The potential influence of commercial plant nurseries in shaping the urban forest in South Africa
- Arnoldi, Marco, Shackleton, Charlie M
- Authors: Arnoldi, Marco , Shackleton, Charlie M
- Date: 2021
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/398408 , vital:69409 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2021.127254"
- Description: A substantial portion of urban green infrastructure is under private tenure in residents’ and business/corporate gardens. Therefore, the ways that urban residents manage their gardens can influence the type, quantity and quality of ecosystem services and disservices in urban areas. Plant nurseries are a major source of trees for urban residents, and so the types of trees and species that nurseries stock influence the composition of private gardens. Consequently, this study aimed to examine the roles that plant nurseries play in shaping the urban forest in South Africa. To do so, an online and direct questionnaire was used to gather data from 30 nurseries across 19 urban centres in South Africa. The main questions included species selection criteria, customer tree inquiries, best-selling tree species, attitudes towards increasing urban tree cover and diversity and whether they think climate change will affect the selection of species to stock. The results show that there is a strong preference for indigenous trees, which were also most commonly listed as best-sellers. Non-native species that were commonly sold were ones that provided provisioning services, particularly edible fruits. Drought tolerance influenced selection criteria and customer demand. Vachellia spp. and Olea europaea were commonly inquired about and most commonly listed amongst the best-sellers. Nursery owners valued the importance of increasing tree cover and diversity in urban areas, listing many perceived benefits for doing so. We conclude that there is a clear preference for indigenous tree species by customers and nursery owners, which in time could increase the proportion and cover of native species.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Arnoldi, Marco , Shackleton, Charlie M
- Date: 2021
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/398408 , vital:69409 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2021.127254"
- Description: A substantial portion of urban green infrastructure is under private tenure in residents’ and business/corporate gardens. Therefore, the ways that urban residents manage their gardens can influence the type, quantity and quality of ecosystem services and disservices in urban areas. Plant nurseries are a major source of trees for urban residents, and so the types of trees and species that nurseries stock influence the composition of private gardens. Consequently, this study aimed to examine the roles that plant nurseries play in shaping the urban forest in South Africa. To do so, an online and direct questionnaire was used to gather data from 30 nurseries across 19 urban centres in South Africa. The main questions included species selection criteria, customer tree inquiries, best-selling tree species, attitudes towards increasing urban tree cover and diversity and whether they think climate change will affect the selection of species to stock. The results show that there is a strong preference for indigenous trees, which were also most commonly listed as best-sellers. Non-native species that were commonly sold were ones that provided provisioning services, particularly edible fruits. Drought tolerance influenced selection criteria and customer demand. Vachellia spp. and Olea europaea were commonly inquired about and most commonly listed amongst the best-sellers. Nursery owners valued the importance of increasing tree cover and diversity in urban areas, listing many perceived benefits for doing so. We conclude that there is a clear preference for indigenous tree species by customers and nursery owners, which in time could increase the proportion and cover of native species.
- Full Text:
The role of causal knowledge in stigma considerations in African genomics research
- Matshabane, Olivia P, Campbell, Megan M, Appelbaum, Paul S, Marshall, Patricia A, Stein, Dan J, de Vries, Jantina
- Authors: Matshabane, Olivia P , Campbell, Megan M , Appelbaum, Paul S , Marshall, Patricia A , Stein, Dan J , de Vries, Jantina
- Date: 2021
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/302578 , vital:58209 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2021.113902"
- Description: Introduction: Advances in genomics research have raised several ethical concerns. One concern is the potential impact of genomics research on stigma experienced by people affected by a disease. Studies have found that the type of illness as well as disease causal beliefs impact on the relation between genetic attribution and stigma. This study explored the potential impact of genetic attribution of disease on stigma among Xhosa people with Rheumatic Heart Disease (RHD). Methods: Study participants were 46 Xhosa people with RHD living in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. Using video vignettes in 7 focus group discussions we explored whether and how genetic attribution may impact on disease-stigma. Vignettes introduced participants to non-genetic and genetic causal explanations and were followed-up with a series of open-ended questions eliciting their perceptions of non-genetic disease causes as well as genetic causation and its impact on internalised stigma. Results: This study found that Xhosa people with RHD have a general understanding of genetics and genetic attribution for disease. Additionally, and not withstanding their genetic knowledge, these participants hold multiple disease causal beliefs including genetic, infectious disease, psychosocial, behavioural and cultural explanations. While there was evidence of internalised stigma experiences among participants, these appeared not to be related to a genetic attribution to the disease. Discussion: The findings of this study provide clues as to why it is unlikely that a genetic conceptualisation of disease impacts internalised stigma experiences of Xhosa people. The causal explanations provided by participants reflect their cultural understandings and their context, namely, living in low-income and poverty-stricken environments. Divergence in these findings from much of the evidence from high-income countries emphasises that context matters when considering the impact of genetic attribution on stigma and caution against generalising findings from one part of the globe to another.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Matshabane, Olivia P , Campbell, Megan M , Appelbaum, Paul S , Marshall, Patricia A , Stein, Dan J , de Vries, Jantina
- Date: 2021
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/302578 , vital:58209 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2021.113902"
- Description: Introduction: Advances in genomics research have raised several ethical concerns. One concern is the potential impact of genomics research on stigma experienced by people affected by a disease. Studies have found that the type of illness as well as disease causal beliefs impact on the relation between genetic attribution and stigma. This study explored the potential impact of genetic attribution of disease on stigma among Xhosa people with Rheumatic Heart Disease (RHD). Methods: Study participants were 46 Xhosa people with RHD living in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. Using video vignettes in 7 focus group discussions we explored whether and how genetic attribution may impact on disease-stigma. Vignettes introduced participants to non-genetic and genetic causal explanations and were followed-up with a series of open-ended questions eliciting their perceptions of non-genetic disease causes as well as genetic causation and its impact on internalised stigma. Results: This study found that Xhosa people with RHD have a general understanding of genetics and genetic attribution for disease. Additionally, and not withstanding their genetic knowledge, these participants hold multiple disease causal beliefs including genetic, infectious disease, psychosocial, behavioural and cultural explanations. While there was evidence of internalised stigma experiences among participants, these appeared not to be related to a genetic attribution to the disease. Discussion: The findings of this study provide clues as to why it is unlikely that a genetic conceptualisation of disease impacts internalised stigma experiences of Xhosa people. The causal explanations provided by participants reflect their cultural understandings and their context, namely, living in low-income and poverty-stricken environments. Divergence in these findings from much of the evidence from high-income countries emphasises that context matters when considering the impact of genetic attribution on stigma and caution against generalising findings from one part of the globe to another.
