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Combination of photodynamic antimicrobial chemotherapy and ciprofloxacin to combat S. aureus and E. coli resistant biofilms

  • Authors: Openda, Yolande Ikala , Nyokong, Tebello
  • Date: 2023
  • Subjects: To be catalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/360384 , vital:65084 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pdpdt.2022.103142"
  • Description: Photodynamic antimicrobial chemotherapy (PACT) coupled with an antibiotic, ciprofloxacin (CIP), was investigated using two indium metallated cationic photosensitizers, a porphyrin (1) and a phthalocyanine (2). Applying PACT followed by the antibiotic treatment led to a remarkable reduction in the biofilm cell survival of two antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains, S. aureus (Gram-positive) and E. coli (Gram-nenative). Treating both bacteria strains with PACT alone showed no significant activity at 32 µM with 15 min irradiation, while CIP alone exhibited a minimum biofilm inhibition concentration (MBIC) at 4 and 8 µg/mL on S. aureus and E. coli, respectively following 24 h incubation. The combined treatment resulted in the complete eradication of the matured biofilms with high log10 reduction values of 7.05 and 7.20 on S. aureus and E. coli, respectively, at low concentrations. It was found that 15 min PACT irradiation of 8 µM of complexes (1 and 2) combined with 2 µg/mL of CIP have a 100% reduction of the resistant S. aureus biofilms. Whereas the total killing of E. coli was obtained when combining 8 µM of complex 1 and 16 µM of complex 2 both combined with 4 µg/mL of CIP.
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  • Date Issued: 2023

Comparative situational analysis of comprehensive abortion care in four Southern African countries

  • Authors: Macleod, Catriona I , Reuvers, Megan , Reynolds, John H , Lavelanet, Antonella , Delate, Richard
  • Date: 2023
  • Subjects: To be catalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/441199 , vital:73865 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1080/17441692.2023.2217442"
  • Description: We report on a comparative situational analysis of comprehensive abortion care (CAC) in Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho and Namibia. We conducted systematic literature searches and country consultations and used a reparative health justice approach (with four dimensions) for the analysis. The following findings pertain to all four countries, except where indicated. Individual material dimension: pervasive gender-based violence (GBV); unmet need for contraception (15−17%); high HIV prevalence; poor abortion access for rape survivors; fees for sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services (Eswatini). Collective material dimension: no clear national budgeting for SRH; over-reliance on donor funding (Eswatini; Lesotho); no national CAC guidelines or guidance on legal abortion access; poor data collection and management systems; shortage and inequitable distribution of staff; few facilities providing abortion care. Individual symbolic dimension: gender norms justify GBV; stigma attached to both abortion and unwed or early pregnancies. Collective symbolic dimension: policy commitments to reducing unsafe abortion and to post-abortion care, but not to increasing access to legal abortion; inadequate research; contradictions in abortion legislation (Botswana); inadequate staff training in CAC. Political will to ensure CAC within the country’s legislation is required. Reparative health.
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  • Date Issued: 2023

Contrasting effects of climate change on the invasion risk and biocontrol potential of the invasive Iris pseudacorus L. between Northern and Southern Hemisphere

  • Authors: Minuti, Gianmarco , Coetzee, Julie A , Stiers, Iris
  • Date: 2023
  • Subjects: To be catalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/423329 , vital:72048 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocontrol.2023.105290"
  • Description: Iris pseudacorus is both a prized ornamental and an invasive aquatic plant that tends to grow dense monospecific stands, displacing the local vegetation and altering the hydrology of freshwater ecosystems. Originally from Europe, this species has historically invaded North America, China and Japan, and more recently spread through Argentina, South Africa and Australasia, where it is now a target for biological control. Field surveys within its native range have led to the selection of three candidate biocontrol agents. Prioritizing the best candidates for different regions constitutes a critical step, which could save significant time and resources before further cost-intensive experimental studies are conducted. Climate change is seldom taken into consideration in the prioritization process. In this regard, climatic suitability can be used to model the potential distributions of weeds and their candidate agents, both in space and time, thus allowing to identify areas at risk of invasion and predict where agents will be able to establish long-term. Accordingly, the objectives of this work were (i) to predict I. pseudacorus invasions and range shifts in the context of climate change; (ii) to identify wetland areas most at risk of invasion under present and future climatic conditions; and (iii) to prioritize the best suite of candidate biocontrol agents for different invaded ranges, worldwide. To do so, we modelled the present and future (2040–2060) climatic suitability of I. pseudacorus and its candidate agents using the software MaxEnt. Our results highlight a clear distinction between predictions for the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. In North America and eastern Asia, the area climatically suitable for I. pseudacorus is expected to increase and shift northwards. As for its biocontrol agents, very low suitability is predicted across these regions, further decreasing under future climatic conditions. On the other hand, climatically suitable areas for the plant in South America, southern Africa and Australasia are predicted, on average, to reduce in response to climate change. A decrease in climatic suitability is also expected for its candidate biocontrol agents which, however, would still maintain a significant range overlap with their host. These results can be used to prioritize areas most at risk of invasion and identify which combination of candidates could potentially provide the best level of control across different invaded ranges.
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  • Date Issued: 2023

