Hasil untuk "History of Africa"

Bernard Botiveau

Chipoya Musole, Kapina Muzala, Ngomah Albertina et al.

Introduction: Africa has seen a significant rise in circulating vaccine-derived polioviruses type 2 (cVDPV2) outbreaks following the switch to the bivalent oral polio vaccine (bOPV) in 2016. In September 2019, the World Health Organisation (WHO) country office notified the Zambian Ministry of Health of a case of cVDPV-2 in Chienge District, Luapula Province. This paper describes the investigation and public health response to the outbreak. Methods: Investigation and response were conducted per WHO standards. cVDPV was defined as VDPV demonstrating person-to-person transmission in the community. The patient's guardians were interviewed, blood samples collected from the patient, and 34 stool samples collected from direct and community contacts aged <5 years. Genetic sequencing intratypic differentiation was used to determine the relatedness of poliovirus samples. The WHO immunisation coverage cluster survey design was used to assess polio immunisation coverage in children aged 6-59 months in the catchment area surrounding Chipungu Rural Health Centre (RHC) and Lunchinda RHC. Population data was collected and documented at the health facility level and from community surveys to triangulate population size in preparation for the monovalent oral polio vaccination campaign. Results: The index case patient was an unvaccinated two-year-old boy from Chienge District bordering the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). History indicated he developed sudden weakness in his lower limbs following a fever of < 24 hours in July 2019. Sequencing results of the case showed VDPV2 with nine nucleotide differentiation from Sabin-2. Of the 36 stool samples, five (15%) were non-polio enteroviruses and three (9%) were suspected poliovirus (2 type-2 polioviruses (PV2)) and one SabinLike1. PV2 sequencing results confirmed cVDPV with genetic linkage to the index case but no established link to ongoing outbreaks in the DRC. The vaccination coverage survey found less than 80% (47/60) fully immunised children, OPV 3 coverage was 80% (48/60) while that of IPV was just 23% (14/60). A total of 323,936 children were reached in 11 districts with a vaccination coverage of 101% during 3 rounds of mOPV2 supplementary immunization activity (SIA). A countrywide catch-up vaccination campaign with inactivated polio vaccine (children 3-59 months) was also conducted in 2020. Conclusion: The confirmed presence of a cVDPV outbreak in Zambia represents another novel emergence of a cVDPV since the switch from tOPV to bOPV. This emergence highlights a gap in the immunity profile of the Zambian child and the continued risk of Polio outbreaks. Country boarders remain areas of high concern and there is need to strengthen cross-border collaboration with neighbouring countries through synchronized vaccination camp

Abdallah Abdel-Ati Al-Naggar

The cosmopolitan, remarkable designer and chief architect of (Abbas Hilmi II) Khedive’s royal palaces, Antonio Lasciac (Italian and English) or Anton Laščak (Slovene) with multinational origin, was an exceptional personality, who played an influential role in the field of architecture in Egypt and overseas. He is one of the most appreciated foreign architects praised by the Arabs throughout modern history. Here, we focus on the picture of Antonio Lasciac and his architectural works as well as his undetermined citizenship together with the most well-known story about him as portrayed in the scientific studies and Arab press. Researchers and journalists published several interesting and positive reports, opinions and topics on him. Among the sources of this research I am presenting press articles, related studies, together with other trusted internet websites.

George Boateng

Across the African continent, students grapple with various educational challenges, including limited access to essential resources such as computers, internet connectivity, reliable electricity, and a shortage of qualified teachers. Despite these challenges, recent advances in AI such as BERT, and GPT-4 have demonstrated their potential for advancing education. Yet, these AI tools tend to be deployed and evaluated predominantly within the context of Western educational settings, with limited attention directed towards the unique needs and challenges faced by students in Africa. In this chapter, we discuss challenges with using AI to advance education across Africa. Then, we describe our work developing and deploying AI in Education tools in Africa for science and computing education: (1) SuaCode, an AI-powered app that enables Africans to learn to code using their smartphones, (2) AutoGrad, an automated grading, and feedback tool for graphical and interactive coding assignments, (3) a tool for code plagiarism detection that shows visual evidence of plagiarism, (4) Kwame, a bilingual AI teaching assistant for coding courses, (5) Kwame for Science, a web-based AI teaching assistant that provides instant answers to students' science questions and (6) Brilla AI, an AI contestant for the National Science and Maths Quiz competition. Finally, we discuss potential opportunities to leverage AI to advance education across Africa.

