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Point of Sales (POS) Terminals for Bank Service Delivery, the needs for Management of Information Security: A case of Nigeria’s Banking Sectors
No full textA point of sale (POS) system is a valuable technological tool that has successfully replaced the traditional cash register banking system and has maintained constantly evolving tech-driven solutions. User security and trust perception are paramount to the success of the financial services rendered using the POS terminals. In Nigeria, the POS system has revolutionised the banking sector as millions of "unbanked citizens" can comfortably perform cash deposits and withdrawals, pay bills, and do other financial services without physically stepping into the banking hall. The management of information security of point of sales terminals was studied using the theory of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) by looking at behavioural intentions as a factor that leads people to use available technology. A mixed research method was adopted to allow the collection of quantitative and qualitative data for the study. The collected data were analysed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) and revealed that customers prefer POS systems to the banking hall because of their availability, flexibility, ease of use, error tolerance, and service efficiency
ChatGPT is a game changer: detection and eradication is not the way forward
No full textLarge language models such as ChatGPT can be seen as a major threat to reliable assessment in higher education. In this point of departure, I argue that these tools are a major game changer for society at large. Many of the jobs we now consider highly skilled are based on pattern recognition that can much more reliably be carried by fine-tuned language models. We are therefore at a turning point in history and it affords a powerful opportunity to reconsider the value of higher education in the light of these tools
Sustainability science engagement and engaged sustainability science
Get PDFThe South African Science, Technology and Innovation Decadal Plan (2022-2032) shows a strong commitment to science engagement, with most references referring to the communication of science. This plan builds on the 2015 Department of Science and Innovation (DSI)'s Engaged Science Strategy, which notes that engaged science approaches are as yet underdeveloped in South Africa. The Decadal Plan explicitly relates science engagement to the need for more inter- and transdisciplinary approaches to science, with mention of greater inclusion of stakeholders in defining the needs and objectives for research, but without clear insight into how this is to be done or supported. More in-depth approaches and understanding may be needed to adequately bridge the sciencesociety gap, including in and through the educational sphere
Microplastic leachates inhibit small-scale self-organization in mussel beds
No full textSelf-organized spatial patterns are increasingly recognized for their contribution to ecosystem functioning. They can improve the ecosystem's ability to respond to perturbation and thus increase its resilience to environmental stress. Plastic pollution has now emerged as major threat to aquatic and terrestrial biota. Under laboratory conditions, we tested whether plastic leachates from pellets collected in the intertidal can impair small-scale, spatial self-organization and byssal threads production of intertidal mussels and whether the effect varied depending on where the pellets come from. Specifically, leachates originating from plastic pellets collected from relatively pristine and polluted areas respectively impaired and inhibited the ability of mussels to self-organize at small-scale and to produce byssal threads compared to control conditions (i.e., seawater without leaching solution). Limitations to natural self-organizing processes and threads formation may translate to a declined capacity of natural ecosystems to avoid tipping points and to a reduced restoration success of disturbed ecosystems
Zulu Ethnolinguistic Nationalism
No full textLanguage is more than just a communication medium; it exists within interrelated social and political processes. Therefore, language never appears by itself; it always represents a system of social and political interests, reflecting the prevailing discursive and ideological strategies. The current chapter investigates the notion of “Zulu ethnolinguistic nationalism” as a language ideology in South African television. Having watched a series of television programs in South Africa and utilizing the corpus linguistic approach, the author asserts that there is a clear dominance of isiZulu in South African television. Ultimately, this dominance created a language ideology that privileges isiZulu over other indigenous languages on South African television
A Quest for Ethnic Media: Form and Content in the Case of Muvhango
No full textThis chapter studies elements of ethnic media in Muvhango against dominant language ideologies in South African television. This chapter aims to show that Muvhango, through form and content, has offered low-status languages linguistic justice using elements of ethnic media. The intersection of form and content within ethnic media productions offers a unique lens to explore the complexities of representation, cultural preservation, and societal transformation
