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Hornberger's continua of biliteracy model: perspectives from my neck of the woods in the global south
(John Wiley and Sons Inc, 2025) Antia, Bassey E.
Hornberger's Continuum of Biliteracy (CoBi) model is the precursor to approaches such as translanguaging and the New London Group's multiliteracies. CoBi enables us to analyse and address language and literacy practices in education in a structured way. In this paper, I reflect on the explanatory power of CoBi in education in the Global South, drawing on my own research and experiences, as well as those of others. CoBi challenges is shown to challenge many common but unhelpful ideas held by teachers; it informs the design of teaching arrangements attuned to students' contexts; and it explains the content of their annotations on reading material. Given the benefits reported in the literature, there is much to be gained from incorporating CoBi into teacher education and continuous professional development. Scholars of language and other disciplines interested in decolonising the education curriculum, and keen to replace the Global North's Eurocentrism and conversion approach with a North-South conversational approach to knowledge, should find CoBi of interest.
Juro: a retrieval-augmented generation AI chatbot for enhancing legal information access in resource-constrained settings
(Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH, 2025) Ngandu, Bernard; Mbale, Landry; Bagula, Antoine
Access to legal information remains a significant challenge in resource-constrained settings where the digitization of legal systems is still in its early stages. To address this issue, we developed Juro, an AI-based chatbot architecture utilizing a Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) framework. Leveraging a curated dataset of over 8,400 legal documents, Juro provides a user-friendly platform that simplifies complex legal language and ensures information reliability through a robust source citation mechanism. This paper demonstrates the applicability of adaptable AI-driven solutions in low-resource environments, offering a flexible chatbot architecture that can be tailored to various contexts where information accessibility remains a critical challenge. The legal system in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) serves as a use case, illustrating the potential of Juro in addressing similar challenges across developing countries.
Effects of physiotherapy prescribed exercises among elderly persons in a selected geriatric home in Rwanda: a before-and-after study
(University of Rwanda College of Medicine and Health Sciences, 2025) Ndahiriwe, Christian Chance; Bimenyimana, Beny Grace; Munyaneza, Jean Baptiste; Twagirumukiza, Kwizera Honore; Twagirumukiza, Kwizera Honore; Nshimiyimana, Jacques; Urimubenshi, Gerard; Rukundo, Jean De Dieu; Semana, Jean Marie Vianney; Mukaruzima, Lela
ackground Prescribed physiotherapy based exercise interventions are substantial in fall prevention, reduced risk of falls and improve quality of life in the elderly. Objective The aim of the study was to determine the effects of physiotherapy-prescribed exercises among elderly adults on coordination and balance performance and quality of life. Methods A before and after study design was used at Soeurs Saint Vincent de Paul (SSVP) geriatric home in Kigali Rwanda that hosts 45 people, where a sample of 40 elderly persons was followed up for 4 weeks. A physiotherapy-based exercise adapted from Johns Hopkins Hospital's Fall prevention programme was adopted. We measured balance and physical performance using Berg Balance Scale assssment, Timed Up and Go tests respectively as well as and quality of life domains using WHO quality of life questionnaire. Results The findings indicate that physiotherapy-based exercises had excellent outcomes related to performance, quality of life and reduced risk of falls where TUG performance dropped from 18 seconds to 11 seconds. The Pre-test scores of BBS were 28 ± 8 and after intervention BBS scores changed significantly to 43 ± 6. The quality of life after intervention was improved significantly in all domains where the physical domain improved from 41% to 53%. Conclusion The study results show that exercises that improve coordination and balance have the potential to remarkably reduce the risk of falls among elderly persons.
Woody vegetation characteristics of selected rangelands along an aridity gradient in Namibia: implications for rangeland management
(MDPI, 2025) Inman, Emilia N; Samuels, Igshaan; Tsvuura, Zivanai; Angula, Margaret; Nakanyala, Jesaya
Rangelands form the ecological and economic backbone of Namibia, yet the woody plant dynamics that sustain these landscapes remain sporadically quantified across the semi-arid interior. We investigated the characteristics (stand structure, regeneration, richness, diversity, composition, ecological importance, and indicator species) of woody communities along a pronounced south-to-north rainfall gradient (85–346 mm yr−1) at five representative sites: Warmbad, Gibeon, Otjimbingwe, Ovitoto, and Sesfontein. Field sampling combined point-centered quarter surveys (10 points site−1) and belt transects (15 plots site−1). The basal area increased almost ten-fold along the gradient (0.4–3.4 m2 ha−1). Principal Coordinates Analysis (PCoA) arranged plots in near-perfect rainfall order, and Permutational Multivariate Analysis of Variance (PERMANOVA) confirmed significant site differences (F3,56 = 9.1, p < 0.001). Nanophanerophytes dominated hyper-arid zones, while microphanerophytes appeared progressively with increasing rainfall. Mean annual precipitation explained 45% of the variance in mean height and 34% of Shannon diversity but only 5% of stem density. Indicator value analysis highlighted Montinia caryophyllacea for Warmbad (IndVal = 100), Rhigozum trichotomum (75.8) for Gibeon, Senegalia senegal (72.6) for Otjimbingwe, and Senegalia mellifera (97.3) for Ovitoto. Rainfall significantly influences woody structure and diversity; however, other factors also modulate density and regeneration dynamics. This quantitative baseline can serve as a practical toolkit for designing site-specific management strategies across Namibia’s aridity gradient.
The role of African medicinal plants in dermatological treatments: a systematic review of antimicrobial, wound-healing and melanogenesis inhibition
(MDPI, 2025) Elmahaishi, Lubna MS; Fisher, Farzana; Africa, Charlene WJ
Background: Medicinal plants are widely used across the globe as complementary and alternative therapies for managing various health conditions. The use of medicinal plants is a fundamental component of the African traditional healthcare system and most diverse therapeutic practices. Africa harbors a variety of plant species, many of which are estimated to be endemic, making it a rich source of medicinal plants with potential relevance to human health. Aim of the study: The study aimed to review and highlight the information in the literature related to the antimicrobial activity, wound-healing activity, and melanogenesis inhibition of African medicinal plants. Methods: Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA 2020) guidelines, a literature search was conducted on ScienceDirect, Google Scholar, Medline Ebscohost, and PubMed, which were searched for articles published between 2018 and 2024. Due to high heterogeneity and variability in study designs, data were synthesized using a narrative approach. Result: A total of 37 studies were included. Emilia coccinea, Entada africana, Trichilia dregeana, Physalis angulata, and Prunus africana demonstrated strong wound-healing activity (100%) at concentrations between 5 and 10%. For melanogenesis inhibition, Ormocarpum trichocarpum (IC50 = 2.95 µg/mL), Limonium cercinense (IC50 = 3 µg/mL), and L. boitardii (IC50 = 5 µg/mL) showed the most potent effects. The strongest antimicrobial effects were reported for Harpagophytum procumbens (MIC = 10 µg/mL) against Staphylococcus aureus and S. epidermidis and Pistacia atlantica (MIC = 78.1 µg/mL) against Listeria monocytogenes and Candida albicans (MIC = 39 µg/mL). Conclusions: This study highlights the broad therapeutic potential of African medicinal plant extracts in addressing various health conditions, including skin infections, wound management, and skin pigmentation. While several extracts demonstrated strong bioactivity, inconsistent reporting of statistical data limited quantitative synthesis. Future studies should adopt standardized methodologies and report complete statistical outcomes to enable robust meta-analyses and support clinical translation.