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An Adaptive Mac Protocol (DQ-MAC) for Efficient Dynamic Spectrum Access in Cognitive Radio Networks
Get PDFCognitive Radio Networks (CRNs) require dynamic spectrum access as a way to maximize the use of inadequate spectrum resources with minimal interference from licensed primary users. MAC protocols of a traditional nature frequently fail to respond effectively in real-time to changing channel availability, resulting in poor spectrum utilization and high rates of collisions. This work presents a new Deep Q-Network (DQN)-based MAC protocol that learns and adapts to the shifting spectrum environment, allowing secondary users to make insightful, instantaneous channel access choices. The development and assessment of the protocol occurred across different environments—urban, rural, and indoor—representing unique ranges of spectrum availability and interference issues. The simulations ran on MATLAB, utilizing actual user mobility, Rayleigh fading, interference, and noise conditions in the real world. Results show that the DQN-based MAC protocol markedly outperforms traditional random channel selection across major performance assessments, realizing up to 71% higher throughput, 58% less collisions, and improved equity within user interactions. The results show improvement in the spectrum efficiency and user performance in real time
Health Benefits of Nutritional Composition of Cocoyam (Colocasia esculanta) Tuber and Leaves: A Comparative Study
Get PDFThis study investigated the proximate composition, phytochemical content, and amino acid profiles of cocoyam (Colocasia esculenta) tuber and leaves. Proximate analysis revealed that the samples contained 16.63% crude protein, 3.19% fat, 8.38% ash, 6.37% crude fiber, 6.51% moisture, and 58.94% carbohydrate on average. Phytochemical screening identified the presence of oxalates, saponins, alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, and cyanide in varying concentrations. Amino acid profiling showed that the samples contained all essential amino acids with leucine (6.99%), lysine (4.46%), and isoleucine (4.21%) being the most abundant. Glutamic acid (10.29%) and aspartic acid (8.87%) were the predominant non-essential amino acids. The total amino acid content ranged from 54.84 to 74.85 g/100g protein. Essential amino acid scores indicated that most amino acids met or exceeded FAO/WHO reference values, with phenylalanine + tyrosine having the highest score. The study reveals that cocoyam tubers are excellent sources of energy, while the leaves are significantly higher in protein and essential amino acids than other widely consumed leaves, highlighting its potential as some nutrient-dense food source rich in essential amino acids and carbohydrates
Trace Metals in Tilapia zilli and Clarias batrachus Fishes Associated with Water and Soil Sediment from River Rukubi in Doma, Nasarawa State, Nigeria
Get PDFThis study was conducted to investigate the pollution level of heavy metals such as Pb, Cr, Ni, Mn, Zn and Fe in the water, sediment and body organs (head, intestine & tile) of Tilapia zilli and Clarias batrachus from River Rukubi Doma, Nasarawa State. This was carried out using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer. Magnesium was the most highly concentrated in the various matrices. Metal levels in the various body organs of the two fishes studied were found to be highly concentrated in the head. Comparison of metal levels in the body parts of the two fishes, sediment and water showed that Cu (85.9%) had the widest variability while Mg (13.1%) was the least. Also comparison of metal levels in the body parts of the Tilapia zilli and Clarias batrachus showed that Mg has the highest mean metal concentration in Clarias batrachus (655.85 µgg-1) than in Tilapia zilli (608.40 µgg-1). Iron showed the highest mean metal concentration in Tilapia zilli (166.51 µgg-1) than in Clarias batrachus (57.20 µgg-1). The heavy metals determined were mostly within the ranged of acceptable limit with exception of Pb, Cr and Mn. In view of this study it is recommended that biological monitoring of fishes meant for consumption from this water body be carried out regularly to ensure human safety. This study contributes to understanding the evaluation of metals level in fishes and their importance in food balanced approach for essential benefits
Fixed Point Theory in Semigroups and Applications in Optimization Problems
Get PDFIn this work, we introduce a new class of hybrid fixed points which arise from transformations within semigroups that exhibit both contractive and hybrid contraction properties. These fixed points have proven particularly useful in the context of optimization problems, providing a framework that guarantees convergence. The study highlights the application of hybrid fixed points in a variety of optimization schemes. By leveraging the hybrid contraction condition, it is shown that these methods offer improved stability, faster convergence, and more reliable solutions. These results are particularly significant for fields such as machine learning, where optimization algorithms often struggle with convergence issues in high dimensional spaces
RELIABILITY ANALYSIS OF A HYBRID PV/WIND/BATTERY SYSTEM USING EVENT TREE APPROACH
Get PDFRenewable energy sources are very attractive energy sources due to their abundant available nature, highly clean energy source because of their environmental friendly nature and cheap continuous nature. However, because of their intermittent available property, hybrid renewable energy sources are used to counter this drawback. In this study, the reliability of a hybrid renewable energy complex system with five components subsystem is evaluated. The reliability of the components is assumed to follow the Weibull failure laws. The reliability of the system is determined using the Event Tree approach. The effect of operating time (t), failure parameter (λ) and repair parameters (β) are shown both graphically and numerically for arbitrarily value of different parameters. The sensitivity analysis was carried out to investigate the overall system reliability with the value of t ranges between 0 and 0.5, λ between 0.01 and 0.05 and β between 0.1 and 0.5. The practical realization of this study is envisioned in a hybrid renewable power system networ
Investigating Human Perception on Extent of Postharvest Spoilage of Potato in Two Local Government Areas in Ogun State, Nigeria.
