A new approach for task managing in the fog-based medical cyber-physical systems using a hybrid algorithm

Purpose This paper aims to offer a hybrid genetic algorithm and the ant colony optimization (GA-ACO) algorithm for task mapping and resource management. The paper aims to reduce the makespan and total response time in fog computing- medical cyber-physical system (FC-MCPS). Design/methodology/approach Swift progress in today’s medical technologies has resulted in a new kind of health-care tool and therapy techniques like the MCPS. The MCPS is a smart and reliable mechanism of entrenched clinical equipment applied to check and manage the patients’ physiological condition. However, the extensive-delay connections among cloud data centers and medical devices are so problematic. FC has been introduced to handle these problems. It includes a group of near-user edge tools named fog points that are collaborating until executing the processing tasks, such as running applications, reducing the utilization of a momentous bulk of data and distributing the messages. Task mapping is a challenging problem for managing fog-based MCPS. As mapping is an non-deterministic pol ynomial-time-hard optimization issue, this paper has proposed a procedure depending on the hybrid GA-ACO to solve this problem in FC-MCPS. ACO and GA, that is applied in their standard formulation and combined as hybrid meta-heuristics to solve the problem. As such ACO-GA is a hybrid meta-heuristic using ACO as the main approach and GA as the local search. GA-ACO is a memetic algorithm using GA as the main approach and ACO as local search. Findings MATLAB is used to simulate the proposed method and compare it to the ACO and MACO algorithms. The experimental results have validated the improvement in makespan, which makes the method a suitable one for use in medical and real-time systems. Research limitations/implications The proposed method can achieve task mapping in FC-MCPS by attaining high efficiency, which is very significant in practice. Practical implications The proposed approach can achieve the goal of task scheduling in FC-MCPS by attaining the highest total computational efficiency, which is very significant in practice. Originality/value This research proposes a GA-ACO algorithm to solve the task mapping in FC-MCPS. It is the most significant originality of the paper.

Reforming the Art World

In recent years, there have been increasing calls, fueled by social media, to boycott or remove the work of artists who act immorally, and to shun those who continue to engage with their work. After first characterizing the features of this “cancel culture” with respect to the arts, the chapter argues that efforts to erase particular artists from public life, while often understandable, can be counterproductive. The problem is that the unstructured public does not generally offer a reliable mechanism for accountability, so even when cancel culture gets it right, it doesn’t help to change or build institutions that offer the kind of accountability that would help to prevent future abuses. The chapter argues instead that efforts to confront the moral problems of the art world are best pursued through the reform of art world institutions (e.g., museums, media companies, publishing houses, etc.).

Short-Term Cryopreservation and Thawing have Minimal Effects on Plasmodium Falciparum Ex Vivo Invasion Profile

Ex vivo phenotyping of P. falciparum erythrocyte invasion diversity is important in the identification and down selection of potential malaria vaccine targets. However, due to the lack of appropriate laboratory facilities in remote areas of endemic countries, direct processing of P. falciparum clinical isolates is usually not feasible. Here, we investigated the combined effect of short-term cryopreservation and thawing processes on the ex vivo invasion phenotypes of P. falciparum isolates. Ex-vivo or in vitro invasion phenotyping assays were performed with P. falciparum clinical isolates prior to or following culture adaptation, respectively. All isolates were genotyped at Day 0 for parasite clonality. Subsequently, isolates that were successfully culture-adapted were genotyped again at Days 7, 15, 21, and 28-post adaptation. Invasion phenotyping assays were performed in isogenic isolates revived at different time points (3, 6, and 12 months) post-cryopreservation and the resulting data were compared to that from ex-vivo invasion data of matched isogenic parental isolates. Our findings indicate that natural P. falciparum infections mostly occur as polyclonal infections. We also show that short-term culture adaptation selects for parasite clonality and could be a driving force for variation in invasion phenotypes as compared to ex vivo data where almost all parasite clones of a given isolate are present. Interestingly, our data show little variation in the parasites’ invasion phenotype following short-term cryopreservation. Altogether, our data suggest that short-term cryopreservation of uncultured P. falciparum clinical isolates is a reliable mechanism for storing parasites for future use.

Comparative Study of Proof of Work (PoW) and Delegated Proof of Stake (DPoS) Blockchain Consensus Algorithm

As opposed to the current system, that is controlled by a central authority, blockchain was invented by Satoshi Nakamoto in 2008 as a distributed ledger system. A major development in the technology came with the introduction of virtual cryptocurrencies where transactions were recorded and verified by miners or validators at various nodes in different locations. Since these transaction records are available to everyone, this solved the current problem of excessive double spending. In a decentralized system like blockchain, a reliable mechanism was necessary to verify the integrity of all transactions. This led to the introduction of a variety of consensus mechanisms. This paper presents the results of a comparative study between Proof of Work and Delegated Proof of Stake, both of which have been widely used in Blockchain projects recently. Based on the above, this study will primarily discuss a brief explanation of the workings of both algorithms, comparisons between them, and various factors impacting these algorithms from a crypto currency standpoint.

