Part 1: acceptance test and administration of a farm of servers. Part 2: improving TCP performance in underwater wireless sensor networks

Dissertação de mestrado, Engenharia Informática, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade do Algarve, 2017Abstract 1 During the last decades, companies and organizations have focused on how to provide to the end-users or clients with web services or applications to make them more closer and involved to the activity. Therefore, many enterprises through their direction of the IT service, propose varieties of applications that allow to the stakeholders to perform what they need. The aim of this report is to present what the application integration job is and to report the missions that I have been able to carry out such as application integration, application qualification, and acceptance tests. This represents in total: - 19 qualified applications, - 33 administrated serversResumo 1 Ao longo das últimas décadas, as empresas e as organizações concentraram-se na forma de fornecer aos usuários finais ou clientes, serviços Web ou aplicativos para torná-los mais próximos e envolvidos na actividade. Portanto, muitas empresas através da sua direcção do serviço de Tecnólogia da Informação TI, propõem variedades de aplicativos que permitem às partes interessadas realizar o que necessitam. O objectivo deste relatório é apresentar o que é o trabalho de integração de aplicativos e as missões que fui capaz de executar, como a integração de aplicativos, a qualificação de aplicativos e testes de aceitação. Isto representa no total: - 19 aplicações qualificadas, - 33 servidores administradosAbstract 2 Underwater wireless sensor networks (UWSNs) are becoming popular due to their important role in different applications, such as offshore search and underwater monitoring. However, the data transmission in this underwater environment is impacted by various aspects such as bandwidth usage limitation, surrounding noise and large acoustic propagation delays. Therefore, communication itself is an outstanding challenge. The well-known traditional transmission control protocol (TCP), one of the most used transport protocol on the internet, is not suitable to enable this technology. Even though TCP variants for the wireless network are not foolproof in an underwater environment, their use could probably be more difficult in such a multi-hop communication system. We have chosen Newreno for our study. This variant is a modern implementation that includes the four congestion control algorithms. These algorithms have proved to be effective when it comes to terrestrial networks which could be a basis for our study. In addition, Newreno is known for its algorithm of recovery of several segments lost within the same sending window. In this dissertation, we have conducted a general study of UWSN technology and examined methods to improve TCP performance in a multi-hop UWSN. And then, we propose Underwater-Newreno (U-Newreno) our enhanced version of Newreno to improve TCP performance in UWSN. U-Newreno consists of two major modifications: controlling the maximum size of the congestion window and the adaptation of the round trip time (RTT) timeout. The results of simulations carried out with the Aquasim simulator show improvements of performances in terms of gain of: packets delivery Retransmission ratio of packets delivery.Resumo 2 As redes de sensores sem fio subaquáticos (Underwater Wireless Sensor Networks- UWSN) estão-se a tornar cada vez mais populares devido à sua importância em diferentes aplicações, como a pesquisa offshore e monitoramento subaquático. No entanto, a transmissão de dados neste ambiente subaquático sofre devido a vários factores, como a limitação do uso da largura de banda, o ruído envolvente e grandes atrasos de propagação acústica. Portanto, a comunicação é um desafio problemático. O familiar transmission control protocol (TCP) tradicional, um dos protocolos de transporte mais utilizados na internet, não é adequado para habilitar esta tecnologia. Mesmo que as variantes TCP para a rede sem fio não sejam infalíveis num ambiente subaquático, o seu uso provavelmente pode ser mais difícil num sistema de comunicação de múltiplos saltos. Nós escolhemos o Newreno para o nosso estudo. Esta variante é uma implementação moderna que inclui os quatro algoritmos de controle de congestionamento. Estes algoritmos demonstraram a sua eficácia em redes terrestres que poderiam ser uma base para o nosso estudo. Além disso, Newreno é conhecido pelo seu algoritmo de recuperação de vários segmentos perdidos dentro da mesma janela de envio. Nesta dissertação, realizamos um estudo geral da tecnologia UWSN e examinamos métodos para melhorar o desempenho do TCP num UWSN de vários saltos. E então, propomos a U-Newreno (Underwater-Newreno), a nossa versão melhorada do Newreno para melhorar o desempenho do TCP no UWSN. O U-Newreno consiste em duas modificações principais: controlar o tamanho máximo da janela de congestionamento e a adaptação do tempo limite “Round Trip Time”(RTT). Os resultados das simulações realizadas com o simulador Aquasim mostram melhorias nos desempenhos em termos de ganho de: • entrega de pacotes • Taxa de retransmissão da entrega de pacotes

Etude de l’Efficacité d’Une Cire à Base d’Huiles Végétales Sur la Conservation Post-Récolte de l’Ananas en Côte d’Ivoire

