Empirical Assessment of Agricultural Development in Manzini Region, Swaziland

Agricultural development strategy should be directed towards the shaping of the agricultural sector, by increasing the number of both small-scale andlarge farmers, adoption of incentives and increased yield/ha. The aim of this study was to assess the performance of both small-scale and large scale maize farmers in Manzini region, Swaziland. Both secondary and primary data sources were used from a sample of 170 farmers. Two Ordinary Least Square regression models (OLS) were used to analyse both farmers’ characteristics influencing maize outputs, based on cross-sectional data collected in the study area. The model predicted about 71.17% of the sample. The results suggested that small scale farmers maize output differed from that of large farmers’ maize output. In fact, the estimated coefficients of yield/ha, input price, area of land and rainfall were the significant determinants of small-scale farmers’ maize output, while the coefficients of area of land, fertilizer, input price, labour, yield/ha, as well as technology and rainfall were the significant determinants of maize output of the large farmers. The difference in maize production was mainly caused by technology of production and know-how

Evaluation of road condition indices methods and applicability for use in machine learning

Papers presented virtually at the 42nd International Southern African Transport Conference on 08 - 11 July 2024Road maintenance is a crucial process for pavement management systems. South African local roads managed by lower road authorities (municipality, etc) are in critical condition, and their management is not at optimum level which is evident from their poor condition. The aim of this paper is to provide a Machine-Learning algorithm to assist road authorities to provide optimal maintenance strategies. The objective of the study was to determine the most effective condition index for management of flexible pavements. This is achieved by conducting descriptive and inferential statistical analysis of two case studies (Low volume roads and High-volume roads). Statistical analysis indicated that the visual condition index (VCI) has inconsistencies compared to the deduct point surface condition index (CISURF) and deduct point pavement condition index (CIPAVE) found in TMH 22. Four machine learning models were created which included the Gradient Boosting Classifier, Random Forest Classifier, Support Vector Machine Classifier, and Decision Tree Classifier. Of the four models explored, the model with the greatest potential for deployment was the Gradient Boosting Classifier (GBC) model. The GBC model had an accuracy of 74 %, 85 % and 93 % in relation to the VCI, CISURF & CIPAVE respectively. The CISURF and CIPAVE was identified as the most effective index for use in flexible pavements

Lactogenic Activity of Rats Stimulated by Gunnera Perpensa L. (Gunneraceae) from South Africa

Gunnera perpensa L. (Gunneraceae) is a medicinal plant used by Zulu traditional healers to stimulate milk production. The effect of an aqueous extract of the rhizome of the plant on milk production in rats was investigated. Female lactating rats that received oral doses of the extract of G.perpensa significantly (p<0.05) produced more milk than controls. The plant extract did not however, significantly influence the levels of prolactin, growth hormone, progesterone, cortisol, ALT, AST and albumin in the blood. The mammary glands of rats treated with the extract showed lobuloalveolar development. The extract (0.8 μg/ml) was also found to stimulate the contraction of the uterus and inhibit (23%) acetylcholinesterase activity. The cytotoxicity of the extract (LC50) to two human cell lines (HEK293 and HepG2) was 279.43 μg/ml and 222.33μg/ml, respectively. It is inferred that the plant extract exerts its activity on milk production and secretion by stimulating lobuloalveolar cell development and the contraction of myoepithelial cells in the alveoli. It is concluded that Gunnera perpensa contains constituents with lactogenic activity that apparently contribute to its effectiveness in folk medicine

Pharmacodynamic and cytotoxicity effects of Syzygium cordatum {S Ncik, 48 (UZ)} fruit-pulp extract in gastrointestinal tract infections

