Investigating IoT Middleware Platforms for Smart Application Development

With the growing number of Internet of Things (IoT) devices, the data generated through these devices is also increasing. By 2030, it is been predicted that the number of IoT devices will exceed the number of human beings on earth. This gives rise to the requirement of middleware platform that can manage IoT devices, intelligently store and process gigantic data generated for building smart applications such as Smart Cities, Smart Healthcare, Smart Industry, and others. At present, market is overwhelming with the number of IoT middleware platforms with specific features. This raises one of the most serious and least discussed challenge for application developer to choose suitable platform for their application development. Across the literature, very little attempt is done in classifying or comparing IoT middleware platforms for the applications. This paper categorizes IoT platforms into four categories namely-publicly traded, open source, developer friendly and end-to-end connectivity. Some of the popular middleware platforms in each category are investigated based on general IoT architecture. Comparison of IoT middleware platforms in each category, based on basic, sensing, communication and application development features is presented. This study can be useful for IoT application developers to select the most appropriate platform according to their application requirement

Modelling the effects of awareness-based interventions to control the mosaic disease of Jatropha curcas

Plant diseases are responsible for substantial and sometimes devastating economic and societal costs and thus are a major limiting factor for stable and sustainable agricultural production. Diseases of crops are particular crippling in developing countries that are heavily dependent on agriculture for food security and income. Various techniques have been developed to reduce the negative impact of plant diseases and eliminate the associated parasites, but the success of these approaches strongly depends on population awareness and the degree of engagement with disease control and prevention programs. In this paper we derive and analyse a mathematical model of mosaic disease of Jatropha curcas, an important biofuel plant, with particular emphasis on the effects of interventions in the form of nutrients and insecticides, whose use depends on the level of population awareness. Two contributions to disease awareness are considered in the model: global awareness campaigns, and awareness from observing infected plants. All steady states of the model are found, and their stability is analysed in terms of system parameters. We identify parameter regions associated with eradication of disease, stable endemic infection, and periodic oscillations in the level of infection. Analytical results are supported by numerical simulations that illustrate the behaviour of the model in different dynamical regimes. Implications of theoretical results for practical implementation of disease control are discussed

MOMDIS: a Glauber model computer code for knockout reactions

A computer program is described to calculate momentum distributions in stripping and diffraction dissociation reactions. A Glauber model is used with the scattering wavefunctions calculated in the eikonal approximation. The program is appropriate for knockout reactions at intermediate energy collisions (30 MeV $\leq$ E$_{lab}/$nucleon $\leq 2000$ MeV). It is particularly useful for reactions involving unstable nuclear beams, or exotic nuclei (e.g. neutron-rich nuclei), and studies of single-particle occupancy probabilities (spectroscopic factors) and other related physical observables. Such studies are an essential part of the scientific program of radioactive beam facilities, as in for instance the proposed RIA (Rare Isotope Accelerator) facility in the US.Comment: 22 pages. Accepted for publication in Computer Physics Communications. Code available from CPC web sit