A Review of IoT Security and Privacy Using Decentralized Blockchain Techniques

IoT security is one of the prominent issues that has gained significant attention among the researchers in recent times. The recent advancements in IoT introduces various critical security issues and increases the risk of privacy leakage of IoT data. Implementation of Blockchain can be a potential solution for the security issues in IoT. This review deeply investigates the security threats and issues in IoT which deteriorates the effectiveness of IoT systems. This paper presents a perceptible description of the security threats, Blockchain based solutions, security characteristics and challenges introduced during the integration of Blockchain with IoT. An analysis of different consensus protocols, existing security techniques and evaluation parameters are discussed in brief. In addition, the paper also outlines the open issues and highlights possible research opportunities which can be beneficial for future research

Design of an optimal multi-layer neural network for eigenfaces based face recognition

Face recognition is one of the most popular problems in the field of image analysis. In this paper, we discuss the design of an optimal multi-layer neural network for the task of face recognition. There are many issues while designing the neural network like number of nodes in input layer, output layer and hidden layer(s), setting the values of learning rate and momentum, updating of weights. Lastly, the criteria for evaluating the performance of the neural network and stopping the learning are to be decided. We discuss all these design issues in the light of the eigenfaces based face recognition. We report the effects of variations of these parameters on number of training cycles required to get optimal results. We also list the optimized values for these parameters. In our experiments, we use two face databases namely ORL and UMIST. These databases are used to construct the eigenfaces. The original faces are reconstructed using the top eigenfaces. The factors used in the reconstruction of the faces are used as the inputs to the neural network

Lossless gray image compression using logic minimization

A novel approach for the lossless compression of gray images is presented. A prediction process is performed followed by the mapping of prediction residuals. The prediction residuals are then split into bit–planes. Two-dimensional (2D) differencing operation is applied to bit-planes prior to segmentation and classification. Performing an Exclusive-OR logic operation between neighboring pixels in the bit planes creates the difference image. The difference image can be coded more efficiently than the original image whenever the average run length of black pixels in the original image is greater than two. The 2d difference bit-plane is divided in to windows or block of size 16*16 pixels. The segmented 2d difference image is partitioned in to non-overlapping rectangular regions of all white and mixed 16*16 blocks. Each partitioned block is transformed in to Boolean switching function in cubical form, treating the pixel values as a output of the function. Minimizing these switching functions using Quine- McCluskey minimization algorithm performs compression

Enhancement of Germination on Abrus Precatorius L. Seeds by Specific Pre-sowing Treatments

Herbal medicines are in great demand for preliminary health care due to their wide medicinal value, with no side effects. Since many species are used in the system of traditional medicine, scientists have great opportunities to develop appropriate packages of practices for their multiplication and conservation. Abrus precatorius is the native plant of India and used in many ways in the Indian Ayurvedic system of medicine. This seeds of the species is dormant due to hard seed coat. So the aim of the study is to remove seed dormancy and enhance germination capacity within a short period. To overcome the problem of dormancy, seeds were scarified by seed scarifier and sand paper and also treated with acid (H2SO4) and hot water just before sowing. 60-95% germination was achieved under different treatment conditions while the seeds without any treatment fail to germinate. The highest (95%) germination was observed just 12 days after sowing in seeds treated with concentrated H2SO4 for 120 minutes. 70-75% germination was achieved when the seeds were treated with acid for 105 and 135 minutes. Seeds treated with con. H2SO4 for 150, 90 and 60 minutes and also scarified by sand paper showed similar results with 60-65% germination. The seeds scarified by a mechanical scarifier and treated with hot water did not show more than 32.5% germination

AN APPROACH TO ENHANCE THE SOLUBILITY OF RIFAPENTINE BY SOLID DISPERSION TECHNIQUE USING HYDROPHILIC CARRIERS

The aim of this present work was to improve the dissolution profile of Rifapentine (RPT) using solid dispersions technique with PVP K-30 or HPMC as the carrier, in different ratios of 1:1, 1:2, 1:3, 1:4, 1:5 by the kneading method and solvent evaporation method. For the purpose of comparison, another formulation was prepared by the method of physical mixture with the drug and carrier weight ratios of same. The prepared solid dispersions (SDs) were optimized on the basis of evaluation of Solubility, Drug Release rate and % drug content. Optimized formulation is than characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Powder X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), Particle size analysis and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) in order to ascertain any physicochemical interactions between the drug and carrier that could affect the dissolution profile of the drug. The dissolution studies were conducted for pure RPT and all the formulated solid dispersions. All the solid dispersions prepared by kneading method and solvent evaporation method showed an enhanced dissolution profile of Rifapentine, as compared to that of pure drug alone but among them all the solid dispersion prepared with PVP-K30 by solvent evaporation method in 1:3 ratio showed better enhancement of solubility and dissolution rate

