Design and Development of an Open-Source and Affordable LoT System for Developing and Least Developed Countries

Safety And Reliability ◽

Abstract The Internet of Things (IoT) has improved the quality of our lives through various interconnected gadgets and devices. Despite having great potential, IoT systemsstill have not made it into the mainstream industries orresidential complexes due to the high cost associated with commercial IoT solutions particularly in developing or least developed countries. In-expensive and open-source IoT-based systems could be employed in these fields to improve overall safety and drastically reduce accidents. In this paper, a model IoT system has been presented that could be used in any commercial apartmentor building complex or retrofitted to existing industry and can augment safety and reliability along with improving the quality of life. For this purpose, Atmega1284P and ESP32 microcontroller-based IoT device was developed and implemented.For IoT integration and cloud operation, the Google Firebase IoT platform was chosen. To monitor the system using both Bluetooth (low energy, BLE) and Wi-Fi, an Android application was created usingMIT App Inventor 2.This device is capable of receiving and handling multiple analog or digital sensors andwill send an automated email whenever a threshold value for the sensor is exceeded which could be easily changed via the application. Furthermore, the delay and system response of this device were experimentally determined. This type of system could be easily scaled for various applications which are also discussed in this paper. It also offers better flexibility and cost-effective solution to commercially available alternatives.

Cyberspace at the Grassroots: E-Governance and Citizen/Stakeholder Perceptions at the Local Level in Bangladesh

Journal of Development Policy and Practice ◽

10.1177/24551333211034082 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 245513332110340

Author(s):

Habib Zafarullah ◽

Jannatul Ferdous

Keyword(s):

Service Delivery ◽

Service Providers ◽

Social Issues ◽

Local Level ◽

Cost Effective ◽

Developed Countries ◽

Information And Communications Technology ◽

Governance System ◽

Citizen Perceptions

Bangladesh has experimented with e-governance since the early 2000s and currently ranks among the top 10 least developed countries. The deployment of e-governance at the local level has provided benefits to the rural people, with local councils increasingly using information and communications technology (ICT) to expand community-based delivery systems and augment rural service delivery. One-stop cyber centres provide a range of services that are user-friendly, cost-effective and less time-consuming. This study focuses on five sub-districts to inquire about the range of services provided by the e-service centres there. It has recorded citizen perceptions and the level of their satisfaction and the observations of service providers about the e-service mechanism. It also identifies key challenges in service delivery. Citizen satisfaction was measured using 12 indicators, while the service provider observations focused on social issues, governance, resource and technical issues. The study found several issues requiring attention to consolidate the e-governance system in the country.

Fine Particulate Air Pollution, Public Service, and Under-Five Mortality: A Cross-Country Empirical Study

Healthcare ◽

10.3390/healthcare8030271 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 8 (3) ◽

pp. 271

Author(s):

Siming Liu ◽

Qing Wei ◽

Pierre Failler ◽

Hong Lan

Keyword(s):

Air Pollution ◽

Public Education ◽

Public Service ◽

Threshold Model ◽

Threshold Value ◽

Developed Countries ◽

Concentration Data ◽

Under Five ◽

Fine Particulate

The impacts of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) air pollution on health outcomes, especially those of children, have attracted worldwide attention. Based on the PM2.5 concentration data of 94 countries, including the least developed countries estimated by satellite observations in nearly 20 years, this paper investigated the impacts of PM2.5 pollution on under-five mortality rate (U5MR) and analyzed the role of public service in moderating the PM2.5-mortality relationship. Results indicated that PM2.5 pollution had significantly positive influence on U5MR globally. However, the effects of fine particulate pollution on child mortality were heterogeneous in terms of their significance and degrees in countries with different levels of development. A further test based on panel threshold model revealed that public service, measured by public education spending and sanitation service, played a positive moderating role in the PM2.5-mortality relationship. Specifically, when the ratio of public education expenditure in GDP of a country exceeded the first threshold value 3.39% and the second threshold value 5.47%, the magnitude of the impacts of PM2.5 pollution on U5MR significantly decreased accordingly. When the percentage of population with access to improved sanitation facilities in a country was over 41.3%, the health damaging effects were reduced by more than half. This paper fills the current gap of PM2.5 research in least developed countries and provides key policy recommendations.

