Showing papers by "Indrajit Banerjee published in 2020"

Impact of COVID-19 on clinical trials and clinical research: A systematic review

Abstract: Background: The World Health Organization has reported more than 31,186,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19), including 962,343 deaths, worldwide as on September 21, 2020. The current COVID-19 pandemic is affecting clinical research activities in most parts of the world. The focus on developing a vaccine for SARS-CoV-2 and the treatment of COVID-19 is, in fact, disrupting many upcoming and/or ongoing clinical trials on other diseases around the globe. On March 18, 2020, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an updated guideline for the conduct of clinical trials during the current health emergency situation. The potential challenges, such as social distancing and quarantines, result in study participants' inaccessibility and trial personnel for in-person scheduled study visits and/or follow-up. Due to the sudden onset and wide-spread impact of COVID-19, its influence on the management of clinical trials and research necessitates urgent attention. Therefore, our systematic review of the literature aims to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the conduction of clinical trials and research. The search for the relevant articles for review included the keywords "COVID-19" AND "clinical trial" in PubMed, MEDLINE, Embase, Google scholar and Google electronic databases. Key findings include: delaying subject enrollment and operational gaps in most ongoing clinical trials, which in turn has a negative impact on trial programmes and data integrity. Globally, most sites conducting clinical trials other than COVID-19 are experiencing a delay in timelines and a complete halt of operations in lieu of this pandemic, thus affecting clinical research outcomes.

Congestion Free Routing Mechanism for IoT-Enabled Wireless Sensor Networks for Smart Healthcare Applications

Abstract: Recently, the Internet of Things (IoT) topology has used to collect physical, physiological, vital signs of patients in consumer-centric e-health or consumer’ wellness care services. In such healthcare systems, varieties of medical sensors are attached to the patients to collect vital signs from those who are under observation. The data gathering process in IoT-enabled Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) suffers from the congestion problem. The effect of this translates on missing packets, a decrease of reliability and throughput degradation in IoT-enabled WSN. This article proposes a distributed congestion control algorithm for IoT-enabled WSNs to effectively resolve the congestion for healthcare applications. The proposed scheme alleviates congestion by a priority-based data routing strategy. Furthermore, this article presents a priority queue based scheduling scheme for better reliability. We analyze the properties of the proposed congestion control mechanism mathematically and validate its performance through extensive simulation and real-life experiments. The application of this work can be used to an early warning system in detecting abnormal heart rate, blood pressure, ECG, EMG in the hospital/home care environment to the state-of-art diagnosis.

IoT Based Non-Contact Portable Thermal Scanner for COVID Patient Screening

Abstract: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is a contagious disease which is caused by a cluster of RNA viruses. Humans are affected by upper respiratory tract infections that can range from mild to deadly state. It is the most challenging work to identify the person in the early stage, who are infected in COVID-19. As a result, it can minimize the secondary transmission also. Here we propose an IoT based non-contact thermal scanner for COVID patient screening. The prototype system can measure temperature in non-contact condition, then the data are store in the cloud database. In utilization for societal development, we developed a mobile App to assist the medical professionals in pre-screening and serve the patients who are infected by this contagious virus. By using this mobile App, we also create public awareness. So it can prevent the community from the spread as early as possible and outbreak the pandemic state.

A Lightweight Security Protocol for IoT Using Merkle Hash Tree and Chaotic Cryptography

Abstract: Security is one of the primary concerns in an Internet of things (IoT) environment as they are deployed in critical applications that directly affect human lives. For this purpose, a security protocol that involves both authentication of deployed IoT devices and encryption of generated data is proposed in this paper. Encryption algorithms based on chaos are known to satisfy the basic requirements of the cryptosystem such as high sensitivity, high computational speed and high security. The chaos-based encryption algorithm is built upon a modified quadratic map named as quadratic sinusoidal map which exhibits better array of chaotic regime when compared to the traditional logistic map. The authentication protocol, on the other hand, is based on Merkle hash tree that has been improved to adapt to an IoT environment. The control parameters and the initial condition for the map are derived from the Merkle hash tree. The proposed algorithm involves cryptographic operations that incur very low computational cost and requires relatively little storage and at the same time are highly resilient to security attacks.

