'We throw away our books': Students’ reading practices and identities
- O'Shea, Cathy, McKenna, Sioux, Thomson, Carol I
- Authors: O'Shea, Cathy , McKenna, Sioux , Thomson, Carol I
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/187128 , vital:44570 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.linged.2018.11.001"
- Description: The aim of this research was to understand university students’ self-reported reading practices. The students attended the University of Fort Hare in South Africa, a historically black institution in a rural and under-resourced setting. A framework of New Literacy Studies (NLS) was used to understand students’ self-reported reading practices and the links between these and their identities. Tools provided by Gee, 2005, Gee, 2011 were applied to conduct a CDA of focus group discussions. In the ‘We Blacks’ Discourse, interviewees ‘othered’ the idea of reading as not being culturally valued. It was closely allied to the ‘Resistance to Reading’ Discourse, as participants explained that they tended to disregard books and did not enjoy leisure reading. The ‘Better Than Us’ discourse was drawn upon to suggest that reading was associated with attitudes of superiority. These discourses tended to homogenise class and other differences between black students and indicated the ways in which their experiences made adopting academic identities difficult. The analysis suggests that the racism of the past continues to impact students’ reading identities. The article concludes that the effects of these and related discourses require a response across the education sector, and transformative pedagogies might be needed in higher education.
- Full Text:
- Authors: O'Shea, Cathy , McKenna, Sioux , Thomson, Carol I
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/187128 , vital:44570 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.linged.2018.11.001"
- Description: The aim of this research was to understand university students’ self-reported reading practices. The students attended the University of Fort Hare in South Africa, a historically black institution in a rural and under-resourced setting. A framework of New Literacy Studies (NLS) was used to understand students’ self-reported reading practices and the links between these and their identities. Tools provided by Gee, 2005, Gee, 2011 were applied to conduct a CDA of focus group discussions. In the ‘We Blacks’ Discourse, interviewees ‘othered’ the idea of reading as not being culturally valued. It was closely allied to the ‘Resistance to Reading’ Discourse, as participants explained that they tended to disregard books and did not enjoy leisure reading. The ‘Better Than Us’ discourse was drawn upon to suggest that reading was associated with attitudes of superiority. These discourses tended to homogenise class and other differences between black students and indicated the ways in which their experiences made adopting academic identities difficult. The analysis suggests that the racism of the past continues to impact students’ reading identities. The article concludes that the effects of these and related discourses require a response across the education sector, and transformative pedagogies might be needed in higher education.
- Full Text:
31° South: the physiology of adaptation to arid conditions in a passerine bird.
- Ribeiro, Ângela M, Puetz, Lara, Pattinson, Nicholas B, Dalén, Love, Deng, Yuan, Zhang, Guojie, da Fonseca, Rute R, Smit, Ben, Gilbert, M. Thomas P
- Authors: Ribeiro, Ângela M , Puetz, Lara , Pattinson, Nicholas B , Dalén, Love , Deng, Yuan , Zhang, Guojie , da Fonseca, Rute R , Smit, Ben , Gilbert, M. Thomas P
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/441508 , vital:73894 , https://doi.org/10.1111/mec.15176
- Description: Arid environments provide ideal ground for investigating the mechanisms of adaptive evolution. High temperatures and low water availability are relentless stressors for many endotherms, including birds; yet birds persist in deserts. While physiological adaptation probably involves metabolic phenotypes, the underlying mechanisms (plasticity, genetics) are largely uncharacterized. To explore this, we took an intraspecific approach that focused on a species that is resident over a mesic to arid gradient, the Karoo scrub‐robin (Cercotrichas coryphaeus). Specifically, we integrated environmental (climatic and primary productivity), physiological (metabolic rates: a measure of energy expenditure), genotypic (genetic variation underlying the machinery of energy production) and microbiome (involved in processing food from where energy is retrieved) data, to infer the mechanism of physiological adaptation. We that found the variation in energetic physiology phenotypes and gut microbiome composition are associated with environmental features as well as with variation in genes underlying energy metabolic pathways. Specifically, we identified a small list of candidate adaptive genes, some of them with known ties to relevant physiology phenotypes. Together our results suggest that selective pressures on energetic physiology mediated by genes related to energy homeostasis and possibly microbiota composition may facilitate adaptation to local conditions and provide an explanation to the high avian intraspecific divergence observed in harsh environments.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Ribeiro, Ângela M , Puetz, Lara , Pattinson, Nicholas B , Dalén, Love , Deng, Yuan , Zhang, Guojie , da Fonseca, Rute R , Smit, Ben , Gilbert, M. Thomas P
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/441508 , vital:73894 , https://doi.org/10.1111/mec.15176
- Description: Arid environments provide ideal ground for investigating the mechanisms of adaptive evolution. High temperatures and low water availability are relentless stressors for many endotherms, including birds; yet birds persist in deserts. While physiological adaptation probably involves metabolic phenotypes, the underlying mechanisms (plasticity, genetics) are largely uncharacterized. To explore this, we took an intraspecific approach that focused on a species that is resident over a mesic to arid gradient, the Karoo scrub‐robin (Cercotrichas coryphaeus). Specifically, we integrated environmental (climatic and primary productivity), physiological (metabolic rates: a measure of energy expenditure), genotypic (genetic variation underlying the machinery of energy production) and microbiome (involved in processing food from where energy is retrieved) data, to infer the mechanism of physiological adaptation. We that found the variation in energetic physiology phenotypes and gut microbiome composition are associated with environmental features as well as with variation in genes underlying energy metabolic pathways. Specifically, we identified a small list of candidate adaptive genes, some of them with known ties to relevant physiology phenotypes. Together our results suggest that selective pressures on energetic physiology mediated by genes related to energy homeostasis and possibly microbiota composition may facilitate adaptation to local conditions and provide an explanation to the high avian intraspecific divergence observed in harsh environments.
