16 research outputs found
Effect of Fuel Management Information Systems (FMIS) on the Operational Performance of Government Vehicles in Tanzania
Full text linkThe study examines the effects of Fuel Management Information Systems (FMIS) on the operational performance of government vehicles in Tanzania, focusing on digital tracking, fuel monitoring, and digital reporting. Conducted at the Ministry of Minerals headquarters in Dodoma, it adopted a pragmatism philosophy, a mixed-methods approach, and a cross-sectional design. A sample of 62 respondents, including drivers, transport officers, IT staff, procurement staff, and departmental heads, was selected through random and purposive sampling. Quantitative analysis employed multiple regression techniques. Findings revealed that digital tracking had a positive and significant effect on operational performance (β=0.387, p=0.000), which increased with individual moderators but became insignificant when combined. Fuel monitoring showed a strong positive and significant effect (β=0.595, p=0.000), remaining significant after individual moderation but turning negative under combined moderators (β=-0.225, p=0.020). Digital reporting had a positive but insignificant effect (β=0.016, p=0.795), which remained insignificant after individual moderation but became significantly negative under combined moderators (β=-0.896, p=0.024). The study recommends institutionalizing GPS-based tracking in all government vehicles, conducting training for drivers and fleet managers, and establishing robust data governance policies to secure information and enhance trust in FMIS usage
Aigc-driven human-machine intelligence in ITS : technologies, applications, evaluation framework, challenges, and future directions
No full textThis paper explores the integration of Artificial Intelligence Generated Content (AIGC), a rapidly evolving branch of generative AI, with Human-Machine intelligence (HMI) to enhance the functionality of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS). As transportation systems grow increasingly complex, adaptive decision-making becomes essential for interpreting vast streams of real-time data from vehicles, infrastructure, and users. AIGC plays a transformative role in optimizing traffic flow through dynamic routing and real-time traffic management, while human intelligence ensures these systems remain responsive to evolving real-world conditions. For safety, AIGC is used to simulate complex driving scenarios for autonomous vehicle training and detect traffic anomalies, with human oversight providing contextual decisions in ambiguous situations. For sustainability, AIGC supports data-driven strategies to reduce emissions and energy use, while human expertise ensures alignment with ethical and environmental goals. This synergy enhances real-time decision-making, improving both accuracy and adaptability across ITS scenarios. The paper presents a comprehensive review of core and supporting AIGC technologies and their applications across key ITS domains. Case studies and initiatives from industry leaders demonstrate practical implementations of AIGC-driven HMI collaboration. To guide future deployments, we propose a conceptual five-layer evaluation framework for assessing AIGC-HMI systems, encompassing functional performance, human interaction, explainability, ethical compliance, and robustness. We also address challenges such as legacy system integration, data privacy, model bias, and scalability. The paper concludes by outlining future research directions, emphasizing the need for scalable, interpretable, and ethically aligned AIGC models. This work contributes to the development of intelligent, adaptive, and trustworthy transportation systems.
‘Cool’ but ‘nerve-wracking’? An exploration of language learners’ motivational perspectives on speaking in an English secondary school. 2 volumes
No full textThis study has explored the motivational problem of speaking among language learners in an English secondary school. It set out from the premise that learners’ speaking is an important aspect of language learning but it is beset by a series of motivational difficulties, including lack of knowledge of oral progress, lack of awareness of how to improve, lack of confidence in speaking and an inability to say what they want to say. There has been little research into motivation in specific language skills among learners in UK schools despite evidence that speaking is associated with low levels of achievement. This study has sought to shed some light on this difficult aspect of language learning from the students’ perspectives.The study was conducted in a large, mixed comprehensive school in South East England in 2006-2007 and involved qualitative case studies of classes of students aged 11 to 14. Information was elicited by means of questionnaires, diaries and interviews. Performance data on students was also obtained from teachers (pseudonyms are used throughout when referring to the school, the teachers and the students). Although the study is small-scale, a series of key themes emerged from the data, which could help to inform developments in language teaching, research and policy. The findings of the study suggest that speaking is affected by a series of complex individual and social motivational variables that are not well understood but are, nonetheless, a source of tension for some learners
Optimizing vehicle inspection efficiency and integrity in Tanzania through blockchain technology
Full text linkThis study proposes a blockchain-based solution to improve the efficiency and integrity of vehicle inspections in Tanzania, with a focus on the National Institute of Transport. The system combines Hyperledger fabric, a permissioned blockchain that provides identity management and fine-grained access control, with the InterPlanetary file system (IPFS), a decentralized content-addressed store for large artifacts such as inspection images and portable document format (PDF) forms. Smart contracts encode inspection rules and approvals, which yield tamper-evident records, faster retrieval of histories, and uniform enforcement across centers. A mathematical model based on the M/M/1 queueing system, combined with a cost-benefit analysis, supports empirical findings: the total inspection cycle time decreases by approximately 30 percent, the average waiting time declines by about 20 to 30 percent, and annual operational savings reach approximately USD 800,000. These gains enhance auditability and transparency, which contribute to road safety outcomes by reducing opportunities for tampering and error. The design includes offline capture with later synchronization, which suits centers with intermittent connectivity. The approach is transferable to adjacent public services, for example, licensing, fine collection, and selected registries
