Faculty of Natural Sciences: Recent submissions
Now showing items 1501-1520 of 2642
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Isolation and characterisation of cellulose nanocrystal obtained from sugarcane peel
(Rasayan Journal, 2020)This work was aimed at developing efficient and stable cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) from sugarcane peel, which has been of growing concern as a potential for various industrial applications and providing a solution to the ... -
The implications of the reclassification of South African wildlife species as farm animals
(South African Assn. For The Advancement Of Science, 2020)The Government Gazette No. 42464 dated 17 May 20191 amended Table 7 of the Animal Improvement Act (Act no. 62 of 1998), which lists breeds of animals, to include at least 32 new wild animal species, including 24 ... -
Creating opportunities through science symposia
(South African Assn. For The Advancement Of Science, 2020)For most marine scientists, unless we work in the field of fisheries development or at the interface of science and policy, it is rare to feel that we are making an impact on the lives of people in the wider community. ... -
Biomass Energy Dependence in South Africa: Are the Western Cape Province households descending the energy ladder after improvement in electricity access?
(Elsevier, 2020)South Africa was considered to have attained universal access to modern energy from 1994 to 2012. This meant that the number of households that moved away from the use of dirty energy to ... -
Assessing the effects of in vitro imposed water stress on pineapple growth in relation to biochemical stress indicators using polynomial regression analysis
(AcademicPres, 2020)Knowing the mechanisms that operate under water stress in commercial crops, particularly those that can affect productivity, such as phenolic or cell wall metabolism, is becoming increasingly important in a scenario of ... -
Sharing for science: High-resolution trophic interactions revealed rapidly by social media
(PeerJ, 2020)Discrete, ephemeral natural phenomena with low spatial or temporal predictability are incredibly challenging to study systematically. In ecology, species interactions, which constitute the functional backbone of ecological ... -
Applying science to pressing conservation needs for penguins
(Wiley-Blackwell, 2020)More than half of the world's 18 penguin species are declining. We, the Steering Committee of the International Union for Conservation of Nature Species Survival Commission Penguin Specialist Group, determined that the ... -
Unraveling the diversification and systematic puzzle of the highly polymorphic Psammobates tentorius (Bell, 1828) complex (Reptilia: Testudinidae) through phylogenetic analyses and species delimitation approaches
(Wiley-Blackwell, 2020)The high level of phenotypic diversity in southern African tent tortoises (Psammobates tentorius complex) has for decades prevented systematists from developing a stable taxonomy for the group. Here, we used a comprehensive ... -
Rooibos (Aspalathus linearis) genome size estimation using flow cytometry and k-mer analyses
(MDPI, 2020)Plant genomes provide information on biosynthetic pathways involved in the production of industrially relevant compounds. Genome size estimates are essential for the initiation of genome projects. The genome size of rooibos ... -
Rhodolith bed discovered off the south African coast
(MDPI, 2020)Rhodolith beds have not previously been recorded in South Africa. A multidisciplinary research effort used remote sampling tools to survey the historically unexplored continental shelf off the Eastern Cape coast of South ... -
Amitriptyline prescribing in public sector healthcare facilities in the Western Cape, South Africa
(Public Library of Science, 2020)Inappropriate medication use is a major patient safety concern, especially for the elderly population. Amitriptyline is widely used in primary care in South Africa and a cross-sectional study found that amitriptyline was ... -
The use of factor analysis and acid base accounting to probe the speciation of toxic metals in gold mine waste
(Springer Nature, 2020)The generation of acidic drainage has become pervasive over the years and toxic elements are released due to exposure to oxidising agents, unforeseen circumstances, and human interactions. Uncontrolled acidic mine drainage ... -
Sampling bias in reptile occurrence data for the Kruger National Park
(OpenJournals Publishing AOSIS (Pty) Ltd, 2020)To effectively conserve and manage species, it is important to (1) understand how they are spatially distributed across the globe at both broad and fine spatial resolutions and (2) elucidate the determinants of these ... -
Molecular dynamic simulations to investigate the structural impact of known drug resistance mutations on HIV-1C integrase-dolutegravir binding
(Public Library of Science, 2020)Resistance associated mutations (RAMs) threaten the long-term success of combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) outcomes for HIV-1 treatment. HIV-1 Integrase (IN) strand transfer inhibitors (INSTIs) have proven to be a ... -
How many species of angulate tortoises occur in Southern Africa? (Testudines: Testudinidae: Chersina)
(Wiley-Blackwell, 2020)Using range-wide sampling and 1,143 bp of mtDNA (cytochrome b gene) and 14 microsatellite loci, we examined genetic differentiation in the widely distributed Southern African angulate tortoise (Chersina angulata). We found ... -
The conservation status and population decline of the African penguin deconstructed in space and time
(Wiley-Blackwell, 2020)Understanding changes in abundance is crucial for conservation, but population growth rates often vary over space and time. We use 40 years of count data (1979–2019) and Bayesian state-space models to assess the African ... -
An estuary ecosystem classification that encompasses biogeography and a high diversity of types in support of protection and management
(Taylor & Francis, 2020)For nearly three decades, the Whitfield (1992) characterisation scheme served as a reference framework to type South African estuaries. We outline a revised ecosystem classification scheme that incorporates biogeographical ... -
Phenological shift in swarming patterns of Rhopilema nomadica in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea
(Oxford University Press, 2020)Jellyfish (JF) swarms impact human wellbeing and marine ecosystems. Their global proliferation is a matter of concern and scientific debate, and the multitude of factors affecting (and affected by) their density and ... -
Genetic diversity, population structure and marker- trait association for 100-seed weight in international safflower panel using silicodart marker information
(MDPI, 2020)Safflower is an important oilseed crop mainly grown in the arid and semi-arid regions of the world. The aim of this study was to explore phenotypic and genetic diversity, population structure, and marker-trait association ... -
Diet composition and some observations on the feeding ecology of the rhizostome Rhopilema nomadica in Israeli coastal waters
(Cambridge University Press, 2020)Since the mid-1980s, swarms of the rhizostome Rhopilema nomadica have been an annual phenomenon in Israeli Mediterranean coastal waters during the summer months. Despite its annual prominence and the potential impact on ...