Analysis of the Performance of a Coherent SAC-OCDMA-OFDM-DWDM System Using a Flat Optical Frequency Comb Generator for Multiservice Networks.

A SAC-OCDMA-OFDM-DWDM system using a flat optical frequency comb generator and a coherent communication system is proposed in this research. The objective is to develop a novel OCDMA communication system that is appropriate and dedicated to multiservice networks. A comparison between the two codes, EDW and RD, has been presented. It has been concluded that the RD code system has better performance in terms of robustness and number of users than the EDW code. By analyzing the BER for several symbol rates and comparing it to the pre-FEC threshold, the proposed system demonstrates its effectiveness against linear and nonlinear effects. Performance evaluation of the proposed system is carried out via co-simulation of OptiSystem and MATLAB.

The Role of the Ancestors in Healing: A Zululand Follow up Study

Ancestral consciousness, reverence, beliefs, and practices, forms an essential foundation for religion and healing. African religion and healing are based on the interconnectedness of all life, including ancestral heritage linked to an original creative Source, usually known through dreams via the extended family, community and collective unconscious. People only exist because of their ancestors’ gift of life and nurturance. Zulu people traditionally recognize and honour ancestors as the existential foundation for all humanization and socialization. Motivation for this study arose because of the popularity of a previous Zululand study on the role of the ancestors in healing, as well as the more recent one on coping with COVID-19. A convenience sample of twelve participants was asked to describe their understanding of the role of the ancestors in healing. Respondents indicated that although ancestors are typically not healers, unless they occupied healing roles in life such as Shembe, in their closer connection to the Creator/God, they play various roles in healing. The most important roles were of guidance, protection, direction, advice, warning, presence, communication, mediation, and intervention. The implications of these healing roles are discussed with special reference to Zulu indigenous healers. In addition to common components of healing found throughout the planet, Zulu healing is holistically interconnected with everyday life and death, as facilitated by indigenous healers through ancestors (amadlozi) breath/soul (umphefumulo), spiritual energy (umoya), humanity (ubuntu) and coherent communication (masihambisana).

Geomojis – a Global Symbology for Communicating Geosciences

<p>Communicating geosciences across linguistic and cultural borders is becoming increasingly important in our globalised world, and it is as important to have a globally coherent communication as it is to have global research infrastructure. In the context of geological hazards and the geological environment, we need a clear system that enables specialists and others to communicate effectively with each other. By using symbols and pictograms to represent geohazards, we can communicate these hazards clearly and efficiently. Certain hazard symbols are already in use across the globe, such as those for chemical or environmental hazards. In this project, we focus on the geological environment and geohazards, and much of the work is done within a UNESCO Geoscience Programme project 'Geoheritage for Resilience', using geoheritage sites as sites for communication and testing. The geological pictograms, or ‘geomojis’, bridge the gap between simple symbols and words, crossing language borders by representing concepts that we have identified as particularly important for understanding geohazards and risk. Our geomojis are based on the Global Framework for Geology (see Global and Planetary Change, 2018 - https://digitalcommons.mtu.edu/michigantech-p/427), also introduced during the IUGG centenary at UNESCO. This shows the context where they fit in the Earth system. We invite feedback on the geomojis that we have created, to consolidate geoscience knowledge and create a basic standardised set of symbols for all geological hazards. This standardisation of geohazard symbols could improve communication not only between specialists and non-specialists, but between geologists themselves. The global framework and geomojis will help us to think outside the box of our specialist environment. The geohazard pictograms can be used for geoscience communication in all forms, from hazard and risk publications to signage at geological sites. They can be adapted and modified for the local context and needs, while providing a central, and global, base for comparison. We plan to use the geomojis to accompany a multilingual glossary on geological hazard and risk terminology, a project that we hope will help international geoscience communication.</p>