- Full Text:
The role of mass-rearing in weed biological control projects in South Africa
- Hill, Martin P, Conlong, Desmond, Zachariades, Costas, Coetzee, Julie A, Paterson, Iain D, Miller, Benjamin E, Foxcroft, Llewellyn, van der Westhuizen, L
- Authors: Hill, Martin P , Conlong, Desmond , Zachariades, Costas , Coetzee, Julie A , Paterson, Iain D , Miller, Benjamin E , Foxcroft, Llewellyn , van der Westhuizen, L
- Date: 2021
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/407094 , vital:70335 , xlink:href="https://hdl.handle.net/10520/ejc-ento_v29_n3_a22"
- Description: It has been documented that the continual release of high numbers of biological control (biocontrol) agents for weeds increases the likelihood of agent establishment and has been shown to reduce the time between the first release and subsequent control of the target weed. Here we review the mass-rearing activities for weed biocontrol agents in South Africa between 2011 and 2020. Some 4.7 million individual insects from 40 species of biocontrol agent have been released on 31 weed species at over 2000 sites throughout South Africa during the last decade. These insects were produced at mass-rearing facilities at eight research institutions, five schools and 10 Non-Governmental Organizations. These mass-rearing activities have created employment for 41 fulltime, fixed contract staff, of which 11 are people living with physical disabilities. To improve the uptake of mass-rearing through community engagement, appropriate protocols are required to ensure that agents are produced in high numbers to suppress invasive alien plant populations in South Africa.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Hill, Martin P , Conlong, Desmond , Zachariades, Costas , Coetzee, Julie A , Paterson, Iain D , Miller, Benjamin E , Foxcroft, Llewellyn , van der Westhuizen, L
- Date: 2021
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/407094 , vital:70335 , xlink:href="https://hdl.handle.net/10520/ejc-ento_v29_n3_a22"
- Description: It has been documented that the continual release of high numbers of biological control (biocontrol) agents for weeds increases the likelihood of agent establishment and has been shown to reduce the time between the first release and subsequent control of the target weed. Here we review the mass-rearing activities for weed biocontrol agents in South Africa between 2011 and 2020. Some 4.7 million individual insects from 40 species of biocontrol agent have been released on 31 weed species at over 2000 sites throughout South Africa during the last decade. These insects were produced at mass-rearing facilities at eight research institutions, five schools and 10 Non-Governmental Organizations. These mass-rearing activities have created employment for 41 fulltime, fixed contract staff, of which 11 are people living with physical disabilities. To improve the uptake of mass-rearing through community engagement, appropriate protocols are required to ensure that agents are produced in high numbers to suppress invasive alien plant populations in South Africa.
- Full Text:
The shame of drinking alcohol while pregnant: The production of avoidance and ill-health
- Matebese, Sibongile, Macleod, Catriona I, Tsetse, A Nontozamo
- Authors: Matebese, Sibongile , Macleod, Catriona I , Tsetse, A Nontozamo
- Date: 2021
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/441360 , vital:73880 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0886109920985139"
- Description: In this article, we examine the operation of shame in the alcohol use habits of pregnant women and the responses of their families and associated institutions. Using a narrative–discursive approach, we interviewed 13 women, living in a low-resource setting in South Africa, who had consumed alcohol while pregnant. Narratives showed how both the act of drinking and “inappropriately” timed pregnancy (early and out of wedlock) were judged to be unacceptable. Women who engaged in these activities were positioned as bad mothers or promiscuous. Their actions were seen as resulting in the suffering of others—the future child, the family, and even the community. These narratives were underpinned by cultural and religious discourses. Women managed the shame accruing to them through avoidance and concealment; families instructed women to self-exclude or distanced themselves from the women’s behavior; and institutions subtly or overtly excluded women. The shaming of these women, and the mechanisms by which such shame was managed, did little to decrease drinking or to increase maternal health and welfare. Overall, this article demonstrates how the shame of drinking alcohol during pregnancy produces avoidance behavior, concealment, and exclusion, which are not constructive in terms of maternal health and well-being. The implications for a feminist narrative approach to drinking during pregnancy are outlined: moving beyond a focus on individual behavior change to locating personal stories within the meta-narratives and social discourses that shape pregnant women’s lives.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Matebese, Sibongile , Macleod, Catriona I , Tsetse, A Nontozamo
- Date: 2021
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/441360 , vital:73880 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0886109920985139"
- Description: In this article, we examine the operation of shame in the alcohol use habits of pregnant women and the responses of their families and associated institutions. Using a narrative–discursive approach, we interviewed 13 women, living in a low-resource setting in South Africa, who had consumed alcohol while pregnant. Narratives showed how both the act of drinking and “inappropriately” timed pregnancy (early and out of wedlock) were judged to be unacceptable. Women who engaged in these activities were positioned as bad mothers or promiscuous. Their actions were seen as resulting in the suffering of others—the future child, the family, and even the community. These narratives were underpinned by cultural and religious discourses. Women managed the shame accruing to them through avoidance and concealment; families instructed women to self-exclude or distanced themselves from the women’s behavior; and institutions subtly or overtly excluded women. The shaming of these women, and the mechanisms by which such shame was managed, did little to decrease drinking or to increase maternal health and welfare. Overall, this article demonstrates how the shame of drinking alcohol during pregnancy produces avoidance behavior, concealment, and exclusion, which are not constructive in terms of maternal health and well-being. The implications for a feminist narrative approach to drinking during pregnancy are outlined: moving beyond a focus on individual behavior change to locating personal stories within the meta-narratives and social discourses that shape pregnant women’s lives.
- Full Text:
Thien-2-yl substituted chlorins as photosensitizers for photodynamic therapy and photodynamic antimicrobial chemotherapy
- Babu, Balaji, Sindelo, Azole, Mack, John, Nyokong, Tebello
- Authors: Babu, Balaji , Sindelo, Azole , Mack, John , Nyokong, Tebello
- Date: 2021
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/190578 , vital:45007 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dyepig.2020.108886"
- Description: The synthesis and characterization of meso-tetra(thien-2-yl)chlorin (1) and meso-tetra(5-bromothien-2-yl)chlorin (2) is reported. These dyes have red-shifted absorption maxima compared to those of the analogous meso-tetraphenylchlorin (3). 1 and 2 have Q bands at 660 and 664 nm, respectively, singlet oxygen quantum yields of 0.60 and 0.64 and exhibit good photostability. The triplet states were found to have lifetimes of 8.6 μs in N2 purged DMF. Time-dependent cellular uptake of chlorins reached a maximum in MCF-7 cancer cells after 12 h. Upon irradiation with a Thorlabs M660L3 LED (280 mW cm−2), 2 exhibited better photocytotoxicity with an IC50 value of 2.7 μM against MCF-7 cells. The 2ʹ,7ʹ-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate (DCFDA) assay provided evidence for intracellular generation of reactive oxygen species. Photodynamic inactivation of bacteria by the chlorins was also studied. 2 exhibits better activity with log reduction values of 7.42 and 8.34 towards Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, respectively, under illumination for 60 min at 660 nm with a Thorlabs M660L3 LED (280 mW cm−2). These results demonstrate that 2 is a promising candidate for future in vivo experiments and merits further in-depth investigation.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Babu, Balaji , Sindelo, Azole , Mack, John , Nyokong, Tebello
- Date: 2021
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/190578 , vital:45007 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dyepig.2020.108886"
- Description: The synthesis and characterization of meso-tetra(thien-2-yl)chlorin (1) and meso-tetra(5-bromothien-2-yl)chlorin (2) is reported. These dyes have red-shifted absorption maxima compared to those of the analogous meso-tetraphenylchlorin (3). 1 and 2 have Q bands at 660 and 664 nm, respectively, singlet oxygen quantum yields of 0.60 and 0.64 and exhibit good photostability. The triplet states were found to have lifetimes of 8.6 μs in N2 purged DMF. Time-dependent cellular uptake of chlorins reached a maximum in MCF-7 cancer cells after 12 h. Upon irradiation with a Thorlabs M660L3 LED (280 mW cm−2), 2 exhibited better photocytotoxicity with an IC50 value of 2.7 μM against MCF-7 cells. The 2ʹ,7ʹ-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate (DCFDA) assay provided evidence for intracellular generation of reactive oxygen species. Photodynamic inactivation of bacteria by the chlorins was also studied. 2 exhibits better activity with log reduction values of 7.42 and 8.34 towards Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, respectively, under illumination for 60 min at 660 nm with a Thorlabs M660L3 LED (280 mW cm−2). These results demonstrate that 2 is a promising candidate for future in vivo experiments and merits further in-depth investigation.
