Search Results (1,021)

Breastfeeding is associated with many health benefits, while its prevalence is determined by numerous factors, including socioeconomic status (SES). SES is the position of an individual on the socioeconomic scale, using occupation, education, income, place of residence, and wealth as key indicators. Since its interrelationship with health is complex, world region-specific insights into the relevant socioeconomic inequalities impacting breastfeeding practices are crucial to effectively address these. The purpose of this systematic review is, therefore, to explore SES indicators affecting breastfeeding initiation and duration in two different United Nations-defined regions, Western Europe and Southern Africa to assess (dis)similarities, as these can guide region-specific, targeted interventions to improve practices. A systematic literature search was conducted across seven databases, of which 47 articles were included. The risk of bias was assessed, and outcome data related to SES as well as breastfeeding initiation and duration were collected. Higher education consistently leads to better breastfeeding initiation outcomes, but economic constraints and employment in informal sectors hinder breastfeeding practices in Southern Africa. In Western Europe, supportive working conditions and a migration background have a positive impact, while employment status and income show rather mixed effects. Community, regional, and religious factors play significant, ambiguous roles. In South Africa, food insecurity, the living environment, and geographic location complicate breastfeeding. This systematic review highlights the significant influence of SES on breastfeeding initiation and duration in Western Europe and Southern Africa, while the specific factors indeed vary between both regions. This systematic review therefore illustrates the relevance of region-specific SES factors, impacting breastfeeding practices. Addressing these barriers with region-specific, targeted approaches may result in substantial progress toward achieving global breastfeeding goals. Registration: PROSPERO (CRD42023473433). Full article

There are distinct management approaches for communal properties and commercial agricultural properties concerning bush encroachment. The utilisation of community-based knowledge possesses the capacity to enhance our comprehension of localised circumstances and provide valuable experience in endeavours targeted at supporting local communities. The perception of bush encroachment control as a sustained endeavour rather than a singular occurrence is of utmost importance. This may include considering other solutions that may not always be the most convenient or cost-effective. The objective of this study was to evaluate the predominant methods employed by rural communities in semi-arid savannah rangelands in Southern Africa to manage bush encroachment. Using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, a literature search was conducted in the field of communal strategies of bush encroachment management. The findings of this study indicate that the predominant and commonly utilised management strategy for mitigating bush encroachment includes the extraction of plants for medicinal applications, followed by firewood extraction. Indigenous and traditional knowledge systems have played a pivotal role in communal bush encroachment management. It is recommended that communal approaches to bush encroachment management in Southern Africa’s semi-arid savannah rangelands harness the power of indigenous knowledge while benefiting from modern scientific insights, ultimately leading to more effective and sustainable management practices. This can be accomplished by fostering community involvement and active participation, facilitating the exchange of knowledge, enhancing skills and expertise, preserving and safeguarding indigenous wisdom through documentation, and harmoniously blending traditional and scientific methodologies. Full article

The temperature-based crop water stress index (CWSI) is the most robust metric among precise techniques that assess the severity of crop water stress, particularly in susceptible crops like maize. This study used a unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to remotely collect data, to use in combination with the random forest regression algorithm to detect the maize CWSI in smallholder croplands. This study sought to predict a foliar temperature-derived maize CWSI as a proxy for crop water stress using UAV-acquired spectral variables together with random forest regression throughout the vegetative and reproductive growth stages. The CWSI was derived after computing the non-water-stress baseline (NWSB) and non-transpiration baseline (NTB) using the field-measured canopy temperature, air temperature, and humidity data during the vegetative growth stages (V5, V10, and V14) and the reproductive growth stage (R1 stage). The results showed that the CWSI (CWSI < 0.3) could be estimated to an R² of 0.86, RMSE of 0.12, and MAE of 0.10 for the 5th vegetative stage; an R² of 0.85, RMSE of 0.03, and MAE of 0.02 for the 10th vegetative stage; an R² of 0.85, RMSE of 0.05, and MAE of 0.04 for the 14th vegetative stage; and an R² of 0.82, RMSE of 0.09, and MAE of 0.08 for the 1st reproductive stage. The Red, RedEdge, NIR, and TIR UAV-bands and their associated indices (CCCI, MTCI, GNDVI, NDRE, Red, TIR) were the most influential variables across all the growth stages. The vegetative V10 stage exhibited the most optimal prediction accuracies (RMSE = 0.03, MAE = 0.02), with the Red band being the most influential predictor variable. Unmanned aerial vehicles are essential for collecting data on the small and fragmented croplands predominant in southern Africa. The procedure facilitates determining crop water stress at different phenological stages to develop timeous response interventions, acting as an early warning system for crops. Full article

