as rapid growth, slow growth, inverted U-shape, stars, cows, question and dogs. (3) The population growth, economic development and income improvement corresponding to the change of urban construction land in urban agglomerations have no desirable effect, with most cities in the expansive negative decoupling state. (4) The decoupling types show increasingly complex changes, in evolution, degeneration and unchanged states. Affected by economic transformation and the outbreak of COVID-19, an increasing number of cities are in strong negative decoupling and degeneration states, threatening the sustainable development of urban agglomerations. (5) Based on the division of urban agglomerations into three policy areas of Transformation Leading, Land Dependent, and Land Reduction, the response strategies for each are proposed, and a differentiated land use zoning management system is established.

Koala conservation in South East Queensland: A grey literature review analysis

This grey literature review documents koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) conservation initiatives applied across 12 local government areas in South East Queensland, Australia. To overcome threats to koalas' survival, the grey literature indicates that local governments in this region focus on wildlife management solutions, wildlife signage, habitat restoration projects and koala awareness campaigns. Despite these measures, land clearing of koala habitat to cater for urban population growth combined with recent bushfires and floods have contributed to the decline of koalas in this region. Recommendations to enhance progress include greater usage of the grey literature in peer review work and further application of social marketing to encourage residents to uptake behaviors that can mitigate threats to koalas, including slowing down when driving in koala zones, participating in citizen science, and leashing dogs when walking in native bush areas. The need for collaborative efforts aimed at conserving the koala from potential extinction is indicated. This paper provides an approach that can be applied to track progress on coordinated efforts to conserve koalas.

CHANGES IN LIFE EXPECTANCY IN MOLDOVA DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of deaths in Moldova has considerably increased in absolute and relative numbers, compared with previous years. Earlier trends in mortality decline worsened for both sexes, while life expectancy decreased by 1.0 years in males and 1.7 years in females, respectively. Comparing the age components in the life expectancy change between pre-pandemic and pandemic periods, we can notice a slight increase in life expectancy in young-population age groups, mainly resulting from external mortality diminution. On the contrary, a sharp decline in life expectancy is observed in both sexes in the ages above 45. Life expectancy diminution was mainly conditioned by increased deaths from coronavirus disease and health system overload, which in many cases led to postponement in planned chronic disease treatment and emergency medical aid. A significant decrease in the number of deaths caused by COVID-19 was highlighted once a considerable proportion of the population was vaccinated against the coronavirus disease. Even though life expectancy is expected to increase in the following years, acquired chronic diseases or their late diagnosis during the COVID-19 pandemic can adversely affect the population's health in the medium and long term. The paper describes the life expectancy change in Moldova during the COVID-19 pandemic, for which the method of decomposition was used.Alternate abstract:Comparativ cu anii precedenți, în perioada pandemiei COVID19, numărul deceselor în Moldova a crescut considerabil, în cifre absolute și relative. Aceste schimbări în structura mortalității au întrerupt tendințele de creștere a speranței de viață înregistrate în perioada pre-pandemică. Astfel, către sfârșitul anului 2021, speranța de viață a înregistrat un declin de 1,0 ani la bărbați și 1,7 ani la femei. Comparând componentele de vârstă în schimbarea speranței de viață între perioada pre-pandemică și cea pandemică, putem observa o ușoară creștere a speranței de viață în vârstele tinere ale populației, care rezultă în mare parte din diminuarea mortalității prin cauze externe. Dimpotrivă, la vârstele peste 45 de ani se observă o scădere bruscă a speranței de viață la ambele sexe. Declinul în speranța de viață a fost condiționat de creșterea numărului de decese cauzate de boala coronavirus și gradului de supraîncărcare a sistemului de sănătate, care a dus la amânarea unor tratamente planificate a bolilor cronice și a redus capacitatea asistenței medicale de urgență. O scădere semnificativă a numărului de decese cauzate de COVID-19 a fost evidențiată odată ce o proporție considerabilă a populației a fost vaccinată împotriva bolii coronavirus. Bolile cronice dobândite în perioada pandemică, precum și diagnosticarea lor tardivă pot afecta negativ sănătatea populației pe termen mediu și lung. Acest articol descrie schimbările în speranța de viață din Moldova în perioada pandemiei COVID-19, pentru care a fost utilizată metoda decompoziției.

The Projected Burden Of Primary Total Shoulder Replacement Surgery In Australia To 2035

Purpose: Lifetime risk estimates show that the use of primary total shoulder replacement (TSR) surgery in Australia has increased in recent years, but future demand for surgery has not been estimated. This study aimed to forecast the number of primary TSR procedures likely to be performed in the year 2035, and associated costs to the Australian health system. Method(s): De-identified primary TSR data for 2009-2019 were obtained from the Australian Orthopaedic Association National Joint Replacement Registry. Australian population data (by age and sex) to the year 2021 and population projections to the year 2035 (by age and sex) were obtained from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Data on average episode of care costs were sourced from the National Hospital Cost Data Collection and private health insurer websites. Procedure rates to the year 2035 were projected according to two scenarios: Scenario 1 assumed that the rate of TSR remained constant from 2019 onwards, with consideration of anticipated population growth and ageing;Scenario 2 assumed a continued increase in the rate of surgery as seen from 2009-2019 plus anticipated population growth and ageing. For Scenario 1, age- and sex-specific rates of TSR in 2019 were calculated and applied to population projections for the years 2020-2035. For Scenario 2, negative binomial regression models (which controlled for age, sex, and year) were used to estimate TSR procedures for the years 2020-2035. For both scenarios, healthcare costs for 2035 were estimated for the projected number of TSR procedures, with average procedure costs for public and private hospitals inflated to 2035 Australian dollars using the Total Health Price Index. Result(s): The use of TSR increased by 242% in Australia from 2009 to 2019 for adults over 40 years of age (from 1,983 to 6,789 procedures). In 2019, 60% of procedures (n=4,062) were performed for females and 73% (n=4,925) were performed for people aged 60-79 years. Fifty-three per cent of procedures in 2019 (n=3,608) were performed for osteoarthritis. Under Scenario 1, the incidence of TSR is predicted to rise from 6,789 procedures in 2019 to 9,676 procedures by 2035 (a 43% increase), at an estimated cost of $AUD 317.69 million. Under Scenario 2, TSR incidence is forecast to increase to 45,295 procedures by 2035 (a 567% increase) at an estimated cost of $AUD 1.49 billion. Under this scenario, 69% of the total forecast costs (equating to $AUD 1.02 billion) relate to the private hospital sector. Conclusion(s): The use of TSR in Australia has increased substantially over a decade, which likely relates to a range of factors including improvements in prosthesis design, improved clinical outcomes for patients, greater surgeon proficiency, and expanded clinical indications for surgery. Under a conservative forecasting scenario, a 43% in the number of procedures is estimated to occur by 2035. However, under an exponential growth scenario that considers growth in TSR rates plus population growth and ageing, Australia would be facing a more than five-fold increase in TSR procedures by 2035. This would have profound implications for the healthcare budget and surgical workforce requirements. Future research is needed to model the impacts of COVID-19 on TSR provision and catch up of unmet need due to elective surgery restrictions and cancellations.Copyright © 2023

Trends in rice research: 2030 and beyond

Rice production and research have met unprecedented challenges in recent years. Yield and total production have plateaued for many years in some major producing rice-producing countries while the demand from populations in poverty is ever increasing. For example, more than 100 million additional people became extremely poor, mostly from Asia and sub-Saharan Africa in 2020 alone. Rice is not only the calorie source for half of the global population but also the key staple food for the world's poorest and undernourished people living in Asia and Africa. In this review, we have analysed the trends in rice research in the past three decades, particularly on the mega-projects that attempted to revolutionize rice yield, sustainability and quality of both Asian (Oryza sativa) and African (O. glaberrima) rice, with their impact on rice cultivation. We have also analysed the trends in population growth, rice cultivation, production, price and consumption along with their projections for 2030 and beyond. Furthermore, we have analysed recent trends in variety release using Bangladesh as an example. Finally, we have identified the future challenges and priorities of rice research.