Defining Sustainability in Afghanistan’s Built Environment: A Case Study of World Bank Building in Kabul and Comparative Analysis of Prominent Literature

The built environment is one of the critical areas of intervention for sustainable development. This study aims to investigate the sustainable and appropriate ways of designing Afghanistan’s built environment. To put forward a reliable mechanism of research, the study develops and uses three approaches. The first is to review the sustainable strategies applied in the design of the country’s first LEED-certified building, the World Bank Building in Kabul (WBBK). Secondly to understand the main concepts involved in the practice of designing for sustainability by analyzing five of the most influential books in the realm of design and sustainability. Finally, the findings from the review of the five books are reinforced with more literature associated with design and sustainability to analyze and evaluate the sustainable strategies of the WBBK. The study posits that although the building can promote the idea of a sustainable built environment in the country but there are several issues. Among the issues are, (1) Its high dependence on eco-technologies to reduce environmental impact rather than designing in relation to social and ecological systems, (2) Its insufficiency in providing a resilient design that is self-sufficient, flexible, and adaptive, and (3) Its lack of creating aesthetic experiences and cultural meaning for its occupants which are required for future designs and development. Furthermore, based on the findings and upon inquiring into the sustainable design of WBBK, the paper concluded with a set of recommendations to contribute towards the design of a sustainable built environment in Afghanistan.

THE CASPIAN REGION IN MODERN POLITICS: PROBLEMS OF REGIONAL COOPERATION

The Caspian region appears in international political terms with the USSR collapse. It includes five littoral countries - Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia and Turkmenistan, which are building cooperation with each other and with non-regional actors in the new geopolitical conditions. The formation of relations is influenced both by the common and diverse national interests of the Caspian states, and by the constant direct and indirect impact of external players: the United States, the European Union, China and Turkey. Each of them regards the Caspian region as the most important strategic space for political and economic control over Eurasia in accordance with their own interests. The interest of the world powers in strengthening their influence in the Caspian Sea is connected, firstly, with oil and gas reserves, and secondly, with the fact that the region is the center of Eurasia, where a transport transit corridor connecting Europe with various regions of Asia passes. The domestic and foreign political conditions of the Caspian region are not easy. The main problems of regional cooperation are the disunity of the region, the potential for the implementation of "color revolutions" against the background of socio-economic difficulties. The "domino effect" in development of the situation is quite real. There is no reliable mechanism to protect regional interests. The first steps to form multilateral cooperation have been taken on the basis of The Convention on the legal status of the Caspian Sea.

OPPNets and Rural Areas: An Opportunistic Solution for Remote Communications

Many rural areas along Spain do not have access to the Internet. Despite the huge spread of technology that has taken place during recent years, some rural districts and isolated villages have a lack of proper communication infrastructures. Moreover, these areas and the connected regions are notably experiencing a technological gap. As a consequence of this, the implementation of technological health solutions becomes impracticable in these zones where demographic conditions are especially particular. Thus, inhabitants over 65 suppose a large portion of such population, and many elderly people live alone at their homes. These circumstances also impact on local businesses which are widely related to the agricultural and livestock industry. Taking into account this situation, this paper proposes a solution based on an opportunistic network algorithm which enables the deployment of technological communication solutions for both elderly healthcare and livestock industrial activities in rural areas. This way, two applications are proposed: a presence detection platform for elderly people who live alone and an analytic performance measurement system for livestock. The algorithm is evaluated considering several simulations under multiple conditions, comparing the delivery probability, latency, and overhead outcomes with other well-known opportunistic routing algorithms. As a result, the proposed solution quadruples the delivery probability of Prophet, which presents the best results among the benchmark solutions and greatly reduces the overhead regarding other solutions such as Epidemic or Prophet. This way, the proposed approach provides a reliable mechanism for the data transmission in these scenarios.

Some enforcement issues in criminal rights COVID-19 procedure

The presented article offers an analysis of some of the problems of criminal proceedings caused by the current situation in the country caused by the COVID-19 coronavirus infection pandemic. Based on what was stated in Art. 6 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of the Russian Federation, the priority direction on the protection of human rights in the field of criminal proceedings, imposing the corresponding obligations on the state, follows the need for a reliable mechanism to ensure these rights. Meanwhile, in the conditions of the spread of coronavirus infection on the territory of the Russian Federation, a number of questions have arisen regarding the protection of human rights in the non-standard conditions of the judicial and law enforcement systems. Documents at the level of state regulation containing relevant recommendations do not fully cover the range of emerging issues. The decisions of the Presidium of the Supreme Court and the Presidium of the Council of Judges of March 18, 2020 and April 8, 2020, as noted by lawyers, did not clarify the practice of law enforcement.