A novel hybrid methodology to secure GOOSE messages against cyberattacks in smart grids

: IEC 61850 is emerging as a popular communication standard for smart grids. Standardized communication in smart grids has an unwanted consequence of higher vulnerability to cyber-attacks. Attackers exploit the standardized semantics of the communication protocols to launch different types of attacks such as false data injection (FDI) attacks. Hence, there is a need to develop a cybersecurity testbed and novel mitigation strategies to study the impact of attacks and mitigate them. This paper presents a testbed and methodology to simulate FDI attacks on IEC 61850 standard compliant Generic Object-Oriented Substation Events (GOOSE) protocol using real time digital simulator (RTDS) together with open-source tools such as Snort and Wireshark. Furthermore, a novel hybrid cybersecurity solution by the name of sequence content resolver is proposed to counter such attacks on the GOOSE protocol in smart grids. Utilizing the developed testbed FDI attacks in the form of replay and masquerade attacks on are launched and the impact of attacks on electrical side is studied. Finally, the proposed hybrid cybersecurity solution is implemented with the developed testbed and its effectiveness is demonstrated

Cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, and diabetes mortality burden of cardiometabolic risk factors from 1980 to 2010: A comparative risk assessment

Background: High blood pressure, blood glucose, serum cholesterol, and BMI are risk factors for cardiovascular diseases and some of these factors also increase the risk of chronic kidney disease and diabetes. We estimated mortality from cardiovascular diseases, chronic kidney disease, and diabetes that was attributable to these four cardiometabolic risk factors for all countries and regions from 1980 to 2010. Methods: We used data for exposure to risk factors by country, age group, and sex from pooled analyses of population-based health surveys. We obtained relative risks for the effects of risk factors on cause-specific mortality from meta-analyses of large prospective studies. We calculated the population attributable fractions for each risk factor alone, and for the combination of all risk factors, accounting for multicausality and for mediation of the effects of BMI by the other three risks. We calculated attributable deaths by multiplying the cause-specific population attributable fractions by the number of disease-specific deaths. We obtained cause-specific mortality from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors 2010 Study. We propagated the uncertainties of all the inputs to the final estimates. Findings: In 2010, high blood pressure was the leading risk factor for deaths due to cardiovascular diseases, chronic kidney disease, and diabetes in every region, causing more than 40% of worldwide deaths from these diseases; high BMI and glucose were each responsible for about 15% of deaths, and high cholesterol for more than 10%. After accounting for multicausality, 63% (10·8 million deaths, 95% CI 10·1-11·5) of deaths from these diseases in 2010 were attributable to the combined effect of these four metabolic risk factors, compared with 67% (7·1 million deaths, 6·6-7·6) in 1980. The mortality burden of high BMI and glucose nearly doubled from 1980 to 2010. At the country level, age-standardised death rates from these diseases attributable to the combined effects of these four risk factors surpassed 925 deaths per 100 000 for men in Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Mongolia, but were less than 130 deaths per 100 000 for women and less than 200 for men in some high-income countries including Australia, Canada, France, Japan, the Netherlands, Singapore, South Korea, and Spain. Interpretation: The salient features of the cardiometabolic disease and risk factor epidemic at the beginning of the 21st century are high blood pressure and an increasing effect of obesity and diabetes. The mortality burden of cardiometabolic risk factors has shifted from high-income to low-income and middle-income countries. Lowering cardiometabolic risks through dietary, behavioural, and pharmacological interventions should be a part of the global response to non-communicable diseases. Funding: UK Medical Research Council, US National Institutes of Health. © 2014 Elsevier Ltd

Global burden of 369 diseases and injuries in 204 countries and territories, 1990–2019: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

