Dynamics of a lattice Universe : the dust approximation in cosmology
- Bruneton, J-P, Larena, Julien
- Authors: Bruneton, J-P , Larena, Julien
- Date: 2012
- Language: English
- Type: Article
- Identifier: vital:6789 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1006941
- Description: We find a solution to Einstein field equations for a regular toroidal lattice of size L with equal masses M at the centre of each cell; this solution is exact at order M/L. Such a solution is convenient to study the dynamics of an assembly of galaxy-like objects. We find that the solution is expanding (or contracting) in exactly the same way as the solution of a Friedman–Lemaître–Robertson–Walker Universe with dust having the same average density as our model. This points towards the absence of backreaction in a Universe filled with an infinite number of objects, and this validates the fluid approximation, as far as dynamics is concerned, and at the level of approximation considered in this work.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
- Authors: Bruneton, J-P , Larena, Julien
- Date: 2012
- Language: English
- Type: Article
- Identifier: vital:6789 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1006941
- Description: We find a solution to Einstein field equations for a regular toroidal lattice of size L with equal masses M at the centre of each cell; this solution is exact at order M/L. Such a solution is convenient to study the dynamics of an assembly of galaxy-like objects. We find that the solution is expanding (or contracting) in exactly the same way as the solution of a Friedman–Lemaître–Robertson–Walker Universe with dust having the same average density as our model. This points towards the absence of backreaction in a Universe filled with an infinite number of objects, and this validates the fluid approximation, as far as dynamics is concerned, and at the level of approximation considered in this work.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
Ecological niche modeling of the invasive potential of Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus in African river systems: concerns and implications for the conservation of indigenous congenerics
- Zengeya, Tsungai A, Robertson, Mark P, Booth, Anthony J, Chimimba, Christian T
- Authors: Zengeya, Tsungai A , Robertson, Mark P , Booth, Anthony J , Chimimba, Christian T
- Date: 2013
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/124341 , vital:35596 , https://doi.10.1007/s10530-012-0386-7
- Description: This study applied ecological niche models to determine the potential invasive range of Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus, with a particular focus on river systems in southern Africa where it is now established and spreading. Computational tools such as niche models are useful in predicting the potential range of invasive species, but there are limitations to their application. In particular, models trained on native records may fail to predict the full extent of an invasion. This failure is often attributed to changes in either the niche of the invading species or the variables used to develop the models. In this study, we therefore evaluated the differences in the predictive power of models trained with different environmental variables, the effect of species range (native vs. introduced) on model performance and assessed whether or not there is evidence suggestive of a niche shift in Nile tilapia following its introduction. Niche models were constructed using Maxent and the degree of niche similarity was assessed using Schoener‘s index. Null models were used to test for significance. Model performance and niche conservatism varied significantly with variable selection and species range. This indicates that the environmental conditions available to Nile tilapia in its native and introduced ranges are not congruent. Nile tilapia exhibited broad invasive potential over most of southern Africa that overlaps the natural range of endemic congenerics. Of particular concern are areas which are free of exotic species but are now vulnerable due to the promotion of fish introductions mainly for aquaculture and sport fishing.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
- Authors: Zengeya, Tsungai A , Robertson, Mark P , Booth, Anthony J , Chimimba, Christian T
- Date: 2013
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/124341 , vital:35596 , https://doi.10.1007/s10530-012-0386-7
- Description: This study applied ecological niche models to determine the potential invasive range of Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus, with a particular focus on river systems in southern Africa where it is now established and spreading. Computational tools such as niche models are useful in predicting the potential range of invasive species, but there are limitations to their application. In particular, models trained on native records may fail to predict the full extent of an invasion. This failure is often attributed to changes in either the niche of the invading species or the variables used to develop the models. In this study, we therefore evaluated the differences in the predictive power of models trained with different environmental variables, the effect of species range (native vs. introduced) on model performance and assessed whether or not there is evidence suggestive of a niche shift in Nile tilapia following its introduction. Niche models were constructed using Maxent and the degree of niche similarity was assessed using Schoener‘s index. Null models were used to test for significance. Model performance and niche conservatism varied significantly with variable selection and species range. This indicates that the environmental conditions available to Nile tilapia in its native and introduced ranges are not congruent. Nile tilapia exhibited broad invasive potential over most of southern Africa that overlaps the natural range of endemic congenerics. Of particular concern are areas which are free of exotic species but are now vulnerable due to the promotion of fish introductions mainly for aquaculture and sport fishing.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
Quinones and halogenated monoterpenes of algal origin show anti-proliferative effects against breast cancer cells in vitro:
- de la Mare, Jo-Anne, Lawson, Jessica C, Chiwakata, Maynard T, Beukes, Denzil R, Blatch, Gregory L, Edkins, Adrienne L
- Authors: de la Mare, Jo-Anne , Lawson, Jessica C , Chiwakata, Maynard T , Beukes, Denzil R , Blatch, Gregory L , Edkins, Adrienne L
- Date: 2012
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/165165 , vital:41214 , DOI: 10.1007/s10637-011-9788-0
- Description: Red and brown algae have been shown to produce a variety of compounds with chemotherapeutic potential. A recent report described the isolation of a range of novel polyhalogenated monoterpene compounds from the red algae Plocamium corallorhiza and Plocamium cornutum collected off the coast of South Africa, together with the previously described tetraprenylquinone, sargaquinoic acid (SQA), from the brown algae Sargassum heterophyllum. In our study, the algal compounds were screened for anti-proliferative activity against metastatic MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells revealing that a number of compounds displayed anti-cancer activity with IC50 values in the micromolar range. A subset of the compounds was tested for differential toxicity in the MCF-7/MCF12A system and five of these, including sargaquinoic acid, were found to be at least three times more toxic to the breast cancer than the non-malignant cell line.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
