Urdu text steganography: Utilizing isolated letters

This paper presents an imperceptible and high capacity feature based approach which hides a secret message into Urdu text cover media by utilising all isolated letters. Existing techniques are less imperceptible and also not robust against steganalysis attacks and some of these schemes are failed to provide the better capacity rates. Previous lexical based and syntax based schemes are ineffective to provide the better capacity rate and image based approaches are not robust against format attacks. Moreover, Feature based approaches are more perceptible and thus, cannot resist against visual attacks. This paper proposes an improved algorithm that encompasses all isolated letters of Urdu text for hiding data to provide better capacity rates. Furthermore, this technique is more secured by using strong public key encryption algorithm. In addition, scheme is also imperceptible, since it does not affect the external appearance of the text. Implementation shows that the proposed text steganography technique provides high concealing capacity

Structuralism and the Indo-Pak Rivalry: Responsible PoliticoEconomic Factors and Policy Analysis

Ever since the partition of Indian subcontinent in 1947, India and Pakistan have marched on the path of mutual animosity. Both the countries are struggling to clear out their relation clouded by the debris of partition. Not only are Indo-Pakistani relations tremendously explosive, intertwined as they are with communal relations and internal power struggles in both countries. With their inherently linked foreign policies, both countries have used the Indo-Pak segregation to muster support of their conjugal hard-liners against each other. The historic rivalry is further heightened by the efforts of the ruling government of both the nations. They play an eminent role to ignite antagonistic feelings against each other to suffice their agendas such as winning public support and to divert the attention of the masses from real issues especially economic turbulences.&nbsp

Historical perspective of in situ hybridization for the analysis of genomic constitution of plants

In situ hybridization involves hybridization of DNA or RNA probes to the cytological preparations. The technique originally used auto-radiographic labeling to map both repetitive and low copy DNA sequences. The problem associated with this technique was its short half life, lack of safety and long exposure time which hindered its widespread use in DNA hybridization. To overcome these problems, non isotopic in situ hybridization was developed for use in animal and plant species. In the last decade, the development of haptens and fluorochromes enabled simultaneous multicolored detection of differentially labeled probes. Characterization of parental genomes in interspecific hybrids, restructured chromosomes, gene mapping, detecting nature of chromosome pairing, establishing phylogenetic relationship among the species and localizing introgressed segment have been successfully achieved by fluorescence in situ hybridization. Keywords: In situ hybridization, phylogenetic relationship, homoeologous pairin

Chemical composition and pharmacological bio-efficacy of Parrotiopsis jacquemontiana (Decne) Rehder for anticancer activity

Consistent STAT3 (Single transducer and activator of transcription 3) activation is observed in many tumors and promotes malignant cell transformation. In the present investigation, we evaluated the anticancer effects of Parrotiopsis jacquemontiana methanol fraction (PJM) on STAT3 inhibition in HCCLM3 and MDA-MB 231 cells. PJM suppressed the activation of upstream kinases i.e. JAK-1/2 (Janus kinase-1/2), and c-Src (Proto-oncogene tyrosine-protein kinase c-Src), and upregulated the expression levels of PIAS-1/3 (Protein Inhibitor of Activated STATs-1/3), SHP-1/2 (Src-homology region 2 domain-containing phosphatase-1/2), and PTP-1β (Protein tyrosine phosphatase 1 β) which negatively regulate STAT3 signaling pathway. PJM also decreased the levels of protein products conferring to various oncogenes, which in turn repressed the proliferation, migration, invasion, and induced apoptosis in cancer cell lines. The growth inhibitory effects of PJM on cell-cycle and metastasis were correlated with decreased expression levels of CyclinD1, CyclinE, MMP-2 (Matrix metalloproteinases-2), and MMP-9 (Matrix metalloproteinases-9). Induction of apoptosis was indicated by the cleavage and subsequent activation of Caspases (Cysteine-dependent Aspartate-directed Proteases) i.e. caspase-3, 7, 8, 9, and PARP (Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase) as well as through the down-regulation of anti-apoptotic proteins. These apoptotic effects of PJM were preceded by inhibition of STAT3 cell-signaling pathway. STAT3 was needed for PJM-induced apoptosis, and inhibition of STAT3 via pharmacological inhibitor (Stattic; SC-203282) abolished the apoptotic effects. Conclusively, our results demonstrate the capability of PJM to inhibit cancer cell-proliferation and induce apoptosis by suppressing STAT3 via upregulation of STAT3 inhibitors and pro-apoptotic proteins whereas the down-regulation of upstream kinases and anti-apoptotic protein expression. In future, one-step advance studies of PHM regarding its role in metastatic inhibition, immune response modulation for reducing tumor, and inducing apoptosis in suitable animal models would be an interesting and promising research area

