A Conditional Privacy Preserving Authentication and Multi Party Group Key Establishment Scheme for Real-Time Application in VANETs

Vehicular Ad-hoc Networks (VANETs) are a cardinal part of intelligent transportation system (ITS) which render various services in terms of traffic and transport management. The VANET is used to manage growing traffic and manage data about traffic conditions, weather, road conditions, speed of the vehicle, etc. Even though, VANETs are self-sufficient and effective networks but they still suffer from various security and privacy issues. VANETs need to ensure that an adversary should not be able to breach user associated data and delete or modify the exchanged messages for its gains, as these messages comprise of sensitive data. In this paper, we have proposed an authentication and key-agreement protocol based on cryptographic hash functions which makes it lightweight in nature and also suitable for VANET environment. Moreover, to enhance the security and reliability of the entire system, the proposed key-agreement protocol makes use of random session modulus to compute a dynamic session key i.e. for every session, vehicles generate their session specific secret modulus which are then converged to form a common group session key. The formal verification of the proposed work is done using Real - or - Random oracle model, AVISPA and BAN Logic while informal security analysis shows that the proposed protocol can withstand various attacks. The simulation results and analysis prove that the proposed work is efficient and has a real-time application in VANET environment

Effect of In Vitro

The current study involves the evaluation of factors that influence the transcorneal permeation of aqueous drops of aceclofenac ophthalmic formulation through freshly excised goat, sheep, and buffalo corneas. Aceclofenac formulation with different concentrations 0.1–0.5% (w/v) and with different pH and different preservatives, was taken into account. The amount of drug permeated from different formulations was estimated using an Franz diffusion cell. A linear increase in drug permeation was observed with increase in pH (5.5 to 7.4). The apparent permeability coefficient was found to be maximum 15.01±0.45 on goat cornea and maximum transport of aceclofenac was observed at physiological pH of tears (i.e., 7). The results advocate that aceclofenac 0.5% (w/v) ophthalmic solution (pH 7.0) containing BAK (0.01%) provides maximum in vitro ocular permeability through goat, sheep, and buffalo corneas

PEGylated liposome containing sildenafil for the treatment of hypertension

The purpose of this study was to prepare PEGylated liposomes containing sildenafil for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension. PEGylated liposomes were prepared by thin film hydration method by varying the concentration of lipids. The prepared liposomes were characterized for the particle size, PDI, zeta potential, % entrapment efficiency and in-vitro release study. The optimized formulation exhibits a particle size of 104.27±1.4 nm, PDI of 0.449±0.02, zeta potential of -42.9±0.7 along with the maximum encapsulation of drug i.e. 87.30±2.6. Optimized formulation showed % cumulative drug release of 85.38±0.26 in 48 hr.  From the study it can be concluded that the PEGylated liposomes containing sildenafil for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension provides a sustained release of drug and further studies are required to confirm their efficacy at clinical level. Keywords: Sildenafil; PEGylated liposomes; Pulmonary arterial hypertension; % entrapment efficienc

Design of Web Portal for E - Trading for Farmers

At times, the farmers are not able to receive a price to cover his cost of production while the consumers are paying an abnormally high price for the same commodity. It gives the registration and posting to the farmers in this e-Krishi portal. And identify the potential traders and agents to explore market opportunities. This portal provides a web based platform for advertising of their commodities and attract potential buyers with the update and delete post options. And the database contains all the information of farmers which help the buyers to contact them. This portal also provides enabled market and price information on various agriculture commodities from selected markets. From this, it enhances the awareness among farmers in order to enable them to negotiate on a fair basis with middleman

Simvastatin ameliorates oxidative stress levels in HepG2 cells and hyperlipidemic rats

