Key schedule algorithm based on coordinate geometry of a three-dimensional hybrid cube

Cryptographic algorithms play an important role in information security where it ensures the security of data across the network or storage. A key schedule algorithm is the mechanism that generates and schedules all session-keys for the encryption process. The 2-dimensional hybrid cube is generated based on permutation and combination of integer numbers that are utilized in the construction of encryption and decryption key in the non-binary block cipher. The generation of key space by using the 2-dimensional hybrid cubes are not sufficient to resist attacks and could easily be exploited. Therefore, the large key space is more desirable to resist any attack on the secret key. This research proposed a new Key Schedule Algorithm based on the coordinate geometry of a Hybrid Cube (KSAHC) for the non-binary block cipher. By using the three-dimensional hybrid cube in KSAHC transformation, encryption keys are represented as n × n × n matrix of integer numbers and used in the development of the permutation and substitution of order 4 square matrix. Triangular Coordinate Extraction (TCE) technique has also been introduced to extract the coordinates during the rotation of Hybrid Cube surface (HCs) and plays an important role in the development of KSAHC algorithm. The Hybrid Cube Encryption Algorithm (HiSea) has been implemented to validate the encryption keys that are generated from the proposed algorithm. The strength of the keys and ciphertext are compared with the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES), HiSea, and Dynamic Key Schedule Algorithm (DKSA). The proposed KSAHC algorithm has been validated using the randomness test proposed and recommended by NIST, the average result of avalanche test is 93%, entropy is 0.9968, correlation assessment test is -0.000601 and having large key space 2.70 × 1067 keys that makes the Brute Force attack difficult and time-consuming. Therefore, it can be concluded that the strength and validity of KSAHC algorithm have been enhanced as compared to other algorithms and can serve as the alternative algorithm in designing security systems

Public Provision of Education and Government Spending in Pakistan

The study has been carried out to measure the incidence of government spending on education in Pakistan at the provincial (both rural and urban) level, using the primary data of the Pakistan Social Standard Living Measures Survey (PSLM), 2004-2005, and by employing the three-step Benefit Incidence Approach methodology. The paper reviews the national policies emphasising provision of education in Pakistan, as well as the trend in coverage and public sector spending on education facilities in Pakistan. The study examines the inequalities in resource distribution and service provision in relation to the government education expenditure. The rural areas of Pakistan are the more disadvantaged in the provision of the education facilities. Overall, the expenditure on the education sector is progressive, both at the regional and the provincial levels. However, variation exists in the shares of different income groups benefit from the provision of educational facilities created by public expenditure.education, public expenditure, Public Policy, Gini Coefficient, Concentration Coefficient, Benefit Incidence Approach

Public Provision of Education and Government Spending in Pakistan

The study has been carried out to measure the incidence of government spending on education in Pakistan at the provincial (both rural and urban) level, using the primary data of the Pakistan Social Standard Living Measures Survey (PSLM), 2004-2005, and by employing the three-step Benefit Incidence Approach methodology. The paper reviews the national policies emphasising provision of education in Pakistan, as well as the trend in coverage and public sector spending on education facilities in Pakistan. The study examines the inequalities in resource distribution and service provision in relation to the government education expenditure. The rural areas of Pakistan are the more disadvantaged in the provision of the education facilities. Overall, the expenditure on the education sector is progressive, both at the regional and the provincial levels. However, variation exists in the shares of different income groups’ benefit from the provision of educational facilities created by public expenditure.Education, Public Expenditure, Public Policy, Gini Coefficient, Concentration Coefficient, Benefit Incidence Approach

Health Care Services and Government Spending in Pakistan

The study has been carried out to measure the incidence of government spending on health in Pakistan at provincial, both rural and urban level; using the primary data of the Pakistan Social Standard Living Measures Survey (PSLM), 2004-05, and by employing the three-step Benefit Incidence Approach (BIA) methodology. The paper reviews the national policies emphasising health services as well as the trend in access to and public sector spending on health care facilities in Pakistan. The study explores the inequalities in resource distribution and service provision against the government health expenditures. The rural areas of Pakistan are the more disadvantaged in the provision of the health care facilities. The expenditures in health sectors are overall regressive in rural Pakistan as well as at provincial and regional levels. Mother and Child subhead is regressive in Punjab and General Hospitals and Clinics are regressive in all provinces. Only the Preventive Measures and health facilities sub-sector is progressive in Pakistan. Public health expenditures are pro-rich in Pakistan.health, Expenditure, Public Policy, Gini, Concentration Coefficient, Mother and Child, Preventive Measures, Hospital and Clinics

