Graduation - 2024 - March (Open Access)
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- ItemAbsolute pitch and serial digit recall under irrelevant speech conditions: investigating automatic pitch class labelling through cognitive psychology(2024-03-05) Steingaszner, Severian Geza; Venter, Carina
- ItemADAPTIVE CONVERSATIONAL SYSTEMS Harnessing Human Expertise in Modern Chatbots(2024-03-01) Van Eeden, Christiaan; du Preez, Johan
- ItemThe Adjudication of Budgetary Decisions in Socio-Economic Rights Litigation(2024-03-01) Rankin, Claire; Liebenberg, Sandra
- ItemAdvancements in Spectral Corrections for Enhanced Photovoltaic Performance Monitoring and Modelling(2024-03-01) Daniel-Durandt, Francisca Muriel; Rix, Arnold
- ItemAfrikaans-English Bilinguals and The Foreign Language Effect in South Africa(2023) Cullen, Sarah; Bylund, Manne
- ItemAll my companions are free, I alone am excepted”: A Socio-economic history of Recaptured Africans at the Cape Colony in the Age of Reform, c. 1807-1834.(2024-03-04) Crous, Benjamin Daniël; Fransch, Chet P.; Ekama, Kate
- ItemThe applicability of radiocarbon dating to understanding lifespan and mortality patterns in the quiver tree, Aloidendron dichotomum (Masson) Klopper & Gideon F.Sm.(2024-02-28) Murray, Kayleigh; Midgley, Guy Franklin; Foden, Wendy Bernardina
- ItemApplication of clustering techniques for improved energy benchmarking on deep-level mines(2024-03-28) Caromba, Claudio Mauricio; Schutte, Corne; van Laar, Jean
- ItemAssessing cartel detection and damages in simulated markets : a comparative study of econometric and machine learning approaches(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2024-03) Visser, Amy Sharon; Boshoff, Willem; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. Dept. of Economics.ENGLISH SUMMARY: Collusion among firms, with the intent to artificially elevate prices, has far-reaching implications for market competition and consumer welfare. This thesis explores the detection of structural breaks in simulated price data under collusion, and their subsequent impact on damage estimation. This contribution is significant in the field of competition economics as it allows for consideration of the implications for econometric methods aimed at identifying and measuring collusive effects in the age of machine learning alternatives. A combination of econometric and machine learning approaches, including Lasso regression, random forest regression and classification, logistic regression, and Bai-Perron structural break testing are rigorously examined against four distinct data generating processes simulated to mimic the behaviours of cartels observed in the market. These include a deterministic switch data generating process, a recurrent switch data generating process, a phased switch data generating process, and a Markov-switching data generating process. The study reveals that the Lasso model consistently outperforms the other methods in estimating structural breaks, demonstrating superior performance in identifying cartel and competitive pricing behaviours across the different linear data generating processes. Conversely, the Bai-Perron test exhibits the poorest performance, particularly in Phase and Markov-switching transitions, highlighting its limitations in capturing nuanced structural changes. Furthermore, damage estimation was performed using dummy variables generated by each of the models. All of the empirical models perform relatively well in capturing damages, with the exception of the Bai-Perron model when applied to the phase and Markov-switching data generating processes, further emphasising its limited utility in detecting nuanced switching mechanisms in pricing behaviour. To enhance the analysis, damage estimation was alternatively conducted by predicting movements in the price variable for the Lasso and random forest models. These modifications revealed slight discrepancies in damage predictions, with the Lasso model overpredicting and the random forest model underpredicting damages. Nevertheless, both models remain highly accurate in capturing the economic impact of structural changes in competitive pricing. This research contributes to the field of competition economics by providing a comprehensive analysis of structural break detection and damage estimation methodologies, ultimately demonstrating the practical advantages of the Lasso regression model when applied to linear pricing models. These findings offer valuable insights for policymakers and analysts seeking to better understand and address changes in competitive market dynamics.
- ItemAssessment of access to food by households in Epworth (Ward 3) Harare, Zimbabwe(2024-02-24) Phiri, Alice; Boatemaa Kushitor, Sandra; Sigge, Gunnar
- ItemAssessment of mutant N19 sugarcane lines for drought tolerance(2024-02-29) Louw, Nicholas; van der Vyver, Christell
- ItemAn assessment of the Namibian government’s application of the socio-economic rights of the San people(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2024-03) Hamutumwa, Sylvia; Brand, Dirk; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. School of Public Leadership.AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die studie is onderneem om die Namibiese regering se toepassing van sosio-ekonomiese regte van die San-mense te assesseer en om te bepaal hoe hulle die marginalisering van die San-mense hanteer het met betrekking tot die bevordering, beskerming en vervulling van hul sosio-ekonomiese regte. 'n Gevallestudieontwerp is gebruik met ’n fokus op die San-mense en 'n kwalitatiewe benadering is gevolg wat op ’n lessenaarstudie gesentreer was. Die studie het bevind dat die regering daarin geslaag het om sosio-ekonomiese regte toe te pas deur middel van strategiee soos die San-ontwikkelingsprogram. Die beleid het egter sommige sosio-ekonomiese regte soos sanitasie, maatskaplike toelaes en gesondheid oor die hoof gesien. Die onvermoë om die kollektiewe status van die San-volk te verander is egter te wyte aan ongelyke verspreiding van hulpbronne, gebrek aan befondsing en beperkte politieke wil ten opsigte van die substantiewe sosio-ekonomiese regte van die San-mense.‘n meer omvattende strategiee en inisiatiewe moet opgestel word met aangewese befondsing en 'n nasionale taakspan bestaande uit San-mense wat verseker dat mandate nagekom word. Die regering het sosio-ekonomiese regte in 'n groot mate vir sommige toegepas en in 'n mindere mate vir ander. Die studie het tot die gevolgtrekking gekom dat die regering beperkte sukses behaal het in die toepassing van sosio-ekonomiese regte aangesien die sosio-ekonomiese lewens van die San nie drasties verander het nie.
