BRON: A blockchained framework for privacy information retrieval in human resource management.

The correctness and the true validated data in Human Resource Management (HRM) are important for organizations as the data plays an impactful role in recruiting, developing, and retaining a skilled workforce. On one hand, the validated data in an organization helps in recruiting legitimate skillful employees; on the other hand, keeping the employee's data safe and maintaining privacy laws such as compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is also an organization's responsibility. Besides, transparency in human resource management operations is crucial because it promotes trust and fairness within an organization. The present HRM systems are centralized in nature and their verifiable credential system is ineffective; this leads to the intentions of internal data sabotage or internal threats. Besides, the organizations' biases also become more prominent. In this paper, we address the above-mentioned problems with a blockchain framework for HRM to utilize the privacy of data access through a Privacy Information Retrieval (PIR) process. To be specific, our proposed framework called Blockchained piR of resOurces as humaN (BRON), is the first blockchain framework to show an effective mechanism to access data from organizations globally without hampering privacy. BRON uses a generalized user registration process to use the services of data access and in the background, it uses Zero-Knowledge Proofs (ZKPs) for global verification and PIR for privacy-based data retrieval. More specifically, credential verification and ZKP-based PIR are the highlights of our proposed BRON. Another interesting aspect of BRON is the use of Proof-of-Authority (PoA) to validate the anonymity and unlinkability of any HR operation. Finally, BRON has also contributed with a smart contract to incentivize the employees. BRON is very generic and easily be customizable as per the HR requirements. We run a set of experiments on BRON and observe that it is successful in providing privacy-assured data access and decentralized human resource data management. Overall, BRON provides 30% reduced latency and 35% better throughput as compared to the existing blockchain solutions in the direction of HRM.

Reduction of nitrite to nitric oxide and generation of reactive chalcogen species by mononuclear Fe(II) and Zn(II) complexes of thiolate and selenolate.

Comparative reactivity of a series of new Zn(II) and Fe(II) compounds, [(Py2ald)M(ER)] (E = S, R = Ph: M = Zn, 1aZn; M = Fe, 1aFe; E = S, R = 2,6-Me2-C6H3: M = Zn, 1bZn; M = Fe, 1bFe; E = Se, R = Ph: M = Zn, 2Zn; M = Fe, 2Fe), and [(Py2ald)M]22+ (M = Zn, 5Zn; M = Fe, 5Fe) is presented. Compound 1aZn could react with nitrite (NO2-) to produce [(Py2ald)Zn(ONO)] (3Zn), which, upon treatment with thiols and PhSeH (proton source), could regenerate either 1aZn/5Zn and 2Zn respectively, along with the production of nitric oxide (NO) where the yield of NO increases in the order tBuSH ≪ PhCH2SH < PhSH < PhSeH. In contrast to this, 1aFe, 2Fe and 5Fe could affect the direct reduction of NO2- in the absence of protons to generate NO and [{(Py2ald)(ONO)Fe}2-µ2-O] (8Fe). Moreover, 8Fe could regenerate 5Fe and 1aFe/2Fe upon treatment with 4 and 6 equiv. of PhEH (E = S/Se), respectively, along with the generation of NO. Finally, a comparative study of the mononuclear Zn(II) and Fe(II) compounds for the transfer of the coordinated thiolate/selenolate and the generation and transfer of reactive sulfur/selenium species (RES-, E = Se, S) to a series of organic substrates has been provided.

Hepatitis B Virus x Protein Increases Cellular OCT3/4 and MYC and Facilitates Cellular Reprogramming.

Hepatitis B virus x (HBx) is a multifunctional protein coded by the Hepatitis B virus that is involved in various cellular processes such as proliferation, cell survival/apoptosis, and histone methylation. HBx was reported to be associated with liver "cancer stem cells." The stemness inducing properties of HBx could also facilitate the generation of pluripotent stem cells from somatic cells. It is well established that somatic cells can be reprogrammed to induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) using a cocktail of transcription factors called Yamanaka's factors (YFs) (OCT4, SOX2, KLF4, and MYC). The reprogramming process proceeds step-by-step with reprogramming factor chromatin interactions, transcription, and chromatin states changing during transitions. HBx is a "broad spectrum trans-activator" and therefore could facilitate these transitions. We electroporated low passage and high passage (difficult to reprogram) fibroblasts using YFs with and without HBx and evaluated the reprogramming efficiency. We also investigated the tri-lineage and terminal differentiation potential of iPSC derived using HBx. We found that the addition of HBx to YF improves iPSC derivation, and it increases the efficiency of iPSC generation from "difficult or hard-to-reprogram samples" such as high passage/senescent fibroblasts. Further, we show that HBx can substitute the key transcription factor MYC in the YF cocktail to generate iPSC. The cellular levels of OCT3/4 and MYC were increased in HBx expressing cells. Our results have practical value in improving the efficiency of pluripotent stem cell derivation from "difficult to reprogram" somatic cells, in addition to providing some insights into the mechanisms of liver carcinogenesis in chronic hepatitis B. To conclude, HBx improves the reprogramming efficiency of YFs. HBx increases the cellular levels of OCT3/4 and MYC.

