Performance of Joint Admission and Power Control Algorithms for Cognitive Radio CDMA Networks in Shadowed Environment

Cognitive radio network maximizes number of secondary users (SUs) without affecting the service of primary users (PUs). Admittance of SUs is not only affected by the path loss but also lognormal shadowing. In this paper, we have carried out the simulation study of joint admission and power control (JAPC) algorithms: JAPCMRER and JAPC-MSSRA in presence as well as absence of log-normal shadowing. Combined effect of path loss and log-normal shadowing on total secondary revenue and blocking probability is presented. Comparison between two algorithms for shadowing and non-shadowing cases has been done on basis of different metrics

Elucidating Signal Transduction Modulatory Drug Target Network of Colon Cancer: A Network Biology Approach

Latest evaluation and validation of cancer drugs and their targets has demonstrated the lack and inadequate development of new and better drugs, based on available protocols. Even though the specificity of drug targets is a great challenge in the pharmaco-proteomics field of cancer biology, for eradicating such hurdles and paving the way for the drugs of future, a novel step has been envisaged here to study the relation between drug target network and the corresponding drug network using the advanced concepts of proteomics and network biology. The literature mining was done for the collection of receptors and the ligands. About 1000 natural compounds were collected and out of those 300 molecules showed anti-cancer activity against colon cancer. Ligand Vs multiple receptor docking was done using the software Quantum 3.3.0; the results were further used for the designing of a well connected Protein Ligand Interaction (PLI) network of colon cancer. The obtained network is then extrapolated to sort out the receptors expressed in the specific cancer type. The network is then statistically analyzed and represented by the graphical interpretation, in order to ascertain the hub nodes and their locally parsed neighbours. Based on the best docking scores, the graphs obtained from the docking analysis are statistically validated with the help of VisANT. In the network three hub nodes Neutrophil cytosol factor 2, UV excision repair protein RAD23 homolog A, & Receptor-type tyrosine-protein phosphatase eta were identified, which showed the highest interaction with the ligands. Butyrate and Farnesol showed highest interaction as ligands. Multiple Sequence Alignment was done of the binding site sequence of the drug targets to find out the evolutionary closeness of the binding sites. The phylogenetic tree was also constructed to further validate the observation. Further in-vitro and in-vivo studies needs to be done to analyse the receptor specificity and anti tumor activity of these compounds in Colon cancer

Neutrino scattering off pair-breaking and collective excitations in superfluid neutron matter and in color-flavor locked quark matter

We calculate the correlation functions needed to describe the linear response of superfluid matter, and go on to calculate the differential cross section for neutral-current neutrino scattering in superfluid neutron matter and in color-flavor locked quark matter (CFL). We report the first calculation of scattering rates that includes neutrino interactions with both pair-breaking excitations and low-lying collective excitations (Goldstone modes). Our results apply both above and below the critical temperature, allowing use in simulations of neutrino transport in supernovae and neutron stars.Comment: 22 pages, 9 figure

Performance of a Cognitive Relay Network under AF Relay Selection Scheme with Imperfect Channel Estimation

In this paper outage performance of a secondary user (SU) is evaluated under amplify and forward (AF) relay selection scheme with an imperfect channel state information (CSI)while sharing spectrum in an underlay cognitive radio network (CRN). In underlay, the SU coexists with primary user (PU) in the same band provided the interference produced by SU at the PU receiver is below the interference threshold of PU which limits the transmission power of SU and coverage area. Relays help to improve the performance of SU in underlay. However relays are also constrained in transmit power due to interference constraint imposed by PU. Closed form expression of the outage probability of SU with maximum transmit power constraint of relay under imperfect CSI is derived. A scaling factor based power control is used for the SU transmitter and the relay in order to maintain the interference constraint at PU receiver due to imperfect CSI. The impact of different parameters viz. correlation coefficient, channel estimation error, tolerable interference threshold, number of relays and the maximum transmit power constraint of relay on SU performance is investigated. A MATLAB based test bed has also been developed to carry out simulation in order to validate the theoretical result

