Interference Aware Optimisation of Throughput in Cognitive Radio System

In the cognitive radio (CR) system where spectrum sensing and data transmissions are performed simultaneously, the proper selection of frame duration (τ) is of utmost importance. Small τ leads to an increased false alarm probability while large value of it delays implementation of sensing decision of the current frame to the next. The former case decreases the achievable throughput of the CR user while latter one may disturb the licensed user communication. Under the constraints of maintaining a target detection probability of dP, this paper attempts to design a frame duration τ where achieved throughput of the CR system is maximised. To do so, an analysis of achievable throughput with τ was performed which reveals that, initially, with the increase in τ, the achievable throughput increases sharply, but after its certain value, the increments are negligible and achievable throughput appears to maintain a constant value. The performed analysis shows that, it is not possible to perfectly optimize τ, however, a close optimisation can still be performed which can maximise the achievable throughput. From the realistic point of view, the CR system is further modelled under uncertain noise conditions. The achieved simulation results well justify the presented analysis.Defence Science Journal, Vol. 65, No. 4, July 2015, pp. 312-318, DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.14429/dsj.65.873

A Hand-Based Biometric Verification System Using Ant Colony Optimization

This paper presents a novel personal authentication system using hand-based biometrics, which utilizes internal (beneath the skin) structure of veins on the dorsal part of the hand and the outer shape of the hand. The hand-vein and the hand-shape images can be simultaneously acquired by using infrared thermal and digital camera respectively. A claimed identity is authenticated by integrating these two traits based on the score-level fusion in which four fusion rules are used for the integration. Before their fusion, each modality is evaluated individually in terms of error rates and weights are assigned according to their performance. In order to achieve an adaptive security in the proposed bimodal system, an optimal selection of fusion parameters is required. Hence, Ant Colony Optimization (ACO) is employed in the bimodal system to select the weights and also one out of the four fusion rules optimally for the adaptive fusion of the two modalities to meet the user defined security levels. The databases of hand-veins and the hand-shapes consisting of 150 users are acquired using the peg-free imaging setup. The experimental results show genuine acceptance rate (GAR) of 98% at false acceptance rate (FAR) of 0.001% and the system has the potential for any online personal authentication based application.

Irrigation, nitrogen and sulphur fertilization response on productivity, water use efficiency and quality of Ethiopian mustard (Brassica carinata) in a semi-arid environment

Water and nutrient deficiency are two major constraints that drastically affect rapeseed and mustard production under semi-arid regions of North-Western India. To cope with this problem, a study was undertaken to optimize irrigation, nitrogen and sulphur levels for productivity and quality of Ethiopian mustard(Brassica carinata).Field experiments were conducted during winter seasons of 2004-05 and 2005-06 at the Water Technology Centre (WTC), Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) – Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi, India. Irrigation, nitrogen and sulphur levels significantly (P<0.05) affected plant height, LAI, siliqua weight, seeds/siliqua, test weight, seed and biomass yield of Ethiopian mustard. Application of three irrigations (seedling, 50% flowering and pod development stage) to Ethiopian mustard   increased seed yield by 27-28% compared to one irrigation (seedling stage). Nitrogen @ 90 kg ha-1 produced 49-54 % higher seed yield of Ethiopian mustard compared to no application. Similarly, sulphur application @ 40 kg ha-1 increased seed yield by 33-34 % compared to no application of sulphur. The oil content of Ethiopian mustard   was significantly (P<0.05) affected by nitrogen and sulphur levels. Among the three treatments, irrigation treatment only significantly affected evapotranspiration of the studied crop. From the above study, it is suggested that application of  3 irrigations with 90 kg N ha-1 and 40 kg S ha-1 may be practiced for achieving higher seed yield, quality and water use efficiency of Ethiopian mustard in the semi-arid environment of Northern part of India

A NOVEL APPROACH FOR VERIFIABLE SECRET SHARING IN PROACTIVE NETWORK USING RSA

We consider perfect verifiable secret sharing (VSS) in a synchronous network of n processors (players) where a designated player called the dealer wishes to distribute a secret s among the players in a way that none of them obtain any information, but any t + 1 players obtain full information about the secret. The round complexity of a VSS protocol is defined as the number of rounds performed in the sharing phase. Gennaro, Ishai, Kushilevitz and Rabin showed that three rounds are necessary and sufficient when n > 3t. Sufficiency, however, was only demonstrated by means of an inefficient (i.e., exponential-time) protocol and the construction of inefficient three-round protocol were left as an open problem. In this paper, we present an efficient three-round protocol for VSS. The solution is based on a three-round solution of so-called weak verifiable secret sharing (WSS), for which we also prove that three rounds are a lower bound. Furthermore, we also demonstrate that one round is sufficient for WSS when n > 4t, and that VSS can be achieved in 1 + " amortized rounds (for any " > 0) when n > 3t

