UCT Open Access Journals (Univ. of Cape Town)
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Bathing in the Southern Brown-throated Weaver
Full text linkThe first record of bathing in the Southern Brown-throated Weaver Ploceus xanthopterus was made n 18 September 2021 in Katima Mulilo (17°29'42.07"S, 24°19'26.36"E) , Namibia
White-fronted Bee-eater Merops bullockoides increasing its presence along the Orange River in southern Namibia
Full text linkThe White-fronted Bee-eater Merops bullockoides is common in northeastern Namibia, in the Caprivi Strip. This paper reports the first records for southern Namibia, along the Orange River. The first record was made in 2010, in southeastern Namibia. By 2023, they were observed in small groups on seven out of 12 days on a canoe trip downstream of the 2010 sighting, as far west as Senderlingsdrift
Property Supply, Economic Factors and House Prices in Nairobi Kenya
Full text linkResidential real estate is an important asset class for both institutional and individual investors. The housing bubble in the US led to a global financial crisis in 2007 – 2008. As such, understanding the factors that influence property prices is central to the investment process and portfolio management. The objective of the paper was to first construct a Nairobi house price index and then determine the relationship among economic factors, property supply, and house prices. The study period was ten years (2011Q1 to 2020Q4). Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) model was adopted to estimate long run and short run relationships. The Nairobi real estate price index was developed using hedonic model based on the data collected on actual selling price and characteristics of a sample of houses in Nairobi spanning ten years. The paper finds that GDP and inflation have significant positive long run effect on house prices. Property supply has a significant negative long run effect on real estate prices. However, interest rates do not have significant effect on house prices. In the short run however, GDP had a significant negative effect on prices. The speed of adjustments towards equilibrium relationship was 71.9%. The real estate market seems to be efficient despite its illiquid nature. The paper contributes to knowledge through its construction of house price index in Nairobi. Also, it included property supply a departure from past studies. The findings may have implications for investors, banks, regulators of securities and policy makers. The government of Kenya may be motivated to commission an official house price index
Recurrent invasive pneumococcal disease in a child living with HIV
Full text linkInvasive pneumococcal disease remains an important cause of morbidity and mortality in children living with HIV (CLWHIV). Antiretroviral therapy (ART) and pneumococcal vaccination are important strategies to minimize risk. However, uncertainties remain around optimal vaccination policies in CLWHIV. We describe a case of a severely immunocompromised 10-year-old CLWHIV with recurrent invasive pneumococcal disease
Garden bird ringing at 3 Florence Street, Oatlands, Mkhanda (Grahamstown): the closing chapter
Full text linkThis is the third and final report summarizing 42 years of bird ringing in a garden in Mkhanda. In total, 2036 birds of 59 species were ringed, of which 217 individuals (27 species) were recaptured at least once, and 34 birds (17 species) were recovered dead
The open-access journal Biodiversity Observations: report for 2023
Full text linkVolume 13 of Biological Observation, published in 2023, contained 39 papers. The largest number of papers in a single volume was in the year 2016, when Volume 7 contained 103 papers.
 
Seasonality of breeding by Chukar Partridge Alectoris chukar on Robben Island
Full text linkEight records suggest that the timing of breeding of the introduced Chukar Partridge Alectoris chukar on Robben Island can tentatively be described as from September to November
Refinement of the Student Success Reflection (SSR) Module: Enhancing Academic Resilience through Informed Interventions
No full textThis paper examines the strategic refinement of the Student Success Reflection (SSR) Module, focusing on its impact on at-risk students in the Faculty of Engineering, Built Environment, and Information Technology (EBIT) at the University of Pretoria (UP). Following a 2023 pilot, the module was refined in 2024 based on Root Cause Analysis (RCA), targeting foundational academic challenges faced by students at risk of academic exclusion. The SSR Module, with its mandatory participation, provides structured support to students struggling with foundational courses, particularly calculus. The study explores how this strategic intervention, through academic advising frameworks, addresses key themes related to academic resilience, such as time management, university workload adjustment, and escalating mental health challenges. The refined SSR Module contributes to improved student success by promoting a culture of support, offering practical resources, and encouraging student engagement with academic advising services
Spotted Gully Shark Triakis megalopterus at Robben Island, Table Bay, South Africa
Full text linkWe report a sighting of a Spotted Gully Shark Triakis megalopterus at Robben Island, 7 km from the nearest mainland, in Table Bay, South Africa. The sighting was made on 18 February 2023 within an hour of high tide
Tail bifurcation in Chinese blue-tailed skink Plestiodon chinensis (Gray, 1839)
Full text linkCaudal autotomy is a strategy widely used in lizards to avoid predation. In some cases, tail breaks but it does not detach completely from the body, leading to a regenerated tail with multiple tips. In this note, we reported two tail bifurcation individuals of Plestiodon chinensis found on a farm. The X-rays showed that the branches of these two individuals are not ossified, but form cartilage behind the fracture surface of the tail. The present findings will provide information for studying tail regeneration abnormalities in lizards