Unravelling the long-term river health status of Kruger National Park Rivers using macroinvertebrate-based monitoring.

The burgeoning population growth and landscape developments over the last decades have had a profound effect on natural resources including riverine water quality and quantity. This resulted in increased pollution events, loss of aquatic biodiversity and the introduction of alien invasive species, which cumulatively have transformed freshwater ecosystem structure, processes and functions. Macroinvertebrate-based biomonitoring, like the South African Scoring System version 5 (SASS5), is a fast and effective way to assess water and habitat quality.

Prediabetes May Alter HPA Axis Activity and Regulation: A Study on Patients with Prediabetes.

A dysregulated hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D), a condition preceded by prediabetes, has been shown to exacerbate the hyperglycaemic state, increasing the risk of depression. However, HPA axis activity in a prediabetic state-as well as whether the prediabetic state affects HPA axis regulation-is not fully understood. This study investigated the activity of the HPA axis in selected biomarkers and hormones related to HPA axis regulation in individuals with prediabetes.

Description of two new species of (Teleostei, Mochokidae) from the Eastern Zimbabwe Highlands freshwater ecoregion: an overlooked hotspot of rheophilic fishes.

Growing evidence indicates that species diversity within the genus Peters 1868 is poorly resolved and major taxonomic revisions are required. By integrating genetic and morphological analyses, this study describes two new species from the Eastern Zimbabwe Highlands (EZH) freshwater ecoregion, a region that, until only recently, had been poorly-explored in terms of its ichthyological diversity. Mutizwa, Bragança & Chakona, is distinguished from other southern African congeners by a combination of characters, including ridge-like tubercles distributed on the dorsal and lateral surfaces of the head and body giving the skin a conspicuously rough texture, ten closely packed mandibular teeth, deeply forked caudal fin and a high number of primary premaxillary teeth (68-128).

Structural Biosignatures-A Category of Potential Biosignatures in the Life Detection Knowledge Base.

The Life Detection Knowledge Base (LDKB) is part of the Life Detection Forum suite of web tools developed for life detection mission planners. This article details the development of one of its categories of biosignatures, the category. The category includes physical attributes of objects and their spatial relationships (e.

The novel amino-artemisinin derivative WHN-11 disrupts mitochondria and protein homeostasis, and induces autophagy and apoptosis in cancer cells.

Semi-synthetic derivatives of artemisinin exhibit anti-cancer activity in vitro and in vivo in addition to anti-malarial activity. Here, we report the anti-cancer and anti-cancer stem cell potential of novel C-10 substituted amino-artemisinin derivatives. Of these, the 4'-trifluoromethylarylurea piperazinyl derivative WHN-11 demonstrated cytotoxic activity at high nanomolar concentrations across a range of cancer cell lines.

Solute-Vehicle-Skin Interactions and Their Contribution to Pharmacokinetics of Skin Delivery.

Human skin provides an effective route of delivery for selected drugs. Topical penetration of molecules is largely attributed to passive diffusion, and the degree of penetration can be represented by in silico, in vitro, and ex vivo models. Percutaneous absorption of pharmaceutical ingredients is a delicate balance between the molecular properties of the drug, the skin properties of the patients, and the formulation properties.

Nourishing Beginnings: A Community-Based Participatory Research Approach to Food Security and Healthy Diets for the "Forgotten" Pre-School Children in South Africa.

Adequate and diverse diets are essential for children's physical and cognitive development, yet food insecurity and malnutrition continue to threaten this fundamental right, which remains a pressing concern in many resource-poor settings. This study investigated food and nutrition security in Early Childhood Development (ECD) centres in Makhanda, South Africa, through a community-based participatory research approach. Using a mixed-methods approach combining questionnaire interviews, focus group discussions, direct observations, and community asset mapping across eight ECD centres enrolling 307 children aged 0-5 years, the study engaged ECD facilitators and analysed dietary practices across these centres.

Domestication as the driver of lower chronic stress levels in fish in catch-and-release recreational fisheries and aquaculture versus wild conspecifics.

