The future of global health is inclusive and anti-racist

In global health, a discipline with a racist and colonial history, white supremacy, white privilege and racism are still present today. 1 Although many believe we are witnessing a resurgence of racism in global health, because of a recent rise of extreme right comments and racism in the community and online 2 , 3 . In reality racism has always been an inherent aspect of global health and its predecessors: tropical health and international health by prioritizing the health issues of the colonizers over those of the native populations. 4 As such, we are rather bearing witness to long standing issues that have been persistently overlooked. There is a need for a paradigm shift to enable true authentic leadership that promotes the values of our shared humanity.

Quantifying the Invasive Secondary Metabolome

Invasive plants drive ecosystem degradation through developing aggressive phenotypes that can outcompete native flora. Several hypotheses explain this, like the Evolution of Increased Competitive Ability hypothesis and the Novel Weapons Hypothesis, but none have been proven conclusively. Changes in plant metabolites are critical to these hypotheses, but complete invasive secondary metabolomes have not been quantified. Here, statistical and unsupervised machine-learning approaches were used to analyse chemotype-to-phenotype relationships in invasive and non-invasive populations in species Ageratum conyzoides, Lantana camara, Melaleuca quinquenervia and Psidium cattleainum and on a family level analysing Asteraceae, Myrtaceae and Verbenaceae. Invasive metabolomes evolved according to the EICA and NWH, involving optimisation of aggressive strategies present in native populations and local adaptation.Abstract Figure

Genetic insights into the management and conservation of Arctic charr in North Wales

Aquatic species throughout the world are threatened by extinction in many parts of their range, particularly in their most southerly distributions. Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus) is a Holarctic species with a distribution that includes the glacial lakes of North Wales, towards it southern limit. To date, no genetic studies have been conducted to determine the genetic health of the three remaining native Arctic charr populations in North Wales, despite exposure to stocking and adverse environmental and ecological conditions. We used seven microsatellite loci to determine whether: 1) genetic differentiation existed between native populations; 2) translocated populations from Llyn Peris were genetically similar to the historically connected Llyn Padarn population; and 3) hatchery supplementation negatively impacted genetic diversity in Llyn Padarn. All three native populations retained their genetic integrity, with Llyn Bodlyn showing high levels of divergence (FST = 0.26 ± 0.02SD) as well as low genetic diversity (HO 0.30) compared to remaining populations (HO 0.64 ± 0.14SD). Although evidence suggests that stocking increased the effective population size of Llyn Padarn in the short term without impacting genetic diversity, the long term effects of such practices are yet to be seen. Results provide baseline data for conservation management, and highlight the need for protection of small isolated populations that are being negatively impacted by the processes of genetic drift due to escalating anthropogenic pressures. Continual monitoring of both Arctic charr and their habitats using a combination of methods will increase the likelihood that these threatened and iconic populations will persist in the future.

The impacts of an introduced mammalian predator (Mus musculus) on tree weta (Hemideina trewicki) and skinks (Oligosoma polychroma, Oligosoma infrapunctatum and Oligosoma lineoocellatum) in Cape Sanctuary, Hawkes Bay

<p>The introduction of exotic species, particularly predators, into new ecosystems is one of the biggest causes of loss of biodiversity across the globe. Understanding the impacts that introduced species have on native species is crucial in conservation management, particularly for those species that are conservation-reliant. I examined the impact that an introduced mammalian predator (Mus muscularus) had on native prey populations of common (Oligosoma polychroma), speckled (Oligosoma infrapunctatum) and spotted (Oligosoma lineoocellatum) skinks and Hawkes Bay tree weta (Hemideina trewicki). I conducted a mark-recapture study using pitfall traps to examine the impact of mice on skink populations. I conducted a mark-recapture study through manual counts to examine the impact of mice on tree weta. I also examined occupancy of weta refuges while in the presence of mice. There were no captures of spotted skinks, and very low captures of common skinks. There was no significant change in capture numbers for speckled skink, however observed numbers did decline from November 2013 to November 2014. There was a significant decline in capture rates for tree weta over the course of my study. It was difficult to establish mice as the sole cause of any observed changes, however it is likely that they are a limiting factor for skink and weta populations, and have the potential to be a major factor in the observed decline in the tree weta population. My results highlight the importance of monitoring native populations, particularly those that are small and are in the presence of introduced predators. By monitoring native populations conservation management can make better informed decisions to work towards populations not being ‘conservation-reliant’.</p>

