Abstract Introduction Our goal was to evaluate if traffic-light driven personalized care for COVID-19 was associated with improved survival in acute hospital settings. Methods Discharge outcomes were evaluated before and after prospective implementation of a real-time dashboard with feedback to ward-based clinicians. Thromboembolism categories were “medium-risk” (D-dimer >1000 ng/mL or CRP >200 mg/L); “high-risk” (D-dimer >3000 ng/mL or CRP >250 mg/L) or “suspected” (D-dimer >5000 ng/mL). Cytokine storm risk was categorized by ferritin. Results 939/1039 COVID-19 positive patients (median age 67 years, 563/939 (60%) male) completed hospital encounters to death or discharge by 21st May 2020. Thromboembolism flag criteria were reached by 568/939 (60.5%), including 238/275 (86.6%) of the patients who died, and 330/664 (49.7%) of the patients who survived to discharge, p < 0.0001. Cytokine storm flag criteria were reached by 212 (22.6%) of admissions, including 80/275 (29.1%) of the patients who died, and 132/664 (19.9%) of the patients who survived, p < 0.0001. The maximum thromboembolism flag discriminated completed encounter mortality (no flag: 37/371 [9.97%] died; medium-risk: 68/239 [28.5%]; high-risk: 105/205 [51.2%]; and suspected thromboembolism: 65/124 [52.4%], p < 0.0001). Flag criteria were reached by 535 consecutive COVID-19 positive patients whose hospital encounter completed before traffic-light introduction: 173/535 (32.3% [95% confidence intervals 28.0, 36.0]) died. For the 200 consecutive admissions after implementation of real-time traffic light flags, 46/200 (23.0% [95% confidence intervals 17.1, 28.9]) died, p = 0.013. Adjusted for age and sex, the probability of death was 0.33 (95% confidence intervals 0.30, 0.37) before traffic light implementation, 0.22 (0.17, 0.27) after implementation, p < 0.001. In subgroup analyses, older patients, males, and patients with hypertension (p ≤ 0.01), and/or diabetes (p = 0.05) derived the greatest benefit from admission under the traffic light system. Conclusion Personalized early interventions were associated with a 33% reduction in early mortality. We suggest benefit predominantly resulted from early triggers to review/enhance anticoagulation management, without exposing lower-risk patients to potential risks of full anticoagulation therapy.

Abstract Ocean acidification (OA) poses a major threat to marine animals, especially marine shelled invertebrates such as molluscs. Although many organisms are capable of compensating for the effects of OA, this can impose physiological costs and impact performance (e.g. through increased metabolism and decreased growth). Sublethal injuries on shells may provoke changes in energy allocation. Under acidified conditions, organisms would spend less energy on reproduction and somatic growth to repair the damage. Therefore, we analysed the physiological responses of the intertidal gastropod Tritia reticulata during shell regeneration under OA conditions. We simulated a sub-lethal predation event (a notch in the outer lip of the shell) and individuals were exposed to control (pH 8.08) and low pH scenarios (pH 7.88 and 7.65). After two months exposure, all individuals showed shell repair, with a full repair rate observed in 75% of individuals. Contrary to expectations, shell repair following sub-lethal damage and OA had no apparent impact on physiological state in terms of energy reserves (as measured by whole-animal Carbon/Nitrogen) or growth potential (as measured by whole-animal RNA:Protein and RNA:DNA ratios). As an intertidal organism, T. reticulata could be resilient to future global environmental change because of compensatory mechanisms that are inherent in intertidal animals, and may represent a robust species with which to study future scenarios of OA in temperate coastal ecosystems. However, unrestricted food availability during experiment could have played a role in the results and therefore food limitation should be considered in future studies regarding shell repair and metabolism under the effects of OA.

