Robot swarms are often considered suitable for tasks that are large-scale and long-term. Large-scale missions force the robots to spread spatially. In these type of tasks, actively maintaining connectivity allows the swarm to coordinate. Similarly, long-term nature of the task requires robots to work for a long time. This is affected by the limited energy level of the robot. However current studies normally focus only on connectivity or energy awareness. Therefore, in this work, we propose an approach to tackle the problem of maintaining global connectivity (swarm-level property) considering finite battery life (individual property). We are specifically focusing on growing the communication network and keeping it alive for a long period. We construct a logical tree over the connectivity graph. The logical tree is constructed by using a subset of robots from the swarm. The tree is grown by adding robots as necessary. The tree is also periodically reconfigured to cope with dynamic robot motion. This enables the swarm to grow the tree efficiently. In addition, robots exchange their roles based on their available energy levels. This allows robots with low energy levels to navigate to dedicated charging stations for recharging thus allowing the swarm to maintain the communication network. We evaluate our approach in a wide set of experiments with a realistic robot simulator named ARGoS.

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / The global use of mobile devices, and their connectivity capacity, integrated with the affordances of social media networks, provides a resource-rich platform for innovative student-directed learning experiences. Technology has become embedded in the daily lives of students, who become more approachable when technology is used within the higher education context. In 2014 the Educause Centre for Analysis and Research partnered with 213 higher education institutions across the United States of America. It was established that 86 percent of undergraduate information technology students owned a smartphone and half of that percentage owned a tablet. A systematic review on mobile learning in higher education focusing on the African Perspective in 2017 concluded that there was an increase in the use of mobile learning in higher education. Higher education institutions continue to move away from traditional, lecture-based lessons towards new, innovative teaching and learning methodologies to facilitate emerging pedagogies and strategies, thereby enhancing student learning. The adoption of technological innovation could promote the unfolding of a social process that over time could enhance social connectedness among young students and their older adult educators. Mobile learning is fundamentally defined as “learning with mobile devices” and it has the potential to extend the philosophies of learning through innovation It was identified that research in the field of m-learning can be divided into four areas, namely: pedagogy; administrative issues and technological challenges; ensuring sustainable development in education using m-learning; and the impact of new applications. With the increased need for nursing professionals, promoting the quality and effectiveness of nursing education has become crucial. It is thus important to establish learning environments in which personalised guidance and feedback to students regarding their practical skills and the application of their theoretical knowledge within clinical learning environments is provided.

Thesis (M.Sc. (Computer Science))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2007.

Conguring a network system to operate at optimal levels of performance re-quires a comprehensive understanding of the eects of a variety of system parameterson crucial metrics like connectivity and resilience to network attacks. Traditionally,omni-directional antennas have been used for communication in wireless sensor net-works. In this thesis, a hybrid communication model is presented where-in, nodes ina network are capable of both omni-directional and uni-directional communication.The eect of such a model on performance in randomly deployed wireless sensor net-works is studied, specically looking at the eect of a variety of network parameterson network performance.The work in this thesis demonstrates that, when the hybrid communication modelis employed, the probability of 100% connectivity improves by almost 90% and thatof k-connectivity improves by almost 80% even at low node densities when comparedto the traditional omni-directional model. In terms of network security, it was foundthat the hybrid approach improves network resilience to the collision attack by almost85% and the cost of launching a successful network partition attack was increased byas high as 600%. The gains in connectivity and resilience were found to improve withincreasing node densities and decreasing antenna beamwidths.

The spatial distribution and properties of rainfed orchards in semi-arid environments result from complex interactions between man and the physical and economical environment. This thesis investigates a number of these interactions in the context of the mechanisation of management practices since the 1950's. It is shown how the practice of clean sweeping (i.e. frequent shallow tillage) influences the orchard water balance and how the removal of traditional soil and water conservation structures affects the connectivity of overland flow to the river system. Although clean sweeping prevents transpiration and competition by weeds, it also constrains the root growth in the plough layer, so that the trees cannot access the water from small rain events. In addition, clean sweeping promotes accelerated soil erosion. It appears that the practice of clean sweeping limits the water availability in orchards on loamy soils with an annual rainfall in the order of 300 mm. It is demonstrated that the presence and properties of rainfed orchards are related to spatial patterns of soil characteristics and climate. The observed decline in conservation structures like terraces and check-dams leads to an increase in the connectivity of water and sediment to the river system. An alternative for these traditional techniques to retain the water and the soil is the application of cover crops. The advantage of cover crops is that they do not limit the field size. A drawback in dry areas is the competition for water and nutrients between the cover crop and the trees. Field evidence and water balance simulations suggest that cover crops are feasible in areas with an annual precipitation of 500 mm or more.

