Continental Level Research Articles

Monitoring the elimination of human African trypanosomiasis at continental and country level: Update to 2018.

BackgroundIn 2012 human African trypanosomiasis (HAT), also known as sleeping sickness, was targeted for elimination as a public health problem, set to be achieved by 2020. The World Health Organization (WHO) provides here the 2018 update on the progress made toward that objective. Global indicators are reviewed, in particular the number of reported cases and the areas at risk. Recently developed indicators for the validation of HAT elimination at the national level are also presented.Methodology/Principal FindingsWith 977 cases reported in 2018, down from 2,164 in 2016, the main global indicator of elimination is already well within the 2020 target (i.e. 2,000 cases). Areas at moderate or higher risk (i.e. ≥ 1 case/10,000 people/year) are also steadily shrinking (less than 200,000 km2 in the period 2014–2018), thus nearing the 2020 target [i.e. 90% reduction (638,000 km2) from the 2000–2004 baseline (709,000 km2)]. Health facilities providing diagnosis and treatment of gambiense HAT continued to increase (+7% since the previous survey), with a better coverage of at-risk populations. By contrast, rhodesiense HAT health facilities decreased in number (-10.5%) and coverage. At the national level, eight countries meet the requirements to request validation of gambiense HAT elimination as a public health problem (i.e. Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Mali, Rwanda, and Togo), while for other endemic countries more efforts are needed in surveillance, control, or both.Conclusions/SignificanceThe 2020 goal of HAT elimination as a public health problem is within grasp, and eligible countries are encouraged to request validation of their elimination status. Beyond 2020, the HAT community must gear up for the elimination of gambiense HAT transmission (2030 goal), by preparing for both the expected challenges (e.g. funding, coordination, integration of HAT control into regular health systems, development of more adapted tools, cryptic trypanosome reservoirs, etc.) and the unexpected ones.

Comparing African Data Privacy Laws: International, African and Regional Commitments

Since 2001, 32 of the 55 African countries have enacted data privacy laws, over 20% of all countries with such laws. This article commences with an analysis of which countries have these laws, which have Bills, and which have neither. The extent to which their constitutions require protection of data privacy is also assessed. We suggest that this legislation is not characterized by distinctively African elements, but is more a product of urbanization and globalization. The article focuses on two types of influences on these national laws: standards and obligations originating from outside Africa (international); and those developed within Africa, both at the continental (AU) level, and at the level of Regional Economic Communities (RECs). International influences on African data privacy legislation is indirect. UN influences are as yet slight, but Africa is playing a significant role in the conversion of data protection Convention 108 from a European into a global Convention. The influences of the EU’s data protection Directive (DPD, 1995) and Regulation (GDPR, 2016) are also indirect (aspirational), because no African countries have been assessed as providing ‘adequate protections’ under either instrument. Of potentially great importance is the 2014 adoption of the African Union Convention on Cyber-security and Personal Data Protection (‘Malabo Convention’), but it has only yet only received a third of the necessary ratifications. Of other Africa-wide developments, formation of the African DPA Network of eleven national data protection authorities is important. Of more practical effect have been data privacy agreements and model laws in Regional Economic Communities (RECs). The most mature development as yet, and the earliest, has been from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which has had eleven of fifteen member enact legislation in compliance with its 2010 Supplementary Act, Africa’s only binding data protection agreement yet in force, and was influenced strongly by the EU DPD (1995). Following the ECOWAS ‘pilot’, the ITU’s EU-funded HIPPSA project assisted in the development of ‘model laws’ (or similar) in all of the other RECs in Sub-Saharan Africa (SADC, EAC, ECCAS and CEMAC), with improvements on the ECOWAS standards. The three main African instruments (AU Convention, ECOWAS Act, SADC Model Law) are compared with the European instruments typifying the ‘three generations’ of development of data privacy laws (Convention 108, 1980; EU DPD, 1995; and EU GDPR, 2016 and Convention 108+). Conclusions are drawn on the extent to which the three African instruments require, on average, that national laws should include the standards of each of these three generations of international instruments. The article concludes with observations about the consistency of the African instruments. The following article in this series will compare the standards embodied in each of the 32 national laws, taking the same ‘three generation’ approach.

