Guidelines on the use of Structure from Motion Photogrammetry in Geomorphic Research

As a topographic modelling technique, structure-from-motion (SfM) photogrammetry combines the utility of digital photogrammetry with a flexibility and ease of use derived from multi-view computer vision methods. In conjunction with the rapidly increasing availability of imagery, particularly from unmanned aerial vehicles, SfM photogrammetry represents a powerful tool for geomorphological research. However, to fully realize this potential, its application must be carefully underpinned by photogrammetric considerations, surveys should be reported in sufficient detail to be repeatable (if practical) and results appropriately assessed to understand fully the potential errors involved. To deliver these goals, robust survey and reporting must be supported through (i) using appropriate survey design, (ii) applying suitable statistics to identify systematic error (bias) and to estimate precision within results, and (iii) propagating uncertainty estimates into the final data products

Guidelines on the use of Structure from Motion Photogrammetry in Geomorphic Research

As a topographic modelling technique, structure-from-motion (SfM) photogrammetry combines the utility of digital photogrammetry with a flexibility and ease of use derived from multi-view computer vision methods. In conjunction with the rapidly increasing availability of imagery, particularly from unmanned aerial vehicles, SfM photogrammetry represents a powerful tool for geomorphological research. However, to fully realize this potential, its application must be carefully underpinned by photogrammetric considerations, surveys should be reported in sufficient detail to be repeatable (if practical) and results appropriately assessed to understand fully the potential errors involved. To deliver these goals, robust survey and reporting must be supported through (i) using appropriate survey design, (ii) applying suitable statistics to identify systematic error (bias) and to estimate precision within results, and (iii) propagating uncertainty estimates into the final data products

Cardiovascular health risk among university students in South Africa

Tradisioneel is individue se vermoëns, belangstellings en persoonlikhede tydens beroepsvoorligting en werwings- en keuringsprosesse geassesseer, terwyl slegs enkele studies op die liggaamlike gesondheid van tweedejaarstudente, as intreevlakwerknemers vir sakeondernemings in Suid- Afrika, gefokus het. Die hoofdoel van hierdie navorsing was om die stand van die kardiovaskulêre gesondheid van universiteitstudente in hul tweede jaar (as intreevlakwerknemers) te bepaal. Die motivering vir die studie was tweeledig: eerstens om die huidige kardiovaskulêre gesondheidsrisiko van studente te bepaal, en tweedens om hulle in te lig oor die mate van risiko waaraan hulle blootgestel is. Die studie was ’n kwantitatiewe deursneestudie wat onderneem is om inligting in te win oor die kardiovaskulêre gesondheid van universiteitstudente. Die steekproef wat vir hierdie navorsingstudie gebruik is, het bestaan uit 162 universiteitstudente in Suid-Afrika wat almal tussen 18 en 25 jaar oud was. Die resultate het aangedui dat 55.6% van die betrokke studente aan hoë bloeddruk gely het. Uit laasgenoemde groep studente is 81.1% as prehipertensief gediagnoseer, terwyl stadium 1-hipertensie by 18.9% gediagnoseer is. Altesaam 64.8% van al die deelnemende studente se tellings is in die hoër meetgebied van die Kardiale Stresindeks (KSI). Ongelukkig het 61% van dié studente met verhoogde KSI-tellings ook hoë bloeddruk getoon. Benewens verhoogde harttempo en bloeddruk het 15.2% van die deelnemers ook swak harttempoveranderlikheid getoon. Dus het byna 10% van die totale steekproef verhoogde kardiale stresvlakke, verhoogde harttempo en hoë bloeddrukvlakke vertoon. Die resultate dui daarop dat universiteitstudente heeltemal onbewus is van hul kardiovaskulêre gesondheid en van die moontlikheid dat dit ’n invloed op hul loopbane kan hê. Beroepsvoorligters, industriële sielkundiges, opvoedkundige sielkundiges en praktisyns op die gebied van menslikehulpbronbestuur kan hierdie inligting voordelig binne die bestek van hul praktyk gebruik om beroepsvoorligting aan fisiologiestudente te verskaf. Dié praktiese benadering sal fisiologiestudente ook in staat stel om vas te stel wat hul eie kardiovaskulêregesondheidsrisiko’s is.Traditionally, individuals’ abilities, interests and personality were assessed during career guidance and recruitment and selection processes; however, only a few studies focused on the actual health of second-year students, as entry-level employees for business in South Africa. The main research purpose was to determine the cardiovascular health of second-year university students’ (as young entry-level employees). The motivations for the study are two-fold: to determine the current cardiovascular health risk of students, and to educate the students about such risk. The study was a quantitative cross-sectional study to determine university students’ cardiovascular health. The sample used in this research study consisted of 162 university students in South Africa, between the ages of 18 and 25 years. The results indicated that 55.6% students had high blood pressure. Then 81.1% of the latter group of students were identified as prehypertensive, while 18.9% were considered as having stage-1 hypertension. Students exhibited elevated cardiac stress as well. Altogether 64.8% of all the participating students scored in the elevated range of the Cardiac Stress Index (CSI). Unfortunately, 61% of the students with elevated CSI readings also exhibited high blood pressure. Furthermore, of the latter group, 15.2% exhibited poor heart rate variability, as well as elevated heart rate and blood pressure. Therefore, nearly 10% of the total sample exhibited elevated cardiac stress, an elevated heart rate and high blood pressure levels. The implications of the results are that university students are unaware of their cardiovascular health and that it may have an effect on their careers. Career counsellors, industrial psychologists, educational psychologists, and human resource management practitioners may benefit from this information in their scope of practice to guide physiology students in their career. This practical approach also allows physiology students to determine their own cardiovascular health risks.http://www.satnt.ac.zaam201

Size Doesn't Matter: Towards a More Inclusive Philosophy of Biology

notes: As the primary author, O’Malley drafted the paper, and gathered and analysed data (scientific papers and talks). Conceptual analysis was conducted by both authors.publication-status: Publishedtypes: ArticlePhilosophers of biology, along with everyone else, generally perceive life to fall into two broad categories, the microbes and macrobes, and then pay most of their attention to the latter. ‘Macrobe’ is the word we propose for larger life forms, and we use it as part of an argument for microbial equality. We suggest that taking more notice of microbes – the dominant life form on the planet, both now and throughout evolutionary history – will transform some of the philosophy of biology’s standard ideas on ontology, evolution, taxonomy and biodiversity. We set out a number of recent developments in microbiology – including biofilm formation, chemotaxis, quorum sensing and gene transfer – that highlight microbial capacities for cooperation and communication and break down conventional thinking that microbes are solely or primarily single-celled organisms. These insights also bring new perspectives to the levels of selection debate, as well as to discussions of the evolution and nature of multicellularity, and to neo-Darwinian understandings of evolutionary mechanisms. We show how these revisions lead to further complications for microbial classification and the philosophies of systematics and biodiversity. Incorporating microbial insights into the philosophy of biology will challenge many of its assumptions, but also give greater scope and depth to its investigations