Understanding Conformational Changes in Human Serum Albumin and Its Interactions with Gold Nanorods: Do Flexible Regions Play a Role in Corona Formation?

The importance of protein-nanoparticle (NP) conjugates for biomedical applications has seen an exponential growth in the past few years. The protein corona formation on NPs with human serum albumin (HSA), being the most abundant protein in blood serum, has become one of the most studied protein analyses under NP-protein interactions as HSA is readily adsorbed on the surface of the NPs. Understanding the fate of the NPs in physiological media along with the change in biological responses due to the formation of the protein corona thus becomes important. We analyzed the HSA protein corona formation on gold nanorods (AuNRs) through different spectroscopic studies in addition to the effects of change in the protein concentration on the protein-NP interactions. Different imaging techniques such as high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy were used to determine the morphology and the dimensions of the nanorods and the protein-nanorod conjugates. Fourier-transform infrared data showed a reduction in the α-helix content and an increase in ß-sheet content for the HSA-AuNR conjugate compared to the native protein. A decrease in steady-state fluorescence intensity occurred with instant addition of AuNR to HSA showing better and efficient quenching of Trp fluorescence for the lower concentration of protein. Time-correlated single photon counting results showed greater energy transfer efficiency and faster decay rate for higher concentrations of proteins. The circular dichroism study gives insight into the secondary structural changes due to unfolding, and a greater change was observed for lower concentrations of protein due to a thermodynamically stable protein corona formation. Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) indicated the presence of aromatic residues such as Phe, Tyr, and Cys that appear to be close to the surface of the AuNRs in addition to hydrophobic interactions between AuNR and the protein. The disordered and flexible regions mapped onto HSA (PDB: 1AO6), predicted by the intrinsically disordered region predictors, point toward the interactions of similar residues with the nanorods observed from SERS and fluorescence studies. These studies could provide a clearer understanding of the interactions between HSA and AuNRs for possible biological applications.

An eco-friendly removal of Cd(II) utilizing banana pseudo-fibre and Moringa bark as indigenous green adsorbent and modelling of adsorption by artificial neural network.

Heavy metal-contaminated water can be effectively treated using adsorbents made from abundantly available biomass. The present investigation was carried out to adsorb Cd(II) from synthetic solution by banana pseudo-stem (BP) and Moringa oleifera stem bark (MB). Adsorption efficiencies of both adsorbents were studied in the batch reactor by conducting experiments to determine the consequences of changes of pH, adsorbent dosages, initial Cd(II) concentrations, incubation time, and temperature. The process parameters were tuned to attain the highest possible removal percentage. The characterization of the adsorbents was performed by utilizing Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) for the fresh and metal-loaded adsorbents. Atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) was employed to calculate the amount of Cd(II) in an aqueous solution. The experimental data were entirely consistent with the pseudo-second-order model for BP and MB. The findings of the study illustrated the better adsorption efficiency of BP-derived adsorbent (≈ 99%) at optimum conditions over the MB (≈ 97%), and the corresponding adsorption capacities were 11.98 and 7.04 mg/g, respectively. The 4 (four) well-known isotherm models were attempted both in linear and non-linear forms. BP (R2 =0.995) and MB (R2 =0.994) were found to be best described by the Freundlich isotherm, which was selected based on the highest R2 value. In thermodynamic studies, ΔH and ΔS were calculated for both the adsorbents. Cd(II) adsorption on BP and MB was endothermic, as evidenced by the positive ΔH. Finally, the prediction of the removal percentage was made by the artificial neural network (ANN) modelling. The present work developed regionally derived waste materials which are helpful for small-scale industrial units for their waste management in an economical and sustainable way.