Othotopic ileal neobladder “Belgrade pouch” in females

Background/Aim. Orthotopic continent neobladder pro-vides adequate capacity, low pressure reservoir, acceptable rate of continence and satisfactory voiding frequency. Standard surgical techniques require the usage of an ileal segment in the length of 50?65 cm for neobladder creation with favorable results. However, the usage of a long intestinal segment is associated with high neobladder capacity, voiding problems, and metabolic complications. The aim of this study was to analyze clinical outcomes of the ?Belgrade pouch? orthotopic bladder replacement in female patients and to promote the usage of shorter ileal segment for neobladder creation. Methods. A prospective study conducted in our institution from 2009 to 2019 included 37 female patients who underwent orthotopic bladder replacement ac-cording to ?Belgrade pouch? technique with the usage of shorter ileal segment whose average length for neobladder creation was 28 cm. Inclusion criteria were: female continent patients older than 18, organ-confined muscle-invasive bladder carcinoma and, the American Society of Anestesiologists (ASA) score 1 or 2. Exclusion criteria were: diabetes mellitus, obstructive pulmonary diseases, systemic illnesses and metabolic diseases which may have some influence on results interpretation, renal deterioration and preoperative incontinence. We analyzed operative time, blood loss, histopathological findings, continence rate, metabolic disorders, immediate and delayed complications and survival rate in two-year periods of follow-up. Results. Average age of patients was 58 (32?67) years. Average time of surgical procedures was 199 (155?320) min. Blood transfusion was intraoperatively applied in 32.43% of the patients in average volume of 385 (300?640) mL. A total of 29.47% patients had anemia preoperatively. In the early postoperative period we reported one patient with paralytic ileus which was resolved conservatively and one patient with urinary fistula appearance; 56.75% of the patients were in pT2 stage. Two years following the surgery, day-time continence was achieved in 91.89% of the patients, neobladder capacity was 459 (345?592 ) mL, post-void residual urine volume was 27 (0?40) mL, 24 h voiding frequency 6, metabolic acidosis appeared in 2.7% of the patients. Survival rate in 2-year period was 86.48%. Conclusion. Orthotropic ileal neobladder created from the shorter ileal segment (?Belgrade pouch?) in females provides a high level of continence without a significant increase of voiding frequency, with adequate capacity, without urinary tract retention and with decrease of metabolic complications.

An endless summer: 2018 heat episodes in Europe in the context of secular temperature variability and change

AbstractThe year 2018 was affected by very long‐lasting, stable summer conditions in vast parts of Europe, in many regions already starting in April and lasting until October. We investigate the thermal characteristics of this year in a secular time perspective, using a spatially well‐distributed dataset of 67 European stations (west of ~30°E) with daily long‐term air temperature observations. Our dataset comprises many of the longest and most reliable (homogenous) temperature measurements available in Europe, mainly starting already in the 19th or rarely even 18th century. Individual time series length is considered to analyse the summer 2018 temperatures into a more than two‐century time perspective, while European time series are presented for the period 1855–2018 and records of five European regions are considered from 1881 onwards. The extreme long duration of the 2018 summer most clearly manifested itself in pronounced new continental maxima of summer half year (April–September) temperature averages and the number of days with maximum temperatures ≥20 and ≥25°C. Furthermore, those indices reached new local maxima at about half of our investigated stations. Records of other temperature indices, rather representing intense heat conditions, were particularly broken in the extended Baltic Sea region, supported by distinct and long‐lasting anticyclonic conditions in this area. However, the extreme summer of 2003 still dominates the ranking of most of these indices on the continental level, even though it is now generally closely followed by summer 2018. We show that long‐term variations of teleconnection indices and the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation, as well as seasonal and anthropogenic effects, supported both the recent hot summers and the extreme summer of 2018.

