Assessing the users’ need for a spatial decision support system of smallholder farming in Kenya

Accurate data of the natural conditions and agricultural systems with a good spatial resolution are a key factor to tackle food insecurity in developing countries. A broad variety of approaches exists to achieve precise data and information about agriculture. One system, especially developed for smallholder agriculture in East Africa, is the Farm Management Handbook of Kenya. It was first published in 1982/83 and fully revised in 2012, now containing 7 volumes. The handbooks contain detailed information on climate, soils, suitable crops and soil care based on scientific research results of the last 30 years. The density of facts leads to time consuming extraction of all necessary information. In this study we analyse the user needs and necessary components of a system for decision support for smallholder farming in Kenya based on a geographical information system (GIS). Required data sources were identified, as well as essential functions of the system. We analysed the results of our survey conducted in 2012 and early 2013 among agricultural officers. The monitoring of user needs and the problem of non-adaptability of an agricultural information system on the level of extension officers in Kenya are the central objectives. The outcomes of the survey suggest the establishment of a decision support tool based on already available open source GIS components. The system should include functionalities to show general information for a specific location and should provide precise recommendations about suitable crops and management options to support agricultural guidance on farm level.

Hybrid optimization schemes for quantum control

Optimal control theory is a powerful tool for solving control problems in quantum mechanics, ranging from the control of chemical reactions to the implementation of gates in a quantum computer. Gradient-based optimization methods are able to find high fidelity controls, but require considerable numerical effort and often yield highly complex solutions. We propose here to employ a two-stage optimization scheme to significantly speed up convergence and achieve simpler controls. The control is initially parametrized using only a few free parameters, such that optimization in this pruned search space can be performed with a simplex method. The result, considered now simply as an arbitrary function on a time grid, is the starting point for further optimization with a gradient-based method that can quickly converge to high fidelities. We illustrate the success of this hybrid technique by optimizing a geometric phase gate for two superconducting transmon qubits coupled with a shared transmission line resonator, showing that a combination of Nelder-Mead simplex and Krotov’s method yields considerably better results than either one of the two methods alone.

Room-temperature continuous-wave operation of GaInNAs/GaAs quantum dot laser with GaAsN barrier grown by solid source molecular beam epitaxy

We present the results of GaInNAs/GaAs quantum dot structures with GaAsN barrier layers grown by solid source molecular beam epitaxy. Extension of the emission wavelength of GaInNAs quantum dots by ~170nm was observed in samples with GaAsN barriers in place of GaAs. However, optimization of the GaAsN barrier layer thickness is necessary to avoid degradation in luminescence intensity and structural property of the GaInNAs dots. Lasers with GaInNAs quantum dots as active layer were fabricated and room-temperature continuous-wave lasing was observed for the first time. Lasing occurs via the ground state at ~1.2μm, with threshold current density of 2.1kA/cm[superscript 2] and maximum output power of 16mW. These results are significantly better than previously reported values for this quantum-dot system.

Sistema multimodal para la planificación de viajes en transportes públicos de código abierto y basado en estándares 'de facto' = A multimodal journey planner based on open source software and 'de facto' standards

Este artículo muestra cómo con bajo coste y riesgo se puede desarrollar un sistema de planificación de viaje multimodal, basado en un enfoque de código abierto y estándares ‘de facto’. Se ha desarrollado completamente una solución de código abierto para un sistema de información de transporte público puerta a puerta basado en estándares ‘de facto’. El cálculo de rutas se realiza mediante Graphserver, mientras que la cartografía se basa en OpenStreetMap. También se ha demostrado cómo exportar una base de datos real de horarios de transporte público como la del operador ETM (Empresa de Transporte Metropolitano de València) a la especificación de Google Transit, para permitir el cálculo de rutas, tanto desde nuestro prototipo como desde Google Transit

Experimental Modeling and Control Strategies on an Open Mobile Robot Platform PRIM