The impacts of an introduced mammalian predator (Mus musculus) on tree weta (Hemideina trewicki) and skinks (Oligosoma polychroma, Oligosoma infrapunctatum and Oligosoma lineoocellatum) in Cape Sanctuary, Hawkes Bay

<p>The introduction of exotic species, particularly predators, into new ecosystems is one of the biggest causes of loss of biodiversity across the globe. Understanding the impacts that introduced species have on native species is crucial in conservation management, particularly for those species that are conservation-reliant. I examined the impact that an introduced mammalian predator (Mus muscularus) had on native prey populations of common (Oligosoma polychroma), speckled (Oligosoma infrapunctatum) and spotted (Oligosoma lineoocellatum) skinks and Hawkes Bay tree weta (Hemideina trewicki). I conducted a mark-recapture study using pitfall traps to examine the impact of mice on skink populations. I conducted a mark-recapture study through manual counts to examine the impact of mice on tree weta. I also examined occupancy of weta refuges while in the presence of mice. There were no captures of spotted skinks, and very low captures of common skinks. There was no significant change in capture numbers for speckled skink, however observed numbers did decline from November 2013 to November 2014. There was a significant decline in capture rates for tree weta over the course of my study. It was difficult to establish mice as the sole cause of any observed changes, however it is likely that they are a limiting factor for skink and weta populations, and have the potential to be a major factor in the observed decline in the tree weta population. My results highlight the importance of monitoring native populations, particularly those that are small and are in the presence of introduced predators. By monitoring native populations conservation management can make better informed decisions to work towards populations not being ‘conservation-reliant’.</p>

Genetic Diversity in Invasive Populations of Lupinus polyphyllus Lindl. and Heracleum sosnowskyi Manden.

In our study, two aggressive-invasive species, Lupinus polyphyllus Lindl. and Heracleum sosnowskyi Manden. from Russia and Ukraine, were investigated. The success in naturalization of both species is associated with human activities, since they have been used in agriculture and floriculture and both have qualities such as environmental tolerance, high fertility and phenotypic plasticity. The purpose of this study was to determine the level of genetic diversity of both species. For Heracleum sosnowskyi Manden., genetic diversity was compared in invasive and native populations. For Lupinus polyphyllus Lindl., the genetic diversity was compared in variety, feral and invasive populations. A genetic diversity was formulated using RAPD, ISSR and REMAP. For Heracleum sosnowskyi Manden., the average genetic diversity within the invasive population was similar (0.432), but slightly less (0.502) than within the native Caucasian population. This may suggest the successful naturalization of invaders and almost complete reconstruction of their genetic diversity. For Lupinus polyphyllus Lindl., the genetic diversity for the invasive population was the highest, with an average of 0.294, while for variety, it was the lowest, with an average of 0.194. The feral population had an intermediate place with an average of 0.248, which could suggest an increase of diversity in the process of naturalization.

Sahelian Migrations Within Africa

This chapter will examine patterns and history of intra-African migration from the Sahel across national borders within Africa, beginning in the colonial period. During colonization, the French often recruited West African workers across borders who served in the army and provided security for French trading posts along the African coasts. At the time of decolonization, shopkeepers in marketplaces, as well as big merchants or gem traders from the Sahel were also entrepreneurs, occupying an intermediate position between native populations and national authorities in international trade networks. Over the decades, tougher controls at borders and intensified deportations despite regional agreements on the free movement of people, the outbreak of civil wars, or of political turmoil have all had a significant impact on population movements from the Sahel, and have also increased insecurity for Sahelian migrants.