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Cryptojacking Detection in Cloud Infrastructure Using Network Traffic

- Kwedza, Philip, Chindipha, Stones D

  • Authors: Kwedza, Philip , Chindipha, Stones D
  • Date: 2023
  • Subjects: To be catalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/473762 , vital:77679 , xlink:href="https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/10389593"
  • Description: Cryptomining is a way to obtain cryptocurrency, by performing computationally complex puzzles in exchange for a reward. To perform this requires expensive specialised hardware to become profitable but most times, this is not viable. Cryptojacking is a cybercrime in which an attacker uses devices to mine cryptocurrency without permission. This attack can be extended to use the resources of networks and cloud infrastructure. This research aimed to develop a model that could detect cryptojacking automatically in a cloud environment, utilising network traffic. The models in this paper solved this by developing a machine learning model that could analyse cryptojacking in a dataset of network traffic from an attacked cloud server.
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  • Date Issued: 2023

Crystal structure, Hirshfeld surface analysis and computational studies of (E)-2, 2-dimethyl-4-styryl-2, 3-dihydro-1H-benzo [b][1, 4] diazepine

- Odame, Felix, Madanhire, T, Hosten, Eric C, Lobb, Kevin A

  • Authors: Odame, Felix , Madanhire, T , Hosten, Eric C , Lobb, Kevin A
  • Date: 2023
  • Subjects: To be catalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/452677 , vital:75161 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.48317/IMIST.PRSM/morjchem-v11i3.40773"
  • Description: The crystal structure, Hirshfeld surface analysis, and computational studies of (E)-2,2-dimethyl-4-styryl-2,3-dihydro-1H-benzo[b][1,4]diazepine have been presented. The compound crystallized in the monoclinic space group P21/c with 8 molecules in it unit cell. A comparison of the experimental and computed bond lengths and bond angles showed good agreement among the results with varying deviations from each other. A discussion of the Hirshfeld surface analysis of the compound have been carried out to provide insight into the structural properties of the compound.
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  • Date Issued: 2023

Crystal Structure, Hirshfeld Surface Analysis and Computational Studies of Two Benzo [b][1, 4] Diazepine Derivatives

- Odame, Felix, Madanhire, T, Hosten, Eric C, Lobb, Kevin A

  • Authors: Odame, Felix , Madanhire, T , Hosten, Eric C , Lobb, Kevin A
  • Date: 2023
  • Subjects: To be catalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/452689 , vital:75162 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1134/S0022476623120041"
  • Description: The DFT computational studies, crystal structures and Hirshfeld surface analysis of (E)-4-(2-chlorostyryl)-2,2-dimethyl-2,3-dihydro-1H-benzo[b][1,4]diazepine (1) and (E)-4-(2-(2,2-dimethyl-2,3-dihydro-1H-benzo[b][1,4]diazepin-4-yl)vinyl)phenol (2) have been presented. The compounds crystallized in the monoclinic space group P21/c with 4 molecules in their unit cells each. The experimental and computed bond lengths and bond angles deviated from each other to some extent but also showed good agreement with each other in some cases. Hirshfeld surface analysis of the compounds provided further information about the structural properties of the compounds.
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  • Date Issued: 2023

Darknet Traffic Detection Using Histogram-Based Gradient Boosting

- Brown, Dane L, Sepula, Chikondi

  • Authors: Brown, Dane L , Sepula, Chikondi
  • Date: 2023
  • Subjects: To be catalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/464063 , vital:76472 , xlink:href="https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-981-99-1624-5_59"
  • Description: The network security sector has observed a rise in severe attacks emanating from the darknet or encrypted networks in recent years. Network intrusion detection systems (NIDS) capable of detecting darknet or encrypted traffic must be developed to increase system security. Machine learning algorithms can effectively detect darknet activities when trained on encrypted and conventional network data. However, the performance of the system may be influenced, among other things, by the choice of machine learning models, data preparation techniques, and feature selection methodologies. The histogram-based gradient boosting strategy known as categorical boosting (CatBoost) was tested to see how well it could find darknet traffic. The performance of the model was examined using feature selection strategies such as correlation coefficient, variance threshold, SelectKBest, and recursive feature removal (RFE). Following the categorization of traffic as “darknet” or “regular”, a multi-class classification was used to determine the software application associated with the traffic. Further study was carried out on well-known machine learning methods such as random forests (RF), decision trees (DT), linear support vector classifier (SVC Linear), and long-short term memory (LST) (LSTM). The proposed model achieved good results with 98.51% binary classification accuracy and 88% multi-class classification accuracy.
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  • Date Issued: 2023

