Mbeya University of Science and Technology

The Russo-Ukrainian conflict has firmly established cyberspace as a significant domain of armed conflict, where civilians and civilian infrastructure are no longer merely incidental victims but are increasingly viewed as foreseeable, and at times deliberate, targets. This article illustrates that cyber operations conducted during warfare have disrupted essential civilian services, including electricity, food systems, telecommunications, healthcare, transportation, refugee evacuation mechanisms, and access to services crucial for civilian survival. Further analysis indicates that the lack of consensus on core concepts such as cyberattacks, cyber weapons, and the status of civilians in cyberspace significantly undermines the effective application of international humanitarian law. These uncertainties are exacerbated by the prominent involvement of non-state actors, particularly hacktivists, whose activities blur the lines between civilians and combatants, complicating the doctrine of direct participation in hostilities. The Russo-Ukrainian war represents a normative turning point, urging the international community to address existing legal and institutional gaps and to enhance the protection of civilians in an increasingly digitalised cyberspace.

Although radiotherapy is an essential part of comprehensive cancer care, access is heavily limited in most sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries. Patients' barriers to care can be grouped as availability, accessibility, accommodation, affordability, and acceptability. We aimed to assess cancer patient- and caregiver-reported barriers in nine SSAn countries (Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Gabon, Kenya, Mali, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zimbabwe). We conducted a telephone-based survey among 553 randomly selected patients with breast, cervical, colorectal, and prostate cancer, Kaposi sarcoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma diagnosed between 2018 and 2019 registered in population-based registries of the African Cancer Registry Network. We inquired about receipt of radiotherapy and barriers irrespective of recalling a recommendation. Among all categories, 21.6% (Use of alternative medicine) to 39.6% (Cost of treatment) of patients reported severe barriers. Most common was problematic Cost of treatment (69.0% overall). A high share of patients from Congo, Kenya, Nigeria, and Tanzania reported barriers. Higher education and wealth were associated with reduced problems in all categories except increased problems with Fear and Use of alternative medicine. Receipt of radiotherapy was associated with fewer problems with Availability of transport (odds ratio [OR]: 0.34; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.13-0.88) and Trust in healthcare workers (OR: 0.44; 95% CI, 0.24-0.8), and increased Fear (OR: 2.33; 95% CI, 1.33-4.05). Seeing that one-third of the patients reported severe problems in all dimensions, shortage of radiotherapy units is not the only problematic aspect of access to radiotherapy. Improvements in affordability, patient-healthcare worker communication, and psychosocial support are needed.

As global student mobility expands, intercultural communication (IC) has become an essential aspect of the international student experience. In multicultural countries like India, international students often face challenges related to language, culture, and academic integration. Assam, an emerging educational hub in Northeast India, remains under-researched in this context, particularly regarding how well it supports the intercultural adaptation of foreign students. This study investigates the intercultural communication challenges faced by international students in Assam and explores the coping strategies they employ. It focuses on identifying barriers across sociocultural, educational, individual, and interpersonal domains. A mixed-methods design was used. Quantitative data were collected through structured surveys from 39 students representing 25 countries. These surveys explored communication preferences, language use, and cultural adjustment difficulties. Qualitative data were gathered through in-depth interviews with four students to provide deeper insights. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics by SPSS 27.0 version and thematic coding for the interview schedule. The study found that 51.3% of students faced IC challenges, despite some initially denying such experiences. English was the primary communication language (61.5%), but limited fluency in Hindi or Assamese hindered interaction with locals. Common issues included tone misinterpretation, gestures, and religious sensitivities. “Culture shock” was the most reported challenge (73.3%), particularly related to food, customs, and personal boundaries. Language barriers also impacted academic engagement. Students commonly responded by initiating open discussions (53.8%) or observing and analyzing situations (48.7%). The study highlights the critical role of language proficiency, cultural awareness, and adaptive strategies in improving intercultural communication. It urges institutions to promote inclusive, culturally responsive environments for international students.

