HEER: Hybrid Energy Efficient Reactive Protocol for Wireless Sensor Networks

Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) consist of numerous sensors which send sensed data to base station. Energy conservation is an important issue for sensor nodes as they have limited power.Many routing protocols have been proposed earlier for energy efficiency of both homogeneous and heterogeneous environments. We can prolong our stability and network lifetime by reducing our energy consumption. In this research paper, we propose a protocol designed for the characteristics of a reactive homogeneous WSNs, HEER (Hybrid Energy Efficient Reactive) protocol. In HEER, Cluster Head(CH) selection is based on the ratio of residual energy of node and average energy of network. Moreover, to conserve more energy, we introduce Hard Threshold (HT) and Soft Threshold (ST). Finally, simulations show that our protocol has not only prolonged the network lifetime but also significantly increased stability period.Comment: 2nd IEEE Saudi International Electronics, Communications and Photonics Conference (SIECPC 13), 2013, Riyadh, Saudi Arabi

Context-aware collaborative storage and programming for mobile users

Since people generate and access most digital content from mobile devices, novel innovative mobile apps and services are possible. Most people are interested in sharing this content with communities defined by friendship, similar interests, or geography in exchange for valuable services from these innovative apps. At the same time, they want to own and control their content. Collaborative mobile computing is an ideal choice for this situation. However, due to the distributed nature of this computing environment and the limited resources on mobile devices, maintaining content availability and storage fairness as well as providing efficient programming frameworks are challenging. This dissertation explores several techniques to improve these shortcomings of collaborative mobile computing platforms. First, it proposes a medley of three techniques into one system, MobiStore, that offers content availability in mobile peer-to-peer networks: topology maintenance with robust connectivity, structural reorientation based on the current state of the network, and gossip-based hierarchical updates. Experimental results showed that MobiStore outperforms a state-of-the-art comparison system in terms of content availability and resource usage fairness. Next, the dissertation explores the usage of social relationship properties (i.e., network centrality) to improve the fairness of resource allocation for collaborative computing in peer-to-peer online social networks. The challenge is how to provide fairness in content replication for P2P-OSN, given that the peers in these networks exchange information only with one-hop neighbors. The proposed solution provides fairness by selecting the peers to replicate content based on their potential to introduce the storage skewness, which is determined from their structural properties in the network. The proposed solution, Philia, achieves higher content availability and storage fairness than several comparison systems. The dissertation concludes with a high-level distributed programming model, which efficiently uses computing resources on a cloud-assisted, collaborative mobile computing platform. This platform pairs mobile devices with virtual machines (VMs) in the cloud for increased execution performance and availability. On such a platform, two important challenges arise: first, pairing the two computing entities into a seamless computation, communication, and storage unit; and second, using the computing resources in a cost-effective way. This dissertation proposes Moitree, a distributed programming model and middleware that translates high-level programming constructs into events and provides the illusion of a single computing entity over the mobile-VM pairs. From programmers’ viewpoint, the Moitree API models user collaborations into dynamic groups formed over location, time, or social hierarchies. Experimental results from a prototype implementation show that Moitree is scalable, suitable for real-time apps, and can improve the performance of collaborating apps regarding latency and energy consumption

Educating the power: HIV/AIDS and parliamentarians of Pakistan

Increasing rates of HIV have been recorded amongst the Injection Drug User community from all parts of Pakistan. This has mobilized the health authorities into definitive action before there is a general spread of the epidemic into the Pakistani populace. Lacking any formal research as pertains to HIV policy development in Pakistan, international collaborating agencies, including the United Nations, are aiding in the formulation of a national policy to tackle HIV/AIDS. This article discusses the progress and importance of interventions being conducted amongst the Parliamentarians of Pakistan, relatively unchartered waters. The series of Seminars help to appraise the Parliamentarians of the ground situation as pertains to HIV in their constituencies, aiming to ultimately generate federal and provincial governmental policies, and a solid strategy to combat the spread of HIV/AIDS in Pakistan

A Panel Data Analysis Of The Lucas Hypothesis

In this study we have attempted to verify one of the implications of the Lucas (1973) hypothesis using two-digit industry-level panel data for the U.S. Manufacturing Sector. The hypothesis states that the higher the nominal demand volatility, the lower will be the impact of nominal changes on real variables. Unlike other studies, we use disaggregated panel data for nineteen industries, which are scattered throughout the country, and are subject to the same fiscal and monetary shocks. Another unique feature of this study is the use of price level data at the two-digit industry-level. As opposed to the use of overall price level data, which is common in the literature, we make use of the price level data at the two-digit industry-level. The results of our study support the Lucas hypothesis. Industries with low relative demand volatility transmit the effects of nominal demand shocks exclusively to output and industries with high relative volatility pass on the shocks directly to prices. Finally, we tested for the relation between the real impact of the nominal aggregate disturbances and the relative volatility of industry demands. Our results show strong negative relation between them. That is, the higher the nominal demand volatility facing an industry, the less its impact would be on real output

APOBEC3G encapsidation into HIV-1 virions: which RNA is it?

