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Physiognomy datasets across two sub-montane tropical forests: Bakossi National Park and Mt. Nlonako in the continental Cameroon mountains
No full textThe submontane forests in the Congo Basin have not been studied sufficiently in terms of floristic diversity, biomass, and geographic distribution. The region's lack of resources and rugged terrain are among the barriers to sampling biodiversity. This study focuses on two understudied submontane forest areas, Bakossi National Park (BNP) and Mt. Nlonako (MN), which form part of the continental Cameroon Mountains and are believed to have high species diversity and endemism. However, significant gaps exist in biodiversity data across the continental Cameroon Mountains. This study is the first detailed quantitative survey of forests in the BNP and MN through permanent plot sampling. The results of this study can be used to guide policies for managing montane ecosystems in Cameroon and enhancing conservation efforts. The study also provides an opportunity for long-term monitoring of forest health and REDD+ status
Jamming to map creative scenes and practices
No full textIn this paper I detail my experiences undertaking an ICT4D project that aimed to better understand how under-resourced visual creatives used mobile technologies to participate in creative 'scenes' in Cape Town, South Africa. The project was focused on developing novel digital applications to better support localized practices. From a post-qualitative perspective, I could map the scenes of 'jamming' together with participants. In describing these scenes, a better understanding is formed of how technologies could be re-designed to support situated creative activities as constellations of creative practices, social imaginaries and materialities. I offer provocations for the future of Digital Development within the creative and cultural industries, namely that creative scenes are about social imaginary and the imminent participations of people; That creative participation is about more than just economic participation; That doing inquiry is about imagining different material realities together with participants; And that 'development' implies dynamic change
Optimising a processing window for the production of aluminium silicon-12 samples via selective laser melting
No full textSelective laser melting (SLM) SLM has gained interest in processing lightweight metals like aluminium alloys. The SLM processing remains challenging in finding the appropriate process parameters for the desired mechanical properties. Previous studies have used energy density formulas and heat treatment to improve the mechanical properties of materials in different ways. However, the holistic approach to studying the physical and mechanical properties has less been reported. Therefore, this article presents the optimisation of the processing window of the AlSi12 aluminium alloy produced by the SLM process. The design of the experiment (DoE) was carried out using the Response Surface Methodology (RSM) implemented in the Design Expert 2018 environment. It involved two process factors in the following range of scan speed (500–2500 mm/s) and laser power (50–300 W). The combination of a scan speed of 500 mm/s and a laser power of 300 W resulted in a relative density of 97.4 %, an ultimate tensile strength (UTS) of 418 MPa and a hardness of 132.6 HV. The microstructure and fracture analysis provided evidence of reduced defects with the combination of parameters mentioned above. Thus, this study contributes to adding a new set of data to existing work for more comprehensive parameter calibration. This study helps industries that produce aluminium alloys from SLM processes obtain the optimal range of process parameters that produce parts with the desired mechanical properties
Patient-centered care measures through the eyes of South African Radiographers and patients: a survey approach
No full textBackground:
Worldwide there has been a shift in the ideology within healthcare systems that focuses on ‘people’ rather than the ‘patients’. A patient should not only be perceived by their condition but rather viewed holistically as a person. Within a South African (SA) context, the constitution has been amended to state that all South African citizens have the right to healthcare that is caring, free from harm, and effective. Hence, it can be rationalized that patient-centered care (PCC) is a necessary and vital approach in South African healthcare as well. A study conducted by Hyde and Hardy in the United Kingdom (UK) explored measures of PCC from radiography patients, radiographers, radiography managers, radiography educators, and radiography students' perspectives. This study was duplicated to define informed measures of PCC from a South African perspective. Therefore, this study aimed to gain perspectives on PCC measures in diagnostic radiography within a sample of the South African community. This paper focuses on the perspectives of the clinical radiographer and patient respondents.
Method:
This study was conducted using a quantitative approach with the use of an online survey. The Qualtrics software was utilized to design the survey. The survey consisted of three PCC themes; use of technology, comfort and emotional support, and control over the environment. Recruitment of the subgroups was via advertisement in social media, email networks, and word of mouth.
