G-DaM: A Distributed Data Storage with Blockchain Framework for Management of Groundwater Quality Data

Groundwater overuse in different domains will eventually lead to global freshwater scarcity. To meet the anticipated demands, many governments worldwide are employing innovative and traditional techniques for forecasting groundwater availability by conducting research and studies. One challenging step for this type of study is collecting groundwater data from different sites and securely sending it to the nearby edges without exposure to hacking and data tampering. In the current paper, we send raw data formats from the Internet of Things to the Distributed Data Storage (DDS) and Blockchain (BC) edges. We use a distributed and decentralized architecture to store the statistics, perform double hashing, and implement access control through smart contracts. This work demonstrates a modern and innovative approach combining DDS and BC technologies to overcome traditional data sharing, and centralized storage, while addressing blockchain limitations. We have shown performance improvements with increased data quality and integrity

agroString: Visibility and Provenance through a Private Blockchain Platform for Agricultural Dispense towards Consumers

It is a known fact that large quantities of farm and meat products rot and are wasted if correct actions are not taken, which may lead to serious health issues if consumed. There is no proper system for tracking and communicating the status of the goods to their respective stakeholders in a secure way. Consumers have every right to know the quality of the products they consume. Using monitoring tools, such as the Internet of Agricultural Things (IoAT), and modern data protection techniques for storing and sharing, will help mitigate data integrity issues during the transmission of sensor records, increasing the data quality. The visibility state at the customer end is also improved, and they are aware of the agricultural product’s conditions throughout the real-time distribution process. In this paper, we developed and implemented a CorDapp application to manage the data for the supply chain, called “agroString”. We collected the temperature and humidity data using IoAT-Edge devices and various datasets from multiple sources. We then sent those readings to the CorDapp agroString and successfully shared them among the relevant parties. With the help of a Corda private blockchain, we attempted to increase data integrity, trust, visibility, provenance, and quality at each logistic step, while decreasing blockchain and central system limitations

CLINICO-PATHOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF LUPUS NEPHRITIS IN EASTERN ZONE OF INDIA: A SINGLE TERTIARY CENTER EXPERIENCE

Objective: Lupus nephritis (LN) is the most common and serious manifestation of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and an important cause of morbidity and mortality. Although diagnosis of LN is straight forward in a patient with SLE and proteinuria, and active urine sediment and perhapsrenal insufficiency, still renal biopsies are required at diagnosis to enable classification of nephritis severity, to provide prognostic information, and toguide treatment. Hence, the objective of this study is to determine the frequency of distribution of different classes of LN based on renal biopsy reports and to correlate it with various laboratory findings.Methods: Retrospective study was done in all patients with LN who had at least one representative renal biopsy and evaluated in NephrologyDepartment of SCB Medical College, Cuttack, in 6-month duration. Various laboratory values were recorded and correlated with histopathologicallupus classifications.Results: Out of 35 patients enrolled, 33 (94.28%) were females and 2 (5.71%) were males. Mean age was 27.53±12.26 years. Majority of cases belong to Class IV followed by Class V. Patients of Class IV LN have a significantly low hemoglobin level. Similarly, serum urea and creatinine are higher in Group IV than other groups, and serum creatinine was found to be significant. 24 hrs urinary protein excretion has a significant correlation with the classes of LN.Conclusion: This study suggests some meaningful correlation between laboratory findings and histopathological lupus classification. This study alsosuggests that renal biopsies are still beneficial for better evaluation of renal status and determination of LN classes.Keywords: Clinico-pathological correlation, Lupus nephritis, Biopsy

The role of delay in vaccination rate on Covid-19.

The role of vaccination in tackling Covid-19 and the potential consequences of a time delay in vaccination rate are discussed. This study presents a mathematical model that incorporates the rate of vaccination and parameters related to the presence and absence of time delay in the context of Covid-19. We conducted a study on the global dynamics of a Covid-19 outbreak model, which incorporates a vaccinated population and a time delay parameter. Our findings demonstrate the global stability of these models. Our observation indicates that lower vaccination rates are associated with an increase in the overall number of infected individuals. The stability of the corresponding time delay model is determined by the value of the time delay parameter. If the time delay parameter is less than the critical value at which the Hopf bifurcation occurs, the model is stable. The results are supported by numerical illustrations that have epidemiological relevance

Probabilistic Anonymous Routing in Mobile Ad-Hoc Networks

In this paper, we propose a routing protocol which ensures route anonymity, for the user. Amongst all suboptimal paths between source and destination, path for data transfer is chosen randomly at each intermediate node. Route anonymity becomes essential for preventing attacks like traffic monitoring. Bayesian approach has been employed for route discovery phase of the protocol. The protocol is simulated using NCTUNS network simulator. The robustness of our protocol is evaluated against known security attacks

Comparison of endotracheal intubation with Macintosh versus King Vision video laryngoscope using coronavirus disease 2019 barrier box on manikins: A randomized crossover study

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) virus usually spreads through aerosol and close contact. Frontline health-care workers handle aerosol-generating procedures like endotracheal intubation. To reduce this risk, COVID-19 barrier box came into the picture. However, the COVID-19 barrier box may compromise easy and successful intubation, and their limitation must be studied. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to assess the time to successful intubation with or without the COVID-19 barrier box using the Macintosh laryngoscope and King Vision video laryngoscope (KVVL). We also assessed the first-pass success rate, ease of intubation, Cormack–Lehane (CL) grade, and requirement of external laryngeal manipulation. METHODS: We conducted this manikin-based randomized crossover study to assess the time to successful intubation by anesthesiologists (22) and emergency physicians (11) having 1 year or more experience with or without COVID-19 barrier box by using the Macintosh laryngoscope and KVVL. Our study randomized the sequence of the four different intubation scenarios. RESULTS: The comparison of mean duration of intubation between KVVL (13.21 ± 4.05 s) and Macintosh laryngoscope (12.89 ± 4.28 s) with COVID-19 barrier box was not statistically significant (95% confidence interval: 1.21–0.97). The ease of intubation, number of attempts, and requirement of external laryngeal manipulation were not statistically significant. Intubations were statistically significant more difficult with barrier box in view of higher CL grade. CONCLUSION: Time to intubation was longer with COVID-19 barrier box using KVVL as compared to Macintosh laryngoscope which was statistically not significant

Column Study of the Transport of Selected Contaminants in a Hawaii Soil Treated With Recycled Water

Brown and Caldwel

Air Pollution Problems and Control Measures in Steel Making Through Dri Route

© 2012 by World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd. All rights reserved. The tremendous demand for steel and shortage of steel scrap in the world market boost the efforts to develop alternative steel-making process than the conventional blast furnace (BF) – basic oxygen furnace (BOF) route giving birth to directly reduced iron (DRI/sponge iron) process during the 1980s. The technological topics covered are pollution problems encountered, control measures, and enforcement mechanism adopted for sponge iron plants