Declines in Livestock Numbers Accompany Cropping Deagrarianisation Processes in the Eastern Cape, South Africa

- Shackleton, Charlie M, Ntshudu, Monde

  • Authors: Shackleton, Charlie M , Ntshudu, Monde
  • Date: 2023
  • Subjects: To be catalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/402248 , vital:69834 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.3390/land12091735"
  • Description: Deagrarianisation amongst smallholder farmers is a growing phenomenon globally, driven by a complex array of context-specific and higher-scale factors. Most research has focused on declines in arable cropping, with relatively little regard to the deagrarianisation dynamics associated with livestock ownership, yet the two are often linked through the need for draught power for ploughing. Here, we report on a survey of 293 rural households in 10 rural villages in the Eastern Cape province, South Africa, where we ascertained whether ownership of cattle, goats, sheep and pigs had changed over the previous 15 years and what were the underlying reasons for any changes at both village- and household-scale. The majority felt that there had been a decline in the number of households keeping livestock and the number of animals in the village. Additionally, a clear majority of owners for each type of livestock stated that their households currently have fewer animals than 15 years ago. The main reasons for declines were that their animals had died due to drought or disease, theft, or they had sold them because of financial needs. There was a positive association between the keeping of cattle and field cultivation. Despite these general declines, two-thirds of households currently without livestock wished that they had some, primarily for use in cultural ceremonies/rituals or for income. This study shows the deagrarianisation processes in the region also apply to the livestock sector despite the significance of livestock in the local Xhosa culture. This study highlights the multifaceted nature of deagrarianisation in communal tenure systems.
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  • Date Issued: 2023

Decomposing the impact of human capital on household income inequality in South Africa: Is education a useful measure?

- Friderichs, Tamaryn J, Keeton, Gavin R, Rogan, Michael

  • Authors: Friderichs, Tamaryn J , Keeton, Gavin R , Rogan, Michael
  • Date: 2023
  • Subjects: To be catalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/470842 , vital:77400 , https://doi.org/10.1080/0376835X.2022.2163228
  • Description: Human capital (HC) has increasingly been identified as a driver of economic development, with the potential to reduce income inequality, which, in South Africa, originates in the labour market. HC is, however, a complex concept to measure. This study uses Fields’ regression-based decomposition method to analyse the relationships between income inequality and HC in South Africa. The Fields method allows for the analysis of the impact of several factors contributing to HC on the distribution of a measure of income. Data from the National Income Dynamics Study (NIDS) wave 1 (2008) and 5 (2017) are used. The findings suggest that increasing educational attainment, through improved school quality for all, would likely play a key role in reducing income inequality in South Africa. Furthermore, the large role of education attainment in explaining household income inequality supports the use of education attainment as a proxy for HC in South Africa.
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  • Date Issued: 2023

Determining the efficacy of push-pull for management of Eldana saccharina (Walker (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) in sugarcane through on-farm field trials

- Mulcahy, Megan M, Conlong, Desmond E, Hill, Martin P

  • Authors: Mulcahy, Megan M , Conlong, Desmond E , Hill, Martin P
  • Date: 2023
  • Subjects: To be catalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/451313 , vital:75039 , http://dx.doi.org/10.17159/2254-8854/2023/a15654
  • Description: An area-wide integrated pest management (AW-IPM) programme was developed to improve management of Eldana saccharina Walker (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), a major pest of South African sugarcane. Push-pull technology is an important component of this AW-IPM approach. The sugarcane push-pull programme uses plants which are both repellent (Melinis minutiflora P. Beauv.(Cyperales: Poaceae)) and attractive (Cyperus dives Delile and Cyperus papyrus L.(both Cyperales: Cyperaceae) to E. saccharina. Previous research demonstrated the efficacy of push-pull in the Midlands North region of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), South Africa. To date, little research has been conducted in coastal sugarcane growing areas. The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility of using push-pull for management of E. saccharina in coastal KZN, using large-scale on-farm field trials conducted on five model farms. On each farm, wetland habitats were rehabilitated with pull plants (C. dives and C. papyrus) and fields were intercropped with the repellent grass M. minutiflora. Eldana saccharina damage and infestation levels were recorded to assess the efficacy of push-pull, using a multiple before-after-control-impact (mBACI) design.
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  • Date Issued: 2023

