Towards Semantic Integration of Heterogeneous Sensor Data with Indigenous Knowledge for Drought Forecasting

In the Internet of Things (IoT) domain, various heterogeneous ubiquitous devices would be able to connect and communicate with each other seamlessly, irrespective of the domain. Semantic representation of data through detailed standardized annotation has shown to improve the integration of the interconnected heterogeneous devices. However, the semantic representation of these heterogeneous data sources for environmental monitoring systems is not yet well supported. To achieve the maximum benefits of IoT for drought forecasting, a dedicated semantic middleware solution is required. This research proposes a middleware that semantically represents and integrates heterogeneous data sources with indigenous knowledge based on a unified ontology for an accurate IoT-based drought early warning system (DEWS).Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, In Proceedings of the Doctoral Symposium of the 16th International Middleware Conference (Middleware Doct Symposium 2015), Ivan Beschastnikh and Wouter Joosen (Eds.). ACM, New York, NY, US

Diversity Combiner in Adaptive Modulation over Fast and Frequency Selective Environment

Signal over fast and frequency selective channel suffers from Doppler and delay effects due to propagation mechanism such as reflection, refraction and diffraction resulting in poor quality reception. Maximal Ratio Combining (MRC) and Adaptive Modulation are some of the techniques previously used to address this problem, but each of these techniques suffers from signal fading and interference distortion as result of weak signal and delay spread respectively. Therefore, an Adaptive modulation technique which incorporates MRC is developed over fast and frequency selective Rayleigh fading channel. The system model in this study employed 10,000 bits randomly generated, gray encoded and modulated with M-ary Phase Shift Keying (M-PSK). The signals were filtered using square root raised cosine filter and then transmitted over fast and frequency selective Rayleigh fading channel. At the receiver, two paths at 100km/hr and 200km/hr were combined using MRC, the channel was estimated using Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) to change the constellation size of the modulation in accordance with the severity of fading. The process was simulated using MATLAB software package. The performance of the proposed system was evaluated using Bit Error Rate (BER) at mobile speeds of 100km/hr and 200km/hr. At Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) of 10dB, the BER values of 0.0003, 0.0013, 0.0686, and 0.3009 were obtained for conventional MRC with BPSK, QPSK, 8PSK, and 16PSK signaling scheme respectively as against 0.0011 for adaptive MPSK at a mobile speed of 100km/hr while at 200km/hr, the BER values of 0.0134, 0.0161, 0.1947, 0.4116 were obtained using MRC with BPSK, QPSK, 8PSK and 16PSK respectively as against 0.0134 for adaptive MPSK. In conclusion, adaptive modulation incorporating MRC gave the best result due to lower BER values obtained at all SNR considered. The effect of fast and frequency selective Rayleigh channel has been reduced at high speed. Keywords: Adaptive Modulation, Maximal Ratio Combining , M-PSK, Rayleigh Environment, Bit Error           Rate (BER), Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR)

Investigating the Convergence and Bit Error Rate of Adaptive Algorithms over Time Varying Rayleigh Fading Channel

The fastest growing segment of the communication industry is the mobile wireless communication system. However, the systems faced a lot of challenges such as delay in the propagation of signals due to time-varying channel and effect of high speed transmission over Rayleigh fading which result into Inter-Symbol Interference (ISI) distortion. Least Mean Square (LMS) and Normalized Least Mean Square (NLMS) have been previously used to adapt the system using the step size, and Eigen value. In this paper, the adaptive Algorithms over a time-varying channel were compared using convergence level, Bit Error Rate (BER), and Mean Square Error (MSE). The system model consists of bits to symbol converter, 16-QAM modulator and Raised Cosine transmit filter, all at the transmitter, time-varying Rayleigh fading with Additive White Gaussian Noise added, and at the receiver are Raised Cosine Receive filter, 16-QAM demodulator, then each of the Adaptive LMS and NLMS filters which received delay from the Random integer generator, and the integer/symbol to bit converter at the output. The system model was simulated using MATLAB/SIMULINK software package. The algorithms were evaluated using convergence MSE at SNR of 10, 20 and 30dB over different number of iterations to determine the convergence rate, constellation diagram and BER. The results obtained showed that the flat convergence level of LMS and NLMS at SNR of 10dB are obtained with 300 and 200 iterations respectively, while 200 and 150 iterations are obtained at SNR of 20 and at SNR 30, the convergence level are obtained at 150 and 100 iterations respectively. BER values of 0.1598 and 0.0858 are obtained for LMS and NLMS respectively. Therefore, LMS algorithm took more iterations than NLMS algorithm to achieve the same error, and also lower BER value of NLMS is also in agreement with the result. Keywords: Convergence, MSE, LMS algorithm, NLMS algorithm, Intersymbol interference (ISI)

Effects of Pinching Time on the Performance of three Tomato Varieties (Lycopersicon lycopersicum Mill) in Ogbomoso and Mokwa, Nigeria

Field experiment was conducted at the Teaching and Research Farm, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso and Niger State College of Agriculture, Mokwa, in 2012 cropping season to examine the effects of pinching on fruit yield and nutritional qualities of three tomato varieties. The experiment had twelve treatments of three varieties (Ogbomoso Local, Mokwa Local and UC82B) of tomato and four pinching times (0, 2, 4 and 6) weeks after transplanting (WAT), replicated three times. The experiment was laid out as split plot arranged in Randomized Complete Block Design. Data were collected on plant height, number of flowers, number of fruits and total fruit yield. The determination of fruit phytochemical contents at full ripening, 6 fruit samples were randomly selected per plot and analysed for nutritional qualities such as crude Protein, Carotene, Iron, Phosphorus, Potassium, Calcium, Lycopene, Magnesium, Vitamin C contents. Data was analysed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) SAS package and treatment means compared using least significant difference (LSD) at 5% probability level. There were varietal differences in fresh fruit yield among the three varieties of tomato. UC82B gave the highest fruit yield (23.10 t ha-1) while Mokwa Local recorded the least (12.00 t ha-1). Pinching improved fruit yield of tomato. Plants pinched at 4 WAT gave the highest fruit yield (19.60 t ha-1) and the least obtained from un-pinched plants (12.50 t ha 1). Nutritional qualities (Lycopene, phosphorus, potassium) was best at PT of 6 WAT. It could be concluded from this experiment that, though highest yield of tomato (19.60 t ha-1) occurred with pinching at 4 WAT, the best nutritional qualities were obtained when pinched at 6 WAT. Also, UC82B was better than other varieties in terms of yield performance

Formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded tissues of chickens are useful for retrospective studies on pathology of H5N1 Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Virus (HPAI) outbreaks in Nigeria

In a retrospective study, histopathology and immunohistochemistry (IHC) were performed on formalin-fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) archival tissues from chickens obtained during outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 that occurred in Nigeria in 2006 and 2007. Ten samples as representative of 10 outbreaks were selected, and following the detection of HPAI viral antigen in different chicken tissues using IHC, RNA was extracted from each sample and molecular analysis was performed using real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) targeting matrix protein. Seven rRT-PCR positive samples were then subjected to conventional and rRT-PCR assays for the amplification of hemagglutinin (HA) gene. Four of them were further characterized by sequence analysis of a short HA2-part of the H5 gene. Along the 154 nucleotides sequenced, differences at 4 positions were detected in one sample. One of these mutations led to an amino acid exchange at position 544 (Ala>Thr) whereas the others were silent. The study suggests the potential application for retrospective IHC and PCR analysis of FFPE tissues from chickens involved in the AI outbreaks for pathologic studies and providing short fragment sequences which may help in the characterization of viral strains and tracing the outbreaks. This is important as archived poultry tissues can be re-examined for possibility of earlier introduction of the virus.Keywords: Avian influenza; FFPE; H5N1; Nigeria; Immunohistochemistry; real-time RT-PC

REPRODUCTIVE RESPONSE TO INCLUSION OF GRADED LEVELS OF Ipomoea purpurea LEAF MEAL (MORNING GLORY) IN DIETS OF LAYING CHICKENS

Reproductive responses of laying birds fed Ipomea purpurea leaf meal (IPML) were investigated. Atotal of 40, 25-weeks old birds grouped into four treatments of 0, 2.5, 5.0 and 7.5% inclusion levels of IPML were used for this experiment in a completely randomized design layout. The birds were artificially inseminated with semen from cockerels on controlled diet thrice in a week. A total of 400 eggs were collected and set in an incubator. There were no significant differences (p>0.05) in Hen day production,feed/dozen eggs and the egg characteristics investigated. The blood glucose levels significantly decreased (p<0.05) while level of progesterone significantly increased (p<0.05) with increase inlevel of IPLM inclusion. The percentages of fertility and hatchability were high while the survivability was 100%. It can be concluded that IPLM inclusion level of up to 7.50% supports high fertility, hatchability and survivability and could be used in breeder diets for the production of fertile eggs