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An Evaluation of Sustainability Potential of Existing Septic Systems: A Fuzzy-Based Indexing Approach
Get PDFThis research article was published by MDPI, 2022In this study, a fuzzy-based indexing approach (FIA) is developed based on a conceptual framework regarding social, environmental, economic, and technical dimensions to evaluate the overall sustainability potential of existing septic systems (SSs) of around 200 Tanzanian residential buildings in Mwanza city. FIA required the following six steps: selecting, measuring, normalizing, weighting, and aggregating the sustainability indicators (SIs) or dimensions, as well as interpretation of the indices similarly to conventional sustainability indices to aggregate the four sustainability dimensions. In total, 18 SIs were selected based on a literature review. Input data obtained for each indicator were from the social survey and laboratory analysis. The results showed that the entire SSs in the city had a general sustainability index (GSI) of 0.42. The index fell on the verge of the “danger” category, indicating that corrective measures are needed. In conclusion, FIA is simple and transparent, it provides a both theoretical and practical basis for sustainability evaluation, does not require vast quantities of data, and does not demand an advanced computer software package. Moreover, FIA is a proper method to evaluate and improve SS sustainability in the city or provide the information to decision makers, designers, and researchers to scrutinize the decision possibilities in a multidimensional manner
Development of integrated sensor network for agro-meteorological data collection in Tanzania
Get PDFA Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master’s in Information and Communication Science and Engineering of the Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and TechnologyGenerally, the variation of meteorological conditions has a significant influence on the agriculture
sector. In Tanzania, most of the existing automatic meteorological stations are not working, and
during the data collection the surveyed manual meteorological stations record meteorological data
in the cards daily, but cards are sent in a month to month time interval to the respective organs, this
makes the concept of early warning difficult. Therefore, having near-real-time meteorological data
will enable crop monitoring and forecasting systems to monitor crop development and provide early
warning to the farmers and the government. The advancement of the Internet of Things (IoT) offers
possibilities for developing an integrated sensors network to collect meteorological data on a near real-time basis. In his study, the developed integrated sensor network includes sensors, which
record remote meteorological data such as rainfall, humidity and temperature, a communication
network, and a web application that enhance data visualisation in both graphical and tabular format.
In the communication system, the LoRa technology was used, which is preferable compared to
other Low Power Wide Area Network (LPWAN), technologies such as NB-IoT and SigFox for this
application. The developed system uses the LoRa Gateway Operating system which provides
capabilities to build a private network, and make it more cost-efficient by reducing the operation
cost for account subscription, in online platforms such as The Things Network (TTN), ThingPark,
ThingSpeak, and Loriot to avoid free accounts limitations. Moreover, the developed system can
work in remote areas with limited Internet access as the meteorological stations can communicate
with the gateway at a distance of up to 25 km
Development of industrial IoT based monitoring and control system for radio broadcasting network in Tanzania: a case of Tanzania broadcasting corporation
Get PDFA Final Project Report Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Embedded and Mobile System of the Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and TechnologyThe radio towers must be constructed in sharp elevations or mountains to ensure the maximum
radio wave propagation and long-distance coverage of the radio station programs. Due to the
sharp elevation positioning of radio towers, the tower operators or technicians are required to
climb up every day to be able to take readings of the equipment. Strenuous and daily effort is
needed to access these sharp locations either on foot or by car. A need to develop and implement
a system that will monitor and send earlier notifications information on the status of the
transmitter to the responsible tower operators. Therefore, this project aims to develop an IIoT based monitoring and control system for terrestrial broadcasting networks with outdated
technology of Fm transmitter equipment which isstill used in Tanzania. As a result, the solution
will effectively and timely assist tower operators to monitor, collecting information
understanding and the existing problems that are happening at the radio towers without
physically climbing to the radio towers. In addition, the system is cost-effective and collect
information in real-time based as it is integrated with a mobile application in a smart device
that is linked to the embedded system which is installed in a specific tower to monitor
