Multi-stage deep learning for intrusion detection in Industrial Internet of Things

The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) facilitates enhanced automation, predictive maintenance, real-time monitoring, and data analytics across various sectors, including manufacturing, energy, transportation, agriculture, and supply chain management, thereby improving productivity, efficiency, and operational safety. However, as IIoT networks continue to expand, it is imperative to secure them against increasingly sophisticated cyber threats. Deep Learning (DL) techniques have been extensively utilized for intrusion detection within IIoT systems. Nevertheless, addressing the class imbalance problem remains a significant challenge. The underrepresentation of certain attack types in training data frequently results in the development of DL models that struggle to accurately detect these categories of malicious activities. This limitation represents considerable risks to the security of IIoT networks, as undetected attacks and false alarms may lead to severe operational disruptions. In this paper, we propose a multi-stage deep learning (MSDL) method specifically designed to enhance intrusion detection within IIoT networks by addressing the class imbalance issue. We assessed the effectiveness of our approach utilizing two highly imbalanced datasets: X-IIoTID and WUSTL-IIoT. Our experimental findings indicate that the proposed MSDL method surpasses the baseline DL models as well as state-of-the-art oversampling and undersampling techniques. Specifically, the MSDL method exhibits significant improvements in recognizing minority-class attacks that are frequently misclassified. Consequently, the implementation of the MSDL for intrusion detection is anticipated to strengthen the overall security and resilience of IIoT systems, providing stronger protection against a diverse array of cyber threats in industrial applications.</p

Association between unclean cooking fuel use and hearing problems among adults aged ≥65 years, a cross-sectional study

Background and Aims: Literature suggests that outdoor air pollutant exposure is associated with hearing problems, but examination of this link has not extended to any potential association between hearing ability and the use of unclean cooking fuels. The current paper investigates whether such a link exists, utilizing a large sample of older adults from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) where such fuels are commonly used.Methods: Data from the Study on global AGEing and adult health (SAGE) were analyzed. This is a nationally representative and cross-sectional data set collected for the World Health Organization for residents of South Africa, China, Ghana, India, Mexico, and Russia. A range of “unclean” cooking fuels were assessed, namely agriculture or crop, animal dung, coal or charcoal, Kerosene or paraffin, shrubs or grass, and wood. Hearing problems referred to the interviewer-rated presence of this condition. Statistical analysis was done using multivariable logistic regression.Results: The present work analyzed data from 14,585 individuals aged ≥ 65 years [mean (SD) age 72.6 (11.5) years; 55.0% females]. In the overall sample and in the final adjusted model, unclean cooking fuel use was associated with a significantly increased risk of hearing problems (OR = 1.68 (95% CI = 1.22–2.30). This association was significant for females (OR = 2.36; 95% CI = 1.53–3.63) but not for males (OR = 1.20; 95% CI = 0.79–1.81).Conclusion: Unclean cooking fuel use is associated with an increased risk of hearing problems among adult residents of LMICs over 65 years of age, particularly among females. Findings from this study support the development of Sustainable Development Goal 7 (United Nations), which advocates for fairer and more sustainable access to modern energy, as well as a means to prevent avoidable hearing problems.</p

Differential eye movements and greater pupil size during mental scene construction in autobiographical recall

There is growing evidence supporting a role for eye movements during autobiographical recall, but their potential functionality remains unclear. We hypothesise that the oculomotor system facilitates the process of mental scene construction, in which complex scenes associated with an autobiographical event are generated and maintained during recall. To explore this, we examined spontaneous eye movements during retrieval of cued autobiographical memories. Participants’ verbal descriptions of each memory were recorded in synchronisation with their eye movements and pupil size during recall. For each memory participants described the place (details of the environment where the event took place) and the event (details of what happened). Narratives were analyzed using the Autobiographical Interview procedure, which separated internal spatial (place) and non- spatial (event, thoughts and emotion) details. Eye movements during recall of spatial details had significantly higher fixation duration and smaller saccade amplitude and peak velocity, and a higher number of consecutive unidirectional saccades, in comparison to recall of non-spatial details. Recurrence quantification analysis indicated longer sequences of refixations and more repetitions of the same fixation pattern when participants described spatial details. Recall of spatial details was also associated with significantly greater pupil area. Overall findings are consistent with the spontaneous production of more structured saccade patterns and greater cognitive load during the recall of internal spatial episodic scene details in comparison to episodic non-spatial details. These results are consistent with the oculomotor system facilitating the activation and correct positioning of elements of a complex scene relative to other imagined elements during autobiographical recall.</p

Effect of a multi-ingredient post-workout dietary supplement on body composition and muscle strength – a randomized controlled trial