New aspects and strategies for methane mitigation from ruminants

The growing demand for sustainable animal production is compelling researchers to explore the potential approaches to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases from livestock that are mainly produced by enteric fermentation. Some potential solutions, for instance, the use of chemical inhibitors to reduce methanogenesis, are not feasible in routine use due to their toxicity to ruminants, inhibition of efficient rumen function or other transitory effects. Strategies, such as use of plant secondary metabolites and dietary manipulations have emerged to reduce the methane emission, but these still require extensive research before these can be recommended and deployed in the livestock industry sector. Furthermore, immunization vaccines for methanogens and phages are also under investigation for mitigation of enteric methanogenesis. The increasing knowledge of methanogenic diversity in rumen, DNA sequencing technologies and bioinformatics have paved the way for chemogenomic strategies by targeting methane producers. Chemogenomics will help in finding target enzymes and proteins, which will further assist in the screening of natural as well chemical inhibitors. The construction of a methanogenic gene catalogue through these approaches is an attainable objective. This will lead to understand the microbiome function, its relation with the host and feeds, and therefore, will form the basis of practically viable and eco-friendly methane mitigation approaches, while improving the ruminant productivity

Eff ect of participatory women’s groups facilitated by Accredited Social Health Activists on birth outcomes in rural eastern India: a cluster-randomised controlled trial

Background A quarter of the world’s neonatal deaths and 15% of maternal deaths happen in India. Few community-based strategies to improve maternal and newborn health have been tested through the country’s government-approved Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs). We aimed to test the eff ect of participatory women’s groups facilitated by ASHAs on birth outcomes, including neonatal mortality. Methods In this cluster-randomised controlled trial of a community intervention to improve maternal and newborn health, we randomly assigned (1:1) geographical clusters in rural Jharkhand and Odisha, eastern India to intervention (participatory women’s groups) or control (no women’s groups). Study participants were women of reproductive age (15–49 years) who gave birth between Sept 1, 2009, and Dec 31, 2012. In the intervention group, ASHAs supported women’s groups through a participatory learning and action meeting cycle. Groups discussed and prioritised maternal and newborn health problems, identifi ed strategies to address them, implemented the strategies, and assessed their progress. We identifi ed births, stillbirths, and neonatal deaths, and interviewed mothers 6 weeks after delivery. The primary outcome was neonatal mortality over a 2 year follow up. Analyses were by intention to treat. This trial is registered with ISRCTN, number ISRCTN31567106. Findings Between September, 2009, and December, 2012, we randomly assigned 30 clusters (estimated population 156 519) to intervention (15 clusters, estimated population n=82 702) or control (15 clusters, n=73 817). During the follow-up period (Jan 1, 2011, to Dec 31, 2012), we identifi ed 3700 births in the intervention group and 3519 in the control group. One intervention cluster was lost to follow up. The neonatal mortality rate during this period was 30 per 1000 livebirths in the intervention group and 44 per 1000 livebirths in the control group (odds ratio [OR] 0.69, 95% CI 0·53–0·89). Interpretation ASHAs can successfully reduce neonatal mortality through participatory meetings with women’s groups. This is a scalable community-based approach to improving neonatal survival in rural, underserved areas of India

Effect of participatory women's groups facilitated by Accredited Social Health Activists on birth outcomes in rural eastern India: A cluster-randomised controlled trial

Background: A quarter of the world's neonatal deaths and 15% of maternal deaths happen in India. Few community-based strategies to improve maternal and newborn health have been tested through the country's government-approved Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs). We aimed to test the effect of participatory women's groups facilitated by ASHAs on birth outcomes, including neonatal mortality. Methods: In this cluster-randomised controlled trial of a community interve

