List of Titles

Enhancing cloud connectivity among NRENs in the SADC region through a novel institution cloud infrastructure framework

- Suresh, Nalina, Mbale, Jameson, Terzoli, Alfredo, Mufeti, Tulimevava K

Authors: Suresh, Nalina , Mbale, Jameson , Terzoli, Alfredo , Mufeti, Tulimevava K
Date: 2015
Subjects: To be catalogued
Language: English
Type: text , article
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/430592 , vital:72702 , 10.1109/ETNCC.2015.7184830
Description: It is increasingly being recognized that faster socioeconomic develop-ment in Africa is dependent upon the development of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Infrastructure for the dissemination of data and educational services. The scalability and flexibility provided by Cloud services in terms of resource management, service provisioning and virtualization makes it an attractive system for use with educational and ICT services. The flexibility of pay-as-you-go models combined with the ability to scale computing, storage and/or networking resources makes Cloud computing an ideal candidate for use with education, re-search and scientific infrastructures. Notwithstanding its benefits, transi-tioning from a traditional IT infrastructure to a Cloud computing para-digm raises security concerns with respect to data storage, data trans-mission and user privacy. This paper presents on-going research for the development of Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) infra-structure for the distribution of Information Communication technologies (ICT) services in the African context. The Inter-Cloud Infrastructure Framework (ICIF) proposed, is conceived as a Cloud computing framework suitable for use with National Research and Education Net-works (NRENs) in the SADC region. The ICIF system is used to create an Inter-Cloud infrastructure, and helps NRENs transition from tradi-tional IT infrastructure systems to the Cloud computing paradigm. It also provides new functional/operational components and Cloud services to support the interconnection and/or interoperability among SADC NRENs through the ICIF infrastructure.
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Date Issued: 2015

Insecticidal activities and chemical composition of the essential oil from Tarchonanthus camphoratus (L.), leaves against Sitophilus zeamais Motschulsky, and Sitophilus oryzae (L.)

- Nanyonga, Sarah K, Opoku, Andy R, Lewu, Francis B, Oyedeji, Adebola O

Authors: Nanyonga, Sarah K , Opoku, Andy R , Lewu, Francis B , Oyedeji, Adebola O
Date: 2015
Language: English
Type: text , Article
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/11260/711 , vital:29660
Description: The essential oil of Tarchonanthus camphoratus dry leaves growing in Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa was obtained by hydrodistillation and evaluated for its repellent effect, contact and fumigation toxicity against both Sitophilus zeamais and Sarocladium oryzae. Chemical composition of the essential oil was analysed by gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The study revealed that the essential oil of T. camphoratus had no contact and fumigation toxicity against stored insect pests, S. zeamais and S. oryzae. The oil, however, showed good repellent activity of over 50% after 24 h for all the concentrations used on both S. zeamais and S. oryzae. A total of 27 compounds accounting for 73% of the total oil composition were identified of which sesquiterpene hydrocarbons, (59.18%), were the most dominant. These results suggest that the essential oil of T. camphoratus could be considered a potential control agent of stored grain pests as a repellent.
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Date Issued: 2015

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Morphologically similar, coexisting hard corals (Porites lobata and P. solida) display similar trophic isotopic ratios across reefs and depths

- Plass-Johnson, Jeremiah G, McQuaid, Christopher D, Hill, Jaclyn M

Authors: Plass-Johnson, Jeremiah G , McQuaid, Christopher D , Hill, Jaclyn M
Date: 2015
Subjects: To be catalogued
Language: English
Type: text , article
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/444598 , vital:74253 , https://doi.org/10.1071/MF14248
Description: Recent studies using stable isotope analysis in scleractinian corals have highlighted strong inter- and intra-specific variability in isotopic ratios, but few have excluded the effects of morphology, which affects resource acquisition, potentially confounding this with metabolic differences among species. Differences in the stable isotopic (δ13C and δ15N) ratios of the coral host tissue and photosymbionts of two co-existing, morphologically similar Porites corals (P. lobata and P. solida) were examined across nested spatial scales (inter-reefs and intra-reef) and across depths in Zanzibar, Tanzania. There were few differences between species in either coral host or photosymbiont isotopic ratios, but the two tissues showed different spatial patterns. Photosymbionts showed variation only in their δ13C ratios, which differed among reefs, but not by depth. In contrast, the coral hosts differed in δ13C and δ15N values among reefs and also by depth. Within-reef differences among sites occurred only for photosymbionts at one reef. The absence of differences in isotopic ratios between the two Porites species across reefs and depths, confirms that highly related and morphologically similar scleractinian corals may occupy similar ecosystem niches, metabolising resources in a similar fashion. This suggests that resource partitioning among corals, and subsequent isotopic variability, is most likely driven by resource acquisition, rather than being inherently species-specific.
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Date Issued: 2015

