Research
International Year of Plant Health (Part 2): How do the trees die?
Dr Trudy Paap explains that "The polyphagous shothole borer (PSHB) is a 2 mm long ambrosia beetle that is native to Southeast Asia."
International Year of Plant Health (Part 3): How much is it costing commercial farmers?
According to Dr Trudy Paap, "Avocado trees are among the most susceptible agricultural crop trees to PHSB infestation and Fusarium disease. This is based on experiences in California and Israel."
International Year of Plant Health (Part 4): What are we doing about it?
“The PSHB as an invasive species is relatively new to science, and has only been studied since the outbreaks in California and Israel in the early 2000s, so there are many unanswered questions about this pest. A better understanding of the beetle, it’s fungal associates, and how they interact in their invaded environment is essential to enhance our ability to manage the problem and reduce its impact,” said Dr Trudy Paap.
SMART CITIES PART 2: Big data for smart cities – challenges and opportunities
Researchers at UP's Faculty of Engineering, Built Environment, and Information Technology are using computer models and diplomacy to bridge gaps between those who hold the data and those who need it, by making it easy for everyone to talk to each other.
SMART CITIES PART 3: Our future depends on smart African cities
Smart cities can be used as vehicles for South Africa and the world to move towards a sustainable, smarter future, free from the threats of food security, climate change and inequality.
SMART CITIES PART 4: How to make a city street-smart
South Africa and the world will need to go a big step further to create smart cities where cars are safer and traffic congestion becomes a thing of the past: road infrastructure needs to “talk” to the vehicles driving on it, says UP's Professor Schalk Els.
Preventing abuse among children with communication disabilities
In order to allow for persons with cognitive and communication disabilities, and particularly those with complex communication needs (CCN) to access the justice system in the event of being victims of crime or abuse, researchers at...
Sensitizing the South African Police Service (SAPS) to the challenges faced by persons with CCN
“It is more likely that persons with disabilities will come into contact with the criminal justice system than members of the general public. This could be as a victim, a witness, a defendant or being suspected of a crime,"...
How universal design principles can help persons with disabilities in court
Research by the Centre for Augmentative and Alternative Communication at the University of Pretoria have made access to justice for persons with complex communication needs (CCN) possible through using principles of universal design.
Giving a voice to persons with disabilities
Researchers at the University of Pretoria’s Centre for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (CAAC) are working to stop the abuse of the human rights of persons with disabilities. The researchers want to help victims with Complex Communication Needs
A way out of the dark world of drugs
When you are unsure if you will survive the week, finding relief in heroin is worth the risks of overdose and arrest. Described by one user as “lying in the arms of your mother and lover at the same time,” heroin is often used as a result of exclusion...
Drug intervention that works and makes you feel human again
COSUP’s intervention and assessment process is based on extensive research conducted both locally and internationally, combined with clinical expertise from the team of UP experts. Its approach is based on a foundation of non-judgemental engagement and...
The successes of COSUP
There is a strong sense of achievement and positivity as you walk through the corridors of Sediba Hope Community Clinic in Bosman street, Tshwane. Interacting with people involved in COSUP makes one realise that most of these young people have not had...
If you want to get rid of drugs in Tshwane stop trying to get rid of drugs
Over the past few years there has been a steady increase in harmful drug use in the city of Tshwane. Doctors, clinical associates and social workers from the University of Pretoria (UP) realised that there is a major shortage of...
UP does everything it can to kill one of the biggest killers in South Africa
Tuberculosis (TB) kills more people every year than HIV/AIDS or any other single infectious agent. This statistic seems criminal considering that if the disease is diagnosed and treated timeously, most patients can be cured. Diagnosis and treatment...
Be part of the Cape Town Hypothesis Test
The smallest floral kingdom in the world is a rather big deal – and it is only found in South Africa. Fynbos, the natural hard-leafed shrubland vegetation located in the Western Cape and Eastern Cape provinces, makes up 80% of plant species in...
The Great Karoo – a refuge for the trapdoor spider
The Karoo stretches 400 000 square kilometres over the provinces of the Eastern, Northern and Western Cape. Its vast, open semi-desert landscapes offer a sense of escapism and nothingness, guaranteeing peace and tranquillity for anyone who visits.
Collaboration leads to breakthroughs in cancer therapy
The Faculty of Health Science’s Department of Nuclear Medicine has entered a collaboration with the European Commission’s science and knowledge service, the Joint Research Centre (JRC), to develop a new breakthrough treatment for cancer...
Finding simple ways to maximise the strength of your bones
eedless to say, without bones in our bodies, we would not be able to survive. Bones provide support, give bodies shape, provide protection to other systems and organs, provide attachments for muscles, and contain the bone marrow where blood...
Literacy in SA surveyed in all 11 official languages
Researchers from the Centre for Evaluation & Assessment (CEA) at the University of Pretoria have completed the South African portion of the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) to assess the state of numeracy and literacy levels...