Nagoya Protocol and Africa’s willingness to share biological control agents, are we deterred by barriers instead of using opportunities to work together?
- Ivey, Philip J, Hill, Martin P, Voukeng, Sonia Nadege Kenfack, Weaver, Kim N
- Authors: Ivey, Philip J , Hill, Martin P , Voukeng, Sonia Nadege Kenfack , Weaver, Kim N
- Date: 2023
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/418040 , vital:71503 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10526-023-10184-8"
- Description: Amongst members of the biological control community there is a range of perceptions regarding the Nagoya Protocol, at best it will hinder access to natural enemies of pests and invasive plants and at worst implementation of the Protocol will prevent access to these resources. In this preliminary study of Africa’s preparedness to implement the Nagoya Protocol and control access to potential biological control agents, we found that several countries have not yet established procedures and policies in this regard. Several factors including lack of awareness, insufficient relevant information and lack of capacity may cause delay in countries implementing access and benefit sharing legislation and processes. The lack of preparedness provides an opportunity for the research community to work with government officials to facilitate future access to natural enemies to act as biological control agents on invasive plants and agricultural pests. Collaboration between researchers, managers and bureaucrats in support of African countries could lead to collective action that develops policies and implements processes to foster exploration of African biodiversity. This collaboration could also foster the sharing of biological control agents that will benefit Africa through integrated pest management in agriculture, protection of human lives and livelihoods, and reduction of the impact of invasive alien species on biodiversity and environmental infrastructure.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023
- Authors: Ivey, Philip J , Hill, Martin P , Voukeng, Sonia Nadege Kenfack , Weaver, Kim N
- Date: 2023
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/418040 , vital:71503 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10526-023-10184-8"
- Description: Amongst members of the biological control community there is a range of perceptions regarding the Nagoya Protocol, at best it will hinder access to natural enemies of pests and invasive plants and at worst implementation of the Protocol will prevent access to these resources. In this preliminary study of Africa’s preparedness to implement the Nagoya Protocol and control access to potential biological control agents, we found that several countries have not yet established procedures and policies in this regard. Several factors including lack of awareness, insufficient relevant information and lack of capacity may cause delay in countries implementing access and benefit sharing legislation and processes. The lack of preparedness provides an opportunity for the research community to work with government officials to facilitate future access to natural enemies to act as biological control agents on invasive plants and agricultural pests. Collaboration between researchers, managers and bureaucrats in support of African countries could lead to collective action that develops policies and implements processes to foster exploration of African biodiversity. This collaboration could also foster the sharing of biological control agents that will benefit Africa through integrated pest management in agriculture, protection of human lives and livelihoods, and reduction of the impact of invasive alien species on biodiversity and environmental infrastructure.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023
Nature-Connectedness and Well-Being Experienced During Best and Worst Times of Life: A Case for Safeguarding Biocultural Diversity
- Møller, Valerie, Cocks, Michelle L, Vetter, Susanne
- Authors: Møller, Valerie , Cocks, Michelle L , Vetter, Susanne
- Date: 2023
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/426516 , vital:72359 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-023-03063-3"
- Description: South Africa boasts some of the richest diversity of fauna and flora in the world; it also claims to be a world in one country given its cultural diversity. In a time of climate change, rapid population growth and urbanisation, the country’s natural resources as well as its cultural diversity are under threat. We report a multi-dimensional survey conducted among Xhosa-speaking people in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa, that collected detailed information on indigenous knowledge of nature and its impact on cultural practices and well-being. Survey respondents included both rural and urban dwellers, a majority of whom professed to be Christians who also held traditional religious beliefs and acknowledged the ancestors. Survey respondents described their Best and Worst periods of life in line with Bernheim’s Anamnestic Comparative Self-Assessment, and indicated whether going into nature had contributed to their Best life experience and helped them to cope during their Worst one. Being in nature typically contributed to well-being across many of the Best social domains of life, such as celebrations with family, personal achievements and milestones in life, including traditional rites of passage to adulthood. Deaths in the family represented by far the most common Worst experience in life when going into nature often provided comfort and solace. Findings suggest that experience of the multiple benefits of being in nature may be universal across cultures and that many traditional Xhosa religious beliefs and cultural practices go hand in hand with access and exposure to nature that enhances well-being.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023
- Authors: Møller, Valerie , Cocks, Michelle L , Vetter, Susanne
- Date: 2023
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/426516 , vital:72359 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-023-03063-3"
- Description: South Africa boasts some of the richest diversity of fauna and flora in the world; it also claims to be a world in one country given its cultural diversity. In a time of climate change, rapid population growth and urbanisation, the country’s natural resources as well as its cultural diversity are under threat. We report a multi-dimensional survey conducted among Xhosa-speaking people in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa, that collected detailed information on indigenous knowledge of nature and its impact on cultural practices and well-being. Survey respondents included both rural and urban dwellers, a majority of whom professed to be Christians who also held traditional religious beliefs and acknowledged the ancestors. Survey respondents described their Best and Worst periods of life in line with Bernheim’s Anamnestic Comparative Self-Assessment, and indicated whether going into nature had contributed to their Best life experience and helped them to cope during their Worst one. Being in nature typically contributed to well-being across many of the Best social domains of life, such as celebrations with family, personal achievements and milestones in life, including traditional rites of passage to adulthood. Deaths in the family represented by far the most common Worst experience in life when going into nature often provided comfort and solace. Findings suggest that experience of the multiple benefits of being in nature may be universal across cultures and that many traditional Xhosa religious beliefs and cultural practices go hand in hand with access and exposure to nature that enhances well-being.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023
Oxpecker host-selection in the Salambala conservancy, northeastern Namibia
- Lukubwe, Michael S, Craig, Adrian J F K, Manyangadze, Tawanda
- Authors: Lukubwe, Michael S , Craig, Adrian J F K , Manyangadze, Tawanda
- Date: 2023