BACKGROUND: The effectiveness of invasive alien species management in South Africa, and elsewhere, can be improved by ensuring there are strong links and feedbacks between science and management. The CAPE Invasive Alien Animals Working Group (CAPE IAAWG) was established in 2008 to enhance cooperation among stakeholders such as implementing agencies and researchers, and thereby improve the management of invasive animals in the Greater Cape Floristic Region. OBJECTIVES: In this article we highlight where and how the working group has advanced our understanding of research and the implementation of management objectives and consider the working group's successes and failures. METHODS: We analyse the attendance of meetings by different stakeholders and the frequency of discussion topics on meeting agendas throughout the sequence of meetings from 2008 to 2019. We document insights based on published accounts or the experiences of the authors from eight different management projects. RESULTS: Meetings are attended by stakeholders from NGOs, universities, and local, provincial and national government agencies as well as private individuals. Topics of discussion ranged from details of specific alien animal invasions (e.g. the House Crow in Cape Town), to considering the risks posed by broad groups (e.g. earthworms), to specific management techniques (e.g. guidelines for trapping invasive alien birds). Through the eight projects described here the CAPE IAAWG has: (i) contributed to capacity building through funding and advising on post-graduate research projects; (ii) provided ad hoc support to staff of agencies that implement invasive alien animal control; (iii) acted as a focal point for a community of practice that is supportive of decision making and policy development; and (iv) played a vital role in linking research, management and policy in a manner accessible to a broader range of stakeholders. The projects undertaken by the group reveal several lessons for managing invasive animals: (i) the importance of logistics and contract efficiency, (ii) the need for effective stakeholder engagement by the project team, (iii) the need to effectively address conflicts between role players, and (iv) the importance of including ethical and animal rights considerations in the decision making processes. CONCLUSION: The CAPE IAAWG has been a valuable forum to improve management effectiveness and support implementation decisions. Due to its small cost and time footprint, the working group has remained viable and retained a core of committed members, ensuring ongoing institutional buy-in. The working group will remain successful so long as the group is supported by its members and their organisations.

The protection of biodiversity is critical to ecosystem function and is a primary management goal for conservation areas globally. Maintaining a current inventory of known diversity is a central component of achieving this goal and serves as an essential starting point for future research endeavours. Since the first published survey of termites in South Africa's Kruger National Park (KNP) over 55 years ago, our understanding of termite diversity has expanded sufficiently to merit an update and formal checklist. Here we revise the inventory of termite diversity in KNP and summarise the taxonomic and functional diversity of termites in the park. A thorough review of recent termite research in KNP added 6 new genera and 13 species to what was found in Coaton's original survey, with one genus, Anenteotermes, recorded for the first time in southern Africa. Based on the updated species checklist, the majority of genera in the park belong to Feeding Group II (39%) and the Termitidae family (75%). CONSERVATION IMPLICATIONS: In savannas, termites play crucial roles in nutrient cycling, water redistribution and plant dynamics. Systematically cataloguing termite diversity and assemblage composition in the park provides an essential baseline for scientific research, aids biodiversity conservation efforts and encourages scientists and managers to consider termites in ecosystem functioning and management. Having more detailed descriptions of genera, species and feeding groups allows for more tangible, ecologically relevant attributions of termite influence, facilitates enhanced inquiry and allows for more realistic quantification of termite roles in key ecosystem processes.

Resumo O "subúrbio carioca" possui delimitação territorial bastante consensual na produção acadêmica, que faz referência a um conjunto de bairros atravessados pelas linhas de trem, simbolicamente distante do que seria o "centro" da cidade e indexado à pobreza, subalternidade e classes populares. No campo das representações, entretanto, os pesquisadores mobilizam uma multiplicidade de olhares e afetos em torno da categoria, fazendo com que os conteúdos e formas de suas textualizações se apresentem variados. Este artigo discute os usos e deslocamentos da noção de subúrbio carioca nas ciências sociais, com foco especial na produção etnográfica. Sua análise ressalta a elaboração de escritas alegóricas sobre esse espaço do Rio de Janeiro, que permitem tanto descrever eventos como realizar afirmações culturais ou mesmo ideológicas, constituindo narrativas que buscam desestabilizar as fronteiras físicas e simbólicas da cidade.

