Hasil untuk "South Asia. Southeast Asia. East Asia"

D. McManus, D. Dunne, M. Sacko et al.

Huizhong Shen, Ye Huang, Rong Wang et al.

T. Payn, J. Carnus, P. Freer-Smith et al.

Abstract This paper focuses on an analysis of planted forests data from the 2015 Forests Resources Assessment of the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organisation (FRA 2015). It forms one of a series of papers in the FRA 2015 special issue of this journal. While total forest area decreased from 4.28 billion hectares to 3.99 billion hectares from 1990 to 2015, with percent global forest cover dropping from 31.85% to 30.85%, the area of planted forests increased from 167.5 to 277.9 million hectares or 4.06% to 6.95% of total forest area. Increase was most rapid in the temperate zone, and regionally in East Asia, followed by Europe, North America, and Southern and Southeast Asia. However the annualised rate of increase in area of planted forests slowed in the 2010–2015 period to 1.2%, below the 2.4% rate suggested is needed to supply all of the world’s timber and fibre needs. The majority of planted forests comprised native species with only 18–19% of the total area being of introduced species. Introduced species were dominant in the southern hemisphere countries of South America, Oceania and Eastern and Southern Africa where industrial forestry is dominant. Twenty countries accounted for 85% of planted forest area and a different 20 countries for 87% of planted forest roundwood supply. As with forest area, roundwood supply from planted forests also showed an increasing trend although this was based on minimal data. There was a mismatch in composition and rankings of the top 20 countries with top forest area and roundwood production suggesting that there are substantial opportunities to increase roundwood production in the future, especially in China which has the largest area but is currently ranked 3rd in roundwood production. Outlook statements were developed for the FAO sub regions based on past changes in planted forest area, population growth, and climate and forest health risks to identify key issues for the future. The overall view from this study suggests that climate impacts, especially from extreme climatic events will affect planted forests in the future and that forest health impacts can also be expected to increase. Outlooks vary regionally. Europe and North America are likely to be most concerned with climate and health risks; Asia will experience population pressure that will impact on land availability for new forests and risks from extreme weather events, and will need to make the most of its existing forests; Africa will need to increase planted forest area to offset continuing deforestation and rapid population growth; and Oceania, the Caribbean, Central and South America are likely to be most concerned with climate impacts. To ensure the continued contribution of planted forests, a number of responses will be required to both maintain existing and also to develop new forests. Intensification of production in existing forests will lessen the need for greater forest areas and offset any land use conflicts related to food security; climate adaptation strategies will need to be developed as a matter of urgency, and forest health focus must remain a priority for research. Establishment of new forests will be eased through greater community and stakeholder engagement. Application of models such as WWF’s New Generation Plantations, which recognises the importance of society and the need to consider the full range of forest products and services within the wider landscape and spectrum of land uses, will be important. We recommend that to enable deeper analysis related to planted forests future FRA Assessments consider ways to better gather data specific to planted forests such as productivity so that this important component of global forests can be better understood.

Nasrindokht Azamjah, Yasaman Soltan-Zadeh, F. Zayeri

Background: breast cancer is the most common cause of cancer death for women worldwide. In the past two decades, published epidemiological reports in different parts of the world show significant increase in breast cancer mortality rate. The aim of this study was to determine the 25-year trend of breast cancer mortality rate in 7 super regions defined by the Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), i.e. Sub-Saharan Africa, North Africa and Middle East, South Asia, Southeast Asia and East Asia and Oceania, Latin America and Caribbean, Central Europe and Eastern Europe and Central Asia, High-income. Methods: Our study population consisted of 195 world countries in the IHME pre-defined seven super regions. The age-standardized mortality rates from 1990 to 2015 were extracted from the IHME site. The reference life table for calculating mortality rates was constructed based on the lowest estimated age-specific mortality rates from all locations with populations over 5 million in the 2015 iteration of GBD. To determine the trend of breast cancer mortality rate, a generalized linear mixed model was fitted separately for each IHME region and super region. Results: Statistical analysis showed a significant increase for breast cancer mortality rate in all super regions, except for High-income super region. For total world countries, the mean breast cancer mortality rate was 13.77 per 100,000 in 1990 and the overall slope of mortality rate was 0.7 per 100,000 from 1990 to 2015. The results showed that Latin America and Caribbean the highest increasing trend of breast cancer mortality rate during the years 1990 to 2015 (1.48 per 100,000). Conclusion: In general, our finding showed a significant increase in breast cancer mortality rate in the world during the past 25 years, which could be due to increase in incidence and prevalence of this cancer. Low this increasing trend is an alarm for health policy makers in all countries, especially in developing countries and low-income regions which experienced sharp slopes of breast cancer mortality rate.