Development of a translation device for axiological-semantic density in political news articles: Wording and charging

- Siebörger, Ian, Adendorff, Ralph D

  • Authors: Siebörger, Ian , Adendorff, Ralph D
  • Date: 2023
  • Subjects: To be catalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/385311 , vital:68006 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1515/text-2020-0156"
  • Description: The concept of axiological-semantic density from Legitimation Code Theory (LCT) is extremely helpful in analysing political knowledge-building, as it describes the strength of relations between various people, political stances and moral judgements, enabling these to be positioned in relation to each other. We present a multi-level translation device designed to identify strengths of axiological-semantic density in political news articles from the Daily Sun, South Africa’s most popular tabloid newspaper. This translation device was devised through analysis of selected texts from a corpus of 516 articles published between January and June 2015. It was developed through a collaborative process involving the first author and a team of student research assistants. The final translation device has five tools, of which two, the wording and charging tools, are described in this article, and then illustrated using an example analysis of a Daily Sun political news article. Both tools reveal insights into South African political discourses and ways in which axiological-semantic density can be enacted in future research. Making axiological-semantic density visible using such a translation device also has practical applications in assisting readers to understand the ways in which publications such as the Daily Sun position political parties, enabling them to engage more constructively in discussions on the country’s future.
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  • Date Issued: 2023

Directive counselling undermines “safe” abortion

- Mavuso, Jabulile M-J J, Macleod, Catriona I, du Toit, Ryan

  • Authors: Mavuso, Jabulile M-J J , Macleod, Catriona I , du Toit, Ryan
  • Date: 2023
  • Subjects: To be catalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , book chapter
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/434096 , vital:73031 , ISBN 97817936442138 , https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781793644213/Sexual-and-Reproductive-Justice-From-the-Margins-to-the-Centre
  • Description: Sexual and Reproductive Justice: From the Margins to the Centre offers new insights and perspectives on sexual and reproductive justice. The thought-provoking and diverse contributions in this volume — which range from indigenous approaches to sexual violence to gender-affirming primary and mental healthcare — extend sexual and reproductive justice scholarship, and spark critical questions, novel thinking, and ongoing dialogue in this field.
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  • Date Issued: 2023

Distribution and impact of the Asian seed beetle, Megabruchidius tonkineus (Pic, 1904)(Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Bruchinae) on Gleditsia triacanthos L. seeds in South Africa

- Salgado, Sara E, Martin, Grant D

  • Authors: Salgado, Sara E , Martin, Grant D
  • Date: 2023
  • Subjects: To be catalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/452266 , vital:75116 , http://dx.doi.org/10.17159/2254-8854/2023/a13386
  • Description: Honey locust, Gleditsia triacanthos (Fabaceae) is a fast-growing deciduous tree native to North America. The tree has been introduced worldwide and has become invasive in South Africa. In 2017, it was listed as one of the nine fastest-spreading weeds in South Africa. Once established, it competes with and displaces indigenous species and dense stands can significantly reduce stream flow. The Asian seed-feeding bruchid, Megabruchidius tonkineus (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Bruchinae) was introduced into South Africa and has subsequently taken honey locust as a host plant. The beetle damages honey locust seeds and is therefore considered a biological control agent, despite no host-specificity or impact studies having been conducted. This study shows that M. tonkineus has established across the entire G. triacanthos population range in South Africa, damaging approximately 9% of seeds. Laboratory studies show that M. tonkineus completes its larval development in the seeds of G. triacanthos in about 66.80±0.69 SE days before emerging. This study is the first to describe the distribution and impact of this alien insect in South Africa.
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  • Date Issued: 2023

Distribution and impact of the native South African wasp, Megastigmus transvaalensis (Hussey, 1956)(Hymenoptera: Torymidae) on the invasive Schinus terebinthifolia Raddi (Anacardiaceae) in South Africa