Improving access to evidence-based interventions for trauma-exposed adults in low-and middle-income countries
No full textIn low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), the mental health consequences of trauma exposure pose a substantial personal, societal, and economic burden. Yet, the significant need for evidence-based mental health treatment remains largely unmet. To unlock the potential for mental health care for trauma survivors in lower-resource contexts, it is critical to map treatment barriers and identify strategies to improve access to evidence-based, culturally appropriate, and scalable interventions. This review, based on an International Society for Traumatic Stress (ISTSS) briefing paper, describes the treatment gap facing adults with traumatic stress in LMICs and identifies the barriers that contribute to this gap. We then highlight strategies for enhancing access to effective treatments for these populations, including task-sharing, the use of culturally adapted and multiproblem interventions, and digital tools to scale access to appropriate care. Finally, we offer recommendations for policymakers, researchers, and service providers to guide an agenda for action to close the treatment gap for trauma survivors in LMICs
Garden bird ringing at 3 Florence Street, Oatlands, Mkhanda (Grahamstown): the closing chapter
Get PDFThis is the third and final report summarizing 42 years of bird ringing in a garden in Mkhanda. In total, 2036 birds of 59 species were ringed, of which 217 individuals (27 species) were recaptured at least once, and 34 birds (17 species) were recovered dead
Structural dynamic investigation of the mutation-induced resistance mechanisms of Mycobacterium tuberculosis DNA-directed RNA polymerase against Rifampicin
No full textEmerging resistant strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), the causative agent of tuberculosis (TB) disease, continue to plague mankind and reduce the efficacies of antitubercular therapies that have been an effective defence against TB for decades. More specifically, mutations located in the β subunit of the multisubunit Mtb RNA replicative machinery, RNA polymerase (RNAP), have been well established as the reason behind resistance to the first-line antitubercular drug rifampicin (RIF), which has resulted in therapeutic failure in several clinical cases. Additionally, elusive details pertaining to the underlying mechanisms associated with RIF resistance due to the presence of Mtb-RNAP-β mutations, have resulted in setbacks in the development of novel and effective drugs that might be able to curb the ongoing threat. Hence, in this investigation, we attempted to resolve the involved Mtb-RNAP structural events at the molecular level to discern potentially important details regarding the nine clinically relevant Mtb-RNAP-β missense mutations under investigation. Hence, for the first time, we conducted an in-silico RIF resistance investigation using the Mtb-RNAP complex. To accomplish the set-out task, we first employed the use of more traditional post-MD analytical approaches such as root mean square deviation, root mean square fluctuation, radius of gyration, center of mass distance analyses, hydrogen bond occupancies, and binding free energy calculations, to conduct a global analysis of the mutated Mtb-RNAP proteins referencing RIF efficacy. Our findings revealed that the mutations may have a perturbation effect resulting in the disruption of essential structural dynamics attributed to the protein’s catalytic functions. This was for instance observed for the βfork loop 2 domain, the β’zinc-binding domain, the β’ trigger loop domain, and the β’jaw domain, which happen to be in line with previously reported experiments detailing changes in RNAP processivity. Complementarily, some of the mutations more specifically perturbed the RIF binding pocket (RIF-BP) which observably led to the reorientation of RIF from the native or active orientation needed to obstruct the processive addition of nucleoside triphosphates to the growing RNA transcript. The mutation-induced repositioning from the active RIF orientation was also reflected through the loss of essential interactions between RIF and the RIF-BP along with the loss of binding affinities captured for a majority of the mutant proteins. In conjunction with traditional analytical approaches, we further employed computational alanine scanning, weighted contact map analyses, and dynamic residue network (DRN) analyses, a novel approach that delineates residue-residue communication pathways through several metrics, to further elucidate how a set of clinically relevant mutations affect Mtb-RNAP function. With that, we were able to observe several key changes in residue importance and interactions that may be instrumental in bringing about RIF resistance and the compensatory conformational changes we observed among the mt systems through global analysis. Furthermore, we identified persistent hubs that may be particularly important in maintaining transcriptional activities in the presence and absence of the investigated mutations and RIF that could serve as potential resistance markers for future therapeutic investigations. We believe these findings will significantly aid future efforts in the discovery of new treatment options with the potential to overcome antitubercular resistance.Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Science, Biochemistry, Microbiology and Bioinformatics, 202