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Plasmodium falciparum Hop: detailed analysis on complex formation with Hsp70 and Hsp90

- Hatherley, Rowan, Clitheroe, Crystal-Leigh, Faya, Ngonidzashe, Tastan Bishop, Özlem

Authors: Hatherley, Rowan , Clitheroe, Crystal-Leigh , Faya, Ngonidzashe , Tastan Bishop, Özlem
Date: 2015
Language: English
Type: text , article
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/125708 , vital:35810 , https://doi.10.1016/j.bbrc.2014.11.103
Description: The heat shock organizing protein (Hop) is important in modulating the activity and co-interaction of two chaperones: heat shock protein 70 and 90 (Hsp70 and Hsp90). Recent research suggested that Plasmodium falciparum Hop (PfHop), PfHsp70 and PfHsp90 form a complex in the trophozoite infective stage. However, there has been little computational research on the malarial Hop protein in complex with other malarial Hsps. Using in silico characterization of the protein, this work showed that individual domains of Hop are evolving at different rates within the protein. Differences between human Hop (HsHop) and PfHop were identified by motif analysis. Homology modeling of PfHop and HsHop in complex with their own cytosolic Hsp90 and Hsp70 C-terminal peptide partners indicated excellent conservation of the Hop concave TPR sites bound to the C-terminal motifs of partner proteins. Further, we analyzed additional binding sites between Hop and Hsp90, and showed, for the first time, that they are distinctly less conserved between human and malaria parasite. These sites are located on the convex surface of Hop TPR2, and involved in interactions with the Hsp90 middle domain. Since the convex sites are less conserved than the concave sites, it makes their potential for malarial inhibitor design extremely attractive (as opposed to the concave sites which have been the focus of previous efforts).
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Date Issued: 2015

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Rapid bioassessment of the effects of repeated rotenone treatments on invertebrate assemblages in the Rondegat River, South Africa

- Bellingan, Terence A, Woodford, Darragh J, Gouws, Jeanne, Villet, Martin H, Weyl, Olaf L F

Authors: Bellingan, Terence A , Woodford, Darragh J , Gouws, Jeanne , Villet, Martin H , Weyl, Olaf L F
Date: 2015
Subjects: To be catalogued
Language: English
Type: text , article
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/442279 , vital:73972 , https://doi.org/10.2989/16085914.2014.984651
Description: The potential collateral effects of eradicating invasive fishes in streams necessitate the monitoring of invertebrate communities during treatment. In an environmental rehabilitation programme, non-native smallmouth bass were removed from the lower reaches of the Rondegat River, Western Cape, South Africa, in 2012 and again in 2013 using the piscicide rotenone. A monitoring programme tracked the ecological response of organisms to these activities using quantitative sampling of macroinvertebrates on stones and the ISO-certified SASS5 rapid bioassessment method for assessing macroinvertebrate community integrity. We recorded a significant decrease in macroinvertebrate densities from the stones-in-current biotope following both rotenone treatments. The average score per taxon (ASPT) declined after the first treatment, indicating a loss of taxa sensitive to diminished water quality, then recovered prior to the second treatment, and subsequently no decline was detected after the lower dose used in the 2013 treatment. The SASS values were too variable to reveal trends. The ASPTs indicated that the community may have been resistant to low dose and resilient to high dose, due to inter-treatment recovery following the 2012 treatment, suggesting that the invertebrate assemblage is resilient to the conservative use of rotenone for localised river rehabilitation when upstream sources of recruitment exist.
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Date Issued: 2015

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The BRICS contingent reserve arrangement and its position in the emerging global financial architecture