A Preliminary Study on the Nicknames of the FIFA National Football Teams

This study examines 315 nicknames of all the 211 FIFA national football teams (NFTs) as of January 2020. A preliminary analysis of these nicknames shows that they have statistically significant differences, suggesting subtle intercultural variation worthy of further investigation. It is hoped that this initial foray into these nicknames will inspire in-depth academic research at the continental and intercontinental levels.

Long-term functional recovery after orthotopic spiral ileal bladder substitution

BackgroundTo explore the value of orthotopic spiral ileal bladder substitution (OSIBS) following radical cystectomy in treating bladder cancer patients by investigating the short- and long-term postoperative complications and assessing the quality of life in patients who had undergone OSIBS.MethodsThe post-operative complications were retrospectively analyzed among bladder cancer patients who had undergone radical cystectomy + OSIBS in our center from January 2001 to January 2017. The quality of life was assessed by using the Function Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Bladder Cancer Form (FACT-BL). Patients were followed up by mails, telephone, and outpatient visits.ResultsA total of 68 subjects were included in this study. All patients undergoing radical cystectomy + OSIBS were followed up for an extended period. The patients aged 39–68 years (mean: 60.34±9.43 years). The surgeries were completed, and all the patients were smoothly discharged after good postoperative recovery. Of the 68 patients who had completed the follow-up visits, 10 had early complications (14.71%), and 11 (17.64%) developed late complications. The blood urea nitrogen (BUN) (t=0.358, P=0.764) and serum creatinine (Cr) (t=1.305, P=0.196) levels showed no significant difference before and after surgery. The serum potassium (t=1.347, P=0.169), sodium (t=−1.748, P=0.144), and calcium (t=1.097, P=0.319) levels also showed no significant changes before and after surgery. However, the change in serum chlorine level was statistically significant (t=−4.701, P=0.000). To support urinary function, the patients were encouraged to take exercises During the 10-year follow-up period, the daytime urinary continence rate reached 94.1% (n=64) in the daytime, and the nighttime incontinence rate was 13.2% (n=9). Six months after the surgery, the neobladder capacity was (365.02±45.11) mL, the maximum flow rate was (14.36±1.41) mL/s, and the post-voiding residual (PVR) was (26.01±8.10) mL. The total FACT-BL score was (124.8±13.4) during the 10-year follow-up.ConclusionsAfter 10 years of follow-up, the early and late complications in patients who had undergone radical cystectomy + OSIBS were within acceptable range and the daily and nightly continence levels allowed normal daily life. OSIBS not only preserves the physical integrity of the body but also has normal physiological characteristics of the bladder. It remarkably improves the postoperative quality of life and can be easily accepted by patients. Therefore, it is an ideal surgical procedure.

Unknown unknowns – COVID-19 and potential global mortality

COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) is currently a global pandemic. This paper will attempt to estimate global infection rates and potential resultant mortality in the absence of effective treatment and/or vaccination. Calculations are based on World Health Organisation data from Wuhan in China: 14% of infected cases are severe, 5% require intensive care and 4% die. Estimated infection rates and mortality rates at the level of continents and some individual countries (when these are of sufficient size) are tabulated. This pandemic may cause close to half a billion deaths, i.e. 6% of the global population – and potentially more. At the risk of sounding sensational, but with a sober sense of realism, healthcare risks being plunged into the Middle-Ages if the public do not do their part. Infection cannot occur in the absence of contact. The only way to mitigate these numbers is to apply social distancing and take the standard precautions so frequently reiterated by Public Health: hand washing, avoid touching the face and so on. These measures are crucial as the human cost is going to be unthinkable even in the best-case scenarios that epidemiologists are modelling.