A green cluster‐based routing scheme for large‐scale wireless sensor networks

Abstract: In Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs), clustering has been shown to be an efficient technique to improve scalability and network lifetime. In clustered networks, clustering creates unequal load distribution among Cluster Heads (CHs) and Cluster Member (CM) nodes. As a result, the entire network is subject to premature death because of the deficient active nodes within the network. In this paper, we present clustering-based routing algorithms that can balance out the trade-off between load distribution and network lifetime “green cluster-based routing scheme”. This paper proposes a new energy aware green cluster-based routing algorithm to preventing premature death of large scale dense WSNs. To deal with the uncertainty present in network information, a fuzzy rule-based node classification model is proposed for clustering. Its primary benefits are flexibility in selecting effective CHs, reliability in distributing CHs overload among the other nodes, and reducing communication overhead and cluster formation time in highly dense areas. In addition, we propose a routing scheme that balances the load among sensors. The proposed scheme is evaluated through simulations to compare our scheme with the existing algorithms available in the literature. The numerical results show the relevance and the improved efficiency of our scheme.

The changing pattern of COVID-19 in Nepal: A Global concern- A Narrative Review

Abstract: This narrative review of the literature aims to assess the impact of COVID-19 on the younger age group in terms of the Global mortality of COVID-19 in comparison to Nepal An extensive literature survey of English literature was conducted using Pubmed, Medline, Google Scholar, Embase, WHO Nepal Situation Updates on COVID-19, Situation update report, Ministry of Health and Population-Nepal from January 25, 2020 to June 20, 2020 According to the Ministry of Health and population of The Government of Nepal, as of June 20, 2020, out of a total of 8,605 laboratory confirmed cases reported to date, the pattern shows that most of the cases fell into the cohort of 21-30 years (37 72%), followed by 11-20 years (24 35 %), 31-40 years (21 97%) and 41-50 years (9 2%) To date Nepal has recorded a total of twenty-two deaths At first evaluation these figures may not strike one as alarming, but on further investigation it is noted that the mean age is 42 32 +/- 19 632 SD years, and out of which male patients accounted for 77 3% and female accounted for 22 7% The current situation of COVID-19 and how it develops in Nepal should be closely monitored and could be of international concern as it may be the early indicator of a changing pattern in COVID-19 infections Nepal may therefore act as a global watch dog, due to the fact that the world could very possibly expose the younger age group under the notion that they are more resilient to the virus, when in reality that notion may be changing This trend must be monitored and further investigated in order to establish the risk of the events unfolding in Nepal

SARS-CoV-2: ACE inhibitors, disastrous or desirable?

Abstract: Background: The world has a current total of 6,663,304 confirmed cases of COVID-19 with a death count of 392,802 deaths according to the WHO (6 June 2020) Various risk factors for the acquisition and subsequent development of deadly complications due to the virus have been established One such risk factor is the presence of cardiovascular disease, particularly hypertension as a comorbidity It must be noted that JNC 8 advise the use of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers as first line drugs for the management of hypertension ARDS is caused by the activation of angiotensin I, angiotensin II and AT1 receptor pathway, however stimulation of Mas receptor, MRGPR receptors, AT2 receptor and the ACE-2-angiotensin (1-7), pathways is found to be defensive Mas receptor exerts an inhibitory effect on inflammation and cellular growth and vascular mechanisms This research aims to examine the relationship between ACE inhibitors and the risk of COVID-19 infections with the goal of determining whether this relationship is spurious in association or whether it is causative in nature? More specifically, in this research article we will determine whether the SARS-CoV-2 virus has an affinity for ACE 2 receptors in humans Furthermore, it will be determined whether ACE inhibitors would inhibit or facilitate an imminent COVID-19 infection in individuals as well as to determine whether patients currently using ACE inhibitors should continue or discontinue the drug therapy in order to minimize their susceptibility to acquiring COVID-19, and whether patients should start ACE inhibitor therapy if required during this pandemic Conclusion: It is evident that ACE 2 receptors are the portal of entry for SARS-CoV-2 It is recommended that the use of RAAS inhibitors, viz ACE inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers is not stopped or decreased despite the ongoing pandemic as the results thereof may lead to the worsening of the patient’s comorbidity and may hasten death

