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This research aims to examine the relationship between government spending and G.D.P growth in Kenya, given the lack of consensus on the topic globally. While there is agreement that some level of government expenditure is necessary for economic development, the specific areas of spending that are most beneficial still need to be clarified. Through extensive research, this study will examine the variables of public spending that have the most significant effect on Kenyan economic growth and whether there have been changes in the correlation between public expenditure and G.D.P. over time. This article uses A.R.D.L. model and Support Vector Machine to explore the effect of public spending on the Kenyan economy from 1980–2021. The variables used in the study include G.D.P., infrastructure, education, health, and defense expenditures. The study hypothesizes that increased investment in infrastructure, health, education, and defense spending lead to accelerated G.D.P. growth in Kenya. The results indicate that education has a negative effect on G.D.P. in the short run but a positive effect in the long run, while health and defense spending have a positive impact on G.D.P. Infrastructure spending has adverse impact on G.D.P. in both the short and long run, but its correlation is low. The study suggests that Kenya should increase funding for education and health, maintain defense spending, and improve infrastructure spending while addressing corruption and bureaucracy.

Free radical or oxidative stress may be a fundamental mechanism underlying several human neurologic diseases. Therapy using free radical scavengers (antioxidants) has the potential to prevent, delay, or ameliorate many neurologic disorders. However, the biochemistry of oxidative pathobiology is complex, and optimum antioxidant therapeutic options may vary and need to be tailored to individual diseases. In vitro and animal model studies support the potential beneficial role of various antioxidant compounds in neurological disease. Antioxidants generally play an important role in reducing or preventing the cell damage and other changes which occur in the cells like mitochondrial dysfunction, DNA mutations, and lipid peroxidation in the cell membrane. Based on their mechanism of action, antioxidants can be used to treat various neurological disorders like Huntington's disease, Alzheimer's disease, and Parkinson's disease. Vitamin E has a scavenging action for reactive oxygen species (ROS) and also prevents the lipid peroxidation. Creatine generally reduces the mitochondrial dysfunction in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients. Various metal chelators are used in PD for the prevention of accumulation of the metals. Superoxidase dismutase (SOD), lipases, and proteases act as repair enzymes in patients with AD. Accordingly, the antioxidant defense system is found to be most useful for treating various neurological disorders.

In this paper, we consider a phased mission system consisting of [Formula: see text] phases (subsystems) wherein the control flows sequentially. The mission is successful if tasks associated with every phase are successful. Density and reliability functions of the lifetime of such a system are worked out when the lifetimes of components of the subsystems follow exponential distribution. It is assumed that components in different subsystems are in series configuration and function independently. The subsystems are assumed to operate independently. A simulation study is conducted to find bias of the estimates of the parameters and the reliability function. The Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) of the estimates is also calculated.

Objective To explore a set of inflammation associated circulatory miRNAs with potential role in etiopathology of psoriasis as differential disease biomarker/s. Subjects and Methodology: Expression profiling of 15 immunologically relevant miRNA candidates was done on plasma samples from psoriasis vulgaris patients compared to healthy subjects by qRT-PCR. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was analyzed for significantly altered miRNAs to evaluate their disease diagnostic potential. Correlation analysis among significantly altered miRNAs and their association with disease severity (PASI) was done to validate the candidates as robust disease biomarker/s. Downstream targets and the pathways for each of the significant miRNAs were deciphered using miR target prediction tools and pathway enrichment to elucidate their functional relevance in disease pathogenesis. Results: 5 miRNAs exhibited a significant change in their expression level among the 15 candidates tested viz miR-215, miR-148a, miR-125b, miR-223 and miR-142-3p. ROCs for all the 5 miRNAs individually as well as in combination exhibited a significant disease discriminatory area under the curve, AUC = 0.762 and p< 0.0001 for all the miRNAs taken together. Statistically, all 5 miRNAs in combination depicted a robust model as disease severity correlate compared to individual miRNAs with highest R2 value = 0.94 and least AIC score =131.8. Each of the miRNA also exhibited a significant association with at least one of the other miRNAs in the panel. All the 5 miRNAs exhibited functional role in psoriasis immune-pathogenesis in terms of their downstream targets and signaling pathways. Conclusion: In summary our findings identify a panel of blood-based circulatory miRNAs comprising miR-215, miR-148a, miR-125b-5p, miR-223 and miR-142-3p that can differentiate psoriasis vulgaris patients from healthy individuals. In light of the role of each of these miRNAs in modulating immune-inflammatory pathways, the panel provides a rationalized combination of biomarkers that can be tested further on an expanded cohort of patients for its diagnostic value.

