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Parabuthus Transvaalicus
''Parabuthus transvaalicus'' (known as the Transvaalicus thick-tailed scorpion, South African thick tail, or giant deathstalker) is a species of venomous scorpion from semi-arid parts of southern Africa. Description ''Parabuthus transvaalicus'' grows to a length of , and is dark brown or black in colour, so it is also known as the Black Thick-Tailed scorpion. Its pincers are thin, but its tail is thickened, with the sting segment being as wide as the rest of the tail. It is nocturnal, resting in a shallow burrow under rocks during the day. It resembles its congener '' P. villosus'', which is less strictly nocturnal, hairier and has a more westerly distribution. Distribution ''Parabuthus transvaalicus'' is found in deserts, scrublands and semi-arid regions of Botswana, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, some parts of the Namib Desert and South Africa. Sting ''Parabuthus transvaalicus'' is a dangerous, medically significant scorpion, which can both sting and spray its kurtoxin venom. The ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Species
A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. Other ways of defining species include their karyotype, DNA sequence, morphology (biology), morphology, behaviour, or ecological niche. In addition, palaeontologists use the concept of the chronospecies since fossil reproduction cannot be examined. The most recent rigorous estimate for the total number of species of eukaryotes is between 8 and 8.7 million. About 14% of these had been described by 2011. All species (except viruses) are given a binomial nomenclature, two-part name, a "binomen". The first part of a binomen is the name of a genus to which the species belongs. The second part is called the specific name (zoology), specific name or the specific ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Botswana
Botswana, officially the Republic of Botswana, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. Botswana is topographically flat, with approximately 70 percent of its territory part of the Kalahari Desert. It is bordered by South Africa to the south and southeast, Namibia to the west and north, Zambia to the north, and Zimbabwe to the northeast. With a population of slightly over 2.4 million people and a comparable land area to France, Botswana is one of the List of countries and dependencies by population density, most sparsely populated countries in the world. It is essentially the nation-state of the Tswana people, who constitute nearly 80 percent of the population. The Tswana ethnic group are descended mainly from Bantu peoples, Bantu-speaking peoples who Bantu expansion, migrated into southern Africa, including modern Botswana, in several waves before AD 600. In 1885, the British Empire, British colonised the area and declared a protectorate named Bechuanaland. As part of the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Parabuthus
''Parabuthus'', commonly known as the thick-tailed scorpion, is a genus of large and highly venomous Afrotropical realm, Afrotropical scorpions, that show a preference for areas of low rainfall. Their stings are medically important and human fatalities have been recorded.Larsen, Norman. Biodiversity Explorer, IZIKO. Scorpion stings and venom/ref> Characteristics They have thick and strong tails, with typically a rough surface to the first (proximal) and sometimes second segment, that is used to produce a warning sound when rubbed against the sting (save ''Parabuthus distridor, P. distridor''). Their thick tails are also employed in excavating their shallow burrows, as several are adapted to sandy environments. Some flatter-bodied species, however, take refuge in rock crevasses. Due to their stings' quick-acting venom, they rely to lesser extent on their slender pinchers (chelae) to hold onto prey. Three species, ''Parabuthus schlechteri, P. schlechteri'', ''Parabuthus transvaalic ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Parabutoxin
Parabutoxin (PBTx) is a Shaker gene, Shaker-related voltage-gated K+ channel, voltage-gated K+ channel (Kvα1) inhibitor purified from different ''Parabuthus'' scorpion species found in southern Africa. It occurs in different forms: parabutoxin 1 (PBTx1), parabutoxin 2 (PBTx2), parabutoxin 3 (PBTx3) and parabutoxin (PBTx10). The different variants have different affinities towards Kvα1 channels. Sources Four different acidic peptides (PBTx1, PBTx2, PBTx3 and PBTx10) have been isolated and cloned from the venoms of three different ''Parabuthus'' scorpion species found in southern Africa. PBTx1 and PBTx3 were extracted from the venom of ''Parabuthus transvaalicus, P. transvaalicus'', PBTx2 from ''Parabuthus villosus, P. villosus'' and PBTx10 has been purified from ''P. granulatus''. Chemistry Scorpion toxins that target potassium channels have been classified into three K+ Toxin (KT) subfamilies α-KTx, β-KTx, and γ-KTx peptides. The α-KTx subfamilies are the best-studied tox ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Proceedings Of The National Academy Of Sciences
''Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America'' (often abbreviated ''PNAS'' or ''PNAS USA'') is a peer-reviewed multidisciplinary scientific journal. It is the official journal of the National Academy of Sciences, published since 1915, and publishes original research, scientific reviews, commentaries, and letters. According to ''Journal Citation Reports'', the journal has a 2022 impact factor of 9.4. ''PNAS'' is the second most cited scientific journal, with more than 1.9 million cumulative citations from 2008 to 2018. In the past, ''PNAS'' has been described variously as "prestigious", "sedate", "renowned" and "high impact". ''PNAS'' is a delayed open-access journal, with an embargo period of six months that can be bypassed for an author fee ( hybrid open access). Since September 2017, open access articles are published under a Creative Commons license. Since January 2019, ''PNAS'' has been online-only, although print issues are available ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kurtoxin