This research work deals with the problem of modeling and design of low level speed controller for the mobile robot PRIM. The main objective is to develop an effective educational tool. On one hand, the interests in using the open mobile platform PRIM consist in integrating several highly related subjects to the automatic control theory in an educational context, by embracing the subjects of communications, signal processing, sensor fusion and hardware design, amongst others. On the other hand, the idea is to implement useful navigation strategies such that the robot can be served as a mobile multimedia information point. It is in this context, when navigation strategies are oriented to goal achievement, that a local model predictive control is attained. Hence, such studies are presented as a very interesting control strategy in order to develop the future capabilities of the system

PRIM an Open Mobile Robot Platform. Motivation, Present and Future Trends

This paper is focused on the robot mobile platform PRIM (platform robot information multimedia). This robot has been made in order to cover two main needs of our group, on one hand the need for a full open mobile robotic platform that is very useful in fulfilling the teaching and research activity of our school community, and on the other hand with the idea of introducing an ethical product which would be useful as mobile multimedia information point as a service tool. This paper introduces exactly how the system is made up and explains just what the philosophy is behind this work. The navigation strategies and sensor fusion, where machine vision system is the most important one, are oriented towards goal achievement and are the key to the behaviour of the robot

A Negotiation Style Recommender Based on Computational Ecology in Open Negotiation Environments

The system described herein represents the first example of a recommender system in digital ecosystems where agents negotiate services on behalf of small companies. The small companies compete not only with price or quality, but with a wider service-by-service composition by subcontracting with other companies. The final result of these offerings depends on negotiations at the scale of millions of small companies. This scale requires new platforms for supporting digital business ecosystems, as well as related services like open-id, trust management, monitors and recommenders. This is done in the Open Negotiation Environment (ONE), which is an open-source platform that allows agents, on behalf of small companies, to negotiate and use the ecosystem services, and enables the development of new agent technologies. The methods and tools of cyber engineering are necessary to build up Open Negotiation Environments that are stable, a basic condition for predictable business and reliable business environments. Aiming to build stable digital business ecosystems by means of improved collective intelligence, we introduce a model of negotiation style dynamics from the point of view of computational ecology. This model inspires an ecosystem monitor as well as a novel negotiation style recommender. The ecosystem monitor provides hints to the negotiation style recommender to achieve greater stability of an open negotiation environment in a digital business ecosystem. The greater stability provides the small companies with higher predictability, and therefore better business results. The negotiation style recommender is implemented with a simulated annealing algorithm at a constant temperature, and its impact is shown by applying it to a real case of an open negotiation environment populated by Italian companies

Java Applets for teaching quantum mechanics: Particle in a box

These Java Applets help to illustrate some of the difficult to grasp concepts of quantum mechanics. To run this Applet, use the 'Download as zip files' option. Make sure you extract the files first, then double click on the .html file to run the Applet. These are released as open access resources for the purpose of testing, and are to be deployed at the users own risk. Please report any errors you find.

Java Applets for teaching quantum mechanics: Particle in a 2D box

These Java Applets help to illustrate some of the difficult to grasp concepts of quantum mechanics. To run this Applet, use the 'Download as zip files' option. Make sure you extract the files first, then double click on the .html file to run the Applet. These are released as open access resources for the purpose of testing, and are to be deployed at the users own risk.

Java Applets for teaching quantum mechanics: Particle in a well

These Java Applets help to illustrate some of the difficult to grasp concepts of quantum mechanics. To run this Applet, use the 'Download as zip files' option. Make sure you extract the files first, then double click on the .html file to run the Applet. These are released as open access resources for the purpose of testing, and are to be deployed at the users own risk.

Análisis de adopción, actividad y participación en aplicaciones SIG Libres: un estudio sobre GRASS, Quantum GIS y gvSIG basado en indicadores

A través del análisis de información pública del proyecto se han elaborado una serie de indicadores que permiten comparar el grado de adopción, actividad y participación en proyectos de software libre. Estos indicadores han sido desarrollados en base a información obtenida desde herramientas habituales en los proyectos (listas de correo, repositorios de código, etc) y que nos permiten reconstruir los patrones de comportamiento en los mismos

Comparison of methane produced by straw fed sheep in open-circuit respiration with methane predicted by fermentation characteristics measured by an in vitro gas procedure