Background: Antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) programs optimize the use of antimicrobials and reduce antimicrobial resistance (AMR). This study evaluated the implementation of AMS programs in Africa using a harmonized regional approach. Methods: This was an exploratory cross-sectional study across five countries involving 32 hospitals using an adapted Periodic National and Hospitals Assessment Tool from the World Health Organization (WHO) policy guidance on integrated AMS activities in human health. Results: This study found baseline scores for AMS core elements ranging from 34% to 79% at the baseline which improved to 58% to 92% at the endline. At baseline, Drugs and Therapeutics Committee (DTC) functionality in updating facility-specific medicines and medical devices ranged from 58% to 100%, and this ranged from 79 to 100% at endline. Classifying antibiotics by WHO AWaRe, classification ranged from 33% to 83% at baseline and 64% to 100% at endline. Leadership commitment scores were 47% at baseline and 66% at endline. Education and training scores were 42% and 63% at baseline and endline, respectively. Reporting and feedback scores were 34% at baseline and 58% at endline. Conclusions: Our study showed that understanding context and standardizing regional stewardship approaches enhanced cross-country learning and improved AMS implementation. Although the challenges in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) are similar, they vary by country and can be addressed by strengthening AMS regulatory frameworks and surveillance systems. Full article

Global change influences species diversity patterns. Compared with seed plants, ferns are more sensitive to temperature and humidity changes and are an ideal group for studying species diversity patterns under future climate changes. Polypodiaceae, which has important ecological and application value, such as medicinal and ornamental value, is one of the most widely distributed fern families, with rich species diversity. Here, we explore the changes in the species diversity patterns of Polypodiaceae and their influencing factors. We collected more than 300,000 data points on the distribution of Polypodiaceae to map actual current species diversity patterns. We used Maxent to establish current and future potential species distribution models using 20 predictors and determined the current species diversity patterns using the actual current species diversity patterns and current potential species distribution model method. Multiple linear regression and random forest models were used to evaluate the effects of climate factors on the species diversity patterns of Polypodiaceae. We evaluated the effects of future climate changes on the species diversity of Polypodiaceae. The species diversity of Polypodiaceae increased gradually from higher to lower latitudes and the centers were concentrated in the low latitudes of tropical rainforests. There were four distribution centers across the world for Polypodiaceae: central America, central Africa, southern Asia, and northern Oceania. The species diversity of Polypodiaceae was greatly affected by precipitation factors rather than temperature factors. Under future climate change scenarios, species diversity is expected to shift and accumulate toward the equator in mid-to-low latitudes. Species diversity is projected to remain concentrated in low-latitude regions but will tend to aggregate towards higher altitude areas as global temperatures rise, with precipitation during the warmest season identified as the most influential factor. Full article

Background: The RV144 trial in Thailand is the only HIV-1 vaccine efficacy trial to date to demonstrate any efficacy. Genetic signatures suggested that antibodies targeting the variable loop 2 (V2) of the HIV-1 envelope played an important protective role. The ALVAC prime and protein boost follow-up trial in southern Africa (HVTN702) failed to show any efficacy. One hypothesis for this is the greater diversity of subtype C viruses in southern Africa relative to CRF01_AE in Thailand. Methods: Here, we determined whether an ALVAC prime with computationally selected gp120 boost immunogens maximizing coverage of diversity of subtype C viruses in the variable V1 and V2 regions (V1V2) improved the protection of non-human primates (NHPs) from a heterologous subtype C SHIV challenge compared to more traditional regimens. Results: An ALVAC prime with Trivalent subtype C gp120 boosts resulted in statistically significant protection from repeated intrarectal SHIV challenges compared to the control. Evaluation of the immunogenicity of each vaccine regimen at the time of challenge demonstrated that different gp120 combination boosts elicited similar high magnitudes of gp120 and breadth of V1V2-binding antibodies, as well as strong Fc-mediated immune responses. Low-to-no neutralization of the challenge virus was detected. A Cox proportional hazard analysis of five pre-selected immune parameters at the time of challenge identified ADCC against the challenge envelope as a correlate of protection. Systems serology analysis revealed that immune responses elicited by the different vaccine regimens were distinct and identified further correlates of resistance to infection. Conclusions: Computationally designed vaccines with maximized subtype C V1V2 coverage mediated protection of NHPs from a heterologous Tier-2 subtype C SHIV challenge. Full article

