scholarly journals TRANSFORMING SOUTH AFRICA’S UNIVERSITIES OF TECHNOLOGY: A ROADMAP THROUGH 4IR LENSES

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Muthoni Masinde ◽  
Peter Soux
Keyword(s):  
Industrial Revolution ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Social Progress ◽  
Special Focus ◽  
University Management ◽  
Scientific Publications ◽  
Main Research ◽  
Poor Students ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities ◽  
The Rich

Since their birth in the 6th century, universities have undergone different forms of transformations, especially of structural, ideological, and epistemological nature. Recently, the emergence of the fourth industrial revolution (4IR) has triggered a wave of such transformations and just like other industrial revolutions, university management ought to be cautious as such transformations could exacerbate existing inequalities between the rich and the poor students. To this end, a clear roadmap for such a transformation becomes critical. This is the contribution of this paper. We achieve this through a bibliometric analysis of the state of scientific research into the ‘university transformation’ topic, with a special focus on South Africa’s (RSA) context. The content of the identified scientific publications on RSA was further subjected to thematic analysis leading to the revelation that decolonisation, community engagement and structural transformation, are the main research themes. It also emerges that RSA universities have not embraced 4IR as a lens through which to pursue transformation. On the other hand, the RSA government launched the project: “Transformation at Public Universities” during the 2017/18 planning year. Subsequently, all universities in the country adopted and rolled out a customised transformation agenda. Among these universities, are the six universities of technology (UoTs), which, for historical reasons, the transformation project presents unique challenges and opportunities. Created slightly after the millennium, UoTs are still seen as critical role players in the third mission of universities, that of “achieving economic growth and social progress”. These findings, as wells as the existence of systemic exclusion, marginalisation, and discrimination (especially along racial lines) in RSA universities, defines our proposed roadmap. Using one of the UoTs and Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) as the reference, the proposed university transformation roadmap is supported by empirical data on the assessment of the readiness of students to adopt 4IR technologies.

scholarly journals Democratizing ownership and participation in the 4th Industrial Revolution: challenges and opportunities in cellular agriculture

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert M. Chiles ◽  
Garrett Broad ◽  
Mark Gagnon ◽  
Nicole Negowetti ◽  
Leland Glenna ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Business Models ◽  
Industrial Revolution ◽  
Cultured Cells ◽  
Advanced Materials ◽  
High Stakes ◽  
Digital Platforms ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities ◽  
The Status ◽  
Political Economic ◽  
Industry Sectors

AbstractThe emergence of the “4th Industrial Revolution,” i.e. the convergence of artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, advanced materials, and bioengineering technologies, could accelerate socioeconomic insecurities and anxieties or provide beneficial alternatives to the status quo. In the post-Covid-19 era, the entities that are best positioned to capitalize on these innovations are large firms, which use digital platforms and big data to orchestrate vast ecosystems of users and extract market share across industry sectors. Nonetheless, these technologies also have the potential to democratize ownership, broaden political-economic participation, and reduce environmental harms. We articulate the potential sociotechnical pathways in this high-stakes crossroads by analyzing cellular agriculture, an exemplary 4th Industrial Revolution technology that synergizes computer science, biopharma, tissue engineering, and food science to grow cultured meat, dairy, and egg products from cultured cells and/or genetically modified yeast. Our exploration of this space involved multi-sited ethnographic research in both (a) the cellular agriculture community and (b) alternative economic organizations devoted to open source licensing, member-owned cooperatives, social financing, and platform business models. Upon discussing how these latter approaches could potentially facilitate alternative sociotechnical pathways in cellular agriculture, we reflect upon the broader implications of this work with respect to the 4th Industrial Revolution and the enduring need for public policy reform.

scholarly journals Ensuring Agricultural Sustainability through Remote Sensing in the Era of Agriculture 5.0