This study determined the willingness to pay (WTP) for improved maize seeds among smallholder farmers in Morogoro region using Becker DeGroote Marschak (BDM) and Take It or Leave It (TIOLI) elicitation methods. It also assessed factors affecting willingness to pay for the improved maize seed. The study area includes Kilosa and Mvomero districts in Morogoro region, chosen for their significant maize production and accessibility. A sample size of 208 maize-producing households was selected using purposive and random sampling. The field experiment was done with each household on how they purchase seed in the market. Descriptive statistics was used to explain the household characteristics and to estimate the mean willingness to pay. The Probit and linear regressions were used to assess the factors that influence the willingness to pay for improved maize seeds. By combining incentive-compatible experimental methods with regression analysis, this study provides rare field-based evidence on affordable price thresholds for improved seed adoption among Tanzanian smallholders. Results indicate that the mean WTP for 2kg of improved maize seeds was approximately Tshs 5231 using the BDM method and Tshs 5000 using the TIOLI method. Implying that farmers are ready to purchase the improved maize seed at an average price of 5000Tshs to ensure continuity of using the seeds. The factors influencing WTP included maize yield, plot size, education level, and land terrain. The study concludes that smallholder farmers in the study area are willing to invest in improved maize seeds, particularly when the seeds are reasonably priced and accessible. Key policy recommendations include government subsidies for improved seeds, enhanced agricultural extension services, and promoting farmer cooperatives.

This paper examines the Nyamwezi migration to Zanzibar between the 1890s and 1950s and their life experiences. It primarily concentrates on two cultural traditions that were very important: the "fogongh'o" system, where everyone came together to assist one another, and farming with “majembe ya Kinyamwezi”, which are special Nyamwezi hoes. The paper looked into historical narratives and archival records to find out that “majembe ya Kinyamwezi” were not merely farming equipment. They really showed what people were like and how they made a living when Zanzibar was under colonial rule, with a plantation economy."Fogongh'o" was like a backup plan for people who were new to the area and needed help with hard social issues, like someone dying, getting sick, or even getting married. People helped each other, and just having that community support made it all possible. This paper examines how Nyamwezi migrants navigated challenging times during colonial rule, when they were exploited as laborers and marginalized on the periphery of society. It really goes into detail about the working tools they used and the social ways they interacted with each other to survive. These new findings significantly enhance our understanding of several key issues: the impact of labor on post-slavery society, the adaptation of migrants to new environments, and the preservation of cultural traditions in the face of colonial influences. This study shows that the Nyamwezi migrants were able to survive by following their customs and working together.

Despite numerous initiatives aimed at enhancing educational access, street children persist in facing significant barriers to getting and benefiting from schooling. This phenomenological study examines the lived experiences and views of 33 caretakers with 1-5 years of experience in mentoring street children. The study primarily investigates caretakers' perceptions of the relevance, values, and the effects of these perspectives on street children’s education. The results show that caretakers see education as an important need that can help street children change behavior. Positive perceptions from caretakers influence school attendance among street children, facilitate opportunities for higher education and shaping their destiny. On the other hand, caregivers' unfavorable views might make things worse, leading to poverty and social exclusion for street children. The report recommends the formulation of a tailored curriculum for street children, the training of dedicated educators, and the establishment of permanent settlements, all intended to enhance their educational advancement.

The architectural design of deep learning models significantly influences their predictive capabilities in environmental monitoring tasks. This paper investigates the individual and collective effects of residual learning and feature fusion mechanism to improve the performance of soil moisture estimation on the designed architecture of the deep learning model. In this study, the data fusion mechanism was used to integrate Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI), Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), and satellite imagery datasets containing Red, Green, and Blue (RGB) color channels, which consist of images or data collected by a radar system that uses microwaves to produce images of the Earth's surface. Three model variants were developed, each selectively omitting one or more of these architectural elements, and their performance was evaluated using three standard metrics, Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE), Mean Absolute Error (MAE), and Coefficient of Determination (R2). The results of the final proposed model architecture showed that while each component contributes to accuracy improvements, the combination of residual learning and feature fusion yields the most significant gains. Improved results of RMSE = 0.0117, R²=0.814 and Mean Absolute Error=0.0148 were obtained. These performance indicators were superior to the results of most of the baseline models after comparative analysis. Thus, this study provides insights into model component selection for deep learning soil moisture prediction applications.