Les  fruits  et les légumes  tropicaux présentent  la  particularité  d'être sensibles  au  froid.  Ainsi,  les  basses températures  ne  peuvent  pas  être utilisées  pour  allonger  leur  durée  de vie verte. Pour juguler ces effets, l’utilisation de produit d’enrobage est une pratique courante tout en respectant les exigences environnementales et humaines. C’est dans ce contexte d’amélioration de la qualité des fruits à l’export et d’assurer la sécurité des consommateurs, que cette expérimentation a été initiée. L’objectif de l’étude était d’évaluer l’efficacité de plusieurs doses, d’une cire à base d’huiles végétales : Colza + olive 100 g/l (AgroSfruits TM 100 EO) en comparaison à un produit de référence DECCO LUSTR 444 (Acide oléique < 5 % + Propylène Glycol < 50 % + Sorbitan monostéarate éthoxylé 10-40 %) pour une meilleure conservation post-récolte des ananas lors de l’exportation. Cinq (5) traitements (T0, T1, T2, T3, T4) ont été évalués au cours de cette expérience. Chaque traitement a reçu 35 ml de Scholar et une quantité de 100 à 200 g d’acide citrique avec un pH ajusté à 5. Aux traitements T1, T2 et T3, il a été ajouté respectivement 67,17 ; 64,37 et 61,57 l d’eau et une quantité respective de 2,8 ; 5,6 et 8,4 l de AgroSfruits TM. Au T4, il a été ajouté 64,37 l d’eau et 5,6 l DECCO LUSTR 444. Les pourcentages de dilution des traitements T1, T2, T3 et T4 sont 4 %, 8 %, 12 % et 8 % respectivement. Les résultats obtenus  montrent que la perte de masse chez les fruits traités au T2 a été moindre,  soit 347 g. Les fruits de coloration M2, après 14 jours de stockage au froid pour le T1, ont présenté la meilleure fermeté, soit 5,5 g/cm2. Les traitements T0, T1, T2, et T3 ont eu des niveaux d’acidité titrable élevé et statistiquement identique avec respectivement 17,52 ; 18 ; 17,61 et 16,83 meq/100 ml de jus d’ananas.   Tropical fruits and vegetables have the particularity of being sensitive to cold.  Thus, low temperatures cannot be used to extend their green life. To curb these effects, the use of coating product is a common practice while respecting the environmental and human requirements. It is in this context of improving the quality of fruit for export and ensuring consumer safety that this experiment was initiated. The objective of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of several doses of a wax based on vegetable oils: Rapeseed + olive 100 g / l (AgroSfruits TM 100 EO) compared to a reference product DECCO LUSTR 444 (Oleic acid < 5% + Propylene Glycol < 50% + Ethoxylated Sorbitan monostearate 10-40%) for a better post-harvest preservation of pineapples during export. Five (5) treatments (T0, T1, T2, T3, T4) were evaluated in this experiment. Each treatment received 35 ml of Scholar and 100 to 200 g of citric acid with pH adjusted to 5. In treatments T1, T2 and T3, 67.17; 64.37 and 61.57 l of water and 2.8; 5.6 and 8.4 l of AgroSfruits TM were added, respectively. In T4, 64.37 l of water and 5.6 l of DECCO LUSTR 444 were added. The dilution percentages of treatments T1, T2, T3 and T4 are 4%, 8%, 12% and 8% respectively. The results obtained show that the loss of mass in the fruits treated in T2 was less, 347 g. Fruits with M2 coloration, after 14 days of cold storage for T1, showed the best firmness, 5.5 g/cm2. Treatments T0, T1, T2, and T3 had high and statistically identical titratable acidity levels with 17.52; 18; 17.61 and 16.83 meq/100 ml of pineapple juice, respectively

Etude de l’Efficacité d’Une Cire à Base d’Huiles Végétales Sur la Conservation Post-Récolte de l’Ananas en Côte d’Ivoire