Count me in: Leopard population density in an area of mixed land‐use, Eastern Cape, South Africa

  • Authors: Bouderka, Safia , Perry, Travis W , Parker, Daniel M , Beukes, Maya , Mgqatsa, Nokubonga
  • Date: 2023
  • Subjects: To be catalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/462591 , vital:76317 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1111/aje.13078"
  • Description: Although the leopard (Panthera pardus) has the widest range of any felid in the world is designated as a vulnerable species, mainly because of human-induced conflict (Jacobson et al., 2016). Our study focuses on a population of leopards on privately owned, mixed-use farmland (Baviaanskloof Hartland–BH hereafter) which is adjacent to the Baviaanskloof Mega Reserve (BMR) in the Baviaanskloof UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Eastern Cape, South Africa. Given the unique make-up of the region, with sometimes conflicting management objectives, the status of leopards in the broader Baviaanskloof is of particular interest to a range of stakeholders. However, despite the need for management decisions to be based on reliable and regular population monitoring efforts (Elliot et al., 2020), the last formal assessment of the leopard population in the Baviaanskloof was performed in 2011/2012 but published 9 years later (Devens et al., 2018). The only other assessment of the status of leopards in the region was an unpublished Master's project (McManus, 2009). Here, we use photographic captures of leopards and a Spatially Explicit Capture Recapture (SECR) analytical framework in the mixed-use BH region of the Baviaanskloof to generate an up-to-date leopard population density estimate that can inform conservation management of the species in this important World Heritage Site.
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  • Date Issued: 2023

Crystal structure, Hirshfeld surface analysis and computational studies of (E)-2, 2-dimethyl-4-styryl-2, 3-dihydro-1H-benzo [b][1, 4] diazepine

  • Authors: Odame, Felix , Madanhire, T , Hosten, Eric C , Lobb, Kevin A
  • Date: 2023
  • Subjects: To be catalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/452677 , vital:75161 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.48317/IMIST.PRSM/morjchem-v11i3.40773"
  • Description: The crystal structure, Hirshfeld surface analysis, and computational studies of (E)-2,2-dimethyl-4-styryl-2,3-dihydro-1H-benzo[b][1,4]diazepine have been presented. The compound crystallized in the monoclinic space group P21/c with 8 molecules in it unit cell. A comparison of the experimental and computed bond lengths and bond angles showed good agreement among the results with varying deviations from each other. A discussion of the Hirshfeld surface analysis of the compound have been carried out to provide insight into the structural properties of the compound.
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  • Date Issued: 2023

Crystal Structure, Hirshfeld Surface Analysis and Computational Studies of Two Benzo [b][1, 4] Diazepine Derivatives

  • Authors: Odame, Felix , Madanhire, T , Hosten, Eric C , Lobb, Kevin A
  • Date: 2023
  • Subjects: To be catalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/452689 , vital:75162 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1134/S0022476623120041"
  • Description: The DFT computational studies, crystal structures and Hirshfeld surface analysis of (E)-4-(2-chlorostyryl)-2,2-dimethyl-2,3-dihydro-1H-benzo[b][1,4]diazepine (1) and (E)-4-(2-(2,2-dimethyl-2,3-dihydro-1H-benzo[b][1,4]diazepin-4-yl)vinyl)phenol (2) have been presented. The compounds crystallized in the monoclinic space group P21/c with 4 molecules in their unit cells each. The experimental and computed bond lengths and bond angles deviated from each other to some extent but also showed good agreement with each other in some cases. Hirshfeld surface analysis of the compounds provided further information about the structural properties of the compounds.
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  • Date Issued: 2023

Declines in Livestock Numbers Accompany Cropping Deagrarianisation Processes in the Eastern Cape, South Africa