Ismaila Temitayo Sanusi, Fitsum Gizachew Deriba

Noticeably, Africa is underrepresented in the computing education research (CER) community. However, there has been some effort from the researchers in the region to contribute to the growing need for computing for all. To understand the body of works that emerged from the global south region and their area of focus in computing education, we conducted a systematic review of the literature. This research investigates the prominent CER journals and conferences to discern the kind of research that has been published and how much contribution they have made to the growing field. Of the 68 selected studies, 45 papers were from South Africa. The prominent aspect of computing in the literature is programming, which accounts for 43%. We identified open areas for research in the context and discussed the implication of our findings for the development of CER in Africa.

Rendani Mbuvha, Yassine Yaakoubi, John Bagiliko et al.

As climate change issues become more pressing, their impact in Africa calls for urgent, innovative solutions tailored to the continent's unique challenges. While Artificial Intelligence (AI) emerges as a critical and valuable tool for climate change adaptation and mitigation, its effectiveness and potential are contingent upon overcoming significant challenges such as data scarcity, infrastructure gaps, and limited local AI development. This position paper explores the role of AI in climate change adaptation and mitigation in Africa. It advocates for a collaborative approach to build capacity, develop open-source data repositories, and create context-aware, robust AI-driven climate solutions that are culturally and contextually relevant.

Luiz Enrique Vieira de Souza

O presente trabalho discute criticamente a implementação de Zonas Econômicas Especiais (ZEE) e a construção do Corredor Industrial Delhi-Mumbai (CIDM) como projetos que resultaram numa redistribuição regressiva da propriedade agrária na Índia após as reformas liberalizantes de 1991. Com base na análise de documentos oficiais, da legislação agrária e na discussão de protestos contra a desterritorialização, proponho uma releitura das estratégias do Governo da Índia para promover a disponibilização de terras para grandes empreendimentos. Contra a vertente que se apoia na noção de “regimes domésticos de despossessão”, argumento que as ZEE, o CIDM e o mais recente Make in India foram concebidos para atrair investimentos estrangeiros, transformar o país num “manufacturing hub” e aumentar o volume de exportações. Trata-se, portanto, de uma rearticulação da “dialética interior-exterior”, na qual as medidas coercitivas internas não são analiticamente separadas das estratégias para promover a maior inserção e competitividade da Índia no cenário global.

Nelidov V.V.

The article provides a general evaluation of the Russian direction of Japan’s foreign policy as of late 2023 and analyzes the factors that determine its contents. It considers the speeches of the Prime Minister of Japan, the sections of the Japanese Foreign Ministry’s publications which focus on Russia-Japan relations, analyzes the state of economic ties given the sanctions imposed by Japan on Russia, and studies the place of Russia in Japan’s National Security Strategy, adopted in late 2022. The author comes to the conclusion that, despite the obvious influence of the U.S. on the Japanese position regarding Russia, one can hardly speak of Washington bluntly imposing its views on Tokyo. Rather, we find an already established consensus regarding this issue between Japan and the U.S. Meanwhile, the “foreign pressure” is not limited to interaction with the United States, as cooperation with multilateral formats of the “collective West” starts to play an increasingly important role for Japan. From the point of view of domestic politics, the situation also facilitates the continuation of Tokyo’s anti -Russian course, as, within the country, those expressing alternative points of view are de-facto subject to ostracism and “cancelling.” But, even given all these negative factors, one can still glimpse some signs of pragmatism in the Russian direction of Japan’s foreign policy. This lets one hope that, should the Ukrainian crisis be resolved, the Japanese leadership will not put obstacles in the way of normalization of Russia-Japan relations.

Mário Augusto Medeiros da Silva

Resenha de: CARDOSO, Edson. Nada os trará de volta: escritos sobre racismo e luta política. São Paulo: Companhia das Letras, 2022. 456 p.

Bhaso Ndzendze

This paper investigates whether foreign investment (FDI) into Africa is at least partially responsive to World Bank-measured market friendliness. Specifically, I conducted analyses of four countries between 2009 and 2017, using cases that represent two of the highest scorers on the bank's Doing Business index as of 2008 (Mauritius and South Africa) and the two lowest scorers (DRC and CAR), and subsequently traced all four for growths or declines in FDI in relation to their scores in the index. The findings show that there is a moderate association between decreased costs of starting a business and growth of FDI. Mauritius, South Africa and the DRC reduced their total cost of starting a business by 71.7%, 143.7% and 122.9% for the entire period, and saw inward FDI increases of 167.6%, 79.8% and 152.21%, respectively. The CAR increased the cost of starting businesses but still saw increases in FDI. However, the country also saw the least amount of growth in FDI at only 13.3%.

