ADSORPTION ISOTHERM STUDY FOR THE REMOVAL OF NICKEL IONS FROM AQUEOUS SOLUTION USING THERMAL POWER PLANT FLY ASH

In the present study, the adsorption of nickel ions on the surface of fly ash was investigated. The batch adsorption experiments were performed at constant room temperature 25±10C using Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS) Technique. Three adsorption isotherms such as Temkin, Harkins Jura and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) were used to analyze the results obtained from the experiments. The coefficient of correlation (R2) was determined for each isotherm model to establish the best fit adsorption isotherm model. To carry out the error analysis of the three adsorption isotherm models Chi-square test (Ʃχ2) was used. It was concluded from the laboratory investigations and analysis that BET adsorption isotherm is best-fit adsorption isotherm as per linear coefficient of correlation and by nonlinear Chi-square test

An Empirical Estimation of CSS Cognitive Radio Network Performance under Spectrum Sensing Data Falsification Attack

Cooperative spectrum sensing (CSS) significantly improves the performance of spectrum sensing process in cognitive radio networks (CRNs). Individual spectrum sensing by a cognitive radio (CR) is often inaccurate as the channel often experiences fading and shadowing effects. CSS has been shown to have many advantages in terms of spectrum use and robustness. Despite these facts, a CSS scheme also vulnerable to many security attacks from Malicious users (MUs). In order to get unfair USAge of spectrum band, MUs can generate false spectrum sensing reports to disturb the good secondary users (SUs) decision about presence of primary user (PU). In this paper, we consider the spectrum sensing data falsification attack (SSDF) in CSS and propose the protocol to identify and eliminate the attacker or Malicious user (MU) to improve the network performance. In SSDF attack, MUs send the false spectrum sensing results to fusion center (FC) with the intension that it should make wrong decision about spectrum sensing. In this scenario, FC acts as a data collector to fuse the reports sent by SUs

PROTECTIVE EFFECT OF DIOSGENIN AGAINST CARBON TETRACHLORIDE AND CISPLATIN INDUCED HEPATOTOXICITY IN RATS

Background: Activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSC) plays central role in the development of liver fibrosis. In HSC activation, the transforming growth factor-1 (TGF-1) is considered to be the main stimuli factor. Diosgenin are the steroidal saponin and found in Trigonella foenum graecum Linn (Fenugreek) and some other species of Dioscorea. Diosgenin attenuates HSC activation by inhibiting transforming growth factor. Aim: In present study an attempt was made to explore the effect of diosgenin on liver fibrosis. Methods: Liver fibrosis was induced in rats by carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) 1 ml/kg intraperitoneally twice a week for 28 days and cisplatin 3mg/kg intraperitoneally at 0, 1, 3 week for 4 weeks. The extent of liver fibrosis was assessed by measuring the weight of liver and levels of total bilirubin (TBL), hydroxyproline (HP) and serum enzymes due to deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM). Results: The administration of diosgenin reduced the liver weight of CCl4 and cisplatin treated animals and reduced the TBL, HP level and serum enzymes significantly and inhibited liver fibrosis induced by CCl4 and cisplatin. Conclusion: The result obtained in the present investigation, Diosgenin treatment exerted significant hepatoprotective effect in animals by inhibiting ECM deposition and HSCs activation

Study of Network Security Using Cryptographic Techniques

In information security network security is one of the most important element because it is responsible for providing security to all information passed through network devices. Network Security refers to all hardware and software functions, characteristics, features, events, responsibility, measures, access control, and administrative and management strategy required to provide an acceptable level of protection & security for Hardware & Software and information in a network. merely one particular element underlies more of the protection mechanisms in use: Cryptographic technique hence focus is on this area Cryptography. It is an rising technology which is more important for network security

