# SideHustle: Jason GH Londt’s contribution to holdings of the South African Cicadidae (Hemiptera, Auchenorrhyncha) in the KwaZulu-Natal Museum
- Authors: Villet, Martin H
- Date: 2023
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/440598 , vital:73796 , 10.3897/afrinvertebr.64.100851
- Description: Jason GH Londt contributed almost a quarter of the KwaZulu-Natal Museum’s specimens of Cicadidae, including a strong sample of females, and probably the best set to date of African records of predation on cicadas by robber flies. The collection provides evidence that robber flies catch more male cicadas; speculatively, because attacks on the heavier-bodied female fail more often. The metadata derived from these specimens also provide a small gazetteer of Londt’s collecting sites.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023
- Authors: Villet, Martin H
- Date: 2023
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/440598 , vital:73796 , 10.3897/afrinvertebr.64.100851
- Description: Jason GH Londt contributed almost a quarter of the KwaZulu-Natal Museum’s specimens of Cicadidae, including a strong sample of females, and probably the best set to date of African records of predation on cicadas by robber flies. The collection provides evidence that robber flies catch more male cicadas; speculatively, because attacks on the heavier-bodied female fail more often. The metadata derived from these specimens also provide a small gazetteer of Londt’s collecting sites.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023
A 20-year review of South African Early Grade Mathematics Research Articles
- Morrison, Samantha, Graven, Mellony, Venkat, Hamsa, Vale, Pamela
- Authors: Morrison, Samantha , Graven, Mellony , Venkat, Hamsa , Vale, Pamela
- Date: 2023
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/482278 , vital:78635 , https://doi.org/10.1080/18117295.2023.2226547
- Description: In this article we share the findings emanating from a 20 year (2003–2022) review of South African Early Grade Mathematics (EGM) research articles published in key international and local/regional journals. The review shows a substantial increase in the volume of published EGM articles in the second decade (2013–2022), nationally and internationally. These increases are marked across the key clusters of articles seen in our analysis: Teachers and Teaching, Learners and Learning, Language and Multilingualism, and Assessment. The emergence of the South African Journal of Childhood Education as a phase-specific journal in 2011 has been a particularly important factor within the increasing volume of publication. We note too, that whilst the base of publication across institutions has broadened in the local/regional publication space, international publications are tied primarily to projects linked with established South African Research Chairs.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023
- Authors: Morrison, Samantha , Graven, Mellony , Venkat, Hamsa , Vale, Pamela
- Date: 2023
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/482278 , vital:78635 , https://doi.org/10.1080/18117295.2023.2226547
- Description: In this article we share the findings emanating from a 20 year (2003–2022) review of South African Early Grade Mathematics (EGM) research articles published in key international and local/regional journals. The review shows a substantial increase in the volume of published EGM articles in the second decade (2013–2022), nationally and internationally. These increases are marked across the key clusters of articles seen in our analysis: Teachers and Teaching, Learners and Learning, Language and Multilingualism, and Assessment. The emergence of the South African Journal of Childhood Education as a phase-specific journal in 2011 has been a particularly important factor within the increasing volume of publication. We note too, that whilst the base of publication across institutions has broadened in the local/regional publication space, international publications are tied primarily to projects linked with established South African Research Chairs.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023
A Comparative Analysis of Speaker and Headphone-Based Immersive Audio in VR and Gaming Applications:
- Authors: Marais, Kyle , Foss, Richard
- Date: 2023
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/426705 , vital:72384 , https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/10289435
- Description: Precise and accurate audio spatialization is crucial for gaming and Virtual Reality (VR) applications, as it is an essential aspect of the immersion experienced by users. When the audio of a virtual environment is synchronized with its visual sources and localized accurately, users are more likely to feel deeply engaged and suspend their disbelief. Audio Middleware software is commonly used in cooperation with game engines to meet the audio requirements of virtual environments created by game developers. This research paper presents a comparative analysis of speaker-and headphone-based immersive audio systems within the context of VR. The research findings indicate that, despite the headphone-based system offering more accurate audio localization and a higher ‘perceived audio quality’, the speaker-based system resulted in a greater sense of ‘immersion.’.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023
A Comparative Analysis of Speaker and Headphone-Based Immersive Audio in VR and Gaming Applications:
- Authors: Marais, Kyle , Foss, Richard
- Date: 2023
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/426705 , vital:72384 , https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/10289435
- Description: Precise and accurate audio spatialization is crucial for gaming and Virtual Reality (VR) applications, as it is an essential aspect of the immersion experienced by users. When the audio of a virtual environment is synchronized with its visual sources and localized accurately, users are more likely to feel deeply engaged and suspend their disbelief. Audio Middleware software is commonly used in cooperation with game engines to meet the audio requirements of virtual environments created by game developers. This research paper presents a comparative analysis of speaker-and headphone-based immersive audio systems within the context of VR. The research findings indicate that, despite the headphone-based system offering more accurate audio localization and a higher ‘perceived audio quality’, the speaker-based system resulted in a greater sense of ‘immersion.’.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023
A Critical exploration of YouTube texts by and about people with disabilities in South Africa
- Authors: Dalvit, Lorenzo
- Date: 2023
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/468129 , vital:77021 , https://rosa.uniroma1.it/rosa03/mediascapes/article/view/18303