Moss flora of Central India

In recent past considerable work has been done on mosses of Central India region but a all-inclusive literature was lacking. Therefore in present study attempt is made to fill this lacuna. This checklist reports occurrence of 210 valid taxa under 94 genera, and 30 families of mosses from this region. Family Pottiaceae is the most diversified one represented by 34 taxa under 19 genera, while genus Fissidens is the largest genus with 26 taxa distributed in the central Indian bryo-geographical zone. The taxa reported without species epithet, have been excluded here. The accepted names are cited in bold. This compilation of central India mosses is first ever effort in context of the Indian mosses and would be helpful to future workers

Mapping child growth failure across low- and middle-income countries

Child growth failure (CGF), manifested as stunting, wasting, and underweight, is associated with high 5 mortality and increased risks of cognitive, physical, and metabolic impairments. Children in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) face the highest levels of CGF globally. Here we illustrate national and subnational variation of under-5 CGF indicators across LMICs, providing 2000–2017 annual estimates mapped at a high spatial resolution and aggregated to policy-relevant administrative units and national levels. Despite remarkable declines over the study period, many LMICs remain far from the World Health 10 Organization’s ambitious Global Nutrition Targets to reduce stunting by 40% and wasting to less than 5% by 2025. Large disparities in prevalence and rates of progress exist across regions, countries, and within countries; our maps identify areas where high prevalence persists even within nations otherwise succeeding in reducing overall CGF prevalence. By highlighting where subnational disparities exist and the highest-need populations reside, these geospatial estimates can support policy-makers in planning locally 15 tailored interventions and efficient directing of resources to accelerate progress in reducing CGF and its health implications

Global burden of 369 diseases and injuries in 204 countries and territories, 1990–2019: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

Background: In an era of shifting global agendas and expanded emphasis on non-communicable diseases and injuries along with communicable diseases, sound evidence on trends by cause at the national level is essential. The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) provides a systematic scientific assessment of published, publicly available, and contributed data on incidence, prevalence, and mortality for a mutually exclusive and collectively exhaustive list of diseases and injuries. Methods: GBD estimates incidence, prevalence, mortality, years of life lost (YLLs), years lived with disability (YLDs), and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) due to 369 diseases and injuries, for two sexes, and for 204 countries and territories. Input data were extracted from censuses, household surveys, civil registration and vital statistics, disease registries, health service use, air pollution monitors, satellite imaging, disease notifications, and other sources. Cause-specific death rates and cause fractions were calculated using the Cause of Death Ensemble model and spatiotemporal Gaussian process regression. Cause-specific deaths were adjusted to match the total all-cause deaths calculated as part of the GBD population, fertility, and mortality estimates. Deaths were multiplied by standard life expectancy at each age to calculate YLLs. A Bayesian meta-regression modelling tool, DisMod-MR 2.1, was used to ensure consistency between incidence, prevalence, remission, excess mortality, and cause-specific mortality for most causes. Prevalence estimates were multiplied by disability weights for mutually exclusive sequelae of diseases and injuries to calculate YLDs. We considered results in the context of the Socio-demographic Index (SDI), a composite indicator of income per capita, years of schooling, and fertility rate in females younger than 25 years. Uncertainty intervals (UIs) were generated for every metric using the 25th and 975th ordered 1000 draw values of the posterior distribution. Findings: Global health has steadily improved over the past 30 years as measured by age-standardised DALY rates. After taking into account population growth and ageing, the absolute number of DALYs has remained stable. Since 2010, the pace of decline in global age-standardised DALY rates has accelerated in age groups younger than 50 years compared with the 1990–2010 time period, with the greatest annualised rate of decline occurring in the 0–9-year age group. Six infectious diseases were among the top ten causes of DALYs in children younger than 10 years in 2019: lower respiratory infections (ranked second), diarrhoeal diseases (third), malaria (fifth), meningitis (sixth), whooping cough (ninth), and sexually transmitted infections (which, in this age group, is fully accounted for by congenital syphilis; ranked tenth). In adolescents aged 10–24 years, three injury causes were among the top causes of DALYs: road injuries (ranked first), self-harm (third), and interpersonal violence (fifth). Five of the causes that were in the top ten for ages 10–24 years were also in the top ten in the 25–49-year age group: road injuries (ranked first), HIV/AIDS (second), low back pain (fourth), headache disorders (fifth), and depressive disorders (sixth). In 2019, ischaemic heart disease and stroke were the top-ranked causes of DALYs in both the 50–74-year and 75-years-and-older age groups. Since 1990, there has been a marked shift towards a greater proportion of burden due to YLDs from non-communicable diseases and injuries. In 2019, there were 11 countries where non-communicable disease and injury YLDs constituted more than half of all disease burden. Decreases in age-standardised DALY rates have accelerated over the past decade in countries at the lower end of the SDI range, while improvements have started to stagnate or even reverse in countries with higher SDI. Interpretation: As disability becomes an increasingly large component of disease burden and a larger component of health expenditure, greater research and developm nt investment is needed to identify new, more effective intervention strategies. With a rapidly ageing global population, the demands on health services to deal with disabling outcomes, which increase with age, will require policy makers to anticipate these changes. The mix of universal and more geographically specific influences on health reinforces the need for regular reporting on population health in detail and by underlying cause to help decision makers to identify success stories of disease control to emulate, as well as opportunities to improve. Funding: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. © 2020 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY 4.0 licens

