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Recent Submissions

Non‐thermal plasma‐activated ammonia decomposition for hydrogen production: tuning CeO2 catalyst nanomorphology to enhance performance
(Wiley, 2026) Wu, Xuan; Xu, Shaojun; Bladergroen, Bernard Jan; Xiang, Nianwen; Bladergroen, Bernard Jan; Xiang, Nianwen; Zhang, Cheng; Shao, Tao; Chen, Weijiang; Ding, Lijian
Non‐thermal plasma coupled with catalysts offers a promising route to improve ammonia‐to‐hydrogen conversion efficiency.This study integrates plasma discharge with morphology‐controlled CeO2 nanocrystals (fiber, cuboids‐S, cuboids‐L, nano‐rod,and pyramid) to enhance ammonia decomposition. Among them, CeO2 fiber achieves outstanding ammonia conversionexceeding 99.9% (SIE = 19.8 kJ L−1) without metal additives or external heating, while also demonstrating remarkable long‐term stability. Through combined microscopic, electrical, and Mass Spectrometry‐based transient analysis, it is revealed that thefibrous CeO2 structure increases the surface Ce3+ and oxygen vacancy concentration and provides balanced NH3 adsorption,boosting catalytic activity. Additionally, its favorable dielectric properties enhance plasma discharge and plasma−catalystinteractions. These results demonstrate that tuning catalyst nanostructure is an effective alternative to noble metal doping forefficient plasma‐driven catalysis.
Understanding the impact of traditional male circumcision on young men aged 18-25: a case study of Bizana district, Eastern Cape province, South Africa
(Adonis and Abbey Publishers Ltd, 2026) Maphumulo, Lindani Sthembele; Qwaka, Saziso Cromwell
Traditional Male Circumcision (TMC) is deeply rooted in various African societies, serving as a pivotal cultural rite of passage that fosters a sense of identity and belonging while preserving indigenous knowledge of health and well-being. In contrast, Medical Male Circumcision (MMC) has been promoted largely through biomedical discourses as an HIV prevention strategy, privileging Western epistemologies that often overlook the cultural significance of TMC. This article critically examines the intersections and tensions between TMC and MMC in South Africa through a decolonial and Afrocentric lens. By centring indigenous epistemologies and cultural authority, the analysis highlights how TMC embodies relational knowledge, communal care, and spiritual symbolism, which cannot be reduced to biomedical risk-benefit frameworks. The study argues for a decolonized approach to male circumcision that recognises the coexistence of medical interventions with traditional practices, while privileging the voices, agency, and lived experiences of African communities. Such an approach affirms the validity of indigenous knowledge systems and contributes to reshaping public health discourse in ways that are contextually grounded and epistemically just. Therefore, it is essential that the Department of Health and relevant stakeholders—including the private sector and non-governmental organisations—implement training workshops and awareness campaigns in rural communities where access to information remains limited. These initiatives should align with SDG 4 (Quality Education) and SDG 5 (Gender Equality).
Dissident performances of black queer & trans desire in Zimbabwe
(SAGE Publications Ltd, 2026) Sibanda, Princess
Desire is felt by all, yet undesired for all. Some bodies are allowed to feel and express desire while others have been written off as unqualified for it. In Zimbabwe, queer and trans people are considered undesirable in and by themselves, and their expressions of desire a crime. What then becomes of the desire that is held and perched intricately in the bodies of these undesirable bodies, especially in repressive contexts? This question forges an entry point to a conversation about black queer and trans desires and how they find expression in the form of embodied languages such as theater. Three theatre projects, namely Young Desires, Nhanho and Hweva that I facilitated in Harare, Zimbabwe are the main creative repositories from which I draw to make an argument around how black Zimbabwean queer desire finds expression in a repressive context.
Characterization of ornithobacterium hominis colonization dynamics and interaction with the nasopharyngeal microbiome in a South African birth cohort
(Microbiology Society, 2026) De Allende, Celine C.; Salter, Susannah J.; Brigg, Siobhan Ernan; Boardman, Micaela; Claassen-Weitz, Shantelle; Mwaikono, Kilaza Samson; Workman, Lesley J.; Zar, Heather J.; Nicol, Mark P.; Parkhill, Julian; Dube, Felix S.