- Description: The work of intellectuals such as Marx and Gramsci has been exten-sively employed in the study of social inequalities across contexts and in relation to different dimensions. As one of the most unequal societies in the world, South Africa provides a number of past and recent exam-ples of discrimination, oppression and violence on the basis of race, gender, socio-economic and migrant status, political affiliation etc. De-spite their continued marginalisation during and after apartheid and de-spite accounting for a substantial portion (7.5%) of the population, peo-ple with disabilities appear relatively neglected in scholarly and media debates. The booming Internet and mobile penetration, which promised to give a voice to the voiceless, increasingly seems to reproduce and at times exacerbate such marginalisation. By drawing on Gramsci’s no-tions of hegemony and public intellectuals, in this paper, I explore dis-cursive constructions by and about South Africans with disabilities on YouTube. Videos and comments are purposively selected from three active channels based on their relevance and are quantitatively as well as qualitatively analysed. The first objective of the study is to under-stand disability in relation to other dimensions of diversity, eg race or gender.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023
- Authors: Dalvit, Lorenzo
- Date: 2023
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/468129 , vital:77021 , https://rosa.uniroma1.it/rosa03/mediascapes/article/view/18303
- Description: The work of intellectuals such as Marx and Gramsci has been exten-sively employed in the study of social inequalities across contexts and in relation to different dimensions. As one of the most unequal societies in the world, South Africa provides a number of past and recent exam-ples of discrimination, oppression and violence on the basis of race, gender, socio-economic and migrant status, political affiliation etc. De-spite their continued marginalisation during and after apartheid and de-spite accounting for a substantial portion (7.5%) of the population, peo-ple with disabilities appear relatively neglected in scholarly and media debates. The booming Internet and mobile penetration, which promised to give a voice to the voiceless, increasingly seems to reproduce and at times exacerbate such marginalisation. By drawing on Gramsci’s no-tions of hegemony and public intellectuals, in this paper, I explore dis-cursive constructions by and about South Africans with disabilities on YouTube. Videos and comments are purposively selected from three active channels based on their relevance and are quantitatively as well as qualitatively analysed. The first objective of the study is to under-stand disability in relation to other dimensions of diversity, eg race or gender.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023
A Global Call for More Investment in Data-Driven Perioperative Care Delivery Models in Humanitarian Settings
- Mara, Busisiwe Oladimeji, Olnrewaju.
- Authors: Mara, Busisiwe Oladimeji, Olnrewaju.
- Date: 2023
- Language: English
- Type: text , Article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/11260/9118 , vital:72975
- Description: Abstract that must end in a full stop.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023
- Authors: Mara, Busisiwe Oladimeji, Olnrewaju.
- Date: 2023
- Language: English
- Type: text , Article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/11260/9118 , vital:72975
- Description: Abstract that must end in a full stop.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023
A Practical Use for AI-Generated Images
- Boby, Alden, Brown, Dane L, Connan, James
- Authors: Boby, Alden , Brown, Dane L , Connan, James
- Date: 2023
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/463345 , vital:76401 , xlink:href="https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-031-43838-7_12"
- Description: Collecting data for research can be costly and time-consuming, and available methods to speed up the process are limited. This research paper compares real data and AI-generated images for training an object detection model. The study aimed to assess how the utilisation of AI-generated images influences the performance of an object detection model. The study used a popular object detection model, YOLO, and trained it on a dataset with real car images as well as a synthetic dataset generated with a state-of-the-art diffusion model. The results showed that while the model trained on real data performed better on real-world images, the model trained on AI-generated images, in some cases, showed improved performance on certain images and was good enough to function as a licence plate detector on its own. The study highlights the potential of using AI-generated images for data augmentation in object detection models and sheds light on the trade-off between real and synthetic data in the training process. The findings of this study can inform future research in object detection and help practitioners make informed decisions when choosing between real and synthetic data for training object detection models.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023
- Authors: Boby, Alden , Brown, Dane L , Connan, James
- Date: 2023
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/463345 , vital:76401 , xlink:href="https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-031-43838-7_12"
- Description: Collecting data for research can be costly and time-consuming, and available methods to speed up the process are limited. This research paper compares real data and AI-generated images for training an object detection model. The study aimed to assess how the utilisation of AI-generated images influences the performance of an object detection model. The study used a popular object detection model, YOLO, and trained it on a dataset with real car images as well as a synthetic dataset generated with a state-of-the-art diffusion model. The results showed that while the model trained on real data performed better on real-world images, the model trained on AI-generated images, in some cases, showed improved performance on certain images and was good enough to function as a licence plate detector on its own. The study highlights the potential of using AI-generated images for data augmentation in object detection models and sheds light on the trade-off between real and synthetic data in the training process. The findings of this study can inform future research in object detection and help practitioners make informed decisions when choosing between real and synthetic data for training object detection models.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023
A replacement name for Bostra Stål (Insecta, Phasmida, Diapheromeridae), a junior homonym of Bostra Walker (Insecta, Lepidoptera, Pyralidae)
- Authors: Villet, Martin H
- Date: 2023
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/440738 , vital:73808 , https://jor.pensoft.net/article/97047/