PROTECTIVE EFFECT OF DIOSGENIN AGAINST CARBON TETRACHLORIDE AND CISPLATIN INDUCED HEPATOTOXICITY IN RATS

Background: Activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSC) plays central role in the development of liver fibrosis. In HSC activation, the transforming growth factor-1 (TGF-1) is considered to be the main stimuli factor. Diosgenin are the steroidal saponin and found in Trigonella foenum graecum Linn (Fenugreek) and some other species of Dioscorea. Diosgenin attenuates HSC activation by inhibiting transforming growth factor. Aim: In present study an attempt was made to explore the effect of diosgenin on liver fibrosis. Methods: Liver fibrosis was induced in rats by carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) 1 ml/kg intraperitoneally twice a week for 28 days and cisplatin 3mg/kg intraperitoneally at 0, 1, 3 week for 4 weeks. The extent of liver fibrosis was assessed by measuring the weight of liver and levels of total bilirubin (TBL), hydroxyproline (HP) and serum enzymes due to deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM). Results: The administration of diosgenin reduced the liver weight of CCl4 and cisplatin treated animals and reduced the TBL, HP level and serum enzymes significantly and inhibited liver fibrosis induced by CCl4 and cisplatin. Conclusion: The result obtained in the present investigation, Diosgenin treatment exerted significant hepatoprotective effect in animals by inhibiting ECM deposition and HSCs activation

A parametric level-set method for partially discrete tomography

This paper introduces a parametric level-set method for tomographic reconstruction of partially discrete images. Such images consist of a continuously varying background and an anomaly with a constant (known) grey-value. We represent the geometry of the anomaly using a level-set function, which we represent using radial basis functions. We pose the reconstruction problem as a bi-level optimization problem in terms of the background and coefficients for the level-set function. To constrain the background reconstruction we impose smoothness through Tikhonov regularization. The bi-level optimization problem is solved in an alternating fashion; in each iteration we first reconstruct the background and consequently update the level-set function. We test our method on numerical phantoms and show that we can successfully reconstruct the geometry of the anomaly, even from limited data. On these phantoms, our method outperforms Total Variation reconstruction, DART and P-DART.Comment: Paper submitted to 20th International Conference on Discrete Geometry for Computer Imager

Evaluation of Immunomodulatory activity of Diosgenin in rats

Background: The immune system is intrinsic to health. Modulation of the immune responses to alleviate the diseases by using herbal plants has been of interest for many years. Diosgenin, a naturally occurring steroid saponin mainly present in the seeds of fenugreek (Trigonella foenum graecum) and in the root tubers of wild yams (Dioscorea villosa). Activation of specific and nonspecific immunity results in stimulation of immune response. Diosgenin has the positive effects on both specific and nonspecific immunity. Aim: To study the immunomodulatory activity of Diosgenin in albino wistar rats. Method: The suspension of Diosgenin was given orally at the dosage level of 50, 100 and 150 mg/kg for 21 days in a rat. The immunomodulatory activity on specific and non-specific immunity was studied by heamagglutination antibody (HA) titer, delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH) response and carbon clearance test. Immunosuppression in a rat was induced by using Cyclophosphamide (100 mg/kg, p.o.). Sheep red blood cells (SRBCs) were used as antigen (0.1ml 20% SRBCs). Result: Diosgenin exhibited significant increase in the production of antibody titer in response to SRBC antigen. A significant increase in both primary and secondary HA titer was observed in immunosuppressed group treated with Diosgenin when compared with negative control. A significant increase in the DTH response was observed in immunosuppressed animals treated with Diosgenin, pre-sensitized with SRBCs antigen. Diosgenin exhibited significant increase in phagocytic index against control group, indicating the stimulation of the reticuloendothelial system. Conclusion: The study indicates that Diosgenin triggers stimulatory effect on specific and nonspecific immune response. The immunostimulant effect of Diosgenin could be attributed due to its saponin glycoside

tropiTree:an NGS-based EST-SSR resource for 24 tropical tree species

The development of genetic tools for non-model organisms has been hampered by cost, but advances in next-generation sequencing (NGS) have created new opportunities. In ecological research, this raises the prospect for developing molecular markers to simultaneously study important genetic processes such as gene flow in multiple non-model plant species within complex natural and anthropogenic landscapes. Here, we report the use of bar-coded multiplexed paired-end Illumina NGS for the de novo development of expressed sequence tag-derived simple sequence repeat (EST-SSR) markers at low cost for a range of 24 tree species. Each chosen tree species is important in complex tropical agroforestry systems where little is currently known about many genetic processes. An average of more than 5,000 EST-SSRs was identified for each of the 24 sequenced species, whereas prior to analysis 20 of the species had fewer than 100 nucleotide sequence citations. To make results available to potential users in a suitable format, we have developed an open-access, interactive online database, tropiTree (http://bioinf.hutton.ac.uk/tropiTree), which has a range of visualisation and search facilities, and which is a model for the efficient presentation and application of NGS data