Water Pollution in a Densely Populated Megapolis, Dhaka

Water ◽

10.3390/w12082124 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (8) ◽

pp. 2124

Author(s):

Toriqul Bashar ◽

Ivan W.H. Fung

Keyword(s):

Academic Research ◽

Secondary Data ◽

Developed Countries ◽

Policy Changes ◽

Industrial Growth ◽

Rapid Urbanization ◽

Policy Makers ◽

Pollution Levels

Rapid urbanization has been a boon for industrial growth in Bangladesh, leading the Dhaka megapolis to become one of the least livable places in the world. These circumstances, however, have received little attention by policy makers and in academic research. Using mainly secondary data, this article explores the water quality of the river Buriganga that flows across Dhaka and identifies major sources of pollutants. While much of the article analyzes the sources and extent of pollution, it also points toward a great threat to public health from the presence of high levels of heavy metals, such as chromium, lead, and iron, as well as chemicals, including ammonia and phosphate. Moreover, the article recommends some policy changes that could potentially reduce pollution levels and boost water sustainability not only in Dhaka but also in other fast-growing cities in the least developed countries (LDCs).

Computer-based Training and Electronic Publishing in the Health Sector: Tools and Trends

Methods of Information in Medicine ◽

10.1055/s-0038-1634692 ◽

1997 ◽

Vol 36 (02) ◽

pp. 149-153 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

U. Schrader ◽

R. Klar ◽

S. Schulz

Keyword(s):

Electronic Publishing ◽

Health Sector ◽

Cost Effective ◽

Developed Countries ◽

Visual Media ◽

Quality Of Education ◽

Minor Role ◽

Computer Based Training ◽

Computer Based

Abstract:CBT (computer-based training) applications and hypermedia publications are two different approaches to the utilisation of computers in medical education.Medical CBT software continues to playa minor role in spite of the increasing availability, whereas hypermedia have become very popular through the World Wide Web (WWW). Based on the HTML format they can be designed by non-programmers using inexpensive tools while the production of CBT applications requires programming expertise. HTML documents can be easily developed to be distributed by a web-server or to run as local applications.In developed countries CBT and hypermedia have to compete with an abundance of printed or audio-visual media and a wealth of lectures, conferences, etc., whereas in developing countries these media are scarce and expensive. Here CBT programs, and hypermedia publications in particular, may be a cost-effective way to improve quality of education in the health sector.

ISPRS - International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences ◽

MONITORING SDG 9 WITH GLOBAL OPEN DATA AND OPEN SOFTWARE – A CASE STUDY FROM RURAL TANZANIA

10.5194/isprs-archives-xlii-2-w13-1551-2019 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol XLII-2/W13 ◽

pp. 1551-1558 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

C. M. Ilie ◽

M. A. Brovelli ◽

S. Coetzee

Keyword(s):

Developing Countries ◽

Open Source ◽

Open Source Software ◽

Open Data ◽

Cost Effective ◽

Developed Countries ◽

Geospatial Information ◽

Training Material ◽

Educational Challenges ◽

The World

Abstract. The 17 goals adopted by the United Nations (UN) are aimed at achieving a better and more sustainable future for all. For each goal, a set of indicators has been defined. The indicators measure progress towards achieving the respective SDG. For the majority of these indicators, geospatial information is needed to evaluate the current state of the indicator. While geospatial information is largely available in developed countries, this is not the case in many developing countries of the world. Furthermore, skills and capacity for calculating indicator values are also limited in many developing countries. To address these shortcomings, the third challenge of the 2018 UN OSGeo Committee Educational Challenges called for the development of training material for using open source software together with freely available high resolution global geospatial datasets in support of monitoring SDG progress. The resulting training material provides a step-by-step guide for calculating the state of SDG indicator 9.1.1, Proportion of the rural population who live within 2km of an all-season road, using open software and open data with global coverage. Through the development of this training material, we showed that anyone can monitor progress towards achieving SDG indicator 9.1.1 for their specific part of the world. Because open source software and open data were used, the indicator calculation is cost effective and completely sustainable.