- Description: Bostra Stål (Phasmida, Diapheromeridae) is a junior homonym of Bostra Walker (Lepidoptera, Pyralidae). The replacement name Bostranova Villet nomen nov. is proposed for Bostra Stål, and new combinations are proposed for the species-group names currently included in that phasmid genus.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023
- Authors: Villet, Martin H
- Date: 2023
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/440738 , vital:73808 , https://jor.pensoft.net/article/97047/
- Description: Bostra Stål (Phasmida, Diapheromeridae) is a junior homonym of Bostra Walker (Lepidoptera, Pyralidae). The replacement name Bostranova Villet nomen nov. is proposed for Bostra Stål, and new combinations are proposed for the species-group names currently included in that phasmid genus.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023
A scoping review of the changing landscape of doctoral education
- McKenna, Sioux, Van Schalkwyk, Susan
- Authors: McKenna, Sioux , Van Schalkwyk, Susan
- Date: 2023
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/482864 , vital:78696 , https://doi.org/10.1080/03057925.2023.2168121
- Description: A scoping review to identify models of doctoral supervision as described in the literature (2000 and 2021) was conducted using Arksey and O’Malley’s six-step framework. Four bibliographic databases generated 2102 potential studies. Further screening identified 81 articles for inclusion. The findings highlight that despite differences in terminology, an international move towards more collaborative and structured approaches is identifiable. Benefits detailed in the literature include: better throughput, the mitigation of loneliness and power issues implicated in one-on-one approaches, and the possibility for a stronger research foundation and interdisciplinary work. Concerns were also noted about increasing managerialism whereby support structures focus on efficiencies rather than quality and growing ties between industry and doctoral education without much critique of possible conflicts.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023
- Authors: McKenna, Sioux , Van Schalkwyk, Susan
- Date: 2023
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/482864 , vital:78696 , https://doi.org/10.1080/03057925.2023.2168121
- Description: A scoping review to identify models of doctoral supervision as described in the literature (2000 and 2021) was conducted using Arksey and O’Malley’s six-step framework. Four bibliographic databases generated 2102 potential studies. Further screening identified 81 articles for inclusion. The findings highlight that despite differences in terminology, an international move towards more collaborative and structured approaches is identifiable. Benefits detailed in the literature include: better throughput, the mitigation of loneliness and power issues implicated in one-on-one approaches, and the possibility for a stronger research foundation and interdisciplinary work. Concerns were also noted about increasing managerialism whereby support structures focus on efficiencies rather than quality and growing ties between industry and doctoral education without much critique of possible conflicts.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023
A socio-political and historical perspective of linguistic prescriptivism in relation to the African languages of southern Africa
- Kaschula, Russell H, Mokapela, Sebolelo, Nkomo, Dion, Nosilela, Bulelwa
- Authors: Kaschula, Russell H , Mokapela, Sebolelo , Nkomo, Dion , Nosilela, Bulelwa
- Date: 2023
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , book chapter
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/468042 , vital:77002 , ISBN 9781003095125 , https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781003095125-22/socio-political-historical-perspective-linguistic-prescriptivism-relation-african-languages-southern-africa-russell-kaschula-sebolelo-mokapela-dion-nkomo-bulelwa-nosilela
- Description: Major languages in southern Africa evolved from oral to the written mode within particular socio-cultural and political milieu from the eighteenth century. In the postcolonial period, some African countries established regulatory bodies, while others maintained those established during the colonial period to oversee the development and use of African languages. The quest for uniformity manifested itself in a prescriptive approach to the orthographies and grammars of southern African languages. This chapter looks at how prescriptivism emerged from those socio-political and historical processes to become a feature in the development and use of African languages in southern Africa.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023
- Authors: Kaschula, Russell H , Mokapela, Sebolelo , Nkomo, Dion , Nosilela, Bulelwa
- Date: 2023
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , book chapter
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/468042 , vital:77002 , ISBN 9781003095125 , https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781003095125-22/socio-political-historical-perspective-linguistic-prescriptivism-relation-african-languages-southern-africa-russell-kaschula-sebolelo-mokapela-dion-nkomo-bulelwa-nosilela
- Description: Major languages in southern Africa evolved from oral to the written mode within particular socio-cultural and political milieu from the eighteenth century. In the postcolonial period, some African countries established regulatory bodies, while others maintained those established during the colonial period to oversee the development and use of African languages. The quest for uniformity manifested itself in a prescriptive approach to the orthographies and grammars of southern African languages. This chapter looks at how prescriptivism emerged from those socio-political and historical processes to become a feature in the development and use of African languages in southern Africa.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023
A Spectre Haunting a Journalist and a Devastated Land
- Authors: Baines, Gary F
- Date: 2023
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/450055 , vital:74879 , https://www.scielo.org.za/pdf/hist/v68n1/07.pdf
- Description: In 1986, British journalist Fred Bridgland published the first, and to date the only full-length English language biography of Jonas Savimbi, 1 the leader of UNITA (National Union for the Total Independence of Angola). The mammoth volume raised the profile of Savimbi and elevated the guerrilla to a pantheon that included his idol Mao Zedong and his reputed friend, Che Guevera. 2 Apparently unbeknown to Bridgland, Savimbi was already exhibiting the worst excesses of Mao: the elimination of all potential rivals to his ironclad control of the rebel armed group. What Bridgland could not have foreseen was that Savimbi was destined to die in the same undignified manner as Guevera with the reputation that he had helped cultivate in tatters (255).
