Publications by authors named "M J Banda"
Coal fly ash (CFA) is a predominant waste by-product of coal combustion which is disposed of in open ash dams that utilize large pieces of land. This waste material is classified as a hazardous substance in South Africa as well as in other countries due to its fine particles that are easily blown to the atmosphere and the unacceptable levels of heavy metals and persistent organic pollutants. Contaminants in CFA can pollute surface and ground water, agricultural sites, soil and therefore pose risks to the health of humans and the environment.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe disposal of coal fly ash (CFA) generated from coal-fired power stations has serious impact on the ecosystem, by converting large pieces of land to barren ash dams with the potential to contaminate groundwater, surface water, air and soil. The aim of this study was to clarify the potential of phytoremediation using (Thunb.) Less.
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- The control of African trypanosomiasis (AT) in Eastern and Southern Africa, particularly Zambia, is complicated due to the presence of wild and domestic animal reservoirs, especially free-roaming dogs that can contract and transmit the disease.
- A study involving 162 dogs in Zambia's Mambwe district found a high prevalence of trypanosome infections, with 74.7% testing positive for antibodies and 70.9% showing DNA evidence of infection from various trypanosome species, including human-infective strains.
- The findings highlight the significant role of domesticated dogs as reservoirs for AT, indicating that control efforts should expand beyond livestock to include these dogs to more effectively combat the disease in endemic areas.
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- The study aimed to estimate the prevalence of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and compare pregnancy outcomes based on different treatment methods in a teaching hospital in Telangana.
- It involved a prospective analysis of GDM cases diagnosed using specific criteria, categorizing women into four groups based on treatment: diet, metformin, metformin plus insulin, and insulin alone.
- Results indicated that metformin and dietary management achieved better glycaemic control and had fewer complications compared to insulin treatment, suggesting metformin as a viable, cost-effective alternative for managing GDM.
In the last few decades, the field of ancient DNA has taken a new direction towards using sedimentary ancient DNA (sedaDNA) for studying human and mammalian population dynamics as well as past ecosystems. However, the screening of numerous sediment samples from archaeological sites remains a time-consuming and costly endeavor, particularly when targeting hominin DNA. Here, we present a novel high-throughput method that facilitates the fast and efficient analysis of sediment samples by applying a pooled testing approach.
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