The convergence zone of the Eurasian (EURA) and North Africa plate (NUBIA) is primarily marked by the activity between the Betics in south of Spain and the Rif and Atlas in Morocco. This area, where the diffuse tectonics between these plates are currently converging in a NW-SE direction, presents several continuous fault zones, such as the Betic–Alboran–Rif shear zone. The Royal Institute and Observatory of the Spanish Navy (ROA) currently operates geodetic stations in various parts of North Africa, some in particularly interesting locations, such as the Alhucemas (ALHU) rock, and also in more stable areas within the Nubian plate, such as Tiouine (TIOU). For the first time, the displacement velocities of the ROA CGNSS stations have been estimated to provide additional geodynamic information in an area with few stations. The obtained velocities have been compared with other recent studies in this field that included data older than 10 years or episodic campaigns without continuous stations. PRIDE (3.1.2) and SARI (February, 2025) software were used for processing, and the velocities were obtained by the ROA for international stations (RABT, SFER, MALA, HUEL, LAGO, TARI, and ALME). These initial results confirm the convergence trend between Eurasia and Nubia of approximately 4 mm/year in the NW-SE direction. It is also evident that there is independent behavior among the Atlas stations and those in the Moroccan Meseta compared to those located in the Rif mountain range, which could indicate the separation of smaller tectonic domains within the continental plate convergence zone. Along the Rif coast in Al Hoceima Bay, the faults are being approached; additionally, there is a slight clockwise displacement towards Melilla, which has also been demonstrated by stations in the Middle Atlas, such as TAZA. As for the stations in the Strait of Gibraltar, they exhibit a similar behavior until reaching the diffuse zone of the Guadalquivir basin where the diffuse convergence zone may exist. This may explain why stations to the north of the basin, such as LIJA or HUEL, change their behavior compared to nearby ones like SFER in the south. Furthermore, Alboran seems to follow the same displacement in direction and velocity as the other stations in North Africa and southern Spain. Full article

While numerous studies have investigated the NDVI-LST relationship at local or regional scales, existing global analyses are outdated and fail to incorporate recent environmental changes driven by climate change and human activity. This study aims to address this gap by conducting an extensive global analysis of NDVI-LST correlations from 2000 to 2024, utilizing multi-source satellite data to assess latitudinal and ecosystem-specific variability. The MODIS dataset, which provides global daily LST data at a 1 km resolution from 2000 to 2024, was used alongside MODIS-derived NDVI data, which offers global vegetation indices at a 1 km resolution and 16-day temporal intervals. A correlation analysis was performed by extracting NDVI and LST values for each raster cell. The analysis revealed significant negative correlations in regions such as the western United States, Brazil, southern Africa, and northern Australia, where increased temperatures suppress vegetation activity. A total of 38,281,647 pixels, or 20% of the global map, exhibited statistically significant correlations, with 80.4% showing negative correlations, indicating a reduction in vegetation activity as temperatures rise. The latitudinal distribution of significant correlations revealed two prominent peaks: one in the tropical and subtropical regions of the Southern Hemisphere and another in the temperate zones of the Northern Hemisphere. This study uncovers notable spatial and latitudinal patterns in the LST-NDVI relationship, with most regions exhibiting negative correlations, underscoring the cooling effects of vegetation. These findings emphasize the crucial role of vegetation in regulating surface temperatures, providing valuable insights into ecosystem health, and informing conservation strategies in response to climate change. Full article