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/449934 , vital:74866 , https://doi.org/10.3957/056.053.0166
- Description: By studying the host-selection patterns of oxpecker species, researchers can gain valuable insights into their ecological roles and interactions with different host species. This information is crucial for developing effective conservation strategies that prioritise the protection of oxpeckers and their host populations. The study conducted field observations and recorded data on the number of oxpeckers and their respective host species. Additionally, this study investigated the relationship between host species and host parameters (body mass and hair length) in the Salambala conservancy in northeastern Namibia. Selection and density indices were used to calculate the number of host animals supporting one oxpecker as well as the oxpecker density on a host's body surface. Pentad-based counts of oxpeckers and ungulates were conducted.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023
- Authors: Lukubwe, Michael S , Craig, Adrian J F K , Manyangadze, Tawanda
- Date: 2023
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/449934 , vital:74866 , https://doi.org/10.3957/056.053.0166
- Description: By studying the host-selection patterns of oxpecker species, researchers can gain valuable insights into their ecological roles and interactions with different host species. This information is crucial for developing effective conservation strategies that prioritise the protection of oxpeckers and their host populations. The study conducted field observations and recorded data on the number of oxpeckers and their respective host species. Additionally, this study investigated the relationship between host species and host parameters (body mass and hair length) in the Salambala conservancy in northeastern Namibia. Selection and density indices were used to calculate the number of host animals supporting one oxpecker as well as the oxpecker density on a host's body surface. Pentad-based counts of oxpeckers and ungulates were conducted.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023
Performance and field host range of the life stages of Cornops aquaticum, a biological control agent of water hyacinth
- Franceschini, M Celeste, Hill, Martin P, Fuentes-Rodríguez, Daniela, Gervazoni, Paula B, Sabater, Lara M, Coetzee, Julie A
- Authors: Franceschini, M Celeste , Hill, Martin P , Fuentes-Rodríguez, Daniela , Gervazoni, Paula B , Sabater, Lara M , Coetzee, Julie A
- Date: 2023
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/424814 , vital:72186 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1111/eea.13354"
- Description: Host specificity determination of weed biocontrol agents has historically relied on evidence generated through quarantine trials in the region of introduction. These trials could give ‘false positive’ results due to a maximum type I error probability, and where possible, more research under field conditions should be conducted in the region of origin. The oligophagous, semiaquatic grasshopper, Cornops aquaticum Bruner (Orthoptera: Acrididae, Tetrataeniini), was released in South Africa for the biological control of Pontederia crassipes Pellegrini and Horn (Pontederiaceae). The aim of this study was to assess how the performance and field host range of C. aquaticum varies according to its stages of development, and how this contributes to the understanding of the relationship between the fundamental (laboratory-based) and the ecological (field-based) host range of this grasshopper, and its implications for water hyacinth biocontrol. We conducted post-release laboratory no-choice trials, confining early instars (instars 1 and 2), later instars (instars 3–6), and adult females and males in mesh cages, to determine insect performance on wetland plants growing in sympatry with P. crassipes. Also, gut analysis from field-collected C. aquaticum was done to determine the ecological host range of this insect, identifying epidermal tissue of consumed plants. In no-choice trials, survival rates of the later instars and adult C. aquaticum were similar on Pistia stratiotes L. (Araceae), Oxycaryum cubense (Poepp. and Kunth) Lye (Cyperaceae), and P. crassipes. However, under field conditions, P. crassipes and the congeneric Pontederia azurea Sw. were the only plant contents in the guts of early instars and the most abundant species in later instars and adults. The results support the hypothesis that C. aquaticum is an oligophagous insect on the genus Pontederia, and that different life stages should be considered when conducting host-specificity trials in externally feeding mobile herbivore species. Diet composition of field-collected insects thus could help detect false positives in laboratory trials, being an additional and realistic approach in understanding and predicting the selection processes of the insect in the new environment. Retrospective analysis of potential agents that were rejected due to lack of host-specificity, using the methods from this study, could add a suite of additional agents to programs where invasive weeds remain unmanaged.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023
- Authors: Franceschini, M Celeste , Hill, Martin P , Fuentes-Rodríguez, Daniela , Gervazoni, Paula B , Sabater, Lara M , Coetzee, Julie A
- Date: 2023
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/424814 , vital:72186 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1111/eea.13354"
- Description: Host specificity determination of weed biocontrol agents has historically relied on evidence generated through quarantine trials in the region of introduction. These trials could give ‘false positive’ results due to a maximum type I error probability, and where possible, more research under field conditions should be conducted in the region of origin. The oligophagous, semiaquatic grasshopper, Cornops aquaticum Bruner (Orthoptera: Acrididae, Tetrataeniini), was released in South Africa for the biological control of Pontederia crassipes Pellegrini and Horn (Pontederiaceae). The aim of this study was to assess how the performance and field host range of C. aquaticum varies according to its stages of development, and how this contributes to the understanding of the relationship between the fundamental (laboratory-based) and the ecological (field-based) host range of this grasshopper, and its implications for water hyacinth biocontrol. We conducted post-release laboratory no-choice trials, confining early instars (instars 1 and 2), later instars (instars 3–6), and adult females and males in mesh cages, to determine insect performance on wetland plants growing in sympatry with P. crassipes. Also, gut analysis from field-collected C. aquaticum was done to determine the ecological host range of this insect, identifying epidermal tissue of consumed plants. In no-choice trials, survival rates of the later instars and adult C. aquaticum were similar on Pistia stratiotes L. (Araceae), Oxycaryum cubense (Poepp. and Kunth) Lye (Cyperaceae), and P. crassipes. However, under field conditions, P. crassipes and the congeneric Pontederia azurea Sw. were the only plant contents in the guts of early instars and the most abundant species in later instars and adults. The results support the hypothesis that C. aquaticum is an oligophagous insect on the genus Pontederia, and that different life stages should be considered when conducting host-specificity trials in externally feeding mobile herbivore species. Diet composition of field-collected insects thus could help detect false positives in laboratory trials, being an additional and realistic approach in understanding and predicting the selection processes of the insect in the new environment. Retrospective analysis of potential agents that were rejected due to lack of host-specificity, using the methods from this study, could add a suite of additional agents to programs where invasive weeds remain unmanaged.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023
