Southeast Africa Research Articles

Climate variability along the margin of the southern African monsoon region at the end of the African Humid Period

Evidence for climate variability in the southern African monsoon region (SAMR) is limited by a spatially and temporally discontinuous palaeoclimatic dataset. We describe a 6680 year long, largely sub-decadal resolution δ15N record from a rock hyrax midden from southeastern Africa. The results provide a detailed reconstruction of regional hydroclimates since the beginning of the mid-Holocene. A long-term – albeit subtle – increase in humidity consistent with precessional forcing is observed, but the record is dominated by a strong ∼1750-yr cycle, a signal that is shared with other SAMR records. Considered in their regional context, these data suggest that changes coincident with the termination of the African Humid Period at ∼5500 cal BP do not express the abrupt transition observed in some records from the northern African tropics. Rather they indicate gradual changes, as observed at peri-equatorial sites. Notably, however, eastern and western subregions of the SAMR experience a rapid phase shift beginning ∼5500 cal BP, with initially in-phase hydroclimate anomalies transitioning to the establishment of a strong east-west dipole. This likely reflects a coeval strengthening of the Southeast Atlantic trade winds and decreased atmospheric pressure in southeast Africa, factors associated with increasing (decreasing) austral (boreal) summer insolation. The results highlight the distinct nature of southern African responses across this key period of African climate history.

The Imperialist Dream of João Albasini, a Portuguese Trader in South-East Africa, 1847–1870

ABSTRACT In the early nineteenth century, João Albasini established himself as a slave and ivory trader at Delagoa Bay, current-day Maputo, Mozambique. In the 1850s, he moved west, crossing the Lubombo Mountains into the northern areas which in 1852 became the Transvaal, also known as the Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek. He aimed to revive the Portuguese economy at Delagoa Bay through the trading possibilities offered by the Boer population inland. In 1953, the Afrikaans historian Johannes Bernadus de Vaal gave a detailed account of Albasini’s life. He, however, did not consider the Portuguese and Mozambican dimensions to Albasini’s economic activities in the Transvaal because he saw him as a true-blue Transvaler determined to promote the Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek’s interests. While Albasini did attach himself to the Afrikaner community, he remained a staunch Portuguese patriot. He dreamt of establishing a Portuguese colony in current-day Mpumalanga to further Portugal’s hypothetical authority in Delagoa Bay’s hinterland. Although deeply interesting, De Vaal’s analysis lacks insight into the obstructive nature of the Portuguese policy towards the economic development of the Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek. However, the independent spirit of the Boers (the Dutch population) and the lack of political will and resources of the Portuguese metropole stifled João Albasini’s imperialist dream.

Migration routes and timing of European Nightjars (Caprimulgus europaeus) breeding in eastern Mongolia

The phenology and routes of long-distance migrations of European Nightjars are well described for Western European individuals migrating within the East Atlantic and Mediterranean flyways, while little is known about populations from other parts of the Eurasian breeding range. We describe the route choice and timing of European Nightjars breeding in eastern Mongolia, migrating within the Asia–East Africa flyway to reach wintering destinations in South-East Africa. After covering about 15,000 km during autumn migration, Mongolian nightjars arrived 1 month later in their wintering grounds compared to nightjars breeding in Western Europe. A similar difference was also observed in the timing of their arrival back at their respective breeding grounds illustrating the differences in timing of migration events between the two populations. We identify the steppes of Central Asia and the savannah of the Horn of Africa and Eastern Africa as key stopover zones for nightjars associated with the crossing of an ecological barrier formed by the deserts and mountains of the Iranian Plateau and the Arabian Peninsula.

