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Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The debilitating social, economic and environmental ramifications of traffic congestion are experienced in large cities the world over. The optimisation of traffic signal timings at signalised road intersections attempts to mitigate the extent of these adverse effects of traffic congestion by reducing the delay time experienced by vehicles in a transport network. Today, traffic signal control schemes may be classiffied into one of two main classes, namely fixed-time traffic signal control strategies, which are typically cyclic in nature, and vehicle-actuated traffic signal control strategies, which are typically acyclic in nature. Generally, cyclic control strategies tend to lack exibility, and are unable to adapt to short-term uctuations in traffic ow rates, resulting in green times that are either too long or too short. On the other hand, acyclic control strategies tend to lack coordination between intersections, resulting in vehicles being required to stop at the majority of signalised intersections they encounter. Self-organising traffic signal control has been proposed as an attractive alternative form of control which both exhibits exibility and facilitates a global coordination between intersections as a result of localised signal switching policies. Two examples of existing self-organising traffic signal control algorithms from the literature include an algorithm proposed by Lammer and Helbing in 2008 and an algorithm proposed by Gershenson and Rosenblueth in 2012. These algorithms have been shown to outperform both optimised fixed-time traffc signal control techniques as well as state-of-the-art vehicle actuated trffic signal control techniques, in terms of reducing vehicle delay time in a transport network. A draw-back of both of these self-organising approaches, however, is that their effective operation relies on carefully selected parameter values; poorly selected parameter values may render these algorithms very ineffectual. In this dissertation, three novel self-organising traffic signal traffic control algorithms are proposed. These three algorithms assume the use of existing radar detection sensors mounted at the intersection to provide the necessary input data. The radar detection sensors are capable of detecting and tracking individual vehicles approaching an intersection, providing real-time information pertaining to their physical dimensions, velocities, and ranges from the intersection in terms of both time and distance. The three traffic signal control algorithms are free of any user-specialised parameters, and instead rely solely on the data provided by the radar detection sensors to inform their signal switching policies. The first of these traffic signal control algorithms is inspired by inventory control theory, and draws parallels between the monetary costs typically considered in inventory control models and the delay time costs associated with traffic control at signalised intersections, which the algorithm attempts to minimise. The second novel traffic control algorithm is inspired by the chemical process of osmosis in which solvent molecules move unaided from a region where they are highly concentrated, across a semi-permeable membrane, into a region of high solute molecule concentration. The algorithm models vehicles approaching an intersection as solvent molecules and the physical space available for the vehicles to occupy once they have passed through the intersection as solute molecules. Following this analogy, the intersection is considered to be the semi-permeable membrane. The third traffic control algorithm is a hybrid of the inventory and osmosis-inspired algorithms together with an intersection utilisation maximisation technique, which prevents unnecessary or prolonged underutilisation of an intersection. The three novel trafficc control algorithms, together with the algorithms of Lammer and Helbing, and of Gershenson and Rosenblueth, as well as a fixed-time control algorithm, are implemented in a purpose-built microscopic traffic simulation modelling framework. Several measures are employed to evaluate the relative performances of the algorithms. These measures include the usual mean and maximum resulting delay times incurred by vehicles and the saturation level of the roadways in the transport network, as well as three novel performance measure indicators which include the mean number of stops made by vehicles, their mean normalised delay time and the mean normalised number of stops made. The algorithms are compared in the context of a linear corridor road network topology as well as a grid road network topology under various traffic ow conditions. The overall performance of the novel hybrid traffic signal control algorithm is found to be superior for the corridor road network topology, while the performance of the osmosis-inspired algorithm is found to be superior for the grid road network topology. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING:Die negatiewe sosiale, ekonomiese en omgewingsimpak van verkeersopeenhoping word in groot stede regoor die w^ereld ervaar. Die doel met die optimering van verkeersligwerkverrigting by straatkruisings is om die omvang van hierdie negatiewe impak tee te werk deur die vertraging van voertuie in 'n vervoernetwerk te verminder. Hedendaagse verkeersbeheeralgoritmes kom in een van twee hoofklasse voor, naamlik vaste-tyd beheerstrategiee, wat gewoonlik siklies van aard is, en beheerstrategiee gebaseer op voertuigopsporing, wat tipies asiklies van aard is. Oor die algemeen beskik sikliese beheerstrategiee nie oor genoegsame buigsaambeid om aan te pas by kort-termyn fluktuasies in verkeersvloei nie, wat tipies daartoe lei dat hul groentye spesifiseer wat of te lank of te kort is. Aan die ander kant is asikliese beheerstrategiee nie daartoe in staat om koordinasie tussen naasliggende straatkruisings te bewerkstellig nie, wat weer daartoe lei dat voertuie genoodsaak word om by die oorgrote meerderheid straatkruisings op hul pad te stop. Die self-organiserende beheer van verkeersligte is as 'n aantrektlike, buigsame alternatief voorgestel wat in staat is om globale koordinasie tussen naasliggende straatkruisings as gevolg van gelokaliseerde seinstrategiee te bewerkstellig. Twee voorbeelde van bestaande self-organiserende verkeersbeheeralgoritmes in die literatuur is die algoritmes wat in 2008 deur Lammer and Helbing en in 2012 deur Gershenson en Rosenblueth voorgestel is. Daar is aangetoon dat hierdie algoritmes daartoe in staat is om ge-optimeerde vaste-tyd beheerstrategiee sowel as gevorderde strategiee gebaseer op voertuigopsporing uit te stof in terme van 'n vermindering van die vertraging van voertuie in 'n vervoernetwerk. 'n Nadeel van beide hierdie self-organiserende benaderings is egter dat hul doeltreffende werkverrigting berus op versigtig-gekose parameterwaardes; willekeurige parameterwaardes mag lei na hoogs ondoeltreffende werkverrigitng van die algoritmes. Drie nuwe self-organiserende verkeersbeheeralgoritmes word in hierdie proefskrif voorgestel. Hierdie drie algoritmes maak vir hul toevoerdata staat op die beskikbaarhed van bestaande radar opsporingsensors wat by straatkruisings geinstalleer is. Die sensors is daartoe in staat om individuele voertuie wat 'n straatkruising nader, op te spoor, te volg en intydse data oor hul fisiese dimensies, snelhede, en afstande na die kruising (in terme van beide tyd en afstand) te lewer. Die drie algoritmes bevat geen gebruikers-gespesifiseerde parameters nie, en maak in plaas daarvan slegs gebruik van die sensortoevoerdata om hul beheerstrategiee te bepaal. Die eerste van hierdie verkeersbeheeralgoritmes is deur die teorie van voorraadbeheer geinspireer en maak gebruik van parallelle tussen die monet^ere kostes wat tipies in voorraadbeheermodelle voorkom en die kostes in terme van vertragingstyd wat met verkeersbeheer by straatkruisings aangegaan word, en wat deur die algoritme geminimeer word. Die tweede verkeersbeheeralgoritme is deur die chemiese proses van osmose geinspireer, waar molekules van 'n oplossingsmiddel sonder eksterne hulp vanaf 'n gebied waar hul in hoe konsentrasie voorkom, deur 'n gedeeltelik-deurlaatbare membraan beweeg na 'n gebied waarin hul ook in hoe konsentrasie, maar in opgeloste vorm voorkom. Die algoritme modelleer voertuie wat 'n straatkruising nader as die molekules van die oplossingsmiddel en die fisiese ruimte wat aan die ander kant van die kruising beskikbaar is om deur voertuie beset te word, as molekules in opgeloste vorm. In hierdie analogie word die kruising self as die gedeeltelik-deurlaatbare membraan beskou. Die derde algoritme is 'n hibriede strategie waarin elemente van die eerste twee algoritmes in samewerking met 'n tegniek vir die maksimering van straatkruisingsbenutting gekombineer word, en wat wat ten doel het om onnodige of verlengte onderbenutting van die kruising te vermy. Hierdie drie nuwe verkeersbeheeralgoritmes word, tesame met die bestaande algoritmes van Lammer en Helbing, en van Gershenson en Rosenblueth, asook 'n vaste-tyd beheeralgoritme, in 'n mikroskopiese verkeersimulasiemodelleringsraamwerk wat spesifiek vir die doel ontwerp is, geimplementeer. Verskeie maatstawwe word ingespan om die relatiewe werkverrigting van die algoritmes te evalueer. Hierdie maatstawwe sluit in die gebruiklike gemiddelde en maksimum vertragingstye van voertuie en die versadigingsvlak van strate in die vervoernetwerk, sowel as drie nuwe maatstawwe, naamlik die gemiddelde aantal stoppe deur voertuie, hul genormaliseerde vertragingstye en die gemiddelde, genormaliseerde aantal stoppe. Die algoritmes word in die kontekste van 'n line^ere topologie van opeenvolgende straatkruisings en 'n netwerktopologie van reghoekige straatblokke onder verskeie verkeersdigthede met mekaar vergelyk. Daar word bevind dat die nuwe hibriede algoritme die beste vaar in die line^ere topologie, terwyl die osmose-ge inspireerde algoritme die ander algoritmes uitstof in die straatblok-netwerktopologie.

