SEALS Digital commons
Not a member yet
7805 research outputs found
Sort by
An investigation into the use of intuitive control interfaces and distributed processing for enhanced three dimensional sound localization
No full textThis thesis investigates the feasibility of using gestures as a means of control for localizing three dimensional (3D) sound sources in a distributed immersive audio system.
A prototype system was implemented and tested which uses state of the art
technology to achieve the stated goals. A Windows Kinect is used for gesture recognition which translates human gestures into control messages by the prototype system, which in turn performs actions based on the recognized gestures. The term distributed in the context of this system refers to the audio processing capacity. The prototype system partitions and allocates the processing load between a number of endpoints.
The reallocated processing load consists of the mixing of audio samples according to
a specification. The endpoints used in this research are XMOS AVB endpoints. The
firmware on these endpoints were modified to include the audio mixing capability
which was controlled by a state of the art audio distribution networking standard,
Ethernet AVB. The hardware used for the implementation of the prototype system
is relatively cost efficient in comparison to professional audio hardware, and is also
commercially available for end users.
the successful implementation and results from user testing of the prototype system
demonstrates how it is a feasible option for recording the localization of a sound
source. The ability to partition the processing provides a modular approach to building immersive sound systems. This removes the constraint of a centralized mixing
console with a predetermined speaker configuration
An investigation into the survival strategies of the rural elderly in Zimbabwe: a case study of Hobodo ward in Mangwe District in Zimbabwe
No full textThe thesis focuses on the survival mechanisms of the rural poor elderly in Zimbabwe. The situation of the rural elderly is looked at in the context of the ravaging HIV/AIDS pandemic. The focus is specifically directed on the increasing numbers of orphans who are generated following the rampant deaths of their parents (sexually active individuals). With Africa failing to effectively withstand the forcefulness of the pandemic, the community structures in Zimbabwe are being heavily shaken to the detriment of all social groups.
It is within this continuum that the research is laid out to investigate the situation on the ground. In this case, a fieldwork exercise was carried out in the Hobodo ward of Mangwe district in Zimbabwe. An intensive and in-depth examination of the critical situation was pursued under the case study model. To make the study more focused, the elderly were placed under investigation with regards to their new role of providing familial care for the orphans. The manner in which they face such a towering task under strained resources and limited knowhow was explored. The well-being of the orphans was also investigated in close relation to the welfare efforts of the elderly guardians. The investigations were made in respect of the contribution of the local resources towards the innovativeness of the elderly guardians. The adaptivity of the elderly and the versatility of the orphans were examined within the confines of the social and the economic capitals of the Hobodo ward. It is within the natural, social and economic capital dimensions of the Hobodo rural locality that the applicability of the sustainable livelihoods framework in explaining the dire social situation of the elderly and the orphans was brought under spotlight.
The study was pursued through the qualitative research paradigm. This was done to capture the social perceptions, beliefs and the innovative capabilities of the elderly in their natural environment; and under the fieldwork setting. Several data collection techniques were employed to unveil the subject under study. These included interviews, questionnaires, participant observations, focus group discussions. Sampling was used to produce the research framework. Participants in the research were largely identified through random sampling. In special circumstances, purposive sampling was used. Tape recording and note taking were largely used to capture the responses of the research participants
The effects of land use on the avifauna and its conservation in a Kenyan coastal forest ecosystem, and the significance of the Arabuko Sokoke Forest to the local community
No full textThis study examines the effects of land use on the bird community of Arabuko Sokoke Forest, the largest area of coastal forest remaining in East Africa and a major Important Bird Area in mainland Kenya. Bird species diversity in three land use types (primary forest, plantation and farm lands) was compared using multivariate analysis to determine the response of different feeding guilds to habitat characteristics. The effect of habitat characteristics on overall bird diversity and specific feeding guilds was tested using linear mixed models. A total of 2600 bird observations were recorded during point counts, representing 97 bird species including 25 fruit-eating birds, 17 nectar feeders; and 60 species belonging exclusively to other feeding guilds. Land use had a significant effect on overall bird diversity and abundance. The distribution of frugivorous birds was primarily influenced by the presence of fruiting trees rather than land use type, while nectarivores were significantly affected by vertical habitat heterogeneity and vegetation type. Although the distribution of insectivorous birds is influenced by many habitat factors, proximity to natural forest, habitat heterogeneity, and the presence of large trees and fruiting trees appear to be most important to this guild. The natural forest has the greatest avian diversity and a distinctive community compared to plantation and farmlands. Patterns of habitat use by birds in the area suggest that vertical vegetation heterogeneity and complexity is especially significant in sustaining diverse and abundant bird populations, if they are in close proximity to native forests. Improvement of conservation management for the plantation and farmlands is thus critical for connectivity with other remnant primary forest patches in the area.