Background: Abnormal Uterine Bleeding (AUB) is any uterine bleeding that is more than the normal volume (50-80 ml) or duration. It includes both organic and nonorganic causes. The PALM COEIN classification system helps us in understanding various etiological causes of AUB and can be used by clinicians and researchers for international comparisons. Increased risk of endometrial hyperplasia and endometrial carcinoma is more evident in perimenopausal and post-menopausal women with AUB. Histomorphological examination of endometrial biopsies and curetting is considered to be the gold standard in the diagnosis of its etiology. Many women with AUB undergo unwanted hysterectomy without a definitive diagnosis, so early diagnosis for cause of AUB is crucial as various uterine pathologies can be picked up and timely treatment can improve patient quality of life. Methods: A prospective study was conducted in department of Pathology, BPS GMC for Women, Khanpur Kalan over a period of 1 year. A total of 205 cases of AUB with a probable endometrial cause in women in perimenopausal and postmenopausal age group were included in the study. Results: Out of all cases of AUB non organic contributes maximum 52% followed by organic cause (48%) in patients presenting with AUB. Dysfunctional uterine bleeding were most common (103 cases) as per clinical diagnosis followed by bleeding with pain in 34. Perimenopausal age group (80.9%) contributes maximum towards both nonorganic and organic cause (AUB) in 56.7% and 43.3% cases respectively followed by postmenopausal age group in 19.1% cases. Maximum incidence of AUB in multiparous (70.2%) followed by 28.3% cases of grand multiparous and least in nulliparous women (1.5%). Endometrial carcinoma is most commonly seen in grand multiparous in 72.7% cases where as endometrial hyperplasia and leiomyoma were commonly seen in multiparous women in 40.7% and 31.2% cases respectively. The most common presenting complaint was HMB; Heavy Menstrual Bleed (menorrhagia) (57.56%). Conclusions: Endometrial sampling is now considered as first line diagnostic tool because of its diagnostic accuracy, safety, quickness and convenience. Histomorphological study of endometrium plays an important role in assisting in right treatment. The histopathological examination revealed significantly more cases of COEIN component of AUB.

7-Methylxanthine (7-MX, CAS No. 552-62-5, purity 99.46%) is the first orally administered drug candidate, which showed anti-myopic activity in different pre-clinical studies. In the present study, we investigated the

Our understanding of the evolutionary significance of ectoparasites in natural communities is limited by a paucity of information concerning the mechanisms and heritability of resistance to this ubiquitous and diverse assemblage of organisms. Here, we report the results of artificial selection for increasing ectoparasite resistance in replicate lines ofDrosophila melanogasterderived from a field-fresh population. Resistance, as ability to avoid infestation by naturally occurringGamasodes queenslandicusmites, increased significantly in response to selection, and realized heritability (s.e.) was estimated to be 0.11 (0.0090). Ability to deploy energetically expensive bursts of flight from the substrate was a main mechanism of resistance that responded to selection, aligning with previously documented metabolic costs of fly behavioral defenses. Host body size, which affects parasitism rate in some fly-mite systems, was not shifted by selection. In contrast, resistant lines expressed significant reductions in larva-to-adult survivorship with increasing toxic (ammonia) stress, identifying an environmentally modulated pre-adult cost of resistance. Flies resistant toG. queenslandicuswere also more resistant to a different mite,Macrocheles subbadius, suggesting that we documented genetic variation and a pleiotropic cost of broad-spectrum behavioral immunity against ectoparasites. This study demonstrates significant evolutionary potential of an ecologically important trait.

