Knowledge of the dynamics vegetation phenology is essential for understanding vegetation-climate interactions. Although interest in study growing, Africa received far less attention compared to Northern Hemisphere. straddles northern and southern hemispheres, climate has a clear latitudinal gradient, which facilitates interaction between climate. In this study, longitudinal gradients temporal t...

We present a study of the seasonal and interannual variations of the export pathways of pollution from Europe for eleven years, 1987-1997, using the GEOS-CHEM model of 3-d trace gas/aerosol chemistry and transport. The dominant export pathways in winter are advection to i. the middle and high latitudes of the North Atlantic Ocean, including the European Arctic; ii. Russia and the Russian Arctic...

Six of the seven serotypes of foot and mouth disease (FMD) virus (i.e. all but Asia 1) are prevalent in Africa although there are marked regional differences in distribution. Three of these serotypes are unique to Africa, namely the three South African Territories (SAT) serotypes. Serotype C may also now be confined to Africa because it has not been reported elsewhere recently. In southern Afri...

The ancestors of present-day man (Homo sapiens sapiens) appeared in East Africa some three and a half million years ago (Australopithecs), and then migrated to Europe, Asia, and later to the Americas, thus beginning the differentiation process. The passage from nomadic to sedentary life took place in the Middle East in around 8000 BC. Wars, spontaneous migrations and forced migrations (slave tr...

The Multilateral Initiative on Malaria (MIM) started in 1997 with the aim of giving African scientists an equal voice with Northern scientists in making decisions about malaria research in Africa. Is there a need for MIM today with the large increase in funding for malaria research from governments and foundations? I conclude that MIM is still needed today to support African scientists' investi...

The Karoo Array Telescope (KAT) will be a “1% demonstrator” for the SKA, located in a radio quiet reserve in the Karoo region of the Northern Cape province of South Africa. Besides developing technologies for the SKA project, the KAT will perform wide-field surveys that will be precursors to the eventual SKA products. The nominal specification for the KAT are listed, and the proposed science th...

year. Other than continued replenishment of aquifers in the southeast, Australia reversed course from 2010, becoming wetter in the west and dryer in the northeast. Drought in equatorial Africa and recovery from drought in the Indochinese peninsula also stand out. Aquifers in central California (Famiglietti et al. 2011) and northern India (Rodell et al. 2009; Tiwari et al. 2009), which are stres...

Here, we announce the first complete genome sequence of a field isolate of a peste des petits ruminants virus (PPRV) from northern Africa. This isolate is derived from an Alpine goat that suffered from severe clinical disease during the 2008 outbreak in Morocco. The full genome sequence of this isolate clusters phylogenetically with the lineage IV isolates of PPRV, sharing high levels of sequen...

This Essay will argue that any transitional mechanism must be by its nature and temporal historical location a politically contested instrument. This can have differing political and social impacts, and impact on the human rights culture in the society in question. Based on the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission (”TRC”) experience, two rights-based issues – namely, human rights a...

place in areas once dominated by the Soviet Union. Germany has been reunited, the Baltic states have reappeared, and numerous new nations, most without any independent existence in the modern era, have been established. In Yugoslavia, a bloody war has carved states out of a multiethnic nation. Similar changes are occurring around the world. Palestinians are negotiating with Israel for an autono...