Geochemistry of Potentially Toxic Elements in Soil and Sediments of a Tanzanian Small-Scale Gold Mining Area

this article is published at scientific research publishing at 17,november 2023Small-scale gold mining is linked to significant environmental pollution by potentially toxic elements (PTEs). However, research on the pollution caused by such mining activities remains insufficient especially in developing coun- tries. In the present study, a systematic investigation assessed the pollution and level of ecological risk of PTEs in soil and stream sediments in an active small scale gold mining area of Isanga, in Nzega, Tanzania. Samples amount- ing to 16 soil and 20 sediment were gathered from the study area and ana- lyzed for five PTEs concentrations (As, Cd, Cr, Hg and Pb) using the AAS method. The contamination level and ecological risk were assessed using sev- eral pollution indices. The results suggest that the assessed environmental systems of the Isanga mining area and its vicinities are lowly contaminated by PTEs and have a low potential to pose ecological risks. Hg and Cd with mean concentrations of 0.09 mg/kg and 0.26 mg/kg respectively were found to be the most enriched PTEs in soil, compared to their average continental crust concentrations (0.056 mg/kg and 0.102 mg/kg respectively). The levels of the evaluated PTEs in the study area are susceptible to increase over time if proactive steps are not taken to control mining and waste disposal activitie

Research Data Management Among Researchers in Higher Learning Institutions of Sub-Saharan Africa

This book chapter published by IGI Global, 2020Advancement in information and communication technologies has made it easier for researchers to capture and store myriad data at a higher level of granularity. Higher education institutions (HEIs) worldwide are incorporating research data management (RDM) services to enable researchers to work with their data properly. This chapter focuses on creating awareness amongst researchers on how researchers and HEIs can form strategies, design and restrict data management plan (DMP), integrate research data life cycle, and ensure quality data sharing, as well as integrate with developed RDM policies and guidelines to curb challenges prohibiting the practice of RDM in HEIs

Assessment of integrating Environmental Factors into Healthcare Models for Enhancing Timely Epidemics Analysis: A Case study of Cholera in Dar es Salaam – Tanzania

The objective of this study is to assess the perspectives of users on the feasibility of using an integrated environmental factors-based healthcare model to enhance timely cholera epidemics analysis in Tanzania. The study used a mixed-design approach of quantitative and qualitative methods with focus group discussion and interviewer-administered questionnaires. Participants or users included; medical and epidemiological experts, environmental experts, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) experts, and cholera patients from Ilala, Ubungo, Kigamboni, Temeke, and Kinondoni districts in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. In the process, a total of 500 interviews were conducted, consisting of 200 medical experts, 50 environmental experts, 50 ICT experts, and 200 cholera patients, with an average age of 28 years old, and at 3:2 female to male ratio. Overall, our findings showed that Health and Environmental Integrated Modelled Systems (HEIMs) interventions are acceptable, feasible, and capable in assisting timely analysis towards effective prediction and eradication of epidemics such as; cholera outbreaks at 79% acceptability, 90% aid-value and 69% awareness levels. Despite, the high acceptability level, participants also highlighted barriers of the model, such as; sustainability and operation costs, which need to be addressed. These findings confirm that the program of HEIMS is of high potential towards enhancing timely cholera analysis, clear public health significance, and relevant to policy-makers, government, society, and related stakeholders at large. Therefore, the study, recommends that there is a need for all these organs to work together towards clearing all obstacles in order to achieve the intended goal of the HEIMs program

Defeating Fluorosis in the East African Rift Valley: Transforming the Kilimanjaro into a Rainwater Harvesting Park

The high availability of fluoride in surface and groundwater in the East African Rift Valley was documented during the colonial period. Since the early 1960s, many studies have been conducted to solve the fluorosis crisis in this region. At present, no cost-effective solution to mitigate fluoride contamination is available for the large majority of the population. This situation prompted a process analysis of commonly used technologies. Results revealed that the geochemistry of fluoride is the main problem. Fluoride is very difficult to remove from the aqueous phase. Thus, eliminating the need for technical water defluoridation is an excellent way out of the fluorosis crisis. This goal can be achieved by harvesting fluoride-free rainwater. Harvested rainwater can be mixed with naturally polluted waters in calculated proportions to obtain safe drinking water (blending). This paper presents a concept to transform the Kilimanjaro Mountains into a huge rainwater harvesting park for drinking water supply for the whole East African Rift Valley. However, blended water may contain other pollutants including pathogens that are easy to treat using low-cost methods such as metallic iron based-filters (Fe0 filters). The proposed concept is transferable to other parts of the world still enduring fluoride pollution