Persistent effects of historical sea levels on the population structure of a temporary wetland copepod
- Emami-Khoyi, Arsalan, Jooste, Candice M, Wasserman, Ryan J, Dalu, Tatenda, Raath-Krüger, Morgan J, Jansen van Vuuren, Bettine, Teske, Peter R
- Authors: Emami-Khoyi, Arsalan , Jooste, Candice M , Wasserman, Ryan J , Dalu, Tatenda , Raath-Krüger, Morgan J , Jansen van Vuuren, Bettine , Teske, Peter R
- Date: 2023
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/445115 , vital:74348 , https://doi.org/10.1111/fwb.14139
- Description: Temporary wetland ecosystems are common in arid and semi‐arid envi-ronments, and are inhabited by diverse invertebrate communities. Little is known about the dynamics of genetic connectivity in the geograph-ically scattered populations of these wetland specialists. The current study investigated the spatial genetic structure and dispersal history of a recently described calanoid copepod, Lovenula raynerae, reported from temporary wetlands in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. We tested whether the species represents a single, well‐connected population or comprises different regional genetic groups, some of which may be rare or endangered.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023
- Authors: Emami-Khoyi, Arsalan , Jooste, Candice M , Wasserman, Ryan J , Dalu, Tatenda , Raath-Krüger, Morgan J , Jansen van Vuuren, Bettine , Teske, Peter R
- Date: 2023
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/445115 , vital:74348 , https://doi.org/10.1111/fwb.14139
- Description: Temporary wetland ecosystems are common in arid and semi‐arid envi-ronments, and are inhabited by diverse invertebrate communities. Little is known about the dynamics of genetic connectivity in the geograph-ically scattered populations of these wetland specialists. The current study investigated the spatial genetic structure and dispersal history of a recently described calanoid copepod, Lovenula raynerae, reported from temporary wetlands in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. We tested whether the species represents a single, well‐connected population or comprises different regional genetic groups, some of which may be rare or endangered.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023
Photoantimicrobial activity of Schiff-base morpholino phthalocyanines against drug resistant micro-organisms in their planktonic and biofilm forms
- Sindelo, Azole, Sen, Pinar, Nyokong, Tebello
- Authors: Sindelo, Azole , Sen, Pinar , Nyokong, Tebello
- Date: 2023
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/360437 , vital:65088 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pdpdt.2023.103519"
- Description: Antimicrobial photodynamic inactivation (aPDI) is a treatment for the eradication of drug-resistant micro-organisms. One of the advantages of this technique, is that there is minimal possibility of microbial resistance. Hence, herein, the preparation and characterization of novel neutral and cationic morpholine containing Schiff base phthalocyanines are reported. The cationic complexes gave moderate singlet oxygen quantum yields (ΦΔ) of ∼0.2 in aqueous media. Conversely, the neutral complexes generated very low ΦΔ values making them very poor candidates for antimicrobial studies. The cationic phthalocyanines showed excellent photodynamic activity against planktonic cells of all micro-organisms (Candida albicans, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella enterica subspecies enterica serovar Choleraesuis, vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium, and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus). The efficiency of aPDI was shown to be both concentration and light-dose-dependent. Mono biofilms were susceptible when treated with 200 µM of cationic Pcs at 108 J/cm2. However, ∼10% of the mixed biofilm survived after treatment.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023
- Authors: Sindelo, Azole , Sen, Pinar , Nyokong, Tebello
- Date: 2023
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/360437 , vital:65088 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pdpdt.2023.103519"
- Description: Antimicrobial photodynamic inactivation (aPDI) is a treatment for the eradication of drug-resistant micro-organisms. One of the advantages of this technique, is that there is minimal possibility of microbial resistance. Hence, herein, the preparation and characterization of novel neutral and cationic morpholine containing Schiff base phthalocyanines are reported. The cationic complexes gave moderate singlet oxygen quantum yields (ΦΔ) of ∼0.2 in aqueous media. Conversely, the neutral complexes generated very low ΦΔ values making them very poor candidates for antimicrobial studies. The cationic phthalocyanines showed excellent photodynamic activity against planktonic cells of all micro-organisms (Candida albicans, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella enterica subspecies enterica serovar Choleraesuis, vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium, and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus). The efficiency of aPDI was shown to be both concentration and light-dose-dependent. Mono biofilms were susceptible when treated with 200 µM of cationic Pcs at 108 J/cm2. However, ∼10% of the mixed biofilm survived after treatment.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023
Photodynamic inactivation of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus using pyrrolidinium containing Schiff base phthalocyanines
- Sindelo, Azole, Sen, Pinar, Nyokong, Tebello
- Authors: Sindelo, Azole , Sen, Pinar , Nyokong, Tebello
- Date: 2023
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/360449 , vital:65089 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jphotochem.2022.114535"
- Description: New tetra-substituted zinc and indium Schiff base phthalocyanines (ZnPc and InPc, respectively) are synthesized and characterized herein. The ethyl pyrrolidine (ZnPc-2, InPc-2) and propyl pyrrolidine (ZnPc-3, InPc-3) substituted Schiff base Pcs were reacted with methyl iodide to form their cationic derivatives (ZnPc-2Q, InPc-2Q, ZnPc-3Q, and InPc-3Q, respectively). The photophysical and photochemical properties of the Pcs were studied. The cationic Pcs generated higher singlet oxygen quantum yield in aqueous media than the neutral Pcs. The photoinactivation of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) strains was evaluated. 5 µM ZnPc-3Q and InPc-3Q inactivated 100 % of the MSSA and MRSA while 5 µM ZnPc-2Q and InPc-2Q eradicated 100 % for MSSA and 97.2 % and 98.7 % (respectively) of the MRSA. The photodynamic antimicrobial chemotherapy studies depended on singlet oxygen ability, the charges, and the extension of the alkyl groups.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023
- Authors: Sindelo, Azole , Sen, Pinar , Nyokong, Tebello
- Date: 2023
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/360449 , vital:65089 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jphotochem.2022.114535"
- Description: New tetra-substituted zinc and indium Schiff base phthalocyanines (ZnPc and InPc, respectively) are synthesized and characterized herein. The ethyl pyrrolidine (ZnPc-2, InPc-2) and propyl pyrrolidine (ZnPc-3, InPc-3) substituted Schiff base Pcs were reacted with methyl iodide to form their cationic derivatives (ZnPc-2Q, InPc-2Q, ZnPc-3Q, and InPc-3Q, respectively). The photophysical and photochemical properties of the Pcs were studied. The cationic Pcs generated higher singlet oxygen quantum yield in aqueous media than the neutral Pcs. The photoinactivation of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) strains was evaluated. 5 µM ZnPc-3Q and InPc-3Q inactivated 100 % of the MSSA and MRSA while 5 µM ZnPc-2Q and InPc-2Q eradicated 100 % for MSSA and 97.2 % and 98.7 % (respectively) of the MRSA. The photodynamic antimicrobial chemotherapy studies depended on singlet oxygen ability, the charges, and the extension of the alkyl groups.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023
