Dynamic Voltage Scaling Techniques for Energy Efficient Synchronized Sensor Network Design

Building energy-efficient systems is one of the principal challenges in wireless sensor networks. Dynamic voltage scaling (DVS), a technique to reduce energy consumption by varying the CPU frequency on the fly, has been widely used in other settings to accomplish this goal. In this paper, we show that changing the CPU frequency can affect timekeeping functionality of some sensor platforms. This phenomenon can cause an unacceptable loss of time synchronization in networks that require tight synchrony over extended periods, thus preventing all existing DVS techniques from being applied. We present a method for reducing energy consumption in sensor networks via DVS, while minimizing the impact of CPU frequency switching on time synchronization. The system is implemented and evaluated on a network of 11 Imote2 sensors mounted on a truss bridge and running a high-fidelity continuous structural health monitoring application. Experimental measurements confirm that the algorithm significantly reduces network energy consumption over the same network that does not use DVS, while requiring significantly fewer re-synchronization actions than a classic DVS algorithm.unpublishedis peer reviewe

collected from South and South-eastern regions of Turkey

A total of 45 lizards (Acanthodactylus harranensis [n = 15], Acanthodacthylus schreiberi [n = 9] and Mesalina brevirostris [n = 21]) were collected from South and Southeastern Regions of Turkey and examined for helminth fauna. Acanthodactylus harranensis harbored 1 species of Nematoda (Skrjabinodon sp.), 1 species of Cestoda (Oochoristica tuberculata) and 1 species of Acanthocephala (Centrorhynchus sp. [cystacanth]). Acanthodactylus schreiberi harbored unidentified cysticercoids. Mesalina brevirostris harbored 1 species of Nematoda (Spauligodon saxicolae). All lizards represents new host records for the helminths reported in this study

Smart wearable stress monitoring device for autistic children

Vital sign monitoring is the process of recording human physiological signals in order to determine the mental stress level. High stress levels can prove tobe dangerous especially for certain individuals such as autistic children who are not able to express mounting levels of stress before it leads to a full anxiety attack. This paper presents the prototype design of a real-time embedded device that accurately measures heart rate and galvanic skin response (GSR) in a non-invasive and non-intrusive way which is then used by the intelligent decision making module that uses fuzzy logic to determine the stress level of the user. Such a device could be used with autistic children in order to give early warning of an impending anxiety attack and help adults to prevent it from happening. The prototype was designed using Arduino mega platform and tested with 35 clinical patients in three experimental settings targeted to induce low stress, medium stress and high stress response. Initial results have shown that the device is capable of detecting and displaying the various stress levels efficiently

The Clinical Utility of a Precision Medicine Blood Test Incorporating Age, Sex, and Gene Expression for Evaluating Women with Stable Symptoms Suggestive of Obstructive Coronary Artery Disease: Analysis from the PRESET Registry.

Background: Evaluating women with symptoms suggestive of coronary artery disease (CAD) remains challenging. A blood-based precision medicine test yielding an age/sex/gene expression score (ASGES) has shown clinical validity in the diagnosis of obstructive CAD. We assessed the effect of the ASGES on the management of women with suspected obstructive CAD in a community-based registry. Materials and Methods: The prospective PRESET (A Registry to Evaluate Patterns of Care Associated with the Use of Corus® CAD in Real World Clinical Care Settings) Registry (NCT01677156) enrolled 566 patients presenting with symptoms suggestive of stable obstructive CAD from 21 United States primary care practices from 2012 to 2014. Demographics, clinical characteristics, and referrals to cardiology or further functional and/or anatomical cardiac studies after ASGES testing were collected for this subgroup analysis of women from the PRESET Registry. Patients were followed for 1-year post-ASGES testing. Results: This study cohort included 288 women with a median age 57 years. The median body mass index was 29.2, with hyperlipidemia and hypertension present in 48% and 43% of patients, respectively. Median ASGES was 8.5 (range 1-40), with 218 (76%) patients having low (≤15) ASGES. Clinicians referred 9% (20/218) low ASGES versus 44% (31/70) elevated ASGES women for further cardiac evaluation (odds ratio 0.14, p < 0.0001, adjusted for patient demographics and clinical covariates). Across the score range, higher ASGES were associated with a higher likelihood of posttest cardiac referral. At 1-year follow-up, low ASGES women experienced fewer major adverse cardiac events than elevated ASGES women (1.3% vs. 4.2% respectively, p = 0.16). Conclusions: Incorporation of ASGES into the diagnostic workup demonstrated clinical utility by helping clinicians identify women less likely to benefit from further cardiac evaluation