Internet of Things Framework for Oxygen Saturation Monitoring in COVID-19 Environment.

The pandemic/epidemic of COVID-19 has affected people worldwide. A huge number of lives succumbed to death due to the sudden outbreak of this corona virus infection. The specified symptoms of COVID-19 detection are very common like normal flu; asymptomatic version of COVID-19 has become a critical issue. Therefore, as a precautionary measurement, the oxygen level needs to be monitored by every individual if no other critical condition is found. It is not the only parameter for COVID-19 detection but, as per the suggestions by different medical organizations such as the World Health Organization, it is better to use oximeter to monitor the oxygen level in probable patients as a precaution. People are using the oximeters personally; however, not having any clue or guidance regarding the measurements obtained. Therefore, in this article, we have shown a framework of oxygen level monitoring and severity calculation and probabilistic decision of being a COVID-19 patient. This framework is also able to maintain the privacy of patient information and uses probabilistic classification to measure the severity. Results are measured based on latency of blockchain creation and overall response, throughput, detection, and severity accuracy. The analysis finds the solution efficient and significant in the Internet of Things framework for the present health hazard in our world.

The increasing trend and the seasonal variation in attendance of diffuse parenchymal lung disease patients presenting to a pulmonary clinic in Eastern India.

BACKGROUND: Diffuse parenchymal lung disease (DPLD) is not an uncommon problem in clinical practice. Although the exact prevalence of DPLD in India is not known, the relative etiological distribution in DPLD in India has been reported. There has been no information as regards the seasonality of the disease. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The archive of the Institute of Pulmocare and Research, Kolkata, was searched for the number of new patients registered at the outpatient department to a single consultant (practicing in the same style on appointment only) over years from 2009 to 2019. The attendance (absolute and relative) was arranged year wise and then month wise to look for the annual and seasonal trends, if any. RESULTS: A total of 2226 patients were registered from 2009 to 2019. There has been a steady increase in both the absolute number (104 in 2009 to 204 in 2019) and the relative percentage of attendance (4.36% in 2009 to 6.9% in 2019) of new registration of DPLD patients over the years. Regarding seasonal variation, two consistent peaks in attendance have been observed as December-January and April-May over the years with dips in February and September; the first being more consistent then the latter. CONCLUSIONS: The increase in relative attendance in the DPLD patients over the years needs further investigation to establish a rising trends in incidence and prevalence of DPLD. The unequivocal trend in seasonal variation needs attention and further research.

Outcome in 32 cases of tethered cord in adults-is intervention justified?

INTRODUCTION: Adults rarely present with tethered cord syndrome, and this review examines whether it is justifiable to perform surgical intervention in this group. METHODS: Between 2003 and 2017, we performed surgical intervention in 32 adults with tethered cord syndrome. The age range varied from 22 to 65 years. Twenty-six had pain, 20 had motor deficits, and 18 had sensory deficits, whereas 17 presented with sphincter disturbances. Three had undergone surgery for meningomyelocele as infants. Six patients had major spinal deformity in the shape of kyphosis or scoliosis. All patients underwent digital radiographs and MR scans of the whole spine. The oldest with a leaking open meningocele was 41 years old. RESULTS: The mean follow-up was 3.2 years. Twenty-one out of 26 patients presenting with pain had their VAS scores improve significantly; 14 had motor deficits which improved. However, sensory deficits got better in only 7 out of 18 patients, and sphincter improvement was documented (via urodynamics studies and bladder ultrasound) in only 4 out of 17 patients. In 15 cases, surgery was performed under neurophysiological monitoring, and overall improvement was documented in 11 of these patients compared with 7 of the remaining 17 patients. Surgery for spinal deformity was performed in 6 patients, and deformity correction as well as pain reduction was achieved in all. CONCLUSION: Surgery leads to significant reduction of pain by untethering and in those with spinal deformity by correction of the same. Improvement in sensory changes and sphincter problems occurred in few patients. Neuromonitoring certainly has improved our results.

Energy Efficient Range-Free Localization Algorithm for Wireless Sensor Networks.

