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Mobile-based application for discovering family relationship using rule based system in Tanzania
Get PDFA Project Report Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements of the Award the Degree of Master of Science in Embedded and Mobile Systems of The Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and TechnologyFamily is a basic unit in society where traditionally, parents raise their children and family
bonds survive longer and provide a primary sense of belonging. It has been observed that it
become difficult when extended family become complex to find distant relatives using
traditional approaches this is due to rural-urban migration and residential mobility, which has
been weakened family relationship. Several researchers have developed systems to help
relatives in discovering their family relationships using genealogical data, nevertheless, these
systems may provide false-positive findings when there is lack of information. In Tanzania the
genealogical sites have insufficient individual’s family information for family discovery. The
purpose of this paper is to present a developed mobile based application for discovering family
relationships with no use of genealogical data and use of rule-based system to identify the type
of relationship with a person. Both primary and secondary data collection methods were used
to collect data and analyzed using R-studio. The research revealed that rule-based system can
easily discover family relationships, and families grow when people interact with the mobile
application (MyFam). The system was validated with users, where results emphasized its
efficiency as a discovery tool with performance of 40% in user experience, 40% in system
functionalities and 55% in system interface. The contribution of this study is to provide a
mobile application that can be used in many countries for discovering family members
relationships. In addition, due to efficacy of the rule-based system, any relationship can be
inferred simply and reliably based on how family relationships are named
Seroprevalence and Risk Factors for Q fever (Coxiella burnetii) Exposure in Smallholder Dairy Cattle in Tanzania
Get PDFThis research article was published by MDPI in 2022Q fever is a zoonotic disease, resulting from infection with Coxiella burnetii. Infection in cattle can cause abortion and infertility, however, there is little epidemiological information regarding the disease in dairy cattle in Tanzania. Between July 2019 and October 2020, a serosurvey was conducted in six high dairy producing regions of Tanzania. Cattle sera were tested for antibodies to C. burnetii using an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. A mixed effect logistic regression model identified risk factors associated with C. burnetii seropositivity. A total of 79 out of 2049 dairy cattle tested positive with an overall seroprevalence of 3.9% (95% CI 3.06–4.78) across the six regions with the highest seroprevalence in Tanga region (8.21%, 95% CI 6.0–10.89). Risk factors associated with seropositivity included: extensive feeding management (OR 2.77, 95% CI 1.25–3.77), and low precipitation below 1000 mm (OR 2.76, 95% 1.37–7.21). The disease seroprevalence is relatively low in the high dairy cattle producing regions of Tanzania. Due to the zoonotic potential of the disease, future efforts should employ a “One Health” approach to understand the epidemiology, and for interdisciplinary control to reduce the impacts on animal and human health
A Socio-Ecological Approach to Understanding How Land Use Challenges Human-Elephant Coexistence in Northern Tanzania
Get PDFThis research article is published in diversity, Volume 14, 2022.A globally rapid land use/land cover change (LULC) in human-transformed landscapes alters the interface of human-wildlife interactions due to shifting socio-ecological and environmental pressures. Understanding these shifts is crucial for mitigating repeated negative interactions that escalate conflict states between people and wildlife. This study aimed to understand LULC changes over 30 years (1989–2019), with more recent spatio-temporal patterns of high pressure at the human-elephant interface, and potentially underlying environmental and human-driven factors that affect elephant movement patterns. We analyzed a dataset of 923 human-elephant conflict occurrences, mainly crop foraging incidents, in the Enduimet Wildlife Management Area (EWMA) between the years 2016 and 2020 and combined these data with LULC for year 2019 to understand potential drivers of conflict and assess how agricultural land and settlement have increased over time. We further used GPS datasets of elephants collared between 2019 to 2020 to understand elephant movement patterns in changing land use types. Landsat image analysis revealed that 41% of the area had been converted into farmlands and settlements within the last three decades, which creates elephant-intolerant habitats and the potential to increase pressure at the human-elephant interface. Collared elephants using EWMA moved through all land use types and did not avoid settlements, although they moved through these at higher speeds, reflecting perception of risk. Elephants travelled slightly more slowly in farmland, likely reflecting the availability of foraging opportunities. Our analysis shows that human-induced LULC changes and the encroachment into elephant habitats have resulted in spatially and temporally predictable increases in HEC in EWMA, driven by the proximity of farmlands and protected areas (PAs), so that incompatible land uses are the principal drivers of damage to human livelihoods and increased risks to Tanzanian (and Kenyan) natural capital. Communities in Enduimet urgently need support to increase the effective distance between their farming activities and the PAs. Village-level crop protection and small-scale land-use planning around PAs are important first steps to halt an escalating conflict situation but need to be supported with longer-range strategies that separate incompatible land-use types and encourage the cultivation of alternative crops and livelihood diversification
Characterization and simulation of nested groundwater flow systems in basins with contrasting climate and geology
Get PDFA Thesis Submitted in Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Hydrology and Water Resources Engineering of the Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and TechnologyThe pattern, organization and hierarchy of nested groundwater flow systems, albeit complex,
their understanding is very crucial for informed groundwater resources development and
management. This study sought to characterize and simulate the impacts of varying climate and
anthropogenic influences on the nested groundwater flow systems and the spatio-temporal
association of nested groundwater flow systems, utilizing real field test cases of Singida semi-
arid fractured aquifer and the Kimbiji coastal, humid sedimentary aquifer in Tanzania.
