North-West University

The persistent use of solid fuel for domestic energy in South Africa's low-income settlements remains a critical air quality concern, posing severe health risks to vulnerable populations. Previous interventions have focused on a top-down approach of total fuel replacement, which frequently fails as households revert to coal and wood due to economic volatility and high electricity costs. The Semi-Continuous Coal Stove (SCCS), co-developed by North-West University and New Dawn Engineering (Pty) Ltd., offers a pragmatic alternative. However, while the SCCS performs exceptionally well in laboratory settings, its success in reducing real-world exposure depends on overcoming intricate social and behavioural barriers that lab tests cannot simulate. This study evaluates the impact of the SCCS through a socio-technical framework, utilising an unsupervised field trial in the Metsimaholo township in the Northern Free State. The novelty of this research lies in its integrated socio-technical evaluation of the Semi-Continuous Coal Stove (SCCS) as a realistic transition pathway. A dual-methodology approach was employed: qualitative assessments of socioeconomic profiles and user perceptions, and quantitative monitoring of indoor air quality PM 2.5 and CO during stove operation. The social findings reveal that households are experiencing significant economic challenges, including 38% unemployment and 41% relying on government pensions and grants. Although all houses are connected to the electricity grid, fuel stacking is practised for cooking and heating due to cost factors. Wood (63%), gas (40%), and coal (17%) are the most used energy sources. The SCCS significantly reduces indoor PM 2.5 and CO exposures by more than 50% during operational and burnout phases compared to traditional stoves. The SCCS ignition phase resulted in increased concentrations between 15% and 40%. About 50% of the participants found the stove easy to use, while the other 50% faced difficulties, particularly with ignition. Overall, the SCCS operational characteristics were viewed favourably by more than 90% of the households. The SCCS serves as a pragmatic transition pathway for coal-supplied communities, offering a realistic means to reduce indoor pollutant exposure. The study establishes a compelling case for a broader rollout on the South African Highveld to meet national clean air targets. • Solid fuel stacking is practised due to affordability. • Stove use proficiency is essential for successful improved cookstove interventions. • The SCCS demonstrated improvements in indoor air quality. • Households perceive the SCCS as a preferred alternative to conventional cookstoves. • The SCCS is a viable technology for solid fuel-burning low-income households

Membrane distillation crystallization (MDCr) has emerged as a promising technology to produce inorganic crystals from various feed solutions. MDCr leverages the benefits of membrane distillation (MD), including reduced membrane fouling, operation under waste heat or solar energy while facilitating high-purity crystal formation. This study provides a comprehensive operational assessment of MDCr and the governing mechanisms. The investigation emphasized the influence of temperature gradient, membrane characteristics and feed composition on the processes of supersaturation, nucleation and crystal growth. Attention was focused on the formation of the crystals, and the polymorphs' selectivity influenced by process configuration. Practical applications are discussed across inorganic materials, food and pharmaceutical industries, where MDCr shows potential for recovery of functional crystals. Despite promising application, MDCr remains affected by membrane fouling, wetting, and energy demand, which impact fouling, supersaturation and crystal growth dynamics. The role of in-situ monitoring, modelling and process control is identified to ensure reproducibility and scale-up. The findings show that process optimization and coupling of heat and mass transfer promote the formation of tailored crystalline materials from complex feed solutions. However, this process requires standardized methods, real-time analysis and techno-economic assessment to accelerate the MDCr deployment in the current industrial operations. • Mechanistic understanding of supersaturation, nucleation and crystal grow in MDCr. • Systematic evaluation of fouling, wetting and membrane material limiting MDCr's sustainability. • Risk identification of MDCr application linked to fluorinated membrane materials. • Defining the MDCr future research directions including AI-assisted process and smart membranes

