Lower respiratory tract infection in sudden unexpected infant deaths

Pneumonia due to polymicrobial infection is known to increase the severity and risk of fatality among young children. A retrospective study was undertaken on Sudden Unexpected Infant Death cases occurring, between 1 May and 30 September 2009, which were admitted to a medico-legal mortuary servicing the Cape Town western metropole. Published studies have shown the risk factors for lower respiratory tract infection to include lack of breast feeding, prenatal and environmental tobacco smoke exposure, prematurity, immunosuppression, underlying medical conditions and overcrowding. The present study was aimed at determining which of the known epidemiological factors were associated with SUDI death types admitted to this mortuary and to describe the associated histopathology. In addition, in the knowledge that drugs, specifically Methamphetamine are widely used on the Cape Flats from where almost all this mortuary's SUDI cases are derived, this study has attempted to find out whether or not the usage of drugs by the caregiver at the time of infant death was another independent risk factor in SUDI deaths

Assessing the use of eDNA metabarcoding to monitor mine site restoration

Monitoring restoration is key to assessing the success or failure of methodologies, to improve future restoration, and indicate when further intervention may be necessary. This thesis explores the use of eDNA metabarcoding, a technique to detect biodiversity from DNA, to monitor restoration. Here I evaluate multiple terrestrial substrates as sources of DNA and engage in wide-scale testing to assess the recovery of soil microbes, vertebrates, and invertebrates post mine site restoratio

Oro-facial trauma in child abuse fatalities

Many children die as a result of abuse and neglect each year. Early recognition and effective intervention are crucial factors in the fight against this. Child mortality rates increased in South Africa between 1998 and 2004, with child abuse deaths constituting part of these statistics. Autopsies on children who have died of unnatural causes are often not specific as to the possibility of child abuse. This article presents the extra-oral and intra-oral signs of child abuse from a study of the autopsies of child mortality cases seen at Salt River Medico-Legal Laboratory in Cape Town from 1998 to 2004 with reference to the South African child mortality rates.No Abstract. South African Medical Journal Vol. 96 (3) 2006: 213-21

Animal attacks - a red herring of child abuse?

Injuries sustained as a result of attacks by domestic animals, particularly canines, are occasionally encountered at the Red Cross Children’s Hospital Trauma Unit in Cape Town. Less than 1% of admissions are directly attributable to animal attacks. Animal attacks causing lethal injuries are very rare and should be assessed carefully. We recently dealt with two fatalities attributed to animal attacks

Animal attacks – a red herring of child abuse?

No Abstract. South African Medical Journal Vol. 96 (3) 2006: 184-18

Far fewer missed opportunities for immunisation in an integrated child health service

The mobile nature of the population of Kayelitsha makes it imperative that opportunities for immunisation of children are exploited at every visit to health services. Previous studies have demonstrated a high incidence of missed opportunities for immunisation at curative health services. The occurrence of undetected opportunities for immunisation are compared at two primary care institutions: one in which curative and preventive services are provided separately, and one in which these functions are integrated. Far fewer opportunities for immunisation were missed at the integrated service, underscoring the urgency of integrating child health services throughout the country.The mobile nature of the population of Kayelitsha makes it imperative that opportunities for immunisation of children are exploited at every visit to health services. Previous studies have demonstrated a high incidence of missed opportunities for immunisation at curative health services. The occurrence of undetected opportunities for immunisation are compared at two primary care institutions: one in which curative and preventive services are provided separately, and one in which these functions are integrated. Far fewer opportunities for immunisation were missed at the integrated service, underscoring the urgency of integrating child health services throughout the country

Platelets activate a pathogenic response to blood-stage Plasmodium infection but not a protective immune response

© 2017 by The American Society of Hematology. Clinical studies indicate that thrombocytopenia correlates with the development of severe falciparum malaria, suggesting that platelets either contribute to control of parasite replication, possibly as innate parasite killer cells or function in eliciting pathogenesis. Removal of platelets by anti-CD41 mAb treatment, platelet inhibition by aspirin, and adoptive transfer of wild-type (WT) platelets to CD40-KO mice, which do not control parasite replication, resulted in similar parasitemia compared with control mice. Human platelets at a physiologic ratio of 1 platelet to 9 red blood cells (RBCs) did not inhibit the in vitro development or replication of blood-stage Plasmodium falciparum. The percentage of Plasmodium-infected (iRBCs) with bound platelets during the ascending parasitemia in Plasmodium chabaudi- and Plasmodium berghei-infected mice and the 48-hour in vitro cycle of P falciparum was <10%. P chabaudi and P berghei iRBCs with apoptotic parasites (TdT1) exhibited minimal platelet binding (<5%), which was similar to nonapoptotic iRBCs. These findings collectively indicate platelets do not kill bloodstage Plasmodium at physiologically relevant effector-to-target ratios.Pchabaudi primary andsecondary parasitemiawassimilar in mice depleted of platelets by mAb-injection just before infection, indicating that activation of the protective immune response does not require platelets. In contrast to the lack of an effect on parasite replication, adoptive transfer ofWTplatelets to CD40-KOmice, which are resistant to experimental cerebral malaria, partially restored experimental cerebral malaria mortality and symptoms in CD40-KO recipients, indicating platelets elicit pathogenesis and platelet CD40 is a key molecule

Quantifying and incentivizing exploration of reputable sources for argument formation in an online discussion forum

Nuclearpowerformspartofthefirst-yearphysicsundergraduatecourseworkinthe extended curriculum program at the University of the Western Cape. This investigation intendstoassiststudentsinmasteringtheirunderstandingof hownuclearpowerworksthroughthedevelopmentofcriticalthinkingskillsaround thetopicandtocreateawarenessamongstudentsoftheimplicationsofexpanding anuclearpowerfootprint.Throughdebate,studentsinthiscourseinvestigatethe impactofSouthAfricaincreasingitsnuclearfootprintwithinaglobalcontext.In thiswork,studentswereencouragedtoexplorepublicationsandreputablewebsites surroundingthistopicandbased ontheirfindingsformulatearguments