A predictive context aware collaborative offloading framework for compute-intensive applications

The resourceful mobile devices with augmented capabilities around human pave the way for utilizing it as delegators for resource-constrained devices to run compute-intensive applications. Such collaborative resource sharing policy among mobile devices throws challenges like identifying competent alternatives for offloading and diminishing time consumption of pre-offload process to accomplish remarkable offloading. This paper presents a Mobile Cloud Computing framework with Predictive Context-Aware Collaborative Offloading Process (PCA-COP) that fixes these challenges through conductive alternative discovery. This context-aware discovery adapts a multi-criteria decision making model of Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) accompanied with Fuzzy categorization to rank the alternatives and classify them into Highly, Fairly, Less offload-suitable devices. Moreover, to make alternative selection optimal, a Dataset Curtailment enabled Artificial Neural Network (DCANN) prediction is incorporated on AHP-Fuzzy model, which truncates training dataset using Conditioned Stratified Sampling (CSS). The prototype framework is evaluated with mobile applications in the classroom under dynamic context environments.

Estimation of martensite feature size in a low-carbon alloy steel by microtexture analysis of boundaries

A methodology for classifying the hierarchy of martensite boundaries from the EBSD microtexture data of low-carbon steel is presented. Quaternion algebra has been used to calculate the ideal misorientation between product α variants for Kurdjumov-Sachs (KS) and its nearby orientation relationships, and arrive at the misorientation angle-axis set corresponding to packet (12 types), block (3 types) and sub-block boundaries. Analysis of proximity of experimental misorientation between data points from the theoretical misorientation set is found to be useful for identifying the different types of martensite boundaries. The optimal OR in the alloy system and the critical deviation threshold for identification of martensite boundaries could both be ascertained by invoking the 'Enhancement Factor' concept. The prior-γ grain boundaries, packet, block and sub-block boundaries could be identified reasonably well, and their average intercept lengths in a typical tempered martensite microstructure of 9Cr-1Mo-0.1C steel was estimated as 31 μm, 14 μm, 9 μm and 4 μm respectively.

Production and optimization of L-asparaginase by an actinobacterium isolated from Nizampatnam mangrove ecosystem

The aim of the present study was to isolate and screen actinomycetes from the mangrove sediments of Nizampatnam that are potent to produce L-asparaginase, an enzyme that catalyses the hydrolysis of asparagine. A total of 31 actinomycetes strains were isolated, of which 6 strains were positive for L-asparaginase. Several physico-chemical parameters were optimized for maximizing L-asparaginase production by the potent strain identified as Pseudonocardia endophytica VUK-10. Production of L-asparaginase by the strain was high in modified Asparagine glucose salts broth (FM-4)(3.96 IU/ml) as compared to other tested media. Maltose(6.99 IU ml(-1)) and L-asparagine (7.42 IU ml(-1)) were found to be the most suitable carbon and nitrogen sources for optimum enzyme production. Maximum production of L-asparaginase was found in the culture medium with pH 8 and temperature 30 degrees C incubated for four days. This is the first report on the production of L-asparaginase by Pseudonocardia endophytica VUK-10 from Nizampatnam mangrove sediments.

Phytochemical analysis of ethanolic extract of Dichrostachys Cinerea W and Arn leaves by a thin layer chromatography, high performance thin layer chromatography and column chromatography

Background:

The leaves of Dichrostachys cinerea are used as laxative, diuretic, painkiller. It is also used in the treatment of gonorrhoea, boils, oedema, gout, veneral diseases and nasopharyngeal affections, etc.

Materials and Methods:

The Phytochemical investigation of ethanolic extract of D. cinerea leaves were performed by standard chemical tests, thin layer chromatography (TLC) by using various solvent systems, and by high performance liquid chromatography (HPTLC). Two compounds were isolated by column chromatography and one of the compounds was identified by various spectral studies.

Result:

Preliminary phytochemical screening of ethanolic extract of D. cinerea leaves showed the presence of Carbohydrates, proteins, Glycosides, Saponins, Tannins, Aminoacids and Terpenoids. The TLC and HPTLC fingerprint of ethanolic extract were studied and various fractions were isolated by column chromatography and one of the fraction contain β-amyrin glucoside which was confirmed by Infra Red[IR] Spectroscopy, ¹H-Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR), C-¹³ NMR and Mass spectroscopic (MS) studies.