Abstract We investigate the realization of a nonsingular cosmological bounce in metric f ( R ) gravity using a controlled exponential deformation of the Starobinsky $$R^{2}$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:msup> <mml:mi>R</mml:mi> <mml:mn>2</mml:mn> </mml:msup> </mml:math> model. Adopting a smooth Gaussian-type bouncing scale factor, we first demonstrate a no-go result showing that a positive-curvature vacuum bounce cannot be supported by the model $$f(R)=R+\alpha R^{2}(1-e^{-R/R_b})$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>f</mml:mi> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>(</mml:mo> <mml:mi>R</mml:mi> <mml:mo>)</mml:mo> </mml:mrow> <mml:mo>=</mml:mo> <mml:mi>R</mml:mi> <mml:mo>+</mml:mo> <mml:mi>α</mml:mi> <mml:msup> <mml:mi>R</mml:mi> <mml:mn>2</mml:mn> </mml:msup> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>(</mml:mo> <mml:mn>1</mml:mn> <mml:mo>-</mml:mo> <mml:msup> <mml:mi>e</mml:mi> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>-</mml:mo> <mml:mi>R</mml:mi> <mml:mo>/</mml:mo> <mml:msub> <mml:mi>R</mml:mi> <mml:mi>b</mml:mi> </mml:msub> </mml:mrow> </mml:msup> <mml:mo>)</mml:mo> </mml:mrow> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> alone. We then show that a minimal extension obtained by introducing a constant term restores the bounce exactly, with the constant fixed algebraically by the bounce condition. A systematic parameter-space scan is performed to identify regions free of ghost and tachyonic instabilities. Working in the Einstein frame, we study the evolution of scalar and tensor perturbations across the bounce and show that both remain finite and well behaved. Our results establish a minimal, perturbatively stable realization of a vacuum bounce in f ( R ) gravity that goes beyond background-level constructions.

ABSTRACT Thirty years after the Salamanca Declaration, teachers’ attitudes remain a key factor in the success of inclusive education. Research indicates that inclusion is often perceived as a greater challenge in secondary education compared to primary education, particularly in terms of institutional implementation. This study systematically reviews 28 articles to examine secondary school teachers’ attitudes towards inclusive education and the predictors shaping these attitudes, following the PRISMA guidelines. The findings reveal that secondary school teachers hold diverse and often ambivalent attitudes towards inclusion, with many perceiving it as an entitlement for certain student groups rather than an unconditional human right. Key predictors include systemic and professional challenges, such as resource availability, teacher training, and the type of student needs. These insights inform practical strategies and research directions aimed at fostering inclusive communities in secondary education.

Meteorological drought is commonly defined as a prolonged deficiency in precipitation relative to the climatological norm for a given region. However, limitations in robustly quantifying and monitoring drought severity continue to impede decision-making across multiple sectors. Conventional tools, have exhibited substantial limitations in terms of accuracy, spatial–temporal resolution, and generalizability. This paper presents a systematic literature review (SLR) focusing on emerging applications of machine learning (ML) and deep learning (DL) to prediction and monitoring meteorological drought, conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) protocol. An initial pool of 79 peer-reviewed articles published between 2021 and 2025 were identified. The review process examined the articles based on predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria, 19 studies were ultimately retained for detailed analysis. Quality assessment scores for these studies ranged from 71.4% to 100%. The review highlights the increasing use of hybrid ML and DL models, which combine modeling paradigms, as an effective strategy to improve drought forecasting performance, exhibit strong predictive capabilities and offer a compelling alternative to traditional single-model approaches.

Multi-omics in combination with advanced computational methodologies synthesizes diverse omics data to provide deeper insights into molecular interactions and offers transformative potential for unravelling phenomenon behind disease complexities, improving diagnostics, disease prevention, and personalized treatments. This integrative strategy enables our understanding of gene-environment relationships, chronic disease progression, and the intricate molecular pathways involved in health. Effective multi-omics analyses require robust data sharing, accessibility, interoperability, and governance, which are critical for linking genomic elements to phenotypic traits. The Global Alliance for Genomics and Health advocates for responsible data-sharing practices, by promoting key principles such as transparency and equity. By emphasizing a collaborative approach to data utilization, our proposed framework seeks to advance improved disease prevention and treatment strategies. Multi-disciplinary collaboration, encompassing researchers, clinicians, policy makers, and patient representatives, is pivotal for driving innovation and addressing rare disease diagnostics. The success of multi-omics applications hinges on the establishment of comprehensive datasets, understanding the functional implications of multi-omic variation, adherence to findable, accessible, interoperable, reusable (FAIR) and Collective Benefit, Authority to Control, Responsibility, and Ethics (CARE) principles, and the strengthening of global genomic commons, benefiting scientific research, drug development, and broader health initiatives. Our review highlights essential components of multi-omics integration, underscoring its potential to transform the landscape of precision medicine and improved patient outcomes worldwide.

