IEVCA: An efficient image encryption technique for IoT applications using 2-D Von-Neumann cellular automata

Multimedia Tools and Applications - Present era is marked by exponential growth in transfer of multimedia data through internet. Most of the Internet-of-Things(IoT) applications send images to...     

Virtualization layer security challenges and intrusion detection/prevention systems in cloud computing: a comprehensive review

Virtualization plays a vital role in the construction of cloud computing. However, various vulnerabilities are existing in current virtualization implementations, and thus there are various security challenges at virtualization layer. In this paper, we investigate different vulnerabilities and attacks at virtualization layer of cloud computing. We examine the proposals of cloud intrusion detection system (IDS) and intrusion detection and prevention system frameworks. We recommend the cloud IDS requirements and research scope to achieve desired level of security at virtualization layer of cloud computing.     

HEART: Unrelated parallel machines problem with precedence constraints for task scheduling in cloud computing using heuristic and meta-heuristic algorithms

Cloud computing is becoming a profitable technology because of it offers cost-effective IT solutions globally. A well-designed task scheduling algorithm ensures the optimal utilization of clouds resources and reducing execution time dynamically. This research article deals with the task scheduling of inter-dependent subtasks on unrelated parallel computing machines in a cloud computing environment. This article considers two variants of the problem-based on two different objective function values. The first variant considers the minimization of the total completion time objective function while the second variant considers the minimization of the makespan objective function. Heuristic and meta-heuristic (HEART) based algorithms are proposed to solve the task scheduling problems. These algorithms utilize the property of list scheduling algorithm of unrelated parallel machine scheduling problem. A mixed integer linear programming (MILP) formulation has been provided for the two variants of the problem. The optimal solution is obtained by solving MILP formulation using A Mathematical Programming Language (AMPL) software. Extensive numerical experiments have been performed to evaluate the performance of proposed algorithms. The solutions obtained by the proposed algorithms are found to out-perform the existing algorithms. The proposed algorithms can be used by cloud computing service providers (CCSPs) for enhancing their resources utilization to reduce their operating cost.     

Flow of materials in rotary kilns used for sponge iron manufacture: Part I. Effect of some operational variables

Looking forward to the need of developing coal-based sponge iron technology in India, a country having no significant resources of either coking coal or natural gas, the Research and Development Division of the Tata Iron and Steel Company Limited (TISCO) set up a rotary kiln based direct reduction pilot plant in 1975. In this pilot plant, a totally indigenous technology for production of sponge iron has been developed in which non-coking coal is essentially used as the reductant. For easy scaling up of the TISCO Direct Reduction (TDR) process to units of 300 to 400 tpd capacity, it was thought necessary to explore some of the fundamental aspects of material flow in a rotary kiln. This was carried out by studying the flow of materials in room temperature models. The work was divided into two parts: first, a study of the influence of several operating parameters,viz., rotational speed, inclination of the kiln, effect of circular dams at the feed and the exit ends of the kiln,etc., and second, an investigation of the extent of segregation of a mixture of solids in a rotating kiln. The highlights of the experimental results dealing mainly with the effect of various kiln operating variables on the filling degree profile of the charge in the kiln are presented. Formerly Joint Director, Research and Development, TISCO Formerly with TISCO, Jamshedpur     

An improved transport layer protocol for wireless sensor networks

Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) are a kind of communication networks having independent sensor nodes that form multi-hop ad hoc network to transfer data. In the past few years, various transport control protocols in wireless sensor networks (WSNs) have been developed and proposed in the literature. In this paper, we have analyzed pump slowly, fetch quickly (PSFQ) protocol and presented an improved transport layer protocol for wireless sensor networks. The improved protocol has been analyzed based on various factors such as average latency and average error tolerance and it is found that the proposed protocol is better than PSFQ in terms of these factors.     

A nested iterative scheme for computation of incompressible flows in long domains

We present an effective preconditioning technique for solving the nonsymmetric linear systems encountered in computation of incompressible flows in long domains. The application category we focus on is arterial fluid mechanics. These linear systems are solved using a nested iterative scheme with an outer Richardson scheme and an inner iteration that is handled via a Krylov subspace method. Test computations that demonstrate the robustness of our nested scheme are presented.     

