Supporting the Specification and Runtime Validation of Asynchronous Calling Patterns in Reactive Systems

Wireless sensor networks (“sensornets”) are highly distributed and concurrent, with program actions bound to external stimuli. They exemplify a system class known as reactive systems, which comprise execution units that have “hidden” layers of control flow. A key obstacle in enabling reactive system developers to rigorously validate their implementations has been the absence of precise software component specifications and tools to assist in leveraging those specifications at runtime. We address this obstacle in three ways: (i) We describe a specification approach tailored for reactive environments and demonstrate its application in the context of sensornets. (ii) We describe the design and implementation of extensions to the popular nesC tool-chain that enable the expression of these specifications and automate the generation of runtime monitors that signal violations, if any. (iii) Finally, we apply the specification approach to a significant collection of the most commonly used software components in the TinyOS distribution and analyze the overhead involved in monitoring their correctness

Population and prey of the Bengal Tiger <i>Panthera tigris tigris</i> (Linnaeus, 1758) (Carnivora: Felidae) in the Sundarbans, Bangladesh

The results from intensive small scale surveys are often difficult to extrapolate to wider spatial scales, yet an understanding at such scales is critical for assessing the minimum densities and populations of rare and wide ranging species. In this paper, the minimum size of population and minimum density estimates of Bengal Tigers Panthera tigris tigris and its prey were conducted from 2005 to 2007 using camera traps for 90 days and using distance sampling surveys for over 200 days, respectively. The results were extrapolated from the core study area in Katka-Kochikhali, southeastern Sundarbans, to five additional sites using indices of abundance. With the use of 10 camera-traps at 15 trap-points, field data provided a total of 829 photos, including seven photos of five individual tigers. A total of 5.0 (SE = 0.98) tigers (adults and sub-adults) are thus estimated in the core area with an estimated density of 4.8 tigers/100km2. Distance sampling surveys conducted on large mammalian prey species obtained an overall density estimate of 27.9 individuals/km2 and a biomass density of 1,037kg/km2. Indices of abundance were obtained by using tiger track sighting rates (number of tracks/km of riverbank) and the sighting rates of the prey species (number of prey/km of riverbank) in the core area and in five additional sites across the region. The densities of tiger tracks and sighting rates of prey were strongly correlated suggesting a wide scale relationship between predator and prey in the region. By combining the estimates of absolute density with indices of abundance, an average of 3.7 tigers/100km2 across the region is estimated, which given an area of 5,770km2, predicts a minimum of approximately 200 tigers in the Bangladesh Sundarbans

Effectiveness of Integrated Management Packages Against Pod Borer Complex on Mungbean

Experiment was carried out in the farmer’s field at Sonakhali, Barguna sadar, Barguna district of Bangladesh during January to April 2018 to evaluate the effectiveness of different IPM packages against pod borer complex of mungbean. Results revealed that the lowest number of pod borer (1.33/m2), the highest percent (93.56%) pod borer reduction over control, lowest pod damaged (5.33/m2), highest percent (87.70%) pod damaged reduction over control at 65 DAS were recorded in Package 5 (Bioneem plus 1% EC @ 1 mL/l of water + sex pheromone trap) treated plots. The highest yield (1,416 kg/ha), percent yield increase over control (40.26%), highest net return come (Tk. 23,146/ha) and highest marginal benefit cost ratio (4.35) were obtained from Package 3 (Sex pheromone trap + white sticky trap) treated plots followed by Package 5 (1,319 kg/ha and 27.33%) and the lowest yield (1,010 kg/ha) from untreated control. From this experiment Package 3 (Sex pheromone trap + White sticky trap) was found to be the best integrated management package for the suppression of pod borer complex and produced maximum yield of mungbean. Integration of IPM components revealed that installation of sex pheromone trap along with white sticky trap (package 3) was found to be the best IPM package for the management pod borer complex producing maximum yield and providing highest marginal benefit cost ratio of mungbean

Regulatory mechanism on enhancing protein synthesis in skeletal muscles of cold exposed fresh water fish (Channa punctata)

Channa punctata varieties of fish are energetic and survive in critical environment although the molecular mechanism is not known. They were exposed to cold (4–8 °C) for 30 min, 1 h, 2 h and 4 h and the total protein contents in the liver were not significantly changed up to 4 h of cold exposure while a significantly increased protein level in the skeletal muscle was noted and maximal at 2 h. Groups of fish were exposed to Na2HAsO4 to examine its role on cold-induced protein synthesis in the skeletal muscle and the increased protein in the skeletal muscle was reduced significantly. The results appear to indicate that cold acclimation induces a metabolic change involving cellular protein content tissue specifically and arsenic might be involved in impairment of the cold-induced effect. To clarify the molecular mechanism, groups of fish exposed to cold for 1 h and 2 h had significantly increased RNA in the skeletal muscle compared to control fish, however, a higher level was found after 2 h of treatment and the enhanced RNA induced by cold was almost completely prevented by Na2HAsO4. Our findings will give a new insight into the survival process of this species while toxic arsenic prevents this cellular bioprocess

Frequently used healthcare services in urban slums of Dhaka and adjacent rural areas and their determinants

Khan MH, Gruebner O, Krämer A. Frequently used healthcare services in urban slums of Dhaka and adjacent rural areas and their determinants. Journal of Public Health. 2012;34(2):261-271.To compare patterns of healthcare service user preference between urban slums in Dhaka and adjacent rural areas and to identify key determinants of those preferences. The data were collected through baseline surveys conducted in 2008 and 2009. A total of 3207 subjects aged 1090 years were systematically selected from 12 big slums in Dhaka and 3 rural villages outside Dhaka. Two frequently used healthcare sources utilized in 1 month preceding the baseline survey were pharmacies (slum, 42.6; rural, 30.1) and government hospitals/clinics (GVHC; slum, 13.5; rural, 8.9). According to the multilevel logistic regression analysis adjusted for age, sex and marital status, the likelihood of using pharmacies and GVHC were higher for those subjects who used non-hygienic toilets, who reported food deficiency at a family level, who expressed dissatisfaction about family income and who stated poor health status. Some more factors namely overweight, living in permanently structured house, smoking bidis and less frequency of watching TV were associated with higher likelihood of using GVHC. Pharmacy was the most dominant healthcare service in both areas. As persons running pharmacies often provide poor quality of healthcare services, they need continuous training and back-up supports to improve their quality of services and to strengthen the overall healthcare system in Bangladesh