The aim of the current parallel randomized controlled trial was to compare the effects of ingesting a dietary supplement admixture providing carbohydrates, leucine-fortified whey protein, creatine, β-hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate, and vitamin D3 (Master Recovery 1:1, Crown Sport Nutrition, Spain), versus an isoenergetic carbohydrate-only comparator on body composition, muscle thickness, muscle strength, and performance over a 6-week resistance training program, performed three times per week, in aging, physically active individuals. Twenty participants (10 peri- and post-menopausal females and 10 males) ­completed the study after being randomly assigned to one of the following groups: post-workout multi-ingredient (PWS: n = 10, 52.0 ± 5 years, body mass 82.0 ± 18.0 kg) or a comparator (COM: n = 10, 51 ± 3 years, body mass 85.9 ± 17.0 kg). Treatment consisted of ingesting 60.0 g of the assigned supplement immediately after each workout. Compared to baseline, only PWS increased fat-free mass (+1.34 ± 1.2 kg, p = 0.003), reduced fat mass (–1.09 ± 0.7 kg, p < 0.001), waist circumference (–2.5 ± 1.8 cm, p < 0.001), and waist-to-hip ratio (–0.03 ± 0.03 cm, p = 0.007). At post-intervention, waist circumference reduction was different between groups (p = 0.02, d = 1.19). Both treatments similarly improved vastus lateralis and elbow flexor thickness, medicine ball throw, and endurance performance. Although countermovement jump improved for both treatments, the PWS group showed a significantly higher performance increase compared to COM (p < 0.01, d = 1.47). Compared to ingesting carbohydrates only, the use of a targeted multi-ingredient promoted noticeable body composition outcomes and better vertical jump improvements with no further effects on hypertrophy, upper body, and endurance performance. The study was registered as a clinical trial at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05769088).</p

Potential predation of a barred grass snake Natrix helvetica by a brown rat Rattus norvegicus, with a link to video evidence

The barred grass snake Natrix helvetica is a medium-sized snake species typically growing to 150 cm in length andfound throughout north-western Europe (Speybroeck et al., 2016). The brown rat Rattus norvegicus is a very widespread and highly adaptable mammal exploiting a wide range of food resources, especially cereals and their products. However, R. norvegicus may consume meat opportunistically and has been observed eating live snakes (Swanson, 1952; Fitch, 1963; Hummer & Tolley, 2008; Reynolds et al., 2023).</p

Investigating the effect of reducing the signs and symptoms of lid wiper epitheliopathy in dry eye subjects with perfluorohexyloctane

Background: Perfluorohexyloctane (PFHO) acts to prevent the evaporation of the tear film. It has the potential to limit friction related issues between the eye lid margin and the ocular surface. Prior to the present work, this had not yet been evaluated.Objective: To examine the potential of using perfluorohexyloctane for reducing the signs and symptoms of lid wiper epitheliopathy (LWE).Methods: Data were collected at 4 visits spanning 2 months. Patients who had symptomatic dry eye and a LWE score of ≥1.0 on the Korb LWE scale were recruited. Participants were randomized to PFHO 4 times a day or no treatment. Lid wiper epitheliopathy was graded at each visit with the Korb and photographic LWE (PLWE) scales. Symptoms were assessed using the Standard Patient Evaluation of Eye Dryness questionnaire and visual analog scales (0–100).Results: A total of 52 participants were enrolled (mean ± SD age, 49.7 ± 15.7 years; 79% female). Right eyes in the treatment group were significantly more likely to show an improvement of ≥0.5-units in PLWE scores at 2 months than the no treatment group (P = 0.04), but no left eye differences were noted. Korb and PLWE scores were significantly better in the treatment group compared with the no treatment group starting at 2 weeks and remained so for the duration of the study (all P Conclusions: Perfluorohexyloctane significantly reduced LWE and improved dry eye symptoms compared with no treatment, suggesting that PFHO may enhance ocular lubrication and reduce friction-related damage. Masked, randomized, trials are still needed to compare PFHO to other treatments in participants with LWE to support generalizability of results. ClinicalTrials.gov study NCT06671041.</p

High-order consensus graph learning for incomplete multi-view clustering

Incomplete Multi-View Clustering (IMVC) aims to partition data with missing samples into distinct groups. However, most IMVC methods rarely consider the high-order neighborhood information of samples, which represents complex underlying interactions, and often neglect the weights of different views. To address these issues, we propose a High-order Consensus Graph Learning (HoCGL) model. Specifically, we integrate a reconstruction term to recover the incomplete multi-view data. High-order proximity matrices are constructed, and the self-representation similarity matrices and multiple high-order proximity matrices are learned mutually, allowing the similarity matrices to incorporate complex high-order information. Finally, the consensus graph representation is derived from the similarity matrices through a self-weighted strategy. An efficient algorithm is designed to solve the proposed model. The excellent clustering performance of the proposed model is validated by comparing it with eight state-of-the-art models across nine datasets.</p

