Counteracting Selfish Nodes Using Reputation Based System in Mobile Ad Hoc Networks

A mobile ad hoc network (MANET) is a group of nodes constituting a network of mobile nodes without predefined and pre-established architecture where mobile nodes can communicate without any dedicated access points or base stations. In MANETs, a node may act as a host as well as a router. Nodes in the network can send and receive packets through intermediate nodes. However, the existence of malicious and selfish nodes in MANETs severely degrades network performance. The identification of such nodes in the network and their isolation from the network is a challenging problem. Therefore, in this paper, a simple reputation-based scheme is proposed which uses the consumption and contribution information for selfish node detection and cooperation enforcement. Nodes failing to cooperate are detached from the network to save resources of other nodes with good reputation. The simulation results show that our proposed scheme outperforms the benchmark scheme in terms of NRL (normalized routing load), PDF (packet delivery fraction), and packet drop in the presence of malicious and selfish attacks. Furthermore, our scheme identifies the selfish nodes quickly and accurately as compared to the benchmark scheme

Cytogenetic diagnosis of Roberts SC phocomelia syndrome: First report from Kashmir

There are several syndromes in which specific mitotic chromosomal abnormalities can be seen, like premature centromere separation, premature (sister) chromatid separation, and somatic aneuploidies. Identifications of such specific cytogenetic findings can be the key factor that leads towards the diagnosis of syndromes like Roberts SC phocomelia. The case presented here as Roberts SC phocomelia syndrome was identified as a child with multiple congenital anomalies and dysmorphic features. Conventional cytogenetic analysis of the case revealed premature sister chromatid separation. The premature centromeric separation was also confirmed by C banding analysis of the child. It is the first and the only case of Roberts SC phocomelia diagnosed from this part of the world. The present case report emphasizes the importance of conventional cytogenetics in the diagnosis of such syndromes

Control Plane Compression

We develop an algorithm capable of compressing large networks into a smaller ones with similar control plane behavior: For every stable routing solution in the large, original network, there exists a corresponding solution in the compressed network, and vice versa. Our compression algorithm preserves a wide variety of network properties including reachability, loop freedom, and path length. Consequently, operators may speed up network analysis, based on simulation, emulation, or verification, by analyzing only the compressed network. Our approach is based on a new theory of control plane equivalence. We implement these ideas in a tool called Bonsai and apply it to real and synthetic networks. Bonsai can shrink real networks by over a factor of 5 and speed up analysis by several orders of magnitude.Comment: Extended version of the paper appearing in ACM SIGCOMM 201

Prevalence of chronic pain in the UK : a systematic review and meta-analysis of population studies

Acknowledgements The authors are grateful for the input of Professor Blair Smith (University of Dundee): his counsel early in the project, and his advice and comments regarding the search strategy; and Professor Danielle van der Windt (Keele University) for helpful advice and comments. Funding The British Pain Society provided financial assistance to AF with the costs of this project. PC was partly supported by an Arthritis Research UK Primary Care Centre grant (reference: 18139).Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Lessons of 10 years experience on CCHF in Iran

International audienceCrimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) is a viral zoonotic disease with high mortality rate in humans caused by CCHF virus (CCHFV) belonging to the genus Nairovirus, family Bunyaviridae, and congaing a three segment single-stranded RNA genome. The CCHFV is transmitted to humans by bite of infected ticks, by direct contact with blood or tissues of infected livestock and nosocomially. After Chaharmahal-va-Bakhtiari outbreak in 1999 whose serum samples was sent to South Africa for diagnosis, Arboviruses and Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers Laboratory (As National Reference Lab) was established in 2000 to precise and on time laboratory diagnosis of CCHF in the country. The Lab along with CDC of Iran (national health regulator) and Veterinary organization (control program of tick populations and livestock monitoring) are members of National Expert Committee on Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers (NECVHFs) for surveillance and control of CCHF in Ir

Participatory rural appraisal and farmers’ perception about common bean varieties in temperate Kashmir

Present investigation was undertaken during 2012 to 2014 in which 54 genotypes, both pole and bush type of Common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) were selected among a number of germplasm lines, land races and research material in order to generate information on the farmer’s’ perception about the Common bean varieties. Participatory rural appraisal was conducted in 32 villages of Kashmir through a broad questionnaires comprising of questions pertaining to the socio-economic conditions, farming systems, production constraints and varietal preferences of the common bean. The Participatory Rural Appraisal results revealed that common bean is generally grown as a rainfed crop (70 %) and is intercropped with maize/ potato/vegetable and merely as sole crop (20.66 %). Low yielding varieties and diseases (68.27 %) are considered as major challenges in the success of common bean crop, while as red colour with kidney shaped types (50 %) are highly being preferred as a pulse crop. The exercise of Participatory Rural Appraisal was carried out to generate basic information by assessing the need based constraints and devise the target breeding approach, by taking into consideration all constraints and also devise future breeding programme. A successful PRA provides the information needed to specify the characteristic in a new variety regarding its physical environment and the existing varietal diversity. For a breeding program, well applied Participatory Rural Appraisal techniques or customer profiling results in better client orientation and makes possible efficient goal setting or product design. Successful PRA provides everything that could be included in the full design specification of a new crop variety

