Research Articles (University of Pretoria)

Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://hdl.handle.net/2263/121

This collection offers open access to the full text of research articles published by staff, students and affiliates of the University of Pretoria. These items are identical in content to their published counterparts. It is linked to the Research Information System and complements the Annual Research Report.

Access to the full text of UP theses and dissertations is available at UP Electronic Theses and Dissertations.

Information and guidelines for authors/ submitters available at http://www.ais.up.ac.za/openup/index.htm.

For inquiries regarding this collection or items in the collection, please contact : Hendriette Jansen van Vuuren
Tel.: +27 12 420 4712

Browse

Now showing 1 - 20 of 43863

Simplified mechanical organs in aquatic plants are associated with the loss of expansin genes
Zhang, Yue; Van de Peer, Yves; Li, Zhen; Marchal, Kathleen; Chen, Jinming (Oxford University Press, 2026-03)
No abstract available.
Innovative pathways to sustainable community development through youth entrepreneurship
Bouallegue, Sabrine; Rahali, Houda; Nefzi, Ayoub Kohli; Lichy, Jessica (Emerald, 2026)
PURPOSE : Sustainable entrepreneurship (SE) is gaining momentum as an innovative pathway for tackling global environmental challenges and fostering sustainable community development. Underpinned by the theory of planned behavior, this study aims to identify the main determinants influencing Higher Education students' intentions to undertake SE (a behavior essential for community-level transformation) while also examining the moderating role of perceived feasibility. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH : Empirical data were collected from 280 university graduates in Tunisia, providing a critical “global insight” into youth engagement in sustainable practices within an emerging economy context. FINDINGS : Data analysis using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) shows that several factors significantly and positively predict sustainable entrepreneurial intention (SEI): environmental values (a psychological factor), green consumption commitment (a sustainable behavior lever), environmental citizenship (a community engagement factor) and education for sustainable entrepreneurship (an innovative educational pathway). These intentions subsequently affect sustainable entrepreneurial behavior, and the relationship is significantly moderated by perceived feasibility. ORIGINALITY/VALUE : This research provides an original contribution by developing and expanding the literature on SE by identifying specific educational and psychological antecedents that empower youth, a key demographic for community change, to pursue sustainable ventures. Furthermore, it is among the rare studies to investigate the moderating role of perceived feasibility in the transition from sustainable entrepreneurial intention to concrete sustainable entrepreneurial behavior. This approach brings a novel perspective on how youth entrepreneurship can foster sustainable community development. It offers direct, evidence-based insights for managers and practitioners to design innovative strategies and educational programs that stimulate the sustainable entrepreneurial actions and mindsets necessary for community development.
Next-generation sequencing in tick-borne apicomplexan parasites : approaches for Theileria and Babesia, a systematic review
Mukandabvute, Daniel; Paul, Noah Herbert; Sibeko-Matjila, Kgomotso Penelope; Pinarello, Valerie; Chin'ombe, Nyasha; Chauke, Ephraim; Majuru, Chenai; De Nys, Helene M.; Madzingaidzo, Leonard; Hove, Thokozani (Springer, 2026-05-08)
BACKGROUND : Tick-borne apicomplexan parasites are a threat to livestock health and human life, underscoring parasite significance within the One Health Framework. Advances in sequencing provide vital insights into parasite diversity, genetic composition, and behavior, supporting improved prevention and control strategies. This review synthesizes sequencing approaches applied to Theileria and Babesia, highlighting how evolving technologies are reshaping comprehension of parasite variation and gene function. METHODS : A systematic analysis was conducted using five databases –Wiley Online Library, ScienceDirect, SpringerLink, PubMed, and the Africa Online Journals (AJOL), and Google Scholar. The Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal checklist was used for managing data bias and the PRISMA guidelines flow diagram summarized the data selection criteria. RESULTS : A total of 127 articles (1995 to 2025) were synthesized, representing the first systematic synthesis of sequencing approaches for Theileria and Babesia. The review highlights three sampling approaches used in sequencing; infected host tissue, parasite culture and questing ticks. Emerging sequencing technologies such as Oxford Nanopore present promising opportunities for direct RNA sequencing, complementing existing platforms. Sequencing advances have revealed hypervariable genetic regions with direct implications for improved variant detection and surveillance, and vaccine target discovery. Whole-genome and transcriptome sequencing have uncovered key gene families essential for host specificity and parasite survival, paving way for potential targets for parasite control strategies in livestock and human health, while reassembly of older genomes has enhanced resolution of genetic variation. CONCLUSION : Advances in genome sequencing have enhanced our understanding of parasite biology and reshaped parasite detection, surveillance, and vaccine development.