Victoria Miller, A. Mente, M. Dehghan et al.

BACKGROUND The association between intake of fruits, vegetables, and legumes with cardiovascular disease and deaths has been investigated extensively in Europe, the USA, Japan, and China, but little or no data are available from the Middle East, South America, Africa, or south Asia. METHODS We did a prospective cohort study (Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology [PURE] in 135 335 individuals aged 35 to 70 years without cardiovascular disease from 613 communities in 18 low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries in seven geographical regions: North America and Europe, South America, the Middle East, south Asia, China, southeast Asia, and Africa. We documented their diet using country-specific food frequency questionnaires at baseline. Standardised questionnaires were used to collect information about demographic factors, socioeconomic status (education, income, and employment), lifestyle (smoking, physical activity, and alcohol intake), health history and medication use, and family history of cardiovascular disease. The follow-up period varied based on the date when recruitment began at each site or country. The main clinical outcomes were major cardiovascular disease (defined as death from cardiovascular causes and non-fatal myocardial infarction, stroke, and heart failure), fatal and non-fatal myocardial infarction, fatal and non-fatal strokes, cardiovascular mortality, non-cardiovascular mortality, and total mortality. Cox frailty models with random effects were used to assess associations between fruit, vegetable, and legume consumption with risk of cardiovascular disease events and mortality. FINDINGS Participants were enrolled into the study between Jan 1, 2003, and March 31, 2013. For the current analysis, we included all unrefuted outcome events in the PURE study database through March 31, 2017. Overall, combined mean fruit, vegetable and legume intake was 3·91 (SD 2·77) servings per day. During a median 7·4 years (5·5-9·3) of follow-up, 4784 major cardiovascular disease events, 1649 cardiovascular deaths, and 5796 total deaths were documented. Higher total fruit, vegetable, and legume intake was inversely associated with major cardiovascular disease, myocardial infarction, cardiovascular mortality, non-cardiovascular mortality, and total mortality in the models adjusted for age, sex, and centre (random effect). The estimates were substantially attenuated in the multivariable adjusted models for major cardiovascular disease (hazard ratio [HR] 0·90, 95% CI 0·74-1·10, ptrend=0·1301), myocardial infarction (0·99, 0·74-1·31; ptrend=0·2033), stroke (0·92, 0·67-1·25; ptrend=0·7092), cardiovascular mortality (0·73, 0·53-1·02; ptrend=0·0568), non-cardiovascular mortality (0·84, 0·68-1·04; ptrend =0·0038), and total mortality (0·81, 0·68-0·96; ptrend<0·0001). The HR for total mortality was lowest for three to four servings per day (0·78, 95% CI 0·69-0·88) compared with the reference group, with no further apparent decrease in HR with higher consumption. When examined separately, fruit intake was associated with lower risk of cardiovascular, non-cardiovascular, and total mortality, while legume intake was inversely associated with non-cardiovascular death and total mortality (in fully adjusted models). For vegetables, raw vegetable intake was strongly associated with a lower risk of total mortality, whereas cooked vegetable intake showed a modest benefit against mortality. INTERPRETATION Higher fruit, vegetable, and legume consumption was associated with a lower risk of non-cardiovascular, and total mortality. Benefits appear to be maximum for both non-cardiovascular mortality and total mortality at three to four servings per day (equivalent to 375-500 g/day). FUNDING Full funding sources listed at the end of the paper (see Acknowledgments).

