South African Journal of Science最新文献_第6页

Load shedding and mental health in South Africa: Methodological challenges of establishing causal links 南非的负荷削减和心理健康：建立因果关系的方法学挑战

IF 2.4 4区综合性期刊

South African Journal of Science Pub Date : 2023-08-31 DOI: 10.17159/sajs.2023/16661

J. Bantjes, L. Swartz

引用次数: 0

South African iLukuluku podcast shows we can talk about science in African languages 南非iLukuluku播客显示我们可以用非洲语言谈论科学

IF 2.4 4区综合性期刊

South African Journal of Science Pub Date : 2023-08-08 DOI: 10.17159/sajs.2023/15648

Sibusiso Biyela, Ntokozo N. Msomi, Anina Mumm

引用次数: 1

COVID-19 research and science infrastructure in South Africa 南非的COVID-19研究和科学基础设施

IF 2.4 4区综合性期刊

South African Journal of Science Pub Date : 2023-08-08 DOI: 10.17159/sajs.2023/16294

L. Manderson, Susan Levine

引用次数: 0

Brian Warner (1939–2023): Astronomer, historian and academic leader 布莱恩·沃纳（1939–2023）：天文学家、历史学家和学术领袖

IF 2.4 4区综合性期刊

South African Journal of Science Pub Date : 2023-08-08 DOI: 10.17159/sajs.2023/16307

G. Ellis

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Sustaining excellent science 保持卓越的科学

IF 2.4 4区综合性期刊

South African Journal of Science Pub Date : 2023-08-08 DOI: 10.17159/sajs.2023/16469

L. Swartz

引用次数: 0

Co-infection of urogenital schistosomiasis and malaria and its association with anaemia and malnutrition amongst school children in Dutse, Nigeria 尼日利亚Dutse学童中泌尿生殖道血吸虫病和疟疾的共同感染及其与贫血和营养不良的关系

IF 2.4 4区综合性期刊

South African Journal of Science Pub Date : 2023-08-08 DOI: 10.17159/sajs.2023/13846

Hafizu Muhammed, J. Balogun, M. Dogara, B. Adewale, Abdulganiyu A. Ibrahim, Chinedu B. Okolugbo, Graham Jackson

{"title":"Co-infection of urogenital schistosomiasis and malaria and its association with anaemia and malnutrition amongst school children in Dutse, Nigeria","authors":"Hafizu Muhammed, J. Balogun, M. Dogara, B. Adewale, Abdulganiyu A. Ibrahim, Chinedu B. Okolugbo, Graham Jackson","doi":"10.17159/sajs.2023/13846","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.17159/sajs.2023/13846","url":null,"abstract":"Schistosomiasis is a neglected tropical disease. Sub-Saharan Africa accounts for 93% of the world’s 207 million schistosomiasis cases. Urogenital schistosomiasis and malaria are both public health problems in Nigeria, where they are endemic. We determined the co-prevalence of urogenital schistosomiasis and malaria in schoolchildren and assessed its implication on anaemia and malnutrition. This cross-sectional study was conducted amongst primary schoolchildren in the Warwade, Saya Saya and Jigawar daha villages of Nigeria. Urine samples were collected to detect Schistosoma haematobium eggs, and finger prick blood was used for haemoglobin concentration and malaria diagnosis. Nutritional status was assessed using anthropometric measurements and a pre-tested questionnaire. The overall prevalence and density of S. haematobium were 27.7% and 9 eggs/10 mL, respectively, with significant differences between villages and sexes. The prevalence of malaria and infection density was 10.4% and 330 mps/μL, respectively. Co-infection prevalence was 3.3%. Anaemia prevalence was 66%, with significant variation across villages and between sexes. Prevalence of stunting, underweight, and wasting was 41.7%, 46%, and 29.7%, respectively. Mean haemoglobin concentrations in Plasmodium and children co-infected with urogenital schistosomiasis were significantly lower than those who were negative for the infection. No significant association was observed between malnutrition and single or co-infection of urogenital schistosomiasis and malaria. After adjusting for variables associated with anaemia, village of residence remained a significant predictor of anaemia. Water contact activities, such as fishing, swimming, and irrigation, emerged as independent risk factors of S. haematobium infection.","PeriodicalId":21928,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Science","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2023-08-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45720362","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"综合性期刊","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Three-dimensional image quality test phantom for planar X-ray imaging 平面x射线成像三维图像质量测试模体

IF 2.4 4区综合性期刊

South African Journal of Science Pub Date : 2023-08-08 DOI: 10.17159/sajs.2023/14269

John B. Noonoo, F. Hasford, E. Sosu

{"title":"Three-dimensional image quality test phantom for planar X-ray imaging","authors":"John B. Noonoo, F. Hasford, E. Sosu","doi":"10.17159/sajs.2023/14269","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.17159/sajs.2023/14269","url":null,"abstract":"We aimed to produce a simple, inexpensive 3D printed phantom as a prototype for image quality assessment of contrast, contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and resolution in planar X-ray imaging systems. The test phantom was designed using SOLIDWORKS software, printed with a polylactic acid material and filled with paraffin wax. Circular aluminium sheets were used as inserts for contrast evaluation. A planar X-ray system was used for imaging and DICOM images were evaluated using ImageJ software. We evaluated spatial resolution, contrast, CNR and SNR. For resolution, full width at half maximum (FWHM) was measured on different grid sizes. For contrast, intensity of grey values and standard deviation were calculated on the different grid sizes. For CNR and SNR, difference in greyscale of investigated tissue and background per standard deviation of noise in the background was calculated. Resolution of the system was evaluated to be 1.57 and 1.80 lp/mm on grids A and B respectively. Contrast showed differential attenuation per variation in thickness. CNR increased from −13.7 for a thickness of 0.00 mm to 24.90 for a thickness of 28 mm. CNR did not change for a thickness greater than 16.0 mm. The SNR of the system fell in the acceptable range of ≥ 5 . The results from the analyses performed indicate that the test phantom has great potential to be a good substitute for the commercially available phantoms on the market, especially for low-resource settings.","PeriodicalId":21928,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Science","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2023-08-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42015728","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"综合性期刊","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Academic xenophobia in South Africa – issues, challenges and solutions: Reflections on an ASSAf Roundtable 南非的学术仇外心理——问题、挑战和解决方案:ASSAf圆桌会议的反思