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023
- Authors: Baines, Gary F
- Date: 2023
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/450055 , vital:74879 , https://www.scielo.org.za/pdf/hist/v68n1/07.pdf
- Description: In 1986, British journalist Fred Bridgland published the first, and to date the only full-length English language biography of Jonas Savimbi, 1 the leader of UNITA (National Union for the Total Independence of Angola). The mammoth volume raised the profile of Savimbi and elevated the guerrilla to a pantheon that included his idol Mao Zedong and his reputed friend, Che Guevera. 2 Apparently unbeknown to Bridgland, Savimbi was already exhibiting the worst excesses of Mao: the elimination of all potential rivals to his ironclad control of the rebel armed group. What Bridgland could not have foreseen was that Savimbi was destined to die in the same undignified manner as Guevera with the reputation that he had helped cultivate in tatters (255).
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023
Abortion Services and Reproductive Justice in Rural South Africa
- du Plessis, Ulandi, Macleod, Catriona I
- Authors: du Plessis, Ulandi , Macleod, Catriona I
- Date: 2023
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , book
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/434081 , vital:73030 , ISBN 9781776148738 , https://www.witspress.co.za/page/detail/Abortion-Services-and-Reproductive-Justice-in-Rural-South-Africa/?K=9781776148776
- Description: Despite progressive legislation, abortion service implementa-tion and access in South Africa’s rural areas is challenging and directly affects low-income communities. This book urges an intervention for safe and accessible abortion services that does not compromise costs or confidentiality within a repara-tive reproductive justice framework. South Africa’s progressive abortion legislation was hailed as transformative in terms of reproductive health and rights. Despite this promise, many challenges persist resulting in a lack of services, especially in rural areas where distances and transport costs are a factor.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023
- Authors: du Plessis, Ulandi , Macleod, Catriona I
- Date: 2023
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , book
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/434081 , vital:73030 , ISBN 9781776148738 , https://www.witspress.co.za/page/detail/Abortion-Services-and-Reproductive-Justice-in-Rural-South-Africa/?K=9781776148776
- Description: Despite progressive legislation, abortion service implementa-tion and access in South Africa’s rural areas is challenging and directly affects low-income communities. This book urges an intervention for safe and accessible abortion services that does not compromise costs or confidentiality within a repara-tive reproductive justice framework. South Africa’s progressive abortion legislation was hailed as transformative in terms of reproductive health and rights. Despite this promise, many challenges persist resulting in a lack of services, especially in rural areas where distances and transport costs are a factor.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023
Activated carbon-decorated polyacrylonitrile fibers and their porphyrin-immobilized composites for removal of methylene blue dye and Ciprofloxacin in water
- Oyim, James, Amuhaya, Edith K, Nyokong, Tebello
- Authors: Oyim, James , Amuhaya, Edith K , Nyokong, Tebello
- Date: 2023
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/${Handle} , vital:65077 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1080/10601325.2023.2183868"
- Description: Photocatalyst adsorbents are an appealing group of materials for environmental applications. Herein, we study a new simple, inexpensive, yet very effective adsorbent photocatalyst based on porphyrin immobilized activated carbon-decorated polyacrylonitrile, InP(PAN/AC), for removal of methylene blue dye and Ciprofloxacin in water under Xe-lamp and sunlight irradiation (the latter for Ciprofloxacin only). Our results shed light on developing the most effective and sustainable adsorbent photocatalysts that can easily be industrialized due to the ease of preparation through electrospinning coupled with the readily available preparation materials. After five cycles, the InP(PAN/AC) maintained high methylene dye removal efficiency and structural integrity. Significantly, we propose the coordinated contribution of singlet oxygen and hydroxyl radical in the photodegradation process and highlight the importance of such an integrated system with adsorption and photodegradation capabilities for water treatment.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023
- Authors: Oyim, James , Amuhaya, Edith K , Nyokong, Tebello
- Date: 2023
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/${Handle} , vital:65077 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1080/10601325.2023.2183868"
- Description: Photocatalyst adsorbents are an appealing group of materials for environmental applications. Herein, we study a new simple, inexpensive, yet very effective adsorbent photocatalyst based on porphyrin immobilized activated carbon-decorated polyacrylonitrile, InP(PAN/AC), for removal of methylene blue dye and Ciprofloxacin in water under Xe-lamp and sunlight irradiation (the latter for Ciprofloxacin only). Our results shed light on developing the most effective and sustainable adsorbent photocatalysts that can easily be industrialized due to the ease of preparation through electrospinning coupled with the readily available preparation materials. After five cycles, the InP(PAN/AC) maintained high methylene dye removal efficiency and structural integrity. Significantly, we propose the coordinated contribution of singlet oxygen and hydroxyl radical in the photodegradation process and highlight the importance of such an integrated system with adsorption and photodegradation capabilities for water treatment.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023
Addressing global challenges in geographical education: perspectives from the CGE Springer book series
- Wilmot, Diana P, Brooks, Clare
- Authors: Wilmot, Diana P , Brooks, Clare
- Date: 2023
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/482910 , vital:78700 , https://doi.org/10.1080/10382046.2023.2281696
