American Scientific Research Journal for Engineering, Technology, and Sciences (ASRJETS)
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Assessment of Carbon Stock and Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Selected Coffee-Based Agroforestry Farms in Timor Leste
Get PDFAgroforestry is an important carbon sequestration strategy because of carbon storage potential in its multiple plant species and soil as well as its applicability in agricultural lands and in reforestation. The study was conducted in selected coffee-based agroforestry farms in Gleno, Ermera District, Timor Leste to determine the amount of carbon stocks and greenhouse gas emissions in the management of coffee-based agroforestry farms. Results reveal that agroforestry coffee cropping pattern had a carbon stock composed of 6.425 Mg ha-1 biomass, 2.01 Mg ha-1 necromass, and 157.17 Mg ha-1 soil organic carbon. For the carbon stock stored in the monoculture coffee cropping pattern, a biomass of 5.321 Mg ha-1, necromass of 1.32 Mg ha-1, and soil organic carbon of 128.74. Mg ha-1 were recorded while for the pruned coffee cropping pattern, biomass of 2.771 Mg ha-1, necromass of 1.82 Mg ha-1, and soil organic carbon of 69.29 Mg ha-1 were found. Moreover, the greenhouse gas emission CO2 absorbed by coffee plants across cropping patterns were the following: agroforestry coffee, 24.156 t/ha-1, monoculture coffee, 19.520 t/ha-1 and pruned coffee, 10.177 t/ha-1. Abovementioned results reveal that coffee-based agroforestry system a coffee-based agroforestry is considered as an effective solution in combatting heightened atmospheric GHGs concentration and climate change while at the same time addressing concerns on socio-economic stability
Design and Construction of Voice Controlled Smart Power Strip
Get PDFThis paper focuses on voice control for smart power strips, which constitutes the crux of the study. As technology develops, it is obvious that there is a swift increase in the development of smart homes. This is why the project is important because it combines voice control with a secure biometric activator and a wireless connection between the voice control system and the power strip. Through a combination of programming, in-depth research, simulations and analysis of the results, the proposed technique exhibited better performance than the current techniques. The voice recognition module sends signals to the first transceiver, which acts as the transmitter, and from there, to the second transceiver, which acts as the receiver. Finally, the signal is sent to the relay module, which controls the socke
COVID-19: History, Etiology, Epidemiology, and Pathogenesis
Get PDFThe 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by the virus SARS-CoV-2 (Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2). The first case of the disease was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quickly spread around the world as a pandemic.
COVID-19 is transmitted by breathing in air droplets and other small particles that contain the virus. Infection occurs most often when people are in close proximity, but it can also happen at greater distances between them, especially indoors. Spread of the disease can also occur by entry of contaminated fluids into the eyes, nose, or mouth, and less commonly through contaminated surfaces. Affected individuals carry the virus for up to 20 days and can spread it even if they do not develop the disease symptoms
Evidencing Local Climate Change And Its Implications for Subsistence Agriculture Planning In Huambo Province Angola, Southern Africa
Get PDFIntensifying climate change is becoming increasingly apparent in Southern Africa withmodified precipitation patterns and increases in temperature affecting growing seasons, agricultural production, and food security for small-scale farmers. While there is a strong commitment from agricultural extension services to plan the management of climate change impacts in the region, these endeavors are hampered by a lack of knowledge on how climate scenarios will develop at a scale relevant to local communities. In this paper, we construct new scenarios for climate change in Huambo province, Angola, based on colonial and postcolonial local climate data sets. In so doing we highlight the role that this type of archived – physical - data can have in constructing future climate scenarios and which can form a foundation for local land evaluations and community adaptations.Our case study is the province of Huambo in Angola, particularly sensitive to climate change with a rainy and dry season, and over 85% subsistence farming is typical of many areas of the region. The climate data sets used run from 1960 to the present day and include temperature, rainfall, and evapotranspiration. Trend detection, climatic variability, and temperature and precipitation projection were determined by the statistical reduction methods using regression, correlation and time series analysis; statistical prediction methods included integrated autoregression models and moving average (ARIMA). Our findings suggest a continuing increase in temperature, decline in rainfall, increase in the length of the dry season and reduction on the number of rainy days, the impact of which will vary with soil water Clmateholding capacity and agricultural land management mitigation measures
Computational Dynamic Features Extraction from Anonymized Medical Images
Get PDFImages depict clearer meaning than written words and this is reason they are used in a variety of human endeavors, including but not limited to medicine. Medical image datasets are used in medical environment to diagnose and confirm medical disorders for which physical examination may not be sufficient. However, the medical profession\u27s ethics of patient confidentiality policy creates barrier to availability of medical datasets for research; thus, this research work was able to solve the above stated barrier through anonymization of sensitive identity information. Furthermore, the Content Based Image Retrieval (CBIR) using texture as the content was developed to overcome the challenge of information overloading associated with data retrieval systems.