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Science in Information Technology in Education

The planning and management of coastal and river structures such as breakwaters, groynes, jetties, bridges and tidal inlets require accurate predictions of equilibrium morphologies. Generally these types of situations are modelled numerically using process - based models, where wave, current and sediment transport modules are applied over a number of time - steps until a steady - state morphology is obtained. Two alternative methods have been developed and applied in this thesis, based on self - organisation and entropy approaches. The self - organisation - based method utilises a cellular automata model, where local rules produce a global stable pattern through positive and negative feedback. The entropy - based method is able to predict equilibrium morphologies directly. It compares different randomly generated morphologies using an objective function and optimisation, instead of moving to an equilibrium morphology through intermediate states. This avoids some potential problems associated with traditional models such as error propagation and reliance on accurate initial conditions. The models developed in this thesis have been applied to a number of case studies. It was found that the cellular automata model obtained a higher Brier Skill Score than a comparable process - based model when predicting the equilibrium morphology associated with a channel obstruction. The entropy - based method was able to predict a realistic erosional channel in a coastal lagoon, similar to field observations at the Murray River Mouth in South Australia. It had difficulties predicting the deposition pattern due to the bias of the objective function towards erosional environments. The entropy - based method outperformed a conventional model prediction of the equilibrium erosional channel associated with a laboratory - sized lagoon, but similar problems were observed with its deposition predictive ability. The modelling methods developed in this thesis are a first step into the use of non - traditional, entropy - and self - organisation - based models for the prediction of complex equilibrium morphologies. They have made use of non - conventional models in order to explore different objective function formulations or self - organisation rules and the sensitivity of these, and have compared the models to laboratory results. The work documented in this dissertation shows that it is possible to use self - organisation - and entropy - based modelling methods to predict stable, equilibrium morphologies in coastal and river environments. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2006.

The understanding of the emergent behaviour of complex systems is probably one of the most intriguing challenges in modern theoretical physics. In the present Thesis we use novel data analysis techniques and numerical simulations in order to shed some light on the fundamental mechanisms involved in their dynamics. We divide the main core of the research into three parts, each of which address a specific, and formally well defined, issue. In the first part, we study the processes of self - organization and herding in the evolution of the stock market. The data analysis, carried out over the fluctuations of several international indices, shows an avalanche - like dynamics characterized by power laws and indicative of a critical state. Further evidence of criticality relates to the behaviour of the price index itself. In this case we observe a power law decline with superimposed embedded log - periodic oscillations which are possibly due to an intrinsic discrete scale invariance. A stochastic cellular automata, instead, is used to mimic an open stock market and reproduce the herding behaviour responsible for the large fluctuations observed in the price. The results underline the importance of the largest clusters of traders which, alone, can induce a large displacement between demand and supply and lead to a crash. The second part of the Thesis focuses on the role played by the complex network of interactions that is created among the elementary parts of the system itself. We consider, in particular, the influence of the so - called " scale - free " networks, where the distribution of connectivity follows a power law, on the antiferromagnetic Ising model and on a model of stochastic opinion formation. Novel features, not encountered on regular lattices, have been pointed out. In the former case a spin glass transition at low temperatures is present while, in the latter, the turbulent - like behaviour emerging from the model is found to be particularly robust against the indecision of the agents. The last part is left for a numerical investigation of an extremal dynamical model for evolution / extinction of species. We demonstrate how the mutual cooperation between them comes to play a fundamental role in the survival probability : a healthy environment can support even less fitted species. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--School of Chemistry and Physics, 2006.