- Full Text:
A 3, 5-DistyrylBODIPY Dye Functionalized with Boronic Acid Groups for Direct Electrochemical Glucose Sensing
- Ndebele, Nobuhle, Mack, John, Nyokong, Tebello
- Authors: Ndebele, Nobuhle , Mack, John , Nyokong, Tebello
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/187556 , vital:44671 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1002/elan.201800651"
- Description: The synthesis and characterization of a novel BODIPY dye functionalized with bis-boronic acid groups to enable direct glucose sensing through selective recognition of carbohydrates is reported. Styrylation with boronic acid groups at the 3,5-positions of the BODIPY core results in an extension of the π-conjugation system of the dye and in a red-shift of the main absorption band from 500 to 637 nm. The functionalized BODIPY dye was adsorbed on a glassy carbon electrode using the drop and dry method. Modified and bare electrodes were characterized using cyclic voltammetry and scanning electrochemical microscopy, while glucose detection was carried out by using differential pulse voltammetry and chronoamperometry. The detection limit was determined to be 1.42 μM. The dye was found to be selective and sensitive towards glucose, since likely interferences have only minor effects on the glucose detection.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Ndebele, Nobuhle , Mack, John , Nyokong, Tebello
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/187556 , vital:44671 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1002/elan.201800651"
- Description: The synthesis and characterization of a novel BODIPY dye functionalized with bis-boronic acid groups to enable direct glucose sensing through selective recognition of carbohydrates is reported. Styrylation with boronic acid groups at the 3,5-positions of the BODIPY core results in an extension of the π-conjugation system of the dye and in a red-shift of the main absorption band from 500 to 637 nm. The functionalized BODIPY dye was adsorbed on a glassy carbon electrode using the drop and dry method. Modified and bare electrodes were characterized using cyclic voltammetry and scanning electrochemical microscopy, while glucose detection was carried out by using differential pulse voltammetry and chronoamperometry. The detection limit was determined to be 1.42 μM. The dye was found to be selective and sensitive towards glucose, since likely interferences have only minor effects on the glucose detection.
- Full Text:
A Century of South African Theatre
- Authors: Krueger, Anton
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/229623 , vital:49694 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1080/10137548.2020.1716515"
- Description: In many ways, this is an updated repackaging of Loren Kruger's seminal work of 20 years ago, Plays, Pageants and the Drama of South Africa (1999). The material has been extensively revised and reworked using similar categories as the first book, including: pageantry and representations of nationhood, neo-colonial theatre, urbanization and its consequences; the rise of Afrikaans theatre; theatres of resistance; black consciousness; and contemporary theatre. Some of these sections have been extended (such as a longer discussion of HIE Dhlomo) and there is also a completely new section which has not been published elsewhere on current theatre trends (cleverly titled “The Constitution of South African Theatre at the Present Time”).
- Full Text:
- Authors: Krueger, Anton
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/229623 , vital:49694 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1080/10137548.2020.1716515"
- Description: In many ways, this is an updated repackaging of Loren Kruger's seminal work of 20 years ago, Plays, Pageants and the Drama of South Africa (1999). The material has been extensively revised and reworked using similar categories as the first book, including: pageantry and representations of nationhood, neo-colonial theatre, urbanization and its consequences; the rise of Afrikaans theatre; theatres of resistance; black consciousness; and contemporary theatre. Some of these sections have been extended (such as a longer discussion of HIE Dhlomo) and there is also a completely new section which has not been published elsewhere on current theatre trends (cleverly titled “The Constitution of South African Theatre at the Present Time”).
- Full Text:
A comparative study of the singlet oxygen generation capability of a zinc phthalocyanine linked to graphene quantum dots through π-π stacking and covalent conjugation when embedded in asymmetric polymer membranes
- Mafukidze, Donovan M, Nyokong, Tebello
- Authors: Mafukidze, Donovan M , Nyokong, Tebello
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/187461 , vital:44655 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molstruc.2018.11.096"
- Description: Following the establishment of graphene quantum dots as potential phthalocyanine supports in photoactive membrane preparation for phthalocyanines lacking linkage functional groups, the practical efficiency of p-p stacking versus covalent linkage was investigated. Synthesized materials were characterized using FT-IR, Raman, powder X-ray diffraction, and UVeVis spectroscopies and also by transmission electron and scanning electron microscopies. Phthalocyanine loadings onto graphene quantum dots of 0.40 mg/mg and 0.14 mg/mg (Pc mass/conjugate mass) for the p-p stacked and covalent linked conjugates respectively were observed. Covalent linkage to graphene quantum dots proved to be functionally superior to p-p linkage, where singlet oxygen quantum yield value of the phthalocyanine in the membrane for the covalent linked conjugate was approximately twice that of the p-p stacked membrane.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Mafukidze, Donovan M , Nyokong, Tebello
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/187461 , vital:44655 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molstruc.2018.11.096"
- Description: Following the establishment of graphene quantum dots as potential phthalocyanine supports in photoactive membrane preparation for phthalocyanines lacking linkage functional groups, the practical efficiency of p-p stacking versus covalent linkage was investigated. Synthesized materials were characterized using FT-IR, Raman, powder X-ray diffraction, and UVeVis spectroscopies and also by transmission electron and scanning electron microscopies. Phthalocyanine loadings onto graphene quantum dots of 0.40 mg/mg and 0.14 mg/mg (Pc mass/conjugate mass) for the p-p stacked and covalent linked conjugates respectively were observed. Covalent linkage to graphene quantum dots proved to be functionally superior to p-p linkage, where singlet oxygen quantum yield value of the phthalocyanine in the membrane for the covalent linked conjugate was approximately twice that of the p-p stacked membrane.
- Full Text:
A Genealogy of Puberty Science: Monsters, Abnormals, and Everyone Else
- Pinto, Pedro, Macleod, Catriona I
- Authors: Pinto, Pedro , Macleod, Catriona I
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , book
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/434065 , vital:73029 , ISBN 9781315142098 , https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315142098
- Description: A Genealogy of Puberty Science explores the modern invention of puberty as a scientific object. Drawing on Foucault’s genealogical analytic, Pinto and Macleod trace the birth of puberty science in the early 1800s and follow its expansion and shifting discursive frameworks over the course of two centuries. Offering a critical inquiry into the epistemological and political roots of our present pubertal complex, this book breaks the almost complete silence concerning puberty in critical theories and research about childhood and adolescence. Most strikingly, the book highlights the failure of ongoing medical debates on early puberty to address young people’s sexual and reproductive embodiment and citizenships. A Genealogy of Puberty Science will be of great interest to academics, researchers and postgraduate students in the fields of child and adolescent health research, critical psychology, developmental psychology, health psychology, feminist and gender studies, medical history, science and technology studies, and sexualities and reproduction studies.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Pinto, Pedro , Macleod, Catriona I
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , book
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/434065 , vital:73029 , ISBN 9781315142098 , https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315142098
- Description: A Genealogy of Puberty Science explores the modern invention of puberty as a scientific object. Drawing on Foucault’s genealogical analytic, Pinto and Macleod trace the birth of puberty science in the early 1800s and follow its expansion and shifting discursive frameworks over the course of two centuries. Offering a critical inquiry into the epistemological and political roots of our present pubertal complex, this book breaks the almost complete silence concerning puberty in critical theories and research about childhood and adolescence. Most strikingly, the book highlights the failure of ongoing medical debates on early puberty to address young people’s sexual and reproductive embodiment and citizenships. A Genealogy of Puberty Science will be of great interest to academics, researchers and postgraduate students in the fields of child and adolescent health research, critical psychology, developmental psychology, health psychology, feminist and gender studies, medical history, science and technology studies, and sexualities and reproduction studies.
