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Examining The Role Of Agroecology In Food Security Prediction: Evidence From Burkina Faso Using Machine Learning Methods, Theodore Nikiema, Pamela Giselle Katic, Sylvain Kpenavoun Chogou, Eugene C. Ezin

All Rsif Scholars' Publications

Background

Food insecurity affects a large proportion of the world's population, with enormous disparities to the disadvantage of low-income countries, especially those in sub-Saharan Africa. In this context, public decision-makers, funders, and NGOs urgently need streamlined indicators on households in precarious situations to better orient their policies and aid. However, existing food security monitoring tools focus on isolated dimensions of the problem, and some remain static. We aim to fill these gaps by focusing on a composite metric of food security to explore associations and identify variables with predictive relevance for food security outcomes using machine learning techniques.

Methodology

This …

Economic Value Of Agro-Meteorological Services: A Review Of The International Literature, Joseph Manzvera, Kwabena Asomanin Anaman

All Rsif Scholars' Publications

Introduction:

The increasing frequency and intensity of climate-induced extreme weather events, such as droughts, have significantly reduced agricultural productivity worldwide. Enhancing access to agro-meteorological services can mitigate these impacts by improving farmers’ decision-making and adaptive capacity. However, their economic value remains poorly understood, especially in African countries where meteorological services are provided as public goods. Demonstrating their value is critical to stimulate investment and strengthen climate-resilient agriculture.

Methods:

This study reviews and synthesises empirical evidence on the economic value of agro-meteorological services through a systematic literature review and meta-analysis of international studies. Both peer-reviewed and grey literature were analysed to …

Comparative Analysis Of Structural, Physicochemical, And Electrochemical Properties Of Graphene Oxide Derived From Commercial Graphite And Rice Husk Biomass For Sensing Applications, Brice Alain Kabore, Walter K. Njoroge, Eric Masika, Matthias M. Minjauw, Jolien Dendooven, Christophe Detavernier, Mieke Adriaens

All Rsif Scholars' Publications

This study presents a sustainable route to synthesize graphene oxide (GO) from rice husk biochar (RHB) without hazardous HF/NaOH pretreatment, using a modified Hummers’ method. We showed that natural silicate minerals in RHB significantly alter the structure and properties of rice husk-derived GO (RHGO), reducing its electrochemical sensing performance compared to commercial graphite-derived GO (CGGO). Importantly, we demonstrated that a simple, eco-friendly process, decantation followed by electrodeposition, can reduce the adverse effects of silica in RHGO, boosting its sensing performance without needing traditional desilication methods. XPS analysis revealed that RHGO exhibited a higher silicon content of 28 % and oxygen …

Improving Accuracy Of Wind Speed Forecasted With Power Law And Multiple Layer Perceptron: A Case Study Of Aneho, A Coastal Area Of Togo, Maklewa Agoundedemba, Raphael Nyenge, Nicholas Musila, Kicoun Jean-Yves N’Zi Toure, Chang Ki Kim, Hyun-Goo Kim

All Rsif Scholars' Publications

Wind speed forecasting is critical for optimizing wind energy generation, especially in regions with complex and variable weather patterns. This study focuses on improving the accuracy of wind speed forecasting using Multiple Layer Perceptron (MLP) models, with specific application to Aneho, a coastal area in Togo. The Power Law (PL) extrapolation or interpolation method is commonly used to estimate wind speeds at different heights. However, PL tends to show significant performance variability, particularly in periods with complex wind conditions. This study aimed to assess the accuracy of the PL method and enhance it using MLP for bias correction. We used …

Forecasting Future Adoption Rates Of Agroecological Innovations Using Machine Learning: Perspectives From Burkina Faso’S 45 Provinces From 2010 To 2020, Theodore Nikiema, Pamela Giselle Katic, Issaka Abdou Razakou Kiribou, Sylvain Kpenavoun Chogou, Eugene C. Ezin

All Rsif Scholars' Publications

Implementation of agroecological innovations tends to be long-term processes, with the practices of one year often linked to those of previous years. However, previous studies have focused on understanding drivers of adoption at farm level, with adoption measured at a point in time. In this study, we use a decade of panel data from the Permanent Agricultural Survey in Burkina Faso from 2010 to 2020 and machine learning approaches, to model adoption rates of agroecological innovations at the provincial level as an autoregressive process. This modeling approach allows us to exploit the time series nature of our dataset to forecast …