Effects of Lighting Quality on Working Efficiency of Workers in Office Building in Tanzania

Journal of Environmental and Public Health ◽

10.1155/2019/3476490 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 2019 ◽

pp. 1-12

Author(s):

Justine Mushobozi Katabaro ◽

Yonghong Yan

Keyword(s):

Work Environment ◽

Work Performance ◽

Developed Countries ◽

Working Environment ◽

Indoor Environmental Quality ◽

Work Efficiency ◽

Survey Tool ◽

Working Efficiency

Background. In this era of Information Communication Technology, a high-quality working environment is essential to the occupants. Providing quantity rather the quality of work environments is very common in most of the least developed countries, including Tanzania. Existing research asserts that poor indoor environmental quality such as lighting has a detrimental effect on human health, and in case of the office working population, it also affects their work performance. This study aims to analyze the effects of the lighting quality on working efficiency of workers in Tanzania. Methods. Four representative offices from the administration building at Mbeya University of Science and Technology were investigated from June to September 2018. The customized questionnaire survey tool was administered to the randomly selected occupants to survey their perceptions about the quality of lighting in their workplace and its influence on their health and work efficiency. Physical observation and illuminance distribution measurements were also conducted. Results. The statistical analysis indicates that the majority of the occupants are less satisfied with the lighting quality in their working environment, and some respondents reported that it significantly affected their work efficiency and wellbeing. The average desk illuminance and uniformity level were found to be below the recommended values of the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) and the International Commission on lighting (CIE). Conclusion. Despite the suggested improvement measures, this research emphasizes that poorly articulated work environment can adversely affect the productivity and work efficiency of the workers. The workers in such condition are also exposed to occupational diseases. Thus, providing a healthy work environment should be a fundamental right of the workers.

Water Quality Monitoring System Implemented With IoT

International Journal of Emerging Trends in Engineering Research ◽

10.30534/ijeter/2021/29972021 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (7) ◽

pp. 1020-1024

Keyword(s):

Water Quality ◽

Monitoring System ◽

Cost Effective ◽

Water Quality Monitoring ◽

Quality Monitoring ◽

Water Demands ◽

Quality Of Water ◽

Quality Water ◽

Monitoring the quality of water and its proper management is crucial for any industrial and economic application. The global shortage of water demands a sustainable solution to optimize its usage. The Internet of Things provides a robust and cost-effective solution for real-time monitoring of various parameters of water. The paper aims to implementan intelligent water quality monitoring system with the aid of IoT. The proposed system was successfully implemented to determine the turbidity, TDS, flow rate and the level of water for a given sample. The data obtained from the sensors are uploaded to the ThingSpeak dashboard for online monitoring purpose. Besides, an SMS alert is sent to the user whenever the turbidity and TDS values have crossed the threshold limit defined for good quality water.

Internet of Things: Challenges, Issues and Applications

Journal of Circuits System and Computers ◽

10.1142/s0218126618300076 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 27 (12) ◽

pp. 1830007 ◽

Cited By ~ 18

Author(s):

S. P. Raja ◽

T. Dhiliphan Rajkumar ◽

Vivek Pandiya Raj

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Internet Of Things ◽

Radio Frequency ◽

Open Source ◽

Radio Frequency Identification ◽

The Internet ◽

Iot Applications ◽

Frequency Identification ◽

Internet of Things (IoT) can be defined as a thing or device, physical and virtual, connected and communicating together, and integrated to a network for a specific purpose. The IoT uses technologies and devices such as sensors, radio-frequency identification (RFID) and actuators to collect data. IoT is not only about collecting data generated from sensors, but also about analyzing it. IoT applications must, of necessity, keep out all attackers and intruders so as to thwart attacks. IoT must allow for information to be shared, with every assurance of confidentiality, and is about a connected environment where people and things interact to enhance the quality of life. IoT infrastructure must be an open source, without ownership, meaning that anyone can develop, deploy and use it. The objective of this paper is to discuss the various challenges, issues and applications confronting the Internet of Things.