Silver nanoparticle anchored with novel crosslinked beaded polystyrene/polyamidoxime sequential interpenetrating polymer networks (IPNs) and its antibacterial activity

The present article describes the synthesis of silver nanoparticles (SNPs) impregnatated crosslinked beaded polystyrene/polyamidoxime (PSD/PAMD) interpenetrating polymer networks (IPNs). The developed SNPs‐IPNs were tested for the antibacterial activity for water purification. Intially, the crosslinked beaded polystyrene/polyacrylonitrile (PSD/PAN) polymer was synthesized by radical sequential suspension polymerization method therafter, it has been converted into PSD/PAMD‐IPN comprising amidoxime group, which acts as capping agent to anchor the silver ions. The silver ions impregnated with PSD/PAMD‐IPN were converted into SNPs by chemical reduction methodology followed by stabilization without any deterioration or loss in polymer. IR and solid‐state ¹³C NMR spectra were use for the structural characterization of developed SNPs‐IPN, while morphological characterization was examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X‐ray diffraction (XRD). The size of the SNPs formed with the networks were found less than 5 nm. The disinfection potential of SNPs‐IPN was evaluated by different antibacterial test. The bactericidal test of SNPs‐IPN revealed the promissing antibacterial efficieny with complete microbial inhibition within 4–6 h. The reusability of the SNPs‐IPN beads was also tested for its repeated use for industrial application. POLYM. COMPOS., 70–80, 2016. © 2014 Society of Plastics Engineers     

《通过对改造前后建筑物数据进行聚类分析确定影响办公建筑能源消耗的关键变量》

本研究旨在确定影响空调办公建筑能耗的关键建筑设计变量。本研究基于热带气候条件下的新加坡进行。结合56个办公楼改造前后能源审计报告数据进行评估分析。从这些报告中提取的14个建筑变量的列表构成了超集。对这些数据进行系统分析,得出影响能耗和改造决策的关键变量。为此,利用k均值聚类确定了一个稳健的迭代过程。该过程对14个变量的所有组合进行了测试,以应对改造前后条件下的能源使用强度(EUI,kW·h/m~2·a)的变化。结果表明,最佳变量包括:1)总建筑面积(GFA);2)非空调能耗;3)冷却装置的平均效率;4)冷却装置的装机容量。这些信息可以用来探索需要改造的办公楼的节能潜力。由此产生的集群还可以用来根据改造前的条件和节能潜力来对建筑物进行基准测试。     

Microstructural homogeneity and mechanical behavior of a selective laser melted Ti-35Nb alloy produced from an elemental powder mixture

Although using elemental powder mixtures may provide broad alloy selection at low cost for selective laser melting(SLM), there is still a concern on the resultant microstructural and chemical homogeneity of the produced parts. Hence, this work investigates the microstructure and mechanical properties of a SLM-produced Ti-35 Nb composite(in wt%) using elemental powder. The microstructural characteristics including ? phase, undissolved Nb particles and chemical homogeneity were detailed investigated.Nanoindentation revealed the presence of relatively soft undissolved Nb particles and weak interface bonding around Nb-rich regions in as-SLMed samples. Solid-solution treatment can not only improve chemical homogeneity but also enhance bonding through grain boundary strengthening, resulting in43 % increase in tensile elongation for the heat-treated Ti-35 Nb compared to the as-SLMed counterpart. The analyses of tensile fractures and shear bands further confirmed the correlation between the different phases and the ductility of Ti-35 Nb. In particular, the weak bonding between undissolved Nb and the matrix in the as-SLMed sample reduces its ductility while the ? grains in solid-solution treated Ti-Nb alloy can induce a relatively stable plastic flow therefore better ductility. This work sheds insight into the understanding of homogenization of microstructure and phases of SLM-produced alloys from an elemental powder mixture.     

Epitope mapping of a 95 kDa antigen in complex with antibody by solution-phase amide backbone hydrogen/deuterium exchange monitored by Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry

The epitopes of a homohexameric food allergen protein, cashew Ana o 2, identified by two monoclonal antibodies, 2B5 and 1F5, were mapped by solution-phase amide backbone H/D exchange (HDX) coupled with Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FTICR MS) and the results were compared to previous mapping by immunological and mutational analyses. Antibody 2B5 defines a conformational epitope, and 1F5 defines a linear epitope. Intact murine IgG antibodies were incubated with recombinant Ana o 2 (rAna o 2) to form antigen-monoclonal antibody (Ag-mAb) complexes. mAb-complexed and uncomplexed (free) rAna o 2 were then subjected to HDX. HDX instrumentation and automation were optimized to achieve high sequence coverage by protease XIII digestion. The regions protected from H/D exchange upon antibody binding overlap and thus confirm the previously identified epitope-bearing segments: the first extension of HDX monitored by mass spectrometry to a full-length antigen-antibody complex in solution.