P. Sicard, Evgenios Agathokleous, S. Anenberg et al.

Ground-level ozone (O3), fine particles (PM2.5), and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) are the most harmful urban air pollutants regarding human health effects. Here, we aimed at assessing trends in concurrent exposure of global urban population to O3, PM2.5, and NO2 between 2000 and 2019. PM2.5, NO2, and O3 mean concentrations and summertime mean of the daily maximum 8-h values (O3 MDA8) were analyzed (Mann-Kendall test) using data from a global reanalysis, covering 13,160 urban areas, and a ground-based monitoring network (Tropospheric Ozone Assessment Report), collating surface O3 observations at nearly 10,000 stations worldwide. At global scale, PM2.5 exposures declined slightly from 2000 to 2019 (on average, - 0.2 % year-1), with 65 % of cities showing rising levels. Improvements were observed in the Eastern US, Europe, Southeast China, and Japan, while the Middle East, sub-Saharan Africa, and South Asia experienced increases. The annual NO2 mean concentrations increased globally at 71 % of cities (on average, +0.4 % year-1), with improvements in North America and Europe, and increases in exposures in sub-Saharan Africa, Middle East, and South Asia regions, in line with socioeconomic development. Global exposure of urban population to O3 increased (on average, +0.8 % year-1 at 89 % of stations), due to lower O3 titration by NO. The summertime O3 MDA8 rose at 74 % of cities worldwide (on average, +0.6 % year-1), while a decline was observed in North America, Northern Europe, and Southeast China, due to the reduction in precursor emissions. The highest O3 MDA8 increases (>3 % year-1) occurred in Equatorial Africa, South Korea, and India. To reach air quality standards and mitigate outdoor air pollution effects, actions are urgently needed at all governance levels. More air quality monitors should be installed in cities, particularly in Africa, for improving risk and exposure assessments, concurrently with implementation of effective emission control policies that will consider regional socioeconomic imbalances.

M. Dita, M. Barquero, D. Heck et al.

Banana production is seriously threatened by Fusarium wilt (FW), a disease caused by the soil-borne fungus Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense (Foc). In the mid-twentieth century FW, also known as “Panama disease”, wiped out the Gros Michel banana industry in Central America. The devastation caused by Foc race 1 was mitigated by a shift to resistant Cavendish cultivars, which are currently the source of 99% of banana exports. However, a new strain of Foc, the tropical race 4 (TR4), attacks Cavendish clones and a diverse range of other banana varieties. Foc TR4 has been restricted to East and parts of Southeast Asia for more than 20 years, but since 2010 the disease has spread westward into five additional countries in Southeast and South Asia (Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, India, and Pakistan) and at the transcontinental level into the Middle East (Oman, Jordan, Lebanon, and Israel) and Africa (Mozambique). The spread of Foc TR4 is of great concern due to the limited knowledge about key aspects of disease epidemiology and the lack of effective management models, including resistant varieties and soil management approaches. In this review we summarize the current knowledge on the epidemiology of FW of banana, highlighting knowledge gaps in pathogen survival and dispersal, factors driving disease intensity, soil and plant microbiome and the dynamics of the disease. Comparisons with FW in other crops were also made to indicate possible differences and commonalities. Our current understanding of the role of main biotic and abiotic factors on disease intensity is reviewed, highlighting research needs and futures directions. Finally, a set of practices and their impact on disease intensity are discussed and proposed as an integrative management approach that could eventually be used by a range of users, including plant protection organizations, researchers, extension workers and growers.

K. Bartholomeeusen, M. Daniel, D. LaBeaud et al.

B. Nordestgaard, A. Langsted

One in five people are at high risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and aortic valve stenosis due to high lipoprotein(a). Lipoprotein(a) concentrations are lowest in people from east Asia, Europe, and southeast Asia, intermediate in people from south Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America, and highest in people from Africa. Concentrations are more than 90% genetically determined and 17% higher in post-menopausal women than in men. Individuals at a higher cardiovascular risk should have lipoprotein(a) concentrations measured once in their lifetime to inform those with high concentrations to adhere to a healthy lifestyle and receive medication to lower other cardiovascular risk factors. With no approved drugs to lower lipoprotein(a) concentrations, it is promising that at least five drugs in development lower concentrations by 65-98%, with three currently being tested in large cardiovascular endpoint trials. This Review covers historical perspectives, physiology and pathophysiology, genetic evidence of causality, epidemiology, role in familial hypercholesterolaemia and diabetes, management, screening, diagnosis, measurement, prevention, and future lipoprotein(a)-lowering drugs.