<p>This study explored the learning experiences of black working class women in the context of the National Skills Development Strategy. The research focused firstly, on how the National Skills Development Strategy facilitated women's learning and secondly, what has helped and hindered their learning and how their learning experiences related to the literature on women's learning.</p>

A fascinating feature of bucket brigade assembly lines is that work load on workers is balanced spontaneously as workers follow some simple rules in the assembly process. This self-organizing property significantly reduces the management effort on an assembly line. We generalize this idea in several directions. These include an adapted bucket brigade protocol for complex assembly networks, a generalized model that permits chaotic behavior, and a more detailed model for a flow line in which jobs arrive arbitrarily in time and are introduced into the system at several points on the line.

We present methods for distributed self-assembly that utilize simple rule-of-thumb control and communication schemes providing probabilistic performance guarantees. These methods represents a staunch departure from existing approaches that require more sophisticated control and communication, but provide deterministic guarantees. In particular, we show that even under severe communication restrictions, any assembly described by an acyclic weighted graph can be assembled with a rule set that is linear in the number of nodes contained in the desired assembly graph. We introduce the concept of stochastic stability to the self-assembly problem and show that stochastic stability of desirable configurations can be exploited to provide probabilistic performance guarantees for the process. Relaxation of the communication restrictions allows simple approaches giving deterministic guarantees. We establish a clear relationship between availability of communication and convergence properties. We consider Self-assembly tasks for the cases of many and few agents as well as large and small assembly goals. We analyze sensitivity of the presented process to communication errors as well as ill-intentioned agents. We discuss convergence rates of the presented process and directions for improving them.

Despite efforts by clinicians and scientists world-wide, coronary artery disease remains to be the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in industrialized nations. Development of a tissue engineered coronary by-pass graft with low thrombogenicity and immune responses, suitable mechanical properties, and a capacity to remodel to their environment could have a significant impact on the treatment of coronary artery disease. While many methods for the tissue engineering of blood vessels have been developed, one promising approach is the self-assembly method. Using autologous cells that produce an endogenous extracellular matrix (ECM), the potential for therapeutic success is high due to biocompatibility. However, despite these advantages, improvements can be made which will give the grafts an even higher rate of patency. This dissertation presents a study of the characterization of the biaxial mechanical properties of self-assembly tissue engineered blood vessels (SA-TEBV), as well as developing a framework for fabrication strategies of SA-TEBV. Native arteries are exposed to multiaxial mechanical loads, including (a pulsatile) blood pressure that causes the vessel to cyclically distend circumferentially, blood flow that induces a shearing load along the luminal surface, and an axial extending load; the latter is relieved upon excision, causing the vessel to retract. These mechanical loads introduce intramural wall stresses and flow induced wall shear stresses that play a key role in mechano-biological signaling and tissue homeostasis. Until now, the mechanical properties of SA-TEBV have only been characterized in the circumferential direction (i.e. burst pressure and circumferential elastic modulus). The objective of this work is to characterize the biaxial mechanical properties of SA-TEBV to quantify their mechanical behavior and local intramural stresses under physiological loading. The work will show that while the global mechanical response of the SA-TEBV is similar to that of native arteries (and potentially sufficient), the local intramural stresses (using the current fabrication techniques) differ greatly from native coronary arteries. Therefore, a novel approach to fabricate the self-assembly derived tissue sheets is developed and tested which utilizes biaxial mechanical stimulation to alter the microstructure, thereby controlling their mechanical response.

Fullerene research has advanced to elevated levels in a short period of time due to the unique chemical and physical properties of the caged molecule that have been utilized in numerous applications. Due to the spherical shape of the fullerene molecule which allows for a hollow cavity, encapsulation of atoms or small molecules can occur within the ball structure. This encapsulation creates an endohedral component that is limited from interacting with other molecules which creates potential of control over electronic information of the isolated molecule. Endohedral fullerenes have the potential as serving as the base unit in a quantum computer if control over global alignment is attained. Thus, by using the inherent self-assembling capabilities of some organic materials, ordered endohedral fullerenes can be achieved. This dissertation investigates the ability to use self-assembling strategies to obtain alignment which include ordering within a morphologically controlled copolymer matrix, forming a supramolecular polymer complex with cyclodextrin, and encapsulation within the helical wrap of polymer chains. The ultimate goal is to understand the dynamics that control association and orientation of varying fullerene-based molecules in each strategy in order to maximize control over the final alignment of endohedral elements.