Insights from a century of data reveal global trends in ex situ living plant collections.

Ex situ living plant collections play a crucial role in providing nature-based solutions to twenty-first century global challenges. However, the complex dynamics of these artificial ecosystems are poorly quantified and understood, affecting biodiversity storage, conservation and utilization. To evaluate the management of ex situ plant diversity, we analysed a century of data comprising 2.

An in silico analysis of heart rate impact on wall shear stress hemodynamic parameters in aortic coarctation.

This study examines how heart rate (HR) affects hemodynamics in a South African infant with Coarctation of the Aorta. Computed tomography angiography segments aortic coarctation anatomy; Doppler echocardiography derives inlet flow waveforms. Simulations occur at 100, 120, and 160 beats per minute, representing reduced, resting, and elevated HR levels.

Comprehensive evaluation of pure and hybrid collaborative filtering in drug repurposing.

Drug development is known to be a costly and time-consuming process, which is prone to high failure rates. Drug repurposing allows drug discovery by reusing already approved compounds. The outcomes of past clinical trials can be used to predict novel drug-disease associations by leveraging drug- and disease-related similarities.

Exploration of parental perspectives and involvement in therapeutic communication approaches for deaf and/or hard-of-hearing children at special schools in South Africa.

Family-centred intervention optimises the development of communication abilities and academic outcomes in children with hearing loss. Cognisance of family values, respect for family differences and adaptations to cultural and linguistic diversity ensure the collaboration of parent-professional relationships. This study investigated the parental involvement and parental perceptions regarding the communication intervention approaches implemented (i.

Incidence, long-term predictors and progression of chronic kidney disease among African migrants and non-migrants: the transcontinental population-based prospective RODAM cohort study.

Background: Limited longitudinal data exist on chronic kidney disease (CKD) in African populations undergoing epidemiological transitions. We investigated incidence, long-term predictors and progression of CKD among Ghanaians residing in Ghana and Ghanaian migrants in the Netherlands (Amsterdam).

Methods And Findings: We analysed data from 2183 participants in the transcontinental population-based prospective Research on Obesity and Diabetes among African Migrants cohort, followed for approximately 7 years.

Understanding gender inequities in antimicrobial resistance: role of biology, behaviour and gender norms.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a critical public health threat, with gendered implications that are often overlooked. Key drivers of bacterial AMR include the misuse of antibiotics, inadequate water, sanitation and hygiene infrastructure and poor infection control practices. Persistent gender discrimination exacerbates these issues, resulting in disparities in healthcare access and outcomes.

Small intra-tropical long-distance migratory birds track rainy seasons across hemispheres.

The main features of long-distance migration are derived from landbirds breeding in the Northern Hemisphere. Little is known about migration within the tropics, presumably because tropical species typically move opportunistically and over shorter distances. However, such generalizations are weakened by a lack of solid data on spatial, temporal and behavioural patterns of intra-tropical migrations.

Platelet aggregation and thromboelastometry monitoring in women with preeclampsia: a prospective observational study.

Background: Thrombocytopenia affects 12-20% of women with preeclampsia and a low platelet count impairs coagulation. Women with preeclampsia have an increased risk of both cerebral hemorrhage, thromboembolism, and postpartum hemorrhage. Studies of platelet function and coagulation in women with preeclampsia show conflicting results.

Deep Learning-Enabled Assessment of Right Ventricular Function Improves Prognostication After Transcatheter Edge-to-Edge Repair for Mitral Regurgitation.

Background: Right ventricular (RV) function has a well-established prognostic role in patients with severe mitral regurgitation (MR) undergoing transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (TEER) and is typically assessed using echocardiography-measured tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion. Recently, a deep learning model has been proposed that accurately predicts RV ejection fraction (RVEF) from 2-dimensional echocardiographic videos, with similar diagnostic accuracy as 3-dimensional imaging. This study aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of the deep learning-predicted RVEF values in patients with severe MR undergoing TEER.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis resisters despite HIV exhibit activated T cells and macrophages in their pulmonary alveoli.

Natural resistance to Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection in some people with HIV (PWH) is unexplained. We performed single cell RNA-sequencing of bronchoalveolar lavage cells, unstimulated or ex vivo stimulated with Mtb, for 7 PWH who were TST & IGRA positive (called LTBI) and 6 who were persistently TST & IGRA negative (called resisters). Alveolar macrophages (AM) from resisters displayed a baseline M1 macrophage phenotype while AM from LTBI did not.

Optimising Instrumented Mouthguard Data Analysis: Video Synchronisation Using a Cross-correlation Approach.