An enhanced integrated reporting framework : insights from a critical analysis of the recent research literature
Beretta, Valentina; Demartini, Chiara; De Villiers, Charl Johannes (Wiley, 2026-03)
Given recent developments in the corporate reporting regulatory landscape, we provide a more comprehensive understanding of Integrated Reporting (IR) evolution and propose an enhanced version of the IR Framework. This enhanced framework incorporates new narratives and conceptualizations, introducing innovative perspectives that challenge and extend beyond established paradigms in the IR literature. We base our proposal on insights derived from a critical analysis of prior studies. Our findings reveal an evolutionary progression in IR-related research, which can be grouped into four clusters: ‘Framework and Conceptual Development’, ‘Strategic and Forward-Looking Mechanisms’, ‘Implementation and Adoption’ and ‘Impact’. The results indicate that IR remains relevant for practitioners, regulators, standard setters and academics. Moreover, there is an increasing call for evidence-based research to support more radical reforms of the IR framework. This study contributes to the ongoing development of the framework, potentially mitigating the risk of negative IR outcomes. Preparers can apply the enhanced IR Framework to strengthen their corporate reporting practices, while analysts and investors may benefit from the improved information dis-closed by companies that adopt it. Standard setters and policymakers can also draw on the enhanced framework to guide future reporting standards, and researchers may explore the prevalence, effectiveness and broader implications of its elements, along with the additional research opportunities identified in this study.
Factors associated with phylogenetic clustering of hepatitis C virus, mainly among people who inject drugs who access HIV prevention services in South Africa, 2016-2017
Ndlovu, Nkosenhle L.; Scheibe, Andrew; Hausler, Harry; Sonderup, Mark W.; Spearman, C. Wendy; Young, Katherine; Nel, Dawie; Blackard, Jason T.; Prabdial-Sing, Nishi (Public Library of Science, 2025-12-01)
People who inject drugs (PWID) are disproportionately burdened with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in South Africa (SA). Transmission dynamics can be inferred using phylogenetic clustering to inform prevention interventions. We utilized Core-E2 sequences and demographic data to investigate factors associated with HCV phylogenetic clustering among PWID and men who have sex with men (MSM) who inject drugs in SA. Previously genotyped samples (n = 285) that met the selection criteria were extracted, amplified, and Sanger sequenced. Phylogenetic trees were inferred using maximum likelihood implemented in RAxML (Cipres Gateway). Transmission clusters were determined in Clusterpicker using a 90% bootstrap threshold and a genetic distance cut-off on genetic similarity of ≤3.5%. Factors associated with clustering were assessed using logistic regression. Phylogenetic clustering of Core-E2 sequences was observed for 55% (78 of 141) of participant samples that were successfully sequenced, including 50 (64.1%) with genotype 1a and 28 (35.9%) with genotype 3a. Twelve clusters were identified, including six clusters each for genotypes 1a and 3a. Among genotype 1a, the cluster size ranged from 3 to 15 participants. Among genotype 3a, the cluster size ranged from 3 to 9 participants. Clustering among the mixed ancestry group in Cape Town was noted for ages 18-55. Factors independently associated with phylogenetic clustering included sharing a needle (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 4.02, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.08-14.87, p = 0.037), age ≥ 29 years (aOR 3.00, 95% CI 1.22-7.37, p = 0.016), and mixed ancestry race (aOR 6.11, 95% CI 1.87-19.95, p = 0.003). These data highlight the urgent need to reduce transmission by providing sufficient sterile needles and syringes and tailored education to prevent HCV transmission among older, experienced PWID.