Abstract The "carioca suburb" has consensual territorial delimitations in academic works, referring to a set of neighbourhoods crossed by train lines, symbolically distant from what would be the "centre" of the city and related to poverty, subalternity and working classes. But in what pertains to representations of the suburb, researchers have advanced a multiplicity of views and affects, with the result that the content and form of its textualizations is varied. This article discusses the uses and displacements of the notion of the "carioca suburb" in the social sciences, with special focus on ethnographic studies. This analysis highlights the elaboration of allegorical writings about this space in Rio de Janeiro, which enable both the description of cultural practices and senses and give voice to political, ethical and pedagogical messages of cultural diversity, thereby constituting powerful narratives that seek to destabilize the physical and symbolic boundaries of the city.

Resumo Este artigo apresenta e analisa a mobilização motivada pela Transolímpica em seu percurso previsto por Magalhães Bastos, bairro da zona oeste do Rio de Janeiro. Entrevistas, documentos e registros de reuniões envolvendo moradores e agentes do “Estado” entre 2012 a 2015 destacam as estratégias e gramáticas articuladas por uma comissão local interessada em impedir a demolição de centenas de casas no bairro. Por meio desse caso, as dinâmicas e técnicas de governo da “cidade olímpica” são colocadas em questão, chamando atenção para a complexidade desses processos e a combinação in situ de projetos religiosos e seculares, trançados em contextos locais e através de determinadas relações de poder.

Abstract This article presents and analyzes the mobilization motivated by the Transolímpica in its course through Magalhães Bastos, a neighborhood of the western zone of Rio de Janeiro. Interviews, documents and records of meetings involving residents and agents of “state” between 2012 and 2015 highlight the strategies and grammars articulated by a local commission interested in preventing the demolition of hundreds of houses in the neighborhood. Through this case, dynamics and techniques of government of the “Olympic city” are highlighted, drawing attention to the complexity of these processes and the combination in situ of religious and secular projects, articulated in local contexts and through certain power relations.

BACKGROUND: Globally, invasive amphibians are known for their environmental and social impacts that range from poisoning of local fauna and human populations to direct predation on other amphibians. Although several countries on most continents have had multiple introductions of many species, southern Africa appears to have escaped allochthonous introductions. Instead, it has a small number of domestic exotic species that have rapidly expanded their ranges and established invasive populations within South Africa. OBJECTIVES & METHODS: We used the literature to provide a historical overview of dispersal by some of the world's major invasive amphibians, give examples of species that are commonly moved as stowaways and discuss historical and current amphibian trade in the region. In addition, we give an overview of new South African legislation and how this is applied to amphibian invasions, as well as providing updates on the introduced populations of three domestic exotics: Hyperolius marmoratus, Sclerophrys gutturalis and Xenopus laevis. RESULTS: We show that frogs are mainly moved around southern Africa through 'jump' dispersal, although there are a number of records of 'cultivation', 'leading-edge' and 'extreme long-distance' dispersal types. Important pathways include trade in fruit and vegetables, horticultural products and shipping containers. CONCLUSION: We suggest that southern Africa is becoming more vulnerable to amphibian invasions because of an increase in trade, agricultural and domestic impoundments as well as global climate change. Increasing propagule pressure suggests that preventing new introductions will become a key challenge for the future. Currently, trade in amphibians in the region is practically non-existent, suggesting potential for best practice to prevent importation of species with high invasion potential and to stop the spread of disease.