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (13) ◽  
pp. 5911
Author(s):  
Vanesa Martos ◽  
Ali Ahmad ◽  
Pedro Cartujo ◽  
Javier Ordoñez
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Sustainable Agriculture ◽  
Information Acquisition ◽  
Industrial Revolution ◽  
Structural Parameters ◽  
Special Focus ◽  
World Population ◽  
Food And Agriculture ◽  
Food And Agriculture Organization ◽  
Zero Hunger

Timely and reliable information about crop management, production, and yield is considered of great utility by stakeholders (e.g., national and international authorities, farmers, commercial units, etc.) to ensure food safety and security. By 2050, according to Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates, around 70% more production of agricultural products will be needed to fulfil the demands of the world population. Likewise, to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially the second goal of “zero hunger”, potential technologies like remote sensing (RS) need to be efficiently integrated into agriculture. The application of RS is indispensable today for a highly productive and sustainable agriculture. Therefore, the present study draws a general overview of RS technology with a special focus on the principal platforms of this technology, i.e., satellites and remotely piloted aircrafts (RPAs), and the sensors used, in relation to the 5th industrial revolution. Nevertheless, since 1957, RS technology has found applications, through the use of satellite imagery, in agriculture, which was later enriched by the incorporation of remotely piloted aircrafts (RPAs), which is further pushing the boundaries of proficiency through the upgrading of sensors capable of higher spectral, spatial, and temporal resolutions. More prominently, wireless sensor technologies (WST) have streamlined real time information acquisition and programming for respective measures. Improved algorithms and sensors can, not only add significant value to crop data acquisition, but can also devise simulations on yield, harvesting and irrigation periods, metrological data, etc., by making use of cloud computing. The RS technology generates huge sets of data that necessitate the incorporation of artificial intelligence (AI) and big data to extract useful products, thereby augmenting the adeptness and efficiency of agriculture to ensure its sustainability. These technologies have made the orientation of current research towards the estimation of plant physiological traits rather than the structural parameters possible. Futuristic approaches for benefiting from these cutting-edge technologies are discussed in this study. This study can be helpful for researchers, academics, and young students aspiring to play a role in the achievement of sustainable agriculture.

scholarly journals Implementation of a Six-Layer Smart Factory Architecture with Special Focus on Transdisciplinary Engineering Education

Sensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (9) ◽  
pp. 2944
Author(s):  
Benjamin James Ralph ◽  
Marcel Sorger ◽  
Benjamin Schödinger ◽  
Hans-Jörg Schmölzer ◽  
Karin Hartl ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Open Source ◽  
User Interfaces ◽  
Industrial Revolution ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Material Behavior ◽  
Sensor Data ◽  
Management Tool ◽  
Special Focus ◽  
Programming Environments ◽  
Metal Processing

Smart factories are an integral element of the manufacturing infrastructure in the context of the fourth industrial revolution. Nevertheless, there is frequently a deficiency of adequate training facilities for future engineering experts in the academic environment. For this reason, this paper describes the development and implementation of two different layer architectures for the metal processing environment. The first architecture is based on low-cost but resilient devices, allowing interested parties to work with mostly open-source interfaces and standard back-end programming environments. Additionally, one proprietary and two open-source graphical user interfaces (GUIs) were developed. Those interfaces can be adapted front-end as well as back-end, ensuring a holistic comprehension of their capabilities and limits. As a result, a six-layer architecture, from digitization to an interactive project management tool, was designed and implemented in the practical workflow at the academic institution. To take the complexity of thermo-mechanical processing in the metal processing field into account, an alternative layer, connected with the thermo-mechanical treatment simulator Gleeble 3800, was designed. This framework is capable of transferring sensor data with high frequency, enabling data collection for the numerical simulation of complex material behavior under high temperature processing. Finally, the possibility of connecting both systems by using open-source software packages is demonstrated.

scholarly journals Towards Scalable Economic Photovoltaic Potential Analysis Using Aerial Images and Deep Learning

