Five-parameter potential box with inverse square singular boundaries

Using the Tridiagonal Representation Approach, we obtain solutions (energy spectrum and corresponding wavefunctions) for a new five-parameter potential box with inverse square singularity at the boundaries.Comment: 7 pages, 2 figures, 1 tabl

Statistical Modelling and Prediction of Rainfall Time Series Data

Climate and rainfall are highly non-linear and complicated phenomena, which require classical, modern and detailed models to obtain accurate prediction. In order to attain precise forecast, a modern method termed fuzzy time series that belongs to the first order and time-variant method was used to analyse rainfall since it has become an attractive alternative to traditional and non-parametric statistical methods. In this paper, we present tools for modelling and predicting the behavioural pattern in rainfall phenomena based on past observations. The paper introduces three fundamentally different approaches for designing a model, the statistical method based on autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA), the emerging fuzzy time series(FST) model and the non-parametric method(Theil2019;s regression). In order to evaluate the prediction efficiency, we made use of 31 years of annual rainfall data from year 1982 to 2012 of Ibadan South West, Nigeria. The fuzzy time series model has it universe of discourse divided into 13 intervals and the interval with the largest number of rainfall data is divided into 4 sub-intervals of equal length. Three rules were used to determine if the forecast value under FST is upward 0.752013;point, middle or downward 0.25-point. ARIMA (1, 2, 1) was used to derive the weights and the regression coefficients, while the theil2019;s regression was used to fit a linear model. The performance of the model was evaluated using mean squared forecast error (MAE), root mean square forecast error (RMSE) and Coefficient of determination ( . The study reveals that FTS model can be used as an appropriate forecasting tool to predict the rainfall, since it outperforms the ARIMA and Theil2019;s models

Evaluation of a Twin-Fluid Nozzle for Precision Air-Assisted Agro-Chemical Application

The purpose of agrochemical application is to provide nutrients for plant growth and to control weeds, insects and other crop pests as well as plant and animal disease pathogens. The objective of this study was to fabricate a twin fluid nozzle (TFN) and evaluate its distribution pattern for on-the-go precision air-assisted agricultural chemical application. The fabricated nozzle prototype was mounted on a test rig in the laboratory with a view to determine its distribution pattern at various liquid pressures and flow rates while the air pressure was kept constant in the first instance.Thereafter, the distribution pattern was also determined for varying air pressure while keeping the liquid flow rate and pressure constant.It was concluded that independent control of liquid flow rates and spray distribution pattern was achieved by a combination of controlling liquid and air pressure. In addition, a flow turndown ratio of 1.414:1 corresponding to 35.34 to 49.98 L/min, at a fixed air pressure was achieved by the TFN and that even spray distribution pattern were observed for 35.34 L/min liquid flow rate and 200 kPa liquid pressure for air pressures below 500 kPa. Although the pattern width was independent of variation in air pressure it decreased by 40 percent as the flow rate decreased from 49.98 to 35.34 L/min

African American interpreters in the video relay service setting

This study focuses on African American Sign Language video interpreters (VIs) working in the video relay service (VRS) setting in the United States. No study has been carried out to date that explores the experiences African Americans have when interpreting in VRS settings, where there is little or no autonomy due to policies governing the VRS companies by the Federal Communication Commission (FCC). Coupled with the rules and regulations from VRS companies and the FCC, African American interpreters also experience racism and racial microaggressions from VRS users and from their colleagues. This study was carried out using qualitative methods. Three African American female VIs were interviewed about their experiences working in the VRS setting. Their stories show that racism and racial microaggressions are a part of their working landscape. Their narratives also disclosed that there is a lack of diversity in the workplace and in the interpreting profession as a whole. The African American VIs interviewed reported that their interpreting programs failed to discuss issues of multiculturalism in the field, and their access to mentors from similar cultural backgrounds was limited. These participants suggested that courses in cultural awareness be offered in interpreter education programs and to their colleagues at work. Likewise, they believed African Americans could benefit from training that helps them cope with the systems of racism and racial microaggressions they face in the workplace

COMPLEMENTARY GENERALIZED TRANSMUTED POISSON LOMAX DISTRIBUTION WITH ITS DERIVED PROPERTIES AND APPLICATION

There has been a renewed interest in developing more flexible statistical distributions in recent decades. A major milestone in the methods for generating statistical distributions is undoubtedly the system of differential equation approach. There is a recent renewed interest in generating skewed distributions. In this research, a new four parameter lifetime distribution which extends the Lomax distribution is introduced by compounding the Lomax distribution with the complementary generalized transmuted Poisson family of distributions. The probability density function and cumulative distribution function as well as some basic statistical properties of the new distribution, such as moments, reliability function, hazard function, quantile function, residual life function, entropy and the order statistics were derived. Some plots of the distribution shows that it is a positively skewed distribution. The maximum likelihood estimation method is used to estimate the parameters of the new distribution. A simulation study to assess the performance of the parameters of the newly developed distribution was provided with an application to real life data to assess its potentiality. The result shows that the proposed distribution provides better fit than some generalizations of the Lomax . Keywords: Lifetime distribution, maximum likelihood estimation, Lomax distribution, hazard    function, order statistics

