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The application of optimisation techniques in cricket: a systematic literature review
Get PDFConference paper, Faculty of Engineering, Vanderbijlpark CampusOperations research represents a scientific procedure that offers a quantitative motive for problem-solving and decision-making by characterising functional relationships as intricate mathematical models. Intuitively, the benefits presented by optimisation theory as a subset of operations research denote a testament to its involvement with distinct industries, including sports such as cricket. Cricket is a global phenomenon that polarises purpose by adopting a quasi-religious significance for selected audiences. This study aims to investigate existing literature involving optimisation applications in cricket team selection and batting order sequencing by conducting a systematic literature review. Accordingly, this study reveals prospective research opportunities by recognising fundamental shortcomings in existing literature. Therefore, this study contributes to academia and industry by identifying the potential research gap involving decision-making of player selection and ordering using optimisation theory. While this investigation primarily considers optimisation procedures within cricket, it is recommended that future studies pursue parallel research for alternative sports
Investigating toxic leadership’s influence on employee turnover in a clinical research organisation: The mediating role of organisational culture
Get PDFMaster of Business Administration, North-West University, Potchefstroom CampusThis research study aimed to explore the impact of toxic leadership on employees' intention to leave an organisation, with a specific focus on the role of organisational culture as a mediating factor. The dissertation sought to understand employees' perceptions of toxic leadership behaviours, organisational culture's favourability, and turnover intentions. It also aimed to identify perceived differences in these factors across gender, age, and job levels. Toxic leadership can lead to increased employee turnover rates, which is one of the most detrimental outcomes. Therefore, it is imperative to understand and address the detrimental effects of toxic leadership on employee retention and organisational well-being within the framework of the Clinical Research Organisation. The study adopted a quantitative approach grounded in the positivist paradigm and utilised a survey design. A total of 254 participants from a clinical research organisation participated in the study. Data analysis involved descriptive and inferential statistical methods, including t-tests, Spearman’s correlations, structural equation modelling, and multiple regression. Key findings indicated that narcissistic behaviour was the most perceived form of toxic leadership. Organisational culture was more favourable for male employees, while female employees showed a higher turnover intention. Significant differences in the perception of toxic leadership and organisational culture were noted across gender, age, and job levels. However, no direct connection was found between turnover intention and toxic leadership concerning organisational culture. Additionally, the study revealed that organisational culture did not mediate the relationship between toxic leadership and turnover intention. Instead, dimensions such as abusive supervision and self-promotion emerged as significant predictors of turnover intention, with abusive supervision showing a negative association. The study concluded with recommendations for leadership training programs, cultural interventions, and communication strategies to enhance employee satisfaction and engagement. The unexpected findings highlighted the need for further research into the relationship between organisational culture and employee turnover intention
Development of a strategic guideline to design an intelligence instrument applicable to South African school learners: A multi-method exploration
Get PDFDoctor of Philosophy in Health Sciences with Psychology, North-West University, Mahikeng CampusConsidering formal intelligence assessment instruments currently applied to South African school learners, characterised as a multicultural and multilingual population, and residing and schooled in multidiverse contexts, the applicability, reliability, validity, and fairness of these instruments have come into question. South African psychologists and psychometrists need to conduct intelligence assessments as part of a battery of assessments, following referrals from parents, guardians, therapists, or schools after observing challenges such as learning difficulties or to guide school learners in their educational careers. Based upon findings from intelligence testing and other forms of data gathered (i.e. interviews, background history taking, other measurements such as scholastic and emotional assessments), practitioners need to appropriately deduce diagnoses and suitable interventions (i.e. placement in a special needs classroom/school, arrangement of concessions for formal testing, referral to therapists or clinicians, and more) that are tailored with the best interest of the school learner in mind. Several legislation and policies have been implemented that guide practitioners in the field of psychometrics to employ professional and ethically correct practices. This implies that practitioners need to conduct intelligence assessments