Kurtoxin is a toxin found in the venom of the South African scorpion, ''Parabuthus transvaalicus''. It affects the gating of voltage-gated sodium channels and calcium channels. Sources Many venoms are evolved among animals, and most of them are a peptide in nature. Kurtotoxin is found in the venom of the South African scorpion, ''Parabuthus transvaalicus''. Chemistry Kurtoxin is a protein containing 63 amino acid residues with a mass of 7386.1 daltons. Its formula is C324H478N94O90S8. It can be isolated from the venom of ''Parabuthus transvaalicus'' by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Kurtoxin is closely related to α-scorpion toxins, a family of toxins that slow inactivation of voltage-gated sodium channels. The complete primary amino-acid sequence of kurtoxin is: KIDGYPVDYW NCKRICWYNN KYCNDLCKGL KADSGYCWGW TLSCYCQGLP DNARIKRSGR CRA. Target In research on ''Xenopus'' oocytes, it was found that kurtoxin affects low-threshold α1G and α1H calcium channels ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Norwegian University Of Science And Technology
The Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU; ) is a public university, public research university in Norway and the largest in terms of enrollment. The university's headquarters is located in Trondheim (city), Trondheim, with regional campuses in Gjøvik (town), Gjøvik and Ålesund (town), Ålesund. NTNU was inaugurated by the King-in-Council in 1996 as a result of the merger of the former University of Trondheim and other university-level institutions, with roots dating back to 1760. Later, some former university colleges were also incorporated. Depending on the ranking publication, the university typically ranks within a range of 101 and 400 globally. As of November 2022, the university boasts an approximate 9,000 employees and 42,000 students. NTNU has the main national responsibility for education and research in engineering and technology. This is likely attributable to the fact that it is the successor of Norway's pre-eminent engineering university, the Norwe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Ocean; to the north by the neighbouring countries of Namibia, Botswana, and Zimbabwe; to the east and northeast by Mozambique and Eswatini; and it encloses Lesotho. Covering an area of , the country has Demographics of South Africa, a population of over 64 million people. Pretoria is the administrative capital, while Cape Town, as the seat of Parliament of South Africa, Parliament, is the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein is regarded as the judicial capital. The largest, most populous city is Johannesburg, followed by Cape Town and Durban. Cradle of Humankind, Archaeological findings suggest that various hominid species existed in South Africa about 2.5 million years ago, and modern humans inhabited the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Namib Desert
The Namib ( ; ) is a coastal desert in Southern Africa. According to the broadest definition, the Namib stretches for more than along the Atlantic coasts of Angola, Namibia, and northwest South Africa, extending southward from the Carunjamba River in Angola, through Namibia and to the Olifants River in Western Cape, South Africa. The Namib's northernmost portion, which extends from the Angola-Namibia border, is known as Moçâmedes Desert, while its southern portion approaches the neighboring Kalahari Desert. From the Atlantic coast eastward, the Namib gradually ascends in elevation, reaching up to inland to the foot of the Great Escarpment. Annual precipitation ranges from in the aridest regions to at the escarpment, making the Namib the only true desert in southern Africa. Having endured arid or semi-arid conditions for roughly 55–80 million years, the Namib may be the oldest desert in the world and contains some of the world's driest regions, with only western South A ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Zimbabwe
file:Zimbabwe, relief map.jpg, upright=1.22, Zimbabwe, relief map Zimbabwe, officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia to the north, and Mozambique to the east. The capital and largest city is Harare, and the second largest is Bulawayo. A country of roughly 16.6 million people as per 2024 census, Zimbabwe's largest ethnic group are the Shona people, Shona, who make up 80% of the population, followed by the Northern Ndebele people, Northern Ndebele and other #Demographics, smaller minorities. Zimbabwe has 16 official languages, with English, Shona language, Shona, and Northern Ndebele language, Ndebele the most common. Zimbabwe is a member of the United Nations, the Southern African Development Community, the African Union, and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa. The region was long inhabited by the San people, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mozambique
Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique, is a country located in Southeast Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west, and Eswatini and South Africa to the south and southwest. The sovereign state is separated from the Comoros, Mayotte, and Madagascar by the Mozambique Channel to the east. The capital and largest city is Maputo. Between the 7th and 11th centuries, a series of Swahili port towns developed on that area, which contributed to the development of a distinct Swahili culture and dialect. In the late medieval period, these towns were frequented by traders from Somalia, Ethiopia, Egypt, Arabia, Persia, and India. The voyage of Vasco da Gama in 1498 marked the arrival of the Portuguese Empire, Portuguese, who began a gradual process of colonisation and settlement in 1505. After over four centuries of Portuguese Mozambique, Portuguese rule, Mozambique Mozambican War of Indepen ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Semi-arid
A semi-arid climate, semi-desert climate, or steppe climate is a aridity, dry climate sub-type. It is located on regions that receive precipitation below Evapotranspiration#Potential evapotranspiration, potential evapotranspiration, but not as low as a desert climate. There are different kinds of semi-arid climates, depending on variables such as temperature, and they give rise to different biomes. Defining attributes of semi-arid climates A more precise definition is given by the Köppen climate classification, which treats steppe climates (''BSh'' and ''BSk'') as intermediates between desert climates (BW) and humid climates (A, C, D) in ecological characteristics and agricultural potential. Semi-arid climates tend to support short, thorny or scrubby vegetation and are usually dominated by either grasses or shrubs as they usually cannot support forests. To determine if a location has a semi-arid climate, the precipitation threshold must first be determined. The method used to ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