Reduction of Economic Burden on State Exchequer by Using Various International Legal Flexibilities under TRIPS Agreement 1994 of WTO

Review of Economics and Development Studies ◽

10.26710/reads.v4i1.281 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 4 (1) ◽

pp. 61-70

Author(s):

Muhammad Danyal Khan ◽

Rao Imran Habib ◽

Muhammad Asif Safdar

Keyword(s):

Research And Development ◽

Economic Burden ◽

Patent Protection ◽

Public Spending ◽

Cost Effective ◽

Developed Countries ◽

Trips Agreement ◽

Pharmaceutical Patent ◽

Indigenous Production

Revised format: May 2018 AvailableOnline: June 2018 During budget year 2016-17, public spending on procurement of medicines in Pakistan surged 29% touching an exorbitant figure of PKR 7.5 billion (Health Budget, 2016-17)Volume of provincial expenditure on medicine almost doubled rising to PKR 1.02 billion from 0.67 billion in last budget year 2015-16. Growing sum of public spending on medicine procurement has many factors such as poverty, money devaluation, indigenous production incapacity, and less developed standards of research and development. Apart from all enumerated above, global pharmaceutical patent protection regime under TRIPS Agreement, initiated by WTO, plays a pivotal role increasing public spending on procurement of medicines in developed and least developed countries. This work presents ways for reducing economic burden on state exchequer by exploiting maximum possible flexibilities under WTO regime to procure cost effective medicines. The work will be done in three parts; explaining Pakistan role and status in global pharmaceutical patent protection regime, existing challenges, and potentials for the country to save public spending on health using international legal agreements under WTO

Quasi-Mapping and Satisfying IoT Availability with a Penalty-Based Algorithm

Mathematics ◽

10.3390/math9243286 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (24) ◽

pp. 3286

Author(s):

Amir Masoud Rahmani ◽

Rizwan Ali Ali Naqvi ◽

Saqib Ali ◽

Seyedeh Yasaman Hosseini Hosseini Mirmahaleh ◽

Mehdi Hosseinzadeh

Keyword(s):

Neural Networks ◽

Decision Making ◽

Quality Of Service ◽

Threshold Value ◽

Mapping Method ◽

Intelligent Algorithm ◽

Initial Information ◽

The Cost ◽

The Internet of things and medical things (IoT) and (IoMT) technologies have been deployed to simplify humanity’s life, which the complexity of communications between their layers was increased by rising joining the applications to IoT and IoMT-based infrastructures. The issue is challenging for decision-making and the quality of service where some researchers addressed the reward-based methods to tackle the problems by employing reinforcement learning (RL) algorithms and deep neural networks (DNNs). Nevertheless, satisfying its availability remains a challenge for the quality of service due to the lack of imposing a penalty to the defective devices after detecting faults. This paper proposes a quasi-mapping method to transfer the roles of sensors and services onto a neural network’s nodes to satisfy IoT-based applications’ availability using a penalty-backwarding approach into the NN’s weights and prunes weak neurons and synaptic weights (SWs). We reward the sensors and fog services, and the connection weights between them when are covered the defective nodes’ output. Additionally, this work provides a decision-making approach to dedicate the suitable service to the requester using employing a threshold value in the NN’s output layer according to the application. By providing an intelligent algorithm, the study decides to provide a service based on its availability and updating initial information, including faulty devices and new joined components. The observations and results prove decision-making accuracy for different IoT-based applications by approximately 95.8–97% without imposing the cost. The study reduces energy consumption and delay by approximately 64.71% and 47.4% compared without using neural networks besides creating service availability. This idea affects deploying IoT infrastructures to decision-making about providing appropriate services in critical situations because of removing defective devices and joining new components by imposing penalties and rewards by the designer, respectively.