Health Care Services and Government Spending in Pakistan

The study has been carried out to measure the incidence of government spending on health in Pakistan at provincial, both rural and urban level; using the primary data of the Pakistan Social Standard Living Measures Survey (PSLM), 2004-05, and by employing the three-step Benefit Incidence Approach (BIA) methodology. The paper reviews the national policies emphasising health services as well as the trend in access to and public sector spending on health care facilities in Pakistan. The study explores the inequalities in resource distribution and service provision against the government health expenditures. The rural areas of Pakistan are the more disadvantaged in the provision of the health care facilities. The expenditures in health sectors are overall regressive in rural Pakistan as well as at provincial and regional levels. Mother and Child subhead is regressive in Punjab and General Hospitals and Clinics are regressive in all provinces. Only the Preventive Measures and health facilities sub-sector is progressive in Pakistan. Public health expenditures are pro-rich in Pakistan.Health, Expenditure, Public Policy, Gini, Concentration Coefficient, Mother and Child, Preventive Measures, Hospital and Clinics

Energy efficient multi channel packet forwarding mechanism for wireless sensor networks in smart grid applications

Multichannel Wireless Sensor Networks (MWSNs) paradigm provides an opportunity for the Power Grid (PG) to be upgraded into an intelligent power grid known as the Smart Grid (SG) for efficiently managing the continuously growing energy demand of the 21st century. However, the nature of the intelligent grid environments is affected by the equipment noise, electromagnetic interference, and multipath effects, which pose significant challenges in existing schemes to find optimal vacant channels for MWSNs-based SG applications. This research proposed three schemes to address these issues. The first scheme was an Energy Efficient Routing (ERM) scheme to select the best-optimized route to increase the network performance between the source and the sink in the MWSNs. Secondly, an Efficient Channel Detection (ECD) scheme to detect vacant channels for the Primary Users (PUs) with improved channel detection probability and low probability of missed detection and false alarms in the MWSNs. Finally, a Dynamic Channel Assignment (DCA) scheme that dealt with channel scarcities by dynamically switching between different channels that provided higher data rate channels with longer idle probability to Secondary Users (SUs) at extremely low interference in the MWSNs. These three schemes were integrated as the Energy Efficient Multichannel Packet Forwarding Mechanism (CARP) for Wireless Sensor Networks in Smart Grid Applications. The extensive simulation studies were carried through an EstiNet software version 9.0. The obtained experimental simulation facts exhibited that the proposed schemes in the CARP mechanism achieved improved network performance in terms of packets delivery ratio (26%), congestion management (15%), throughput (23%), probability of channel detection (21%), reduces packet error rate (22%), end-to-end delay (25%), probability of channel missed-detection (25%), probability of false alarms (23.3%), and energy consumption (17%); as compared to the relevant schemes in both EQSHC and G-RPL mechanisms. To conclude, the proposed mechanism significantly improves the Quality of Service (QoS) data delivery performance for MWSNs in SG

A comparison between DNA-DNA checkerboard hybridization and culture techniques for the detection of Candida species in denture stomatitis