Results:
There were 28 radiographer responses and 14 patient responses. The data were analyzed using SPSS software version 28. Patient care while explaining the use of technology in radiography, received positive responses from both respondent groups. Patient care measures that explored comfort and emotional support received varied responses from patients and radiographers. Important PCC concepts, such as asking the patient about their care needs and health problems, were lacking. Patients indicated that radiographers do not include their family members in the discussion of the care needs even though family involvement is a PCC element.
Conclusion:
The perceptions of PCC measures differed between the two groups which indicated that there are still some gaps in clinical practice. Patient involvement in their care and individualized care should be prioritized. There is a need for family involvement during radiography procedures to be better highlighted within clinical practice. It is also recommended that more importance be placed on PCC during undergraduate training. While service delivery is important, radiographers must not disregard their PCC responsibilities towards the patient
Clinical preparedness programme as perceived by first-year diagnostic radiography students in South Africa
No full textIntroduction:
There is an increasing emphasis on exploring ways to improve students' transition from the classroom into the clinical environment. Diagnostic radiography (DR) students undergo rigorous theoretical and practical training before they are exposed to the clinical environment. It has been found that when DR students commence clinical learning in the workplace for the very first time, they experience difficulties in this transition. At the site of investigation, a newly integrated and dedicated clinical preparedness (CP) programme was offered; however, little is known about the DR students' perceptions of this programme.
Methods:
A qualitative approach coupled with a self-developed, cross-sectional research tool was employed. First-year DR students were purposefully sampled against the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The principle of voluntary participation was upheld throughout the data collection process. The data were analysed using Braun and Clarke's six steps of thematic analysis.
Results:
Forty-two responses were collected. Following a thematic analysis, two overarching themes were developed, namely: (1) reflections on the CP programme and (2) suggestions for future CP programmes.
Conclusion:
This study demonstrated the need for effective CP programmes as an approach to ease the transition of first-year DR students from the classroom into the clinical environment. Several suggestions, for example, an extended CP programme and a clinical information pack were made for the offering of similar programmes in the future
Cultivation and beneficial uses of Pelargonium sidoides DC. – a review
No full textBackground: Pelargonium sidoides (P. sidoides) DC. (Geraniaceae) is one of several geophytic species of the genus that are important traditional medicines in South Africa. P. sidoides has been identified as a potential future economic species known to cure various ailments, including respiratory infections.
Aim: This review was aimed at addressing concerns around the overexploitation of P. sidoides in the wild.
Setting: This review provides an overview of P. sidoides cultivation and usage.
Method: A comprehensive literature search involving mainly electronic and library sources of information was used to collate and synthesise published data.
Results: According to the findings of the study, there has been a huge increase in demand for the plant and it has been overexploited locally as a result of increased domestic and global demand from native consumers and the pharmaceutical industries.
Conclusion: The review emphasises the necessity of cultivation in ensuring the sustainability of P. sidoides in the wild. Cultivation is a crucial component of conservation attempts which is under threat because of increasing urbanisation, habitat degradation, and population growth. Furthermore, producing medicinal plants allows new rural farmers to produce them as a new crop option, reducing unsustainable wild collection and competition with established commercial farmers who mostly raise food crops. Lastly, the study reveals the benefits in cultivating medicinal plants namely the strengthening of primary healthcare through traditional medicine, the preservation of indigenous knowledge, local economic growth, and job creation.
Contribution: The benefits of cultivation and using P. sidoides medicinally are reviewed in this essay
knowledge and behaviours regarding physical activity of firefighters in the City of Cape Town Fire and Rescue Service – a cross-sectional study
No full textBackground: Firefighters have a higher prevalence of chronic diseases due to the relationship between a lack of knowledge and poor behaviours regarding physical activity (PA). The aim of the study was to determine the knowledge and behaviours regarding physical activity of firefighters in the City of Cape Town Fire and Rescue Service, as well as address the current dearth of literature on physical activity to decrease firefighters’ risk of chronic diseases.
Design and Methods: This cross-sectional study recruited 136 firefighters in the City of Cape Town Fire and Rescue Service. A researcher-generated self-administered questionnaire on the knowledge and behaviours regarding physical activity was completed online using Google Forms. Statistical significance was set at a p-value less than 0.05.
Results: The results showed that 53% of firefighters had a poor knowledge of physical activity, and 47% had a good knowledge of physical activity, while 80% reported poor behaviours toward physical activity and 20% had good behaviours toward physical activity. There was a significant difference between firefighters’ knowledge of physical activity and their physical activity behaviour (p < 0.05), particularly related to marital status, age, and years of experience (p < 0.05). A safe environment was significantly associated with recreational PA (p < 0.05) and sleep behaviour was significantly associated with overall PA behaviour (p < 0.001).
