Malware Detection in the Cloud under Ensemble Empirical Mode Decomposition

Cloud networks underpin most of todays’ socioeconomical Information Communication Technology (ICT) environments due to their intrinsic capabilities such as elasticity and service transparency. Undoubtedly, this increased dependence of numerous always-on services with the cloud is also subject to a number of security threats. An emerging critical aspect is related with the adequate identification and detection of malware. In the majority of cases, malware is the first building block for larger security threats such as distributed denial of service attacks (e.g. DDoS); thus its immediate detection is of crucial importance. In this paper we introduce a malware detection technique based on Ensemble Empirical Mode Decomposition (E-EMD) which is performed on the hypervisor level and jointly considers system and network information from every Virtual Machine (VM). Under two pragmatic cloud-specific scenarios instrumented in our controlled experimental testbed we show that our proposed technique can reach detection accuracy rates over 90% for a range of malware samples. In parallel we demonstrate the superiority of the introduced approach after comparison with a covariance-based anomaly detection technique that has been broadly used in previous studies. Consequently, we argue that our presented scheme provides a promising foundation towards the efficient detection of malware in modern virtualized cloud environments. Index Terms—Malware Detection, Empirical Mode Decomposition, Cloud computing, Anomaly Detectio

Seismic wave propagation in Iran and eastern Indian shield

This dissertation addresses several important aspects of observational earthquake seismology: 1) methods for data management and processing large datasets, 2) analysis of seismic wave propagation at local to regional (up to about 700 km) source-receiver distances, 3) analysis of seismic coda, and 4) critical re-evaluation of the fundamental problem of seismic wave attenuation and measurement of the seismic “quality” factor (Q). These studies are carried out using new and previously analyzed earthquake data from Iran. In each of the four application areas above, innovative methods are used and significant new results are obtained. First, for efficient managing and processing of large earthquake datasets, I use a flexible, exploration-style open-source seismic processing system. Custom and problem-oriented scripts using Matlab or Octave software are included as tools in this processing system, allowing interactive and non-interactive analysis of earthquake records. In the second application, I note that the existing models for body-wave amplitudes are hampered by several difficulties, such as inaccurate accounts for the contributions of source and receiver effects and insufficient accuracy at the transition between the local and regional distances. Finding a reliable model for body-wave amplitudes is critical for many studies. To achieve such a reliable model, I use a joint inversion method based on a new parameterization of seismic attenuation and additional constraints on model quality. The joint inversion provides a correct model for geometrical spreading and attenuation. The geometrical-spreading model reveals the existence of an increase of body S wave amplitudes from 90 to about 115 km from the source which might be caused by waves reflecting from the crust‐mantle boundary. Outside of this distance range, amplitude decays are significantly faster than usually assumed in similar models. Third, in two chapters of this dissertation devoted to coda studies, I consider the concept of the frequency-dependent coda Q (Qc). Although this quantity is usually attributed to the subsurface, I argue that because of subjective selections of model assumptions and algorithms, Qc cannot be rigorously viewed as a function of surface or subsurface points. Also, frequency dependence of the measured Qc strongly trades off with the subjectively selected parameters of the measurement procedure. To mitigate these problems, instead of mapping a hypothetical in-situ Qc, I obtain maps of physically justified parameters of the subsurface: exponents of geometrical spreading (denoted ) and effective attenuation (denoted qe). For the areas of this study, parameter ranges from 0.005 s-1 to 0.05 s-1 (within Zagros area of Iran) and 0.010 s-1 to 0.013 s-1 (within the eastern Indian Shield). Finally, from both body- and coda-wave studies, I derive estimates of seismic attenuation within the study areas. In two areas of Iran and within the Indian Shield, weak attenuation with Q-factors of 2000–6000 or higher is found. In particular, coda envelopes can be explained by wave reverberations within elastic crustal structures, and the Q-type attenuation appears undetectable

Development of a Nanoscale-Sensitive DNA Sensor using Functionalized Graphene Substrates and Fluorescence Lifetime Characterization