Simvastatin is an established anti-hyperlipidemic drug and few studies have indicated its role in the mitigation of oxidative stress. However, a systematic study considering molecular binding/interaction of simvastatin with anti-oxidant enzymes followed by confirmational in vitro and in vivo studies have never been done. We investigated the molecular binding of simvastatin with multiple anti-oxidant enzymes and assessed their levels after the treatment of simvastatin in vitro and in vivo. This study is the first to show the molecular binding of simvastatin to catalase through molecular docking analysis. Moreover, the anti-oxidative properties of simvastatin have not been studied in Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced oxidative stress in HepG2 cells. We found that simvastatin effectively attenuated oxidative stress in LPS induced HepG2 cells and high-fat diet (HFD) fed hyperlipidemic rats by increasing the levels of antioxidant enzymes. The activity of catalase and superoxide dismutase (SOD) both increased significantly in oxidatively stressed HepG2 cells after the treatment with simvastatin (10 ​μM, 24 ​h). In addition to this, he original cell morphology of oxidatively stressed cells was restored by simvastatin, and an increase in antioxidant enzymes, catalase (0.08 U/cells to 0.12 U/cells), and SOD (0.57 U/cells to 0.74 U/cells) was also noted in HepG2 cells. Furthermore, a significant increase in the antioxidant enzymes such as Catalase, SOD, and reduced glutathione (GSH) was noted after simvastatin treatment in the HFD model. Moreover, we also observed degradation of by-products of lipid peroxidation thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARs), nitric oxide (NO), and protein carbonyl levels. This indicates that simvastatin enhances anti-oxidant enzyme activities and can be repurposed for the treatment of oxidative stress in liver diseases in humans after extensive clinical trials

Formulation of risperidone loaded proniosomes for effective transdermal delivery: An in-vitro and in-vivo study

In the present investigation, proniosomes of risperidone were formulated, optimized and evaluated for effective transdermal delivery in order to overcome the bioavailability issues of orally administered risperidone. The proniosomes were prepared using various sorbitan esters with cholesterol and soya lecithin and were evaluated for in-vitro parameters, ex-vivo permeation and in-vivo performance. Results indicated that the vesicles were spherical in shape, their size ranged from 284.00 nm to 941.40 nm and they had high zeta potential. The entrapment efficiency for spans was higher compared to tweens. DSC and IR studies confirmed the absence of chemical interactions between the risperidone and proniosome components. In-vitro release study showed that formulations with spans exhibit controlled release profile and followed the Higuchi model. No significant change in vesicle size and entrapment efficiency was observed when the proniosomes were stored at 4 ± 1 °C and 25 ± 2 °C for three months. Proniosomes with span 60 showed no signs of erythema or edema and has highest flux across the rat skin (169.851 ± 2.13 μg cmâ2 hâ1). The relative bioavailability was 92% after transdermal administration of proniosomes and the tmax was increased to 8 h. So we conclude that the developed proniosome formulation would be a promising alternative to improve the bioavailability problems of risperidone. Keywords: Risperidone, Proniosomes, Transdermal systems, Atypical antipsychotic, Relative bioavailabilit

Studies on analgesic, anti-inflammatory activities of stem and roots of Inula cuspidata C.B Clarke

The present study was carried out to evaluate analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities in Inula cuspidata stem and root extracts along with heavy metals estimation in stem and root powder. Stem and roots were extracted with chloroform (ICSCE, ICRCE) and methanol (ICSME, ICRME). Acute oral toxicity of all extracts was determined by OECD guidelines 425. Analgesic activity was investigated by using hot plate and acetic acid induced writhing models. Anti-inflammatory activity (acute) of all extracts was evaluated by carrageenan induced paw edema model. In addition, root and stem powder was screened for heavy metals (As, Pb, Cd, Hg) estimation using atomic absorption spectroscopy. In acute toxicity study no mortality was observed when each extract was orally administered with 2.0 g/kg. At the doses (100 and 200 mg/kg) ICRME followed by ICSME showed significant and dose dependent analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects compared with chloroform extracts. The heavy metals concentration in stem and root powders was found to be within the permissible limits as recommended by WHO for herbal raw materials. The findings of the present study validated the folkloric use of Inula cuspidata as analgesic and anti-inflammatory. In addition, the results intimate that heavy metals present in raw material were found to be within the defined limits, and it exhibits that the therapeutic efficacy of plant may not be effected, which can be otherwise possibly effected if the plant sequester high concentration of heavy metals from the polluted environment as well as from the soil rich in pesticides and sewage sludge etc

Antioxidant and antibacterial activities of various extracts of Inula cuspidata C.B. Clarke stem