Purpose: To evaluate the pharmacodynamic effect and cytotoxicity of S. cordatum pulp extract in the treatment of gastrointestinal tract infections.Methods: The air-dried fruit pulps were ground, extracted with 100 % methanol and screened for phytochemicals. Serial microdilution method was used to determine the antibacterial activity of the extract against Bacillus cereus (ATCC 10102), Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 25925), Enterococcus hirae (ATCC 8043), Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922), Salmonella typhimurium (ATCC 700030), Klebsiella pneumonia (ATCC 4352), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 7700), Vibrio fluvialis (AL 019) and Vibrio vulnificus (AL 042). The 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay was used to assess the cytotoxicity of the extract. Antidiarrheal and antimotility activities were evaluated using castor oil-induced diarrhoea model in rats.Results: The extract revealed the presence of alkaloids, cardiac glycosides, flavonoids, saponins and terpenoids. Total phenolic content was 16.4 ± 1.8 μg/mg. The extract exhibited antibacterial activity with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of as low as 3.13 mg/ml against B. cereus (ATCC 10102), S. aureus (ATCC 25925), E. hirae (ATCC 8043), P. aeruginosa (ATCC 7700) and K. pneumonia (ATCC 4352). Median inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 92 μg/ml and therapeutic index of 0.1 - 0.3 were exerted by the extract. In vivo antidiarrheal activity was 49 % at extract dose of 400 mg/kg, which was much higher than that of the control (0 %).Conclusion: The fruit-pulp extract of Syzyhium cordatum has both antibacterial, antimotility and antidiarrheal activities, and may therefore be clinically safe for use at low concentrations as an antidiarrheal agent.Keywords: Syzyhium cordatum, Antibacterial, Antidiarrheal, Antimotility, Cytotoxicit

Risks to Birds Traded for African Traditional Medicine: A Quantitative Assessment

Few regional or continent-wide assessments of bird use for traditional medicine have been attempted anywhere in the world. Africa has the highest known diversity of bird species used for this purpose. This study assesses the vulnerability of 354 bird species used for traditional medicine in 25 African countries, from 205 genera, 70 families, and 25 orders. The orders most represented were Passeriformes (107 species), Falconiformes (45 species), and Coraciiformes (24 species), and the families Accipitridae (37 species), Ardeidae (15 species), and Bucerotidae (12 species). The Barn owl (Tyto alba) was the most widely sold species (seven countries). The similarity of avifaunal orders traded is high (analogous to ‘‘morphospecies’’, and using Sørensen’s index), which suggests opportunities for a common understanding of cultural factors driving demand. The highest similarity was between bird orders sold in markets of Benin vs. Burkina Faso (90%), but even bird orders sold in two geographically separated countries (Benin vs. South Africa and Nigeria vs. South Africa) were 87% and 81% similar, respectively. Rabinowitz’s ‘‘7 forms of rarity’’ model, used to group species according to commonness or rarity, indicated that 24% of traded bird species are very common, locally abundant in several habitats, and occur over a large geographical area, but 10% are rare, occur in low numbers in specific habitats, and over a small geographical area. The order with the highest proportion of rare species was the Musophagiformes. An analysis of species mass (as a proxy for size) indicated that large and/or conspicuous species tend to be targeted by harvesters for the traditional medicine trade. Furthermore, based on cluster analyses for species groups of similar risk, vultures, hornbills, and other large avifauna, such as bustards, are most threatened by selective harvesting and should be prioritised for conservation action.University of the Witwatersrand SPARC Prestigious and URC Postdoctoral Fellowships; National Research Foundatio

Epidemiology of hypertension among patients with type 2 diabetes in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Background: Hypertension is a common comorbidity among patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and is associated with poorer treatment outcomes. Aim: To describe the epidemiology of hypertension among patients with T2D in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Setting: A multisite study among 20 randomly selected health facilities in Kinshasa. Methods: This was an analytical cross-sectional study among 620 participants with T2D. The overall prevalence of hypertension and uncontrolled hypertension was determined. Multivariable mixed effects logistic regression determined factors associated with hypertension and hypertension control among participants with T2D. Results: One-third (34.7%) of study participants were classified as having hypertension. The factors associated with hypertension were unemployment (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.93, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.18–3.17), overweight (aOR = 2.71; 95% CI: 1.78–4.13), diabetes duration ≥ 5 years (aOR = 1.84, 95% CI: 1.24–2.73), protestant religion (aOR = 0.48, 95% CI: 0.29–0.82) and severe diabetes distress (aOR = 0.47; 95% CI: 0.28–0.79). The prevalence of uncontrolled hypertension among participants with diabetes-hypertension comorbidity was 50.2%. Being overweight was associated with uncontrolled hypertension (aOR = 2.02; 95% CI: 1.08–3.79). Conclusion: Hypertension was common among patients with T2D in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and in most patients it was uncontrolled. There is a need to strengthen the hypertension prevention and control strategies among patients with T2D, including lifestyle modifications to maintain optimal body weight. Contribution: This study provides insight into the diabetes-hypertension comorbidity in an African urban setting

Exploring the effects of the use of Interactive Whiteboard on Teachers Professional Development in South African high schools