Matthew de Bie, Janet van Niekerk, Andriette Bekker

Understanding complex spatial dependency structures is a crucial consideration when attempting to build a modeling framework for wind speeds. Ideally, wind speed modeling should be very efficient since the wind speed can vary significantly from day to day or even hour to hour. But complex models usually require high computational resources. This paper illustrates how to construct and implement a hierarchical Bayesian model for wind speeds using the Weibull density function based on a continuously-indexed spatial field. For efficient (near real-time) inference the proposed model is implemented in the r package R-INLA, based on the integrated nested Laplace approximation (INLA). Specific attention is given to the theoretical and practical considerations of including a spatial component within a Bayesian hierarchical model. The proposed model is then applied and evaluated using a large volume of real data sourced from the coastal regions of South Africa between 2011 and 2021. By projecting the mean and standard deviation of the Matern field, the results show that the spatial modeling component is effectively capturing variation in wind speeds which cannot be explained by the other model components. The mean of the spatial field varies between $\pm 0.3$ across the domain. These insights are valuable for planning and implementation of green energy resources such as wind farms in South Africa. Furthermore, shortcomings in the spatial sampling domain is evident in the analysis and this is important for future sampling strategies. The proposed model, and the conglomerated dataset, can serve as a foundational framework for future investigations into wind energy in South Africa.

Nkosingizwile Mazwi Mchunu, George Okechukwu Onatu, Trynos Gumbo

This paper discusses the impact of electricity blackouts and poor infrastructure on the livelihood of residents and the local economy of Johannesburg, South Africa. The importance of a stable electricity grid plays a vital role in the effective functioning of urban infrastructure and the economy. The importance of electricity in the present-day South Africa has not been emphasized enough to be prioritized at all levels of government, especially at the local level, as it is where all socio-economic activities take place. The new South Africa needs to redefine the importance of electricity by ensuring that it is accessible, affordable, and produced sustainably, and most of all, by ensuring that the energy transition initiatives to green energy take place in a planned manner without causing harm to the economy, which might deepen the plight of South Africans. Currently, the City of Johannesburg is a growing spatial entity in both demographic and urbanization terms, and growing urban spaces require a stable supply of electricity for the proper functioning of urban systems and the growth of the local economy. The growth of the city brings about a massive demand for electricity that outstrips the current supply of electricity available on the local grid. The imbalance in the current supply and growing demand for electricity result in energy blackouts in the city, which have ripple effects on the economy and livelihoods of the people of Johannesburg. This paper examines the impact of electricity blackouts and poor infrastructure on the livelihood of residents and the local economy of Johannesburg, South Africa.

Mike Sharples

John Clark was inventor of the Eureka machine to generate hexameter Latin verse. He labored for 13 years from 1832 to implement the device that could compose at random over 26 million different lines of well-formed verse. This paper proposes that Clark should be regarded as an early cognitive scientist. Clark described his machine as an illustration of a theory of "kaleidoscopic evolution" whereby the Latin verse is "conceived in the mind of the machine" then mechanically produced and displayed. We describe the background to automated generation of verse, the design and mechanics of Eureka, its reception in London in 1845 and its place in the history of language generation by machine. The article interprets Clark's theory of kaleidoscopic evolution in terms of modern cognitive science. It suggests that Clark has not been given the recognition he deserves as a pioneer of computational creativity.