Automating monitoring and evaluation data analysis by using an open-source programming language
Fouché, Nadia; Mentz-Coetzee, Melody (AOSIS, 2025-01-31)
BACKGROUND : African higher education institutions lag behind their global counterparts in the number of research outputs produced. To address this shortcoming, early-career researcher development programmes play a critical role. Monitoring and evaluation (M&E) are vital in assuring that such programmes deliver meaningful outcomes. However, M&E is an expensive process, which is problematic in the resource-constrained context of the African continent. Traditionally, practitioners use expensive data analysis software suites such as the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) for analysing quantitative M&E data. Although open-source programming languages such as Python are free to use, there are no libraries in Python aimed at the analyses needed for quantitative M&E data, resulting in a steep learning curve for new Python users. OBJECTIVES : The objective of this article was to develop a Python library of functions to make Python a user-friendly alternative for analysing quantitative M&E data. METHOD : A Python library of functions automating M&E data analysis procedures was developed. The Python M&E library was tested in this article on quantitative evaluation data of an early-career researcher development programme event and the output compared to that obtained using the SPSS general user interface (GUI). RESULTS : The Python M&E library functions produced identical results to the output produced using the SPSS GUI. CONCLUSION : The results showed that the Python M&E library makes Python a viable, free and time-saving alternative for the analysis of quantitative M&E data. CONTRIBUTION : This article contributes by providing a free alternative method for analysing quantitative M&E data, which can help evaluation practitioners in the developing world reduce the costs associated with evaluating capacity development programmes.
Hybrid partnership intricacies in South African municipalities
Musekiwa, Takudzwa; Masiya, Tyanai; Lubinga, Stellah N. (AOSIS, 2025-03-14)
BACKGROUND : Hybrid partnerships have emerged as a promising approach for addressing the multifaceted challenges in municipal service delivery. South African municipalities have been experimenting with various forms of hybrid partnerships in the context of mounting service delivery challenges. AIM : This study analyses the intricacies of hybrid partnerships in South African municipalities. SETTING : The study was carried out in the South African municipalities. METHODS : This study used a qualitative methodology within the interpretivist paradigm. To understand and situate hybrid partnerships, this study relied on secondary sources such as credible documents and conceptual analysis. Thematic analysis was utilised to discern recurrent themes, patterns and insights pertaining to hybrid partnerships in South African municipalities, as well as on a global scale. RESULTS : This study found that hybrid partnerships are frequently hindered by various substantial challenges in South African municipalities. Such challenges include power imbalances among parties, burdensome complex legal frameworks, a lack of transparency in decision-making processes, limited resources, interference from political entities and ambiguities in policies. These issues undermine the collaborative governance approach, which seeks to promote equal stakeholder participation, openness and mutual trust. CONCLUSION : Understanding these barriers is crucial for developing effective strategies for enhancing collaboration and improving service delivery at the municipal level. CONTRIBUITION : This research provides timely theoretical and conceptual insights into the factors that affect hybrid partnerships in municipal service delivery. Lastly, the study recommends that policymakers and practitioners strive to establish effective strategies to enhance hybrid partnerships and improve service delivery at the municipal level.