- Full Text:
A novel axially palladium (II)-Schiff base complex substituted silicon (IV) phthalocyanine
- Sen, Pinar, Nyokong, Tebello
- Authors: Sen, Pinar , Nyokong, Tebello
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/186813 , vital:44536 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.poly.2019.114135"
- Description: In this study, a novel silicon(IV) phthalocyanine is reported for the first time as a phthalocyanine derivative bearing axially a palladium(II)-Schiff base complex. The photophysical and photochemical properties of the new Si(IV)Pc, such as absorption, fluorescence, singlet oxygen quantum yields, triplet state quantum yields and exited state lifetimes were measured in DMSO. The new silicon phthalocyanine displayed very low fluorescence, showing efficient intersystem crossing resulting in high triplet and high singlet oxygen quantum yields in DMSO. When compared with the unsubstituted SiPcCl2, the singlet oxygen quantum yield value (UD = 0.47) in relation to the triplet quantum yield (UT = 0.82), which is an important determinant for PDT applications, increased. The photodynamic antimicrobial chemotherapy activity (PACT) of new Si(IV)Pc towards Staphylococcus aureus was determined in comparison to the unsubstituted SiPcCl2. The results of the photodynamic antimicrobial effect study demonstrated that the Pd(II) complex substituted SiPc (5) possesses excellent photodynamic activity with a reduction percentage value of 99.94% and a log red value of 3.26.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Sen, Pinar , Nyokong, Tebello
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/186813 , vital:44536 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.poly.2019.114135"
- Description: In this study, a novel silicon(IV) phthalocyanine is reported for the first time as a phthalocyanine derivative bearing axially a palladium(II)-Schiff base complex. The photophysical and photochemical properties of the new Si(IV)Pc, such as absorption, fluorescence, singlet oxygen quantum yields, triplet state quantum yields and exited state lifetimes were measured in DMSO. The new silicon phthalocyanine displayed very low fluorescence, showing efficient intersystem crossing resulting in high triplet and high singlet oxygen quantum yields in DMSO. When compared with the unsubstituted SiPcCl2, the singlet oxygen quantum yield value (UD = 0.47) in relation to the triplet quantum yield (UT = 0.82), which is an important determinant for PDT applications, increased. The photodynamic antimicrobial chemotherapy activity (PACT) of new Si(IV)Pc towards Staphylococcus aureus was determined in comparison to the unsubstituted SiPcCl2. The results of the photodynamic antimicrobial effect study demonstrated that the Pd(II) complex substituted SiPc (5) possesses excellent photodynamic activity with a reduction percentage value of 99.94% and a log red value of 3.26.
- Full Text:
A return to common-sense: why ecology needs transcendental realism
- Authors: Price, Leigh
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/390324 , vital:68538 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1080/14767430.2019.1580178"
- Description: Empirical realist ecologists, such as C. S. Holling, face significant methodological contradictions; for instance, they must cope with the problem that ecological models and theories of climate change, resilience and succession cannot make predictions in open systems. Generally, they respond to this problem by supplementing their empirical realism with transcendental idealism: they therefore say that their models are simply metaphorical or heuristic, that is, 'not true' in that they are not empirical. Thus, they explicitly deny an ontology for what their models are about. Nevertheless, in their practice, ecologists act as if their theories do have an ontology and thus tell us something truthful about the real world. This discrepancy leaves ecology vulnerable to unnecessary critique, such as that climate science is not real science. Transcendental realism offers a solution because it releases ecologists from the requirement to make predictions; but it does so without denying ontology. This provides several advantages to ecologists.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Price, Leigh
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/390324 , vital:68538 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1080/14767430.2019.1580178"
- Description: Empirical realist ecologists, such as C. S. Holling, face significant methodological contradictions; for instance, they must cope with the problem that ecological models and theories of climate change, resilience and succession cannot make predictions in open systems. Generally, they respond to this problem by supplementing their empirical realism with transcendental idealism: they therefore say that their models are simply metaphorical or heuristic, that is, 'not true' in that they are not empirical. Thus, they explicitly deny an ontology for what their models are about. Nevertheless, in their practice, ecologists act as if their theories do have an ontology and thus tell us something truthful about the real world. This discrepancy leaves ecology vulnerable to unnecessary critique, such as that climate science is not real science. Transcendental realism offers a solution because it releases ecologists from the requirement to make predictions; but it does so without denying ontology. This provides several advantages to ecologists.