Background: In an era of shifting global agendas and expanded emphasis on non-communicable diseases and injuries along with communicable diseases, sound evidence on trends by cause at the national level is essential. The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) provides a systematic scientific assessment of published, publicly available, and contributed data on incidence, prevalence, and mortality for a mutually exclusive and collectively exhaustive list of diseases and injuries. Methods: GBD estimates incidence, prevalence, mortality, years of life lost (YLLs), years lived with disability (YLDs), and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) due to 369 diseases and injuries, for two sexes, and for 204 countries and territories. Input data were extracted from censuses, household surveys, civil registration and vital statistics, disease registries, health service use, air pollution monitors, satellite imaging, disease notifications, and other sources. Cause-specific death rates and cause fractions were calculated using the Cause of Death Ensemble model and spatiotemporal Gaussian process regression. Cause-specific deaths were adjusted to match the total all-cause deaths calculated as part of the GBD population, fertility, and mortality estimates. Deaths were multiplied by standard life expectancy at each age to calculate YLLs. A Bayesian meta-regression modelling tool, DisMod-MR 2.1, was used to ensure consistency between incidence, prevalence, remission, excess mortality, and cause-specific mortality for most causes. Prevalence estimates were multiplied by disability weights for mutually exclusive sequelae of diseases and injuries to calculate YLDs. We considered results in the context of the Socio-demographic Index (SDI), a composite indicator of income per capita, years of schooling, and fertility rate in females younger than 25 years. Uncertainty intervals (UIs) were generated for every metric using the 25th and 975th ordered 1000 draw values of the posterior distribution. Findings: Global health has steadily improved over the past 30 years as measured by age-standardised DALY rates. After taking into account population growth and ageing, the absolute number of DALYs has remained stable. Since 2010, the pace of decline in global age-standardised DALY rates has accelerated in age groups younger than 50 years compared with the 1990–2010 time period, with the greatest annualised rate of decline occurring in the 0–9-year age group. Six infectious diseases were among the top ten causes of DALYs in children younger than 10 years in 2019: lower respiratory infections (ranked second), diarrhoeal diseases (third), malaria (fifth), meningitis (sixth), whooping cough (ninth), and sexually transmitted infections (which, in this age group, is fully accounted for by congenital syphilis; ranked tenth). In adolescents aged 10–24 years, three injury causes were among the top causes of DALYs: road injuries (ranked first), self-harm (third), and interpersonal violence (fifth). Five of the causes that were in the top ten for ages 10–24 years were also in the top ten in the 25–49-year age group: road injuries (ranked first), HIV/AIDS (second), low back pain (fourth), headache disorders (fifth), and depressive disorders (sixth). In 2019, ischaemic heart disease and stroke were the top-ranked causes of DALYs in both the 50–74-year and 75-years-and-older age groups. Since 1990, there has been a marked shift towards a greater proportion of burden due to YLDs from non-communicable diseases and injuries. In 2019, there were 11 countries where non-communicable disease and injury YLDs constituted more than half of all disease burden. Decreases in age-standardised DALY rates have accelerated over the past decade in countries at the lower end of the SDI range, while improvements have started to stagnate or even reverse in countries with higher SDI. Interpretation: As disability becomes an increasingly large component of disease burden and a larger component of health expenditure, greater research and developm nt investment is needed to identify new, more effective intervention strategies. With a rapidly ageing global population, the demands on health services to deal with disabling outcomes, which increase with age, will require policy makers to anticipate these changes. The mix of universal and more geographically specific influences on health reinforces the need for regular reporting on population health in detail and by underlying cause to help decision makers to identify success stories of disease control to emulate, as well as opportunities to improve. Funding: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. © 2020 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY 4.0 licens

Global investments in pandemic preparedness and COVID-19: development assistance and domestic spending on health between 1990 and 2026

