A Novel Epidemic Model for the Interference Spread in the Internet of Things

: Due to the multi-technology advancements, internet of things (IoT) applications are in high demand to create smarter environments. Smart objects communicate by exchanging many messages, and this creates interference on receivers. Collection tree algorithms are applied to only reduce the nodes/paths’ interference but cannot fully handle the interference across the underlying IoT. This paper models and analyzes the interference spread in the IoT setting, where the collection tree routing algorithm is adopted. Node interference is treated as a real-life contamination of a disease, where individuals can migrate across compartments such as susceptible, attacked and replaced. The assumed typical collection tree routing model is the least interference beaconing algorithm (LIBA), and the dynamics of the interference spread is studied. The underlying network’s nodes are partitioned into groups of nodes which can affect each other and based on the partition property, the susceptible–attacked–replaced (SAR) model is proposed. To analyze the model, the system stability is studied, and the compartmental based trends are experimented in static, stochastic and predictive systems. The results shows that the dynamics of the system are dependent groups and all have points of convergence for static, stochastic and predictive systems

Réponse du soja (Glycine max L.) à des doses croissantes du DAP et Urée au Sud-Kivu, RD Congo

Published online: 28 Feb 2018; Open Access JournalObjectif: La présente étude a été menée pour évaluer la réponse du soja à des doses croissantes du DAP et de l’Urée dans les conditions édapho-climatiques de Bugorhe dans les hautes altitudes du Sud-Kivu. Méthodologie et résultats: Une expérimentation a été conduite suivant un dispositif en parcelle divisée (split plot) avec la source d’engrais azoté et la dose d’application des engrais comme facteur principal et facteur secondaire respectivement. Trois doses de l’Urée et du Di-Ammonium Phosphate (DAP) ont été appliquées à raison de 50 kg ha-1 (D1), 100 kg ha-1 (D2) et 150 kg ha-1 (D3) et une dose témoin D0 (sans engrais). Le rendement en graines variait significativement en fonction de la dose (p=0,0015) et de la nature (source) d’engrais azoté (p=0,0199). Le DAP avait permis d’obtenir le rendement le plus élevé (1158,1 kg ha-1) comparativement à l’Urée (956,7 kg ha-1). Quant aux doses d’engrais, le rendement variait proportionnellement avec la dose d’engrais appliquée : la D3 (150 kg ha-1) du DAP a donné une moyenne élevée de rendement en graines (1640,9 kg ha-1) alors que la dose témoin a donné une faible moyenne de rendement en graines (694,1 kg ha-1). Pour l’Urée, la dose D3 avait permis d’obtenir le rendement en graines le plus élevé (1229,8 kg ha-1) comparativement à la dose témoin (627,4 kg ha-1). Le rapport valeur sur coût obtenu sur les différentes doses d’engrais montre que la dose de 50 kg ha-1 de l’Urée et 100 kg ha-1 du DAP sont plus rentables avec des valeurs de 3,53 USD (4987,89 francs congolais) et 4,23 USD (5976,99 francs congolais). L’efficacité agronomique des doses d’engrais a varié entre 4,01 et 6,31 pour la dose 150 kg ha-1 de l'Urée et du DAP. Conclusion et application des résultats: Les résultats montrent que la dose de 150 kg ha-1 pour le DAP et l’Urée permettrait d’améliorer le rendement en graines du soja au Sud Kivu mais, n’est pas rentable. Cependant, les doses de 50 kg ha-1 et 100 kg ha-1 de l’Urée et DAP sont à encourager le plus au vue de leurs rentabilités. Mots-clés: Soja, Engrais azoté, Productivité, Rentabilité économique, Bugorhe, RD Congo English Title: Response of the soybean (Glycine max L.) to increasing doses of DAP and Urea in the South – Kivu, DR Congo English Abstract Objective: This study assessed the soybean response to increasing doses of Di-Ammonium Phosphate (DAP) and Urea in the agro-ecological conditions of Bugorhe located in the highlands of South – Kivu. Methodology and results: A field experiment was carried out in a split plot design with the fertilizer source as main factor and fertilizer dose as the sub-factor. Three doses of Urea and DAP were applied: 50 kg ha-1 (D1), 100 kg ha-1 (D2) and 150 kg ha-1 (D3) and a Control (D0) without fertilizer. The soybean grain yield varied significantly with the applied dose (p=0.0015) and the nitrogen fertilizer source (p=0.0199). The DAP application recorded the highest grain yield (1158.1 kg ha-1) compared to Urea (956.7 kg ha-1). Regarding to fertilizer doses, the grain yield varied proportionally with fertilizer dose applied: D3 (150 kg ha-1) of DAP gave the highest grain yield (1640.9 kg ha-1) compared to control, which had the lowest grain yield (694.1 kg ha-1). For Urea, the D3 dose gave the highest grain yield (1229.8 kg ha-1) compared to control D0 (627.4 kg ha-1) which recorded the lowest grain yield. The value cost ratio obtained for different doses of fertilizer showed that the dose of 50 kg.ha-1 of Urea and 100 kg ha-1 of DAP were more profitable with 3.53 USD (4987.89 Congolese francs) and 4.23 USD (5976.99 Congolese francs) of economic benefits, respectively. The agronomic efficiency (AE) of fertilizer doses was varying from 4.01 to 6 31 for 150 kg ha-1 of Urea and 150kg ha-1 of DAP. Conclusion and result applications: Results showed that the D3 dose (150 kg ha-1) of DAP and Urea would improve soybean grain yield in South – Kivu but, is not profitable. However, doses of 50 kg ha-1 and 100 kg ha-1 of Urea and DAP should be encouraged for their expected profit