South Africa and its COVID-19 prohibition predilection

Abstract: The year 2020, will forever be marked by the Global pandemic, COVID-19. According to The Department of Health in South Africa until September 15, 2020 3,940,217 tests have been conducted. 651,521 positive cases have been identified, 583,126 recoveries have been reported and there has been a total of 15641 deaths. The South African government have introduced a range of parameters and laws in order to curb the spread of the virus whilst simultaneously endorsing programs to spearhead the preparedness of the healthcare system for the various waves of COVID-19 cases that have been forecast. In conjunction with the new laws and regulations, the South African Government has exercised lockdown and restriction of movement policies. South Africa’s unique, multifaceted and strategic method of combatting the coronavirus has proven to be effective in using existing resources and redirecting both manpower and personnel, thus being of great benefit to all stakeholders and citizens within the country. The prohibition of alcohol is a unique method employed by the government, the full extent to which this policy reform has benefitted the country, its government and its citizens is yet to be fully calculated and projected as South Africa’s coronavirus cases are still increasing on a daily basis. This policy reform will likely find itself becoming a popular trend with crisis management protocols of other countries if the long-term benefits thereof are proven to be true.

A contemporary insight of metabolomics approach for COVID-19: Potential for novel therapeutic and diagnostic targets

Abstract: The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is caused by rapidly spreading pathogenic virus known as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), that affects vast majority of population worldwide. Although, around 80% of the cases had mild infection but still remaining 20% had developed respiratory failure and dysfunction of other organs that necessitate urgent oxygen therapy or specific interventions. Therefore, it is imperative to establish novel prognostic approaches to screen patients at high-risk of developing severe complications. The primary focus of current research for COVID-19 is to discover safe and efficacious vaccine for prevention and effective treatment for better management of the patients to overcome the pandemic. To achieve this goal, it is imperative to have better understanding of the molecular pathways involved in the pathophysiology and progression of severe COVID-19. The surge for reliable diagnostics and therapeutics targets for COVID-19 highlighted the great potential of high-throughput approach like metabolomics which may enable the development of personalized medicine.

COVID-19: Recent advances in epidemiology, virology, etiopathogenesis, clinical trials and vaccine development

Abstract: Background:The causative virus of COVID-19 has been named SARS-CoV-2 It is the seventh coronavirus that is pathogenic to humans and the third in the series of human pathogenic beta coronaviruses Patient zero was identified to have contracted the virus in Wuhan, China Shortly after the initial identification of the virus and its symptoms, multiple studies concluded that the virus originated from the “Wuhan seafood market”, a notorious market place for illegal wildlife trade based in Wuhan, a city in the Hubei region of the People’s Republic of China Globally, as of 7:02 pm CEST, 29 May 2020, there have been 5704736 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 357736 deaths, reported to the WHO The transmission of COVID-19 is primarily by way of respiratory droplets, which can be developed via means of coughing or sneezing, hence spreading the disease from one person to another person The research proposed indicates the possibility of bats as being the natural cistern of SARS-CoV-2, hence making COVID-19 a zoonotic disease The most suspected intermediate host is the Malayan pangolin SARS-CoV-2 is a single-stranded RNA virus that has an affinity for ACE2 receptors in humans, causing severe pathological symptoms Symptoms like anorexia, dyspnea, fatigue, pyrexia, cough, headache, dizziness, nausea, productive sputum, abdominal pain, myalgia, sore throat, diarrhea, and vomiting Vaccines that are currently in the clinical evaluation are the Adenovirus type 5 vector, mRNA-1273, Inactivated alum, ChAdOx, LNP-mRNA, DNA plasmid vaccine with electroporation and Inactivated vaccines A Phase III randomized multicountry clinical trial comprising of 100 countries known as “Solidarity” (ISRCTN83971151) has been initiated by the WHO to achieve the unified goal of producing an adequate treatment for COVID-19 The present Solidarity trial focuses on the following drugs: Remdesivir, Lopinavir/Ritonavir with or without interferon beta-1a, Chloroquine, or hydroxychloroquine Conclusion: It is invariably essential to promote research in this field of study and find an appropriate solution to the virus to allow individuals worldwide to lead a secure and healthy life

