Digital Commons Network^™

Modeling And Forecasting Wholesale Gasoline Prices In Tanzania Using Arima And Neural Network Autoregressive Models, Thadei D. Sagamiko, Edward K. Ngailo

Tanzania Journal of Science

Fluctuations in wholesale gasoline prices significantly impact the economy of import-dependent countries like Tanzania, making accurate forecasting essential for policymakers and market participants. This study forecasts monthly wholesale gasoline prices in Dar es Salaam by comparing the Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) model with a Neural Network Autoregressive (NNAR) model. Using data from January 2015 to December 2024 from the Energy and Water Utilities Regulatory Authority (EWURA), the models were evaluated. The ARIMA(1,1,1) model was identified as the best-fitting linear model, but the NNAR(11,7) model demonstrated superior accuracy. On the holdout test set, the NNAR model achieved a lower Mean …

Enhancing Topical Delivery Of N-Acetylcysteine And Collagen Via A Novel Electrospun Collagen/Pmma Nanofibrous Mats As Facial Mask Development: Nanofibers Optimization And In Vitro Experiments, Samar A. Salim, Galala University, King Faisal University, Badr University, National Research Centre, City Of Scientific Research And Technological Applications (Srta-City),, Badr University

Nanotechnology Research Centre

This study endeavours to craft a potent topical facial mask using electrospun nanofibers. The nanofibers were carefully fabricated based on loading of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) onto electrospun marine collagen (MC), and poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) nanofibers. Through precise adjustments of electrospinning parameters, a uniform array of nanoscale fibres with a smooth surface was achieved. The morphology and chemical structure configuration of nanofibers (NFs) were examined using SEM, FTIR, and XRD analyses. Furthermore, the cytotoxic impact was assessed on a human normal fibroblast cell line (BJ1), while protein levels were gauged using the Bradford dye-binding assay (Coomassie assay). Also, the antioxidant potential …

Aquifer Distribution In Lukobe Ward, Morogoro Municipality, Tanzania: Mapped Resources For Sustainable Water Access, Kelvin K. Kayuni

Tanzania Journal of Science

In response to the ongoing challenges posed by the scarcity of reliable fresh-water sources in Lukobe Ward, Morogoro Municipality, Tanzania, this study applied an integrated approach that combines geospatial and geophysical datasets to identify previously undocumented aquifers. The datasets utilized include an apparent density map generated from high-resolution GGMPlus satellite gravity data, a geological map (Quarter Degree Sheet 183), a water drainage map, and a slope map created from a digital elevation model (DEM). The analysis successfully identified four unconfined, saprolitic aquifers in the study area, designated as aquifers A, B, C, and D. These aquifers span areas of 12.2 …

Synergistic Use Of Sentinel-1 And Sentinel-2 Data For Mapping Of Degradation In Coastal Forests And Miombo Woodlands Of Tanzania, Daria C. Kimaro

Tanzania Journal of Science

Forest degradation is one of the leading sources of carbon emission globally. In Africa, particularly in Tanzania, forest degradation is driven by selective logging and forest fires. Monitoring degradation over large areas is very challenging due to the lack of accurate and reliable methods. This study assessed degradation in miombo woodlands and coastal forests using a synergy of remotely sensed data acquired from sentinel-1 and sentinel-2 achieved by integrating their complementary strength where sentinel-1 enhanced detection of structural changes and sentinel-2 provided spectral insight into vegetation. The 3I3D, unsupervised algorithm analysing trends for three vegetation indices (3I) in a three-dimensional …

Performance Comparison Of Kriging Models Used For Estimation Of Rainfall Variability In The Northern Coast Of Tanzania, Salma Suleiman, Clement Mromba

Tanzania Journal of Science

Accurate rainfall estimation underpins effective disaster preparedness and sustainable socioeconomic planning. The performance of Ordinary Kriging (OK), Universal Kriging (UK), and Simple Kriging (SK) in estimation of rainfall variability were assessed across eight stations in the northern coast of Tanzania for the period from 1960 to 2020. Using ArcGIS 10.3, each method was evaluated and cross-validated using six performance metrics, namely; Mean Error (ME), Mean Square Error (MSE), Root Mean Square Error (RMSE), Root Mean Standardized Square Error (RMSSE), Average Standardized Error (ASE), and the Coefficient of Determination (R²). Performance comparison results indicate OK to have achieved the lowest bias, …

Exploring Bacterial Diversity In Seagrass Meadow Of Thalassia Hemprichii And Syringodium Isoetifolium From Tanzania’S Coast, Lucy D. Mbusi, Thomas J. Lyimo, Sylvester L. Lyantagaye