Myopia is a widespread and complex refractive error in which a person's ability to see distant objects clearly is impaired. Its prevalence rate is increasing worldwide, and as per WHO, it is projected to increase from 22% in 2000 to 52% by 2050. It is more prevalent in developed, industrial areas and affects individuals of all ages. There are a number of treatments available for the control of myopia, such as glasses, contact lenses, laser surgery, and pharmaceuticals agents. However, these treatments are less beneficial and have significant side effects. A novel molecule, 7-methylxanthine (7-MX), has been found to be a highly beneficial alternate in the treatment of myopia and excessive eye elongation. Many preclinical and clinical studies showed that 7-MX is effective for the treatment of myopia and is presently under phase II of clinical investigation. We have also investigated preclinical toxicity studies such as acute, sub-acute, sub-chronic, and chronic on rats. In these studies, 7-MX was found to be non-toxic as compared to other reported anti-myopic agents. Moreover, as an ideal drug, 7-MX is observed to have no or low toxicity, brain permeability, non-allergic, higher oral administration efficacy, and low treatment costs and thus qualifies for the long-term treatment of myopia. This review article on 7-MX as an alternative to myopia treatment will highlight recent findings from well-designed preclinical and clinical trials and propose a potential future therapy.

Cluster-based routing protocols have been proven efficient in prolonging the life cycle of wireless sensor networks (WSNs). Periodic and multi-hop clustering are the most popular techniques which provide the required energy-efficient communication and scalability in large-scale WSNs. In clustering, WSN is divided into number of clusters, and cluster head is selected in each cluster. However, in the existing clustering protocols, CH’s near base station undergoes large number of receiving, aggregating and transmitting operations in comparison with far away CHs. This imbalance of load on CHs and lack of structured multi-level clustering framework leads to early death of WSNs. Moreover, resolving the issues of scalability and data reliability along with load balancing is a very tedious task. In this paper, a hierarchical clustering and routing (HCR) protocol is proposed to formulate a load-balanced approach for clustering while taking care of energy efficiency, reliability and scalability. Firstly, a hierarchical layered framework is created to split the WSN into virtual circular layers for efficient transmission of data in hierarchical fashion. Subsequently, an ant lion optimizer is employed for the selection of CHs to ensure reliable, energy balanced and scalable cluster formation. Simulation results demonstrate that HCR protocol outperforms existing state-of-the-art clustering protocols in terms of network lifetime, balanced clustering, throughput and energy efficiency.

The hydrotransport of the industrial powders and bulk solids such as minerals, mineral tailings, coal and ash is considered to be an efficient mode of transportation. The pipelines ranging from a few meters to few kilometers in length are used for such transportation purposes. If not well addressed, the issue of particle settling in such pipelines can lead to blockage and even bursting of the pipeline due to the continued deposition of the solids. The present study proposes the introduction of a twisted pipe section of a suitable length and geometry, that produces enough turbulence in the flow, sufficient for the re-dispersion of the already settled particles and check their further deposition. To achieve this objective, 5 different geometries (each having 4 different lengths) of twisted pipes are designed and used to model the dynamics of the particles’ flow through them and in their downstream region. A low influx velocity (where particle settling is expected) of 0.5 m/s is selected for all the cases and the influx solids’ mass concentration ranges from 40 to 60%. The results generated by the commercial CFD software are in good agreement with the experimental data. The parameters viz. mixing index, pressure loss, and specific energy consumption are evaluated to choose the best design of the twisted pipe section. The 0.2 m long 3 lobes twisted pipe section is found to deliver the suspension of highest homogeneity at the cost of a slight increase in pressure loss and specific energy consumption. The present solution ensures the mitigation of particles’ settling and the other related issues.

For over a decade, diabetic neuropathy has exhibited great emergence in diabetic patients. Though there are numerous impediments in understanding the underlying pathology it is not that enough to conclude. Initially, there was no intricate protocol for diagnosis as its symptoms mimic most of the neurodegenerative disorders and demyelinating diseases. Continuous research on this, reveals many pathological correlates which are also detectable clinically. The most important pathologic manifestation is imbalanced angiogenesis/neo-vascularization. This review is completely focused on established pathogenesis and anti-angiogenic agents which are physiological signal molecules by the origin. Those agents can also be used externally to inhibit those pathogenic pathways. Pathologically DN demonstrates the misbalanced expression of many knotty factors like VEGF, FGF2, TGFb, NF-kb, TNF-a, MMP, TIMP, and many minor factors. Their pathway towards the incidence of DN is quite interrelated. Many anti-angiogenic agents inhibit neovascularization to many extents, but out of them predominantly inhibition of angiogenic activity is shared by endostatin which is now in clinical trial phase II. It inhibits almost all angiogenic factors and it is possible because they share interrelated pathogenesis towards imbalanced angiogenesis. Endostatin is a physiological signal molecule produced by the proteolytic cleavage of collagen XVIII. It has also a broad research profile in the field of medical research and further investigation can show promising therapeutic effects for benefit of mankind.