Reducing carbon conversion of ruminally degraded feed into methane increases feed efficiency and reduces emission of this potent greenhouse gas into the environment. Accurate, yet simple, predictions of methane production of ruminants on any feeding regime are important in the nutrition of ruminants, and in modeling methane produced by them. The current work investigated feed intake, digestibility and methane production by open-circuit respiration measurements in sheep fed 15 untreated, sodium hydroxide (NaOH) treated and anhydrous ammonia (NH3) treated wheat, barley and oat straws. In vitro fermentation characteristics of straws were obtained from incubations using the Hohenheim gas production system that measured gas production, true substrate degradability, short-chain fatty acid production and efficiency of microbial production from the ratio of truly degraded substrate to gas volume. In the 15 straws, organic matter (OM) intake and in vivo OM digestibility ranged from 563 to 1201 g and from 0.464 to 0.643, respectively. Total daily methane production ranged from 13.0 to 34.4 l, whereas methane produced/kg OM matter apparently digested in vivo varied from 35.0 to 61.8 l. The OM intake was positively related to total methane production (R2 = 0.81, P<0.0001), and in vivo OM digestibility was also positively associated with methane production (R2 = 0.67, P<0.001), but negatively associated with methane production/kg digestible OM intake (R2 = 0.61, P<0.001). In the in vitro incubations of the 15 straws, the ratio of acetate to propionate ranged from 2.3 to 2.8 (P<0.05) and efficiencies of microbial production ranged from 0.21 to 0.37 (P<0.05) at half asymptotic gas production. Total daily methane production, calculated from in vitro fermentation characteristics (i.e., true degradability, SCFA ratio and efficiency of microbial production) and OM intake, compared well with methane measured in the open-circuit respiration chamber (y = 2.5 + 0.86x, R2 = 0.89, P<0.0001, Sy.x = 2.3). Methane production from forage fed ruminants can be predicted accurately by simple in vitro incubations combining true substrate degradability and gas volume measurements, if feed intake is known.

An assessment of the benefits and limitations of the shamba agroforestry system in Kenya and of management and policy requirements for its successful and sustainable reintroduction

The shamba system involves farmers tending tree saplings on state-owned forest land in return for being permitted to intercrop perennial food crops until canopy closure. At one time the system was used throughout all state-owned forest lands in Kenya, accounting for a large proportion of some 160,000 ha. The system should theoretically be mutually beneficial to both local people and the government. However the system has had a chequered past in Kenya due to widespread malpractice and associated environmental degradation. It was last banned in 2003 but in early 2008 field trials were initiated for its reintroduction. This study aimed to: assess the benefits and limitations of the shamba system in Kenya; assess the main influences on the extent to which the limitations and benefits are realised and; consider the management and policy requirements for the system's successful and sustainable operation. Information was obtained from 133 questionnaires using mainly open ended questions and six participatory workshops carried out in forest-adjacent communities on the western slopes of Mount Kenya in Nyeri district. In addition interviews were conducted with key informants from communities and organisations. There was strong desire amongst local people for the system's reintroduction given that it had provided significant food, income and employment. Local perceptions of the failings of the system included firstly mismanagement by government or forest authorities and secondly abuse of the system by shamba farmers and outsiders. Improvements local people considered necessary for the shamba system to work included more accountability and transparency in administration and better rules with respect to plot allocation and stewardship. Ninety-seven percent of respondents said they would like to be more involved in management of the forest and 80% that they were willing to pay for the use of a plot. The study concludes that the structural framework laid down by the 2005 Forests Act, which includes provision for the reimplementation of the shamba system under the new plantation establishment and livelihood improvement scheme (PELIS) [It should be noted that whilst the shamba system was re-branded in 2008 under the acronym PELIS, for the sake of simplicity the authors continue to refer to the 'shamba system' and 'shamba farmers' throughout this paper.], is weakened because insufficient power is likely to be devolved to local people, casting them merely as 'forest users' and the shamba system as a 'forest user right'. In so doing the system's potential to both facilitate and embody the participation of local people in forest management is limited and the long-term sustainability of the new system is questionable. Suggested instruments to address this include some degree of sharing of profits from forest timber, performance related guarantees for farmers to gain a new plot and use of joint committees consisting of local people and the forest authorities for long term management of forests.