APOBEC3G is a cytidine deaminase with potent antiviral activity. The protein deaminates single-stranded DNA but is known to bind cellular and viral RNAs. There is increasing evidence that RNA binding of APOBEC3G is important for packaging into viral particles. However, there is no consensus yet on the type of RNA involved

Ricardian Equivalence: Evidence From South American Countries

This study deals with the intergenerational effect of national debt.  We try to find out whether the government deficit incurred today has any adverse effect on the generations to come.  More specifically, this study tests the notion that any deficit acquired by the government today is offset by the private sector by reducing their consumption and increasing their savings to pay for the debt some times in the future.  Since the time horizon for the government is longer than that of the private agents, the private agents altruistically bequeath what they have saved along with interest earned to their offsprings.  This study empirically verifies the debt neutrality hypothesis for several South American countries for which workable data were available.  The results do not support the debt neutrality hypothesis and show that economic agents consider government bonds net wealth affecting their consumption in a positive way

Vasopressin for the management of catecholamine-resistant anaphylactic shock

Severe anaesthetic anaphylaxis is relatively uncommon. Oxygen, fluids and epinephrine are considered to be the mainstay for treatment of cardiovascular collapse and current guidelines for the management of anaphylaxis list only epinephrine as a vasopressor to use in the event of a cardiovascular collapse. Recently, evidence has emerged in the support of the use of vasopressin in cardiopulmonary resuscitation, it is also recommended for the treatment of ventricular fibrillation, septic shock and post-cardiopulmonary bypass distribution shock. Currently, there is no algorithm or guideline for the management of anaphylaxis that include the use of vasopressin. We report a 24-year-old woman who developed severe anaphylactic shock at induction of anaesthesia while undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Circulation shock was refractory to epinephrine and high doses of pure alpha-agonist phenylephrine and norepinephrine. Single intravenous dose of two units of vasopressin re-established normal circulation and blood pressure

Clinical evaluation of efficacy and safety of α-keto analogs of essential amino acids supplementation in patients of chronic kidney disease

Background: The objective was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of α-keto analogs of essential amino acids (KAA) as a supplement in chronic kidney disease (CKD).Methods: A prospective comparative study was conducted in patients of CKD of a tertiary care center of North India. Patients were randomly divided into two interventional groups. Group I (control) was advised conservative management and placebo while Group II (KAA) given conservative management along with KAA (600 mg, thrice daily) for 12 weeks. Hemogram, renal function tests, lipid profiles were done, and adverse effects were recorded at 0, 4, 8, and 12 weeks of treatment.Results: There was progressive improvement in clinical features in both groups after 12 weeks of treatment, but KAA group showed more marked improvement as compared with the control group. Both groups showed gradual improvement in the biochemical parameters as compared to their pre-treated values, which was more marked in KAA supplemented group. There was a reduction in blood glucose, blood urea, serum creatinine, and 24 h total urine protein. There was an increase in hemoglobin, 24 h total urine volume and glomerular filtration rate. KAA group showed significant (p<0.05) improvement in lipid profiles as compared with the control group. There was no statistical difference in two groups with respect to side-effects (p>0.05).Conclusion: KAA supplementation along with conservative management is efficacious and safe in preventing the progression of disease in patients of CKD

Spectrum of complications and mortality of bacterial meningitis: an experience from a developing country

Objective: The aim of this study was to obtain data on predisposing factors, causative organisms and their associated mortality and complications related to acute bacterial meningitis. Methods: The chart review of all patients in whom acute bacterial meningitis was diagnosed at The Aga Khan University Hospital from January 1995 through December 2001. Results: One hundred ninety-four patients were included in study. There were 146 males and 48 females. The mean age of our study population was 41±12.3 years. One hundred and ninety (97.9%) patients had community acquired meningitis; only 4 (2.0%) patients developed meningitis nosocomially. The two most common predisposing factors were diabetes mellitus (13.9%) and otitis media (7.7%) among all 194 patients. A significant proportion of patients with complications had diabetes mellitus (24.6%, p Conclusion: Bacterial Meningitis remains a serious disease associated with substantial morbidity and mortality. Most cases are community acquired with S. Pneumoniae being the most common pathogen. Old age, diabetes mellitus, a positive culture, seizures as a complication and late stage in the disease are the important predictors of a poor outcome (JPMA 53:580;2003)

Unplanned prolonged postanaesthesia care unit length of stay and factors affecting it

Objective: To identify the factors that prolong the length of stay in the post anaesthesia care unit (PACU). Methods: This audit was conducted in the PACU of a university hospital. A special form was designed and filled for those patients who stayed unplanned in the PACU for more than two hours. All patients who were admitted to the PACU after surgery were included. Patients undergoing cardiothoracic surgery, those directly shifted to ICU and cases done under local anaesthesia were excluded. Data was collected for 20 months by a designated recovery nurse for all included patients including those admitted outside the scheduled surgery hours. Results: The total number of patients who were admitted to the PACU during the audit period were 13644, out of these 1114 (8.1%) stayed in the PACU for more than 2 hours. The percentage of overstay patients on monthly basis ranged from 6.4% to 10%. The commonest reason was the need for postoperative monitoring 578 (51.8%), unavailability of beds in the special care areas 264 (23.7%), pain management 68 (6.1%) and 61 (5.4 %) for postoperative ventilation. Conclusion: Our results show that majority of patients stayed in the PACU for more than two hours either because they needed postoperative monitoring or because of unavailability of bed in the special care areas