Fluorescence Lifetime Image Microscopy (FLIM) of nanostructured graphene substrates was used to measure the recently observed nanoscale distance-scaling of the fluorescence lifetime of dyes located in the vicinity of graphene sheets, at distances up to about 30 nm. The results were compared with a Resonant Energy Transfer (RET) theoretical model and used to establish an experimental fluorescence lifetime-to-nanoscale distance conversion function. In the following, this nano-optical relation was used for the design of a Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) biosensor. Graphene was functionalized with fluorescently labeled DNA molecular beacons that unfold during hybridization with complementary DNA, and thereby change the distance of the fluorescent dye from the graphene surface. The spatial distribution of DNA molecular beacons binding to the surface of a graphene flake was studied, as well as the temporal kinetics of the hybridization reaction using time-lapse FLIM measurements. The results showed a vertical ascent of a fluorescent label relative to the graphene surface with a distance extension that is in accordance with the expected molecular length of the specific DNA sequence used. Interestingly, an intermediate state associated to a distance of a few nanometers was identified with a lifespan of about 85 minutes. The developed graphene-based DNA sensor was shown to enable optical detection of nanoscale distances in liquid media. These findings indicate that the fluorescence lifetime-based detection coupled with nanoscale interaction effects may find applications in various biosensing applications such as health and food-quality tracing. For the processing of FLIM data, several fluorescence lifetime calculation algorithms were compared and integrated into a specially designed and implemented analysis software toolbox in MATLAB.Imagens de Microscopia de Tempo de Vida de Fluorescência (FLIM) de substratos de grafeno nano-estruturados foram usadas para a medição da recentemente observada alteração do tempo de vida de fluorescência de corantes quando localizados na vizinhança de grafeno para distâncias até cerca de 30 nm. Os resultados foram comparados com um modelo teórico de Transferência Ressonante de Energia (RET) e utilizados para o estabelecimento de uma função de calibração experimental entre tempo de vida de fluorescência e distâncias à nano-escala. Posteriormente, esta relação nano-ótica foi utilizada para o desenvolvimento de um biossensor de Ácido Desoxirribonucleico (ADN). Substratos de grafeno foram funcionalizados com sinais moleculares (molecular beacons) de ADN que se desdobram durante a hibridização com ADN complementar, alterando a distância do corante fluorescente à superfície de grafeno. A distribuição espacial da ligação de sinais moleculares de ADN à superfície do grafeno foi estudada, bem como a cinética de reação de hibridização, usando medições de FLIM por lapso de tempo. Os resultados mostraram a ascensão vertical dos marcadores fluorescentes relativamente à superfície, com uma deslocamento total que está de acordo com o comprimento molecular esperado para a sequência de ADN utilizada. Curiosamente, um estado intermedio associado a uma distância de alguns nanómetros foi identificado, tendo este uma duração de cerca de 85 minutos. Foi então demonstrado que o sensor de ADN desenvolvido permite a deteção ótica de distâncias à nano-escala em meio líquido. Estes resultados indicaram que a deteção baseada em tempo de vida de fluorescência, acoplada aos efeitos desta interação ótica à nano-escala pode ser utilizada em várias aplicações de biodeteção, tal como na saúde e no rastreamento da qualidade alimentar. Para o tratamento de dados de FLIM, vários algoritmos de cálculo de tempo de vida foram comparados e integrados num programa de análise especificamente desenhado e implementado para o efeito, em ambiente MATLAB.International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory – IN

Directional Discrete Cosine Transform for Handwritten Script Identification

Authors' copy - ICDAR International Conference on Document Analysis and Recognition (2013), Washington DC, USAInternational audienceThis paper presents directional discrete cosine transforms (D-DCT) based word level handwritten script identification. The conventional discrete cosine transform (DCT) emphasizes vertical and horizontal energies of an image and de-emphasizes directional edge information, which of course plays a significant role in shape analysis problem, in particular. Conventional DCT however, is not efficient in characterizing the images where directional edges are dominant. In this paper, we investigate two different methods to capture directional edge information, one by performing 1D-DCT along left and right diagonals of an image, and another by decomposing 2D-DCT coefficients in left and right diagonals. The mean and standard deviations of left and right diagonals of DCT coefficients are computed and are used for the classification of words using linear discriminant analysis (LDA) and K-nearest neighbour (K-NN). We validate the method over 9000 words belonging to six different scripts. The classification of words is performed at bi-scripts, tri-scripts and multi-scripts scenarios and accomplished the identification accuracies respectively as 96.95%, 96.42% and 85.77% in average