Helminth infection in coldwater fishes of Suru river Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir, India

A helminthological survey of coldwater fishes of Ladakh was carried out from November 2007 to April 2009 (18 months). A total of 93 fishes belonging to two species viz., Schizothorax plagiostomus and Diptychus maculatus were collected and examined from different collection sites of Suru river, Kargil. A total of 2 helminth species viz., Neoechinorhynchus yalei Datta, 1936 and Rhabdochona himalayai Fotedar & Dhar, 1977 belonging to two helminth groups, i-e. Acanthocephala and Nematode were reported. It was found that out of 93 hosts examined, 31 were found infected with 43 parasites recovered in total, with an overall prevalence, mean intensity and abundance of 33.33%, 1.38 and 0.46 respectively. Distribution of helminth infection and its relation with sex and size of host was analysed. The helminth infection showed no significant relationship with sex of hosts however it showed mostly significant relation to size of host

Frozen shuffle update for an asymmetric exclusion process on a ring

We introduce a new rule of motion for a totally asymmetric exclusion process (TASEP) representing pedestrian traffic on a lattice. Its characteristic feature is that the positions of the pedestrians, modeled as hard-core particles, are updated in a fixed predefined order, determined by a phase attached to each of them. We investigate this model analytically and by Monte Carlo simulation on a one-dimensional lattice with periodic boundary conditions. At a critical value of the particle density a transition occurs from a phase with `free flow' to one with `jammed flow'. We are able to analytically predict the current-density diagram for the infinite system and to find the scaling function that describes the finite size rounding at the transition point.Comment: 16 page

Temperature Stable and Fatigue Resistant lead-free ceramics for actuators

Lead-free ceramics with the composition 0.91K1/2Bi1/2TiO3–0.09(0.82BiFeO3-0.15NdFeO3-0.03Nd2/3TiO3) were prepared using a conventional solid state, mixed oxide route. The ceramics exhibited a high strain of 0.16% at 6 kV mm1, stable from room temperature to 175 C, with a variation of <10%. The materials were fabricated into multilayer structures by co-firing with Pt internal electrodes. The prototype multilayer actuator exhibited constant strains up to 300 C with a variation of 15%. The composition showed fatigue resistant behaviour in both monolithic and multilayer form after bipolar loading of 106 cycles

Stimulation of the histamine 4 receptor with 4-methylhistamine modulates the effects of chronic stress on the Th1/Th2 cytokine balance.

Alterations to the immune system caused by stress have been considered to markedly increase the risk for immune-related diseases such as cancer and autoimmune disorders. We investigated the potential anti-stress effects of the histamine 4 receptor (H4R) agonist, 4-methylhistamine (4-MeH), in a murine stress model. Mice were placed in 50ml conical centrifuge tubes for 12h followed by a 12h rest. The effects of treatment with 4-MeH (30mg/kg, i.p., twice daily) for 2 days were assessed. At 2 days after physical restraint, mice were sacrificed and tissues harvested. We evaluated the effects of 4-MeH treatment on CD4(+) T cell production, and intracellular IFN-γ and IL-4 expression in these cells. We also assessed IL-1β, IFN-γ, TNF-α, and IL-4 mRNA expression as well as IFN-γ, TNF-α, GITR, Ox40 and IL-4 protein expression in the spleen. The results showed that 4-MeH treatment of stressed mice results in a substantial increase in the CD4(+) T cells as well as in IFN-γ production by these cells. Compared to both untreated and stressed controls. In contrast, IL-4 expression decreased significantly following 4-MeH treatment of mice. Moreover, stimulation of the H4R resulted in up-regulated expression of IL-1β, IFN-γ and TNF-α mRNAs and decreased the expression of IL-4. Western blot analysis confirmed decreased protein expression of IFN-γ, TNF-α, GITR, Ox40 and increased IL-4 in the SC group and treatment of mice with 4-MeH reversed these effects. Our results confirm the significant impact of chronic stress on T cell function and production of Th1/Th2 mediators H4R