Una nueva estrategia se presenta para el diseño y síntesis de péptidos que se unen al hielo y evidencian actividad anticongelante. Un polipéptido dendrímero del tipo banderín, que combina en su estructura un núcleo a-hélice con cuatro ramificaciones cortas de hojas β, se sintetizó en fase sólida utilizando la química Fmoc con una estrategia divergente. El dendrímero de 51 residuos se caracterizó por cromatografía líquida de alta resolución, espectrometría de masas y dicroís-mo circular. Cada ramifcación de hoja β contiene tres repeticiones de los motivos de aminoácidos TxT sobrelapados, un motivo de unión al hielo presente en la cara de unión de las proteínas anticongelantes del gusano de brotes de abeto (Choristoneura fumiferana) y en el escarabajo (Tenebrio molitor). Los cristales de hielo en presencia del polipéptido monomérico presentan una morfología hexagonal plana, similar a la producida por las proteínas anticongelantes con una débil actividad. Un dímero oxidado del polipéptido también produce cristales de hielo hexagonales planos que fueron capaces de inhibir el crecimiento de los cristales de hielo a medida que se disminuía la temperatura, un fenómeno conocido como histéresis térmica, esto es, una propiedad que define las proteínas anticongelantes. La vinculación del dendrímero tipo banderín a un polipéptido tipo cascada trifuncional produjo una macro-molécula trimérica que generó cristales de hielo hexagonales planos con una mayor actividad de histéresis térmica que los dímeros y los monómeros y un patrón de estallido del cristal de hielo muy similar al producido por las muestras que contienen proteínas anticongelantes de insectos. Estas moléculas además fueron capaces de inhibir la recristianización del hielo.

A new strategy is presented for the design and synthesis of peptides that exhibit ice-binding and antifreeze activity. A pennant-type dendrimer polypeptide scaffoíd combining an a-helical backbone with four short (β-strand branches was synthesized in solid phase using Fmoc chemistry in a divergent approach. The 51-residue dendrimer was characterized by reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography, mass spectrometry and circular dichroism. Each (β-strand branch contained three overlapping TXT amino acid repeats, an ice-binding motif found in the ice-binding face of the spruce budworm (Choristoneura fumiferana) and beetle (Tenebrio molitor) antifreeze proteins. Ice crystals in the presence of the polypeptide monomer displayed fiat, hexagonal plate morphology, similar to that produced by weakly active antifreeze proteins. An oxidized dimeric form of the dendrimer polypeptide also produced fiat hexagonal ice crystals and was capable of inhibiting ice crystal growth upon temperature reduction, a phenomenon termed thermal hysteresis, a defining property of antifreeze proteins. Linkage of the pennant-type dendrimer to a tri-functional cascade-type polypeptide produced a trimeric macromolecule that gave flat hexagonal ice crystals with higher thermal hysteresis activity than the dimer or monomer and an ice crystal burst pattern similar to that produced by samples containing insect antifreeze proteins. This macromolecule was also capable of inhibiting ice recrystallization.

Uma nova estratégia é apresentada para o desenho e síntese de peptídeos que se unem ao gelo e apresentam atividade anticongelante. Um polipeptídeo dendrímero do tipo pennant que combina em sua estrutura um núcleo a-hélice com quatro ramifcacoes curtas de folhas β foi sintetizado em fase sólida utilizando a química Fmoc com uma estratégia divergente. O dendrímero de 51 resíduos foi caracterizado por cromatografa líquida de alta resolução, espectrometria de massas e dicroísmo circular. Cada ramifcacao de folha (β contém três repeticoes dos motivos de aminoácidos TxT sobrepostos, um motivo de união ao gelo presente na cara de união das proteínas anticongelantes do verme de Choristoneura fumiferana e no escaravelho (Tenebrio molitor). Os cristais de gelo, em presença do polipeptídeo monomérico, apresentam urna morfologia hexagonal plana, similar à produzida pelas proteínas anticongelantes com uma atividade fraca. Um dímero oxidado do polipeptídeo também produz cristais de gelo hexagonais planos e fo-ram capazes de inibir o crescimento dos cristais de gelo à medida que a temperatura diminuia, um fenômeno conhecido como histerese térmica una propriedade que def ne as proteínas anticongelantes. A vinculação do dendrímero tipo pen-nant a um polipeptídeo tipo cascata tri-funcional produziu uma macromolécula trimérica que gerou cristais de gelo hexa-gonais planos com uma maior atividade de histerese térmica que os dímeros e os monómeros e um padrão de estouro do cristal de gelo muito similar ao produzi-do pelas amostras que contêm proteínas anticongelantes de insetos. Estas moléculas, aliás, foram capazes de inibir a recristalização do gelo.

