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Online and Offline Android Based Mobile Application for Mapping Health Facilities Using Google Map API. Case Study: Tanzania and Kenya Borders
Get PDFThis research article published by Scientific Research Publishing Inc., 2021The evolution of technology in 1990s resulted in the enormous growth of smartphones and the propagation of mobile applications (App) that marked new opportunities for healthcare centers and medical education. Apps have altered health services from patient’s health monitoring to specialist’s appointments and consultations from specialized health facilities. It can be argued that a healthy society can bring forth sustainable economic development to its full potential while an unhealthy society cannot. However, a free movement of people, labour and right to residence which was built across East Africa (EA) borders enabled Tanzania and Kenya borders to have enormous interactions. Subsequently, increase the risk of highly communicable diseases such as Tuberculosis and Sexually transmitted infections in such a way that medical attention is unavoidable along the borders. Statistically, Android Operating System (OS) owns 83% of Africa’s mobile OS market. In addition, 25,794,560 internet users reported by Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) together with the 22.86 million internet users provided by Kenya Digital which is equivalent to 46% and 43% of internet penetration in year 2020, disclose the need for Android mobile application for mapping health facilities both online and offline using Google map API, which will solve residents’ need to healthcare services on the presence or shortage of internet connections; using either Swahili or English language via Smartphone devices. The App incorporates Monitoring and Evaluation (M & E) tool for tracking application usage which will ease Admin’s task to generate daily and monthly reports in Excel and Comma-Separated Values (CSV) formats. The developed system received positive feedback from EA citizens and residents in the Arusha region and Namanga border crossing where 90.2% of the system evaluation conducted between Dec 2020 and Apr 2021 agreed upon App usage
Tanning capacity of Tessmannia burttii extracts: the potential eco-friendly tanning agents for the leather industry
Get PDFThe research article was published in the journals of Leather Science
and Engineering 2021In the present study, the tannins from stem and root barks of Tessmannia burttii Harms (Caesalpiniaceae), a plant
species abundantly growing in Tanzania and other parts of Africa, were investigated for their suitability in hides
tanning. Tannin powder was extracted at selected temperatures (30, 50 and 80 °C) and the influence of each
temperature on the crosslinking capacity was evaluated. The interaction mechanism between hide powder collagen
and the tannins was studied by Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), trinitrobenzensulfonic (TNBS) acid assay and
amino acid hydrolysis methods. Extraction temperatures showed low influence on crosslinking capacity of the
tannins. However, extract obtained at 50 °C exhibited best performance in terms of gap size between T onset and
T peak. The stem bark extract yield was higher than that from the root bark, but both were within the recommended
ranges. The tannin content (61%) of T. burttii stem bark extract was above recommended value (10%), whereas its
total phenolic content and total flavonoic content were found to be above that of commercial Acacia mearnsii
tannin. The study of cross-linking parameters as a function of pH showed cross-linking to occur via a covalent
mechanism at the basic amino groups. However, the bonds were not resistant to acid hydrolysis. The observed
interaction mechanism indicated that tannins from stem and root barks of T. burttii belong to the condensed
tannin, similar to A. mearnsii (black wattle), a commercial tannin source that was used in this study as a reference.
Findings from this study depict that T. burttii extracts are auspicious eco-friendly alternative source of vegetable
tannins to overcome the use of chromium salts in the leather industry
A Survey of Machine Learning Applications to Handover Management in 5G and Beyond
Get PDFThis research article was published by IEEE,2021Handover (HO) is one of the key aspects of next-generation (NG) cellular communication
networks that need to be properly managed since it poses multiple threats to quality-of-service (QoS) such
as the reduction in the average throughput as well as service interruptions. With the introduction of new
enablers for fifth-generation (5G) networks, such as millimetre wave (mm-wave) communications, network
densification, Internet of things (IoT), etc., HO management is provisioned to be more challenging as the
number of base stations (BSs) per unit area, and the number of connections has been dramatically rising.