The Globalization of the Church History Department: The Plight of an Outsider Looking In (A Personal Reflection)

The Globalization of the Church History Department: The Plight of an Outsider Looking In (A Personal Reflection)

North Korea's Anti-Great Power Diplomacy

Benjamin R. Young’s Guns, Guerillas, and the Great Leader weaves together diplomatic records of various countries and North Korea’s publications to show how “Third Worldism formed a fundamental part of North Korea’s national identity during the Cold War era” (4). It uses a wide-angle lens to capture North Korea’s numerous attempts to promote its ideology, support fights against powerful nations, offer to build factories, organize friendly societies, provide military assistance, and spread Mass Games in various small nations in South and Southeast Asia, Latin America, and Africa. In the introduction, Young argues that “Juche’s utopian motivations and ideological simplicity, with its emphasis on national autonomy, was precisely what appealed to many Third World peoples and operated as an effective form of soft power for the North Korean regime” (7). But the following chapters plentily show that North Korea’s incessant attempts to support small nations met with mixed reactions—some leaders were inspired greatly and regarded North Korea as a developmental model to emulate, but others mocked its cultural production as boring and were disappointed at the low quality of the goods produced in North Korean-built factories.

The Origins of Regional Ideas: International Law, External Legitimization and Latin America’s ‘legalismo’

Abstract Latin American politics are widely characterized by legalismo: a set of practices that can be traced to the notion of a continental or regional, American or Latin American International Law (AIL/LAIL) including the American international congresses and treaties, the practice of invoking AIL/LAIL’s various principles, and the use of judicial and quasi-judicial means of conflict resolution. However, it is far less clear where the origins of Latin America’s legalismo culture lay. Moreover, why did this formalistic-legalistic culture not take root in other regions? The article uses an original comparative historical approach to show that legalismo was a product of two conditions unique to Latin America: the distinctive security needs of its newly independent states and the time of independence. In comparison with Southeast Asia and Africa, I argue that legalismo was central to Latin America’s regional idea but that the practical impact of international law was not stronger than elsewhere.

Severe Storms Expose Ill-Equipped Weather Stations in Southeast Africa

The lack of infrastructure is preventing scientists from robustly reporting meteorological information as well as communicating warnings about hazard-prone areas.

Planning for Sustainable Cities in Africa: Experiences, Challenges and Prospects of Monitoring Geospatial Indicators

The African continent is receiving unprecedented pressure from population growth, urbanisation, decreased agricultural productivity and changing climate. However, the continent lacks technological advancement. Therefore, there is a need to apply global data and open geospatial tools for analysis to prevent, stop and comprehend the trend and effects of land degradation, food insecurity and the unsustainability of cities. The study takes three representative indicators (climate risk, land degradation and land consumption) from FAO’s four strategic better’s to demonstrate the feasibility and applicability of global datasets to support decision makers. Three representative cities in Africa are selected for the study—Houet, Burkina Faso (West Africa); Kisumu, Kenya (East Africa); and Analamanga, Madagascar (South East Africa). The study found that eight Fokontany of the Analamanga region were at high risk from climate change; at the ward level, a maximum of 54.2% of the total degraded land area in Kisumu; and maximum land-consumption rate of 1.5 was found in Houet at the department level. The results of this study can be a basis for policymakers in planning an inclusive climate-adaptation measure and sustainable land-use frameworks and policies.

Diagnóstico parasitológico e molecular de Trypanosoma theileri em bovinos amostrados na zona sul do município de São Paulo, SP, Brasil

OBJECTIVE: Trypanosoma theileri is the type species of the subgenus Megatrypanum, first registered in cattle in South Africa and East Africa. Cattle farms in the extreme south of the municipality of São Paulo and Embu-Guaçu, are characterized as subsistence, on small properties, and 500 head of cattle were registered in 2019. This work aimed to evaluate the occurrence of T. theileri in cattle from family farms in the extreme south of the city of São Paulo and in the municipality of Embu-Guaçu, SP, Brazil. METHODS: Parasitological and molecular diagnoses were carried out on samples taken from 68 cattle in small farms in the extreme south of São Paulo. RESULTS: The specific molecular diagnosis of T. theileri was 17.6% positive (12/68) and the parasitological diagnosis was 5.8% (4/68). CONCLUSION: Although considered non-pathogenic, its presence in the host may favor other parasitic and infectious diseases.

Chromosome-level genome assembly of Indian mangrove (Ceriops tagal) revealed a genome-wide duplication event predating the divergence of Rhizophoraceae mangrove species.