- Full Text:
Thirty years of Male Daughters, Female Husbands
- Magadla, Siphokazi, Magoqwana, Babalwa, Motsemme, Nthabiseng
- Authors: Magadla, Siphokazi , Magoqwana, Babalwa , Motsemme, Nthabiseng
- Date: 2021
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/298685 , vital:57727 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1080/02589001.2021.1926442"
- Description: This paper examines the legacy of Ifi Amadiume's Male Daughters, Female Husbands: Gender and Sex in an African Society (1987) to African gender theorisation three decades after its publication. We argue that Amadiume's detailed ethnography of the Nnobi society provides an example of what can be achieved when African scholars centre local histories, languages, and kinship ties to provide contextualised understandings of sex and gender. In southern African societies, we assess the ways in which gender fluidity, drawing from local languages, age, seniority and lineage do not strictly fix sex to gender, thus providing possibilities for flexible gender structures that allow women to access institutions of power through the lineage as first daughters (umafungwashe) and wives, among others. We further examine the ways conservative patriarchal discourses continue distorting African cultures and traditions, thus undermining women's rights and access to social, cultural, economic and political power. We argue that current Eurocentric attempts that aim to delink sex and gender do not move us beyond the universalised binaries of gender and sex. Through revisiting local social and linguistic histories that practised gender fluidity and tolerance, we can also begin to challenge the conservative attitudes towards the LGBTQIA+ communities. Given the continued sexual and gender diversities that are being challenged daily in the African continent, it is timely that we revisit the historical meanings along with their contemporary implications for sexual citizenship and gendered power relations today.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Magadla, Siphokazi , Magoqwana, Babalwa , Motsemme, Nthabiseng
- Date: 2021
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/298685 , vital:57727 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1080/02589001.2021.1926442"
- Description: This paper examines the legacy of Ifi Amadiume's Male Daughters, Female Husbands: Gender and Sex in an African Society (1987) to African gender theorisation three decades after its publication. We argue that Amadiume's detailed ethnography of the Nnobi society provides an example of what can be achieved when African scholars centre local histories, languages, and kinship ties to provide contextualised understandings of sex and gender. In southern African societies, we assess the ways in which gender fluidity, drawing from local languages, age, seniority and lineage do not strictly fix sex to gender, thus providing possibilities for flexible gender structures that allow women to access institutions of power through the lineage as first daughters (umafungwashe) and wives, among others. We further examine the ways conservative patriarchal discourses continue distorting African cultures and traditions, thus undermining women's rights and access to social, cultural, economic and political power. We argue that current Eurocentric attempts that aim to delink sex and gender do not move us beyond the universalised binaries of gender and sex. Through revisiting local social and linguistic histories that practised gender fluidity and tolerance, we can also begin to challenge the conservative attitudes towards the LGBTQIA+ communities. Given the continued sexual and gender diversities that are being challenged daily in the African continent, it is timely that we revisit the historical meanings along with their contemporary implications for sexual citizenship and gendered power relations today.
- Full Text:
Three new biological control programmes for South Africa: Brazilian pepper, Tamarix and Tradescantia
- Byrne, Marcus J, Mayonde, Samalesu, Venter, Nic, Chidawanyika, Frank, Zachariades, Costas, Martin, Grant D
- Authors: Byrne, Marcus J , Mayonde, Samalesu , Venter, Nic , Chidawanyika, Frank , Zachariades, Costas , Martin, Grant D
- Date: 2021
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/414490 , vital:71152 , xlink:href="https://hdl.handle.net/10520/ejc-cristal-v10-n1-a7"
- Description: Three weed biological control (biocontrol) programmes are described, all of which are considered to be ‘transfer projects’ that were initiated elsewhere, and on which South Africa has piggybacked its biocontrol efforts. Using knowledge and expertise from international collaborators, South African weed researchers are following a long tradition of transfer projects, which has been a largely successful and practical approach to biocontrol. Two Brazilian weeds, the Brazilian pepper tree Schinus terebinthifolia and the spiderwort Tradescantia fluminensis are being targeted, along with the Old-World trees Tamarix ramosissima and T. chinensis. The potential biocontrol agents are described and ranked for the two trees according to what has been discovered elsewhere, while the agent already released against T. fluminensis is rated (as poor), and other potential agents are considered. The addition of molecular techniques, climate matching and remote sensing in transfer projects can increase the chance of successful biocontrol and the inclusion of these techniques in the three new programmes is discussed. Transfer projects are a cost-effective and pragmatic way to pick winning biocontrol programmes.
- Full Text:
Three new biological control programmes for South Africa: Brazilian pepper, Tamarix and Tradescantia
- Authors: Byrne, Marcus J , Mayonde, Samalesu , Venter, Nic , Chidawanyika, Frank , Zachariades, Costas , Martin, Grant D
- Date: 2021
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/414490 , vital:71152 , xlink:href="https://hdl.handle.net/10520/ejc-cristal-v10-n1-a7"
- Description: Three weed biological control (biocontrol) programmes are described, all of which are considered to be ‘transfer projects’ that were initiated elsewhere, and on which South Africa has piggybacked its biocontrol efforts. Using knowledge and expertise from international collaborators, South African weed researchers are following a long tradition of transfer projects, which has been a largely successful and practical approach to biocontrol. Two Brazilian weeds, the Brazilian pepper tree Schinus terebinthifolia and the spiderwort Tradescantia fluminensis are being targeted, along with the Old-World trees Tamarix ramosissima and T. chinensis. The potential biocontrol agents are described and ranked for the two trees according to what has been discovered elsewhere, while the agent already released against T. fluminensis is rated (as poor), and other potential agents are considered. The addition of molecular techniques, climate matching and remote sensing in transfer projects can increase the chance of successful biocontrol and the inclusion of these techniques in the three new programmes is discussed. Transfer projects are a cost-effective and pragmatic way to pick winning biocontrol programmes.