- ItemAugmentation of the Actuator-Disk Method for Low-Pressure Axial Flow Fan Simulation.(2024-02-22) Venter, AJ; Owen, MTF; Muiyser, J
- ItemAutomated Pre-Processing of Fluorescence Microscopy Data for the Analysis of Mitophagy(2024-03-01) Batt, Richard; Theart, Rensu
- ItemAutomated Synthesis of Array Antennas for Improved Accuracy in RF Safety Simulations using Spherical Wave Elements(2024-03-01) Swanepoel, Raynard; Ludick, Danie; De Villiers, Dirk
- ItemAutonomous Guidance and Conflict Avoidance for Multiple Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) in Urban Environments(2024-03-01) Hughes, Merrick; Engelbrecht, Japie
- ItemBack analysis of foundation performance case studies(2024-02-22) Heynes, Callen; MacRobert, Charles
- ItemBalancing the need for biodiversity protection and city development in a context of growing socio-economic inequality in Cape Town(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2024-03) Mnisi, Evidence Bongani; Feront, Cecile; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. School of Public Leadership.ENGLISH SUMMARY: Cape Town is facing rapid urbanisation fuelled by rural-urban migrations and shaped by growing socio-economic inequality associated with the legacy of apartheid. People moving into cities in search of better opportunities end up living in informal settlements on the periphery of urban centres. Yet, much of these informal settlements are established on fragile ecosystems earmarked for biodiversity protection, and thus threaten biodiversity protection efforts. As a result, it has become extremely challenging to balance the developmental needs of the city with biodiversity protection efforts. My research explores how can Cape Town manage biodiversity protection in a context of expanding informal settlements? To gain insight into this challenge, I anchor my investigation in social-ecological systems and draw on academic literature that has explored informal settlements, othering, and conflicting rationalities. I follow a qualitative approach and adopt a constructivist grounded theory methodology to gain insights both into the lived reality of people living in informal settlements, and the experience and approaches of Cape Town City officials at the coalface of this issue. I collect data using semi-structured interviews from ten participants living in Rivergate Informal Settlement and seven City of Cape Town officials from Urban Planning and Design (District Planning & Mechanisms and Metropolitan Spatial Planning & City Growth Management Branches) and Environmental Management (Biodiversity Management Branch). My study shows that the relationship between people living in informal settlements and protected areas is complex and the City’s response exacerbates tensions and a feeling of hopelessness. People living in informal settlements are driven to live there by desperate circumstances and the need to survive. They generally care about nature and are willing to work towards solutions, but feel unseen, unheard, and unconsidered in the decisions made by the City. The City of Cape Town officials tend to recognise their lack of adequate engagement with informal settlement communities and the need to work differently on urban development issues. My findings suggest that adopting a socio-ecological systems approach combined with participatory stakeholder engagement can help balance the developmental needs of the city with biodiversity protection efforts. My study recommends that stakeholder engagement should be deliberate and collaborative in the quest for establishing priorities and strategies for urban planning considerations. People affected by the decisions made should be part of the process and agree on problems to solve in order to learn and co-evolve together. My study recommends that municipal leadership should take heed to the call for integrated thinking in urban planning as to avoid crossing irremediable ecological thresholds.
- Itembipl5 : an R package for reactive calibrated axes PCA biplots(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2024-03) Buys, Ruan; van der Merwe, C. J.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. Dept. of Statistics and Actuarial Science.ENGLISH SUMMARY: Principal component analysis biplots with calibrated axes are popular and effective multivariate data visualisation tools. Biplots are however often complex to navigate due to cluttered plotting in the central data area, as well as die limitations that accompany static rendering. The bipl5 package proposes three contributions to the biplot display: i) automated orthogonal parallel translation of the axes to the boundary of the plot and declutter the plot center; ii) superimpose interclass kernel densities on each axis to investigate class distributions in the data; iii) render the final plot on a portable and standalone HTML file with embedded reactivity. This article considers the mathematical and computational implementation of bipl5, and showcases its functionality through an illustrative example.