Les  fruits  et les légumes  tropicaux présentent  la  particularité  d'être sensibles  au  froid.  Ainsi,  les  basses températures  ne  peuvent  pas  être utilisées  pour  allonger  leur  durée  de vie verte. Pour juguler ces effets, l’utilisation de produit d’enrobage est une pratique courante tout en respectant les exigences environnementales et humaines. C’est dans ce contexte d’amélioration de la qualité des fruits à l’export et d’assurer la sécurité des consommateurs, que cette expérimentation a été initiée. L’objectif de l’étude était d’évaluer l’efficacité de plusieurs doses, d’une cire à base d’huiles végétales : Colza + olive 100 g/l (AgroSfruits TM 100 EO) en comparaison à un produit de référence DECCO LUSTR 444 (Acide oléique < 5 % + Propylène Glycol < 50 % + Sorbitan monostéarate éthoxylé 10-40 %) pour une meilleure conservation post-récolte des ananas lors de l’exportation. Cinq (5) traitements (T0, T1, T2, T3, T4) ont été évalués au cours de cette expérience. Chaque traitement a reçu 35 ml de Scholar et une quantité de 100 à 200 g d’acide citrique avec un pH ajusté à 5. Aux traitements T1, T2 et T3, il a été ajouté respectivement 67,17 ; 64,37 et 61,57 l d’eau et une quantité respective de 2,8 ; 5,6 et 8,4 l de AgroSfruits TM. Au T4, il a été ajouté 64,37 l d’eau et 5,6 l DECCO LUSTR 444. Les pourcentages de dilution des traitements T1, T2, T3 et T4 sont 4 %, 8 %, 12 % et 8 % respectivement. Les résultats obtenus  montrent que la perte de masse chez les fruits traités au T2 a été moindre,  soit 347 g. Les fruits de coloration M2, après 14 jours de stockage au froid pour le T1, ont présenté la meilleure fermeté, soit 5,5 g/cm2. Les traitements T0, T1, T2, et T3 ont eu des niveaux d’acidité titrable élevé et statistiquement identique avec respectivement 17,52 ; 18 ; 17,61 et 16,83 meq/100 ml de jus d’ananas.   Tropical fruits and vegetables have the particularity of being sensitive to cold.  Thus, low temperatures cannot be used to extend their green life. To curb these effects, the use of coating product is a common practice while respecting the environmental and human requirements. It is in this context of improving the quality of fruit for export and ensuring consumer safety that this experiment was initiated. The objective of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of several doses of a wax based on vegetable oils: Rapeseed + olive 100 g / l (AgroSfruits TM 100 EO) compared to a reference product DECCO LUSTR 444 (Oleic acid < 5% + Propylene Glycol < 50% + Ethoxylated Sorbitan monostearate 10-40%) for a better post-harvest preservation of pineapples during export. Five (5) treatments (T0, T1, T2, T3, T4) were evaluated in this experiment. Each treatment received 35 ml of Scholar and 100 to 200 g of citric acid with pH adjusted to 5. In treatments T1, T2 and T3, 67.17; 64.37 and 61.57 l of water and 2.8; 5.6 and 8.4 l of AgroSfruits TM were added, respectively. In T4, 64.37 l of water and 5.6 l of DECCO LUSTR 444 were added. The dilution percentages of treatments T1, T2, T3 and T4 are 4%, 8%, 12% and 8% respectively. The results obtained show that the loss of mass in the fruits treated in T2 was less, 347 g. Fruits with M2 coloration, after 14 days of cold storage for T1, showed the best firmness, 5.5 g/cm2. Treatments T0, T1, T2, and T3 had high and statistically identical titratable acidity levels with 17.52; 18; 17.61 and 16.83 meq/100 ml of pineapple juice, respectively

Socializing One Health: an innovative strategy to investigate social and behavioral risks of emerging viral threats

In an effort to strengthen global capacity to prevent, detect, and control infectious diseases in animals and people, the United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Emerging Pandemic Threats (EPT) PREDICT project funded development of regional, national, and local One Health capacities for early disease detection, rapid response, disease control, and risk reduction. From the outset, the EPT approach was inclusive of social science research methods designed to understand the contexts and behaviors of communities living and working at human-animal-environment interfaces considered high-risk for virus emergence. Using qualitative and quantitative approaches, PREDICT behavioral research aimed to identify and assess a range of socio-cultural behaviors that could be influential in zoonotic disease emergence, amplification, and transmission. This broad approach to behavioral risk characterization enabled us to identify and characterize human activities that could be linked to the transmission dynamics of new and emerging viruses. This paper provides a discussion of implementation of a social science approach within a zoonotic surveillance framework. We conducted in-depth ethnographic interviews and focus groups to better understand the individual- and community-level knowledge, attitudes, and practices that potentially put participants at risk for zoonotic disease transmission from the animals they live and work with, across 6 interface domains. When we asked highly-exposed individuals (ie. bushmeat hunters, wildlife or guano farmers) about the risk they perceived in their occupational activities, most did not perceive it to be risky, whether because it was normalized by years (or generations) of doing such an activity, or due to lack of information about potential risks. Integrating the social sciences allows investigations of the specific human activities that are hypothesized to drive disease emergence, amplification, and transmission, in order to better substantiate behavioral disease drivers, along with the social dimensions of infection and transmission dynamics. Understanding these dynamics is critical to achieving health security--the protection from threats to health-- which requires investments in both collective and individual health security. Involving behavioral sciences into zoonotic disease surveillance allowed us to push toward fuller community integration and engagement and toward dialogue and implementation of recommendations for disease prevention and improved health security

Urban expansion of Korhogo City (Côte d’Ivoire) using gis and nocturnal remote sensing

Abstract Temporal data series of stable Artificial Lights At Night (ALAN) obtained from sources such as DMSP/OLS and VIIRS/DNB provide valuable insights into the dynamics of urban expansion. This study introduces a novel methodology for characterizing urban boundaries, which combines textural analysis utilizing the Co-occurrence matrix and urban surface delineation employing the Wombling contour detection algorithm. Applying this method to the city of Korhogo in northern Côte d'Ivoire, the findings reveal an irregular and gradual evolution of urban surfaces between 1992 and 2012, with a rate of change of 35 km2. However, starting from 2012, a rapid urbanization process is observed, continuing until 2020, characterized by an evolution rate of approximately 45 km2. Considering the significant urban expansion witnessed in the city of Korhogo, it is imperative to implement appropriate urban management strategies and measures for ecosystem protection