Geographic Routing in Clustered Wireless Sensor Network

A WSN is a network of gadgets that is known as nodes. It consists of sensor nodes distributed over a geographical area. The main task of a sensor node is to sense and collect data from certain domain, process them and transmit it to the sink where the application lies. Clustering provides a productive way to prolong the lifetime of WSN. In this paper, we first propose a distributed technique called energy efficient homogenous clustering technique that selects cluster heads to create a connected backbone network. EHC selects CHs on the basis of their residual energy and utility of sensor to its neighbors. Then we propose a route optimization technique in WSNs to make the best use of routing path among obstacles using Dijkstra’s shortest path algorithm. The simulation results show a reduction in average hop count, packet delay, and energy consumption of WSNs

Open fractures caused by high velocity missiles: the outcome of treatment of 39 fractures followed for 1-3 years

Between 1993 and 1995, thirty-three patients having 39 fractures caused by missiles fired from a high velocity rifle were reviewed retrospectively between 1 and 3 years after injury and the outcome of treatment assessed. Majority (33 out of 39) were Grade III. Union was achieved in 35 out of 39 fractures, there was deep infection and delayed union in one case each. Non-union occurred in three fractures. The fractures were stabilized using different techniques, but highest complication rate was seen with the use of the static external fixator. This was related to the severe nature of the injury as well as the inherent limitations of the external fixator. Revision of the external fixator with internal fixation after healing of the soft tissues seems to be the direction of the future

Towards Automated Weed Detection Through Two-Stage Semantic Segmentation of Tobacco and Weed Pixels in Aerial Imagery

In precision farming, weed detection is required for precise weedicide application, and the detection of tobacco crops is necessary for pesticide application on tobacco leaves. Automated accurate detection of tobacco and weeds through aerial visual cues holds promise. Precise weed detection in crop field imagery can be treated as a semantic segmentation problem. Many image processing, classical machine learning, and deep learning-based approaches have been devised in the past, out of which deep learning-based techniques promise better accuracies for semantic segmentation, i.e., pixel-level classification. We present a new method that improves the precision of pixel-level inter-class classification of the crop and the weed pixels. The technique applies semantic segmentation in two stages. In stage I, a binary pixel-level classifier is developed to segment background and vegetation. In stage II, a three-class pixel-level classifier is designed to classify background, weeds, and tobacco. The output of the first stage is the input of the second stage. To test our designed classifier, a new tobacco crop aerial dataset was captured and manually labeled pixel-wise. The two-stage semantic segmentation architecture has shown better tobacco and weeds pixel-level classification precision. The intersection over union (IOU) for the tobacco crop was improved from 0.67 to 0.85, and IOU for weeds enhanced from 0.76 to 0.91 with the new approach compared to the traditional one-stage semantic segmentation application. We observe that in stage I shallower, a smaller semantic segmentation model is enough compared to stage II, where a segmentation network with more neurons serves the purpose of good detection

Nitric Oxide and Abscisic Acid Mediate Heat Stress Tolerance through Regulation of Osmolytes and Antioxidants to Protect Photosynthesis and Growth in Wheat Plants

Nitric oxide (NO) and abscisic acid (ABA) play a significant role to combat abiotic stress. Application of 100 µM sodium nitroprusside (SNP, NO donor) or ABA alleviated heat stress effects on photosynthesis and growth of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) plants exposed to 40 °C for 6 h every day for 15 days. We have shown that ABA and NO synergistically interact to reduce the heat stress effects on photosynthesis and growth via reducing the content of H2O2 and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), as well as maximizing osmolytes production and the activity and expression of antioxidant enzymes. The inhibition of NO and ABA using c-PTIO (2-4 carboxy-phenyl-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazoline-1-oxyl-3-oxide) and fluridone (Flu), respectively, reduced the osmolyte and antioxidant metabolism and heat stress tolerance. The inhibition of NO significantly reduced the ABA-induced osmolytes and antioxidant metabolism, exhibiting that the function of ABA in the alleviation of heat stress was NO dependent and can be enhanced with NO supplementation.Thus, regulating the activity and expression of antioxidant enzymes together with osmolytes production could act as a possible strategy for heat tolerance

Fabrication of Microbicidal Silver Nanoparticles: Green Synthesis and Implications in the Containment of Bacterial Biofilm on Orthodontal Appliances

Among various metal-based nanoparticles, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) manifest superior inhibitory effects against several microorganisms. In fact, the AgNP-based treatment has been reported to inhibit both sensitive and resistant isolates of bacteria and other disease-causing microbes with equal propensity. Keeping this fact into consideration, we executed bio-mediated synthesis of AgNPs employing extract of flower and various other parts (such as bud and leaf) of the Hibiscus rosa-sinensis plant. The physicochemical characterization of as-synthesized AgNPs was executed employing transmission electron microscopy (TEM), dynamic light scattering (DLS), zeta potential, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and UV-Vis spectroscopy, etc. The as-synthesized AgNPs demonstrated strong antimicrobial activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria with equal propensity. The as-synthesized AgNPs successfully inhibited Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans), one of the main causative bacteria responsible for dental caries. Considering the fact that orthodontic appliances facilitate infliction of the oral cavity with a range of microbes including S. mutans, we determined the growth inhibitory and anti-adherence activities of AgNPs on orthodontic appliances. We performed microbiological assays employing AgNPs adsorbed onto the surface of nickel–titanium (Ni-Ti) orthodontic wires. A topographic analysis of the decontaminated Ni-Ti orthodontic wires was performed by scanning electron microscopy. In addition to antimicrobial and anti-biofilm activities against oral S. mutans, the as-fabricated AgNPs demonstrated significant inhibitory and anti-biofilm properties against other biofilm-forming bacteria such as Escherichia coli and Listeria monocytogenes