Intravenous doxycycline, azithromycin, or both for severe scrub typhus

BACKGROUND: The appropriate antibiotic treatment for severe scrub typhus, a neglected but widespread reemerging zoonotic infection, is unclear. METHODS: In this multicenter, double-blind, randomized, controlled trial, we compared the efficacy of intravenous doxycycline, azithromycin, or a combination of both in treating severe scrub typhus. Patients who were 15 years of age or older with severe scrub typhus with at least one organ involvement were enrolled. The patients were assigned to receive a 7-day course of intravenous doxycycline, azithromycin, or both (combination therapy). The primary outcome was a composite of death from any cause at day 28, persistent complications at day 7, and persistent fever at day 5. RESULTS: Among 794 patients (median age, 48 years) who were included in the modified intention-to-treat analysis, complications included those that were respiratory (in 62%), hepatic (in 54%), cardiovascular (in 42%), renal (in 30%), and neurologic (in 20%). The use of combination therapy resulted in a lower incidence of the composite primary outcome than the use of doxycycline (33% and 47%, respectively), for a risk difference of −13.3 percentage points (95% confidence interval [CI], (21.6 to −5.1; P=0.002). The incidence with combination therapy was also lower than that with azithromycin (48%), for a risk difference of −14.8 percentage points (95% CI, −23.1 to −6.5; P<0.001). No significant difference was seen between the azithromycin and doxycycline groups (risk difference, 1.5 percentage points; 95% CI, −7.0 to 10.0; P=0.73). The results in the per-protocol analysis were similar to those in the primary analysis. Adverse events and 28-day mortality were similar in the three groups. CONCLUSIONS: Combination therapy with intravenous doxycycline and azithromycin was a better therapeutic option for the treatment of severe scrub typhus than monotherapy with either drug alone. (Funded by the India Alliance and Wellcome Trust; INTREST Clinical Trials Registry–India number, CTRI/2018/08/015159.

Electroactive poly(vinylidene fluoride) based materials: recent progress, challenges and opportunities

A poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) and its copolymers are polymers that, in specific crystalline phases, show high dielectric and piezoelectric values, excellent mechanical behavior and good thermal and chemical stability, suitable for many applications from the biomedical area to energy devices. This chapter introduces the main properties, processability and polymorphism of PVDF. Further, the recent advances in the applications based on those materials are presented and discussed. Thus, it shown the key role of PVDF and its copolymers as smart and multifunctional material, expanding the limits of polymer-based technologies.FCT (Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia) for financial support under the framework of Strategic Funding grants UID/FIS/04650/2019, and UID/QUI/0686/2019 and project PTDC/FIS-MAC/28157/2017, PTDC/BTMMAT/28237/2017, PTDC/EMD-EMD/28159/2017. The author also thanks the FCT for financial support under grant SFRH/BPD/112547/2015 (C.M.C.), SFRH/BPD/98109/2013 (V.F.C.), SFRH/BD/140698/2018 (R.B.P.), SFRH/BPD/96227/2013 (P.M.), SFRH/BPD/121526/2016 (D.M.C.), SFRH/BPD/97739/2013 (V. C.), SFRH/BPD/90870/2012 (C.R.). Financial support from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO) through project MAT2016-76039-C4-3-R (AEI/FEDER, UE) (including FEDER financial support) and from the Basque Government Industry and Education Departments under the ELKARTEK, HAZITEK and PIBA (PIBA-2018-06)

Burden of disease scenarios for 204 countries and territories, 2022–2050: a forecasting analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021