The central Mediterranean and nearby regions were affected by extreme wildfires during the summer of 2021. During the crisis, Türkiye, Greece, Italy, and other countries faced numerous challenges ranging from the near-complete destruction of landscapes to human losses. The crisis also resulted in reduced air quality levels due to increased emissions of pollutants linked to biomass-burning processes. In the Mediterranean Basin, observation sites perform continuous measurements of chemical and meteorological parameters meant to track and evaluate greenhouse gas and pollutant emissions in the area. In the case of wildfires, CO (carbon monoxide) and formaldehyde (HCHO) are effective tracers of this phenomenon, and the integration of satellite data on tropospheric column densities with surface measurements can provide additional insights on the transport of air masses originating from wildfires. At the Lamezia Terme (code: LMT) World Meteorological Organization–Global Atmosphere Watch (WMO/GAW) observation site in Calabria, Southern Italy, a new multiparameter approach combining different methodologies has been used to further evaluate the effects of the 2021 wildfires on atmospheric measurements. A previous study focused on wildfires that affected the Aspromonte Massif area in Calabria; in this study, the integration of surface data, tropospheric columns, and backtrajectories has allowed pinpointing additional contributions from other southern Italian regions, as well as North Africa and Greece. CO data were available for both surface and column assessments, while continuous HCHO data at the site were only available through satellite. In order to correlate the observed peaks with wildfires, surface BC (black carbon) was also analyzed. The analysis, which focused on July and August 2021, has allowed the definition of three case studies, each highlighting distinct sources of emission in the Mediterranean; the case studies were further evaluated using HYSPLIT backtrajectories and CAMS products. The LMT site and its peculiar local wind patterns have been demonstrated to play a significant role in the detection of wildfire outputs in the context of the Mediterranean Basin. The findings of this study further stress the importance of assessing the effects of wildfire emissions over wide areas. Full article

Apart from the importance of bittering acids in the brewing sector, hops also produce terpene-rich essential oils, recognised for their therapeutic benefits. Agri-processing practices of this crop in South Africa produce tonnes of discarded (waste) plant material that could still contain sufficient bioactive compounds to justify upcycling. This research aimed to determine the chemical composition of steam distilled essential oils from fresh hop plant material destined for disposal. Essential oils from eight hop varieties unique to South Africa were produced on industrial scale using steam distillation. Chemical profiling was performed using GC-FID and MS. A total of 208 compounds were identified and oil consisted largely of terpenes (89.04 ± 1.89%) as well as aliphatic esters and -ketones (6.1 ± 1.15%). Myrcene (27.8–48.15%) was the most abundant monoterpene and α-humulene (19.52–24.98%), β-caryophyllene (8.47–13.73%) and β-farnesene (2.08–7.57%) constituted the majority of the sesquiterpenes fraction. Experimental variety XJA2/436 had the highest myrcene fraction (48.15%) and its chemical composition was markedly different from the other varieties. The major compounds in African Queen hop oil were methyl (4Z) decanoate (0.74%), 2-tridecanone (0.77%) and β-farnesene (7.57%). Southern Dawn hop oil contained the highest fractions of 2-undecanone (1.21%) and α-humulene (24.89%) and Southern Passion hop oil contained the highest β-caryophyllene fraction (13.73%). These findings established that fresh hop vegetative biomass shows promise to be transformed into a valuable resource. Full article

Landscape studies of hunter–gatherer rock art often suffer from logical flaws. Some of these failings stem from the founding question that researchers ask: “Why do some places have images while others do not?” This question is misleading and not particularly helpful in some—but not all—contexts where there is no direct ethnographic evidence to provide an answer. Instead, we suggest that a better question from which to begin is: “How are rock art images related to landscape?”. To answer this question, we examine the relationship between iconography, cosmology and topography in two areas of southern African San rock painting. We argue that cosmology guided iconography and that the imagery, in turn, manipulated topography into landscape for the San. In this view, we do not need to rely on cognitive templates that invest topography a priori with significance that then determines the choice of locale for art. Instead, landscape for the San was socially and symbolically constructed through the placement of imagery. Full article

Cassava brown streak disease (CBSD) remains the most severe threat to cassava production in the Great Lakes region and Southern Africa. Screening for virus resistance by subjecting cassava to high virus pressure in the epidemic zone (hotspots) is a common but lengthy process because of unpredictable and erratic virus infections requiring multiple seasons for disease evaluation. This study investigated the feasibility of graft-infections to provide a highly controlled infection process that is robust and reproducible to select and eliminate susceptible cassava at the early stages and to predict the resistance of adapted and economically valuable varieties. To achieve this, a collection of cassava germplasm from the Democratic Republic of Congo and a different set of breeding trials comprising two seed nurseries and one preliminary yield trial were established. The cassava varieties OBAMA and NAROCASS 1 infected with CBSD were planted one month after establishment of the main trials in a 50 m² plot to serve as the source of the infection and to provide scions to graft approximately 1 ha. Grafted plants were inspected for virus symptoms and additionally tested by RT-qPCR for sensitive detection of the viruses. The incidence and severity of CBSD and cassava mosaic disease (CMD) symptoms were scored at different stages of plant growth and fresh root yield determined at harvesting. The results from the field experiments proved that graft-infection with infected plants showed rapid symptom development in susceptible cassava plants allowing instant exclusion of those lines from the next breeding cycle. High heritability, with values ranging from 0.63 to 0.97, was further recorded for leaf and root symptoms, respectively. Indeed, only a few cassava progenies were selected while clones DSC260 and two species of M. glaziovii (Glaziovii20210005 and Glaziovii20210006) showed resistance to CBSD. Taken together, grafting scions from infected cassava is a highly efficient and cost-effective method to infect cassava with CBSD even under rugged field conditions. It replaces an erratic infection process with a controlled method to ensure precise screening and selection for virus resistance. The clones identified as resistant could serve as elite donors for introgression, facilitating the transfer of resistance to CBSD. Full article