Examining the Effect of COVID-19 on Foreign Exchange Rate and Stock Market -- An Applied Insight into the Variable Effects of Lockdown on Indian Economy

Abstract: Since March 25, 2020, India had been under a nation-wide lockdown announced as a response to the spread of SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 and has resorted to a process of 'unlocking' the lockdown over the past couple of months This work attempts to examine the effect of novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) and its resulting disease, the COVID-19, on the foreign exchange rates and stock market performances of India using secondary data over a span of 112 days spanning between March 11 and June 30, 2020 The study explores whether the causal relationships and directions among the growth rate of confirmed cases (GROWTHC), exchange rate (GEX) and SENSEX value (GSENSEX) are remaining the same across different pre and post-lockdown phases, attempting to capture any potential changes over time via the vector autoregressive (VAR) models A positive correlation is found between the growth rate of confirmed cases and the growth rate of exchange rate, and a negative correlation between the growth rate of confirmed cases and the growth rate of SENSEX value However, on applying a vector autoregressive (VAR) model, it is observed that an increase in the confirmed COVID-19 cases causes no significant change in the values of the exchange rate and SENSEX index The result varies if the analysis is split across different time periods - before lockdown, the four phases of lockdown, and the first phase of unlock Nuanced and sensible interpretations of the numeric results indicate significant variability across time in terms of the relation between the variables of interest The detailed knowledge about the varying patterns of dependence could potentially help the policy makers and investors of India in order to develop their strategies to cope up with the situation

Cigarette smoking dose-response and suicidal ideation among young people in Nepal: a cross-sectional study

Abstract: Background Worldwide, tobacco smoking is a major risk factor for morbidity and early mortality among adult population. The present study aimed to find out the association between current smoking and suicidal ideation among young people in Nepal. Materials and methods A cross-sectional questionnaire-based survey was carried out among 452 youths from Pokhara, Nepal. The present study included both genders (age 18-24 years) who were smokers as well as non-smokers. Results Across the study period, 452 participants were identified after matching for age, and sex (226 in the smoking group and 226 in the non-smoking group). The mean age of participants was 21.6±1.2 years and 58.8% were males. The overall rate of suicidal ideation in our cohort was 8.9%. Smokers were slightly more likely to report suicidal ideation than non-smokers (aOR 1.12). The risk of developing suicidal ideation was 3.56 (95% CI 1.26-10.09) times more in individuals who smoked greater than 3.5 cigarettes per week (p=0.01). Conclusion The rate of suicidal ideation was slightly higher among smokers and a dose-response relationship was identified with the number of cigarettes smoked per week. Being aware of the link between smoking and suicidal ideation may help health care professionals working with young people to address more effectively the issues of mental well-being and thoughts about suicide.

