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Identification of the pygmy dipole resonance in a well deformed nucleus by combined isoscalar and isovector probes
(Elsevier, 2026) Pellegri, Luna; Marín-Lámbarri, Daniel José; Mukwevho, Ndinannyi justice; Rebeiro, Bernadette M.; Triambak, Smarajit
The low-energy electric dipole response in the axially deformed 154Sm nucleus was investigated for the first time using complementary probes. The isoscalar (IS) response was extracted from an ( α, α ′ γ ) coincidence experiment and the isovector (IV) response from polarization observables measured with the (p→,p→′) reaction at 0∘. Both the IS and IV responses exhibit a resonance-like structure at excitation energies 5.5-6 MeV identified as the pygmy dipole resonance. Its evolution with deformation is investigated by comparison to the spherical isotope 144Sm. The low-energy IV strength in 154Sm departs from the K -splitting picture that characterizes the IV giant dipole resonance in this nucleus. This finding is further supported by the absence of significant IS strength above 7 MeV.
Theoretical assessment design at a South African school of nursing: a multimethod qualitative exploration
(Public Library of Science, 2026) Donough, Gabieba; Daniels, Felicity; Mthimunye, Katlego
INTRODUCTION: Theoretical assessment design is crucial in nursing education, ensuring students develop cognitive and problem-solving skills for clinical practice. However, misalignment with learning outcomes and inconsistent cognitive level distribution remain complex issues. METHODS AND FINDINGS: This multimethod qualitative study explored theoretical assessment design in a South African nursing school through in-depth interviews with nurse educators and a document review of moderators' reports. Stratified purposive sampling ensured diverse representation across National Qualifications Framework Levels 5-8. Data saturation was reached after nine interviews, analysed using Creswell and Creswell's six-step thematic framework. The document review analysed 70 moderation reports (22 internal and 48 external) from 2015 to 2019, focusing on feedback related to final theoretical assessments. Content analysis, following Krippendorff's framework, was used to identify themes and patterns. Findings revealed an overemphasis on lower-order cognitive skills (Bloom's taxonomy), inconsistent question distribution, and misalignment with national qualification standards. Educators acknowledged these issues but cited time constraints, inadequate training, and institutional pressures as contributing factors. Moderation reports confirmed assessment inconsistencies, emphasising the need for better alignment with constructive alignment principles. Triangulation of data highlighted a gap between perceived best practices and actual assessment quality, suggesting assessments do not fully support higher-order cognitive skill development. CONCLUSION: To improve the validity and reliability of theoretical assessments, nursing programmes should prioritise training in assessment design, strengthen alignment with learning outcomes, and implement moderation strategies to address inconsistencies. These findings contribute to the broader discourse on improving assessment practices in nursing education globally.
Global burden of enteric infectious diseases, diarrhoeal diseases, and corresponding aetiologies, 1990–2023: a systematic analysis for the global burden of disease study 2023
(Elsevier, 2026) Vongpradith, Avina; Adebiyi, Babatope. Oluwadamitare; Dominguez, Regina-Mae Villanueva
Background Enteric infectious diseases claim more than 1 million lives annually and are among the top ten causes of death in children younger than 5 years. Remarkable global investment has been dedicated to enteric infectious disease prevention and control; however, the shifting global health landscape is testing the continuance of progress. To evaluate the current status and guide future interventions, we present the latest epidemiological estimates of enteric infectious diseases from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2023 and assess progress towards the Global Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Pneumonia and Diarrhoea (GAPPD) mortality target of fewer than 20 deaths per 100 000 children younger than 5 years by 2025. Methods We quantified the incidence, mortality, and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) of enteric infectious diseases by age, sex, and year across 204 countries and territories from 1990 to 2023. In GBD 2023, the following were considered under the category of enteric infectious diseases: diarrhoeal diseases, enteric fever (typhoid and paratyphoid), invasive non-typhoidal Salmonella spp (iNTS) infections, and other intestinal infectious diseases. We also examined 15 aetiologies contributing to diarrhoeal diseases. Incidence and prevalence were estimated with DisMod-MR (version 2.1), a Bayesian meta-regression tool, drawing on data from systematic reviews, population-based surveys, claims data, and hospital sources. Cause-specific mortality was modelled with Cause of Death Ensemble Modelling based on data from sources including vital registration, mortality surveillance, verbal autopsy, and minimally invasive tissue sampling. Years of life lost and years lived with disability were computed and combined to derive DALYs. For aetiology-specific estimation, population-attributable fractions (PAFs) for 15 pathogens were derived with a counterfactual framework. Point estimates and 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs) were generated from 250 draws from the posterior distribution.
The water-energy-food nexus approach to climate adaptation innovation and intellectual property in Southern Africa
(Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH, 2026) Oriakhogba, Desmond Osaretin; Ncube, Caroline B.
The water-energy-food (WEF) nexus approach offers an effective framework for promoting sustainability, while enabling communities to adapt to climate change risks in the WEF sector in Africa. It requires a coordinated, collaborative, an integrated and unsiloed approach to climate change adaptation innovation and related intellect property (IP) to maximise synergies and minimise trade-offs across the WEF sectors. To this end, climate adaptation innovation solutions must integrate the components of the WEF nexus as inputs to each other to enhance resource efficiency, expand the available natural resource base and produce more contribution to the sustainability and security of the WEF sectors. Contributing to the nascent literature on climate adaptation innovation and intellectual property in Africa, this paper adopts the WEF nexus approach to examine the climate adaptation innovation and IP governance in the Southern African Development Community (SADC), and discusses select climate adaptation innovation examples from selected SADC countries. In this regard and based on desk research, the paper resolves specific issues such as how African-led innovation influences climate adaptation action in the WEF sectors in Africa, and whether existing IP governance mechanisms can ensure the protection, diffusion, transfer of and access to African-led climate adaptation innovation within Africa. The paper contends that IP regimes that promote equitable balance between the protection of innovators and the need for knowledge diffusion, availability and accessibility through appropriate exclusive and user rights will effectively foster climate adaptation innovation in the WEF sectors of the SADC.
Alpha Methylacyl-CoA Racemase (AMACR) biomarker-based chronocoulometric aptasensor for prostate cancer
(Elsevier B.V., 2026) Sanga, Nelia Abraham; Oranzie, Marlon; Isaacs, Beshara S.; January, Jaymi Leigh; Tovide, Oluwakemi; Pokpas, Keagan; Iwuoha, Emmanuel Iheanyichukwu
Prostate cancer (PCa) remains a major cause of cancer-related mortality in men, underscoring the need for rapid and reliable diagnostic strategies. Conventional detection of α-methylacyl-CoA racemase (AMACR) relies on enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and reverse transcription PCR, which are limited by high cost, lengthy analysis time and operational complexity, while prostate-specific antigen lacks diagnostic specificity. Herein, we report a rapid electrochemical aptasensor based on mercaptosuccinic acid-capped tungsten telluride quantum dot (MSA-WTe3 QD) integrated with a 60-mer single-stranded DNA aptamer for AMACR detection. The platform achieves detection within 60 s, exhibiting a linear range of 1–200 pg.mL−1 and limits of detection of 0.05 pg.mL−1 in buffer and 0.12 pg.mL−1 in synthetic human serum, which fall well below reported AMACR levels in biological samples (44 μg.mL−1), enabling clinically relevant and early-stage detection. The aptasensor demonstrates high sensitivity, selectivity and stability, outperforming conventional assays in response time and analytical performance. These findings highlight the potential of the proposed sensing platform for rapid and early PCa diagnosis.