Still’s disease continuum from childhood to elderly: data from the international AIDA Network Still’s disease registry
No full textObjective Still’s disease is more frequently observed in the paediatric context, but a delayed onset is not exceptional both in the adulthood and in the elderly. However, whether paediatric-onset, adult-onset and elderly-onset Still’s disease represent expressions of the same disease continuum or different clinical entities is still a matter of controversy. The aim of this study is to search for any differences in demographic, clinical features and response to treatment between pediatric-onset, adult-onset and elderly-onset Still’s disease. Methods Subjects included in this study were drawn from the International AutoInflammatory Disease Alliance Network registry for patients with Still’s disease. Results A total of 411 patients suffering from Still’s disease were enrolled; the disease occurred in the childhood in 65 (15.8%) patients, in the adult 314 (76.4%) patients and in the elderly in 32 (7.8%) patients. No statistically significant differences at post-hoc analysis were observed in demographic features of the disease between pediatric-onset, adult-onset and elderly-onset Still’s disease. The salmon-coloured skin rash (p=0.004), arthritis (p=0.009) and abdominal pain (p=0.007) resulted significantly more frequent among paediatric patients than in adult cases, while pleuritis (p=0.015) and arthralgia (p<0.0001) were significantly more frequent among elderly-onset patients compared with paediatric-onset subjects. Regarding laboratory data, thrombocytosis was significantly more frequent among paediatric patients onset compared with adult-onset subjects (p<0.0001), while thrombocytopenia was more frequent among elderly-onset patients although statistical significance was only bordered. No substantial differences were observed in the response to treatments. Conclusions Despite some minor difference between groups, overall, demographic, clinical, laboratory and treatments aspects of Still’s disease were similarly observed in patients at all ages. This supports that pediatric-onset, adult-onset and elderly-onset Still’s disease is the same clinical condition arising in different ages. © Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2023
En-gendering theatre in Eritrea : the roles and representations of women in the performing arts
Full text linkThis thesis is a first attempt at writing a modern theatre historiography of Eritrea, with emphasis on the roles and representations of women. It covers a period of some fifty years, from the late 1930s to 1991, the year of the country's de facto independence. The study is divided into three major sections; Part One providing the context of theatre in Eritrea, Part Two dealing with the emergence of modern Eritrean theatre arts, and Part Three covering the rise of the fighter performing arts during the thirty-year liberation struggle against Ethiopia.
After an introduction to Eritrean history and theatre arts as well as the theoretical framework of the study, Chapter 1 examines women's roles and representations in Eritrean societies and selected traditional performing arts as the
matrix onto which modern performance practices are built.
Chapter 2 starts with a portrayal of early urban women performers in the late 1930s and early 1940s as singers and krar-players in local drinking houses, followed by the gradual expansion of Eritrean theatre arts under the British
Military Administration. Thereafter the establishment of three well-known Eritrean theatre associations is examined, with Chapter 3 focusing on the Asmara Theatre Association, Mahber Theatre Asmara, whose work was eventually brought to a halt by the rise of the Ethiopian Derg regime. An investigation into the cultural troupes of the two liberation movements, the Eritrean Liberation Front
(ELF) and the Eritrean People's Liberation Front (EPLF) is dealt with in Part Three.
Chapter 4 outlines theatre work in the ELF, while Chapters 5-7 present details of EPLF performing arts. Chapter 5 begins with early performance activities until
the strategic retreat in 1978/79, followed by Chapter 6 with an analysis of drama work after the reorganisation of the Division of Culture. Chapter 7 covers theatre
activities in mass organisations and supporting departments and outlines cultural developments during the final years of the liberation war. In conclusion, major trends and directions in post-independence Eritrean theatre arts are summarised as they continue to negotiate recent socio-political problems and developments
Adalimumab Monotherapy or Combination Therapy With Methotrexate in Paediatric Uveitis: Data From the AIDA Network Uveitis Registry