- Description: A key responsibility of academic scholarship is to further develop the field under investigation and to critically evaluate how it is responding to challenges from both inside and outside of the field of enquiry. This article offers an overview of whether the scholarship published in geography education (GE) from the perspective of the Commission for Geography Education (CGE) Springer book series is sufficiently engaging with contemporary global challenges and education discourses. Guided by the 2022 IGU-CGE Rennes Conference’s three axes: curriculum renewal, pedagogy and teacher training, the article discusses the findings of a meta-analysis of the six books published in the CGE Springer series in the past five years (2017 to 2021).The thematic analysis shows that GE is engaging with global realities of environment and sustainability, climate change, globalisation and the importance of powerful knowledge for understanding and engaging with complex, often controversial issues. But there are also gaps and absences in terms of who is producing knowledge and from where knowledge is being generated. We contend that the book series is well placed to support the community in addressing global concerns and the related transformative pedagogies needed to enact them. However, we also suggest that the publications at this point in time have yet to fully grasp the specifics needed for the challenges that lie ahead. Some preliminary considerations for advancing the field through future publications are offered. These may be useful to GE researchers and scholars in different regions of the world.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023
- Authors: Wilmot, Diana P , Brooks, Clare
- Date: 2023
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/482910 , vital:78700 , https://doi.org/10.1080/10382046.2023.2281696
- Description: A key responsibility of academic scholarship is to further develop the field under investigation and to critically evaluate how it is responding to challenges from both inside and outside of the field of enquiry. This article offers an overview of whether the scholarship published in geography education (GE) from the perspective of the Commission for Geography Education (CGE) Springer book series is sufficiently engaging with contemporary global challenges and education discourses. Guided by the 2022 IGU-CGE Rennes Conference’s three axes: curriculum renewal, pedagogy and teacher training, the article discusses the findings of a meta-analysis of the six books published in the CGE Springer series in the past five years (2017 to 2021).The thematic analysis shows that GE is engaging with global realities of environment and sustainability, climate change, globalisation and the importance of powerful knowledge for understanding and engaging with complex, often controversial issues. But there are also gaps and absences in terms of who is producing knowledge and from where knowledge is being generated. We contend that the book series is well placed to support the community in addressing global concerns and the related transformative pedagogies needed to enact them. However, we also suggest that the publications at this point in time have yet to fully grasp the specifics needed for the challenges that lie ahead. Some preliminary considerations for advancing the field through future publications are offered. These may be useful to GE researchers and scholars in different regions of the world.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023
Agent-based model development of a complex socio-ecological system: Methods for overcoming data and domain limitations
- James, C. L, Bradshaw, Karen L
- Authors: James, C. L , Bradshaw, Karen L
- Date: 2023
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/440189 , vital:73755 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoinf.2023.102224"
- Description: Agent-based models (ABMs) are appropriate tools for modelling socio-ecological systems due to their ability to handle complexity. However, development of such models is often an intensive process. There are many tutorials on the general methods and steps in ABM development but there are not necessarily practical details on how to overcome certain challenges. Honeybush (Cyclopia spp.), a kind of fynbos vegetation found in the Western and Eastern Cape mountains, is an important ecological and agricultural product in South Africa. It is considered a complex system due to its variability and unpredictability. The honeybush tea industry faces the challenge of meeting emerging market demands while maintaining sustainable harvesting practices, in the midst of an uncertain future due to climate change. We created a prototype model, HoneybushModel, using the MARS framework, a C# multi-agent simulation toolkit. The model was validated using historic data. Whilst outlining the development processes used to create the Honeybush Model, this paper provides a methodology for the development of such models and demonstrates techniques for addressing data, domain and framework limitations. The implemented model also acts as a case study for similar systems that could be modelled using an ABM.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023
- Authors: James, C. L , Bradshaw, Karen L
- Date: 2023
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/440189 , vital:73755 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoinf.2023.102224"
- Description: Agent-based models (ABMs) are appropriate tools for modelling socio-ecological systems due to their ability to handle complexity. However, development of such models is often an intensive process. There are many tutorials on the general methods and steps in ABM development but there are not necessarily practical details on how to overcome certain challenges. Honeybush (Cyclopia spp.), a kind of fynbos vegetation found in the Western and Eastern Cape mountains, is an important ecological and agricultural product in South Africa. It is considered a complex system due to its variability and unpredictability. The honeybush tea industry faces the challenge of meeting emerging market demands while maintaining sustainable harvesting practices, in the midst of an uncertain future due to climate change. We created a prototype model, HoneybushModel, using the MARS framework, a C# multi-agent simulation toolkit. The model was validated using historic data. Whilst outlining the development processes used to create the Honeybush Model, this paper provides a methodology for the development of such models and demonstrates techniques for addressing data, domain and framework limitations. The implemented model also acts as a case study for similar systems that could be modelled using an ABM.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023
Agent-Based Modeling and Simulation for Transmission Dynamics and Surveillance of Dengue: Conceptual and Design Model
- Pascoe, Luba, Nyambo, Devotha G, Bradshaw, Karen L, Clemen, Thomas
- Authors: Pascoe, Luba , Nyambo, Devotha G , Bradshaw, Karen L , Clemen, Thomas