- Full Text:
A spatio-temporal, landscape perspective on Acacia dealbata invasions and broader land use and cover changes in the northern Eastern Cape, South Africa
- Gouws, Aidan J, Prof.Shackleton, Charlie M
- Authors: Gouws, Aidan J , Prof.Shackleton, Charlie M
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/179670 , vital:43156 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-019-7204-y"
- Description: Biological invasions and human land use both have the potential to drastically alter the patterns and processes of landscapes, driving habitat fragmentation and altering natural disturbance regimes. The proliferation of an invasive species depends on composition and configuration of the landscape, as well as the invasiveness of the species. To effectively manage a highly invasive species, such as Acacia dealbata, it is crucial to understand the historical progression of the invasion within the landscape. This study sought to examine the landscape dynamics of biological invasions by tracking the historical spread of A. dealbata and broader land use/land cover (LULC) changes at different spatiotemporal scales in the northern Eastern Cape. A timeseries of aerial photographs were systematically classified according to designated A. dealbata and LULC categories in ArcGIS to track the changes in the extent and rate of spread of A. dealbata. Markedly dynamic, multi-directional, and spatio-temporally variable LULC transitions were observed across the northern Eastern Cape over the last six decades. A. dealbata frequently retained a high proportion of cover over time, and despite the loss of cover to other LULC classes, a net increase in A. dealbata cover occurred as it spread at an overall annual rate of 0.11–0.21%, occupying approximately 8–18% of land cover across all sampled sites by 2013.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Gouws, Aidan J , Prof.Shackleton, Charlie M
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/179670 , vital:43156 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-019-7204-y"
- Description: Biological invasions and human land use both have the potential to drastically alter the patterns and processes of landscapes, driving habitat fragmentation and altering natural disturbance regimes. The proliferation of an invasive species depends on composition and configuration of the landscape, as well as the invasiveness of the species. To effectively manage a highly invasive species, such as Acacia dealbata, it is crucial to understand the historical progression of the invasion within the landscape. This study sought to examine the landscape dynamics of biological invasions by tracking the historical spread of A. dealbata and broader land use/land cover (LULC) changes at different spatiotemporal scales in the northern Eastern Cape. A timeseries of aerial photographs were systematically classified according to designated A. dealbata and LULC categories in ArcGIS to track the changes in the extent and rate of spread of A. dealbata. Markedly dynamic, multi-directional, and spatio-temporally variable LULC transitions were observed across the northern Eastern Cape over the last six decades. A. dealbata frequently retained a high proportion of cover over time, and despite the loss of cover to other LULC classes, a net increase in A. dealbata cover occurred as it spread at an overall annual rate of 0.11–0.21%, occupying approximately 8–18% of land cover across all sampled sites by 2013.
- Full Text:
Abundance and correlates of the Acacia dealbata invasion in the northern Eastern Cape, South Africa
- Gouws, Aidan J, Shackleton, Charlie M
- Authors: Gouws, Aidan J , Shackleton, Charlie M
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/179735 , vital:43165 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2018.09.048"
- Description: An increase in the density and biomass of woody invasive plants contributes to the intensification of ecological impacts and can often be met with dissatisfaction by local communities. Despite their reliance on Acacia dealbata as a source of livelihood, villagers in the northern Eastern Cape have expressed concerns about the high densities of the species. This study sought to quantify the current abundance and growth of A. dealbata in selected landscapes in the northern Eastern Cape, around nine villages in rural Matatiele, Mount Fletcher and Maclear. Standard vegetation survey techniques were adopted to quantify the density, biomass and growth rate of A. dealbata. Overall, the average density, biomass and productivity of A. dealbata were estimated at approximately 7000 stems ha−1, 12 Mg ha−1 and 4 Mg ha−1 year−1, respectively. However, the abundance and productivity of A. dealbata were spatially variable between study areas. Acacia dealbata stems experienced significant growth over the period of a single year, contributing to substantial biomass production at the landscape level, despite continued harvest. Furthermore, relatively few biophysical variables were significantly influential correlates with the abundance of A. dealbata. Indeed, the degree of biological invasion can be highly variable across the landscape, shaped by the interaction of local-scale biophysical conditions.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Gouws, Aidan J , Shackleton, Charlie M
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/179735 , vital:43165 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2018.09.048"
- Description: An increase in the density and biomass of woody invasive plants contributes to the intensification of ecological impacts and can often be met with dissatisfaction by local communities. Despite their reliance on Acacia dealbata as a source of livelihood, villagers in the northern Eastern Cape have expressed concerns about the high densities of the species. This study sought to quantify the current abundance and growth of A. dealbata in selected landscapes in the northern Eastern Cape, around nine villages in rural Matatiele, Mount Fletcher and Maclear. Standard vegetation survey techniques were adopted to quantify the density, biomass and growth rate of A. dealbata. Overall, the average density, biomass and productivity of A. dealbata were estimated at approximately 7000 stems ha−1, 12 Mg ha−1 and 4 Mg ha−1 year−1, respectively. However, the abundance and productivity of A. dealbata were spatially variable between study areas. Acacia dealbata stems experienced significant growth over the period of a single year, contributing to substantial biomass production at the landscape level, despite continued harvest. Furthermore, relatively few biophysical variables were significantly influential correlates with the abundance of A. dealbata. Indeed, the degree of biological invasion can be highly variable across the landscape, shaped by the interaction of local-scale biophysical conditions.
- Full Text:
Academic discourse: An inter-disciplinary dialogue
- Martin, J R, Maton, Karl, Doran, Y JR
- Authors: Martin, J R , Maton, Karl , Doran, Y JR
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , book chapter
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/445880 , vital:74439 , ISBN 9780429280726 , https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9780429280726-1/academic-discourse-martin-karl-maton-doran
- Description: This volume has been designed to showcase the cutting-edge of the ever-growing dialogue between systemic functional linguistics (SFL) and Legitimation Code Theory (LCT) and the insights into academic discourse this brings. This opening chapter reviews the foundations of this dialogue and positions the work presented throughout the book within this context. First it steps through the development of SFL work in education, focusing on the register-variable field and how it has been impinged upon by successive developments in Bernstein’s code theory and subsequently LCT. It then introduces how LCT extends and integrates Bernstein’s work to embrace a greater range of phenomena within a more systematic framework. It does this by introducing the dimensions of Specialization and Semantics, and showing the insights these conceptual tools can bring to academic knowledge and academic discourse. Finally, it introduces the chapters that make up the volume and positions them in relation to the ways the LCT–SFL dialogue has driven their understandings. This opening chapter lays the foundations for what is to follow and gives a flavour of energy and explanatory power this dialogue generates.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Martin, J R , Maton, Karl , Doran, Y JR
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , book chapter
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/445880 , vital:74439 , ISBN 9780429280726 , https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9780429280726-1/academic-discourse-martin-karl-maton-doran
- Description: This volume has been designed to showcase the cutting-edge of the ever-growing dialogue between systemic functional linguistics (SFL) and Legitimation Code Theory (LCT) and the insights into academic discourse this brings. This opening chapter reviews the foundations of this dialogue and positions the work presented throughout the book within this context. First it steps through the development of SFL work in education, focusing on the register-variable field and how it has been impinged upon by successive developments in Bernstein’s code theory and subsequently LCT. It then introduces how LCT extends and integrates Bernstein’s work to embrace a greater range of phenomena within a more systematic framework. It does this by introducing the dimensions of Specialization and Semantics, and showing the insights these conceptual tools can bring to academic knowledge and academic discourse. Finally, it introduces the chapters that make up the volume and positions them in relation to the ways the LCT–SFL dialogue has driven their understandings. This opening chapter lays the foundations for what is to follow and gives a flavour of energy and explanatory power this dialogue generates.