Valuing the manufacturing externalities of wind energy: assessing the environmental profit and loss of wind turbines in Northern Europe

This study draws from a concept from green accounting, lifecycle assessment, and industrial ecology known as 'environmental profit and loss” (EP&L) to determine the extent of externalities across the manufacturing lifecycle of wind energy. So far, no EP&Ls have involved energy companies and none have involved wind energy or wind turbines. We perform an EP&L for three types of wind turbines sited and built in Northern Europe (Denmark and Norway) by a major manufacturer: a 3.2 MW onshore turbine with a mixed concrete steel foundation, a 3.0 MW offshore turbine with a steel foundation, and a 3.0 MW offshore turbine with a concrete foundation. For each of these three turbine types, we identify and monetize externalities related to carbon dioxide emissions, air pollution, and waste. We find that total environmental losses range from €1.1 million for the offshore turbine with concrete foundation to €740,000 for onshore turbines and about €500,000 for an offshore turbine with steel foundation—equivalent to almost one-fifth of construction cost in some instances. We conclude that carbon dioxide emissions dominate the amount of environmental damages and that turbines need to work for 2.5 to 5.5 years to payback their carbon debts. Even though turbines are installed in Europe, China and South Korea accounted for about 80% of damages across each type of turbine. Lastly, two components, foundations and towers, account for about 90% of all damages. We conclude with six implications for wind energy analysts, suppliers, manufacturers, and planners. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd

Could consumption of insects, cultured meat or imitation meat reduce global agricultural land use?

Animal products, i.e. meat, milk and eggs, provide an important component in global diets, but livestock dominate agricultural land use by area and are a major source of greenhouse gases. Cultural and personal associations with animal product consumption create barriers to moderating consumption, and hence reduced environmental impacts. Here we review alternatives to conventional animal products, including cultured meat, imitation meat and insects (i.e. entomophagy), and explore the potential change in global agricultural land requirements associated with each alternative. Stylised transformative consumption scenarios where half of current conventional animal products are substituted to provide at least equal protein and calories are considered. The analysis also considers and compares the agricultural land area given shifts between conventional animal product consumption. The results suggest that imitation meat and insects have the highest land use efficiency, but the land use requirements are only slightly greater for eggs and poultry meat. The efficiency of insects and their ability to convert agricultural by-products and food waste into food, suggests further research into insect production is warranted. Cultured meat does not appear to offer substantial benefits over poultry meat or eggs, with similar conversion efficiency, but higher direct energy requirements. Comparison with the land use savings from reduced consumer waste, including over-consumption, suggests greater benefits could be achieved from alternative dietary transformations considered. We conclude that although a diet with lower rates of animal product consumption is likely to create the greatest reduction in agricultural land, a mix of smaller changes in consumer behaviour, such as replacing beef with chicken, reducing food waste and potentially introducing insects more commonly into diets, would also achieve land savings and a more sustainable food system

Feasibility of a Novel (SHEFROL) Technology in Pre-Treating Eatery Wastewater at Pilot Scale

The wastewater ensuing from public eateries is higher in its chemical and biological oxygen demand (COD and BOD) as also its oil, grease, and protein content than sewage. For this reason such wastewater is much harder to treat; its content of fats, proteinaceous material, and xenobiotics mounting major challenges. But in most of the developing world about 80% of such wastewater is discharged untreated and the remaining is mixed with sewage going to the treatment plants. This happens due to the prohibitively high cost of treatment that is entailed if these wastewaters are to be treated by conventional activated sludge processes (ASPs) or a combination of anaerobic digestion and ASPs. The practice of allowing eatery wastewater to join sewage en route sewage treatment plants increases the load on the latter, especially due to the high fat and protein content of the former. The present work describes attempts to use the recently developed and patented SHEFROL® technology in affecting treatment of wastewater coming from a typical eatery. After establishing feasibility at bench scale, the process was tested in a case study at pilot plant scale for treating 12,000 litres/day (LPD) of wastewater being generated by the eateries situated in the campus of Pondicherry University, India. The capacity of the pilot plant was then expanded to 30,000 LPD. Despite operating the units at a very low hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 2 ± 0.5 h, due to the limitations of land availability, which translates to a rate about three times faster than a typical ASP, over 50% removal of COD and BOD, and similarly substantial removal of other pollutants was consistently achieved. Given that the SHEFROL units can be set up at a negligible cost, the findings indicate that SHEFROL technology can be used to significantly yet inexpensively pre-treat eatery wastewaters before either sending them for further treatment to conventional sewage treatment plants, higher-end SHEFROL units, or discharging them directly if neither of the other two options is available

