Characterisation of Signal Amplitude-Frequency for Indoor Power Line Communication Channel in the 1 — 30 MHz Broadband Frequencies

The transmission of data signals over power lines is a very promising technique for delivering indoor broadband communication services. However, since power grids were originally designed for high-voltage low-frequency signal transmission, there is a frequency mismatch between the power grid and high-frequency data signals. This mismatch poses a challenge to deploying power lines as a communication channel. Although, studies and researches conducted in several countries have made transmission of data over power lines possible, the behaviour and properties of the power grid cannot be generalised. Hence, the need for in-depth experiment and measurement on the suitability and capability of the Nigerian power grid for data transmission is crucial for proper characterising and modelling of the power line communication (PLC) channel. In this paper, we present experimental measurements and results of the effects of frequency variations on the attenuation experienced by broadband high-speed data signals transmitted over the Nigerian indoor power line network

Leveraging Final Degree Projects for Open Source Software Contributions

(1) Background: final year students of computer science engineering degrees must carry out a final degree project (FDP) in order to graduate. Students’ contributions to improve open source software (OSS) through FDPs can offer multiple benefits and challenges, both for the students, the instructors and for the project itself. This work reports on a practical experience developed by four students contributing to mature OSS projects during their FDPs, detailing how they addressed the multiple challenges involved, both from the students and teachers perspective. (2) Methods: we followed the work of four students contributing to two established OSS projects for two academic years and analyzed their work on GitHub and their responses to a survey. (3) Results: we obtained a set of specific recommendations for future practitioners and detailed a list of benefits achieved by steering FDP towards OSS contributions, for students, teachers and the OSS projects. (4) Conclusions: we find out that FDPs oriented towards enhancing OSS projects can introduce students into real-world, practical examples of software engineering principles, give them a boost in their confidence about their technical and communication skills and help them build a portfolio of contributions to daily used worldwide open source applications

Sustainable Geotechnics—Theory, Practice, and Applications

Today, modern Geotechnical Engineers, who in the past would have considered the phenomena occurring in the (primarily soil) environment, are faced with developments in environmental sciences that are becoming increasingly more detailed and sophisticated, with the natural phenomena and processes surrounding the civil engineering infrastructure being modeled, designed, monitored, and assessed in a more holistic way. This book brings together the state of the art in geotechnics with a focus on sustainable design, resilience, construction, and monitoring of the performance of geotechnical assets from ground investigations, through foundation and drainage design to soil stabilization and reinforcement. Engineers and scientists working in the fields of green infrastructure, nature-based solutions, sustainable drainage, eco-engineering, hydro-geology, landscape planning, plant science, environmental biology or bio-chemistry, earth sciences, GIS, and remote sensing are represented here by articles that show significant geotechnical components or applications. Case studies showcasing the application of the sustainable development principles (e.g., reuse, recycle, reduce; stakeholder engagement; public health; UN Global Sustainability Goals) in Geotechnics are also included in this book