3GPP Long Term Evolution: Architecture, Protocols and Interfaces

The evolution of wireless networks is a continuous phenomenon. Some key trends in this changing process include: reduced latency, increased performance with substantial reduction in costs, and seamless mobility. Long Term Evolution (LTE) is based on an evolved architecture that makes it a candidate of choice for next generation wireless mobile networks. This paper provides an overview of both the core and access networks of LTE. Functional details of the associated protocols and interfaces are also presented

Growth Response and Serum Biochemistry of Growing Rabbits Fed Graded Levels of Baobab (Adansonia digitata L.) Seed Kernel Meal

The study was conducted for fifty-six (56) days to investigate the effects of feeding baobab seed kernel meal on growth and serum biochemical indices of grower rabbits. Five isonitrogenous, isocaloric and isofibrous rabbit grower diets were formulated to contain 0, 2.5, 5.0, 7.5 and 10.0% baobab seed kernel meal. Twenty (20) cross bred grower rabbits with mean initial live weight of 916±233.04 grams were randomly distributed to five treatments, each replicated four times in a completely randomized design. Final weight, weight gain, feed intake, feed conversion ratio and protein efficiency ratio were not significantly (P>0.05) different. Serum biochemical indices showed that albumin and alanine aminotransferase values were significantly (P<0.05) elevated by additional inclusion of baobab seed kernel. However, this elevation was not out of normal range reported for healthy rabbits. Creatinine was significantly (P<0.05) reduced at up to 5.0% baobab seed kernel inclusion level, but elevated at higher levels of inclusion. Serum biochemistry values for the experimental groups were within normal range, implying healthy nutrition. Baobab seed kernel meal can be fed to grower rabbits up to 10.0% of the diet without deleterious effect on growth and serum biochemistry.Key Words: Grower rabbits, baobab seed kernel, growth, serum biochemistr

Do wildflower strips enhance pest control in organic cabbage?

Within this project we assess whether wildflower strips and companion plants increase the control of cabbage pests Plutella xylostella L. (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae), Mamestra brassicae L. (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) and Pieris rapae L. (Lepidoptera: Pieridae) by (1) naturally occurring parasitoids and predators and (2) mass‐releasedn Trichogramma brassciae (Bezdenko) (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) parasitoids. Two organic cabbage fields were used for this study: adjacent to each field a wildflower strip was sown and companion plants (Centaurea cyanus L. (Asteraceae)) intermixed within the crop. Within each field ~15,000 M. brassicae eggs were placed out to determine the parasitism rates by mass‐released T. brassicae and to assess the levels of egg predation. Over 1,000 lepidopteran larvae were collected and screened for hymenopteran and tachinid parasitoid DNA using a multiplex PCR assay. Invertebrate generalist predators (n=1,063) were collected for DNA‐based gut content analysis. The wildflower strip had a significant positive effect on M. brassicae egg parasitism rates as rates increased 5‐fold in the vicinity to the strip. Moreover, companion plants enhanced invertebrate predation on M. brassicae eggs. Both, the release of T. brassicae and the use of companion plants, however, did not significantly increase egg parasitism rates. The infestation of plants by caterpillars increased with distance to the wildflower strip and there was a trend of decreasing larval parasitism rates with distance to the strip. Currently the invertebrate predators are being molecularly analysed to assess predation on unparasitized and parasitized lepidopteran pests

REFORMING PILLAR 2 –TOWARDS SIGNIFICANT AND SUSTAINABLE RURAL DEVELOPMENT?

With the ongoing “Health Check” and the decisions needed for after 2013, the Common Agricultural Policy is likely to see another major reform and an increase in compulsory modulation. By employing a regional model, this paper compares the long-term impact of spending along the Pillar 2 Axes in NUTS3 areas on selected indicators of sustainability in several peripheral areas across Europe. The four case study areas are: Pinzgau-Pongau (a tourism-dominated alpine area in Austria), the Wetterau (an urbanised industrial area in Germany), Gorenjska (a tourism and manufacturing dominated area in Slovenia) and Caithness-Sutherland (a remote area in Scotland). The results suggest although devolution in European rural development policy has taken over the last 10 years, there is further need to restore place-based stewardship of public goods and services as well as private investments across rural areas in the European Union. Increasing the importance of Axis 2 and Axis 3 measures (part of CAP Pillar 2) therefore seems an obvious choice for the future. Furthermore, it is clear that the effects of wider societal trends such as the decreasing importance of agriculture, commuting and migration, can be weakened or amplified by EU funding but can not be reversed or significantly changed.CAP, Pillar 2, rural development, Agricultural and Food Policy, R15, Q18, Q01,

Bacterial flora in the Urinary bladder of apparently healthy cattle in Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria

Fifty apparently healthy adult cattle presented for slaughter at the Maiduguri Metropolitan Abattoir were examined to determine the bacterial flora in the urinary bladder. Isolation and identification of the isolates in the aseptic urine samples from the urinary bladder were done according to standard bacteriological techniques. All the animals examined were positive for one bacterial isolates or the other. Proteus (30.0%) and Escherichia coli (30.0%) were the most common bacterial isolates. Other bacteria were Salmonella species (20.0%), Shigella species (14.0%) and Klebsiella species (6.0%). The isolates though from apparently healthy animals could be of health and epidemiological significanceKey Words: Bacterial flora, Bladder, Cattle, Maiduguri

Parasitic Infections of the African Giant Rat (Cricetomys Gambianus) in the Semi-Arid Region of Northeastern, Nigeria

A study of the internal and external parasites infections of the African giant rat (Cricetomys gambianus) was undertaken using standard parasitological methods. Of the 100 wild giant rats captured, 22(43.14%) males and 16(32.65%) females harboured gastrointestinal parasites. Similarly, 14(31.11%) juveniles and 24(43.64%) adults were also infected. Thevarious species of gastrointestinal parasites recovered from the giant rats at post-mortem were Hymenolepis nana 19(50%), Ancylostoma caninum 4(10.53%), Strongyloides stercoralis 7(18.42%), Aspicularis tetraptera 5(13.16%) and Taenia cysts 3(7.89%). The post-mortem worm counts showed that Hymenolepis nana had the highest burden than the otherhelminths. At the same time, 12(23.53%) males, 10(20.41) females, 14(31.11%) juveniles and 8(14.55%) adults also harboured various degree of ectoparasitic infestations. No statistical variation was observed on the prevalence of ectoparasitic infestations according to sex (p>0.05) however, juveniles 14(31.11%) were significantly (

The effect of crude ethanolic leaf extract of Guiera senegalensis J. F. gmel (combretaceae) on the haematological parameters of albino rats experimentally infected with Trypanasoma brucei brucei

The effect of Guiera senegalensis leaf extract was investigated on the blood parameters of albino rats infected with Trypanasoma brucei brucei. Thirty (30) albino rats were randomly divided into six groups (A-F), of five rats each. Rats in groups (A-E) were individually infected with 4×106 of Trypanasoma brucei brucei, while those in group F remained uninfected control. The infected rats were later treated for four consecutive days starting on day 4 post infection. Groups A, B and C were treated orally with 100, 300 and 600 mg/kg of the extract of Guiera senegalensis respectively, while group D was treated with Diminazine aceturate at 3.5 mg/kg once. Rats in groups E and F were not treated during the experiment. Rats treated with the extract at 600 mg/kg survived up to day 12 post infection. Haematological parameters (Packed cell volume (PCV), Haemoglobin concentration (Hb), Red blood cell count (RBC) and White blood cell count (WBC) decreased significantly (p˂0.05) across the days in the extract treated groups compared with the Diminazine aceturate treated (group D) and the uninfected control (group F). Mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH) and mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (MCHC) varied significantly (p˂0.05) in an irregular pattern in the treated groups. Neutrophil, lymphocyte and monocyte decreased significantly (p˂0.05) in the extract treated groups. However, eosinophil count increased significantly (p˂0.05) in the Diminazine aceturate treated group and the uninfected groups. The extract at the highest dosage tested (600 mg/kg) prolonged the survival of the rats, but did not significantly (p˂0.05) improve the haematological parameters investigated. Higher dosages are recommended for further studies.Keywords: Haematology parameters, Guiera senegalensis, Extract, Trypanosoma brucei bruce

Constraining 1 + → 2 Coupled-Channel Amplitudes in a Finite Volume

Whether one is interested in accessing the excited spectrum of hadrons or testing the standard model of particle physics, electroweak transition processes involving multihadron channels in the final state play an important role in a variety of experiments. Presently the primary theoretical tool with which one can study such reactions is lattice QCD, which is defined in a finite spacetime volume. In this work, we investigate the feasibility of implementing existing finite-volume formalism in realistic lattice QCD calculation of reactions in which a stable hadron can transition to one of several two-hadron channels under the action of an external current. We provide a conceptual description of the coupled-channel transition formalism, a practical road map for carrying out a calculation, and an illustration of the approach using synthetic data for two nontrivial resonant toy models. The results provide a proof of principle that such reactions can indeed be constrained using modern-day lattice QCD calculations, motivating explicit computation in the near future

Constraining 1 + → 2 Coupled-Channel Amplitudes in a Finite Volume

Whether one is interested in accessing the excited spectrum of hadrons or testing the standard model of particle physics, electroweak transition processes involving multihadron channels in the final state play an important role in a variety of experiments. Presently the primary theoretical tool with which one can study such reactions is lattice QCD, which is defined in a finite spacetime volume. In this work, we investigate the feasibility of implementing existing finite-volume formalism in realistic lattice QCD calculation of reactions in which a stable hadron can transition to one of several two-hadron channels under the action of an external current. We provide a conceptual description of the coupled-channel transition formalism, a practical road map for carrying out a calculation, and an illustration of the approach using synthetic data for two nontrivial resonant toy models. The results provide a proof of principle that such reactions can indeed be constrained using modern-day lattice QCD calculations, motivating explicit computation in the near future