Socio-economic data was collected from 109 forest adjacent households to determine the value of the forest to the local community and their perception of conservation issues. Arabuko Sokoke Forest is important in supplementing the livelihood needs of the local community. However, the community lacks information on the forest management plan and many people have little knowledge of local birds, which could limit their capacity to participate in conservation projects. Drivers for local community participation in conservation projects are primarily a sustainable income and the fulfillment of basic household needs. Community conservation education is needed to promote local knowledge of forest biodiversity, as well as clear frameworks for the active involvement of the local community in forest management. Support of community based projects is vital to achieve both the conservation and livelihood objectives of the Arabuko Sokoke Forest management plan
Assessing the value of public investment into biological control research for invasive alien plants : the ARC PPRI Weeds Research Division
No full textThis study investigates the economic impact of the ARC PPRI Weeds Research Division. The Division researches appropriate methods of biological control for invasive alien plants (IAPs). These plants pose an increasing threat to environmental integrity and ecosystem service provision impacting on economic potential. Since the work of the Division is considered a public good, a predominantly descriptive approach has been adopted for the valuation process. A combination of quantitative cost analysis and a qualitative study of the impacts of research and invasive alien plants is used to deal with the challenges associated with non-market valuation. The study found that investment into the Weeds Division is a valuable activity that supports the long-term growth potential of the South African economy. The role of a well-functioning environment is highlighted as an essential base for the creation of sustained growth opportunities in any society. It was determined that investment into the Division should be increased into the future to support efficient spending of scarce state funds. Biological control research was found to provide strategic future growth potential, creating opportunities for the development of a competitive advantage in the biotechnology and environmental management sectors. The study adds to the increasing move towards a more holistic view of economic valuation, taking factors other than pure finance and econometrics into consideration. This is an important shift in prevailing economic thought, as a realisation is reached that a single, or even triple, bottom line is an outdated and insufficient decision making basis
Abstract Art and the Contested Ground of African Modernisms
No full textThis submission for a Masters of Fine Art consists of a thesis titled Abstract Art and the Contested Ground of African Modernisms developed as a document to support the exhibition Time in Between. The exhibition addresses the fact that nothing is permanent in life, and uses abstract paintings that reveal in-between time through an engagement with the processes of ageing and decaying. Life is always a temporary situation, an idea which I develop as Time in Between, the beginning and the ending, the young and the aged, the new and the old. In my painting practice I break down these dichotomies, questioning how abstractions engage with the relative notion of time and how this links to the processes of ageing and decaying in life. I relate this ageing process to the aesthetic process of moving from representational art to semi-abstract art, and to complete abstraction, when the object or material reaches a wholly unrecognisable stage. My practice is concerned not only with the aesthetics of these paintings but also, more importantly, with translating each specific theme into the formal qualities of abstraction. In my thesis I analyse abstraction in relation to ‘African Modernisms’ and critique the notion that African abstraction is not ‘African’ but a mere copy of Western Modernism. In response to this notion, I have used a study of abstraction to interrogate notions of so-called ‘African-ness’ or ‘Zambian-ness’, whilst simultaneously challenging the Western stereotypical view of African modern art. I have also related the theoretical and practical analysis of abstraction to scholarly debates on abstraction and ‘African Modernism’, arguing for multiple African Modernisms
A survey of employee preferences in the design of a performance management system
No full textThis thesis begins with an introduction to performance management and the intended aim and objective of the research. Thereafter literature findings relative to performance management and performance management systems are discussed. In the review of literature, three processes that could be implemented in a performance management system were highlighted, namely; (1) the planning process, (2) the monitoring and development process, and (3) an annual summative and feedback process. Performance management functions deemed important to employees during each process of the performance management system were identified and discussed. Subsequent to the literature review, the research methodology was described and involved the implementation of quantitative research within a post-positivist paradigm in the form of a close-ended survey questionnaire. Analysis of the data involved a gap analysis and needs analysis. The gap analysis study was based on the opinion of management respondents in comparison to the opinion of non-management respondents. Results of the gap analysis were determined based on the calculation of an importance score for each sub-group. The needs analysis study was based on the overall opinion of all respondents, and results were determined based on the calculation of an overall importance score.
