A critical analysis of unemployment entrenched in four Business Studies Grade 10 textbooks.

Masters Degree, University Of Kwazulu-Natal, Edgewood.This study explores the representation of unemployment in four grade 10 Business Studies textbooks through the use of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA). CDA was used in this qualitative study as a research technique applied by the researcher, for the purpose of analysing the relevant texts. The framework of analysis here includes the use of Gee‟s (1999, p63-65) level one: “form-function” and level three: “situated meaning” models. When dealing with „situated meaning‟, the researcher adopted two aspects of Huckin‟s (1997) model, in particular, “topicalization” and “connotations” (Huckin, 2002, p28). Huckin‟s model was used to critically analyse the findings from the sample textbooks utilised. The findings suggest that power and domination were evident as themes throughout the four sampled textbooks, mainly in the framing of the text. To focus in further on the findings, it would seem that certain pieces of information in the textbooks had been strategically played down to give importance to those parts that the publisher perhaps felt were more valuable, and which fed into power and domination themes that embodied themselves in the texts. For example, when defining „unemployment‟, the four sampled textbooks provided different unemployment rates for South Africa. This observation, on its own, is creating confusion for the reader because the reader will not be able to identify which figures to rely on and therefore not see the severity of the issue of unemployment. Even with the projections made the figures are still wrong, as in reality, the unemployment rate is sitting at 36.3% (StatisticsSA, 2016, p xiii). These findings inform and extend the researcher‟s understandings of the representation of unemployment in Business Studies textbooks, and led to the recommendation that one needs to be critical and wary when reading texts, especially those that form part of the public domain – as there is a strong possibility that the manner in which they are presently written could be influenced to benefit certain stakeholders. From the findings, a vital recommendation suggested is that in schools, teachers also need to be „guarded‟ about the issue of textbooks being influenced. Therefore, when teaching, a teacher needs to engage with a variety of different resources in the classroom in order to eliminate the possibility of being biased within the classroom. vii The results thus outline that „connotations‟ have featured more prominently, yet „topicalisation‟ does also feature – however, not to the same extent as that of connotations. This knowingly or unknowingly reveals that the texts have been structured in such a way that they bear more of a hidden agenda in terms of connotations, in relation to unemployment. This study adds to the academic ambit, as the findings suggest that there is a clear case of misuse and manipulation of power. Therefore, textbooks should not just be looked at in a superficial manner, but rather, should be critically evaluated. Teachers should not rely on only one source within the classroom, as it could ultimately disadvantage their learners educationally

Performance of foliage ornamentals in hydroponic nutrient solutions

Vertical garden is one of the approach of green building envelope with green facades and green living walls creates a richer ecosystem, enhances biodiversity, improves mental health, alleviates environmental externalization generated by urban areas (Pollution, runoff and heat island effect etc).  However, the limitations of vertical gardening system are the choice of plants and the module of growing. Numerous exotic and native ornamentals are suggested for vertical systems based on the requirements. Selection of plants grown under indoor environments with limited space is narrowing down the choice of ornamental flora. On the other hand hydroponics is an alternative sustainable production system under conditions in which resources are limited. Hydroponics is a very young science which has commercial basis during recent days. However, even in relative short period of time it has been adapted in many situations from outdoor to indoor for growing various crops. Hence, an experiment was conducted with Hoagland & Arnon solution (1938), Cooper’s solution (1979), Saparamadu’s solution (2010) and Mattson and Peters solution (2014) and a control with Irrigation water to study the rooting behavior of five plants viz., Devil’s ivy (Epipremunm aureum), Wandering jew (Zebrina pendula), Arrowhead plant (Syngonium podophyllum), Philodendron (Philodendron erubescens), Boat lily (Tradescantia spathacea) under passive hydroponic vertical garden module. The pH was monitored for acidity and basicity range and EC were monitored for salt concentration in all the nutrient solution periodically. Observation on root parameters viz., Number of roots plant -1, Root length (cm) and Root weight (g plant-1) were observed at 30, 60 and 90 days after planting. Results of the experiment revealed that number of roots, root length and root weight exerted maximum values in those plants grown under T3 (Cooper’s solution). Minimum rooting with lowest weight was recorded in T4 (Saparamadu solution) in all the stages of observation in devil’s ivy. Whereas in other four ornamentals viz., Wandering jew (Zebrina pendula), Arrowhead plant (Syngonium podophyllum), Philodendron (Philodendron erubescens) and Boat lily (Tradescantia spathacea) recorded lowest root parameters in T1 (Irrigation water) under 30 days of observation and at 60 and 90 days minimum number of roots, root length and root weight was recorded under T4 (Saparamadu solution)

