Cloud Data Auditing Using Proofs of Retrievability

Cloud servers offer data outsourcing facility to their clients. A client outsources her data without having any copy at her end. Therefore, she needs a guarantee that her data are not modified by the server which may be malicious. Data auditing is performed on the outsourced data to resolve this issue. Moreover, the client may want all her data to be stored untampered. In this chapter, we describe proofs of retrievability (POR) that convince the client about the integrity of all her data.Comment: A version has been published as a book chapter in Guide to Security Assurance for Cloud Computing (Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2015

Molecular Epidemiology of Extended-Spectrum β-Lactamase–Producing Pathotypes in Diarrheal Children from Low Socioeconomic Status Communities in Bihar, India: Emergence of the CTX-M Type

Background: Childhood diarrheal diseases remain highly endemic in India, but the emergence of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Escherichia coli among children with diarrhea in Bihar remains elusive. In this study, we determine and characterize ESBL-producing E coli pathotypes among hospitalized diarrheal preschool children living in low socioeconomic level communities in Bihar, India. Materials and methods: The stool samples were collected everyday throughout the year for 2 consecutive years. In our study, we collected stool samples randomly from every fifth patient. Stool samples were collected from a total of 633 randomly selected diarrheal children (age: 0-60 months) belonging to 17 communities and screened for identification of virulent diarrheagenic E coli (DEC) pathotype (viz, enteropathogenic E coli [EPEC], enteroaggregative E coli [EAEC], enterotoxigenic E coli [ETEC], enteroinvasive E coli [EIEC], and enterohemorrhagic E coli [EHEC]) by a multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay. Furthermore, ESBLs were screened by conventional antibiotic resistance pattern testing and later characterized for the presence of β-lactamase ( bla ) genes by PCR and DNA sequencing. Results: Diarrheagenic E coli was detected in 191 cases (30.2%) of the total 633 diarrheic children. Maximum occurrence of DEC was found in ≤12 months age group (72.7%) with prevalence of the EAEC pathotype. Most isolates were resistant to ampicillin, ciprofloxacin, piperacillin, levofloxacin, ceftazidime, cefotaxime, ceftriaxone, and gentamicin, whereas over 96% of them were sensitive to amikacin. About 37.6% of total 191 DEC isolates were ESBL producers (n = 72), being prevalent among ETEC (n = 35; 18.32%), followed by EPEC (n = 21; 10.9%), EAEC (n = 13; 6.8%), and EIEC (n = 3; 1.57%). Interestingly, the commonest β-lactamase was CTX-M type ( bla CTX-M ) in 86.1% (n = 62) of the ESBL isolates, followed by bla SHV (n = 49; 68%), bla TEM (n = 37; 51.8%), and bla OXA (n = 21; 29.1%) determinants. Resistance of ESBL isolates was mostly related to ampicillin (100%), ceftriaxone (98.1%), cefotaxime (92.4%), gentamicin (74.1%), and levofloxacin (73.2%), whereas best antimicrobial activities were observed for piperacillin-tazobactam, amikacin, meropenem, and imipenem. Conclusions: This study revealed that EAEC (72.1%) is the predominant pathotype in Bihar, significantly high in ≤12 months age group children ( P  = .04). Moreover, the widespread prevalence of ESBLs in children, especially the CTX-M type, is of great concern, which requires monitoring of infection control measures through efficient antimicrobial management and detection of ESBL-producing isolates

Reference equation for spirometry interpretation for Eastern India

Introduction: Spirometry measurements are interpreted by comparing with reference values for healthy individuals that have been derived from multiple regression equations from earlier studies. There are only two such studies from Eastern India, both by Chatterjee et al., one each for males and females. These are however single center and approximately two decades old studies. Aims: (1) to formulate a new regression equation for predicting FEV 1 and FVC for eastern India and (2) to compare the results to the previous two studies by Chatterjee et al. Materials and Methods: Healthy nonsmokers were recruited through health camps under the initiative of four large hospitals of Kolkata. Predicted equations were derived for FEV 1 , FVC and FEV 1 /FVC in males and females separately using multiple linear regression, which were then compared with the older equations using Bland-Altman method. Results: The Bland-Altman analyses show that the mean bias for females for FVC was 0.39 L (95% limits of agreement 1.32 to −0.54 L) and for FEV1 was 0.334 L (95% limits of agreement of 1.08 to -0.41 L). For males the mean bias for FEV1 was -0.141 L, (95% limits of agreement 0.88 to -1.16 L) while that for FVC was -0.112 L (95% limits of agreement 0.80 to -1.08 L). Conclusion: New updated regression equations are needed for predicting reference values for spirometry interpretation. The regression equations proposed in this study may be considered appropriate for use in current practice for eastern India until further studies are available

Tracing pathways from antenatal to delivery care for women in Mumbai, India: cross-sectional study of maternity in low-income areas

In many cities, healthcare is available through a complex mix of private and public providers. The line between the formal and informal sectors may be blurred and movement between them uncharted. We quantified the use of private and public providers of maternity care in low-income areas of Mumbai, India. We identified births among a population of about 300 000 in 48 vulnerable slum areas and interviewed women at 6 weeks after delivery. For 10,754 births in 2005–7, levels of antenatal care (93%) and institutional delivery (90%) were high. Antenatal care was split 50:50 between public and private providers, and institutional deliveries 60:40 in favour of the public sector. Women generally stayed within the sector and institution in which care began. Home births were common if women did not register in advance. The findings were at least superficially reassuring, and there was less movement than expected between sectors and health institutions. In the short term, we suggest an emphasis on birth preparedness for pregnant women and their families, and an effort to rationalize the process of referral between institutions. In the longer term, service improvement needs to acknowledge the private-public mix and work towards practicable regulation of quality in both sectors