Studies on influence of natural biowastes on cellulase production by Aspergillus niger

The objective of this study was to determine the influence of natural biowaste substrates such as banana peel powder and coir powder at varying environmental parameters of pH (4-9) and temperature (20-50 degrees C) on the cellulase enzyme production by Aspergillus niger. The cellulase enzyme production was analyzed by measuring the amount of glucose liberated in IU ml(-1) by using the dinitrosalicylic acid assay method. The substrates were pretreated with 1% NaOH (alkaline treatment) and autoclaved. The maximum activity of the enzyme was assayed at varying pH with temperatures being constant and varying temperatures with pH being constant. The highest activity of the enzyme at varying pH was recorded at pH 6 for banana peel powder (0.068 +/- 0.002 IU ml) and coir powder (0.049 +/- 0.002 IU ml(-1)) and the maximum activity of the enzyme at varying temperature was recorded at 35 degrees C for both banana peel powder (0.072 +/- 0.001 IU ml(-1)) and coir powder (0.046 +/- 0.003 IU ml(-1)). At varying temperatures and pH the high level of enzyme production was obtained at 35 degrees C and pH 6 by using both the substrates, respectively. However among the two substrates used for the production of cellulases by Aspergillus niger banana peel powder showed maximum enzymatic activity than coir powder as substrate.

Production of bioactive metabolites by Nocardia levis MK-VL_113

AIMS

To isolate and identify the bioactive compounds produced by Nocardia levis MK-VL_113.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Cultural characteristics of Noc. levis isolated from laterite soils of Guntur region were recorded on International Streptomyces Project media. Morphological studies of the strain through scanning electron microscopy revealed the clear pattern of its hyphal fragmentation into rod-shaped bacilli. Chemical examination of the secondary metabolites of the strain grown on sucrose-tryptone broth led to the isolation of three fractions active against Bacillus cereus. Further analysis of second fraction resulted in the isolation of two active subfractions. Two different phthalate esters, namely, bis-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate and bis-(5-ethylheptyl) phthalate, were purified from the first active subfraction, and the structural elucidation of these compounds was confirmed on the basis of FT-IR, mass and NMR spectroscopy. The partially purified second subfraction subjected to Gas Chromatography-Mass spectroscopy contained nine components: decanedioic acid; 2,6-piperdione monooxime; 1-eicosanol; beta-1-arabinopyranoside, methyl; cyclopentaneundecanoic acid; hexadecanoic acid; silane, trichloro eicosyl; 1-hexacosanol; and 1,2-dodecanediol. The antimicrobial activity of the bioactive compounds produced by Noc. levis was expressed in terms of minimum inhibitory concentration.

CONCLUSIONS

The present study clearly revealed that the metabolites of Noc. levis act as bioactive compounds against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, yeast and filamentous fungi. It also supports the idea that there are a number of rare actinomycetes remained to be explored for new bioactive compounds.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

Metabolites of Noc. levis exhibited antibacterial and antifungal activities. This is the first report of bis-(5-ethylheptyl) phthalate as well as the nine partially purified compounds from actinomycetes. In addition, this is also the first report of bis-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate from the genus Nocardia.

L-asparaginase production by Streptomyces albidoflavus

Attempts were made to optimize the cultural conditions for the production of L-asparaginase by Streptomyces albidoflavus under submerged fermentations. Enhanced level of L-asparaginase was found in culture medium supplemented with maltose as carbon source. Yeast extract (2%) was served as good nitrogen source for the production of L-asparaginase. The optimum pH for enzyme production was 7.5 and temperature was 35°C. The release of L-asparaginase from the cells of S. albidoflavus was high when strain was treated with cell disrupting agents like EDTA and lysozyme. The enzyme produced by the strain was purifi ed by ammonium sulfate, Sephadex G-100 and CM-Sephadex C-50 gel fi ltration and the molecular weight was apparently determined as 112 kDa.

Simulations of SIN mutations and histone variants in human nucleosomes reveal altered protein-DNA and core histone interactions

Alterations in the stability of a nucleosome exert predominant influence on chromatin structure and eukaryotic gene expression. In an attempt to investigate the mononucleosome stability using computational approaches, we have simulated the structure of a human mononucleosome and have compared their energies under the influence of core mutations, tail substitutions, variant histones, and orthologs. We observe that mutant nucleosomes carrying SIN (SWI Independent) mutations do not alter the overall nucleosomal structure but cause local structural changes leading to significant changes in energy and hence the stability. We observe that the nucleosome stability is altered by the substitution of only certain critical lysine residues on the H3 tails. Interestingly, the incorporation of variants H2A.Z and H3.3 lower nucleosome stability as evidenced by small energy changes. However, the substitution of histone orthologs did not alter structural stability. Our simulations to determine the nucleosome stability using energy trends emphasize the role of mutations, variants, and orthologs as determinants of chromatin structure at the nucleosome core particle level. The destabilization we observe on the human nucleosome with core mutations show similar trends of instability as validated experimentally in yeast.