Effect Of Diets Containing Soybean Or Seaweed (Kappaphycus Sp.) On Growth, Feed Utilization And Nutrient Digestibility In Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis Niloticus), Leonildo Dos Anjo Viagem, Jean Nepomuscene Hakizimana, Cyrus Rumisha, Gerald Misinzo, Brunno Da Silva Cerozi

All Rsif Scholars' Publications

Aquaculture is rapidly expanding, with Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) being a key freshwater species. Rising fishmeal (FM) costs and environmental concerns have increased interest in sustainable alternative protein sources. This study evaluated the effects of diets containing soybean (SB) or Kappaphycus sp. on the growth, feed efficiency and nutrient digestibility of Nile tilapia (O. niloticus). Four dietary treatments were tested over a 62-day feeding trial: FM diet, a diet containing SB, Kappaphycus sp. (seaweed [SW]) and a natural meal (NM) serving as a negative control. Diets were formulated to be isoproteic (360 g/kg) and isocaloric (3600 kcal/kg). Growth performance, feed …

Gut And Blood Diversity Microbiota Of Tilapia (Oreochromis Niloticus) Reared In Aquaponic Systems: A Scoping Review, Ang´Elica Adiaç˜Ao Jossefa, Leonildo Dos Anjo Viagem, Brunno Da Silva Cerozi Brunno Da Silva Cerozi, Sebastian Wilson Chenyambuga Sebastian Wilson Chenyambuga Chenyambuga

All Rsif Scholars' Publications

Tilapia is commonly integrated with vegetables in aquaponics systems, where complex microbial interactions may have important implications for food safety. This scoping review examines the current evidence on the microbiota diversity of tilapia reared in aquaponics systems, analyzes its potential influence on food safety, and highlight direction for future research. The review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Re- views and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines and included studies pub- lished between 2000 and 2025, retrieved from five scientific databases, including Google Scholar, Web of Science, Science Direct, PubMed, and Wiley Online Library. Only three studies met …

Detection Of Bacterial Internalization In Lettuce (Lactuca Sativa) Leaves Grown In Aquaponic Systems With Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis Niloticus) Under Microbial Challenge, Angélica Adiação Jossefa, Leonildo Dos Anjo Viagem, Karoline Moreira Barbuio, Brunno Da Silva Cerozi, Sebastian Wilson Chenyambuga

All Rsif Scholars' Publications

Aquaponic systems are increasingly recognized as sustainable technologies for integrated fish and vegetable production. However, concerns remain regarding the potential internalization of human pathogens into vegetables grown in these systems. This study assessed the risk of pathogen internalization in lettuce leaves grown in aquaponic systems with Nile tilapia challenged with Escherichia coli or Vibrio cholerae. The system comprised nine fish tanks, eighteen hydroponic pipes, and eighty-one lettuce plants, with tanks assigned to three treatments. Samples of water, fish gut, fish blood, and lettuce leaves were collected. Microbiological analyses included selective culture, biochemical assays, and molecular identification. Although colonies consistent with …

Agroclimatic Sensing, Communication, And Computational Systems-Based Methods And Technologies For Precision Irrigation Management: Current State And Prospects, Aminata Sarr, Abhilash K. Chandel, Lamine Diop Lamine Diop, Yrébégnan Moussa Soro, Alain K. Tossa, Smrutilipi Hota, Arunachalam Manimozhian

All Rsif Scholars' Publications

Agriculture uses most of the world’s fresh water. Given that the worldwide population is expanding at an alarming rate, more land cultivation is apparently in demand. As a result, much more water would be required to irrigate cultivable lands. However, fresh water is becoming scarce at a faster rate due to climate uncertainties and over-exploitation. Several controlled irrigation techniques, such as drip and sprinkler irrigation, have been introduced to safeguard water resources. However, these techniques do not readily meet crop water demands and often end up causing overapplication of water. Under these circumstances, smart precision irrigation is the best solution. …

Assessment Of The Life Cycle Of Photovoltaic Solar Technologies For Sustainable Energy Transitions: Implications For Climate Policy And Low-Carbon System Integration, Wakiang Emile Latchiba, Sebastian Waita, Julius M. Mwabora

All Rsif Scholars' Publications

The rapid expansion of photovoltaic (PV) deployment demands integrated environmental and economic evaluation of emerging technologies. This study compares crystalline silicon (c-Si), perovskite, and hybrid perovskitesilicon tandem PV systems using a cradle-to-grave Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) combined with Techno-economic Analysis (TEA) to measure environmental impacts, resource efficiency, and cost performance. Environmental indicators include life cycle greenhouse gas emissions, total energy demand, water use, and overall impact, while economic performance is assessed through levelized cost of electricity (LCOE). Sensitivity analysis explores the effects of energy payback time (EPBT), material efficiency, and perovskite stability. Results show manufacturing as the main hotspot, contributing …