- Date: 2023
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/440200 , vital:73756 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1109/AFRICON55910.2023.10293299"
- Description: African countries need to strengthen surveillance and control of arboviral diseases such as dengue due to increased outbreaks and spread of arboviruses. Climatic, socio-environment, and ecological variables influence the spread of dengue fever in Sub-Saharan Africa. This paper presents an Agent-Based conceptual and design model for dengue fever developed using the Multi-Agent Research and Simulation (MARS) framework. The study analyzes dengue fever's spatial distribution and identifies the causal relationship between the disease and its climatic and environmental variables. Agent-based modeling (ABM) was used to comprehend the spatial patterns of variation to determine the ecological association between the observed spatio-temporal variations in dengue fever. The domain and design model of an ABM for the surveillance of dengue fever is presented based on the Overview, Design Concepts, and Details (ODD) protocol. Model input parameters and input data for the study area are also presented. The dengue ABM can be adopted and reused for modeling other diseases and other complex problems from different domains while ensuring that their unique characteristics and appropriate modifications are considered to ensure the model's validity and relevance to the new context.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023
- Authors: Pascoe, Luba , Nyambo, Devotha G , Bradshaw, Karen L , Clemen, Thomas
- Date: 2023
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/440200 , vital:73756 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1109/AFRICON55910.2023.10293299"
- Description: African countries need to strengthen surveillance and control of arboviral diseases such as dengue due to increased outbreaks and spread of arboviruses. Climatic, socio-environment, and ecological variables influence the spread of dengue fever in Sub-Saharan Africa. This paper presents an Agent-Based conceptual and design model for dengue fever developed using the Multi-Agent Research and Simulation (MARS) framework. The study analyzes dengue fever's spatial distribution and identifies the causal relationship between the disease and its climatic and environmental variables. Agent-based modeling (ABM) was used to comprehend the spatial patterns of variation to determine the ecological association between the observed spatio-temporal variations in dengue fever. The domain and design model of an ABM for the surveillance of dengue fever is presented based on the Overview, Design Concepts, and Details (ODD) protocol. Model input parameters and input data for the study area are also presented. The dengue ABM can be adopted and reused for modeling other diseases and other complex problems from different domains while ensuring that their unique characteristics and appropriate modifications are considered to ensure the model's validity and relevance to the new context.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023
Agricultural disturbance affects taxonomic and functional diversity of Afrotropical macroinvertebrate composition in a South African river system
- Akamagwuna, Frank C, Odume, Oghenekaro N, Richoux, Nicole B
- Authors: Akamagwuna, Frank C , Odume, Oghenekaro N , Richoux, Nicole B
- Date: 2023
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/454293 , vital:75333 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indic.2023.100251"
- Description: Developing species-level biomonitoring tools to monitor riverine systems threatened by anthropogenic pollution, including local agricultural activities in the Afrotropical region, remain a critical challenge. Here we explored the utility of taxonomic-based (diversity, richness, and composition) as well as functional-based (functional diversity) indices to examine the effects of agricultural disturbance on macroinvertebrate communities in the Kat River, Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. We collected physicochemical parameters and macroinvertebrates from eight sites delineated into four land-use categories (highly impacted, HIC; impacted category, IC; moderately impacted, MIC and least impacted, LIC) using agricultural land cover. We recorded 70 macroinvertebrate taxa belonging to 49 families and 48 genera in the Kat River. Redundancy analysis (RDA) and Pearson correlation analysis revealed that species of Lymnaeidae, Belostomatidae, Planorbidae and Libellulidae families and class Oligochaeta were tolerant to agricultural disturbance, as they were dominant in the highly impacted sites and were significantly associated with high salinity, temperature, total dissolved solids (TDS), flow velocity and nutrients. Conversely, species of Baetidae, Caenidae and Potamonautidae were negatively associated with the highly impacted sites and high salinity, temperature, and nutrients. On the other hand, taxonomic indices showed more sensitivity to indicators of agricultural pollution than functional indices, with taxon richness, Shannon index, Simpson's index and Margalef's index declining significantly in the highly disturbed sites (p less than 0.05). They were negatively associated with high electrical conductivity, large river width, and high nitrite and nitrate concentrations; hence they were identified as indicator metrics sensitive to agricultural pollution. Overall, our study revealed that agricultural disturbance could differentially affect the structure and function of macroinvertebrates, and indicator taxonomic and functional indices were identified for long-term monitoring of rivers that drain agricultural landscapes.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023
- Authors: Akamagwuna, Frank C , Odume, Oghenekaro N , Richoux, Nicole B
- Date: 2023
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/454293 , vital:75333 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indic.2023.100251"