Groundwater flow modelling and simulation of nested groundwater flow systems was carried
out using the USGS finite difference modelling code (MODFLOW 6), utilizing ModelMuse
version 5 as the Graphical User Interface (GUI). Hydrogeochemical and isotopic signature
analyses complemented the modelling approach. The comparison of isotopic composition from
borehole, rivers, lakes and rainfall showed that generally, boreholes in the Kimbiji aquifer and
some in the Singida aquifer had depleted isotopic values and enriched isotopic values were in
samples from open water bodies (e.g., rivers and lakes). The depletion was prominently so in
the deep boreholes, indicating a limited influence of evaporation during groundwater recharge.
Regional flow fluxes make up 74% of the total inflows into the Kimbiji coastal Neogene
aquifer, and only 26% of the inflows are made up of the local flow systems. In the Singida
aquifer, regional flow accounts for 56% of the total flux in the lower aquifer and makes 94%
contribution to the total amount of groundwater inflow in the Singida aquifer. Only 6% of the
groundwater storages comes from local recharge and other sources like lakes. The effect of land
cover change dynamics on groundwater recharge has been more prominent in the Kimbiji
aquifer, while the effect of climate varying (rainfall and temperature) featured more
prominently in the Singida semi-arid aquifer. Dependence of local recharge on heavy rainfalls
is one of the key features of the Singida aquifer, while local recharge in the Kimbiji aquifer is
quasi-uniform, occurring at more or less similar rate, albeit decreasing with decreasing rainfall
amounts and increasing surface temperature, and thus evapotranspiration. Local flow system
fluxes were observed to be the main feeders for the upper unconfined aquifers in the two study
areas, while regional flow systems are for the deep semi-confined aquifers, with appreciable
exchanges of water as revealed by nested groundwater flow simulation. The study findings will
contribute to various global, regional and local technical and policy-based efforts towards
sustainable groundwater development and management, considering climate variability and
non-climatic factors. This includes the contribution to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),
particularly SDG on access to clean water and sanitatio
Conceptualizing the Fe0/H2O System: A Call for Collaboration to Mark the 30th Anniversary of the Fe0-Based Permeable Reactive Barrier Technology
Get PDFThis research article was published in Water Journal, Volume 12, 2022.Science denial relates to rejecting well-established views that are no longer questioned by scientists within a given community. This expression is frequently connected with climate change and evolution. In such cases, prevailing views are built on historical facts and consensus. For water remediation using metallic iron (Fe0), also known as the remediation Fe0/H2O system, a consensus on electro-chemical contaminant reduction was established during the 1990s and still prevails. Arguments against the reductive transformation concept have been regarded for more than a decade as ‘science denial’. However, is it the prevailing concept that denies the science of aqueous iron corrosion? This article retraces the path taken by our research group to question the reductive transformation concept. It is shown that the validity of the following has been questioned: (i) analytical applications of the arsenazo III method for the determination of uranium, (ii) molecular diffusion as sole relevant mass-transport process in the vicinity of the Fe0 surface in filtration systems, and (iii) the volumetric expansive nature of iron corrosion at pH > 4.5. Item (i) questions the capability of Fe0 to serve as an electron donor for UVI reduction under environmental conditions. Items (ii) and (iii) are inter-related, as the Fe0 surface is permanently shielded by a non-conductive oxide scale acting as a diffusion barrier to dissolved species and a barrier to electrons from Fe0. The net result is that no electron transfer from Fe0 to contaminants is possible under environmental conditions. This conclusion refutes the validity of the reductive transformation concept and calls for alternative theories
Automatic Escaped Animal Detection and Monitoring System: A Case study of Volcanoes National Park (VNP) in Rwanda
Get PDFA research article was submitted to International Journal of Advances in Scientific Research and Engineering (ijasre) Volume 8, Issue 7 July - 2022The results have been shown that the people especially farmers living at the edge of Volcanoes National Park (VNP) practiced
agricultural business due to the fertile soil found in the region. The rising number of agronomies in the zone, number of tourists,
and illegal forest users such as poaching, and deforestation cause wild animals to get out of their habitats. Therefore, forest
animals present a likely risk to damage crops whenever they get out of the forest. The current systems such as “Buffer Wall also
known as wall of stones” was manually operated; electric fence systems resulted in death and pain to wild animals. The primary
creation of this paper is to develop an Automatic Escaped Animal Detection and Monitoring System. Due to the development of
automatic systems for detecting and monitoring all moving wild animals and intruders, it was stated that using automation at