This study documents the Euphorbiaceae family of plants in Southern Africa, with a focus on their traditional medicinal applications, pharmacological properties, toxicity, and active secondary metabolites. A review of the literature from scientific journals, books, dissertations, and conference papers spanning from 1962 to 2023 was conducted for 15 Euphorbia species. Recent findings indicate that specific compounds found in Euphorbia plants exhibit significant biological and pharmacological properties. However, the white sticky latex sap they contain is highly toxic, although it may also have medicinal applications. Phytochemical analyses have demonstrated that these plants exhibit beneficial effects, including antibacterial, antioxidant, antiproliferative, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antifungal, and anti-HIV activities. Key phytochemicals such as euphol, cycloartenol, tirucallol, and triterpenoids contribute to their therapeutic efficacy, along with various proteins like lectin and lysozyme. Despite some Euphorbiaceae species undergoing screening for medicinal compounds, many remain insufficiently examined, highlighting a critical gap in the research literature. Given their historical usage, further investigations are essential to evaluate the medicinal significance of Euphorbia species through detailed studies of isolated compounds and their pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. This research will serve as a valuable resource for future inquiries into the benefits of lesser-studied Euphorbia species. Full article

Groundwater provides a strategic resource in the face of uncertain climate conditions in arid and semi-arid regions. Solar-based groundwater pumping is quickly gaining ground across rural sub-Saharan Africa, promoted by national and international organizations as the new technology of choice for water supply and irrigation. A crucial question in large-scale developments is whether pre-existing boreholes can be fitted with solar pumps. Based on data from southern Madagascar, this paper provides an automated method to deal with this. Our approach relies on a combination of hydrogeological criteria, including well screen depth, drawdown in relation to the static water column, and pumping efficiency. The results show that 60% of the existing boreholes in the study region are potentially suitable for the installation of solar pumps. Out of these, 54% would be able to supply water to large rural communities (>1000 people), whereas the remaining 46% present the potential to provide water to medium communities (500 to 1000 people). There are, however, concerns as to whether the information contained in the dataset is fully representative of current borehole conditions. Furthermore, the potential for installation of solar-based supplies must be placed in the context of the available resources and local capacities in order to ensure future sustainability. Full article

Fractional Vegetation Cover (FVC) and Land Surface Temperature (LST) are critical indicators for assessing grassland ecosystems. Based on global remote sensing data for FVC and LST from 2001 to 2022, this study employs the Mann–Kendall trend test and Spearman correlation analysis to explore the dynamic changes in and spatial distribution patterns of both variables. The results indicate that the FVC is increasing in regions such as Europe, the eastern southern Sahara, western India, eastern South America, western and southern North America, and central China. However, it is decreasing in southern Canada, the central United States, and northern Australia. Significant increases in LST are observed in subarctic regions and the Tibetan Plateau, attributed to polar warming effects associated with global climate change. Conversely, the LST is decreasing in central China, eastern coastal Australia, and southern Africa. The global FVC–LST relationship exhibits the following four distinct spatial distribution patterns: (1) FVC increase and LST increase (Type 1), (2) FVC increase and LST decrease (Type 2), (3) FVC decrease and LST increase (Type 3), and (4) FVC decrease and LST decrease (Type 4). Type 1, covering 33.72%, is primarily found in high-latitude and high-altitude areas, such as subarctic regions and the Tibetan Plateau. Type 2, the largest group (46.98%), is mainly located in eastern North America, eastern South America, and southern Africa. Type 3, which comprises 18.72%, is concentrated in arid and semi-arid regions, while Type 4, representing only 0.59%, lacks clear spatial distribution patterns. Full article