- Cattaneo, Nicolette S, Biziwick, Mayamiko, Fryer, David

Authors: Cattaneo, Nicolette S , Biziwick, Mayamiko , Fryer, David
Date: 2015
Subjects: To be catalogued
Language: English
Type: text , book chapter
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/470366 , vital:77352 , ISBN
Description: In its present shape and size the BRICS Contingent Reserve Arrangement (CRA) should be regarded as symbolic and exploratory rather than as a substantive challenger to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). However, the momentum of the BRICS process and the experience of the similar Association of Southeast Asian Nations plus Three (ASEAN+ 3) process suggest that the CRA has the potential to develop in two directions. Firstly, it should aim to become an adequate safety net and provide high-quality macroeconomic monitoring, and hence ensure participating countries’ independence from the IMF. Secondly, it should aim to draw in other emerging economies. However, the CRA in itself does not represent a significant break from prevailing orthodoxy. Its limited scope may condemn it to playing a bit part in the global financial system.
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Date Issued: 2015

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The nursery role of a sheltered surf-zone in warm-temperate southern Africa

- Rishworth, Gavin M, Strydom, Nadine A, Potts, Warren M

Authors: Rishworth, Gavin M , Strydom, Nadine A , Potts, Warren M
Date: 2015
Subjects: To be catalogued
Language: English
Type: text , article
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/443651 , vital:74141 , https://hdl.handle.net/10520/EJC177697
Description: Marine fish nurseries such as surf-zones have usually been classified as nurseries based solely on the density of pre-adult fish, yet the full suite of developmental stages are seldom assessed because of difficulties associated with sampling these habitats. The larval and early juvenile fish assemblage was studied in a sheltered surf-zone (King's Beach, South Africa), where high densities of older juveniles are known to occur. Fishes were collected fortnightly over six months using two modified seine nets. Although the surf composition included typical species for this habitat type, Gobiidae, Gobiesocidae and Haemulidae dominated the larval assemblage, which suggested that the nearby rocky structure and estuaries have an influence on the assemblage. Three species, Liza richardsonii (Mugilidae), Pomadasys olivaceus (Haemulidae) and Diplodus capensis (Sparidae), showed evidence of growth and recruitment into the surf-zone from the late larval stage. The high density of larval and juvenile fishes, the presence of more than one early life history stage and the observed growth of fishes suggests that King's Beach provides a suitable nursery habitat for several fishes.
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Date Issued: 2015

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The relationship between concurrently measured SASS (South African Scoring System) and turbidity data archived in the South African River Health Programme’s Rivers Database

- Gordon, Andrew K, Griffin, Neil J, Palmer, Carolyn G

Authors: Gordon, Andrew K , Griffin, Neil J , Palmer, Carolyn G
Date: 2015
Language: English
Type: text , Article
Identifier: vital:7098 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1015956
Description: The need for monitoring the biological impacts of instream sediments has long been recognised, yet robust and scientifically defensible tools for doing so are still in the early stages of development because of the difficulties experienced by researchers in characterising the complicated mechanisms of biological effect elicited by sediment particles. Biological monitoring is one such tool, and this paper reports on the initial stages of a study to determine the most applicable approach for measuring the effects of instream sediments on aquatic macroinvertebrates in the South African context. In this first instance, the suitability of the rapid macroinvertebrate biomonitoring tool (the South African Scoring System) was investigated by determining the extent of the correlation between concurrently measured SASS metrics and turbidity data collected for the South African River Health Programme. All three SASS metrics – SASS score, number of taxa (NOT), and average score per taxon (ASPT) – were found to be significantly negatively correlated with turbidity, although variation in the data was high. Turbidity was found to be the major driver of change in ASPT. In contrast, electrical conductivity was the major driver of SASS scores and NOT, with turbidity a close second. When combined, electrical conductivity and turbidity accounted for 80 percent (SASS score) and 75 percent (NOT) of the variation in the regression model. Consequently, SASS metrics are a crude, but reliable, indicator of the negative biological implications of excessive instream sedimentation as measured by turbidity. A number of other potential biomonitoring approaches for detecting the impacts of fine sediment exposure are identified for further investigation: spatial analyses of macroinvertebrate assemblages; and the use of structural and functional metrics.
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Date Issued: 2015

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Interactive efficacies of Elephantorrhiza elephantina and Pentanisia prunelloides extracts and isolated compounds against gastrointestinal bacteria

- Mpofu, Smart J, Olivier, Denise K, Krause, Rui W M, Ndinteh, Derek T, Van Vuuren, S

