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The purpose of this paper is to determine the learners’ perceptions on the use of online resources at the Namibian College of Open Learning (NAMCOL) Yetu Yama Resource Center.

This study used a mixed methods research approach which was also used by other researchers such as Hamutumwa (2014). It enabled the researchers to delve into the topic under study by conducting a survey using self-administered questionnaires to collect data from learners, and a semi-structured interview guide, to collect data from the Librarian, the Director and tutors. The target population for the study was Grade 12 distance learners registered with NAMCOL for the academic year 2016, librarians and tutors. Convenient sampling was used to select 200 Grade 12 distance NAMCOL learners: one Director, one Librarian and five tutors were purposeful selected as they manage the Yetu Yama Resource Centre. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) was used to generate descriptive data, while qualitative data were manually analysed using content analysis. This approach enabled the researcher to identify key themes which emerged from the interviews.

Almost all the learners (159) opted for printed materials. The challenges experienced by learners included slow internet, as indicated by 78 (39 per cent); limited facilities, 60 (30 per cent); and inability to find relevant information, 46 (23 per cent), coupled with lack of proper guidance on the use of e-resources as indicated by 16 (8 per cent) learners.

This study was limited to Yetu Yama Resource Center. The results cannot be generalised to all distance learners in Namibia.

The results of this study could guide librarians in Namibia when planning and/or upgrading e-resources.

Once the learners are equipped with the required skills, they will make optimum use of the e-resources which are provided by NAMCOL.

This is the first study to be conducted at NAMCOL, and it is hoped that the results will be applied to other tertiary institutions which offer distance education in Namibia.

This study estimates the land footprint, nutrients and monetary value of persimmon loss in Brazil, and also consolidated the methodological approach for assessing resources related to food loss.

It uses data on the harvested area, production, production loss and production value of persimmon in Brazil from 2014 to 2019. The persimmon loss in Brazil was converted into macro- and micronutrients, land use and monetary value.

The average annual production loss, loss production value and land footprint of persimmon are 35,100 tons, US$12m  and 1,673 hectares, respectively. Persimmon loss represents the average loss per year of 6.6bn grams of carbohydrates, 1.6bn grams of food fibers, 7.2bn milligrams of vitamin C, 41.8bn micrograms of vitamin A, 4.5bn milligrams of calcium and 54.8bn milligrams of potassium. These nutrients have the potential to meet the nutritional daily needs of approximately 135,000, 176,000 people, 270,000, 164,000, 12,000 and 32m, respectively.

Through (1) research and innovation; (2) infrastructure development; (3) training and education; (4) collaboration and networking; and (5) market diversification and value addition, people can increase persimmon shelf life, reduce postharvest losses and create a resilient environment for small persimmon farmers. This approach promotes sustainability in the agri-food system and empowers stakeholders.

This investigation helps to understand the value of food loss, considering the use of natural resources, as well as the loss of nutrients and monetary value.

This paper aims to investigate the electroporation phenomenon in a single cell exposed to ultra short (μs) and high voltage (kV) electric pulses.

The problem is addressed by two complementary approaches. First, numerical simulations based on an asymptotic approximation derived from the Smoluchowski theory are used to calculate the pore generation, growth and size evolution at the membrane of a spherical cell model, immersed in a suspension medium and consisting of cytoplasm and membrane. The numerical calculations are solved using the finite difference method. Second, an in vitro experiment with LLC-MK2 cells is carried out in which electroporation was monitored with molecules of propidium iodide. This part also comprehended the design and manufacturing of a portable electric pulse generator capable of providing rectangular pulses with amplitude of 1,000 V and duration in the range of 1-μs to 100-μs. The pulse generator is composed of three modules: a high voltage DC source, a control module, and an energy storage and high voltage switching.

The numerical simulations considered a 5-μm radius cell submitted to a 500 kV/m rectangular electric pulse for 1-μs. The results indicate the formation of around 3,500 pores at the cell membrane, most of them, around 950, located at the poles of the cell aligned to the applied electric pulse, with radii sizes varying from 0.5-nm to 13-nm. The in vitro experiment considered exposition of LLC-MK2 cells to pulses of 200 V, 500 V, and 700 V, and 1-μs. Images from fluorescence microscopy exhibit the LLC-MK2 cells with intense red, a strong evidence of the electroporation.

The work presents a thorough study of the electroporation phenomenon combining two complementary approaches, a rigorous numerical simulation and a detailed in vitro experiment.

This chapter starts with two initial questions: Why, despite the fact that most large companies and organizations have protocols and instances for handling complaints to address gender violence, on many occasions, asymmetric relationships persist and no structural changes are observed in most of them? Can the culture of the environment determine resistance to change within organizations, or are the new processes part of an isomorphic organizational response to environmental pressures? To answer these questions, macroeconomic indicators of development and the gender gap are shown, to later explore the relationship between the construction of gender as a product where multiple variables converge and the gap that exists between women and men in organizations. Regardless of the economic wealth of a country, the incorporation of gender protocols does not always yield positive results. From a neo-institutional theoretical perspective and gender studies, the existence of a structural pressure to align subjects in dichotomous categories is proposed. Added to the visible asymmetries are the invisible costs for women and men: violence, invisibility, and underrepresentation. It is proposed to recognize the cultural conditions and the different degrees of organizational porosity to promote an intervention on three levels: from the subject in the organization; in the organizational field, structure, positions, processes, and products, and through a political praxis.

Investigates the differences in protocols between arbitral tribunals and courts, with particular emphasis on US, Greek and English law. Gives examples of each country and its way of using the law in specific circumstances, and shows the variations therein. Sums up that arbitration is much the better way to gok as it avoids delays and expenses, plus the vexation/frustration of normal litigation. Concludes that the US and Greek constitutions and common law tradition in England appear to allow involved parties to choose their own judge, who can thus be an arbitrator. Discusses e‐commerce and speculates on this for the future.

Workflow systems are often associated with business process re‐engineering (BPR). This paper argues that the functional access control requirements in workflow systems are rooted in the scope of a BPR project. A framework for access control in workflow systems is developed. The framework suggests that existing role‐based access control mechanisms can be used as a foundation in workflow systems. The framework separates the administration‐time and the run‐time aspects. Key areas that must be investigated to meet the functional requirements imposed by workflow systems on access control services are identified.