- Full Text:
Addressing geographical bias: A review of Robinia pseudoacacia (black locust) in the Southern Hemisphere
- Authors: Martin, Grant D
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/423937 , vital:72107 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sajb.2019.08.01"
- Description: Robinia pseudoacacia (black locust) is a medium-sized deciduous tree, native to the Southeastern United States. Due to a number of beneficial attributes, it has been widely planted and become naturalised in several countries. It has one of the largest distributions in Europe of any introduced plant and has increased its distribution into a number of Southern Hemisphere countries. In its introduced range, the species exhibits a number of invasive tendencies, which result in negative environmental and economic impacts. This review presents information on aspects of the plant's biology and ecology with emphasis on its status in the Southern Hemisphere. Topics covered include taxonomy, morphological attributes, distributions, habitats, relationships with other species, growth and development, reproduction, hybridisation, population dynamics, uses, toxicity and the invasive status of the plant in Southern Hemisphere countries This manuscript also provides insights into management options including biological control, which has never been intentionally implemented against this species.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Martin, Grant D
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/423937 , vital:72107 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sajb.2019.08.01"
- Description: Robinia pseudoacacia (black locust) is a medium-sized deciduous tree, native to the Southeastern United States. Due to a number of beneficial attributes, it has been widely planted and become naturalised in several countries. It has one of the largest distributions in Europe of any introduced plant and has increased its distribution into a number of Southern Hemisphere countries. In its introduced range, the species exhibits a number of invasive tendencies, which result in negative environmental and economic impacts. This review presents information on aspects of the plant's biology and ecology with emphasis on its status in the Southern Hemisphere. Topics covered include taxonomy, morphological attributes, distributions, habitats, relationships with other species, growth and development, reproduction, hybridisation, population dynamics, uses, toxicity and the invasive status of the plant in Southern Hemisphere countries This manuscript also provides insights into management options including biological control, which has never been intentionally implemented against this species.
- Full Text:
Advances in entomotoxicology: Weaknesses and strengths
- Campobasso, Carlo P, Bugelli, Valentina, Carfora, Anna, Borriello, Renata, Villet, Martin H
- Authors: Campobasso, Carlo P , Bugelli, Valentina , Carfora, Anna , Borriello, Renata , Villet, Martin H
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , book chapter
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/442717 , vital:74027 , ISBN 9781351163767 , https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781351163767-13/advances-entomotoxicology-carlo-campobasso-valentina-bugelli-anna-carfora-renata-borriello-martin-villet
- Description: Forensic entomotoxicology deals mainly with the analysis of the tissues of insects to identify toxicants present in their food sources. Insects feeding on human tissues can ingest all of the xenobiotic substances taken by living individuals, such as common prescription and illicit drugs. Ecotoxicology is a well-established scientific discipline from which environmental forensic entomotoxicology is derived as a relatively new branch. Entomotoxicology also addresses the effects of drugs and toxins on arthropod development, survival, morphology, and their implications for estimating postmortem intervals. The primary focus of a forensic toxicologist is the detection of toxicants from human tissue samples to help in determining the cause of death. Like nutrients, toxicants encountered by an insect may be assimilated, digested, absorbed, and either sequestered, metabolized, or excreted. Entomological samples are currently of limited quantitative value in forensic toxicology.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Campobasso, Carlo P , Bugelli, Valentina , Carfora, Anna , Borriello, Renata , Villet, Martin H
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , book chapter
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/442717 , vital:74027 , ISBN 9781351163767 , https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781351163767-13/advances-entomotoxicology-carlo-campobasso-valentina-bugelli-anna-carfora-renata-borriello-martin-villet
- Description: Forensic entomotoxicology deals mainly with the analysis of the tissues of insects to identify toxicants present in their food sources. Insects feeding on human tissues can ingest all of the xenobiotic substances taken by living individuals, such as common prescription and illicit drugs. Ecotoxicology is a well-established scientific discipline from which environmental forensic entomotoxicology is derived as a relatively new branch. Entomotoxicology also addresses the effects of drugs and toxins on arthropod development, survival, morphology, and their implications for estimating postmortem intervals. The primary focus of a forensic toxicologist is the detection of toxicants from human tissue samples to help in determining the cause of death. Like nutrients, toxicants encountered by an insect may be assimilated, digested, absorbed, and either sequestered, metabolized, or excreted. Entomological samples are currently of limited quantitative value in forensic toxicology.
- Full Text:
An analysis of the fruit-sucking and fruit-piercing moth complex in citrus orchards in South Africa
- Goddard, Mathew K, Hill, Martin P, Moore, Sean D
- Authors: Goddard, Mathew K , Hill, Martin P , Moore, Sean D
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/407000 , vital:70329 , xlink:href="https://hdl.handle.net/10520/EJC-15072d6de5"
- Description: Fruit-piercing moths are a sporadic pest of citrus, especially in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa, where the adults can cause significant damage in outbreak years. However, growers confuse fruit-piercing moths with fruit-sucking moths that do not cause primary damage. In this study we trapped these moths during the 2013–2015 growing seasons. A large number of diverse fruit-feeding moths were collected through weekly sampling in citrus orchards in the Eastern Cape and northern Limpopo provinces. Twenty-three species of fruit-feeding moth were trapped. However, only two were fruit-piercing species, capable of causing primary damage, namely Serrodes partita (Fabricius) (Erebidae) and Eudocima divitiosa (Walker) (Erebidae). Surprisingly S. partita, which has been reported as the main fruit-piercing moth pest of citrus in South Africa, comprised only 6.9 % of trap catches. The categorisation of moths as fruit-piercing or fruit-sucking (causing secondary damage) was confirmed by examining the morphological structures (tearing hooks and erectile barbs) of these moths’ proboscides. This study has shown that in non-outbreak seasons, S. partita comprised only a small percentage of fruit-feeding moths in citrus orchards. However, growers may misidentify the harmless fruit-sucking species as fruit-piercing species, and thus overestimate the density of fruit-piercing moths.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Goddard, Mathew K , Hill, Martin P , Moore, Sean D
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/407000 , vital:70329 , xlink:href="https://hdl.handle.net/10520/EJC-15072d6de5"
- Description: Fruit-piercing moths are a sporadic pest of citrus, especially in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa, where the adults can cause significant damage in outbreak years. However, growers confuse fruit-piercing moths with fruit-sucking moths that do not cause primary damage. In this study we trapped these moths during the 2013–2015 growing seasons. A large number of diverse fruit-feeding moths were collected through weekly sampling in citrus orchards in the Eastern Cape and northern Limpopo provinces. Twenty-three species of fruit-feeding moth were trapped. However, only two were fruit-piercing species, capable of causing primary damage, namely Serrodes partita (Fabricius) (Erebidae) and Eudocima divitiosa (Walker) (Erebidae). Surprisingly S. partita, which has been reported as the main fruit-piercing moth pest of citrus in South Africa, comprised only 6.9 % of trap catches. The categorisation of moths as fruit-piercing or fruit-sucking (causing secondary damage) was confirmed by examining the morphological structures (tearing hooks and erectile barbs) of these moths’ proboscides. This study has shown that in non-outbreak seasons, S. partita comprised only a small percentage of fruit-feeding moths in citrus orchards. However, growers may misidentify the harmless fruit-sucking species as fruit-piercing species, and thus overestimate the density of fruit-piercing moths.
