University of Pretoria

Discovering impolite constructions in an under-investigated language

Abstract This article describes a methodology for discovering potentially impolite language constructions in an under-resourced language, with the aim to develop a comprehensive digital database of such constructions. After a brief definitional discussion of (Afrikaans) impolite...

Longitudinal Randomised Field Trial of Emergency Care Systems: Methodological Evaluation and Clinical Outcomes in South Africa

Emergency care systems in sub-Saharan Africa face significant operational and methodological challenges. Robust evidence on system-level interventions is scarce, with few studies employing rigorous longitudinal designs to evaluate clinical impact. This study aimed to methodologic...

94. A Deep Learning Framework to Measure Eyelid Pigmentation Using Two-dimensional Eye Images of Hereford Crossbred Cattle: From Pixels to Patterns.

Abstract Cancer eye and other ocular problems cause significant economic losses to the cattle industry and are preventable through increased eyelid pigmentation (EP). Previously, EP has been measured by visual assessments, which are subjective, labor-intensive, error-prone, and t...

Effect of the formal milk market participation on the gross margin of dairy producers in Nyandarua County

Dairy production is a critical value chain for Kenya's rural employment and household income. However, the sector experiences low production and informal marketing. As a result, the government has established several interventions to support farmers in rural areas, including enco...

Prescriptive Target Matching Across Hearing Aid Technology Generations: A Real-Ear Insertion Gain Analysis

Background: Advances in hearing aid technology may improve prescriptive target matching, but whether newer devices better match targets remains unclear. This study compared prescriptive target matching across hearing aid technology generations. Methods: This secondary analysis in...

Association of self-reported asthma symptoms and allergic rhinoconjunctivitis with truck traffic frequency and environmental tobacco smoke exposure among preschool children in Gauteng townships, South Africa

This study aimed to investigate the association between self-reported asthma symptoms, allergic rhinoconjunctivitis, truck traffic frequency, and environmental tobacco smoke exposure among preschool children in Gauteng townships, South Africa. This cross-sectional study was condu...

Efficacy and Safety of EG12014 (Biosimilar Trastuzumab) Compared to Reference Trastuzumab in HER2-Positive Early Breast Cancer: A Phase III Randomized Study

Trastuzumab biosimilar EG12014 (Herwenda ® ; EirGenix/Sandoz) was approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) in 2023. We aim to demonstrate equivalent efficacy, and to compare safety, immunogenicity, and pharmacokinetic (PK) profiles, of EG12014 and reference trastuzumab (re...

Climate Risks and the Risk Premia of AI Stocks: Some Forecasting Experiments

ABSTRACT This study examines whether physical and transition climate‐risk measures predict the risk premia of AI‐related stocks, and whether incorporating these risks improves forecast performance relative to benchmark models. The findings suggest that global transition climate s...

Behaviour of an unlikely apex predator: temporal partitioning and hunting strategies of coastal brown hyaenas

Understanding the behavioural ecology of carnivores in unique ecosystems is critical for effective conservation. This study investigated the foraging behaviour of brown hyaenas, Parahyaena brunnea , at Baker's Bay, a coastal ecosystem in southern Namibia, where hyaenas rely predo...

Agricultural Reuse of Phosphogypsum in Contrasting Soils: Wheat Yield, Potentially Toxic Element Uptake, and Soil Microbial Community Responses

Phosphogypsum (PG) is a high-volume industrial by-product that is receiving increasing attention as an alternative soil amendment. This study presents a two-year pot experiment evaluating the effects of PG on spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) grown on two contrasting soils: an...

Sterile Insect Technique in a n-patch System with Allee Effect and Mass Trapping: Modelling, Analysis and Simulations

Abstract The sterile insect technique (SIT) is a biological control method aimed at reducing or eliminating populations of pests and disease vectors. This technique involves releasing sterilised insects which, by mating with wild individuals, will reduce the target population. In...

Outlier-Robust Copula Regression for Bivariate Continuous Proportions: An Application to Cushion Plant Vitality

Abstract Continuous proportions measured on the same experimental unit often pose two challenges: influential interior extremes that inflate variance beyond the beta ceiling and residual dependence that invalidates independent-margin models. We introduce a Bayesian copula modelin...

Viral load suppression trends among young people with perinatally-acquired HIV on long-term antiretroviral therapy in Ndwedwe Local Municipality, South Africa

Young people with perinatally acquired HIV (YPpHIV) in rural South Africa face persistent challenges in achieving and sustaining viral load (VL) suppression despite long-term antiretroviral therapy (ART). We conducted a retrospective cohort study using routinely collected TIER.Ne...

We Loved to be Included: An Afro-Feminist Reading of Philippians 4:2-3 in the Context of Female Leadership

Philippians 4:2-3, when interpreted literally, could pose a serious threat to the cause of women's inclusion in leadership, especially in a society where patriarchy still holds sway. This is due to its purported teaching on the conflict between Euodia and Syntyche, which seems to...

Mobile-based digital technology adoption, gender, livelihood diversification, and poverty reduction in the Global South: a scoping review

Abstract The adoption of mobile phones in this century is essential for enhancing inclusion in access to livelihood assets and facilitating information flow, which are vital for improving income and reducing poverty in the Global South. However, there are insufficient efforts to...

Science Teachers’ Discursive Moves Following Unintended Student Responses to Their Question of Higher Cognitive Demand

When students provide unintended responses to cognitively demanding questions, science teachers may face a challenge of how to sustain the cognitive trajectory of the interaction without reverting to an authoritative stance. In this qualitative single case study, we examined the...

Creativity in the Improvised Drum Solo: South African Drummers’ Experiences through an Interpretative Phenomenological Lens

This article explores how expert South African drummers understand and experience creativity in improvised drum solos. While drumming is often examined in ensemble contexts, this study focuses specifically on unaccompanied solo improvisation—a setting in which the drummer must ne...

Comparative evaluation of bionote FMD NSP Ab and PrioCHECK® FMDV NS Ab ELISA kits for detection of foot-and-mouth disease virus non-structural proteins antibodies in SAT serotypes

Abstract Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is a highly contagious viral disease associated with serious economic challenges. Effective serological diagnostics are essential for managing the disease properly. Detection of antibodies against non-structural proteins (NSPs) of the FMD vir...

Reimagining quality assurance in African universities through UNESCO’s Futures of Education 2050: a critical policy analysis

Purpose This paper aims to examine how UNESCO’s Futures of Education 2050 vision can inform the transformation of quality assurance in selected African university systems. Design/methodology/approach It uses critical policy analysis and thematic document analysis to examine UNESC...

Supernumerary Tusks in African Savanna Elephants (Loxodonta africana): A Case Series and Consideration of Developmental Mechanisms

Supernumerary teeth are well recognised in humans and domestic animals but are rarely reported in elephants. This case series describes four African savanna elephants (Loxodonta africana) with multiple tusk structures occupying a single alveolus. A 7-year-old bull presented with...