The crosstalk of melatonin and hydrogen sulfide determines photosynthetic performance by regulation of carbohydrate metabolism in wheat under heat stress

Photosynthesis is a pivotal process that determines the synthesis of carbohydrates re-quired for sustaining growth under normal or stress situation. Stress exposure reduces the photosynthetic potential owing to the excess synthesis of reactive oxygen species that disturb the proper functioning of photosynthetic apparatus. This decreased photosynthesis is associated with dis-turbances in carbohydrate metabolism resulting in reduced growth under stress. We evaluated the importance of melatonin in reducing heat stress‐induced severity in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) plants. The plants were subjected to 25 °C (optimum temperature) or 40 °C (heat stress) for 15 days at 6 h time duration and then developed the plants for 30 days. Heat stress led to oxidative stress with increased production of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) content and reduced accrual of total soluble sugars, starch and carbohydrate metabolism enzymes which were reflected in reduced photosynthesis. Application of melatonin not only reduced oxidative stress through lowering TBARS and H2O2 content,augmenting the activity of antioxidative enzymes but also increased the photosynthesis in plant and carbohydrate metabolism that was needed to provide energy and carbon skeleton to the developing plant under stress. However, the increase in these parameters with melatonin was mediated via hydrogen sulfide (H2S), as the inhibition of H2S by hypotaurine (HT; H2S scavenger) reversed the ameliorative effect of melatonin. This suggests a crosstalk of melatonin and H2S in protecting heat stress‐induced photosynthetic inhibition via regulation of carbohydrate metabolism

Human Gait Recognition Subject to Different Covariate Factors in a Multi-View Environment

Human gait recognition system identifies individuals based on their biometric traits. A human’s biometric features can be grouped into physiologic or behavioral traits. Biometric traits, such as the face [1], ears [2], iris [3], finger prints, passwords, and tokens, require highly accurate recognition and a well-controlled human interaction to be effective. In contrast, behavioral traits such as voice, signature, and gait do not require any human interaction and can be collected in a hidden and non-invasive mode with a camera system at a low resolution. In comparison with other physiological traits, one of the main advantages of gait analysis is the collection of data from a certain distance. However, gait is less powerful than physiological traits, yet it still has widespread application in surveillance for unfavorable situations. From traditional algorithms to deep learning models, a gait survey provides a detailed history of gait recognition

Utilizing biomass-based graphene oxide-polyaniline-Ag electrodes in microbial fuel cells to boost energy generation and heavy metal removal

Although regarded as environmentally stable, bioelectrochemical fuel cells or, microbial fuel cells (MFCs) continue to face challenges with sustaining electron transport. In response, we examined the performance of two graphene composite-based anode electrodes¿graphene oxide (GO) and GO-polymer-metal oxide (GO-PANI-Ag)¿prepared from biomass and used in MFCs. Over 7 days of operation, GO energy efficiency peaked at 1.022 mW/m2 and GO-PANI-Ag at 2.09 mW/m2. We also tested how well the MFCs could remove heavy metal ions from synthetic wastewater, a secondary application of MFCs that offers considerable benefits. Overall, GO-PANI-Ag had a higher removal rate than GO, with 78.10% removal of Pb(II) and 80.25% removal of Cd(II). Material characterizations, electrochemical testing, and microbial testing conducted to validate the anodes performance confirmed that using new materials as electrodes in MFCs can be an attractive approach to improve the electron transportation. When used with a natural organic substrate (e.g., sugar cane juice), they also present fewer challenges. We also optimized different parameters to confirm the efficiency of the MFCs under various operating conditions. Considering those results, we discuss some lingering challenges and potential possibilities for MFCs

Linear Responses in Time-dependent Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov Method with Gogny Interaction

A numerical method to integrate the time-dependent Hartree-Fock Bogoliubov (TDHFB) equations with Gogny interaction is proposed. The feasibility of the TDHFB code is illustrated by the conservation of the energy, particle numbers, and center-of-mass in the small amplitude vibrations of oxygen 20. The TDHFB code is applied to the isoscalar quadrupole and/or isovector dipole vibrations in the linear (small amplitude) region in oxygen isotopes (masses A = 18,20,22 and 24), titanium isotopes (A = 44,50,52 and 54), neon isotope (A = 26), and magnesium isotopes (A = 24 and 34). The isoscalar quadrupole and isovector dipole strength functions are calculated from the expectation values of the isoscalar quadrupole and isovector dipole moments.Comment: 10 pages, 13 figure