OBJECTIVES: To assess paediatric antiretroviral treatment (ART) outcomes and their associations from a collaborative cohort representing 20% of the South African national treatment programme. DESIGN AND SETTING: Multi-cohort study of 7 public sector paediatric ART programmes in Gauteng, Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal provinces. SUBJECTS: ART-naïve children (<16 years) who commenced treatment with >3 antiretroviral drugs before March 2008. OUTCOME MEASURES: Time to death or loss to follow-up were assessed using the Kaplan-Meier method. Associations between baseline characteristics and mortality were assessed with Cox proportional hazards models stratified by site. Immune status, virological suppression and growth were described in relation to duration of ART. RESULTS: The median (interquartile range) age of 6 078 children with 9 368 child-years of follow-up was 43 (15 - 83) months, with 29% being <18 months. Most were severely ill at ART initiation. More than 75% of children were appropriately monitored at 6-monthly intervals with viral load suppression (<400 copies/ml) being 80% or above throughout 36 months of treatment. Mortality and retention in care at 3 years were 7.7% (95% confidence interval 7.0 - 8.6%) and 81.4% (80.1 - 82.6%), respectively. Together with young age, all markers of disease severity (low weight-for-age z-score, high viral load, severe immune suppression, stage 3/4 disease and anaemia) were independently associated with mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Dramatic clinical benefit for children accessing the national ART programme is demonstrated. Higher mortality in infants and those with advanced disease highlights the need for early diagnosis of HIV infection and commencement of ART.

OBJECTIVES: To introduce the combined South African cohorts of the International epidemiologic Databases to Evaluate AIDS Southern Africa (IeDEA-SA) collaboration as reflecting the South African national antiretroviral treatment (ART) programme; to characterise patients accessing these services; and to describe changes in services and patients from 2003 to 2007. DESIGN AND SETTING: Multi-cohort study of 11 ART programmes in Gauteng, Western Cape, Free State and KwaZulu-Natal. SUBJECTS: Adults and children (<16 years old) who initiated ART with ≥3 antiretroviral drugs before 2008. RESULTS: Most sites were offering free treatment to adults and children in the public sector, ranging from 264 to 17 835 patients per site. Among 45 383 adults and 6 198 children combined, median age (interquartile range) was 35.0 years (29.8 - 41.4) and 42.5 months (14.7 - 82.5), respectively. Of adults, 68% were female. The median CD4 cell count was 102 cells/µl (44 - 164) and was lower among males than females (86, 34 - 150 v. 110, 50 - 169, p<0.001). Median CD4% among children was 12% (7 - 17.7). Between 2003 and 2007, enrolment increased 11-fold in adults and 3-fold in children. Median CD4 count at enrolment increased for all adults (67 - 111 cells/µl, p<0.001) and for those in stage IV (39 - 89 cells/µl, p<0.001). Among children <5 years, baseline CD4% increased over time (11.5 - 16.0%, p <0.001). CONCLUSIONS: IeDEA-SA provides a unique opportunity to report on the national ART programme. The study describes dramatically increased enrolment over time. Late diagnosis and ART initiation, especially of men and children, need attention. Investment in sentinel sites will ensure good individual-level data while freeing most sites to continue with simplified reporting.