Draft genome sequence of a Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi strain resistant to fourth-generation cephalosporin and fluoroquinolone antibiotics

ABSTRACT Typhoid is endemic in developing countries. We report here the first draft genome sequence of a Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi clinical isolate from Pakistan exhibiting resistance to cefepime (a fourth-generation cephalosporin) and fluoroquinolone antibiotics, two of the last-generation therapies against this pathogen. The genome is ~4.8 Mb, with two putative plasmids. </jats:p

Bringing About a Behavioural Change in Providers to Meet the Reproductive Health Needs of Clients

The international conference on population and development held in Cairo in 1994 has became a historical turning point in the way population policies and programmes are perceived and sexual and reproductive health services are conceptualised and delivered. Inherent in the ICPD plan of action is the concept of care that recommends providing a range of reproductive health services to both men and women, that are safe and effective, and that satisfy clients, needs and wants. Clients are far more likely to use services that are of high quality. Achieving quality care requires complying with high technical and ethical standards (such as freedom of choice, informed consent, and freedom from coercion and abuse) and providing services at costs that are affordable to both clients and health care system. The most common barriers to quality are negative provider attitudes or behaviours, poor interactions between clients and providers, a lack of essential drugs and supplies in facilities, and delays in referrals to other necessary services. Pakistan has among the worst reproductive health indicators in the developing world. It has lagged behind many of its neighbours in terms of its social indicators. Access to health and educational facilities, especially in the rural areas has remained outstandingly weak. Maternal and infant mortality rates are unacceptably high at above 500 per 100,000 and 80 per 1000 births, respectively. Malnutrition, anaemia and reproductive tract infections are widely prevalent in women.

Draft genome sequence of the blaOXA-436- and blaNDM-1-harboring Shewanella putrefaciens SA70 isolate

ABSTRACT We sequenced a carbapenem-resistant Shewanella putrefaciens isolate cultured from the sink handle of a Pakistan hospital room. Assembly annotation indicates that the isolate has a chromosomal bla OXA-436 carbapenemase and a plasmid-borne bla NDM-1 gene. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a Shewanella species harboring bla NDM . </jats:p

Screening of maize germplasm for Turcicum leaf blight resistance

: A study was conducted during Kharif 2012 and 2013 at Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir, Shalimar Campus Srinagar with the objective of screening sixty maize genotypes against Turcicum leaf blight caused by Exserohilum turcicum (Pass.) Leonard and Suggs. Field experiment was laid out in a randomized block design with three replications. In order to ensure establishment of infection, artificial inoculation of E. turcicum on test genotypes was made twice at 30 and 40 days after sowing with two different methods of inoculation (spraying on foliage of maize with spore suspension of pathogen @ 5x104 spores/ml at 30 DAS and by whorl drop inoculation of pathogen multiplies on sorghum grains at 40 DAS). Disease severity on test entries was scored at silk drying stage and studies revealed that two inbred lines, viz., NAI-112 and NAI-147, and one hybrid, viz., HQPM-1 were found resistant with pooled disease intensity of 4.12 per cent, 4.04 per cent and 4.38 per cent, respectively. Four inbred lines, viz., KDM 381 A, KDM 918 A, NAI-152 and NAI-167 were found susceptible with pooled disease intensity of 52.82 per cent, 51.02 per cent, 58.58 per cent and 61.33 per cent, respectively. The remaining genotypes were moderately resistant to moderately susceptible