Docetaxel (DTX) is a highly lipophilic, BCS class IV drug with poor aqueous solubility (12.7 µg/mL). Presently, only injectable formulation is available in the market which uses a large amount of surfactant (Tween 80) and dehydrated alcohol as a solubilizer. High concentrations of Tween 80 in injectable formulations are associated with severe consequences i.e. nephrotoxicity, fluid retention, and hypersensitivity reactions. The present study aims to eliminate Tween 80, thus novel biocompatible surfactant Vitamin E TPGS based nanovesicle formulation of DTX (20 mg/mL) was developed and evaluated for different quality control parameters. Optimized nanovesicular formulation (NV-TPGS-3) showed nanometric size (102.9 ± 2.9 nm), spherical vesicular shape, high drug encapsulation efficiency (95.2 ± 0.5%), sustained-release profile and high dilution integrity with normal saline.

Myopia (nearsightedness) is a vision disorder with a blurring of far objects, affect millions worldwide. 7-methylxanthine (7-MX) is a molecule that is presently under clinical investigation for the treatment of myopia. In the present study, we have investigated sub-chronic and chronic toxicity of 7-MX in comparison to other clinically used methylxanthines i.e., caffeine and theobromine as per OECD guidelines 408 and 452. 7-MX was administered orally for 90 days at three different doses of 250, 500, and 1000 mg/kg for sub-chronic toxicity evaluation, and at a limit dose of 1000 mg/kg in 180 days chronic toxicity evaluation in rats. In sub-chronic treatment, 7-MX showed no mortality and signs for toxicity in any group, whereas 10% and 40% mortality with signs for toxicity were observed in caffeine and theobromine treated groups, respectively. A similar, safety profile was observed with 7-MX in 180 days of chronic toxicity study. Further, to confirm any morphological changes in organs; ultrasound and X-rays analysis were performed and no changes in the size of organs, cyst formation, fluid retention, or crystal formation was observed. Thus, the repeated dose study of 7-MX for 180 days may augment the possibility of using 7-MX clinically for the safe and effective treatment of myopia.

Nowadays, smart grid technology has become popular because it provides intelligent and distributed electrical power transmission systems. One of its main applications is to charge the electric vehicles. To provide a secure communication between a user and a smart meter and during the peak hours, authentication is necessary between them. Recently, Wazid et al. have discussed a three factor authentication (3FA) scheme for smart grid environment using ECC and showed that it is more secure than the related protocols. Here, we first cryptanalyze their scheme and find the user impersonation and stolen mobile terminal attacks in it. To remove these limitations, we design an improved authentication protocol for smart grid environment. We formally verify the security of our scheme using ProVerif tool. Also we present its informal security analysis to prove that it is invulnerable to many known attacks. In comparative study, we show that our scheme provides more security features than the existing schemes.

The high-rank coal reserves are limited and getting depleted at an escalating rate to meet the demands of growing population. This concern has compelled the scientific community to use the young hi...

The emergence of COVID-19 has led to significant morbidity and mortality, with around seven million deaths worldwide as of February 2023. There are several risk factors such as age and sex that are associated with the development of severe symptoms due to COVID-19. There have been limited studies that have explored the role of sex differences in SARS-CoV-2 infection. As a result, there is an urgent need to identify molecular features associated with sex and COVID-19 pathogenesis to develop more effective interventions to combat the ongoing pandemic. To address this gap, we explored sex-specific molecular factors in both mouse and human datasets. The host immune targets such as TLR7, IRF7, IRF5, and IL6, which are involved in the immune response against viral infections, and the sex-specific targets such as AR and ESSR were taken to investigate any possible link with the SARS-CoV-2 host receptors ACE2 and TMPRSS2. For the mouse analysis, a single-cell RNA sequencing dataset was used, while bulk RNA-Seq datasets were used to analyze the human clinical data. Additional databases such as the Database of Transcription Start Sites (DBTS), STRING-DB, and the Swiss Regulon Portal were used for further analysis. We identified a 6-gene signature that showed differential expression in males and females. Additionally, this gene signature showed potential prognostic utility by differentiating ICU patients from non-ICU patients due to COVID-19. Our study highlights the importance of assessing sex differences in SARS-CoV-2 infection, which can assist in the optimal treatment and better vaccination strategies.

