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Mechanistic sequence of histone deacetylase inhibitors and radiation treatment: an overview
No full textHistone deacetylases inhibitors (HDACis) have shown promising therapeutic outcomes in haematological malignancies such as leukaemia, multiple myeloma, and lymphoma, with disappointing results in solid tumours when used as monotherapy. As a result, combination therapies either with radiation or other deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) damaging agents have been suggested as ideal strategy to improve their efficacy in solid tumours. Numerous in vitro and in vivo studies have demonstrated that HDACis can sensitise malignant cells to both electromagnetic and particle types of radiation by inhibiting DNA damage repair. Although the radiosensitising ability of HDACis has been reported as early as the 1990s, the mechanisms of radiosensitisation are yet to be fully understood. This review brings forth the various protocols used to sequence the administration of radiation and HDACi treatments in the different studies. The possible contribution of these various protocols to the ambiguity that surrounds the mechanisms of radiosensitisation is also highlighted
Assessing the efficiency of antimicrobial plant extracts from artemisia afra and eucalyptus globulus as coatings for textiles
No full textThis study aimed to assess the antimicrobial activities of plant extracts from Artemisia afra and Eucalyptus globulus when used as coatings for textiles. A pulsed ultrasound-assisted extraction method (PUAE) was employed to obtain methanolic and hexanoic extracts from both plants. Eucalyptus globulus methanol extraction exhibited the highest yield at 22.76% (±0.61%), while Artemisia afra demonstrated lower yields. Phytochemical screening identified various secondary metabolites in the extracts, including phenols, quinones, and steroids. Antimicrobial tests against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli revealed varying degrees of susceptibility, with Eucalyptus globulus hexanoic extracts showing the highest activity against Staphylococcus aureus at an average percentage growth of 18.74% (±0.26%). Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values were determined for the extracts, but complete inhibition did not occur at concentrations below 500 μg/mL. The extracts exhibited varying effects on Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli growth, with some extracts promoting bacterial growth. Coating textiles with Eucalyptus globulus methanolic extracts demonstrated antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus with the highest zone of inhibition observed in cotton-coated samples (258.4 mm2). Polyester-coated samples exhibited smaller inhibition zones, with the lowest observed in Eucalyptus globulus methanolic extract coating (65.97 mm2). Scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis revealed visible surface morphology changes in coated fabrics, depicting fine, cluster, lumpy, flaky, and fragment-like morphologies. Laundering effects on coated fabrics were investigated, showing a significant decrease in antimicrobial activity after washing. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) identified functional groups in the extracts associated with antimicrobial properties. The complexity of the bioactive compounds suggests potential antimicrobial efficacy, resting on factors such as geographical location, climate, and extraction methods. Notwithstanding the limitations, this study contributes valuable insights into the use of plant extracts as antimicrobial coatings for textiles
Interchange of Southern Hemisphere humpback whales across the South Atlantic Ocean
No full textThe cosmopolitan distribution of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) is largely driven by migrations between winter low-latitude breeding grounds and summer high-latitude feeding grounds. Southern Hemisphere humpback whales faced intensive exploitation during the whaling eras and recently show evidence of population recovery. Gene flow and shared song indicate overlap between the western (A) and eastern (B1, B2) Breeding Stocks in the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans (C1). Here, we investigated photo-identification evidence of population interchange using images of individuals photographed during boat-based tourism and research in Brazil and South Africa from 1989 to 2022. Fluke images were uploaded to Happywhale, a global digital database for marine mammal identification. Six whales were recaptured between countries from 2002 to 2021 with resighting intervals ranging from 0.76 to 12.92 years. Four whales originally photographed off Abrolhos Bank, Brazil were photographed off the Western Cape, South Africa (feeding grounds for B2). Two whales originally photographed off the Western Cape were photographed off Brazil, one traveling to the Eastern Cape in the Southwestern Indian Ocean (a migration corridor for C1) before migrating westward to Brazil. These findings photographically confirm interchange of humpback whales across the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans and the importance of international collaboration to understand population boundaries
The influence of epigenetics and inflammation on cardiometabolic risks
No full textCardiometabolic diseases include metabolic syndrome, obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and hypertension. Epigenetic modifications participate in cardiometabolic diseases through several pathways, including inflammation, vascular dysfunction, and insulin resistance. Epigenetic modifications, which encompass alterations to gene expression without mutating the DNA sequence, have gained much attention in recent years, since they have been correlated with cardiometabolic diseases and may be targeted for therapeutic interventions. Epigenetic modifications are greatly influenced by environmental factors, such as diet, physical activity, cigarette smoking, and pollution. Some modifications are heritable, indicating that the biological expression of epigenetic alterations may be observed across generations. Moreover, many patients with cardiometabolic diseases present with chronic inflammation, which can be influenced by environmental and genetic factors. The inflammatory environment worsens the prognosis of cardiometabolic diseases and further induces epigenetic modifications, predisposing patients to the development of other metabolism-associated diseases and complications. A deeper understanding of inflammatory processes and epigenetic modifications in cardiometabolic diseases is necessary to improve our diagnostic capabilities, personalized medicine approaches, and the development of targeted therapeutic interventions. Further understanding may also assist in predicting disease outcomes, especially in children and young adults. This review describes epigenetic modifications and inflammatory processes underlying cardiometabolic diseases, and further discusses advances in the research field with a focus on specific points for interventional therapy
Human interaction with structure in designing big data architecture
No full textBackground: There is an increasing interest in big data. However, challenges shape and affect the gathering, retrieval, use and management of big data in many organisations. Some of the challenges are linked to a lack of architecture that is specific to big data. Attempts have been made from both business and academic fronts, yet the challenges persist. The challenges are attributed to a lack of an understanding of the factors that influence the design of architecture for big data in an organisation.