that are fair and reliable by using measurements that are applicable and valid. The South African school learner population is characterised as heterogeneous; the multilingual, multicultural school learners reside and attend schools in contexts that vary in levels of socio-economic stance, acculturation, and quality of education received. In order to conduct intelligence testing that is fair to this multi-ethnic group of school learners, practitioners would need appropriate intelligence measurements and assessment skills. This is where the challenge lies, as there is a shortage of cross-culturally fair intelligence measurements. In addition, if the practitioner does not conduct the assessment in the attempt to prevent unfair testing practices, it would lead to a scenario where the learner may be deprived from the opportunity to receive the needed guidance and help; excluding any child from receiving professional services on the grounds of a demographic element such as cultural or language is against that school learner’s constitutional right to equality and having access to healthcare services. Therefore, this PhD research study has aspired to explore the need for a strategic guideline for practitioners (i.e. psychologists, psychometrists, researchers, and experts in intelligence measurement development/adaptation) to ensure that when intelligence instruments are designed, they are applicable and fair when administered to South African school learners. This PhD research study adopted a multi-method approach, consisting of three phases. Phase 1 (Document 1) entailed conducting a critical review of peer-reviewed scientific literature related to the topic of intelligence assessment instruments applied to South African school learners. Extracted data were analysed qualitatively using the thematic data analysis method, which revealed the following three themes: (i) Applicability of intelligence instruments administered to South African school learners; (ii) Contextual and demographic influences affecting performance on administered intelligence instruments; and (iii) Intellectual measuring instruments related to developmental and cognitive ability levels. Phase 1 concluded by stating that demographic (i.e. language, culture) and contextual (i.e. socio-economic status, quality of educational background) elements could influence the applicability of an intelligence instrument to South African school learners, bringing into question the reliability, validity, and fairness of these instruments. It is therefore important that practitioners in the field of psychometry take these demographic and contextual influences into account before developing or selecting an intelligence instrument to assess school learners in South Africa, as these elements may cause incorrect test results. This could furthermore yield bias in the interpretation and reporting of results, which could lead to inappropriate diagnoses and intervention plans. Phase 2 (Document 2) aimed to explore and describe the experiences of a group of intelligence test developing and adaptation experts as well as psychologists and psychometrists who have administered intelligence assessment instruments to South African school learners in various contexts. The qualitative interpretive description research design was applied. Using an internet-based communication platform, twelve psychologists/psychometrists (n = 12) were interviewed, of which six were also experts (n = 6)in intelligence test development and/or adaptation. Participants represented all nine provinces across South Africa. Four themes emerged after reflexive thematic analysis of recorded data from the semi-structured interviews, namely: Utilised intelligence measurements in the current South African school learner context are not relevant anymore; South African education system is a major issue specifically within lower socio-economic status contexts; Newly or adapted intelligence measures cannot realistically be standardised in the current South African school learner context; and (iv) Key informants’ recommendations from their experiences. From the shared participant experiences in Phase 2, it became clear that currently administered intelligence measurements are unfair, inappropriate, outdated, and unsuitable to South African school learners, specifically when considering their multidiverse demographics and modern, multidimensional contexts at home and school. These influencing elements have the tendency to yield test performance/results that are not representative of the learners’ true performance (especially those receiving lower quality of education at less privileged schools), which could lead to inappropriate diagnoses and intervention plans. These findings suggest a need for practitioners in the psychometric field to have access to intelligence instruments that are applicable and fair to all South African school learners. Phase 3 (Document 3) aimed to develop a strategic guideline which provided information to practitioners in the field of intelligence assessment, on how to design an intelligence assessment instrument that is applicable to South African school learners. This was done by employing a qualitative document analysis through the reflexive thematic analysis on Document 1 (published) and Document 2 (in the process to be published) and combining their findings. The following four themes were identified: (i) Utilised intelligence measurements in current South African school learner context are