Background Immigrants often find accessing and navigating the healthcare system difficult upon arriving in Canada. Existing challenges of accessing healthcare due to differing cultural norms, language barriers, limited health literacy, and system complexity have been outlined extensively in literature; however, evidence-informed practices to mitigate these disparities have yet to be determined. Our research team took a patient-oriented research (POR) approach to learn more about the lived experiences of immigrants as they attempt to access and navigate the health system upon immigrating to Canada. POR is a method that involves patients beyond the role of participant, recognizing the lived experiences of patients as expertise and empowering patient partners to drive research priorities. This approach empowers patient partners to steer the direction of research, ensuring the study is relevant and patient priorities are addressed. Main body In this article, we define POR and share our team’s experience of engaging in POR by providing a synopsis of team member recruitment, research priority establishment, and relationship building. We also share how joining forces with patient partners, rather than solely engaging with them as participants, benefits research endeavors and ensures patient priorities are addressed. Lastly, we present examples of how conducting POR leads to increased research capacity and personal growth for both patient partners and researchers. Conclusion Building the foundation of this study through the perspectives of patient partners has provided insight into the difficulties immigrants experience when attempting to access and navigate the health care system that can only be understood through first-hand experience. Engaging patients as active partners on research teams enhances the potential of strengthened patient engagement, increased patient commitment to treatment, and leads to improved health outcomes. Furthermore, POR provides researchers, patients, and those serving the community at hand, an opportunity to learn from one another., Plain English Summary Immigrants often find accessing and navigating the healthcare system difficult upon arriving in Canada. Difficulties are often due to cultural differences, language barriers, limited health literacy, and health system complexity. This article shares the experiences of our research team as we engaged in patient-oriented research (POR) to better understand the unique barriers faced by newcomers trying to access and navigate the health system after immigrating to Canada. POR teams include researchers, patient partners, health care providers, and policymakers working together throughout each stage of the research process. This method of research embraces patient experience as expertise and provides patients an opportunity to influence decisions about their care. This research approach is aimed to improve patient outcomes by focusing on patient priorities. Through sharing our experiences, this article defines POR, describes the creation of our research team, and shares how impactful co-creating research with patients was for our team. Lastly, we provide examples of how taking a POR approach can increase research capacity and personal growth for both patient partners and researchers.

Studies from past years have observed various enzymes that are artificial, which are issued to mimic naturally occurring enzymes based on their function and structure. The nanozymes possess nanomaterials that resemble natural enzymes and are considered an innovative class. This innovative class has achieved a brilliant response from various developments and researchers owing to this unique property. In this regard, numerous nanomaterials are inspected as natural enzyme mimics for multiple types of applications, such as imaging, water treatment, therapeutics, and sensing. Nanozymes have nanomaterial properties occurring with an inheritance that provides a single substitute and multiple platforms. Nanozymes can be controlled remotely via stimuli including heat, light, magnetic field, and ultrasound. Collectively, these all can be used to increase the therapeutic as well as diagnostic efficacies. These nanozymes have major biomedical applications including cancer therapy and diagnosis, medical diagnostics, and bio sensing. We summarized and emphasized the latest progress of nanozymes, including their biomedical mechanisms and applications involving synergistic and remote control nanozymes. Finally, we cover the challenges and limitations of further improving therapeutic applications and provide a future direction for using engineered nanozymes with enhanced biomedical and diagnostic applications.

The design of Power transformers are basically governed by certain vital parameters: Transformer rating in kilo Volt Amperes (kVA), frequency, Voltage ratings and ratio, tapping range, Impedance values, Losses, Temperature rises, Insulation levels, Sound levels etc. The domain of this paper is specifically focused on difference in winding design of same voltage class based on different kVA ratings of transformer. The major change is related to design and type of high and intermediate voltage windings with respect to impulse voltage distribution characteristics across windings. The impulse voltage distribution which is initially based on series and ground capacitance of windings is relatively more non-linear for Low kVA transformers as compared to high kVA transformers for same voltage classes. The results of impulse distribution validating relatively poor safety margins for intermediate voltage winding in low kVA transformer have been discussed. The challenges and results are based on example of 10,000 kVA 225/132/33kV Power Transformer taking reference of 132kV winding and comparison has been established with 60,000 kVA Power Transformer of same voltage class.