Introduction Selon la littérature, les évidences sur l'utilisation et l'application potentielles de la technique d'hybridation à damier d'ADN-ADN dans le diagnostic de la stomatite prothétique associée à la Candida (DS) sont limitées. En outre, la littérature suggère que les biomarqueurs inflammatoires de la salive pourraient offrir une nouvelle avenue pour le diagnostic précoce de cette maladie. Objectifs Les objectifs de ce projet de recherche de maîtrise étaient les suivants: 1) Fournir des informations sur la précision diagnostique de la culture conventionnelle et de la technique d'hybridation à damier d'ADN-ADN pour la détection d'espèces de Candida dans DS et d'étudier son impact sur le diagnostic clinique de cette maladie, et 2) Examiner systématiquement les données disponibles sur les biomarqueurs salivaires présents dans DS. Méthodes Objectif 1): Le biofilm palatin de 26 participants diagnostiqués avec DS a été analysé pour détecter et quantifier les espèces de Candida en utilisant des techniques d’hybridation à damier d’ADN et d’ADN-ADN. En utilisant chaque technique comme référence standard pour l'autre, la précision diagnostique des deux techniques a été examinée et comparée à l'aide des tests Kappa et McNemar. Le test de Spearman a été utilisé pour examiner l'association entre la quantité totale de Candida et les scores d'inflammation totale. Objectif 2): La revue systématique a suivi les lignes directrices relatives aux rapports systématiques et aux méta-analyses (PRISMA). Le niveau de preuve a été évalué à l'aide de l'échelle 2011 du centre d'Oxford pour la médecine fondée sur des preuves (OCEBM). La qualité méthodologique a été évaluée à l'aide de la déclaration du renforcement des rapports d’études observationnelles en épidémiologie (STROBE) et classée selon l'échelle d'Olmos. Résultats Objectif 1): Pour toutes les espèces de Candida, la spécificité de la technique de culture variait entre 52% et 88,5% et entre 92,9% à 100% pour le damier. Il y avait un désaccord entre les deux techniques. La sensitivité pour les deux techniques a été observée comme nulle pour toutes les espèces. La corrélation entre Candida et les scores d'inflammation n'a pas été statistiquement significative pour la culture, mais une corrélation statistiquement significative a été observée avec la technique du damier (p = 0,05). Objectif 2): La majorité des études incluses dans la revue systématique ont montré que les niveaux d'IL-6, CCL3 et TGF-β, GM-CSF et TNF-α étaient plus élevés chez les personnes âgées atteintes de DS, comparativement aux plus jeunes ou individus sains (p <0,05). Quelques études ont toutefois observé une différence non statistiquement significative dans les niveaux de la plupart des cytokines salivaires (IL2, IL12, IFN-Ƴ, IL-4, IL-8, IL-10, IL-17, TNF-α et ICAM -1) entre DS et les porteurs sains de prothèses dentaires. Conclusion Les résultats des études menées dans le cadre de ce projet de recherche de maîtrise suggèrent que l'hybridation à damier d'ADN-ADN a une meilleure précision diagnostique par rapport à la culture pour la détection d'espèces de Candida dans la DS. En outre, les taux de certaines cytokines salivaires spécifiques peuvent être associés à l'inflammation palatine observée dans la DS. Une recherche plus poussée est nécessaire pour confirmer ces résultats.Introduction According to the literature, evidence on the potential use and application of DNA-DNA checkerboard hybridization technique in the diagnosis of Candida-associated Denture Stomatitis (DS) is scarce. Furthermore, the literature suggests that the inflammatory biomarkers in saliva could offer a new venue for the early diagnosis of this disease. Objectives The objectives of this master's research projects were to: 1) Provide evidence on the diagnostic accuracy of conventional culture and DNA-DNA checkerboard hybridization techniques for the detection of Candida species in DS, and to investigate its impact on the clinical diagnosis of this disease, and 2) To systematically examine the available evidence on the salivary biomarkers present in DS. Methods Objective 1): Palatal biofilm of 26 participants diagnosed with DS was analyzed to detect and quantify Candida species using culture and DNA-DNA checkerboard hybridization techniques. Using each technique as the standard reference for the other, the diagnostic accuracy of both techniques was examined, and compared using Kappa and McNemar tests. Spearman's rank test was used to examine the association between total Candida and total inflammation scores. Objective 2): The systematic review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The level of evidence of the included studies was graded using the Oxford Center for Evidence-Based Medicine (OCEBM) 2011 scale. The methodological quality was assessed using Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) statement, and graded according to the Olmos scale. Results Objective 1): For all Candida species, the specificity of the culture technique ranged from 52% to 88.5%, and between 92.9% to 100% for the DNA-DNA checkerboard hybridization technique. There was a lack of agreement between the two techniques. The sensitivity for both the techniques was observed to be zero for all species. The correlation between Candida and inflammation scores was not statistically significant for the culture method, however a statistically significant and positive correlation was observed for the DNA-DNA checkerboard hybridization technique (p=0.05). Objective 2): The majority of studies included in the systematic review, showed that the levels of IL-6, CCL-3, TGF-β, GM-CSF, and TNF-α were higher in older individuals with DS, as compared to younger individuals with DS, or healthy individuals (p<0.05). In contrast, a few studies also observed a non-statistically significant difference in the levels of most salivary cytokines (IL-2, IL-12, IFN-Ƴ, IL-4, IL-8, IL-10, IL-17, TNF-α, and ICAM-1) between DS and healthy denture wearers. Conclusion The results of the studies undertaken during this master's research project suggest that DNA-DNA checkerboard hybridization shows greater diagnostic accuracy for the detection of Candida species in DS, as compared to the culture technique. Furthermore, the levels of some specific salivary cytokines may be associated with the palatal inflammation observed in DS. Further research is needed to confirm these results