In this paper, an energy-efficient localization algorithm is proposed for precise localization in wireless sensor networks (WSNs) and the process is accomplished in three steps. Firstly, the beacon nodes discover their one-hop neighbor nodes with additional tone requests and reply packets over the media access control (MAC) layer to avoid collision of packets. Secondly, the discovered one-hop unknown nodes are divided into two sets, i.e. unknown nodes with direct communication, and with indirect communication for energy efficiency. In direct communication, source beacon nodes forward the information directly to the unknown nodes, but a common beacon node is selected for communication which reduces overall energy consumption during transmission in indirect communication. Finally, a correction factor is also introduced, and localized unknown nodes are upgraded into helper nodes for reducing the localization error. To analyze the efficiency and effectiveness of the proposed algorithm, various simulations are conducted and compared with the existing algorithms.

Improved Location Estimation in Wireless Sensor Networks Using a Vector-Based Swarm Optimized Connected Dominating Set.

Location estimation in wireless sensor networks (WSNs) has received tremendous attention in recent times. Improved technology and efficient algorithms systematically empower WSNs with precise location identification. However, while algorithms are efficient in improving the location estimation error, the factor of the network lifetime has not been researched thoroughly. In addition, algorithms are not optimized in balancing the load among nodes, which reduces the overall network lifetime. In this paper, we have proposed an algorithm that balances the load of computation for location estimation among the anchor nodes. We have used vector-based swarm optimization on the connected dominating set (CDS), consisting of anchor nodes for that purpose. In this algorithm, major tasks are performed by the base station with a minimum number of messages exchanged by anchor nodes and unknown nodes. The simulation results showed that the proposed algorithm significantly improves the network lifetime and reduces the location estimation error. Furthermore, the proposed optimized CDS is capable of providing a global optimum solution with a minimum number of iterations.

"Psychiatric assessment of deaf and mute patients - A case series".

Deafness is negatively associated with higher distress, depression, somatization, and loneliness in patients of all age groups. The psychiatric presentation of patient also varies. Due to lack of proper communication, clinical approach often becomes quite difficult. We will be discussing various psychiatric presentations in 3 different deaf mute patients. We will also be highlighting the different clinical approach applied to all the patients. This case series might help in giving an insight into the psychiatric symptoms of deaf mute patients which might pave way for new diagnostic guidelines for future research and in clinical practice.

Psychiatric presentation of childhood epilepsy: Case series and review.

Childhood-onset epilepsy has a varied presentation and may have different etiological factors. A multiaxial diagnostic approach should be used before making treatment and management decisions for any individual patient. It is widely accepted that distinction among primary psychiatric disorders, epilepsy, and nonepileptic seizures is a challenge for physicians. This case series demonstrated the identification of three atypical presentations of seizures in children on the basis of detailed history taking and electroencephalogram findings, despite having normal findings in neurological examination and magnetic resonance imaging. We report three rare cases of atypical presentation in epilepsy in patients with symptoms of episodic hallucinations, rage attacks, and secondary enuresis. Clinically, the diagnosis of epilepsy can be strengthened by paying sufficient attention to detailed history and symptom spectrum of partial epilepsy.

Sphenoid Wing Meningioma Presenting as Cognitive Impairment.

Frontal meningioma may present solely withpsychological symptoms that resemble dementia. We present the case of a 42-year-old man who initially was thought to have dementia, but he was eventually diagnosed with dementia caused by a sphenoid wing meningioma. Diagnosis of this illness is often delayed due to the insidious nature of the symptoms, which may be mistaken as symptoms of dementia. As cognitive impairment is complex and easily overlooked, it is important to accurately assess neuropsychological function in patients with large brain tumors.

Primary Delusion and the Sociopolitical Milieu in India - A Case Report & Short Review.

Delusion has always been a central topic for psychiatric research with regard to its etiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis, treatment, and forensic relevance. Among these, primary delusion seems to be the interest of many psychiatrists. Content of delusion has always been the area of interest of cultural psychiatry. We have tried to discuss the various aspects of primary delusion and also tried to explain how cultural and sociopolitical environment in a country like India can shape the formation of primary delusion and influence its psychopathology.

Obsessive slowness presenting as catatonia in a patient with Borderline Intelligence.

Obsessive slowness is described to be a syndrome of extreme slowness in ways various tasks are performed. Its existence as an independent syndrome is challenged by authors, who regard it to be a part of obsessive compulsive disorder. We describe here a case of a 24-year-old male patient who presented with catatonic symptoms. Diagnostic difficulties and management issues are highlighted.

Oligodendroglioma presenting as chronic mania.