Joseph J. van Vreede, Romy Parker, Janieke van Nugteren

Background: Chronic pain and depression are closely related conditions, which commonly exist as comorbid disorders. Understanding the prevalence of depression in patients presenting with chronic pain is vital for effective pain management. Aim: Our study aimed to establish the prevalence of a history of depression in patients presenting with chronic pain to a chronic pain management clinic at a tertiary academic hospital and to describe the characteristics of patients with both conditions. Setting: Groote Schuur Hospital, Chronic Pain Management Clinic, Cape Town, South Africa. Method: A retrospective review of 665 medical charts of consecutive patients accessing the clinic over a 7-year period was conducted. Baseline, patient-centred data were collected. Results: Of the 665 charts, 623 were analysed. The median age of patients was 53 years. The prevalence of depression in patients presenting with chronic pain was 32%, three times higher than the national life-time prevalence in South Africa. The majority (77%) of patients with chronic pain and depression were female (p  0.01). Overall, 51% of the patients assessed were unemployed with low levels of education. The majority of our study patients had received a tricyclic antidepressant at some time prior to presentation. Conclusion: The high prevalence of a history of depression in patients presenting with chronic pain in our study, emphasises the importance of looking for and understanding the interrelation of the physiological, psychiatric, psychological and socio-economic factors that are common to both depression and chronic pain. Pain relief alone is insufficient to ensure optimal rehabilitation of these patients and integrating the management of their depression should improve patient outcomes and overall well-being.

Yasmine Amhis, Mohamed Chabab, Zinhle Buthelzi

This document summarizes our best knowledge of the ongoing High Energy Physics activities in Africa. The information was primarily extracted from the first ASFAP Particle Physics day organised on November 2021 and on our working group talk presented at ACP 2021 conference on March 2022.

Natasha Martins, Pedro Almeida, Muriel Guitel et al.

A corporalidade dentro dos rituais da religião brasileira Candomblé possui papel fundamental na preservação de uma tradição e valorização étnica. Identificando como potente representante deste universo cosmológico, usou-se como objeto de estudo as obras do pintor português Neves e Sousa, para fins de análise sócio-cultural.  O corpo conta história, se faz presente. É por meio do corpo que o sagrado se manifesta no ambiente litúrgico. Buscando este espaço atemporal da arte ritual, com ênfase na expressão corporal do Candomblé, o presente artigo desenvolve um diálogo entre um olhar de fora do Candomblé com suas simbologias, meios de aprendizado e experiência mística.CORPORALITY OF CANDOMBLÉ FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF NEVES E SOUSA Corporality of Candomblé from the Perspective of Neves e Sousa   CORPORALIDAD DE CANDOMBLÉ BAJO LA MIRADA DE NEVES Y SOUSA Corporalidad de Candomblé Bajo la Mirada de Neves e Sousa   Resumo A corporalidade dentro dos rituais da religião brasileira Candomblé possui papel fundamental na preservação de uma tradição e valorização étnica. Identificando como potente representante deste universo cosmológico, usou-se como objeto de estudo as obras do pintor português Neves e Sousa, para fins de análise sócio-cultural.  O corpo conta história, se faz presente. É por meio do corpo que o sagrado se manifesta no ambiente litúrgico. Buscando este espaço atemporal da arte ritual, com ênfase na expressão corporal do Candomblé, o presente artigo desenvolve um diálogo entre um olhar de fora do Candomblé com suas simbologias, meios de aprendizado e experiência mística. Palavras-chave: Candomblé, Ritual, Cultura, Artes, Corporalidade   Abstract Corporality within the rituals of the Brazilian Candomblé religion plays a fundamental role in the preservation of an ethnic tradition and appreciation. Identifying as a potent representative of this cosmological universe, the works of the Portuguese painter Neves e Sousa were used as object of study,for sociocultural analysis purposes. The body tells a story, makes itself present. It is through the body that the sacred is manifested in the liturgical environment. Seeking this timeless space of ritual art, with an emphasis on Candomblé body expression, this article develops a dialogue between the external perspective of Candomblé with its symbologies, mean of learning and mystical experience Keywords: Candomblé, Ritual, Culture, Art, Corporality   Resumen La corporalidad dentro de los rituales de la religión brasileña Candomblé tiene un papel fundamental en la preservación de la tradición y el aprecio étnico. Identificándose como un potente representante de este universo cosmológico, las obras del pintor portugués Neves e Sousa han sido utilizadas como objeto de estudio, a efectos de análisis sociocultural. El cuerpo cuenta una historia, se hace presente. Es a través del cuerpo que lo sagrado se manifiesta en el ambiente litúrgico. Buscando este espacio atemporal del arte ritual, con énfasis en la expresión corporal del Candomblé, este artículo desarrolla un diálogo entre una mirada fuera del Candomblé con sus simbologías, medios de aprendizaje y experiencia mística. Palabras-clave: Candomblé, Ritual, Cultura, Arte, Corporalidad

Bogatov Egor, Korenev Artem, Mikhailov Ilya

One of the variants for systematizing the activities of the historian of mathematics is proposed, as well as a scheme for organizing research and search work in the preparation of scientific articles and reports on the history of science.

