Africa is increasingly being exposed to the negative impacts of climate and environmental change, while having less capacity to respond compared to other continents. The vulnerability partially results from unprecedented demographic growth, urbanization, and industrialization. However, the continent has still largely been underserved by the broader Earth system science (ESS) community, as evidenced by the limited amount of ESS data and research that cover Africa compared to other areas of the world. Here, we present the recent University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) Africa Initiative that aims to enhance environmental sustainability in Africa by fostering international collaborative research partnerships coled by African scientists. Specifically, we outline urgent challenges and opportunities identified through an international workshop in six areas of ESS, namely, 1) air quality and health, 2) weather, 3) climate, 4) land and water, 5) social science perspectives, and 6) developing equitable collaboration and sustainable infrastructure. We highlight examples of successful partnerships and conclude with recommendations to advance collaborative, actionable ESS research that addresses Africa's critical environmental challenges.
This study examined the evolving landscape of green entrepreneurship (GE) research through a comprehensive analysis that combined bibliometric and systematic literature reviews. Analysis of 88 articles retrieved from the Web of Science (WoS) mapped the research trajectory, identifying key authors, journals and research themes. Findings revealed a growing interest in GE research, with a discernible shift toward six themes. The themes were drivers and motivators, pro-environmental behaviours (PEB) and practices, business models and strategies, entrepreneurial intentions and orientation and the crucial role of innovation and technology. Thus, we identified key gaps, with suggestions for future research directions. These included exploring the interplay between technology and green entrepreneurial activity, the impact of enabling policy frameworks and the influence of consumer behaviour driving green entrepreneurial activity. This study contributes to a more nuanced understanding of the GE field, providing a strategic roadmap for future research endeavours.
We provide an updated 'multiwavelength' version of the G4Jy catalogue that has 127 new host-galaxy identifications, as described in Paper III of this paper series. We also supplement the redshift information (0.0 < z < 3.6), gathered in Paper III, with griz photometry available through DR10 of the DESI Legacy Surveys. Together, this legacy dataset allows us to investigate the multiwavelength properties of these southern radio-bright galaxies, which includes an initial analysis of radio spectral-curvature for this complete sample (S-151 MHz > 4 Jy). For example, we present (for the first time in the literature) the radio-power-size diagram as a function of radio spectral-curvature, [P-D](SCI), noting that the spectral-curvature index (SCI) can act as a proxy for the spectral age of the radio source. This radio-power-size-age diagram shows a predominance of radio galaxies with SCI > 0.15 and D < 200 kpc, which are candidates for both remnant radio-galaxies and young radio-sources, and a vast range of linear sizes for candidate restarted radio-galaxies (having SCI < -0.15). We also show that (i) G4Jy sources populate the entirety of WISE colour-colour space, (ii) optically point-like sources (i.e. candidate quasars) are brighter than the well-studied K-z relation (as expected), and (iii) there is no relation between the SCI of the radio source and its host-galaxy properties.
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. 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. 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. Advances in genome sequencing have enhanced our understanding of parasite biology and reshaped parasite detection, surveillance, and vaccine development. Not applicable.
Dietary studies on wildlife using minimally invasive techniques can elucidate the impacts of anthropogenic activities on ecosystems and native species. Investigating diet-related resource partitioning of biological indicator species can improve our understanding of mechanisms employed by animals to survive in a rapidly changing world. We compared carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) isotope ratios from hair tissue of four dominant southern African rodent species from the Magaliesberg Biosphere, North West province, South Africa. Hair was collected over three years during both dry and wet seasons across different land-use types: natural and peri-urban. There was significant isotopic variation between the four species across land-use types and seasons. Pairwise post-hoc comparisons of within-site diet proportions showed increased homogeneity of two synanthropic species (Lemniscomys rosalia and Mastomys coucha) in the peri-urban site, suggesting exploitation of robust, low-quality grasses and grains. Niche overlap was significantly variable between seasons at the peri-urban site, with an increased intake in grasses and maize grains during the planting and growing wet season, suggesting the rodents are more selective with increased food availability. During the dry season, food sources were shared by two non-commensal species (Aethomys ineptus and Micaelamys namaquensis), and the two synanthropic species shared three food sources. Overall seasonal variation across sites may indicate variable diet plasticity in the four generalist species, but specialists in increasingly encroached upon and urbanized seasonal landscapes may struggle to adapt to available food and face extirpation.