A preliminary report on effect of pulsed magnetic fields on fresh water fish (Labeo rohita) chromosomes

Marine-life scientists around the world are already carrying out investigative trials to obtain higher yields under in-captive breeding conditions, on both edible varieties and ornamental fishes with optimal inputs. However, for such trials to succeed there is a need for genetic improvement. The idea that fish production can be enhanced by genetic manipulation is gaining acceptance, as there is a strong possibility that qualitative improvement of economically important traits can be achieved by identifying and utilizing more effective genotypes. In the present communication a tentative plan for genetic manipulation of fresh water fish using controlled, pulsed magnetic fields, is being discussed. Chromosome preparations of Labeo rohita were made using Colchicine-Methanol-Acetic acid air drying technique, using tissue from gills. The fish were exposed to Pulsed Magnetic Field (PMF)with intensity 0.2 Gauss, pulsing at 50 Hz frequency (sine wave) for 6 hours / day for a total period of 30 days inside specially designed magnetic field enclosures. The karyological investigations revealed no distinct difference between "test" and "control" groups.

ANTIULCER ACTIVITY OF AEGLE MARMELOS Linn

Aegle marmelos Linn is a common plant used to treat many disease Conditions in Indian traditional systems of medicine. The present study was undertaken to findout a scientific validation for the efficacy of Aegle marmelos against gastric ulcer. Aqueous extract of Aegle marmelos leaves was prepared and used for investigation. A daily does of 1 gm/kg body weight of the extract administered orally for 21 days. The volume of the gastricse cretion, ulcer lesion count, pepsin content, PH, total acidity, hexose and hexosamine content were estimated. The result indicated a significant reduction in the ulcer lesion count, volume of gastric juice and acidity and increase in pH and hexosamine after treatment with extract. However the pepsin and hexose content not significantly altered. Histopathological studies were conducted to support the antiulcer study.

In vitro removal of human IgG autoantibodies by affinity filtration using immobilized L-histidine onto PEVA hollow fiber membranes

Histidine was immobilized onto PEVA membrane to obtain an affinity support for human IgG removal from serum with a view to clinical apheresis for the treatment of autoimmune diseases. These membranes were able to remove in vitro several autoantibodies from the serum of SLE patients.

Studies on Alternaria sesami pathogenic to sesame

Influence of pH on the growth of Alternaria sesami, its nutritional requirements and its ability to produce phytotoxic and antibacterial metabolites were tested. The isolate was cultured on Czapek-Dox broth and the culture filtrates were screened for phytotoxicity against seeds and seedlings of sesame. Chloroform extracts of the fungus exhibited antibacterial activity. Analysis of the culture filtrates for identifying toxins using chromatographic techniques revealed the presence of tenuazonic acid.

Endotoxin removal with poly(ethyleneimine)-immobilized adsorbers: Sepharose 4B versus flat sheet and hollow fibre membranes

Poly(ethyleneimine) was immobilized on poly(vinyl alcohol)-coated nylon flat sheet membranes, poly(vinyl alcohol) and poly(ethylenevinyl alcohol) hollow fibre membranes as well as Sepharose 4B. The resulting poly(ethyleneimine)-immobilized adsorbers were used for removal of E. coli derived endotoxin from buffers and bovine serum albumin solutions. The efficiency of poly(ethyleneimine) proved to be constant over a wide pH range, including phosphate buffered saline. The performance depended upon the matrix type employed: endotoxin clearance factors varied from 100 to 120,000 in protein-free solutions and 40 to 33,000 in solutions of bovine serum albumin using 6000 EU/ml as feed concentration. The best adsorber was the flat sheet membrane-immobilized poly(ethyleneimine), followed by the hollow fibre-immobilized poly(ethyleneimine) and poly(ethyleneimine)-Sepharose. The factors influencing endotoxin clearance were the mass transport (convective systems were superior to the diffusive system), the chemical composition and the surface structure of the underlying matrix.

Preliminary study of the metal binding site of an anti-DTPA-indium antibody by equilibrium binding immunoassays and immobilized metal ion affinity chromatography

Creating metal coordination sites by modifying an existing enzyme or by eliciting antibodies against metal chelate haptens is of great interest in biotechnology to create enzyme catalysts with novel specificities. Here, we investigate the metal binding potential of a monoclonal antibody raised against a DTPA-In(III) hapten (mAb 734). We study its relative binding efficiency to metals of biological relevance by equilibrium binding immunoassays and immobilized metal ion affinity chromatography, two approaches which can give complementary information regarding composition and/or structure of the metal binding site(s). Fe(III), Fe(II), Cu(II), Mg(II), Ca(II), and Zn(II) binding was compared to In(III). All of them were shown to displace indium, but their affinity for mAb 734 decreased by 100-fold compared to indium. Competitive metal binding immunoassays between Zn(II) and In(III) revealed an unusual behavior by Zn(II) which remains to be explained. Moreover, IMAC allowed us to predict the metal binding amino acids involved in the antibody paratope. The antibody metal binding site was shown to contain at least two histidine residues in a cluster, and the presence of aspartic and glutamic acid as well as cysteine residues could not be excluded. Thus, simple competition studies allows us to obtain some partial information on the metal binding structural features of this anti-metal chelate antibody and to guide our screening of its catalytic potential.

