environmental factors

Clothed pig carcasses are revealing the secrets of mummification – South African study provides insights for forensic scientists

Establishing time-since-death is key in forensic investigations. gorodenkoff By Kara Adams, University of Cape Town and Victoria Gibbon, University of Cape Town It was the kind of task any competent seamstress has completed hundreds of times before: altering denim jeans and jerseys. But there was something different about this piece of work. Though our team of scientists were paying for it, we weren’t her ultimate customers – […]

27 May, 2024 13

Lifestyle

Dehydration: how it happens, what to watch out for, what steps to take

By Anastasia Ugwuanyi, University of the Witwatersrand Dehydration is a big issue during unusually hot weather and outbreaks of diseases such as cholera that lead to life-threatening diarrhoea. Anastasia Ugwuanyi is a family physician and clinical educator at the University of the Witwatersrand. We asked her four questions designed to be useful in avoiding or managing dehydration. What causes dehydration? Dehydration can be defined as loss […]

22 March, 2024 26

Africa

Cocoa beans are in short supply: what this means for farmers, businesses and chocolate lovers

By Michael E Odijie, UCL A shortage of cocoa beans has led to a near shutdown of processing plants in Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana, the two countries responsible for 60% of global production. With chocolate makers around the world reliant on west Africa for cocoa, there is significant concern about the impact on the prices of chocolate and the livelihood of farmers. Cocoa researcher Michael Odijie explains […]

20 March, 2024 17