Objectives: The study aims to propose big data architecture for enterprises.
Method: We employed the qualitative method, using document analysis to gather data. Activity theory (AT) was employed in the analysis of the data.
Results: From the analysis, governance, interactions, relationships and allocative were found to be the factors that influence the design of big data architecture. An interpretation was conducted following the inductive reasoning approach to gain a deeper insight of how the factors manifest themselves.
Conclusion: Big data architecture is proposed. The architecture is intended to address some of the challenges encountered in gathering, retrieving, using or managing big data in organisations.
Contribution: This study advances our understanding of the complex interplay of factors influencing the architecture of big data. Applying AT, the study fortifies our understanding of complex interactions between humans and big data including the architecture design
Analysis of small-scale farmers’ indigenous knowledge of bambara groundnut - a case of Syringavale, Zimbabwe.
No full textBambara groundnut (BGN), a legume in the Fabaceae family, is typically cultivated
on a small scale by female subsistence farmers in sub-Saharan Africa. Despite
being the largest exporter of BGN in southern Africa, Zimbabwe considers BGN a
supplementary crop. Although components of BGN have been previously studied,
this study involved active participation from local farmers, leading to a more
community-driven understanding of perceptions and practices surrounding this
legume. This study was conducted in the Syringavale community in Marula,
situated in the Matabeleland South province of Zimbabwe and consisted of fifty
Black African respondents [females (86%) and males (14%)]. The primary aim was
to collect indigenous information on consumer perceptions, agricultural and
processing practices, cultural beliefs and superstitions, and the overall significance
of BGN in the community. Simple random sampling was used to select fifty
households, from a list of sixty BGN-cultivating households, in the study area,
followed by judgmental sampling to choose one respondent per selected
household. Then after, a mixed-methods approach was applied, with structured
questionnaire administered first, followed by in-depth interviews. Thematic analysis
was employed to systematically identify and categorise themes, sub-themes and
patterns within qualitative responses. Bambara groundnut was cultivated at
household level, mostly by married women over the age of 40 and held dietary,
agricultural, medicinal and traditional significance. Different components of the
BGN crop, such as the seeds, leaves, flowers, roots and pods were reported to
serve as food, fodder, medicine, maturity indicators and compost. Boiling, soaking,
roasting, baking, cracking and frying were the cooking methods used in the
community, with boiling being the most common method used by 100% of
respondents. Respondents (100%) showed a preference for the mature green
seed over the dry seed due to the significant time and energy consumption
associated with cooking the latter. Some respondents (52%) sold their BGN
produce in the open market, at home, to wholesalers, as well as in petty batter.
Urbanisation, heavy rains and cultural beliefs were cited as major hindrances to
BGN production. The prioritisation of BGN in terms of land allocation was
recommended considering its nutritional and economic value as well as its
potential contribution to the alleviation of poverty and malnutrition
Shifting mindsets from conference to (un)conference: a collaborative reflective perspective on conceptual disruption
No full textThe move from the traditional academic conference format to a loosely defined format of unconference can be contentious and spark a robust debate on the conceptual disruption of conferencing. As part of HELTASA’s strategic plan of re-structuring and re-imagining its vision and purpose, it initiated a new way of conferencing; participant-driven and participant-focused. Through self-reflective written narratives, this paper explores three academic development practitioners' experiences in planning and reflecting on the HELTASA’s (un)conference. We share our accounts of (un)conference as a conceptual disruption to the traditional conference format, concepts, and ways of doing and being. Qualitative data were collected from the three written narratives through a collective descriptive autoethnography research design and methodology. The insights collected are applied to the Conceptual Disruption Framework which proposes a tripartite framework for conceptual disruption, which distinguishes conceptual disruptions occurring at three levels (individual concepts, clusters of concepts, conceptual schemes), taking on two forms (conceptual gaps, conceptual conflicts), and leading to three distinct levels of severity (mild, moderate, severe). Using this framework, we describe our personal thoughts and perspectives in engaging with the novel approach of (un)conferencing. We probe into the potential of collaborative reflection to gain deeper insights and understanding of our shift from a traditional academic conference to a HELTASA (un)conference. We explore the discomfort, displacement, and learnings of the intentional disruption of our conceptual understanding of (un)conference practices. This paper highlights our shifting mindsets as we reflect and interrogate our thoughts and perspectives on the conceptual framing of (un)conferencing. The analysis of the data reveals that the engagement in the conceptual disruption of (un)conferencing together with the engagement with the concept planning and event provided the environment and atmosphere where the team appreciated brainstorming conceptual understandings, self-reflecting, and exploring different perspectives. This study provides empirical evidence of strength in collaboration, the building of conceptual disruption as a community of practice and possibility of (un)conferencing being a shape-shifter in higher education. At an interpersonal level, the process allowed us to self-interrogate the conceptual disruption, unpacking our thoughts and shaping our own thinking. The paper asserts that shifting mindsets from conference to (un)conference, involves conceptual disruption which is a messy process and requires a level of trust, openness, adaptability amongst all members of the organising team
Work-integrated learning placement in engineering education: a comparative contextual analysis of public universities in Malawi, Namibia and South Africa
No full textPurpose:
The study compares how work-integrated learning (WIL) placement positioning, duration, assessment strategies and environment at three Southern African universities influence engineering students' academic and employability outcomes.
