Health Block: A Blockchain Based Secure Healthcare Data Storage and Retrieval System for Cloud Computing

Data in healthcare domain is highly sensitive in nature. Besides, there is need for maintaining integrity of such data. Blockchain technology has emerged to solve the problem of data integrity and non-repudiation with immutable storage in distributed repository. Thus secure data storage and retrieval in cloud environments is made possible using blockchain implementation. There are many existing healthcare systems with blockchain integration found in the literature. However, there is need for a system that supports complete set of operations that are governed by smart contracts. Another important consideration is that end users should be able to operate healthcare system without the need for knowledge of blockchain technology. Towards this end, in this paper, we proposed a Blockchain based secure healthcare data storage and retrieval system known as HealthBlock for cloud computing environments. We defined smart contract with underlying structures and functions using Solidity language for Ethereum blockchain platform. We also proposed and implemented an algorithm known as Healthcare Transactions over Blockchain (HToB). This algorithm supports secure blockchain based data storage and retrieval governed by smart contracts. Our system is evaluated using user-friendly web based client application. The experimental results showed that our system is able to ensure data integrity and non-repudiation besides reaping all benefits of blockchain technology

CITRONELLOL: A POTENTIAL ANTIOXIDANT AND ALDOSE REDUCTASE INHIBITOR FROM CYMBOPOGON CITRATUS

Objective: The present study deals with identification of bioactive component from the distillate of Cymbopogon citratus plant and to evaluate its aldose reductase inhibitory and antioxidant activity.Methods: The aldose reductase enzyme was semi purified by ammonium sulphate precipitation from chicken eye lens. Differential solvent extraction of Cymbopogon citratus was carried out and by using HPLC, HPTLC and Gas chromatography active component responsible for aldose reductase inhibition was identified. The Oral Glucose Tolerance Test was carried by induction of diabetes to the male Wistar rats with streptozotocin. The sorbitol content was measured by sorbitol dehydrogenase enzyme. The antioxidant activity was studied using DPPH and FRAP methods. Results: Differential solvent extraction of the distillate revealed presence of aldose reductase inhibitory activity in the petroleum ether extract of the plant. Citronellol was identified as bioactive component by HPLC, HPTLC and gas chromatography. Citronellol demonstrated 90.4% inhibition of aldose reductase with an IC50 value of 19.6 ±0.8 µg/ ml as against 92.3 % inhibition by the standard drug epalrestat with an IC50 value 9.8 ±0.43 µg/ ml. It demonstrated better lowering of sorbitol (44%) than epalrestat (28%) in the eye lens studies as compared to the diabetic control. Kinetic studies using Lineweaver Burk Plot revealed citronellol to be a mixed type of inhibitor. Docking studies revealed the binding of citronellol at a site similar to epalrestat.Conclusion: Citronellol from C. citratus is found to possess potent aldose reductase inhibitory activity with mixed type of enzyme inhibition and a very good antioxidant potential. Â

Effect of antenatal corticosteroids on neonatal outcome in term elective caesarean section: a randomised controlled trial

Background: Infants born at term by elective caesarean section are more likely to develop respiratory morbidity than infants born vaginally. Prophylactic corticosteroids in singleton preterm pregnancies accelerate lung maturation and reduce the incidence of respiratory complications. Thus, the aim of this randomized controlled trial was to assess the effect of antenatal corticosteroids on neonatal outcome among term pregnant women undergoing elective caesarean section.Methods: It was an open labelled randomized controlled trial conducted among women with term pregnancy of 37-38+6 weeks and planned for caesarean section at term and who were willing to participate in the study. We randomized 50 pregnant women into intervention group which received antenatal corticosteroids in the form of injection dexamethasone 12 mg IM, 4 doses at 12 hourly intervals before term elective caesarean section and 50 pregnant women into control group which did not receive antenatal corticosteroid. Fetal outcomes were compared in both groups after caesarean section. Data were analysed using SPSS vs.20.Results: Nearly half (54%) of pregnant women belonged age group of 21-25 years and majority (58%) of pregnant women belonged to 38-39 weeks of gestation. Out of 50 pregnant women in intervention group, only two percent neonates developed RDS, four percent neonates developed transient tachypnea of neonate (TTN) and six percent neonates required NICU admission which was lower than control group. However, difference between fetal outcomes in intervention and control group was not statistically significant (p>0.05).Conclusions: Administration of prophylactic antenatal corticosteroids before 48 hours of elective term caesarean section does not have impact on fetal outcome in our study

Digitized spiral drawing classification for Parkinson's disease diagnosis

Parkinson's disease (PD) is the most common neurodegenerative disease affecting significantly motor functions of elderly persons. The diagnosis and monitoring of PD is costly and inconvenient process even today, in under developing parts of the world. The observable symptoms of PD at early stage include disorders in handwriting and repetitive tasks of spiral drawing. With advancement of IT it is easier to collect spiral drawing samples using digitized tablet. We proposed detailed analysis of Static and dynamic spirals drawn by PD patients. For this, in-air and on-surface kinematic variables are taken out from data files generated for 25 patients and 15 healthy controls, using mathematical models. Results demonstrated nearly 91% classification accuracy to separate PD patients from healthy controls by applying feature engineering and four machine learning (ML) classifiers Logistic Regression, C-Support Vector Classification (SVC), K- nearest neighbor(KNN) classifier and ensemble model Random Forest Classifier(RFC). This paper confirms that digitized spiral drawings have major impact on classification of PD patients and healthy controls and hence can support future differential diagnosis of PD

Differing HIV vulnerability among female sex workers in a high HIV burden Indian state.

The HIV sentinel surveillance [HSS] conducted in 2010-11 among female sex workers [FSW] in the state of Maharashtra, India provided an opportunity to assess characteristics of different types of FSWs and their HIV risk. It is important for India's National AIDS Control Program, to understand the differences in vulnerability among these FSW, in order to define more specific and effective risk reduction intervention strategies. Therefore, we analyzed data from HSS with the objective of understanding the HIV vulnerability among different types of FSW in Maharashtra.Cross sectional data collected as a part of HSS among FSWs in year 2010-11 from 21 sentinel sites in the state of Maharashtra were analyzed to understand the vulnerability and characteristics of different types of female sex workers based on their place of solicitation using multinomial logistic regression.While the HIV prevalence was 6.6% among all FSWs, it was 9.9% among brothel based [BB], 9% among street based [SB] and 3.1% and 3.7% among home based [HB], and bar based [Bar-B] sex workers respectively. SB FSWs were least likely to be located in HIV low burden districts [ANC] [ARRR: 0.61[95% CI: 0.49, 0.77]], but were 6 times more likely to be recently [1%). We identify them as a group to be focused on for prevention interventions and it is likely that they would be easily amenable to novel interventions due to their higher literacy rate as compared to other typologies

Characteristics of female sex workers by typology: Data from HIV Sentinel Surveillance, Maharashtra [2010–11].

<p>Characteristics of female sex workers by typology: Data from HIV Sentinel Surveillance, Maharashtra [2010–11].</p

Comparison of characteristics of FSWs based in brothel with those not based in brothel using multinomial regression.

<p>Comparison of characteristics of FSWs based in brothel with those not based in brothel using multinomial regression.</p