University of Cape Town

Field sampling guidelines for sedimentary ancient DNA (sedaDNA) research in lacustrine and coastal systems: from field collection to laboratory subsampling

Abstract Sedimentary ancient DNA (sedaDNA) has emerged as a powerful proxy for reconstructing past biodiversity and environmental change in lacustrine and coastal systems, yet standardized field guidance remains limited, particularly for researchers working in tropical and coasta...

Direct aqueous mineral carbonation of cementitious fines derived from hardened ready-mix concrete waste: Process performance and carbon accounting

The growing need to mitigate anthropogenic CO 2 emissions is driving the development of low-energy carbon capture and utilization technologies. Hardened ready-mix concrete waste represents an underexplored alkaline feedstock for direct aqueous mineral carbonation, offering opport...

A Molecular Systematic Study of the Lampranthus Group (Aizoaceae) Based on the Chloroplast TrnL-trnF and Nuclear ITS and 5 S NTS Sequence Data

Abstract The phylogenetic position of the Lampranthus group (Ruschioideae, Aizoaceae), with particular emphasis on the large genus Lampranthus, was studied using DNA sequences from the trnL-trnF region of the chloroplast genome, the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (...

Characterizing meso-level organizations engaged in climate change adaptation work in Africa: A configurational analysis

Climate change adaptation in sub-Saharan Africa depends on the effectiveness of meso-level organizations (MLOs) in negotiating the needs of rural community beneficiaries and the aims of macro-level policy and finance actors. In this region, however, the traditional sector-based t...

Comorbidities in individuals with intellectual disabilities with and without hearing loss: a prospective cohort study

Abstract Background Both intellectual disability (ID) and hearing loss (HL) are associated with a high prevalence of certain comorbidities. However, a combined analysis and overview classified according to the International Classification of Diseases, 11th Revision (ICD-11), is l...

Rates of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection in a highly exposed South African blood donor cohort, 2022–2023

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: A cohort of South African repeat blood donors was established to leverage the repeated presentation of blood donors for longitudinal serological surveillance of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections and reinfection inci...

Options for Compression of radio interferometry data: lossy compression of visibilities and lossless compression of uv-visibility grids for the MHONGOOSE survey

Abstract Next generation radio astronomy telescopes are challenging existing data reduction paradigms. With ever more antennas, larger bandwidths, and sometimes multiple primary beams, they often generate more observed data products than can readily be stored long-term. Thus, dat...

Regional disparities in infant mortality in Tanzania: uncovering contextual heterogeneity using survey-weighted and regional frailty models

Infant mortality remains a major public health concern in Tanzania, with large subnational inequities that could jeopardise progress toward Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3.2. National averages may conceal regional variability. We examined live births in the five years preced...

How can complex interventions be adapted to context? A qualitative analysis of the implementation of DREAMS in three Kenyan settings

In Kenya, the DREAMS Partnership (“Determined, Resilient, Empowered, AIDS-free, Mentored and Safe”) aims to reduce new HIV cases among adolescent girls and young women (AGYW; aged 10–24) through a comprehensive programme of interventions. The impact of DREAMS varies across settin...

The anthropogenic fingerprint on emerging infectious diseases

Abstract Emerging infectious diseases are a hallmark of the Anthropocene 1,2 . Human-driven ecosystem changes and human–wildlife–livestock contact can drive the emergence of zoonotic and vector-borne diseases 3–5 , but how much these processes shape landscapes of outbreak risk is...

Prevalence of meeting aerobic physical activity and resistance training guidelines in advanced prostate cancer: a descriptive study of racial and regional disparities in the IRONMAN registry

Abstract Purpose To estimate guideline-based aerobic physical activity and resistance training participation in an international population of people with newly diagnosed metastatic hormone-sensitive or castration-resistant prostate cancer, and to assess racial and regional diffe...

What makes remediation matter? A qualitative study of medical students’ experiences of a pilot online remediation programme in Chemical Pathology

Abstract Background Remediation supports underperforming students whilst protecting academic standards and patient safety. We piloted a formal online remedial programme for underperforming second-year medical students in Chemical Pathology within the Semester 4 Integrated Health...

THE PERINATAL PROGRAMMING OF METABOLISM IN PSYCHOSIS ADVANCING PSYCHIATRIC GENOMICS THROUGH LARGE-SCALE AFRICAN COHORTS

Overall Abstract Psychiatric genetics has made remarkable progress globally, yet African populations, harboring the greatest human genetic diversity, remain underrepresented in genomic discovery. This symposium brings together four landmark initiatives that exemplify the scale, d...

Genome-wide analysis of social behaviour across social domains, reporters and developmental stages: a meta-regression approach

Abstract Social behaviour is a heritable trait linked to well-being and mental health, yet it varies across social context, including social domains, informants and development, which may shape its underlying genomic architecture. Here, we conducted a genome-wide meta-regression...

Retinalysis-Vascx: An Explainable Software Toolbox for the Extraction of Retinal Vascular Biomarkers From Color Fundus Images

Purpose: Automatic extraction of retinal vascular biomarkers from color fundus images (CFIs) is crucial for large-scale studies of the retinal vasculature. We present VascX, an open-source software toolbox that extracts biomarkers from CFI artery-vein segmentations. Methods: From...

Structure-property-performance parametric investigation of the effect of cathode ionomer loading on RH-sensitivity of low Pt loading proton exchange membrane fuel cells

Cathode ionomer loading is traditionally optimised to maximise proton exchange membrane fuel cell performance, yet the mechanistic origin of its humidity sensitivity remains unresolved. Here, a structure-property-performance investigation was conducted to determine and quantify h...

Resolving the biome debate: ecological and palaeo‐data concur that the extensive tree‐limited grassy biomes of central and north‐western Madagascar are largely anthropogenic

ABSTRACT For millennia, human activities have transformed ecosystems globally. Determining which landscapes are predominantly anthropogenic is crucial to conservation and habitat restoration. Madagascar, a critically‐threatened biodiversity hotspot, is a prominent example. Curren...

Methenamine, minocycline, metronidazole and pristinamycin (M3P) for multi-drug-resistant Mycoplasma genitalium urethritis: A case series

Objectives Worldwide, Mycoplasma genitalium infections are becoming more resistant to both macrolides and fluoroquinolones - termed multi-drug-resistant (MDR) infections. Combination therapy has shown promise in treating other MDR pathogens. We have previously reported the first...

International variation in neuropsychological test use practices: Implications for test adaptation and fair assessment

Neuropsychological test selection varies substantially across countries and languages, yet which instruments clinicians use internationally remains poorly documented. Using a survey of International Neuropsychological Society members (INSConnect, 2023), we examined instrument end...

Infection by Cardiodectes bellottii (Copepoda: Pennellidae) on Lampanyctodes hectoris (Actinopterygii: Myctophidae) in the southern Benguela Current upwelling ecosystem

Hector’s lanternfish Lampanyctodes hectoris is an abundant mesopelagic fish found in the Benguela Current marine ecosystem and is frequently parasitised by the copepod Cardiodectes bellottii. This parasite is relatively large compared with its fish host, and negative impacts of i...