parameters such as forward power, reflected power, electrical units, fuel level, temperature,
humidity, and smoke. This study has used a mixed-design approach of quantitative and
qualitative methods using focus group discussions with 20 stakeholders to evaluate the
developed system. The result of the evaluation shows that 90% of the respondents agreed that
the developed system is robust and appropriate to manage the existing challenges at the radio
towers.The radio towers must be constructed in sharp elevations or mountains to ensure the maximum
radio wave propagation and long-distance coverage of the radio station programs. Due to the
sharp elevation positioning of radio towers, the tower operators or technicians are required to
climb up every day to be able to take readings of the equipment. Strenuous and daily effort is
needed to access these sharp locations either on foot or by car. A need to develop and implement
a system that will monitor and send earlier notifications information on the status of the
transmitter to the responsible tower operators. Therefore, this project aims to develop an IIoT based monitoring and control system for terrestrial broadcasting networks with outdated
technology of Fm transmitter equipment which isstill used in Tanzania. As a result, the solution
will effectively and timely assist tower operators to monitor, collecting information
understanding and the existing problems that are happening at the radio towers without
physically climbing to the radio towers. In addition, the system is cost-effective and collect
information in real-time based as it is integrated with a mobile application in a smart device
that is linked to the embedded system which is installed in a specific tower to monitor
parameters such as forward power, reflected power, electrical units, fuel level, temperature,
humidity, and smoke. This study has used a mixed-design approach of quantitative and
qualitative methods using focus group discussions with 20 stakeholders to evaluate the
developed system. The result of the evaluation shows that 90% of the respondents agreed that
the developed system is robust and appropriate to manage the existing challenges at the radio
towers
Internet of things based package and parcel tracking and monitoring system for public buses 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 TechnologyThis project developed and implemented Internet of Things (IoT)-based system for tracking
and monitoring packages and parcels. In today’s era where technology is continuously evolving
and improving. The concept of the Internet of Things is ubiquitous in nature and numerous
gadgets are capable of being connected together over the internet. Previously communications
in Tanzania were un-reliable and limited to urban regions. Because of the current efforts made
by the Tanzanian government a nation-wide coverage possible. In Tanzania the most cost effective means of transporting packages and parcels is through public buses. However, a
significant number of people experience afflictions with the service delivery thus, agree that a
technology solution be utilized to improve service delivery. Purpose of this study is to come
up with a digitized system for tracking, monitoring and managing packages and parcels until
collection using the concept of the IoT. The proposed project uses both quantitative and
qualitative methods of data collection so as to have a better understanding of the present
logistics. Also, find inspirations from the Scrum Agile methodology. Key findings majorly
from the respondents leaned towards the need of technology solutions in transportation of
packages and parcels to reduce the afflictions they go through. This system communicates via
Wi-Fi and it’s based on the IoT to track and monitor packages and parcels. The monitoring tool
is a web-based application and mobile application as an alternative. The system has been
thoroughly tested against all of the key aspects of embedded and IoT systems. It is capable of
sending package and parcel coordinates to the web-based application when there’s and internet
connection. Additionally, send data to the administrator’s phone when there is an internet
unavailability. This system will ease the burdens and be taken into further research to develop
better systems for the transportation and logistics industry
In vitro and field evaluation of selected spices as botanical fungicide for management of Phytophthora infestans, causative agent for late blight in tomato
Get PDFThis research article was published by Taylor & Francis online in 22Late blight of tomato, caused by Phytophthora infestans, is responsible for massive losses in yield of open field-grown tomato and is managed by use of synthetic fungicides. The rising demand for food safety calls for alternative yet effective crop protection products. Using a bioassay-guided approach the antifungal properties of ethanolic extracts of seven spices was evaluated and the constituents of the most inhibitory fraction determined using coupled gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Clove extract was the most active and inhibited (100%) growth of P. infestans followed by black pepper (91%) turmeric (87%) and ginger (85%). The hexane fraction of clove extract equally inhibited growth of P. infestans 100%. The spice extracts reduced severity of late blight by between 29% and 40% with black pepper being the most efficacious under field conditions. These findings show the fungicidal potential of selected spices for the management of late blight of tomato