Effects Of Biochar And Its Combination With Poultry Manure On Nitrogen Use Efficiency, Growth, And Yield Of Maize Under Different Nitrogen Fertilization Levels, Charles Lwanga Twagiramungu, Bobe Bedadi, Claver Ngaboyisonga, Concorde Nsengumuremyi, David Fangueiro

All Rsif Scholars' Publications

The effects of biochar, its combination with poultry manure with different nitrogen (N) levels on maize production on the Andosol and Nitisol was studied. Treatments were factorial combinations of three organic amendments (OA) (biochar - B, poultry manure - PM and B co-composted with PM - BPM) as main-plot factor and four N levels (0, 50, 75 and 100 kg N/ha) as sub-plot factor, laid out as split-plot design and replicated thrice at two sites: Kinigi with Andosol and Rwerere with Nitisol. At both sites, there was general increase in maize total N uptake, aboveground biomass (AGB) and grain yield …

Assessment Of The Life Cycle Of Photovoltaic Solar Technologies For Sustainable Energy Transitions: Implications For Climate Policy And Low-Carbon System Integration, Wakiang Emile Latchiba, Sebastian Waita, Robert Krueger, Julius M. Mwabora

All Rsif Scholars' Publications

The rapid expansion of photovoltaic (PV) deployment demands integrated environmental and economic evaluation of emerging technologies. This study compares crystalline silicon (c-Si), perovskite, and hybrid perovskite-silicon tandem PV systems using a cradle-to-grave Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) combined with Techno-economic Analysis (TEA) to measure environmental impacts, resource efficiency, and cost performance. Environmental indicators include life cycle greenhouse gas emissions, total energy demand, water use, and overall impact, while economic performance is assessed through levelized cost of electricity (LCOE). Sensitivity analysis explores the effects of energy payback time (EPBT), material efficiency, and perovskite stability. Results show manufacturing as the main hotspot, contributing …

Forecasting Future Adoption Rates Of Agroecological Innovations Using Machine Learning: Perspectives From Burkina Faso’S 45 Provinces From 2010 To 2020, Theodore Nikiema, Pamela Giselle Katic, Issaka Abdou Razakou Kiribou, Sylvain Kpenavoun Chogou, Eugene C. Ezin

All Rsif Scholars' Publications

Implementation of agroecological innovations tends to be long-term processes, withthe practices of one year often linked to those of previous years. However, previousstudies have focused on understanding drivers of adoption at farm level, with adoptionmeasured at a point in time. In this study, we use a decade of panel data from thePermanent Agricultural Survey in Burkina Faso from 2010 to 2020 and machine learningapproaches, to model adoption rates of agroecological innovations at the provinciallevel as an autoregressive process. This modeling approach allows us to exploit the timeseries nature of our dataset to forecast future adoption rates. Our results showcase thepotential …

Optimizing Machine Learning Algorithms Through Hyper-Parameter Tuning For Accurate Rice Yield Forecasting In North-East, Nigeria. International Journal Of Agricultural And Statistical Sciences, Ezra Daniel Dzarma, Guy Degla, Theophile Komlan Dagba, Nyor Ngutor

All Rsif Scholars' Publications

Accurate prediction of rice yield is crucial for strengthening food security and improving agricultural decisionmaking in North-East Nigeria, where production systems are constrained by fluctuating input use and environmental variability. This study applies four machine learning algorithms: Random Forest (RF), Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGB), Support Vector Regression (SVR), and K-Nearest Neighbours (KNN)to model rice yield using five primary farm inputs: Labour (B), Fertilizer (F), Herbicides (H), Seeds (S), and land (L)area. All models were optimized through hyper-parameter tuning to ensure reliable performance. The results show that SVM and XGB produced the strongest predictive accuracy, with RF achieving an RMSE of …

Effects Of Flooding-Induced Migration On The Food Security Status Of Farming Households In Rivers State, Nigeria, Jacinta Nmutaka Umechukwu, Daniel Bruce Sarpong, Ama Ahene-Codjoe, Taeyoon Kim

All Rsif Scholars' Publications

The agricultural landscape in Rivers State, Nigeria, is increasingly threatened by the dual challenges of escalating flooding events and return migration. Historically, flooding in the region has shifted from isolated incidents to a persistent and widespread hazard, significantly disrupting agricultural livelihoods and rural stability. This study assessed the effects of flooding-induced migration on the food security status of farming households in Nigeria. Data were collected on the episodes that occurred between 2011–2022 to estimate the coping strategies of the farmers. The farm revenue specifically from 2022 production activities was also computed. This was used in estimating the effect of flooding-induced …

