University of Pretoria

Prospecting MeerKAT Continuum Data for Enigmatic Radio Sources with Unsupervised Vector-Quantised Variational Autoencoders

Abstract We present a novel application of Vector quantised variational autoencoders (VQ-VAEs) as an unsupervised tool to probe deep 1.28 GHz radio continuum images taken from the MeerKAT Galaxy Cluster Legacy Survey (MGCLS) and compare their performance to other machine learning...

Nigeria’s Counter-Terrorism Strategy: Constructions of Threat, Response, and Identity

Despite the numerous studies on Nigeria’s role in the global war on terror, especially regarding the Islamist terrorist group Boko Haram, there has been limited research on how the Nigerian governm...

Prevalence of Biofilm-Forming Pseudomonas aeruginosa from Clinical Samples in Africa: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background: Biofilms help Pseudomonas aeruginosa adhere to surfaces and form an extracellular polymeric matrix. P. aeruginosa infections are increasingly difficult to treat due to biofilm formation. This study seeks to ascertain the overall prevalence of biofilm-forming P. aerugi...

The Question of “Home Wisdom”: A Contextual Study of Luke 15:11–32

It has become taboo for a parent today to say “no” to a child. Children grow in this “supposed” freedom and child rights, and then some assume an attitude of always having their own way, a character devoid of “home wisdom”, also called “common sense”. It is only their way that ma...

Correcting Turnbull’s (1983) characterization of Nash equilibria in affine supply function competition

Abstract Turnbull (Econ Lett 13: 253–258, 1983) describes unique symmetric Nash equilibria for supply function competition under demand uncertainty which consist of affine strategies that are nonlinear. For the same economy Klemperer and Meyer (Econometrica 79: 1919–1966, 1989) d...

Interrogating Learner Progression Policy in South African Schools Through Teachers’ Perspectives

Learner progression policy in South Africa is intended to promote inclusive education by reducing grade repetition and preventing learner dropout, yet its implementation remains contested, particularly in under-resourced schooling contexts. Drawing on teacher agency and socio-eco...

Operationalizing a library makerspace in Nigeria: lessons from the University of Lagos library

Purpose This study aims to investigate the transition of makerspaces from concept to practice within Nigerian academic libraries, using the University of Lagos (UNILAG) Library Makerspace as a case study. It examines the emergence and operationalization of the makerspace, the fac...

Non-specialist primary school mathematics teachers’ beliefs

Abstract This paper reports on a qualitative exploratory case study of four out-of-field primary school mathematics teachers in rural South Africa. The focus is on their subject knowledge and didactical expertise as aspects of their teacher identity through the lens of their beli...

From policy to plow: Who is getting it right on resilience in Kenyan agriculture?

Purpose This study examined models of success and patterns of fragmentation in the implementation of the Agricultural Sector Transformation and Growth Strategy (ASTGS) 2019–2029 and the National Horticulture Policy (NHP) 2012. Design/methodology/approach This study used a qualita...

An Enhanced Rule-Based Energy Management System with Integrated Route and Environmental Information for Battery–Supercapacitor Hybrid Electric Vehicles

In this paper, a route- and environment-aware rule-based energy management system (EMS) strategy for EVs equipped with HESSs consisting of a lithium-ion battery and a supercapacitor is proposed. The proposed rule-based EMS integrates driving mode classification, traffic condition...

We are not all the same: Preference-based market segmentation among public transport users in Soweto, South Africa

Identifying travel needs and preferences of different market segments is important in planning public transport systems. Preference-based market segmentation has been researched globally but rarely in the Sub-Saharan African context. This paper seeks to investigate variations in...

Health effects associated with emissions from household generators used for backup power in Africa: a scoping review

In many low- and middle-income countries, unreliable electricity supply has led to widespread reliance on petrol (gasoline) and diesel generators. The type of fuel influences both the quantity and composition of emissions, which contribute substantially to air pollution and pose...

Detection of Plasmodium falciparum-infected Anopheles sergentii with reduced insecticide net susceptibility in a dryland ecosystem of the Kenyan Rift Valley: implications for malaria surveillance and vector control

Abstract Background In Kenya, parts of the dryland ecosystems have disproportionately witnessed a surge in malaria burden amidst poor understanding of the entomologic risk factors. This study investigated whether this trend is linked to shifts in the vector landscape, including t...

Multilevel bivariate analysis of childhood anemia and anthropometric failure among under-five children in sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract Childhood anemia and malnutrition remain critical public health challenges in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), with anemia affecting approximately 47.4% of preschool children globally. A cross sectional secondary data analysis from recent Demographic and Health Survey data was...

Integrating career guidance and counseling into the high school curriculum in Lesotho: challenges and best practices

Abstract This study explores the integration of career guidance and counseling into Lesotho’s high school curriculum, focusing on challenges and best practices. Using qualitative secondary analysis of interviews and focus group transcripts from 123 participants across 10 schools,...

The Role of Energy Market Uncertainties in Forecasting US State-Level Stock Market Volatility: A GARCH-MIDAS Approach

Abstract In this paper, we employ the generalized autoregressive conditional heteroscedasticity-mixed data sampling (GARCH-MIDAS) framework to forecast the daily volatility of state-level stock returns in the United States based on monthly metrics of oil price uncertainty (OPU) a...

Ntu Fracture: A Trifocal Intersectionality of Race, Gender, and Relational Theology in the UK African Diasporic Masculinity

African immigrant men in the United Kingdom (UK) experience forms of suffering that transcend both the clinical framework of acculturation stress and the political narrative of racial victimhood. Existing scholarship frequently overlooks how race, religion, and gender historicall...

Tracing feline herpesvirus-1 exposure in domestic cats from Namibia: associations with neutralising antibodies, vaccination, clinical signs, and retroviral status

Abstract Feline herpesvirus type 1 (FHV-1) is a major cause of upper respiratory and ocular disease in domestic cats and remains widely distributed worldwide. However, information on FHV-1 exposure and neutralising antibody responses in cats from Namibia is limited. This study as...

Learning for life and sustainability: a theory synthesis to sustainability mindset development in higher education institutions

Purpose This paper aims to explore the synthesis of transformative learning (TL) with curricular nuances and autonomy-supportive learning to develop sustainability mindsets in higher education institutions (HEIs), particularly in teacher education programs, in support of Agenda20...

Interrogating Australia-Africa academic partnerships: does marginality create space to rethink and innovate practice?

This article interrogates contexts for and practices of academic partnership between Australia and Africa. This relationship sits at the margins of scholarship on global North–South dynamics, reflecting relatively limited empirical engagement as well as the ambiguous geopolitical...