Buffer wall could be helpful for both wild animals and farmers keeping safe. The objectives of developing an Automatic Escaped
Animal Detection and Monitoring System were to reduce the probability of crop raids, death and injuries between wild animals
and farmers, warning the wild animals using of buzzer, speaker with a recorder voice of lion and block of LEDs to remain in their
habitats and the notifications sent to the park officials related to the wild animals getting out of the forest. This system should
primarily use sensing devices to detect and monitor their presence. The study reveals that the people especially farmers living at
the edge of Volcanoes National Park (VNP) can be protected using this system. The specialty of this technological system
developed was to automate manual and improve the current systems by using Arduino NANO Microcontroller to execute system’s operations, GPS NEO 6M for locating moving wild animal, Ultrasonic sensor for detecting wildlife and calculating its speed, PIR sensor to detect intruders, GSM SIM900 to notify park rangers, reduction of crop raiding, and finally reducing the death and pain of wild animals caused by the current systems
A Comparative Study of Assistive Technologies for Physically challenged peoples for usability of Powered Wheelchair Mobility Aid
Get PDFThis research article was published by International Journal of Advances in Scientific
Research and Engineering (ijasre) Volume 8, Issue 1
January - 2022Physical disabilities have always been a big issue in our communities. Ageing, sickness, and other variables have all had a role in
the creation of these issues. That is why Powered wheelchairs were designed to aid people with physical disabilities. Wheelchair
users have been exposed to a variety of assistive technologies designed to improve their mobility. As a result, different assistive
technologies have recently played a significant role in assisting wheelchair users with movement, this is because technology
changes so quickly. The recent trendy of assistive technologies include the joystick, brain-computer interface, voice recognition,
tongue drive system, eye tracer, and sip and puff. However, some of the most beneficial assistive technologies become difficult to
utilize due to technological gaps among individuals in particular nations. The objective of this research to study and review the
comparative study of these assistive technologies for Physical Disabilities. In the study, tongue drive system, eye tracer, voice
recognition, and sip and puff technologies are compared to joystick assistive technology. The comparison is made based on
selected parameters including usability commands, fatigue, response time, information transfer rate, effects, and costs. Based on
review, the researchers propose the design of appropriate wheelchairs with assistive technology for developing countri
Analysis of Factors for the Uncorrelated Relationship between the Broadband Internet Initiatives against Broadband Adoption for Rural Areas in Low and Middle-Income Countries: A Case of Tanzania
Get PDFThis research article was published by International Journal of Advances in Scientific
Research and Engineering (ijasre) Volume 8, Issue 1
January - 2022As evident as the contribution of broadband internet in developed countries’ economies has been, many developing countries have
taken initiatives to exploit the same. However, the efforts are not reflected in the rural areas broadband adoption as reported by
global Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs’) ranking bodies. This study aims to analyze the factors towards the
uncorrelated relationship between the broadband initiatives against broadband adoption in rural parts of Low Middle-Income
Countries (LMICs) looking from the supply side, exemplified here by Tanzania. The initiatives considered are National ICT
Broadband Backbone (NICTBB) and Universal Communication Service Access Fund (UCSAF). The study deployed a Qualitative
Research Method (QRM) exploiting semi-structured interviews for data collection. 23 interviews were conducted with personnel
from the aforementioned entities together with their collaborating agencies. Thematic analysis was opted where vigorous coding
and data cleaning resulted in five themes characterizing poor broadband adoption; infrastructure, affordability, digital skills,
contents’ relevance and services, and statistical reporting. The majority of the response (84%) agreed that the ranks reflect what
is found on the ground hence more work is needed from the supply side on enforcing adoption in rural areas. Nevertheless, 16%
of the coded responses maintain a view that improper statistical reporting due to statistical model mismatch and data
unavailability from local statistical agencies to some extent causes the poor adoption ranks in the global ranking bodies. This
article should provide insights to policymakers towards creating/improving and implementation of broadband plans/policies, and
as a result, exploiting broadband contribution to countries’ Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
Prospects for soilless farming in Africa: A review on the aids of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria inoculants in hydroponics
Get PDFThis research article was published in International Journal of Biosciences, Volume 21, 2022273 Margaret et al.