CINEMA OF THE SOCIAL: STARS, FANS AND THE STANDARDIZATION OF GENRE IN TAMIL CINEMA

The star machinery of Tamil cinema presents itself as a nearly unfathomable system that produces stars and politicians out of actors and fans out of audiences in an organized fashion. This study is invested in determining a specific mode of star films in Tamil cinema as a unique genre by itself. These films from the southern state of Tamil Nadu in India typically frame and deify the male actor as a star. I argue that the stars in Tamil cinema are not icons for a genre; rather they are the genre themselves. The assimilation of fans into the process of genre formation is based on an established partnership between the industry and the audiences. This research study diagnoses star-centric cinema as cinema of the social in terms of genre, cinematic populism, mythification, identification, star spectacles, melodramatic masculinity and fan-driven organized spectatorship

Liberal-Democratic States Should Privilege Parental Efforts to Instill Identities And Values

Liberal-democratic states’ commitments to equality and personal autonomy have always proven problematic with respect to state regulation of relations between parents and children. In the parental authority literature positions have varied from invoking children’s interests to argue for limitations on parental efforts to instill identities and values to invoking parental rights to justify state privileging of such efforts. This article argues that liberal-democratic states should privilege parental efforts to raise their children to share their identities and values. Its approach is distinctive in two ways: i) it engages in interdisciplinary reflection upon selected findings in psychological literature on immigrant youth, acculturation, and identity development to assess philosophical arguments about parental authority; and ii) it argues that children’s, and not parental, interests should be viewed as the primary basis for parental rights to instill identities and values. Ultimately, the article argues, parental authority to instill identities and values is justified by children’s interests in psychological wellbeing and personal autonomy

Internationalization of entertainment industry services - Bollywood

Bollywood is the name given to the Hindi movie industry in India. It is one of the big-gest film clusters in the country contributing to the maximum number of films pro-duced in India. Recently, Bollywood surpassed the number of featured films made by Hollywood in a year and hence becoming a huge phenomenon worldwide. The aim of the current study was to build a framework to determine the kind of factors and the relevant industrial drivers that contribute to Bollywood industry success worldwide. And then retrospectively prove the effectiveness of the framework through empirical research. Of the many existing models from literature, Dunning’s Eclectic model and Uppsala model were used to build the framework. The industry-specific factors and location-specific factors, name industry structure, size and its social networks were shown to be the front-runners in promoting Bollywood to become international. These factors drive Bollywood to take advantage of the market characteristics, namely the subsidy struc-ture and become truly global. One of the very important outcomes is that this research study was able to corroborate Eclectic theory model and Uppsala model using an in-ductive approach with Bollywood as the case industry. Keywords: internationalization, services, entertainment, Bollywoo

Hsp90/Cdc37 Chaperone/co-chaperone complex, a novel junction anticancer target elucidated by the mode of action of herbal drug Withaferin A

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>HSPs (Heat shock proteins) are highly conserved ubiquitous proteins among species which are involved in maintaining appropriate folding and conformation of other proteins and are thus referred to as molecular chaperones. Hsp90 (Heat-shock protein 90 kDa) is one of a group of molecular chaperones responsible for managing protein folding and quality control in cell environment. However it is also involved in the maturation and stabilization of a wide range of oncogenic client proteins which are crucial for oncogenesis and malignant progression. Hsp90 requires a series of co-chaperones to assemble into a super-chaperone complex for its function. These co-chaperones bind and leave the complex at various stages to regulate the chaperoning process. Arresting the chaperone cycle at these stages by targeting different co-chaperone/Hsp90 interactions seems to be quite a viable alternative and is likely to achieve similar consequences as that of Hsp90 direct inhibition with added favors of high specificity and reduced side effect profile. The study conducted here is an attempt to explore the potential of <it>Withania somnifera’s</it> major constituent WA (Withaferin A) in attenuating the Hsp90/Cdc37 chaperone/co-chaperone interactions for enhanced tumor arresting activity and to elucidate the underlying mode of action using computational approaches.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Formation of active Hsp90/Cdc37 complex is one of the essential steps for facilitation of chaperone client interaction, non-assembly of which can lead to prevention of the chaperone-client association resulting in apoptosis of tumor cells. From our flexible docking analysis of WA into active Hsp90/Cdc37 complex in which key interfacing residues of the complex were kept flexible, disruption of the active association complex can be discerned. While docking of WA into segregated Hsp90 leaves the interface residues untouched. Thus the molecular docking analysis of WA into Hsp90 and active Hsp90/Cdc37 complex conducted in this study provides significant evidence in support of the proposed mechanism of chaperone assembly suppression by inhibition or disruption of active Hsp90/Cdc37 complex formation being accounted by non-assembly of the catalytically active Hsp90/Cdc37 complex. Results from the molecular dynamics simulations in water show that the trajectories of the protein complexed with ligand WA are stable over a considerably long time period of 4 ns, with the energies of the complex being lowered in comparison to the un-docked association complex, suggesting the thermodynamic stability of WA complexed Hsp90/Cdc37.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The molecular chaperone Hsp90 has been a promising target for cancer therapy. Cancer is a disease marked by genetic instability. Thus specific inhibition of individual proteins or signalling pathways holds a great potential for subversion of this genetic plasticity of cancers. This study is a step forward in this direction. Our computational analysis provided a rationalization to the ability of naturally occurring WA to alter the chaperone signalling pathway. The large value of binding energy involved in binding of WA to the active Hsp90/Cdc37 complex consolidates the thermodynamic stability of the binding. Our docking results obtained substantiate the hypothesis that WA has the potential to inhibit the association of chaperone (Hsp90) to its co-chaperone (Cdc37) by disrupting the stability of attachment of Hsp90 to Cdc37. Conclusively our results strongly suggest that withaferin A is a potent anticancer agent as ascertained by its potent Hsp90-client modulating capability.</p

