Secure and Efficient Multi-Key FHE Scheme Supporting Multi-bit Messages from LWE Preserving Non-Interactive Decryption

We consider multi-key fully homomorphic encryption (multi-key FHE) which is the richest variant of fully homomorphic encryption (FHE) that allows complex computation on encrypted data under different keys. Since its introduction by Lopez-Alt, Tromer and Vaikuntanathan in 2012, numerous proposals have been presented yielding various improvements in security and efficiency. However, most of these multi-key FHE schemes encrypt a single-bit message. Constructing a multi-key FHE scheme encrypting multi-bit messages have been notoriously difficult without loosing efficiency for homomorphic evaluation and ciphertext extension under additional keys. In this work, we study multi-key FHE that can encrypt multi-bit messages. Motivated by the goals of improving the efficiency, we propose a new construction with non-interactive decryption and security against chosen-plaintext attack (IND-CPA) from the standard learning with errors (LWE) assumption. We consider a binary matrix as plaintext instead of a single-bit. Our approach supports efficient homomorphic matrix addition and multiplication. Another interesting feature is that our technique of extending a ciphertext under additional keys yields significant reduction in the computational overhead. More interestingly, when contrasted with the previous multi-key FHE schemes for multi-bit messages, our candidates exhibits favorable results in the length of the secret key, public key and ciphertext preserving non-interactive decryption. Keywords: lattice based cryptosystem, multi-key fully homomorphic encryption, learning with errors, multi-bit message

A study of nutritional assessment of newly diagnosed tuberculosis patients in a tertiary care hospital of Tripura, India

Background: Tuberculosis kills more than any infection in India. TB is a serious public health problem in India. Tuberculosis causes immense morbidity. The mortality rate of this disease is also very high. Tuberculosis causes a great distress to the patients. To control this infection is a challenge to the health care facility of India. A lot of steps are being taken at various levels to end this disease. Still a huge number of patients are dying everyday from these deadly diseases. Out of so many recognised risk factors, malnutrition is considered to be as one of the most important among them. The immunity of a malnourished patient is suppressed. When the patient’s immunity is ineffective, the conversion of latent tuberculosis to diseases happens. Malnutrition invites tuberculosis and tuberculosis again causes morbidity, so there is a complex relation between this two. Malnutrition and tuberculosis are both problems of considerable magnitude in most of the underdeveloped regions of the world.Methods: In this cross sectional hospital based study involving 400 newly diagnosed Tuberculosis cases were taken. Their nutritional status was measured by BMI.Results: It was found that 66% of the study population is having malnutrition (BMI <18.5kg/m2). Malnutrition was more in females (71%). Mean BMI is 17.9Kg/m2. Mean height of the population is 1.53 meters.Conclusions: Nutritional supplementation may represent a novel approach for fast recovery in tuberculosis patients. In addition, raising nutritional status of population may prove to be an effective measure to control tuberculosis in underdeveloped areas of world. This study has demonstrated that half of newly diagnosed adult TB patients were malnourished at the time of starting treatment, with more than a quarter having moderate to severe malnutrition

Immunogenic Modulations Induced by Prospective Anti-Malarial Herbal Extracts in Murine Model

Keeping in view the ever increasing problem of drug resistance and affordability of the antimalarial drugs by the poor mass, herbal medicines can become an important and alternative sustainable strategy for malaria treatment. Aqueous extracts of three Himalayan herbs&#x2015; _Equisetum ravense_, _Artemisia vulgaris_ and _Centella asiatica_, with reported antimalarial property were screened for clinical efficacy against a local strain of _Plasmodium vivax_ antigen in murine model. _E. arvense_ extract was consistent in boosting phagocytic activity, nitric oxide generation, acid phosphatase and alkaline phosphatase activities in the peritoneal macrophages. The effectiveness of the rest herbals was discrete. A need for further detailed investigation to evaluate the clinical efficacy of these herbals seems essential

Synthesis and crystal structures of 2-acetylpyridine-N(4)-methyl-3-thiosemicarbazone (L) and its metal complexes: Anticancer activity of [Cu(L)(OAc)]

531-537Synthesis and structural characterization of N(4)-substituted 2-acetylpyridine-N(4)-methyl-3-thiosemicarbazone (L) and its two metal complexes [Cu(L)(OAc)] (1) and [ZnL(OAc)]2 (2) are reported. Between the two complexes 1 is found to have good anticancer activity against Human lung cancer cell line (A549). Fluorescence microscopy finds the formation of reactive oxygen species on treatment of the cancer cells with 1. The IC50 value of the complex is measured as 0.72 mM which is lower than that of cisplatin against A549

Synthesis and crystal structures of 2-acetylpyridine-N(4)-methyl-3-thiosemicarbazone (L) and its metal complexes: Anticancer activity of [Cu(L)(OAc)]