  • Authors: Shackleton, Charlie M , Ntshudu, Monde
  • Date: 2023
  • Subjects: To be catalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/402248 , vital:69834 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.3390/land12091735"
  • Description: Deagrarianisation amongst smallholder farmers is a growing phenomenon globally, driven by a complex array of context-specific and higher-scale factors. Most research has focused on declines in arable cropping, with relatively little regard to the deagrarianisation dynamics associated with livestock ownership, yet the two are often linked through the need for draught power for ploughing. Here, we report on a survey of 293 rural households in 10 rural villages in the Eastern Cape province, South Africa, where we ascertained whether ownership of cattle, goats, sheep and pigs had changed over the previous 15 years and what were the underlying reasons for any changes at both village- and household-scale. The majority felt that there had been a decline in the number of households keeping livestock and the number of animals in the village. Additionally, a clear majority of owners for each type of livestock stated that their households currently have fewer animals than 15 years ago. The main reasons for declines were that their animals had died due to drought or disease, theft, or they had sold them because of financial needs. There was a positive association between the keeping of cattle and field cultivation. Despite these general declines, two-thirds of households currently without livestock wished that they had some, primarily for use in cultural ceremonies/rituals or for income. This study shows the deagrarianisation processes in the region also apply to the livestock sector despite the significance of livestock in the local Xhosa culture. This study highlights the multifaceted nature of deagrarianisation in communal tenure systems.
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  • Date Issued: 2023

Determining the efficacy of push-pull for management of Eldana saccharina (Walker (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) in sugarcane through on-farm field trials

  • Authors: Mulcahy, Megan M , Conlong, Desmond E , Hill, Martin P
  • Date: 2023
  • Subjects: To be catalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/451313 , vital:75039 , http://dx.doi.org/10.17159/2254-8854/2023/a15654
  • Description: An area-wide integrated pest management (AW-IPM) programme was developed to improve management of Eldana saccharina Walker (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), a major pest of South African sugarcane. Push-pull technology is an important component of this AW-IPM approach. The sugarcane push-pull programme uses plants which are both repellent (Melinis minutiflora P. Beauv.(Cyperales: Poaceae)) and attractive (Cyperus dives Delile and Cyperus papyrus L.(both Cyperales: Cyperaceae) to E. saccharina. Previous research demonstrated the efficacy of push-pull in the Midlands North region of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), South Africa. To date, little research has been conducted in coastal sugarcane growing areas. The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility of using push-pull for management of E. saccharina in coastal KZN, using large-scale on-farm field trials conducted on five model farms. On each farm, wetland habitats were rehabilitated with pull plants (C. dives and C. papyrus) and fields were intercropped with the repellent grass M. minutiflora. Eldana saccharina damage and infestation levels were recorded to assess the efficacy of push-pull, using a multiple before-after-control-impact (mBACI) design.
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  • Date Issued: 2023

Development of a translation device for axiological-semantic density in political news articles: Wording and charging

  • Authors: Siebörger, Ian , Adendorff, Ralph D
  • Date: 2023
  • Subjects: To be catalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/385311 , vital:68006 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1515/text-2020-0156"
  • Description: The concept of axiological-semantic density from Legitimation Code Theory (LCT) is extremely helpful in analysing political knowledge-building, as it describes the strength of relations between various people, political stances and moral judgements, enabling these to be positioned in relation to each other. We present a multi-level translation device designed to identify strengths of axiological-semantic density in political news articles from the Daily Sun, South Africa’s most popular tabloid newspaper. This translation device was devised through analysis of selected texts from a corpus of 516 articles published between January and June 2015. It was developed through a collaborative process involving the first author and a team of student research assistants. The final translation device has five tools, of which two, the wording and charging tools, are described in this article, and then illustrated using an example analysis of a Daily Sun political news article. Both tools reveal insights into South African political discourses and ways in which axiological-semantic density can be enacted in future research. Making axiological-semantic density visible using such a translation device also has practical applications in assisting readers to understand the ways in which publications such as the Daily Sun position political parties, enabling them to engage more constructively in discussions on the country’s future.
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  • Date Issued: 2023