MAGITS: A Mobile-based Information Sharing Framework for Integrating Intelligent Transport System in Agro-Goods e-Commerce in Developing Countries

This research article published by the International Journal of Advanced Computer Science and Applications,Vol. 12, No. 6, 2021The technological advancement in Intelligent Transport Systems and mobile phones enable massive collaborating devices to collect, process, and share information to support the sales and transportation of agricultural goods (agrogoods) from farmer to market within the Agriculture Supply Chain. Mobile devices, especially smartphones and intelligent Point of Sale (PoS), provide multiple features such as Global Positioning System (GPS) and accelerometer to complement infrastructure requirements. Despite the opportunity, the development and deployment of the innovative platforms integrating Agro-goods transport services with e-commerce and e-payment systems are still challenging in developing countries. Some noted challenges include the high cost of infrastructure, implementation complexities, technology, and policy issues. Therefore, this paper proposes a framework for integrating ITS services in agro-goods e-commerce, taking advantage of mobile device functionalities and their massive usage in developing countries. The framework components identified and discussed are Stakeholders and roles, User Services, Mobile Operations, Computing environment with Machine Learning support, Service goals and Information view, and Enabling Factors. A Design Science Research (DSR) method is applied to produce a framework as an artifact using a six-step model. Also, a case study of potato sales and transportation from the Njombe region to Dar es Salaam city in Tanzania is presented. The framework constructs the ability to improve information quality shared among stakeholders; provide a cost-effective and efficient approach for buying, selling, payment, and transportation of Agriculture goods

Stakeholders’ Attitude on the Use of ICT Tools for Sustainable Propagation of Indigenous Knowledge in Tanzania: A Case of Traditional Medical Knowledge of Medicinal Plants

This research article published by modern education and computer science, 2019Most local communities in Tanzania depend on herbal remedies as the primary source of health care and such knowledge have been stored in the minds of the elderly who pass it on orally to young generations. However, the method is not reliable, as there is a likelihood of gradual loss of such knowledge as the elderly become older and incapacitated. It is at the backdrop of such a scenario that this study investigated the stakeholder’s attitude towards the use of information and communication technology tools in preserving traditional medical knowledge in Tanzania. The study also investigated the existing approaches for managing both traditional medical practitioners, herbaria activities and the difficulties. Both quantitative and qualitative data were employed and the study covered Arusha, Kagera and Dar es Salaam regions where 60 ethnobotanical researchers and 156 traditional medical practitioners were involved. The collected data was analyzed using R and Tableau software. The study indicated that 75% of traditional medical practitioners use story-telling for preserving traditional medical knowledge; 86.53% of practitioners indicated that much of the knowledge has disappeared over generations. More than half (69.87%) of practitioners were aware of the existence of technological devices for accessing the internet and 80.5% of researchers and practitioners believed that Information and Communication Technology tools have benefits in the practice of traditional medicine. From the findings, the study came up with the ICT model solution that can help in documenting, preserving and disseminating traditional medical knowledge and integrate the management of stakeholders in Tanzania

Tourism SMEs usage of Social Media Analytics as their Business Intelligence Tool

This research article was published by International Journal of Advances in Scientific Research and Engineering (ijasre) Volume 8, Issue 1 January - 2022This study delivers the results of the survey conducted to investigate the tourism SMEs' usage of social media analytics as their business intelligence tool. The study uses the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) model to investigate the usage of SMA to tourism SMEs. 71 tourism SMEs were interviewed in Arusha and Kilimanjaro regions by filling the semi- structured questionnaires, then followed by the data analysis using MS excel and Python. The results of the findings show that the usage of social media analytics as a business intelligence tool for tourism SMEs is beneficial to them, however, findings show very few tourism SMEs are conducting social media analytics on their social media platforms. Most tourism SMEs use built-in social media analytics and they are performing simple metrics like counting the number of likes, comments, and shares. Further results explain that the majority of the tourism SMEs don't have more information and knowledge about social media analytics and tools used to perform social media analytics as well as they are performing social media analytics without following any implementation framework to guide the process. The study recommends that social media stakeholders increase awareness of social media analytics to tourism SMEs so that they could use it and get more advantages of using social media. Furthermore, researchers information systems analysts and developers develop social media analytics tools specifically for tourism SMEs and provide them step-by-step procedures that will help them in using and managing the social media analytics activitie