Authors: Mpofu, Smart J , Olivier, Denise K , Krause, Rui W M , Ndinteh, Derek T , Van Vuuren, S
Date: 2014
Language: English
Type: text , article
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/124122 , vital:35552 , https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sajb.2014.07.002
Description: Elephantorrhiza elephantina (Burch.) Skeels (Fabaceae) and Pentanisia prunelloides (Klotzsch ex Eckl. & Zeyh.) Walp. (Rubiaceae) are two medicinal plants used extensively in southern Africa to treat various ailments. Often, decoctions and infusions from these two plants are used in combination specifically for stomach ailments. The antimicrobial activities of the methanol and aqueous extracts of the rhizomes of the two plants, as well as the two active ingredients from the plants [(−)-epicatechin and palmitic acid] have been determined apart and in combination against Enterococcus faecalis (ATCC 29212), Escherichia coli (ATCC 8739) and Bacillus cereus (ATCC 11778). The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values for the aqueous (0.50–16.00 mg/mL) and methanol (0.20–16.00 mg/mL) extracts independently demonstrated varied efficacies depending on the pathogen of study. When the two plants were combined in 1:1 ratios, synergistic to additive interactions (ΣFIC values 0.19–1.00) were noted. Efficacy for the two major compounds ranged between 0.13–0.63 mg/mL and mainly synergistic interactions were noted against E. faecalis and E. coli. The predominantly synergistic interactions noted between E. elephantina and P. prunelloides and major compounds, when tested in various ratios against these pathogens, provide some validation as to the traditional use of these two plants to treat bacterial gastrointestinal infections.
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Date Issued: 2014

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Kalaharituber pfeilii and associated bacterial interactions

- Adeleke, Rasheed, Dames, Joanna F

Authors: Adeleke, Rasheed , Dames, Joanna F
Date: 2014
Subjects: To be catalogued
Language: English
Type: text , article
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/440490 , vital:73787 , https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sajb.2013.10.003
Description: Truffles are generally known to form a mycorrhizal relationship with plants. Kalaharituber pfeilii (Hennings) Trappe and Kagan-Zur is a species of desert truffle that is found in the southern part of Africa. The life cycle of this truffle has not been fully investigated as there are many unconfirmed plant species that have been suggested as potential hosts. Many mycorrhizal associations often involve other role players such as associated bacteria that may influence the establishment of the mycorrhizal formation and function. As part of an effort to understand the life cycle of K. pfeilii, laboratory experiments were conducted to investigate the role of ascocarp associated bacteria. Bacterial isolates obtained from the truffle ascocarps were subjected to microbiological and biochemical tests to determine their potentials as mycorrhizal helper bacteria. Tests conducted included stimulation of mycelial growth in vitro, indole acetic acid (IAA) production and phosphate solubilising. A total of 17 bacterial strains belonging to the Proteobacteria, Firmicutes and Actinobacteria were isolated from the truffle ascocarps and identified with sequence homology and phylogenetic methods. Three of these isolates showed potential to be helper bacteria in at least one of the media tested through the stimulation of mycelial growth. Furthermore, four isolates produced IAA and one was able to solubilise CaHPO3 in vitro. One isolate, identified as a relative of Paenibacillus sp. stimulated mycelial growth on all the media tested. Other bacterial isolates that showed potential stimulation of mycelial growth were identified molecularly as a Bacillus sp. and two strains of Rhizobium sp. This study has contributed to the existing knowledge on the biotic interactions with K. pfeilii which may be useful in further symbiont and re-synthesis investigations.
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Date Issued: 2014

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Nectar feeding by weavers (Ploceidae) and their role as pollinators

- Craig, Adrian J F K

Authors: Craig, Adrian J F K
Date: 2014
Subjects: To be catalogued
Language: English
Type: text , article
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/449445 , vital:74822 , https://doi.org/10.2989/00306525.2014.900828
Description: Reviews of nectar-feeding by birds initially focused on specialist nectarivores and ignored the role that more generalist feeders may play in plant pollination. Recent work has emphasised the range of bird species, both specialist and opportunistic, that feed on nectar. In this review, I collate published information on nectar-feeding by weavers, highlight known weaver–plant relationships, and suggest areas for future research. There are published records of nectar feeding for Plocepasser superciliosus, Amblyospiza albifrons, Anaplectes rubriceps, two Quelea spp., four Euplectes spp., all six Foudia spp., two Malimbus spp. and 22 Ploceus spp. To date, there have been no unambiguous reports of other genera feeding on nectar. The role of Ploceus species as pollinators of Strelitzia reginae, proposed by ornithologists decades ago, has recently been confirmed by botanists. Current studies of Aloe species in South Africa suggest that opportunistic avian nectarivores such as ploceids may be the chief pollinators of bird-pollinated plants in this genus, whereas specialist nectar feeders (sunbirds) may be ‘nectar robbers’ in many cases. Particularly for winter-flowering plants, weaver species are potential pollinators, but exclusion experiments are needed to establish their role, while the dietary importance of nectar, and its impact on the birds’ physiology, has not been critically studied.
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Date Issued: 2014