Landscape connectivity is a concept that refers to a landscape's structural and functional continuity, allowing for the flow of water, nutrients, energy, organisms, genes, and disturbances at many spatial and temporal scales. The loss of landscape connectivity leads to ecosystem fragmentation, which in turn contributes to a decline in biodiversity and threatens many species around the world. The importance of maintaining landscape connectivity is becoming recognized as a fundamental principle in land use planning. The purpose of this dissertation is to examine how the theory of landscape connectivity has been applied in Ontario's land use planning policy and practice between 1970 and 2008. This includes evaluating the degree to which theory has been applied to practice in landscape connectivity planning. In addition, the work investigates the processes that facilitated the movement from theory to practice in planning for landscape connectivity. Broadly framed within the theories of conservation biology, the research approach is qualitative and the research design includes a literature review, content analysis, and case study research. This research found that there has been an evolution of theory to practice in planning for landscape connectivity in Ontario between 1970 and 2008. The introduction of conservation biology principles created a growing public awareness, which contributed to rising pressure on the Government of Ontario to reform its land use planning policies. The theory of landscape connectivity is included in key land use planning legislation and policies and is now an accepted part of planning for natural heritage in the province. The Ontario Municipal Board has regard for landscape connectivity as a legitimate planning concern. In the majority of cases in the last decade in which landscape connectivity was identified as a deciding factor, the Ontario Municipal Board ruled in favour of protecting landscape connectivity. Planners in Ontario are expected to plan for landscape connectivity, but Ontario’s planning law and policy does not provide strong direction to planners on the issue of landscape connectivity. Recommendations for the Government of Ontario, based on the research findings, include planning for landscape connectivity at a provincial scale, creating a guidance document specifically for landscape connectivity and revising the Provincial Policy Statement.

Landscape connectivity is a concept that refers to a landscape's structural and functional continuity, allowing for the flow of water, nutrients, energy, organisms, genes, and disturbances at many spatial and temporal scales. The loss of landscape connectivity leads to ecosystem fragmentation, which in turn contributes to a decline in biodiversity and threatens many species around the world. The importance of maintaining landscape connectivity is becoming recognized as a fundamental principle in land use planning. The purpose of this dissertation is to examine how the theory of landscape connectivity has been applied in Ontario's land use planning policy and practice between 1970 and 2008. This includes evaluating the degree to which theory has been applied to practice in landscape connectivity planning. In addition, the work investigates the processes that facilitated the movement from theory to practice in planning for landscape connectivity. Broadly framed within the theories of conservation biology, the research approach is qualitative and the research design includes a literature review, content analysis, and case study research. This research found that there has been an evolution of theory to practice in planning for landscape connectivity in Ontario between 1970 and 2008. The introduction of conservation biology principles created a growing public awareness, which contributed to rising pressure on the Government of Ontario to reform its land use planning policies. The theory of landscape connectivity is included in key land use planning legislation and policies and is now an accepted part of planning for natural heritage in the province. The Ontario Municipal Board has regard for landscape connectivity as a legitimate planning concern. In the majority of cases in the last decade in which landscape connectivity was identified as a deciding factor, the Ontario Municipal Board ruled in favour of protecting landscape connectivity. Planners in Ontario are expected to plan for landscape connectivity, but Ontario’s planning law and policy does not provide strong direction to planners on the issue of landscape connectivity. Recommendations for the Government of Ontario, based on the research findings, include planning for landscape connectivity at a provincial scale, creating a guidance document specifically for landscape connectivity and revising the Provincial Policy Statement.

Conguring a network system to operate at optimal levels of performance re-quires a comprehensive understanding of the eects of a variety of system parameterson crucial metrics like connectivity and resilience to network attacks. Traditionally,omni-directional antennas have been used for communication in wireless sensor net-works. In this thesis, a hybrid communication model is presented where-in, nodes ina network are capable of both omni-directional and uni-directional communication.The eect of such a model on performance in randomly deployed wireless sensor net-works is studied, specically looking at the eect of a variety of network parameterson network performance.The work in this thesis demonstrates that, when the hybrid communication modelis employed, the probability of 100% connectivity improves by almost 90% and thatof k-connectivity improves by almost 80% even at low node densities when comparedto the traditional omni-directional model. In terms of network security, it was foundthat the hybrid approach improves network resilience to the collision attack by almost85% and the cost of launching a successful network partition attack was increased byas high as 600%. The gains in connectivity and resilience were found to improve withincreasing node densities and decreasing antenna beamwidths.

Under the current environment of Wireless Senor Networks (WSN), security is always one of the topics that everyone discussed about. Because of the limitations of WSN¡¦s unique resource, this results in the security of WSN needs to especially consider the calculating ability, memory capacity, characteristics of wireless communication, limited battery power supply, etc. Random key pre-distribution (RKP) is the one of the key distribution that is developed for the sake of safe communication of WSN, the characteristic of RKP is that there must have at least one common pre-distributed key in the two independent nodes in order to compose a pair-wise key, so that the safe communication can be carried out. However, if the nodes are distributed in the loose environment, the numbers of neighbors would be lower due to the decrease of average node degree. Then the connectivity of the entire network would decrease because it is not easy for the RKP to establish the pair-wise key. This paper would set the improvement of the entire network¡¦s connectivity under the loose environment as the starting point to extend the RKP-DE that only considers one-hop neighbor information, and reverse the flow path of RKP-DE and propose RKP- DEinverse from the viewpoint of two-hop neighbor information. Then RKP-DE and RKP- DEinverse are merged and become a new method ¡V RKP- DEtwo_hop, so as to try to prove that we can raise the connectivity of the whole network effectively.

This architectural design thesis proposes the adaptive re-use of 82 walk-up apartment blocks located in Shannon Park, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada. The uniform military housing community, abandoned in 2004, is reintegrated back into the surrounding neighbourhood network through a series of interventions at several scales. The new neighbourhood will provide housing for the population influx expected as a result of the acquisition of a significant shipbuilding contract. Because the expected influx is temporary, the development must be able to easily fit into the existing urban fabric. A series of strategic design interventions will transform the monotonous, desolate site into a varied community with strong neighbourhood identity.