Int. J. Biosci. 2022
REVIEW PAPERREVIEW PAPERREVIEW PAPERREVIEW PAPER OPEN ACCESSOPEN ACCESSOPEN ACCESSOPEN ACCESS
Prospects for soilless farming in Africa: A review on the aids of
plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria inoculants in hydroponics
Gumisiriza S. Margaret*1, Aloo N. Becky2, Makumba Billy3, Tumuhairwe J. Baptist4,
Ndakidemi A. Patrick1, Mbega R. Ernest1
1School of Life Sciences and Bioengineering, The Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and
Technology, Arusha, Tanzania
2School of Science, University of Eldoret, Eldoret, Kenya
3School of Science, Moi University, Eldoret, Kenya
4Makerere University, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences,
Department of Agricultural Production, Kampala, Uganda
Key words: Hydroponics, Nutrient solubilization, Soilless culture, PGPR, Urban farming
http://dx.doi.org/10.12692/ijb/21.5.273-282 Article published on November 21, 2022
Abstract
Due to the growing population in Africa, there is need to identify farming systems that can increase food
productivity for the increasing population. Hydroponic farming presents a viable option for sustainable and
climate resilient agricultural production especially in areas faced with environmental challenges such as; limited
arable land and has the ability to realize global food security the rising population and urbanization in Africa.
However, the supply of plant nutrients in sufficient and sustainable quantities at affordable costs is one of the
critical and limiting factors in adoption of hydroponics. Chemical hydroponic fertilizers that are often used are
not only environmentally unfriendly but also costly and less-readily available. As such, alternative crop
fertilization mechanisms like the use of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) as inoculants in
hydroponics are not only an environmentally feasible but also economical solution for countries in Africa. There
are numerous studies regarding this crop-fertilization mechanism, but these mainly refer to controlled
environment such as; green-houses, and field tests. Their use in hydroponic farming is still largely unexploited.
This review highlights the nutrient requirements, types and benefits of hydroponics in addition to unraveling the
potential that PGPR inoculants hold as a sustainable and economical fertilizer alternative in hydroponics
Recent advances in thermochemical conversion of biomass into drop-in fuel:a review
Get PDFThis research article was published in the Journal of Scientific African Volume 17, September 2022The global evolutional changes towards the use of renewable energy sources for trans-
portation purposes are on the increase in an attempt to mitigate the environmental haz-
ard and the proposed depletion associated with fossil fuel resources. Pyrolysis and hy-
drothermal processes of biomass conversion into renewable biofuels are resulted into the
production of biocrude with high oxygen content due to the presence of large amount of
oxygenates in biomass feedstocks. The presence of oxygen content in bio-oil causes cor-
rosion, low heating value, instability and high viscosity in bio-oil. These challenges have
necessitated the application of upgrading techniques such as catalytic hydrodeoxygenation
process among others. The presence of several oxygenated compounds made the mech-
anisms of bio-oil synthesis difficult and model bio-oil were reviewed to understand the
effects of process parameters and catalysts on aromatic selectivity and conversion. The se-
lectivity of aromatic hydrocarbons was affected by deactivation of catalysts’ active sites.
Coke formation has been identified as one of the common and notorious causes of cata-
lysts’ deactivation which is dependent on the nature of feedstock, conditions of operation
and the nature of catalyst. Therefore, the need to develop, evaluate a structurally and ther-
mally stable catalyst with high catalyst recovery and reusability are of importance in the
quest to depict hydrodeoxygenation process as an excellent technique for bio-oil upgrad-
ing