- Mangenlele, Nwabisa L, Martin, Grant D

  • Authors: Mangenlele, Nwabisa L , Martin, Grant D
  • Date: 2023
  • Subjects: To be catalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/416841 , vital:71390 , xlink:href="https://hdl.handle.net/10520/ejc-ento_v31_n1_a12"
  • Description: Schinus terebinthifolia Raddi (Anacardiaceae) (Brazilian pepper tree) is a tree native to subtropical South America that was introduced into South Africa as an ornamental plant. Globally, it is regarded as one of the world’s worst invasive trees. In South Africa the tree has acquired a native seed-feeding wasp, Megastigmus transvaalensis (Hussey, 1956) (Hymenoptera: Torymidae). The wasp’s native hosts are from the Searsia F.A. Barkley genus (Anacardiaceae), but it has expanded its host range to form a new association with both S. terebinthifolia and its close relative Schinus molle L. (Anacardiaceae). In order to quantify the seed predation by M. transvaalensis on S. terebinthifolia seeds, tree populations were surveyed across the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal provinces. The wasp was present at 99% of the S. terebinthifolia populations with an average of 22% of the seeds being destroyed. In the Eastern Cape province, the highest seed damage occurred at the start of the winter months, when about 35% of seeds were damaged. This fell to less than 12% in spring and summer when the plants were flowering. Megastigmus transvaalensis was found at nearly all the S. terebinthifolia populations in South Africa, but due to the limited number of predated seeds it is unlikely to reduce population sizes or curb the spread of the invasive alien tree in South Africa.
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  • Date Issued: 2023

Diverse values of nature for sustainability

- Pascual, Unai, Balvanera, Patricia, Anderson, Christopher B, Chaplin-Kramer, Rebecca, Christie, Michael, González-Jiménez, David, Martin, Adrian, Raymond, Christopher M, Termansen, Mette, Vatn, Arild, Athayde, Simone, Baptiste, Brigitte, Barton, Davin N, Jacobs, Sander, Kelemen, Eszter, Kumar, Ritesh, Lazos, Elena, Mwampamba, Tuyeni H, Nakangu, Barbara, O’Farrell, Patrick, Subramanian, Suneetha M, van Noordwijk, Meine, Ahn, SoEun, Amaruzaman, Sacha, Amin, Ariane M, Arias-Arévalo, Paola, Arroyo-Robles, Gabriela, Cantú-Fernández, Mariana, Castro, Antonio J, Contreras, Victoria, de Vos, Alta, Dendoncker, Nicolas, Engel, Stefanie, Eser, Uta, Faith, Daniel P, Filyushkina, Anna, Ghazi, Houda, Gómez-Baggethun, Erik, Gould, Rachelle K, Guibrunet, Louise, Gundimeda, Haripriya, Hahn, Thomas, Harmáčková, Zuzana V, Hernández-Blanco, Marcello, Horcea-Milcu, Andra-loana, Huambachano, Mariaelena, Wicher, Natalia L H, Aydın, Cem I, Islar, Mine, Koessler, Ann-Kathrin, Kenter, Jasper O, Kosmus, Marina, Lee, Heera, Leimona, Beria, Lele, Sharachchandra, Lenzi, Dominic, Lliso, Bosco, Mannetii, Lelani M, Merçon, Juliana, Monroy-Sais, Ana S, Mukherjee, Nibedita, Muraca, Barbara, Muradian, Roldan, Murali, Ranjini, Nelson, Sara H, Nemogá-Soto, Gabriel R, Ngouhouo-Poufoun, Jonas, Niamir, Aidin, Nuesiri, Emmanuel, Nyumba, Tobias O, Özkaynak, Begüm, Palomo, Ignacio, Pandit, Ram, Pawłowska-Mainville, Agnieszka, Porter-Bolland, Luciano, Quaas, Martin, Rode, Julian, Rozzi, Ricardo, Sachdeva, Sonya, Aibek, Samakov, Schaafsma, Marije, Sitas, Nadia, Ungar, Paula, Yiu, Evonne, Yoshida, Yuki, Zent, Eglee

Diversification of the African legless skinks in the subfamily Acontinae (Family Scincidae)

- Zhao, Zhongning, Conradie, Werner C, Pietersen, Darren W, Jordaan, Adriaan, Nicolau, Gary K, Edwards, Shelley, Riekert, Stephanus, Heideman, Neil

