Analysis of Demographic and Socio-Economic Profile of Tribal Households in Himachal Pradesh

This paper is an attempt to analyse the prevailing demographic and socio-economic conditions among the tribal households in Himachal Pradesh. For this purpose, multistage random sampling is used to select 439 tribal households from all the seven community development blocks of Himachal Pradesh for the year 2013-14. The analysis of family composition reveals the fact that the average size of the family has been showing an increasing tendency with an increase in the size of land holdings. The sex ratio comes out to be the highest on small holdings followed by marginal holdings and it is the lowest in case of semi-medium holdings. The literacy ratio shows an increasing tendency with an increase in the size of land holdings. The percentage share of earners is the highest on the semi-medium holdings as compared to small holdings and lowest on the marginal holdings. This paper will be helpful in carrying out the further extensive analysis and showing a way to improve the existing socio-economic status of tribal population in Himachal Pradesh

A Budget-constrained Time and Reliability Optimization BAT Algorithm for Scheduling Workflow Applications in Clouds

AbstractEffective scheduling is one of the key concerns while executing workflows in the cloud environment. Workflow scheduling in clouds refers to the mapping of workflow tasks to the cloud resources to optimize some objective function. In this paper, we apply a recently developed meta-heuristic method called the BAT algorithm to solve the multi-objective problem of workflow scheduling in clouds that minimizes the execution time and maximizes the reliability by keeping the budget within user specified limit. Comparison of the results is made with basic, randomized, evolutionary algorithm (BREA) that uses greedy approach to allocate resources to the workflow tasks on the basis of low cost, high reliability and improved execution time machines. It is clear from the experimental results that the BAT algorithm performs better than the basic randomized evolutionary algorithm

Parallel Image Processing Concepts

Image processing is a task of analysing the image and produces a resultant output in linear way. Image processing tasks are widely used in many applications domains, including medical imaging, industrial manufacturing, entertainment and security systems. Often the size of the image is very large, the processing time has to be very small and usually real-time constraints have to be met. The image analysis requires a large amount of memory and cpu performance, to cope this problem image processing task is parallelized. Parallelism of image analysis task becomes a key factor for processing a huge raw image data. Parallelization allows a scalable and flexible resource management and reduces a time for developing image analysis program. This paper presenting, the automatic parallelization of image processing task in a distributed system, in which suitable subtasks for parallel processing are extracted and mapped with the components of distributed system. This paper presents different design issues of parallel image processing in distributed system. Which helps the image analysis tasks that how to post processing the image in parallel. This technique is quite interactive especially when developing parallel program, as this requires little efforts for finding a suitable distribution of program module and data

Maintenance Knowledge Management with Fusion of CMMS and CM

Abstract- Maintenance can be considered as an information, knowledge processing and management system. The management of knowledge resources in maintenance is a relatively new issue compared to Computerized Maintenance Management Systems (CMMS) and Condition Monitoring (CM) approaches and systems. Information Communication technologies (ICT) systems including CMMS, CM and enterprise administrative systems amongst others are effective in supplying data and in some cases information. In order to be effective the availability of high-quality knowledge, skills and expertise are needed for effective analysis and decision-making based on the supplied information and data. Information and data are not by themselves enough, knowledge, experience and skills are the key factors when maximizing the usability of the collected data and information. Thus, effective knowledge management (KM) is growing in importance, especially in advanced processes and management of advanced and expensive assets. Therefore efforts to successfully integrate maintenance knowledge management processes with accurate information from CMMSs and CM systems will be vital due to the increasing complexities of the overall systems. Low maintenance effectiveness costs money and resources since normal and stable production cannot be upheld and maintained over time, lowered maintenance effectiveness can have a substantial impact on the organizations ability to obtain stable flows of income and control costs in the overall process. Ineffective maintenance is often dependent on faulty decisions, mistakes due to lack of experience and lack of functional systems for effective information exchange [10]. Thus, access to knowledge, experience and skills resources in combination with functional collaboration structures can be regarded as vital components for a high maintenance effectiveness solution. Maintenance effectiveness depends in part on the quality, timeliness, accuracy and completeness of information related to machine degradation state, based on which decisions are made. Maintenance effectiveness, to a large extent, also depends on the quality of the knowledge of the managers and maintenance operators and the effectiveness of the internal & external collaborative environments. With emergence of intelligent sensors to measure and monitor the health state of the component and gradual implementation of ICT) in organizations, the conceptualization and implementation of E-Maintenance is turning into a reality. Unfortunately, even though knowledge management aspects are important in maintenance, the integration of KM aspects has still to find its place in E-Maintenance and in the overall information flows of larger-scale maintenance solutions. Nowadays, two main systems are implemented in most maintenance departments: Firstly, Computer Maintenance Management Systems (CMMS), the core of traditional maintenance record-keeping practices that often facilitate the usage of textual descriptions of faults and actions performed on an asset. Secondly, condition monitoring systems (CMS). Recently developed (CMS) are capable of directly monitoring asset components parameters; however, attempts to link observed CMMS events to CM sensor measurements have been limited in their approach and scalability. In this article we present one approach for addressing this challenge. We argue that understanding the requirements and constraints in conjunction - from maintenance, knowledge management and ICT perspectives - is necessary. We identify the issues that need be addressed for achieving successful integration of such disparate data types and processes (also integrating knowledge management into the “data types” and processes)