Images acquired from various imaging modalities and placed into Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) formats were obtained from several hospitals in Nigeria. The database of these images was created and consequently anonymized, then a new anonymized database was created. On anonymized images, feature extraction was done using textures as content and the content was considered for the implementation of retrieval system.
The anonymized images were tested in DICOM view to see if all files were successfully anonymized; the result obtained was 100%. A texture retrieval test was performed, and the number of precisely returned search images using the Similarity Distance Measure formulae resulted in a significant reduction in image overload. Thus, this research work solved the problem of non-availability of datasets for researchers in medical imaging field by providing datasets that can be used without violating law of patient confidentiality by the interested parties. It also solves the problem of hackers obtaining useful information about patients’ datasets. The CBIR using texture as content also enhances and solves the problem of information overloading
COVID-19 Mortality Prediction: A Case Study for Istanbul
Get PDFIt is well known that it is very difficult to make predictions for the real number of deaths due to any pandemic by using SIR and similar models since the predicted solutions systematically can deviate from real data. On the other hand, death data in the long and effective pandemic period cannot reflect the real case. In order to get more correct solutions and obtain realistic predictions, the parameters of these equations must be determined more precisely. In this study, by using real data depending on all deaths in Istanbul as a case study for 2020-2022 we determined the values of the parameters of the SEIR model and obtained the solution of SEIR equations. Firstly, we show that our numerical solution has a good fit with real data of the deaths due to COVID-19 for 2020 first and second peaks and 2021 first peak. Based on this confirmation, we predicted possible the number of deaths for the 2021 second peak. Furthermore, we see that our results show the number of deaths due to COVID-19 in Istanbul. Our method strongly provides that the model can lead to correct results if the parameters of SEIR models are determined by using excess mortality approximation. Now, we extend the study to predict the number of deaths due to the pandemic effects in 2022-2023. We show that our prediction is still compatible with the number of deaths for each wave. Finally, we predict the number of deaths for the future wave of 2022-2023 and we calculate the number of infected people in Istanbul for herd immunity
Potassium Uptake as Influenced by Neem (Azadirachta indica L.) Cake, Neem Oil and NPK on Grain Yield of Maize (Zea mays L.) in Guinea Savannah Zone of Ghana
Get PDFThe research study was conducted at the experimental farm of University for Development Studies, Nyankpala-Tamale in northern region, Ghana during the 2021 growing season to evaluate the effect of inorganic NPK fertilizer, Neem cake and neem oil as soil amendments on maize P uptake and grain yield. A 3 × 3 × 2 factorial experiment was laid out in a Randomized Complete Block Design with three replications. The treatments consisted of combinations of three levels of neem cake (0, 200 and 400 kg ha-1), three levels of neem oil (0, 10 and 20 L ha-1) and two levels of NPK (0 and 250 kg ha-1). Parameters examined were plant height, crop growth rate, chlorophil content (using spad), leaf area index (LAI), K uptake and grain yield. The study revealed plant height, uptake of K, grain yield and biological yield of maize increased with increased rate of neem cake (200 to 400 kg ha-1) when combined with 250 kg NPK/ha. Plant height, growth rate, uptake and uptake efficiency of K and grain yield of the crop decreased with increased rate of neem oil from 10 l/ha to 20 l/ha, when combined with 250 kg NPK/ha. The results showed combining 250 kg NPK/ha with 400 kg/ha neem cake increased K uptake by 34% (from 99 kg/ha to 133 kg/ha) compared to the recommended NPK rate. Application of 250 kg NPK/ha plus 400 kg/ha neem cake gave grain yield of 7637 kg/ha representing 61% increment over the application of only the inorganic fertilizer (4736 kg/ha), .and biological yield of 26873 kg/ha as maximum entries. The results of the study posited important implications for soil health management for enhanced maize production.