Mangrove ecosystems are unique, highly diverse, provide benefits to humans, and aid in coastal protection. The Indian mangrove, or spurred mangrove, [Ceriops tagal (Perr.) C. B. Rob.] is a member of the Rhizophoraceae family and is commonly found along the intertidal zones in tropical regions in Southeast Asia, southern Asia, and Africa. Here, we present the first high-quality reference genome assembly of the Ceriops species. A preliminary draft assembly, generated from the 10× Genomics linked-read library, was scaffolded using the proximity ligation chromatin contact mapping technique (Hi-C) to obtain a chromosome-scale assembly of 231,919,005 bases with an N50 length of 11,408,429 bases. The benchmarking universal single-copy orthologs (BUSCO) analysis revealed that C. tagal gene predictions recovered 95.8% of the highly conserved orthologs. Phylogenetic analyses suggested that C. tagal diverged from the last common ancestor of flat-leaf spurred mangrove [C. decandra (Griff.) Ding Hou] and C. zippeliana Blume ∼10.4 million yr ago (MYA), and the last common ancestor of genera Ceriops, Kandelia, and Rhizophora diverged from that of genus Bruguiera ∼49.4 MYA. In addition, our analysis of the transversion rate at fourfold-degenerate sites from orthologous gene pairs provided evidence supporting a recent whole-genome duplication in C. tagal. The STRUCTURE and principal component analyses illustrated that C. tagal individuals investigated in this study were the admixture of two subpopulations, the genetic background of which was influenced primarily by location. The availability of genomic and transcriptomic resources and biodiversity data reported in this work will be useful for future studies that may shed light on adaptive evolutions of mangrove species.

Tafsir in the Non-Arab Muslim World – II

This is the second special issue of the Australian Journal of Islamic Studies that focuses on the topic of Qur’ānic exegesis or tafsīr al-Qur’ān in the non-Arab world. While the first special issue (Volume 6, Issue 4, 2021) mainly analysed Qur’ānic exegesis in Southeast Asia and Africa, this second issue extends its focus from Western Islamic lands to the Eastern parts (Ottoman to the Indian subcontinent), particularly Qur’ānic exegesis in Persian and its reception west of Iran, tafsīr in the Ottoman and Turkish Republic periods, Azerbaijani Qur’ān commentaries, and tafsīr in the Indian subcontinent.

How Climate, Crops, and Health Concerns Are Scripting a Millet Revolution in India

Millets are small grains, normally referred to as “inferior goods” in the classification of goods, under microeconomics. Across South East Asia and Africa, it has been a staple food for ages. In India, since ancient times, millets have been cultivated and consumed but are not as popular as rice and wheat. In April 2018, India declared 2018 as the National Year of Millets. The United Nations General Assembly at its 75th session in March 2021 declared 2023 as the International Year of Millets. India is already among the five largest economies in the world. India is predicted to be the third fastest-growing economy by 2030. As we embark on to 2024, India has to achieve the dream of a $5 trillion economy and ensure self-sufficiency in the production of food grains. Through the rapid pace of innovation and ideation, and by ensuring food availability, India can achieve a higher growth trajectory. The demographic dividend, digital prowess and the renewed focus on “Millets production” will help India to achieve the goals of “Viksit Bharat” by 2047. This article is an attempt to understand that “encouragement to millet production and consumption” can lead to multifarious gains. Hence, to achieve the goals of sustainable development, it is imperative that healthy and cost-effective crops are encouraged.

Life in the woods: Taphonomic evolution of a diverse saproxylic community within fossil woods from Upper Cretaceous submarine mass flow deposits (Mzamba Formation, southeast Africa)

Organisms that colonize wood are subject to a taphonomic tragedy—the richer and more diverse they become, the greater the deterioration of the host wood and the less likely such communities are to be fossilized. Moreover, palaeobotanical studies of fossil wood usually focus on the plant tissue, neglecting the evidence of parasitic, saproxylic, and other contained organisms. Such a case involved a relatively well-known fossil wood assemblage from the Santonian (Late Cretaceous, ca 84 Ma) of southeast Africa. In a set of 150 thin sections of silicified wood stored in the Senckenburg Museum for more than half a century, we discovered evidence of a diverse biotic community comprising bacteria, fungi, nematodes, several types of arthropods, and marine bivalves. These body fossils and traces, together with growth-ring features, fossil log size and shape, and the distribution of glauconite, facilitated interpretation of the multi-stage evolution of a wood-hosted biocoenosis of unprecedented diversity. This record is unique for the Mesozoic and is of importance for understanding the taphonomic pathways to preservation and the evolution and diversification of saproxylic and other wood-hosted communities in terrestrial and marine settings.