Tanzania Journal of Science

Seagrasses are highly productive coastal ecosystems that harbor diverse bacterial communities, including both culturable and unculturable taxa. These bacteria play vital roles in ecological, biogeochemical, and biotechnological processes. In this study, a metagenomic approach using Pacific Biosciences next-generation sequencing was employed to investigate bacterial diversity associated with Thalassia hemprichii and Syringodium isoetifolium collected from the Mjimwema coast, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Results revealed that T. hemprichii supported greater bacterial species diversity (117 OTUs) compared to S. isoetifolium (109 OTUs). Among plant compartments, roots harbored the highest diversity, followed by rhizosphere sediment and leaves. The phylum Proteobacteria dominated across all samples …

Simulation Based Model For Canine Distemper Virus In Prey-Predator Dynamics, Mussa A. Stephano

Tanzania Journal of Science

This study investigates the dynamic interactions of a prey-predator ecosystem infected with Canine Distemper Virus (CDV), focusing on predation and disease transmission. A deterministic model, coupled with Monte Carlo simulations (MCS), employed to capture both stochastic variability and environmental fluctuations. The findings indicate that classical prey-predator cycles provide the baseline for population dynamics, but the introduction of CDV and environmental noise fundamentally alters system behavior. Initially, populations exhibit oscillations that gradually stabilize into dynamic equilibria. However, the disease persists within both prey and predator populations, suggesting endemicity rather than extinction. Predation plays a dual role in disease dynamics, while it …

Variations In Physicochemical Properties, Microbiological Profiles, And Nutrient Dynamics In The Temi River, Arusha, Tanzania: Sources And Implications, Aldo J. Kitalika

Tanzania Journal of Science

This study thoroughly investigates the physicochemical properties, microbiological profiles, and nutrient dynamics of the Temi River in Tanzania. The sources and implications of fluctuations in dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and nutrients during the wet and dry seasons are carefully analysed. Water samples were collected from various geographically referenced points along the river, and analyses were performed using the APHA Standard Methods for Water and Wastewater Testing. The results show that most parameters increased downstream in both seasons, with the highest DOC levels reaching 352.11 mg/L in the wet season, followed by a significant decrease to 126.00 mg/L during the dry …

Nano Copper Metal Electrodeposited On Mild Steel From Dissolved Hydrated Copper Chloride In Deep Eutectic Solvent, Eman Turky Shamkhy, Hadi M A Abood, Taghried A. Salman

Baghdad Science Journal

In this study, electrodeposition of copper nanoparticles from its soluble hydrated chloride salt in ammonium Alum: urea deep eutectic solvent (DES) of 1:5 mole ratio was investigated. The electrochemical reduction of the Cu (II)/Cu (0) couple was found to be a quasi-reversible reaction, with a broad reduction peak at –0.2 V as revealed by cyclic voltammetry. The hydrated copper chloride stabilized the electro-reduction process within the DES. Scanning electronic microscope (SEM) showed copper metal was electroplated as nano particles 35 to 49 nm agglomerated as Cauliflower on mild steel. Energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDX) X-ray, analyses (XRD) and visually showed …

Organic And Inorganic Carbon Drives Zooplankton Composition In Tigris River Within Baghdad, Mohammed Hamdan, Batool Kadhim

Baghdad Science Journal

Increasing availability of organic and inorganic carbon in aquatic ecosystems became a common phenomenon that was influenced by manmade activities and ongoing climate change, which could influence zooplankton communities. Zooplankton composition in Tigris River under the effects of dissolved organic and inorganic carbon inputs (DOC and CO₂) has not been studied yet. Hence, we studied those impacts by taking three locations that were distributed in Tigris River within Baghdad City. Eighty-four taxa of zooplankton have been recognized during the study. These taxa were divided into three main groups that are: Rotifera forms 69.04% and Cladocera forms 16.66%, while …

Immigration And Public Support For Social Policy: Accounting For The Gender Composition Of Immigrant Populations, Achim Edelmann, Friedolin Merhout, Amie Bostic

Sociology Faculty Publications

With increasing global mobility, scholars have debated whether immigration undermines welfare states. So far, no conclusive evidence of a consistent association between immigration and social policy support has emerged. This might be due to treating immigrants as a monolithic mass. To begin addressing this, the authors account for the gender composition of immigrant populations. Drawing on research on attitudes toward immigration, immigration policy, and gendered tropes of immigrants, the authors develop two hypotheses detailing how the share of women among immigrants moderates that population’s impact on individuals’ social policy support. Testing these hypotheses on International Social Survey Programme and United …

