Seroprevalence of IgG antibodies against diphtheria antitoxin among migrant workers in Singapore, 2016–2019

Background Since the last local case of diphtheria in 1992, there had not been any case in Singapore until an autochthonous case was reported in 2017. This fatal diphtheria case of a migrant worker raised concerns about the potential re-emergence of locally transmitted toxigenic diphtheria in Singapore. We conducted a seroprevalence study to assess the immunity levels to diphtheria among migrant workers in Singapore. Methods Residual sera from migrant workers who hailed from Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar and the Philippines were tested for anti-diphtheria toxoid immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies. These migrant workers previously participated in a survey between 2016 and 2019 and had provided blood samples as part of the survey procedure. Results A total of 2176 migrant workers were included in the study. Their overall mean age was 27.1 years (standard deviation 5.0), range was 20–43 years. The proportion having at least basic protection against diphtheria (antitoxin titres ≥ 0.01 IU/ml) ranged from 77.9% (95% confidence interval [CI] 72.8 – 82.3%) among migrant workers from Bangladesh to 96.7% (95% CI 92.5 – 98.6%) in those hailing from Malaysia. The proportion showing full protection (antitoxin titres ≥ 0.10 IU/ml) ranged from 10.1% (95% CI 6.5 – 15.4%) in Chinese workers to 23.0% (95% CI 17.1 – 30.3%) in Malaysian workers. There were no significant differences in the proportion with at least basic protection across birth cohorts, except for those from Bangladesh where the seroprevalence was significantly lower in younger migrant workers born after 1989. Conclusions The proportions having at least basic protection against diphtheria in migrant workers from five out of seven Asian countries (India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar and the Philippines) were higher than 85%, the threshold for diphtheria herd immunity. Seroprevalence surveys should be conducted periodically to assess the level of immunity against diphtheria and other vaccine preventable diseases in migrant worker population, so that appropriate interventions such as booster vaccination can be implemented proactively to prevent sporadic outbreaks.

Representation of positive semidefinite elements as sum of squares in 2-dimensional local rings

A classical problem in real geometry concerns the representation of positive semidefinite elements of a ring A as sums of squares of elements of A. If A is an excellent ring of dimension $$\ge 3$$ ≥ 3 , it is already known that it contains positive semidefinite elements that cannot be represented as sums of squares in A. The one dimensional local case has been afforded by Scheiderer (mainly when its residue field is real closed). In this work we focus on the 2-dimensional case and determine (under some mild conditions) which local excellent henselian rings A of embedding dimension 3 have the property that every positive semidefinite element of A is a sum of squares of elements of A.

Upcycling Systems Design, Developing a Methodology through Design

Design has an important role in shaping the modes of production, consumption and disposal. Decisions made early in the product, service and system development influence the majority of the environmental impact and social consequences. With sustainability emerging as the major challenge of our times, the creation of novel methodologies, economic models and innovative materials is critical. In this paper, we put forward a new methodology that aims to bridge the ecomodernist business-focused circular economy models with the expressive material driven design (MDD) approach. The ‘design out waste methodology’ (DOWM) bridges existing concepts, methods and practices, creating an innovative design and production process that redefines waste and sets it up as a subject of creative study. The purpose of this process is to help designers understand the importance of evaluating the entire life cycle of a product; it also enables local ‘degrowth’ by shifting our modes of production towards a human scale with local makers exchanging knowledge and expressing themselves through upcycled materials, while simultaneously eradicating the very concept of waste. The methodology has been developed in an iterative research-through-design process that combines experiential and tacit knowledge from local case studies with desk research of emerging case studies in MDD.

Solvability of a critical semilinear problem with the spectral Neumann fractional Laplacian

Sufficient conditions are provided for the existence of a ground state solution for the problem generated by the fractional Sobolev inequality in Ω ∈ C 2 : \Omega \in C^2: ( − Δ ) S p s u ( x ) + u ( x ) = u 2 s ∗ − 1 ( x ) (-\Delta )_{Sp}^s u(x) + u(x) = u^{2^*_s-1}(x) . Here ( − Δ ) S p s (-\Delta )_{Sp}^s stands for the s s th power of the conventional Neumann Laplacian in Ω ⋐ R n \Omega \Subset \mathbb {R}^n , n ≥ 3 n \geq 3 , s ∈ ( 0 , 1 ) s \in (0, 1) , 2 s ∗ = 2 n / ( n − 2 s ) 2^*_s = 2n/(n-2s) . For the local case where s = 1 s = 1 , corresponding results were obtained earlier for the Neumann Laplacian and Neumann p p -Laplacian operators.

