Research Outputs (Geography)https://hdl.handle.net/10500/142012024-03-19T03:02:59Z2024-03-19T03:02:59ZCOVID-19 and the academe in South Africa: Not business as usualHedding, DavidGreve, MichelleNel, WernerBreetzke, Gregory D.Jansen van Vuuren, Bettinehttps://hdl.handle.net/10500/265942020-08-04T15:33:05Z2020-07-20T00:00:00ZCOVID-19 and the academe in South Africa: Not business as usual
Hedding, David; Greve, Michelle; Nel, Werner; Breetzke, Gregory D.; Jansen van Vuuren, Bettine
The famous R.E.M. song laments ‘It’s the end of the world as we know it, I had some time alone, I feel fine…’. Many South Africans would agree that COVID-19 signals the end of the world (or business) as we know it, and through the lockdown we have certainly had some time alone. But contrary to the lyrics, all may not be fine, especially for South Africa’s scientific community. The novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 has impacted every economic and social sector1 across the globe, including higher education in South Africa. Every student and staff member at a higher education institution will have been affected in some way and to varying degrees; not one person will emerge from this unscathed. It is impossible to predict every short- and long-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, but we will experience the aftershocks for a long time to come. Here we discuss some of these impacts, ranging from undergraduate level to large research projects, and we offer suggestions on how to mitigate some of the damage.
2020-07-20T00:00:00ZPronival ramparts: A reviewHedding, David W.https://hdl.handle.net/10500/244182018-06-26T01:00:42Z2016-01-01T00:00:00ZPronival ramparts: A review
Hedding, David W.
Pronival ramparts are debris ridges formed at the downslope margins of perennial or semi-permanent
snowbeds beneath bedrock cliffs. These landforms, also previously known as protalus ramparts, are located
in periglacial environments, but the apparent simplicity of rampart formation made these landforms far
less interesting than other modified forms of talus in cold environments. As a result, limited research, use of
supposed relict examples and assumed formative mechanisms led to the misidentification of ramparts, circular
arguments regarding genesis and inappropriate palaeo-environmental inferences. Several advances
have, however, been made in the past few decades, particularly where actively-forming ramparts have been
studied. Thus, this paper provides a review of research on pronival ramparts. In particular, focus is placed on
the advances made in our understanding of rampart genesis, identification (diagnostic criteria) and palaeoenvironmental
significance. Notable advances include the development of a retrogressive model of rampart
genesis to supplement the conventional downslope model of development, revised diagnostic criteria for
field identification and the use of calibration equations during Schmidt-hammer exposure dating of pronival
rampart. The use of pronival ramparts as palaeo-environmental indicators is also examined to determine
what relict examples of these landforms may reveal about past climates.
2016-01-01T00:00:00ZThe role played by alternative splicing in antigenic variability in human endo-parasitesHull, RodneyDlamini, Zodwahttps://hdl.handle.net/10500/220002018-06-27T09:30:11Z2014-01-28T00:00:00ZThe role played by alternative splicing in antigenic variability in human endo-parasites
Hull, Rodney; Dlamini, Zodwa
Abstract
Endo-parasites that affect humans include Plasmodium, the causative agent of malaria, which remains one of the leading causes of death in human beings. Despite decades of research, vaccines to this and other endo-parasites remain elusive. This is in part due to the hyper-variability of the parasites surface proteins. Generally these surface proteins are encoded by a large family of genes, with only one being dominantly expressed at certain life stages. Another layer of complexity can be introduced through the alternative splicing of these surface proteins. The resulting isoforms may differ from each other with regard to cell localisation, substrate affinities and functions. They may even differ in structure to the extent that they are no longer recognised by the host’s immune system. In many cases this leads to changes in the N terminus of these proteins. The geographical localisation of endo-parasitic infections around the tropics and the highest incidences of HIV-1 infection in the same areas, adds a further layer of complexity as parasitic infections affect the host immune system resulting in higher HIV infection rates, faster disease progression, and an increase in the severity of infections and complications in HIV diagnosis. This review discusses some examples of parasite surface proteins that are alternatively spliced in trypanosomes, Plasmodium and the parasitic worm Schistosoma as well as what role alternate splicing may play in the interaction between HIV and these endo-parasites.
2014-01-28T00:00:00ZPatterns, causes and consequences of land use/cover dynamics in the Gumara watershed of lake Tana basin, Northwestern EthiopiaWubie, Mesfin AAssen, MohammedNicolau, Melanie Dhttps://hdl.handle.net/10500/219822019-01-21T14:34:40Z2016-02-17T00:00:00ZPatterns, causes and consequences of land use/cover dynamics in the Gumara watershed of lake Tana basin, Northwestern Ethiopia
Wubie, Mesfin A; Assen, Mohammed; Nicolau, Melanie D
Abstract
Background
This study was aimed at examining land use/cover changes over 48 years and its causative factors in the Gumara watershed of Lake Tana basin, Northwestern Ethiopia. Two sets of aerial photograph (1957 and 1985) and a multispectral Spot5 image (2005) were used as inputs to produce three GIS-based land cover maps of the study area. Socio-economic surveys, focus group discussion and field observation were also used to determine the cause and effects of these land use/cover
dynamics.
Results
The results showed that cultivated and settlement land expanded by 21.99 %, whereas forest land, shrub land, grass land and wetland declined by 85.30, 91.39, 76.15 and 72.54 % over the analysis period respectively. Population pressure, demand for fuel wood and construction material, agricultural expansion and policy and tenure insecurity were the major driving forces behind the land use/cover change. Environmental and local livelihoods implications such as lake water and its aquatic resources and soil degradation, biodiversity loss and forest cover decline are resulted from the changes.
Conclusion
The cumulative effect of these implications caused poverty and environmental degradation. Hence, there should be strategies of managing open access resources through participation of local people in the management. There should also be appropriate land use planning by identifying the proper land for specific purpose so that the marginal lands will not be put into agricultural use.
2016-02-17T00:00:00Z