inapplicable; (ii) Newly or adapted intelligence measures cannot really be standardised in the current South African school learner context; (iii) Current South African education system needs to be taken into consideration; and (iv) Current South African school learner contextual and demographic influences need to be taken into consideration. From these themes, steps were created that form the strategic framework to design applicable intelligence instruments for South African school learners. The steps describe both guidance towards instrument design as well as the manner and context of applying the design itself, since these features function as interrelated entities. In conclusion of Phase 3 it became clear that there exists an essential need for emic, up-to-date, applicable, and fair intelligence measurements to be administered to multidiverse South African school learners. When administering intelligence assessments to South African school learners, practitioners are ethically and legally obligated to conduct practices that are fair and equal to all; it is imperative that they consider the local school learners’ schooling, demographic, and contextual (i.e. socio-economic status, acculturation level) background before developing or selecting intelligence measurements for assessment and subsequent diagnoses and crafting of intervention plans. This Phase and the PhD research study’s developed strategic guideline to design an intelligence instrument suitable for a South African population of school learners, informs on fair assessment measurements and practices that will allow multi-ethnic equalisation and empowerment of both school learners and practitioners
Exploring teachers' experiences of integrating Kodály in group music settings for children
Get PDFMaster of Arts in Musicology, North-West University, Potchefstroom CampusThis qualitative case study explored the experiences of ten teachers who integrated Kodály into group music settings for children between the ages of four to nine years. Research in Kodály music education often focuses on the value of the approach for the learners, overlooking the perspectives of the teachers and the meaning they ascribe to their experiences of Kodály. This means that the literature on teachers’ experiences of integrating Kodály was limited. This study, consequently, explored both the literature that was available, as well as the findings of the participants' experiences in this study. The literature that was investigated included child development during early and middle childhood; the Kodály concept (contents and teacher training); and the history of Kodály in South Africa. The purpose of this study was to explore how the participants understood their experiences of integrating Kodály into their teaching. The integration of Kodály refers to using the relevant principles and tools within a group music context. The participant experiences were presented as directly as possible so that the participants’ voices could be heard by integrating their precise verbatim comments as closely as possible into the presentation of the findings. The findings focused on how Kodály training and teaching led to specific experiences such as changes in musicianship, teaching methodology, enjoyment, classroom management, lesson planning, relationship with their learners, views on the value of Kodály, challenges, and how Kodály inspired and drove them as music teachers. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, transcribed and analysed in ATLAS.ti 9. From the analysis, five main themes emerged that related to the participants’ experiences: (1) “My whole sense of music changed” (benefits); (2) “One cannot wing a Kodály lesson” (challenges); (3) “An amalgamation between learners, teacher and the music” (practical application); (4) “Energised by teaching Kodály” (drive); (5) “A journey – into yourself; through music and through the souls of your learners” (meaning). Further analysis indicated that all the experiences contributed to the participants experiencing a sense of meaning as music teachers. Through the positive elements as well as the challenges of Kodály-based teaching, they felt that they were making a difference in the lives of their learners – because the Kodály teacher training equipped them with thorough musicianship and adaptable methodological principles. This study contributes to a greater understanding of how Kodály teacher training and integration in group settings could beneficially influence the experiences teachers have and how such experiences can lead to a sense of meaning in teachers
Revision and ecology of selected freshwater limpets (Burnupia spp.) in South Africa