Background The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted gaps in health surveillance systems, disease prevention, and treatment globally. Among the many factors that might have led to these gaps is the issue of the financing of national health systems, especially in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs), as well as a robust global system for pandemic preparedness. We aimed to provide a comparative assessment of global health spending at the onset of the pandemic; characterise the amount of development assistance for pandemic preparedness and response disbursed in the first 2 years of the COVID-19 pandemic; and examine expectations for future health spending and put into context the expected need for investment in pandemic preparedness. Methods In this analysis of global health spending between 1990 and 2021, and prediction from 2021 to 2026, we estimated four sources of health spending: development assistance for health (DAH), government spending, out-of-pocket spending, and prepaid private spending across 204 countries and territories. We used the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)'s Creditor Reporting System (CRS) and the WHO Global Health Expenditure Database (GHED) to estimate spending. We estimated development assistance for general health, COVID-19 response, and pandemic preparedness and response using a keyword search. Health spending estimates were combined with estimates of resources needed for pandemic prevention and preparedness to analyse future health spending patterns, relative to need. Findings In 2019, at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, US$9·2 trillion (95$7·3 trillion (95% UI 7·2–7·4) in 2019; 293·7 times the $24·8 billion (95$43·1 billion in development assistance was provided to maintain or improve health. The pandemic led to an unprecedented increase in development assistance targeted towards health; in 2020 and 2021, $1·8 billion in DAH contributions was provided towards pandemic preparedness in LMICs, and$37·8 billion was provided for the health-related COVID-19 response. Although the support for pandemic preparedness is 12·2% of the recommended target by the High-Level Independent Panel (HLIP), the support provided for the health-related COVID-19 response is 252·2% of the recommended target. Additionally, projected spending estimates suggest that between 2022 and 2026, governments in 17 (95% UI 11–21) of the 137 LMICs will observe an increase in national government health spending equivalent to an addition of 1% of GDP, as recommended by the HLIP. Interpretation There was an unprecedented scale-up in DAH in 2020 and 2021. We have a unique opportunity at this time to sustain funding for crucial global health functions, including pandemic preparedness. However, historical patterns of underfunding of pandemic preparedness suggest that deliberate effort must be made to ensure funding is maintained

Global, regional, and national burden of disorders affecting the nervous system, 1990–2021: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021

BackgroundDisorders affecting the nervous system are diverse and include neurodevelopmental disorders, late-life neurodegeneration, and newly emergent conditions, such as cognitive impairment following COVID-19. Previous publications from the Global Burden of Disease, Injuries, and Risk Factor Study estimated the burden of 15 neurological conditions in 2015 and 2016, but these analyses did not include neurodevelopmental disorders, as defined by the International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-11, or a subset of cases of congenital, neonatal, and infectious conditions that cause neurological damage. Here, we estimate nervous system health loss caused by 37 unique conditions and their associated risk factors globally, regionally, and nationally from 1990 to 2021.MethodsWe estimated mortality, prevalence, years lived with disability (YLDs), years of life lost (YLLs), and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), with corresponding 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs), by age and sex in 204 countries and territories, from 1990 to 2021. We included morbidity and deaths due to neurological conditions, for which health loss is directly due to damage to the CNS or peripheral nervous system. We also isolated neurological health loss from conditions for which nervous system morbidity is a consequence, but not the primary feature, including a subset of congenital conditions (ie, chromosomal anomalies and congenital birth defects), neonatal conditions (ie, jaundice, preterm birth, and sepsis), infectious diseases (ie, COVID-19, cystic echinococcosis, malaria, syphilis, and Zika virus disease), and diabetic neuropathy. By conducting a sequela-level analysis of the health outcomes for these conditions, only cases where nervous system damage occurred were included, and YLDs were recalculated to isolate the non-fatal burden directly attributable to nervous system health loss. A comorbidity correction was used to calculate total prevalence of all conditions that affect the nervous system combined.FindingsGlobally, the 37 conditions affecting the nervous system were collectively ranked as the leading group cause of DALYs in 2021 (443 million, 95% UI 378–521), affecting 3·40 billion (3·20–3·62) individuals (43·1%, 40·5–45·9 of the global population); global DALY counts attributed to these conditions increased by 18·2% (8·7–26·7) between 1990 and 2021. Age-standardised rates of deaths per 100 000 people attributed to these conditions decreased from 1990 to 2021 by 33·6% (27·6–38·8), and age-standardised rates of DALYs attributed to these conditions decreased by 27·0% (21·5–32·4). Age-standardised prevalence was almost stable, with a change of 1·5% (0·7–2·4). The ten conditions with the highest age-standardised DALYs in 2021 were stroke, neonatal encephalopathy, migraine, Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, diabetic neuropathy, meningitis, epilepsy, neurological complications due to preterm birth, autism spectrum disorder, and nervous system cancer.InterpretationAs the leading cause of overall disease burden in the world, with increasing global DALY counts, effective prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation strategies for disorders affecting the nervous system are needed