A novel respiratory muscle trainer to enhance pulmonary strength in wheelchair athletes : a pilot randomized controlled study
Subramanian, Thiagarajan; Mani, Suresh; Human, Anri (Termedia Publishing House Ltd., 2025-08-26)
INTRODUCTION : Wheelchair athletes often face challenges related to respiratory function due to the high physical demands of the sport and limitations in core muscle engagement. This study introduces a novel Respiratory Muscle Trainer (RMT) device, designed to enhance endurance and overall performance in this population by strengthening the respiratory muscles, and evaluates its effectiveness for improving sports performance in athletes with wheelchairs. MATERIALS AND METHODS : A pilot randomized controlled trial study was conducted among wheelchair athletes. Twelve participants were divided into an intervention group (n = 6) using the respiratory muscle trainer and a control group (n = 6) performing conventional training, for four weeks. The RMT device provided adjustable resistance for both inspiration and expiration, promoting progressive overload training. The outcomes comprised maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP), maximal expiratory pressure (MEP), forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume in first second (FEV1). RESULTS : The intervention group showed significant improvements in MIP (from 62.3 ± 12.4 to 75.6 ± 10.8 cmH2O) and MEP (from 78.5 ± 15.2 to 90.2 ± 12.7 cmH2O) compared to the control group (p < 0.05). Improved pulmonary function was noted, as indicated by FVC and FEV1 (mean differences of 0.2 L and 0.3 L). Functional performance measures such as changes in wheelchair propulsion efficiency and endurance during sport-specific tasks represent functional outcomes related to cardiovascular and muscular performance. CONCLUSIONS : The RMT device effectively improved respiratory muscle strength and functional capacity in wheelchair athletes. Its incorporation into training regimens may enhance performance and respiratory efficiency, contributing to better competitive outcomes.
A reflection on the implementation and impact of the decision of the African Court in Jebra Kambole, Bob Chacha Wangwe & LHRC and Tike Mwambipile & Another : a case study of Tanzania
Thomas, Irene Nyakagere (Pretoria University Law Press, 2025)
The implementation and impact ofthree African Court judgments against Tanzania - Jebra Kambole v Tanzania, Bob Chacha Wangwe & LHRC v Tanzania and Tike Mwambipile & Equality Now v Tanzania - reveal the full spectrum of compliance outcomes and the power of 'extra-compliance' effects in advancing human rights despite systemic challenges across regional human rights systems. The African Court in Jebra Kambole ordered the amendment ofarticle 41(7) of the Constitution to allow judicial review of presidential elections. However, five years later, Tanzania has neither amended the provision nor submitted the required report, marking clear non-compliance with the Court's decision. Yet, the ruling became a rallying point for constitutional-reform campaigns and inspired three new election-related cases before the Court. The decision in Bob Chacha Wangwe found the former electoral law lacking independence safeguards. The 2024 electoral reforms that directly responded to the order of the Court introduced statutory qualifications and impartiality requirements for election officials, achieving partial compliance, though partisan returning officers remain a lingering concern and a focus of continued advocacy. Tike Mwambipile was declared inadmissible on res judicata grounds, yet the mere filing of the case - combined with parallel regional litigation - triggered swift policy reversal. Within months following the declaration of the judgments, Tanzania ended the decades-long ban on pregnant schoolgirls, issuing re-entry guidelines that directly benefited thousands of girls. These cases demonstrate that compliance enhances the Court's legitimacy. Nonetheless, significant human rights gains can still emerge through indirect channels such as intensified public debate, accelerated legislative and policy change, civil society mobilisation and normative influence on future litigation. Embracing these broader 'extra-compliance' effects provides a more realistic and hopeful measure of the African Court's contribution to domestic human rights protection than formal compliance rates alone.
A deeper understanding of SOGIESC rights in the South African context : does PEPUDA adequately protect the rights of transgender persons?
Baird, Sophy B. (Pretoria University Law Press, 2025)
The Promotion of Equality and Prevention of Unfair Discrimination Act 4 of 2000 (PEPUDA) is a cornerstone of South Africa’s anti-discrimination framework, aiming to uphold equality and prevent unfair treatment. However, its capacity to protect transgender individuals is hindered by several lacunae. This article critically examines whether PEPUDA adequately safeguards the rights of transgender persons, exploring the limitations of its current framework in addressing the lived realities and systemic challenges faced by this marginalised community. Drawing on principles of transformative constitutionalism, the article argues for a substantive interpretation of equality that goes beyond formal protections to dismantle entrenched structural inequities. It advocates for legislative reforms aligning PEPUDA with the Constitution’s vision of substantive equality and international human rights standards. By proposing a nuanced legal and interpretive approach, the article seeks to bridge the gap between legislative intent and practical inclusivity, ensuring that transgender individuals can fully enjoy their rights and dignity in a democratic South Africa.