Spore germination of blight pathogen

Estudou-se a influência dos fatores físicos e de substratos sobre a germinação de esporos (= conídios) do patógeno da ferrugem (Curvularia penniseti (Mitra) Boedijn) em painço-pérola (Pennisetum americanum (L.) Leeke). Embora se tenha observado germinação de conídios em diversos graus de temperatura, pH e umidade relativa, a maior quantidade de germinações acorrem a 30 °C, pH 6,5 e 100% de umidade relativa. Até seis ciclos (centrifugação a 3.000 rpm par 15 minutos a cada ciclo), a lavagem dos conídios não causou significativo aumento nem diminuição em sua germinação. Dos substratos testados, foi mais abundante a germinação em lâminas de vidro do que no segmento da folha do painço-pérola.Influence of physical factors and substrates on conidial germination of pearl millet (Pennisetum americanum (L.) Leeke)  blight pathogen (Curvularia penniseti (Mitra) Boedijn) was investigated. Though conidial germination was noticed in wide ranges of temperature, pH and relative humidity, maximum germination occurred at 30°C, pH 6.5 and 100 per cent R H. Washing of conidia upto six cycles (centrifugation at 3000 rpm for 15 minutes at each cycle) did not cause significant increase or decrease in their germination. Of the two substrates tested, germination was always higher on glass slides than on pearl millet leaf segment.

Tropospheric distribution of sulphate aerosols mass and number concentration during INDOEX-IFP and its transport over the Indian Ocean: A GCM study

International audienceThe sulphate aerosols mass and number concentration during the Indian Ocean Experiment (INDOEX) Intensive Field Phase-1999 (INDOEX-IFP) has been simulated using an interactive chemistry GCM. The model considers an interactive scheme for feedback from chemistry to meteorology with internally resolving microphysical properties of aerosols. In particular, the interactive scheme has the ability to predict both particle mass and number concentration for the Aitken and accumulation modes as prognostic variables. On the basis of size distribution retrieved from the observations made along the cruise route during IFP-1999, the model successfully simulates the order of magnitude of aerosol number concentration. The results show the southward migration of minimum concentrations, which follows ITCZ (Inter Tropical Convergence Zone) migration. Sulphate surface concentration during INDOEX-IFP at Kaashidhoo (73.46° E, 4.96° N) gives an agreement within a factor of 2 to 3. The measured aerosol optical depth (AOD) from all aerosol species at KCO was 0.37 ± 0.11 while the model simulated sulphate AOD ranged from 0.05 to 0.11. As sulphate constitutes 29% of the observed AOD, the model predicted values of sulphate AOD are hence fairly close to the measured values. The model thus has capability to predict the vertically integrated column sulphate burden. Furthermore, the model results indicate that Indian contribution to the estimated sulphate burden over India is more than 60% with values upto 40% over the Arabian Sea. © 2012 Author(s)

Anemia prevalence in women of reproductive age in low- and middle-income countries between 2000 and 2018

Anemia is a globally widespread condition in women and is associated with reduced economic productivity and increased mortality worldwide. Here we map annual 2000–2018 geospatial estimates of anemia prevalence in women of reproductive age (15–49 years) across 82 low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), stratify anemia by severity and aggregate results to policy-relevant administrative and national levels. Additionally, we provide subnational disparity analyses to provide a comprehensive overview of anemia prevalence inequalities within these countries and predict progress toward the World Health Organization’s Global Nutrition Target (WHO GNT) to reduce anemia by half by 2030. Our results demonstrate widespread moderate improvements in overall anemia prevalence but identify only three LMICs with a high probability of achieving the WHO GNT by 2030 at a national scale, and no LMIC is expected to achieve the target in all their subnational administrative units. Our maps show where large within-country disparities occur, as well as areas likely to fall short of the WHO GNT, offering precision public health tools so that adequate resource allocation and subsequent interventions can be targeted to the most vulnerable populations.Peer reviewe