Modelling Socio-Technical Aspects of Organisational Security

Identification of threats to organisations and risk assessment often take into consideration the pure technical aspects, overlooking the vulnerabilities originating from attacks on a social level, for example social engineering, and abstracting away the physical infrastructure. However, attacks on organisations are far from being purely technical. After all, organisations consist of employees. Often the human factor appears to be the weakest point in the security of organisations. It may be easier to break through a system using a social engineering attack rather than a pure technological one. The StuxNet attack is only one of the many examples showing that vulnerabilities of organisations are increasingly exploited on different levels including the human factor. There is an urgent need for integration between the technical and social aspects of systems in assessing their security. Such an integration would close this gap, however, it would also result in complicating the formal treatment and automatic identification of attacks. This dissertation shows that applying a system modelling approach to sociotechnical systems can be used for identifying attacks on organisations, which exploit various levels of the vulnerabilities of the systems. In support of this claim we present a modelling framework, which combines many features. Based on a graph, the framework presents the physical infrastructure of an organisation, where actors and data are modelled as nodes in this graph. Based on the semantics of the underlying process calculus, we develop a formal analytical approach that generates attack trees from the model. The overall goal of the framework is to predict, prioritise and minimise the vulnerabilities in organisations by prohibiting the overall attack or at least increasing the difficulty and cost of fulfilling it. We validate our approach using scenarios from IPTV and Cloud Infrastructure case studies

Tropical marine species - source of dangerous toxins

Saxitoxin (STX) and tetrodotoxin (TTX) are two of the most potent marine neurotoxins known. They are specific to some tropical marine species, but becauseof the global warming аand the temperature shift they have begun moving to different areas. Fugu fish has been seen in Croatia in the southern part of the Adriatic coast.Both can be used as a means for suicide and murder. STX is included in Schedule 1 of the Chemical Weapons Convention, which made it attractive for many government agencies and no longer interesting for toxinologists and seafood producers. TTX is known as the ` fugu` (puffer fish) poison and also as the mainagent in Haitian voodoo zombification rituals. However, intentional intoxications by STX and TTX are often not as toxic as badly prepared fugu meals or saxitoxin-infested shellfish.A precise diagnosis can determine whether a victim has been intentionally intoxicated. At the cellular level STX and TTX have an identical action - they block the passage of sodium ions upon the same site of the voltage-gated sodium channel. Their chief effect is to produce a muscular weakness that may progress tototal paralysis, but sensory disturbances are also common. Both poisons have a direct paralyzing effect on skeletal (striated) muscles as well as on nerve fibers.Death due to respiratory failure may not always be the outcome, but rather an incapacitation. The treatment of intoxication by STX and TTX is based on gastricevacuation, symptomatic relief and the body`s natural recovery mechanisms. Both toxins have some potential as pharmaceutical agents, but they are still associated with small animal experiments and need more examination and financing to advance

Pharmacological Properties of Monoclonal Antibodies Directed Against Interleukins

The road to individualized therapy goes through detecting specific targets (e.g., antigens), suitable for influence, and their selective targeting by using specially designed molecules (e.g., antibodies). A significant advance in this area is the development of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies. This approach enables maximizing the therapeutic effect on one hand, and reducing systemic toxicity on the other hand. In recent years, significant progress was made in improving their pharmacological performance – pharmacokinetics (longer half-life) and pharmacodynamics properties (better efficacy because of stronger affinity to human receptor), and safety profile (less antigenic and immunogenic reactions). Interleukins are a diverse, multifunctional group of proteins that carry out communication between various immune cells and control their gene expression. They manage the intensity and magnitude of an inflammatory response, and control differentiation, proliferation, and secretion of antibodies. Therefore, interleukin network represents an interesting pharmacological target, modulation of which using either biological or small chemical agents could contribute to suppression of excessive activated immune system and successfully treat the diseases that they are involved in

Medicament therapy tendencies in hospitalized patients with chronic acute heart failure with preserved and reduced ejection fraction

