An Opportunistic-Non Orthogonal Multiple Access based Cooperative Relaying system over Rician Fading Channels

Non-orthogonal Multiple Access (NOMA) has become a salient technology for improving the spectral efficiency of the next generation 5G wireless communication networks. In this paper, the achievable average rate of an Opportunistic Non-Orthogonal Multiple Access (O-NOMA) based Cooperative Relaying System (CRS) is studied under Rician fading channels with Channel State Information (CSI) available at the source terminal. Based on CSI, for opportunistic transmission, the source immediately chooses either the direct transmission or the cooperative NOMA transmission using the relay, which can provide better achievable average rate performance than the existing Conventional-NOMA (C-NOMA) based CRS with no CSI at the source node. Furthermore, a mathematical expression is also derived for the achievable average rate and the results are compared with C-NOMA based CRS with no CSI at the transmitter end, over a range of increasing power allocation coefficients, transmit Signal-to-Noise Ratios (SNRs) and average channel powers. Numerical results show that the CRS using O-NOMA with CSI achieves better spectral efficiency in terms of the achievable average rate than the Conventional-NOMA based CRS without CSI. To check the consistency of the derived analytical results, Monte Carlo simulations are performed which verify that the results are consistent and matched well with the simulation results.Comment: arXiv admin note: substantial text overlap with arXiv:1709.0822

A REVIEW ON ROLE OF PANCHAMABHUTA IN GARBHA UTPATTI

In present days of globalizations all are concentrated in finding basics of transformations or existence. The concept of Panchamahabhuta (five basic elements) has been scientifically explained in Ayurveda. Panchamahabhuta are important components of the body. It is the five basic constituents which exist in the universe and human beings; they are Akasha, Vayu, Agni, Jala and Prithvi. The union of Shukra (sperm) and Shonitha (ovum) and Atma (soul) in the Kukshi (uterus) is designated as Garbha (embryo). The five Mahabhuta (basic elements) play a important role in formation, development and maintenance of Garbha (embryo). The five elements refer to etheric, gaseous, radiant, fluid and solid states of matter. Mahabhutha plays an important role in Garbhautpatti (embryogenesis). It helps in separation and segregation of cell mass, nourishment, structural development etc. The present work is to study the concept of these five elements in embryogenesis

Astrocytic modulation of neuronal signalling

Neuronal signalling is a key element in neuronal communication and is essential for the proper functioning of the CNS. Astrocytes, the most prominent glia in the brain play a key role in modulating neuronal signalling at the molecular, synaptic, cellular, and network levels. Over the past few decades, our knowledge about astrocytes and their functioning has evolved from considering them as merely a brain glue that provides structural support to neurons, to key communication elements. Astrocytes can regulate the activity of neurons by controlling the concentrations of ions and neurotransmitters in the extracellular milieu, as well as releasing chemicals and gliotransmitters that modulate neuronal activity. The aim of this review is to summarise the main processes through which astrocytes are modulating brain function. We will systematically distinguish between direct and indirect pathways in which astrocytes affect neuronal signalling at all levels. Lastly, we will summarize pathological conditions that arise once these signalling pathways are impaired focusing on neurodegeneration

Clinical manifestations, diagnostic indicators and prognostic indicators of ocular sarcoidosis

