Developing Walvis Bay Port into a logistics gateway for southern Africa: Issues, challenges and the potential implications for Namibia’s future

Many developing countries wish to become the ‘gateway’ to a region or part of a continent.One strategy involves encouraging logistics cluster development. These hubs support global supply chains and may enable the economic growth of the host country through the resulting trade, as well as providing direct and indirect employment opportunities during the build and subsequent operation of the hub. Namibia intends to develop the Port of Walvis Bay to be come the preferred gateway to southern Africa and the Southern African Development Community region. This article builds on research on Caribbean cluster potential and Namibian logistics to identify the potential benefits and impact on development, as well as the drawbacks and risks of such a strategy

Localized climate control in greenhouses

Strategies for controlling the indoor climate in greenhouses are based on a few sensors and actuators in combination with an assumption that climate variables, such as temperature, are uniform throughout the greenhouse. While this is already an improper assumption for conventional greenhouses, it especially does not hold for the new trend of growing crops at multiple layers. In addition, different temperature values are desired at the different layers, which turns out to give an uncontrollability issue with the current set of actuators. To solve this issue, fans are placed at each of the layers and an MPC strategy is employed for controlling this nonlinear MIMO system. A case study further shows that such a control strategy reduces the consumed energy of the greenhouse, while maintaining the desired temperature values

Effect of occupational exposure to cytostatics and nucleotide excision repair polymorphism on chromosomal aberrations frequency

Authors evaluated the incidence of total chromosomal aberrations (CA) and their types – chromatid-type (CTA) and chromosome-type (CSA) in peripheral blood lymphocytes from 72 oncologic unit's workers occupationally exposed to cytostatics in relationship to polymorphisms of DNA repair genes XPD, XPG and XPC. The cytogenetic analysis was used for determination of chromosomal aberrations frequency and PCR-RFLP method for polymorphisms of genes. Statistically higher frequency of total CA was detected in exposed group as compared to control (1.90±1.34% vs. 1.26±0.93%; Mann-Whitney U-test, p=0.001). There was not detected any difference between CTA and CSA (0.92±1.04% vs. 0.98±1.17%). Similarly, in genes XPD exon 23 and XPC exon 15 wasn't detected any difference neither in total chromosomal aberrations nor in CTA and CSA types. Statistically significant decrease of total chromosomal aberrations and CTA-type with presence of variant allele C was detected in gene XPG exon 15. Authors pointed out the importance of individual susceptibility factors in evaluation of effects of genotoxic agents, in that event, when the concentration does not meet the occupational exposure limit

Rethinking Research Partnerships: Evidence and the politics of participation in research partnerships for international development

This article responds to the drive for research partnerships between academics and practitioners, arguing that while potential benefits are clear, these are frequently not actualized resulting in partnerships that are ineffectual or worse, exacerbate damaging or inequitable assumptions and practices. In order to understand/improve partnerships, a systematic analysis of the interrelationship between what counts as evidence and dynamics of participation is proposed. Drawing on data from a seminar series and iterative analysis of seven case studies of partnerships between Higher Education Institutions and International Non-Governmental Organisations the article concludes by suggesting substantial shifts in the theory and practice of partnerships

Assembling Texts in the Digital University

This article engages with new research into digital academic practices in the university and argues that although significant advances have been made in understanding new literacy and media practices, a tendency remains for research both to reify “the digital” and to neglect the material dimension of text-making. In response, this article proposes a model for understanding the mechanics through which both digital and nondigital academic texts are assembled. Drawing on social semiotics and the material philosophy of Gilles Deleuze, this model employs the concepts of interest, semiotics resources, and affordances in an effort to undo the dichotomies between “digital”/“nondigital and “social”/“material.” The article concludes by reflecting on how journals such as the International Journal of Learning and Media are redefining the “conditions of possibility” of academic texts

Understanding the drivers of broadband adoption : the case of rural and remote Scotland