Modelling Methane and Nitrous Oxide Emissions from Rice Paddy Wetlands in India Using Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs)

Paddy fields, which are shallow man-made wetlands, are estimated to be responsible for ~11% of the total methane emissions attributed to anthropogenic sources. The role of water use in driving these emissions, and the apportioning of the emissions to individual countries engaged in paddy cultivation, are aspects that have been mired in controversy and disagreement. This is largely due to the fact that methane (CH4) emissions not only change with the cultivar type but also regions, climate, soil type, soil conditions, manner of irrigation, type and quantity of fertilizer added—to name a few. The factors which can influence these aspects also encompass a wide range, and have origins in causes which can be physical, chemical, biological, and combinations of these. Exceedingly complex feedback mechanisms, exerting different magnitudes and types of influences on CH4 emissions under different conditions, are operative. Similar is the case of nitrous oxide (N2O); indeed, the present level of understanding of the factors which influence the quantum of its emission is still more patchy. This makes it difficult to even understand precisely the role of the myriad factors, less so model them. The challenge is made even more daunting by the fact that accurate and precise data on most of these aspects is lacking. This makes it nearly impossible to develop analytical models linking causes with effects vis a vis CH4 and N2O emissions from paddy fields. For situations like this the bioinspired artificial intelligence technique of artificial neural network (ANN), which can model a phenomenon on the basis of past data and without the explicit understanding of the mechanism phenomena, may prove useful. However, no such model for CH4 or N2O has been developed so far. Hence the present work was undertaken. It describes ANN-based models developed by us to predict CH4 and N2O emissions using soil characteristics, fertilizer inputs, and rice cultivar yield as inputs. Upon testing the predictive ability of the models with sets of data not used in model development, it was seen that there was excellent agreement between model forecasts and experimental findings, leading to correlations coefficients of 0.991 and 0.96, and root mean square error (RMSE) of 11.17 and 261.3, respectively, for CH4 and N2O emissions. Thus, the models can be used to estimate CH4 and N2O emissions from all those continuously flooded paddy wetlands for which data on total organic carbon, soil electrical conductivity, applied nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium, NPK, and grain yield is available

A Comparative Study of the Fertilizer-Cum-Pesticide Effect of Vermicomposts Derived from Cowdung and the Toxic Weed Lantana

The effect of vermicomposts, derived either from cowdung or the pernicious invasive plant lantana (Lantana camara), has been assessed on the seed germination, plant growth, fruit yield, quality of the produce, and disease resistance of a common vegetable, ladies finger (Abelmoschus esculentus).Seeds of A. esculentus were germinated and grown in soil fertilized with 0, 2.5, 3.75 and 5 t ha−1 of lantana or cowdung vermicompost for 4 months. It was seen that the lantana vermicompost performed at par or better than the cowdung vermicompost in terms of most of the growth and yield parameters observed. Both the vermicomposts encouraged the germination, growth as well as the yield of ladies fingers. The fruits harvested from the vermicompost-treated plots had greater concentrations of minerals, proteins and carbohydrates than the control plants. Vermicomposts also reduced the incidence of pest attacks on the plants. The results confirm that vermicomposting destroys the harmful ingredients of lantana and turns it into as good a biofertilizer, perhaps even better than the vermicompost of cow-dung. The very large quantities of lantana biomass that is generated in the tropical and sub-tropical regions of the world every year, which presently go to waste, now appear capable of becoming a source of organic fertilizer

Assessment of Methane Emission and the Factors That Influence It, from Three Rice Varieties Commonly Cultivated in the State of Puducherry

India being the world’s second largest cultivator of paddy, it is very important that the extent of the resulting methane emissions is estimated, and steps are taken to minimize these emissions. Peninsular India is a prime rice-producing region; however, no significant information is available on the contribution of this region to methane emissions, nor are there available studies that show the effect of cultivars, growth seasons, soil characteristics, etc., on methane emissions. As one of the attempts to cover this knowledge gap, emissions of methane from paddy fields, situated in four villages of Puducherry, India, involving three rice cultivars, three soil types and two growth seasons have been studied. All the fields had a continuously flooded pattern of irrigation with water supplied at a rate of 11,500–20,000 m3/ha. Whereas the cultivars ADT 39 and ADT 45 generated the highest methane flux during their reproductive phase, with lesser emission during the vegetative phase and much less during maturity, CO 45 exhibited copious methane emissions during the vegetative phase, with several orders of magnitude lesser emission during the reproductive and the maturity phases. These trends were independent of the location of the field and soil type, though the absolute and the relative values of the emissions varied from location to location. Irrespective of the cultivar, the quantities of methane emission increased linearly with soil temperature across the day but decreased exponentially as soil pH increased beyond 7