African swine fever decimates Philippine pig stocks
African swine fever (ASF) sweeping through the Philippines has wiped out over a third of the country's pig stocks, threatening food security in a country already reeling from the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic......»»
African researchers are ready to share more work openly—now policy must make it possible
Librarians are the curators of creativity. They collect success stories and share it with the world. Traditionally, the success was from published authors, which libraries shared with the local community. More recently, the model has been flipped: li.....»»
South Africa"s largest rhino farm puts itself up for sale
The owner of a huge South African rhino conservation farm, the world's largest, said Monday that it would be sold at auction in April because it could no longer afford to breed the endangered animals......»»
500-year-old horn container discovered in South Africa sheds light on pre-colonial Khoisan medicines
In 2020, a chance discovery near the small South African hamlet of Misgund in the Eastern Cape unearthed an unusual parcel—a gift to science. The parcel turned out to be a 500-year-old cow horn, capped with a leather lid and carefully wrapped in gr.....»»
Human test subjects may no longer be needed for mosquito bite trials, thanks to invention of new biomaterial
Mosquitoes: the world's deadliest animal. These tiny flying insects are vectors for dengue fever, yellow fever, Zika, malaria, and many other illnesses that affect millions of people around the world, with a significant morbidity and mortality burden.....»»
AI is about to make Google Translate a whole lot smarter
AI fever is everywhere as Google upgrades its Translate app on the iPhone and Android with new AI-powered tools......»»
Investors also suffer in unregulated competition for freely available resources, study finds
Without regulations for their use, the condition of freely accessible resources such as fish stocks, water or air can deteriorate dramatically. In economics, this is referred to as the "Tragedy of the Commons." In 2009, Elinor Ostrom became the first.....»»
Study finds public opinion on ivory in China shifts over two decades
When the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, or CITES, allowed a one-off chance for China to bid on a 108-ton stockpile of ivory amassed from natural African elephant deaths and culling in 2008, many conse.....»»
Probing researchers strike gold to stop the trots in pigs
Gold nanorod probes combined with an optical microscope can now be used to detect signs of a highly contagious and lethal virus that poses a major threat to the swine industry worldwide......»»
Researchers have determined what African elephants can hear
With an electrode adhered to one fan-shaped ear, another on the back of the neck and a ground wire at its hip, an African elephant munches on a snack as it is presented with a sound, over and over again. A team of University of Cincinnati researchers.....»»
Quails could be the unknown reservoir of Tuscany and Sicilian viruses
Quails could be the unknown reservoir of the Toscana virus (TOSV) and the Sandfly Fever Sicilian virus (SFSV), mosquito-borne pathogens that can infect domestic animals and also cause disease in humans. This conclusion is drawn from a study published.....»»
Estimating organic carbon stocks of mineral soils in Denmark: Impact of bulk density and content of rock fragments
Soil can store carbon. Therefore, there is also an increasing focus on soil organic carbon content and how to either increase or maintain it. This is because soil can also lose carbon in the form of climate gases from microbial decomposition, in whic.....»»
How a novel class of sulfonamides potently blocks malaria transmission
Malaria is a devastating disease, with 247 million cases and 619,000 deaths reported in 2021 alone. Malaria causes fever and a flu-like illness that occurs when people are infected with the parasite Plasmodium falciparum, which is spread by mosquitoe.....»»
It"ll take 150 years to map Africa"s biodiversity at the current rate, say researchers
The African continent is bursting with biodiversity. In a 2016 report, the United Nations Environment Program wrote: "Africa's biomes extend from mangroves to deserts, from Mediterranean to tropical forests, from temperate to sub-tropical and montane.....»»
China still wants to control Big Tech. It"s just pulling different strings
Investors have raced back into Chinese tech stocks this year, encouraged by an apparent truce in a two-year battle between some of the country's most powerful regulators and its biggest internet companies......»»
Africa has a major new carbon market initiative: What you need to know
Climate finance for the African continent got a boost at the 2022 United Nations Climate Conference (COP27), with the launch of the African Carbon Markets Initiative. This aims to make climate finance available for African countries, expand access to.....»»
Tim Cook held all his Apple stock in 2022, as other execs sold
A number of Apple executives sold more of their stocks in the company in 2022 than the year before, but Tim Cook didn't sell any.Recently, Cook notably asked for his overall salary to effectively have a 40% cut. Now it's been revealed that he also ha.....»»
At least half of Africa"s rhinos are now in private hands. New paths for rhino conservation are needed, say scientists
African rhino numbers are declining at unsustainable rates in core state-run parks which is why more than half the continent's remaining rhinos are now on private land......»»
Farming in South Africa: 6 things that need urgent attention in 2023
South Africa's agriculture remains an important sector of the economy and holds great potential to reduce poverty. It's also central to the political economy of the country, as evident in the governing African National Congress's (ANC) recent policy.....»»
Spotted hyenas all sound different when they call—they can tell friend from foe
On quiet nights across large swaths of the African bush, you may hear a series of whooping calls in the distance. This unique sound is the long-distance vocalization used by spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta) to communicate with each other......»»
Is worst of new-vehicle inventory shortage in rearview mirror?
Inventory levels rose sharply in December and crested 1.8 million for the first time since May 2021, according to Cox Automotive. While still constrained, a slower selling rate has helped dealership stocks return to something closer to normal levels,.....»»