INTRODUCTION: Sarcoidosis is a chronic multisystemic granulomatous disorder with protean ocular and systemic manifestations due to exaggerated immune response to variety of self and non self-antigens. Manifestations of sarcoidosis are predomintantly intra thorasic with pulmonary infiltration and hilar lymphadenopathy, but other sites such as eyes, skin, bones & joints are also affected6. The clinical course of sarcoidosis varies from acute, self-limited process to a chronic progressive one, leading to severe functional impairment. Ocular sarcoidosis can be considered as an example of chronic granulomatous non infectious pan uveitis. AIM OF THE STUDY: To study the clinical manifestations, diagnostic indicators and prognostic indicators of ocular sarcoidosis. OBJECTIVES: 1. To study the clinical pattern of ocular sarcoidosis. 2. To study the various parameters that are used for the diagnosis of ocular sarcoidosis. 3. To study the prognosticators of ocular sarcoidosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Setting: University affiliated teaching centre attatched to a community based eye hospital offering primary to tertiary care Centre: Aravind Eye Hospitals, Madurai. Department: Uvea clinic and Uveitis services, Aravind Eye Hospitals, Madurai. Period of study: May 2009 to December 2010. Sample size: 50 patients, 73 eyes. Procedure for data collection: case selection, clinical examination and filling up of proforma. Data was entered into microsoft excel spreadsheets and analysed using STATA software. Patients and uveitis workup: Inclusion criteria: All patients who presented to uvea clinic of Aravind Eye Hospital between April 2009 to December 2010 with definitive signs of intraocular inflammation compatible with a diagnosis of ocular sarcoidosis 42 were included in the study. Exclusion criteria: Patients with classical systemic features pointing to other differentials, those with established histological or serological evidence of other entities, patients with no follow up, patients with other co existing, comorbid conditions. RESULTS: 73 eyes of 50 patients with a probable diagnosis of ocular sarcoidosis, who fitted into our inclusion criteria were studied. The mean duration of follow up for these patients was 6 months. Demographic charecteristics studied have been summarised in tables 1. The mean age of presentation was 38 years ranging from 12 to 67 years. The mean age of presentation among males was 32 years and among females was 46 years. There was a predilection for female gender with 62% and males attributing to 38%. These values have also been represented in terms of pie chart (fig 5). On evaluating the systemic features associated, no exact symptomatic presentation was noted. Findings of bilateral hilar lymphadenopathy and elevated liver enzymes were noticed in 18 (out of 50) and 1 (out of 7) of patients respectively. CONCLUSION: Sarcoidosis is a chronic granulomatous inflammation having various systemic and ocular manifestations. In our study we have analsed the different clinical manifestations, diagnostic parameters and prognosticators relating to ocular sarcoidosis in our population. From our results we find that the commonest clinical presentation of ocular sarcoidosis was of chronic anterior uveitis with intermediate uveitis. Significant diagnostic indicators were cutaneous anergy to tuberculoprotein, radiological evidence of hilar lymphadenopathy and elevated serum ACE levels. Favourable prognosticators were location of the uveitis as anterior and intermediate uveitis, absence of sight threatening complications in the initial visit, absence of multiple recurrences over the course of disease. Treatable complications like complicated cataract and glaucoma also had a favourable outcome. But no statistically significant correlation could be drawn between these parameters as the initial presenting visual acuity was good in majority of the cases. These results seem to correlate well with the results drawn from Japanese and European population studies that were conducted

A Survey on IOT based Real Time, Smart Adaptive Street Lighting System with Pollution Monitoring for Smart Cities

The Internet of Things (IoT) is a new interconnection of technology. It is being heralded as the next industrial revolution. It’s also praised for its ability to reduce waste and energy, by allowing us to better control our use of resources based on our actual needs. Currently, energy consumed by the street lights in metropolitan cities is extremely high and hence are less efficient. One of the major problems with the existing street lighting system is that all the street lights are controlled manually and therefore require huge manpower. Even if a street light stops working there is no way by which the authorities can know about the failure. Another growing concern in cities is the pollution. The purpose of this paper is to propose a solution which can be adopted in every city where all the street lights are connected to the central server via internet which can be monitored remotely and thus making it an energy efficient system. These street lights are adaptive meaning that they can change the intensity of light depending on the vehicular movement. They also send information about the pollution level in that locality. Thus IoT promises huge improvements in street lighting system

In vitro characterization and in vivo assessment of equine tendon-derived progenitor cells

Tendinitis is a common cause of breakdown injury in equine athletes and accounts for 30% to 50% of all racing injuries. The last decade has seen significant development in mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-based therapies in tendon repair. The focus on tendon-derived progenitor cells (TDPCs) for tendon healing is based on the rationale that stem cells obtained from tendons are more phenotypically-committed or ‘primed’ for tenogenesis than cells from other tissues. The overall objective of this body of research is to characterize and evaluate equine tendon-derived progenitor cells for tendon healing in horses. TDPCs were isolated via a differential adhesion preplating screen that has been successfully used to isolate skeletal muscle-derived stem cells. Cell suspensions obtained via collagenase digestion of equine lateral digital extensor tendon (n=4) were serially transferred into adherent plates every 12 hrs for 4 days. TDPCs obtained from the initial, third and seventh preplates were used for subsequent analyses. Growth/proliferation and basal tenogenic gene expression of the three TDPC fractions were largely similar. Preplating and subsequent monolayer expansion did not alter the immunophenotype (CD29+, CD44+, CD90+, and CD45−) and trilineage differentiation capacity of TDPC fractions. Overall, TDPCs were robustly osteogenic but exhibited comparatively weak adipogenic and chondrogenic capacities. These outcomes indicate that preplating does not enrich for tendon-derived progenitors during in vitro culture, and ‘whole tendon digest’-derived cells are as appropriate for cell-based therapies. In vitro growth characteristics of matched equine TDPCs and bone marrow MSCs (BM-MSCs) during monolayer expansion were assessed (n=6). Subsequently, third passage TDPCs and BM-MSCs were cultured on acellular tendon matrices for 7 days with or without insulin-like growth factor supplementation. Matrix production and matrix gene expression were analyzed at the end of in vitro culture. During monolayer expansion, at each passage, the yield of TDPCs was 3-fold higher than the matched BM-MSCs. The viability of TDPCs on acellular tendon matrices was 1.6-2.8 fold higher than BM-MSCs. New collagen and glycosaminoglycan syntheses were significantly greater in TDPC groups and in IGF-I–supplemented groups. The mRNA concentrations of collagen type I and III, and cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP) were not significantly different between TDPC and BM-MSC groups. These in vitro results demonstrated that TDPCs may offer a useful resource for cell-based therapies for tendon healing. Lastly, the efficacy of TDPCs in an in-vivo equine flexor tendinitis model was evaluated. Collagenase-induced tendinitis was created in both front superficial digital flexor (SDF) tendons (n=8). Four weeks later, the forelimb tendon lesions were treated with 1 x 107 autogenous TDPCs or saline. Twelve weeks after forelimb TDPC injections, tendons were harvested for assessment of matrix gene expression, biochemical, biomechanical and histological characteristics. Collagen I and III, COMP and tenomodulin mRNA levels were similar in both TDPC and saline groups and higher than normal tendon. Yield and maximal stresses of the TDPC group were significantly greater than the saline group’s and similar to normal tendon. However, the elastic modulus of the TDPC and saline groups were not significantly different. Histological assessment of the repair tissues with Fourier transform-Second Harmonic generation imaging demonstrated that collagen alignment was significantly better in TDPC group than in the saline controls. In summary, TDPC administration improved the histological and biomechanical properties of collagenase-induced tendinitis lesions