Directive counselling undermines “safe” abortion

  • Authors: Mavuso, Jabulile M-J J , Macleod, Catriona I , du Toit, Ryan
  • Date: 2023
  • Subjects: To be catalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , book chapter
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/434096 , vital:73031 , ISBN 97817936442138 , https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781793644213/Sexual-and-Reproductive-Justice-From-the-Margins-to-the-Centre
  • Description: Sexual and Reproductive Justice: From the Margins to the Centre offers new insights and perspectives on sexual and reproductive justice. The thought-provoking and diverse contributions in this volume — which range from indigenous approaches to sexual violence to gender-affirming primary and mental healthcare — extend sexual and reproductive justice scholarship, and spark critical questions, novel thinking, and ongoing dialogue in this field.
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  • Date Issued: 2023

Distribution and impact of the Asian seed beetle, Megabruchidius tonkineus (Pic, 1904)(Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Bruchinae) on Gleditsia triacanthos L. seeds in South Africa

  • Authors: Salgado, Sara E , Martin, Grant D
  • Date: 2023
  • Subjects: To be catalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/452266 , vital:75116 , http://dx.doi.org/10.17159/2254-8854/2023/a13386
  • Description: Honey locust, Gleditsia triacanthos (Fabaceae) is a fast-growing deciduous tree native to North America. The tree has been introduced worldwide and has become invasive in South Africa. In 2017, it was listed as one of the nine fastest-spreading weeds in South Africa. Once established, it competes with and displaces indigenous species and dense stands can significantly reduce stream flow. The Asian seed-feeding bruchid, Megabruchidius tonkineus (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Bruchinae) was introduced into South Africa and has subsequently taken honey locust as a host plant. The beetle damages honey locust seeds and is therefore considered a biological control agent, despite no host-specificity or impact studies having been conducted. This study shows that M. tonkineus has established across the entire G. triacanthos population range in South Africa, damaging approximately 9% of seeds. Laboratory studies show that M. tonkineus completes its larval development in the seeds of G. triacanthos in about 66.80±0.69 SE days before emerging. This study is the first to describe the distribution and impact of this alien insect in South Africa.
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  • Date Issued: 2023

Distribution and impact of the native South African wasp, Megastigmus transvaalensis (Hussey, 1956)(Hymenoptera: Torymidae) on the invasive Schinus terebinthifolia Raddi (Anacardiaceae) in South Africa

  • Authors: Mangenlele, Nwabisa L , Martin, Grant D
  • Date: 2023
  • Subjects: To be catalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/416841 , vital:71390 , xlink:href="https://hdl.handle.net/10520/ejc-ento_v31_n1_a12"
  • Description: Schinus terebinthifolia Raddi (Anacardiaceae) (Brazilian pepper tree) is a tree native to subtropical South America that was introduced into South Africa as an ornamental plant. Globally, it is regarded as one of the world’s worst invasive trees. In South Africa the tree has acquired a native seed-feeding wasp, Megastigmus transvaalensis (Hussey, 1956) (Hymenoptera: Torymidae). The wasp’s native hosts are from the Searsia F.A. Barkley genus (Anacardiaceae), but it has expanded its host range to form a new association with both S. terebinthifolia and its close relative Schinus molle L. (Anacardiaceae). In order to quantify the seed predation by M. transvaalensis on S. terebinthifolia seeds, tree populations were surveyed across the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal provinces. The wasp was present at 99% of the S. terebinthifolia populations with an average of 22% of the seeds being destroyed. In the Eastern Cape province, the highest seed damage occurred at the start of the winter months, when about 35% of seeds were damaged. This fell to less than 12% in spring and summer when the plants were flowering. Megastigmus transvaalensis was found at nearly all the S. terebinthifolia populations in South Africa, but due to the limited number of predated seeds it is unlikely to reduce population sizes or curb the spread of the invasive alien tree in South Africa.
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  • Date Issued: 2023

Diverse values of nature for sustainability

Diversification of the African legless skinks in the subfamily Acontinae (Family Scincidae)

  • Authors: Zhao, Zhongning , Conradie, Werner C , Pietersen, Darren W , Jordaan, Adriaan , Nicolau, Gary K , Edwards, Shelley , Riekert, Stephanus , Heideman, Neil
  • Date: 2023
  • Subjects: To be catalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/461495 , vital:76207 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2023.107747"
  • Description: Cladogenic diversification is often explained by referring to climatic oscillations and geomorphic shifts that cause allopatric speciation. In this regard, southern Africa retains a high level of landscape heterogeneity in vegetation, geology, and rainfall patterns. The legless skink subfamily Acontinae occurs broadly across the southern African subcontinent and therefore provides an ideal model group for investigating biogeographic patterns associated with the region. A robust phylogenetic study of the Acontinae with comprehensive coverage and adequate sampling of each taxon has been lacking up until now, resulting in unresolved questions regarding the subfamily’s biogeography and evolution. In this study, we used multi-locus genetic markers (three mitochondrial and two nuclear) with comprehensive taxon coverage (all currently recognized Acontinae species) and adequate sampling (multiple specimens for most taxa) of each taxon to infer a phylogeny for the subfamily.
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  • Date Issued: 2023