Computational Study of Ring-Cusp Magnet Configurations that Provide Maximum Electron Confinement

Enhancing the confinement of primary electrons within the plasma in a discharge chamber of an ion thruster improves plasma ionization and consequently the thruster\u27s performance. This work computationally calculates the location, position, and orientation of the permanent magnets that provide a ring-cusp magnetic field that maximizes electron confinement in an axi-symmetric cylindrical aluminum-wall discharge chamber. Small samarium cobalt magnets are circumferentially arranged in a ring around the front, side, or back wall of the chamber. The generated ring-cusp magnetic field for any specified magnet configuration is calculated using MAXWELL2D, a two dimensional electromagnetic field simulation computer code. For various magnet configurations, PRIMA, a particle-in-cell computer code modified by Mahalingam and Menart, is used to model the trajectory of the primary electrons in the magnetic field. The confinement length, the length of time an electron is retained within the chamber, is output by PRIMA, and it is the parameter used to determine the performance of the magnet configurations surveyed. The performance of various magnet ring pairs are studied and guidelines on the location, position, and orientation of the magnet rings are obtained. These guidelines are then combined to give complex ring-cusp magnet ring arrangements on a fixed size discharge chamber. For three complex arrangements having three magnet rings, a decrease in the chambers confinement ability is seen when the applied guidelines are slightly violated. This observed decrease validates the guidelines deduced in this work

Influence of Microfinance Credits on the Socio-economic Status of Women in Edo State, Nigeria

This paper examines the influence of microfinance credits on womens’ socio-economic status in Edo state in both microfinance that offer health-related services and those that do not. The Objectives include examining the process through which women access microfinance loans and the role of microfinance on women’s socio-economic status. Social action and functionalist formed the theoretical frameworks. Questionnaire was administered to 750 purposively selected females’ microfinance clients with 400 drawn from Microfinance Institutions that offer health related programs and 350 drawn from microfinance institutions that do not offer health related services. Qualitative data were elicited from 14 In-depth Interviews (IDIs) with union representatives, 20 Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) with microfinance officials and 8 Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) with clients. Although, more women from microfinance without health related services reported experiencing more difficulty in accessing loans (24.7%) than those win microfinance with health related services (5.5%), study findings still revealed that access to microfinance positively influenced women’s socio-economic status (income (r=.023), occupation (r=.043) and education (r=.051). Qualitative data also buttressed the role of micro credit in that it enabled clients contribute to meeting household needs, expanded their businesses and generally reduced poverty. While the study concludes that microfinance empowers women socio-economically, it still argues that the very poor women in the society for which microfinance is targeted are still unreached and therefore poverty alleviation is not maximally achieved through this intervention. Thus, more funds and support from government, philanthropists and international agencies are required for effective poverty alleviation. Keywords: Health-related, Microfinance, Poverty, Women empowerment, Socio-economic, Poverty alleviation DOI: 10.7176/JPID/48-0

Agricultural Policy and Political Governance in Nigeria: Fiscal Sociology and the Challenges of a Rent-Seeking Economy

Despite the current financial crisis facing all levels of governments of Nigeria, virtually no efforts have been directed at the sociological analysis of the finances. The situation particularly begs for attention considering the dwindling agricultural status, focusing on cocoa, and the multiple socio-economic, political and cultural distortions embedded in its monolithic source of revenue. The literature is replete with the sociological analysis of pubic financial management. However, those analyses appear to be much more concentrated on the advanced than the developing economies. In this review article, we attempted a public economy discourse of developing economies, focusing on the deleterious interplays between the dominant oil income and agricultural outputs and how the duo has made Nigeria a rentier economy. With a critical review of integrated literature on the sociology of oil politics; the institutional and symbolic element of the tax-dependent economy; and the historical volatility of rentier economies; we critically drew a nexus between the current life-threatening revenue profile of Nigeria and her major, if not solitary, reliance on petrodollar as well as the socio-cultural manifestations. Like this, the essay advanced the significance of fiscal sociology as a veritable tool for constructing a theory about state finances. DOI: 10.7176/JESD/10-14-08 Publication date:July 31st 202