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Real-time monitoring of 3T3-L1 preadipocyte differentiation using a commercially available electric cell-substrate impedance sensor system:

- Kramer, Adam H, Joos-Vandewalle, Julia, Edkins, Adrienne L, Frost, Carminita L, Prinsloo, Earl

Authors: Kramer, Adam H , Joos-Vandewalle, Julia , Edkins, Adrienne L , Frost, Carminita L , Prinsloo, Earl
Date: 2014
Language: English
Type: text , article
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/164830 , vital:41176 , DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2013.12.123
Description: Real-time analysis offers multiple benefits over traditional end point assays. Here, we present a method of monitoring the optimisation of the growth and differentiation of murine 3T3-L1 preadipocytes to adipocytes using the commercially available ACEA xCELLigence Real-Time Cell Analyser Single Plate (RTCA SP) system. Our findings indicate that the ACEA xCELLigence RTCA SP can reproducibly monitor the primary morphological changes in pre- and post-confluent 3T3-L1 fibroblasts induced to differentiate using insulin, dexamethasone, 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine and rosiglitazone; and may be a viable primary method of screening compounds for adipogenic factors.
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Date Issued: 2014

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Sanitation policy and prevention of environmental contamination in South Africa

- Hoossein, Shafick, Whittington-Jones, Kevin J, Tandlich, Roman

Authors: Hoossein, Shafick , Whittington-Jones, Kevin J , Tandlich, Roman
Date: 2014
Language: English
Type: text , article
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/76834 , vital:30628 , DOI:10.30638/eemj.2014.141
Description: Prior to 1994, 21 million people were without access to sanitation in South Africa. Progress towards the backlog elimination started after 1994, but was slow-paced. From 1994 until 2011, the sanitation backlog has been decreased by between 29.8 and 79.2 % from the 1994 levels, depending on the province. Mechanisms were created for implementation of sanitation projects, but this was marginally successful and risk of environmental pollution from sanitation persisted. The period between 2009 and present day seemed to have brought on a significant fast-tracking of sanitation project around South Africa. This coincides with the transfer of oversight and partial implementation responsibility to the Department of Human Settlement and the launch of the Rural Household Infrastructure Programme. It also originated from the integrated programmes which drew in input from all stakeholders at the national and local government levels. Limitations still exist in maintenance and sanitation skills’ portfolio of some local municipalities, mainly in the Eastern Cape and Limpopo Province. However, the present status is still in partial conflict with government aims, legislation and policies. Novel tools such as the Technology Assessment and the Environmental Technology Assessment will have to be implemented in the sanitation decision-making and the novel strategies for skills development will have to be devised. If sufficient maintenance skills are developed in a local municipal area, then this will prevent negative environmental effects and results in lowered sanitation-related environmental contamination. Improvement in can be expected from the new national Department of Water Affairs and Sanitation.
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Date Issued: 2014

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Testing antivirus engines to determine their effectiveness as a security layer

- Haffejee, Jameel, Irwin, Barry V W

Authors: Haffejee, Jameel , Irwin, Barry V W
Date: 2014
Subjects: To be catalogued
Language: English
Type: text , article
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/429673 , vital:72631 , 10.1109/ISSA.2014.6950496
Description: This research has been undertaken to empirically test the assumption that it is trivial to bypass an antivirus application and to gauge the effectiveness of antivirus engines when faced with a number of known evasion techniques. A known malicious binary was combined with evasion techniques and deployed against several antivirus engines to test their detection ability. The research also documents the process of setting up an environment for testing antivirus engines as well as building the evasion techniques used in the tests. This environment facilitated the empirical testing that was needed to determine if the assumption that antivirus security controls could easily be bypassed. The results of the empirical tests are also presented in this research and demonstrate that it is indeed within reason that an attacker can evade multiple antivirus engines without much effort. As such while an antivirus application is useful for protecting against known threats, it does not work as effectively against unknown threats.
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Date Issued: 2014