In this current situation of the COVID-19 pandemic, a huge loss of human lives has been faced by the world. The situation seems to be uncontrollable both because of the widespread of the virus and contamination of surroundings due to it, as well as a longer period of lockdown has emerged new social and economic problems. So, it is advised by the experts that this situation has to be dealt with by taking care of many precautions in mind while carrying out our daily life routine. On the other hand, frontline workers, policemen, and doctors need to protect themselves even after being exposed to the affected patients. For their safety and others, personal protective equipment (PPE) is the safeguard in this situation. The prime aim of PPE is to break the chain and avoid human to human contact. To develop these PPEs, scientists and experts have been designing and manufacturing kits consisting of various types of masks, face visors, gloves, glasses, shoe covers, surgical suits, and caps. Keeping the dimensions of the novel coronavirus in mind, i.e., 80–220 nm, the PPE kits are made to allow ventilation to the body along with the sole purpose of protection. For this, various methods of manufacturing these types of equipment are adapted, especially 3D printing is widely used for making face visors. The potential applications of nanomaterials came into the picture due to their properties such as antibacterial, hydrophobicity, transparency, and flexibility. Here, the chapter discusses the development of such PPEs for the protection of frontline workers and doctors along with the consequences followed by their usage.

The manufacturing sector got revamped with the introduction of 3D printing technology. Additive manufacturing is in great demand because the products made by this technology require minimal post-processing, that too in the case of applications requiring high finishing. 3D printing is capable of producing complex shapes, as the technology uses layer by layer processing. Initially, the technology was developed to make the physical prototypes rapidly for an approximation of the real product, but now the real products are made using various 3D printing techniques which are classified according to the powder, solid, and liquid-based forms. The recent outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, from the Hubei province of China, has challenged the pharmaceutical and related medical industries with the need arising for the various medical equipment and gadgets protecting the spread of the virus. Researchers from around the world suggested various solutions for tackling the problem, introducing new products that required instant manufacturing. 3D printing is a reliable technology that succored many research groups and industries to develop and produce the products which were proved to be vital in these hard times. The chapter talks about the various success stories of the researchers who fabricated various products using 3D printing technology to tackle the complications of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Background and Objective: Ferrous ascorbate (FA) is preferentially absorbed from the upper gastrointestinal (GI) track, and has low bioavailability due to less residence time of FA in upper GI track. In addition, FA has low solubility and stability at higher pH. The aim of this study was to prepare gastro-retentive tablets of FA in order to increase its gastric residence time and hence, bioavailability. Methods: Floating tablets of FA were prepared by wet granulation method using different retarding polymers, Povidone K30 as binder and sodium bicarbonate as effervescent agent. The prepared floating tablets were compared with immediate release (IR) tablets and characterized in detail for in vitro and in vivo studies. Results: In-vitro drug release study of the optimized batch showed 96% drug release in 12 h in 0.1 N HCl. The mechanism of drug release from the floating tablets was non-fickian and release kinetics was best fit in peppas model. The gastric retention time of optimized was found to be significantly increased (6 h) in comparison with IR tablet (70%) in comparison with IR tablet (15-30%). X-ray studies carried on healthy rabbits suggested that the optimized batch remained buoyant in gastric contents up to 6 h and pharmacokinetic study showed sustained released behaviour of optimized batch in comparison to conventional IR tablet. Conclusion: Floating tablet of FA improved the bioavailability of iron by increasing its gastric residence time, hence it could be a better approach for treating iron deficiency and help in improving the patient compliance than IR tablets.

The issue of energy constraint has always been a challenging task in the research field of wireless sensor networks. Clustering is the most effective approach for enhancing the performance of wireless sensor networks to a great extent in terms of energy consumption, network lifetime and throughput. However, the uneven formation of clusters can lead to faster energy depletion of few nodes, and thus results in premature failure of the wireless sensor network. This paper proposes an energy-efficient scalable clustering protocol (EESCP) which considers inter-cluster and intra-cluster distances to generate balanced clusters. A novel Dragonfly algorithm based particle swarm optimization technique is proposed to optimize the selection of cluster heads. Further, extensive simulations have been carried out by varying node densities and network sizes to demonstrate the full potential of EESCP.