A comparative study of cloud services use by prospective IT professionals in five countries

Individuals and organizations utilise the cloud technology and its services in various ways. Cloud-based services are becoming increasingly popular, while there is no adequate knowledge offered for their secure use in the education for future IT professionals. It is important to understand how security and privacy issues are perceived and handled by male/female users and IT professionals of different cultures. The authors aim at presenting and scrutinizing information about cloud services’ use by prospective IT professionals in five countries, namely China, Finland, Greece, Nepal, and the UK. In particular the authors, wanting to find out what are the future IT professionals’ conceptualisations and awareness, collected data from male and female IT students in higher education, who use (or not) cloud services. The authors further illustrate the research findings by proceeding to a comparative analysis considering different perspectives such as: gender, education background, national culture (values and culture), and IT-related knowledge. The final research outcomes reveal attention-grabbing information for future IT professionals’ skills, knowledge, and digital competencies. For the IT professionals and software quality engineering communities the latter comprise a body of realistic knowledge, worthy of note when designing curricula for security technology by accommodating practical and accessible solutions (e.g., cryptography-based cloud security) for developing and enhancing the IT professionals’ role

Speed Sensorless based Sliding Mode Control of BLDC Motor Drivefor Electric Vehicle

Electric vehicles are having significant priority in transportation including goods, public transport etc. among many technologies in electric vehicle, brushless DC (BLDC) motors operated eclectic drives are mostly used. Speed sensorless control is required to implement for obtaining a best performance. At the same time, a sliding mode controller (SMC) can be able to produce the ultimate response under various conditions. Hence sensorless speed control with SMC of BLDC motor is implemented in this paper to drive the electric vehicle. In order to develop speed sensorless of motor, a model reference adaptive control (MRAC) system is developed. However, obtaining a fastest response is very important in electric vehicle speed control. Hence a TS-Fuzzy model is developed to use in the place of conventional PI controllers. Extensive results are collected for presentation by establishing Hardware – in the – Loop (HIL) with the help of two OPAL-RT devices

Novel MPPT algorithm with MIWO for PV Power Generation System under Partial Shading

A Modified Invasive Weed Optimization (EIWO) method has been created and combined with the perturb & observe (P&O) algorithm in order to maximize the power output of a photovoltaic (PV) system amidst sudden weather variations and instances of partial shading. Extracting the maximum power from photovoltaic systems under partial shading conditions poses a challenge, as traditional P&O algorithms are unable to accurately identify the maximum power point (MPP) due to the presence of multiple MPPs. Evolutionary optimization techniques have the capability to attain the global maximum power point under such circumstances. The MIWO-based P&O algorithm adjusts the reference voltage in order to optimize the operation of the PV system at the maximum power point based on prevailing weather conditions. The boost converter is utilized to optimize power output from the PV system and supply it to DC loads. Rapid weather changes are considered for case studies. MATLAB results through OPAL-RT platform by using Hardwrein-Loop (HIL) are presented to validate the performance of the proposed method. Small signal analysis also reported in this paper for better analysis. The robustness of the loop design is also analyzed. Simulations for the small signal model and robustness studies are conducted for a specific set of system parameters to validate the findings

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Abstract Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

Reactions of tin- and triorganotin(IV) isopropoxides with thymol derivative: Synthesis, characterization and in vitro antimicrobial screening

A new series of diisopropyloxytin- and triorganotin(IV) complexes of H2hbgl (1) of the general formula Sn(OPri)2(hbgl) (2), Sn(OPri)2(Hhbgl)2 (3), Ph3Sn(Hhbgl) (4), Bu3Sn(Hhbgl) (5) and Me3Sn(Hhbgl) (6), [where H2hbgl= a ligand of thymol derivative namely, N-(2-hydroxy-3-isopropyl-6-methyl benzyl)Glycine] were synthesized by reacting tin- and triorganotin(IV) chloride with the ligand, with the aid of sodium iso-propoxide in appropriate stiochiometric ratios (1:1 and 1:2). These complexes were characterized by elemental analysis, IR, 1H nuclear magnetic resonance. The spectral data suggest that the carboxylate group, in complexes 2-5, was bonded in a bidentate manner, while a unidentate bonding was observed in complex 6. All five complexes were tested in vitro for their antibacterial activity against Gram-positive bacteria namely, Staphylococcus aureus MTCC 96, Bacillus subtilis MTCC 121 and two Gram-negative bacteria namely, Escherichia coli MTCC 1652 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa MTCC 741. All the five complexes were also tested against three pathogenic fungal strains namely, Aspergillus niger, A. flavus and Penicillium sp

Magnesium deficiency increases oxidative stress in rats

1275-1279<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;mso-bidi-font-size:8.5pt;font-family:" times="" new="" roman","serif""="">Magnesium deficiency has been implicated in the development of atheroselerosis and late diabetic complications, diseases often associated with increased oxidative stress. Present study was carried out to examine the effect of magnesium deficiency on oxidative stress and total radical trapping anti oxidant parameter (calculated) in rats and correlate it with the development of free radical mediated diseases. Male Wistar rats were divided into two groups and pair fed for six weeks with low magnesium diet (70 mg/kg) and control diet (990 mg/kg) prepared synthetically . Deionized water was given adlibitium.  Low magnesium diet caused a significant decrease in plasma and red blood cell magnesium levels. A marked increase in plasma malondialdehyde and corresponding decrease in total radical trapping anti oxidant parameters (calculated) were observed in the low magnesium diet group than control group. The level of plasma glucose increased moderately in the low magnesium diet group. Hypertriglyceridemia and significantly decreased plasma HDL (high density lipoprotein) cholesterol levels were observed in the low magnesium diet group. The results clearly demonstrate that magnesium deficiency is associated with increased oxidative stress through reduction in plasma antioxidants and increased lipid <span style="font-size: 13.5pt;mso-bidi-font-size:8.5pt;font-family:" times="" new="" roman","serif""="">peroxidation suggesting that the increased oxidative stress may be due to increased susceptibility of body organs to free radical injury. </span

Metachronous multicentric giant cell tumour of bone in a 12-year-old girl: A case report and review of literature

While giant cell tumour of bone is a relatively common tumour in adults, it is exceedingly rare in children. Multicentric metachronous giant cell tumour is an even rarer presentation of this tumour in skeletally immature patients. We present here the challenges in management of this rare tumour. A 12-year-old girl presented with a giant cell tumour affecting four different bones sequentially, three times within a 3-year period. The disease first appeared in the right distal fibula, then a year later in ipsilateral talus and calcaneus and finally a year later, in the T5 vertebral body, all requiring surgical treatment. Our strategy was to manage this lesion aggressively based on the limited literature available and present our own long-term surveillance strategy. Our patient responded well to treatment each time and has remained disease-free for 24 months from her last surgery. This is a rare case of metachronous multicentric giant cell tumour of bone in a skeletally immature patient requiring aggressive treatment and surveillance