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (13) ◽  
pp. 3800
Author(s):  
Sebastian Krapf ◽  
Nils Kemmerzell ◽  
Syed Khawaja Haseeb Khawaja Haseeb Uddin ◽  
Manuel Hack Hack Vázquez ◽  
Fabian Netzler ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Deep Learning ◽  
System Analysis ◽  
State Of The Art ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Semantic Segmentation ◽  
Energy System ◽  
Aerial Images ◽  
Potential Analysis ◽  
3D Data ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities

Roof-mounted photovoltaic systems play a critical role in the global transition to renewable energy generation. An analysis of roof photovoltaic potential is an important tool for supporting decision-making and for accelerating new installations. State of the art uses 3D data to conduct potential analyses with high spatial resolution, limiting the study area to places with available 3D data. Recent advances in deep learning allow the required roof information from aerial images to be extracted. Furthermore, most publications consider the technical photovoltaic potential, and only a few publications determine the photovoltaic economic potential. Therefore, this paper extends state of the art by proposing and applying a methodology for scalable economic photovoltaic potential analysis using aerial images and deep learning. Two convolutional neural networks are trained for semantic segmentation of roof segments and superstructures and achieve an Intersection over Union values of 0.84 and 0.64, respectively. We calculated the internal rate of return of each roof segment for 71 buildings in a small study area. A comparison of this paper’s methodology with a 3D-based analysis discusses its benefits and disadvantages. The proposed methodology uses only publicly available data and is potentially scalable to the global level. However, this poses a variety of research challenges and opportunities, which are summarized with a focus on the application of deep learning, economic photovoltaic potential analysis, and energy system analysis.

scholarly journals Estimating and Monitoring Land Surface Phenology in Rangelands: A Review of Progress and Challenges

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 2060
Author(s):  
Trylee Nyasha Matongera ◽  
Onisimo Mutanga ◽  
Mbulisi Sibanda ◽  
John Odindi
Keyword(s):  
Land Surface ◽  
Vegetation Index ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Spectral Characteristics ◽  
Vegetation Indices ◽  
Machine Learning Algorithms ◽  
Special Focus ◽  
Land Surface Phenology ◽  
Spectral Vegetation Indices ◽  
Satellite Sensors

Land surface phenology (LSP) has been extensively explored from global archives of satellite observations to track and monitor the seasonality of rangeland ecosystems in response to climate change. Long term monitoring of LSP provides large potential for the evaluation of interactions and feedbacks between climate and vegetation. With a special focus on the rangeland ecosystems, the paper reviews the progress, challenges and emerging opportunities in LSP while identifying possible gaps that could be explored in future. Specifically, the paper traces the evolution of satellite sensors and interrogates their properties as well as the associated indices and algorithms in estimating and monitoring LSP in productive rangelands. Findings from the literature revealed that the spectral characteristics of the early satellite sensors such as Landsat, AVHRR and MODIS played a critical role in the development of spectral vegetation indices that have been widely used in LSP applications. The normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) pioneered LSP investigations, and most other spectral vegetation indices were primarily developed to address the weaknesses and shortcomings of the NDVI. New indices continue to be developed based on recent sensors such as Sentinel-2 that are characterized by unique spectral signatures and fine spatial resolutions, and their successful usage is catalyzed with the development of cutting-edge algorithms for modeling the LSP profiles. In this regard, the paper has documented several LSP algorithms that are designed to provide data smoothing, gap filling and LSP metrics retrieval methods in a single environment. In the future, the development of machine learning algorithms that can effectively model and characterize the phenological cycles of vegetation would help to unlock the value of LSP information in the rangeland monitoring and management process. Precisely, deep learning presents an opportunity to further develop robust software packages such as the decomposition and analysis of time series (DATimeS) with the abundance of data processing tools and techniques that can be used to better characterize the phenological cycles of vegetation in rangeland ecosystems.

