Privacy-Preserving Secret Shared Computations using MapReduce

Data outsourcing allows data owners to keep their data at \emph{untrusted} clouds that do not ensure the privacy of data and/or computations. One useful framework for fault-tolerant data processing in a distributed fashion is MapReduce, which was developed for \emph{trusted} private clouds. This paper presents algorithms for data outsourcing based on Shamir's secret-sharing scheme and for executing privacy-preserving SQL queries such as count, selection including range selection, projection, and join while using MapReduce as an underlying programming model. Our proposed algorithms prevent an adversary from knowing the database or the query while also preventing output-size and access-pattern attacks. Interestingly, our algorithms do not involve the database owner, which only creates and distributes secret-shares once, in answering any query, and hence, the database owner also cannot learn the query. Logically and experimentally, we evaluate the efficiency of the algorithms on the following parameters: (\textit{i}) the number of communication rounds (between a user and a server), (\textit{ii}) the total amount of bit flow (between a user and a server), and (\textit{iii}) the computational load at the user and the server.\BComment: IEEE Transactions on Dependable and Secure Computing, Accepted 01 Aug. 201

A review on recent advancement in liquisolid techology

Liquisolid technique is a novel process in which a liquid can be converted into a material that flows freely, is readily compressible. The carrier material in liquisolid compact comprises the liquid part, which is the liquid drug or a drug solution in liquid vehicles that are non-volatile. Solubility is the main parameter in the circulation of blood to achieve the whole concentration of the drug for pharmacological action. The rate of dissolution of drugs enhances in liquisolid technology. This in turn increases absorption and bioavailability subsequently. This review discusses the different advances and changes to improve liquisolid technology formulations and enhancement of dissolution rate of poorly soluble drugs. Most of the new chemical entities have high lipophilicity and poor water solubility, resulting in poor bioavailability. The release rate of these drugs should be increased in order to improve bioavailability. The technique is based on dissolving the insoluble drug in the solution loaded with non-volatile solvent. Then the dissolution rate of drug which is poorly soluble will rise. The enhanced bioavailability is due to the increased surface area of drug for release, increased drug aqueous solubility or improved wetting capacity

Industry 4.0 (I4.0) Based Virtual Organization Model for the Coordination of Sustainable Textile Supply Chain

The lack of attention on the forward and backward supply chain issues, i.e., the transparency between supply chain agents, information sharing, resource deployment, workforce knowledge, waste reduction, cost efficiency, and resource management are the major problems of textile supply chain. The coordination of forward and backward supply chain becomes difficult due to the players\u27 self-interest and firmographics. It becomes much complicated when we consider the triple bottom line of sustainability (TBLS) in the supply chain. Therefore, in this paper, we propose an Industry 4.0 (I4.0) based virtual organization model for the coordination of the forward and backward supply chain. The results obtained through virtual organization model are also compared with the centralized supply chain and traditional cost-sharing contract. The results reveal that virtual organization model can perform better than the price only contract and it will be help firms in achieving greater sustainability with respect to traditional contract mechanisms

Self-emulsifying drug delivery system: mucus permeation and innovative quantification technologies

Mucus is a dynamic barrier which covers and protects the underlying mucosal epithelial membrane against bacteria and foreign particles. This protection mechanism extends to include therapeutic macromolecules and nanoparticles (NPs) through trapping of these particles. Mucus is not only a physical barrier that limiting particles movements based on their sizes but it selectively binds with particles through both hydrophilic and lipophilic interactions. Therefore, nano-carriers for mucosal delivery should be designed to eliminate entrapment by the mucus barrier. For this reason, different strategies have been approached for both solid nano-carriers and liquid core nano-carriers to synthesise muco-diffusive nano-carrier. Among these nano-strategies, Self-Emulsifying Drug Delivery System (SEDDS) was recognised as very promising nano-carrier for mucus delivery. The system was introduced to enhance the dissolution and bioavailability of orally administered insoluble drugs. SEDDS has shown high stability against intestinal enzymatic activity and more importantly, relatively rapid permeation characteristics across mucus barrier. The high diffusivity of SEDDS has been tested using various in vitro measurement techniques including both bulk and individual measurement of droplets diffusion within mucus. The selection and processing of an optimum in vitro technique is of great importance to avoid misinterpretation of the diffusivity of SEDDS through mucus barrier. In conclusion, SEDDS is a system with high capacity to diffuse through intestinal mucus even though this system has not been studied to the same extent as solid nano-carriers

Malaria card: an empowering tool for patients and for epidemiological recording

Malaria places a substantial burden on the tropical and subtropical regions of the world. World Malaria Report 2020 showed that the progress in global malaria control has come to a plateau. On the other hand, India has shown considerable progress in reducing its malaria burden. Malaria surveillance system mainly depends upon health workers who are also involved with other national health programs. Community participation can play significant role in success of any control/elimination programme. Epidemiological monitoring and record keeping of disease occurrence and control programmes is important. We have designed and proposed a simple booklet called "Malaria card" which when deployed in the community, can potentially result in improved malaria tracking and record-keeping. The malaria card like immunization card for under-five children, can be utilized to capture information on important aspects of malaria and co-morbidities. It will help communities in maintaining their own record and also will give easy access to health care workers to episodes of malaria and for epidemiological tracking