From prohibition to prevention of torture : ratification of the optional protocol to the convention against torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment by Kenya
Adegalu, Foluso (Pretoria University Law Press, 2025)
According to the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (OPCAT), state parties are required to establish or designate national preventive mechanisms (NPMs) mandated to conduct regular, independent and unannounced visits to all places of deprivation of liberty and to issue recommendations aimed at preventing torture and ill-treatment. Despite having become a party to the Convention against Torture (CAT) in 1997 and adopting robust constitutional and statutory safeguards against torture, Kenya has not ratified OPCAT. Instead, torture prevention within Kenya's detention system is pursued through a network of oversight institutions, notably the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) and the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA). However, these oversight mechanisms are constrained by structural limitations. They are predominantly reactive, allow only restricted access to places of detention, rely on court orders or prior notification, have fragmented institutional mandates, and display limited political prioritisation of preventive monitoring. While Kenya's existing institutions possess significant investigative capacity and normative legitimacy, they fall short of OPCAT standards due to the absence of an independent, systematically preventive monitoring mandate. Ratification of OPCAT and the establishment of an NPM, therefore, would complement, rather than duplicate, Kenya's current accountability framework by embedding torture prevention as a core operational principle. In doing so, OPCAT ratification has the potential to strengthen transparency in detention settings, reduce the risk of torture and ill-treatment, and enhance alignment with Kenya's constitutional values and international human rights commitments. Ratification of OPCAT has been hampered as much by institutional and political dynamics as by legal considerations. The article concludes that overcoming these obstacles would require a multi-pronged phased approach entailing initial emphasis on legal initiation and consensus building, followed by careful institutional design, legislative entrenchment of the NPM and capacity building.
Listening for silences in Algeria : eliminating the structural silencing of survivors of conflict-related rape as entrenched in Africa during colonisation
Lasseko-Phooko, Matilda (Pretoria University Law Press, 2025)
Conflict-related rape remains a tactic, driven by the extent of injury to a community through injury to the bodies of women. The harm is an individual harm to the women victims and a community harm owing to unwritten rules of what womanhood represents in society. Women victims carry the shame of the perpetrator's actions while the community at large, the shame of failing to protect their women, and their womanhood, from rape and its consequences. Patriarchal colonisation in Africa entrenched patriarchal social norms on femininity and womanhood, amplifying those that were already in some pre-colonial contexts. This continues to sustain a structural, socially enforced, silencing of victims of conflict-related rape in post-colonial Africa. This paper focusses on the structural silencing of conflict-related rape victims. This article demonstrates the colonial roots of entrenched structural silencing of conflict-related rape victims in Africa. With a focus on Algeria, it shows the causal connection between the colonial harm to women arising from the entrenched structural silencing of victims of conflict-related rape and the sustained structural harm that continues to manifest in the post-colonial state. The Algerian War of Independence (1954-62) and the Algerian Civil War (1992-2000) are used as case studies for this. The paper considers what reparations for the imposition of this silencing as a structural and gendered harm would be for Algerian women. This analysis includes the question of post-colonial state responsibility to eradicate the ongoing structural harm that manifests in the country -despite it having a demonstrable root cause that is in part attributable to colonisation.
Rights-based disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration as a measure to address security risks posed by vigilante groups in the Lake Chad Basin
Kilonzo, Josephat (Pretoria University Law Press, 2025)
Since 2009, Boko Haram insurgency has become a serious challenge to security and safety in the Lake Chad Basin. Despite the robust military response against Boko Haram and its splinter factions by Nigeria, Cameroon, Niger and Chad, the group has remained resilient. It has continued to conduct attacks causing the deaths of thousands and displacement of millions of people. Due to the inadequacies of security responses by the four Lake Chad Basin states, vigilante groups have emerged to protect their communities through combating Boko Haram. While the vigilante groups have been celebrated for turning the tide against the insurgency, there have been concerns about the future of the vigilante groups. This is based on the fear that they may pose security risks to their communities in future if they turn to ordinary criminal activities or organised crime. This article explores the reliance on vigilante groups against Boko Haram in Cameroon, Chad, Nigeria and Niger. It also discusses the security concerns about the future of vigilante groups, and finally considers rights-based disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration of vigilante groups as a potentially valuable measure to address the security risks posed by the vigilantes to their communities.
