Overcoming the Odds: Online Learning Experiences from Open University of Tanzania’s Regional Centre Rural-based Students

This paper reports the findings of a qualitative study that has explored rural students’ experiences with online learning in Tanzania. The study used purposive sampling to select twenty-five participants. It employed a phenomenological design, primarily using semi-structured interviews coupled with document review, to obtain data on students’ lived experiences. The data was then subjected to thematic analysis to generate study findings which show that rural students used the Moodle system to support their online learning. Moreover, they had Zoom meetings, discussion forums and WhatsApp as recourse to the Moodle system. According to the findings, the students faced challenges such as poor access to the Internet, prohibitive costs of learning infrastructure, and limited technical skills. Furthermore, these students faced inflexible schedules and limited access to assistive technologies. As a result, they complemented their study processes with downloaded materials, printed learning materials, regional centre physical visits and university graduates’ additional support. The study concludes that the complex nature of the rural environment marked by limited infrastructural and technological development makes studying through ODL doubly daunting for rural-based students. The paper, therefore, recommends instituting transformative strategies aimed to enhance the quality of rural students’ lived experiences of ODL online learning

Rural students’ experiences at the Open University of Tanzania

This ethnographic study has been undertaken to address a literature gap relating to rural students’ experiences of distance education in developing countries. It gives an account of teaching and learning practices at the Open University of Tanzania (OUT), describes the needs, challenges and coping strategies of students and makes recommendations for improving teaching and support practices in rural areas. An ethnographic approach was used to enable the generation of rich, contextual data from four OUT regional centres. Data generation methods included interviews, observation and document review, while themes were inductively generated through thematic analysis. Bourdieu’s concepts of field and habitus were used to guide the conduct of the study and interpretation of the findings. The study shows that the OUT does not significantly address the problem of the educational divide between the rural and urban populations of Tanzania. This is mainly due to the urban location of regional centres and to students’ inadequate access to relevant teaching and support services such as tutors, library resources and Internet services. The existence of poor infrastructure and the many technological challenges encountered in rural areas further exacerbate the situation. Such limitations may make it difficult for students to develop the intellectual inquiry and critical commentary skills necessary to make informed decisions, and to acquire the competencies expected of graduates of higher education programmes. This study presents rich data based on the immersion of the researcher in the everyday lives of students at the OUT, and proposes a series of recommendations addressing the development of future policy and planning for the university

Flexible and efficient sharing of protected abstractions

Thesis (S.B. and M.Eng.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, 1998.Includes bibliographical references (p. 73-76).by George M. Candea.S.B.and M.Eng

Humanitarian diplomacy and international humanitarian law : from empiricism to a catalyst diplomacy ?

La notion de diplomatie humanitaire, objet d’études théoriques encore peu nombreuses, comporte des périmètres fluctuants, selon qu’on la limite à des négociations accompagnant l’action humanitaire ou que l’on y intègre la diplomatie relative au droit international humanitaire et ses différentes fonctions portées par de multiples acteurs. L’étude des rapports entre la diplomatie humanitaire et le droit international humanitaire (DIH) révèle sa grande plasticité à travers le temps, tant dans le domaine de l’évolution de ses objets -d’abord concentrée sur le développement des sources du DIH, puis sur l’amélioration de la mise en œuvre de ce droit- que de ses acteurs -initiée par des acteurs privés, tel Henry Dunant et les premières sociétés de secours, menée par les Etats, avant d’être à nouveau déterminée largement par une société civile organisée dans le cadre de puissantes ONG-.Ces fluctuations, mises en évidence dès l’Antiquité, concernent la diplomatie relative aux sources matérielles et formelles du DIH, qui a, dans une première approche empirique, révélé et affirmé les valeurs du DIH. La structuration progressive d’un réseau de parties prenantes des négociations conventionnelles a ensuite permis l’affirmation de méthodes propres à ce champ de la diplomatie, qui s’est écarté très tôt de celui de la diplomatie classique. Confrontée aux défis contemporains du DIH et à la transformation de la conflictualité, la diplomatie humanitaire est désormais caractérisée par l’apparition de nouvelles formes de négociations, émancipées des techniques basées sur la confidentialité, où les prérogatives de l’Etat reculent face à la montée en puissance des ONG. La prolifération des acteurs, mais également la flexibilité des méthodes et objets de négociations révèlent l’enrichissement d’une diplomatie créatrice du DIH par une diplomatie opérationnelle, constitutive d’une « diplomatie de catalyse », susceptible de permettre des adaptations des normes de ce corpus.The concept of humanitarian diplomacy, which is still the subject of few theoretical studies, has fluctuating boundaries, depending on whether it is limited to negotiations accompanying humanitarian action or whether it includes diplomacy relating to international humanitarian law and its various functions carried out by multiple actors. The study of the relationship between humanitarian diplomacy and international humanitarian law (IHL) reveals its great plasticity over time, both in the field of the evolution of its objects - first focused on the development of IHL sources, then on improving the implementation of this law - and in its actors - initiated by private actors, such as Henry Dunant and the first relief societies, led by States, before being largely determined once again by a civil society organized through powerful NGOs -.These fluctuations, highlighted since antiquity, concern diplomacy relating to the material and formal sources of IHL, which has, in a first empirical approach, revealed and affirmed the values of IHL. The gradual structuring of a network of stakeholders in conventional negotiations then made it possible to affirm methods specific to this field of diplomacy, which very early on deviated from that of conventional diplomacy. Faced with the contemporary challenges of IHL and the transformation of conflict, humanitarian diplomacy is now characterized by the emergence of new forms of negotiation, emancipated from techniques based on confidentiality, where the prerogatives of the State recede in the face of the rise in power of NGOs. The proliferation of actors, but also the flexibility of methods and subjects of negotiation reveal the enrichment of a creative diplomacy of IHL by an operational diplomacy, constituting a "catalyst diplomacy", likely to allow adaptations of the norms of this corpus

