Multiple-relaxation-time Finsler-Lagrange dynamics in a compressed Langmuir monolayer

In this paper an information geometric approach has been proposed to describe the two-dimensional (2d) phase transition of the first order in a monomolecular layer (monolayer) of amphiphilic molecules deposited on air/water interface. The structurization of the monolayer was simulated as an entropy evolution of a statistical set of microscopic states with a large number of relaxation times. The electrocapillary forces are considered as information constraints on the statistical manifold. The solution curves of Euler-Lagrange equations and the Jacobi field equations point out contracting pencils of geodesic trajectories on the statistical manifold, which may change into spreading ones, and converse. It was shown that the information geometrodynamics of the first-order phase transition in the Langmuir monolayer finds an appropriate realization within the Finsler-Lagrange framework

A PUF-based cryptographic security solution for IoT systems on chip

The integration of multicore processors and peripherals from multiple intellectual property core providers as hardware components of IoT multiprocessor systems-on-chip (SoC) represents a source of security vulnerabilities for the in-chip communication. This paper describes the concept and the practical results of a SoC security implementation that is illustrative for IoT applications. The mechanism employed in this approach uses physically unclonable functions (PUF) and symmetric cryptography in order to encrypt the transferred messages within the SoC between the microprocessor and its peripherals. The mechanism is experimentally validated at FPGA level, the paper describing also an implementation scenario for an IoT ARM based device

Detection and classification of buried dielectric anomalies by means of the bispectrum method and neural networks

Includes bibliographical references.The development of neural network-based system for detection and classification of buried landmines is the main focus of this paper. Shape-dependent features are extracted by means of the bispectrum method. These features are then applied to the neural network. A multilayer back-propagation-type neural network is trained and tested on the feature sets extracted from equally spaced radial slices of image windows. Simulation results obtained for two types of targets indicated good detection and classification rates

Electrocardiographic Profile of Cirrhosis Patients and Its relation to Cardiac Dysautonomia

INTRODUCTION: Cirrhosis is a chronic disease of the liver that leads to a number of complications, some of which may eventually prove fatal. There are reports of association of chronic liver disease with autonomic neuropathy. Patients with chronic liver disease who have associated autonomic neuropathy respond inappropriately or defectively to major events such as septicaemia and variceal haemorrhage. Autonomic Neuropathy (AN) is associated with hemodynamic impairment and with increased vasoactive drug requirements during liver transplantation, probably associated with impaired reflex vasoconstrictor responses to surgical manipulations and changes of blood volume. AN may be associated with a greater surgical risk during liver transplantation. Preoperative evaluation of AN may select a high-risk population of liver transplant recipients. The present study was undertaken primarily to investigate autonomic functions in hepatic cirrhosis (in both alcoholics and non-alcoholics), analyse characteristics of patients who develop autonomic neuropathy, and to determine the relationship between severity of liver damage and extent of autonomic function impairment. Electrocardiogram is a very simple and noninvasive investigation in diagnosing asymptomatic autonomic dysfunction. It helps in early recognition of cardiac dysautonomia, which is asymptomatic autonomic dysfunction and precursor of symptomatic autonomic dysfunction. This also helps in taking sufficient precaution to delay or arrest its progression by various measures. In this study the prevalence of various ECG abnormalities and cardiac dysautonomia in cirrhotic patients are assessed by various ECG markers. AIMS OF THE STUDY: 1. To study the prevalence of various ECG abnormalities in cirrhotic patients as compared to controls. 2. To study the prevalence of cardiac dysautonomia in cirrhotic patients by various ECG markers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Study Population: Study group - 50 patients with cirrhosis with portal hypertension Control group - 50 age and sex matched controls. Place of Study: Department of Medicine, Department of Gastroenterology, Stanley Medical College Chennai-1. Period of Study: June 2005 to December 2005. Methods: All the study group patients and controls were subjected for thorough physical examination. Blood samples were drawn and subjected to estimation of estimation of liver function, renal function and glucose levels. Exclusion Criteria: 1. Age above 60 years. 2. Documented ischemic heart disease. 3. Documented valvular/congenital heart disease. 4. Hypertension and Diabetes mellitus. 5. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. 6. Drugs-β blockers, digoxin, calcium channel blockers. 7. Features of hypothyroidism. 8. Uraemia. 9. Features of parkinsonism and rheumatoid arthritis Cardiovascular autonomic dysfunction was assessed by the following maneuvers. RESULTS: 1. The Resting Heart rate in Cirrhotics (90 ± 16.98 bpm) was significantly (p<0.05) higher than that of Controls (76.78 ± 11.23 bpm). 2. The R-R Interval of Study group (690.54 ± 133.38 msec) is significantly lower than Control group (797.98 ± 119.17 msec) (p<0.005) correlating with increased resting heart rate signifying parasympathetic damage. 3. Both Study (139.36 ± 19.09 msec) and Control Group (143.76 ± 18.62 msec) show no statistically significant difference in P-R Interval (p>0.05). 4. The QRS Duration in Study Group( 77.68 ± 10.87 msec) and Control Group( 65.28 ± 12.77 msec) showed no statistically significant difference (p>0.05). 5. The QRS Axis in Study Group (42.12 ± 31.64 degrees) and Control Group (48.92 ± 23.38 degrees) show no statistically significant difference (p>0.05). 6. The QTC Interval of Study group (430.14 +/- 41.43 msec) is significantly prolonged than Control group (376.36 +/- 36.54 msec) (p<0.005). 7. 46% of Study Group have abnormal E:I ratio which is suggestive of an early parasympathetic dysfunction. 8. 12% of the Study Group show significant Postural Drop of SBP (>20mmHg) on standing which probably indicates sympathetic nervous system dysfunction. 9. This study shows that QTc prolongation is common (20% ) in patients when compared to Control Group (4%). 10. QTc prolongation was seen in none of the patients in Child ‘A’, 19% in Child ‘B’ and 50% in Child ‘C’. So there is a positive correlation between QTc Prolongation and increasing severity of Cirrhosis. 11. Parasympathetic Dysfunction (E: I Ratio <1.1) was seen in none of the patients in Child ‘A’, 45% in Child ‘B’ and 100% in Child ‘C’. So there is a positive correlation between Disease Severity & Parasympathetic Dysfunction. 12. Sympathetic Dysfunction (Postural Drop of SBP >20mmHg) was seen in none of the patients in Child ‘A’ , 9.5% in Child ‘B’ & 50% in Child ‘C’. There is a positive correlation between Disease Severity & Sympathetic Dysfunction. 13. None of the patients had Sympathetic Dysfunction alone. All the patients with Sympathetic Dysfunction had Parasympathetic Dysfunction as well. 14. There is no statistically significant difference in QTc Interval (p>0.05) between Alcoholics (426.30 ±37.11 msec) & Non-Alcoholics (433.4 ±45.22 msec). 15. There is no statistically significant difference in QTc Interval (p>0.05) between Bleeders (428.176 ± 41.82 msec) & Non-Bleeders (434.31 ± 41.62 msec). 16. There is no statistically significant difference in QTc Interval (p>0.05) between male (435.61 ± 39.026 msec) and female patients (416.72 ± 45.734msec). 17. Parasympathetic Dysfunction is seen in 61.7% of Bleeders & 12.5% of Non-Bleeders while both Parasympathetic & Sympathetic Dysfunction is seen in 14.7% of Bleeders & 6.2% of Non-Bleeders. So this study shows that Cardiac dysautonomia is commoner in Bleeders when compared to Non-Bleeders. CONCLUSION: This study has shown that autonomic dysfunction is very common in cirrhotic patients. The incidence of autonomic dysfunction also increases with increasing severity of liver disease. This study also highlights the importance of simple bedside investigations like ECG and clinical evaluation in early diagnosis of autonomic dysfunction. The mortality of cirrhosis patients is partly related to poor autonomic responses to stressful events like sepsis or bleeding. On the basis of this evidence, it is suggested that consideration should be given for early liver transplantation in patients with autonomic neuropathy. These patients should also be given intensive care in the per-operative and post-operative period to decrease the mortality rate