A hotspot of xenodiversity: First evidence of an assemblage of non‐native freshwater turtles in a suburban wetland in Central Italy

AbstractThe present study reports on a case of high richness in an assemblage of non‐native freshwater turtles in a suburban wetland of Tyrrhenian Central Italy (Torre Flavia Nature Reserve), providing evidence for first observations of species at regional, national and continental levels. Following a standardized sampling procedure, 54 specimens belonging to seven taxa (ten taxa, including subspecies) were sampled. These includedTrachemys scripta(overwintering in the nest of a juvenile, corroborating its reproduction in the wild),Graptemys pseudogeographica, Pelomedusa olivacea(first observation recorded for Europe), Pseudemys concinna, Pseudemys nelsoni,Mauremys sinensisand an unclassified Kinosternidae (Kinosternon subrubrum subrubrumvelSternotherus odoratus; first observation recorded for Europe at the family level).Due to the high frequency of the most common species (Trachemys scripta: >80% in frequency), this non‐native assemblage was characterized by high Simpson dominance, low Simpson diversity and low evenness values. This appears to be the first evidence of a local hotspot of these non‐native reptiles in Europe. These relevant data and their ecological implications (e.g., alien food webs) are discussed, as well as their conservation concerns and wetland management perspectives.

Does the geographic proximity effect on knowledge spillovers vary across research fields?

Policy makers are interested in the influence of geographic distance on knowledge flows, however these can be expected to vary across research fields. The effects of geographic distance on flows are analyzed by means of citations to scientific literature. The field of observation consists of the 2010-2012 Italian publications and relevant citations up to the close of 2017. The geographic proximity effect is analyzed at national, continental, and intercontinental level in 244 fields, and results as evident at national level and in some cases at continental level, but not at intercontinental level. For flows between Italian municipalities, citations decrease with distance in all fields. At continental level, four fields are identified having knowledge flows that grow with distance; at intercontinental level, this occurs in 26 fields. The influence of distance is more limited in the fields of Humanities and Social sciences, much more significant in the Sciences, mainly in the Natural sciences.

Satellite-based data driven quantification of pluvial floods over Europe under future climatic and socioeconomic changes

Flooding is one of the major threats jeopardizing lives and properties of the people, and its risk is expected to increase remarkably under changing climatic and socioeconomic conditions. Yet, future flood risk has not been well studied due primarily to a limited availability of detailed and consistent data on future vulnerability components and the computationally expensive continental flood modeling. Here we perform a top-down data driven flood risk assessment for 20-, 30-, 50- and 100-year return periods over Europe at the continental, regional and national levels for the late 21st century. To account for the impact of changes in both climatic and socioeconomic conditions on floods, the Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs) are merged with Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs), integrating hazard and several social, economic and agricultural exposure-vulnerability proxy indicators. Our results show a ubiquitous drastic increase up to 87% in future flood risks of different return periods over Europe, with eastern and southern regions experiencing the highest risk increase. A fossil-fuel based development in the future would lead to 14–15% higher flood risk compared to a sustainable development, which goes up to 23% in north Europe. The amplified future flood risk is predominantly driven by climate change, although with a large uncertainty, rather than socioeconomic drivers.

Environmental Drivers and Distribution Patterns of Carnivoran Assemblages (Mammalia: Carnivora) in the Americas: Past to Present

Understanding species distributions and the variation of assemblage structure in time and space are fundamental goals of biogeography and ecology. Here, we use an ecological niche modeling and macroecological approach in order to assess whether constraints patterns in carnivoran richness and composition structures in replicated assemblages through time and space should reflect environmental filtering through ecological niche constraints from the Last Inter-glacial (LIG), Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) to the present (C) time. Our results suggest a diverse distribution of carnivoran co-occurrence patterns at the continental scale as a result of spatial climatic variation as an important driver constrained by the ecological niches of the species. This influence was an important factor restructuring assemblages (more directly on richness than composition patterns) not only at the continental level, but also from regional and local scales and this influence was geographically different throughout the space in the continent. These climatic restrictions and disruption of the niche during the environmental changes at the LIG-LGM-C transition show a considerable shift in assemblage richness and composition across the Americas, which suggests an environmental filtering mainly during the LGM, explaining between 30 and 75% of these variations through space and time, with more accentuated changes in North than South America. LGM was likely to be critical in species functional adaptation and distribution and therefore on assemblage structuring and rearranging from continental to local scales through time in the continent. Still, extinction processes are the result of many interacting factors, where climate is just one part of the picture.