Design of Wheelchair based on Electrooculography

Abstract: The number of disable people are increasing at a rapid rate, disability to control limbs due to accidents or inherently are major cause of immobility. Immobility hinders daily activities and leads to social restrictions which isolate them from the rest. Various techniques like mechanized wheelchair have been designed for quadriplegic people. In this paper we have proposed a prototype design of an automated wheelchair using electrooculography (EOG) signal. The performance of the proposed prototype is cost effective since EOG signal acquisition is done using Arduino Uno and Leonardo. Eye movement can be used to monitor various simple tasks by the physically challenged persons. This paper describes the acquisition and analysis of EOG signals using Arduino resulting in movement of the prototype in the forward and backward direction. This proposed design here uses few electrodes for signal acquisition which reduces the chance of occurrence of artifacts and interference, also a simple circuit design for signal acquisition using Arduino makes it cost effective for the patients who cannot afford costly automated wheelchairs. The standing potential difference between the eyes can be estimated by measuring the voltage induced by external battery across a system of electrodes placed around the eyes as the eye-gaze changes, thus obtaining the EOG. This proposed design can be used as an assistive device for monitoring and performing various small activities by paralyzed people with ease. It is a cost effective and simple design.

Meaning of Success: perception of medical students, and faculty-A Qualitative Study from a medical school in Mauritius

Abstract: Background The objective of this study was to find what undergraduate medical students and teaching faculty perceive success to be. Methods A descriptive phenomenological qualitative study was designed and conducted on faculty and medical students in Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam Medical College, Mauritius. NVivo 12 (Windows) Plus software was implemented for data analysis and thematic analysis was performed. Results The codes/nodes namely being: Satisfaction, Accomplishment, Actions, Motivations, Extrinsic Factors and Intrinsic Factors were identified in the transcribed data. Satisfaction was described as the positive emotions and notions intimately related as well as synonymously associated with success. Accomplishment as the attainment and fulfilment of any physical, mental, emotional, social, occupational, personal goal or desire by an individual. Actions was the arsenal of physical processes, acts of planning, goal setting or forethinking exercised by the individual. Motivations was the drive to attain the preset goal or notion be it positive or negative. This applies to factors that enable a subject to strive forwards. Extrinsic Factors were the external determinants and definition of success perceived by the subject. Intrinsic Factors were the subject's internal organic, comprehension and definition of success. The themes generated were: Products of Success, Mechanisms of Success and Concepts of success. Conclusion A tangible demarcation is noticeable between the preconceived general impression of success and the vast multifactorial cohort of intrinsic and extrinsic factors coupled to the highly emotional aspects which were brought forth.

COVID-19: Is herd immunity the answer?

Abstract: The measures introduced by the vast majority of countries are to Abstract The current global figures of COVID-19 is still rising. Many countries have enforced lockdowns to safeguard its citizens, however in most cases this has been to the dire detriment of the economy. Most leaders and governments have been holding out and looking to the development of a vaccine to be the answer to this COVID-19 pandemic, however at this point in time and for the foreseeable future a viable and widely available vaccine is not likely to be developed. In juxtaposition to the conventional methods countries such as Singapore, Israel, Iceland, Portugal, The Netherlands, Sweden, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, Taiwan and Turkey have adopted the concept of herd immunity. It is there for poignant and of the upmost importance that an alternate stratagem is developed and exercised to best facilitate the re-ignition of the country’s economy as well to best protect its citizens from the virus. Models such as herd immunity or a model based thereon are the most logical solution to attain this goal. At this time in the development of the global COVID-19 pandemic it is too early to conclude as to whether a fullyfledged lockdown is more effective and useful than the establishment of herd immunity. In order to achieve the goal of safeguarding the lives of a countries citizens as well as its economy, a mixed method of lockdown and herd immunity is advised. Individuals who are economically active and less susceptible to the virus should adopt the herd immunity model, whereas those who are elderly with concomitant comorbidities should exercise self-isolation and follow the lockdown model. The application of using both models simultaneously, will both capitalize on the advantages of either and negate the drawbacks thereof. This ultimately decreasing the loss of lives whilst still inducing a degree of herd immunity within the general populous. Jared Robinson1, Indrajit Banerjee1*, Brijesh Sathian2

COVID19: Dexamethasone;death or deliverer therefrom?