Considering the stringent requirements that have been newly released in the standards of 5G networks,
the level of the challenge is multiplied. To this end, intelligent HO management schemes have been proposed
and tested in the literature, paving the way for tackling these challenges more efficiently and effectively. In
this survey, we aim at revealing the current status of cellular networks and discussing mobility and HO
management in 5G alongside the general characteristics of 5G networks. We provide an extensive tutorial
on HO management in 5G networks accompanied by a discussion on machine learning (ML) applications to
HO management. A novel taxonomy in terms of the source of data to be utilized in training ML algorithms
is produced, where two broad categories are considered; namely, visual data and network data. The state-of-
the-art on ML-aided HO management in cellular networks under each category is extensively reviewed with
the most recent studies, and the challenges, as well as future research directions, are detaile
The first genotype II African swine fever virus isolated in Africa provides insight into the current Eurasian pandemic
Get PDFThis research article was published by Scientific Reports, 2021African swine fever (ASF) caused by the African swine fever virus (ASFV) is ranked by OIE as the most important source of mortality in domestic pigs globally and is indigenous to African wild suids and soft ticks. Despite two ASFV genotypes causing economically devastating epidemics outside the continent since 1961, there have been no genome-level analyses of virus evolution in Africa. The virus was recently transported from south-eastern Africa to Georgia in 2007 and has subsequently spread to Russia, eastern Europe, China, and south-east Asia with devastating socioeconomic consequences. To date, two of the 24 currently described ASFV genotypes defined by sequencing of the p72 gene, namely genotype I and II, have been reported outside Africa, with genotype II being responsible for the ongoing pig pandemic. Multiple complete genotype II genome sequences have been reported from European, Russian and Chinese virus isolates but no complete genome sequences have yet been reported from Africa. We report herein the complete genome of a Tanzanian genotype II isolate, Tanzania/Rukwa/2017/1, collected in 2017 and determined using an Illumina short read strategy. The Tanzania/Rukwa/2017/1 sequence is 183,186 bp in length (in a single contig) and contains 188 open reading frames. Considering only un-gapped sites in the pairwise alignments, the new sequence has 99.961% identity with the updated Georgia 2007/1 reference isolate (FR682468.2), 99.960% identity with Polish isolate Pol16_29413_o23 (MG939586) and 99.957% identity with Chinese isolate ASFV-wbBS01 (MK645909.1). This represents 73 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) relative to the Polish isolate and 78 SNPs with the Chinese genome. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that Tanzania/Rukwa/2017/1 clusters most closely with Georgia 2007/1. The majority of the differences between Tanzania/Rukwa/2017/1 and Georgia 2007/1 genotype II genomes are insertions/deletions (indels) as is typical for ASFV. The indels included differences in the length and copy number of the terminal multicopy gene families, MGF 360 and 110. The Rukwa2017/1 sequence is the first complete genotype II genome from a precisely mapped locality in Africa, since the exact origin of Georgia2007/1 is unknown. It therefore provides baseline information for future analyses of the diversity and phylogeography of this globally important genetic sub-group of ASF viruses
RFID based warehouse management system. a case study of rok industries
Get PDFA Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Award of the Degree of Master of Science in Embedded and Mobile Systems of the Nelson Mandela African Institutions of Science and TechnologyIn the supply chain and logistics industry, the precision of the data assets inventory plays a
crucial role in warehouse activities. The operations like storage locations arrangement,
inventory management, and maintaining the flow of incoming and outcoming goods lead to
the success of the warehouse. Nowadays, most people prefer online shopping all over the world
because it is faster than local trade. Thus, there's massive information in the supply chain and
logistics sector to explore in order to improve operations of the warehouse such as receiving,
ordering, shipping, storage assignment to facilitate the automation in the warehouse. As result,
this research is proposed to improve warehouse activities. The RFID-based warehouse
management system automates storage and inventory management without any human
intervention. In order to accomplish the objectives of the study, a software program was
developed with sets of rules, and an algorithm to optimize the inventory operations with the
help of RFID technology. The predefined rules help in giving priorities to some of the selected
products to store and retrieve in the indicated location. The long-range RFID reader is used in
this project. The reader is attached to the entrance of the gate of the warehouse to facilitate the
reading of incoming goods. Once the goods arrive in the warehouse, the storage location
function will assign to each one the storage location and update status in the database. A
handheld reader attached to the forklift facilitates inventory management and communicates
with the application via a wireless network and finally store data in the database for future use.
