University of South Africa

Totemism Spirituality as Ecological Ethic

This research qualitatively examines the potential of totemic spirituality, a fundamental principle of Shona Indigenous knowledge, to mitigate ecological deterioration in Zimbabwe. Using a conceptual qualitative analysis based on secondary literature and the Shona Indigenous Know...

Hearing impairment among haemodialysis patients with chronic kidney disease: a South African perspective

Introduction Hearing loss affects more than 430 million people worldwide and is expected to rise to over 700 million by 2050. There is a well-established association between hearing loss and chronic kidney disease (CKD), as both systems share similar physiological and anatomical...

Advanced intrusion detection in IoT-enabled SDWSNs using artificial intelligence and feature optimization techniques

Abstract The widespread deployment of the Internet of Things (IoT) and software-defined wireless sensor networks (SDWSNs) gave rise to new opportunities for smart environments but has also made these systems highly vulnerable to diverse cyberattacks. Conventional intrusion detect...

Advances in Bio-enzyme Soil Stabilization and Road Performance: A Systematic Review

Abstract Driven by the demand for sustainable construction, bio-enzyme treatments for soil stabilization, especially in road engineering, are attracting interest. This study uses a bibliometric and systematic review to analyse global research trends, key contributions, and gaps i...

Changing Dynamics in the Burial and Mourning Traditions in Africa: Lessons from Zimbabwe and Lesotho

Burial and mourning practices in Africa have long been embedded in deeply rooted cultural, spiritual and communal value systems. However, these traditions are undergoing significant transformation through modernisation, urbanisation, migration, religious change and economic press...

Effect of calcination temperature on Portland cement clinker partially replaced with calcined limestone overburden clay

Abstract Calcined limestone overburden clay was investigated as a supplementary cementitious material (SCM) for partial clinker replacement. Cement blends containing 30%, 50%, and 70% calcined clay, produced at 500–800°C, were cured for 1–90 days and evaluated for mechanical, dur...

Adoption and intensity of agricultural insurance coverage in rural Senegal

Purpose Farmers’ decisions to take up agricultural insurance are often shaped by deep-seated psychological and cognitive processes rather than purely economic considerations. This manuscript addresses an important gap in the literature by examining both farmers’ decisions to adop...

Dry Anaerobic Digestion as a Waste-to-Energy Pathway: A Systematic Review of Performance, Scalability, and Deployment Evidence from 2010 to 2025

Dry anaerobic digestion (DAD) is increasingly recognized as a promising waste-to-energy pathway for treating high-solids organic wastes. However, the extent to which the contemporary peer-reviewed literature addresses conditions relevant to scalable implementation remains unclear...

Spectral Analysis and Differential Topology for Confinement in 4D Yang-Mills Theory

This manuscript provides an original and novel mathematical approach to the rigorous mathematical understanding of infrared confinement in 4D Yang-Mills theory. It also presents a rigorous mathematical scaffolding which can be explored through contemporary Functional Analysis and...

Natural Fiber-Reinforced Polylactic Acid Composites: 3D Printing, Life Cycle Assessment, and Applications

Natural fiber-reinforced biopolymer composites are an attractive class of materials owing to their renewability, sustainability, and eco-friendliness. Meanwhile, fused deposition modeling (FDM) is transforming the manufacturing industry and gaining popularity for fabricating intr...

A Hybrid Swin Transformer and Texture Feature Framework for Histopathological Classification of Paratuberculosis

Paratuberculosis is a chronic infectious disease associated with substantial economic losses in livestock production. Histopathological examination remains an important diagnostic approach but can be time-consuming and dependent on specialist expertise, motivating the development...

Socio-economic vulnerability and effective institutions for adaptation to compounding climate hazards in Africa

Africa is facing more frequent and damaging climate hazards whose effects often interact across sectors, places, and time. This narrative review synthesizes evidence from 2023 to 2025 on socio-economic vulnerability and institutional responses to compounding climate hazards in Af...

Effect of metal oxide nanoparticles on nutritional quality of chickpea: A focus on protein and mineral content

Chickpea is a nutritious leguminous crop mostly cultivated for its leaves and grains offering a reliable and cost-effective source of protein. Its production and nutritional quality are hindered by soil degradation in many regions worldwide. However, studies have shown that the u...

Sexual Union Status and HIV Viral Load Suppression Among Older Adults in Rural South Africa: A Population-Based Study

The success of HIV treatment is primarily measured through viral load suppression. However, little is known regarding the association between sexual union status and viral suppression among older adults. This study aimed to assess the association between sexual union status and H...

Navigating the digital divide in online work integrated learning for multicultural equity in social work education

The shift toward online Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) is reshaping social work education worldwide, raising important questions about equity, cultural relevance, and the future of professional training. However, there is limited systematic evidence synthesising how these challen...

Influence of defatted winged termite (Macrotermes natalensis) inclusion levels in diets on caeca bacterial community of Ross 308 broiler chickens

Abstract Edible insects has been identified among the potential natural feed additives to in poultry diets. Aim The study evaluated the responses in caeca bacterial community of Ross 308 broiler chickens fed defatted winged termite meal (WTM). A total of 150 one-day-old, unsexed...

Mitigation of serotonin-caused suppression of osteoblast function by extracts of the psychoactive indigenous plant Sceletium tortuosum

Abstract Background Sceletium tortuosum is an endemic plant in Southern Africa, traditionally used as kanna by the indigenous people and also exploited commercially due to its mood-elevating properties. Mesembrine, a major alkaloid from this plant, acts as a selective serotonin r...

A review of Stemming Accessories Used to Control Air Blast in Surface Mining Operations

Abstract This paper reviews the stemming accessories commonly used in surface mining operations to control the environmental effects of rock blasting with specific emphasis on air blast. Indeed, air blast is a major byproduct of blasting that poses a serious operational and safet...

Situated ethics as methodological innovation in sexuality research governance with adolescents

This article examines situated ethics as a methodological innovation for addressing tensions between institutional research governance and responsive ethical practice in adolescent sexuality research. Through reflexive analysis of a qualitative study exploring sexuality conversat...

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...