- Full Text:
An artificial neural network approach to predict the effects of formulation and process variables on prednisone release from a multipartite system
- Manda, Arthur, Walker, Roderick B, Khamanga, Sandile M
- Authors: Manda, Arthur , Walker, Roderick B , Khamanga, Sandile M
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/183237 , vital:43933 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics11030109"
- Description: The impact of formulation and process variables on the in-vitro release of prednisone from a multiple-unit pellet system was investigated. Box-Behnken Response Surface Methodology (RSM) was used to generate multivariate experiments. The extrusion-spheronization method was used to produce pellets and dissolution studies were performed using United States Pharmacopoeia (USP) Apparatus 2 as described in USP XXIV. Analysis of dissolution test samples was performed using a reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) method. Four formulation and process variables viz., microcrystalline cellulose concentration, sodium starch glycolate concentration, spheronization time and extrusion speed were investigated and drug release, aspect ratio and yield were monitored for the trained artificial neural networks (ANN). To achieve accurate prediction, data generated from experimentation were used to train a multi-layer perceptron (MLP) using back propagation (BP) and the Broyden-Fletcher-Goldfarb-Shanno (BFGS) 57 training algorithm until a satisfactory value of root mean square error (RMSE) was observed. The study revealed that the in-vitro release profile of prednisone was significantly impacted by microcrystalline cellulose concentration and sodium starch glycolate concentration. Increasing microcrystalline cellulose concentration retarded dissolution rate whereas increasing sodium starch glycolate concentration improved dissolution rate. Spheronization time and extrusion speed had minimal impact on prednisone release but had a significant impact on extrudate and pellet quality. This work demonstrated that RSM can be successfully used concurrently with ANN for dosage form manufacture to permit the exploration of experimental regions that are omitted when using RSM alone.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Manda, Arthur , Walker, Roderick B , Khamanga, Sandile M
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/183237 , vital:43933 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics11030109"
- Description: The impact of formulation and process variables on the in-vitro release of prednisone from a multiple-unit pellet system was investigated. Box-Behnken Response Surface Methodology (RSM) was used to generate multivariate experiments. The extrusion-spheronization method was used to produce pellets and dissolution studies were performed using United States Pharmacopoeia (USP) Apparatus 2 as described in USP XXIV. Analysis of dissolution test samples was performed using a reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) method. Four formulation and process variables viz., microcrystalline cellulose concentration, sodium starch glycolate concentration, spheronization time and extrusion speed were investigated and drug release, aspect ratio and yield were monitored for the trained artificial neural networks (ANN). To achieve accurate prediction, data generated from experimentation were used to train a multi-layer perceptron (MLP) using back propagation (BP) and the Broyden-Fletcher-Goldfarb-Shanno (BFGS) 57 training algorithm until a satisfactory value of root mean square error (RMSE) was observed. The study revealed that the in-vitro release profile of prednisone was significantly impacted by microcrystalline cellulose concentration and sodium starch glycolate concentration. Increasing microcrystalline cellulose concentration retarded dissolution rate whereas increasing sodium starch glycolate concentration improved dissolution rate. Spheronization time and extrusion speed had minimal impact on prednisone release but had a significant impact on extrudate and pellet quality. This work demonstrated that RSM can be successfully used concurrently with ANN for dosage form manufacture to permit the exploration of experimental regions that are omitted when using RSM alone.
- Full Text:
An integrated framework for assessing coastal community vulnerability across cultures, oceans and scales
- Aswani, Shankar, Howard, J A, Gasalla, Maria A, Jennings, Sarah, Malherbe, W, Martins, I M, Salim Shyam, Van Putten, Ingrid E, Swathilekshmi, P S, Narayanakumar, R, Watmough G R
- Authors: Aswani, Shankar , Howard, J A , Gasalla, Maria A , Jennings, Sarah , Malherbe, W , Martins, I M , Salim Shyam , Van Putten, Ingrid E , Swathilekshmi, P S , Narayanakumar, R , Watmough G R
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/421581 , vital:71863 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1080/17565529.2018.1442795"
- Description: Coastal communities are some of the most at-risk populations with respect to climate change impacts. It is therefore important to determine the vulnerability of such communities to co-develop viable adaptation options. Global efforts to address this issue include international scientific projects, such as Global Learning for Local Solutions (GULLS), which focuses on five fast warming regions of the southern hemisphere and aims to provide an understanding of the local scale processes influencing community vulnerability that can then be up-scaled to regional, country and global levels. This paper describes the development of a new social and ecological vulnerability framework which integrates exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity with the social livelihoods and food security approaches. It also measures community flexibility to understand better the adaptive capacity of different levels of community organization. The translation of the conceptual framework to an implementable method is described and its application in a number of “hotspot” countries, where ocean waters are warming faster than the rest of the world, is presented. Opportunities for cross-cultural comparisons to uncover similarities and differences in vulnerability and adaptation patterns among the study’s coastal communities, which can provide accelerated learning mechanisms to other coastal regions, are highlighted. The social and ecological framework and the associated survey approach allow for future integration of local-level vulnerability data with ecological and oceanographic models.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Aswani, Shankar , Howard, J A , Gasalla, Maria A , Jennings, Sarah , Malherbe, W , Martins, I M , Salim Shyam , Van Putten, Ingrid E , Swathilekshmi, P S , Narayanakumar, R , Watmough G R
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/421581 , vital:71863 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1080/17565529.2018.1442795"
- Description: Coastal communities are some of the most at-risk populations with respect to climate change impacts. It is therefore important to determine the vulnerability of such communities to co-develop viable adaptation options. Global efforts to address this issue include international scientific projects, such as Global Learning for Local Solutions (GULLS), which focuses on five fast warming regions of the southern hemisphere and aims to provide an understanding of the local scale processes influencing community vulnerability that can then be up-scaled to regional, country and global levels. This paper describes the development of a new social and ecological vulnerability framework which integrates exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity with the social livelihoods and food security approaches. It also measures community flexibility to understand better the adaptive capacity of different levels of community organization. The translation of the conceptual framework to an implementable method is described and its application in a number of “hotspot” countries, where ocean waters are warming faster than the rest of the world, is presented. Opportunities for cross-cultural comparisons to uncover similarities and differences in vulnerability and adaptation patterns among the study’s coastal communities, which can provide accelerated learning mechanisms to other coastal regions, are highlighted. The social and ecological framework and the associated survey approach allow for future integration of local-level vulnerability data with ecological and oceanographic models.
