The 4IR: Assessing the landscape to grasp opportunities and navigate threats

As custodians of knowledge, South African universities, and by extension their libraries, have critical advantages to develop large scale collaborations and innovation capacities. However, due to this advantage, these institutions are pressured by government to develop graduates who are ready for job roles that are constantly changing and produce research. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated this pressure, but advancing technologies brought on by the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) did as well; especially when considering that 41% of job functions within South Africa have the potential for automation. As a result of this, the South African innovation landscape has seen us fall into a Watch Out economy – Where it has a number of infrastructure gaps. Despite this, young delegates are showing enthusiasm for a digital future. This is part of the Global Digital Evolution. Furthermore, a key aspect of digital support and literacy required for the future of work )as well as education is access. Yet we see that internet penetration rates are lowest in Africa when compared globally From a library perspective, as knowledge workers within such an environment, how do we remain relevant and navigate this paradigm? After all, it can be argued that we ourselves need to be able to guide various stakeholders across disciplines to deliver knowledge that is relevant. In this talk these areas are reviewed and addressed.Paper presented virtually at LIASA Event themed "4IR: is it a threat or opportunity for Librarians.", on, 29 April 2022

Leveraging an Academic Makerspace: Rapid Response to Address Effects of COVID-19

This presentation briefly reviewed how an academic Makerspace leveraged 3D printing as a rapid prototyping technology to address the shortage of PPE during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. It also noted the activities undertaken once mass production caught up with demand.https://www.researchgate.net/publication/349811702_Leveraging_an_Academic_Makerspace_to_Rapidly_Address_Effects_of_COVID-1

Towards the “New” Digital Preservation: Review of 3D Scanning as a Key Technology

Emerging technologies allow us as humans to innovate and create. But what about 3D scanning? There is an array of 3D scanners available which are based on many different technologies, each with its own limitations, advantages and costs. The most common form of 3D scanners utilizes optic sensors to collect information on how light hits the object being scanned. Software can then use this data and interpret light contrast as depth-perception and render a 3-dimensional copy. The most apparent weaknesses of this scanning type are the optics of the scanners, which struggle to translate reflective or transparent surfaces, as the light refraction differs between these materials. Despite these limitations, the benefits and function of 3D scanning is extensive. The largest benefit is the rendering and creation of these objects without negatively impacting the object itself. Based on this, the application of this technology ranges from reverse engineering to product design as well as research. Part of this is the digitisation of 3D objects that is not always accessible, rare, fragile or culturally significant. This is achieved by creating 3D models saved in files for electronic analysis, amendment and review which can be easily distributed. However, which 3D scanning device or software is the best? What are the limitations? What infrastructure, resources or skills are required? In this presentation we delve into 3D scanning technology’s technical aspects including the options available, limitations, resources, skills needed and costing. Then, successful project initiatives using 3D scanning will be reviewed to note its application. This will include its usage for research support and digital preservation. Why digital preservation? Because three-dimensional objects that could not be digitized before is now possible. This allows access to digital platforms where larger communicates can engage and access such objects in the digital world. Moreover, this is in an attempt to guide future stakeholders, should they be considering investing in this technology or realise its role in addressing problems.15th International SAOIM (Southern African Online Information Meeting), CSIR ICC, 8-10 June 2022.https://web.cvent.com/event/05625e35-93d1-478e-b5f8-f05c77c4ba7e/summar

A conceptual model of entrepreneurial competencies needed to utilise technologies of Industry 4.0

The Fourth Industrial Revolution, also known as Industry 4.0 (I4), has provided an unprecedented platform for innovation in various spheres. For entrepreneurs then, who are known to drive innovation and progress in various fields, I4 offers a wide scope of opportunities. The purpose of this article is to provide a conceptual model of needed entrepreneurial competencies to effectively utilise novel technologies I4 has to offer. To develop the model, this exploratory study adopts an action research approach. Using predefined questions developed from previous literature, a representative sample was obtained from 17 in-depth interviews with entrepreneurs. From the data analyses, where machine learning technologies were used, it was found that to respond and navigate the layers of I4 technologies and enable new possibilities, entrepreneurs require certain competencies in this globally connected and technology-fuelled world. This article advances entrepreneurial research as it provides a platform to guide and support their development, which has been a key focus area both internationally and in South Africa, to address one of the key sustainable development goals, economic growth. Despite this contribution, further investigation is required on how to develop these competencies through supportive mechanisms and corresponding education relating to I4.http://journals.sagepub.com/home/ieihj2021Informatic

Developing breakthrough innovation capabilities in university ecosystems : a case study from South Africa

DATA AVAILABILITY : Data will be made available on request.The emergence of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) paradigm, whilst posing challenges, also presents significant opportunities to bolster research capabilities and pioneer breakthrough innovations that can stimulate economic growth across various sectors. However, the realisation of these benefits relies heavily on the ability of countries and their constituents to innovate effectively in this new landscape. The purpose of this study is to explore how innovation mechanisms can be employed to foster stronger innovation capabilities within a university ecosystem, particularly in the African context. To do so a case study methodology is used, where cross-sectional data gathered over six months is assessed using the Diffusion of Innovation (DOI) as a theoretical lens. The findings reveal that such innovation mechanisms, like a makerspace within a university ecosystem, provide critical support for design phase innovation and collaboration. We illustrate this by employing a conceptual framework that explains the process by which innovations evolve from ideas into valuable outcomes.https://www.elsevier.com/locate/techforehj2023InformaticsSDG-08:Decent work and economic growt