Sample size assessments for thermal physiology studies: An R package and R Shiny application
- van Steenderen, Clarke J M, Sutton, Guy F, Owen, Candice A, Martin, Grant D, Coetzee, Julie A
- Authors: van Steenderen, Clarke J M , Sutton, Guy F , Owen, Candice A , Martin, Grant D , Coetzee, Julie A
- Date: 2023
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/444455 , vital:74242 , https://doi.org/10.1111/phen.12416
- Description: Required sample sizes for a study need to be carefully assessed to account for logistics, cost, ethics and statistical rigour. For example, many studies have shown that methodological variations can impact the critical thermal limits (CTLs) recorded for a species, although studies on the impact of sample size on these measures are lacking. Here, we present ThermalSampleR; an R CRAN package and Shiny application that can assist researchers in determining when adequate sample sizes have been reached for their data. The method is particularly useful because it is not taxon specific. The Shiny application offers a user‐friendly interface equivalent to the package for users not familiar with R programming. ThermalSampleR is accompanied by an in‐built example dataset, which we use to guide the user through the workflow with a fully worked tutorial.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023
- Authors: van Steenderen, Clarke J M , Sutton, Guy F , Owen, Candice A , Martin, Grant D , Coetzee, Julie A
- Date: 2023
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/444455 , vital:74242 , https://doi.org/10.1111/phen.12416
- Description: Required sample sizes for a study need to be carefully assessed to account for logistics, cost, ethics and statistical rigour. For example, many studies have shown that methodological variations can impact the critical thermal limits (CTLs) recorded for a species, although studies on the impact of sample size on these measures are lacking. Here, we present ThermalSampleR; an R CRAN package and Shiny application that can assist researchers in determining when adequate sample sizes have been reached for their data. The method is particularly useful because it is not taxon specific. The Shiny application offers a user‐friendly interface equivalent to the package for users not familiar with R programming. ThermalSampleR is accompanied by an in‐built example dataset, which we use to guide the user through the workflow with a fully worked tutorial.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023
Sense of Community: Perceptions of "Inter-Intra" Collaborations in an Academic Environment through the Lenses of Botho Principles and the Field of industrial Psychology
- Authors: Diale, Dineo
- Date: 2023
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/450715 , vital:74976 , xlink:href="https://www.sciedupress.com/journal/index.php/ijhe/article/download/21745/13462"
- Description: In the current study, I explored the concept of collaboration from Botho principles and the industrial psychology perspective in the specific higher learning institution. Using a qualitative approach, 13 participants performing academic and nonacademic roles formed part of the study. Overall, the participants experience regarding collaboration in an academic environment are reported to be in the form of shared goals, sense of unity, diversity, and solution-driven teams. Further participants experience in relation to collaboration is African culture [Botho principles]. The latter were perceived   contributors to collaboration within departments (intra); and few barriers to collaboration were discovered, such as criteria, lack of shared leadership, lack of collaboration champions or ambassadors. The concept of Botho is defined as a social contract of mutual respect, humanity, and responsibility that members have with one another often referred to as bringing in humanity onto a set environment. Although there are commonalities between Botho and Ubuntu, they however have dissimilarities and are underpinned by different cultures and traditions. Ubuntu is seen often used by a slogan, "I am because you are". Botho is Setswana or Sesotho concept while Ubuntu forms part of Nguni languages.  I then further conceptualize collaboration through the lens of industrial psychology from the results and offer future research recommendations in the current paper.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023
- Authors: Diale, Dineo
- Date: 2023
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/450715 , vital:74976 , xlink:href="https://www.sciedupress.com/journal/index.php/ijhe/article/download/21745/13462"
- Description: In the current study, I explored the concept of collaboration from Botho principles and the industrial psychology perspective in the specific higher learning institution. Using a qualitative approach, 13 participants performing academic and nonacademic roles formed part of the study. Overall, the participants experience regarding collaboration in an academic environment are reported to be in the form of shared goals, sense of unity, diversity, and solution-driven teams. Further participants experience in relation to collaboration is African culture [Botho principles]. The latter were perceived   contributors to collaboration within departments (intra); and few barriers to collaboration were discovered, such as criteria, lack of shared leadership, lack of collaboration champions or ambassadors. The concept of Botho is defined as a social contract of mutual respect, humanity, and responsibility that members have with one another often referred to as bringing in humanity onto a set environment. Although there are commonalities between Botho and Ubuntu, they however have dissimilarities and are underpinned by different cultures and traditions. Ubuntu is seen often used by a slogan, "I am because you are". Botho is Setswana or Sesotho concept while Ubuntu forms part of Nguni languages.  I then further conceptualize collaboration through the lens of industrial psychology from the results and offer future research recommendations in the current paper.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023
Signposts on the road toward transformative governance: how a stronger focus on diverse values can enhance environmental policies
- Keleman, Eszter, Subramanian, Suneetha M, de Vos, Alta, Amaruzaman, Sacha, Porter-Bolland, Luciana, Islar, Mine, Kosmus, Marina, Nakangu, Barbara, Nuesiri, Emmanuel, Robles, Gabriela A, Yiu, Evonne, Emerton, Lucy, Zólyomi, Ágnes
- Authors: Keleman, Eszter , Subramanian, Suneetha M , de Vos, Alta , Amaruzaman, Sacha , Porter-Bolland, Luciana , Islar, Mine , Kosmus, Marina , Nakangu, Barbara , Nuesiri, Emmanuel , Robles, Gabriela A , Yiu, Evonne , Emerton, Lucy , Zólyomi, Ágnes
- Date: 2023
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/415927 , vital:71301 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cosust.2023.101351"
- Description: Transformative change toward sustainability is increasingly recognized as inevitable to avoid the collapse of socioecological systems. However, for a deep and system-wide transformation, governance approaches and policymaking need to be changed too. This paper discusses how a diverse value approach in environmental policymaking could be undertaken to foster transformative governance that can further lead to system-wide transitions. Based on the analysis of different policy options’ transformative potential, we argue that the more diverse values addressed by a policy instrument, the bigger its transformative potential. Weaving values into policy decision-making is possible at several junctures of the policy process, but context-specificities should always be considered, and capacities must be enhanced at all levels, both for public and private actors.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023
- Authors: Keleman, Eszter , Subramanian, Suneetha M , de Vos, Alta , Amaruzaman, Sacha , Porter-Bolland, Luciana , Islar, Mine , Kosmus, Marina , Nakangu, Barbara , Nuesiri, Emmanuel , Robles, Gabriela A , Yiu, Evonne , Emerton, Lucy , Zólyomi, Ágnes
- Date: 2023