A Short Message Service (SMS) Based Inquiry System
Get PDFThe arduous tasks of the registrars cause them to overlook undergraduates that inquires in their office – may it be subject deficiencies or requirements. In this study, the researchers developed a software application that can automatically cater inquiries of a student’s status if they have any impending deficiency, and to be able to message students about the precise time of the document’s completion that they have requested. The evaluation result is calculated using Cronbach\u27s Alpha, which displays a value of 0.9053, equivalent to excellent. The ? is determined with the use of the calculated mean of functional sustainability (4.03), reliability (3.88), performance efficiency (3.80), usability (4.03), and security (3.82). The result shows that the system is operational and possesses a quick response that highly benefits the students and the registrar’s office
Efficiency of Pumice-Sand Granular Filter in Removing Effluent Wastes in Shirere Wastewater Treatment Plant in Kakamega County, Kenya
Get PDFRelease of effluent directly from Aerobic maturation ponds into natural water bodies without more filtration has presented to be un optimal. Consequently, people down streams are exposed to greater risk of contracting waterborne diseases such as cholera, dysentery and typhoid. Skin problems, eye infections, and diarrhoea have all been linked to a lack of clean water and sanitation among community members. Introduction of filtering technologies such as sand, biochar, coconuts, pumice and crushed stone aggregates have been inadequate to treat the municipal waste water quality. Even then, no effort has been made to apply such technologies in the removal of wastes discharged into River isiukhu from Shirere waste water oxidation ponds. As consequence, its waters have been shown to be increasingly getting covered by algae which indicate the presence of cyno-bacteria that is very toxic to human and animal health. Thus, the objective of this study was to determine the efficiency of the pumice-sand granular filter in removing wastes in Shirere wastewater treatment plant in Kakamega. The wastes were Nitrates, Phosphates, BOD, COD and TSS. This objective was assessed under varying filter depths, effluent flow rate into the filter and seasons. Effluent, drinking water from protected springs along river Isiukhu, were collected using pre sterilized water sampling containers for microbial quality analysis at MMUST and KACWASCO laboratories. Sampling strategy was purposeful while sample size was 8 for water, 28 for waste water. Research design was experimental and data analysis used, regression and correlation methods. The average reduction of COD in the mid-season of June to August was 42.2 ±4.66%, being the highest. Concomitantly, BOD removal by the filter in the season of June to August was19.6±7% and 15.6 ±9.5% for September to November. The average rate of TSS removal in June to August was 19.3±4.5% followed by 16.6±3.8% of September to November and 18±7% of March to May. The average rate of Nitrate removal in June to August was 41.8±7.6% followed by 30±22% for March to May and 25±8.6% for September to November. Phosphates had an average rate of removal in June to August as 31.9±6.7% followed by 20.6±4.8% for September to November and 20 ±10% for March to May. This shows a trend of high efficiency in dry season of June to august and march to May followed by September to November. The use of composite filters in wastewater treatment reduced the organic matter intake, resulting in oxygen levels that were within natural values. Findings of this study will influence waste water management policies and improve new technologies in waste water treatment for sustainable development. From the results, its therefore recommended that the composite filter technology should be applied to non-compliant sewerage treatment plants
Mathematical Modelling of a Composite Granular Filter of Effluent at Shirere Wastewater Treatment Plant in Kakamega County, Kenya
Get PDFInsufficient technology for municipal wastewater treatment compromises the quality of effluent discharged into water bodies, elevating the risk of waterborne diseases (e.g., cholera, dysentery, typhoid). Previous research has associated the absence of clean water and sanitation with health issues such as skin problems, eye infections, and diarrhea among community members. Furthermore, studies indicate the proliferation of algae in the Shirere wastewater oxidation ponds, suggesting the presence of toxic cyanobacteria. Therefore, this study aimed to develop a mathematical model representing five critical parameters: COD, BOD, TSS, Phosphates, and Nitrates. Effluent from Shirere WWTP were collected for microbial quality analysis at MMUST and KACUWASCO laboratories. Data analysis involved, regression and correlation, and integration of wastewater mass balance equation using R-Programming and Fourth Order Runga Kutta (RK) method. The research employed purposeful sampling strategy, with a sample size of 8 of wastewater. The study followed an experimental design. Specifically, for the first season of March – May 2021 at 200mm filtration depth were carried out at effluent flow rate of 0.0032 and volume, 0.234 the model arrived at was . The model results showed minimal variation from the measured values.The first season measured COD as 0.236kg/m3 and model gave 0.2174kg/m3. The model can be used in prediction of parameter concentrations at any given time. The findings of this research will inform wastewater management policies and contribute to the development of sustainable wastewater treatment technologies