Tshwane University of Technology

Haematological markers are extensively utilised as diagnostic and monitoring tools for evaluating health, physiological state, and disease conditions in goats. This review integrates existing literature on haematological parameters in goats, with a particular emphasis on Sub-Saharan Africa, where goats play a central role in smallholder livelihoods, food security, and climate resilience. The literature indicates significant differences in blood values among breeds and regions, underscoring the need for region- and breed-specific reference ranges. Internal factors, including age, sex, and breed, alongside external influences such as nutrition, environmental stress, disease burden, and management practices, significantly impact haematological profile. Despite the importance of these indicators, inconsistencies in testing methodologies and insufficient integration of molecular genetic tools limit standardization and comprehensive understanding. Recent advancements highlight the potential of merging traditional haematology with genomic techniques to enhance disease resistance and adaptive trait evaluation. To create evidence-based interventions that are relevant to smallholder farming and to fill in the current knowledge gaps in this crucial field, more research is necessary. This review aims to provide a framework for enhancing diagnostic accuracy and health management strategies for goats in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Abstract This study explores psychological distress and coping strategies among South African adults (median age of 38; IQR = 28–50) during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown regulations through a rapid online survey ( N = 851). More than half (55.23%) of the participants reported psychological distress, namely high levels of anxiety and depression, with almost half of this group (47.02%) at risk of severe psychological disorder. Binary logistic regression indicated that participants who were younger, self-identified as female, self-reported recent cold/flu symptoms, current tobacco use, and past-year drug use were significantly more likely to report psychological distress. Conversely, well-being, resilience, and healthy coping were associated with no psychological distress. Multivariate analysis revealed that participants’ well-being was a strong predictor of whether they experienced distress (OR = 0.06, 95% CI = 0.01–0.21). These findings underscore the importance of promoting mental well-being and resilience in countries with an existing mental health service gap to mitigate the psychological impact of public health crises. Developing proactive mental health strategies and planning for emergency response planning can assist in supporting populations during future pandemics or similar disruptions.

This discussion paper aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the numerous factors that influence children’s health, development, and safety. The arguments presented are directed towards vulnerable populations predominantly located in rural settings in the country. This study includes orphaned children and those exposed to psychologically distressing and traumatic situations. These unbearable circumstances manifest at home, in schools, throughout the criminal justice system, and elsewhere in the community. To delineate this phenomenon, the qualitative research paper is organised into two sections. The first section synthesises recent research on physical and mental health indicators among children in the South African population. The second section examines the complex impacts of childhood trauma, particularly focusing on child sexual abuse and the vulnerabilities of orphaned children in South Africa. The findings reveal severe consequences of abuse, including trauma, mental health issues, and developmental disturbances, alongside existing legal protections and ongoing challenges. The situation is further exacerbated by increased anxiety, depression, and behavioural issues among children and adolescents. This paper advocates for community-based prevention strategies and support for dysfunctional families. Furthermore, it calls for longitudinal research to enhance understanding of resilience and recovery. Additionally, special attention must be paid to children who live in kinship care, where poverty, caregiver stress, and social isolation heighten the risk of sexual abuse.

Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids are increasingly applied as functional nutrients to improve broiler health, metabolic resilience, and meat quality. However, studies remain inconsistent regarding optimal inclusion levels and their efficacy. This systematic review was conducted following PRISMA 2020 guidelines. This study included 69 experimental studies that met predefined eligibility criteria, requiring broiler-specific trials with clear reporting of omega-3 source, inclusion level, and measurable outcomes related to growth, immune or antioxidant function, gut morphology, fatty acid composition, or meat quality. Searches were performed in Scopus and Web of Science for peer-reviewed articles published between 2020 and 2025. Across studies, supplementation with fish oil, flaxseed, or algal oil consistently increased the deposition of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in broiler tissues. Omega-3 inclusion improved immune modulation, gut morphology, and antioxidant enzyme activity while reducing inflammatory markers and lipid peroxidation. Meat quality benefits included lower n-6:n-3 ratios by improving tenderness and juiciness and enhanced oxidative stability with no detrimental effects on growth performance. Nevertheless, responses varied with broiler strain, dietary formulation, feeding phase, antioxidant protection, and environmental conditions. As high levels of marine oils remained susceptible to oxidative degradation. Overall, omega-3 supplementation represents a viable and scalable precision-nutrition strategy for enriching poultry meat and supporting broiler health. Future research should prioritize cost-effective algal sources, establish phase-specific inclusion thresholds across genetic lines, and evaluate synergy with natural antioxidants and bioactive compounds to optimize oxidative stability, shelf life, and consumer acceptance.

