Augmenting The Cloud Environment Security Through Blockchain Based Hash Algorithms

Many techniques and algorithms are developed to enhance the security in the cloud environment. This helps the users to secure their server from malicious attacks. Hence the study and investigation of the performance enhanced security algorithms is a must demanded field in the research industry. When large number users using same server to store their information in cloud environment security is a must needed component to preserve the privacy and confidentiality of every individual user. This can be further strengthened by detecting the attacks in earlier stages and taking countermeasure to prevent the attack. Thus securing the data network without any leakage and loss of the information is a challenging task in the cloud environment. When the attacks or intrusion is detected after the occurrence there may be damage to the data in the form of data damage or theft. Hence it is necessary to predict and detect the attacks before the occurrence to protect the privacy and confidentiality of the user information. Keywords: Cloud security; Data privacy; Data confidentiality; Hash Algorithm; Substitutional encryptio

Rectangular waveguide narrow-wall longitudinal-aperture antenna arrays for high-power applications

This work deals with the design and bench test of rectangular waveguide narrow-wall longitudinal-aperture antenna arrays for high power applications. The best narrow-wall longitudinal-aperture array designs in the work are called the double-narrow-wall-slot-HPB-array and the double-split-waveguide-HPB-array. The double-narrow-wall-slot-HPB-array (double-split-waveguide-HPB-array) consists of two identical narrow-wall-slot-HPB-arrays (split-waveguide-HPB-arrays) with a common broad wall. All elements of the split-waveguide-HPB-array are identical and are called H-plane-bend-radiators (HPB-radiators). An HPB-radiator is an H-plane bend terminating in a radiating aperture with the narrow dimension of the waveguide flaring out. Optimizing the HPB-radiators performance involves designing its aperture dimensions and the function that determines the H-plane taper to minimize the reflected power into the feed-waveguide while maintaining a half sine wave aperture electric field (E-field) distribution. Once the optimal HPB-radiator is designed, the design of the split-waveguide-HPB-array is similar to designing a uniform linear array. There is minimal mutual coupling between the elements through the waveguide, and for design purposes, external coupling between the elements can be ignored. The first four elements of the narrow-wall-slot-HPB-array are longitudinal-slots in the narrow wall of a rectangular waveguide, and the last element is an HPB-radiator with the same optimal performance criteria as that of the split-waveguide-HPB-array. The narrow-wall-slot-HPB-array is designed by a combination of computational and microwave network analysis techniques. First, computational analysis of the individual slots is performed separately. In the next step, each longitudinal-slot in the narrow wall of the guide is reduced to a lossy two port microwave network whose S-parameters have been obtained from the computational analysis; the loss in the network represents the power radiated by the slot. Finally, microwave network analysis is used to design a uniform linear array with a low reflected power into the feed-waveguide. The primary advantage of the split-waveguide-HPB-array over the narrow-wall-slot-HPB-array is its ability to beam steer since the inputs to its elements can be controlled separately. Since the structures are used for high power applications, the HPB-radiator\u27s H-plane taper function needs to be smooth without any sharp corners. Its design procedure, using just computational or analytical methods, was intractable. The design procedure is therefore formalized using a novel approach, which processes the computational analysis data using iterative search algorithms. This approach is made possible by mapping a design output variable that is computationally intensive, to another that requires much less computational time. This approach is based on a hypothesis that is called the \u27dimensional offset hypothesis\u27. The behavior of narrow-wall longitudinal-slots with dimensions comparable to a free-space wavelength is also characterized. The similarities they possess with wire radiators are presented. The experimental results validate the theoretical analysis results for the design of an HPB-radiator and from the microwave network analysis. The power handling capability analysis for the double-narrow-wall-slot-HPB-array and the double-split-waveguide-HPB-array is also presented.\u2