- Full Text:
An oversimplification of physiological principles leads to flawed macroecological analyses
- Boyles, Justin G, Levesque, Danielle L, Nowack, Julia, Wojciechowski, Michal S, Stawski, Clare, Fuller, Andrea, Smit, Ben, Tattersall, Glenn J
- Authors: Boyles, Justin G , Levesque, Danielle L , Nowack, Julia , Wojciechowski, Michal S , Stawski, Clare , Fuller, Andrea , Smit, Ben , Tattersall, Glenn J
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/440505 , vital:73788 , https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.5721
- Description: In light of the rapidly changing climate, there is an urgent need to develop a mechanistic understanding of how physiological functioning mediates ecological patterns. Recently, there has been a spate of papers using analyses that scale up from a standard physiological model, the Scholander–Irving model, to make predictions about range constraints on endothermic vertebrates (Buckley, Khaliq, Swanson, and Hof, 2018; Fristoe et al., 2015; Khaliq, Böhning‐Gaese, Prinzinger, Pfenninger, and Hof, 2017; Khaliq, Hof, Prinzinger, Böhning‐Gaese, and Pfenninger, 2014). Here, we argue that oversimplifications of the Scholander–Irving model and the use of questionable datasets lead to questionable macrophysiological analyses. Many of these problems have been addressed elsewhere, directly and indirectly (eg, McKechnie, Coe, Gerson, and Wolf, 2017; Mitchell et al., 2018), although the focus has largely been on the applicability of the Scholander–Irving model to warm environmental temperatures, which are often seen as more relevant to climate change. However, one specific aspect of the Scholander–Irving model, the assumption that energy expenditure of an endotherm below the thermoneutral zone (TNZ) can be described by basic Newtonian physics, has been used incorrectly in several papers. While not the only paper based on this assumption, the recent work by Buckley et al.(2018) reinvigorated discussions among physiologists about improper interpretations of the Scholander–Irving model. Our concerns are not new and have been voiced repeatedly in the past (Calder and Schmidt‐Nielsen, 1967; King, 1964; Tracy, 1972), but many of these ideas seem to have been buried by time.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Boyles, Justin G , Levesque, Danielle L , Nowack, Julia , Wojciechowski, Michal S , Stawski, Clare , Fuller, Andrea , Smit, Ben , Tattersall, Glenn J
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/440505 , vital:73788 , https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.5721
- Description: In light of the rapidly changing climate, there is an urgent need to develop a mechanistic understanding of how physiological functioning mediates ecological patterns. Recently, there has been a spate of papers using analyses that scale up from a standard physiological model, the Scholander–Irving model, to make predictions about range constraints on endothermic vertebrates (Buckley, Khaliq, Swanson, and Hof, 2018; Fristoe et al., 2015; Khaliq, Böhning‐Gaese, Prinzinger, Pfenninger, and Hof, 2017; Khaliq, Hof, Prinzinger, Böhning‐Gaese, and Pfenninger, 2014). Here, we argue that oversimplifications of the Scholander–Irving model and the use of questionable datasets lead to questionable macrophysiological analyses. Many of these problems have been addressed elsewhere, directly and indirectly (eg, McKechnie, Coe, Gerson, and Wolf, 2017; Mitchell et al., 2018), although the focus has largely been on the applicability of the Scholander–Irving model to warm environmental temperatures, which are often seen as more relevant to climate change. However, one specific aspect of the Scholander–Irving model, the assumption that energy expenditure of an endotherm below the thermoneutral zone (TNZ) can be described by basic Newtonian physics, has been used incorrectly in several papers. While not the only paper based on this assumption, the recent work by Buckley et al.(2018) reinvigorated discussions among physiologists about improper interpretations of the Scholander–Irving model. Our concerns are not new and have been voiced repeatedly in the past (Calder and Schmidt‐Nielsen, 1967; King, 1964; Tracy, 1972), but many of these ideas seem to have been buried by time.