Leveraging constitutional review to combat retrogressive communication surveillance laws in Francophone Africa
Makunya, Trésor Muhindo; Sindani, Jonas Kakule (Pretoria University Law Press, 2025)
An important feature of the revival of constitutionalism in Francophone African countries has been the establishment of constitutional courts with the power to review the constitutionality of laws and other norms before they are enacted or implemented. Constitutional review was intended not only to ensure the balance between the three traditional powers but also to protect hard-won constitutional rights and freedoms, particularly in countries where the pre-1990 judicial system was used to undermine individual rights and freedoms. With the growing interest in digital technologies and space as new platforms for democratic expression, several Francophone African states have devised new laws and mechanisms to stifle online and offline expression. While the adoption of these laws may be justified by the need to protect the government’s legitimate purposes, they are mostly intrusive and unlawful under constitutional and international human rights law. The question then arises as to whether constitutional review in Frenchspeaking African countries is well equipped to prevent the enactment and implementation of retrogressive communications surveillance laws and, if so, whether it has been used successfully to that end. The article starts by providing an overview of communication surveillance legal norms in Francophone Africa before confronting them with emerging constitutional and international human rights standards. It then examines the potential for constitutional review to prevent the enactment or implementation of regressive communication surveillance acts and actions before it assesses the potential for mobilising against such laws through constitutional review. The article concludes by arguing that while constitutional review is well equipped to prevent the enactment of retrogressive communications surveillance laws, it has not been effectively used by judges and civil society groups in Francophone Africa. The judicial activism and culture of constitutional litigation that is commonplace in many English-speaking jurisdictions can be emulated to stop the descent into digital authoritarianism.
The peril of digital privacy and free speech in Uganda
Basimanyane, Dorcas K. (Pretoria University Law Press, 2025)
Digital privacy and freedom of expression in Uganda are in peril. Despite subscribing to the basic tenets of democracy, social justice and the rule of law, the Ugandan government has emerged as one of the modern-day digital space tyrants, becoming infamous for exercising excessive powers over digital spaces for political reasons. Such notoriety has been compounded by the continued deployment of surveillance equipment to enable extensive spying on civilians, members of opposition, and activists to silence them. The 1995 Constitution guarantees protections for the rights to privacy, freedom of conscience, expression, movement, assembly and association, and it reiterates the state's obligation to respect, uphold and promote these rights. Similarly, the constitutional general limitation clause under article 43 provides that the rights may be limited for reasons of 'public interest'. However, recourse to public interest may not permit political persecution, detention without a trial or any curtailment of the enjoyment of human rights and freedoms beyond what is acceptable and demonstrably justifiable in a free and democratic society. Yet, revelations on the ground prove that there are several incidents where the 'public interest card' has been invoked beyond what is reasonably admissible in a free and democratic society.