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/415927 , vital:71301 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cosust.2023.101351"
- Description: Transformative change toward sustainability is increasingly recognized as inevitable to avoid the collapse of socioecological systems. However, for a deep and system-wide transformation, governance approaches and policymaking need to be changed too. This paper discusses how a diverse value approach in environmental policymaking could be undertaken to foster transformative governance that can further lead to system-wide transitions. Based on the analysis of different policy options’ transformative potential, we argue that the more diverse values addressed by a policy instrument, the bigger its transformative potential. Weaving values into policy decision-making is possible at several junctures of the policy process, but context-specificities should always be considered, and capacities must be enhanced at all levels, both for public and private actors.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023
Social innovation that connects people to coasts in the Anthropocene
- Celliers, Louis, Costa, Maria M, Rölfer, Lena, Aswani, Shankar, Ferse, Sebastien
- Authors: Celliers, Louis , Costa, Maria M , Rölfer, Lena , Aswani, Shankar , Ferse, Sebastien
- Date: 2023
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/391410 , vital:68649 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1017/cft.2023.12"
- Description: Post-industrial society is driving global environmental change, which is a challenge for all generations, current and future. The Anthropocene is the geological epoch in which humans dominate and it is rooted in the past, present, and future. Future sustainability is building on the momentum of the fundamental importance of studying human dynamics and governance of coupled social and ecological systems. In the Anthropocene, social innovation may play a critical role in achieving new pathways to sustainability. This conventional narrative review uses a qualitative analysis anchored in the Grounded Theory Method and a systematic collection and analysis of papers to identify broad types of social innovations. Scientific journal articles published since 2018 were prioritised for inclusion. The six types of social innovation proposed are (a) authentic engagement; (b) artful and engaging communication; (c) urging and compelling change; (d) governance for social-ecological systems; (e) anticipation in governance; and (f) lived experiences and values. The six innovations proposed in this paper can be embedded within, and form part of, social action using a science–society compact for the sustainable development of coasts in the Anthropocene.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023
- Authors: Celliers, Louis , Costa, Maria M , Rölfer, Lena , Aswani, Shankar , Ferse, Sebastien
- Date: 2023
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/391410 , vital:68649 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1017/cft.2023.12"
- Description: Post-industrial society is driving global environmental change, which is a challenge for all generations, current and future. The Anthropocene is the geological epoch in which humans dominate and it is rooted in the past, present, and future. Future sustainability is building on the momentum of the fundamental importance of studying human dynamics and governance of coupled social and ecological systems. In the Anthropocene, social innovation may play a critical role in achieving new pathways to sustainability. This conventional narrative review uses a qualitative analysis anchored in the Grounded Theory Method and a systematic collection and analysis of papers to identify broad types of social innovations. Scientific journal articles published since 2018 were prioritised for inclusion. The six types of social innovation proposed are (a) authentic engagement; (b) artful and engaging communication; (c) urging and compelling change; (d) governance for social-ecological systems; (e) anticipation in governance; and (f) lived experiences and values. The six innovations proposed in this paper can be embedded within, and form part of, social action using a science–society compact for the sustainable development of coasts in the Anthropocene.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023
Socio-Economic and Environmental Challenges of Small-Scale Fisheries: Prognosis for Sustainable Fisheries Management in Lake Kariba, Zambia
- Imbwae, Imikendu, Aswani, Shankar, Sauer, Warwick H H
- Authors: Imbwae, Imikendu , Aswani, Shankar , Sauer, Warwick H H
- Date: 2023
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/391422 , vital:68650 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.3390/su15043179"
- Description: The Lake Kariba fishery is of regional importance; it accounts for 35% of the total Zambian fish production. However, emerging evidence in the recent decades suggests that the fishery is facing socio-economic and environmental challenges. Using Ostrom’s framework for analysing socio-ecological systems, we examined the social, economic, and environmental problems faced by the fishing communities in Lake Kariba. The framework links various social, economic, and ecological factors to devise a sustainable fisheries management plan. A combination of survey questionnaires, focus group discussions, observations, and key informant interviews were used to assess this sustainability challenge. The data collected were subjected to bivariate and descriptive analysis. The results obtained did not show a significant decline in fish production over the past 13 years (R2 Linear = 0.119, p = 0.248). However, the experts and the fishers have reported declining trends in valuable fish species such as Oreochromis mortimeri, compounded by the increased fishing efforts (X2 = 180.14, p value = ˂ 0.00001). The key threats identified include: overfishing, weak institutions, and the introduction of invasive fish species such as Oreochromis niloticus. This situation has raised fears of fish depletion among the stakeholders. Based on these results, we recommend stronger institutional collaboration among the stakeholders in the riparian states and education that illustrates the global value of fisheries for food security and biodiversity conservation in pursuing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023
- Authors: Imbwae, Imikendu , Aswani, Shankar , Sauer, Warwick H H
- Date: 2023
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/391422 , vital:68650 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.3390/su15043179"
- Description: The Lake Kariba fishery is of regional importance; it accounts for 35% of the total Zambian fish production. However, emerging evidence in the recent decades suggests that the fishery is facing socio-economic and environmental challenges. Using Ostrom’s framework for analysing socio-ecological systems, we examined the social, economic, and environmental problems faced by the fishing communities in Lake Kariba. The framework links various social, economic, and ecological factors to devise a sustainable fisheries management plan. A combination of survey questionnaires, focus group discussions, observations, and key informant interviews were used to assess this sustainability challenge. The data collected were subjected to bivariate and descriptive analysis. The results obtained did not show a significant decline in fish production over the past 13 years (R2 Linear = 0.119, p = 0.248). However, the experts and the fishers have reported declining trends in valuable fish species such as Oreochromis mortimeri, compounded by the increased fishing efforts (X2 = 180.14, p value = ˂ 0.00001). The key threats identified include: overfishing, weak institutions, and the introduction of invasive fish species such as Oreochromis niloticus. This situation has raised fears of fish depletion among the stakeholders. Based on these results, we recommend stronger institutional collaboration among the stakeholders in the riparian states and education that illustrates the global value of fisheries for food security and biodiversity conservation in pursuing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023
