Mutual authentication scheme of IoT devices in fog computing environment

The radical shift in the technology with the advent of connected things has led to the significant proliferation in demand for IoT devices, commonly called ‘smart devices’. These devices are capable of data collection, which can help in umpteen applications, particularly in healthcare. With the tremendous growth in these resource-constrained end devices, there has been a substantial increase in the number of attack varieties. Since these end devices deal with the sensitive data that might cause severe damage if not handled properly. Hence, defending its integrity, preserving its privacy, and maintaining its confidentiality as well as availability is of utmost importance. However, there are many protocols, models, architecture tools, etc. proposed to provide security. Nevertheless, almost every solution propound so far is not fully resilient and lacks in giving full protection to the system in some way or the other. So here, we have proposed a lightweight anonymous mutual authentication scheme for end devices and fog nodes.

     

Solvent-Free Synthesis,Characterization, and In Vitro Biological Activity Study of Xanthenediones and Acridinediones

Russian Journal of Bioorganic Chemistry - The present work highlights the broad range of oxygen and nitrogen heterocycles and their applications in medicinal field. A facial approach has been...     

Angiogenesis and Vascular Remodeling in Chronic Airway Diseases

Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease remain a global health problem, with increasing morbidity and mortality. Despite differences in the causal agents, both diseases exhibit various degrees of inflammatory changes, structural alterations of the airways leading to airflow limitation. The existence of transient disease phenotypes which overlap both diseases and which progressively decline the lung function has complicated the search for an effective therapy. Important characteristics of chronic airway diseases include airway and vascular remodeling, of which the molecular mechanisms are complex and poorly understood. Recently, we and others have shown that airway smooth muscle (ASM) cells are not only structural and contractile components of airways, rather they bear capabilities of producing large number of pro-inflammatory and mitogenic factors. Increase in size and number of blood vessels both inside and outside the smooth muscle layer as well as hyperemia of bronchial vasculature are contributing factors in airway wall remodeling in patients with chronic airway diseases, proposing for the ongoing mechanisms like angiogenesis and vascular dilatation. We believe that vascular changes directly add to the airway narrowing and hyper-responsiveness by exudation and transudation of proinflammatory mediators, cytokines and growth factors; facilitating trafficking of inflammatory cells; causing oedema of the airway wall and promoting ASM accumulation. One of the key regulators of angiogenesis, vascular endothelial growth factor in concerted action with other endothelial mitogens play pivotal role in regulating bronchial angiogenesis. In this review article we address recent advances in pulmonary angiogenesis and remodelling that contribute in the pathogenesis of chronic airway diseases.     

Embryological studies on Indian Taraxacum Weber. Embryo sac,endosperm and embryo

Abstract

The present paper deals with the embryological studies of ten species of Taraxacum, out of which nine polyploid species are apomictic and one diploid species T. wallichii shows normal sexual behaviour. Occasional formation of normal megaspore tetrads and triads are observed in tetraploid and triploid species.

Autonomous development of endosperm from the secondary nucleus seems to be the rule. The growth of endosperm is relatively slow.     

Survivability of parthenogenetic embryos following in vivo transfer in naturally synchronized Capra hircus

The present study was conducted to see the in vivo developmental potency of caprine parthenogenetic embryos generated in a modified way. The good quality caprine oocytes were matured in presence of cytochalasin B (CCB) and then activated by 7% ethanol followed by 2 mM 6-dimethyl amino purine (6-DMAP) and embryo development was recorded. Early stage parthenogenetic embryos (two to four cells) were surgically transferred in recipients (10). The pregnancy diagnosis was done by nonreturn to oestrus, ultrasonography (USG), and progesterone estimation. The levels of progesterone were above normal values (1 ng/ml) of pregnancy and fall below the level of pregnancy just before retuned to oestrus. Progesterone profile revealed that out of ten recipients (G1–G10), four goats (G1, G2, G3, and G5) returned to oestrus after 43?±?7.29 (Mean?±?SE) d of embryo transfer and six goats (G4, G6, G7, G8, G9, and G10) did not return to cycle even after 70 d of embryo transfer. In three recipients (G4, G5, and G6), the USG on day 40 revealed that there was fluid filled uterine body with solid fetus-like structure. These might be dead fetus and had started resorption. The progesterone profile also corroborated the assumption of pregnancy in these animals. Authors believe that this may be the first report on in vivo diploid parthenogenetic embryo development in caprine species.     

Immunization of Chlamydia pneumoniae (Cpn)-Infected Apobtm2SgyLdlrtm1Her/J Mice with a Combined Peptide of Cpn Significantly Reduces Atherosclerotic Lesion Development

Objective

To investigate the antigenic effect of a peptide containing two epitopes of Chlamydia pneumoniae (Cpn) on atherosclerotic lesion formation in mice infected with Cpn.

Materials and Methods

Six-week-old Apob^tm2SgyLdlr^tm1Her/J mice were immunized using a repetitive immunization multiple-sites strategy with KLH-conjugated peptides derived from the major outer membrane protein and the putative outer membrane protein 5 of Cpn. Mice were fed a high-fat diet and infected with Cpn twice during the 10-week diet period. Lesions were evaluated histologically; local and systemic immune responses were analyzed by immunohistochemistry of aorta samples and cytokine measurements in plasma samples and splenocyte supernatants.

Results

Mice immunized with the combined Cpn peptide showed a greater reduction in lesion size compared to mice immunized with either epitope alone [54.7% vs 39.8% or 41.72%] and was also associated with a significant decrease in lesion area in descending aortas compared with those in controls (88.9% for combined Cpn peptide, 81.9% for MOMP peptide and 75.7% for Omp5, respectively). This effect was associated with a shift in the cellular composition of plaques towards decreased inflammatory cell and increased regulatory T-cell content. Additionally, the effect was also connected with decreased secretion of proinflammatory cytokines and increased production of anti-inflammatory cytokines demonstrated in plasma and in supernatant on stimulated spleen cells.

Conclusions

Atherosclerotic lesion formation may be promoted by Cpn infection in the presence of a high-fat diet, and reduced by immunization with the combined Cpn peptide. The combined peptide has more potential than either epitope alone in reducing atherosclerotic lesion development through Treg expansion.