An ontology-based, multi-modal platform for the inclusion of marginalized rural communities into the knowledge society
- Thinyane, Mamello, Dalvit, Lorenzo, Slay, Hannah, Mapi, Thandeka, Terzoli, Alfredo
- Authors: Thinyane, Mamello , Dalvit, Lorenzo , Slay, Hannah , Mapi, Thandeka , Terzoli, Alfredo
- Date: 2007
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/431218 , vital:72755 , https://doi.org/10.1145/1292491.1292508
- Description: With the information revolution that promises to shape the 21st century, knowledge has become the prime commodity, very much like land, means of production and capital have been at different times in the past. Access to information, made instantly available by the growth of the Internet, determines access to economic resources, social participa-tion and better quality of life. For this reason, the knowledge stored on the Web and the advantages offered by the spread of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) are equally important for rich socie-ties to prosper and for poor ones to develop. The only difference is that marginalised communities do not have access to the tools and have little control over the content found in the domain of ICTs. In this paper we describe an intervention to develop the potential of a typical rural community in South Africa through ICTs. This involves providing Inter-net connectivity and deploying a platform to support e-commerce, e-learning, e-government and e-health. The core of the platform is an on-tology-based model designed to integrate and respond to Indigenous Knowledge Systems. This has been achieved by combining a deep understanding of local knowledge and social networks with the use of authoring, communication and ontology-management tools. The prima-ry goal of this new approach is to find a way to make ICT solutions more sensitive to the local context, and therefore more effective. Sec-ondly, we hope to foster a sense of ownership of the project among the community, by capitalising on local knowledge and resources.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Thinyane, Mamello , Dalvit, Lorenzo , Slay, Hannah , Mapi, Thandeka , Terzoli, Alfredo
- Date: 2007
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/431218 , vital:72755 , https://doi.org/10.1145/1292491.1292508
- Description: With the information revolution that promises to shape the 21st century, knowledge has become the prime commodity, very much like land, means of production and capital have been at different times in the past. Access to information, made instantly available by the growth of the Internet, determines access to economic resources, social participa-tion and better quality of life. For this reason, the knowledge stored on the Web and the advantages offered by the spread of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) are equally important for rich socie-ties to prosper and for poor ones to develop. The only difference is that marginalised communities do not have access to the tools and have little control over the content found in the domain of ICTs. In this paper we describe an intervention to develop the potential of a typical rural community in South Africa through ICTs. This involves providing Inter-net connectivity and deploying a platform to support e-commerce, e-learning, e-government and e-health. The core of the platform is an on-tology-based model designed to integrate and respond to Indigenous Knowledge Systems. This has been achieved by combining a deep understanding of local knowledge and social networks with the use of authoring, communication and ontology-management tools. The prima-ry goal of this new approach is to find a way to make ICT solutions more sensitive to the local context, and therefore more effective. Sec-ondly, we hope to foster a sense of ownership of the project among the community, by capitalising on local knowledge and resources.
- Full Text:
Animated feather coats using field lines
- Authors: Bangay, Shaun D
- Date: 2007
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/433338 , vital:72963 , https://doi.org/10.1145/1294685.1294713
- Description: The tedious task of manually placing feathers on computer animated ob-jects involves aligning feathers, ensuring that they do not insect each other or penetrate the surface, deforming every feather to match the local surface features, and ensuring that the feather coat is consistent when the underly-ing object is animated. We present a technique for generating a feather coat over an object. Feather orientation is specified quickly and easily, feathers are deformed while ensuring collision prevention, and the coat can be ani-mated. We create a vector field in the space surrounding the body object and deform feathers to align with the field lines. The non-intersection proper-ty of the field lines ensures that feather intersections are avoided. We pro-vide a formulation of a suitable vector field and demonstrate that it is capa-ble of producing realistic feather coats. The process can easily be integrated into the work-flow of standard modelling and animation processes. We show examples of feather coat creation on a range of objects, proving that field line based placement of feather coats provides the desired functionality for feather modelling and animation.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Bangay, Shaun D
- Date: 2007
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/433338 , vital:72963 , https://doi.org/10.1145/1294685.1294713
- Description: The tedious task of manually placing feathers on computer animated ob-jects involves aligning feathers, ensuring that they do not insect each other or penetrate the surface, deforming every feather to match the local surface features, and ensuring that the feather coat is consistent when the underly-ing object is animated. We present a technique for generating a feather coat over an object. Feather orientation is specified quickly and easily, feathers are deformed while ensuring collision prevention, and the coat can be ani-mated. We create a vector field in the space surrounding the body object and deform feathers to align with the field lines. The non-intersection proper-ty of the field lines ensures that feather intersections are avoided. We pro-vide a formulation of a suitable vector field and demonstrate that it is capa-ble of producing realistic feather coats. The process can easily be integrated into the work-flow of standard modelling and animation processes. We show examples of feather coat creation on a range of objects, proving that field line based placement of feather coats provides the desired functionality for feather modelling and animation.
