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The major and minor aedes mosquitoes from southern Nigeria exhibit low resistance towards public health insecticides
(GigaScience Press, 2025) Ikeakor, Ijeoma U; Nwangwu, Udoka C; Ubachukwu, Patience O
Insecticide-based interventions continue to serve as the cornerstone of aedes mosquito control, the primary vectors of arboviruses. This study assessed the insecticide resistance profiles of four aedes mosquitoes in three rural areas in southern Nigeria, where arbovirus outbreaks recently occurred. Using who tube tests and cdc bottle bioassays, four aedes species (aedes aegypti, ae. Albopictus, ae. Simpsoni complex and ae. Luteocephalus) were evaluated for susceptibility to commonly used public health insecticides, including deltamethrin, alphacypermethrin, permethrin, pirimiphos-methyl, chlorfenapyr and clothianidin. Biochemical assays were conducted using ae. Albopictus to establish the role of metabolic resistance mechanism. Amplification and sequencing of fragment of ae. Luteocephalus its1 gene molecularly confirmed its species identity. Aedes aegypti exhibited possible resistance to pirimiphos-methyl but remained susceptible to all other insecticides across study sites. Aedes albopictus showed resistance to ddt and possible resistance to pirimiphos-methyl, while remaining susceptible to pyrethroids. Aedes luteocephalus was resistant to pirimiphos-methyl but susceptible to all other insecticides. Aedes simpsoni complex was fully susceptible to all insecticides. Biochemical assays revealed elevated a-esterase and monooxygenase activities (3.4-fold and 2.54-fold, respectively) in exposed females of ae. Albopictus compared to the unexposed cohort. Overall, the low resistance levels observed underscore the need for sustained insecticide resistance monitoring and management to maintain the effectiveness of insecticide-based vector control strategies in Nigeria.
Evaluating the perceived effectiveness of face-to-face versus technology-based training on employee performance
(Scielo, 2026) Naidoo-Chetty, Mineshree; Meyer, Shandre K
Orientation: The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated global adoption of technology-based training (TBT), compelling organisations to embrace digital learning solutions. While this transition offered flexibility, effectiveness depends on employee perceptions, with many preferring face-to-face training (F2FT). This study investigates whether South African organisations can transition to TBT while maintaining performance. Research purpose: This research evaluates the perceived effectiveness of TBT compared to traditional F2FT approaches in South African organisational contexts. By identifying optimal training methods across employee segments, it provides evidence-based guidance for organisations transitioning from conventional to technology-based delivery. Motivation for the study: Following COVID-19’s enforced digital transition, organisations have invested heavily in learning technologies without a robust evidence base. Evidence on performance outcomes and employee acceptance is vital for HR decision-makers navigating South Africa’s distinctive socio-economic context, characterised by unequal digital access and a diverse workforce. Research approach/design and method: This qualitative study employed thematic analysis to examine training preferences in the financial industry. Using purposive sampling, 12 financial sales advisers from the Western Cape participated in semi-structured interviews exploring experiences across different training modalities. Main findings: Analysis revealed perceived benefits across both delivery methods; however, F2FT emerged as the predominantly preferred approach, valued for its interactivity, real-time feedback and structured learning environment.
The orthodontic treatment needs of high school students within the buffalo city metropolitan municipality – a cross-sectional study
(BioMed Central Ltd, 2026) Jeram, Chetan-Kumar Rama; Kimmie-Dhansay, Faheema; Nyakale, Mandla Dominic
Background: this was a cross-sectional study of high school students aged 13 to 15 years within the buffalo city metropolitan municipality. A total of 391 participants were examined using the index of orthodontic treatment need. Data was analysed using descriptive methods primarily. Pearson’s chi-square test was used to test associations between variables (subjective need, objective need, sex). Methods: sampling was performed using a multi-stage cluster sampling procedure. A self-administered questionnaire and clinical examination were used to collect data. The orthodontic treatment need was measured using the index of orthodontic treatment need. Objective and subjective need for orthodontic treatment was measured using the dental health component and aesthetic component of the index of orthodontic treatment need, respectively. The data was analysed using descriptive methods primarily. The associations between subjective orthodontic treatment need and sex, objective orthodontic treatment need and sex, and subjective and objective orthodontic treatment need were determined using a pearson’s chi-square test. The level of significance was set at 5% and all results were deemed statistically significant at p < 0.05. Results: a total of 391 participants were examined, of which 66.8% (n = 261) were female and 33.3% (n = 130) were male. A definite subjective need of 13.3% (n = 52) and a definite objective need of 36.8% (n = 144) were observed in this study. Sex was associated with both subjective and objective orthodontic treatment need (p < 0.05). An association between subjective and objective orthodontic treatment need was also observed (p < 0.001). Conclusion: the findings of this study identified an objective and subjective orthodontic need in this sample, which can assist in the development of a public orthodontic service plan. The prevalence of malocclusions in need of orthodontic treatment can be used to determine the resources required for such a service. Additionally, this data can be used as baseline data from which other research projects may be planned.
Multi-temporal catchment and wetland scale soil moisture and vegetation analysis in Shashe, Tugwi and Zibagwe sub-catchments of Zimbabwe
(Taylor & Francis Ltd, 2025) Dube ,Timothy; Mupepi, Oshneck; Marambanyika, Thomas
We utilized Sentinel-1 Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) surface soil moisture, Sentinel-2 L1C-derived Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI),and Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) surface and root zone soil moisture data to assess soil moisture dynamics and vegetation health in Shashe, Tugwi and Zibagwe sub-catchments. Findings show that both maximum and minimum soil moisture values over different land covers experienced a declining trend from 2017 to2020, followed by a slight increase in 2021, attributed to higher rainfall during that period. Grasses (Driefontein − r ¼ 0.76; p ¼ 0.04;Intunjambili − r ¼ 0.62; p ¼ 0.00) and crops (Driefontein − r ¼ 0.77;p ¼ 0.00; Intunjambili − r ¼ 0.81; p ¼ 0.00) showed better correlation with Sentinel-1 surface soil moisture whilst trees correlated better with SMAP root zone soil moisture (Driefontein − r ¼ 0.83; p ¼ 0.01;Intunjambili − r ¼ 0.78; p ¼ 0.00). Sentinel-1 data can be effectively utilized to map wetland areas at the catchment scale, with vegetation health serving as a valuable indicator of wetland conditions.
Evaluating translation quality: a qualitative and quantitative assessment of machine and LLM-driven Arabic–English translations
(Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI), 2025) Mohammed, Tawffeek
This study investigates translation quality between Arabic and English, comparing traditional rule-based machine translation systems, modern neural machine translation tools such as Google Translate, and large language models like ChatGPT. The research adopts both qualitative and quantitative approaches to assess the efficacy, accuracy, and contextual fidelity of translations. It particularly focuses on the translation of idiomatic and colloquial expressions as well as technical texts and genres. Using well-established evaluation metrics such as bilingual evaluation understudy (BLEU), translation error rate (TER), and character n-gram F-score (chrF), alongside the qualitative translation quality assessment model proposed by Juliane House, this study investigates the linguistic and semantic nuances of translations generated by different systems. This study concludes that although metric-based evaluations like BLEU and TER are useful, they often fail to fully capture the semantic and contextual accuracy of idiomatic and expressive translations. Large language models, particularly ChatGPT, show promise in addressing this gap by offering more coherent and culturally aligned translations. However, both systems demonstrate limitations that necessitate human post-editing for high-stakes content. The findings support a hybrid approach, combining machine translation tools with human oversight for optimal translation quality, especially in languages with complex morphology and culturally embedded expressions like Arabic.