Design of Lean Manufacturing Support Systems in Make-to-Order Production

2009 ◽  
Vol 410-411 ◽  
pp. 151-158 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dominik T. Matt
Keyword(s):  
Lean Manufacturing ◽  
Multinational Enterprises ◽  
Material Handling ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Support Systems ◽  
Far East ◽  
Design Parameters ◽  
Special Focus ◽  
Make To Order ◽  
The Rich

Build-to-order was once the only way in which products were made, but limited the market to only the rich buyers. Mass production contributed to a wider access to products, however with losses in individuality. Finally, mass customization aimed at holding out the promise of both, and “lean” concepts helped to (partly) make it a reality. However, the world has changed significantly since the first introduction of “lean” – especially in the most recent years. European companies are facing a growing international competition in volume markets due to the increasing economical and technical emancipation of low labour cost countries. While multinational enterprises are shifting their manufacturing activities to Far East to keep competitive in terms of costs, small and medium sized companies often have to leave their traditional market segments and retreat into niches. However, smaller production lot sizes and the increasing complexity of product programmes require innovative manufacturing strategies. According to several studies and empirical proves, less than 0,5% of a company’s production lead time is value adding, the bigger part of it is dedicated to waiting, handling and internal transport. This paper presents a new approach for the design of lean manufacturing support systems in make-to-order production systems that have to deal with a huge variety of product types and with high variations in demand. A special focus is given to the design of manual material handling and transport (MMHT) solutions. With the help of axiomatic design principles, a tree of design parameters is derived and translated into generally applicable design rules. With the help of a practical example from make-to-order industry, the validity of the methodology is illustrated.

Multiphase Flow Meter Health Monitoring Strategy: Maximizing the Value of Real-Time Sensors and Automation for Industrial Revolution 4.0

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Al-Kadem ◽  
Mohammad Gomaa ◽  
Karam Al Yateem ◽  
Abdulmonam Al Maghlouth
Keyword(s):  
Industrial Revolution ◽  
Lower Cost ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Cost Savings ◽  
Reservoir Quality ◽  
Hardened Cement ◽  
Gas Reservoirs ◽  
First Choice ◽  
Integrity Tests ◽  
Group 1

Abstract The Cement Packer approach has been successfully implemented to pursue and monetize minor gas reservoirs of poorer quality. Due to its critical role in power supply to meet the nation's needs, license to operate gas fields oftentimes come with contractual obligations to deliver a certain threshold of gas capacity. The cement packer method is a cheaper alternative to workovers that enables operators to build gas capacity by monetizing minor gas reservoirs at lower cost. Group 1 reservoirs are the shallowest hydrocarbon bearing sand with poorer reservoir quality and relatively thin reservoirs. The behind-casing-opportunities in Minor Group-1 reservoirs previously required a relatively costly pull-tubing rig workover to monetize the reservoir. Opportunities in two wells were optimized from pull –tubing rig workovers to a non-rig program by implementing Cement Packer applications. The tubing was punched to create tubing-casing communication and cement was subsequently pumped through the tubing and into the casing. The hardened cement then acted as a barrier to satisfy operating guidelines. The reservoir was then additionally perforated, flow tested and successfully monetized at a lower cost. Tubing and casing integrity tests prior to well entry demonstrated good tubing and casing integrity. This is critical to ensure that cement will only flow into the casing where the tubing was punched. Once the cement hardened, pressure test from the tubing and from the casing indicated that the cement has effectively isolated both tubulars. Subsequent Cement Bond Log and Ultrasonic Imaging Tool showed fair to good cement above the target perforation depth. These data supported the fact that the cement packer was solid and the reservoir was ready for additional perforation. Taking into account the reservoir quality, it was decided to perforate the reservoir twice with the biggest gun available to ensure the lowest skin possible. Post perforation, there was a sharp increase in the tubing pressure indicating pressure influx from the reservoir. Despite that, casing pressure remained low, confirming no communication and thus the success of the cement packer.The well was later able to unload naturally due to its high reservoir pressure, confirming the producibility of the reservoirs and unlocking similar opportunities in other wells. Additionally, the cement packer approach delivered tremendous cost savings between $6 – 8 mil per well. Besides confirming the reservoirs' producibility,the success also unlocked additional shallow gas behind casing opportunities in the area.This method will now be the first-choice option to monetize any hydrocarbon resources in reservoirs located above the top packer.