- Full Text:
Does 'African mathematics' facilitate access to mathematics?: towards an ongoing critical analysis of ethnomathematics in a South African context
- Horsthemke, Kai, Schäfer, Marc
- Authors: Horsthemke, Kai , Schäfer, Marc
- Date: 2007
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/141004 , vital:37936 , https://0-hdl.handle.net.wam.seals.ac.za/10520/EJC20885
- Description: Mosibudi Mangena, the Minister of Science and Technology, said in an address to the Annual Congress of the South African Mathematical Society at the University of the Potchefstroom, November 2, 2004: "There is one thing we need to address before anything else. We need to increase the number of young people, particularly blacks and women, who are able to successfully complete the first course in Mathematics at our universities." How is this to be achieved? A popular trend involves a call for the introduction and incorporation of so-called ethnomathematics, and more particularly 'African mathematics', into secondary and tertiary curricula. Although acknowledging the obvious benefits of so-called ethnomathematics, this paper critically analyses three aspects of ethnomathematics that have been neglected in past critiques. Our focus is not on the relationship as such between ethnomathematics and mathematics education. Our critique involves (1) epistemological and logical misgivings, (2) a new look at practices and skills, (3) concerns about embracing 'African mathematics' as valid and valuable - just because it is African.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Horsthemke, Kai , Schäfer, Marc
- Date: 2007
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/141004 , vital:37936 , https://0-hdl.handle.net.wam.seals.ac.za/10520/EJC20885
- Description: Mosibudi Mangena, the Minister of Science and Technology, said in an address to the Annual Congress of the South African Mathematical Society at the University of the Potchefstroom, November 2, 2004: "There is one thing we need to address before anything else. We need to increase the number of young people, particularly blacks and women, who are able to successfully complete the first course in Mathematics at our universities." How is this to be achieved? A popular trend involves a call for the introduction and incorporation of so-called ethnomathematics, and more particularly 'African mathematics', into secondary and tertiary curricula. Although acknowledging the obvious benefits of so-called ethnomathematics, this paper critically analyses three aspects of ethnomathematics that have been neglected in past critiques. Our focus is not on the relationship as such between ethnomathematics and mathematics education. Our critique involves (1) epistemological and logical misgivings, (2) a new look at practices and skills, (3) concerns about embracing 'African mathematics' as valid and valuable - just because it is African.
- Full Text:
Language policy and planning: general constraints and pressures
- Authors: Wright, Laurence
- Date: 2007
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: vital:7043 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007385
- Description: preprint , The general idea of language policy and planning is easily expressed. Christopher Brumfit, for one, defines language planning as “The attempt to control the use, status, and structure of a language through a language policy developed by a government or other authority” (see the Oxford Companion to the English Language). The Random House Dictionary of the English Language concurs, but adds some detail: language planning is “the development of policies or programmes designed to direct or change language use, as through the establishment of an official language, the standardization or modernization of a language, or the development or alteration of a writing system”. Such definitions could easily be multiplied, and they differ only slightly in nuance and depth.Language Policy is the formal, often legally entrenched, expression of language planning.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Wright, Laurence
- Date: 2007
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: vital:7043 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007385
- Description: preprint , The general idea of language policy and planning is easily expressed. Christopher Brumfit, for one, defines language planning as “The attempt to control the use, status, and structure of a language through a language policy developed by a government or other authority” (see the Oxford Companion to the English Language). The Random House Dictionary of the English Language concurs, but adds some detail: language planning is “the development of policies or programmes designed to direct or change language use, as through the establishment of an official language, the standardization or modernization of a language, or the development or alteration of a writing system”. Such definitions could easily be multiplied, and they differ only slightly in nuance and depth.Language Policy is the formal, often legally entrenched, expression of language planning.
