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Now showing 1 - 5 of 11

Recent Submissions

Forensic inference in Africa: Evaluating population structure, databases, and regional assignment accuracy
(Elsevier Ireland Ltd, 2026) Kasu, Mohaimin; Morrow, Jessica Caroline Anne; Lesaoana, Mpasi; Brydon, Humphrey; D’Amato, Maria Eugenia
This study reports novel 21 aSTR (autosomal Short Tandem Repeats) allele frequencies from 538 individuals, as well as 11 triallelic profiles, representing seven Bantu-speaking groups in Southern Africa (Ndebele, Pedi, Phuthi, Tsonga, Sotho, Swati, and Xhosa). These data contributed to a comprehensive representation of the Southern Bantu (SB). The defined SB reference database was evaluated for various forensic uses and applications: extant diversity, population structure, adequacy of alternative reference databases, and continental biogeographical ancestry prediction.Different analytical methods—including summary statistics, multivariate analyses (Multidimensional Scaling, MDS; Discriminant Analysis of Principal Components, DAPC), and Bayesian clustering—detected continental structure, identifying four major clusters: Southern, Eastern, Western, and Horn of Africa.This observation motivated the evaluation of two practical applications of this information: one methodological (alternative reference frequency database) and one predictive (biogeographic assignment). The adequacy of alternative reference databases for representing SB populations—STRidER South Africa, STRidER Africa, African American, and global datasets—was assessed by comparing reciprocal allelic coverage and shifts in random match probabilities (RMPs). Of the databases tested, the STRidER Africa database provided the closest representation of the SB. Population-level analyses evidenced the need for a stratification correction (θ = 0.005 or 0.01) for SB populations.Intracontinental biogeographic prediction was assessed using an XGBoost machine learning classification model across four major African regions. The model’s predictive balanced accuracy ranged from 80 % to 94 % across African regions (94 % for the Horn of Africa, 87 % for Southern Africa, 84 % for Western Africa, and 80 % for Eastern Africa).The accuracy and limitations of this practice are discussed, along with its ethical implications. The assessment of reference databases can be extended to more general applications across Africa.
Electronic conduction in hot-pressed calcium manganese oxide ceramics
(Elsevier Ltd, 2025) Mahapatro, Ajit; Pant, Megha
The basic concepts of electronic charge transport in materials are crucial for understanding and improving device performances. The electronic conduction is investigated through perfectly dense calcium manganese oxide (CaMnO3) ceramics prepared with simultaneous application of pressure (64 MPa) and temperature (1073 K) using hot-press technique. A proposed model, comprising of grain boundary assisted hopping and trap assisted transport mechanisms agrees well with the acquired current – voltage characteristics in the temperature range of 133–373 K. The estimated decrease in trap charge density with increasing temperature from 1015 cm 3 at 133 K to 109 cm􀀀 3 at 373 K is attributed to the temperature assisted detrapping of the highly localized trap charge carriers, resulting in lesser availability of trapped charges with increasing temperature. An energy band diagram is demonstrated by implementing the broadening and shifting of energetic trap distribution towards deep into the energy gap with increasing temperature observed in the capacitance-frequency measurements and leads to merging of trap states with the conduction band
Being an alternative caregiver: caring for children who have experienced trauma
(Routledge, 2025) Conibear, Erica; Schmidt, Bey-Marrié; Mulopo, Chanelle
Alternative caregivers play a vital role in South Africa’s alternative care system, providing care to maltreated children removed from their primary families. This qualitative descriptive exploratory study explored the experiences of 15 alternative caregivers of children who have experienced interpersonal trauma. Four themes emerged: (1) navigating the pervasive impact of trauma, (2) adopting a unique parenting approach, (3) experiencing secondary trauma, and (4) establishing your own “village” support. Findings highlight the need for caregivers to develop essential skills and access support to meet children’s complex needs and manage secondary trauma, particularly within an under-capacitated child welfare system.
Sailing global health initiative ships into stormy seas: navigating the introduction of the global financing facility in Mozambique
(Taylor and Francis Ltd., 2025) Kinney, Mary; George, Asha; Chivangue, Andes
Background: Mozambique joined the Global Financing Facility (GFF), a financing mechanism to accelerate progress for women, children, and adolescents’ health, with a history of donor dependence, distrust in public finances, and social inequities. Few independent studies have assessed the GFF. Objectives: To understand how a global mechanism, such as the GFF, was introduced and utilized in Mozambique. Methods: This qualitative study explored the aid coordination dynamics between 2015 and2020 linked to the development of the Investment Case (IC) and Project Appraisal Document(PAD), key national GFF planning documents, based on data from 25 documents and 14qualitative interviews thematically analyzed. Results: The GFF was not fully understood by stakeholders and initially gained traction in the name of strengthening the health system, ironically amidst prevailing distrust of government systems. Some viewed the IC as consultatively developed, aiding the Ministry of Health in prioritizing issues and convening donors, while others remained sceptical about its impact. The PAD was viewed as a less consultative process, though it engaged the government and partners in setting disbursement-linked indicators (DLIs) to incentivize health system improvements. However, some stakeholders viewed them as unfeasible, while others were excluded by technical discourse. The perceived transparency issues around DLIs fuelled scepticism. Conclusion: Although the GFF policy processes provided a technically alluring basis for addressing Mozambique’s health disparities, respondents revealed nuanced perspectives about how IC and PAD were formulated and followed. Aid coordination reflects various interdependencies, power dynamics, and uncertainties that require active relationship management and long-term institution building.
Value addition to african natural product-based drug discovery initiatives
(American Chemical Society, 2025) Beukes, Denzil; Mayoka, Godfrey; Cheuka, Peter Mubanga
Natural products are vital to drug discovery, yet Africa’s vast biodiversity remains underutilized. This perspective examines barriers limiting Africa’s impact such as weak infrastructure, limited translational capacity, and minimal integration of medicinal chemistry. We advocate for advancing beyond basic extraction to include systematic isolation, pharmacokinetics studies, and semisynthetic derivatization. Emphasis is placed on integrating AI, cheminformatics, and biotransformation, alongside embedding drug discovery training into academic curricula. Strengthening regional networks, fostering interdisciplinary collaborations, and securing Africa-sensitive funding are essential. Strategic implementation of these actions will enable Africa to harness its natural resources for global drug discovery and address local health challenges.