The manipulation of species' attributes through selective breeding can produce domesticated traits including decreased stress responses (i.e., selecting for high stress resilience).

Development and Evaluation of Preharvest Citrus Fruit Infestation Monitoring for Inclusion in a Systems Approach.

, an important citrus pest in southern Africa, is subject to phytosanitary regulations for certain export markets. A systems approach has been developed as an alternative to standalone postharvest disinfestation methods, integrating multiple risk mitigation steps, including preharvest infestation monitoring. This study aimed to validate an existing preharvest monitoring protocol based on fallen fruit collected under designated data trees and to develop a novel monitoring system based on sampling of sanitation fruit.

Assessing individual physiological variability and future performance phenotypes is essential for predicting the resilience of fish populations to anthropogenic climate change.

Changes in ocean temperature are expected to have a considerable effect on fishes through the impact of temperature on physiological performance, vital energetic processes (i.e. metabolism, foraging and swimming style) and reproductive fitness.

Perspectives of healthcare professionals on the pharmacist's role in delivering vaccinations for patients with cancer: a qualitative study using role theory.

Background: Vaccination rates for influenza and pneumococcal disease globally remain below targets for patients with cancer. Pharmacists already provide vaccinations in the community, highlighting an opportunity to bridge the gap by expanding hospital pharmacists scope of practice to deliver vaccinations in outpatient oncology settings.

Aim: To explore the perceptions of multidisciplinary healthcare professionals (HCPs) for the potential expansion of pharmacists' role to include a vaccination clinic for patients undergoing cancer treatment.

 sp. nov., a new redfin species (Teleostei, Cyprinidae) from the Cape Fold Ecoregion of South Africa.

Previous DNA-based studies identified four genetic lineages within : (i) the Mandela lineage confined to the Sundays, Swartkops, and Baakens river systems, (ii) the Krom lineage endemic to the Krom River system, (iii) the St Francis lineage occurring in the Gamtoos and adjacent river systems, and (iv) the Forest lineage occurring in several southern coastal river systems from the Tsitsikamma to the Klein Brak river system. Subsequent detailed morphological evaluation provided a redescription of s.s.

Global tracking of marine megafauna space use reveals how to achieve conservation targets.

The recent Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) sets ambitious goals but no clear pathway for how zero loss of important biodiversity areas and halting human-induced extinction of threatened species will be achieved. We assembled a multi-taxa tracking dataset (11 million geopositions from 15,845 tracked individuals across 121 species) to provide a global assessment of space use of highly mobile marine megafauna, showing that 63% of the area that they cover is used 80% of the time as important migratory corridors or residence areas. The GBF 30% threshold (Target 3) will be insufficient for marine megafauna's effective conservation, leaving important areas exposed to major anthropogenic threats.

Cationic nanocrystalline suspensions: a potential approach for nose to brain delivery of L-dopa in Parkinson's therapy.

Levodopa (L-dopa) an effective treatment for Parkinson's disease, but it exhibits low oral bioavailability. Intranasal L-dopa nanosuspensions were manufactured to improve bioavailability using the olfactory and trigeminal delivery routes for direct brain delivery. The development of L-dopa nanocrystals and characterization was undertaken.

Aridity Niche and Species Traits Mediate the Global Vulnerability of Passerine Birds.

Biodiversity is experiencing an unprecedented crisis, with intensifying global aridity representing a critical driver of species extinction. However, the extent to which species' preferences for specific aridity conditions and their tolerance to a range of aridity conditions influence their vulnerability remains poorly understood. Using data from 5558 passerine bird species, we examined how aridity niche affects current and projected extinction risks and whether these relationships are influenced by other ecological and life-history traits altering species persistence.

Effects of central metals on sugar decorated tetrakis-(4-methylthiophenyl) porphyrin considered for use in photodynamic therapy.

This study focuses on the synthesis of sugar decorated porphyrins and their gold nanoparticle conjugates as photosensitizers for photodynamic therapy (PDT). Linking the sugar to the porphyrins imparted water solubility to the latter. The conjugation to sugar molecules enhanced the singlet oxygen quantum yield and improved the cellular uptake and therefore, their phototoxicity in some cases.