Vulnerability assessment of African coasts to sea level rise using GIS and remote sensing

Climate change and its association with sea level rise ‘SLR’ have become a true fact that increasingly challenge coastal zones all over the world. This study attempts to fill the lack of studies and assessments of the African coasts through developing a SLR vulnerability assessment. The study has customized coastal vulnerability index ‘CVI’ to include seventeen parameters grouping in the vulnerability’s pillars: exposure, sensitivity, and resilience. The selected variables represent the main coastal characteristics physically and socioeconomically. The study applies CVI method for the African coastal zone using GIS and remote sensing. However, the study has followed the case study approach on the continental level of Africa, and the results have classified coastal areas into different degrees of vulnerabilities. Application of CEI equation showed that about 40% of African coast are ranging from moderate to very high exposure, as for the CSI equation showed that 75% of African coast are ranging from moderate to very high sensitivity, as for the CRI equation showed that 55% of African coast are ranging from moderate to very high resilience, and as for the CVI equation showed that 35% of the 26,000 km length of Africa’s coasts are vulnerable to SLR. It has been approved that deltas are the most vulnerable areas along the African coasts. Also, values of CVI pillars for each of these deltas showed great variation, which accordingly could give an indicator for adaptation and mitigation strategies of Africa’s coasts at regional and national levels, which could be one strategy or more: protection, accommodation, and retreat strategies.

The long-term added value of voiding school for children with refractory non-neurogenic overactive bladder: an inpatient bladder rehabilitation program

Despite adequate management, 20% of children with overactive bladder(OAB) syndrome fail to improve their bladder function. To approach the need for alternative strategies, an inpatient bladder rehabilitation 'voiding school' program was established. The objective of this study was to evaluate the short- and long-term (1-year follow-up) outcome of this voiding school program in children with refractory OAB. In addition, the authors aimed to identify which children achieved the best outcomes with this voiding school program. The charts of all children (n=357, mean age: 9.7±2.0 years, 63.6% boys) with refractory OAB who attended voiding school between 2000 and 2010 were reviewed. A linear mixed model with random intercept was used to evaluate the incontinence (expressed by enuresis and daytime incontinence voiding scores) and maximal voiding volume (MVV). This study demonstrated an overall beneficial long-term effect of the inpatient program on day- and night-time incontinence, in which 36.6% of children achieved dryness during day- and night-time. In addition, the mean overall decline in the number of wet nights and days declined with 4 extra dry days and/or nights per week, in comparison with the level of continence before attending the voiding school program. In contrast, only a temporary increase in MVV was seen, however, without relapse incontinence. At last, the authors identified the negative impact of decreasing age, male sex, dysfunctional voiding and nocturnal polyuria on the overall outcome of the inpatient program. An inpatient rehabilitation 'voiding school' program is a successful and safe treatment modality for children with refractory OAB that results in long-term significant increase of continence, as well as amelioration in degree of severity. The worst outcomes of this voiding school program were detected in children with young age, who were boys, or had associated nocturnal polyuria, dysfunctional voiding, and/or faecal incontinence.

A Grid of Microgrids: Is it the Right Answer? [Point of View

The rapid and worldwide rise in distributed generation capacity, especially photovoltaic, has raised the issue on whether the development and operation of large interconnected systems on a national or continental level will vanish. The usual question is: will the large electric energy systems of today, planned and operated in either a centralized or decentralized way, be replaced by various independent smart-city systems, all with self-healing and other eye-catching characteristics, forming “a grid of microgrids?”

Molecular identification of different trypanosome species in tsetse flies caught in the wildlife reserve of Santchou in the western region of Cameroon.