Socioeconomic and geographic variations in antenatal care coverage in Angola: further analysis of the 2015 demographic and health survey
- Shibre, Gebretsadik, Zegeye, Betregiorgis, Idriss-Wheeler, Dina, Ahinkorah, Bright Opoku, Oladimeji, Olanrewaju, Yaya, Sanni
- Authors: Shibre, Gebretsadik , Zegeye, Betregiorgis , Idriss-Wheeler, Dina , Ahinkorah, Bright Opoku , Oladimeji, Olanrewaju , Yaya, Sanni
- Date: 2023
- Subjects: Prenatal care , Mothers -- Mortality , Health surveys
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/11260/4489 , vital:44125 , https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-020-09320-1
- Description: In African countries, including Angola, antenatal care (ANC) coverage is suboptimal and maternal mortality is still high due to pregnancy and childbirth-related complications. There is evidence of disparities in the uptake of ANC services, however, little is known about both the socio-economic and geographic-based disparity in the use of ANC services in Angola. The aim of this study was to assess the extent of socio-economic, urban-rural and subnational inequality in ANC coverage in Angola. We analyzed data from the 2015 Angola Demographic and Health Survey (ADHS) using the World Health Organization (WHO) Health Equity Assessment Toolkit (HEAT) software. The analysis consisted of disaggregated ANC coverage rates using four equity stratifiers (economic status, education, residence, and region) and four summary measures (Difference, Population Attributable Risk, Ratio and Population Attributable Fraction). To measure statistical significance, an uncertainty interval (UI) of 95% was constructed around point estimates. The study showed both absolute and relative inequalities in coverage of ANC services in Angola. More specifically, inequality favored women who were rich (D = 54.2, 95% UI; 49.59, 58.70, PAF = 43.5, 95% UI; 40.12, 46.92), educated (PAR = 19.9, 95% UI; 18.14, 21.64, R = 2.14, 95% UI; 1.96, 2.32), living in regions such as Luanda (D = 51.7, 95% UI; 43.56, 59.85, R = 2.64, 95% UI; 2.01, 3.26) and residing in urban dwellings (PAF = 20, 95% UI; 17.70, 22.38, PAR = 12.3, 95% UI; 10.88, 13.75). The uptake of ANC services were lower among poor, uneducated, and rural residents as well as women from the Cuanza Sul region. Government policy makers must consider vulnerable subpopulations when designing needed interventions to improve ANC coverage in Angola to achieve the 2030 Sustainable Development Goal of reducing global maternal mortality ratio to 70 deaths per 100,000 live births.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023
- Authors: Shibre, Gebretsadik , Zegeye, Betregiorgis , Idriss-Wheeler, Dina , Ahinkorah, Bright Opoku , Oladimeji, Olanrewaju , Yaya, Sanni
- Date: 2023
- Subjects: Prenatal care , Mothers -- Mortality , Health surveys
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/11260/4489 , vital:44125 , https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-020-09320-1
- Description: In African countries, including Angola, antenatal care (ANC) coverage is suboptimal and maternal mortality is still high due to pregnancy and childbirth-related complications. There is evidence of disparities in the uptake of ANC services, however, little is known about both the socio-economic and geographic-based disparity in the use of ANC services in Angola. The aim of this study was to assess the extent of socio-economic, urban-rural and subnational inequality in ANC coverage in Angola. We analyzed data from the 2015 Angola Demographic and Health Survey (ADHS) using the World Health Organization (WHO) Health Equity Assessment Toolkit (HEAT) software. The analysis consisted of disaggregated ANC coverage rates using four equity stratifiers (economic status, education, residence, and region) and four summary measures (Difference, Population Attributable Risk, Ratio and Population Attributable Fraction). To measure statistical significance, an uncertainty interval (UI) of 95% was constructed around point estimates. The study showed both absolute and relative inequalities in coverage of ANC services in Angola. More specifically, inequality favored women who were rich (D = 54.2, 95% UI; 49.59, 58.70, PAF = 43.5, 95% UI; 40.12, 46.92), educated (PAR = 19.9, 95% UI; 18.14, 21.64, R = 2.14, 95% UI; 1.96, 2.32), living in regions such as Luanda (D = 51.7, 95% UI; 43.56, 59.85, R = 2.64, 95% UI; 2.01, 3.26) and residing in urban dwellings (PAF = 20, 95% UI; 17.70, 22.38, PAR = 12.3, 95% UI; 10.88, 13.75). The uptake of ANC services were lower among poor, uneducated, and rural residents as well as women from the Cuanza Sul region. Government policy makers must consider vulnerable subpopulations when designing needed interventions to improve ANC coverage in Angola to achieve the 2030 Sustainable Development Goal of reducing global maternal mortality ratio to 70 deaths per 100,000 live births.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023
South African nose flies (Diptera, Calliphoridae, Rhiniinae): taxonomy, diversity, distribution and biology
- Thomas-Cabianca, Arianna, Villet, Martin H, Martínez-Sánchez, Anabel, Rojo, Santos
- Authors: Thomas-Cabianca, Arianna , Villet, Martin H , Martínez-Sánchez, Anabel , Rojo, Santos
- Date: 2023
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/441400 , vital:73884 , 10.3897/BDJ.11.e72764
- Description: Rhiniinae (Diptera, Calliphoridae) is a taxon of nearly 400 known species, many of them termitophilous. Approximatelly 160 valid species in 16 genera are Afrotropical, with over 60 of them occurring in South Africa. The taxonomy of this group is outdated, as most studies of the South African taxa were conducted 40 to 70 years ago (mostly by Salvador Peris and Fritz Zumpt). Published information on their biology and ecology is also scarce.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023
- Authors: Thomas-Cabianca, Arianna , Villet, Martin H , Martínez-Sánchez, Anabel , Rojo, Santos
- Date: 2023
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/441400 , vital:73884 , 10.3897/BDJ.11.e72764
- Description: Rhiniinae (Diptera, Calliphoridae) is a taxon of nearly 400 known species, many of them termitophilous. Approximatelly 160 valid species in 16 genera are Afrotropical, with over 60 of them occurring in South Africa. The taxonomy of this group is outdated, as most studies of the South African taxa were conducted 40 to 70 years ago (mostly by Salvador Peris and Fritz Zumpt). Published information on their biology and ecology is also scarce.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023
Special issue on moult in African birds
- Craig, Adrian J F K, Erni, Birgit
- Authors: Craig, Adrian J F K , Erni, Birgit
- Date: 2023
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/449566 , vital:74830 , https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.2989/00306525.2023.2289255
- Description: All birds need to replace worn and damaged feathers on a regular basis. Replacement of the flight feathers (remiges and rectrices) is particularly critical, since these influence the efficiency of flight, which in turn has a direct impact on foraging success, parental care and predator evasion. The remiges and rectrices are by far the largest individual feathers, and thus make up a large proportion of the feather mass that must be replaced. During the moult period, a bird must produce new feather material while coping with a reduction in insulation and waterproofing as well as potentially compromised flight ability. Consequently, the moult period is a critical element in the annual cycle, and its timing should minimise any negative effects on survival and reproduction.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023
- Authors: Craig, Adrian J F K , Erni, Birgit
- Date: 2023
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/449566 , vital:74830 , https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.2989/00306525.2023.2289255
