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A cross-sectional study to determine candida spp. carriage in Libyan patients with type 2 diabetes
(John Wiley and Sons Ltd, 2026) Esmaio M.H.M.; Abrantes P.M.D.S.; Africa C.W.J.
The risk for Candida infections in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) is three times higher than in the general population. Despite a DM prevalence of 15.8% reported in Libya (2024), the laboratory identification and susceptibility testing of fungal infections in patients with DM are not routinely performed. This cross-sectional study investigated the prevalence and antifungal drug resistance patterns of Candida species in the oral mucosa of Libyan patients with Type 2 DM. Oral samples were collected with a sterile cotton swab, and 182 Candida isolates were phenotypically identified using the API ID 32 C and VITEK 2 Compact systems. Isolates were screened for their susceptibility to fluconazole and five other antifungals using disk diffusion and VITEK AST-YS07 cards. Statistically significant associations were found between Candida carriage and clinical presentation (p = 0.032), denture wearing (p = 0.025) and sex (p = 0.012). Although Candida albicans was the predominant species isolated (37.4%), the majority of isolates comprised non-albicans Candida (NAC). Candida humicola and Candida dubliniensis coexisted with other Candida species. Most Candida species showed susceptibility or dose-dependent susceptibility (DDS) to fluconazole with low resistance to the other antifungal drugs. Candida glabrata, Candida guilliermondii and Candida krusei were resistant to fluconazole, and multidrug resistance was observed in some C. albicans, C. dubliniensis and C. krusei isolates. Candida membranifaciens and Candida parapsilosis showed either DDS or resistance to fluconazole. The emerging resistance to second-line antifungals requires the establishment of routine Candida identification and antifungal susceptibility testing to guide species-specific treatment.
Understanding the equivalent relationship of the flood control storage between Cascade Reservoirs
(John Wiley and Sons Inc, 2026) Liu, Dedi; Wang, Zhenyu; Mu, Zhenyu
Joint flood control operations in cascade reservoirs are critical for mitigating flood disasters. To explore the full potential of flood control in cascade reservoirs, it is necessary to find the equivalent relationship among the cascade reservoirs. After defining the concepts of equivalent flood control storage and the equivalent ratio, its general equivalent relationship has been derived for the downmost reservoir regardless of its flood regional composition and upstream reservoirs operation rules. The cascade reservoirs in the upstream of the Changjiang River and the Three Gorges Reservoir are taken as our case study. Driven by the six design floods, the impacts of flood magnitude, hydrograph, and the amount of the occupied upstream flood storage on the equivalent ratio of the Three Gorges Reservoir have been figured out. The results show that the equivalent ratio increases with flood magnitude. If the main part of the peak of the flow at the downmost reservoir is from the regional flow, and the flood peak at the interval region is part of the first half of the downstream flood peak, the equivalent ratio is approaching 0. The impact of the amount of occupied upstream flood storage on the equivalent ratio is found to be dependent on the magnitude and hydrograph of the inflow into the downmost reservoir. © 2026 American Water Resources Association.
Investigating stakeholder perceptions of out-of-field English and Geography teaching in selected secondary schools in the Western Cape
(University of the Western Cape, 2024) Ampo, Joshwin
This study sought to investigate an aspect of the phenomenon of out-of-field teaching (OOFT), a largely obscured aspect of the schooling system affecting teacher identity as well as learner attainment. Out-of-field (OOF) teachers are those assigned to teach subjects for which they are not certified. This typically occurs when teacher supply does not match the demand for certain subjects. A key concern is that OOFT affects the quality of teaching and learning. It is especially novice OOF teachers who may lack the necessary Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK). OOFT may also affect the well-being and professional identity of the teachers concerned. The present study focused on OOF teachers of English and Geography in selected secondary schools in the Western Cape. English is the predominant language of teaching in South African schools. As a language subject, it therefore occupies a prominent position in the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) curriculum. English teachers are required to be competent and confident users of English and to have the necessary content and skills to teach and assess all aspects of English. Similarly, Geography teachers are required to be competent in areas of the curriculum, including specialised areas such as map reading, analysis, and interpretation. This thesis draws on Sen’s Capability Approach (CA) and related theories of teacher self-efficacy and well-being. It employs a qualitative methodology within the interpretivist research paradigm to focus on the lived experiences of OOF teachers of English and Geography in selected secondary schools in the Western Cape, as well as the perceptions of selected school subject heads and departmental subject advisors. Semi-structured individual interviews were used to generate the data. The findings highlight the impact of especially out-of-subject teaching on the lives of those most directly involved, the teachers.
Audit quality from a service perspective: a systematic literature review
(John Wiley and Sons Inc, 2025) Botha Lise Muriel; De Jager Phillip; Toerien Francois
Audit quality is a multidimensional and latent construct that researchers struggle to evaluate and interpret. This paper follows an interdisciplinary approach by systematically reviewing the literature on audit quality evaluation from a service quality perspective. This service perspective, aligned to stakeholder theory, allows us to consider various stakeholder perspectives. We review the literature through the AUDITQUAL audit quality dimensions to identify areas for further research. These higher-order audit quality dimensions reflect the competence, independence, relationship, and service quality aspects of audit quality. We follow a systematic literature review methodology informed by the 2020 Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement and supported by the Rayyan software tool. Our review shows that the competence, independence, and relationship dimensions usually form the foundation for audit quality research and assumptions. In contrast, only one aspect of client attributes within these dimensions—namely, earnings management—is well developed. Furthermore, the service (functional) quality dimension is shown to have the most potential for future insight into audit quality evaluation. Finally, only a few studies have empirically tested the audit quality construct in a multidimensional sense as most have focused on only one or two dimensions using proxies. Empirical research into audit quality can benefit from taking a service quality view to broaden our understanding and testing thereof.
Assessing the variations of the available flood storage capacity in a flood retention basin due to the changing environment
(Academic Press, 2026) Liu Dedi; Zhang Yuling; Wang Zhenyu
Flood retention basin (FRB) is an important measure for the flood control. As the available flood storage capacity of FRB reflects the maximum amount of flood that can be stored, it is often varied due to the changing environment, which impacts on the its flood control function. Based on the principle of allowing only specific areas to be inundated for flood control, a systematic framework is proposed to quantify the variations of the available flood storage capacity of an FRB due to the combined effects of human activities and climate change. The Variable Infiltration Capacity hydrological model is a tool of simulation of flood flow in the framework. A Geodetector model is applied to figure out the contributions of human activities and climate change. Applying the framework to 42 FRBs in the middle reaches of the Changjiang River Basin, the results show a significant 9.6% decrease in total available flood storage capacity from 2000 to 2020, with human activities contributing more than climate change. The decrease of available flood storage capacities in the FRBs bring the increases of frequencies (i.e., the decrease of the standard of flood control) of the flood inflows that represents the maximum preventing flood for FRBs from 0.111%, 0.167%, 0.100% to 0.143%, 0.250% and 0.167%, respectively. Our study will not only help assess variations of the available flood storage capacity, but also contribute to the protection of the FRBs.