Vehicle Accident Alert and Locator (VAAL)

An emergency is a deviation from planned or expected behaviour or a course of event that endangers or adversely affects people, property, or the environment. This paper reports a complete research work in accident (automobile) emergency alert situation. The authors were able to programme a GPS / GSM module incorporating a crash detector to report automatically via the GSM communication platform (using SMS messaging) to the nearest agencies such as police posts, hospitals, fire services etc, giving the exact position of the point where the crash had occurred. This will allow early response and rescue of accident victims; saving lives and properties. The paper reports its experimental results, gives appropriate conclusions and recommendations

Analysis of Capacity Limitation in Nigerian GSM Networks and the Effects on Service Providers and Subscribers

The performance of GSM network is measured in terms of KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) based on statistics generated from the network. The most important of these performance indicators from the operators’ perspective are BER (bit error rate), the FER (frame error rate) and the DCR (dropped call rate). The Dropped Call Rate (DCR) is a measure of the calls dropped in a network as it gives a quick overview of network quality and revenues lost. This makes it one of the most important parameters in network optimization. At the frame level in the NMS (Network Management System), the DCR is measured against the Slow Associated Control Channel (SACCH) frame. If the SACCH frame is not received, then it is considered to be dropped calls. For this work data was acquired form the Network Management System of various GSM operators in Nigeria (e.g. MTN, Celtel, Globacom etc.). The acquired data was analyzed to statistically illustrate the extent of revenue that is lost as a result of dropped calls and the consequent impact on the customers/subscribers

On the Power Spectral Density of the GSM Signaling Scheme

In this paper, the Power Spectral Density of encoded Gaussian Minimum Shift Keying (GMSK) which is the Signaling Scheme of the Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) is derived by a combined approach of the autocorrelation method and Markov Process. In the analysis, the Amplitude Modulated Pulse decomposition proposed by P. Laurent is employed to ease computation. Encoding of the message data utilizes Convolutional Code of rate1/2. Results are for both the uncoded and coded waveform comparing variation in power spread over a range of frequency

Revenue Estimates for Eliminating Sales Tax Exemptions and Adding Services to the Sales Tax Base

This report provides revenue estimates for alternative combinations of eliminating sales tax exemptions and adding services to the sales tax base. FRC Report 17

Charging and coagulation of dust in protoplanetary plasma environments

Combining a particle-particle, particle-cluster and cluster-cluster agglomeration model with an aggregate charging model, the coagulation and charging of dust particles in various plasma environments relevant for proto-planetary disks have been investigated. The results show that charged aggregates tend to grow by adding small particles and clusters to larger particles and clusters, leading to greater sizes and masses as compared to neutral aggregates, for the same number of monomers in the aggregate. In addition, aggregates coagulating in a Lorentzian plasma (containing a larger fraction of high-energy plasma particles) are more massive and larger than aggregates coagulating in a Maxwellian plasma, for the same plasma densities and characteristic temperature. Comparisons of the grain structure, utilizing the compactness factor, {\phi}{\sigma}, demonstrate that a Lorentzian plasma environment results in fluffier aggregates, with small {\phi}{\sigma}, which exhibit a narrow compactness factor distribution. Neutral aggregates are more compact, with larger {\phi}{\sigma}, and exhibit a larger variation in fluffiness. Measurement of the compactness factor of large populations of aggregates is shown to provide information on the disk parameters that were present during aggregation

Estimating An Optimal Backpropagation Algorithm for Training An ANN with the EGFR Exon 19 Nucleotide Sequence: An Electronic Diagnostic Basis for Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer(NSCLC)

One of the most common forms of medical malpractices globally is an error in diagnosis. An improper diagnosis occurs when a doctor fails to identify a disease or report a disease when the patient is actually healthy. A disease that is commonly misdiagnosed is lung cancer. This cancer type is a major health problem internationally because it is responsible for 15% of all cancer diagnosis and 29% of all cancer deaths. The two major sub-types of lung cancer are; small cell lung cancer (about 13%) and non-small cell lung cancer (%SCLC- about 87%). The chance of surviving lung cancer depends on its correct diagnosis and/or the stage at the time it is diagnosed. However, recent studies have identified somatic mutations in the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene in a subset of non-small cell lung cancer (%SCLC) tumors. These mutations occur in the tyrosine kinase domain of the gene. The most predominant of the mutations in all %SCLC patients examined is deletion mutation in exon 19 and it accounts for approximately 90% of the EGFR-activating mutations. This makes EGFR genomic sequence a good candidate for implementing an electronic diagnostic system for %SCLC. In this study aimed at estimating an optimum backpropagation training algorithm for a genomic based A%% system for %SCLC diagnosis, the nucleotide sequences of EGFR’s exon 19 of a noncancerous cell were used to train an artificial neural network (A%%). Several A%% back propagation training algorithms were tested in MATLAB R2008a to obtain an optimal algorithm for training the network. Of the nine different algorithms tested, we achieved the best performance (i.e. the least mean square error) with the minimum epoch (training iterations) and training time using the Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm

A Method for Comparison of Northern Fossil Insect Assemblages

The paleoenvironmental resolving power of late CenozoicColeoptera fossils from arctic and subarctic sites is hindered by the fact that the fossil assemblages often differgreatly in taxonomic diversity and minimum number of individuals represented. In order to compare faunas of different age and from different sites, the fossil insect assemblages must first be normalized. One method of doing this is to group the fossils according to the ecological requirements of the taxa that they represent and then compare assemblages on the basis of the percentage of individual insects in each group. Eight such groups are defined in this paper and then used to compare fossil assemblages from the Yukon Territory, Alaska and eastern Siberia. Such comparisons reveal differences related to local site-of-deposition conditions but they also reflect the character of the regional late Pleistocene beetle fauna. The grouping procedure supports conclusions based on other information, such as taxonomic content, but it masks certain assemblage characteristics that may also be of paleoenvironmental significance. Thus grouping insect fossils as a means of normalizing the dataf or purposes of comparison should not be used in lieu of other analytical approaches.Il est difficile de reconstituer les paléoenvironnements à partir des coléoptères fossiles du Cénozoïque supérieur provenant de sites de l'Arctique et du sub-Arctique, étant donné que les associations de fossiles ont souvent une grande diversité taxonomique et que le nombre d'individus représentés varie beaucoup. Afin de pouvoir comparer les faunes d'âges variés qui proviennent de sites différents, il faut d'abord normaliser les associations d'insectes fossiles. Une des méthodes consiste à regrouper les fossiles selon les exigences écologiques des taxons et comparer les associations en fonction du pourcentage d'individus dans chaque groupe. Le présent rapport définit huit de ces groupes et les utilise pour comparer des associations de de la Sibérie orientale. Ces comparaisons révèlent des différences qui sont liées aux conditions locales du lieu d'accumulation, mais elles reflètent aussi la nature des Coléoptères du Pleistocene supérieur. La méthodeduregroupementappuielescon-clusions fondées sur d'autres données comme le contenu taxonomique, mais masque certaines caractéristiques des associations qui pourraient également avoir une importance paléoenvironnementale. Le regroupement des insectes fossiles, en tant que méthode de normalisation des données à des fins de comparaison, ne doit pas être utilisé à la place d'autres méthodes analytiques.Es ist schwierig die Paleo-Umgebungen aus den fossilen Ansammlungen der Coleopter des Spâtcenozoik zu erschliessen. Die Fossile von arktischen und subarktischen Forschungssitzen sind durch dieTatsache, dass sich die Fossilansammlungen oft durch grosse taxonomische Vielseitigkeit unterscheiden, sowie in der Mindestzahl ihrer repràsentierten Einzelwesen behindert. Um Faunen verschiedenen Alters und aus verschiedenen Forschungssitzen zu vergleichen, mùssen die fossilen Insektenansammlungen zunàchst normalisiert werden. Eine Méthode urn das zu tun, ist, sie nach den ôkologischen Bedùrfnissen der Taxa zu gruppieren und dann die Ansammlungen auf Grund des Prozentsatzes der einzelnen Insekten in jeder Gruppe zu vergleichen. Acht solcher Gruppen sind in dieser Forschungsarbeit behandelt und dann dazu gebraucht, sie mit fossilen Ansammlungen aus dem Yukon Territory, Alaska und dem ôstlichen Sibirien zu vergleichen. Solche Vergleiche zeigen Unterschiede die sich auf lokale Ansammlungs Verhâltnisse beziehen, aber sie spiegeln auch den Karakter der regionalen, Spàtpleistozàn Insektenfauna wider. Die Regruppierrungprozedur unterstùtzt Konklusionen die aus anderen Informations bereichen, wie taxonomischer Inhalt, stammen, aber sie maskiert auch gewisse Ansammlungs Karaktere die auch einen Paleo-Umgebungs Wert haben kônnen. Das Regruppieren von Insektfossilen als ein Mittel zur Normalisierung der Daten zum Zwecke von Vergleichen sollte nicht Anstelle anderen analytischen Materials verwendet werden

Development of e-SIWES Portal: A Web based Platform for Student Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) Management

We developed the e-SIWES portal in order to enhance the manual task of carrying out SIWES activities such as registration, dissemination of information, filling of log book for students’ day-to-day activities and supervision/assessment by lecturers and industry based supervisors. The portal is web-based and allows all tasks to be carried out using the personal computer and the Internet. We digitized the SIWES logbook and assessment forms for filling by students and grading by the supervisors electronically. This will allow supervisors to be assigned immediately the students commence their industrial training and facilitate their monitoring in real-time. With the e-SIWES portal, important messages can be broadcast to all students at once and on a prompt and regular basis