Understanding the roles of partners in partnerships funded by the global fund

The field of international development has always been intertwined with the economic thought dominant in the West. Even before its conception with the Marshall Plan to rebuild Europe, it carried a strong Keynesian preference for the state. The neoliberal assault on the welfare state in the 80s, followed by the partnership era that brought both the public and the private sector together to work for a common cause have been the focus of attention by development scholars and others alike. The present study focuses on a multilateral development aid agency, the Global Fund, which funds public-private partnerships in the field of health care in developing countries. Drawing on the debates surrounding the welfare state and the civil society, as well as the debates surrounding the public-privates partnerships, the present study poses three questions in relation to the Global Fund: (1) how are the diseases framed in the partnership framework, (2) what are the roles of the private sector in partnership, and (3) what are the roles of the public sector in partnerships. Based on the textual analysis of fifteen proposals approved by the Global Fund in the sixth round of funding, this dissertation tries to situate the working of the Global Fund, and the proposals it funds, within the larger debates surrounding development and partnerships. The findings of the present study are: (1) the diseases are framed largely in socio-economic terms, (2) the private (for-profit) sector is marginalized in the discussion and implementation of proposals, (3) the civil society participation is seen as essential to the success of the proposals, and (3) the state is seen as important in the discussion of the diseases, although there is a great deal of ambiguity surrounding the roles of the public sector in partnerships. It is hypothesized in the concluding chapter that the reason Global Fund is able to attract a great deal of funds and support from actors across the political spectrum could be because the organization funds programs that foreground civil society, liked by people of different political inclinations, and backgrounds the discussion of the state, the epicenter of controversies surrounding development. By being “strategically ambiguous” about the role of the state in the development of the people, the proposals are made apolitical and appealing to people both on the left and the right

Differential Scanning calorimetric studies on the interaction of N-acylethanolamines with cholesterol

Earlier studies have suggested the formation of a 1 : 1 (mol/mol) complex between N-myristoylethanolamine (NMEA) and cholesterol in aqueous dispersion. In this study, this interaction has been investigated further by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) on dry mixtures of NMEA, N-palmitoylethanolamine (NPEA) and N-stearoylethanolamine (NSEA) with cholesterol. The results obtained indicate that addition of cholesterol to NMEA leads to a new phase transition at 86.5°C, besides the solid-liquid phase transition of NMEA at 95°C. The intensity of the peak corresponding to the new transition increases with cholesterol content up to 50 mol%, but decreases thereafter, whereas the intensity of the peak corresponding to the melting of NMEA decreases with increasing cholesterol content, with concomitant and gradual shift to lower temperatures and vanishes at 50 mol% cholesterol. These results are consistent with the formation of a 1:1 molar complex between NMEA and cholesterol proposed earlier and indicate that these two amphiphiles are associated in the solid state as well. DSC studies on hydrated mixtures of NPEA and NSEA with cholesterol yielded results that parallel those obtained with the NMEA/cholesterol system, indicating that these two long-chain NAEs also form 1:1 (mol/mol) complexes with cholesterol

A numerical technique for solving nonlinear singularly perturbed delay differential equations

This paper presents a numerical technique for solving nonlinear singularly perturbed delay differential equations. Quasilinearization technique is applied to convert the nonlinear singularly perturbed delay differential equation into a sequence of linear singularly perturbed delay differential equations. An exponentially fitted spline method is presented for solving sequence of linear singularly perturbed delay differential equations. Error estimates of the method is discussed. Numerical examples are solved to show the applicability and efficiency of the proposed scheme

Functional outcome in displaced proximal humeral fractures in adults treated by proximal humeral locking plates

Background: The management of proximal humerus fractures (PHF) is a challenging task to any surgeon. Study was conducted to evaluate the clinical and functional outcome of the proximal humeral internal locking system in fixation of displaced proximal humeral fractures.Methods: Study was conducted in the Department of Orthopedics, GSL Medical College. Informed written consent was taken from the study participants. All skeletally mature patients aged >18 years, presenting with displaced PHF according to Neer two, three and four part fracture were included in the study. Either deltopectoral or deltoid splitting approach was used for surgery, post-operative rehabilitation was started on day one.Results: Twenty-five patients with PHF were enrolled in the study; five-holed proximal humerus locking plate (PHLP) was used for 18 patients, eight-holed PHLP for 05 and three-holed, ten-holed PHLP for 01 for one each. The Constant-Murley score was significantly improved (p=0.000) over each successive follow-up period with the average improvement of around 19 scores between 1st and 2nd follow-up and around 15 score improvement between 2nd and 3rd follow-up.Conclusions: The proximal humeral locking plate is an adequate device for the fixation of displaced two-part, three-part and four-part PHF. Patient can regain good shoulder function, resume normal activities much earlier