The Remaking of Institutions for Local Climate Governance? Towards Understanding Climate Governance in a Multi-Level UK Local Government Area: A Micro-Local Case Study

The crisis of climate disruption and shortcomings in top-down approaches has focused attention on the effectiveness of governance to achieve climate goals. New sub-national governance models such as business alliances, city networks and NGO coalitions have emerged; such institutional ‘re-making’ is often motivated by frustration at national inaction, and by a belief thatlocal actors offer an effective ‘bottom-up’ approach. Literature on the emergence of climate-led multi-level and polycentric governance focuses primarily on cities; the role of urban-rural counties and of the micro-level of local government, and the challenges and opportunities before them, is less well studied. This paper draws on work in progress in a study exploring progress, challenges and failings in UK climate governance across multiple levels of county-based government: Surrey, an area of towns, peri-urban districts and countryside, is offered as a case study, with a focus on micro-level action in small towns and parishes. We find that despite a lack of national government orchestration or sub-regional frameworks, climate action is occurring voluntarily at all levels of governance. However, the nature of action is variable and irregular and there is little evidence as yet to demonstrate effectiveness. A fragmented form of multi-level governance is observed, with limited upward flows of ideas and no indication of national interest in micro-local climate lessons and experience. We identify the importance of ‘wilful actors’ and the need for greater coordination, information- and knowledge-sharing networks to achieve effective institutional ‘remaking’ for climate action.

Landslides vs Archaeology

Landslides are one of the few types of natural hazards that have affected Sweden regularly in the recent past. We can expect that this geological phenomenon will only increase in frequency in the near future given the ongoing processes of anthropogenic climate change, and this likelihood motivates some historical retrospection. This paper explores how landslides have impacted archaeological sites in Västra Götaland, the country’s most landslide-prone region, from the mid-twentieth century onwards, and how, in turn, archaeologists have had to respond to these disasters. The 1957 Göta, 1973 Fröland, 1977 Tuve and 2006 Småröd landslides are highlighted in particular, as is the landslide-impacted site Hjälpesten. Connections are made to other different but related archaeologies of hazard and disaster, providing insights into the impact that climate change has had and will have on the discipline. While the paper showcases a set of local case studies, it is further argued that its findings have relevance for other areas as well, calling for the attention of the cultural heritage sector.

Cultivating what is ours: Local agro-food heritage as a development strategy in the Peruvian Andes

<p>The Peruvian Andes has long been portrayed as a space of poverty and marginalisation, but more recently Andean places have been reinterpreted as reservoirs of valuable patrimonio agroalimentario (agro-food heritage). Amidst global interest in food provenance and Peru’s gastronomic ‘boom’, Andean people and places have connected with different networks that value the geographical, ecological and social origins of food. This thesis explores the meaning of these changes by combining a discourse genealogy with local case studies. I first trace the emergence of interconnecting discourses of territorial development with identity and local agro-food heritage in Latin America. I explore how these discourses bring together diverse actors and agendas through arguments that collective action to revalue local agro-food heritage can offer equitable economic gains while conserving biocultural diversity, a theoretical dynamic that I term the ‘virtuous circle of products with identity.’ These promises frame in-depth case studies of Cabanaconde and Tuti, two rural localities in the southern Peruvian Andes where a range of development initiatives based on local agro-food heritage were undertaken from around the mid-2000s. The case studies combine evaluation of the economic, social, cultural and environmental impacts of the initiatives, with ethnographic perspectives that look at them through the lens of local livelihoods. The partial successes and multiple setbacks of the initiatives highlight the tensions between economic impact, social equity and biocultural diversity while underlining the limitations of existing markets to value the rich connections between place and food in the Andes. Nevertheless, by highlighting local agency in engaging selectively with these initiatives, I conclude that their overall legacy has been largely positive. I suggest that connections being made between place, food and development can provide material and discursive support for diverse territorial economies, defined as the locally specific ways people in the Andes pursue their aspirations while retaining what they value about place, farming and food.</p>