Water use efficiency of maize (Zea mays L.) crop under selected soil and water conservation practices along the slope gradient in Ruzizi watershed, eastern D.R. Congo

Open Access Journal; Published online: 18 Oct 2022Maize (Zea mays L.) productivity is constrained by water shortages in the predominantly rainfed agriculture of the tropical semi-arid Ruzizi Plain, in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The region is characterized by a high seasonal and inter-annual rainfall variability and a frequent occurrence of consecutive dry days within growing seasons. Consequently, planning water utilization in rainfed agriculture has become complex, as appropriate soil water conservation (SWC) practices are lacking among most smallholder farmers. Identifying practices that increase water use efficiency (WUE) along the slope gradient is crucial for supporting maize production in the region. In this study, we assessed, for three growing seasons, the effectiveness of two SWC practices (tied ridges and Zai pits) in improving the WUE of two maize varieties along three slope gradients (0–2, 2–8, and 8–15%) in the tropical semi-arid Ruzizi Plain. In this area, rainfall amounts (142–289 mm) were consistently below the evapotranspiration demands (356–533 mm) across the three growing seasons. Tied ridges recorded the highest grain yield (2.16 t ha−1) and WUE (15.23 kg mm−1), especially at low slopes, when compared to Zai pits and conventional tillage. For all SWC practices, WUE decreased with the slope gradient (p < 0.01). Furthermore, a decrease in stored soil water (SWS) at silking and maturity stages (milk, dough, and dent stages) negatively affected the WUE. The variety had no significant effect on grain yield and WUE. Root biomass (RBM), shoot biomass (SBM), and leaf area index (LAI) at the flowering stage were the most associated with the WUE (R2 = 58.5%). In conclusion, tied ridges showed potential for improving maize WUE and yield in the water-deficient conditions that characterize the Ruzizi Plain, and could be promoted to improve the maize productivity among smallholder farmers

A practical perspective on One CGIAR: lessons from 15 years of CIALCA agricultural research for development consortium work in central Africa

There is a wind of change blowing through the sector of international agricultural research for development (AR4D), mainly as a result of comprehensive reorganisation and transformation of one of its largest players, the CGIAR. In January 2020, Food Policy published a Special Issue providing valuable external and high-level reflections, challenges and recommendations for One CGIAR. One of the papers by Coffman et al. (2020) provided five Challenges and related Recommendations to the One CGIAR

Testing novel strategies for patients hospitalised with HIV-associated disseminated tuberculosis (NewStrat-TB): protocol for a randomised controlled trial

Background: HIV-associated tuberculosis (TB) contributes disproportionately to global tuberculosis mortality. Patients hospitalised at the time of the diagnosis of HIV-associated disseminated TB are typically severely ill and have a high mortality risk despite initiation of tuberculosis treatment. The objective of the study is to assess the safety and efficacy of both intensified TB treatment (high dose rifampicin plus levofloxacin) and immunomodulation with corticosteroids as interventions to reduce early mortality in hospitalised patients with HIV-associated disseminated TB. Methods: This is a phase III randomised controlled superiority trial, evaluating two interventions in a 2 × 2 factorial design: (1) high dose rifampicin (35 mg/kg/day) plus levofloxacin added to standard TB treatment for the first 14 days versus standard tuberculosis treatment and (2) adjunctive corticosteroids (prednisone 1.5 mg/kg/day) versus identical placebo for the first 14 days of TB treatment. The study population is HIV-positive patients diagnosed with disseminated TB (defined as being positive by at least one of the following assays: urine Alere LAM, urine Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra or blood Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra) during a hospital admission. The primary endpoint is all-cause mortality at 12 weeks comparing, first, patients receiving intensified TB treatment to standard of care and, second, patients receiving corticosteroids to those receiving placebo. Analysis of the primary endpoint will be by intention to treat. Secondary endpoints include all-cause mortality at 2 and 24 weeks. Safety and tolerability endpoints include hepatoxicity evaluations and corticosteroid-related adverse events. Discussion: Disseminated TB is characterised by a high mycobacterial load and patients are often critically ill at presentation, with features of sepsis, which carries a high mortality risk. Interventions that reduce this high mycobacterial load or modulate associated immune activation could potentially reduce mortality. If found to be safe and effective, the interventions being evaluated in this trial could be easily implemented in clinical practice. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04951986. Registered on 7 July 2021 https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT04951986