- Description: All birds need to replace worn and damaged feathers on a regular basis. Replacement of the flight feathers (remiges and rectrices) is particularly critical, since these influence the efficiency of flight, which in turn has a direct impact on foraging success, parental care and predator evasion. The remiges and rectrices are by far the largest individual feathers, and thus make up a large proportion of the feather mass that must be replaced. During the moult period, a bird must produce new feather material while coping with a reduction in insulation and waterproofing as well as potentially compromised flight ability. Consequently, the moult period is a critical element in the annual cycle, and its timing should minimise any negative effects on survival and reproduction.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023
The binary order of things: A discursive study of nursing students’ talk on providing, and learning about, LGBT patient care
- Pinto, Pedro, Macleod, Catriona I, Nhamo-Murire, Mercy
- Authors: Pinto, Pedro , Macleod, Catriona I , Nhamo-Murire, Mercy
- Date: 2023
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/441343 , vital:73878 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1080/00918369.2022.2048163"
- Description: Against the backdrop of the healthcare inequities and maltreatment facing LGBT patients, recommendations have been made for the inclusion of LGBT health topics in nursing curricula. Based on data collected in focus group discussions with South African nursing students, we complicate the assumption that training focused on health-specific knowledge will effectively reform providers’ prejudicial practices. Findings reveal ambivalence: silence and discrimination versus inclusive humanism. Participants drew on discourses of ignorance, religion, and egalitarian treatment to justify their inadequacy regarding LGBT patients; while doing so, however, they deployed othering discourses in which homophobic and transphobic disregard is rendered acceptable, and “scientifically” supported through binary, deterministic views of sexuality and gender. Such “expert” views accord with Foucault’s notion of “grotesque discourse.” We conclude with a discussion of the findings’ implications for nursing education; we call for the recognition and teaching of binary ideology as a form of discursive violence over LGBT lives.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023
- Authors: Pinto, Pedro , Macleod, Catriona I , Nhamo-Murire, Mercy
- Date: 2023
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/441343 , vital:73878 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1080/00918369.2022.2048163"
- Description: Against the backdrop of the healthcare inequities and maltreatment facing LGBT patients, recommendations have been made for the inclusion of LGBT health topics in nursing curricula. Based on data collected in focus group discussions with South African nursing students, we complicate the assumption that training focused on health-specific knowledge will effectively reform providers’ prejudicial practices. Findings reveal ambivalence: silence and discrimination versus inclusive humanism. Participants drew on discourses of ignorance, religion, and egalitarian treatment to justify their inadequacy regarding LGBT patients; while doing so, however, they deployed othering discourses in which homophobic and transphobic disregard is rendered acceptable, and “scientifically” supported through binary, deterministic views of sexuality and gender. Such “expert” views accord with Foucault’s notion of “grotesque discourse.” We conclude with a discussion of the findings’ implications for nursing education; we call for the recognition and teaching of binary ideology as a form of discursive violence over LGBT lives.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023
The Case for a Cray on a Chip
- Authors: Machanick, Philip
- Date: 2023
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/439277 , vital:73561 , https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Siphamandla-Mncu-be/publication/375376322_Shadow_Information_Technology_in_the_Advent_of_Open_Educational_Resources/links/65485042ce88b87031c92188/Shadow-Information-Technology-in-the-Advent-of-Open-Educational-Resources.pdf#page=22
- Description: Moore’s Law is usually interpreted as a prediction of how many transistors you can buy for the same money at some future date. It can also be interpreted as how long you need to wait until a given number of transistors falls below a target price. An example of this reverse-application of Moore’s Law is transitions such as the emergence of microprocessors competitive with traditional larger-scale computers and the emergence of smartphones. Since the late 1990s, it has become increasingly common for growth in transistors to equate to more CPUs (cores) per die. Recent designs have over 50 billion transistors and far more potential parallelism than can be supported by memory. I argue the case for a rebalancing of design goals with a much larger, faster on-chip memory and a CPU that is designed around this memory system. The proposal: a Cray-class vector CPU on a die with 1 Gibyte of static RAM, or Crayon (for Cray on a chip). The kind of organization classically used by Cray vector supercomputers is feasible to achieve on a single chip. I argue that a design like this can use the available memory bandwidth, as opposed to over-CPU designs with a large number of cores and GPU threads that are memory limited and propose how such a design could be used.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023
- Authors: Machanick, Philip
- Date: 2023
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/439277 , vital:73561 , https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Siphamandla-Mncu-be/publication/375376322_Shadow_Information_Technology_in_the_Advent_of_Open_Educational_Resources/links/65485042ce88b87031c92188/Shadow-Information-Technology-in-the-Advent-of-Open-Educational-Resources.pdf#page=22
- Description: Moore’s Law is usually interpreted as a prediction of how many transistors you can buy for the same money at some future date. It can also be interpreted as how long you need to wait until a given number of transistors falls below a target price. An example of this reverse-application of Moore’s Law is transitions such as the emergence of microprocessors competitive with traditional larger-scale computers and the emergence of smartphones. Since the late 1990s, it has become increasingly common for growth in transistors to equate to more CPUs (cores) per die. Recent designs have over 50 billion transistors and far more potential parallelism than can be supported by memory. I argue the case for a rebalancing of design goals with a much larger, faster on-chip memory and a CPU that is designed around this memory system. The proposal: a Cray-class vector CPU on a die with 1 Gibyte of static RAM, or Crayon (for Cray on a chip). The kind of organization classically used by Cray vector supercomputers is feasible to achieve on a single chip. I argue that a design like this can use the available memory bandwidth, as opposed to over-CPU designs with a large number of cores and GPU threads that are memory limited and propose how such a design could be used.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023
The cognitive remediation of attention in HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND): A meta-analysis and systematic review
- Authors: Zondo, Sizwe
- Date: 2023
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/450732 , vital:74977 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.12688/f1000research.132166.1"