What influences individuals to invest in improved sanitation services and hygiene behaviours in a small town? A formative research study in Babati, Tanzania
Get PDFA project report submitted by PLOS ONE Volume 17Sub-Sahara African countries face immense challenges in ensuring adequate sanitation and hygiene behaviours to the rapidly growing populations. Attempts to address these challenges require empirical evidence to inform policy and planning. We contribute toward that goal by unveiling findings of formative research conducted in Babati, a rapidly growing town in Tanzania. We conducted a cross-sectional study involving 486 households, to unwind motives and barriers for individuals to invest in improved sanitation services and hygiene behaviour change. We used several methods including household survey, focus group discussions, behaviour observations and spot checks. The findings revealed that households derive their motivation to invest in improved sanitation and hygiene practices from comfort, raising social status, and the need for personal safety and privacy. Other motives include fear of penalties and fines and fear of disease outbreaks, whilst the barriers include, limited water availability and accessibility, environmental factors, property rights, cultural issues, financial constraints, and a person’s attitude. Quantitative data were subjected to multivariate analysis to identify determinants of households to invest in sanitation and hygiene practices. The logistic regression analyses revealed that sources of water, property rights, and education level were the main determinants of households to invest in sanitation and hygiene facilities, while household income was the main determinant for households to invest in both construction of handwashing facility and water treatment. We argue that the initiative to promote sanitation and hygiene behaviour change in small towns should focus on promoting motivation factors and abating the determinant factors identified in this study
Multiple Pathogens Contribute to Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Related Sepsis in Addition to Mycobacterium tuberculosis: A Prospective Cohort in Tanzania
Get PDFThis research article was published in the Int J Mycobacteriol. 2022 Jul-Sep; 11(3)Background:
Mortality from tuberculosis (TB) sepsis is common among patients living with human immunodeficiency virus (PLHIV). We aimed to detect M. tuberculosis (MTB) and additional sepsis etiologies, and mortality determinants in PLHIV.
Methods:
This prospective cohort study consented and followed-up PLHIV for 28 days in northern Tanzania. From May through December 2021, patients provided urine and sputum for TB testing in lateral-flow lipoarabinomannan (LF-LAM) and Xpert® MTB/RIF. Bacterial blood culture, cryptococcal antigen, malaria rapid diagnostic, C-reactive-protein (CRP), and international normalized ratio (INR) tests were also performed. Sepsis severity was clinically measured by Karnofsky and modified early warning signs (MEWS) scores. Anti-TB, broad-spectrum antibiotics, and antimalarial and antifungal agents were prescribed in accordance with Tanzania treatment guideline. An independent t-test and Chi-square or Fisher’s exact tests compared means and proportions, respectively. P < 0.05 was statistically significant.
Results:
Among 98 patients, 59 (60.2%) were female. Their mean (standard deviation) age was 44 (12.9) years. TB detection increased from 24 (24.5%) by Xpert® MTB/RIF to 36 (36.7%) when LF-LAM was added. In total, 23 (23.5%) patients had other than TB etiologies of sepsis, including Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Cryptococcus spp., and Plasmodium spp. Twenty-four (94.4%) of 36 patients with TB had higher CRP (≥10 mg/l) compared to 25 (40.3%) non-TB patients (P 6 (n = 8), and malnutrition (n = 9).
Conclusions:
MTB and other microbes contributed to sepsis in PLHIV. Adding non-TB tests informed clinical decisions. Mortality was predicted by conventional sepsis and severity scoring, malnutrition, and elevated INR
Design a Services Architecture for Mobile-Based Agro-Goods Transport and Commerce System
Get PDFThis research article was published by Hindawi in 2022Despite massive mobile phones adoption globally, Agriculture Supply Chain (ASC) in Tanzania is challenged by the low adoption
of m-commerce integrated to m-payment and m-transport services as key information enablers for efficiently linking farmers to
buyers. With such an inefficient and ineffective information gap, middlemen have become information custodians by decreasing
farmers’ bargaining power in the market. In addressing the challenge, this study uses stakeholders to validate core services needed
and proposes service architecture for Agro-Goods Transport and Commerce (AgroTC) system using installable and build-in
mobile phone applications (internet web, mobile apps, and USSD). The proposed method appreciates a user-centric approach for
system development. A scenario of the potato supply chain in Tanzania was considered where 2309 respondents were interviewed
from farmers, buyers, and transport service providers from a predetermined sample size (n = 384) having a 95% confidence level.