ABSTRACTBackgroundMany African countries, including Namibia, face challenges with the availability of essential medicines, impacting health outcomes. This study aimed to evaluate the availability of essential medicines in Namibia by examining the registration of medicines on the Namibia Essential Medicines List (NEMList) as a proxy.MethodsAn in-depth analysis of the registration of essential medicines was carried out by comparing medicines in the NEMList against registered medicines on the Namibian Human Medicines Register as of February 2024. Microsoft Excel was used to capture details about the generic names of medicines, strengths, and dosage forms in which the medicines were available. A sub-analysis of antibiotics, which classified them using the Access, Watch and Reserve (AWaRe) classification, was also conducted.ResultsA high proportion of essential medicines listed in the NEMList, 80.2% (386/481) are registered in the country. However, essential medicines only accounted for 23.7% (1,288/5,444) of all medicines on the Namibian Human Medicines Register. Among the essential medicines registered in Namibia, only 45.5% (176/386) had at least three registered products. Of the 55 antibiotics on the NEMList, 94.5% (52/55) had registered products, with 96.2% (25/26), 92.0% (23/25) and 100% (4/4) of Access, Watch and Reserve group antibiotics having registered products, respectively. Despite the high proportions of registered essential antibiotics, only 65.4% of Access group antibiotics, 68.0% of Watch group antibiotics and 25.0% of Reserve antibiotics had at least three registered products.ConclusionRegistration of essential medicines is crucial to ensure access and availability. Further studies are needed to understand the bottlenecks encountered by the Namibia Medicines Regulatory Council (NMRC) in registering essential medicines. Concerted programmes and policies to strengthen regional harmonisation of medicines registration should be developed, and essential medicines should be prioritised.

ABSTRACT This research investigates the roles of meta‐dehumanization (i.e., the belief that an outgroup holds dehumanizing views toward one's ingroup) and relative deprivation in the association between intergroup contact quality and collective action aimed at reducing inequalities. To these aims, the perspectives of Iraqi immigrants in Turkey (Study 1), African immigrants in Italy (Study 2) and North‐African second‐generation young adults in Belgium (Study 3) were assessed. Results showed a positive association between negative intergroup contact and collective action, both in terms of intentions and actual experiences, except for Study 3 involving second‐generation students who could experience relatively lower personal discontent. However, an indirect effect of meta‐dehumanization in the relationship between negative intergroup contact and collective action was consistently found across the studies. Moreover, ethnic minority members' perceived relative deprivation enhanced these associations. However, the moderation of relative deprivation in the association between positive intergroup contact and a specific form of engagement in social change, such as intergroup ex‐changes about social inequalities showed inconsistent findings. Overall, the research contributed to a deeper understanding of the underlying mechanisms and interplay between intergroup contact quality and predictors of collective action in more and less inclusive contexts. Results suggested that focusing on the perceived valence and, even more, the specific content of intergroup interactions may help to disentangle its role in improving social equality.

Globally, concerns about increasingly sedentary lifestyles have highlighted the importance of play-based learning and physical activity. Although physical development is regarded as an essential aspect of school readiness, many factors at home and at school seem to be keeping young children from engaging in physically active play. Considering the associated educational outcomes and holistic development related to school readiness, there is a need for greater focus on movement and play at home and at school, and for partnerships to facilitate these activities. This paper emanates from a doctoral study that explored the way parents and teachers can collaborate to facilitate the development of fundamental skills through play-based movement activities. Then study was conducted in a low-socio-economic community in the Northern Cape, South Africa, with eight participants. Mezirow’s transformative learning theory served as the theoretical framework to explore more inclusive frames of reference. A participatory action learning and action research design was implemented, using arts based methods and discussions to generate data. Data analysis was conducted using Braun and Clarke’s recursive six-step reflexive thematic analysis. The findings confirmed that there are insufficient support structures, such as parental involvement, and that movement and play are often undervalued in practice, possibly owing to misperceptions about play-based learning. In addition, the pressure to achieve academically and the focus on formal tasks prevented the effective use of more active, play-based strategies in the classroom. The study contributes to the body of knowledge by considering factors to improve the collaboration between parents and teachers, thereby supporting children’s holistic development through movement play.