Gender-based violence and its determinants during the COVID-19 lockdown in a low-income country: a cross-sectional survey

Background:Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a recent global pandemic associated with multidimensional health-related effects. In the fight against the spread of this novel pandemic, the majority have been living under restrictive conditions during its related lockdown that has created a conducive environment for gender-based violence (GBV). Our study aimed to ascertain the burden and determinants of GBV during the COVID-19 pandemic-related lockdown and curfew (CPLC) in Uganda.Methods:We conducted a quantitative descriptive cross-sectional study in Bushenyi-Ishaka municipality, southwestern Uganda in May, 2020. This study involved 339 adult participants regardless of their gender or ethnicity. Only 12 potential respondents declined to participate in this survey.Results:The prevalence of GBV during the CPLC was 42 per cent. The majority (57%) of victims were women. More than half (54%) of the victims and survivors of GBV attributed the violence to the lockdown. The determinants of GBV included being married, using substances of abuse and having financial problems.Conclusion:The prevalence of GBV skyrocketed during the CPLC in Uganda when compared to the period prior to the pandemic. Women were significantly more affected in all aspects of GBV. Therefore, we recommend developing targeted behavioural change communication strategies based upon our findings.NWO481.20.1.3

Rate-Determining Step in the Electrogenerated Chemiluminescence from Tertiary Amines with Tris(2,2'-bipyridyl)ruthenium(II)

The rates and mechanism of coreactant electrogenerated chemiluminescence (ECL) from tris(2,2-bipyridyl)- ruthenium(II) (Ru(bpy)3 2+) and the tertiary amines, tripropylamine (TPrA) and trimethylamine (TMeA), in aqueous solution were investigated. Transient (0.5 ms) potential steps were used with microelectrodes to investigate the emission time course under a variety of solution conditions. With amine concentrations that are low with respect to Ru(bpy)3 2+, the emission rises continually during the transient potential step and decays slowly after its termination. In contrast, the emission approaches a plateau during the potential step and is rapidly extinguished afterward with concentrations of Ru(bpy)3 2+ that are much lower than the amine concentration. At intermediate pH values, the emission intensity increases approximately linearly with pH. The emission after the potential step is unaffected by the rest potential. To simulate these temporal characteristics by finite difference methods, a mechanism employing 15 discrete chemical and electrochemical steps was employed, using literature-based thermodynamic values and electron-transfer rate constants evaluated from Marcus theory. The rate-limiting step was found to be the deprotonation of the amine radical cation. In addition, the simulations required a rate constant for the homogeneous oxidation of the tertiary amine by electrogenerated Ru(bpy)3 3+ value much below its Marcusian-calculated value to match the experimental data

Modular Segmented Hyperbranched Copolymers

Modular segmented hyperbranched polymers, amenable to facile post-polymerization functionalization, were created via two distinct approaches. Self-condensing vinyl polymerization via reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization and RAFT polymerization with a divinyl comonomer were employed to create well-defined highly branched materials containing activated esters amenable to highly efficient functionalization in a modular manner