Abstract: Background: A multitude and wide array of various drugs have been postulated and some even attempted to be used as effective treatments against the virus The drugs have ranged from antimalarials used in India as a prophylaxis to the disease;namely chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine, to the use of broad-spectrum antiviral drugs such as Remdesivir Dexamethasone, a cheap, widely available, long acting corticosteroid has been gaining popularity and to some extent fame in the treatment of COVID19 patients The benefits and use thereof were made apparent after very successful research conducted by the University of Oxford The Recovery trial, which is one of the world’s largest clinical trials This trial reported on June 16, 2020 that patients on Dexamethasone at a dosage of 6 mg per day for 10 days have a dramatically reduced mortality particularly in the COVID patients on ventilators The dexamethasone proved very beneficial in the milder cases of the disease as well and reduced death by 20% in those cases The proposed mechanism of action by which the dexamethasone drug acts is via impeding the dangerous cytokine storm, an intense immune response that severely renders the lungs damaged This intense cytokine storm is attributed to the severe complications and respiratory failure noted in COVID19 patients The long acting dexamethasone would suppress this autoimmune destruction and intense inflammatory reaction, thereby sparing the lungs and the patient’s life Conclusion: It is therefore of paramount importance that the use of dexamethasone in COVID19 cases is further studied and understood The benefits of the use of dexamethasone are undeniable and therefore the drug should be implemented into the treatment regime with a guarded approach

Azithromycin and Hydroxychloroquine combination: The future pharmacotherapy of COVID-19

Abstract: Background: In response to the urgency of increasing death toll due to COVID-19, caused due to SARS CoV-2, various drugs are under clinical trial, as there is no specific drug for its treatment. In an international survey that was recently conducted in which about 7500 physicians participated from all over the world considered that Hydroxychloroquine and Azithromycin were among the most effective ones for the pharmacotherapy of COVID-19. Azithromycin is a macrolide antibiotic whose mechanism of action against COVID-19 is still unknown, but various theories have been postulated. In vitro and in vivo studies have been conducted; however, their results are quite contradictory. Azithromycin is said to increase the risk of QT prolongation in elderly patients and when given in combination with Hydroxychloroquine can increase the risk of Torsade’s de pointes. Therefore, caution has to be paid before prescribing Azithromycin. Conclusion: The mass loss of human lives is regrettable and needs to be stopped as soon as possible. Azithromycin could be the future drug for COVID-19, but such limited data is insufficient to support the drug's safety or efficacy and needs to be reconsidered.

ABO blood groups as determinants to patient outcomes in SARS-CoV-2

Abstract: Background: Blood group antigens are present on the red blood cell surface O, A, and B are the major blood groups A, B, AB, and A1 are the antigens An ample amount of research supports the close association of blood groups with diseases A new school of thought and finding seems to be indicating that certain blood groups are more susceptible to the COVID-19 infection in comparison to others Current evidence suggests that SARS-CoV-2 positive cases are more prevalent in individuals with blood group A as compared to those with blood group O This finding, however, was only relevant for the Rh (+ve) positive blood types Genetic association reveals that the ABO blood group locus and a chromosome 3 gene cluster are associated with severe acute respiratory syndrome in coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) respiratory failure patents This was found in an Italian- Spanish genome-wide association analysis Various associations between the patients' blood groups when comparing the data with that of physiologically healthy individuals from the same geographical region helped to get a clear comparative picture Associations that were cross-replicating in nature were determined at chromosome 3p21 31 and chromosome 9q34 The association at chromosome 9q34 was identified at the ABO blood group locus The difference in the susceptibility could be correlated to the circulating anti‐A antibodies, which inhibit or interfere with the virus-cell adhesion process Conclusion: It is evident that the research conducted to date is supportive and does suggest that humans of the Blood group O are less likely to be infected in the COVID-19 pandemic as when compared to other blood groups The SARS-CoV-2 situation is evolving rapidly, discoveries and anomalies are being reported daily Therefore, it is advised that more definitive and consolidatory research is to be conducted to further elucidate the underlying mechanism of action for the protection in blood group O

A Digital Forensic Process Model for Cloud Computing

Abstract: Existing digital forensic frameworks do not address issues relevant to cloud environment where multiple users could be generating events that may coalesce to or independently and in parallel result in a security incident. In this paper a forensic process model is proposed which considers possibility of multiple parallel event sequences that must be considered to achieve correctness in event reconstruction in digital forensic investigation. Towards this end, use of Event Sequence Graph (ESG) as a directed graph for outlining events and the sequences which they follow has been proposed by the authors. Two case studies of attack from multiple sources have been used as examples to explain the type of scenarios which could be easily understood using an ESG.