- Full Text:
Spatial and seasonal distribution patterns of juvenile and adult raggedtooth sharks (Carcharias taurus) tagged off the east coast of South Africa
- Dicken, Matthew L, Booth, Anthony J, Smale, Malcolm J, Cliff, G
- Authors: Dicken, Matthew L , Booth, Anthony J , Smale, Malcolm J , Cliff, G
- Date: 2007
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/126997 , vital:35942 , https://doi.10.1071/MF06018
- Description: Crucial to effective fisheries management is a thorough understanding of the stock structure of a population. Understanding the spatial and seasonal distribution patterns of a species is necessary to define habitat use and evaluate the potential effects of exploitation and anthropogenic activities. This is particularly important for a species such as the raggedtooth shark (Carcharias Taurus Rafinesque, 1810), whose life-history characteristics make it particularly susceptible to over-exploitation (Pollard et al. 1996; Smith et al. 1998; Compagno 2001). Exploitation, even at low levels for a slow-growing, late-maturing species that only produces two pups every other year, could reduce the population growth rate, could reduce the population growth rate to values of λ<1.0, resulting in severe population declines in a very short time period (Baum et al. 2003).
- Full Text:
- Authors: Dicken, Matthew L , Booth, Anthony J , Smale, Malcolm J , Cliff, G
- Date: 2007
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/126997 , vital:35942 , https://doi.10.1071/MF06018
- Description: Crucial to effective fisheries management is a thorough understanding of the stock structure of a population. Understanding the spatial and seasonal distribution patterns of a species is necessary to define habitat use and evaluate the potential effects of exploitation and anthropogenic activities. This is particularly important for a species such as the raggedtooth shark (Carcharias Taurus Rafinesque, 1810), whose life-history characteristics make it particularly susceptible to over-exploitation (Pollard et al. 1996; Smith et al. 1998; Compagno 2001). Exploitation, even at low levels for a slow-growing, late-maturing species that only produces two pups every other year, could reduce the population growth rate, could reduce the population growth rate to values of λ<1.0, resulting in severe population declines in a very short time period (Baum et al. 2003).
- Full Text:
Submerged membrane bioreactor and secondary digestion for the treatment of wine distillery wastewater: Part I: Raw wine distillery wastewater digestion
- Melamane, Xolisa L, Tandlich, Roman, Burgess, Jo E
- Authors: Melamane, Xolisa L , Tandlich, Roman , Burgess, Jo E
- Date: 2007
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/76139 , vital:30511 , https://www.prt-parlar.de/download_feb_2007/
- Description: A combination of a submerged membrane bioreactor (SMBR) and a secondary digester was tested for the treatment of wine distillery wastewater (WDW). The experimental system, consisting of four individual reactors, was tested during a 30-days study. Buffering of pH was achieved by mixing the feed stream of the system with 1000 mg/l of CaCO3 and K2HPO4 for the initial 10 days of the bioreactor system operation, and with 8000 mg/l of CaCO3 and 4000 mg/l of K2HPO4 for the remainder of the study. Buffering proved to be significant for optimum performance of the system in removal of soluble chemical oxygen demand (CODS), and volatile fatty acids (VFAs). Different batches of WDW used for feeding the reactor had variable compositions with respect to concentrations of nitrates, ammonium and the total concentration of phenolic compounds. Am-monium accumulated in the secondary digester after 14 days of treatment system operation, indicating the time required for the establishment of anaerobic conditions in the system. An additional step would be required for removal of phosphates from the effluent of the bioreactor, e.g., reverse osmosis, if the effluent is to be reused in production or other applications.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Melamane, Xolisa L , Tandlich, Roman , Burgess, Jo E
- Date: 2007
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/76139 , vital:30511 , https://www.prt-parlar.de/download_feb_2007/
- Description: A combination of a submerged membrane bioreactor (SMBR) and a secondary digester was tested for the treatment of wine distillery wastewater (WDW). The experimental system, consisting of four individual reactors, was tested during a 30-days study. Buffering of pH was achieved by mixing the feed stream of the system with 1000 mg/l of CaCO3 and K2HPO4 for the initial 10 days of the bioreactor system operation, and with 8000 mg/l of CaCO3 and 4000 mg/l of K2HPO4 for the remainder of the study. Buffering proved to be significant for optimum performance of the system in removal of soluble chemical oxygen demand (CODS), and volatile fatty acids (VFAs). Different batches of WDW used for feeding the reactor had variable compositions with respect to concentrations of nitrates, ammonium and the total concentration of phenolic compounds. Am-monium accumulated in the secondary digester after 14 days of treatment system operation, indicating the time required for the establishment of anaerobic conditions in the system. An additional step would be required for removal of phosphates from the effluent of the bioreactor, e.g., reverse osmosis, if the effluent is to be reused in production or other applications.
- Full Text:
Treatment of wine distillery wastewater by high rate anaerobic digestion
- Melamane, Xolisa L, Tandlich, Roman, Burgess, Jo E
- Authors: Melamane, Xolisa L , Tandlich, Roman , Burgess, Jo E
- Date: 2007
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/75896 , vital:30480 , https://doi.org/10.2166/wst.2007.466
- Description: Wine distillery wastewaters (WDW) are acidic and have a high content of potential organic pollutants. This causes high chemical oxygen demand (COD) values. Polyphenols constitute a significant portion of this COD, and limit the efficiency of biological treatment of WDWs. WDW starting parameters were as follows: pH 3.83, 4,185 mg/l soluble COD (CODs) and 674.6 mg/l of phenols. During operation, amendments of CaCO3 and K2HPO4, individually or in combination, were required for buffering the digester.
- Full Text: false
- Authors: Melamane, Xolisa L , Tandlich, Roman , Burgess, Jo E
- Date: 2007
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/75896 , vital:30480 , https://doi.org/10.2166/wst.2007.466
- Description: Wine distillery wastewaters (WDW) are acidic and have a high content of potential organic pollutants. This causes high chemical oxygen demand (COD) values. Polyphenols constitute a significant portion of this COD, and limit the efficiency of biological treatment of WDWs. WDW starting parameters were as follows: pH 3.83, 4,185 mg/l soluble COD (CODs) and 674.6 mg/l of phenols. During operation, amendments of CaCO3 and K2HPO4, individually or in combination, were required for buffering the digester.
- Full Text: false
Cognitive pharmaceutical services and the community pharmacist: are South African patients receiving them and are they willing to pay?
- Hill, Peter W, Dowse, Roslind
- Authors: Hill, Peter W , Dowse, Roslind
- Date: 2006
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/156829 , vital:40054 , DOI 10.1211/ijpp.15.2.0007
- Description: The objectives of this study were to ascertain the opinions of randomly selected South African medical aid members regarding the provision by community pharmacists of patient counselling and information; member satisfaction with pharmacist services; their rating of pharmacist accessibility; and if pharmacists should be reimbursed for providing cognitive pharmaceutical services. Setting A South African private healthcare insurance company.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Hill, Peter W , Dowse, Roslind
- Date: 2006
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/156829 , vital:40054 , DOI 10.1211/ijpp.15.2.0007
- Description: The objectives of this study were to ascertain the opinions of randomly selected South African medical aid members regarding the provision by community pharmacists of patient counselling and information; member satisfaction with pharmacist services; their rating of pharmacist accessibility; and if pharmacists should be reimbursed for providing cognitive pharmaceutical services. Setting A South African private healthcare insurance company.
- Full Text:
- «
- ‹
- 1
- ›
- »