Flexible Coordinator and Switcher Hubs for Adaptive Task Control

Functional connectivity (FC) studies have identified at least two large-scale neural systems that constitute cognitive control networks, the frontoparietal network (FPN) and cingulo-opercular network (CON). Control networks are thought to support goal-directed cognition and behavior. It was previously shown that the FPN flexibly shifts its global connectivity pattern according to task goal, consistent with a “flexible hub” mechanism for cognitive control. Our aim was to build on this finding to develop a functional cartography (a multimetric profile) of control networks in terms of dynamic network properties. We quantified network properties in (male and female) humans using a high-control-demand cognitive paradigm involving switching among 64 task sets. We hypothesized that cognitive control is enacted by the FPN and CON via distinct but complementary roles reflected in network dynamics. Consistent with a flexible “coordinator” mechanism, FPN connections were varied across tasks, while maintaining within-network connectivity to aid cross-region coordination. Consistent with a flexible “switcher” mechanism, CON regions switched to other networks in a task-dependent manner, driven primarily by reduced within-network connections to other CON regions. This pattern of results suggests FPN acts as a dynamic, global coordinator of goal-relevant information, while CON transiently disbands to lend processing resources to other goal-relevant networks. This cartography of network dynamics reveals a dissociation between two prominent cognitive control networks, suggesting complementary mechanisms underlying goal-directed cognition

A satrean account of the role of social narratives in the identity-formation and self-conception of the queer and intersex subject

Successful, fully-fledged identity-formation and positive self-conception are contingent on the availability and sufficiency of social narratives. Following a Sartrean account of the human subject, identity will be shown to depend on externally-derived features (termed facticity). Facticity contains both material and social components. This thesis will show the two to be inextricably interlinked, and in so doing endorse Judith Butler's view that the material comes to us already seeped in social meaning. The interactive relationship between the discursive and the material will be illustrated by examining the phenomenon of intersexuality, in which the prevailing narrative of a dichotomized two-sex system has, through surgical, hormonal, and psychological procedures, become written into the flesh of non-binary individuals. The absence of affirming, diverse, and pluralistic narratives surrounding intersexuality, coupled with the imposition of the two-sex script, has (negatively) affected the material experiences, and subsequent identity-formation, of intersex individuals. Given the reliance of identity on socially-constituted facticities, the pursuit of flourishing, dignity, and an authentic and cohesive sense of self requires inclusive and diverse social scripts. Drawing on Mirander Fricker, I will elucidate how lacunae in the hermeneutical resource have resulted in confusion, unhappiness, and a lack of proper self-conception for individuals belonging to subjugated groups. Conversely, the availability of positive, diverse, and inclusive narratives will be shown to allow for more self-aware, self-determined subjects. I will ground my advocacy of inclusive, diverse social narratives in an examination of the beneficial genesis and development of the identity politics present in LGBTQIA++ movements (such as "Out and Proud", recognition of queer identity, and the development of non-binary gender). Assuming that self-understanding, authenticity, and flourishing are ethical goods that are valued, inclusive and affirming narratives for subjugated groups will be shown to be a normative necessity