In light of the literature review that was conducted to inform the questionnaire design, the survey results supported the literature review of each discussed performance management function with no evident contradictions. The results of the gap analysis and needs analysis were satisfactorily met for each performance management function. On the basis of these findings, it was assumed that all the performance management functions identified in the literature are important and could be implemented in the design of a performance management system. The results highlighted the importance of a performance plan and development plan to underpin the performance management system
Oncoming Traffic
No full textThe poems in my collection Oncoming Traffic mainly look at the silence in my personal conflicts. Fusing different styles and tones of writing from the lyrical to the surreal, these poems grapple with issues I struggle with on a daily basis. First as a man, second as a man with a physical disability, and lastly as a black man dealing with the reality of living in a dysfunctional/disabled society. The silence in my personal conflicts means, writing what I cannot say, stripping myself bare and vulnerable. My inspiration has come from poets who articulate such silences
Between Sentences
No full textMy stories explore different forms, including flash fiction. Some use the fairy tale form to combine fiction and non-fiction in order to reach the essence of the story. In this I am influenced by Kate Bernheimer, who speaks of the “flatness, abstraction, intuitive logic and normalized magic” of traditional fairy tales. A number of stories are set in the places I worked as a newspaper reporter. Here I use my old press reports as starting points for the real or imagined story behind the news – often involving miscommunication, dominance, exploitation, the tension between isolation and belonging, and the nuances of family relationships
Gold nanoparticle–based colorimetric probes for dopamine detection
No full textColorimetric probes have become important tools in analysis and biomedical technology. This thesis reports on the development of such probes for the detection of dopamine (DA). Liquid and different solid state probes were developed utilizing un–functionalized gold nanoparticles (UF–AuNPs). The liquid state probe is based on the growth and aggregation of the UF–AuNPs in the presence of DA. Upon addition of the UF–AuNPs to various concentrations of DA, the shape, size and colour change results in spectral shifts from lower to higher wavelengths. The analyte can be easily monitored by the naked eye from 5.0 nM DA with a calculated limit of detection of 2.5 nM (3σ) under optimal pH. Ascorbic acid (AA) has a potential to interfere with DA detection in solution since it is often present in biological fluids, but in this case the interference was limited to solutions where its concentration was beyond 200 times greater than that of DA. Since most of the previously reported colorimetric probes, especially those for DA are solution based, the main focus of the thesis was in the development of a solid state based colorimetric probe in the form of nanofibre mats. To overcome the interference challenges experienced in the solution studies (the interference by high concentrations of AA), the suitability of molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) for the selective detection of DA was investigated. The results showed that the MIPs produced did not play a significant role in enhancing the selectivity towards DA. A probe composed of just the UF–AuNPs and Nylon–6 (UF–AuNPs + N6) was also developed. The UF–AuNPs were synthesized following an in situ reduction method. The probe was only selective to DA and insensitive to other catecholamines at physiological pH. Thus, the probe did not require any addition functionalities to achieve selectivity and sensitive to DA. The liquid state probe and the composite UF–AuNPs + N6 nanofibre probe were successfully applied to a whole blood sample and showed good selectivity towards DA. The simple, sensitive and selective probe could be an excellent alternative for on–site and immediate detection of DA without the use of instrumentation. For quantification of DA using the solid state probe, open–source software imageJ was used to assist in the analysis of the nanofibre colours. It was observed that the intensity of the colour increased with the increase in concentration of DA in a linear fashion. The use of imageJ can also be a great alternative where the colour changes are not so clear or for visually impaired people. The solid state probe developed can detect DA qualitatively and quantitatively. The work also forms a good foundation for development of such probes for other analyte
An investigation of absenteeism amongst blue-collar workers: a mixed methods approach
No full textAbsenteeism affects organisations in many different ways, therefore it is essential to investigate absenteeism with the aim of minimising absence levels. The focus of the research was to investigate absenteeism amongst blue-collar workers at a Global Logistics Supplier. The objectives of this research were to identify the main types of absenteeism, to compare the views of blue-collar workers and management on the causes attributed to absenteeism, to describe how absenteeism has been measured and managed, and to make recommendations to the company on ways to minimize absenteeism based on the findings.
Quantitative data in the form of monthly absenteeism statistics relating to each leave type, was examined for trends relating to absenteeism levels amongst blue-collar workers at the company. Semi-structured interviews were then carried out with management and blue-collar workers to examine the causes of absenteeism and its management.
The results showed that there was a discrepancy between the views of management and blue-collar workers at the company on the perceived causes of absenteeism. On the other hand, both management and the blue-collar workers identified Monday and Friday as the most prevalent days on which employees are absent from the workplace. This finding suggests that more research should be conducted on this trend in blue-collar workers. In exploring how absenteeism is dealt with, management within the company stated that discipline was the most effective way of keeping absenteeism levels low amongst employees.
The limitations and delimitations of the research were recognised and further research ideas were given. It was also recommended that managers and supervisors address the workplace issues and identify when a worker’s performance and interpersonal relationships are strained in order to effectively minimise absenteeism. It is also recommended they implement a wellness programme