ReverseCloak: A Reversible Multi-level Location Privacy Protection System

With the fast popularization of mobile devices and wireless networks, along with advances in sensing and positioning technology, we are witnessing a huge proliferation of Location-based Services (LBSs). Location anonymization refers to the process of perturbing the exact location of LBS users as a cloaking region such that a user's location becomes indistinguishable from the location of a set of other users. However, existing location anonymization techniques focus primarily on single level unidirectional anonymization, which fails to control the access to the cloaking data to let data requesters with different privileges get information with varying degrees of anonymity. In this demonstration, we present a toolkit for ReverseCloak, a location perturbation system to protect location privacy over road networks in a multi-level reversible manner, consisting of an 'Anonymizer' GUI to adjust the anonymization settings and visualize the multilevel cloaking regions over road network for location data owners and a 'De-anonymizer' GUI to de-anonymize the cloaking region and display the reduced region over road network for location data requesters. With the toolkit, we demonstrate the practicality and effectiveness of the ReverseCloak approach

Response of gerbera under soil and soil-less production systems

Response of gerbera var. Arka Nesara was studied under different soil-less production systems with the aim to improve quality, productivity and water use efficiency, in completely randomized design with eight treatments viz., deep flow technique (DFT), nutrient film technique (NFT), aggregate wick system (AWS) with pots on NFT bench, AWS with pots on ground, AWS with grow bags on ground, AWS on soil bed, aeroponics and conventional soil-based drip system, which were replicated five times. Results revealed that AWS with pots on ground recorded maximum plant height (31.66 cm), leaf length (21.31 cm), leaf breadth (9.96 cm) and stalk diameter near neck (4.75 mm), minimum stem deviation (1.27 cm) and stem deflection (2.2o), prolonged vase life (9.2 days), greater water use efficiency (92 mL/plant/day) and water saving (83.46%). Hence, cultivation of gerbera var. Arka Nesara under aggregate wick system with pots on ground could be the superior alternative for traditional soil cultivation

Tilting a ground-state reactivity landscape by vibrational strong coupling

Many chemical methods have been developed to favor a particular product in transformations of compounds that have two or more reactive sites. We explored a different approach to site selectivity using vibrational strong coupling (VSC) between a reactant and the vacuum field of a microfluidic optical cavity. Specifically, we studied the reactivity of a compound bearing two possible silyl bond cleavage sites—Si–C and Si–O, respectively—as a function of VSC of three distinct vibrational modes in the dark. The results show that VSC can indeed tilt the reactivity landscape to favor one product over the other. Thermodynamic parameters reveal the presence of a large activation barrier and substantial changes to the activation entropy, confirming the modified chemical landscape under strong coupling

Utilización de extractos del alga Sargassum myriocystum como estimulante de plántulas de Vigna mungo (L.) Hepper

The effect of seaweed liquid fertilizer (SLF) of Sargassum myriocystum on germination, growth and biochemical constituents of Vigna mungo was studied. Different concentrations (5%, 10%, 25%, 50% and 75%) of SLF were prepared using distilled water. A total of 100 seeds were soaked for each SLF concentration for a 24-h period and were later placed in various Petri plates and watered regularly. Water-soaked seeds were used as controls. Seed germination was 98% for the 10% SLF soaked seeds. Similarly, shoot length (21.13 cm seedling-1), root length (12.19 cm seedling-1), fresh weight and dry weight (3.910 and 0.320 g seedling-1) recorded at 10% concentration of S. myriocystum treated seedlings were the highest. Besides, the chlorophyll (0.547 mg g-1 fr. wt.) and carotenoid (0.359 mg g-1 fr. wt.) contents in leaves recorded at 10% SLF soaked seedlings were the highest. The 10% SLF treated seedlings showed the highest content of protein (1.898 and 1.508 mg g–1 fr. wt.), amino acid (0.370 and 0.306 mg g–1 fr. wt.), reducing sugar (6.031 and 3.448 mg g-1 fr. wt.), total sugar (8.414 and 7.055 mg mL-1 fr. wt.), alpha-amylase activity (1.403 and 1.380 μg min-1 mg-1 protein) and beta-amylase activity (1.099 and 1.029 μg min-1 mg-1 protein) of shoots and roots respectively. The seaweed extract showed better response at lower concentration while higher concentrations of seaweed extract showed a decreasing trend.Se estudió el efecto de un fertilizante líquido de algas marinas (SLF) preparado con Sargassum myriocystum sobre la germinación, crecimiento y componentes bioquímicos de Vigna mungo. Se introdujeron 100 semillas durante 24 h en diferentes concentraciones (5%, 10%, 25%, 50% y 75%) de SLF (en agua el control), se colocaron en placas de Petri y se regaron con regularidad. La germinación fue del 98% para las semillas introducidas en SLF al 10%. La longitud de los brotes (21,13 cm plántula-1), longitud de la raíz (12,19 cm plántula-1), peso fresco y peso seco (3,910 y 0,320 g plántula-1), clorofila (0,547 mg g-1 peso fresco) y contenido en carotenoides (0,359 mg g-1 peso fresco) fueron las mayores en esta concentración. Adicionalmente, esta concentración produjo el mayor contenido de proteínas (1,898 y 1,508 mg g-1 peso fresco), aminoácidos (0,370 y 0,306 mg g-1 peso fresco), azúcares reductores (6,031 y 3,448 mg g-1 peso fresco), azúcares totales (8,414 y 7,055 mg g-1 peso fresco), actividad alfa-amilasa (1,403 y 1,380 μg min-1 mg-1 proteína) y actividad beta-amilasa (1,099 y 1,029 μg min-1 mg-1 proteína) de brotes y raíces, respectivamente. Por tanto, el SLF produjo una mejor respuesta a bajas concentraciones, mientras que con concentraciones más altas se obtuvo una respuesta decreciente