Application of artificial intelligence in electrical power systems

In this paper, the application of heuristic and optimization algorithms based on artificial intelligence (AI) is investigated on electrical power systems. Three distinct areas have been categorized validating the application of AI methods in power systems. It involves classical problem of economic load dispatch in conventional power plant, continuing with optimal sizing issue of renewable energy system in present grid and ending with cyber attacks with mitigation methods on evolving smart grids. The study concludes that the development of intruder detection and prevention systems considering AI techniques will be the new normal having significant impact to counter the cyber attacks on electrical power system.This publication was supported in part by Qatar University Internal Grant No. QUCG-CENG-2018/2019-2. The findings achieved herein are solely the responsibility of the authors.Scopu

Optimal sizing of a stand-alone hybrid PV-WT-BT system using artificial intelligence based technique

Nowadays, conventional energy system is being replaced by renewable energy system. Especially, PV systems and wind energy systems are gaining much attention due to their future sustainability and eco-friendly nature. However, for these types of systems, optimization and control is a challenging task because of their unpredictable nature. In this paper, an artificial intelligence (AI) based method named as multidimensional particle swarm optimization with weights induced fitness function (MDPSO-WIFF) approach is proposed for achieving the best combination size between the hybrid photovoltaic, wind turbine and battery storage (PV-WT-BT) system. The AI algorithm handles multiobjective optimization and gives minimum cost and maximum reliability along with the minimization of unutilized surplus power. The algorithm is then justified by comparing its results with iterative-pareto-fuzzy technique. The findings show that the proposed approach is faster and capable of obtaining better quality solution in terms of total cost and reliability with trade-off to dump load.This publication was supported in part by Qatar University Internal Grant No. QUCG-CENG-2018/2019-2. The findings achieved herein are solely the responsibility of the authors.Scopu

A novel methodology to validate cyberattacks and evaluate their impact on power systems using real time digital simulation

The traditional power systems are rapidly digitalized and automated for increased monitoring and control. This automation of power system communication has made it possible to monitor and control operations remotely in a plant. However, this also opens up an exploitation vector for attackers, after they gain access to the substation network. This scenario can only be investigated through an in-depth study of communication protocols and control authority concepts associated with power system. IEC 61850 has emerged as the most popular protocol for power system communication. In this paper, we investigate realtime simulation of power systems with IEC 61850 based communication, in order to devise a testbed that can be used to validate false data injection cyberattacks and evaluate their impact. Based on the results, we discuss possible countermeasures to such attacks and outline future research directions.Scopu

[63] Traumatic testicular displacement and torsion: A case report and literature review

Objective: To report on a case of traumatic testicular displacement (TTD) and torsion, which is a rare consequence of pelvic trauma. Methods: A 34-year-old motorcycle rider who presented immediately following a head-on collision with a car. His past surgical history included bilateral inguinal varicocoele repair. The patient recalled that his genitals collided with a part of the motorcycle before coming off the vehicle. He complained of left-sided groin pain and was found to have an empty left hemi-scrotum, a tender palpable lump in the left suprapubic region, and bruising in the area. A contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) scan revealed an empty scrotum and an ovoid structure measuring 5 × 3 × 4 cm in the subcutaneous tissue with an adjacent spermatic cord and surrounding fat stranding. He was immediately transferred to the operating theatre for surgical exploration of the lower abdomen. Results: After anaesthesia, the testis was repositioned into the scrotum and then we proceeded with exploration of the scrotum that revealed a torted left testicle. De-torsion, warm fomentation and orchidopexy of a viable left testicle was performed. He made an uneventful recovery. He was then transferred to a tertiary trauma centre for further management of his injuries. TTD is defined as migration of one or both testicle outside the scrotum. The most common mechanism of trauma is a rapid deceleration straddle injury against a motorcycle fuel tank. Predisposing factors include inguinal hernia repair, wide external inguinal ring, and atrophic testes. Radiological examinations of choice include colour-flow Doppler ultrasonography and CT scans of the abdomen and pelvis. Management consists of either closed reduction of the testicle or surgical exploration. Conclusion: Early diagnosis and management of TTD is imperative to preserve the displaced testicle