Background: Future trends in disease burden and drivers of health are of great interest to policy makers and the public at large. This information can be used for policy and long-term health investment, planning, and prioritisation. We have expanded and improved upon previous forecasts produced as part of the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) and provide a reference forecast (the most likely future), and alternative scenarios assessing disease burden trajectories if selected sets of risk factors were eliminated from current levels by 2050. Methods: Using forecasts of major drivers of health such as the Socio-demographic Index (SDI; a composite measure of lag-distributed income per capita, mean years of education, and total fertility under 25 years of age) and the full set of risk factor exposures captured by GBD, we provide cause-specific forecasts of mortality, years of life lost (YLLs), years lived with disability (YLDs), and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) by age and sex from 2022 to 2050 for 204 countries and territories, 21 GBD regions, seven super-regions, and the world. All analyses were done at the cause-specific level so that only risk factors deemed causal by the GBD comparative risk assessment influenced future trajectories of mortality for each disease. Cause-specific mortality was modelled using mixed-effects models with SDI and time as the main covariates, and the combined impact of causal risk factors as an offset in the model. At the all-cause mortality level, we captured unexplained variation by modelling residuals with an autoregressive integrated moving average model with drift attenuation. These all-cause forecasts constrained the cause-specific forecasts at successively deeper levels of the GBD cause hierarchy using cascading mortality models, thus ensuring a robust estimate of cause-specific mortality. For non-fatal measures (eg, low back pain), incidence and prevalence were forecasted from mixed-effects models with SDI as the main covariate, and YLDs were computed from the resulting prevalence forecasts and average disability weights from GBD. Alternative future scenarios were constructed by replacing appropriate reference trajectories for risk factors with hypothetical trajectories of gradual elimination of risk factor exposure from current levels to 2050. The scenarios were constructed from various sets of risk factors: environmental risks (Safer Environment scenario), risks associated with communicable, maternal, neonatal, and nutritional diseases (CMNNs; Improved Childhood Nutrition and Vaccination scenario), risks associated with major non-communicable diseases (NCDs; Improved Behavioural and Metabolic Risks scenario), and the combined effects of these three scenarios. Using the Shared Socioeconomic Pathways climate scenarios SSP2-4.5 as reference and SSP1-1.9 as an optimistic alternative in the Safer Environment scenario, we accounted for climate change impact on health by using the most recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change temperature forecasts and published trajectories of ambient air pollution for the same two scenarios. Life expectancy and healthy life expectancy were computed using standard methods. The forecasting framework includes computing the age-sex-specific future population for each location and separately for each scenario. 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs) for each individual future estimate were derived from the 2·5th and 97·5th percentiles of distributions generated from propagating 500 draws through the multistage computational pipeline. Findings: In the reference scenario forecast, global and super-regional life expectancy increased from 2022 to 2050, but improvement was at a slower pace than in the three decades preceding the COVID-19 pandemic (beginning in 2020). Gains in future life expectancy were forecasted to be greatest in super-regions with comparatively low life expectancies (such as sub-Saharan Africa) compared with super-regions with higher life expectancies (such as the high-income super-region), leading to a trend towards convergence in life expectancy across locations between now and 2050. At the super-region level, forecasted healthy life expectancy patterns were similar to those of life expectancies. Forecasts for the reference scenario found that health will improve in the coming decades, with all-cause age-standardised DALY rates decreasing in every GBD super-region. The total DALY burden measured in counts, however, will increase in every super-region, largely a function of population ageing and growth. We also forecasted that both DALY counts and age-standardised DALY rates will continue to shift from CMNNs to NCDs, with the most pronounced shifts occurring in sub-Saharan Africa (60·1% [95% UI 56·8–63·1] of DALYs were from CMNNs in 2022 compared with 35·8% [31·0–45·0] in 2050) and south Asia (31·7% [29·2–34·1] to 15·5% [13·7–17·5]). This shift is reflected in the leading global causes of DALYs, with the top four causes in 2050 being ischaemic heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, compared with 2022, with ischaemic heart disease, neonatal disorders, stroke, and lower respiratory infections at the top. The global proportion of DALYs due to YLDs likewise increased from 33·8% (27·4–40·3) to 41·1% (33·9–48·1) from 2022 to 2050, demonstrating an important shift in overall disease burden towards morbidity and away from premature death. The largest shift of this kind was forecasted for sub-Saharan Africa, from 20·1% (15·6–25·3) of DALYs due to YLDs in 2022 to 35·6% (26·5–43·0) in 2050. In the assessment of alternative future scenarios, the combined effects of the scenarios (Safer Environment, Improved Childhood Nutrition and Vaccination, and Improved Behavioural and Metabolic Risks scenarios) demonstrated an important decrease in the global burden of DALYs in 2050 of 15·4% (13·5–17·5) compared with the reference scenario, with decreases across super-regions ranging from 10·4% (9·7–11·3) in the high-income super-region to 23·9% (20·7–27·3) in north Africa and the Middle East. The Safer Environment scenario had its largest decrease in sub-Saharan Africa (5·2% [3·5–6·8]), the Improved Behavioural and Metabolic Risks scenario in north Africa and the Middle East (23·2% [20·2–26·5]), and the Improved Nutrition and Vaccination scenario in sub-Saharan Africa (2·0% [–0·6 to 3·6]). Interpretation: Globally, life expectancy and age-standardised disease burden were forecasted to improve between 2022 and 2050, with the majority of the burden continuing to shift from CMNNs to NCDs. That said, continued progress on reducing the CMNN disease burden will be dependent on maintaining investment in and policy emphasis on CMNN disease prevention and treatment. Mostly due to growth and ageing of populations, the number of deaths and DALYs due to all causes combined will generally increase. By constructing alternative future scenarios wherein certain risk exposures are eliminated by 2050, we have shown that opportunities exist to substantially improve health outcomes in the future through concerted efforts to prevent exposure to well established risk factors and to expand access to key health interventions