Big Data in Critical Infrastructures Security Monitoring: Challenges and Opportunities

Critical Infrastructures (CIs), such as smart power grids, transport systems, and financial infrastructures, are more and more vulnerable to cyber threats, due to the adoption of commodity computing facilities. Despite the use of several monitoring tools, recent attacks have proven that current defensive mechanisms for CIs are not effective enough against most advanced threats. In this paper we explore the idea of a framework leveraging multiple data sources to improve protection capabilities of CIs. Challenges and opportunities are discussed along three main research directions: i) use of distinct and heterogeneous data sources, ii) monitoring with adaptive granularity, and iii) attack modeling and runtime combination of multiple data analysis techniques.Comment: EDCC-2014, BIG4CIP-201

Driving forbidden transitions in the fluxonium artificial atom

Atomic systems display a rich variety of quantum dynamics due to the different possible symmetries obeyed by the atoms. These symmetries result in selection rules that have been essential for the quantum control of atomic systems. Superconducting artificial atoms are mainly governed by parity symmetry. Its corresponding selection rule limits the types of quantum systems that can be built using electromagnetic circuits at their optimal coherence operation points ("sweet spots"). Here, we use third-order nonlinear coupling between the artificial atom and its readout resonator to drive transitions forbidden by the parity selection rule for linear coupling to microwave radiation. A Lambda-type system emerges from these newly accessible transitions, implemented here in the fluxonium artificial atom coupled to its "antenna" resonator. We demonstrate coherent manipulation of the fluxonium artificial atom at its sweet spot by stimulated Raman transitions. This type of transition enables the creation of new quantum operations, such as the control and readout of physically protected artificial atoms.Comment: 10 pages, 7 figure

Signaling events involved in cytokine and chemokine production induced by secretory phospholipase A2 in human lung macrophages.

7openopenGranata F; Frattini A; Loffredo S; Del Prete A; Sozzani S; Marone G; Triggiani M.Granata, F; Frattini, A; Loffredo, S; DEL PRETE, Annalisa; Sozzani, Silvano; Marone, G; Triggiani, M

Towards a phenotype of the amphibious company:an illustrative case from the chemical industry

The paper explores the phenotype of the amphibious company, which is intended as the fittest economic species in today’s hypercompetitive business arenas and hence the most likely to survive and prosper. Four behavioral traits are proposed and discussed as distinctive of amphibious companies: doing different jobs good, diversifying in multiple market arenas, brokering and bridging across business networks and absorbing knowledge from the outside. The paper illustrates these arguments through a paradigmatic case study of an Italian firm operating in the chemical industry, which has been able to survive a challenging crisis by adopting an amphibious behavior.<br

A homozygous contiguous gene deletion in chromosome 16p13.3 leads to autosomal recessive osteopetrosis in a Jordanian patient

Human malignant autosomal recessive osteopetrosis (ARO) is a genetically heterogeneous disorder caused by reduced bone resorption by osteoclasts. Mutations in the CLCN7 gene are responsible not only for a substantial portion of ARO patients, but also for other forms of osteopetrosis characterized by different severity and inheritance. The lack of a clear genotype/phenotype correlation makes genetic counselling a tricky issue for CLCN7-dependent osteopetrosis. Here we characterize the first homozygous interstitial deletion in 16p13.3, detected by array Comparative Genomic Hybridization (a-CGH) in an ARO patient of Jordanian origin. The deletion involved other genes beside CLCN7, while the proband displayed a classic ARO phenotype; however her early death did not allow more extensive clinical investigations. The identification of this novel genomic deletion involving a large part of the CLCN7 gene is of clinical relevance, especially in prenatal diagnosis, and suggests the possibility that this kind of mutation has been underestimated so far. This data highlights the need for alternative approaches to genetic analysis also in other ARO-causative genes

A one-dimensional lattice model for a quantum mechanical free particle

Two types of particles, A and B with their corresponding antiparticles, are defined in a one dimensional cyclic lattice with an odd number of sites. In each step of time evolution, each particle acts as a source for the polarization field of the other type of particle with nonlocal action but with an effect decreasing with the distance: A -->...\bar{B} B \bar{B} B \bar{B} ... ; B --> A \bar{A} A \bar{A} A ... . It is shown that the combined distribution of these particles obeys the time evolution of a free particle as given by quantum mechanics.Comment: 8 pages. Revte

Impact of the Specific Mutation in KRAS Codon 12 Mutated Tumors on Treatment Efficacy in Patients with Metastatic Colorectal Cancer Receiving Cetuximab-Based First-Line Therapy: A Pooled Analysis of Three Trials

Purpose: This study investigated the impact of specific mutations in codon 12 of the Kirsten-ras (KRAS) gene on treatment efficacy in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). Patients: Overall, 119 patients bearing a KRAS mutation in codon 12 were evaluated. All patients received cetuximab-based first-line chemotherapy within the Central European Cooperative Oncology Group (CECOG), AIO KRK-0104 or AIO KRK-0306 trials. Results: Patients with KRAS codon 12 mutant mCRC showed a broad range of outcome when treated with cetuximab-based first-line regimens. Patients with tumors bearing a KRAS p.G12D mutation showed a strong trend to a more favorable outcome compared to other mutations (overall survival 23.3 vs. 14-18 months; hazard ratio 0.66, range 0.43-1.03). An interaction model illustrated that KRAS p.G12C was associated with unfavorable outcome when treated with oxaliplatin plus cetuximab. Conclusion: The present analysis suggests that KRAS codon 12 mutation may not represent a homogeneous entity in mCRC when treated with cetuximab-based first-line therapy. Copyright (C) 2012 S. Karger AG, Base

Sigma-phase in Fe-Cr and Fe-V alloy systems and its physical properties

A review is presented on physical properties of the sigma-phase in Fe-Cr and Fe-V alloy systems as revealed both with experimental -- mostly with the Mossbauer spectroscopy -- and theoretical methods. In particular, the following questions relevant to the issue have been addressed: identification of sigma and determination of its structural properties, kinetics of alpha-to-sigma and sigma-to-alpha phase transformations, Debye temperature and Fe-partial phonon density of states, Curie temperature and magnetization, hyperfine fields, isomer shifts and electric field gradients.Comment: 26 pages, 23 figures and 83 reference