Introduction to the thematic series "Coupling of the magnetosphere–ionosphere system"

This thematic series contains 4 papers mostly presented at the 2016 AOGS meeting in Beijing. The four papers investigate four key regions in the magnetosphere–ionosphere coupling process: mid-tail magnetosphere, near-Earth magnetosphere, inner magnetosphere, and the polar ground region. Guo et al. (Geosci Lett 4:18, 2017) study the current system in reconnection region using 2.5D particle-in-cell simulations. Yao et al. (Geosci Lett 4:8, 2017) use conjugate measurements from ground auroral imagers and in situ THEMIS spacecraft to reveal the mechanism for the wave-like auroral structures prior to substorm onset. Zhang et al. (Geosci Lett 4:20, 2017) investigate the profiles of resonance zone and resonant frequency in the Landau resonance between radiation belt electrons and magnetosonic waves and between protons and cyclotron waves. Rae et al. (Geosci Lett 4:23, 2017) determine the relative timing between sudden increases in amplitude, or onsets, of different ultra-low-frequency wave bands during substorms

Stock assessment of the Indian oil-sardinella (Sardinella longiceps) off the West Coast of India

The Indian oil-sardinella (Sardinella longiceps Val .) has traditionally played a critical role in the marine fishery economics of India, and in particular in the State of Kerala. It's production on the west coast of India exhibits large fluctuations over the years, though it continues to be commercially the most important and abundant pelagic resource (Table 1). These fluctuations have attracted the attention of many research workers. As early as 1910 Hornell attributed them to changes in diatom production or food availability to the fry and the prevalence of favourable hydrological conditions. Kesteven (1967) was of the view that the fluctuations are related to shifts in the migratory path of the fish, causing variations in the accessibility of the stocks to fishing due to the limited range of the fishing operations

Emerging Pattern of Exploitation of the Marine Fishery Resources of the Inshore Waters of India with Particular Reference to Low Energy Fishing

Marine fish production has registered an average annual growth rate of 9.8%. The unusual abundance of pelagic resources like oil sardine and mackerel in 1989 and a consistently increasing trend in the yield of carangids have been also responsible for this increased production. Introduction of trawling in early seventies gave a sudden upward push in the production and it got stabilized

Applications of resultants in the spectral m-root framework

The Z-eigenvalues, E-eigenvalues and the corresponding eigenvectors for the Berwald-Moor associated multilinear form in the case m = n = 3, are computed by means of applying the method of resultants. The complexity of the algorithm and further developments are discussed. © Balkan Society of Geometers, Geometry Balkan Press 2010

Status, prospects and management of small pelagic fisheries in India

The annual small pelagic fish production increased from 0.30 million mt during 1950-54 to 1.24 million mt during 1996 along the Indian coast. The 4 fold increase was possible due to several technological advancements. The potenrial yield from the pelagic resources of the EEZ is estimated to be 2.2 million mt. As there is no further scope for increasing the production from the inshore waters, there is need to bring the outer shelf and oceanic waters into increasing levels of exploitation