Removal of Machine industrial from wastewater using cylindrical flow reactor by electrochemical oxidation and optimization of treatment conditions

This work examines the use of electrooxidation for treatment of wash water obtained from industry. Cutting oil was mainly found in the wastewater. The effluent was treated using NaCl as supporting electrolyte using a cylindrical flow reactor in continuous (single pass) mode under various current densities (2-5 A/dm2) and different flow rate (10-40 L/h).  By cyclic voltammetric (CV) analysis, the best condition for maximum redox reaction was found. Efficiency of COD reduction and power consumption were studied for each operating conditions. From the results maximum COD reduction of about 93.3 % was obtained at a flow rate of 10 L/h with applied current density of 4 A/dm2. FT-IR spectra studies showed that during electrooxidation, the intensities of characteristic functional groups such as C-H, O-H were reduced and also some new peaks comes to appear. Probable theory, reaction mechanism and modeling were proposed for the oxidation of machine industrial effluent. All the experimental results have indicated that electrooxidation treatment was very effective and was capable of elevating quality of the treated wastewater effluent to the reuse standard of the machine industry

Utilization of seaweed Sargassum myriocystum extracts as a stimulant of seedlings of Vigna mungo (L.) Hepper

The effect of seaweed liquid fertilizer (SLF) of Sargassum myriocystum on germination, growth and biochemical constituents of Vigna mungo was studied. Different concentrations (5%, 10%, 25%, 50% and 75%) of SLF were prepared using distilled water. A total of 100 seeds were soaked for each SLF concentration for a 24-h period and were later placed in various Petri plates and watered regularly. Water-soaked seeds were used as controls. Seed germination was 98% for the 10% SLF soaked seeds. Similarly, shoot length (21.13 cm seedling-1), root length (12.19 cm seedling-1), fresh weight and dry weight (3.910 and 0.320 g seedling-1) recorded at 10% concentration of S. myriocystum treated seedlings were the highest. Besides, the chlorophyll (0.547 mg g-1 fr. wt.) and carotenoid (0.359 mg g-1 fr. wt.) contents in leaves recorded at 10% SLF soaked seedlings were the highest. The 10% SLF treated seedlings showed the highest content of protein (1.898 and 1.508 mg g�1 fr. wt.), amino acid (0.370 and 0.306 mg g�1 fr. wt.), reducing sugar (6.031 and 3.448 mg g-1 fr. wt.), total sugar (8.414 and 7.055 mg mL-1 fr. wt.), alpha-amylase activity (1.403 and 1.380 µg min-1 mg-1 protein) and beta-amylase activity (1.099 and 1.029 µg min-1 mg-1 protein) of shoots and roots respectively. The seaweed extract showed better response at lower concentration while higher concentrations of seaweed extract showed a decreasing trend

Partial Discharge detection as a tool to infer pollution severity of polymeric insulators

This paper deals with the analysis of leakage current and phase angle characteristics of porcelain and silicone rubber insulator in order to develop a better diagnostic tool to identify the pollution severity of outdoor insulators. In this work, laboratory based pollution performance tests are carried out on porcelain and silicone rubber insulator under AC voltage at different pollution levels and relative humidity conditions with sodium chloride as a contaminant. Multi Resolution Signal Decomposition (MRSD) using Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT) is employed to understand the time-frequency characteristics of the leakage current signal. Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) is adopted to calculate the phase angle values of the applied voltage and leakage current. Reported results show that the pollution performance of silicone rubber insulator is far superior when compared with porcelain insulator. Pollution severity of outdoor insulators could be identified from the DWT STD-MRA (Standard Deviation Multi Resolution Analysis) Distortion Ratio pattern analysis of leakage current signals

Investigations on leakage current and phase angle characteristics of porcelain and polymeric insulator under contaminated conditions.

nsulator in order to develop a better diagnostic tool to identify the pollution severity of outdoor insulators. In this work, laboratory based pollution performance tests are carried out on porcelain and silicone rubber insulator under AC voltage at different pollution levels and relative humidity conditions with sodium chloride as a contaminant. Multi Resolution Signal Decomposition (MRSD) using Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT) is employed to understand the time-frequency characteristics of the leakage current signal. Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) is adopted to calculate the phase angle values of the applied voltage and leakage current. Reported results show that the pollution performance of silicone rubber insulator is far superior when compared with porcelain insulator. Pollution severity of outdoor insulators could be identified from the DWT STD-MRA (Standard Deviation Multi Resolution Analysis) Distortion Ratio pattern analysis of leakage current signals

Native language perceptual sensitivity predicts nonnative speech perception differently in younger and older singaporean bilinguals

We investigate in this study how individual variability in native language speech perception (termed Perceptual Sensitivity) influences nonnative speech perception in Singaporean Tamil-English bilinguals. Further, we assess if and how contextual and demographic factors influence Perceptual Sensitivity in the acquired languages and if the influence of Perceptual Sensitivity on nonnative speech perception is different across younger and older bilinguals.Ministry of Education (MOE)This research is supported by the Singapore Ministry of Education, Academic Research Fund, Tier 2 Grants MOE 2019-T2-1-125 and MOE 2015-T2-1-120, and Tier 1 Grant RG 71/18, awarded to A.H.D.C