Diversity and Endemism of Southern African Gekkonids Linked with the Escarpment Has Implications for Conservation Priorities

  • Authors: Nicolau, Gary K , Edwards, Shelley
  • Date: 2023
  • Subjects: To be catalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/461506 , vital:76208 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.3390/d15020306"
  • Description: South Africa is recognised for its high reptile diversity and endemism, specifically among lizards. Phylogenetic diversity, endemism, and richness can have clear implications or raise important questions in a range of fields, and most urgently in conservation. Among squamate reptiles, these indices are very commonly associated with high temperatures and topographic heterogeneity. Indeed, mountainous biogeography has been a critical driver in the radiation of the family Gekkonidae within the subregion. Here, we assess the species richness, diversity, and endemism of Gekkonidae species inhabiting South Africa, Lesotho, and Eswatini, accounting for phylogenetic relationships. We also employ the CANAPE method to identify regions that have neo- and/or paleoendemics. Southern African gekkonids appear to be most diverse and show high levels of endemism in three regions of Southern Africa: the northwestern Richtersveld, the escarpment running west to southeast, and the northeastern escarpment in the Limpopo province. Implications for conservation priorities are discussed.
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  • Date Issued: 2023

Do thermal requirements of Dichrorampha odorata, a shoot-boring moth for the biological control of Chromolaena odorata, explain its failure to establish in South Africa?

  • Authors: Nqayi, Slindile B , Zachariades, Costas , Coetzee, Julie A , Hill, Martin P , Chidawanyika, Frank , Uyi, Osariyekemwen O , McConnachie, Andrew J
  • Date: 2023
  • Subjects: To be catalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/416851 , vital:71391 , xlink:href="https://hdl.handle.net/10520/ejc-ento_v31_n1_a14"
  • Description: Chromolaena odorata (L.) RM King and H Rob. (Asteraceae) has been subject to a biological control programme in South Africa for over three decades. A shoot-tip boring moth, Dichrorampha odorata Brown and Zachariades (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), originating from Jamaica, was released as a biological control agent in 2013 but despite the release of substantial numbers of the insect, it has not established a permanent field population. Because climate incompatibility is a major constraint for classical biological control of invasive plants, and based on the differences in climate between Jamaica and South Africa and field observations at release sites, aspects of the thermal physiology of D. odorata were investigated to elucidate reasons for its failure to establish. Developmental time decreased with increasing temperatures ranging from 20 °C to 30 °C, with incomplete development for immature stages at 18 °C and 32 °C. The developmental threshold, t, was calculated as 8.45 °C with 872.4 degree-days required to complete development (K). A maximum of 6.5 generations per year was projected for D. odorata in South Africa, with the heavily infested eastern region of the country being the most eco-climatically suitable for establishment. The lower lethal temperature (LLT50) of larvae and adults was –4.5 and 1.8 °C, respectively. The upper lethal temperature (ULT50) for larvae was 39.6 °C whilst that of adults was 41.0 °C. Larvae thus had better cold tolerance compared to adults whereas adults had better heat tolerance compared to larvae. The critical thermal (CT) limits for adults were 3.4 ± 0.07 to 43.7 ± 0.12 °C. Acclimation at 20 °C for 7 days resulted in increased cold and heat tolerance with a CTmin and CTmax of 1.9 ± 0.06 and 44.4 ± 0.07 °C respectively, compared to the relative control, acclimated at 25 °C. Acclimation at 30 °C improved neither cold (CTmin: 5.9 ± 0.08 °C) nor heat tolerance (CTmax: 42.9 ± 0.10 °C). These results suggest that thermal requirements fall within field temperatures and are thus not the main constraining factor leading to poor establishment of D. odorata in South Africa.
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  • Date Issued: 2023

Dual action of asymmetrical zinc (II) phthalocyanines conjugated to silver tungstate nanoparticles towards photodegradation of tetracycline and inactivation of Staphylococcus aureus bacteria