- Description: Developing species-level biomonitoring tools to monitor riverine systems threatened by anthropogenic pollution, including local agricultural activities in the Afrotropical region, remain a critical challenge. Here we explored the utility of taxonomic-based (diversity, richness, and composition) as well as functional-based (functional diversity) indices to examine the effects of agricultural disturbance on macroinvertebrate communities in the Kat River, Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. We collected physicochemical parameters and macroinvertebrates from eight sites delineated into four land-use categories (highly impacted, HIC; impacted category, IC; moderately impacted, MIC and least impacted, LIC) using agricultural land cover. We recorded 70 macroinvertebrate taxa belonging to 49 families and 48 genera in the Kat River. Redundancy analysis (RDA) and Pearson correlation analysis revealed that species of Lymnaeidae, Belostomatidae, Planorbidae and Libellulidae families and class Oligochaeta were tolerant to agricultural disturbance, as they were dominant in the highly impacted sites and were significantly associated with high salinity, temperature, total dissolved solids (TDS), flow velocity and nutrients. Conversely, species of Baetidae, Caenidae and Potamonautidae were negatively associated with the highly impacted sites and high salinity, temperature, and nutrients. On the other hand, taxonomic indices showed more sensitivity to indicators of agricultural pollution than functional indices, with taxon richness, Shannon index, Simpson's index and Margalef's index declining significantly in the highly disturbed sites (p less than 0.05). They were negatively associated with high electrical conductivity, large river width, and high nitrite and nitrate concentrations; hence they were identified as indicator metrics sensitive to agricultural pollution. Overall, our study revealed that agricultural disturbance could differentially affect the structure and function of macroinvertebrates, and indicator taxonomic and functional indices were identified for long-term monitoring of rivers that drain agricultural landscapes.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023
AI amplifies the tough question: What is higher education really for?
- Authors: Kramm, Neil , McKenna, Sioux
- Date: 2023
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/482876 , vital:78697 , https://doi.org/10.1080/13562517.2023.2263839
- Description: The dominant response within higher education to the emergence of free online text- and graphic-generating software has been a concern with identifying AI usage in students’ work. We argue that this is both a waste of time and neglects our educational responsibilities. A police-catch-punish approach to AI, as with the use of this process in relation to plagiarism, ignores the broader purposes of higher education. If higher education is understood as being a space for nurturing transformative relationships with knowledge, AI can be harnessed to enhance learning experiences. Such an approach would also enable a critical understanding of the limitations and ethical deliberations around AI usage. Those critical academics who emphasise transformative learning over surveillance-driven approaches are likely to foster more meaningful higher education experiences.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023
- Authors: Kramm, Neil , McKenna, Sioux
- Date: 2023
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/482876 , vital:78697 , https://doi.org/10.1080/13562517.2023.2263839
- Description: The dominant response within higher education to the emergence of free online text- and graphic-generating software has been a concern with identifying AI usage in students’ work. We argue that this is both a waste of time and neglects our educational responsibilities. A police-catch-punish approach to AI, as with the use of this process in relation to plagiarism, ignores the broader purposes of higher education. If higher education is understood as being a space for nurturing transformative relationships with knowledge, AI can be harnessed to enhance learning experiences. Such an approach would also enable a critical understanding of the limitations and ethical deliberations around AI usage. Those critical academics who emphasise transformative learning over surveillance-driven approaches are likely to foster more meaningful higher education experiences.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023
An Automated System for Detecting and Preventing Phishing Attempts on Steam Accounts
- Sonne, Kabir, Chindipha, Stones D
- Authors: Sonne, Kabir , Chindipha, Stones D
- Date: 2023
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/473729 , vital:77676 , xlink:href="https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/10389578"
- Description: In recent years Steam has become a giant in the gaming industry. The Valve-owned digital distribution platform held an estimated 75% of market share in 2013, and continues to grow. However, with such a large user base comes the ever-increasing threat of security breaches in both the Steam database and individual Steam user accounts. While Steam does make use of a mobile authentication app, users are still susceptible to malware and/or phishing attempts that can cause users to lose access to their accounts through manipulation or gaining access to recovery email accounts. This project aims to investigate how the authentication process can be improved or if a solution can be created to help prevent the worst-case scenario when users become victims of phishing attacks.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023
- Authors: Sonne, Kabir , Chindipha, Stones D
- Date: 2023
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/473729 , vital:77676 , xlink:href="https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/10389578"
- Description: In recent years Steam has become a giant in the gaming industry. The Valve-owned digital distribution platform held an estimated 75% of market share in 2013, and continues to grow. However, with such a large user base comes the ever-increasing threat of security breaches in both the Steam database and individual Steam user accounts. While Steam does make use of a mobile authentication app, users are still susceptible to malware and/or phishing attempts that can cause users to lose access to their accounts through manipulation or gaining access to recovery email accounts. This project aims to investigate how the authentication process can be improved or if a solution can be created to help prevent the worst-case scenario when users become victims of phishing attacks.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023
An Evaluation of Machine Learning Methods for Classifying Bot Traffic in Software Defined Networks
- Van Staden, Joshua, Brown, Dane L
- Authors: Van Staden, Joshua , Brown, Dane L
- Date: 2023
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/463357 , vital:76402 , xlink:href="https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-981-19-7874-6_72"