- Full Text:
Top-Down Synthesis of a Lamivudine-Zidovudine Nano Co-Crystal
- Witika, Bwalya A, Smith, Vincent J, Walker, Roderick B
- Authors: Witika, Bwalya A , Smith, Vincent J , Walker, Roderick B
- Date: 2021
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/183172 , vital:43918 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst11010033"
- Description: Lamivudine (3TC) and zidovudine (AZT) are antiretroviral agents used to manage HIV/AIDS infection. A wet media milling top-down approach was used to develop and produce nano co-crystals of 3TC and AZT. Micro co-crystals were prepared by solvent evaporation and subsequently milled in the presence of two surfactants, viz., sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and α-tocopheryl polyethylene glycol succinate 1000 (TPGS 1000). Optimisation was undertaken using design of experiments (DoE) and response surface methodology (RSM) to establish and identify parameters that may affect the manufacturing of nano co-crystals. The impact of SLS and TPGS 1000 concentration, milling time, and number of units of milling medium on the manufacturing of nano co-crystals, was investigated. The critical quality attributes (CQA) monitored were particle size (PS), Zeta potential (ZP), and polydispersity index (PDI). Powder X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, transmission electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy scanning electron microscopy, and cytotoxicity assays were used for additional characterization of the optimised nano co-crystal. The mean PS, PDI, and ZP of the optimised top-down nanocrystal were 271.0 ± 92.0 nm, 0.467 ± 0.073, and −41.9 ± 3.94 mV, respectively. In conclusion, a simple, inexpensive, rapid, and precise method of nano co-crystal manufacturing was developed, validated, and optimised using DoE and RSM, and the final product exhibited the target CQA.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Witika, Bwalya A , Smith, Vincent J , Walker, Roderick B
- Date: 2021
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/183172 , vital:43918 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst11010033"
- Description: Lamivudine (3TC) and zidovudine (AZT) are antiretroviral agents used to manage HIV/AIDS infection. A wet media milling top-down approach was used to develop and produce nano co-crystals of 3TC and AZT. Micro co-crystals were prepared by solvent evaporation and subsequently milled in the presence of two surfactants, viz., sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and α-tocopheryl polyethylene glycol succinate 1000 (TPGS 1000). Optimisation was undertaken using design of experiments (DoE) and response surface methodology (RSM) to establish and identify parameters that may affect the manufacturing of nano co-crystals. The impact of SLS and TPGS 1000 concentration, milling time, and number of units of milling medium on the manufacturing of nano co-crystals, was investigated. The critical quality attributes (CQA) monitored were particle size (PS), Zeta potential (ZP), and polydispersity index (PDI). Powder X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, transmission electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy scanning electron microscopy, and cytotoxicity assays were used for additional characterization of the optimised nano co-crystal. The mean PS, PDI, and ZP of the optimised top-down nanocrystal were 271.0 ± 92.0 nm, 0.467 ± 0.073, and −41.9 ± 3.94 mV, respectively. In conclusion, a simple, inexpensive, rapid, and precise method of nano co-crystal manufacturing was developed, validated, and optimised using DoE and RSM, and the final product exhibited the target CQA.
- Full Text:
Turn-on detection of cysteine by a donor-acceptor type quinoline fluorophore: Exploring the sensing strategy and performance in bioimaging
- Muthusamy, Selvaraj, Zhao, Long, Rajalakshmi, Kanagaraj, Zhu, Dongwei, Soy, Rodah, Mack, John, Nyokong, Tebello, Wang, Shengjun, Lee, Kang-Bong, Zhu, Weihua
- Authors: Muthusamy, Selvaraj , Zhao, Long , Rajalakshmi, Kanagaraj , Zhu, Dongwei , Soy, Rodah , Mack, John , Nyokong, Tebello , Wang, Shengjun , Lee, Kang-Bong , Zhu, Weihua
- Date: 2021
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/185644 , vital:44406 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dyepig.2021.109556"
- Description: Tracking the biothiol cysteine (Cys) in living systems is a significant responsibility to balance the redox environment and oxidative stress. A quinoline-7-nitro-1,2,3-benzoxadiazole (Q-NBD) fluorophore has been synthesized and characterized towards examination of Cys. The probe forms a quinoline-substituted phenol (Q-Ph-OH) after thiolysis of the NBD ether bond, leading to an increase of fluorescence at green channel. The turn-on sensing mechanism originates from the change in intramolecular charge transfer (ICT-OFF) along with an aggregation-induced emission (AIE) as suggested by spectroscopy measurements in solutions, time-dependent density-functional theory (TD-DFT) calculations and 1H NMR titration examination. Importantly, Q-NBD exhibited great sensitivity with a low limit of detection value of 89.5 nM and remarkable selectivity in various biothiols towards Cys. The sensor probe was successfully used for detecting both endogenous and exogenous Cys in PC3 living cells and spiked Cys in human urine samples.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Muthusamy, Selvaraj , Zhao, Long , Rajalakshmi, Kanagaraj , Zhu, Dongwei , Soy, Rodah , Mack, John , Nyokong, Tebello , Wang, Shengjun , Lee, Kang-Bong , Zhu, Weihua
- Date: 2021
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/185644 , vital:44406 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dyepig.2021.109556"
- Description: Tracking the biothiol cysteine (Cys) in living systems is a significant responsibility to balance the redox environment and oxidative stress. A quinoline-7-nitro-1,2,3-benzoxadiazole (Q-NBD) fluorophore has been synthesized and characterized towards examination of Cys. The probe forms a quinoline-substituted phenol (Q-Ph-OH) after thiolysis of the NBD ether bond, leading to an increase of fluorescence at green channel. The turn-on sensing mechanism originates from the change in intramolecular charge transfer (ICT-OFF) along with an aggregation-induced emission (AIE) as suggested by spectroscopy measurements in solutions, time-dependent density-functional theory (TD-DFT) calculations and 1H NMR titration examination. Importantly, Q-NBD exhibited great sensitivity with a low limit of detection value of 89.5 nM and remarkable selectivity in various biothiols towards Cys. The sensor probe was successfully used for detecting both endogenous and exogenous Cys in PC3 living cells and spiked Cys in human urine samples.