Get PDFPotato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is a globally important crop that plays a vital role in providing food and income for many populations. Several factors have been identified as limiting the realization of food security in many countries around the world. Increasing food availability thus involves not only increasing agricultural productivity, but also reducing food losses.
This study focused on evaluating the incidence of potato postharvest spoilage among local store owners in Ijebu North and Ijebu Ode local governments using a descriptive design methodology. Supermarkets and local store owners in Ijebu North and Ijebu Ode local governments were included as participants, and data was collected using structured questionnaires. A sample size of 150 respondents was used; the collected data were analysed using descriptive statistics in SPSS. The findings of the study indicated that potato postharvest spoilage predominantly occurs during the wet seasons. It was observed that proper handling of potatoes during storage and the use of suitable storage areas can help reduce the incidence of potato rot diseases.
In conclusion, Potato rot disease is a significant problem for potato farmers in Nigeria, and it can have devastating effects on their livelihoods. The disease has the potential to reduce crop yields, deteriorate potato quality, and even lead to complete crop failure. Therefore, implementing appropriate measures such as proper handling and proper storage practices are crucial for mitigating the occurrence and impact of potato rot diseases thus promoting food security in Nigeria
Identification and Pathogenicity of Fungi Associated with Anthracnose Disease of Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) In Lafia, Nasarawa State
Get PDFAnthracnose disease is a critical challenge in pepper cultivation, particularly in tropical and subtropical regions like Nigeria, leading to significant yield losses and reduced fruit quality annually. A study was conducted to identify and control pathogens associated with anthracnose disease of pepper fruits in Lafia. Fungi associated with infected fruits were isolated and identified using morphological characteristics. Identified fungi were subjected to pathogenicity tests to evaluate their disease producing potentials in healthy pepper fruits. Results of morphological identification of the fungi isolated from anthracnosed pepper fruits in Lafia showed that the fungi were identified in two genera, namely Aspergillus and Fusarium. Results of pathogenicity test showed that fruit rot diameters were higher in fruits inoculated with A. niger (5.12 cm), compared to fruits inoculated with Fusarium sp. (1.90 cm diameter) after six days. The differences in rot diameters among the pepper fruits inoculated with the two fungi were significant (P ≤ 0.05). Control measures targeted at the prevention of fruit contamination by A. niger will go a long way to minimize yield losses of tomato in the study area
A Greener Spectroscopic Approach for the Quantification of Ketoconazole in Pharmaceutical Formulations
Get PDFKetoconazole as a synthetic imidazole derivative, has emerged as a significant therapeutic agent in the field of antifungal pharmacology. Its unique mechanism of action, pharmacokinetic properties and clinical efficacy have positioned it as an essential component in the treatment of various fungal diseases, leading it to gain significant attention in medical mycology. Unfortunately, incorrect dosage or wrong pharmaceutical formulations of ketoconazole drug, can cause adverse health effects, which may include the reduced efficacy, hepatotoxicity and other unintended side effects. However, most of the conventional methods followed for the quantification of ketoconazole active ingredient in pharmaceutical samples pose significant threat to environment, and are rendered undesirable and damaging to habitable environment. Hence, there is a need for coming up with safer analytical alternatives that minimize the discharge of hazardous chemicals. This research endeavours to address the multifaceted challenges by validating a developed spectrophotometric technique, offering reliable solution in promoting a green methodology for the quantitative determination of ketoconazole active ingredient. Sample solutions of 100 ppm, 50 ppm, 25 ppm, 12.5 ppm and 6.25 ppm were prepared in water for each of the four selected brands (Axo-1, Derm-2, Ketora-3 & Keta-4) and the absorbance of each solution was taken separately at a wavelength of 240 nm, using 1 cm cell. Calibration curve for each of the tested brands indicates a linear correlation between concentrations and measured absorbance, which simply validates the accuracy of this procedure. The research finally recommends engagement of more brands on this approach for further validation and accommodation