Waste Recycling for the Eco-friendly Input Use Efficiency in Agriculture and Livestock Feeding

he increasing competition for available resources and inefficient use of those limited resources necessitates the need to improve the use of available resources. If these inefficacies are not corrected, the resource-poor farmers, mainly living in developing countries will be most affected. Yet these resource farmers contribute immensely for food production in developing countries. Smallholder farmers must be proactive and learn to adopt new strategies that can assist them in continuing farming with maximum use of limited agricultural resources and even wastes in agriculture. Several methods are available to improve the use of agricultural wastes, including non-agronomic benefits. Furthermore, we suggest the integration of waste resources, such as from both the trilogy of human– animal–crop wastes. Similarly, inexpensive techniques are encouraged among the farmers, including composting and vermicomposting of human–crop–animal wastes and/or slaughterhouse/abattoir wastes, biocharing of crop and animal wastes as various means of recycling/recovering nutrients in the soil system. Furthermore, the deployment of fungi could also improve the resource use efficiency through mushroom growth and sales, crop residue fermentation to enhance its feed value. Livestock farmers facing nutritional problems can apply microbes through fermentation to reduce antinutritional factors (lignin, tannins) in plants, and improve the safety of kitchen and dairy waste before feeding. Alternatively, farmers are encouraged to raise micro livestock (rabbits, snails, and grasscutters) on their farm to improve the use of resources. On a large scale, nitrogen and phosphorus recovery from cow urine, slurry, human feces, and fermentation of phytate rich plants with phytate on industrial scales is recommended. This chapter aims to provide insight into the methods by which farmers and industries, especially those in developing countries, can improve their available resources for agricuture and as livestock feeds

Proteome Profiling of Human Cutaneous Leishmaniasis Lesion

In this study, we used proteomics and biological network analysis to evaluate the potential biological processes and components present in the identified proteins of biopsies from cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) patients infected by Leishmania braziliensis in comparison with normal skin. We identified 59 proteins differently expressed in samples from infected and normal skin. Biological network analysis employing identified proteins showed the presence of networks that may be involved in the cell death mediated by cytotoxic T lymphocytes. After immunohistochemical analyses, the expression of caspase-9, caspase-3, and granzyme B was validated in the tissue and positively correlated with the lesion size in CL patients. In conclusion, this work identified differentially expressed proteins in the inflammatory site of CL, revealed enhanced expression of caspase-9, and highlighted mechanisms associated with the progression of tissue damage observed in lesions

Preclinical assessment of ulixertinib, a novel ERK1/2 inhibitor

Ulixertinib (BVD-523) is a novel and selective reversible inhibitor of ERK1/ERK2. In xenograft studies it inhibited tumor growth in BRAF-mutant melanoma and colorectal xenografts as well as KRAS-mutant colorectal and pancreatic models. Ulixertinib is currently in Phase I clinical development for the treatment of advance solid tumors. The objective of the study is to assess the metabolic stability (in various pre-clinical and human liver microsomes/hepatocytes), permeability, protein binding, CYP inhibition, CYP induction and CYP phenotyping of ulixertinib. We have also studied the oral and intravenous pharmacokinetics of ulixertinib in mice, rats and dogs. Ulixertinib was found to be moderately to highly stable in various liver microsomes/hepatocytes tested. It is a medium permeable (2.67 x 10-6 cm /sec) drug and a substrate for efflux (efflux ratio: 3.02) in Caco-2 model. Ulixertinib was highly bound to plasma proteins. CYPs involved in its limited metabolism and it is CYP inhibition IC50 ranged between 10-20 μM. Post oral administration ulixertinib exhibited early Tmax (0.50-0.75 h) in mice and rats indicating absorption was rapid, however in dogs Tmax attained at 2 h. The half-life (t½) of ulixertinib by intravenous and oral routes ranged between 1.0-2.5 h across the species. Clearance and volume of distribution by intravenous route for ulixertinib were found to be 6.24 mL/min/kg and 0.56 L/kg; 1.67 mL/min/kg and 0.36 L/kg and 15.5 mL/min/kg and 1.61 L/kg in mice, rats and dogs, respectively. Absolute oral bioavailability in mice and rats was > 92 %, however in dogs it was 34 %