The burden of neglected tropical diseases in Ethiopia, and opportunities for integrated control and elimination

Background: Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) are a group of chronic parasitic diseases and related conditions that are the most common diseases among the 2·7 billion people globally living on less than US$2 per day. In response to the growing challenge of NTDs, Ethiopia is preparing to launch a NTD Master Plan. The purpose of this review is to underscore the burden of NTDs in Ethiopia, highlight the state of current interventions, and suggest ways forward. Results: This review indicates that NTDs are significant public health problems in Ethiopia. From the analysis reported here, Ethiopia stands out for having the largest number of NTD cases following Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Ethiopia is estimated to have the highest burden of trachoma, podoconiosis and cutaneous leishmaniasis in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), the second highest burden in terms of ascariasis, leprosy and visceral leishmaniasis, and the third highest burden of hookworm. Infections such as schistosomiasis, trichuriasis, lymphatic filariasis and rabies are also common. A third of Ethiopians are infected with ascariasis, one quarter is infected with trichuriasis and one in eight Ethiopians lives with hookworm or is infected with trachoma. However, despite these high burdens of infection, the control of most NTDs in Ethiopia is in its infancy. In terms of NTD control achievements, Ethiopia reached the leprosy elimination target of 1 case/10,000 population in 1999. No cases of human African trypanosomiasis have been reported since 1984. Guinea worm eradication is in its final phase. The Onchocerciasis Control Program has been making steady progress since 2001. A national blindness survey was conducted in 2006 and the trachoma program has kicked off in some regions. Lymphatic Filariasis, podoconiosis and rabies mapping are underway. Conclusion: Ethiopia bears a significant burden of NTDs compared to other SSA countries. To achieve success in integrated control of NTDs, integrated mapping, rapid scale up of interventions and operational research into co implementation of intervention packages will be crucial

Practice change in chronic conditions care: an appraisal of theories

Open Access This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated.Background Management of chronic conditions can be complex and burdensome for patients and complex and costly for health systems. Outcomes could be improved and costs reduced if proven clinical interventions were better implemented, but the complexity of chronic care services appears to make clinical change particularly challenging. Explicit use of theories may improve the success of clinical change in this area of care provision. Whilst theories to support implementation of practice change are apparent in the broad healthcare arena, the most applicable theories for the complexities of practice change in chronic care have not yet been identified. Methods We developed criteria to review the usefulness of change implementation theories for informing chronic care management and applied them to an existing list of theories used more widely in healthcare. Results Criteria related to the following characteristics of chronic care: breadth of the field; multi-disciplinarity; micro, meso and macro program levels; need for field-specific research on implementation requirements; and need for measurement. Six theories met the criteria to the greatest extent: the Consolidate Framework for Implementation Research; Normalization Process Theory and its extension General Theory of Implementation; two versions of the Promoting Action on Research Implementation in Health Services framework and Sticky Knowledge. None fully met all criteria. Involvement of several care provision organizations and groups, involvement of patients and carers, and policy level change are not well covered by most theories. However, adaptation may be possible to include multiple groups including patients and carers, and separate theories may be needed on policy change. Ways of qualitatively assessing theory constructs are available but quantitative measures are currently partial and under development for all theories. Conclusions Theoretical bases are available to structure clinical change research in chronic condition care. Theories will however need to be adapted and supplemented to account for the particular features of care in this field, particularly in relation to involvement of multiple organizations and groups, including patients, and in relation to policy influence. Quantitative measurement of theory constructs may present difficulties