After developing this system, a test was conducted for testing the feasibility and applicability
of the system. The output showed that the inventory management operation was made strides,
and the correctness of inventory location increased from 72.8% to 99%. The cycle time
moreover decreases from 60 minutes to 20 minutes which is down to 28.79%
Iron and zinc genetic biofortification of yellow common bean (phaseolus vulgaris l.) genotypes in Tanzania
Get PDFA Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Life Sciences of the Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and TechnologyIron and zinc deficiencies are the global leading micronutrient deficiencies particularly in
developing countries such as Tanzania. Iron deficiency in humans causes anemia, whereas
zinc deficiency leads to compromised immunity, decreased growth rate, and mental
retardation. This study was conducted in the Northern, Eastern, and Southern Highlands of
Tanzania from 2018 to 2020 to address the iron and zinc deficiencies in humans using genetic
biofortification. The approach involved screening common bean genotypes for iron and zinc
contents and the factors (such as phytic acid, and ferritin) that inhibit and or enhance their
availability in the human gut. The genotypes with high seed iron and zinc contents were used
in the genetic biofortification of the consumers’ preferred yellow bean varieties. Field
experiments (involving 99 common bean genotypes) were conducted at TARI-Selian, SUA,
and TARI-Uyole to screen common bean genotypes for seed minerals and yield. The
genotypes were planted following alpha lattice design in three replications each contained
five blocks with 20 plots. Data were recorded for days to 75% flowering, number of
pods/plant, number of seeds/pod, 100 seed weight, and seed yield. Furthermore, the contents
of seed iron, zinc, phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, ferritin, phytic acid, and phytic acid
to mineral molar ratios were determined. Results showed that there were highly significant (P
≤ 0.001) effects between bean genotypes, environments, and genotype by environment
interaction on seed yield, yield related traits, seed iron, and zinc contents. The highest and
stable bean genotypes for seed iron and zinc contents and seed yield were identified. High
phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, and low phytic acid and phytic acid to mineral molar
ratio bean genotypes were also identified. Furthermore, the study developed F2 bean crosses
with a 12.5 - 146.4 % increase in seed iron content and a 1.0 - 53.1 % increase in zinc
content. Seventeen of the developed F2 crosses had a high seed iron content ≥ 70 mg/kg and
seed zinc content ≥ 30 mg/kg, these include BF01, BF04. BF05, BF06, BF08, BF10, BF13,
BF16, BF22, BF24, BF25, BF27, BF29, BF31, BF32, BF33, and BF35
Warehouse management system enhancement for a-to-z textiles limited
Get PDFA Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Embedded and Mobile Systems of Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and TechnologyTechnology utilization in industry in developing countries is the challenge, often there are crisis
of equipment, goods and items destruction or loss in the warehouses. The enhancement of the
warehouse management system for the Company help to utilize resources effectively thus
improves Company performance. The aim of this study was to improve warehouse
management through the use of information communication and technology. The study
developed mobile application for customer registration, order management and stock
management but also the study developed web application for account management, order
management, invoice generation, client registration and stock management. The study extended
the features of the mobile application to web-based application for the easy of the management
of the application and reduce the load of the mobile application. Data were collected through
observations and interviews for the aim of understanding the current system, how the company
is managing the warehouse and getting requirements for these developed systems. The
developed web and mobile application of warehouse management system were assessed and
verified to evaluate functionalities and usability of the systems. The system enhanced the access
of information at the fingertips, increase availability of service for the customer 24 hours per
day through making order on spot, easier flow of information between the personnel of the
company such as sales personnel, administrator of the systems and storekeeper, but also getting
stock level instantly, order management and tracking, invoice generation and status of the
invoice
Evaluating Soil Carbon as a Proxy for Erosion Risk in the Spatio-Temporal Complex Hydropower Catchment in Upper Pangani, Northern Tanzania
Get PDFThis research article was published by MDPI, 2021Land use conversion is generally accompanied by large changes in soil organic carbon
(SOC). SOC influences soil erodibility through its broad control on aggregate stability, soil structure
and infiltration capacity. However, soil erodibility is also influenced by soil properties, clay mineral ogy and other human activities. This study aimed to evaluate soil organic carbon as proxy of soil
erosion risk in the Nyumba ya Mungu (NYM) catchment in Northern Tanzania. Soil organic carbon
(SOC) was measured by an AgroCares scanner from which the soil organic matter (SOM) was derived
using the conversional van Bemmelen factor of 1.72. A regression analysis performed between the
measured loss on ignition (LOI) values and SOM from the AgroScanner showed a strong positive
correlation in all land use classes (LOIFL R
2 = 0.85, r = 0.93, p < 0.0001; LOICL R
2 = 0.86, r = 0.93,
p = 0.0001; LOIGL R
2 = 0.68, r = 0.83, p = 0.003; LOIBS R
2 = 0.88, r = 0.94, p = 0.0001; LOIBL R
2 = 0.83,
r = 0.91, p = 0.0002). This indicates that SOC from the soil scanner provided a good representation of
the actual SOM present in soils. The study also revealed significant differences in the soil aggregate
stability (WSA) and SOM stock between the different land use types in the Upper Pangani Basin.