Get PDFThe North-West University, Master of Science in Environmental Sciences, Potchefstroom CampusFreshwater limpets form part of the Burnupiidae family and there are 14 species belonging to the genus Burnupia in South Africa. Freshwater limpets has received little attention in modern molecular aquatic research. There are only three or four studies on the taxonomy of freshwater limpets, this shows how little information is known about these species. Molluscs and parasites interact in a variety of ways. Nematodes of molluscs are less researched than mollusc-trematode connections. Some parasites use molluscs as intermediate hosts, whereas other species conclude their life cycles in molluscs. The purpose of this study was to revise the taxonomy of South Africa’s freshwater limpets and to investigate the presence and distribution of parasites in freshwater limpets, Burnupia spp. Burnupia specimens were collected from the Free State, North – West, Mpumalanga, Gauteng, and Limpopo. In total, two parasite species were collected from 77 Burnupia spp. A stereomicroscope was used to obtain photos of each of the Burnupia specimens that were collected. The photos were used to look for morphological characteristics that can be used to identify the species that were collected. A shedding method was used to induce the shedding of parasites from the Burnupia spp. The nematodes were fixed in 70% ethanol and studied with a light microscope. Photomicrographs of each nematode were taken to observe morphological characteristics that can be used to identify these parasites. For molecular analysis cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) and 18S were targeted. Phylogenetic analysis was done to determine the relationships between the limpet taxa. The sequences obtained in this study were analysed and compared to existing sequences on GenBank and BOLD. There were three Burnupia spp. obtained from this study, and they were identified and described. The nematodes that were collected were all female and were identified as Daubaylia burnupiae. The trematodes that were collected were identified and discovered through molecular analysis and this trematode was part of the Hypoderaeum genus. Future studies are needed to obtain more knowledge on the characteristics used to identify limpets because giving names to the species obtained in this study was problematic due to limited morphological features together with the limited number of available published sequences. Further studies are needed to provide more information on the taxonomy of the nematodes, the survival rate of the host, the transmission mode and if pollution has an effect of the reproduction behavior of parasites.-National Research Foundation (NRF
Dynamic control of deep-level mine cooling systems using artificial intelligence
Get PDFConference proceeding, Faculty of Engineering, Vanderbijlpark CampusDeep-level mines in South Africa face rising electricity costs, with cooling systems contributing up to 28% of a mine’s total energy. Existing energy-saving approaches lack adaptability. The mining industry has rarely embraced artificial intelligence (AI)–based energy efficiency strategies. This study proposes a dynamic AI-based strategy to improve energy efficiency in deep-level gold mine cooling systems. Long-short-term memory recurrent neural network (LSTM-RNN) models are integrated into dynamic control strategies for cooling components. The strategy acquires real-time data from the mine’s SCADA, forecasts temperatures, and adjusts cooling component operations, potentially saving ZAR 1.5 million annually. Advantages brought to light include reduced human error and no infrastructure changes. The results serve to motivate the struggling industry to incorporate more Industry 4.0 technologies. This study contributes to mining by providing energy savings and operational improvements, as well as to AI by indicating the effective use of AI techniques in complex industrial environments
Editorial: Plant growth- promoting and associated microbes: multi-, meta-omics, and applications
Get PDFArticle, School of Physical and Chemical Sciences (Biochemistry)--Nothwest University, Mahikeng CampusThe application of multiomics, metaomics, and data analyses has allowed the identification and characterization of plant-growth-promoting microbes, including endophytes. Plants live in association with various beneficial microbes, such as endophytes, which are important for host growth, development, and health. Despite the availability of many reports on endophytes, very few studies have evaluated the complex network of genetic, biochemical, physical, and metabolic interactions between plants and their associated microorganisms, especially for woody, forest, and desert plants. This delineates the possible functions of the plant microbiome, which can be adopted for application to various sectors
Distribution, habitat and vulnerability to climate change of the Endangered Leptopelis xenodactylus
Get PDFJournal Article, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management-- Potchefstroom CampusLeptopelis xenodactylus is a little-known, Endangered species of frog that is thought to be endemic to the KwaZulu-Natal Province ofSouth Africa. In an effort to determine the distribution of this species more accurately, a working species distribution model was created for use in searching for more populations over a period of three breeding seasons. Twenty-one more wetlands containing the frog were discovered and a second species distribution model was created for use in spatial planning applications. Leptopelis xenodactylus occurs primarily in temperate, alluvial hummock wetlands in U-shaped valleys at mid-altitudes in southwestern KwaZulu-Natal. The extent of occurrence and area of occupancy of L. xenodactylus were recalculated including the new records and have increased by 9%and 429%, respectively. The known localities for L. xenodactylus were analysed in relation to the predictions of two downscaled climate change models and a vulnerability framework. Climat change was found to be a potentially significant threat to L. xenodactylus according to the downscaled HadMC2 model and the vulnerability framework, potentially affecting up to 80.5% the geographic range, but not according to the downscaled GFDL2.1 model and the vulnerability framework which indicated that up to 22% of the geographic range might be affected. The better understanding of the distribution and habitat of L. xenodactylus and of the potential combined impact of climate change and land transformation on the species gained through this study will assist in improving its conservation management.We thank Bimall Naidoo for her assistance with producing the map figures, Scotty and Diane Kyle for their assistance with fieldwork, and all the people who contributed locality records for L. xenodactylus for inclusion in Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife’s Biodiversity Database, especially Jeanne Tarrant. We thank the Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund and the Oppenheimer Generations Fund for financial support