Broadband has been described as a transforming technology and is now widely available in many developed countries. However, broadband availability is not the same as broadband adoption. If the socio-economic benefits of broadband are to be realized, then adoption needs to be both understood and encouraged. This is particularly important in rural and remote areas. This paper explores the factors that drive broadband adoption in one particular rural and remote area; rural and remote Scotland. A causal model and a quantitative simulation model are developed indicating how the various drivers of adoption interact with one another. Both models show that past policy initiatives have impacted on the rate of adoption. However, the greatest impact could be achieved if future policy initiatives target those people who show no interest in adopting broadband. The paper concludes by suggesting that this work has implications for rural and remote areas all around the world

World radiocommunication conference 12 : implications for the spectrum eco-system

Spectrum allocation is once more a key issue facing the global telecommunications industry. Largely overlooked in current debates, however, is the World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC). Decisions taken by WRC shape the future roadmap of the telecommunications industry, not least because it has the ability to shape the global spectrum allocation framework. In the debates of WRC-12 it is possible to identify three main issues: enhancement of the international spectrum regulatory framework, regulatory measures required to introduce Cognitive Radio Systems (CRS) technologies; and, additional spectrum allocation to mobile service. WRC-12 eventually decided not to change the current international radio regulations with regard to the first two issues and agreed to the third issue. The main implications of WRC-12 on the spectrum ecosystem are that most of actors are not in support of the concept of spectrum flexibility associated with trading and that the concept of spectrum open access is not under consideration. This is explained by the observation that spectrum trading and spectrum commons weaken state control over spectrum and challenge the main principles and norms of the international spectrum management regime. In addition, the mobile allocation issue has shown the lack of conformity with the main rules of the regime: regional spectrum allocation in the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) three regions, and the resistance to the slow decision making procedures. In conclusion, while the rules and decision-making procedures of the international spectrum management regime were challenged in the WRC-12, the main principles and norms are still accepted by the majority of countries

Comparison of chromosomal aberrations frequency and polymorphism of GSTs genes in workers occupationally exposed to cytostatics or anaesthetics

Authors compared the incidence of chromosomal aberrations (CAs) of workers occupationally exposed to cytostatics (group EXP1) or anaesthetics (group EXP2) in relationship to polymorphism of GSTM1, GSTP1 and GSTT1 genes. The cytogenetic analysis for chromosomal aberrations frequency and for polymorphisms of genes the PCR and PCR-RFLP method were used. Statistically higher frequency of total CAs was detected in both exposed groups: group EXP1 1.90±1.34%; Mann-Whitney U-test, p=0.001; group EXP2 2.53±1.46%, p=0.0008) as compared to control (1.26±0.93%). In group EXP2 was detected statistically higher frequency of aberrations CSA-type as compared to CTA-type. In xenobiotic metabolizing genes for GST higher frequency of total CAs and constituent types chromatid-type aberrations (CTAs) and chromosome-type aberrations (CSAs) of genes GSTM1 and GSTT1 with null genotype was detected. Statistically significant difference was detected only in CSA-type of aberrations in GSTT1 gene. In gene GSTP1 was not detected any difference in frequency of aberrations in presence of the variant allele. Presented results point out importance of individual susceptibility in evaluation of genotoxic agents of anaesthetics or cytostatics

Ethics-in-practice in fragile contexts: research in education for displaced persons, refugees and asylum seekers

The rising numbers of forcibly displaced peoples on the move globally, and the challenges with providing access to education, reflects the shifting and complex times that we live in. Even though there has been a proliferation in educational research in the context of forced migration, in line with the increasing number of forced migrants, there has not been a commensurate focus on unpicking the increasingly complex ethical conditions within which researchers and participants operate. To examine this issue, the article provides three narrated accounts by researchers in this field and explores the interaction of researcher and researcher-author voice to critically appraise their research experience and identify critical reflections of understanding of ethics-in-practice in fragile contexts. These narratives are framed by the CERD ethical appraisal framework which explores ethical thinking through four ethical lenses – Consequential, Ecological, Relational and Deontological. The article contributes to a deeper understanding of ethics-in-practice as a central dimension in educational research. The implications of this work show how one-size-fits-all approach to ethical appraisal is inappropriate for a socially just educational research. This work also illustrates the importance of attending to relationships and voice of the forcibly displaced, both of which are often lacking in educational research in fragile contexts