Afromelampsalta, a new genus, a new species, and five new combinations of African cicadettine cicadas (Hemiptera: Cicadidae: Cicadettinae):
- Authors: Sanborn, Allen F , Villet, Martin H
- Date: 2020
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/140680 , vital:37909
- Description: Afromelampsalta n. gen. is described for African species currently assigned to the genera Melampsalta Kolenati, 1857. Cicadetta Kolenati, 1857 and Pauropsalta Goding and Froggatt, 1904, and the new species Afromelampsalta luteofasciata n. gen., n. sp. is described. Afromelampsalta aethiopica (Distant, 1905) n. comb., A. cadisia (Walker, 1850) n. comb. and A. leucoptera (Germar, 1830) n. comb. are reassigned from Melampsalta to Afromelampsalta n. gen., A. limitata (Walker, 1852) n. comb. is transferred from Cicadetta Kolenati, 1857 and A. mimica (Distant ,1907) n. comb. is transferred from Pauropsalta Goding and Froggatt, 1904 to Afromelampsalta n. gen. Notes on the biology of the new species, a description of the exuvia of A. mimica n. comb., and a key to the species of African Cicadettini are provided.
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Application of quality by design principles for optimizing process variables of Extrusion and Spheronization of a Captopril Pellet Formulation:
- Authors: Veerubhotla, Krishna , Walker, Roderick B
- Date: 2020
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/178312 , vital:40098 , DOI: 10.36468/pharmaceutical-sciences.624
- Description: Product development using quality by design is a proactive and risk-based approach that shifts the manufacturing process from empirical to science-based. Risk assessment was performed to identify and analyse risk areas for the manufacture of captopril pellets. Twelve experimental runs were performed using a Plackett-Burman screening design. Pareto plots revealed the effect of formulation and process variables on the responses monitored and facilitated the identification of the most critical parameters for optimization of the formulation. A response surface methodology approach in conjunction with a central composite design was used to optimize the Eudragit® RL 30D (15-30 ml), microcrystalline cellulose (20-40 % w/w), sodium starch glycolate (2-5 % w/w) and spheronizer speed (650-1050 rpm).
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Contributions of the pars lateralis, pars basilaris and femur to age estimations of the immature skeleton within a South African forensic setting:
- Authors: Thornton, Roxanne , Edkins, Adrienne L , Hutchinson, E F
- Date: 2020
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/165451 , vital:41245 , https://0-doi.org.wam.seals.ac.za/10.1007/s00414-019-02143-9
- Description: Dental development and eruption sequences have prevailed as the gold standard in age estimations of previously unidentified immature individuals within a legal context. However, in the absence of the dentition, skeletal assessments have served as a frequently applied alternative. While various cranial and postcranial skeletal elements have been used in estimating age of the immature skeleton, little is known about the anthropometric value of the pars basilaris, pars lateralis and femur as skeletal age estimation tools. Thus, this study aimed to assess if these bones of the immature human skeleton were useful elements in estimating the age of prenatal and postnatal individuals. These bones were excised from the remains of 74 unclaimed human immature individuals and evaluated using traditional anthropometric methods. The study sample was sourced from the Johannesburg Forensic Pathology Services (JFPS) and the Johannesburg Forensic Paediatric Collection (JFPC), University of the Witwatersrand and subdivided into an early prenatal (younger than 30 gestational weeks); late prenatal (30 to 40 gestational weeks) and postnatal (birth to 7.5 months) age ranges.
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Implementation of access and benefit-sharing measures has consequences for classical biological control of weeds:
- Authors: Silvestri, Luciano , Sosa, Alejandro , Mc Kay, Fernando , Vitorino, Marcello D , Hill, Martin P , Zachariades, Costas , Hight, Stephen , Weyl, Philip S R , Smith, David , Djeddour, Djamila , Mason, Peter G
- Date: 2020
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/150285 , vital:38964 , https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10526-019-09988-4
- Description: The Convention on Biological Diversity and the Nagoya Protocol establish that genetic resources shall be accessed only upon the existence of prior informed consent of the country that provides those resources and that benefits arising from their utilization shall be shared. Pursuant to both agreements several countries have adopted regulations on access and benefit-sharing. These regulations have created a challenging obstacle to classical biological control of weeds. This paper reviews the experiences of Argentina, Brazil, South Africa, the USA, Canada and CABI in implementing access and benefit-sharing regulations and the implications these measures have on the effective and efficient access, exchange and utilization of biological control agents.
