Naming the other cousin: A new goldie barb (Cyprinidae: Smiliogastrininae) from the northeast escarpment in South Africa, with proposed taxonomic rearrangement of the goldie barb group in southern Africa.

A growing body of evidence indicates that the global diversity of freshwater fishes has not been fully documented. Studies of freshwater fishes that were previously thought to be morphologically variable have revealed the existence of deeply divergent lineages, with many distinct species. In southern Africa a number of Enteromius species exhibit either exceedingly wide or divided distribution patterns that should be rare for freshwater fishes with limited dispersal opportunities between river systems.

K1.3-induced hyperpolarization is required for efficient Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus lytic replication.

Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) is an oncogenic herpesvirus that is linked directly to the development of Kaposi's sarcoma. KSHV establishes a latent infection in B cells, which can be reactivated to initiate lytic replication, producing infectious virions. Using pharmacological and genetic silencing approaches, we showed that the voltage-gated K channel K1.

Effects of oilseed rape green manure on phosphorus availability of red soil and rice yield in rice-green manure rotation system.

Improving the nutrient content of red soils in southern China is a priority for efficient rice production there. To assess the effectiveness of oilseed rape as green manure for the improvement of soil phosphorus nutrient supply and rice yield in red soil areas, a long-term field plot experiment was conducted comparing two species of rape, (BN) and (BJ). The effects of returning oilseed rape on soil phosphorus availability, phosphorus absorption, and yield of subsequent rice under rice-green manure rotation mode were analyzed, using data from the seasons of 2020 to 2021.

Symbiotic endolithic microbes reduce host vulnerability to an unprecedented heatwave.

Heatwaves are increasingly severe and frequent, posing significant threats to ecosystems and human well-being. Characterised by high thermal variability, intertidal communities are particularly vulnerable to heat stress. Microbial endolithic communities that are found in marine calcifying organisms have been shown to induce shell erosion that alters shell surface colour, lowering body temperatures and increasing survival rates.

Life-history parameters of adult females of Merluccius capensis (Gadidae) off the south coast of South Africa.

This study explores the life-history parameters of female Merluccius capensis off South Africa (N = 1819) during 2014-2016, including gonadosomatic index (GSI), length-at-maturity, length-weight relationships, and condition indices (relative condition [k] and Fulton's condition factor [K]). We detected weak indications of two peaks of spawning within the year, the first in austral autumn from March to May, whereas the other in austral spring around August. GSI was slightly higher in spring and autumn, though still low at all maturity stages (≤7%), though the opposite was true for the actively spawning stage (≥7%) as well as access to less such data during winter- and summertime.

Saliency-driven explainable deep learning in medical imaging: bridging visual explainability and statistical quantitative analysis.

Deep learning shows great promise for medical image analysis but often lacks explainability, hindering its adoption in healthcare. Attribution techniques that explain model reasoning can potentially increase trust in deep learning among clinical stakeholders. In the literature, much of the research on attribution in medical imaging focuses on visual inspection rather than statistical quantitative analysis.

A cobalt(II) coordination polymer-derived catalyst engineered temperature-induced semi-reversible single-crystal-to-single-crystal (SCSC) dehydration for efficient liquid-phase epoxidation of olefins.

Single-crystal-to-single-crystal (SCSC) transformations provide more avenues for phase transitions, which have piqued great interest in crystal engineering. In this work, a 3D Co(II)-based coordination polymer (CP), (1), (where (btec) = 1,2,4,5-benzenetetracarboxylate) undergoes SCSC transition upon heating at 180 °C to afford an anhydrous phase (1'). Room-temperature water-vapour induced semi-reversible SCSC transformation of 1' involves condensation of two water molecules coordinating to the metal cluster, yielding a new framework (2).

Demanding doctorability for abortion on request: a conversation analysis of pre-abortion counselling in public hospitals in the Eastern Cape, South Africa.

Background: Research on abortion counselling generally uses retrospective interviewing regarding providers' and users' experiences. In this article we explore how requests for abortion are made and received in real time in (officially non-mandatory) pre-abortion counselling conducted by nurses and counsellors in South African public abortion clinics.

Methods: To capture turn-by-turn interactions, we recorded, using consecutive sampling, 28 sessions at three abortion clinics in 2017/2018.

Spilanthes filicaulis (Schumach. &Thonn.) C. D. Adams: An insights into ethnopharmacologically important but scientifically understudied species.