Hui Li, Le li, Shuangmei Tong et al.

Sea level rise, land subsidence and increasing wave heights will exacerbate inundation risk in future in coastal areas, which are usually densely populated and economically developed. However, the specific distribution of populations at inundation risk and the contribution rates of inundation risk impact factors remain unclear. To address these gaps, we first estimated the numbers and distribution of inundated coastal populations in 2050 and 2100 under three Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs), including SSP126, SSP245 and SSP585, which represent low-, medium-, and high-emission trajectories, respectively. Second, we analyzed the impacts of inundation risk on coastal populations across different income groups under the three scenarios. Third, we quantified the contribution of inundation risk factors for three scenarios in 2050 and 2100 by using random forest model. Finally, we discuss the impact of inundation risk on the socioeconomic and ecosystem of coastal areas. Our findings indicate that the global population at risk of inundation will exceed 543.6 million by 2050 and 568.7 million by 2100. Inundation risk increases with rising temperatures, with East and Southeast Asia accounting for two-thirds of the affected population. The results show that the populations at inundation risk with lower middle or low income will reach 277.4 million, 284.5 million, and 300.4 million by 2050 under SSP126, SSP245 and SSP585, respectively. These numbers are projected increase to 328 million, 356.7 million and 407.3 million in 2100, amplifying climate-related inequalities. We find that people with lower middle or low income at inundation risk are primarily concentrated in Southeast Asia, South Asia and Africa. Additionally, we identified regional differences in the dominant drivers of inundation risk. Land subsidence plays a primary role in the low latitude countries of Southeast Asia and South Asia, including Vietnam, Bangladesh, the Philippines and Indonesia. In contrast, wave height is the dominant factor in countries like the Netherlands, Egypt, China, and the United States, with its influence increasing as temperatures rise. Inundation can trigger many factors that threaten social stability in a coastal country with low income and severely damage the ecological system of coastal areas. These results underscore the urgent need for targeted climate adaptation strategies, particularly in low-income coastal regions. These findings enhance understanding of inundation risk drivers and provide scientific support for hazard mitigation and coastal ecosystem protection.

Haato Watanabe, Nobuyuki Umetani

Physics simulation of slender elastic objects often requires discretization as a polyline. However, constructing a polyline from Gaussian splatting is challenging as Gaussian splatting lacks connectivity information and the configuration of Gaussian primitives contains much noise. This paper presents a method to extract a polyline representation of the slender part of the objects in a Gaussian splatting scene from the user's sketching input. Our method robustly constructs a polyline mesh that represents the slender parts using the screen-space shortest path analysis that can be efficiently solved using dynamic programming. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach in several in-the-wild examples.

Zipeng Lin, Peng Wang, Linbin Tang et al.

The intensifying demand for energy transition minerals (ETMs) has triggered global concern over water-related issues in mining regions. However, localized and generalizable metrics are lacking to help companies and governments manage social licenses to operate (SLO). In this study, we propose an analytical method that combines digital media data from the Global Database of Events, Language, and Tone (GDELT) with high-resolution mining data to analyze social awareness. LightGBM with Shapley additive explanations models are introduced to uncover key factors influencing public sentiment. This approach was applied to analyze media attention and public sentiment on five categories of water issues across 12 mineral types and 511 mines from 2016 to 2023. Our findings show a 40% increase in water-related events linked to ETM mining since 2020. Regions such as East and Southeast Asia, and Central and South America exhibit rising but negative sentiment, while public discontent in Southern Africa remains consistently high. Cobalt, platinum, and vanadium have the most negative sentiment, particularly concerning water quality and pollution. Manganese shows the most negative sentiment due to concerns over drought and desertification. Model results indicate that the Goldstein scale of events, which reflects the magnitude of cooperation or conflict, was the most influential factor in shaping public sentiment. Precipitation has a significant positive impact on sentiment in drought- and flood-related events, while higher runoff improved sentiment in drought events but negatively affected flood- and water quality-related events. Socio-economic factors, such as educational expenditure and unemployment rates, also demonstrated varied effects across categories. Finally, this study introduces the water sentiment index (WSI) as a proxy for water-related SLO concerns, offering a new tool to track social awareness in ETM regions and providing actionable insights for policymakers and stakeholders to mitigate social risks and ensure sustainable mining practices.