Induction of monocular stereopsis by altering focus distance : a test of Ames's hypothesis

Viewing a real 3-dimensional scene or a stereoscopic image with both eyes generates a vivid phenomenal impression of depth known as stereopsis. Numerous reports have highlighted the fact that an impression of stereopsis can be induced in the absence of binocular disparity. A method claimed by Ames (1925) involved altering accommodative (focus) distance while monocularly viewing a picture. This claim was tested on naïve observers using a method inspired by the observations of Gogel and Ogle on the equidistance tendency. Consistent with Ames’s claim, most observers reported that the focus manipulation induced an impression of stereopsis comparable to that obtained by monocular-aperture viewing.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Using Google Cardboard to perform a visual field screening test

The visual field test is used to detect areas on the retina where there is a loss of vision. The equipment used to conduct the test is bulky and can cost a significant amount to patients to take the test. Google Cardboard is an inexpensive headset which is paired with a mobile phone to run virtual reality applications. In this work, a visual field screening test is developed to enable people to do an eye exam with a low-cost and portable device such as a Google Cardboard and a smart phone. The Google Cardboard application helps reduce the cost of performing a visual field test by enabling a patient to do a self-administered visual field test before going into a clinic or hospital to do a more detailed eye exam. The patient can perform the test at home and with greater frequency, indications of advancing vision loss can be identified and treated earlier to prevent any irreversible damage to the eye caused by diseases. There is an increase in demand for virtual reality products due to its affordability, portability, and accessibility. It is making a significant impact in many industries, including the healthcare industry. Virtual reality can assist with patient rehab, simulate surgeries to train doctors, treating PTSD [1]. In this project, a Google Cardboard application is developed to perform a visual field screening test. A set of lights arranged in a 7 x 7 grid is switched on and off randomly. The user presses the button on the Google Cardboard headset and data is recorded in the application as to which light the user sees or not. This data is plotted and is helpful in evaluating any defect in the visual field of the patient. This application of low-cost and portable VR headsets can significantly reduce time and cost for taking visual field tests because such a device is accessible even in remote areas of the world where bulky medical equipment is limited

The relationship between healthcare services and financial burden among families of children with autism spectrum disorders: A US perspective

OBJECTIVE: The research was designed to determine the financial burden among families of children with ASD and to identify the predictors of financial burden METHODS: Children with a confirmed diagnosis of ASD were identified in the Interaction Autism Network Registry. Multiple regression analyses was used to determine the association between financial burden and coordination of care, quality of healthcare interactions, adequacy of insurance, and adequacy of medical insurance coverage RESULTS: Families of children diagnosed as having ASD reported higher financial burden as compared to other developmental disorders. The financial burden was significantly associated with various facets of healthcare provision CONCLUSIONS: The findings highlight the role of coordinated care, access to care, and quality of healthcare interactions in improving caregiver burde

Advancing a new theory of stereopsis: Reply to Rogers (2019)

Vishwanath (2014) presented analyses and proposed conjectures aimed at a unified understanding of both qualitative and quantitative aspects of stereopsis in pictorial and natural (real-world) 3-dimensional (3D) vision. A recent commentary by Rogers (2019) conceded the key argument in the article, that stereopsis can be induced in the absence of binocular disparity and motion parallax but criticized the wider analyses and conjectures. Rogers argued that a focus on visual appearance and qualitative aspects of 3D perception is unproductive and that the analysis of pictorial space perception adds little to our wider understanding of 3D vision. I argue here that the critique is not persuasive as it misconstrues the distinction between qualitative and quantitative aspects of perception and its claims regarding pictorial depth perception rely on introspections that often do not align with the empirical record. I reaffirm that an integrative focus on both qualitative and quantitative aspects of both pictorial and natural 3D perception is crucial for advancing an understanding of the complex phenomenon of stereopsis.PostprintPeer reviewe

Exploring the Subaltern Voices: A Study of Community Radio Reporters (CRR\u27s) in Rural India