Japan’s infrastructure export and development cooperation: the role of ODA loan projects in the 2010s

ABSTRACT Japan formulated its first infrastructure export strategy in 2010. However, the outputs and effects of that strategy and its successive revisions over the preceding decade have not yet been extensively reviewed. Although infrastructure came to the fore of the international agenda over the past decade, existing research has mostly discussed individual infrastructure projects and accompanying signalling, sloganeering, and strategic communications in the geopolitical and geo-economic context. This paper therefore aims to make an empirical and interpretive contribution to existing scholarship by comprehensively reviewing Japan’s infrastructure exports in 2010–19 and elucidating further its oft-disregarded commercial and developmental aspects. To do so, this article focuses on Official Development Assistance (ODA) loan projects, which count among the largest items of Japan’s infrastructure exports. We introduce and analyse a previously unexamined dataset on infrastructure-related ODA loan projects and contract awards, while also showcasing the avoidance of zero-sum-game approaches in Japan’s related strategy. We then discuss whether and how the changes of Japanese infrastructure export strategy affected the performance of Japan’s infrastructure export through the ODA loan projects as well as Japan’s relationship with the recipient countries, especially in the various parts of the Indo-Pacific region, such as Southeast Asia, South Asia, and Africa.

Machine learning prediction of gestational age from metabolic screening markers resistant to ambient temperature transportation: Facilitating use of this technology in low resource settings of South Asia and East Africa.

BackgroundKnowledge of gestational age is critical for guiding preterm neonatal care. In the last decade, metabolic gestational dating approaches emerged in response to a global health need; because in most of the developing world, accurate antenatal gestational age estimates are not feasible. These methods initially developed in North America have now been externally validated in two studies in developing countries, however, require shipment of samples at sub-zero temperature.MethodsA subset of 330 pairs of heel prick dried blood spot samples were shipped on dry ice and in ambient temperature from field sites in Tanzania, Bangladesh and Pakistan to laboratory in Iowa (USA). We evaluated impact on recovery of analytes of shipment temperature, developed and evaluated models for predicting gestational age using a limited set of metabolic screening analytes after excluding 17 analytes that were impacted by shipment conditions of a total of 44 analytes.ResultsWith the machine learning model using all the analytes, samples shipped in dry ice yielded a Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) of 1.19 weeks compared to 1.58 weeks for samples shipped in ambient temperature. Out of the 44 screening analytes, recovery of 17 analytes was significantly different between the two shipment methods and these were excluded from further machine learning model development. The final model, restricted to stable analytes provided a RMSE of 1.24 (95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.10-1.37) weeks for samples shipped on dry ice and RMSE of 1.28 (95% CI = 1.15-1.39) for samples shipped at ambient temperature. Analysis for discriminating preterm births (gestational age <37 weeks), yielded an area under curve (AUC) of 0.76 (95% CI = 0.71-0.81) for samples shipped on dry ice and AUC of 0.73 (95% CI = 0.67-0.78) for samples shipped in ambient temperature.ConclusionsIn this study, we demonstrate that machine learning algorithms developed using a sub-set of newborn screening analytes which are not sensitive to shipment at ambient temperature, can accurately provide estimates of gestational age comparable to those from published regression models from North America using all analytes. If validated in larger samples especially with more newborns <34 weeks, this technology could substantially facilitate implementation in LMICs.

Anti-Gametocyte Antigen Humoral Immunity and Gametocytemia During Treatment of Uncomplicated Falciparum Malaria: A Multi-National Study.