Orthdontic treatment considerations in patients with diabetes
Hlongwa, Phumzile; Shangase, Sindisiwe Londiwe; Khammissa, Razia Abdool Gafaar (Ibadan Biomedical Communications Group, 2025-03)
The demand for orthodontic treatment among adults has been steadily rising, and it's likely that the adult population will present with more complex dental issues, potentially including chronic conditions like diabetes mellitus.Diabetes mellitus(DM) is a chronic metabolic disorder characterized by insulin deficiency or insulin resistance or both, subsequently leading to a disruption in carbohydrate, fat and protein metabolism. Type I DM or insulin dependent DM (IDDM) is a result of insulin deficiency owing to an autoimmune destruction of pancreatic β cells, more common in younger patients, below 19 years of age; and Type II DM or non-insulin dependent DM (NIDDM) is owing to a resistance in insulin uptake more common in adult patients.Orthodontic tooth movement is a result of complex mechanical loading patterns with consecutive reactions to the periodontal tissues. The orthodontic force applied stimulates the release of multiple biological agents into the local microenvironment ultimately triggering an aseptic inflammatory response leading to local periodontal tissue remodeling. Orthodontic compressive strains on the periodontal ligament and alveolar bone stimulate osteoclastogenesis, and tensile strains on the other side of the tooth, increases the differentiation rate of osteogenic progenitor cells into mature osteoblasts resulting in osteoid deposition. Therefore, for progressive tooth movement to occur in orthodontics, osteoclast-mediated bone resorption occurs in the compressive zoneand osteoblast-mediated bone formation takes place in the tension zone. Diabetes mellitus alters the process of bone remodeling that will have an impact on orthodontic tooth movement and ultimately affect treatment goals set out by the orthodontist. The aim of this narrative review is to highlight the mechanisms that DM may have on orthodontic treatment and considerations in managing adult and children orthodontic patients with diabetes.
Snus : a review of its potential benefits and risks for public health
Vally, Zunaid Ismail; Shangase, Sindisiwe Londiwe; Khammissa, Razia Abdool Gafaar; Beetge, Mia-Michaela (Ibadan Biomedical Communications Group, 2025-03)
This minireview examines the potential benefits and risks of snus, a smokeless tobacco product. Studies indicate that snus presents lower health risks compared to cigarette smoking for certain outcomes, including lung cancer, oral cancer, gastric cancer, cardiovascular disease, and all-cause mortality. While not harmless, snus is substantially less harmful than cigarette smoking. Interestingly, Sweden's experience with snus suggests potential harm reduction benefits. Sweden has the lowest prevalence of daily cigarette use in the European Union at 5%, while having a 20% prevalence of daily oral tobacco use. This correlates with lower rates of tobacco-related mortality and male lung cancer incidence in Sweden compared to other European countries. However, the transferability of Sweden's experience to other cultural settings remains debated. While snus may offer harm reduction potential for smokers, concerns remain about its addictiveness, potential as a gateway product, and variable risk profiles of different smokeless tobacco products globally. Further research is needed to evaluate the overall public health impact of promoting snus as a harm reduction strategy, particularly in low-and middle-income countries with different tobacco use patterns and regulatory capacities.
On the classification of questioned PDF documents — attributing PDF documents to the tools that created them
Olivier, Martin S. (Elsevier, 2026-06)
It is often useful in forensic science to attribute an object to the tool that created it. In traditional questioned documents, it may be useful to determine which typewriter was used to produce them. In ballistics, it may be useful to determine which firearm fired a round found at a crime scene. We suggest that it is similarly useful to determine which tool was used to create a digital document. The current paper addresses the challenge of determining which tool created a PDF document. The first challenge is to show that a given tool consistently leaves marks in a PDF file that may be different from marks left by other tools. This is the first problem that the current paper addresses. It identifies potential toolmarks and then verifies that such marks occur consistently in a large dataset. The dataset used is the 1000 .gov PDF dataset provided by the US Library of Congress. Attribution of a creation tool aligns with the definition of classification provided by Inman and Rudin; they define a class as a set of objects that share a common origin. The paper extends the verification of consistency, by using the identified toolmarks to divide the dataset into classes with remarkable success. HIGHLIGHTS • A large number of immaterial aspects of PDF document representation are not (fully) standardised. • The manner in which a tool generates an aspect of PDF representation may be considered a toolmark. • Tools that create PDF documents leave consistent toolmarks in those documents. • Toolmarks may depend on tool configuration. • Toolmarks have the potential to identify the tool used to create the PDF file.
