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Test of lepton flavour universality in W-boson decays into electrons and τ-leptons using pp collisions at = 13 TeV with the ATLAS detector
No full textA measurement of the ratio of the branching fractions, Rτ/e = B(W → τν)/B(W → eν), is performed using a sample of W bosons originating from top-quark decays to final states containing τ-leptons or electrons. This measurement uses pp collisions at = 13 TeV, collected by the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider during Run 2, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 140 fb−1. The W → τντ (with τ → eνeντ) and W → eνe decays are distinguished using the differences in the impact parameter distributions and transverse momentum spectra of the electrons. The measured ratio of branching fractions Rτ/e = 0.975 ± 0.012 (stat.) ± 0.020 (syst.), is consistent with the Standard Model assumption of lepton flavour universality in W-boson decays
The road to Johannesburg
No full textEntitled The Road to Johannesburg, my mini-thesis is a novel that attempts to tap into the myth of moving to a better place for a new beginning. The idea stems from my desire to move from Cape Town to Johannesburg because of a popular misconception that this is what people who are interested in becoming successful contemporary artists do. These people leave their town and go elsewhere in order to find economic prospects. It is also a familiar trope in early twentieth-century Black South African fiction, termed by Stephen Gray as “Jim Comes to Jo’burg”. My story follows Isibane Zuma, a 22-year-old Black South African man navigating identity, freedom, and belonging in post-apartheid South Africa. Set against the backdrop of Langa township, Cape Town, and Johannesburg, the narrative traces Isibane’s reckoning with unresolved trauma—stemming from a claustrophobic upbringing with a hoarder father, racial dynamics in a predominantly white workplace, and a fractured relationship with his ex girlfriend, Zimasa. After a haunting vision of white police officers at an airport triggers an existential crisis, Isibane abandons his journalism internship to write “Wine for Birds”, a book within the novel that bridges his rural Eastern Cape roots and urban Cape Town life. Through fragmented timelines, journal entries, and cinematic techniques, the story interrogates the illusion of post-apartheid liberation, asking: How do systemic inequities persist in shaping identity, relationships, and creative expression? The Road to Johannesburg was originally conceived as a full-length novel. For the purpose of my mini thesis, I have written the first 25,000-plus words. However, I hope to ultimately complete the novel, as I view this submission here as the opening act of a larger whole
Quality of care offered by health care retail markets for medication abortion self-management: Findings from states in Nigeria and India
No full textDispensing of misoprostol and mifepristone by pharmacies and chemist shops for self-management of medication abortion (MA) fills a crucial gap in settings where abortion care by trained health professionals is not readily available. This promising service delivery pathway, endorsed by the World Health Organization (WHO), is hindered by concerns of poor-quality care. Simulated clients collected data on MA pill dispensing practices from 92 pharmacies and chemist shops in three Nigerian states and 127 pharmacies in an Indian state that we have anonymized. Guided by the WHO’s abortion guideline, we measured process-related quality indicators such as medication use instructions, warning signs, and respectful treatment among other aspects. We aggregated indicators under three domains: technical competence, information given to clients, and client experience. Overall, 51% of facilities in the Nigerian states and 32% in the Indian state offered MA pills. Most dispensing facilities offered the misoprostol-only regimen in Nigeria (68%) and the combination regimen in the Indian state (83%). Among facilities offering MA pills, 26% in Nigeria and 78% in the Indian state provided correct instructions on route of pill administration. Accurate information on the appropriate interval between pill type in the combination regimen was low in Nigeria (27%) and the Indian state (14%). Excessive bleeding as a warning sign was discussed more frequently in the Indian (56%) versus Nigerian states (32%); other abnormal bleeding patterns were rarely mentioned. Aggregate technical competency scores were low at 18% in Nigeria and 34% in the Indian state, with highest scores for client experience at 90% and 91% respectively. Findings suggest that people using MA pills purchased from the retail market are not given accurate and adequate information for most effective self-use. If MA self-management remains outside regulatory boundaries, technical quality will remain sub-standard, imposing unnecessary costs to people, their health, and health systems
Strategic guidelines to integrate artificial intelligence in obstetrics and gynecology: best practices and ethical considerations