Въведение / целиЦелта на нашето проучване беше да се установят тенденциите в прилаганото медикаментозно лечение при хоспитализирани по повод на сърдечна недостатъчност (СН) пациенти със запазена и потисната фракция на изтласкване. Това е постигнато чрез обобщаване и сравняване на информацията за предписваните медикаменти и потенциалните противопоказания и причини за неспазване препоръките за лечение на сърдечна недостатъчност.Материали и методиТова е ретроспективно проучване, обхващащо 535 пациенти, хоспитализирани в УМБАЛ „Света Марина` - Варна за периода от януари 2010 до декември 2014 година с диагноза хронична обострена сърдечна недостатъчност. Сравнени са процентите на предписваните кардиоактивни медикаменти - блокери на РААС, бета-блокери, антагонисти на минералкортикоидните рецептори и калциеви антагонисти при пациенти с хронична СН и редуцирана и запазена ФИ.РезултатиЗа последната 2014 година пациентите със СН са били предимно възрастни (средна възраст 72 години) жени (54.5%), по-често със СНзФИ (37.6%). При пациентите със запазена ФИ (сравнени с тези с редуцирана) приеманите бета-блокери, блокери на РААС и антагонисти на минералкортикоидните рецептори са били значимо по-малко (82.3%, 58.1% и 25.8% спрямо 84.6%, 64.1% и 64.1%), докато процентът на приеманите калциеви антагонисти - по-голям (40.3% спрямо 38.5%) в сравнение с групата със СНрФИ. Процентът на неспазване на препоръките за лечение на СНрФИ с оглед на противопоказанията е 25.6%, 12.8% и 17.9% съответно за блокери на РААС, бета-блокери и антагонисти на минералкортикоидните рецептори.ЗаключениеИма съществени разлики в лечението на СНрФИ и СНзФИ. Пациентите със СНзИФ приемат по-малко бета-блокери, блокери на РААС и антагонисти на минералкортикоидните рецептори, a повече калциеви антагонисти. Висок е процентът на неспазване на препоръките за лечение на СНрФИ спрямо останалата част от Европа, съобразен с противопоказанията. Тенденцията на хоспитализации по повод на СН е да са по-възрастни пациенти, с преобладаващ женски пол и СНзФИ.Introduction/AimThe aim of our research was to establish the trends in the applied medicament therapy in hospitalized patients with heart failure (HF) and preserved and reduced ejection fraction (EF). The results were achieved by summarizing and comparing the information about the prescribed medicaments and the potential contraindications and reasons for not adhering to the recommendations for heart failure treatment.Materials and MethodsThis is a retrospective study involving 535 patients hospitalized at the St. Marina University Hospital in Varna for the period from January, 2010 to December, 2014. All of them were diagnosed with chronic acute heart failure. The comparison included the percentages of the prescribed cardioactive medicaments - renin-angiotensin system (RAS) blockers, beta blockers, mineralcorticoid receptor antagonists and calcium antagonists in patients with chronic HF and reduced and preserved EF.ResultsFor the last year, 2014, the HF patients were predominantly older (average age of 72 years) women (54.5%), more frequently with HF with preserved EF (HFpEF) (37.6%). Among the patients with preserved EF (compared with those with reduced one), the intake of beta blockers, RAS blockers and mineralcorticoid receptor antagonists was significantly lower (82.3%, 58.1% and 25.8%, compared with 84.6%, 64.1% and 64.1%), whereas the percentage of the intake of calcium antagonists was higher (40.3% compared with 38.5%) than that of the group with HF with reduced EF (HFrEF). The percentage of non-adherence to the therapy recommendations for HFrEF, considering the contraindications, was 25.6%, 12.8% and 17.9%, respectively for RAS blockers, beta blockers and mineralcorticoid receptor antagonists.ConclusionThere are significant differences in the treatment of HFrEF and HFpEF. The HFpEF patients take less beta blockers, RAS blockers and mineralcorticoid receptor blockers, but more calcium antagonists. There is a high percentage of non-adherence to the therapy recommendations for HFrEF compared with the rest of Europe, considering the contraindications. The tendency in hospitalizations due to HF is for the patients to be older, predominantly female and with HFpEF

