Cyber Security Challenges of Deploying IoT in Smart Cities for Healthcare Applications

As technology improves at an astounding rate, cities have to improve their services in terms of safety, healthcare, transportation, and the overall welfare of their residents. Internet of Things (IoT) play a major role in the infrastructure of a smart city by gathering and processing data from distributed sensors to implement smart services, such as traffic control, environment monitoring, and waste management. However, the most challenging part is securing data from various attacks while maintaining low-complexity techniques and algorithms. Considering security concerns to the deployment of IoT as the main source of data collection and transmission, attacks are classified to identify a suitable scheme of defending against them. This paper provides a two-fold contribution to analyze security and privacy in the context of smart cities for healthcare applications. Thus, on one hand an overview of different IoT applications and their cyber vulnerabilities are presented. On the other hand, a comprehensive evaluation of possible approaches to mitigate the problem of cyber attacks is described

The Impact of Cloud Computing on the Skills, Autonomy, and Professional Identities of Junior External Auditors Case Studies of Three of the Big Four Audit Firms in Saudi Arabia

This thesis critically applies the Marxist (1954) analysis of capitalism and labour process theory (LPT) to investigate the impact of technological advances – specifically the introduction of Cloud Computing – on the work and experiences of junior external auditors at three of the Big Four audit firms in Saudi Arabia. While previous research has predominantly focused on the organisational level, this study shifts the focus to concentrates on the individual level. The study undertakes three case studies, 29 in-depth semi-structured interviews with junior and senior external auditors, managers, and partners providing a comprehansive perspective of the transformative effects of Cloud technology on the career development of jounior auditors. Responding to calls for more qualitative studies in the field of accounting research and more research in developing countries, this thesis expands the scope of Cloud Computing research. The findings reveal aspects of deskilling in the reduced demand for physical and mental effort, while the enhancement of juniors’ technical skills represents a form of reskilling. Notably, the decrease in autonomy among junior auditors, attributed to the centralising effect of the Cloud, provides support for LPT, illustrating how technological and procedural changes can reshape power dynamics in the workplace. The findings emphasis the dynamic interplay between technology and labour processes; highlighting significant shifts in the roles, behaviours, and attitudes of junior auditors due to the adoption of Cloud technology

Scheduling Army base realignment and closure

"During four rounds of base realignment and closure (BRAC), the United States Army reduced its military infrastructure to meet its future national security and military requirements. After each round's closures and realignments were approved, all necessary actions (excluding some environmental cleanup) had to be scheduled over six years. The United State Army used an integer linear program, BRACAS (Base Realignment and Closure Action Schedule), to help guide the implementation of the 1995 round's actions. BRACAS schedules closure and realignment actions, and maximizes the net present value NPV of total cost savings while adhering to an annual budget and other constraints. This thesis updates BRACAS. Its main contribution is a more realistic inclusion of environmental cleanup costs. Using data based on the Army's 1995 round and letting BRACAS pick its yearly (1996-2001) budget, the refined BRACAS finds a 20-year NPV of $6 ,346 million. We examine how closures and the 20-year NPV are changed for several scenarios where we restrict yearly budgets and alter the inclusion of environmental cleanup costs."--p. i.http://archive.org/details/schedulingarmyba109451199Major, Bahrain Defense Force (BDF)Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited

Komunikační kompetence: Téma celoživotního vzdělávání všeobecných sester manažerek v nemocnicích

Job satisfaction factors that are significant include managers´ concern for people, their style of leadership, and management systems. For these reasons, managerial communication skills should also be an important topic included in hospital lifelong learning courses, with the ultimate goal of increasing job satisfaction. This article presents an evidence-based strategy to engage relevant stakeholders.Významnými faktory, které ovlivňují spokojenost v zaměstnání, jsou mimo jiné manažerské vedení a řízení, resp. manažerský styl, péče o zaměstnance a systém řízení. Proto by v rámci zvyšování spokojenosti zaměstnanců měly být manažerské komunikační dovednosti jedním z významných témat celoživotního vzdělávání manažerů v nemocnici stejně jako v kterékoliv jiné organizaci. Tento článek představuje nastavení tématu manažerských komunikačních kompetencí do rámce celoživotního vzdělávání s využitím na důkazech založené strategie zapojení všech zainteresovaných stran