La diplomatie humanitaire et le droit international humanitaire : de l'empirisme à une diplomatie de catalyse ?

The concept of humanitarian diplomacy, which is still the subject of few theoretical studies, has fluctuating boundaries, depending on whether it is limited to negotiations accompanying humanitarian action or whether it includes diplomacy relating to international humanitarian law and its various functions carried out by multiple actors. The study of the relationship between humanitarian diplomacy and international humanitarian law (IHL) reveals its great plasticity over time, both in the field of the evolution of its objects - first focused on the development of IHL sources, then on improving the implementation of this law - and in its actors - initiated by private actors, such as Henry Dunant and the first relief societies, led by States, before being largely determined once again by a civil society organized through powerful NGOs -.These fluctuations, highlighted since antiquity, concern diplomacy relating to the material and formal sources of IHL, which has, in a first empirical approach, revealed and affirmed the values of IHL. The gradual structuring of a network of stakeholders in conventional negotiations then made it possible to affirm methods specific to this field of diplomacy, which very early on deviated from that of conventional diplomacy. Faced with the contemporary challenges of IHL and the transformation of conflict, humanitarian diplomacy is now characterized by the emergence of new forms of negotiation, emancipated from techniques based on confidentiality, where the prerogatives of the State recede in the face of the rise in power of NGOs. The proliferation of actors, but also the flexibility of methods and subjects of negotiation reveal the enrichment of a creative diplomacy of IHL by an operational diplomacy, constituting a "catalyst diplomacy", likely to allow adaptations of the norms of this corpus.La notion de diplomatie humanitaire, objet d’études théoriques encore peu nombreuses, comporte des périmètres fluctuants, selon qu’on la limite à des négociations accompagnant l’action humanitaire ou que l’on y intègre la diplomatie relative au droit international humanitaire et ses différentes fonctions portées par de multiples acteurs. L’étude des rapports entre la diplomatie humanitaire et le droit international humanitaire (DIH) révèle sa grande plasticité à travers le temps, tant dans le domaine de l’évolution de ses objets -d’abord concentrée sur le développement des sources du DIH, puis sur l’amélioration de la mise en œuvre de ce droit- que de ses acteurs -initiée par des acteurs privés, tel Henry Dunant et les premières sociétés de secours, menée par les Etats, avant d’être à nouveau déterminée largement par une société civile organisée dans le cadre de puissantes ONG-.Ces fluctuations, mises en évidence dès l’Antiquité, concernent la diplomatie relative aux sources matérielles et formelles du DIH, qui a, dans une première approche empirique, révélé et affirmé les valeurs du DIH. La structuration progressive d’un réseau de parties prenantes des négociations conventionnelles a ensuite permis l’affirmation de méthodes propres à ce champ de la diplomatie, qui s’est écarté très tôt de celui de la diplomatie classique. Confrontée aux défis contemporains du DIH et à la transformation de la conflictualité, la diplomatie humanitaire est désormais caractérisée par l’apparition de nouvelles formes de négociations, émancipées des techniques basées sur la confidentialité, où les prérogatives de l’Etat reculent face à la montée en puissance des ONG. La prolifération des acteurs, mais également la flexibilité des méthodes et objets de négociations révèlent l’enrichissement d’une diplomatie créatrice du DIH par une diplomatie opérationnelle, constitutive d’une « diplomatie de catalyse », susceptible de permettre des adaptations des normes de ce corpus

Effect of tacticity on intrinsic viscosity of polymer chain(PMA链规整性对溶液特性粘度的影响)

本文在旋转异构态模型下，导出高分子链构型参数理论公式，计算了聚丙烯酸甲酯链的特征比随分子量和链规整性变化的规律.并通过比较聚丙烯酸甲酯、聚苯乙烯和聚甲基丙烯酸甲酯链的计算结果，研究了溶液特性粘度与链规整性之间的关系