Effect of probiotic product Laktera Vision with Lactobacillus bulgaricus and extract of bilberry on the syndrome of dry and tired eye

more young people. Excessive congestion of eyes at a young age led to the occurrence of new syndromes in ophthalmology - dry eye syndrome and tired eye syndrome.Purpose of this study is to examine the effect of bilberry on the vision of young people.Object of observation were 41 people aged between 21 and 44 years (men and women). All of them wear glasses for vision correction and work in offices from 4 to 9 hours a day in front of computers an average 5 hours a day. All wear anti-reflecting glasses while working on a computer. Most frequent syndromes that occur in these people are the dry eye syndrome and the tired eye syndrome.The study was carried out within 8 weeks (56 days). 35 of people have taken 2 capsules Laktera Vision every day before meal. 6 of the observed people have taken Laktera Vision irregularly - on average 2.5 times a week. After administration of the product manifestations of the syndromes are put under control for a period of 12 - 24 hours.The probiotic product with bilberry extract controls successfully the syndromes of dry and tired eye, occurring in young people wearing glasses for vision correction, who work on a computer more than 4 hours a day

Risk of hyperkalemia in heart failure patients and new treatment approaches

IntroductionHyperkalemia is a serious medical condition that can cause muscle weakness, paralysis and cardiac arrhythmias. In heart failure (HF), hyperkalemia is a frequent problem, because of several factors, such as chronic kidney disease (CKD), and because of medications, used to treat HF - angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEi)/Angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) and mineralocorticoid receptor inhibitors (MRIs) that increase the serum potassium level, leading to a risk of hyperkalemia.Materials and Methods This is a retrospective study.  The risk factors, leading to hyperkalemia among 535 patients, hospitalized for HF at the St. Marina University Hospital in Varna in the period January 2010 - December 2014 were analyzed. ResultsSignificant part of the patients with HF have CKD as a comorbidity (56.3%), but they are treated with ACEi/ARBs (70.8%) and MRIs (34.2%), taking medications that increase the serum potassium level, leading to a risk of hyperkalemia. There are also a few patients per year (2.2%) who have hyperkalemia as a comorbidity, but they also must be treated with the same medications- ACEi/ARBs (91.7%) and MRIs (8.3%).ConclusionTwo new potassium binders - patiromer and sodium zirconium cyclosilicate, are included in the current guidelines (2016) as medications under consideration for regulatory approval. They are new therapeutic options for managing hyperkalemia in patients with HF and a risk of hyperkalemia. The current study reveals the importance of minimizing this adverse effect in order to provide optimal pharmacological treatment for patients with HF

Some aspects of the modern antihypertensive drug therapy and most common side effects

Hypertensionor high blood pressure is one of the most common diseases worldwide affecting people and is a major risk factor for stroke, myocardial infarction, vascular disease, and chronic kidney disease. Health care professionals must not only identify and treat patients with hypertension but also should have a good understanding of the side effects that accompany antihypertensive therapy. The aim of this review is to represent the most common adverse drug reactions (ADRs) of the most prescribed antihypertensive drugs

A review: Biological activity of myrtenal and some myrtenal-containing medicinal plant essential oils

Introduction: Myrtenal, a component of many plants` essential oils, is a bicyclic monoterpenoid. Numerous effects of myrtenal in experimental animals have been found - bronchodilatory, anti-inflammatory, anti-aggregative and antihemolytic (in vitro), and antibacterial.  Its other activities have been studied - antioxidant, antitumor, antihyperglycemic, vasodilating, heart rate reducing and hypotensive. Myrtenal is relatively little studied in the field of neuroscience.Aim: The aim of this article is to summarize the available information on the established biological activity of the monoterpenoid myrtenal.Materials and Methods: Scientific databases such as PubMed, ResearchGate, HMDB and others have been used to provide information on the published results of properties and activities of the test substance (myrtenal) over a period of 15 years (2003 - 2018).Results: Our research confirmed the available data for its central nervous system (CNS) activity - anxiolytic and potentiating the effects of the hypnotic drugs, as well as the antioxidant properties. We have evaluated the neuromodulatory activity of M in brain tissue manifested in elevated levels of major neurotransmitters in healthy rodents and those with neurodegenerative changes accompanied by improvement in the animals` memory.Conclusion: Significant protective effects of myrtenal on neurodegenerative processes were established. Probably they are related to its complex mechanisms, including neuromodulatory and antioxidant properties

Probiotics and Immunity

Probiotics are “living microorganisms” which exert a prophylactic and therapeutic effect by improving the internal microbial balance. Probiotics play a role in defining and maintaining the delicate balance between necessary and excessive defence mechanisms including innate and adaptive immune responses. The beneficial effects of probiotics have been demonstrated in many diseases