Publications by authors named "D F Marais"
Objective: This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of digital health interventions compared to standard care in promoting exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) among postpartum women in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs).
Methods: The PRISMA guidelines of reporting were followed for the searching of four databases and screening following eligibility criteria: articles presenting digital health interventions, conducted as randomized control trials (RCTs), quasi-experimental, or mixed-method studies, reporting on EBF duration and early initiation of breastfeeding, and published in the English language were included.
Results: Of 1595 articles screened, only 10 published between 2013 and 2023 met the criteria.
Article Synopsis
- Data on acute coronary syndrome (ACS) in Africa is insufficient, particularly regarding the increasing cases of premature ACS, highlighting the need for an epidemiological assessment to identify risk factors and improve management practices.
- The European Atherosclerosis Society initiated the Lipid Registry of Africa (EAS-LIPRA) to create a standardized registry that collects and analyzes data on premature ACS across multiple African countries.
- EAS-LIPRA aims to enhance understanding of ACS by stratifying data based on income levels and urban/rural residence, using valid statistical methods to compare demographics and management trends, potentially serving as a model for similar initiatives in other developing regions.
The extraordinary diversity and adaptive fit of organisms to their environment depends fundamentally on the availability of variation. While most population genetic frameworks assume that random mutations produce isotropic phenotypic variation, the distribution of variation available to natural selection is more restricted, as the distribution of phenotypic variation is affected by a range of factors in developmental systems. Here, we revisit the concept of developmental bias - the observation that the generation of phenotypic variation is biased due to the structure, character, composition, or dynamics of the developmental system - and argue that a more rigorous investigation into the role of developmental bias in the genotype-to-phenotype map will produce fundamental insights into evolutionary processes, with potentially important consequences on the relation between micro- and macro-evolution.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCarbonate minerals are of particular interest in paleoenvironmental research as they are an integral part of the carbon and water cycles, both of which are relevant to habitability. Given that these cycles are less constrained on Mars than they are on Earth, the identification of carbonates has been a point of emphasis for rover missions. Here, we present carbon (δC) and oxygen (δO) isotope data from four carbonates encountered by the Curiosity rover within the Gale crater.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- Phenology, the timing of plant development, is influenced by genetic variation and affects how traits manifest across different seasons, although much remains unknown about its genetic contributions in wild populations.
- Researchers compared germination and flowering time data from controlled experiments with wild plant collection dates to see if genetic variation could predict natural phenology.
- Although there was a weak correlation found between controlled experiments and wild phenology, local collection date variations were not explained by genetic factors, indicating significant environmental influence and potential for rapid plasticity in natural settings.