Nutritional and Antinutritional Composition of Defatted Flours, Protein Concentrates and Protein Isolates of Honey Bean (Vigna unguilculata L Kalp) and Pinto Black (Phaseolus vulgaris)
Get PDFNutritional and antinutritional composition of honey bean (Vigna unguiculata L. Kalp) and pinto black bean (Phaseolus vulgaris), along with their defatted flour (DF), protein concentrate (PC), and protein isolate (PI), were studied. Protein concentrates and isolates were prepared from defatted seeds using the isoelectric precipitation method, followed by proximate and antinutritional analyses. The results showed carbohydrate compositions of 56.24% & 61.45% in DF, 16.26% & 19.43% in PC, and 3.36% & 1.35% in PI for honey bean (HB) and pinto black bean (PB), respectively. The protein values of the samples differed significantly (p < 0.05), showing a progressive increase from DF (33.35% & 27.92%) to PC (75.16% & 72.28%) and PI (88.17% & 92.02%), respectively. The percentage of ash, fiber, fat, and moisture in the defatted flours was 4.11% & 4.11%, 2.52% & 2.22%, 1.55% & 2.01%, and 2.23% & 2.97% for honey bean and pinto black bean, respectively. Only trace amounts of fat were detected in PC and PI. The antinutritional factors studied included phytate (3.42% & 3.40%), saponins (0.70% & 0.82%), tannins (0.20 mg/100 g & 12.62 mg/100 g), alkaloids (8.33% & 8.05%), oxalates (1.27% & 0.23%), flavonoids (3.73% & 2.08%), cyanide (0.52 mg/100 g & 0.24 mg/100 g), and total phenols (0.87% & 0.58%) in DF. The levels of these antinutritional factors in PC and PI were significantly lower and posed no nutritional concerns. The amino acid profile indicated that both samples contained substantial amounts of essential amino acids. The most abundant essential amino acid was leucine, with values of 4.55 & 4.81 g/100 g crude protein in DF, 5.90 & 5.17 g/100 g crude protein in PC, and 10.53 & 9.19 g/100 g crude protein in PI. Glutamic acid was the most abundant amino acid across all samples, with the highest concentration observed in PI (17.76 & 19.00 g/100 g crude protein). The amino acid analysis demonstrated that the PI samples were superior compared to the FAO/WHO provisional reference pattern. However, supplementation may be necessary for DF samples. The results also suggest that the isolates can be used to supplement cereal-based diet
Nutritional Evaluation of the Protein-Enrichment Potentials of Sweet Potato Peels Subjected to Submerge Fermentation with Bacteria Isolate from Pineapple Peels
Get PDFAs the global population rises, the demand for protein in food and animal feed also escalates, straining conventional sources and driving up the cost of animal feed. This highlights the need for alternative, cost-effective protein sources. Agricultural waste, particularly sweet potato peels, remains underutilized despite its potential as a valuable protein-enrichment resource. This study aimed to enhance the protein content of sweet potato peels through submerged fermentation using Bacillus isolates from pineapple peels. The fermentation process was conducted for three weeks with three groups: Saccharomyces cerevisiae, bacterial isolates from pineapple peels, and spontaneous fermentation as a positive control. The unfermented sample served as the negative control. Proximate analysis and amino acid profiling were performed on both fermented and unfermented samples. The fermentation process led to a significant increase in protein content, with 17 amino acids detected. This study demonstrates the potential of utilizing sweet potato peels, a common agricultural waste, as a protein-enriched resource, offering a sustainable alternative protein source for food and feed applications