The 4th Annual International Conference on Public Administration and Development Alternatives 03 - 05 July 2019, Southern Sun Hotel, OR Tambo International Airport, Johannesburg, South AfricaThe paper evaluates the effects teacher development in the use of the interactive whiteboard (IWB) when teaching. This comes as a result that technology continuously evolves and requires teachers using the interactive whiteboard to remain lifelong learners in the area of technology. More time and resources should be allocated to facilitate professional development of teachers and make teachers familiar with the interactive features of the IWB. A literature review approach in this paper highlights inputs from different writers and later discusses findings and provides recommendations from a South African perspective on professional teacher development in the use of IWBs. This paper takes the form of a qualitative method and as a result a case study research design was selected for this study. Data were collected by means of interviews and observations. Data were analysed using ATLAS.ti version 6.2. The education district involved in the study has 41 high schools with about 1457 teachers but only 36 high schools had the IWBs installed and functioning. A non-probability sampling called convenience method was used to sample the population and 23 teachers from 22 schools were sampled. The results show that challenges encountered by teachers relate to the ineffective training methods, lack of follow-ups sessions as well as the lack of on-going training. In a study conducted in Tshwane North district, South Africa, the following question was asked: How is the teacher professional development conducted on the use of IWBs in teaching and learning? The study further revealed that teachers received professional development on the use of IWB. However, it was found in this study that the trainining was not enough in terms of the duration, and that training was only about how to learn the technical use of the IWB. Most of the teachers reported that training took two hours in the afternoon, three months, twice a week, every Wednesday, and after school. The study further revealed that poor IWB development caused frustrations when teachers had to utilise the IWB in class. When effectively used, IWB add the visual impact, assist in the learning process, increase active participation and engagement, and creates excitement and a positive attitude to learning. We recommmed that professional teacher development in the use of IWB in both technical and pedagogical aspects be a priority for successful use of this technology in schools. In this regard adequate teacher development could assist in eliminating a trend where the IWB is used by teachers as a projector to show videos or books but promote the interactivity provided by the features of this tool. Keywords: Interactive whiteboard, Professional development, High Schools, South Afric

Community-Based Tuberculosis Contact Management: Caregiver Experience and Factors Promoting Adherence to Preventive Therapy

Delivery of tuberculosis preventive therapy (TPT) for children with household exposure to tuberculosis is a globally supported intervention to reduce the impact of tuberculosis disease (TB) in vulnerable children; however, it is sub-optimally implemented in most high-burden settings. As part of a community-based household contact management program, we evaluated predictors of adherence to community based TPT in children and performed qualitative assessments of caregiver experiences. The Vikela Ekhaya (Protect the Home) project was a community-based household contact management program implemented between 2019 and 2020 in the Hhohho Region of Eswatini. At home visits, contact management teams screened children for TB, initiated TPT when indicated and performed follow-up assessments reviewing TPT adherence. TPT non-adherence was defined as either two self-reported missed doses or a pill count indicating at least two missed doses, and risk factors were evaluated using multivariate clustered Cox regression models. Semi-structured interviews were performed with caregivers to assess acceptability of home visits for TPT administration. In total, 278 children under 15 years initiated TPT and 96% completed TPT through the Vikela Ekhaya project. Risk factors for TPT non-adherence among children initiating 3HR included low family income (adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) 2.3, 95%CI 1.2-4.4), female gender of the child (aHR 2.5, 95% CI 1.4-5.0) and an urban living environment (aHR 3.1, 95%CI 1.6-6.0). Children with non-adherence at the first follow-up visit were 9.1 fold more likely not to complete therapy. Caregivers indicated an appreciation for community services, citing increased comfort, reduced cost, and support from community members. Our results are supportive of recent World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations for decentralization of TB preventive services. Here, we identify populations that may benefit from additional support to promote TPT adherence, but overall demonstrate a clear preference for and excellent outcomes with community based TPT delivery

Integrated vs. referred management of CVD risk factors for HIV positive patients on antiretroviral therapy in Swaziland

Cardiovascular disease risk factors (CVDRF) are prevalent in people living with HIV (PLHIV), but the optimal clinical management strategy for patients with both HIV and CVDRF in low resource settings is unknown. In some contexts, care for both HIV and CVDRF is provided in the HIV clinic (“integrated care”), which may be more convenient for patients. In others, PLHIV are referred to specialist clinics for management of their CVDRF (“referred care”) which may lead to higher quality CVDRF management. We compared integrated vs. referred strategies for patients with HIV and CVDRF at an urban health facility in Swaziland, exploring linkage to and retention in CVDRF care, intervention fidelity, and HIV and CVDRF-related health outcomes