- Full Text:
Ultrasound-Triggered Release of 5-Fluorouracil from Soy Lecithin Echogenic Liposomes
- Ezekiel, Charles I, Bapolisi, Alain M, Walker, Roderick B, Krause, Rui W M
- Authors: Ezekiel, Charles I , Bapolisi, Alain M , Walker, Roderick B , Krause, Rui W M
- Date: 2021
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/183115 , vital:43913 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics13060821"
- Description: Colorectal cancer is the third most diagnosed cancer and the second leading cause of death. The use of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) has been the major chemotherapeutic treatment for colorectal cancer patients. However, the efficacy of 5-FU is limited by drug resistance, and bone marrow toxicity through high-level expression of thymidylate synthase, justifying the need for improvement of the therapeutic index. In this study, the effects of ultrasound on echogenic 5-FU encapsulated crude soy liposomes were investigated for their potential to address these challenges. Liposomes were prepared by thin-film hydration using crude soy lecithin and cholesterol. Argon gas was entrapped in the liposomes for sonosensitivity (that is, responsiveness to ultrasound). The nanoparticles were characterized for particle size and morphology. The physicochemical properties were also evaluated using differential scanning calorimetry, Fourier transform infrared and X-ray diffraction. The release profile of 5-FU was assessed with and without 20 kHz low-frequency ultrasound waves at various amplitudes and exposure times. The result reveal that 5-FU-loaded liposomes were spherical with an encapsulation efficiency of approximately 60%. Approximately 65% of 5-FU was released at the highest amplitude and exposure time was investigated. The results are encouraging for the stimulated and controlled release of 5-FU for the management of colorectal cancer.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Ezekiel, Charles I , Bapolisi, Alain M , Walker, Roderick B , Krause, Rui W M
- Date: 2021
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/183115 , vital:43913 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics13060821"
- Description: Colorectal cancer is the third most diagnosed cancer and the second leading cause of death. The use of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) has been the major chemotherapeutic treatment for colorectal cancer patients. However, the efficacy of 5-FU is limited by drug resistance, and bone marrow toxicity through high-level expression of thymidylate synthase, justifying the need for improvement of the therapeutic index. In this study, the effects of ultrasound on echogenic 5-FU encapsulated crude soy liposomes were investigated for their potential to address these challenges. Liposomes were prepared by thin-film hydration using crude soy lecithin and cholesterol. Argon gas was entrapped in the liposomes for sonosensitivity (that is, responsiveness to ultrasound). The nanoparticles were characterized for particle size and morphology. The physicochemical properties were also evaluated using differential scanning calorimetry, Fourier transform infrared and X-ray diffraction. The release profile of 5-FU was assessed with and without 20 kHz low-frequency ultrasound waves at various amplitudes and exposure times. The result reveal that 5-FU-loaded liposomes were spherical with an encapsulation efficiency of approximately 60%. Approximately 65% of 5-FU was released at the highest amplitude and exposure time was investigated. The results are encouraging for the stimulated and controlled release of 5-FU for the management of colorectal cancer.
- Full Text:
Unlocking the Diversity of Pyrroloiminoquinones Produced by Latrunculid Sponge Species
- Kalinski, Jarmo-Charles J, Krause, Rui W M, Parker-Nance, Shirley, Waterworth, Samantha C, Dorrington, Rosemary A
- Authors: Kalinski, Jarmo-Charles J , Krause, Rui W M , Parker-Nance, Shirley , Waterworth, Samantha C , Dorrington, Rosemary A
- Date: 2021
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/191802 , vital:45165 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.3390/md19020068"
- Description: Sponges of the Latrunculiidae family produce bioactive pyrroloiminoquinone alkaloids including makaluvamines, discorhabdins, and tsitsikammamines. The aim of this study was to use LC-ESI-MS/MS-driven molecular networking to characterize the pyrroloiminoquinone secondary metabolites produced by six latrunculid species. These are Tsitsikamma favus, Tsitsikamma pedunculata, Cyclacanthia bellae, and Latrunculia apicalis as well as the recently discovered species, Tsitsikamma nguni and Tsitsikamma michaeli. Organic extracts of 43 sponges were analyzed, revealing distinct species-specific chemical profiles. More than 200 known and unknown putative pyrroloiminoquinones and related compounds were detected, including unprecedented makaluvamine-discorhabdin adducts and hydroxylated discorhabdin I derivatives. The chemical profiles of the new species T. nguni closely resembled those of the known T. favus (chemotype I), but with a higher abundance of tsitsikammamines vs. discorhabdins. T. michaeli sponges displayed two distinct chemical profiles, either producing mostly the same discorhabdins as T. favus (chemotype I) or non- or monobrominated, hydroxylated discorhabdins. C. bellae and L. apicalis produced similar pyrroloiminoquinone chemistry to one another, characterized by sulfur-containing discorhabdins and related adducts and oligomers. This study highlights the variability of pyrroloiminoquinone production by latrunculid species, identifies novel isolation targets, and offers fundamental insights into the collision-induced dissociation of pyrroloiminoquinones.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Kalinski, Jarmo-Charles J , Krause, Rui W M , Parker-Nance, Shirley , Waterworth, Samantha C , Dorrington, Rosemary A
- Date: 2021
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/191802 , vital:45165 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.3390/md19020068"
- Description: Sponges of the Latrunculiidae family produce bioactive pyrroloiminoquinone alkaloids including makaluvamines, discorhabdins, and tsitsikammamines. The aim of this study was to use LC-ESI-MS/MS-driven molecular networking to characterize the pyrroloiminoquinone secondary metabolites produced by six latrunculid species. These are Tsitsikamma favus, Tsitsikamma pedunculata, Cyclacanthia bellae, and Latrunculia apicalis as well as the recently discovered species, Tsitsikamma nguni and Tsitsikamma michaeli. Organic extracts of 43 sponges were analyzed, revealing distinct species-specific chemical profiles. More than 200 known and unknown putative pyrroloiminoquinones and related compounds were detected, including unprecedented makaluvamine-discorhabdin adducts and hydroxylated discorhabdin I derivatives. The chemical profiles of the new species T. nguni closely resembled those of the known T. favus (chemotype I), but with a higher abundance of tsitsikammamines vs. discorhabdins. T. michaeli sponges displayed two distinct chemical profiles, either producing mostly the same discorhabdins as T. favus (chemotype I) or non- or monobrominated, hydroxylated discorhabdins. C. bellae and L. apicalis produced similar pyrroloiminoquinone chemistry to one another, characterized by sulfur-containing discorhabdins and related adducts and oligomers. This study highlights the variability of pyrroloiminoquinone production by latrunculid species, identifies novel isolation targets, and offers fundamental insights into the collision-induced dissociation of pyrroloiminoquinones.
- Full Text:
Urban birds in the Eastern Cape: local observations from Makhanda (Grahamstown) and future questions
- Craig, Adrian J F K, Hulley, Patrick E, Mullins, R Lorraine G
- Authors: Craig, Adrian J F K , Hulley, Patrick E , Mullins, R Lorraine G
- Date: 2021
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/449580 , vital:74831 , https://doi.org/10.2989/00306525.2020.1816585
- Description: In Makhanda (Grahamstown), a non-industrial town with approximately 85 000 inhabitants, we have recorded 174 bird species within the urban area, of which 104 species are likely to breed regularly. The source habitats of these birds include all the surrounding habitat types, and the bird community is evidently determined by both local conditions within the town (e.g. tree density) and regional changes affecting the eastern coast of South Africa (range shifts). Topics meriting future research on urban bird communities in South Africa are highlighted.
- Full Text:
Urban birds in the Eastern Cape: local observations from Makhanda (Grahamstown) and future questions
- Authors: Craig, Adrian J F K , Hulley, Patrick E , Mullins, R Lorraine G
- Date: 2021
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/449580 , vital:74831 , https://doi.org/10.2989/00306525.2020.1816585
- Description: In Makhanda (Grahamstown), a non-industrial town with approximately 85 000 inhabitants, we have recorded 174 bird species within the urban area, of which 104 species are likely to breed regularly. The source habitats of these birds include all the surrounding habitat types, and the bird community is evidently determined by both local conditions within the town (e.g. tree density) and regional changes affecting the eastern coast of South Africa (range shifts). Topics meriting future research on urban bird communities in South Africa are highlighted.