Mental Health First Aid Certification's Impact On Filipino Nurses' Ability To Increase Personal Help-Seeking Behaviors, Self-Awareness Of Health Changes, And Improved Self-Connection, Maria Elena Holguin, Brenda Marshall, Faith Atte, Katherine J. Roberts

School of Nursing Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Background

Post COVID-19, almost 50% of nurses reported severe depression, and over 30% moderate to severe anxiety. Nurses from minority racial and ethnic backgrounds, including Filipino nurses, accounted for more than 54% of COVID-related deaths, despite comprising only 24.1% of the nursing workforce. Filipino nurses, making up only 1% of the U.S. population, comprise 4.5 % of the nursing workforce and face significant barriers to seeking mental health services, including stigma, a sense of shame, and adherence to cultural values that view mental illness as unacceptable.

Aim 

To assess the impact of Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) certification among Filipino …

Revisiting The Quiet Life Hypothesis In The Indonesian Banking Industry, Samuel Sumartoyo, Chaikal Nuryakin

Bulletin of Monetary Economics and Banking

This study explores the Quiet Life Hypothesis (QLH) in different bank groups based on market-dominant and state ownership. The instrumental-variable regression results confirm the quiet life hypothesis at the industry level. At the group level, there is no different tendency to act quiet life between the dominant and non-dominant banks. On the other hand, the State-Owned Banks (SOBs) show a more potent act of quiet life than private banks. While the results for SOB were backed by theory and previous empirical studies, they raised the question of why the private banks conduct such “lazy” behavior.

Identifying Herding Behavior Using Garch Before And During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Suhendro Suhendro, Apriani Dorkas Rambu Atahau, Robiyanto Robiyanto, Harijono Harijono

Bulletin of Monetary Economics and Banking

This paper examines herding behavior in the Indonesian and Chinese capital markets before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Stocks listed in the LQ45 (Indonesia) and SSE50 (China) in 2015-2021 are utilized. The results of daily data analysis of the dispersion of individual stock returns against market returns indicate that GARCH is a reliable model. We find that LQ45 investors do not exhibit herding in bullish/bearish conditions, including extreme markets during the pandemic. The findings indicate that high market volatility is not related to herding behavior. Nevertheless, SSE50 investors exhibit a different behavior, i.e., herding occurred in bearish conditions before the …

Do Digital Transformation And Macroeconomic Stability Matter For The Asean's Economic Growth?, Sri Andaiyani, Abdul Bashir, Ichsan Hamidi

Bulletin of Monetary Economics and Banking

This work assesses the association between digital transformation, macroeconomic stability, and economic growth. We employ yearly data from 2010 to 2021 in ASEAN countries. The findings show digital transformation and macroeconomic stability can increase in GDP in the long term. Digital transformation contributes favorably and substantially, while macroeconomic stability negatively and significantly affects economic growth in the short-term. The study reveals causal link between digital transformation and macroeconomic stability, causality from digital transformation to economic growth, and economic growth to macroeconomic stability. This implies that digital transformation is the engine of growth.

Development And Evaluation Of The Agitation In Alzheimer's Screener For Caregivers (Aasc): A Clinical Tool To Screen For Agitation., Carolyn Clevenger, W Clay Jackson, Jared Stroud, Malaak Brubaker, Mehul Patel, Iwona Bucior, Emily Bratlee-Whitaker, T Michelle Brown, Sheri Fehnel, Sue Peschin, Jeffrey Cummings, George Grossberg

Ambulatory and Primary Care Articles

OBJECTIVE: Although agitation is a common neuropsychiatric symptom in Alzheimer's dementia, it can be challenging to recognize and diagnose. Caregivers of individuals with Alzheimer's dementia are often the first to encounter agitation behaviors but may struggle to recognize and communicate symptoms to healthcare professionals (HCPs). Here, we describe the development and evaluation of the Agitation in Alzheimer's Screener for Caregivers (AASC), a practical screening tool to identify agitation symptoms and facilitate caregiver-HCP communication.