Despite India’s remarkable communication media revolution the rural subalterns remained uninformed, unheard and voiceless, who asks the question: Whose Media, Whose Voice? This created a space for community radio (CR) because it is of, for, and by the community. However, in spite of the alternative, counter-hegemonic, and participatory communication ethos, the contribution of CR’s and CRR’s lingered unexplored and unacknowledged. To bridge this gap, within the theoretical framework of alternative-media-theory this study has been undertaken. Based on case studies of India’s pioneer CR’s (Sangam Radio and Radio Bundelkhand) using media ethnography tools a qualitative inquiry was carried out. Findings suggest that CR’s can be seen as means of developing capabilities among the subalterns through equitable inclusion not merely as participants but as active producers, partners and managers. The dialectical, dynamic, non-hierarchical and citizen controlled journalism of CRR’s reflects antagonisms of reality and high level of community belongingness and responsibility that created fundamental distinctiveness-challenges to mainstream media. Finally, providing platform for expression enlarges the voices of the subalterns which will ultimately facilitate community dialogs and deliberations around local issues and helps to redefine their community identity in their own way and might lead to positive social change

Localization of shapes: eye movements and perception compared

AbstractThe localization of spatially extended objects is thought to be based on the computation of a default reference position, such as the center of gravity. This position can serve as the goal point for a saccade, a locus for fixation, or the reference for perceptual localization. We compared perceptual and saccadic localization for non-convex shapes where the center of gravity (COG) was located outside the boundary of the shape and did not coincide with any prominent perceptual features. The landing positions of single saccades made to the shape, as well as the preferred loci for fixation, were near the center of gravity, although local features such as part boundaries were influential. Perceptual alignment positions were also close to the center of gravity, but showed configural effects that did not influence either saccades or fixation. Saccades made in a more naturalistic sequential scanning task landed near the center of gravity with a considerably higher degree of accuracy (mean error <4% of saccade size) and showed no effects of local features, constituent parts, or stimulus configuration. We conclude that perceptual and oculomotor localization is based on the computation of a precise central reference position, which coincides with the center of gravity in sequential scanning. The saliency of the center of gravity, relative to other prominent visual features, can depend on the specific localization task or the relative configuration of elements. Sequential scanning, the more natural of the saccadic tasks, may provide a better way to evaluate the “default” reference position for localization. The fact that the reference position used in both oculomotor and perceptual tasks fell outside the boundary of the shapes supports the importance of spatial pooling, in contrast to local features, in object localization

Onset of double diffusive reaction-convection in an anisotropic porous layer with internal heat source

The effect of internal heat source on the onset of double diffusive reaction-convection in an anisotropic porous layer subjected to chemical equilibrium on the boundaries is investigated analytically using linear stability analyses. The linear analysis is based on the usual normal mode method. The Darcy model is employed for the momentum equation. The effect of internal Rayleigh number, Damkohler number, mechanical anisotropy parameter and thermal anisotropy parameter on the stationary and oscillatory convection is shown graphically. It is found that the effect of internal Rayleigh number and mechanical anisotropy parameter have destabilizing effect, while the thermal anisotropy parameter has stabilizing effect on the stationary and oscillatory convection. The Damkohler number has destabilizing effect in the case of stationary mode, with stabilizing effect in the case of oscillatory mode

A shape-level flanker facilitation effect in contour integration and the role of shape complexity

This work by funded by an EPSRC doctoral training grant at the University of St Andrews.The detection of an object in the visual field requires the visual system to integrate a variety of local features into a single object. How these local processes and their global integration is influenced by the presence of other shapes in the visual field is poorly understood. The detectability (contour integration) of a central target object in the form of a two dimensional Gaborized contour was compared in the presence or absence of nearby surrounding objects. A 2-AFC staircase procedure added orientation jitter to the constituent Gabor patches to determine the detectability of the target contour. The set of contours was generated using shape profiles of everyday objects and geometric forms. Experiment 1 examined the effect of three types of congruencies between the target and two flanking contours (contour shape, symmetry and familiarity). Experiment 2 investigated the effect of varying the number and spatial positions of the flankers. In addition, a measure of shape complexity (reciprocal of shape compactness) was used to assess the effects of contour complexity on detection. Across both experiments the detectability of the target contour increased when the target and flanker had the same shape and this was related to both the number of flankers and the complexity of the target shapes. Another factor that modulated this shape-level flanker facilitation effect was the presence of symmetry. The overall results are consistent with a contour integration process in which the visual system incorporates contextual information to extract the most likely smooth contour within a noise field.PostprintPeer reviewe