Addressing the problems linked to tsetse-transmitted trypanosomiases requires considerable data on tsetse distribution and trypanosome infections. Although efforts to map tsetse and trypanosome infections have been undertaken at continental level, published data are still rare in wildlife reserves of West and Central Africa. To fill this gap, data on tsetse distribution and trypanosome infections were generated in the wildlife reserve of Santchou. For this study, each tsetse caught was identified and its DNA extracted. Different trypanosome species were identified by PCR. Entomological and parasitological data were transported onto a satellite image in order to visualize their distributions. From 195 Glossina palpalis palpalis that were caught, 33.8% (66/195) carried trypanosome infections with 89.4% (59/66) of single infections and 10.6% (7/66) mixed infections. From the 66 flies with trypanosome infections, 54.5% (36/66), 27.3% (18/66) and 18.2% (12/66) were respectively due to Trypanosoma congolense, Trypanosoma brucei s.l. and Trypanosoma vivax. The global infection rates were 18.5% (36/195) for Trypanosoma congolense (forest and savannah), 9.2% (18/195) for Trypanosoma brucei s.l. and 6.1% (12/195) for Trypanosoma vivax. The maps generated show the distribution of tsetse and trypanosome infections. This study showed an active transmission of trypanosomes in the wildlife reserve of Santchou. The maps enabled to identify areas with high transmission risk and where control operations must be implemented in order to eliminate tsetse and the diseases that they transmit.

The role of geographical proximity in knowledge diffusion, measured by citations to scientific literature

This paper analyses the influence of geographic distance on knowledge flows, measured through citations to scientific publications. Previous works using the same approach are limited to single disciplines. In this study, we analyse the Italian scientific production in all disciplines matured in the period 2010-2012. To calculate the geographic distances between citing and cited publications, each one is associated with a "prevalent" territory on the basis of the authors' affiliations. The results of the application of a gravity model, estimated using ordinary least squares regression, show that despite the spread of IT, geographic distance continues to be an influential factor in the process of knowledge flows between territories. In particular, the analysis reveals that the effect of geographic distance on knowledge flows is significant at the national level, not negligible at the continental level, but completely irrelevant at the intercontinental level.

Heterogeneous effects of visa exemption policy on international tourist arrivals: Evidence from Indonesia

We examined the potential heterogeneous impact of implementing a series of visa exemption policies on foreign tourist arrivals in Indonesia by exploiting a rich data set of monthly series of foreign tourist arrivals, by country and by port of entry between January 2014 and December 2018. This is the first study in providing empirical evidence of the heterogeneous impact of a country’s visa exemption policy across tourist’s origins and within-country destinations. Using a panel data approach, our estimates showed that while the policy increased monthly foreign tourist arrivals by 5% on average, the effect was evident for less-traditional destinations only. The policy also potentially provided a diversion effect between destinations, such that it created an adverse effect on the traditional destinations of Indonesia. Our estimates also suggest a heterogeneous impact between origins at the continent level, and an 8% higher impact per year after the policy’s introduction, which was relatively lower than has been found in other studies. The findings imply that the visa exemption policy is not a one-size-fits-all policy in attracting international tourist arrivals.