METHODS: The AASC was developed based on the International Psychogeriatric Association (IPA) criteria for agitation in cognitive disorders, input from multidisciplinary experts, and qualitative interviews with caregivers …

Hepatocyte-Specific Lrp1 Silencing Exacerbates Brain Amyloidosis Without Compensatory Ldl Receptor Family Involvement, Brian Carson, Josephine Chu, Devaraj V. Chandrashekar, Jerome Garcia, Rachita K. Sumbria, Derick Han

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Background

LDL receptor related protein 1 (LRP1) is a major hepatic receptor involved in lipoprotein metabolism, protease degradation, transmembrane receptor modulation, and clearance of excess protein, such as Aβ. Decreased expression of LRP1 due to liver injury can impair receptor-mediated clearance, increasing Aβ availability in the periphery. We investigated the effects of hepato-specific silencing of LRP1 on Aβ deposition in the brain. Additionally, other LDL family members (LRP5, LRP6, and LDLR) that may participate in Aβ clearance were monitored in the liver to ensure non-compensatory effects of LRP1 silencing.

Method

4-month-old male double transgenic (APP/PS1) AD mice were injected with …

Shaping The Future Of Bioscience Education: Trends, Challenges And Community Insights, Helen R. Watson, David P. Smith, Luciane V. Mello

Peninsula Medical School

No abstract provided.

‘Pagbangon At Pag-Asa’ (Resurgence And Hope): A Qualitative Study Of The Lived Experiences Of People With Stroke And Household Carers In The Philippines, The Tulay Project Team, Sarah Ann Buckingham, Elda Anota, Maria Mercedes Barba, Vergil Boac, Myrna Estrada, Lorraine Faeldon, Bridie Kent, Fiona Leggat, Roy Francis Navea, Aira Patrice Rueda Ong, Nena Marie Santos, Annah Teves, Paula Melizza Valera, Fiona Jones

School of Nursing and Midwifery

Background: Stroke is a leading cause of disability and mortality in the Philippines, where access to formal rehabilitation services is limited. There is a lack of research on the lived experiences of people with stroke and their household carers across diverse urban and rural settings. Objective: To explore the experiences, challenges and support needs of people with stroke and their household carers throughout the Philippines, and to inform the co-design of a community-based stroke support programme. Methods: A descriptive qualitative design was used. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 24 people with stroke and 20 household carers across six sites in …

Family Cohesion As A Mediator Of The Impact Of Internal Locus Of Control On Students' Career Maturity: A Path Analysis, Rina Sangadah, Dwi Yuwono Puji Sugiharto, Heru Mugiarso

Buletin Konseling Inovatif

This study investigates the function of family cohesion as a mediator between internal locus of control and career maturity among vocational high school students. The primary aim of this study is to examine how individuals' ideas regarding their power over their life (internal locus of control) affect their preparedness to make career decisions and the degree to which familial harmony and support mediate this relationship. This study employs a quantitative methodology via a survey approach. Data were gathered from 381 twelfth-grade vocational high school students in Purbalingga Regency, Indonesia, selected through purposive sampling methods. The utilized instruments included the internal …

Cindy Sabik’S “Lessons In Object Impermanence”, Morris (Mo) Cohen

Turning Toward Being: The Journal of Ontological Inquiry in Education

No abstract provided.

Making A Difference Through Authentic Autobiographical Performance, Susie Miles, Helen Scott-Danter

Turning Toward Being: The Journal of Ontological Inquiry in Education

Authentic autobiographical performance has the potential to open up possibilities for audience members to see their lives in new ways and take actions that make a difference in the world. This article describes the development of a 45-minute autobiographical performance from its initial creation in 2017 through its evolutionary journey to the Edinburgh Fringe in 2024, and beyond. The creative process is presented from the perspective of both the performer and the director-coach, and brings together the worlds of education and theatre. The authors ask themselves: what does it mean to share their lived experiences authentically? They conclude that the …

Julian Marshall Interview, Julian Marshall, Morris (Mo) Cohen

Turning Toward Being: The Journal of Ontological Inquiry in Education

This conversational inquiry explores the ontology of creativity through an extended dialogue between two educators at the Institute of Contemporary Music Performance. Moving beyond conventional pedagogical frameworks, the conversation grapples with fundamental questions: What is the relationship between technique and creative emergence? How does the teacher create conditions for creativity without systematizing or conceptualizing the creative process itself? What role do trust, validation, and vulnerability play in opening students to their own creative potential? Drawing on diverse philosophical and spiritual traditions--from Heidegger’s ontological inquiry to Buddhist concepts of not-knowing, from Grotowski’s via negativa to the Kabbalistic notion of tzimtzum--Julian Marshall …

From Essays To Embodiment: Reimagining Student-Centered Assessment Through Creative Practice, Rory Bester, Carla Lever, Bongani Kona, Mona Hakimi

Turning Toward Being: The Journal of Ontological Inquiry in Education

This essay explores the experience of implementing podcast-based assessment in ‘Feeling History, Making History,’ a semester-long course at the University of the Western Cape (UWC) in South Africa. The course is designed to cultivate broad-based critical and interdisciplinary skill sets in first-year Humanities students. Through pedagogical reflection across three consecutive iterations of this course, we investigate how creative assessment practices such as podcasting both enabled our students to bring their whole “selves” into the academy and productively challenged our own preconceived notions about effective, decolonial pedagogy.