Erman Wu, Erman Wu, Riqing Su et al.

BackgroundWhile hypertension dominates intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) risk globally, PM2.5 exacerbates health inequities through distinct ambient (APMP) and household (HAP) exposure pathways. Quantifying PM2.5-attributable burden across socioeconomic gradients remains critical for targeted intervention.MethodsUsing Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2021 data, we analyzed age-standardized mortality (ASMR), disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), years lived with disability (YLDs), and years of life lost (YLLs) for PM2.5-attributable ICH. Joinpoint regression assessed trends (AAPC), while Bayesian Age-Period-Cohort modeling projected burdens to 2050. Pollution sources (APMP/HAP) were stratified by Socio-demographic Index (SDI).ResultsGlobally, PM2.5 caused 995,650 ICH - related deaths and 24,015,340 DALYs in 2021. From 1990 to 2021, the ASMR and disability rates for ICH due to PM2.5 exposure showed consistent declines globally (ASMR: −52.4%, DALYs: −53.1%, YLL: −53.4%, YLD: −40.7%), driven by HAP reductions. However, the absolute number of deaths and YLDs rose. The AAPC of the PM2.5 - related ICH burden also declined in the past 30 years. Nevertheless, projections indicate that by 2050, the PM2.5 - related ICH burden will increase. Low SDI regions exhibited 24.7 times higher ASMR than those in high SDI areas. Regionally, Asian regions (East/South/Southeast Asia) had the highest death counts of ICH due to PM2.5. APMP dominated in High SDI regions (e.g., Western Europe, North America, and Australasia), whereas HAP remained prevalent in low-SDI settings (e.g., Sub-Saharan Africa). Mortality disparities extended to demographics, with males experiencing 1.8 times higher ASMR than females, and the peak of fatalities shifting to older age groups (from 65–69 to 70–74 years). A strong inverse correlation emerged between SDI and the burden (ASMR-SDI: r = −0.76, p &lt; 0.001).ConclusionAnalysis of GBD 2021 data reveals PM2.5-attributable ICH mortality in Low SDI regions is 24.7 times higher than High SDI areas, driven by HAP vs. APMP. Despite declining age-standardized rates globally (1990–2021), absolute DALYs and YLDs rose. Projections indicate burden resurgence by 2050. Considering population aging, gender and regional disparities (Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa bears highest burden), it is urgent to develop targeted strategies for APMP and HAP.

Peng Ma, Peng Ma, Xiaohong Tan et al.

BackgroundEsophageal carcinoma (EC) significantly impacts global health, particularly in Asia, where many low- and middle-income countries face substantial burdens despite advancements in some regions.ObjectiveThis study analyzed EC’s spatial and temporal distribution in Asia using the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) database, aiming to forecast future burdens and support effective prevention strategies.MethodsData from 48 Asian countries (1990-2021) were extracted from the GBD database, covering incidence, prevalence, deaths, disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), risk factors, and socio-demographic index (SDI). R and GraphPad Prism were used to assess changes and predict future trends.ResultsFrom 1990 to 2021, EC’s disease burden in Asia generally declined, with significant regional and sex disparities. East Asia showed the most improvement despite having the highest burden. Conversely, South and Southeast Asia experienced limited progress, with some areas seeing increased burdens. Males consistently had higher burdens than females, especially in East Asia. Future projections (from 2022 to 2040) suggested a slight rise in incidence in East Asia, while improvements in South and Southeast Asia may remain limited, though an overall burden decline was expected.ConclusionThe reduction in Asia’s EC burden underscored the impact of medical advances and public health efforts, but regional and sex disparities persist. Future strategies should enhance health resources in under-resourced and high-risk areas and implement targeted policies to address health inequalities and promote balanced public health development across Asia.