No full textThe transformative advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) have significantly impacted medical fields, particularly obstetrics and gynecology (OBGYN). This manuscript presents a comprehensive set of twelve strategic guidelines for the effective integration of AI into OBGYN, emphasizing both best practices and ethical considerations. These guidelines cover essential domains including multidisciplinary collaboration, safeguarding patient safety and privacy, continuous staff training, mitigating algorithmic bias, promoting transparent communication with patients, and fostering a continuous feedback loop between clinicians and AI developers. Additional recommendations highlight the importance of staying updated on AI advancements, defining the role of AI within clinical governance frameworks, ensuring long-term sustainability, collaborating with AI vendors for customized solutions, and evaluating outcomes to inform future practice. These strategies are designed to position AI as an augmentative tool in clinical decision-making, ensuring it enhances rather than replaces human expertise. By upholding collaborative efforts and ethical standards, AI can profoundly improve care quality in OBGYN, fostering safer and more effective healthcare delivery
Promoting recreational opportunities and experiences of students with disabilities, at a university, in Limpopo Province, South Africa
No full textIntroduction: The Limpopo Province is one of the nine provinces in South Africa and has only two universities that serve students with disabilities coming from historically disadvantaged communities. The two universities within the Limpopo Province are categorically classified as Historical Disadvantaged Institutions of higher learning. Therefore, students with disabilities deserve the right to recreational opportunities and experiences while continuing with their tertiary education. A literature review confirmed an existing gap that relates to promoting recreational opportunities and experiences of students with disabilities in universities. The objective of the research was to gain a deeper insight into how recreational opportunities and experiences can be enhanced for students with disabilities at a university in Limpopo Province. Methods: The study adopted a qualitative research approach using an exploratory design wherein seventeen students with disabilities were purposively selected and consented to participate in the study. The study used semi-structured interviews to collect data. Results and Discussion: The study findings revealed three main themes, including recreation participation, benefits of active recreation, and more opportunities for participation. This indicates that students with disabilities do not fully participate in recreational activities due to limited accessible recreational activities, conducive facilities, and other societal challenges. The conclusion drawn is that recreational opportunities and experiences of students with disabilities are not adequately promoted in the University. This recommends the need for more exploratory mechanisms to address issues facing students with disabilities holistically
Alcohol use in first responders in South Africa: psychological distress factors related to harmful drinking and alcohol dependence
No full textFirst responders are frequently exposed to traumatic events and highly stressful situations due to the nature of their work. This enhances their vulnerability to psychological distress and the use of maladaptive strategies to cope. In South Africa, few studies have explored the relationship between alcohol use and mental health indicators among first responders. This study investigated the association between harmful drinking behaviors and post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety, emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, fatigue, and insomnia. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 429 first responders. The participants completed the Alcohol Use Identification Test, Patient Health Questionnaire-9, Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale-7, Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for DSM-5, Maslach Burnout Inventory, Life Events Checklist, Chalder Fatigue Questionnaire, and Insomnia Severity Index. Higher levels of alcohol use were associated with higher levels of psychological distress. Specifically, anxiety, depersonalization, fatigue, and insomnia emerged as significant predictors of alcohol consumption. Participants classified as at risk for harmful alcohol use reported higher levels of psychological distress than those not at risk. Additionally, participants identified as having alcohol dependence reported higher levels of distress across all indicators than did those without alcohol dependence. These results underscore the need for integrated interventions that address both psychological distress and harmful drinking behaviors
Enhancing the estimation of equivalent water thickness in neglected and underutilized taro crops using UAV acquired multispectral thermal image data and index-based image segmentation
No full textTaro, recognized as a future smart neglected and underutilized crop as a result of its resilience to abiotic stresses, has emerged as valuable for diversifying crop farming systems and sustaining local livelihoods. Nonetheless, a significant research gap exists in spatially explicit information on the water status of taro, contributing to the paradox of its ability to adapt to diverse agro-ecological conditions. Precision agriculture, including the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) outfitted with high-resolution multispectral and thermal imagery, has proven effective in farm-scale monitoring and provides near-real-time information on crop water status. Hence, this study sought to evaluate the applicability of multispectral and thermal infrared UAV imagery in understanding taro's water status. Leveraging deep learning techniques to evaluate the use of thermal remote sensing and three index-based segmentation techniques in predicting the canopy equivalent water thickness (EWT) of taro crops, this study sought to determine EWT as a proxy to its water status in smallholder farmlands. The study findings illustrate a significant difference in the prediction accuracies of taro EWT with and without the thermal band ( P < 0.05 ). Additionally, results (R2 = 0.92, RMSE = 8.04 g/m2, and rRMSE = 15.31 % including the thermal band and 0.91, 8.73 g/m2, and 16.64 % excluding the thermal band) reveal the value of the Excess Green minus Excess Red (ExGR) technique in accurately predicting EWTcanopy. This study serves as a foundation for developing an effective and efficient monitoring framework that provides a spatially explicit overview of neglected and underutilized crops such as taro