Conclusion: Firefighters knowledge about physical activity did not translate into better behaviours regarding PA. Education and behavioural interventions are warranted to increase firefighters’ knowledge of and improving their attitudes toward PA
Radiology image interpretation services in a low-resource setting: medical doctors' experiences and the potential role of radiographers
No full textIntroduction: Medical doctors can encounter significant challenges in both the radiology image interpretation service and their ability to interpret images to promote effective patient management. This study aimed to explore the experiences of medical doctors in a low-resource setting regarding the image interpretation service received in state-funded hospitals and the potential role of radiographers. Methods: A qualitative approach with a descriptive phenomenology design was employed. Thirteen medical officers and medical interns, with a maximum of three years of experience, were purposively selected from three state-funded hospitals. Semi-structured interviews were conducted in English, and data analysis followed the conventional content analysis method using Atlas.ti for Windows (version 9). Results: Three main themes emerged from the data. The first theme was a poor image interpretation service which highlighted issues such as long turnaround times for image reporting and compromised patient management. The second theme was training and support deficiency which revealed the inadequacy of image interpretation training and the need for additional on-the-job support. The third theme was the inconspicuous radiographer role which showcased the potential opportunities for radiographers to aid in filling the gaps in the image interpretation system. Conclusion: Medical doctors in this low-resource setting experience significant delays in radiology image interpretation, leading to compromised patient management. Their training in image interpretation is inadequate, and they often lack on-the-job support. Radiographers potentially play a role in image interpretation which may provide solutions to these contextual challenges. Implications for practice: There is a need to review and develop a comprehensive image interpretation system that effectively supports medical doctors in image interpretation, possibly involving the collaboration of radiographers
Linear discriminant analysis based hidden Markov model for detection of Mysticetes’ vocalisations
No full textMysticetes’ produce distinctive vocalisations which are used for echolocation, communication, and other marine functions. These cryptic vocalisations are studied by marine scientist to determine the behavioural patterns and movement of this suborder of cetaceans within their ecosystem. In practice, these vocalisations are gathered using passive acoustic monitoring over days, weeks, months, and even years. Therefore, it is complex to study these sounds using traditional visual inspection techniques because the gathered datasets are huge. Machine learning (ML) tools such as Gaussian mixture models (GMMs), support vector machines (SVMs), and hidden Markov models (HMMs) have been adopted in recent times to proffer analytic solutions to automatically detect and study these cryptic vocalisations. Notwithstanding, the feature extraction techniques employed play a vital role in determining the performance of these ML tools. In most cases, the performance of the feature extraction technique is directly proportional to the performance of the ML tools. Thus, the method of linear discriminant analysis (LDA) is introduced in this article as a feature extraction technique that can be adapted with the HMMs (LDA-HMM) to seamlessly detect the vocalisations of Mysticetes. The performance of the proposed LDA-HMM detector is compared with other recent detectors for Mysticetes’ vocalisations in the literature using two different species: Humpback whale songs and Bryde’s whale pulses. Experimental results show that the developed LDA-HMM detector is a performance-efficient alternative in comparison to the recent detection techniques studied in this article. Besides, the LDA-HMM detector offers less computational time complexity; as such, it is more suitable for real-time applications
Power flow analysis and steady state contingency of IEEE 9-bus system using DigSilent
No full textPower flow analysis and contingency states of a power system are fundamental tests of finding the real performance of an electrical network during power system planning and operation. Maintaining the system’s security is a challenging issue facing power system engineers. The system will be secure if it can run within system restrictions, such as limits of bus voltage magnitudes, current and power flow through the lines. in the case of a component failure, such as a generator or transmission line, contingency analysis is useful for increasing the power system’s resilience by examining the system’s vulnerability in case of components failure. Using an IEEE 9-bus system as benchmark, the analysis of power flow through contingency analysis is performed to identify the most critical component affected by voltage violation and critical loading condition. Using the one-by-one and two-by-two outages of generators and lines using DIgSILENT Power Factory software. The results of the contingency analysis demonstrate how voltage on busbars can be critically affected when the power system is subject to some sort of unconditional phenomena during the operation of the electrical network