No full textBackground: The study objective was to compare the effectiveness of adalimumab (ADA) in monotherapy and in combination with methotrexate (MTX) for paediatric noninfectious uveitis (NIU). Methods: Registry-based observational study. Children receiving ADA for active uveitis were divided into the ADA monotherapy group (group 1) and the ADA plus MTX combination group (group 2). Results: Eighty four children were enrolled (146 eyes): 22 in group 1 (26.2%) and 62 in group 2 (73.8%). ADA effectiveness was complete in 48 children (57.1%), partial in 23 (27.4%) and absent in 4 (5.3%), without any differences across the groups (p = 0.89). Fewer relapses per 100 PY occurred after ADA treatment both in group 1 (280.0 vs. 23.0, p = 0.005) and in group 2 (297.9 vs. 86.0, p < 0.001). The final BCVA was similar between groups 1 and 2 [median 1.0 (IQR 0.3) and 1.0 (IQR 0.3), respectively, p = 0.55]. A statistically significant steroid-sparing effect was observed in the entire cohort and in group 2 at the 6-month (p = 0.01 and p = 0.01), 12-month (p = 0.02 and p = 0.02), and last follow-up (p = 0.045 and p = 0.045). The estimated ADA retention rate was 97.1% at 12 months, 87.7% at 24 months, and 82.6% at 36 months, without a statistically significant difference among the groups (p = 0.77). Conclusions: ADA monotherapy could be equally effective as its combination with MTX in both preventing uveitis relapses and preserving visual acuity in paediatric NIU, with comparable retention rates over 36 months of treatment. The steroid-sparing effect of ADA monotherapy warrants further extensive evaluation to define its optimal placement in the therapeutic strategy for paediatric NIU. © 2025 The Author(s). Clinical & Experimental Ophthalmology published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists
Equity, diversity, and inclusion at the Global Alliance for Genomics and Health
Full text linkA lack of diversity in genomics for health continues to hinder equitable leadership and access to precision medicine approaches for underrepresented populations. To avoid perpetuating biases within the genomics workforce and genomic data collection practices, equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) must be addressed. This paper documents the journey taken by the Global Alliance for Genomics and Health (a genomics-based standard-setting and policy-framing organization) to create a more equitable, diverse, and inclusive environment for its standards and members. Initial steps include the creation of two groups: the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Advisory Group and the Regulatory and Ethics Diversity Group. Following a framework that we call "Reflected in our Teams, Reflected in our Standards," both groups address EDI at different stages in their policy development process. [Abstract copyright: © 2023 The Author(s).
Author Correction: Potential health and economic impacts of dexamethasone treatment for patients with COVID-19 (Nature Communications, (2021), 12, 1, (915), 10.1038/s41467-021-21134-2)
No full textThe original version of this Article contained an error in the author affiliations. The affiliation of Amirah Azzeri with Department of Primary Care, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM) was inadvertently omitted. This has now been corrected in both the PDF and HTML versions of the Article.Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit Nuffield Department of Medicine University of OxfordInstitute of Biomedical Engineering Department of Engineering Science University of OxfordBig Data Institute Li Ka Shing Centre for Health Information and Discovery Nuffield Department of Medicine University of OxfordCentre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health Nuffield Department of Medicine University of OxfordMedical Research Council Population Health Research Unit at the University of Oxford Nuffield Department of Population HealthWorld Health OrganizationPublic Fund “Institution of social development” in the Kyrgyz RepublicDepartment of Paediatrics Faculty of Medicine Universitas Sumatera UtaraUniversidade da PazUSAID Mission in the Kyrgyz RepublicInstitute of Health Policy Management and Evaluation University of TorontoOxford Policy ManagementDepartment of Mathematics Federal UniversityStop Transmission of Polio Program (STOP) program World Health OrganizationInstitute of Research and Education Development University of Health SciencesLaboratory for Public Health Research biotechnology Biotechnology Center University of YaoundeLondon School of EconomicsDepartment of Medicine Weill Cornell Medicine and Cornell Institute for Disease and Disaster Preparedness Cornell UniversityMathematical And Economic MODelling Group Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit Faculty of Tropical Medicine Mahidol UniversityHealth Intervention and Technology Assessment Program (HITAP) Ministry of Public HealthCOVID-19 Task Force for North Sumatera provinceDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics Research Centre for Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases Pasteur Institute of IranCenter for Mathematics Computation and Cognition Federal University of ABCNuffield Department of Medicine University of OxfordMinistry of Public Health of the Kyrgyz RepublicUniversidade Nacional Timor LorosaeMenzies School of Health Research Charles Darwin UniversityUniversity of NottinghamPopulation Services InternationalDepartment of Community Medicine Faculty of Medicine Universitas Sumatera UtaraGovernment of People’s Republic of BangladeshDepartment of Research Development and Innovation University of Malaya Medical CentreDepartment of Primary Care Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM)Department of Statistics Payame Noor UniversityMinistry of Public HealthMalawi Ministry of HealthCentro de Simulacion y Modelos (CeSiMo) Universidad de Los AndesHIV/STI Surveillance Research Center and WHO Collaborating Center for HIV Surveillance Institute for Futures Studies in Health Kerman University of Medical SciencesMedical Association in the Kyrgyz RepublicDepartment of Biostatistics Kermanshah University of Medical SciencesUniversity of MalayaInstitute for Theoretical Physics São Paulo State University (UNESP)University College of LondonValid International LtdSoros Foundation in the Kyrgyz RepublicMinistry of Health Timor-LestePEAK Urban and Oxford Martin Informal Cities Programmes COMPAS School of Anthropology and Museum Ethnography University of OxfordFaculty of Pharmacy University of MalaysiaInstitute of Health Economics University of DhakaDepartment of Social and Preventive Medicine Faculty of Medicine University of MalayaDepartment of Marketing & Business Analytics Lucas College and Graduate School of Business San José State UniversityDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics College of Public Health University of the Philippines ManilaFiji Center for Disease Control (CDC)Institute for Theoretical Physics São Paulo State University (UNESP