Social construction of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) issues and moving international business research forward
Onaji-Benson, Theresa; Hurd, Fiona; Raskovic, Matevz Matt (Emerald, 2026-05-11)
PURPOSE : This scene-setting viewpoint aims to round up a two-part special issue focusing on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in international business (IB). If the first part of the special issue focused on DEI blind spots and the juxtaposition between the DEI business case and the DEI social justice case, the second part critically discusses the social construction of DEI issues in IB settings and the role played by context in IB-DEI research. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH : The authors discuss critically five IB-DEI research areas cover by the papers in this special issue. The first three examine gender in specific national cultures (i.e. Japan) and professional settings (i.e. academia), and look at making work-integrated learning more inclusive. The latter two address two particular DEI blind spots: neurodiversity and the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual and other sexual orientation (LGBTQIA+) community. Underlying our critical discussion of the five IB-DEI research areas is the issue of their socially constructed nature. FINDINGS : Interrogating the social construction of DEI issues in IB settings calls for a shift from merely contextualising the local embeddedness of social identities and societal expectations/practices regarding DEI towards problematising power relations which reproduce structural barriers and social inequities that result in the exclusion (and sometimes oppression) of specific social identity groups. Such problematising, however, first requires stronger theorising of context and not merely contextualisation of existing DEI and IB theories. ORIGINALITY/VALUE : The contribution lies in linking the social construction and context of IB-DEI, underscoring the importance of both etic and emic research approaches. The authors offer a bird’s-eye view of how gender roles at work, women’s voices in patriarchal professional settings, work-integrated learning, neurodiversity and issues linked to the LGBTQIA+ community, opening new avenues for IB-DEI theorising. Following positionality statements of the guest editors in the first editorial connected to the first part of the special issue, the second viewpoint linked to part two of the special issue provides positionality statements by lead authors from each of the five papers in this special issue.
Use of essential oils in foods from animal origin to improve their safety, a systematic review
Garcia-Diez, Juan; Moura, Dina; Cenci-Goga, Beniamino Terzo; Saraiva, Sonia; Saraiva, Cristina (Elsevier, 2026-10)
Essential oils (EOs) are increasingly being investigated as "clean label" antimicrobials to control foodborne pathogens and spoilage microbiota in foods of animal origin. This systematic review synthesizes the evidence on the application of EOs and EO-derived compounds to improve the microbiological safety and shelf life of meat and meat products, fish and shellfish, dairy products, and other animal-derived foods. Across all matrices, the most frequently studied EOs include oregano (Origanum vulgare), thyme (Thymus vulgaris), rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis), clove (Syzygium aromaticum), and cinnamon (Cinnamomum spp.), as well as key components such as carvacrol, thymol, cinnamaldehyde, linalool, and allyl isothiocyanate. The reported targets encompass major foodborne pathogens (particularly Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella spp., pathogenic Escherichia coli, including O157:H7, and Staphylococcus aureus) and dominant groups of spoilage or hygiene indicators (e.g., Pseudomonas spp., Shewanella putrefaciens, lactic acid bacteria, Enterobacteriaceae, and yeasts/molds), with results commonly expressed as delayed growth, significant logarithmic reductions, and longer refrigerated shelf life relative to untreated controls. A consistent finding across the literature is that EO performance is more reliable when delivery is designed for the product interface. Incorporation into active packaging, edible films/coatings (particularly chitosan- or protein/polysaccharide-based systems), and encapsulation or nanoemulsion strategies improve dispersion, stabilize volatile compounds, moderate sensory impact, and enable controlled release, often enhancing antimicrobial effects with lower EO loadings. In fish and seafood, combinations with modified atmosphere packaging or vacuum packaging typically extend shelf life considerably through the synergistic suppression of specific spoilage consortia and pathogens. In dairy products, films/coatings with EOs exhibit consistent antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive bacteria and remarkable antifungal efficacy against spoilage molds. Overall, EOs represent a promising natural preservation tool for foods of animal origin, and the strongest evidence supports barrier approaches that combine EOs with packaging and post-processing technologies tailored to the food matrix.

Browse

Recent Submissions