A comprehensive outline of antimicrobial resistance, antibiotic prescribing, and antimicrobial stewardship in South Africa: a scoping review protocol
No full textIntroduction The global prevalence of antimicrobial resistance transcends geographical and economic boundaries, affecting populations worldwide. Excessive and incorrect use of antibiotics encourages antimicrobial resistance which leads to complex treatment strategies for infectious diseases and possible failure of treatment. The incorrect and unnecessary prescribing of antibiotics places a burden on healthcare costs and thus, antimicrobial resistance is evident globally as a major public health concern. The impact is particularly pronounced in low to middle-income countries, where limited access to healthcare exacerbates the crisis. This scoping review aims to comprehensively map the evidence of antimicrobial resistance in healthcare settings, encompassing the exploration of antibiotic prescribing practices and the implementation of antimicrobial stewardship initiatives in South Africa. Methodology This protocol has been registered in the Open Science Framework (https://doi-org.ezproxy.uwc.ac.za/10.17605/OSF.IO/PWMFB). This review will consider all types of study designs, conducted within South Africa. Studies that are published in English for the period 2019–2024, and that explore antimicrobial resistance (AMR) evidence in healthcare in South Africa, including antibiotic prescribing trends and antimicrobial stewardship and surveillance initiatives will be included. Non-English publications, studies outside of South Africa, animal and environmental studies will be excluded. The criteria for the scoping review will be set by two reviewers. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) tool will be used. Studies will be identified through an extensive search of peer-reviewed and grey literature databases. The results of the review will be tabulated and include a narrative synthesis of the findings
Identification of key performance indicators for T20—a novel hybrid analytical approach
No full textCricket is a dynamic sport, making the selection of key performance indicators (KPIs) challenging. Objective: The study aims to identify KPIs in Twenty-20 (T20) cricket affecting match outcomes. Methods: Cricket performance data was analysed from three seasons of male T20 matches, identifying 136 performance indicators (PIs). The random forest algorithm and lasso logistic regression were used to develop a model to predict match outcomes. Results: The hybrid model achieved 85.9% accuracy with leave-one-out cross-validation statistical analyses. Sixteen KPIs were identified and ranked by importance including wickets lost in the last six overs, two or more wickets in the second innings, run rate in the last six overs, wickets by seam and spin bowling, batting strike rate, singles percentage in the second innings, sixes in the first innings, overs bowled by seam, runs in last six overs, sixes in middle overs, total catches in second innings, dot ball percentage, opening partnership runs, dot balls in the opening six, and singles in the last six. Conclusions: Cricket match performance in the final overs, especially bowling strike rate and scoring runs, were crucial for successful match outcomes. These KPIs offer insights into team strategy, player selection, and match performance evaluation in T20 cricket
The determinants of success in One Day International (ODI) and Twenty20 (T20) cricket matches: a systematic review and meta-analysis
No full textUnderstanding the determinants of success in International One Day (ODI) and Twenty20 (T20) cricket is essential for optimising team and player performance. This review aimed to identify the key performance indicators (KPIs) associated with successful outcomes in elite international ODI and T20 matches. The review also examines performance analysis (PA) methods and trends across male and female cricketers. Comprehensive searches were conducted across PubMed, SPORTDiscus, IEEE Xplore, ACM Digital library, Ebscohost and Web of Science, covering literature published between 2000 and the present. Studies were included if they reported on KPIs or PA techniques contributing to the success in cricket. Following a rigorous screening process, nine studies met the inclusion criteria. This review revealed that most PA studies focused on distinguishing KPIs between winning and losing teams. Although video technology and statistical models are increasingly applied, relatively few investigations have incorporated contextual variables or gender-inclusive perspectives. Notably, only one study examined female cricketers, which limited the ability to draw strong conclusions on sex-specific performance differences. Furthermore, gaps remain regarding the consistent application of PA methods across formats. This review provides an overview of success determinants in international cricket and highlights the need for holistic, inclusive and ecologically valid approaches