Pengfei Luo, Mingle Mao, Chengrui Yan et al.

The tube-nosed bats (genus Murina) are small insectivorous mammals that are primarily distributed in South, East, and Southeast Asia. The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP) has long been an understudied region in bat surveys, especially for species of small arboreal bats, including Murina. In 2023, we surveyed the southeastern QTP and collected seven individual specimens of Murina. The specimens were identified using combined morphological and molecular data (the mitochondrial Cyt b gene). Phylogenetic analyses identified three unknown clades: Murina sp1, Murina sp2, and Murina sp3. Murina sp1 was most closely related to M. pluvialis, with a genetic distance of 0.09. Murina sp2 was most closely related to M. shuipuensis, with a genetic distance of 0.13, and Murina sp3 was most closely related to M. chrysochaetes, with a genetic distance of 0.15. All three species delimitation methods supported the partitioning of Murina sp1, Murina sp2, and Murina sp3. Herein, we describe a new species, Murina chayuensis sp. nov. (Murina sp1.), that is similar to M. annamitica and M. lorelieae. Owing to the limited number of specimens, Murina sp2 and Murina sp3 are not described in this study. Our results highlight the overlooked diversity of bats in the southeastern QTP, and thus this group warrants further surveys and taxonomic studies.

Colin C.H. Law

The aviation industry has undergone significant changes due to air deregulation and liberalization, which have enabled competition among airlines and provided them with greater flexibility to determine airfare, routes, and capacity. These changes have led to increased air travel, benefiting the tourism industry in numerous countries, including Thailand. This research paper examines the relationship between air travel demand and tourism in Thailand, while assessing the economic advantages of tourism for different nationalities using a panel autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) dynamic framework. The study analyses data from 53 tourist origins, categorized into seven regions—North Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, Oceania, the Middle East and Africa, Europe, and the Americas—covering the period from 2012 to 2020. The findings suggest that air passenger demand significantly contributes to Thailand’s economy, leading to long-term benefits such as increased job opportunities, higher wages, and greater tourism receipts. Tourists from North Asia provide the most substantial long-term economic benefits, highlighting the need for a well-balanced strategy that targets various regions for sustainable tourism development.

Masudul Hasan Masud Bhuiyan, Matteo Varvello, Cristian-Alexandru Staicu et al.

The Global South faces unique challenges in achieving digital inclusion due to a heavy reliance on mobile devices for internet access and the prevalence of slow or unreliable networks. While numerous studies have investigated web accessibility within specific sectors such as education, healthcare, and government services, these efforts have been largely constrained to individual countries or narrow contexts, leaving a critical gap in cross-regional, large-scale analysis. This paper addresses this gap by conducting the first large-scale comparative study of mobile web accessibility across the Global South. In this work, we evaluate 100,000 websites from 10 countries in the Global South to provide a comprehensive understanding of accessibility practices in these regions. Our findings reveal that websites from countries with strict accessibility regulations and enforcement tend to adhere better to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) guidelines. However, accessibility violations impact different disability groups in varying ways. Blind and low-vision individuals in the Global South are disproportionately affected, as only 40% of the evaluated websites meet critical accessibility guidelines. This significant shortfall is largely due to developers frequently neglecting to implement valid alt text for images and ARIA descriptions, which are essential specification mechanisms in the HTML standard for the effective operation of screen readers.

Li Qiwei, Katelyn Kennon, Nicole Bedera et al.