Data were collected using mobile phones configured with Open Data Kit (ODK) technology and analyzed using the R Studio tool
with Pandas libraries. The results indicated that buyers were not interested in disease and land management information.
Collectively, farmers (74%) and buyers (60%) highly demand m-commerce services as a virtual platform for linking them. Only
farmers showed concern about disease management information. Furthermore, 35% of the farmers and 57% of the buyers need
m-transport, whereas 35% of the farmers and 69% of the buyers need m-payment service Deleted. It was revealed that the
remaining percentages lack knowledge on mobile phone features to perform online businesses. All transport service providers
pointed to the challenge of existing middlemen in reaching customers and required technological change in managing transport
systems. The proposed mobile-based AgroTC architecture provides a foundation business approach in Tanzania and many
developing countries. System developers and innovators can use the proposed architecture design to design prototypes using the
preferred language to meet ASC stakeholders’ needs and expectation
Multi-variate regression analysis of lake level variability: A case of semi-closed, shallow rift valley lake in Northern Tanzania
Get PDFThis research articles was published in Journals Environmental Challenges Volume 7,2022Lakes are very important for domestic use, commercial purposes, and ecosystem sustenance; nevertheless, studies
on how different stressors influence water resources are limited, posing challenges in the planning and managing
of water resources. Lake Babati is one of the important lakes in the East African rift valley as a source of fish,
drinking water, and hippopotamus habitat. The lake level has consistently declined, threatening the life of organ-
isms depending on the lake. Nevertheless, no study postulated the reasons for its decline. Therefore, this study
used statistical methods, regression analysis and HEC-HMS hydrological model to investigate the association and
sensitivity of the hydrological components driving the lake level variability. Results showed that the Lake Ba-
bati level was significantly declining (p < 0.01) at a rate of 0.025 m yearly. The lake level variability was most
sensitive to inflow, while outflow and evaporation had almost equivalent magnitude in driving the lake level
variability and direct rainfall had the least influence. Although the lake level variability corresponded to changes
in the basin supply components, the declining lake level trend was neither directly related to lake evaporation
nor inflow as both parameters showed no significant trends. Furthermore, groundwater abstraction within the
lakeshore is smaller than lake evaporation and is unlikely the main driver of the decline in lake level. Therefore,
the declining lake level seemed related to the spillway outflow, which had been improved to avoid lake flooding
resulting in large outflow during the peak seasons and probably the reason for the significant decline in the lake
levels even in the rainy seasons. This study benchmarked the most sensitive hydrological drivers influencing lake
level whose accurate monitoring and management could rescue the situatio
Brucellosis infection dynamics in cattle and the impacts on production and reproduction in pastoral settings of Tanzania
Get PDFThis research article was published by Journal of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health Volume 14, 2022Brucellosis is endemic in pastoral settings of Tanzania with significant socio-economic implications. However, comprehensive studies to establish its impacts had not been elucidated. A longitudinal study was conducted in order to elucidate the dynamics and its impact on production and reproduction. Initially, 464 animals were enrolled with baseline seroprevalence in each herd. Animals were bled every three months to determine the incidence rate, impacts and trends in sero-status. In addition, individual animal reproductive information was collected. Milk yield was measured indirectly by estimating the calves’ growth rate. Data were analysed using Epi Info 7.0 software where descriptive analyses were used to establish proportions, associations and relationships. Wilcoxon test was used to establish the growth rate differences. Forty-seven new c-ELISA seropositive animals were identified over the period of three months representing an incidence rate of 0.811 cases per animal-year at risk. Households with a high seroprevalence during baseline screening were observed to have high infection rate in the subsequent visit. There was no statistical association between new seropositive cases and seasons (P>0.05). Furthermore, positive to negative seroconversion was observed. Of the 94 females that were expected to parturate, 15% aborted with 29% of these being seropositive. Retained placenta was observed in 4.3% of the domestic ruminants. Of the 79 calves that were screened, 21.5% were seropositive with majority born from seropositive dams. Calves born from seropositive dams were 27 times more likely to be seropositive. Growth rate was not different (p>0.05) between calves suckling from seropositive and seronegative dams. Key words: Brucellosis impacts, incidence rate, seropositivity