Cost Effective Information Dispersal and Retrieval Framework for Cloud Storage

Cloud data storage applications widely demand security of data with minimum cost. Various cloud computing security threats supposed to be addressed in Cloud data service include Data Access Controllability, Data Confidentiality, and Data Integrity. In this paper, we propose a cost effective Information Dispersal and Retrieval framework for Cloud storage. Our proposed framework is different from existing approaches of replication. In our approach, multiple datacenters are considered as virtual independent disks for storing redundant data encoded with erasure codes and hence the proposed framework enables to retrieve user file even when failure of certain number of Cloud services occur . Besides security related benefits of our approach, the application provides user the cost-availability pattern of datacenters and allows cost effective storage on Cloud within user�s budget limit

A Novel Graph Centrality Based Approach to Analyze Anomalous Nodes with Negative Behavior

AbstractDetection of different kinds of anomalous behaviors originating from negative ties among actors in online social networks is an unexplored area requiring extensive research. Due to increase in social crimes such as masquerading, bullying, etc., identification and analysis of these activities has become need of the hour. Approaches from two separate, yet, similar research areas, i.e. anomaly detection and negative tie analysis, can be clubbed together to identify negative anomalous nodes. Use of best measures from centrality based (negative ties) and structure based approaches (anomaly detection) can help us identify and analyze the negative ties more efficiently. A comparative analysis has been performed to detect the negative behaviors in online networks using different centrality measures and their relationship in curve fitting anomaly detection techniques. From results it is observed that curve fitting analysis of centrality measures relationship performs better than independent analysis of centrality measures for detecting negative anomalous nodes

Effect of Oriented Nuclei on the Competing Modes of α and One-Proton Radioactivities in the Vicinity of Z = 82 Shell Closure

The purpose of the present work is to investigate the alpha (α) emission as competing mode of one proton emission using the preformed cluster decay model (PCM). PCM is based on the quantummechanical tunneling mechanism of penetration of the preformed fragments through a potential barrier, calculated within WKB approximation. To explore the competing aspects of α and one proton radioactivity, we have chosen emitters present immediately above and below the Z = 82 shell closure i.e. 177Tl and 185Bi by taking into account the effects of deformations (β2) and orientations of outgoing nuclei. The minimized values of fragmentation potential and maximized values of preformation probability (P0) for proton and alpha fragment demonstrated the crucial role played by even Z - even N daughter and shell closure effect of Z = 82 daughter, in 177Tl and 185Bi, respectively. The higher values of P0 of the one proton further reveal significance of nuclear structure in the proton radioactivity. From the comparison of proton and α decay, we see that the former is heavily dominating with larger values of P0 in comparison to the later. Theoretically calculated half-lives of one proton and α emission for spherical and deformed considerations have also been compared with available experimental data

3-Phenylpyrazino[1,2-a]indol-1(2H)-ones as dual cholinesterase and amyloid aggregation inhibitors