Perceived effects of aromatherapy to the test taking anxiety of first year nursing students of De La Salle Medical and Health Sciences Institute for academic year 2018-2019

The study utilized a descriptive, non-experimental design. Purposive sampling was used to select 141 first year nursing students of De La Salle Medical and Health Sciences Institute Academic Year 2018 to 2019 who have knowledge or have undergone aromatherapy. Data was obtained using a questionnaire and analyzed through frequency distribution, percentage distribution, mean, t-test, standard deviation and t-test. The following conclusions were drawn: 1) Majority of the respondents were female, belonged to the socioeconomic group P100,000 to P249,999 and Catholic; 2) A mean of 3.06 indicated that the respondents had high perception regarding the effects of aromatherapy to the test taking anxiety of the respondents; 3) There was no significant difference on the perception of the respondents on aromatherapy to the test taking anxiety when they were grouped according to sex, religion, and socioeconomic status

Urinary metabolites of multiple volatile organic compounds among pregnant women across pregnancy: Variability, exposure characteristics, and associations with selected oxidative stress biomarkers

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are a group of pollutants pervasive in daily life with identified adverse health effects. However, no study has investigated the variability in VOC metabolites during pregnancy and their relationships with oxidative stress biomarkers in pregnant women. In the present study, the variability of 21 selected VOC metabolites was examined and their relationships with three selected oxidative stress biomarkers measured in spot urine samples at three trimesters of 1094 pregnant women were analyzed. Nineteen VOC metabolites were ubiquitous in the urine samples with detection rates ranging from 75.9% to 100%. Monohydroxybutenyl mercapturic acid (MHBMA) and s-phenyl mercapturic acid (PMA) had detection rates lower than 1.00%. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) of the detected analytes at three trimesters ranged 0.07–0.24, and the concentrations were highest in the first trimester. Higher concentrations of some VOC metabolites were related with participant characteristics including higher pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI), lower education level, unemployment during pregnancy, multiparity, and sampling season of summer or winter. In repeated cross-sectional analyses, interquartile range (IQR) increases in the 19 detected VOC metabolites were positively related with 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), 8-hydroxyguanosine (8-OHG), and 4-hydroxy nonenal mercapturic acid (HNEMA) with the estimates ranging from 9.00% to 204%. The mixture effect of the VOC metabolites on the oxidative stress biomarkers was further assessed using weighted quantile sum regression (WQS) models and the results showed that the WQS index of VOC metabolite mixture was significantly associated with 8-OHdG (β: 0.37, 0,32, and 0.39 at the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd trimester, respectively), 8-OHG (0.38, 0.32, and 0.39) and HNEMA (1.21, 1.08, and 1.10). Glycidamide mercapturic acid (GAMA), and trans,trans-muconic acid (MU) were the strongest contributors of the mixture effect on 8-OHdG, 8-OHG, and HNEMA, respectively. Overall, urinary concentrations of the VOC metabolites during pregnancy were strongly associated with the oxidative stress biomarkers

Exposure to multiple neonicotinoid insecticides, oxidative stress, and gestational diabetes mellitus: Association and potential mediation analyses

As the most extensively used insecticides worldwide, neonicotinoid insecticides (NNIs) have received a growing global concern over their adverse health effects. This study aimed to assess the associations of urinary concentrations of NNIs in early pregnancy with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and the mediation roles of oxidative DNA damage, RNA damage, and lipid peroxidation in the associations. With a prospective nested case-control study, 519 GDM cases and 519 controls were matched on the infant’s sex and maternal age. Urinary biomarkers of NNIs exposure and oxidative stress were measured in early pregnancy. We estimated the associations of single and the mixture of NNIs and their metabolites with GDM by conditional logistic regression and quantile g-computation models, respectively. The mediating roles of oxidative stress were evaluated by the structural equation model. The odds of GDM significantly increased by 15 %, 18 %, 26 %, 42 %, 49 %, and 13 % in each unit increment of ln-transformed concentrations of urinary imidacloprid (IMI), imidacloprid-olefin (IMI-olefin), desnitro-imidacloprid (DN-IMI), thiamethoxam (THM), clothianidin, and desmethyl-clothianidin, respectively. Exposure to the mixture of NNIs was associated with increased odds of GDM (adjusted OR: 1.76; 95 %CI: 1.45, 2.13). Advanced maternal age enhanced the associations of 5-hydroxy-IMI, DN-IMI, and IMI-olefin with GDM (P < 0.05), and being overweight/obese before pregnancy strengthened the effects of IMI, IMI-olefin, and THM on GDM (P < 0.05). In the association of NNIs exposure and GDM, the proportions mediated by oxidative DNA damage, RNA damage, and overall oxidative stress were 9.8 %, 11.8 %, and 14.5 %, respectively (P < 0.05). Exposure to individual NNIs and a mixture of NNIs were associated with GDM, and maternal age and pre-pregnancy BMI may modify the association. The possible mechanism underlying the association between NNIs and GDM may involve oxidative damage to nucleic acids