- Full Text:
Antiplasmodial Activity of the n-Hexane Extract from Pleurotus ostreatus (Jacq. ex. Fr) P. Kumm
- Afieroho, Ozadheoghene E, Siwe-Noundou, Xavier, Onyia, Chiazor P, Festus, Osamuyi H, Chukwu, Elizabeth C, Adedokun, Olutayo M, Isaacs, Michelle, Hoppe, Heinrich C, Krause, Rui W M, Abo, Kio A
- Authors: Afieroho, Ozadheoghene E , Siwe-Noundou, Xavier , Onyia, Chiazor P , Festus, Osamuyi H , Chukwu, Elizabeth C , Adedokun, Olutayo M , Isaacs, Michelle , Hoppe, Heinrich C , Krause, Rui W M , Abo, Kio A
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/194981 , vital:45516 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.4274/tjps.18894"
- Description: Objectives: Several mushrooms species have been reported to be nematophagous and antiprotozoan. This study reported the antiplasmodial and cytotoxic properties of the n-hexane extract from the edible mushroom Pleurotus ostreatus and the isolation of a sterol from the extract. Materials and Methods: Antiplasmodial and cytotoxicity assays were done in vitro using the plasmodium lactate dehydrogenase assay and human HeLa cervical cell lines, respectively. The structure of the isolated compound from the n-hexane extract was elucidated using spectroscopic techniques. Results: The n-hexane extract (yield: 0.93% w/w) showed dose dependent antiplasmodial activity with the trend in parasite inhibition of: chloroquine (IC50=0.016 μg/mL) > n-hexane extract (IC50=25.18 μg/mL). It also showed mild cytotoxicity (IC50>100 μg/mL; selectivity index >4) compared to the reference drug emetine (IC50=0.013 μg/mL). The known sterol, ergostan-5,7,22-trien-3-ol, was isolated and characterized from the extract. Conclusion: This study reporting for the first time the antiplasmodial activity of P. ostreatus revealed its nutraceutical potential in the management of malaria.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Afieroho, Ozadheoghene E , Siwe-Noundou, Xavier , Onyia, Chiazor P , Festus, Osamuyi H , Chukwu, Elizabeth C , Adedokun, Olutayo M , Isaacs, Michelle , Hoppe, Heinrich C , Krause, Rui W M , Abo, Kio A
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/194981 , vital:45516 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.4274/tjps.18894"
- Description: Objectives: Several mushrooms species have been reported to be nematophagous and antiprotozoan. This study reported the antiplasmodial and cytotoxic properties of the n-hexane extract from the edible mushroom Pleurotus ostreatus and the isolation of a sterol from the extract. Materials and Methods: Antiplasmodial and cytotoxicity assays were done in vitro using the plasmodium lactate dehydrogenase assay and human HeLa cervical cell lines, respectively. The structure of the isolated compound from the n-hexane extract was elucidated using spectroscopic techniques. Results: The n-hexane extract (yield: 0.93% w/w) showed dose dependent antiplasmodial activity with the trend in parasite inhibition of: chloroquine (IC50=0.016 μg/mL) > n-hexane extract (IC50=25.18 μg/mL). It also showed mild cytotoxicity (IC50>100 μg/mL; selectivity index >4) compared to the reference drug emetine (IC50=0.013 μg/mL). The known sterol, ergostan-5,7,22-trien-3-ol, was isolated and characterized from the extract. Conclusion: This study reporting for the first time the antiplasmodial activity of P. ostreatus revealed its nutraceutical potential in the management of malaria.
- Full Text:
Assessing household food insecurity experience in the context of deforestation in Cameroon
- Ngome, Precillia I T, Shackleton, Charlie M, Degrande, Ann, Nossi, Eric J, Ngome, Francis
- Authors: Ngome, Precillia I T , Shackleton, Charlie M , Degrande, Ann , Nossi, Eric J , Ngome, Francis
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/398180 , vital:69382 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodpol.2019.02.003"
- Full Text:
- Authors: Ngome, Precillia I T , Shackleton, Charlie M , Degrande, Ann , Nossi, Eric J , Ngome, Francis
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/398180 , vital:69382 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodpol.2019.02.003"
- Full Text:
Assessing the impact of the expanded Global Gag Rule in South Africa
- du Plessis, Ulandi, Sofika, Dumisa, Macleod, Catriona I, Mthethwa, Thobile
- Authors: du Plessis, Ulandi , Sofika, Dumisa , Macleod, Catriona I , Mthethwa, Thobile
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , report
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/434306 , vital:73047 , ISBN Report , https://www.ru.ac.za/media/rhodesuniversity/content/criticalstudiesinsexualitiesandreproduction/documents/IWHC_Report.pdf
- Description: South Africa has one of the most progressive abortion laws in the world and as the constitution states, South Africans also have “the right to make deci-sions concerning reproduction”(Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996). Alongside being a free service, this should seemingly translate into accessible country-wide abortion services. However, less than one in ten public clinics actually perform abortions (Amnesty International, 2017). One of the main reasons for this has been the failure, on the part of the Depart-ment of Health, to regulate conscientious objection, ie the right of a healthcare worker to refuse to provide a service against which they are mor-ally opposed. Another reason is a lack of resources, in terms of both health professionals and finances, which manifest particularly in rural areas. As a result, women who are considering abortion either turn to illegal providers whose advertisements are scattered around towns, or towards private ser-vice providers such as Marie Stopes. Both options are usually costly, espe-cially to poor women. And illegal backstreet abortions often result in sepsis and infection. Recent data on abortion services in South Africa indicate that between 2016 and 2017, 20% of all abortions performed on women aged between 15-44 years were provided by the public health sector, while 26% and 54% of abortions were performed by illegal providers and the private health sector respectively (Lince-Deroche et al., 2018).
- Full Text:
- Authors: du Plessis, Ulandi , Sofika, Dumisa , Macleod, Catriona I , Mthethwa, Thobile
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , report
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/434306 , vital:73047 , ISBN Report , https://www.ru.ac.za/media/rhodesuniversity/content/criticalstudiesinsexualitiesandreproduction/documents/IWHC_Report.pdf
- Description: South Africa has one of the most progressive abortion laws in the world and as the constitution states, South Africans also have “the right to make deci-sions concerning reproduction”(Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996). Alongside being a free service, this should seemingly translate into accessible country-wide abortion services. However, less than one in ten public clinics actually perform abortions (Amnesty International, 2017). One of the main reasons for this has been the failure, on the part of the Depart-ment of Health, to regulate conscientious objection, ie the right of a healthcare worker to refuse to provide a service against which they are mor-ally opposed. Another reason is a lack of resources, in terms of both health professionals and finances, which manifest particularly in rural areas. As a result, women who are considering abortion either turn to illegal providers whose advertisements are scattered around towns, or towards private ser-vice providers such as Marie Stopes. Both options are usually costly, espe-cially to poor women. And illegal backstreet abortions often result in sepsis and infection. Recent data on abortion services in South Africa indicate that between 2016 and 2017, 20% of all abortions performed on women aged between 15-44 years were provided by the public health sector, while 26% and 54% of abortions were performed by illegal providers and the private health sector respectively (Lince-Deroche et al., 2018).
- Full Text: