A Classical LTE Cellular System Simulator for Computer Network Education

The proposal of LTE in the standardization of cellular network systems has received considerable attention in the research domain, and most subscribers widely use it. Despite the enormous acceptance of the system, academia as an industry is usually disadvantaged in training students due to the cost implication in setting up a prototype. In bridging this gap, simulators are traditionally developed as a testbed to aid students appreciate how these systems work. Although there are several simulators available on the market, these simulators are quite expensive to acquire while others come with license restrictions. In this study, a classical LTE cellular system simulator is proposed as a testbed to aid the education of computer networks at college. The proposed simulator is an extension of the functionality of LTE-Sim frameworks. Usability testing of the proposed study reveals that the system is much easier to simulate the various scenarios in wireless communication.

Impact of doubling the recommended dose of Magicforce (Lambda-Cyhalothrin + Dimethoate) on major associated arthropods and performance of watermelon

Some crop growers hold the view that application of pesticides at higher than the manufacturer's recommended doses results in better pest control and crop productivity. The veracity of this perception was evaluated in field experiments at the experimental field of Federal University Wukari. A recommended insecticide and acaricide; ® Magicforce (Lambda-cyhalothrin 15g/L + Dimethoate 300 g/L) was evaluated against insect pests of watermelon (Citrullus lanatus Thunb.) and other associated beneficial arthropods. The experiments were laid in a Randomized Complete Block Design with five treatments (control inclusive). Data collected includes arthropod (pest and beneficial) densities, crop growth, and number of fruits at the early-fruiting stage which were analyzed using variance analysis after appropriate transformations. Student's t-test was used to compare early- and lateseason's variables while correlation and regression analyses were used to determine relationships between key variables. Results showed that plots treated with double the highest manufacturer's recommended dose of ® Magicforce (cost implication of ₦ 144,000) had lower pest (leaf beetle species and Bactrocera cucurbitae) and beneficial arthropod (predatory ants, spiders and Apis mellifera) densities than those treated with the lowest (cost – ₦ 48,000) and highest (cost – ₦ 72,000) recommended doses. Their plant growth (vine length and number of leaves) and fruit production were however comparatively lower though largely statistically comparable. The ® relationship between the quantity of Magicforce applied and number of fruits produced were though positive, 2 2 only moderate and insignificant in both early- (r = 0.665, R = 44.3%, p = 0.220) and late- (r = 0.659, R = 43.4%, p = 0.227) crops. The results revealed that the application of double the manufacturer's recommended dose of ® Magicforce (with its comparatively higher cost implication of 100 – 200%) suppressed growth of watermelon by 1.96 – 6.20%, and impeded fruit production by 9.14 – 13.30%. While there is need to verify the mechanism of this key finding, the need to source for genuine pesticides and follow manufacturer's recommended doses a re highlighted. Keywords: Arthropods, Insect pests, Organophosphate, Pesticide over-dose, Pyrethroid, Watermelon

An efficacy of Zobe dam for hydroelectricity generation in Katsina State, Nigeria

The quest for other alternative and sustainable energy prompted the feasibility assessment of Zobe dam meant for irrigation to produce electricity; In this write-up the scheme is designed to operate with two turbines; turbine T1 to operate all year round to take account of the irrigation need downstream, The second turbine T2 will operate on a spill discharge, and to be available for four months with a generation capacity of 0.969 MW. T1 is expected to discharge 55,500,000m3 within six months to cater for irrigation need with an average discharge rate of 3.6m3 /s. it was found that, the dam has the potential to generate a minimum 0.671MW all year round and a maximum of 1.5MW of power during Peak discharge period. The scheme was designed with minimum modification of the existing infrastructure at site which translate to minimum cost implication in construction, system operation and maintenance. Keywords: Economic transformation, Energy, hydropower, Irrigation farming, Zobe dam,

The Potential of Carbon Footprint Reduction of a Mid-Rise Residential Building in Sarawak

Carbon emission is released into the atmosphere as the result of various activities due to rapid urbanisation and thus contributed to global warming and climate change. The government has taken various initiatives to reduce the impact, including from the construction industry in order to support the carbon footprint reduction of 40% as pledged by the Prime Minister. Various strategies, such as the Malaysian Carbon Reduction and Environmental Sustainability Tool (MyCREST), have been established to promote green building development in Malaysia. Recent studies suggested that the selection of sustainable materials can reduce the overall carbon emission of a building, but the cost has been identified as the main barriers. This paper aims to analyse the potential of carbon footprint reduction by using sustainable material in mid-rise residential building and subsequently to evaluate the cost implication. The impact of the conventional and the selected sustainable materials was assessed using data from the MyCREST tool while the data for cost analysis were taken from various sources of cost data such as JKR Rates online (RATOL), JKR Sarawak Schedule of Rates (SOR), and previous research. The results show that the sustainable materials such as 30% of Blast Furnace Slag (BFS) concrete mixture, Aerated Autoclaved Concrete (AAC) block, and recycled steel roof truss has the potential to reduce the carbon emission. The findings also show that sustainable materials are slightly cheaper than the conventional materials except for the AAC block and clay roof tiles. Therefore, the potential of carbon emission reduction approach by using MyCREST as a guideline tool can assist in the reduction of the environmental impact of buildings.Keywords: Carbon emission, sustainable building materials, cost implication.

Effect of Garlic Oil Inclusion on Carcass Quality, Growth Performance and Cost Implication of Broiler Chickens

This study was carried to evaluate the “Effect of Garlic (Allium sativum) oil inclusion on carcass quality, growth performance and cost implication of broiler chickens”. A total of 180 day–old-(Arboacre) broiler chicks purchased from a reputable hatchery was used in the study which lasted for eight (8) weeks. The birds were divided into four experimental groups; each group was further subdivided into three replicates of fifteen birds per each in a Complete Randomized Design (CRD). The birds were fed on two basal diets (Starter and finisher) in an experiment which lasted for eight weeks. The garlic oil (Allum sativum) was added to the basal diet at (0.00, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3%) level respectively. The treatment were T1, T2, T3, and T4 with T1 serving as control. Growth performance, carcass characteristics, and cost implication were recorded. At the end of the experiment, the birds were slaughtered, dressed to estimate the different parameters. The result showed that the diet with 0.3% garlic oil inclusion had significantly (P<0.5) highest body weight and highest dressing percentage. Control treatment (0.0%) had highest feed intake and best feed conversion ratio. The mortality rate was not affected significantly by the addition of garlic oil in broiler diet. The garlic oil inclusion reduced the mortality rate of the birds, increases productivity and food safety. The result showed on cost implication reveal the economical evaluation of the experiment diets indicated that, the diet with 0.3% level of garlic oil showed the highest profitability ratio as compared to the group. This might be due to the highest return of the weight gains recorded by this group of chicken.