IntroductionUnderstanding the human immune response to Plasmodium falciparum gametocytes and its association with gametocytemia is essential for understanding the transmission of malaria as well as progressing transmission blocking vaccine candidates.MethodsIn a multi-national clinical efficacy trial of artemisinin therapies (13 sites of varying transmission over South-East Asia and Africa), we measured Immunoglobulin G (IgG) responses to recombinant P. falciparum gametocyte antigens expressed on the gametocyte plasma membrane and leading transmission blocking vaccine candidates Pfs230 (Pfs230c and Pfs230D1M) and Pfs48/45 at enrolment in 1,114 participants with clinical falciparum malaria. Mixed effects linear and logistic regression were used to determine the association between gametocyte measures (gametocytemia and gametocyte density) and antibody outcomes at enrolment.ResultsMicroscopy detectable gametocytemia was observed in 11% (127/1,114) of participants at enrolment, and an additional 9% (95/1,114) over the follow-up period (up to day 42) (total 20% of participants [222/1,114]). IgG levels in response to Pfs230c, Pfs48/45 and Pfs230D1M varied across study sites at enrolment (p < 0.001), as did IgG seroprevalence for anti-Pfs230c and D1M IgG (p < 0.001), but not for anti-Pfs48/45 IgG (p = 0.159). In adjusted analyses, microscopy detectable gametocytemia at enrolment was associated with an increase in the odds of IgG seropositivity to the three gametocyte antigens (Pfs230c OR [95% CI], p: 1.70 [1.10, 2.62], 0.017; Pfs48/45: 1.45 [0.85, 2.46], 0.174; Pfs230D1M: 1.70 [1.03, 2.80], 0.037), as was higher gametocyte density at enrolment (per two-fold change in gametocyte density Pfs230c OR [95% CI], p: 1.09 [1.02, 1.17], 0.008; Pfs48/45: 1.05 [0.98, 1.13], 0.185; Pfs230D1M: 1.07 [0.99, 1.14], 0.071).Conclusion Pfs230 and Pfs48/45 antibodies are naturally immunogenic targets associated with patent gametocytemia and increasing gametocyte density across multiple malaria endemic settings, including regions with emerging artemisinin-resistant P. falciparum.

Racism, cricket, and impact on mass psychology.

Racism is not an uncommon phenomenon in sports, with cricket being no exception to it. Cricket is played in many countries, with its dominance in South East Asia, Europe, Australia, and Africa. Racist remarks in cricket hit media headlines and ignite agitations among the cricket fans. This article discusses the psychological impact of racism associated with cricket and possible remedial measures.

Knowledge Transfer in the Global South: Reusing or Creating Knowledge in China’s Special Economic Zones in Ethiopia and Cambodia?

AbstractChinese special economic zones (SEZs) have played a key role in attracting massive foreign investment and in facilitating knowledge and technology transfer to local companies. This explains the mushrooming of Chinese‐led SEZs and industrial parks in parts of Southeast Asia and Africa since the early 2000s, and more recently its prominence in the planning of the economic corridors along the Belt and Road Initiative. Our interest in SEZs derives from the fact that they provide novel grounds to investigate the dynamics of knowledge transfer (KT) in South–South exchanges and the extent to which it diverges from more traditional exchanges. This study undertakes a comparative analysis of KT in the Eastern Industrial Zone (EIZ) in Ethiopia, and the Sihanoukville Special Economic Zone (SSEZ) in Cambodia. The case studies suggest that, although the provision of training by Chinese investors has added value to the labour force, its transformative impact is limited owing to the concentration on explicit KT modalities at lower skills levels and the top–down approach to KT by Chinese companies. These limitations are largely a function of the wide absorptive capacity gap between China and the host countries studied and the absence of more conducive industrial policies.

The THE COUNSELING ABOUT GIVING VITAMIN A TO TODDLERS WITH IMMUNE DISORDERS

Vitamin A supplementation is a National Program to prevent vitamin A deficiency among Indonesian children. This program provides free vitamin A capsules to every baby and toddler who visits the Posyandu and Puskesmas. Infants aged 6-11 months are given once in February or August blue vitamin A capsules with a dose of 100,000 SI, while toddlers aged 12-59 months are given twice a year red capsules with a dose of 200,000. According to WHO, it is estimated that there are 6-7 million new cases of xerophthalmia in children under five each year, approximately 10% of whom suffer from corneal damage. Among those suffering from corneal damage 60% died within one year, while among those who lived 25% 3 million. It is estimated that at any one time as many as 3 million children were blind due to vitamin A deficiency and as many as 20-40 million suffered from a milder degree of vitamin A deficiency. The difference in mortality between children who are deficient and not deficient in vitamin A is approximately 30%. Vitamin A deficiency is estimated to affect millions of children worldwide. Approximately 250,000-500,000 children in developing countries become blind every year due to vitamin A deficiency, with the highest prevalence in Southeast Asia and Africa. Due to the high prevalence of vitamin A deficiency, WHO has implemented several initiatives for vitamin A supplementation in developing countries.