Autonomous Self-Trained Channel State Predictionmethod For Mmwave Vehicular Communications, Abidemi Orimogunje, Vukan Ninkovic, Evariste Twahirwa, Gaspard Gashema, Dejan Vukobratovic

All Rsif Scholars' Publications

Establishing and maintaining 5G mmWave vehicular connectivity poses a significant challenge due to high user mobility that necessitates frequent triggering of beam switching procedures. Departing from reactive beam switching based on the user device channel state feedback, proactive beam switching prepares in advance for upcoming beam switching decisions by exploiting accurate channel state information (CSI) prediction. In this paper, we develop a framework for autonomous self-trained CSI prediction for mmWave vehicular users where a base station (gNB) collects and labels a dataset that it uses for training recurrent neural network (RNN)-based CSI prediction model. The proposed framework exploits the CSI …

Occurrence And Levels Of Multiple Veterinary Antibiotics In Broiler Chicken Processed And Sold In Southern Mozambique, Noemia Andre Mugabe, Jamal Kussaga, Abdulsudi Issa-Zacharia

All Rsif Scholars' Publications

Antibiotic residues in chicken meat pose a health risk to the general public, particularly to sensitive consumers. The aim of this study was to determine the level of antibiotic residues in on-the-market dressed chicken in the Southern Region of Mozambique. A total of 160 samples were randomly collected from eight markets located in five districts in the provinces of Maputo, Gaza, and Inhambane. The residues of β-lactams, quinolones, tetracyclines, and sulfonamides in chicken breast muscle were separated, identified, and quantified using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), coupled with ultraviolet light (UV–VIS). Results revealed that 26.9% of the analyzed samples displayed detectable …

Generación Narrativa Controlada Mediante Rag Para La Inserción Coherente De Nuevos Personajes En La Odisea, María Tocado Murillo

Máster en Inteligencia Artificial

Este Trabajo Fin de Máster diseña, implementa y documenta una metodología experimental reproducible para evaluar cómo distintas estrategias de generación narrativa afectan a la coherencia canónica al introducir personajes nuevos en una obra clásica. El problema de investigación no se limita a producir textos fluidos: se centra en generar narraciones capaces de integrarse en un universo literario preexistente sin alterar acontecimientos, relaciones entre personajes, cronología, espacios narrativos ni desenlace. Para ello se utiliza La Odisea como caso de estudio y banco de pruebas de una arquitectura general de generación narrativa controlada mediante modelos de lenguaje y recuperación aumentada por generación …

Modelización Y Simulación Multiagente De Dinámicas Emergentes En Clústeres Empresariales, Marina López González

Máster en Inteligencia Artificial

Este Trabajo Fin de Máster desarrolla una arquitectura de simulación multiagente para representar dinámicas plausibles de participación, interacción, utilidad relacional y permanencia en un clúster empresarial deep tech. El caso de estudio es SECPHO, un ecosistema de innovación originado en torno a la fotónica y orientado actualmente a la conexión entre capacidades tecnológicas, retos industriales y actores diversos. El trabajo aborda dos retos complementarios. El primero consiste en transformar fuentes operativas heterogéneas (socios, eventos, formularios, proyectos, retos, señales de servicio y atributos empresariales) en una base computable capaz de alimentar un simulador. Para ello se realiza una fase de auditoría, …

Memory-Efficient Acceleration For Emerging Applications Via Hardware/Software Co-Design, Shilin Tian

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

Emerging artificial-intelligence and data-intensive scientific workloads increasingly face a memory wall: irregular access patterns and large intermediate data volumes make data movement, rather than arithmetic, the primary constraint on performance and energy efficiency. This dissertation develops a memory-centric hardware/software co-design methodology that jointly reshapes algorithms, architectures, and dataflows to retain frequently reused data on chip. The methodology is demonstrated through three accelerators and an RTL design tool. VITA replaces multi-head attention in vision-transformer-based 3D human mesh recovery with hardware-friendly average pooling and maps the resulting operators to a reconfigurable datapath, achieving 5.05-fold and 69.12-fold speedups over a state-of-the-art GPU and …

Unmasking Impression Management: Large Language Models For Detecting Socially Desirable Responding In Open-Ended Situational Judgment Tests, Barret Vermilion