- Full Text:
Urban green infrastructure for poverty alleviation: evidence synthesis and conceptual considerations
- Authors: Shackleton, Charlie M
- Date: 2021
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/401383 , vital:69730 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.3389/frsc.2021.710549"
- Description: The multiple benefits of urban green infrastructure (UGI) that support sustainable cities are increasingly acknowledged, and yet the bulk of research over the past decade or so has focused on only a small subset of the numerous benefits, notably recreation, physical and mental health, and regulating services. In contrast, there is very little information on the contribution of UGI to several of the other Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and in particular SDG 1 of reducing poverty, despite the pervasiveness of poverty globally. This paper considers the diverse direct and indirect ways in which UGI can contribute to poverty alleviation, drawing on the limited evidence from various regions of the world. The direct links between UGI and poverty alleviation is via three means, namely provision of (1) consumptive or provisioning goods such as wild foods and firewood, (2) employment in UGI development, maintenance, and restoration, and (3) land for urban agriculture, income generation and dwelling. There are also a number of indirect links such as cash savings, improved physical and mental health, improved social networks, improved educational outcomes, and regulation of potential natural disasters. However, the commonly unequal distribution of UGI within and between cities means that the poverty alleviation potential and benefits are inequitably distributed, often against those who are most in need of them, i.e., the urban poor. This demands greater attention to promoting the equitable distribution and quality of UGI and mainstreaming of UGI into poverty reduction strategies and programmes and vice versa, as well as greater examination of the links between UGI and poverty alleviation in a greater range of contexts.
- Full Text:
Urban green infrastructure for poverty alleviation: evidence synthesis and conceptual considerations
- Authors: Shackleton, Charlie M
- Date: 2021
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/401383 , vital:69730 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.3389/frsc.2021.710549"
- Description: The multiple benefits of urban green infrastructure (UGI) that support sustainable cities are increasingly acknowledged, and yet the bulk of research over the past decade or so has focused on only a small subset of the numerous benefits, notably recreation, physical and mental health, and regulating services. In contrast, there is very little information on the contribution of UGI to several of the other Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and in particular SDG 1 of reducing poverty, despite the pervasiveness of poverty globally. This paper considers the diverse direct and indirect ways in which UGI can contribute to poverty alleviation, drawing on the limited evidence from various regions of the world. The direct links between UGI and poverty alleviation is via three means, namely provision of (1) consumptive or provisioning goods such as wild foods and firewood, (2) employment in UGI development, maintenance, and restoration, and (3) land for urban agriculture, income generation and dwelling. There are also a number of indirect links such as cash savings, improved physical and mental health, improved social networks, improved educational outcomes, and regulation of potential natural disasters. However, the commonly unequal distribution of UGI within and between cities means that the poverty alleviation potential and benefits are inequitably distributed, often against those who are most in need of them, i.e., the urban poor. This demands greater attention to promoting the equitable distribution and quality of UGI and mainstreaming of UGI into poverty reduction strategies and programmes and vice versa, as well as greater examination of the links between UGI and poverty alleviation in a greater range of contexts.
- Full Text:
Visible light responsive TiO2-graphene oxide nanosheets-Zn phthalocyanine ternary heterojunction assisted photoelectrocatalytic degradation of Orange G
- Nwahara, Nnamdi, Adeniyi, Omotayo, Mashazi, Philani N, Nyokong, Tebello
- Authors: Nwahara, Nnamdi , Adeniyi, Omotayo , Mashazi, Philani N , Nyokong, Tebello
- Date: 2021
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/185446 , vital:44387 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jphotochem.2021.113291"
- Description: Herein, we report on the successful fabrication of a visible light-responsive TiO2 - graphene oxide nanosheets – Zn phthalocyanine (TiO2@GONS@ZnPc) ternary structure for the photoelectrochemical degradation of Orange G azo dye. The characterization of TiO2@GONS@ZnPc composite was achieved using various spectroscopic and microscopic techniques. Our results show that the TiO2@GONS@ZnPc surface hybrid heterojunction promotes charge separation and electron migration, significantly improving the degradation efficiency with an applied potential. For the first time, we show the existence of a non-radical activation route for persulfate (PS) using such π electron-rich ZnPc-GONS catalysts. The degradation kinetics were found to follow pseudo first order kinetics. Electron spin resonance analyses suggested that neither hydroxyl radicals nor sulfate radicals were produced therein, and therefore were not responsible for the persulfate-driven oxidation of the OG dye. These findings suggest that both which GONS and ZnPc play a critical role in mediating the eventual charge transfer mediated PS activation. The results illustrate the remarkable capacity of the TiO2@GONS@ZnPc composite to rapidly degrade Orange G by a coupled TiO2@GONS@ZnPc-persulfate system.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Nwahara, Nnamdi , Adeniyi, Omotayo , Mashazi, Philani N , Nyokong, Tebello
- Date: 2021
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/185446 , vital:44387 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jphotochem.2021.113291"
- Description: Herein, we report on the successful fabrication of a visible light-responsive TiO2 - graphene oxide nanosheets – Zn phthalocyanine (TiO2@GONS@ZnPc) ternary structure for the photoelectrochemical degradation of Orange G azo dye. The characterization of TiO2@GONS@ZnPc composite was achieved using various spectroscopic and microscopic techniques. Our results show that the TiO2@GONS@ZnPc surface hybrid heterojunction promotes charge separation and electron migration, significantly improving the degradation efficiency with an applied potential. For the first time, we show the existence of a non-radical activation route for persulfate (PS) using such π electron-rich ZnPc-GONS catalysts. The degradation kinetics were found to follow pseudo first order kinetics. Electron spin resonance analyses suggested that neither hydroxyl radicals nor sulfate radicals were produced therein, and therefore were not responsible for the persulfate-driven oxidation of the OG dye. These findings suggest that both which GONS and ZnPc play a critical role in mediating the eventual charge transfer mediated PS activation. The results illustrate the remarkable capacity of the TiO2@GONS@ZnPc composite to rapidly degrade Orange G by a coupled TiO2@GONS@ZnPc-persulfate system.