“The Being Of Being Creative” In Assessment: Learning From The Creative And Performing Arts, Eliana Elkhoury

Turning Toward Being: The Journal of Ontological Inquiry in Education

Assessment design shapes not only what students learn, but who they become as learners. In the era of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI), where information is abundant and recall is easily outsourced, higher education assessment must move beyond memorization and toward authentic tasks that cultivate deeper learning and ontological growth. This conceptual, reflective paper argues that assessment should be grounded in students’ mode of being, rather than restricted to knowing, having, or doing. Drawing on Barnett’s ontology of higher education, Biesta’s subjectification, and Su’s epistemological distinctions, this paper positions assessment as a formative site where agency, ownership, identity, and self-understanding can …

The Being Of The Performer, Alice Marshall

Turning Toward Being: The Journal of Ontological Inquiry in Education

This work presents an autoethnographic, practice-as-research inquiry into Tender Steps (Adaire to Dance, 2024), a dance-for-film grounded in the author’s lived experience of baby loss. Through embodied reflection, the article explores how personal experience becomes a site of inquiry, examining the relationship between the performer’s being and the act of performance. Drawing on phenomenological and performance-based perspectives, it considers how posture, weight, breath, and voice function as embodied knowledge and how meaning is co-constructed through the intersubjective relationship between performer and audience. It reflects on the ethical and emotional implications of making lived experience public within a digitally mediated form …

On Inspiration, Laura Bissel, Emily Doolittle, Laura González

Turning Toward Being: The Journal of Ontological Inquiry in Education

In this creative conversation, we three artist-researchers at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland ponder inspiration in education and in our own creative practices from a range of perspectives. Each of us offers a provocation on “inspiration” from our own field of practice-research, to each other, to our colleagues, and to our community. This document presents the conversation that ensues. Drawing on our collective experiences of undergraduate and postgraduate teaching, doctoral supervision across a range of performing arts and interdisciplinary fields, teaching body-centred practices such as yoga and pranayama, peer-to-peer mentoring of both academic and practice-based research, practice research methodologies, and …

Editorial Statement: Volume 3, Issue 2, Morris (Mo) Cohen, Jonathan Whiskerd

Turning Toward Being: The Journal of Ontological Inquiry in Education

No abstract provided.

Cytomegalovirus Associated Enterocolitis And Skin Eruption: A Pediatric Case Misdiagnosed As Acute Appendicitis, Zeynep Busra Balik, Gulsen Akoglu

Journal of Pediatric Infectious Diseases

We present a case of an immunocompetent 2-year-old boy, with cytomegalovirus-associated enterocolitis and petechial skin eruption, initially misdiagnosed as acute appendicitis. Despite abdominal pain, diarrhea and a rash for 15 days, diagnostic laparoscopy revealed no surgical pathology. Dermatological examination identified perifollicular petechiae, leading to a diagnosis of cytomegalovirus infection, which was confirmed by serology. This case emphasizes the importance of considering viral infections in pediatric patients with gastrointestinal and dermatological symptoms. It also highlights the diagnostic value of cutaneous findings in cytomegalovirus infection.

Symptom Spectrum And Risk Factors For Fever In Pediatric Patients With Omicron Infection: A Prospective Observational Study, Jiande Chen, Qiuyu Tang, Dong Wang, Shuhua Yuan, Jilei Lin, Fengquan He, Yong Yin

Journal of Pediatric Infectious Diseases

Objective: The omicron variant of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has caused a global epidemic in 2022. Our aim was to investigate the symptom spectrum and risk factors for fever in pediatric patients with omicron infection. Methods: From April 8, 2022, to May 17, 2022, this prospective observational study included pediatric patients who attended the child-parent sections of the Fangcang shelter hospitals with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19. Patient data were collected from questionnaires. The risk factors for prolonged fever and high fever were identified by univariate and multivariate analyses. Results: In total, 1,541 pediatric patients were included. The most common symptoms associated with …