Ornithobacterium hominis is a recently described Gram-negative bacterium that colonizes the human nasopharynx and may be associated with poor upper respiratory tract health. Here, we describe the isolation of O. hominis from samples collected from a South African birth cohort, creating the first archive of cultured strains of the species from Africa. Sequenced genomes from this archive reveal that South African O. hominis is more similar to Australian strains than those from Southeast Asia and that it may share genes with other members of the microbiome that are relevant for virulence, colonization and antibiotic resistance. Leveraging existing microbiome data from the cohort, O. hominis was found to be closely associated with bacterial co-colonizers that are rare in non-carrier individuals, including Suttonella, Rappaport, Helcococcus, Lwoffella, Moraxella and Gracilibacteria. Their collective acquisition has a significant impact on the diversity of nasopharyngeal communities that contain O. hominis. Individuals who have not yet acquired O. hominis have a higher abundance of Lwoffella lincolnii than individuals who never acquire O. hominis, suggesting that this could be a precursor state for successful colonization.
Evolution of the resin daisies: biogeography of the genus Pteronia L. (Astereae, Asteraceae) in the arid and semi-arid habitats of Southern Africa
(John Wiley and Sons Inc, 2026) Boatwright, James Stephen; Bello, Anifat Olayemi; Magee, Anthony Richard
Aim: The species-rich flora of southern Africa results from Neogene species accumulation involving multiple geographically distinct radiations. This diversity was enhanced by lineage cross-seeding amongst several broadly defined regional floras. We examine the relative ages and the role of shifts between southern African habitats in the Desert and Fynbos floras in a single lineage of Cape daisies, the resin daisy genus Pteronia. Using these xeric-adapted shrublets, we more finely dissect the radiations to explore the relative ages of occupation and diversification in the different winter-rainfall floras of South Africa (fynbos, renosterveld, and succulent karoo vegetation), as well as the adjacent arid and semi-arid Desert, Nama Karoo and Kalahari Savanna floras. Location: Southern Africa, focusing on the winter-rainfall floras and adjacent arid/semi-arid regions in the south-western corner of the subcontinent. Methods: A dated species-level molecular phylogenetic hypothesis for Pteronia and outgroups is presented. Eight floristic and biogeographic areas of distribution are identified. Ancestral areas and the timing, frequency, and direction of range change events amongst these areas are inferred using the statistical DEC model on a sample of dated posterior trees. Results: Pteronia is strongly supported as monophyletic and began diversifying in the late Miocene, consistent with other Cape radiations, particularly those associated with arid regions. From the ancestral range of the genus in the northern parts of the Succulent Karoo and/or fynbos vegetation, the first novel vegetation type to be colonised was Nama Karoo at the end of the Miocene, followed by south-eastern Succulent Karoo, renosterveld in the early Pliocene, and Kalahari Savanna in the Late Pliocene. The subtropical thicket and Bushmanland bioregions were colonised more recently in the Pleistocene. Early diversification in Pteronia gave rise to two lineages. The first lineage diversified in and remains strongly confined to the northern Succulent Karoo. The second lineage diversified in both fynbos and a range of adjacent arid/semi-arid vegetation types, experiencing more frequent shifts between habitat types. Main Conclusions: Speciation in Pteronia is associated with two geographic patterns: firstly, diversification within single habitat types, which applies to the northern succulent karoo and to a lesser extent, the fynbos vegetation, and secondly, diversification associated with shifts between habitat types. Habitat shifts appear to be strongly influenced by habitat adjacency and ecological similarity. Understanding the nature and timing of historical habitat shifts in Pteronia may contribute to the knowledge of interactions between different floras within South Africa, both winter and summer rainfall, as well as the timing of colonisation of these areas, particularly the Succulent and Nama Karoo.