The WSA decreases approximately in the following order: grassland > forest land > bare land >
cultivated > bush land. Land use change can thus potentially increase the susceptibility of soil to
erosion risk when SOC is reduced. Since WSA was directly related to SOM, the study indicates that,
where formal measurements are limited, this simple and inexpensive aggregate stability test can be
used by farmers to monitor changes in their soils after management changes and to tentatively assess
SOC and soil health
African nightshades (Solanum nigrum complex): The potential contribution to human nutrition and livelihoods in sub-Saharan Africa.
Get PDFThis research article published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2021Achieving zero hunger in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) without minimizing postharvest losses of agricultural products is impossible. Therefore, a holistic approach is vital to end hunger, simultaneously improving food security, diversity, and livelihoods. This review focuses on the African nightshades (ANS) Solanum spp. contribution to improving food and nutrition security in SSA. Different parts of ANS are utilized as food and medicine; however, pests and diseases hinder ANS utilization. African nightshade is rich in micronutrients such as β-carotene, vitamins C and E, minerals (iron, calcium, and zinc), and dietary fiber. The leaves contain a high amount of nutrients than the berries. Proper utilization of ANS can contribute to ending hidden hunger, mainly in children and pregnant women. Literature shows that ANS contains antinutritional factors such as oxalate, phytate, nitrate, and alkaloids; however, their quantities are low to cause potential health effects. Several improved varieties with high yields, rich in nutrients, and low alkaloids have been developed in SSA. Various processing and preservation techniques such as cooking, drying, and fermentation are feasible techniques for value addition on ANS in SSA; moreover, most societies are yet to adopt them effectively. Furthermore, promoting value addition and commercialization of ANS is of importance and can create more jobs. Therefore, this review provides an overview of ANS production and challenges that hinder their utilization, possible solutions, and future research suggestions. This review concludes that ANS is an essential nutritious leafy vegetable for improving nutrition and livelihoods in SSA
Current status of textile wastewater management practices and effluent characteristics in Tanzania
Get PDFThis research article published by IWA Publishing, 2021Textile wastewater from wet processing units is a major environmental problem. Most chemicals,
including dyes, are only partly consumed, resulting in highly colored wastewater containing a variety
of chemicals released into the environment. This paper gives information on the current
management of textile wastewater in Tanzania. A semiquantitative analysis was done to identify the
main types of chemicals used in wet processing units, wastewater characteristics and existing
wastewater treatment methods in the textile industry. The performance evaluation of the existing
wastewater treatment plants is also discussed. The advantages of integrating constructed wetlands
with the existing treatment facilities for textile wastewater are explained. It has been observed that
pretreatment and dying/printing of the fabrics are the main two processes that produce wastewater
in many textile companies. Main pollutants are chemicals used from pretreatment and materials
removed from de-sizing, bleaching and scouring processes. Dyes, printing pigments and dye
auxiliaries are the main pollutants from the dyeing/printing process. Most of the textile companies in
Tanzania are equipped with effluent treatment plants. Wastewater treatment plants have basically
similar units, which are coagulation-flocculation, sedimentation through clarifiers and aerobic
reactor. However, their effluents do not meet discharge limits stipulated by the Tanzania Bureau of
Standards (TBS)