Occurrence and distribution of microplastics in functionally delineated hydraulic zones in selected rivers, Eastern Cape, South Africa.

Microplastic pollution in freshwater ecosystems has garnered increasing attention due to its ecological risks and potential impacts on human health. While numerous studies have addressed microplastic prevalence in rivers, a critical gap remains in understanding their spatial distribution within the geomorphological and hydraulic structure of river channels. This study investigated the occurrence and variability of microplastics across hydraulic units in two urban river systems, the Buffalo and Swartkops Rivers, in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa.

Labdane Diterpenoids from with Selective Cytotoxic Activity Against HCC70 Breast Cancer Cell Line.

Background: Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive subtype of breast cancer with limited therapeutic options. is a shrub widely used in traditional medicine to alleviate cancer-related symptoms. In a search to find safe and efficacious therapeutic agents from medicinal plants, was studied to find compounds with anticancer activity against TNBC.

Evaluating the value of entomotoxicology in forensic toxicology casework using the first minipig model.

Purpose: A principal objective of forensic entomotoxicology is to apply insect specimens for post-mortem toxicological analysis. Successful identification of drugs in necrophagous insects may depend on pharmacokinetic processes occurring in larvae. We thus applied a model system involving Lucilia sericata (Meigen, 1826) (Diptera, Calliphoridae) to investigate pharmacokinetics of diazepam in larvae in vitro, followed by a field experiment with Göttingen Minipigs.

Aggregation Behaviour as an Adaptive Reproductive Strategy in a Marine Ecosystem Engineer.

Aggregation behaviour is a key process shared by numerous organisms, providing benefits such as predator protection, resistance to abiotic stressors and enhancing reproductive success. In coastal waters, mussel aggregations shape ecosystems and increase biodiversity; however, many aspects of this ecologically key behaviour remain unexplored. Here, we investigated the potential link between aggregation rate and reproductive maturity stages in the blue mussel over a seasonal cycle.

Differences between facilities in horse welfare profiles: slight differences in management/working conditions may be enough.

Many studies focus on animal welfare in terms of specific, either behavioural or physiological, indicators or on the impact of a particular management factor. However, an animal's welfare state results from the individual's perception of its general environment, which has consequences at both behavioural and physiological levels. Previous research on horses has shown that different riding schools could be characterised by different emotional/cognitive profiles of horses, in relation sometimes with one single management factor.

A Pollutant's Tale: An Interactive Talk on the Chemistry of the Earth's Climate and Its Response to Pollutants.

A Pollutant's Tale and its primary school version, Gases in the Air, are two talks that have been developed and modified over the last ca. 18 years, that provide audiences from approximately 4-90 years old with the background to the composition of the Earth's lower atmosphere, the Earth's climate, and the impact of air pollution. In this article, we describe the content of the talks and provide videos of each experiment individually as well as a recorded performance of both talks to an empty auditorium.

Allosteric modulation of Plasmodium falciparum Isoleucyl tRNA synthetase by South African natural compounds.

Targeting Plasmodium falciparum (Pf) aminoacyl tRNA synthetases is a viable strategy to overcome malaria parasite multi-drug resistance. Here, we focused on Pf Isoleucyl tRNA synthetase (PfIleRS) to identify potential allosteric inhibitors from 1019 South African Natural Compounds (SANC). Eleven potential hits, which passed ADMET and PAINS, were selected based on their docking binding affinity which was higher for PfIleRS than for human IleRS.

Genetic Variation in Drug Targets: Are We Ready for the Era of Precision Medicinal Chemistry?

Natural genetic variations profoundly impact drug target interactions causing variations in in vitro biological data. The overall occurrence or "rare genetic variation" is common and enriched within population groups. Incorporating population-level genetic information earlier into the drug discovery pipeline would allow medicinal chemists to contribute to the precision medicine movement, designing drugs with more population relevance.