Purpose: Head acceleration events (HAEs) are a growing concern in contact sports, prompting two rugby governing bodies to mandate instrumented mouthguards (iMGs). This has resulted in an influx of data imposing financial and time constraints. This study presents two computational methods that leverage a dataset of video-coded match events: cross-correlation synchronisation aligns iMG data to a video recording, by providing playback timestamps for each HAE, enabling analysts to locate them in video footage; and post-synchronisation event matching identifies the coded match event (e.

Double-stranded RNA orbivirus disrupts the DNA-sensing cGAS-sting axis to prevent type I IFN induction.

Cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS) is a DNA sensing cellular receptor that induces IFN-I transcription in response to pathogen and host derived cytosolic DNA and can limit the replication of some RNA viruses. Some viruses have nonetheless evolved mechanisms to antagonize cGAS sensing. In this study, we evaluated the interaction between Bluetongue virus (BTV), the prototypical dsRNA virus of the Orbivirus genus and the Sedoreoviridae family, and cGAS.

The development of the profession and education of Prosthetics and Orthotics in South Africa.

The history of a profession is valuable literature as it recognizes the noteworthy contributions of its forerunners and the scientific evolution from its earliest state. The purpose of this paper is to recount the historical developments in the profession of Prosthetics and Orthotics (P & O) in South Africa. An electronic literature search identified 54 Sabinet and 17,400 Google Scholar records.

Can a Cochlear Implant Be Used as an Electrical Impedance Tomography Device?

The imaging of the live cochlea is a challenging task. Regardless of the quality of images obtained from modern clinical imaging techniques, the internal structures of the cochlea mainly remain obscured. Electrical impedance tomography (EIT) is a safe, low-cost alternative medical imaging technique with applications in various clinical scenarios.

Long legs and small joints: The locomotor capabilities of Homo naledi.

The lower limb of Homo naledi presents a suite of primitive, derived and unique morphological features that pose interesting questions about the nature of bipedal movement in this species. The exceptional representation of all skeletal elements in H. naledi makes it an excellent candidate for biomechanical analysis of gait dynamics using modern kinematic software.

Clinical presentation of hemifacial microsomia in a South African population.

Background: Hemifacial microsomia (HFM) presentation includes gross distorted ramus, malposition temporomandibular joint, small glenoid fossa, distorted condyle and notch, malformed orbit, cupping ear or absent external ear, and facial nerve palsy. HFM is the second most prevalent congenital deformity of the face, with little literature from the South African population. This retrospective study elucidated the demographic characteristics and clinical presentations of HFM patients in a select South African population and compared it to the literature.

Immersive Videography of Ancient DNA Extraction for Community Engagement and Educational Initiatives by the Anson Street African Burial Ground Project.

Objective: Community engagement is an increasingly important component of ancient DNA (aDNA) research, especially when it involves archeological individuals connected to contemporary descendants or other invested communities. However, effectively explaining methods to non-specialist audiences can be challenging due to the intricacies of aDNA laboratory work. To overcome this challenge, the Anson Street African Burial Ground (ASABG) Project employed a GoPro camera to visually document the process of aDNA extraction for use in community engagement and education events.

Cotton production areas are at high risk of invasion by Amrasca biguttula (Ishida) (Cicadellidae: Hemiptera): potential distribution under climate change.

Background: The cotton jassid, Amrasca biguttula, a dangerous and polyphagous pest, has recently invaded the Middle East, Africa and South America, raising concerns about the future of cotton and other food crops including okra, eggplant and potato. However, its potential distribution remains largely unknown, posing a challenge in developing effective phytosanitary strategies. We used an ensemble model of six machine-learning algorithms including random forest, maxent, support vector machines, classification and regression tree, generalized linear model and boosted regression trees to forecast the potential distribution of A.

Determining the risk factors of malaria and anemia in children between 6 and 59 months using the joint generalized linear mixed model on the 2021 Nigeria Malaria Indicator Survey dataset.

Background: Malaria and anemia are significant public health concerns that contribute to child mortality in African. Despite global efforts to control the two diseases, their prevalence in high-risk regions like Nigeria remains high. Understanding socioeconomic, demographic, and geographical factors associated with malaria and anemia, is critical for effective intervention strategies.

The trade of illicit cigarettes in Ghana: Insights from a policy synthesis and qualitative study.

The illicit trade of tobacco products trade continues to challenge tobacco control efforts in several African countries, including Ghana. Ghana recently ratified the Framework Convention for Tobacco Control (FCTC) Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products ('the Protocol'). This Protocol aims to eliminate all kinds of illicit tobacco.