University of KwaZulu-Natal

Deep Learning Approaches for Phishing Detection: A Systematic Review with a Focus on Mobile Deployment, Explainability, and Temporal Modelling

Financial loss, data theft, and user harm can result from phishing attacks, which are increasing in frequency and variety beyond traditional email-based attacks to include mobile forms like smishing, quishing, malicious mobile applications, and mobile phishing websites. While a n...

Invasive Pseudosuccinea columella enters the transmission cycle of an amphistome parasite infecting African buffalo

Abstract Parasite transmission and disease outcomes in African wildlife are increasingly shaped by anthropogenic environmental change, yet empirical data linking parasites, intermediate hosts and wildlife health remain scarce. Following an unexplained increase in mortality among...

FACTS and Synchronous Condensers in High-PV Power Systems: A Comparative Technical Review

High penetration of photovoltaic (PV) generation reduces system strength and introduces voltage control, power quality, and transfer capacity constraints across transmission and distribution networks. This review comparatively examines the operating principles, control mechanisms...

Head-to-Tail Cyclization and D-Amino Acid Substitution Redesign the Biological Activities of a Naturally Occurring Amphibian Peptide

Peptide engineering has emerged as a powerful strategy to optimize naturally occurring peptides. Here, the amphibian skin peptide Hp-1891 from Boana pulchella was selected as a model scaffold to investigate the effects of two complementary engineering approaches, namely site-spec...

Cultivar variation has a stronger influence than crop type on the properties of maize and sorghum residues and derived biochars

Conversion of crop residues to biochar can enhance soil carbon storage and reduce carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions from agricultural soils, with these effects being influenced by crop type and cultivar, and pyrolysis conditions. This study characterized residues from two maize cu...

Influenza vaccine uptake, willingness, and reasons for non-vaccination among South African Hajj pilgrims in 2025

Influenza is a leading cause of morbidity at the annual Hajj pilgrimage, yet vaccination uptake among pilgrims varies across settings. This study assessed influenza vaccination uptake, willingness to accept vaccination before Hajj, and factors associated with vaccine hesitancy am...

In search of social belonging: a qualitative study of drivers of alcohol use and barriers to alcohol reduction among pregnant women in South Africa

Abstract Background Alcohol use during pregnancy remains a major public health concern in South Africa, particularly in communities with entrenched historical, social, and structural drivers of harmful drinking. Saldanha Bay, a peri-urban fishing community in the Western Cape, ha...

Bioprospecting the biocontrol, abiotic stress tolerance and plant growth-promoting attributes of three Aspergillus species isolated from Peperomia pellucida (L.) Kunth

Synthetic agrochemicals have long been used to enhance plant productivity and combat food insecurity. However, due to their poor environmental and safety records, eco-friendly and sustainable strategies, such as the use of endophytic fungi, are seen as viable alternatives. Thus,...

Poverty alleviation for people with severe mental health conditions in South Africa: A qualitative study

People with severe mental health conditions (SMHC) and caregivers in South Africa often experience poverty. The PRIZE trial found that recovery groups were acceptable, feasible and potentially effective in reducing relapse. Addressing economic needs was identified as a means to i...

A Geotechnical–Hydrogeological Property Zonation Approach for Landslide Hazard Modelling in the eThekwini Metropolitan Region, Eastern South Africa

Rainfall-induced landslides pose a significant threat to communities and infrastructure in the eThekwini Metropolitan Region, South Africa. This paper presents a geotechnical–hydrogeological property zonation and parameterisation framework developed to support future physically b...

Beyond Analyte Recovery: A Holistic Review of Conventional and Miniaturized Extraction Techniques for Pharmaceutical Analysis in Environmental Samples

Abstract The presence of pharmaceuticals in the environment has become a significant analytical and ecological concern because of their continuous release, persistence, and potential adverse effects. Their occurrence at trace levels, combined with the complexity of environmental...

Workflow management systems and reproducible pipelines for Plasmodium falciparum genomic surveillance: tools, design principles and infrastructure challenges

Genomic data are increasingly leveraged to enable malaria genomic surveillance, with many teams now generating Plasmodium falciparum sequence data for routine analysis. However, downstream analysis remains dependent on ad-hoc scripts and local infrastructure. This reliance limits...

Pumping Power Reduction in Crude-Oil Pipeline Transportation: CFD Validation and Kolmogorov–Arnold Network Surrogate Modelling

Precise prediction of pressure drop and drag-reduction performance is essential for improving the hydraulic efficiency and reducing the energy demand of crude-oil pipeline transportations. Therefore, this study aims to develop an integrated computational fluid dynamics (CFD)–mach...

Reciprocal Genome Projection Reveals Reference-Conditioned Functional Variation in Clinical Aspergillus Section Nigri Isolates

Closely related Aspergillus section Nigri species are difficult to resolve taxonomically, while short-read comparisons may be influenced by reference-genome choice. We applied reciprocal genome projection to 31 whole-genome sequencing libraries representing South African clinical...

Enhancing Reliable Irrigation–Water Supply in Poverty‐Ridden and Drought‐Prone Areas: Pre‐2017 Baseline Evidence From the Tawona Irrigation Scheme, Zimbabwe

ABSTRACT This study investigates farmers' willingness to pay for a reliable irrigation water supply in Zimbabwe's Tawona irrigation scheme, where intermittent water supply caused by funding shortages threatens irrigation sustainability. Using contingent valuation and logit regres...

Faster Quantum Simulation Of Markovian Open Quantum Systems Via Randomisation

When simulating the dynamics of open quantum systems with quantum computers, it is essential to accurately approximate the system's behaviour while preserving the physicality of its evolution. Traditionally, for Markovian open quantum systems, this has been achieved using first a...

Trends in advanced HIV disease, treatment interruption, and viraemia in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Abstract Advanced HIV disease (AHD), treatment interruption and viraemia remain key challenges to effectiveness of HIV programmes in South Africa. Understanding the trends of these measures and their variation across geographic regions can inform more targeted and responsive inte...

Agroecological Potential of Vigna unguiculata for Improving Sugarcane Soils in Smallholder Farming Systems: Evidence from a Greenhouse Pot Experiment

Abstract Soil acidity and nutrient deficiencies limit sustainable sugarcane production in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), South Africa, where small-scale growers (SSGs) often lack access to lime and fertilizers, leading to progressive soil degradation. This study assessed the potential of V...

Soursop-Derived Gut Metabolites Restore Adipose Metabolic Homeostasis and Attenuate Fructose-Induced Adipotoxicity: Mechanistic Insights into the Soursop–Gut–Adipose Axis

Adipotoxicity is a major contributor to insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes, and increasing evidence highlights the gut–adipose axis as a promising therapeutic target. Soursop (Annona muricata) is rich in phytochemicals that can be biotransformed by the gut microbiota into bio...

Immune control of HIV viraemia in early paediatric infection is associated with induction of HIV-specific CD8+ T-cell activity following multiple treatment interruptions

BACKGROUND: Virus-specific CD8+ T-cells play an important part in HIV cure/remission in adults, yet their role in paediatric immune control is limited by tolerogenic early-life immunity. Very-early ART initiation, while effective in restricting viral reservoir size, also prevents...