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

Socially desirable responding (SDR) — the tendency to present oneself in an overly favorable light — remains a persistent validity concern in industrial-organizational psychology. Contemporary theory frames SDR as multidimensional, distinguishing agentic impression management (AM; inflating competence, dominance, and achievement) from communal impression management (CM; inflating warmth, cooperation, and prosocial qualities). Existing measures of AM and CM rely on self-report, which captures these constructs only at the level of generalized trait-like tendencies rather than as they naturally unfold in applicants' own language. This dissertation proposes a text-based alternative: detecting AM and CM in open-ended situational judgment tests (SJTs) of Big …

A Methodological Framework For Modernizing Engineering Course Content With Large Language Models, Katherine Smith, Dalya Ismael, Otilia Popescu, Murat Kuzlu, Adel El-Shahat, Vukica M. Jovanovic

Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

The rapid evolution of technology presents challenges for engineering educators. While the core engineering methods often remain relevant over time, course materials rapidly become outdated in presentation and pedagogical approach. This paper presents a methodological framework for using large-language models (LLMs) to modernize engineering course content with a case study in an advanced technical analysis course.

The methodology follows a phased approach that is designed to be repeatable and verify the accuracy and completeness of course content. During the first phase, an LLM is used to map outdated text-heavy content to a modern format using a LaTeX template. The second …

Una Nueva Herramienta Para Estimar El Volumen Muscular Independientemente De La Edad, El Sexo Y El Nivel De Actividad Física, José J. Rivera-Sánchez, Laura P. Burgos-Morelos, Daniel Castillo-Castillo, Gerardo Méndez-Suárez, Juan C. Lopez-Alvarenga, Damián Carrillo-Ruíz

School of Medicine Publications

Antecedentes: Actualmente, la evaluación del volumen muscular requiere técnicas invasivas o de imagen, lo que aumenta los costos y retrasa la evaluación, y las mediciones antropométricas con frecuencia son inexactas.

Objetivo: Desarrollar una fórmula matemática para estimar el volumen del cuádriceps.

Material y métodos: Se evaluaron 127 sujetos: 40 adultos sedentarios de 20 a 35 años, 47 atletas adultos de 20 a 45 años y 40 adultos sedentarios de 70 a 94 años. Se dividieron en grupos de desarrollo y de validación. Se realizaron mediciones de variables antropométricas y fuerza de agarre, y se desarrolló la fórmula de predicción del …

Training Tomorrow’S Hand Surgeons: Clinical, Leadership, And Structural Trends In Fellowship Education, Ogonna N. Nnamani Silva, Aaron I. Dadzie, Chinenye Ogbonnah, Lydia A. Helliwell, Abhiram R. Bhashyam, Catherine M. Curtin, Tamara D. Rozental, Krystle R. Tuaño

School of Medicine Publications

Purpose: Hand surgery fellowships include trainees from orthopedic, plastic, and general surgery. These pathways present an opportunity to examine variations in graduate medical education structures, such as program size, sponsoring department, and leadership composition. Limited research exists on the characteristics of these programs. The purpose of this study is to assess the structural and leadership characteristics of the Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education-accredited hand surgery fellowships in the United States. We hypothesized that characteristics (ie, faculty-to-fellow ratios and case volume) vary by specialty sponsorship. Leadership, although shaped by merit-based criteria, faces challenges in achieving broader demographic diversity.

Methods: A …

Low Frequency Oscillation Observed In The Ionosphere Around The Substorm Onsets, Simon Wing, Elmer Rivera, A. J. Hull, P. A. Damiano

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

On Performance And Applications Of A Liquid Fueled Pulsed Flame Jet Igniter, Gerardo A. Rodriguez

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

As global demands for supersonic and hypersonic flight heighten, high-speed air breathing propulsion technologies stand out as a worthwhile direction to overcome many of the limitations that turbomachinery-based engines face at supersonic speeds. Air breathing propulsion concepts are attractive for their geometrical simplicity, using supersonic incoming air to provide compression. Scramjet flight vehicles operate within the hypersonic flight regime and have been a global research topic, especially in the 21st century, for defense and combined cycle engine architectures. As scramjet technology continues maturing towards widespread use, efforts have converged on liquid hydrocarbon fuels for storage, range, and operational benefits. Flight …

Amazon V. Perplexity, Northern District Of California

Historical and Topical Legal Documents

No abstract provided.

Rrt V. Cheryl Bawtinheimer, Northern District Of California

Historical and Topical Legal Documents

No abstract provided.

Good Samaritan Medical Center V. Leapfrog Group, Southern District Of Florida

Historical and Topical Legal Documents

No abstract provided.

Miles V. Google, Southern District Of Texas

Historical and Topical Legal Documents

No abstract provided.