FESPACO and Its Many Afterlives

FESPACO and Its Many Afterlives Sheila Petty (bio) When thinking of practices for cultural decolonization—current and future challenges to FESPACO and its mission to address and exhibit the cinematographic representation of African peoples on the continent and diaspora—I am reminded of something that Chinua Achebe once wrote: "Art must interpret all human experience, for anything against which the door is barred can cause trouble."1 From this perspective, the power of African filmmakers' contributions to the treasure trove of world cinema lies in the depth and breadth of creativity and innovation since the beginning of film production by Africans on the continent. This work has the capacity to alter the course of history as fundamentally as any advance in science, engineering, or industry. Indeed, in 1989, Filippe Sawadogo, then Secretary General of FESPACO, proclaimed that "the cinema of the world needs an African cinema which can bring new life thanks to its cultural richness. … It stands when other works lose their breath from lack of originality."2 What Sawadogo is referring to is the sustainability of a festival that has endured for more than fifty years through major upheavals on the continent, including local and global political and economic influences and the pop-ups of more recent (albeit smaller in scope) African film festivals on the continent and in the diaspora, especially specialty festivals such as Festival Issni N'Ourgh International du Film Amazighe in Agadir, etc. Much has been written about the systemic difficulties and recurring organizational problems that beleaguer the festival: transportation, lodging, sponsorship, subtitling and language versioning, accreditation, and badges. For example, during the 1991 edition, I sat at a manual typewriter in the FESPACO office and typed out name badges for many of us at the opening of the festival, although we had all sent in our accreditation forms and photos well in advance. Despite all these issues, FESPACO's gift to the world of cinema and visual culture is that it has always provided the richest form of "afterlife" possible. The network of filmmaker-film-spectator is paramount to building communities and social networks off-screen in local communities and throughout the diaspora. According to Haida artist and master carver Bill Reid, an [End Page 276] artwork/film's "real life" is the process through which it becomes a work, but its "afterlife"3 is constructed during readings of and engagement with the work through shared participation in local and diasporic cultural manifestations. FESPACO's Traveling Digital Cinema, which provides free open-air screenings to neighborhoods in Ouagadougou and to nine other cities and towns in Burkina Faso, is an afterlife case in point—where the wealth of the festival is shared by the people, with the people, as local film critics lead debates with the audiences following the screenings. Another FESPACO afterlife gift is the International Market for Cinema and Audiovisuals (MICA). Established in 1983 to answer a call to action during the 1982 Niamey Congress, MICA opened its doors to FESPACO festivalgoers in 1989 to encourage exchanges between producers, directors, distributors, and TV-buyers and the diffusion of the richness and plurality of African cultures around the globe.4 It seems, however, that thirty years later, MICA "does not yet organize English language screenings for international buyers, as is done in more established festivals."5 Olivier Barlet makes a salient point here. Indeed, what should the festival's official language be as Indigenous languages increasingly stake out more prominent space in cultural manifestations? And on a continental level, this seems almost overwhelming to surmount. Yet, perhaps it is FESPACO's "openness and accessibility" compared to other festivals, and the "generosity of the filmmakers" who take the time to meet industry professionals and scholars alike, that softens the edges of this frustrating situation.6 MICA, and the generosity of industry professionals exhibiting their films, videos, and television programs, made it possible for me as a scholar to research the circulation of ideas and aesthetics in global television in the 1990s. To be sure, feature films and their prize categories have dominated FESPACO since its inception. Yet, many lauded filmmakers who began their careers making feature-length films transitioned to television and have...

Present and future climatic suitability for dengue fever in Africa

ABSTRACT The number of dengue fever incidence and its distribution has increased considerably in recent years in Africa. However, due to inadequate research at the continental level, there is a limited understanding regarding the current and future spatial distribution of the main vector, the mosquitoAedes aegypti, and the associated dengue risk due to climate change. To fill this gap we used reported dengue fever incidences, the presence of Ae. aegypti, and bioclimatic variables in a species distribution model to assess the current and future (2050 and 2070) climatically suitable areas. High temperatures and with high moisture levels are climatically suitable for the distribution of Ae. aegypti related to dengue fever. Under the current climate scenario indicated that 15.2% of the continent is highly suitable for dengue fever outbreaks. We predict that climatically suitable areas for Ae. aegypti related to dengue fever incidences in eastern, central and western part of Africa will increase in the future and will expand further towards higher elevations. Our projections provide evidence for the changing continental threat of vector-borne diseases and can guide public health policy decisions in Africa to better prepare for and respond to future changes in dengue fever risk.

¿Pueden producirse las innovaciones de la Cuarta Revolución Tecnológica al interior de los sistemas de administración pública?

Theoretical approaches and applied research on the relationship between technological changes and innovations and public administration are usually characterized by a type of work program that explains the changes in public administration based on the technological transformations and innovations taking place in “society”. However, comparative experience, and also that of Latin America, shows how in multiple occasions the technological changes and innovations produced within public administration systems have impacted on social processes, re-enrolling economic and social actors, including large business actors, in these innovations and producing changes with intensive use of ICT which transformed social associations at the national, continental and global levels. The article explores the cases of changes in financial administration, procurement and contracting and public revenue systems produced in Latin America, using the science and technology studies of the Network Actor Theory. It addresses its implications in relation to the transformations known as the fourth industrial revolution, the different ways of dealing with the processes of change, innovation, adaptation or modernization of public administrations, and the way in which innovation in State administrations, especially in the fourth technological revolution, can lead to broader social transformations.