Sanaz Bostani, Masoume Rambod, Paricheher Sabaghzadeh Irani et al.

Background: Some nursing students might experience lower and median levels of happiness; hence, providing some interventions would be crucial for them. Objective: This study aimed to compare the effects of Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR) exercise and support group therapy on happiness amongst nursing students. Design: This was a randomized controlled trial study. Participants: In this study, 150 nursing students participated. They were selected from nursing and midwifery school of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences. Methods: 150 nursing students were divided into three groups (PMR exercise (n = 50), support group therapy (n = 50), and control (n = 50)). PMR exercise and support group therapy were carried out over five consecutive 45-minute sessions per week for 50 participants in groups of 10. Oxford Happiness Inventory was used before and after the interventions. In order to compare the mean score of happiness between two and three groups, t-test, and ANCOVA were used, respectively. Results: After the intervention, the mean scores of happiness were 55.26 (SD = 16.26), 35.16 (SD = 12.69), and 34.22 (SD = 11.83) in the PMR exercise, support group therapy, and control groups, respectively. The results indicated a significant difference amongst the three groups regarding happiness after the intervention (p < 0.05). A significant difference was observed between the PMR exercise and the control group regarding happiness (p < 0.05). In addition, the mean score of happiness was significantly higher in the PMR exercise group compared to the support group therapy after the intervention (p < 0.05). In the PMR exercise group, a significant difference was found regarding the mean change of students’ happiness before and after the intervention (t = -4.29, p < 0.001). Conclusion: Considering the positive effects of PMR exercise and support group therapy in increasing nursing students’ happiness, educational authorities and educators are recommended to use these therapies during the course of nursing’ Bachelor’s degree to increase happiness within students and positive outlooks amongst groups.

E. N. Fursova

The article is devoted to the study of the linguistic tradition of the Berbers, who are the indigenous people of North Africa. The Berbers have maintained a rich tradition of spoken language. At the turn of the 20th ‑21st centuries, against the backdrop of the intensification of the movement for self‑determination, their cultural and linguistic rights, the Berbers launched a large‑scale activity aimed at restoring the national written language. The author suggested that the need to develop standardized writing was partly due to the desire of the Berbers to consolidate the official status of their language in the Constitution. The author notes that the aggravation of the so‑called “Berber question” at the end of the 20th century spurred the interest of scientists and researchers in the Berber written heritage. Most of the surviving handwritten documents make Berber texts (mostly religious), recorded using the Arabic alphabet between the 15th and early 20th centuries. The study of conditions for their creation and fields of their application shows that these texts played a significant role in the dissemination of religious and scientific knowledge among the Berbers. It is concluded that despite the use of the predominantly oral form of the language, the Berbers managed to create a unique written tradition. The article discusses in detail the main problems of the study of Berber manuscripts, among which: the requirement from the researcher of serious pre‑knowledge in various fields; the problem of accessibility of texts stored in private collections; the need to develop unified approaches to the description of Berber manuscripts, their digitization and other important arrangements to ensure the availability of documents for the scientific‑research community. Particular attention is paid to the history of the creation of the first collections of Berber manuscripts and their cataloging. The author has also highlighted the work of scientists, who made a qualitative contribution to the study of the Berber manuscripts, most of which have not yet been discovered and carry significant potential aimed at pre‑ serving and enhancing the Berber cultural and historical heritage.

Chyi Yin Gwee, Kritika M Garg, Balaji Chattopadhyay et al.

Archipelagoes serve as important ‘natural laboratories’ which facilitate the study of island radiations and contribute to the understanding of evolutionary processes. The white-eye genus Zosterops is a classical example of a ‘great speciator’, comprising c. 100 species from across the Old World, most of them insular. We achieved an extensive geographic DNA sampling of Zosterops by using historical specimens and recently collected samples. Using over 700 genome-wide loci in conjunction with coalescent species tree methods and gene flow detection approaches, we untangled the reticulated evolutionary history of Zosterops, which comprises three main clades centered in Indo-Africa, Asia, and Australasia, respectively. Genetic introgression between species permeates the Zosterops phylogeny, regardless of how distantly related species are. Crucially, we identified the Indonesian archipelago, and specifically Borneo, as the major center of diversity and the only area where all three main clades overlap, attesting to the evolutionary importance of this region.