- Description: Internet security is an ever-expanding field. Cyber-attacks occur very frequently, and so detecting them is an important aspect of preserving services. Machine learning offers a helpful tool with which to detect cyber attacks. However, it is impossible to deploy a machine-learning algorithm to detect attacks in a non-centralized network. Software Defined Networks (SDNs) offer a centralized view of a network, allowing machine learning algorithms to detect malicious activity within a network. The InSDN dataset is a recently-released dataset that contains a set of sniffed packets within a virtual SDN. These sniffed packets correspond to various attacks, including DDoS attacks, Probing and Password-Guessing, among others. This study aims to evaluate various machine learning models against this new dataset. Specifically, we aim to evaluate their classification ability and runtimes when trained on fewer features. The machine learning models tested include a Neural Network, Support Vector Machine, Random Forest, Multilayer Perceptron, Logistic Regression, and K-Nearest Neighbours. Cluster-based algorithms such as the K-Nearest Neighbour and Random Forest proved to be the best performers. Linear-based algorithms such as the Multilayer Perceptron performed the worst. This suggests a good level of clustering in the top few features with little space for linear separability. The reduction of features significantly reduced training time, particularly in the better-performing models.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023
- Authors: Van Staden, Joshua , Brown, Dane L
- Date: 2023
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/463357 , vital:76402 , xlink:href="https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-981-19-7874-6_72"
- Description: Internet security is an ever-expanding field. Cyber-attacks occur very frequently, and so detecting them is an important aspect of preserving services. Machine learning offers a helpful tool with which to detect cyber attacks. However, it is impossible to deploy a machine-learning algorithm to detect attacks in a non-centralized network. Software Defined Networks (SDNs) offer a centralized view of a network, allowing machine learning algorithms to detect malicious activity within a network. The InSDN dataset is a recently-released dataset that contains a set of sniffed packets within a virtual SDN. These sniffed packets correspond to various attacks, including DDoS attacks, Probing and Password-Guessing, among others. This study aims to evaluate various machine learning models against this new dataset. Specifically, we aim to evaluate their classification ability and runtimes when trained on fewer features. The machine learning models tested include a Neural Network, Support Vector Machine, Random Forest, Multilayer Perceptron, Logistic Regression, and K-Nearest Neighbours. Cluster-based algorithms such as the K-Nearest Neighbour and Random Forest proved to be the best performers. Linear-based algorithms such as the Multilayer Perceptron performed the worst. This suggests a good level of clustering in the top few features with little space for linear separability. The reduction of features significantly reduced training time, particularly in the better-performing models.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023
An Exploration of Flow Control Using Machine Learning and Computational Fluid Dynamics
- Bradshaw, Karen L, Cornfield Matthew
- Authors: Bradshaw, Karen L , Cornfield Matthew
- Date: 2023
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/440211 , vital:73757 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.59200/ICARTI.2023.017"
- Description: Although numerous studies relating to computational fluid dynamics and machine learning have been conducted in relation to automotive development, the majority focus on either early development using completed 3D models, or the final testing stages of development, or machine learning accelerated computational fluid dynamic simulations. While this approach is helpful in software development and simulation, it is not easily adaptable to automotive design where the final model is constantly changing and being modified. Consequently, the aim of this study is to propose a method for conducting computational fluid dynamics and machine learning concurrently to accelerate the development process. The proposed method is used to design and improve the aerodynamic efficiency of an object. The approach focuses on developing, implementing, and comparing machine learning models capable of generating optimised three-dimensional objects with the required geometry to direct airflow paths required in applications such as pressure generation, as needed for both active and passive flow control. The study concludes that both decision tree regression and long short-term memory (LSTM) autoencoder models could be used to optimise the aerodynamic efficiency of solid bodies, but that the LSTM autoencoder performs better overall. An undesirable effect of the shape optimisation is an overall reduction in shape size as optimization increases.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023
- Authors: Bradshaw, Karen L , Cornfield Matthew
- Date: 2023
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/440211 , vital:73757 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.59200/ICARTI.2023.017"
- Description: Although numerous studies relating to computational fluid dynamics and machine learning have been conducted in relation to automotive development, the majority focus on either early development using completed 3D models, or the final testing stages of development, or machine learning accelerated computational fluid dynamic simulations. While this approach is helpful in software development and simulation, it is not easily adaptable to automotive design where the final model is constantly changing and being modified. Consequently, the aim of this study is to propose a method for conducting computational fluid dynamics and machine learning concurrently to accelerate the development process. The proposed method is used to design and improve the aerodynamic efficiency of an object. The approach focuses on developing, implementing, and comparing machine learning models capable of generating optimised three-dimensional objects with the required geometry to direct airflow paths required in applications such as pressure generation, as needed for both active and passive flow control. The study concludes that both decision tree regression and long short-term memory (LSTM) autoencoder models could be used to optimise the aerodynamic efficiency of solid bodies, but that the LSTM autoencoder performs better overall. An undesirable effect of the shape optimisation is an overall reduction in shape size as optimization increases.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023