Novel approaches to performance evaluation and benchmarking for energy-efficient multicast: empirical study of coded packet wireless networks

With the advancement of communication networks, a great number of multicast applications such as multimedia, video and audio communications have emerged. As a result, energy efficient multicast in wireless networks is becoming increasingly important in the field of Information and Communications Technology (ICT). According to the study by Gartner and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) report presented to United State Congress in 2007,energy consumption of ICT nodes accounts for 3% of the worldwide energy supply and is responsible for 2% of the global Carbon dioxide (CO2) emission. However, several initiatives are being put in place to reduce the energy consumption of the ICT sector in general. A review of related literature reveals that existing approaches to energy efficient multicast are largely evaluated using a single metric and while the single metric is appropriate for effective performance, it is unsuitable for measuring efficiency adequately. This thesis studied existing coded packet methods for energy efficiency in ad hoc wireless networks and investigates efficiency frontier, which is the expected minimum energy within the minimum energy multicast framework. The energy efficiency performance was based on effective evaluation and there was no way an inefficient network could reach a level of being an efficiency frontier. Hence, this work looked at the position of how true efficiency evaluation is obtained when the entire network under examination attains their efficiency frontiers using ratios of weighted outputs to weighted inputs with multiple variables. To address these challenges and assist network operators when formulating their network policies and performing network administrations, this thesis proposed novel approaches that are based on Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) methodology to appropriately evaluate the efficiency of multicast energy and further minimizes energy transmission in ad hoc wireless networks without affecting the overall network performance. The DEA, which was used to study the relative efficiency and productivity of systems in Economic and Operational Research disciplines, is a non-parametric method that relies on linear programming technique for optimization of discrete units of observation called the decision making units (DMUs)

Efficient Frontier and Benchmarking Models for Energy Multicast in Wireless Network Coding

This chapter introduces efficiency frontier and benchmarking concepts to evaluate the efficiency performance of wireless networks for multicast energy. These concepts are efficiency models based on the data envelopment analysis (DEA) technique. The DEA framework allows network administrators to evaluate the technical efficiency and determine how the inefficient wireless networks will attain a targeted efficiency frontier. In order to achieve efficiency frontier and benchmark by a wireless network, this chapter presents several models including the envelopment and the slack. The envelopment model evaluates the technical efficiency scores of each wireless network, while the slack model shows how the inefficient wireless network achieves efficiency frontier. The benchmark model evaluates the efficiency reference set and the lambda values of each network. The efficiency frontier algorithm has shown that many of the wireless networks sampled are inefficient. However, the algorithm has capability to help the inefficient wireless networks to achieve efficiency frontier and benchmark with their peers that are fully efficient

Antimicrobial Activities of Some Euphorbiaceae Plants Used in the Traditional Medicine of Akwa Ibom State of Nigeria

Nine plant species belonging to the Euphorbiaceae family and used in traditional medicine in Akwa Ibom State of Nigeria were evaluated for in vitro antimicrobial activity using agar diffusion method. The stem bark of Maesobotrya dusenii gave the most significant effect followed by its root bark. The inhibitory effect of M. dusenii stem bark extract (37 mm) on Pseudomonas aeruginosa was higher than that of Chloramphenicol (35 mm). However, Alchornea laxiflora leaf extract showed the weakest activity. The minimum inhibitory concentration of the extracts ranged between 12.5 and 250 μg/mL. The results of the antimicrobial effects validated the use of the plants to treat infections caused by these microorganisms

A TRUSTED ECOSYSTEM IN AGRI-FOOD SUPPLY CHAIN WITH TRACEABILITY POTENTIALS OF BLOCKCHAIN TECHNOLOGY

The complexity in the Agri-Food Supply Chain (AFSC) has made the traceability of causes of disease difficult in the supply chain. Stakeholders in this supply chain have been adopting centralized systems of traceability that are prone to manipulations and single-point attacks. But as advancement is rapidly driving Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), researchers have attempted to apply the potentials of blockchain technology in the agri-food industry. A fundamental component of blockchain is a smart contract which is mostly challenged with the problem of conflict resolution among contracting parties. This paper investigates the phenomenon and proposes a conceptual framework to drive future practical researches in this field. An algorithm was also developed to address the conflict resolution challenges in the supply chain as it was identified to be one of the major challenges causing stakeholders’ skepticism on the acceptability of blockchain technology in AFSC.The complexity in the Agri-Food Supply Chain (AFSC) has made the traceability of causes of disease difficult in the supply chain. Stakeholders in this supply chain have been adopting centralized systems of traceability that are prone to manipulations and single-point attacks. But as advancement is rapidly driving Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), researchers have attempted to apply the potentials of blockchain technology in the agri-food industry. A fundamental component of blockchain is a smart contract which is mostly challenged with the problem of conflict resolution among contracting parties. This paper investigates the phenomenon and proposes a conceptual framework to drive future practical researches in this field. An algorithm was also developed to address the conflict resolution challenges in the supply chain as it was identified to be one of the major challenges causing stakeholders’ skepticism on the acceptability of blockchain technology in AFSC

Adaptive radio resource management for mobile satellite systems

Word processed copy.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 89-99).In this thesis, a set of unique strategies and enhanced schemes for adaptive CDMA modulation are devised. A graded resource system is proposed for better radio resource management. Subsequently, a successful adaptive CDMA algorithm is designed and a prioritised processing gain for adaptive CDMA algorithm in satellite system is introduced. The idea of the critical section in the downlink system when a user controller scheme has to be activated to improve the performance is initiated. The diversity technique and rate compatible punctured turbo-code (RCPT), which has been found to give improved throughput performance in a direct sequence (DS) CDMA, are exploited