Pain burden and sleep quality in community-dwelling adults aged ≥50 years in Ghana: potential psychosomatic mechanisms

Objectives: Pain has been related to adverse health outcomes in old age. However, evidence from low-income countries is limited, and the potential mediators are poorly understood. Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyze the association between pain burden (PB) and sleep problems (SP) among older adults in Ghana and explore potential psychosomatic mediators.Method: We analyzed data from the Aging, Health, and Health-seeking Behavior study administered to 1201 adults aged ≥50 years. PB was assessed using the pain subscale of the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36. SP was assessed using nighttime/daytime SP in the last 30 days. Multivariable OLS and mediation models evaluated the hypotheses.Results: Mean (SD) age was 66.14 (11.85) years, and 63.3% were women. After full adjustment, PB (versus no PB) was positively associated with SP in the overall sample (b = 0.227, 95% CI = 0.124 − 0.331) and women (b = 0.363, 95% CI = 0.233 − 0.492) but not in men. Moreover, the association was pronounced in the ≥65 year group (b = 0.317) than in the 50-64 year group (b = 0.216). Self-rated health (54.4%), immobility (23.4%), physical activity (12.2%), restlessness (12.1%), depression (6.4%), anxiety (6.3%), and social isolation (7.2%) mediated the PB-SP association.Conclusion: PB was positively associated with SP among older adults in Ghana. Bio-psychosomatic factors were identified as potential mediators in this association. Addressing these factors may improve sleep health in older adults with pain.</p

Exploring the role of natural capital and biodiversity risks and opportunities in corporate decision-making

This thesis tests the hypothesis that companies do not treat biodiversity and natural capital as material to their business due to an absence of policy and non-policy drivers, which is contributing to the environmental crisis and creating long-term risks to both society and themselves. Relatively little business management theory addresses companies’ interactions with nature, with previous research focused on quantitative assessments of specific activities rather than taking a strategic view. This thesis uses a mixed methods approach to address these gaps testing: 1. if companies perceive natural capital risks as material; 2. the drivers and barriers that affect the way they act; and 3. potential levers that could be deployed to bridge this ‘materiality gap’.It uses content analysis to assess how the world’s largest companies disclose their interactions with nature. Combining different management theories – stakeholder theory, legitimacy theory and Hart’s (1995) Natural-Resource-Based View of the firm – it finds very few companies take comprehensive action, suggesting most do not consider it a material issue, treating it more as a form of impression management. Using correlation analysis, it finds that whilst most companies have not yet embarked on their nature positive journeys, those that take a broader view of materiality are likely to take more comprehensive action.Thematic analysis is used to combine inputs from an expert workshop with documentary analysis and company interviews, to identify and rank different barriers and drivers in a PESTLE framework. These barriers are tested against companies’ performance, finding a relationship between economic, legal and political drivers, but that a company’s industry sector is less of a driver of its performance.Findings from an expert workshop and documentary analysis are combined to create two future nature scenarios (‘Best-Case’ and ‘Middle-of-the-Road’) and a series of descriptive indicators. Using a back-casting approach to explore the path to a nature positive future, it finds that no single lever would drive change by itself with many depending on the introduction of others, and that fundamental changes to the socio-economic structure are required, reinforced by institutional reform and backed by strong leadership that implements coordinated long-term decisions.The thesis identifies that the current suite of management theories provides an inadequate platform to address external systemic risks posed by natural capital degradation. It presents the concept of Beyond Stakeholder theory, extending traditional stakeholder theory to introduce a recognition that the company and its associated stakeholders operate within and are therefore restricted by the confines of the natural world.</p

Unclean cooking fuel use and sleep problems among adults aged 65 years and older from six countries

We investigated the association between unclean cooking fuel use and sleep problems in a nationally representative sample of adults aged ≥65 years from six low- and middle-income countries (China, Ghana, India, Mexico, Russia, South Africa). Cross-sectional, community-based data from the WHO Study on global AGEing and adult health (SAGE) were analyzed. Unclean cooking fuel referred to kerosene/paraffin, coal/charcoal, wood, agriculture/crop, animal dung, and shrubs/grass. Outcomes related to sleep included self-reported nocturnal sleep problems, lethargy, poor sleep quality, and sleep duration. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was conducted. Data on 14585 individuals aged ≥65 years were analyzed [mean (SD) age 72.6 (11.5) years; 55.0% females]. After adjustment for potential confounders, unclean cooking fuel use was associated with a significant 1.51 (95%CI=1.03-2.22) times higher odds for nocturnal sleep problems, while it was also associated with 1.64 (95%CI=1.20-2.26) times higher odds for long sleep duration (i.e., >9 h vs. >6 to 9 h) but not with other sleep-related outcomes. These findings suggest that the implementation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 7, which advocates affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all, may also have a positive impact on sleep problems, as well as a plethora of other health and environmental impacts.</p