Combining Merkle Hash Tree and Chaotic Cryptography for Secure Data Fusion in IoT.

Abstract: With the wide applicability of sensors in our daily lives, security has become one of the primary concerns in an Internet of Things (IoT) environment. Particularly, user’s privacy and unauthorized access to sensitive information needs to be kept in mind while designing security algorithms. This paper puts forward a security protocol that integrates authentication of the deployed IoT devices and encryption of the generated data. We have modified the well-known Merkle Hash Tree to adapt to an IoT environment for authenticating the devices and utilized the concepts of Chaos theory for developing the encryption algorithm. The use of chaos in cryptography are known to satisfy the basic requirements of the cryptosystem such as, high sensitivity, high computational speed and high security. In addition, we have proposed a chaotic map named Quadratic Sinusoidal Map which exhibits better array of chaotic regime when compared to the traditional quadratic map. The security analysis demonstrate that the proposed protocol is simple having low computational requirements, has strong security capabilities and highly resilient to security attacks.

A Novel Fuzzy Based Hybrid PSOGSA Algorithm in WSNs

Abstract: Lifetime and energy consumption are the main objectives of wireless sensor networks (WSNs). The existing methodologies have certain inhibitions which limit their applications. Clustering optimization is a major technique in any wireless sensor networks to optimize energy efficiency. Clustering technique assembles the objects of comparable shape in one shape. This technique is the excellent data assembly model for WSN, and it handles the redundant data within the network. The selection of the cluster head is an important feature in the clustering technique, then cluster heads cumulative the data and transmits to sink. Here fuzzy logic control algorithm has been proposed with hybridized particle swarm optimization algorithm and gravitational search algorithm to select cluster heads in WSN (FHPSOGSA). The algorithm is used to merge the constraints like remaining energy, node degree and distance to sink and select the best appropriate nodes as Cluster Head (CH). Simulation outcome displays that the proposed algorithm (FHPSOGSA) is establish to yield best results over other conventional algorithms.

Medical students’ perception on absenteeism: A situational analysis from a medical college in Mauritius

Abstract: Introduction: The battle of attendance and absenteeism has long plagued both students and faculty alike, often being a factor which bars students from attempting examinations if they have not met the necessary prescribed course attendance criteria The objective of this study is to identify and understand the perceptions of medical students on reasons as to why absenteeism occurs and the factors to improve absenteeism Methods: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted from August- September 2018 at Seewoosagur Ramgoolam Medical College, Mauritius Results: Out of 700 students, 503 students participated in the study, which gives an overall response of 7185% Factors for absenteeism were weather 67%, lack of motivation 533%, self-studying 575 %, health problems 561 % and lecture timetables 613% 534% of South African students attributed homesickness to be a factor which precipitates absenteeism Factors that reduced absenteeism were student counselling 658%, active lecture engagement 915%, clear and logical lectures 968%, reduced teaching hours 839%, peer mentoring by classmates and senior students 592% and seminars conducted by students with high absentee rates of 6421% It was found that the female cohort quantified peer mentoring by classmates and senior students aOR 1506[ 1046- 2170], monthly counselling by the department aOR 1122[ 0771-1631], seminars conducted by students with high absentee rate will improve their attendance aOR1262[0870-1831] as compared to male students Conclusion: The factors that reduce absenteeism should be employed more readily, and precipitate absenteeism is rectified and seen This being implemented with the sole purpose of producing capable and viable graduates