A TRUSTED ECOSYSTEM IN AGRI-FOOD SUPPLY CHAIN WITH TRACEABILITY POTENTIALS OF BLOCKCHAIN TECHNOLOGY

The complexity in the Agri-Food Supply Chain (AFSC) has made the traceability of causes of disease difficult in the supply chain. Stakeholders in this supply chain have been adopting centralized systems of traceability that are prone to manipulations and single-point attacks. But as advancement is rapidly driving Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), researchers have attempted to apply the potentials of blockchain technology in the agri-food industry. A fundamental component of blockchain is a smart contract which is mostly challenged with the problem of conflict resolution among contracting parties. This paper investigates the phenomenon and proposes a conceptual framework to drive future practical researches in this field. An algorithm was also developed to address the conflict resolution challenges in the supply chain as it was identified to be one of the major challenges causing stakeholders’ skepticism on the acceptability of blockchain technology in AFSC.The complexity in the Agri-Food Supply Chain (AFSC) has made the traceability of causes of disease difficult in the supply chain. Stakeholders in this supply chain have been adopting centralized systems of traceability that are prone to manipulations and single-point attacks. But as advancement is rapidly driving Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), researchers have attempted to apply the potentials of blockchain technology in the agri-food industry. A fundamental component of blockchain is a smart contract which is mostly challenged with the problem of conflict resolution among contracting parties. This paper investigates the phenomenon and proposes a conceptual framework to drive future practical researches in this field. An algorithm was also developed to address the conflict resolution challenges in the supply chain as it was identified to be one of the major challenges causing stakeholders’ skepticism on the acceptability of blockchain technology in AFSC

Neutral Effect of Coffee Senna (Senna occidentalis (L.) Link Leguminosae) Leaf Ethanol Extract on Reproductive Parameters in Male Wistar Rats

Many antimalarial remedies are known for reproductive toxicity in male. Also, several plants are known to have antifertility action in both sexes. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of ethanol extract of Senna occidentalis (L.) Link Leguminosae leaf (EESO) on male reproductive parameters such as sperm count, motility, morphology and the histology of testes in Wistar rats by employing standard procedures. The extract (50% ethanol) was orally administered to male Wistar rats daily, at 250, 500 and 1000 mg/kg with distilled water as control, for 20 days after which reproductive parameters were performed on the epididymal sperm and testes. The results show that all features were consistent with normal histology of the testes in the treated and untreated groups, the sperm count (SC), motility (SM) and morphology (MP) were also comparable with the control. The plant has been shown to be devoid of the traditional sperm toxicity associated with antimalarial agents

SMART TRAFFIC SIGNAL CONTROL SYSTEM FOR TWO INTER-DEPENDENT INTERSECTIONS IN AKURE, NIGERIA

The increasing growth in urban population and vehicular volume coupled with inefficient traffic management results in traffic congestion on road networks. In this work, a smart/intelligent traffic signal control system was developed for two inter-dependent intersections in Akure, Nigeria. The system developed in this work uses deep learning and computer vision techniques to estimate the density of traffic and uses this information to adaptively switch traffic signals based on the traffic density estimated. Simulation results show that in 30 minutes of simulation, 32 signal cycles can be achieved and 967 vehicles can move at these two inter-dependent intersection

SMART TRAFFIC SIGNAL CONTROL SYSTEM FOR TWO INTER-DEPENDENT INTERSECTIONS IN AKURE, NIGERIA

The increasing growth in urban population and vehicular volume coupled with inefficient traffic management results in traffic congestion on road networks. In this work, a smart/intelligent traffic signal control system was developed for two inter-dependent intersections in Akure, Nigeria. The system developed in this work uses deep learning and computer vision techniques to estimate the density of traffic and uses this information to adaptively switch traffic signals based on the traffic density estimated. Simulation results show that in 30 minutes of simulation, 32 signal cycles can be achieved and 967 vehicles can move at these two inter-dependent intersection

Evaluation of Pharmacognostic Characteristics of the Leaf of Ageratum houstonianum Mill. Compositae

Background: It is a well-known fact that therapeutic efficacy and safety of medicinal plants depend on the quality and quantity of chemical constituents and that the misuse of medicinal plants starts with wrong identification.Objectives: The aim of this study is to establish some pharmacognostic standards for Ageratum houstonianum Mill (Compositae) which has high medicinal values, with a view to determining the proper identification and other quality control parameters of the plant.Method: The fresh leaf and powdered leaves were subjected to macroscopy and microscopy using standard procedures. In addition, some physicochemical evaluations such as moisture content, ash and soluble extractives were carried out on the powdered leaves.Results: The result shows that the leaf is simple, pinnate, diamond shaped, serrated margin, acute apex and asymetrical base. Microscopically, the leaf is amphistomatic in nature with anomocytic and anisocytic stomata at the adaxial and anomocytic and diacytic at the abaxial surface. Non-glandular uniseriate trichomes are present on both surfaces. The transverse section across the midrib shows epidermis, collenchyma, palisade cells and a few rolls of phloem around the xylem vessels. The stomata numbers and stomata indices for the upper and lower surface, respectively are1.4 and 10.2 and 2.9 and 15.6. Moisture content, total ash, acid insoluble ash, water soluble ash, sulphated ash, water soluble and alcohol soluble extractives yields 10.3%, 15.2%, 0.8%, 20.2%, 14.4% and 5.1%, respectively.Conclusion: The findings in this study are useful for establishing standards suitable for official monographs on Ageratum houstonianum proper identification and quality control. Keywords: Pharmacognostic standards, Ageratum houstonianum, Quality contro