Rapid one-step purification of goat immunoglobulins by immobilized metal ion affinity chromatography

A rapid, single step purification of immunoglobulins from goat serum was achieved using immobilized metal ion affinity chromatography (IMAC) on a new high capacity gel, Novarose, coupled to tris(2-aminoethyl)amine (TREN) chelated with copper. When goat serum was adsorbed to this gel in buffer pH 7 at 11 cm/h (8.6 ml/h), the immunoglobulin fraction was recovered in a decreasing linear pH gradient at about pH 5.5. When the adsorption buffer was adjusted to pH 6.0 and the linear velocity increased to 110 cm/h (221 ml/h), an immunoglobulin fraction of greater than 95% homogeneity was obtained. Protein purity was assessed by silver-stained native and sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS PAGE). The capacity of the gel for immunoglobulins was 17 mg immunoglobulin/ml at the low flow rate with adsorption at pH 7 and 15 mg immunoglobulin/ml at the high flow rate with adsorption at pH 6. No problems of back pressure or gel compression were observed at the higher linear velocity. The mild elution pH, high flow rate, and synthetic nature of the ligand support make this new metal-chelating gel a powerful alternative to the use of other currently available commercial gels commonly used for immunoglobulin purification.

Blood groups, ABH saliva secretion and colour vision deficiency in Hindu castes and religious groups of West Godavari, Andhra Pradesh, India

The distribution of A1A2B0 and Rh(D) blood groups, ABH saliva secretion and red-green colour blindness among fourteen Hindu caste groups, besides Christian and Muslim populations of West Godavari District, Andhra Pradesh, India, is reported. All the Hindu castes except Brahmin, Kshatriya and Reddy exhibit relatively higher frequency of group B over group A. The subtyping of group A reveals that group A2 records an incidence ranging from 0.98% to 7.78%. The interpopulation chi-square tests for A1A2B0 blood group distribution indicate significant variation between several Hindu castes. The Vysya, Reddy and Adi Andhra castes not only differ from each other but also register significant variation from a majority of other populations. In the ABH saliva secretion also Vysya deviate from all other populations by recording the highest incidence (37.70%) of non-secretors, while the lowest frequency (19.98%) was observed among Kamma. The Rh(D) negative blood group is observed in all Hindu castes and religious groups with an incidence ranging from 1.04% in Vysya to 8.11% in Kamma. All the sixteen populations investigated exhibit prevalence of red-green colour blindness with a relatively higher frequency of deutan type over protan.

Cell surface interactions with metal chelates

We have explored immobilized metal ion affinity adsorption as a means of discrimination between cells and to assess partially the types of interaction that might contribute to the adsorption of cells on the such adsorbents. Erythrocytes from different sources were adsorbed on immobilized iminodiacetic acid charged with Cu2+, Ni2+ or Zn2+. The affinity of the human erythrocytes for the immobilized metal ions follows the order Cu2+ greater than Ni2+ greater than Zn2+. The adsorption capacity of the rat erythrocytes decreased in the following order: Zn2+ greater than Ni2+ greater than Cu2+. Pre-saturation of the columns with imidazole lead to the recovery of over 90% of the cells applied on the columns. Enzymic removal of sialic acid residues from the surface of erythrocytes has no effect on the adsorption-elution profiles of these cells on affinity adsorbents. These findings suggest that histidine residues localized on the cell surface are involved in the cell binding to the adsorbent. This new separation principle could be expanded to other types of cell. It could be used as a diagnostic tool and for separation, as well as for probing cell surfaces.

ABO blood groups and fertility--with special reference to intrauterine selection due to materno-fetal incompatibility

The purpose of the present investigation was to study whether there is differential fertility between different mating types of ABO blood group system. Selective force which is operating through maternal-fetal incompatibility has been observed in the differential fertility between compatible and incompatible mating groups in the present sample of 183 families of Visakhapatnam town of Andhra Pradesh,India. The differences in the mean numbers of pregnancies as well as living children between the two major mating groups, compatible and incompatible are significant. The fertility rates of O fathers and O mothers were significantly higher than those in matings in which neither parents belongs to O. The selection is operating to reduce the gene ratio of A and to increase the gene ratios of O and B in this sample.