- Authors: de la Mare, Jo-Anne , Lawson, Jessica C , Chiwakata, Maynard T , Beukes, Denzil R , Blatch, Gregory L , Edkins, Adrienne L
- Date: 2012
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/165165 , vital:41214 , DOI: 10.1007/s10637-011-9788-0
- Description: Red and brown algae have been shown to produce a variety of compounds with chemotherapeutic potential. A recent report described the isolation of a range of novel polyhalogenated monoterpene compounds from the red algae Plocamium corallorhiza and Plocamium cornutum collected off the coast of South Africa, together with the previously described tetraprenylquinone, sargaquinoic acid (SQA), from the brown algae Sargassum heterophyllum. In our study, the algal compounds were screened for anti-proliferative activity against metastatic MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells revealing that a number of compounds displayed anti-cancer activity with IC50 values in the micromolar range. A subset of the compounds was tested for differential toxicity in the MCF-7/MCF12A system and five of these, including sargaquinoic acid, were found to be at least three times more toxic to the breast cancer than the non-malignant cell line.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
Rewrite, revise, refine, reflect, rethink: the long and short of teaching journalism at Rhodes
- Authors: Garman, Anthea
- Date: 2012
- Language: English
- Type: Text
- Identifier: vital:585 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1018945 , https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8715-8542
- Description: Vice-Chancellor’s 2011 Senior Distinguished Teaching Award lecture, 10 October 2012
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
- Authors: Garman, Anthea
- Date: 2012
- Language: English
- Type: Text
- Identifier: vital:585 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1018945 , https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8715-8542
- Description: Vice-Chancellor’s 2011 Senior Distinguished Teaching Award lecture, 10 October 2012
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
Targeting conserved pathways as a strategy for novel drug development: disabling the cellular stress response:
- Edkins, Adrienne L, Blatch, Gregory L
- Authors: Edkins, Adrienne L , Blatch, Gregory L
- Date: 2012
- Language: English
- Type: text , book
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/165129 , vital:41211 , ISBN 978-3-642-28174-7 , DOI: 10.1007/978-3-642-28175-4_4
- Description: The ability to respond to and cope with stress at a molecular level is essential for cell survival. The stress response is conserved across organisms by the expression of a group of molecular chaperones known as heat shock proteins (HSP). HSP are ubiquitous and highly conserved proteins that regulate cellular protein homeostasis and trafficking under physiological and stressful conditions, including diseases such as cancer and malaria. HSP are good drug targets for the treatment of human diseases, as the significant functional and structural data available suggest that they are essential for cell survival and that, despite conservation across species, there are biophysical and biochemical differences between HSP in normal and disease states that allow HSP to be selectively targeted. In this chapter, we review the international status of this area of research and highlight progress by us and other African researchers towards the characterisation and targeting of HSP from humans and parasites from Plasmodium and Trypanosoma as drug targets.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
- Authors: Edkins, Adrienne L , Blatch, Gregory L
- Date: 2012
- Language: English
- Type: text , book
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/165129 , vital:41211 , ISBN 978-3-642-28174-7 , DOI: 10.1007/978-3-642-28175-4_4
- Description: The ability to respond to and cope with stress at a molecular level is essential for cell survival. The stress response is conserved across organisms by the expression of a group of molecular chaperones known as heat shock proteins (HSP). HSP are ubiquitous and highly conserved proteins that regulate cellular protein homeostasis and trafficking under physiological and stressful conditions, including diseases such as cancer and malaria. HSP are good drug targets for the treatment of human diseases, as the significant functional and structural data available suggest that they are essential for cell survival and that, despite conservation across species, there are biophysical and biochemical differences between HSP in normal and disease states that allow HSP to be selectively targeted. In this chapter, we review the international status of this area of research and highlight progress by us and other African researchers towards the characterisation and targeting of HSP from humans and parasites from Plasmodium and Trypanosoma as drug targets.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
Treating complex post-traumatic stress disorder following childhood neglect, sexual abuse and revictimisation : interpretative reflections on the case of Khuselwa
- Padmanabhanunni, A, Edwards, David J A
- Authors: Padmanabhanunni, A , Edwards, David J A
- Date: 2012
- Language: English
- Type: Article
- Identifier: vital:6233 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007783
- Description: This paper describes the psychological assessment and treatment process with Khuselwa, a South African adolescent survivor of multiple sexual traumas presenting with complex post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The paper identifies some of the common barriers encountered by practitioners in delivering treatments in local contexts and highlights the role of external safety and stability and social support in providing a vehicle for change and a basis for overcoming the psychological handicaps reinforced by repeated and multiple traumas and chronic neglect.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
- Authors: Padmanabhanunni, A , Edwards, David J A
- Date: 2012
- Language: English
- Type: Article
- Identifier: vital:6233 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007783
- Description: This paper describes the psychological assessment and treatment process with Khuselwa, a South African adolescent survivor of multiple sexual traumas presenting with complex post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The paper identifies some of the common barriers encountered by practitioners in delivering treatments in local contexts and highlights the role of external safety and stability and social support in providing a vehicle for change and a basis for overcoming the psychological handicaps reinforced by repeated and multiple traumas and chronic neglect.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
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