Techno-economic analysis of a solar-assisted heat pump dryer for drying agricultural products

This research article was published by Wiley 2023Postharvest losses (PHLs) of biomaterials, such as vegetables and fruits, significantly impact food security and economic stability in developing nations. In Tanzania, PHLs are estimated to range between 30% and 40% for cereal crops and even higher for perishable crops such as fruits and vegetables. Open-sun drying (OSD) is the most extensively employed method because of its affordability and simplicity. However, OSD has several drawbacks, including difficulties in managing drying parameters, long drying times owing to adverse weather, and product contamination. The solar- assisted heat pump dryer (SAHPD) is a technology designed as an alternative solutio

A Game or Notes? The Use of a Customized Mobile Game to Improve Teenagers’ Phishing Knowledge, Case of Tanzania

Recently, phishing attacks have been increasing tremendously, and attackers discover new techniques every day to deceive users. With the advancement of technology, teenagers are considered the most technologically advanced generation, having grown up with the availability of the internet and mobile devices. However, as end-users, they are also considered the weakest link for these attacks to be successful, as they still show poor cybersecurity hygiene and practices. Despite several efforts to educate and provide awareness on the prevention of phishing attacks, less has been done to develop tools to educate teenagers about protecting themselves from phishing attacks considering their differences in social-economic and social culture. This research contributes a customized educational mobile game that fits the African context due to the participants’ existing differences in social-economic and social culture. We initially conducted a survey to assess teenagers’ phishing and cybersecurity knowledge in secondary schools categorized as international, private, and government schools. We then developed a customized mobile game based on the African context taking into consideration participants’ differences in social-economic and social culture. We compared the performance of phishing knowledge of teenagers using a game and a traditional teaching method. The traditional teaching method was presented by the reading notes method. The results revealed that teenagers’ phishing and cybersecurity knowledge differs based on their socioeconomic and social culture. For instance, international, private scholars, and those who live in urban areas have better phishing knowledge than those from government schools and those who live in rural areas. On the other hand, participants who had a poor performance in the first assessment improved their knowledge after playing the game. In addition, participants who played the game had retained their phishing knowledge more, two weeks later, than their counterparts who read only notes

A Game or Notes? The Use of a Customized Mobile Game to Improve Teenagers’ Phishing Knowledge, Case of Tanzania

Recently, phishing attacks have been increasing tremendously, and attackers discover new techniques every day to deceive users. With the advancement of technology, teenagers are considered the most technologically advanced generation, having grown up with the availability of the internet and mobile devices. However, as end-users, they are also considered the weakest link for these attacks to be successful, as they still show poor cybersecurity hygiene and practices. Despite several efforts to educate and provide awareness on the prevention of phishing attacks, less has been done to develop tools to educate teenagers about protecting themselves from phishing attacks considering their differences in social-economic and social culture. This research contributes a customized educational mobile game that fits the African context due to the participants’ existing differences in social-economic and social culture. We initially conducted a survey to assess teenagers’ phishing and cybersecurity knowledge in secondary schools categorized as international, private, and government schools. We then developed a customized mobile game based on the African context taking into consideration participants’ differences in social-economic and social culture. We compared the performance of phishing knowledge of teenagers using a game and a traditional teaching method. The traditional teaching method was presented by the reading notes method. The results revealed that teenagers’ phishing and cybersecurity knowledge differs based on their socioeconomic and social culture. For instance, international, private scholars, and those who live in urban areas have better phishing knowledge than those from government schools and those who live in rural areas. On the other hand, participants who had a poor performance in the first assessment improved their knowledge after playing the game. In addition, participants who played the game had retained their phishing knowledge more, two weeks later, than their counterparts who read only notes