Identification of Leaf Spot and Stem Rot on Plectranthus verticillatus Caused by Rhizoctonia solani AG-4 HGI in China.

Plectranthus verticillatus (Swedish ivy) is a plant in the family Lamiaceae (Labiatae), native to South-east Africa, that is commonly grown as a houseplant in China. In June 2018, the initial symptoms water-soaked spots were found on the stem base of sixteen P. verticillatus plants(1-year-old plants) in a commercial greenhouse, situating at Daxing district, Beijing, China (116°22'E, 39°42'N), where there were 150 potted P. verticillatus plants obtained by cuttage propagation and grown in conventional nutrient soils. Almost amonthlater, the disease was more severe and leaves appeared symptoms. Infected leaves displayed water-soaked, darkbrown lesions and fell off easily. Symptoms on the stems were dark brown, rotted and lodging. In the survey, the incidence of affected plants was 70%. To isolate the causal agent, the infected leaf and stem tissues were cut into 3 mm segments and surface disinfected in 1% NaClO for 1 min, then rinsed three times with sterile distilled water and cultured on potato dextrose agar (PDA) at 25±1 °C with a 12-h photoperiod. After 2 days, hyphal tips were transferred to new PDA plates to obtain pure cultures. Six morphologically similar isolates (CC1 to CC6) were obtained from the symptomatic samples. All the fungal colonies were white initially, turned brown gradually, and formed irregular shaped sclerotia after 9 days of incubation on PDA. Observationofmicrostructures indicated that all the isolates resembled Rhizoctonia sp.(Sneh et al. 1991), including septate hyphal with right-angled branching, a slight constriction at the base of hyphal branches and 3 to 8 nuclei per cell. Total genomic DNA was extracted from pure isolates using a Fungal DNA Kit (GBCBIO, Guangzhou, China) and the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of rDNA was amplified with primers ITS1/ITS4 and sequenced (White et al. 1990 and Garibaldi et al.2019).The results showed that sequences of 6 isolates were identical and had a 100% identity with those of R. solani AG-4 HGI (GenBank accession no. MH172679 and MH172664). The phylogenetic analysis performed by the neighbour-joining method (MEGA 7 software) showed that the representative isolate (accession no. MZ723940) was assigned to group ofR. solaniAG-4 HG-I. The pathogenicity of these six isolates to the leaves and stems of P. verticillatus were conducted. Healthy P. verticillatus plants(1-year-old) were grown in 2-liter pots with sterile substrate in a greenhouse at 14-19°C (night)/23-28°C (day). After 7 days, five P. verticillatus plantsfor each isolate were inoculated with a 6-mm-diameter PDA plug taken from a 10-day-old PDA culture, which was placed onto leaf blade and the base of the stem. Five control pots were inoculated with sterile PDA plugs. All the inoculated plants were incubated in a glass cabinet under 90% humidity and 25°C for 2 days and were then moved back to the greenhouse with natural daylight conditions. The test was repeated three times. Ten days later, all inoculated leaves and stems appeared dark brown and water-soaked lesions similar to those observed on naturally infected plants, whereas control plants remained asymptomatic. The fungus that was reisolated from diseased tissues had the same morphological characters as the original isolates and confirmed to beR. solaniAG-4 HG-I by molecular identification. R. solani AG-4 HGI has an extensive host range, which had previously been recorded to cause leaf, root and stem rot on Plectranthus sp. in Florida in 1984 (Alfieri Jr. et al. 1984). To our knowledge, this is the first report ofR. solani AG-4 HGI infecting P. verticillatus in China. Its confirmation is a significant step toward management recommendations for growers.