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The diet of the calanoid copepod, Pseudodiaptomus hessei, in a permanently open southern African estuary inferred from fatty acid analyses

- Noyon, Margaux, Froneman, P William

Authors: Noyon, Margaux , Froneman, P William
Date: 2014
Language: English
Type: text , article
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/70901 , vital:29758 , https://doi.org/10.1093/plankt/fbu037
Description: The fatty acid (FA) composition of Pseudodiaptomus hessei, one of the most abundant copepod species in southern African estuaries and lakes, reveals potential food selectivity and the importance of flagellate prey in their diets. Differences in FA profiles between males and females were recorded; however, none of these patterns matched the reproductive activities of the copepod. Our findings stress the importance of improving our knowledge of FA biosynthesis pathways to employ fatty acids as trophic markers in feeding studies of zooplankton in temperate environments.
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Date Issued: 2014

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Towards a platform to visualize the state of South Africa's information security

- Swart, Ignus, Irwin, Barry V W, Grobler, Marthie

Authors: Swart, Ignus , Irwin, Barry V W , Grobler, Marthie
Date: 2014
Subjects: To be catalogued
Language: English
Type: text , article
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/429688 , vital:72632 , 10.1109/ISSA.2014.6950511
Description: Attacks via the Internet infrastructure is increasingly becoming a daily occurrence and South Africa is no exception. In response, certain governments have published strategies pertaining to information security on a national level. These policies aim to ensure that critical infrastructure is protected, and that there is a move towards a greater state of information security readiness. This is also the case for South Africa where a variety of policy initiatives have started to gain momentum. While establishing strategy and policy is essential, ensuring its implementation is often difficult and dependent on the availability of resources. This is even more so in the case of information security since virtually all standardized security improvement processes start off with specifying that a proper inventory is required of all hardware, software, people and processes. While this may be possible to achieve at an organizational level, it is far more challenging on a national level. In this paper, the authors examine the possibility of making use of available data sources to achieve inventory of infrastructure on a national level and to visualize the state of a country's information security in at least a partial manner.
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Date Issued: 2014

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A kernel-driven framework for high performance internet routing simulation

- Herbert, Alan, Irwin, Barry V W

Authors: Herbert, Alan , Irwin, Barry V W
Date: 2013
Subjects: To be catalogued
Language: English
Type: text , article
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/429585 , vital:72624 , 10.1109/ISSA.2013.6641048
Description: The ability to provide the simulation of packets traversing an internet path is an integral part of providing realistic simulations for network training, and cyber defence exercises. This paper builds on previous work, and considers an in-kernel approach to solving the routing simulation problem. The inkernel approach is anticipated to allow the framework to be able to achieve throughput rates of 1GB/s or higher using commodity hardware. Processes that run outside the context of the kernel of most operating system require context switching to access hardware and kernel modules. This leads to considerable delays in the processes, such as network simulators, that frequently access hardware such as hard disk accesses and network packet handling. To mitigate this problem, as experienced with earlier implementations, this research looks towards implementing a kernel module to handle network routing and simulation within a UNIX based system. This would remove delays incurred from context switching and allows for direct access to the hardware components of the host.
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Date Issued: 2013

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Computational thinking in educational activities: an evaluation of the educational game light-bot

- Gouws, Lindsey Ann, Bradshaw, Karen L

Authors: Gouws, Lindsey Ann , Bradshaw, Karen L
Date: 2013
Subjects: To be catalogued
Language: English
Type: text , book
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/477581 , vital:78101 , ISBN 9781450320788 , https://doi.org/10.1145/2462476.2466518
Description: Computational thinking is gaining recognition as an important skill set for students, both in computer science and other disciplines. Although there has been much focus on this field in recent years, it is rarely taught as a formal course within the curriculum, and there is little consensus on what exactly computational thinking entails and how to teach and evaluate it. To address these concerns, we have developed a computational thinking framework to be used as a planning and evaluative tool. Within this framework, we aim to unify the differing opinions about what computational thinking should involve. As a case study, we have applied the framework to Light-Bot, an educational game with a strong focus on programming, and found that the framework provides us with insight into the usefulness of the game to reinforce computer science concepts.
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Date Issued: 2013

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