Finite Time Bounds for Stochastic Bounded Confidence Dynamics

In this era of fast and large-scale opinion formation, a mathematical understanding of opinion evolution, a.k.a. opinion dynamics, acquires importance. Linear graph-based dynamics and bounded confidence dynamics are the two popular models for opinion dynamics in social networks. Stochastic bounded confidence (SBC) opinion dynamics was proposed as a general framework that incorporates both these dynamics as special cases and also captures the inherent stochasticity and noise (errors) in real-life social exchanges. Although SBC dynamics is quite general and realistic, its analysis is more challenging. This is because SBC dynamics is nonlinear and stochastic, and belongs to the class of Markov processes that have asymptotically zero drift and unbounded jumps. The asymptotic behavior of SBC dynamics was characterized in prior works. However, they do not shed light on its finite-time behavior, which is often of interest in practice. We take a stride in this direction by analyzing the finite-time behavior of a two-agent system and a bistar graph, which are crucial to the understanding of general multi-agent dynamics. In particular, we show that the opinion difference between the two agents is well-concentrated around zero under the conditions that lead to asymptotic stability of the SBC dynamics.Comment: A preliminary version of this paper appeared in the proceedings of COMmunication Systems & NETworkS (COMSNETS) 2022. arXiv admin note: substantial text overlap with arXiv:2112.0437

Addressing the challenges of Visually Impaired using IoT

Internet of Things is a new revolution of the Internet. IoT allows networked objects to be sensed and controlled remotely, creating opportunities for more direct integration of the physical world into computer-based systems, resulting in reduced human intervention. People with complete blindness or low vision often have a difficult time self-navigating in unusual environments. In fact, mobility is one of the biggest challenges for visually Impaired. IoT offers the assistance and support to the visually impaired people to achieve a quality life allowing them to involve in social activities. Assistive IoT technologies are powerful tools to increase independence and improve participation. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to analyze how people with visual impairment can interact with and benefit from the IoT

Analytical study on maternal and fetal outcome of pre-eclampsia with severe features at tertiary care hospital

Background: Pre-eclampsia is a multi-system, pregnancy specific disorder that is characterized by the development of hypertension and proteinuria after 20 weeks. Pre-eclampsia is the majority of referrals to tertiary care centre. It is one of the major causes of maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality. Methods: A retrospective analytical study done over a period of six months from January 1st 2023 to June 30th 2023. Pregnant women admitted with PE with severe features to Cheluvamba hospital, MMCRI, Mysore during the study were considered and analysed using the proforma. Data was entered into Microsoft excel data sheet and was analyzed. Categorical data was represented in the form of Frequencies and proportions Results: Incidence of PE with severe features in our hospital was 3.4%. Majority (69%) were between 23-27 years of age and 52.7% were primigravida. Maternal complications were noted in 37.5% attributed to renal dysfunction, postpartum haemorrhage, DIC, placental abruption, HELLP, pulmonary oedema and postpartum eclampsia. Conclusions: Maternal and perinatal complications are more in patients with severe pre-eclampsia. The incidence of severe pre-eclampsia can be reduced by early referral, better antenatal care, early recognition and treatment of pre-eclampsi