Irrigation Water Quality Based on Hydro Chemical Analysis, District Rahim Yar Khan, Pakistan

The global renewable fresh water resources are finite and are rapidly diminishing due to increase population at an alarming rate. This situation inclined the former community to switch over to alternative strategies. Water use practices in the country are not in accordance with water conservation and quality requirements. Tube well water is one of the most common resources to support the irrigation in situation of canal water scarcity. However, tube well water has its bad effects on soil properties and crop yield, considering the importance of tube well water, present study was conducted for the quality assessment of tube well water to provide guidelines to farmer and researches for better crop production by adopting water management strategies. Tube well water quality is major contribution factor towards the low yields of crops in Pakistan, as it is not fit for irrigation in most of the areas. Total 17337 water samples were collected from all the four tehsils of district Rahim Yar Khan during the year July 2003 to June 2010. These samples were analyzed and categorized according to suitability criteria of water quality evaluation. 45 percent water samples were found fit, 11 percent were marginally fit and 44 percent water samples were found unfit for irrigation purpose. Majority of water samples were found hazardous for irrigation purpose. There is need to analyze the existing water resources and recommending comprehensive conservation and management strategy in view of catering the planning requirements for the future. Keywords: EC, Ground water, Pakistan, Rahim Yar Khan, RSC, SAR

Design and Architecture of an Ontology-driven Dialogue System for HPV Vaccine Counseling

Speech and conversational technologies are increasingly being used by consumers, with the inevitability that one day they will be integrated in health care. Where this technology could be of service is in patient-provider communication, specifically for communicating the risks and benefits of vaccines. Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, in particular, is a vaccine that inoculates individuals from certain HPV viruses responsible for adulthood cancers - cervical, head and neck cancers, etc. My research focuses on the architecture and development of speech-enabled conversational agent that relies on series of consumer-centric health ontologies and the technology that utilizes these ontologies. Ontologies are computable artifacts that encode and structure domain knowledge that can be utilized by machines to provide high level capabilities, such as reasoning and sharing information. I will focus the agent’s impact on the HPV vaccine domain to observe if users would respond favorably towards conversational agents and the possible impact of the agent on their beliefs of the HPV vaccine. The approach of this study involves a multi-tier structure. The first tier is the domain knowledge base, the second is the application interaction design tier, and the third is the feasibility assessment of the participants. The research in this study proposes the following questions: Can ontologies support the system architecture for a spoken conversational agent for HPV vaccine counseling? How would prospective users’ perception towards an agent and towards the HPV vaccine be impacted after using conversational agent for HPV vaccine education? The outcome of this study is a comprehensive assessment of a system architecture of a conversational agent for patient-centric HPV vaccine counseling. Each layer of the agent architecture is regulated through domain and application ontologies, and supported by the various ontology-driven software components that I developed to compose the agent architecture. Also discussed in this work, I present preliminary evidence of high usability of the agent and improvement of the users’ health beliefs toward the HPV vaccine. All in all, I introduce a comprehensive and feasible model for the design and development of an open-sourced, ontology-driven conversational agent for any health consumer domain, and corroborate the viability of a conversational agent as a health intervention tool

Diagnostic accuracy of leukocyte esterase in confirmed cases of urinary tract infection in children

Background: Gold standard for the diagnosis of urinary tract infections (UTIs) is urine culture, but it takes longer for bacterial growth on culture media. Leukocyte esterase is a simple strip testing of urine sample, so it takes less time in diagnosing cases of UTI. Objective: To determine the diagnostic accuracy of leukocyte esterase for detection of urinary tract infection in children taking urine culture as the gold standard. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in the Department of Pediatrics, ---removed for blond review---from April to October 2017. Children of both genders between 2-12 years of age having clinical findings consistent with the operational definition of UTI were included in this study. Clean catch, midstream urine sample was collected in a sterile container for culture and test strip was dipped in urine sample for leukocyte esterase. Results: Total 215 Children were  included in the study.The mean age of the children was 7.15±3.36 years. There were 118 (54.9%) males and 97(45.1%) females in this study.37 (17%) were culture positive. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value of leukocyte esterase was 69.77%, 87.79%, 58.82%, and 92.07% respectively. Diagnostic accuracy was 84.19%. Conclusion: Leukocyte esterase is a reliable marker for the screening of urinary tract infection in children 2 years to 12 years of age. Key words: Leukocyte esterase, urinary tract infection, urine cultur