Non-consensual intimate imagery (NCII), also known as image-based sexual abuse (IBSA), is mediated through online platforms. Victim-survivors must turn to platforms to collect evidence and request content removal. Platforms act as the crime scene, judge, and jury, determining whether perpetrators face consequences and if harmful material is removed. We present a study of NCII victim-survivors' online reporting experiences, drawing on trauma-informed interviews with 13 participants. We find that platform reporting processes are hostile, opaque, and ineffective, often forcing complex harms into narrow interfaces, responding inconsistently, and failing to result in meaningful action. Leveraging institutional betrayal theory, we show how platforms' structures and practices compound harm, and, in doing so, surface concrete intervention points for redesigning reporting systems and shaping policy to better support victim-survivors

Heidi Prozesky, Francois van Schalkwyk, Johann Mouton

This report provides the first comprehensive analysis of postdoctoral research fellows (postdocs) in South African public universities. It combines an analysis of existing data with the analysis of primary data collected in the form of a survey of institutions on the postdocs they host, a bibliometric study of the research output of postdocs, and an individual survey of postdocs. The number of postdocs has been increasing steadily from 2016 to 2022 and varies across universities, with larger research-intensive universities hosting more postdocs. In terms of demographics, the proportion of black African postdocs has increased; the proportion of female postdocs has remained lower than that of males; there is an increasing proportion of older postdocs; and more than 60 percent of postdocs are foreign-born. The bibliometric analysis of the publication output of postdocs shows that it increased substantially from 2005 to 2022. Some main results of the individual survey are that a postdoc position is taken primarily to enhance prospects for employment in a permanent academic position. However, securing such positions is reported as challenging, which is supported by results that one in every four postdocs has held multiple consecutive postdoc positions, and postdocs in general, but especially non-South Africans, perceive the job market as poor. Postdocs plan to leave South Africa primarily to seek better job opportunities, but also due to immigration rules or visa issues, which constitute major challenges for non-South Africans. Most postdocs desire to contribute to teaching and supervision but often lack the opportunity to do so. Dissatisfaction stems mostly from low levels of remuneration, difficulties created by the precarious nature of their positions and a lack of support for training and career development in their hosting institutions.

Rounik Talukdar, Suman Kanungo, Kei Kitahara et al.

Summary: Background: Cholera cases have increased globally across the Eastern Mediterranean, Africa, Southeast Asia, and parts of Europe since early 2024. This study aims to identify cholera hotspots and understand the spatial distribution of cholera in Kolkata and surrounding regions, a key cholera reservoir. Additionally, we examine sociodemographic factors and aspects related to water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH). Methods: Cholera clusters were detected using kernel density estimation and spatial autocorrelation through Global Moran’s-I statistics, with local cluster patterns examined using Local Moran’s-I statistics. Cholera cases from August 2021 to December 2023, treated at two tertiary care facilities in Kolkata: Infectious Diseases and Beleghata General Hospital and Dr. B C Roy Post Graduate Institute of Paediatric Sciences Hospital were included. Additionally, through a case–control study, 196 culture-confirmed cholera cases and 764 age/sex-matched neighborhood controls were enrolled, to investigate cholera risk factors. Findings: Spatial analysis revealed a concentration of 196 cholera cases in Kolkata and its surrounding regions of Howrah, Hooghly, and North and South 24 Parganas. Hotspot analysis showed significant clustering in several Kolkata wards (31, 33, 56, 46, 57, 58, 59, 61, 66, 71, and 107), particularly in the northern, central, and east Kolkata wetlands areas (Global Moran’s I statistic = 0.14, p < 0.001). These clusters had proximity between cases, with a median distance of 187.7 m, and 25.5% of cases as close as 73.9 m apart, suggesting localized transmission. Hotspots were identified with an average distance of 1600 m between them. Local Moran’s I analysis found dense “high–high” clusters in these areas (p < 0.01), with a mean Moran’s I index of 0.3, (range 0.1–4.6). The case–control study revealed that males were more likely to contract cholera, with an adjusted odds ratio of 2.4 (p < 0.01). There was no significant association found between cholera infection and sociodemographic factors or various WASH practices. Interpretation: The findings emphasize the importance of targeted interventions, especially in identified hotspots, to mitigate cholera transmission. Addressing Socio-economic, and environmental factors especially improvement in WASH practices may further enhance prevention effects. Funding: The author KK, received funding from the program of the Japan Initiative for Global Research Network on Infectious Diseases, (grant id: JP23wm0125004), from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology in Japan, and Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development.