Article
Environmental Sciences
Adeniyi Adeyemi, Abel Ramoelo, Moses Azong Cho, Jacobus Strydom
Summary: This study evaluated the spatial and temporal changes in impervious surface area (ISA) in urban areas using satellite data, and examined its influence on land surface temperature (LST). Results showed a 14% total growth rate in ISA from 1993 to 2013, with majority of ISA distributed at elevations >1200 m-1600 m. Hotspot regions expanded over time, while coldspot regions decreased.
GEOCARTO INTERNATIONAL
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Chantelle Howlett-Downing, Johan Boman, Peter Molnar, Joyce Shirinde, Janine Wichmann
Summary: The study highlights the high levels of PM2.5, soot, BC, UV-PM, and trace elements in rural and urban areas of Africa, which could pose a significant risk to human health.
WATER AIR AND SOIL POLLUTION
(2022)
Article
Urban Studies
Amanuel Isak Tewolde
Summary: Studies on racial residential segregation in South Africa have largely overlooked the racialised settlement patterns and lived experiences of Black African migrants post-apartheid. Despite an increase in immigration from the African continent for over two decades, Black African migrants in inner-city neighborhoods of Pretoria are still racially segregated from other groups, reflecting South Africa's neoliberal migration policies.
Article
Virology
Victor Vusi Mabasa, Walda Brenda van Zyl, Arshad Ismail, Mushal Allam, Maureen Beatrice Taylor, Janet Mans
Summary: This study assessed the diversity of noroviruses in wastewater samples from Pretoria, South Africa using amplicon-based next-generation sequencing. Noroviruses were detected in a high percentage of samples, with a wide range of genotypes and recombinant strains identified.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Adewale Adeyemi, Peter Molnar, Johan Boman, Janine Wichmann
Summary: The study in Pretoria South Africa identified fossil fuel combustion and secondary sulfur as the main sources of PM2.5, with North Limpopo and Eastern Inland being the key potential source regions. Implementing effective control strategies to reduce emissions from coal burning and fossil fuel combustion could help mitigate ambient PM2.5 pollution in Pretoria.
ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Adeniyi Adeyemi, Abel Ramoelo, Moses Azong Cho, Jacobus Strydom
Summary: This study assessed the impact of rapid urban growth on natural lands and the expansion of impervious surface area in 1995, 2005, and 2015. The findings showed that most areas in Pretoria experienced ISA expansion, and the results from Landsat TIRS bands calculations were also accurate.
GEOCARTO INTERNATIONAL
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
S. C. Sithole, O. O. Agboola, L. L. Mugivhisa, S. O. Amoo, J. O. Olowoyo
Summary: Issues of food security and the hazardous effects of heavy metals on food substances are a concern for global development. This study examined the levels of heavy metal contamination in Pleurotus ostreatus grown in polluted soil from mining areas. The results showed that while there were no carcinogenic risks associated with consuming the mushrooms, continuous consumption may pose health hazards due to high levels of certain heavy metals. It is recommended to avoid harvesting mushrooms from polluted soils.
JOURNAL OF KING SAUD UNIVERSITY SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Wilku B. Meyer, Willem H. P. Boshoff, Adre Minnaar-Ontong, Anthony J. Young, Gary Kong, Susan Thompson, Zacharias A. Pretorius, Botma Visser
Summary: The study reveals the high diversity of Puccinia helianthi in South Africa, with the identification of three new races and the possibility of recent exotic introductions. There is a complex genetic lineage of the races, with no clear correlation between phenotype and genotype.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Noel-David Nogbou, Mbudzeni Ramashia, Granny Marumo Nkawane, Mushal Allam, Chikwelu Lawrence Obi, Andrew Munyalo Musyoki
Summary: The study describes a colistin-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii isolated from a clinical facility in South Africa and investigates its ability to survive within the tertiary health facility. The isolate showed resistance to multiple antibiotics and carried various resistance-associated and virulence-associated genes. The findings highlight the importance of this strain as a potential source of infection in the healthcare setting.
Article
Virology
Kebareng Rakau, Maemu Gededzha, Ina Peenze, Pengwei Huang, Ming Tan, Andrew Duncan Steele, Luyanda Mapaseka Seheri
Summary: This study investigated the association between histo-blood group antigens (HBGAs) phenotypes and rotavirus infection in children with acute gastroenteritis in northern Pretoria, South Africa. The findings showed that certain HBGA phenotypes were more susceptible to rotavirus infection, and P[8] strains were the most common VP4 genotype.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Muhammad Osman, Janette Verster, Johan J. Dempers, Karen Du Preez, Arne von Delft, Rory Dunbar, Alex Welte, Pren Naidoo, Anneke C. Hesseling
Summary: A study in South Africa found a high prevalence of TB in adult and child sudden unexpected deaths, with most cases remaining undiagnosed before death. Patient pathway analysis revealed missed opportunities for TB investigation and diagnosis in some adult sudden unexpected deaths.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Nicole Angotti, Sanyu A. Mojola, Yunhan Wen, Abby Ferdinando
Summary: The availability of antiretroviral treatment (ART) has shifted the focus of HIV prevention from behavioral changes to biomedical approaches, with successful ART management maintaining overall health and preventing viral transmission. However, the implementation of ART in South Africa has led to uneven spread of knowledge, influencing sexual practices due to counseling advice, norms, and gender dynamics. Middle-aged and older people living with HIV (MOPLH) face challenges in sexual decisions and negotiations, with biomedical bargains being used to reach consensus on the risks and terms of sex. Gender dynamics play a role, with women emphasizing treatment efficacy while men use biomedical arguments to justify condomless sex. The social impact on ART's therapeutic benefits remains significant.
SOCIAL SCIENCE & MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Gwinyai Masukume, Margaret Ryan, Rumbidzai Masukume, Dorota Zammit, Victor Grech, Witness Mapanga
Summary: Due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, South Africa experienced a temporary decrease and inversion in the sex ratio at birth in June 2020. This suggests that the population stress caused by the COVID-19 pandemic had notable effects on pregnancy and public health in South Africa.
Article
Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence
Chia-Nan Wang, Nhat-Luong Nhieu
Summary: This paper investigates the influence of quantitative and qualitative factors on the effectiveness of wave energy projects (WEPs) in South Africa and proposes a novel two-phase framework for determining the appropriate placement of WEPs. The first phase uses data envelopment analysis to identify potential locations and calculate their technical advantage. The second phase identifies qualitative criteria and ranks the locations using an integrated multiple criteria decision-making approach. The study's findings suggest that the coast of Cape Nature Walker Bay is the most effective location for WEPs in South Africa.
Article
Virology
David A. Read, Genevieve D. Thompson, Dirk Z. H. Swanevelder, Gerhard Pietersen
Summary: South Africa has a rich history of viticulture and extensive introductions of vine material and viruses. A comprehensive collection of Vitis species, hybrids, and cultivars in South Africa revealed the presence of various betaflexiviruses, including grapevine rupestris stem pitting-associated virus and grapevine viruses A, B, E, F, H (GVH), I (GVI), and M (GVM). This study provides important insights into viral diversity and introductions in South African viticulture, highlighting the need for vigilant monitoring and management of viral infections to protect the country's wine industry, which generates an annual revenue of approximately 500 million USD.
Article
Medicine, Legal
Heitor S. D. Correa, Ivano Alessandri, Andrea Verzeletti
Summary: This research assessed the usefulness of Raman spectroscopy and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry in analyzing bones. The techniques were found to be useful in molecular taphonomy studies and forensic genetics.
FORENSIC SCIENCE INTERNATIONAL
(2024)