The year 2017, marks the 110th anniversary of the discovery of Alzheimer’s disease (AD)- a devastating neurodegenerative disease. Regardless of the significant advances made in the past century on the pathology of AD, the current pharmacotherapy options for AD remains woefully low and provide symptomatic relief only. Inhibitors of cholinesterase enzymes such as donepezil (Aricept®), rivastigmine (Exelon®) and galantamine (Razadyne®) which represents the primary class of agents used in the management of AD targets one of the many pathological routes of AD. Our study aims at discovering novel small hybrid molecules based on 3-phenylpyrazino[1,2-a]indol-1(2H)-one (PPI) ring system which can potentially exhibit multiple activities toward various factors involved in AD pathophysiology including (i) the inhibition of cholinesterase enzymes such as acetyl (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterases (BuChE); (ii) preventing the aggregation of the neurotoxic amyloid beta (Aβ) peptide and (iii) antioxidant properties. Initial modeling studies suggested that the tricyclic PPI template fits in the catalytic site of AChE and the C3 phenyl can orient toward the peripheral anionic subsite (PAS) in the AChE enzyme. In addition, C3-position provides opportunities to incorporate Aβ binding pharmacophores. With this goal, we synthesized the PPI compound library by coupling ethyl indole-2-carboxylates esters with 2-bromoacetophenones to obtain ethyl-1-(2-oxo-2-phenylethyl)-1H-indole-2-carboxylates which underwent an intramolecular cyclization in the presence of ammonium acetate to afford PPI derivatives (5a-n). The compounds were characterized by analytical methods including NMR and LCMS. The cholinesterase inhibition was evaluated using Ellman’s protocol by UV-Vis spectroscopy. The anti-Aβ-aggregation property was evaluated by fluorescence spectroscopy using thioflavin- T (ThT) assays. Antioxidant activity of the PPI derivatives was assessed using DPPH assay method. Transmission electron microscopic imaging (TEM imaging) were also performed to support the in vitro data obtained from ThT based fluorescence assays. The Discovery Studio (DS) software, Structure-Based-Design program (4.0) from BIOVIA Inc. was used to determine the binding interactions of the PPI derivatives for SAR optimization. Our results indicate that several compounds in the series exhibit dual cholinesterase inhibition properties; one such compound is 5h (3-(2-methoxyphenyl)pyrazino[1,2-a]indol-1(2H)-one) with IC50 AChE = 7.3 μM , IC50 BuChE = 1.9 μM. Compound 5h was found to be much more potent than reference agents donepezil and rivastigmine toward BuChE inhibition. Several other compounds such as 5d ( 3-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)pyrazino[1,2-a]indol-1(2H)-one) and 5h (- 3-(2-methoxyphenyl)pyrazino[1,2-a]indol-1(2H)-one exhibited excellent of Aβ40/42 inhibition (% inhibition of Aβ40 = 83.3% and 67.7% at 25 µM respectively, and % inhibition of Aβ42 = 90% and 94% at 25 µM respectively). Compound 5d and 5h were found to be more potent than curcumin and resveratrol towards Aβ42 inhibition. The PPI derivatives were also found to exhibit antioxidant activities. Unsubstituted PPI compound 5a exhibited good antioxidant activity (~33% DPPH radical scavenging at 50 μM), while, compound 5k (3-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)pyrazino[1,2-a]indol-1(2H)-one) exhibited excellent antioxidant activity (~ 84% DPPH radical scavenging at 50 μM). This proves the multi-targeted activities of PPI derivatives. Our results indicate that the fused tricyclic phenylpyrazino[1,2-a]indo-1(2H)-ones (PPI) represent a novel class of compounds which can be modified chemically to design and develop multi-targeting agents aimed at the cholinergic, amyloid cascade and oxidative stress hypothesis of AD

Gone in 2s:a deep dive intoperfection analysing thecollaborative maintenance pitstopof Formula 1

Purpose–The paper aims to convert into useable guidelines, the knowledge related to human factors andtasks’organisation, which are embedded in one of the most exciting maintenance actions that are carried out,the pitstop in Formula 1 races.Design/methodology/approach–The paper opted for a fault tree analysis (FTA) to de-construct all the sub-tasks and their possible deviations from desirable situations and to evaluate the most relevant informationneeded for carrying out the pitstop operation. Besides, the SHELL model was applied in a second stage toevaluate the interaction between human being and human interfaces with other components of the system.Once this set of information was crystallised, the research translated it into useable guidelines for organisingindustrial maintenance actions using the same approach and possible reaching the same results.Findings–The results of this study is a structured set of guidelines that encompasses the most paramountaspects that should be considered for setting correct maintenance actions. They represent a“guide”forincluding the different angles that are included during these operations.Research limitations/implications–The guidelines are potentially applicable to every maintenance operation.The guidelines should be tested on different working domains to check their applicability besides the racing world.Practical implications–This study is a reverse engineering work for creating a scheme to include intomaintenance operations aspects such as crew athlete-like fitness, training, technology, organisational issues,safety, ergonomics and psychology.Originality/value–The value of the paper is deconstructing the results of one of the most successful andprepared maintenance action. The paper takes a different approach in proposing how to structure and createmaintenance solutions. The difference in approaches between the maintenance during the pitstop of Formula 1car and industrial applications enhances the gap that needs still to be filled for further improving maintenanceactions out of the racing world