Global age-sex-specific fertility, mortality, healthy life expectancy (HALE), and population estimates in 204 countries and territories, 1950-2019 : a comprehensive demographic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

Background: Accurate and up-to-date assessment of demographic metrics is crucial for understanding a wide range of social, economic, and public health issues that affect populations worldwide. The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2019 produced updated and comprehensive demographic assessments of the key indicators of fertility, mortality, migration, and population for 204 countries and territories and selected subnational locations from 1950 to 2019. Methods: 8078 country-years of vital registration and sample registration data, 938 surveys, 349 censuses, and 238 other sources were identified and used to estimate age-specific fertility. Spatiotemporal Gaussian process regression (ST-GPR) was used to generate age-specific fertility rates for 5-year age groups between ages 15 and 49 years. With extensions to age groups 10–14 and 50–54 years, the total fertility rate (TFR) was then aggregated using the estimated age-specific fertility between ages 10 and 54 years. 7417 sources were used for under-5 mortality estimation and 7355 for adult mortality. ST-GPR was used to synthesise data sources after correction for known biases. Adult mortality was measured as the probability of death between ages 15 and 60 years based on vital registration, sample registration, and sibling histories, and was also estimated using ST-GPR. HIV-free life tables were then estimated using estimates of under-5 and adult mortality rates using a relational model life table system created for GBD, which closely tracks observed age-specific mortality rates from complete vital registration when available. Independent estimates of HIV-specific mortality generated by an epidemiological analysis of HIV prevalence surveys and antenatal clinic serosurveillance and other sources were incorporated into the estimates in countries with large epidemics. Annual and single-year age estimates of net migration and population for each country and territory were generated using a Bayesian hierarchical cohort component model that analysed estimated age-specific fertility and mortality rates along with 1250 censuses and 747 population registry years. We classified location-years into seven categories on the basis of the natural rate of increase in population (calculated by subtracting the crude death rate from the crude birth rate) and the net migration rate. We computed healthy life expectancy (HALE) using years lived with disability (YLDs) per capita, life tables, and standard demographic methods. Uncertainty was propagated throughout the demographic estimation process, including fertility, mortality, and population, with 1000 draw-level estimates produced for each metric. Findings: The global TFR decreased from 2·72 (95% uncertainty interval [UI] 2·66–2·79) in 2000 to 2·31 (2·17–2·46) in 2019. Global annual livebirths increased from 134·5 million (131·5–137·8) in 2000 to a peak of 139·6 million (133·0–146·9) in 2016. Global livebirths then declined to 135·3 million (127·2–144·1) in 2019. Of the 204 countries and territories included in this study, in 2019, 102 had a TFR lower than 2·1, which is considered a good approximation of replacement-level fertility. All countries in sub-Saharan Africa had TFRs above replacement level in 2019 and accounted for 27·1% (95% UI 26·4–27·8) of global livebirths. Global life expectancy at birth increased from 67·2 years (95% UI 66·8–67·6) in 2000 to 73·5 years (72·8–74·3) in 2019. The total number of deaths increased from 50·7 million (49·5–51·9) in 2000 to 56·5 million (53·7–59·2) in 2019. Under-5 deaths declined from 9·6 million (9·1–10·3) in 2000 to 5·0 million (4·3–6·0) in 2019. Global population increased by 25·7%, from 6·2 billion (6·0–6·3) in 2000 to 7·7 billion (7·5–8·0) in 2019. In 2019, 34 countries had negative natural rates of increase; in 17 of these, the population declined because immigration was not sufficient to counteract the negative rate of decline. Globally, HALE increased from 58·6 years (56·1–60·8) in 2000 to 63·5 years (60·8–66·1) in 2019. HALE increased in 202 of 204 countries and territories between 2000 and 2019

Mapping inequalities in exclusive breastfeeding in low- and middle-income countries, 2000–2018

Exclusive breastfeeding (EBF)—giving infants only breast-milk for the first 6 months of life—is a component of optimal breastfeeding practices effective in preventing child morbidity and mortality. EBF practices are known to vary by population and comparable subnational estimates of prevalence and progress across low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are required for planning policy and interventions. Here we present a geospatial analysis of EBF prevalence estimates from 2000 to 2018 across 94 LMICs mapped to policy-relevant administrative units (for example, districts), quantify subnational inequalities and their changes over time, and estimate probabilities of meeting the World Health Organization’s Global Nutrition Target (WHO GNT) of ≥70% EBF prevalence by 2030. While six LMICs are projected to meet the WHO GNT of ≥70% EBF prevalence at a national scale, only three are predicted to meet the target in all their district-level units by 2030