  • Authors: Mgidlana, Sithi , Sen, Pinar , Nyokong, Tebello
  • Date: 2023
  • Subjects: To be catalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/360400 , vital:65085 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jphotochem.2022.114444"
  • Description: Asymmetric (A3B) Zn(II) phthalocyanines containing dimethoxy phenoxy as the dominant substituent and (phenoxy) propanoic acid (1), (phenoxy) acetic acid (2), and (phenoxy) acrylic acid (3) as the other substituents were synthesized and linked to silver tungstate nanoparticles (Ag2WO4 NPs). The photocatalytic activities of the prepared complexes 1–3 and nanoconjugates were evaluated for the photodegradation of tetracycline (TC) under visible-light irradiation and for photodynamic antimicrobial chemotherapy (PACT) activity against S. aureus. The results revealed that complex 3 had the best photocatalytic and PACT performance compared to 1 and 2, corresponding to the higher singlet oxygen quantum yield of the former in dimethyl sulfoxide. The photodegradation reaction was also examined using EPR and a mechanism for generation of singlet oxygen under visible light was confirmed. Photoinactivation of S. aureus improved in the presence of TC, when the two are applied together.
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  • Date Issued: 2023

Electrocatalytic Behavior of Manganese and Cobalt Porphyrins Attached to Graphene Quantum Dots: Applied in the Oxidation of Hydrazine

  • Authors: Jokazi, Mbulelo , Mpeta, Lekhetho S , Nyokong, Tebello
  • Date: 2023
  • Subjects: To be catalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/360411 , vital:65086 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1002/elan.202200222"
  • Description: Manganese and cobalt metalated 5, 10, 15-tris(aminophenyl)-20-(4-carboxyphenyl) porphyrins (ClMnTA3CPP and CoTA3CPP) were synthesized and attached to graphene quantum dots (GQDs) via π-π interaction and electrostatic interaction. The electrochemical oxidation of hydrazine was performed via cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry. The CoTA3CPP showed good electrocatalytic activity towards the oxidation of hydrazine in terms of catalytic rate constants and limits of detection (LoD). ClMnTA3CPP showed lower overpotential 0.60 V. The introduction of GQDs improved the electrocatalytic ability when combined with CoTA3CPP and ClMnTA3CPP with the lowest LoD (0.0025 mM CoTA3CPP–GQDs) followed by ClMnTA3CPP–GQDs with 0.0033 mM.
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  • Date Issued: 2023

Enhancing Object Audio Control within an Immersive Sound System

  • Authors: Klingebiel, Lukas , Foss, Richard
  • Date: 2023
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/426771 , vital:72390 , https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/10289235
  • Description: Real time control over sound source positioning and movement is a primary advantage of object-based sound systems over channel-based systems. This paper describes a controller, processing engine, and associated library that enhances this object control. Apart from graphic spatialization control, the controller allows, for each object, the selection of its rendering algorithm, distance-based level, high frequency attenuation, reverb parameters and speaker isolation or locking. OSC control within the controller enables further control options.
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  • Date Issued: 2023

Entomopathogenic fungi associated with cultivated honeybush, Cyclopia spp., in South Africa and their pathogenicity towards a leafhopper pest, Molopopterus sp.(Hemiptera: Cicadellidae)

  • Authors: Mushore, Tapiwa G , Coombes, Candice A , Hill, Martin P
  • Date: 2023
  • Subjects: To be catalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/451382 , vital:75045 , http://dx.doi.org/10.17159/2254-8854/2023/a14183
  • Description: The southern and eastern parts of the African Fynbos region favour the production of honeybush tea. Honeybush biomass and extracts are used to prepare a beverage both locally and internationally, mainly as herbal tea with health benefits. Honeybush tea is mostly grown organically requiring natural control measures for pests and diseases. The leafhopper, Molopopterus sp., is one of the most important pests of cultivated honeybush in South Africa, as its feeding compromises the quality and quantity of the yield through leaf discolouration and reduction of the photosynthetic area. Local entomopathogenic fungi (EPF) can provide a pool of potential biocontrol agents for this pest. Therefore, a total of 98 soil samples were collected from organically grown honeybush fields and vegetation surrounding the honeybush fields in the Western Cape province of South Africa. Entomopathogenic fungi were isolated using the insect bait method and were characterised using molecular techniques. Twenty fungal isolates of Metarhizium anisopliae and Fusarium oxysporum were recovered from soil samples, of which 70% were from honeybush fields and 30% were from surrounding vegetation.
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  • Date Issued: 2023
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