The genetic organisation of a 2,966 basepair DNA fragment of a Single Capsid Nucleopolyhedrovirus isolated from Trichoplusia ni

In order to investiagte the genomic organization of the Trichoplusia ni Single Capsid Nucleoplyhedrovirus (TnSNPV) , a 2,966 base pairs (bp) genomic fragment was sequenced. The fragment was found to contain five open reading frames (ORF's) homologous to baculovirus genes, including p26, fibrillin (p10), AcMNPV ORF-29, late expression facor 6 (lef 6) and the C-terminal portion of p74, on either stand of DNA. Predicted amini acid sequences for the ORFs were compared and identity values of between 12% and 54% were observed. Clustering and arrangement of the TnSNPV genes were similar to the clustering reported for SeMNPV, confirming TnSNPV was a Group II NPV.IS

Creation of a Selection Program for Indigenous Students at an Eco-Tourism Focused High School in the Ecuadorian Amazon Region

The objective of this study was to contribute to the existing literature on international selection practices, specifically looking at selection of indigenous students in the Amazon region of Ecuador for admission into an eco-tourism focused high school. Selection criteria used in the study were based on current best practices in international selection. This study looked at the predictors of dependability, resilience, stability, sales-drive and student connectedness as they related to the success of the current student population at the school. Sixty-three current students at the Yachana Technical High School completed a traits based survey measuring dependability, resilience, stability, sales drive and student connectedness. Student success at the school was measured by student surveys relating to student academic performance and student sociability at the school that were filled out by three current teachers at the school. Student grades for the first term of the 2010-2011 school year were also analyzed. Results indicated that sales drive and resilience were related to teacher evaluation of students at the school

Patterns of in situ Mineral Colonization by Microorganisms in a ~60°C Deep Continental Subsurface Aquifer

The microbial ecology of the deep biosphere is difficult to characterize, owing in part to sampling challenges and poorly understood response mechanisms to environmental change. Pre-drilled wells, including oil wells or boreholes, offer convenient access, but sampling is frequently limited to the water alone, which may provide only a partial view of the native diversity. Mineral heterogeneity demonstrably affects colonization by deep biosphere microorganisms, but the connections between the mineral-associated and planktonic communities remain unclear. To understand the substrate effects on microbial colonization and the community response to changes in organic carbon, we conducted an 18-month series of in situ experiments in a warm (57°C), anoxic, fractured carbonate aquifer at 752 m depth using replicate open, screened cartridges containing different solid substrates, with a proteinaceous organic matter perturbation halfway through this series. Samples from these cartridges were analyzed microscopically and by Illumina (iTag) 16S rRNA gene libraries to characterize changes in mineralogy and the diversity of the colonizing microbial community. The substrate-attached and planktonic communities were significantly different in our data, with some taxa (e.g., Candidate Division KB-1) rare or undetectable in the first fraction and abundant in the other. The substrate-attached community composition also varied significantly with mineralogy, such as with two Rhodocyclaceae OTUs, one of which was abundant on carbonate minerals and the other on silicic substrates. Secondary sulfide mineral formation, including iron sulfide framboids, was observed on two sets of incubated carbonates. Notably, microorganisms were attached to the framboids, which were correlated with abundant Sulfurovum and Desulfotomaculum sp. sequences in our analysis. Upon organic matter perturbation, mineral-associated microbial diversity differences were temporarily masked by the dominance of putative heterotrophic taxa in all samples, including OTUs identified as Caulobacter, Methyloversatilis, and Pseudomonas. Subsequent experimental deployments included a methanogen-dominated stage (Methanobacteriales and Methanomicrobiales) 6 months after the perturbation and a return to an assemblage similar to the pre-perturbation community after 9 months. Substrate-associated community differences were again significant within these subsequent phases, however, demonstrating the value of in situ time course experiments to capture a fraction of the microbial assemblage that is frequently difficult to observe in pre-drilled wells

A robust mixed-effects parametric quantile regression model for continuous proportions : quantifying the constraints to vitality in cushion plants

DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT : The data that support the findings of this study are available on request from the corresponding author. The data are not publicly available due to privacy or ethical restrictions.There is no literature on outlier-robust parametric mixed-effects quantile regression models for continuous proportion data as an alternative to systematically identifying and eliminating outliers. To fill this gap, we formulate a robust method by extending the recently proposed fixed-effects quantile regression model based on the heavy-tailed Johnson-t distribution for continuous proportion data to the mixed-effects modeling context, using a Bayesian approach. Our proposed method is motivated by and used to model the extreme quantiles of the vitality of cushion plants to provide insights into the ecology of the system in which the plants are dominant. We conducted a simulation study to assess the new method’s performance and robustness to outliers. We show that the new model has good accuracy and confidence interval coverage properties and is remarkably robust to outliers. In contrast, our study demonstrates that the current approach in the literature for modeling hierarchically structured bounded data’s quantiles is susceptible to outliers, especially when modeling the extreme quantiles. We conclude that the proposed model is an appropriate robust alternative to the cur-rent approach for modeling the quantiles of correlated continuous proportions when outliers are present in the data.https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/14679574am2024Plant Production and Soil ScienceStatisticsNon