Cultivating what is ours: Local agro-food heritage as a development strategy in the Peruvian Andes

<p>The Peruvian Andes has long been portrayed as a space of poverty and marginalisation, but more recently Andean places have been reinterpreted as reservoirs of valuable patrimonio agroalimentario (agro-food heritage). Amidst global interest in food provenance and Peru’s gastronomic ‘boom’, Andean people and places have connected with different networks that value the geographical, ecological and social origins of food. This thesis explores the meaning of these changes by combining a discourse genealogy with local case studies. I first trace the emergence of interconnecting discourses of territorial development with identity and local agro-food heritage in Latin America. I explore how these discourses bring together diverse actors and agendas through arguments that collective action to revalue local agro-food heritage can offer equitable economic gains while conserving biocultural diversity, a theoretical dynamic that I term the ‘virtuous circle of products with identity.’ These promises frame in-depth case studies of Cabanaconde and Tuti, two rural localities in the southern Peruvian Andes where a range of development initiatives based on local agro-food heritage were undertaken from around the mid-2000s. The case studies combine evaluation of the economic, social, cultural and environmental impacts of the initiatives, with ethnographic perspectives that look at them through the lens of local livelihoods. The partial successes and multiple setbacks of the initiatives highlight the tensions between economic impact, social equity and biocultural diversity while underlining the limitations of existing markets to value the rich connections between place and food in the Andes. Nevertheless, by highlighting local agency in engaging selectively with these initiatives, I conclude that their overall legacy has been largely positive. I suggest that connections being made between place, food and development can provide material and discursive support for diverse territorial economies, defined as the locally specific ways people in the Andes pursue their aspirations while retaining what they value about place, farming and food.</p>

Push, Pull, Shrink, Grow: The co-share workplace interior that reflects changing spatial needs

<p>This thesis explores how co-working offices emerged as a solution to the shift in the social expectations of the workplace. It studies how the rise in the number of freelancers and entrepreneurs has resulted in the materialisation of co-working offices. It examines how co-working offices offer flexibility in terms of membership plans, but how their interior environments do not yet reflect this. In short it aims to investigate how these workplace interiors can adapt to meet residents needs. This research embraces the multi-functionality of the co-working office and the demands of residents who occupy these spaces. Three local case studies and international precedents are explored which give insight and offer opportunities on materiality, site context and multi-functional spaces. It explores how to engage residents by challenging how best to design co-working offices. This project considers the requirements of the co-working office and how co-working interiors are occupied throughout the day. The design proposes a kit of parts ‘space making’ solution, which enables co-working offices to meet resident’s needs. This research contributes to the limited published discussion of understanding interior space in the context of co-working offices. This research explores through interior architecture, how co-working offices can be designed to reflect its resident’s individual ways of working and co-workings varying spatial needs. Although based around co-working spaces, the researcher recognises the implications for findings based around corporate office environments.</p>

Push, Pull, Shrink, Grow: The co-share workplace interior that reflects changing spatial needs

<p>This thesis explores how co-working offices emerged as a solution to the shift in the social expectations of the workplace. It studies how the rise in the number of freelancers and entrepreneurs has resulted in the materialisation of co-working offices. It examines how co-working offices offer flexibility in terms of membership plans, but how their interior environments do not yet reflect this. In short it aims to investigate how these workplace interiors can adapt to meet residents needs. This research embraces the multi-functionality of the co-working office and the demands of residents who occupy these spaces. Three local case studies and international precedents are explored which give insight and offer opportunities on materiality, site context and multi-functional spaces. It explores how to engage residents by challenging how best to design co-working offices. This project considers the requirements of the co-working office and how co-working interiors are occupied throughout the day. The design proposes a kit of parts ‘space making’ solution, which enables co-working offices to meet resident’s needs. This research contributes to the limited published discussion of understanding interior space in the context of co-working offices. This research explores through interior architecture, how co-working offices can be designed to reflect its resident’s individual ways of working and co-workings varying spatial needs. Although based around co-working spaces, the researcher recognises the implications for findings based around corporate office environments.</p>