Spilanthes filicaulis (Schumach. & Thonn.) C.

Evaluating a novel high-density EEG sensor net structure for improving inclusivity in infants with curly or tightly coiled hair.

Electroencephalography (EEG) is an important tool in the field of developmental cognitive neuroscience for indexing neural activity. However, racial biases persist in EEG research that limit the utility of this tool. One bias comes from the structure of EEG nets/caps that do not facilitate equitable data collection across hair textures and types.

Distribution and host ranges of and (Diptera: Tephritidae) in South Africa.

Two fruit fly (Diptera: Tephritidae) species of economic importance: Karsch and De Meyer, Mwatawala & Virgilio are present in South Africa. The two species were considered as one species prior to 2016, but were subsequently separated. In this study, the distribution and abundance of the two species were quantified in seven provinces in South Africa through trapping with Enriched Ginger Oil as an attractant.

Metal bioaccumulation in marine invertebrates and risk assessment in sediments from South African coastal harbours and natural rocky shores.

Industrial and urban activities are major contributors to metal contamination in coastal systems, often impacting the physiology, distribution and diversity of marine invertebrates. This study assessed metal contaminations in sediments, seawater, algae and invertebrates across four armoured systems (harbours) and two natural sites along the south coast of South Africa. Bioaccumulation factors such as Biosediment (BSAF), Biowater (BWAF), Bioaccumulation (BAF) and bioremediation of metals by invertebrate bioindicators were also determined.

Repurposing DrugBank compounds as potential Plasmodium falciparum class 1a aminoacyl tRNA synthetase multi-stage pan-inhibitors with a specific focus on mitomycin.

Plasmodium falciparum aminoacyl tRNA synthetases (PfaaRSs) are potent antimalarial targets essential for proteome fidelity and overall parasite survival in every stage of the parasite's life cycle. So far, some of these proteins have been singly targeted yielding inhibitor compounds that have been limited by incidences of resistance which can be overcome via pan-inhibition strategies. Hence, herein, for the first time, we report the identification and in vitro antiplasmodial validation of Mitomycin (MMC) as a probable pan-inhibitor of class 1a (arginyl(A)-, cysteinyl(C), isoleucyl(I)-, leucyl(L), methionyl(M), and valyl(V)-) PfaaRSs which hypothetically may underlie its previously reported activity on the ribosomal RNA to inhibit protein translation and biosynthesis.

NMDA Receptor Antagonists: Emerging Insights into Molecular Mechanisms and Clinical Applications in Neurological Disorders.

Neurodegenerative disorders (NDs) include a range of chronic conditions characterized by progressive neuronal loss, leading to cognitive, motor, and behavioral impairments. Common examples include Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD). The global prevalence of NDs is on the rise, imposing significant economic and social burdens.

Adoption of residential rooftop solar PV systems in South Africa: A scoping review of barriers.

Global sustainability challenges such as climate change are linked to carbon emissions from fossil fuel powered energy needed for commercial and household consumption. South Africa is highly depended on coal for energy production hence the transition to renewable energy sources such as solar PV is seen as a pathway towards emissions reduction and a sustainable future. Yet, despite the huge potential for solar PV technologies adoption remains very low.

The cognitive remediation of attention in HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND): A meta-analysis and systematic review.

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.

Characterization of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal species associating with .

Taxonomic identification of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungal spores extracted directly from the field is sometimes difficult because spores are often degraded or parasitized by other organisms. Single-spore inoculation of a suitable host plant allows for establishing monosporic cultures of AM fungi. This study aimed to propagate AM fungal spores isolated from maize soil using single spores for morphological characterization.

Opportunities to improve goat production and food security in Botswana through forage nutrition and the use of supplemental feeds.

Goats fulfil a central role in food and nutritional security across Africa with over half of households owning or rearing goats in rural areas. However, goat performance is poor and mortality high. This study assessed the nutritional quality of commonly used feeds and proposes feed-baskets to enhance goat nutrition and health.

Directed conservation of the world's reef sharks and rays.

Many shark populations are in decline around the world, with severe ecological and economic consequences. Fisheries management and marine protected areas (MPAs) have both been heralded as solutions. However, the effectiveness of MPAs alone is questionable, particularly for globally threatened sharks and rays ('elasmobranchs'), with little known about how fisheries management and MPAs interact to conserve these species.