- Full Text:
Why decolonialising feminist psychology may fail, and why it mustn't: The politics of signification and the case of' teenage pregnancy'
- Macleod, Catriona I, Masuko, Diemo, Feltham-King, Tracey
- Authors: Macleod, Catriona I , Masuko, Diemo , Feltham-King, Tracey
- Date: 2021
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/446327 , vital:74490
- Description: The calls to decolonise psychology and feminisms are a demand for action in overcoming past and current (neo) colonial injustices. Decolonisation has, however, been complex owing to the plurality, mutation, and masking of (neo)colonial systems. Within this context, decolonialising feminist psychology may fail. Homing in on the politics of signification, we argue that the colonial roots of many signifiers that serve to perpetuate gendered power relations are masked through their taken-for-granted status within psychology. We illustrate the latter through discussion of "adolescence", a signifier premised on colonialist thinking regarding individual and societal development. While gross forms of colonialist thinking regarding adolescence have disappeared, the "threat of degeneration" implicit in the concept remains. Drawing on critical work on "teenage pregnancy" in South Africa, we show how young womxn's reproductive health is impacted by the entrenchment of the threat of degeneration in educational and health responses. This discussion illustrates why decolonising feminist psychology must not fail. Alternative signifiers that serve the purpose of social justice and care should be foregrounded. These joint tasks (critique of (neo)colonialist signifiers and the enactment of transformation through foregrounding alternative signifiers) should underpin decolonising feminist psychology praxis.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Macleod, Catriona I , Masuko, Diemo , Feltham-King, Tracey
- Date: 2021
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/446327 , vital:74490
- Description: The calls to decolonise psychology and feminisms are a demand for action in overcoming past and current (neo) colonial injustices. Decolonisation has, however, been complex owing to the plurality, mutation, and masking of (neo)colonial systems. Within this context, decolonialising feminist psychology may fail. Homing in on the politics of signification, we argue that the colonial roots of many signifiers that serve to perpetuate gendered power relations are masked through their taken-for-granted status within psychology. We illustrate the latter through discussion of "adolescence", a signifier premised on colonialist thinking regarding individual and societal development. While gross forms of colonialist thinking regarding adolescence have disappeared, the "threat of degeneration" implicit in the concept remains. Drawing on critical work on "teenage pregnancy" in South Africa, we show how young womxn's reproductive health is impacted by the entrenchment of the threat of degeneration in educational and health responses. This discussion illustrates why decolonising feminist psychology must not fail. Alternative signifiers that serve the purpose of social justice and care should be foregrounded. These joint tasks (critique of (neo)colonialist signifiers and the enactment of transformation through foregrounding alternative signifiers) should underpin decolonising feminist psychology praxis.
- Full Text:
Youth Attitudes and Participation in Climate Protest
- Prendergast, Kate, Hayward, Bronwyn, Aoyagi, Midori, Burningham, Kate, Hasan, Mehedi, Jackson, Tim, Jha, Vimlendu, Kuroki, Larissa, Lukianov, Anastasia, Mattar, Helio, Schudel, Ingrid J, Venn, Sue, Yoshida, Aya
- Authors: Prendergast, Kate , Hayward, Bronwyn , Aoyagi, Midori , Burningham, Kate , Hasan, Mehedi , Jackson, Tim , Jha, Vimlendu , Kuroki, Larissa , Lukianov, Anastasia , Mattar, Helio , Schudel, Ingrid J , Venn, Sue , Yoshida, Aya
- Date: 2021
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/294471 , vital:57224 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fpos.2021.696105"
- Description: This article examines youth participation the school climate strikes of 2018 and 2019 (also known as #Fridays4Future), through an exploratory study conducted in seven diverse cities. Despite the international nature of the climate strikes, we know little about the factors that influenced youth participation in these protests beyond the global North. This matters because youth of the global South are disproportionately impacted by climate change and there is growing concern that the climate movement is dominated by narratives that marginalize the voices and priorities of Indigenous communities and people of color. In this context, the exploratory research reported here aimed to compare the attitudes of climate protesters (n = 314) and their non-protester peers (n = 1,217), in diverse city samples drawn from a wider study of children and youth aged 12–24 years, living in Christchurch (New Zealand); Dhaka (Bangladesh); Lambeth, London (United Kingdom); Makhanda (South Africa); New Delhi (India); São Paulo (Brazil); and Yokohama (Japan). Using cross-sectional data (N = 1,531) and binary logistic regression models, researchers examined three common explanations for youth participation in protest: availability (biographical and structural), political engagement (reported individual and collective efficacy of strikers and non-strikers), and self-reported biospheric values amongst participants. Results indicate that even in diverse city samples, structural availability (civic skills and organizational membership) predicted strike participation across city samples, but not political engagement (self-efficacy and collective efficacy). Youth who reported that ‘living in harmony with nature and animals’ was important for their wellbeing, were also more likely to strike than their peers. Descriptive statistics indicated that the majority (85 percent) of all protestors in this study agreed climate change was a serious issue and a startling 65 percent said that they think about climate change “all the time”. Reported rates of youth climate protest participation varied across city samples as did the extent to which participants reported having friends take part or expecting climate change to have a personal impact. While the study is exploratory, it points to the need for more extensive research to understand the diversity of youth participation in ‘global climate strikes’.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Prendergast, Kate , Hayward, Bronwyn , Aoyagi, Midori , Burningham, Kate , Hasan, Mehedi , Jackson, Tim , Jha, Vimlendu , Kuroki, Larissa , Lukianov, Anastasia , Mattar, Helio , Schudel, Ingrid J , Venn, Sue , Yoshida, Aya
- Date: 2021
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/294471 , vital:57224 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fpos.2021.696105"
- Description: This article examines youth participation the school climate strikes of 2018 and 2019 (also known as #Fridays4Future), through an exploratory study conducted in seven diverse cities. Despite the international nature of the climate strikes, we know little about the factors that influenced youth participation in these protests beyond the global North. This matters because youth of the global South are disproportionately impacted by climate change and there is growing concern that the climate movement is dominated by narratives that marginalize the voices and priorities of Indigenous communities and people of color. In this context, the exploratory research reported here aimed to compare the attitudes of climate protesters (n = 314) and their non-protester peers (n = 1,217), in diverse city samples drawn from a wider study of children and youth aged 12–24 years, living in Christchurch (New Zealand); Dhaka (Bangladesh); Lambeth, London (United Kingdom); Makhanda (South Africa); New Delhi (India); São Paulo (Brazil); and Yokohama (Japan). Using cross-sectional data (N = 1,531) and binary logistic regression models, researchers examined three common explanations for youth participation in protest: availability (biographical and structural), political engagement (reported individual and collective efficacy of strikers and non-strikers), and self-reported biospheric values amongst participants. Results indicate that even in diverse city samples, structural availability (civic skills and organizational membership) predicted strike participation across city samples, but not political engagement (self-efficacy and collective efficacy). Youth who reported that ‘living in harmony with nature and animals’ was important for their wellbeing, were also more likely to strike than their peers. Descriptive statistics indicated that the majority (85 percent) of all protestors in this study agreed climate change was a serious issue and a startling 65 percent said that they think about climate change “all the time”. Reported rates of youth climate protest participation varied across city samples as did the extent to which participants reported having friends take part or expecting climate change to have a personal impact. While the study is exploratory, it points to the need for more extensive research to understand the diversity of youth participation in ‘global climate strikes’.