Comparative analysis of mitochondrial DNA in haemogregarine (Apicomplexa: Adeleorina) blood parasites
Get PDFMaster of Environmental Sciences , North-West University, Vanderbijlpark CampusSee attachment.- South African National Biodiversity
Institute (SANBI)
-National Research Foundation (NRF)Master
Legal tools towards inclusive cities for children in South Africa
Get PDFDoctor of Laws in Law and Development, North-West University, Potchefstroom CampusThe world is experiencing significant urbanisation as more people live in cities. It is estimated that approximately 55% of the global population lives in cities. Half of the global urban population comprises children. The global urban population is estimated to increase to 60% by 2030 and to 68% by 2050. South Africa is no exception to the increase in urban population. It is estimated that over 67% of South Africa's population currently lives in cities, and the urban population is projected to increase by approximately 70% by 2030 and 80% by 2050. Interestingly, more children live in cities, and the urban child population is expected to continue to rise in the coming years. This implies that children constitute an important urban constituent that should not be left out of decision-making processes in city-level governance. This study aims to identify and explore legal tools as well as opportunities in South African law and policy for the inclusion of children in decision-making processes at the city level against the background of the concept of inclusive cities. The concept of inclusive cities is generally discussed in the literature with limited connection to what inclusive cities for children are or could mean for city-level governments. Even scholarship on Sustainable Development Goal 11 (the urban goal) and the New Urban Agenda is mute on the concept of inclusive cities for children. No comprehensive study has been conducted on the concept of inclusive cities for children. At the time of writing this thesis, no conceptual framework existed on what inclusive cities for children should look like. This study frames the concept of inclusive cities for children. It notes that inclusive cities for children are cities that respect the rights of children, provide participatory opportunities for children, and cities that are child-responsive, as well as foster sustainability governance. In addition to international urban policy, the study also relies on international children's rights law, such as the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989) and the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (1990). These instruments provide a normative legal framework and standards for the inclusion and participation of children in all matters concerning them. It is argued that the right of children to be heard and taken seriously in matters concerning them is a legal imperative for all levels of government, including city authorities. With this understanding, this study explores the typologies, forms, and methods that city authorities can use to engage children in decision-making, as well as the Lundy model of child participation. The Lundy model underscores that children should be provided with the "space, voice, audience and influence" in decision-making processes at all levels of government. Cities have the legal mandate and power to administer public affairs in their jurisdiction, specifically in functional areas and matters that impact children. Cities play a critical role in children's lives and their inclusion in decision-making processes. In this context, this study discusses the South African local government landscape in relation to local governance and children, municipal governance instruments and public participation, as well as municipal mechanisms for inclusive decision-making such as councils and ward committees to ascertain whether they provide opportunities for children to participate in decision-making processes. These are collectively seen as legal tools that could be used to ensure the inclusion of children in decision-making processes in the governance of their cities. The study acknowledges barriers in the South African local government sphere and identifies challenges that could hinder children's participatory rights at the city level. It concludes by noting that while South African law and policy provide a basis for the inclusion of children in decision-making processes at the city level, more still needs to be done to clarify and simplify the right of children to participate to ensure that cities are inclusive of children in governance.-South African Research Chair in Cities
-Law and Environmental Sustainability
-North-West University (Faculty of Law