- Description: Despite medical advances in Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART), patients living with HIV continue to be at risk for developing HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND). The optimization of non-HAART interventions, including cognitive rehabilitation therapy (CRT), shows promise in reversing the impact of HAND. No data exist indicating the efficacy of CRT in remediating attention skills following neuroHIV. This paper presents a meta-analysis of randomised and non-randomised controlled trials (RCTs) to remediate attention skills following HIV CRT.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023
- Authors: Zondo, Sizwe
- Date: 2023
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/450732 , vital:74977 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.12688/f1000research.132166.1"
- Description: Despite medical advances in Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART), patients living with HIV continue to be at risk for developing HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND). The optimization of non-HAART interventions, including cognitive rehabilitation therapy (CRT), shows promise in reversing the impact of HAND. No data exist indicating the efficacy of CRT in remediating attention skills following neuroHIV. This paper presents a meta-analysis of randomised and non-randomised controlled trials (RCTs) to remediate attention skills following HIV CRT.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023
The complexities of trans women’s access to healthcare in South Africa: moving health systems beyond the gender binary towards gender equity
- Shabalala, Siyanda B, Campbell, Megan M
- Authors: Shabalala, Siyanda B , Campbell, Megan M
- Date: 2023
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/450741 , vital:74978 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1186/s12939-023-02039-6"
- Description: Public health research highlights the influence of socio-political biases shaping obstacles to fair healthcare access based on gender. South Africa has shown commitment to resolving gender imbalances in healthcare, historically emphasizing cisgender women’s challenges. However, research gaps exist in exploring how public health systems perpetuate disparities among gender-diverse persons, like trans women, who face exclusion due to their deviation from cisgender norms in healthcare. Critical, intersectionality-informed health research carries the potential to reveal the diversity of gendered healthcare experiences and expose the systems and processes that marginalize trans patients.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023
- Authors: Shabalala, Siyanda B , Campbell, Megan M
- Date: 2023
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/450741 , vital:74978 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1186/s12939-023-02039-6"
- Description: Public health research highlights the influence of socio-political biases shaping obstacles to fair healthcare access based on gender. South Africa has shown commitment to resolving gender imbalances in healthcare, historically emphasizing cisgender women’s challenges. However, research gaps exist in exploring how public health systems perpetuate disparities among gender-diverse persons, like trans women, who face exclusion due to their deviation from cisgender norms in healthcare. Critical, intersectionality-informed health research carries the potential to reveal the diversity of gendered healthcare experiences and expose the systems and processes that marginalize trans patients.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023
The concurrent impacts of drought and leaf harvesting on two traditional African vegetable non-timber forest product species
- Sinasson, Gisele K, Shackleton, Charlie M
- Authors: Sinasson, Gisele K , Shackleton, Charlie M
- Date: 2023
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/399832 , vital:69562 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0283900"
- Description: Investigating the concurrent impacts with harvesting on wild vegetables can guide their sustainable management while contributing to the understanding of such impacts on NTFP species. This study investigated leaf production, morphological and growth responses to the concurrent impacts of drought and leaf harvesting between two wild vegetables. A randomized greenhouse experiment was implemented with 1,334 plants of Amaranthus sp. and 391 of B. pilosa. A drought treatment was first implemented through six levels of drought stress and a control treatment. The harvesting treatment consisted of four harvesting levels and was implemented twice. Measurements were recorded before first and second harvests and at end of experiment. Data were separated into two periods (after first and second harvests) and analyzed using Multivariate Analysis of Variance and log-linear analysis. The results showed significant effects of drought on both species. However, Amaranthus sp. appeared more resilient to reduction in the daily amount of water than reduction in the frequency, while B. pilosa was resilient under both facets of drought stress. For Amaranthus sp., basal diameter, its growth, leaf production and survival increased with increase in the harvesting level (with some exceptions) after first harvest. After second harvest, there was decrease in plant height and leaf production. In B. pilosa, the impact was only significant on survival and leaf production (after first harvest). The effect of the interaction of the two drivers was significant for Amaranthus sp., but not for B. pilosa. The results also highlighted the possible negative impact of a prolonged high rate harvesting on the species performance, especially under severe drought. Basal diameter, its growth, survival and leaf production appeared more resilient to reduced amounts of watering in Amaranthus sp., and under both types of drought stress for B. pilosa. This suggests that both species could be sustained under medium drought stress.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023
- Authors: Sinasson, Gisele K , Shackleton, Charlie M
- Date: 2023
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/399832 , vital:69562 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0283900"
- Description: Investigating the concurrent impacts with harvesting on wild vegetables can guide their sustainable management while contributing to the understanding of such impacts on NTFP species. This study investigated leaf production, morphological and growth responses to the concurrent impacts of drought and leaf harvesting between two wild vegetables. A randomized greenhouse experiment was implemented with 1,334 plants of Amaranthus sp. and 391 of B. pilosa. A drought treatment was first implemented through six levels of drought stress and a control treatment. The harvesting treatment consisted of four harvesting levels and was implemented twice. Measurements were recorded before first and second harvests and at end of experiment. Data were separated into two periods (after first and second harvests) and analyzed using Multivariate Analysis of Variance and log-linear analysis. The results showed significant effects of drought on both species. However, Amaranthus sp. appeared more resilient to reduction in the daily amount of water than reduction in the frequency, while B. pilosa was resilient under both facets of drought stress. For Amaranthus sp., basal diameter, its growth, leaf production and survival increased with increase in the harvesting level (with some exceptions) after first harvest. After second harvest, there was decrease in plant height and leaf production. In B. pilosa, the impact was only significant on survival and leaf production (after first harvest). The effect of the interaction of the two drivers was significant for Amaranthus sp., but not for B. pilosa. The results also highlighted the possible negative impact of a prolonged high rate harvesting on the species performance, especially under severe drought. Basal diameter, its growth, survival and leaf production appeared more resilient to reduced amounts of watering in Amaranthus sp., and under both types of drought stress for B. pilosa. This suggests that both species could be sustained under medium drought stress.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023