- Full Text:
‘Bad choices’: Unintended pregnancy and abortion in nurses’ and counsellors’ accounts of providing pre-abortion counselling
- Mavuso, Jabulile M-J J, Macleod, Catriona I
- Authors: Mavuso, Jabulile M-J J , Macleod, Catriona I
- Date: 2021
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/444139 , vital:74195 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1177/1363459320988873"
- Description: Little research tackles healthcare providers’ experiences in conducting pre-abortion counselling sessions in circumstances where pregnant persons may request an abortion. We report on a study conducted in South Africa, in which two nurses and two counsellors were asked about how they conduct these counselling sessions. Using a synthetic narrative approach, we present these health workers’ micro-narratives about their motivations for providing abortion services, the purpose of the counselling, their information-giving practices, and whether and how third parties are included in the counselling. We highlight how these micro-narratives are premised on discursive resources that problematise unintended pregnancy and abortion. These resources enable and justify directive counselling that undermines pregnant peoples’ reproductive autonomy. We locate such directiveness within dominant anti-abortion discourse and call for training to reframe normative understandings of abortion.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Mavuso, Jabulile M-J J , Macleod, Catriona I
- Date: 2021
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/444139 , vital:74195 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1177/1363459320988873"
- Description: Little research tackles healthcare providers’ experiences in conducting pre-abortion counselling sessions in circumstances where pregnant persons may request an abortion. We report on a study conducted in South Africa, in which two nurses and two counsellors were asked about how they conduct these counselling sessions. Using a synthetic narrative approach, we present these health workers’ micro-narratives about their motivations for providing abortion services, the purpose of the counselling, their information-giving practices, and whether and how third parties are included in the counselling. We highlight how these micro-narratives are premised on discursive resources that problematise unintended pregnancy and abortion. These resources enable and justify directive counselling that undermines pregnant peoples’ reproductive autonomy. We locate such directiveness within dominant anti-abortion discourse and call for training to reframe normative understandings of abortion.
- Full Text:
‘Don't educate them out of educating themselves’
- Krueger, Anton, Wunder, Albert
- Authors: Krueger, Anton , Wunder, Albert
- Date: 2021
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/225481 , vital:49226 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.5920/pam.1005"
- Description: Al Wunder's biography, in his own words: I had four lucky breaks that precipitated my becoming a teacher of improvised movement theatre. Between the ages of eight and fourteen I broke my right leg four different times. In 1962, I began modern dance classes with Alwin Nikolais as a physical therapy. His choreography and improvisation sections of class inspired me to teach and perform professionally. I spent eight years studying, teaching, choreographing, and performing with Nikolais. 1970 saw me move to the San Francisco Bay area where I opened a dance studio teaching Nikolais dance technique and improvisation. In 1971, I joined forces with Terry Sendgraff and Ruth Zaporah creating The Berkeley Dance Theater and Gymnasium. My focus was to create a way to teach dance technique through improvisation. I met my Australian wife, Lynden Nicholls, in 1981 when she came to study Motivity at Terry’s studio in Berkeley. In 1982, I moved to Melbourne, Australia where Lynden and I set up a dance studio. My focus changed from teaching dance technique improvisationally to teaching improvised movement theatre performance
- Full Text:
- Authors: Krueger, Anton , Wunder, Albert
- Date: 2021
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/225481 , vital:49226 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.5920/pam.1005"
- Description: Al Wunder's biography, in his own words: I had four lucky breaks that precipitated my becoming a teacher of improvised movement theatre. Between the ages of eight and fourteen I broke my right leg four different times. In 1962, I began modern dance classes with Alwin Nikolais as a physical therapy. His choreography and improvisation sections of class inspired me to teach and perform professionally. I spent eight years studying, teaching, choreographing, and performing with Nikolais. 1970 saw me move to the San Francisco Bay area where I opened a dance studio teaching Nikolais dance technique and improvisation. In 1971, I joined forces with Terry Sendgraff and Ruth Zaporah creating The Berkeley Dance Theater and Gymnasium. My focus was to create a way to teach dance technique through improvisation. I met my Australian wife, Lynden Nicholls, in 1981 when she came to study Motivity at Terry’s studio in Berkeley. In 1982, I moved to Melbourne, Australia where Lynden and I set up a dance studio. My focus changed from teaching dance technique improvisationally to teaching improvised movement theatre performance
- Full Text:
'Choice' in women's abortion decision-making narratives: Introducing a supportability approach
- Mavuso, Jabulile M-J J, Chiweshe, Malvern T, Macleod, Catriona I
- Authors: Mavuso, Jabulile M-J J , Chiweshe, Malvern T , Macleod, Catriona I
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/446220 , vital:74482
- Description: Liberal abortion legislation emphasises pregnant persons' autonomous choices in abortion decision-making. Within psychological theories, decision-making is understood as largely individual, rational and cognitive, with various factors affecting women's1 abortion decision-making. In this study, purposively recruited from three sites in South Africa and three sites in Zimbabwe, 25 and 18 women, respectively, participated in narrative interviews which were analysed using thematic analysis and a supportability framework. Participants' narratives constructed continuation of the pregnancy as a 'non-option, abortion emerging as the only solution. Economic resources, gender norms and partnerships, and the undesirability of the pregnancy meant the pregnancy was unsupportable at micro- and macro-levels, and sometimes despite parenting being desired by the women. A supportability framework offers opportunities to understand reproductive decision-making as imbricated in the circumstances of the pregnancy which render it (un)supportable, therefore opening up or closing down particular decisions. This framework enables a necessary shift, towards systemic understandings of decision-making, and a possible reduction in abortion-related stigma.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Mavuso, Jabulile M-J J , Chiweshe, Malvern T , Macleod, Catriona I
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/446220 , vital:74482
- Description: Liberal abortion legislation emphasises pregnant persons' autonomous choices in abortion decision-making. Within psychological theories, decision-making is understood as largely individual, rational and cognitive, with various factors affecting women's1 abortion decision-making. In this study, purposively recruited from three sites in South Africa and three sites in Zimbabwe, 25 and 18 women, respectively, participated in narrative interviews which were analysed using thematic analysis and a supportability framework. Participants' narratives constructed continuation of the pregnancy as a 'non-option, abortion emerging as the only solution. Economic resources, gender norms and partnerships, and the undesirability of the pregnancy meant the pregnancy was unsupportable at micro- and macro-levels, and sometimes despite parenting being desired by the women. A supportability framework offers opportunities to understand reproductive decision-making as imbricated in the circumstances of the pregnancy which render it (un)supportable, therefore opening up or closing down particular decisions. This framework enables a necessary shift, towards systemic understandings of decision-making, and a possible reduction in abortion-related stigma.
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A career in photophysicochemical and electrochemical properties of phthalocyanine: A Linstead Career Award paper
- Authors: Nyokong, Tebello
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/186045 , vital:44458 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1142/S1088424620300037"
- Description: This manuscript highlights the author’s contributions to phthalocyanine chemistry, especially the applications based on their electrochemistry and photophysicochemistry. In particular, the use of phthalocyanines as electrocatalysts and photocatalysts is presented. For photocatalysis, photodynamic antimicrobial chemotherapy and pollution control using green technologies are highlighted. For electrocatalysis the phthalocyanines are employed for the detection of pollutants and environmentally important molecules. Phthalocyanines are combined with nanomaterials for improved photocatalysis and electrocatalysis.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Nyokong, Tebello
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/186045 , vital:44458 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1142/S1088424620300037"
- Description: This manuscript highlights the author’s contributions to phthalocyanine chemistry, especially the applications based on their electrochemistry and photophysicochemistry. In particular, the use of phthalocyanines as electrocatalysts and photocatalysts is presented. For photocatalysis, photodynamic antimicrobial chemotherapy and pollution control using green technologies are highlighted. For electrocatalysis the phthalocyanines are employed for the detection of pollutants and environmentally important molecules. Phthalocyanines are combined with nanomaterials for improved photocatalysis and electrocatalysis.
- Full Text: