Research priorities for control of zoonoses in South Africa.

BACKGROUND: Zoonoses pose major threats to the health of humans, domestic animals and wildlife, as seen in the COVID-19 pandemic. Zoonoses are the commonest source of emerging human infections and inter-species transmission is facilitated by anthropogenic factors such as encroachment and destruction of wilderness areas, wildlife trafficking and climate change. South Africa was selected for a 'One Health' study to identify research priorities for control of zoonoses due to its complex disease burden and an overstretched health system. METHODS: A multidisciplinary group of 18 experts identified priority zoonotic diseases, knowledge gaps and proposed research priorities for the next 5 y. Each priority was scored using predefined criteria by another group of five experts and then weighted by a reference group (n=28) and the 18 experts. RESULTS: Seventeen diseases were mentioned with the top five being rabies (14/18), TB (13/18), brucellosis (11/18), Rift Valley fever (9/11) and cysticercosis (6/18). In total, 97 specific research priorities were listed, with the majority on basic epidemiological research (n=57), such as measuring the burden of various zoonoses (n=24), followed by 20 on development of new interventions. The highest research priority score was for improving existing interventions (0.77/1.0), followed by health policy and systems research (0.72/1.0). CONCLUSION: Future zoonotic research should improve understanding of zoonotic burden and risk factors and new interventions in public health. People with limited rural services, immunocompromised, in informal settlements and high-risk occupations, should be the highest research priority.

One Health, "Disease X" & the challenge of "Unknown" Unknowns.

The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 and its rapid spread globally emphasizes the ever-present threat of emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases. In this review, the pathogen pyramid framework was utilized to identify the "unknown unknowns" associated with the emergence and rapid transmission of novel infectious disease agents. Given that the evolutionary origin of most of the emerging infectious disease agents can be traced to an animal source, we argue the need to integrate the "One Health" approach as a part of surveillance activities. The need for focusing on undertaking global and regional mapping activities to identify novel pathogens is discussed, given that there are an estimated 1.67 million unknown viruses, of which around 631,000 to 827,000 unknown viruses have the capacity to infect human beings. The emerging risks due to the ever-expanding interface between human, animals, both domestic and wildlife, and the environment are highlighted, these are largely driven by the need for safe habitation, growing food, developing infrastructure to support the increasing human population and desire for economic growth. The One Health approach provides a holistic way to address these cross-sectoral issues, by bridging institutional gaps, enumerating priority risk areas and pathogens, and highlighting putative risk factors for subsequent spillover events involving emerging and re-emerging infectious disease pathogens at the human-animal-environment interface.

Effects of Recreational Camping on the Environmental Values of National Parks in Sri Lanka.

Camping is a popular activity in the contemporary nature-based tourism domain and rapidly gaining momentum as a key recreational activity in Sri Lanka's national parks (NPs). Recreational uses such as camping in natural areas can induce significant and often localised resource impacts that can affect soil, vegetation, wildlife and water, with the severity of such impacts varying according to the intensity of use. Hence, monitoring of the biophysical conditions of campsites has become an important component in the reserve management agenda in many places, especially in developed countries. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to examine the biophysical impacts associated with the recreation ecology of camping in Sri Lanka. Ten campsites from three dry zone NPs were selected to assess biophysical impacts of camping activities. Field measurements were based on the fixed radial transect method. Gathered data included the total area of the campsite, erosion potential measured as the area of exposed soil (devoid of vegetation or organic litter), number of exposed roots and human damage to trees, number of fireplaces/ fire scars on the ground, visual counts of litter, soil compaction measured by penetrometer, loss of woody debris. This study reports significant levels of environmental degradation related to all the indictors of biophysical impacts at both high and low use campsites. There was no evidence for any difference in the level of environmental degradation associated with high and low use campsites. The loss of natural values associated with campsites negatively impacted visitors' nature-based experience. These findings highlight the importance of managing biophysical impacts in campsites to provide a high-quality visitor experience, while sustainably managing tourism activities in NPs.

Scoping Recreational Disturbance of Shorebirds to Inform the Agenda for Research and Management in Tropical Asia.

In addition to scoping the impacts of the four most reported sources of recreational disturbance on shorebirds, this study also advances the concept of Tropical Asia (TA) to collectively describe tourist destinations in the ecologically and geopolitically diverse part of the planet that incorporates the tourism megaregion of South and Southeast Asia. At a time of growing global concern about the rapid decline of shorebird populations, many governments in TA are embracing and capitalising on the exponential growth in demand for coastal recreation and tourism across the region. This political response is partly driven by efforts to deliver economic development, aligned to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, in order to secure the livelihoods of people living in less developed coastal areas. However, the rapid increase in visitor numbers and the development of infrastructure to support the booming demand for coastal tourism destinations in TA are further exacerbating the pressures on shorebird populations across the region. Despite these growing pressures and the wealth of research reporting on shorebird populations across the Asian flyways, this scoping study identified surprisingly little research that reports on the recreational disturbance (RD) of shorebirds in TA. While undertaken to inform future research, this study also provides a synthesis of management strategies reported in the global literature into a set of management recommendations for coastal destinations in TA.

COVID-19 in Africa: care and protection for frontline healthcare workers.

Medical staff caring for COVID-19 patients face mental stress, physical exhaustion, separation from families, stigma, and the pain of losing patients and colleagues. Many of them have acquired SARS-CoV-2 and some have died. In Africa, where the pandemic is escalating, there are major gaps in response capacity, especially in human resources and protective equipment. We examine these challenges and propose interventions to protect healthcare workers on the continent, drawing on articles identified on Medline (Pubmed) in a search on 24 March 2020. Global jostling means that supplies of personal protective equipment are limited in Africa. Even low-cost interventions such as facemasks for patients with a cough and water supplies for handwashing may be challenging, as is 'physical distancing' in overcrowded primary health care clinics. Without adequate protection, COVID-19 mortality may be high among healthcare workers and their family in Africa given limited critical care beds and difficulties in transporting ill healthcare workers from rural to urban care centres. Much can be done to protect healthcare workers, however. The continent has learnt invaluable lessons from Ebola and HIV control. HIV counselors and community healthcare workers are key resources, and could promote social distancing and related interventions, dispel myths, support healthcare workers, perform symptom screening and trace contacts. Staff motivation and retention may be enhanced through carefully managed risk 'allowances' or compensation. International support with personnel and protective equipment, especially from China, could turn the pandemic's trajectory in Africa around. Telemedicine holds promise as it rationalises human resources and reduces patient contact and thus infection risks. Importantly, healthcare workers, using their authoritative voice, can promote effective COVID-19 policies and prioritization of their safety. Prioritizing healthcare workers for SARS-CoV-2 testing, hospital beds and targeted research, as well as ensuring that public figures and the population acknowledge the commitment of healthcare workers may help to maintain morale. Clearly there are multiple ways that international support and national commitment could help safeguard healthcare workers in Africa, essential for limiting the pandemic's potentially devastating heath, socio-economic and security impacts on the continent.

Collision metastasis of prostatic adenocarcinoma and urothelial carcinoma of the bladder.

The incidence of concomitant prostate adenocarcinoma found in patients with muscle-invasive bladder carcinoma is not uncommon, reaching up to 21%-28%. However, the presence of collision metastasis involving prostate cancer and bladder cancer within the same lymph node is exceedingly rare, with only 5 cases reported to date in the literature. We report a case of collision metastasis of prostate adenocarcinoma and urothelial carcinoma of the bladder in a 73-year-old man who underwent cystoprostatectomy with bilateral pelvic lymph node dissection for high-grade muscle-invasive urothelial carcinoma. Final pathology revealed a pT3aN2 high-grade urothelial carcinoma and pT3N1 Gleason 4 + 4 = 8 adenocarcinoma of the prostate with 12/40 pelvic lymph nodes positive for urothelial carcinoma. One node was positive for both urothelial carcinoma and prostate adenocarcinoma, confirmed by positive staining by p40 and prostate specific antigen(PSA), respectively. Immunohistochemistry is the sole method of confirming collision metastasis of two primary cancers. In this case, we describe immunohistochemical markers for urothelial carcinoma and prostate adenocarcinoma and their clinical implications. One month postoperatively, our patient began adjuvant leuprolide therapy and cycle 1 of gemcitabine and cisplatin chemotherapy, which he is tolerating well.

Data from a survey to determine visitor attitudes and knowledge about the provisioning of wild dolphins at a marine tourism destination.

In the Austral summer of 2014-2015 we surveyed visitors at the popular marine tourism destination of Koombana Bay, Bunbury, Western Australia to investigate resident and visitor attitudes towards the provisioning of the wild dolphins and their knowledge about the legal, social and environmental repercussions arising from the unregulated provisioning of the dolphins. We report the data collected in our survey along with our preliminary statistical analyses and the survey instrument we utilized to collect the data.

Population Dynamics of Owned, Free-Roaming Dogs: Implications for Rabies Control.

BACKGROUND: Rabies is a serious yet neglected public health threat in resource-limited communities in Africa, where the virus is maintained in populations of owned, free-roaming domestic dogs. Rabies elimination can be achieved through the mass vaccination of dogs, but maintaining the critical threshold of vaccination coverage for herd immunity in these populations is hampered by their rapid turnover. Knowledge of the population dynamics of free-roaming dog populations can inform effective planning and implementation of mass dog vaccination campaigns to control rabies. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We implemented a health and demographic surveillance system in dogs that monitored the entire owned dog population within a defined geographic area in a community in Mpumalanga Province, South Africa. We quantified demographic rates over a 24-month period, from 1st January 2012 through 1st January 2014, and assessed their implications for rabies control by simulating the decline in vaccination coverage over time. During this period, the population declined by 10%. Annual population growth rates were +18.6% in 2012 and -24.5% in 2013. Crude annual birth rates (per 1,000 dog-years of observation) were 451 in 2012 and 313 in 2013. Crude annual death rates were 406 in 2012 and 568 in 2013. Females suffered a significantly higher mortality rate in 2013 than males (mortality rate ratio [MRR] = 1.54, 95% CI = 1.28-1.85). In the age class 0-3 months, the mortality rate of dogs vaccinated against rabies was significantly lower than that of unvaccinated dogs (2012: MRR = 0.11, 95% CI = 0.05-0.21; 2013: MRR = 0.31, 95% CI = 0.11-0.69). The results of the simulation showed that achieving a 70% vaccination coverage during annual campaigns would maintain coverage above the critical threshold for at least 12 months. CONCLUSIONS AND SIGNIFICANCE: Our findings provide an evidence base for the World Health Organization's empirically-derived target of 70% vaccination coverage during annual campaigns. Achieving this will be effective even in highly dynamic populations with extremely high growth rates and rapid turnover. This increases confidence in the feasibility of dog rabies elimination in Africa through mass vaccination.

An unexpected co-crystal with a variable degree of order: 1:1 rac-1,2-cyclohexanediol/triphenylphosphine oxide.

A 1:1 co-crystal of rac-trans-1,2-C(6)H(10)(OH)(2) and (C(6)H(5))(3)PO has been found that is unusual because there are no strong interactions between the two kinds of molecules, which are segregated into layers. Furthermore, neither pure rac-1,2-cyclohexanediol (CHD) nor pure triphenylphosphine oxide (TPPO) has any obvious packing problem that would make the formation of inclusion complexes likely. The TPPO layers are very much like those found in two of the four known polymorphs of pure TPPO. The hydrogen-bonded ribbons of CHD are similar to those found in other vic-diol crystals. The co-crystals are triclinic (space group P\overline 1), but the deviations from monoclinic symmetry (space group C2/c) are small. The magnitudes of those deviations depend on the solvent from which the crystal is grown; the deviations are largest for crystals grown from acetone, smallest for crystals grown from toluene, and intermediate for crystals grown from ethanol. The deviations arise from incomplete enantiomeric disorder of the R,R and S,S diols; this disorder is not required by symmetry in either space group, but occupancy factors are nearly 0.50 when the structure is refined as monoclinic. When the structure is refined as triclinic the deviations of the occupancy factors from 0.50 mirror the deviations from monoclinic symmetry because information about the partial R,R/S,S ordering is transmitted from one diol layer to the next through the very pseudosymmetric TPPO layer. Analyses suggest individual CHD layers are at least mostly ordered. The degree of order seems to be established at the time the crystal is grown and is unlikely to change with heating or cooling. Thermal data suggest the existence of the co-crystal is a consequence of kinetic rather than thermodynamic factors.

The English Lexicon Project.

The English Lexicon Project is a multiuniversity effort to provide a standardized behavioral and descriptive data set for 40,481 words and 40,481 nonwords. It is available via the Internet at elexicon.wustl.edu. Data from 816 participants across six universities were collected in a lexical decision task (approximately 3400 responses per participant), and data from 444 participants were collected in a speeded naming task (approximately 2500 responses per participant). The present paper describes the motivation for this project, the methods used to collect the data, and the search engine that affords access to the behavioral measures and descriptive lexical statistics for these stimuli.

Solid-state compounds of stereoisomers: cis and trans isomers of 1,2-cyclohexanediol and 2,3-tetralindiol.

The phases of 1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-2,3-naphthalenediol (or 2,3-tetralindiol) and of 1,2-cyclohexanediol have been investigated. The structure of a very stable 1:1 compound (or co-crystal) of the cis and trans isomers of 2,3-tetralindiol, the existence of which has been known for nearly a century, has finally been determined. No evidence of any analogous compound between the cis and trans isomers of 1,2-cyclohexanediol has been found. The formation of solid-state compounds of stereoisomers is rare; it probably occurs only if the crystal packing of at least one of the isomers is unfavorable, e.g. if at least one of the melting points is lower than expected. Compound formation is usually unlikely because of the difficulty of simultaneously optimizing the translational spacings for both isomers, but that packing problem is avoided in the cis/trans compound of 2,3-tetralindiol because the two isomers are in very similar environments. In the structures of the individual 2,3-tetralindiol isomers there are clear conflicts between the competing packing requirements of the 1,2-diol moiety and the aromatic ring system; these conflicts are resolved better in the co-crystal than in the structures of the individual isomers.

Developmental, crosslinguistic perspectives on visual word recognition.

In this paper, we argue that a complete understanding of language processing, in this case word-recognition processes, requires consideration both of multiple languages and of developmental processes. To illustrate these goals, we will summarize a 10-year research program exploring word-recognition processes in Korean adults and children. We describe the particular issue to which this research is directed (the relationship between print and the sound system of the language), and describe the characteristics of the Korean writing system that are relevant to this issue. We then outline our research examining the use of lexical and sublexical processes in recognizing Korean words. We use these studies to argue that cross-linguistic and developmental investigations may constrain models of language processes, and must be considered for a complete understanding of word-recognition and reading processes.

The influence of phonological neighborhood on visual word perception.

In the research reported here, we investigated the influence of phonological neighborhood density on the processing of words in the visual lexical decision task. The results of the first experiment revealed that words with large phonological neighborhoods were verified more rapidly than words with small phonological neighborhoods. In the second experiment, we replicated this effect with a more tightly controlled set of stimuli. These results demonstrate the importance of phonological codes when processing visually presented letter strings. We relate this research to previous results on semantic and orthographic neighborhoods and discuss the results within the context of a model in which lexical decisions are based on stimulus familiarity.

Semantic and phonological influences on the processing of words and pseudohomophones.

In two experiments, we investigated the relationship between semantics and phonology in the lexical decision task. In the first experiment, lexical decisions to words with large semantic neighborhoods were faster than those to words with sparse semantic neighborhoods. Conversely, this effect of semantic neighborhood was reversed for pseudohomophones (e.g., nale). That is, pseudohomophones based on words with large semantic neighborhoods took longer to reject than did those based on words with sparse semantic neighborhoods. In the second experiment, we found the magnitude of the semantic neighborhood effect for words to be a function of nonword foil type. Taken together, these results indicate that semantic neighborhood size affects processing of both words and pseudohomophones, and that the effect of semantic neighborhood size for words is more pronounced when pseudohomophone foils are employed. These effects are discussed in terms of a model in which the orthographic, phonological, and semantic systems are fully interactive.

Semantic neighborhood effects on the recognition of ambiguous words.

The effect of semantic neighborhood on the processing of ambiguous words was examined in two lexical decision experiments. Semantic neighborhood was defined in terms of semantic set size and network connectivity. In Experiment 1, the variables of semantic set size, network connectivity, and ambiguity were crossed. An ambiguity advantage was observed only within small-set low-connectivity words. In Experiment 2, the effect of network connectivity on the processing of words of high and low meaning relatedness was examined. Participants responded more rapidly to words of high meaning relatedness, relative to words of low meaning relatedness, but only within high-connectivity words. These results are interpreted within a framework in which both semantic feedback processes and meaning-level competition can affect the recognition of semantically ambiguous words.