AbstractThe objective of the present study includes estimation of total phenolic and total flavonoid contents and evaluation of antioxidant and antibacterial activities of various extracts of Inula cuspidata stem. I. cuspidata belongs to family Compositae; it is an erect shrub, distributed in western Himalaya, usually found growing on steep rocky or precipitous ground.Total phenolic and flavonoid contents were estimated by Folin–Ciocalteu and aluminum chloride method. Antioxidant activity was performed by four methods: DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl radical), ferrous chelating activity, reducing power and nitric oxide scavenging activity. These extracts were screened for antibacterial studies using macro-dilution method.Total phenolic and flavonoid contents were found to be highest in methanol extract (69.44 ± 1.12 mg GAE/g, 12.45 ± 0.67 mg QE/g) followed by chloroform (33.53 ± 0.88 mg GAE/g, 1.27 ± 0.51 mg QE/g) and n-hexane (12.25 ± 1.03 mg GAE/g, 0.08 ± 0.43 mg QE/g) extracts. Methanol extract of I. cuspidata exhibited potent antioxidant activity in all the antioxidant assays followed by chloroform and n-hexane extracts. IC50 values of methanol, chloroform and n-hexane extract were found to be 43.35 ± 0.58 µg/mL, 298.08 ± 0.62 µg/mL, 1989.24 ± 0.71 µg/mL for DPPH, 396.63 ± 0.73 µg/mL, 915.29 ± 0.81 µg/mL, 1180.56 ± 0.88 µg/mL for ferrous chelating and 594.68 ± 0.99 µg/mL, 930.55 ± 1.03 µg/mL, 1959.26 ± 1.25 µg/mL for nitric oxide scavenging assays. A strong correlation was found between total phenolic, flavonoid and 1/IC50 values obtained by different antioxidant assays. The correlation coefficient (R) value obtained was more than 0.9 which exhibits a strong correlation.All the extracts showed significant antibacterial activities against Gram positive bacterial strains with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values ranging from 187.5 to 750 µg/mL and moderate to weak inhibition against Gram negative bacteria with MIC values ranging from 750 to 3000 µg/mL. The present study proves the in vitro anti-oxidant and antibacterial activities of different extracts of I. cuspidata stem

Decalepis hamiltonii root fraction alleviates CCl4 hepatotoxicity in a rat model

Background: Decalepis hamiltonii (D. hamiltonii) is Indian folk medicine in herbal preparations, to reduce appetite, and cures dysentery, bronchitis, uterine hemorrhage, and other ailments. Objective: The current investigation focused on the hepatoprotective effect of D. hamiltonii roots fractions against liver damage. Materials and methods: The current research discussed the fraction from D. hamiltonii root extracts was used. Male Wistar rats (albino strain) were grouped into 4 distinct groups of six animals each. Group I: plain water and vehicle whereas Group II (CCl4 control): CCl4 (1 ml/kg, 20 % v/v in olive oil) over 7 days and vehicle; Over 7 days, Group III received Silymarin 100 mg/kg/day and tap water with 20 % v/v of CCl4, whereas Group IV (treatment group) received DHE 50 mg/kg/day, 100 mg/kg/day, and water. Assessment of biochemical parameters, Mitochondrial modulation, gene expression analysis, and RT-PCR, was used to estimate the protective action of DHEF in CCl4-intoxicated rats. Results: The administration of CCl4 increased levels of total bilirubin (0.63 ± 0.97 mg/dl) plasma amino transferases (110.36 ± 1.13 U/L, 86.56 ± 2.41 U/L and 1.51 ± 1.36 mg/dl respectively) which were mitigated by D. hamiltonii treatment. Activity like Lipid peroxidation and content of nitric oxide also augmented, while the antioxidant action measured by GSH (9.64 ± 0.18 U/mg protein), SOD (3.69 ± 0.22 U/mg protein), and CAT (1.47 ± 0.01 U/mg protein) was reduced. Decalepis hamiltonii root provided substantial restoration of GSH (14.92 ± 0.04 nmol/gm protein), SOD (4.20 ± 0.18 U/mg protein), and CAT (2.71 ± 0.04 U/mg protein) levels. In addition, the acute phase reactants stimulated by CCl4 administration enhanced mRNA expressions of IL-6, IL-10, TNF-a, NF-κβ, and COX-2, which were enhanced by D. hamiltonii treatment. Conclusions: In summary, DHEF protects the liver against CCl4-induced damage, possibly by mitochondrial modulation mechanism. These findings indicate that D. hamiltonii significantly moderates oxidative stress of CCl4-induced hepatotoxicity