Synthesis and structural characterization of N(4)-substituted 2-acetylpyridine-N(4)-methyl-3-thiosemicarbazone (L) and its two metal complexes [Cu(L)(OAc)] (1) and [ZnL(OAc)]2 (2) are reported. Between the two complexes 1 is found to have good anticancer activity against Human lung cancer cell line (A549). Fluorescence microscopy finds the formation of reactive oxygen species on treatment of the cancer cells with 1. The IC50 value of the complex is measured as 0.72 mM which is lower than that of cisplatin against A549

Femtosecond transient absorption studies of two novel energetic tetrazole derivatives

Excited-state dynamics of two novel energetic nitrogen-rich aryl-tetrazole molecules were investigated using femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy. The internal conversion from Sn to S1 occurred in the 0.3–0.5 ps; vibrational relaxation within S1 states transpired in a 1.8–5 ps time scale and, subsequently, the intersystem crossing was observed with lifetimes of 7.8 ps and 129 ps. The nitro-substituted tetrazole demonstrated a faster decay with a weaker fluorescence compared to the amino-substituted derivative. We believe that the high nitrogen content in the former resulted in a possible more rapid nonradiative decay. © 202

Experimental assessment of arsenic toxicity in garole sheep in India

Arsenic, a dangerous bio-accumulative poison, is a grave threat affecting a large number of people as well as animals throughout the World, particularly in Bangladesh and West Bengal, India. It is also a matter of concern as continuously entering into food chain through biotic and abiotic products. The present study was conducted to evaluate the experimental effect of arsenic toxicosis on Garole sheep of West Bengal. One group was subjected to oral arsenic exposure @ 6.6 mg Kg−1 over 133 days when rests considered as negative control. Periodical arsenic estimation in wool, urine and feces along with hemato-biochemical alteration were checked thoroughly. It was evident from the study that long term arsenic exposure exerted a significant (p < 0.01) alteration compared to normal animal which were further supported by clinical abnormalities. Exposed animals showed histological changes throughout major internal organs like coagulative necrosis of liver, tubular nephritis of kidney and acanthosis of skin etc. The bio-accumulative and excretion pattern of arsenic inside body were also well understood by the arsenic estimation study of wool, urine and feces which may be helpful for discussion regarding arsenic entry into food chain via animals

Antimicrobial resistance pattern, clustering mechanisms and correlation matrix of drug-resistant Escherichia coli in black Bengal goats in West Bengal, India

A cross-sectional study covering four agro-climatic zones of West Bengal, India, was carried out to understand the risk-factors, antimicrobial resistance mechanism and clustering of the resistance characteristics of Escherichia coli isolated from healthy (170) and diarrhoeic (74) goats reared under intensive (52) and semi-intensive (192) farming practices. Of the 488 E. coli isolates, the majority, including the extended spectrum (n: 64, 13.11%) and AmpC β-lactamase (ACBL) (n: 86, 17.62%) producers, were resistant to tetracycline (25.2%), followed by enrofloxacin (24.5%), cefotaxime (21.5%) and amikacin (20.5%). Statistical modelling revealed that the isolates from diarrhoeic animals (p < 0.001) are likely to be more ACBL-positive than those from the healthy counterparts. Similarly, cefotaxime (p < 0.05) and enrofloxacin-resistance (p < 0.01) were significantly higher in diarrhoeic goats and in goats reared intensively. The isolates (n = 35) resistant to multiple drugs revealed the presence of β-lactamase [blaCTXM-1-(21), blaSHV-(7), blaTEM-(3), blaCMY-6-(1), blaCITM-(3)]; quinolone [qnrB-(10), qnrS-(7), aac(6’)-Ib-cr-(3)]; tetracycline [tetA-(19), tetB-(4)] and sulphonamide resistance determinants [sul1-(4)]; multiple plasmids, especially those belonging to the IncF and IncI1 replicon types; and active acrAB efflux pumps. Further, two isolates harbored the carbapenem resistance (blaNDM-5) gene and eight were strong biofilm producers. This first ever study conducted to unravel the status of AMR in goat farming reveals that not only the intensive farming practices but also certain clinical ailments such as diarrhoea can increase the shedding of the drug-resistant isolate. The emergence of multi-drug resistant (MDR) E. coli in goats, particularly those that are carbapenem resistant, is a cause for concern that indicates the spread of such pathogens even in the livestock sub-sector generally considered as naive

Femtosecond Pump-Probe Spectroscopy for Organic Photovoltaic Devices

Charge photogeneration by exciton dissociation at the donor/acceptor interface is the heart of organic molecule–based devices for solar energy conversion. Femtosecond pump–probe spectroscopy offers a noninvasive technique to follow the charge photogeneration. In this article, we elucidate the contribution of femtosecond pump–probe spectroscopy in providing in‐depth insights into various photophysical aspects that aid in the development of efficient organic molecule–based solar cells, namely, dye‐sensitized solar cells, organic–inorganic hybrid solar cells, polymer‐based bulk heterojunction solar cells, and perovskite solar cells