SUMMARY: Oligodendrogliomas may present with a variety of psychological symptoms but it only rarely presents with mania. The patient described in this case report is a 55-year-old man with a three year history of progressive mania who was initially diagnosed as chronic mania but a subsequent MRI identified a brain tumor. This report highlights the importance of considering differential organic diagnosis when patients present with atypical presentations of psychiatric disorders. A brain tumor should be considered and brain imaging studies conducted for patients with a late age of onset who do not respond to appropriate medication.

A cross sectional study of prevalence and correlates of current and past risks in schizophrenia.

BACKGROUND: The growing burden of chronic often untreated mental illness has increased the importance of risk assessment in people suffering from major mental disorders. AIMS: The present study was undertaken to obtain prevalence of various risks and predictive factors for self-harm, violence and various other risks among randomly recruited schizophrenia subjects (N=270) on the basis of past history of their disorder. METHOD: Using a rigorous translation, back translation and acceptability process, a specially constructed semi-structured assessment interview, based on a prior NHS Trust risk assessment interview along with the Diagnostic Interview for Genetic Studies (DIGS), detailed information was obtained for various risks. RESULTS: Risk of violence (historical) was reported among 65.55%, and risk of self-neglect among 53.33%, risk to others (47.41%), risk of coming to harm (24.07%), self-harm (22.59%), risk from others (11.85%), fire risk (2.96%). Risk of violence (historical) and risk to others was related to 'ever' having emotions related to harm and self-harm, 'current' emotions related to violence and poor compliance to treatment. CONCLUSION: Regular risk assessment is essential to assess emotions related to violence and non-adherence to treatment. Assessment of risk helps clinicians predict the risks involved in management and in timely intervention.

Infanticide by a mother with untreated schizophrenia.

This case report describes a 30-year-old mother of four with a 6-year history of obvious paranoia and psychosis from a poor rural farming community in India. Her symptoms and social functioning deteriorated over time, but the family did not seek medical care until she killed her 3-month-old daughter while under the influence of command hallucinations. Subsequent treatment with antipsychotic medication resulted in control of her psychotic symptoms and greatly improved psychosocial functioning. This case is an example of one of the many negative consequences of a community's failure to recognize and treat mental illnesses. The patient had severe symptoms that were obvious to all for 6 years prior to the infanticide, but the family's lack of basic knowledge about mental illness, the lack of locally available mental health care, and the relatively high cost of care prevented family members from obtaining the treatment that almost certainly would have prevented the tragic death of her infant. Changing these three factors in poor rural communities of low- and middle-income countries is the challenge we must work together to address. Infanticide secondary to untreated mental illness is a glaring reminder of how urgent this task is.

Foxo3a transcriptionally upregulates AQP4 and induces cerebral edema following traumatic brain injury.

Increased cranial pressure due to development of edema contributes significantly to the pathology of traumatic brain injury (TBI). Induction of an astrocytic water channel protein, Aquaporin 4 (AQP4), is known to predominantly contribute to cytotoxic edema following TBI. However, the mechanism for the increase in AQP4 following 24 h of TBI is poorly understood. Here we show that transcriptional activation of a ubiquitously expressed mammalian forkhead transcription factor, Foxo3a, induces cerebral edema by increasing the AQP4 level in the controlled cortical impact model of TBI in mice. TBI stimulates nuclear translocation of Foxo3a in astrocytes and subsequently augments its binding to AQP4 promoter in pericontusional cortex. Nuclear accumulation of Foxo3a is augmented by a decrease in phosphorylation at its Ser256 residue due to inactivation of Akt after TBI. Depletion of Foxo3a in mice rescues cytotoxic edema by preventing induction of AQP4 as well as attenuates memory impairment after TBI in mice.

Indian psychiatry, research and Asian countries.

Asia has some of the largest conglomerations of human populations and also the fastest growing economies of the world. About 23% of the world's population lives in the South Asian region, and one-fifth of psychiatrically ill patients in the world live in this part of the world. Despite vast cultural, religious, geographical, and political diversities, the factors influencing mental health remain the same throughout this wide region, as highlighted at the recently concluded Asian summit, where the slogan, 'One vision, one identity, one community,' was launched. Thus, the need to strengthen regional cooperation in the field of mental health has always been felt. This article highlights facts about influence of Indian Psychiatry research as well as of some Asian countries in the world psychiatry and vice versa.