TAL @ NWU (PC): a glance in two mirrors

North-West University presentation at the Colloquium, Developmental study towards effective practices in technology-assisted learning: Reflections 2009, held on 23 November 2009 at the University of Johannesburg

Study on the accuracy of school location information in South Africa

Accurate location information is required for proper planning and informed decision making in a variety of sectors. In the basic education sector, accurate school location information is typically required for road, electricity, internet connectivity and water infrastructure planning as well as planning for the delivery of textbooks and public transport (i.e. busses, taxis). The National Education Collaboration Trust (NECT) commissioned the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) to conduct a study of existing school location information in five NECT education districts (Bohlabela, Bojanala, Mount Frere, Uthungulu and Waterberg). School location information in two existing databases, i.e. Education Management Information System (EMIS) and National Education Information Management System (NEIMS) were assessed. Due to the nature of school buildings (i.e. varying form of schools) it is challenging to automate the identification of schools from satellite imagery by using machine learning/image processing techniques. Manual Geographic Information System (GIS) techniques were applied to conduct the study. High resolution satellite imagery and Google StreetView were utilised to ascertain the locations of schools. This study indicated that there are discrepancies between the EMIS and NEIMS databases and that there is a significant amount of school location information that might not be useful for proper planning and informed decision making in certain sectors due to the degree of positional inaccuracy of the data. If the positional accuracy of the incorrect school location information improves, it will have a positive impact on the overall outcomes of planning and decision making

A round table discussion on forensic science in Australia

This manuscript is an edited transcript of a round table discussion held during the Australian New Zealand Forensic Science Society International Symposium held in Sydney in 2010. The discussants covered a variety of topics, including the management of science, the handling of quality issues, and the report on forensic science from the U.S. National Academies of Science National Research Council. This discussion offers a frank account of the current state of Australian forensic service providers. These views are then considered in the context of recent events unfolding in the United Kingdom and in a broader international context. It poses the question, are there lessons to be learned from the Australian experience that would have relevance to other parts of the world

Fluorination of neodymium carbonate monohydrate with anhydrous hydrogen fluoride in a Carberry spinning-basket reactor

Please read abstract in the article.The South African National Research Foundation (NRF) and the Department of Science and Technology (DST) under the Fluorochemical Expansion Initiative (FEI).http://rsc.li/reaction-engineering2020-08-01hj2019Chemical Engineerin

Tackling Africa's digital divide

Innovations in ‘sustainable’ photonics technologies such as free-space optical links and solar-powered equipment provide developing countries with new cost-effective opportunities for deploying future-proof telecommunication networks

SH41B-2761: Solar energetic particle transport and the possibility of wave generation by streaming electrons

After being accelerated close to the Sun, solar energetic particles (SEPs) are transported (mainly) along the turbulent interplanetary magnetic field. In this study, we simulate the propagation of ~100 keV electrons as they are scattered in the interplanetary medium. A consequence of these wave-particle interactions is the possible modification (either growth or damping) of the background turbulence by anisotropic SEP electron beams. This process was thought to be negligible, and therefore neglected in past modeling approaches. However, recent observations and modeling by Agueda and Lario (2016) suggest that wave generation may be significant and is therefore included and evaluated in our present model. Our results suggest that wave amplification by streaming SEP electrons is indeed possible and may even significantly alter the background turbulent field. However, the simulations show that this process is much too weak to produce observable effects at Earth’s orbit, but such effects may well be observed in future by spacecraft closer to the Sun, presenting an intriguing observational opportunity for either the Solar Orbiter or the Parker Solar Probe spacecraft. Lastly, we note that the level of perpendicular diffusion may also play an important role in determining the effectiveness of the wave growth process.<p>Reference: Agueda, N. and Lario, D. Release History and Transport Parameters of Relativistic Solar Electrons Inferred From Near-the-Sun In Situ Observations, ApJ, 829, 131, 2016.</p