Design/methodology/approach:
The study used a qualitative case study approach that drew on the principles of collaborative autoethnography (CAE). The researchers reflected on WIL placement practices, structure, assessment, environment and outcomes at their universities and then analysed the reflections using comparative descriptive techniques.
Findings:
The study reports no uniformity among the universities in positioning WIL placement in the curriculum. It is done during end-of-year vacations, between the penultimate and final year or in the last year. The study found WIL placement positioning does not influence academic outcomes; however, the influence on employability outcomes needs further investigation. Components of WIL placement assessment are similar, presentations, logbooks and reports. However, there are differences in the weightings of the various assessment components and the contribution of the industry supervisor. There is a growing trend towards placing students within universities to mitigate the challenges of limited opportunities of placements available in the industry. The impact of this also needs to be further investigated. Lastly, there are policy-related challenges in placing international students. Work restrictions on student visas limit international students’ access to WIL placement. Southern African universities need to lobby the waivers to student visa restrictions that limit their participation in WIL programs if there are to succeed in their internationalisation efforts.
Originality/value:
The study highlights the gaps in understanding Southern African universities' WIL placement practices, particularly relating to the positioning of WIL placement in the curriculum, the assessment methods used and the theory to work integration and employability outcomes
Priority-based resource allocation in layering LoRaWAN
No full textNetwork applications for the Internet of Things (IoT) frequently use Long-Range (LoRa) technology. It allows tiny wireless devices to transmit data at low volumes. The idea behind LoRa networks, or Low-Power Wide Area Networks (LPWAN), is to use airborne data transmission from sensors with a transmission range of no more than 10 km. These sensors run on batteries and should not be connected to the electrical grid. Because of the benefits of Long-Range Wide Area Network (LoRaWAN) private networks, users have implemented various services in a single LoRaWAN system to realize a range of intelligent applications. LoRaWAN faces difficulties with multiservice coexistence as the number of applications grows because of insufficient channel resources, disorganized network configuration, and scalability problems. Creating a sensible plan for allocating resources is the best course of action. Nevertheless, current methods are inapplicable to LoRaWAN systems that support several services with varying criticalities. To coordinate multiservice networks, we therefore suggest a priority-based spreading factor (SF) allocation delay monitoring layered (DML) resource allocation scheme. The three primary categories of LoRaWAN application services—monitoring, control, and safety—are outlined in this paper. The suggested prioirty based resource allocation (PB-RA) scheme distributes SFs to end devices according to the highest priority parameter, taking into account the varying criticalities of these services. This increases throughput, lowers energy consumption, and increases packet delivery rate (PDR). The main advantage associated with using it is that priority is given to applications that require safety without introducing latency in other applications
Comparing the nutritional, phytochemical, and anti-microbial potential of wild and cultivated Tetragonia decumbens mill.: a promising leafy vegetable for bio-saline agriculture in South Africa
No full textTetragonia decumbens is a neglected edible halophyte that grows naturally in coastal areas of South Africa. Its underutilisation is due to the limited literature on its nutraceutical potential. So, this research was designed to assess the nutritional value, secondary metabolites, and anti-microbial potential of wild and greenhouse cultivated T. decumbens to further support its consumption and potential medicinal use. Samples of T. decumbens were collected from three coastal areas (Strand beach, Muizenberg beach and Blouberg beach) during the dry and wet seasons in Cape Town, and the greenhouse cultivated were subjected to varying salinity doses (0, 50, 100, 150, 200 and 250 mM). Results revealed a considerable increase in minerals (N, P and Mg) and proximate composition (Ash, moisture, and carbohydrates) in greenhouse cultivated plants subjected to 50 mM of salinity while the highest crude fat and neutral detergent fibre were recorded in wild samples. Moreover, heavy metal accumulation (Zn and Fe), phytochemicals, anti-nutrients and anti-microbial activities were more pronounced in wild plants than in cultivated samples. Wild plants collected at Blouberg beach had more heavy metals, anti-nutrients, phytochemicals, and anti-microbial activity. These findings validate for the first time, the relevance of nutritional quality of T. decumbens in assessing its suitability as a source of nutrients and antioxidants with possible medicinal value as shown by the inhibition of harmful bacteria and fungal strains