C-Reactive Protein Levels in Children with Acute Bronchiolitis

Background and Objectives. Acute bronchiolitis is a common respiratory disease in children. C-reactive protein (CRP) is an indicator of bacterial coinfection. This study is aimed at assessing the frequency of elevated CRP in children with acute bronchiolitis and at comparing the clinical characteristics, laboratory and radiological findings, antibiotics use, and outcome according to CRP levels. Material and Methods. We retrospectively reviewed medical records of children with acute bronchiolitis admitted to Pediatric Department, Salmaniya Medical Complex, Bahrain, in 2019-2020. Demographic, clinical, laboratory and radiological data, and outcomes were collected. Patients with high CRP were compared with those with normal levels. Results. Of 287 patients, 229 (79.2%) were included. 132 (57.6%) were males. Median presentation age was 3.7 (interquartile range (IQR), 1.27-12.33) months. Median CRP level was 10.4 (IQR, 2.8-35.1) mg/L. CRP was high in 167 (72.9%) patients. 17.6% (33/187 patients) had confirmed bacterial coinfection. Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) was detected in 84 (36.7%) patients. Mean CRP level was higher in RSV-negative compared to RSV-positive patients, 31.3±44.3 versus 21.5±27.7 mg/L, respectively (P=0.042). Respiratory viral serology profile was positive in 34.7% (17/49 patients). 66.9% (107/160 patients) had positive chest X-ray. Antibiotics were used in 78.1% (179/227 patients). Thirteen (5.7%) patients required intensive care, five (2.2%) had surgical intervention, four (1.8%) required endotracheal intubation, and four (1.8%) died. Patients with high CRP were older at presentation (P<0.0001) and had more fever (P<0.0001) and cough (P=0.002), but lower hemoglobin level (P<0.0001) compared to those with normal CRP. Fever (P=0.016) and hemoglobin level (P=0.002) were independent factors. Conclusion. Most children with acute bronchiolitis had high rate of elevated CRP values that did not correlate with the rate of bacterial coinfection. High CRP levels were found in older children, those presented with more fever and cough, and had a lower hemoglobin level despite that those factors were previously reported to be associated with disease severity and bacterial coinfection. This study also showed a high overall rate of antibiotic prescriptions in mostly viral disease

Effect of date fruit consumption on the glycemic control of patients with type 2 diabetes: a randomized clinical trial

Objective: Date fruit has been reported to have benefits in type 2 diabetes (T2D), though there is a concern, given the high sugar content, about its effects on glycemic control. Design and setting: Prospective, interventional, randomized, parallel study. Participants: In total, 79 patients with T2D (39 male and 40 female). Intervention: Participants were randomly allocated to either 60 g date fruit or 60 g raisins daily of the equivalent glycemic index (amount split, given as midmorning and midafternoon snack) for 12 weeks. Main outcome measures: The primary outcome was to investigate the effect of date fruit on HbA1c and fasting blood glucose, and their variability, in patients with T2D in comparison to the same glycemic load of raisins. The secondary outcomes were to determine whether date fruit affected cardiovascular risk by measuring fasting lipids, C-reactive protein (CRP), blood pressure, and insulin resistance (IR) as measured by Homeostatic Model Assessment (HOMA-IR). Results: In total, 61 (27 female and 34 male) of 79 patients completed the study. There was no difference between or within groups for HbA1c or HbA1c variability, fasting glucose or glucose variability, insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), insulin sensitivity (HOMA-S), beta cell function (HOMA-B), the disposition index, lipids, systolic (SBP) or diastolic blood pressure (DBP), or C-reactive protein (CRP) (p > 0.05). Conclusion: No improvement in glycemic indices was seen following supplementation of 60 g daily date fruit or raisins, though neither had a deleterious effect on glycemic control over a 12-week period, indicating their safety when consumed in T2D. Additionally, no beneficial therapeutic effects of date fruit on other cardiovascular indices in T2D were seen.</p

Cheese Intake Exhibits an Alteration of Glycolipid Profile and Impacts on Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver in Bahraini Older Adults

Background: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a multifactorial condition characterized by a complex interrelation between genetic and environmental factors that heighten the risk of cardiovascular diseases and all-cause mortality. It is hypothesized that diet may play an important role in the regulation of metabolic syndrome factors and influence the process. Therefore, the main objective of this study was to investigate the specific dietary patterns associated with metabolic syndrome markers and quantify the possible effects of dietary patterns among Bahrain older adults. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study that included 151 Bahraini patients diagnosed with MetS, 89 (58.7%) were females and 62 (41.3%) males. Results: The prevalence of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver was 89%. Statistically significant correlations were found between dairy products with low fat and SBP (r = 0.182, p &lt; 0.001) body mass index (BMI) (r = -0.195; p &lt; -0.01). Higher chicken consumption was associated with reduction of BMI (r = -0.273; p &lt; -0.01). A higher consumption of ricotta and cheddar cheese (high in fat) was associated with higher levels of triglycerides (p &lt; 0.01). Higher frequent consumption of rice (basmati) was associated with lower glucose levels (r = -0.200; p &lt; -0.01). Fatty liver has been associated with high consumption of cream cheese (p &lt; 0.01). Conclusion: In older Bahraini adults with metabolic syndrome, higher frequency of food consumption of full-fat cheese was linked with a derangement of lipid profile and Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver. Positive effects on BMI have been recorded with higher-frequency consumption of basmati rice and chicken