The true and fait view concept: the palette of controversial points (of “worth banning” to “worth keeping”)

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 39-47
Author(s):  
Yana Ustinova
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Context ◽  
Practical Knowledge ◽  
Accounting Standards ◽  
Financial Statements ◽  
Scientific Interest ◽  
Scientific Publications ◽  
Main Research ◽  
Accounting Scandals ◽  
State Of Affairs ◽  
Changes Over Time

Dynamic changes and observed crisis phenomena in the economy, as well as high-profile accounting scandals of recent decades and subsequent revisions of accounting standards, necessitate a critical assessment of the conceptual framework for preparing financial statements that are adequate to the real state of affairs. At the same time, the accumulated practice of applying the true and fair view concept revealed some shortcomings. In this situation, the center of attraction of researchers' interest is the question of whether this concept meets the modern challenges of accounting, whether it is advisable to preserve and develop it. The aim of the article: an overview of the main research trends describing the significance of this concept for the current state of accounting, an assessment of the stages of their development. The analysis was carried out through research of scientific publications. The result was the identification of the main researching areas of the true and fair view concept, an analysis of their changes over time, an overview of the current increment of scientific knowledge, and the factors that led to such an increment for the last few years. In the course of the work, the areas of emerging scientific interest, as well as areas of maintaining scientific interest, were noted from the position of enriching theoretical and practical knowledge about the applicability of the concept. Special attention was drawn to the following issues: the relationship between overrides from accounting standards and the quality of financial statements, options for interpreting the concept by various groups of users of financial statements in settings of the legal and socio-cultural context differences, the role of auditors in assessing of the compliance with this concept. In conclusion were called the arguments of supporters to recognize this concept as worthy of banning, as well as the arguments of supporters to recognize this concept as worthy of keeping. Prospective directions of future scientific research in this direction were proposed.

scholarly journals Research challenges and opportunities in the Caribbean area: first bibliometric study in the French West Indies, from 1989 to 2018

2021 ◽  
Vol 45 ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Cédric Contaret ◽  
Raymond Cesaire ◽  
Jacqueline Deloumeaux ◽  
Rémi Neviere ◽  
Dabor Resiere ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Scientific Output ◽  
University Teaching ◽  
University Hospital ◽  
Teaching Hospitals ◽  
Clinical Neurology ◽  
Collaborative Partnerships ◽  
Main Research ◽  
Research Areas ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities ◽  
The University

Objective. To analyze, describe, and quantify the collaborations and scientific output of the two university teaching hospitals of Martinique and Guadeloupe, at the regional, national, and international level. Methods. A bibliometrics analysis was performed from the international databases Web of Science and PubMed, for the period from 1989 to 2018, inclusive (30 years). Three types of bibliometric indicators were used, namely quantitative indicators, performance indicators, and organization-specific indicators. Affiliations of the first and last authors were identified from PubMed. Results. Between 1989 and 2018, a total of 1 522 indexed articles were published with at least one author affiliated to either the University Hospital of Martinique (n = 827) or the University Hospital of Guadeloupe (n = 685). The majority of articles were in category Q1 (35.8% for Martinique and 35.2% for Guadeloupe). In Martinique, over the last 30 years, the three main research areas have been clinical neurology, ophthalmology, and surgery, together representing 28.7% of all research areas, with the highest number of articles published in the field of clinical neurology (n = 81). In the University Hospital of Guadeloupe, the area of hematology was largely represented, with 79 articles published. For both hospitals, the first and last authors of the article published were mainly from mainland France Conclusions. This quantitative analysis shows the development of medical and scientific research in Martinique and Guadeloupe over the last three decades, as well as the extent of their collaborative partnerships at the national and international levels.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document