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Integrated computational approaches and tools for allosteric drug discovery:
- Authors: Amamuddy, Olivier S , Veldman, Wade , Manyumwa, Colleen , Khairallah, Afrah , Agajanian, Steve , Oluyemi, Odeyemi , Verkhivker, Gennady M , Tastan Bishop, Özlem
- Date: 2020
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/163012 , vital:41004 , https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21030847
- Description: Understanding molecular mechanisms underlying the complexity of allosteric regulation in proteins has attracted considerable attention in drug discovery due to the benefits and versatility of allosteric modulators in providing desirable selectivity against protein targets while minimizing toxicity and other side effects. The proliferation of novel computational approaches for predicting ligand–protein interactions and binding using dynamic and network-centric perspectives has led to new insights into allosteric mechanisms and facilitated computer-based discovery of allosteric drugs. Although no absolute method of experimental and in silico allosteric drug/site discovery exists, current methods are still being improved. As such, the critical analysis and integration of established approaches into robust, reproducible, and customizable computational pipelines with experimental feedback could make allosteric drug discovery more efficient and reliable. In this article, we review computational approaches for allosteric drug discovery and discuss how these tools can be utilized to develop consensus workflows for in silico identification of allosteric sites and modulators with some applications to pathogen resistance and precision medicine. The emerging realization that allosteric modulators can exploit distinct regulatory mechanisms and can provide access to targeted modulation of protein activities could open opportunities for probing biological processes and in silico design of drug combinations with improved therapeutic indices and a broad range of activities.
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Movement patterns of the epizoic limpet Lottia tenuisculpta on two host snails Omphalius nigerrimus and Reishia clavigera:
- Authors: Nakano, Tomoyuki , Okumura, Yousuke , Nakayama, Ryo , Seuront, Laurent
- Date: 2020
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/160268 , vital:40429 , DOI: 10.1080/13235818.2020.1808280
- Description: The tiny epizoic limpet Lottia tenuisculpta lives on rocky surfaces and shells of the snails Omphalius nigerrimus and Reishia clavigera. The movement patterns of the limpet on host snails was observed during 24 h under controlled laboratory conditions. A specific behaviour, referred to as returning behaviour and reminiscent of homing behaviour, was observed in seven out of 20 individuals, and two out of 15 individuals on O. nigerrimus and R. clavigera, respectively.
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The cultural history of Augustan Rome: texts, monuments, and topography ed. by Matthew P. Loar et al
- Authors: Pandey, Nandini B
- Date: 2020
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/149658 , vital:38872 , https://muse.jhu.edu/article/755534
- Description: This edited collection, the product of a 2014 conference at Notre Dame's Rome Global Gateway, asks "what the texts in, on, and about the city of Rome tell us about how the ancients thought about, interacted with, and responded to the city during the transition from Republic to Empire" (1). Given the enormity of the topic, this slender volume makes no claim to comprehensive treatment. What it offers, instead, is a high-quality sampling with suggestions for future research (8-9) that will reward anyone interested in responsions between Augustan writing and building.
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Understanding the Pyrimethamine drug resistance mechanism via combined molecular dynamics and dynamic residue network analysis:
- Authors: Amusengeri, Arnold , Tata, Rolland B , Tastan Bishop, Özlem
- Date: 2020
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/163022 , vital:41005 , https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules25040904
- Description: In this era of precision medicine, insights into the resistance mechanism of drugs are integral for the development of potent therapeutics. Here, we sought to understand the contribution of four point mutations (N51I, C59R, S108N, and I164L) within the active site of the malaria parasite enzyme dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) towards the resistance of the antimalarial drug pyrimethamine. Homology modeling was used to obtain full-length models of wild type (WT) and mutant DHFR. Molecular docking was employed to dock pyrimethamine onto the generated structures. Subsequent all-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and binding free-energy computations highlighted that pyrimethamine’s stability and affinity inversely relates to the number of mutations within its binding site and, hence, resistance severity.
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‘There is nothing to hold onto here’:
- Authors: Shabangu, Samuel M , Babu, Balaji , Soy, Rodah C , Managa, Muthumuni , Sekhosana, Kutloano E , Nyokong, Tebello
- Date: 2020
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/156410 , vital:39987 , DOI: 10.1080/00958972.2020.1739273
- Description: Asymmetric mono-carboxy-porphyrins, (5-(4-carboxyphenyl)−10,15,20-tris(pentafluorophenyl)porphyrinato zinc(II) (1), 5-(4-carboxyphenyl)−10,15,20-triphenylporphyrinato zinc(II) (2) and 5-(4-carboxyphenyl)−10,15,20-tris(2-thienyl)porphyrinato zinc(II) (3), were linked to Ag nanoparticles (AgNPs) through amide bonds and self-assembly (the latter only for 3). The porphyrins and conjugates were used for photodynamic antimicrobial chemotherapy (PACT) against Staphylococcus aureus. PACT uses singlet oxygen for antimicrobial activity. Complex 3 and its conjugates had higher singlet oxygen quantum yields and higher log reduction when compared with the rest of the porphyrins and corresponding conjugates. These high log reductions for 3 and its conjugate were attributed to the presence of sulfur groups whereby there was more interaction with the bacterial membrane.
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