  • Authors: Zhao, Zhongning , Conradie, Werner C , Pietersen, Darren W , Jordaan, Adriaan , Nicolau, Gary K , Edwards, Shelley , Riekert, Stephanus , Heideman, Neil
  • Date: 2023
  • Subjects: To be catalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/461495 , vital:76207 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2023.107747"
  • Description: Cladogenic diversification is often explained by referring to climatic oscillations and geomorphic shifts that cause allopatric speciation. In this regard, southern Africa retains a high level of landscape heterogeneity in vegetation, geology, and rainfall patterns. The legless skink subfamily Acontinae occurs broadly across the southern African subcontinent and therefore provides an ideal model group for investigating biogeographic patterns associated with the region. A robust phylogenetic study of the Acontinae with comprehensive coverage and adequate sampling of each taxon has been lacking up until now, resulting in unresolved questions regarding the subfamily’s biogeography and evolution. In this study, we used multi-locus genetic markers (three mitochondrial and two nuclear) with comprehensive taxon coverage (all currently recognized Acontinae species) and adequate sampling (multiple specimens for most taxa) of each taxon to infer a phylogeny for the subfamily.
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  • Date Issued: 2023

Diversity and Endemism of Southern African Gekkonids Linked with the Escarpment Has Implications for Conservation Priorities

- Nicolau, Gary K, Edwards, Shelley

  • Authors: Nicolau, Gary K , Edwards, Shelley
  • Date: 2023
  • Subjects: To be catalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/461506 , vital:76208 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.3390/d15020306"
  • Description: South Africa is recognised for its high reptile diversity and endemism, specifically among lizards. Phylogenetic diversity, endemism, and richness can have clear implications or raise important questions in a range of fields, and most urgently in conservation. Among squamate reptiles, these indices are very commonly associated with high temperatures and topographic heterogeneity. Indeed, mountainous biogeography has been a critical driver in the radiation of the family Gekkonidae within the subregion. Here, we assess the species richness, diversity, and endemism of Gekkonidae species inhabiting South Africa, Lesotho, and Eswatini, accounting for phylogenetic relationships. We also employ the CANAPE method to identify regions that have neo- and/or paleoendemics. Southern African gekkonids appear to be most diverse and show high levels of endemism in three regions of Southern Africa: the northwestern Richtersveld, the escarpment running west to southeast, and the northeastern escarpment in the Limpopo province. Implications for conservation priorities are discussed.
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  • Date Issued: 2023

Do thermal requirements of Dichrorampha odorata, a shoot-boring moth for the biological control of Chromolaena odorata, explain its failure to establish in South Africa?

- Nqayi, Slindile B, Zachariades, Costas, Coetzee, Julie A, Hill, Martin P, Chidawanyika, Frank, Uyi, Osariyekemwen O, McConnachie, Andrew J

  • Authors: Nqayi, Slindile B , Zachariades, Costas , Coetzee, Julie A , Hill, Martin P , Chidawanyika, Frank , Uyi, Osariyekemwen O , McConnachie, Andrew J
  • Date: 2023
  • Subjects: To be catalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/416851 , vital:71391 , xlink:href="https://hdl.handle.net/10520/ejc-ento_v31_n1_a14"
  • Description: Chromolaena odorata (L.) RM King and H Rob. (Asteraceae) has been subject to a biological control programme in South Africa for over three decades. A shoot-tip boring moth, Dichrorampha odorata Brown and Zachariades (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), originating from Jamaica, was released as a biological control agent in 2013 but despite the release of substantial numbers of the insect, it has not established a permanent field population. Because climate incompatibility is a major constraint for classical biological control of invasive plants, and based on the differences in climate between Jamaica and South Africa and field observations at release sites, aspects of the thermal physiology of D. odorata were investigated to elucidate reasons for its failure to establish. Developmental time decreased with increasing temperatures ranging from 20 °C to 30 °C, with incomplete development for immature stages at 18 °C and 32 °C. The developmental threshold, t, was calculated as 8.45 °C with 872.4 degree-days required to complete development (K). A maximum of 6.5 generations per year was projected for D. odorata in South Africa, with the heavily infested eastern region of the country being the most eco-climatically suitable for establishment. The lower lethal temperature (LLT50) of larvae and adults was –4.5 and 1.8 °C, respectively. The upper lethal temperature (ULT50) for larvae was 39.6 °C whilst that of adults was 41.0 °C. Larvae thus had better cold tolerance compared to adults whereas adults had better heat tolerance compared to larvae. The critical thermal (CT) limits for adults were 3.4 ± 0.07 to 43.7 ± 0.12 °C. Acclimation at 20 °C for 7 days resulted in increased cold and heat tolerance with a CTmin and CTmax of 1.9 ± 0.06 and 44.4 ± 0.07 °C respectively, compared to the relative control, acclimated at 25 °C. Acclimation at 30 °C improved neither cold (CTmin: 5.9 ± 0.08 °C) nor heat tolerance (CTmax: 42.9 ± 0.10 °C). These results suggest that thermal requirements fall within field temperatures and are thus not the main constraining factor leading to poor establishment of D. odorata in South Africa.
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  • Date Issued: 2023

Dual action of asymmetrical zinc (II) phthalocyanines conjugated to silver tungstate nanoparticles towards photodegradation of tetracycline and inactivation of Staphylococcus aureus bacteria

- Mgidlana, Sithi, Sen, Pinar, Nyokong, Tebello

  • Authors: Mgidlana, Sithi , Sen, Pinar , Nyokong, Tebello
  • Date: 2023
  • Subjects: To be catalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/360400 , vital:65085 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jphotochem.2022.114444"
  • Description: Asymmetric (A3B) Zn(II) phthalocyanines containing dimethoxy phenoxy as the dominant substituent and (phenoxy) propanoic acid (1), (phenoxy) acetic acid (2), and (phenoxy) acrylic acid (3) as the other substituents were synthesized and linked to silver tungstate nanoparticles (Ag2WO4 NPs). The photocatalytic activities of the prepared complexes 1–3 and nanoconjugates were evaluated for the photodegradation of tetracycline (TC) under visible-light irradiation and for photodynamic antimicrobial chemotherapy (PACT) activity against S. aureus. The results revealed that complex 3 had the best photocatalytic and PACT performance compared to 1 and 2, corresponding to the higher singlet oxygen quantum yield of the former in dimethyl sulfoxide. The photodegradation reaction was also examined using EPR and a mechanism for generation of singlet oxygen under visible light was confirmed. Photoinactivation of S. aureus improved in the presence of TC, when the two are applied together.
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  • Date Issued: 2023

E-learning as a mediating tool to support interactive professional learning of teacher educators

- Van Staden, Wilma, Lotz-Sisitka, Heila

  • Authors: Van Staden, Wilma , Lotz-Sisitka, Heila
  • Date: 2023
  • Subjects: To be catalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/482615 , vital:78671 , https://doi.org/10.1080/10494820.2023.2170423
  • Description: This paper examines the development of e-learning mediating tool(s) for an online professional development programme, focusing on sustainability and teacher education, implemented across 11 countries in the southern African region. The paper focuses on how we approached the design and development of an online mediating tool(s) for interactive, situated learning that seeks to support sustainability practices and engagement of teacher educators at a local level while learning together with others across national borders. Using cultural historical activity theory, we elaborate on our understanding of mediation and then focus on the design and the development of the e-learning mediating tool, which we describe as an expansive learning process in our research and practice community. Our main finding is that to establish an interactive learning environment for situated, transformative learning in teacher education settings requires a comprehensive complex process of collaborative learning supported by a range of e-learning mediation tools, that are complemented by on-site engagement and support in communities of practice. We conclude that the successful deployment and use of an e-learning mediating tool depends on interconnected learning systems that is supported by the development of digital literacy skills, continuous online support, and similar communication tools.
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  • Date Issued: 2023

Early Grade Mathematics Directions of Growth in the Research Field

- Venkat, Hamsa, Graven, Mellony, Morrison, Samantha, Vale, Pamela

  • Authors: Venkat, Hamsa , Graven, Mellony , Morrison, Samantha , Vale, Pamela
  • Date: 2023
  • Subjects: To be catalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/482365 , vital:78643 , https://doi.org/10.1080/18117295.2023.2276545
  • Description: Early grade mathematics (EGM) has received substantial policy attention in the last decade. In South Africa, the introduction of the ‘CAPS’ curriculum in 2011 was followed by the rollout of the now widely used national workbooks and there have been further policy-linked interventions like the Teaching Mathematics for Understanding model (Department of Basic Education, Citation2019) and the Primary Teacher Education (PrimTEd) initiative. Alongside these policy directions, there has been extensive research activity linked to interventions. These include the large-scale Gauteng Primary Mathematics and Language Strategy (Fleisch et al., Citation2016) and the more recent Bala Wande study (Mpofu et al., Citation2021), the work of longitudinal projects within the two Numeracy Chairs at Wits and Rhodes Universities and the Magic Classroom Collective in South Africa (see chapters in Venkat and Roberts’ (Citation2022) book for overviews of these projects), as well as the series of EGM-focused projects led by Mercy Kazima in Malawi (e.g. Longwe et al.’s (Citation2022) recent paper). Both review papers in this Special Issue (Morrison et al., Citation2023; Graven and Venkat, Citation2023) quantify, detail and disaggregate this growth in research interest from a low base in the previous decade.
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  • Date Issued: 2023

Early Plant Disease Detection using Infrared and Mobile Photographs in Natural Environment

- De Silva, Malitha, Brown, Dane L

  • Authors: De Silva, Malitha , Brown, Dane L
  • Date: 2023
  • Subjects: To be catalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/464085 , vital:76474 , xlink:href="https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-031-37717-4_21"
  • Description: Plant disease identification is a critical aspect of plant health management. Identifying plant diseases is challenging since they manifest themselves in various forms and tend to occur when the plant is still in its juvenile stage. Plant disease also has cascading effects on food security, livelihoods and the environment’s safety, so early detection is vital. This work demonstrates the effectiveness of mobile and multispectral images captured in viable and Near Infrared (NIR) ranges to identify plant diseases under realistic environmental conditions. The data sets were classified using popular CNN models Xception, DenseNet121 and ResNet50V2, resulting in greater than 92% training and 74% test accuracy for all the data collected using various Kolari vision lenses. Moreover, an openly available balanced data set was used to compare the effect of the data set balance and unbalanced characteristics on the classification accuracy. The result showed that balanced data sets do not impact the outcome.
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  • Date Issued: 2023

Eco-creative nature-based solutions to transform urban coastlines, local coastal communities and enhance biodiversity through the lens of scientific and Indigenous knowledge

- Porri, Francesca, McConnachie, Boudina E, Van der Walt, Kerry-Anne, Wynberg, Rachel, Pattrick, Paula

  • Authors: Porri, Francesca , McConnachie, Boudina E , Van der Walt, Kerry-Anne , Wynberg, Rachel , Pattrick, Paula
  • Date: 2023
  • Subjects: To be catalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/480194 , vital:78405 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1017/cft.2022.10"
  • Description: Increasing anthropogenic pressure on the sea and alteration of coastscapes challenge the functioning of marine ecosystems and long-term reliance on blue economies, especially for developing southern economies. The structural hardening of shores can result in ecological disruptions, with cascading effects on the wellbeing and livelihoods of marginalised groups who depend on marine resources. Mitigation, adaptation and rehabilitation options for coastal developments should include innovative, socially responsible solutions to be used to modify shorelines and ensure long-term functionality of metropolitan coastal ecosystems. Nature-based innovations are being developed to improve surrogacy for natural marine ecosystems. The co-creation of nature-based structures, entailing partnerships between scientists and a local rural communitys currently being considered in South Africa and we present this regional case study as a transdisciplinary framework for research in nature-based, ecological engineering of coastal systems. Novel transdisciplinary approaches include ecomusicological interventions, where traditional cultural expressions (TCEs) create opportunities for transgressive pedagogy. This step aims to ensure that the knowledge gathered through nature-based scientific research remains a part of community developed Indigenous knowledge systems. The merging of innovative, eco-creative approaches and TCEs has the potential to sustainably and ethically improve the functioning and diversity of coastal urban habitats. This review tackles the potential of transdisciplinary settings to transform urban coastlines using “low-tech” engineering and Indigenous eco-creative innovations to pedagogy, to benefit the people and biological communities as well as reduce social and gender inequalities.
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  • Date Issued: 2023
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