IF 2.4 4区综合性期刊

South African Journal of Science Pub Date : 2023-08-08 DOI: 10.17159/sajs.2023/16278

K. Tomaselli

引用次数: 0

Elemental, phytochemical, and toxicological assessment of Cissus rotundifolia (Forssk.) Vahl 圆叶Cissus rotundifolia（Forssk.）Vahl的元素、植物化学和毒理学评估

IF 2.4 4区综合性期刊

South African Journal of Science Pub Date : 2023-08-08 DOI: 10.17159/sajs.2023/13160

Bongiwe P. Mshengu, Cordelia Z. Buthelezi, R. Moodley

{"title":"Elemental, phytochemical, and toxicological assessment of Cissus rotundifolia (Forssk.) Vahl","authors":"Bongiwe P. Mshengu, Cordelia Z. Buthelezi, R. Moodley","doi":"10.17159/sajs.2023/13160","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.17159/sajs.2023/13160","url":null,"abstract":"Cissus rotundifolia (Forssk.) Vahl. (Vitaceae) is a wild plant that is commonly used by communities from rural areas as a food and medicine. There are limited studies on the phytochemical composition and the impact of soil quality on the elemental distribution in this plant. In this study, we report a phytochemical analysis to identify the phytocompounds responsible for the reported biological activities of C. rotundifolia. We also examined the impact of soil quality on elemental uptake by the edible parts of C. rotundifolia collected from eight geographical locations in KwaZulu-Natal (South Africa) to assess the nutritional benefits and potential heavy metal toxicities. Three secondary metabolites (stigmasterol, β-sitosterol, and pheophytin a) were isolated, and their structures were characterised by high-resolution mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance data. The plant was found to contribute adequately to the recommended dietary allowances for essential nutrients without exceeding tolerable upper intake limits and with low concentrations of toxic heavy metals. The average concentrations of microelements in the edible parts were found to be in decreasing order of Fe>Mn>Se>Zn>Cu>Cr>Ni>Co. The bioaccumulation factors indicate that the plant controls the uptake of metals from the soil and would make a good indicator and biological monitor for cadmium toxicity. However, a health risk assessment exposed carcinogenic risks on regular consumption of the plant obtained from sites close to pollution sources, such as roads and landfills. The findings from this study show the synergies when consuming medicinal plants and provide evidence for C. rotundifolia as a nutraceutical.","PeriodicalId":21928,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Science","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2023-08-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43801440","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"综合性期刊","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Addressing missed visits to improve retention of young South African women in clinical trials 解决缺勤问题，提高南非年轻妇女在临床试验中的留用率

IF 2.4 4区综合性期刊

South African Journal of Science Pub Date : 2023-08-08 DOI: 10.17159/sajs.2023/13809

K. Ahmed, M. Malahleha, T. E. Mbatsane, Dineo Thindisa, V. Bailey, I. Seocharan, A. Dilraj

{"title":"Addressing missed visits to improve retention of young South African women in clinical trials","authors":"K. Ahmed, M. Malahleha, T. E. Mbatsane, Dineo Thindisa, V. Bailey, I. Seocharan, A. Dilraj","doi":"10.17159/sajs.2023/13809","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.17159/sajs.2023/13809","url":null,"abstract":"In clinical trials, a vital protocol requirement for participants is adherence to scheduled visits. A substantial number of missed visits and the resultant missing data could affect generalisability of the findings and undermine the scientific conclusions. We aimed to investigate the extent of and reasons for missed visits in the Evidence for Contraceptive Options and HIV Outcomes (ECHO) trial in order to optimise recruitment and retention practices. Despite being a multi-country study, we investigated missed visits only at Setshaba Research Centre in Soshanguve, Tshwane, South Africa. Of 810 participants enrolled at Setshaba Research Centre, 94 (11.6%) participants missed visits and 231 missed visits were recorded. Of the 94 participants who missed visits, 53 (56.4%) missed at least two visits; 37 (39.4%) missed three or more visits, and of these, 32 (86.5%) missed at least two visits for the same reason. Overall, the main reasons for missed visits were: participant had to work (60; 26.0%), unable to contact participant (60; 26.0%), participant relocated (32; 13.9%), and participant travelled out of area (23; 10%). The large proportion of participants who missed two or more visits indicates that participants who miss a single visit are likely to miss even more, often for the same reason. Site staff need to be vigilant to detect any trends in missed visits early and innovative in developing personalised strategies to minimise missed visits and retain participants until completion of their scheduled visits.","PeriodicalId":21928,"journal":{"name":"South African Journal of Science","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2023-08-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45455679","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"综合性期刊","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0