Access to finance is believed to be a key enabler that enhances women’s entrepreneurship and improves business performance, sustainability, and their empowerment. Despite its importance, scholarly literature has mentioned financial challenges as one of the factors that hinder women’s entrepreneurship success, not only in South Africa but also in other developing countries. There is, however, scant literature regarding the enablers that help women entrepreneurs navigate financial challenges in South Africa. To address this gap, this study conducted a systematic review of literature, where 21 documents drawn from Google Scholar, Scopus, and Google databases were used to identify the enablers that help women entrepreneurs navigate their financial challenges in businesses. Identified enablers that help women entrepreneurs navigate their financial challenges include stokvels, government finance programs, banks, Microfinance Institutions (MFIs), and financial education programs. The study shows how women entrepreneurs navigate financial gaps through informal networks, MFIs, and banks, while government support, institutional innovations, and tailored financial products promote sustainable business growth. The study also highlights the need for governments, banks, MFIs, universities, and NGOs to improve awareness, accessibility, gender-sensitive financial services, digital solutions, training, and mentorship for women entrepreneurs and, therefore, promote sustainable entrepreneurial growth.

The world’s natural gas and crude oil resources are diminishing to the point that gas and petroleum prices are lowering the common man’s standard of living worldwide. Likewise, there is a need for the world to move towards a carbonless energy future to curb the influence of climate change, with increasingly intense climate phenomena observed every year. Subsequently, the search continues for increasingly practical renewable energy sources and effective energy storage methods. Hydrogen, as a clean and abundant energy source, has the highest energy density in terms of mass when excluding nuclear fuels. In terms of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals, hydrogen will play a crucial role, specifically in achieving Goal 7, Affordable and Clean Energy, and Goal 13, Climate Action. This study seeks to lay out the current knowledge base of hydrogen energy, focusing on solid-state hydrogen storage. The focus on solid-state hydrogen storage is due to the need for long-term safe storage, which is one of the challenges experienced by hydrogen energy and the hydrogen economy. Moreover, solid-state hydrogen storage offers a potential solution to this challenge. The analysis outlined the current state of hydrogen energy as well as the need for further investigation into metal-hydride-based hydrogen storage while considering the benefits that simulation and machine learning have shown in the field of research. In so doing, it justifies further experimental and simulation-based research into solid-state hydrogen storage using hydride-forming metals. This paper shows that there is not enough published work on large-scale solid-phase hydrogen storage units, as well as the lack of operational machine learning modelling of hydrogen systems. • Deep analysis of metal hydride mechanism • Analysis of optimisation literature. • Analysis of simulation studies • Outlining knowledge gap

Conventional tourism has historically privileged mainly white, wealthy, heterosexual, able-bodied males, marginalising groups such as women, local communities, technology and animals. Posthumanism challenges this anthropocentrism by decentring humans and highlighting relationships with non-human life such as technology. Virtual reality (VR) exemplifies this interconnectedness, allowing users to engage as cyborgs or avatars and fostering novel interactions with non-human entities and digitally mediated environments. Drawing on a comparative case study and literature review, this study is among the first to investigate VR in relation to conventional tourism through a posthumanist lens. Findings indicate that VR enhances visibility and recognition for marginalised groups, yet tensions persist concerning substitution, racial representation, socio-economic inequality, the digital divide and ethical considerations.