Systematic Approach for Web Protection Runtime Tools’ Effectiveness Analysis

Web applications represent one of the principal vehicles by which attackers gain access to an organization’s network or resources. Thus, different approaches to protect web applications have been proposed to date. Of them, the two major approaches are Web Application Firewalls (WAF) and Runtime Application Self Protection (RASP). It is, thus, essential to understand the differences and relative effectiveness of both these approaches for effective decision-making regarding the security of web applications. Here we present a comparative study between WAF and RASP simulated settings, with the aim to compare their effectiveness and efficiency against different categories of attacks. For this, we used computation of different metrics and sorted their results using F-Score index. We found that RASP tools scored better than WAF tools. In this study, we also developed a new experimental methodology for the objective evaluation of web protection tools since, to the best of our knowledge, no method specifically evaluates web protection tools

A new multi-label dataset for Web attacks CAPEC classification using machine learning techniques

Context: There are many datasets for training and evaluating models to detect web attacks, labeling each request as normal or attack. Web attack protection tools must provide additional information on the type of attack detected, in a clear and simple way. Objectives: This paper presents a new multi-label dataset for classifying web attacks based on CAPEC classification, a new way of features extraction based on ASCII values, and the evaluation of several combinations of models and algorithms. Methods: Using a new way to extract features by computing the average of the sum of the ASCII values of each of the characters in each field that compose a web request, several combinations of algorithms (LightGBM and CatBoost) and multi-label classification models are evaluated, to provide a complete CAPEC classification of the web attacks that a system is suffering. The training and test data used for training and evaluating the models come from the new SR-BH 2020 multi-label dataset. Results: Calculating the average of the sum of the ASCII values of the different characters that make up a web request shows its usefulness for numeric encoding and feature extraction. The new SR-BH 2020 multi-label dataset allows the training and evaluation of multi-label classification models, also allowing the CAPEC classification of the various attacks that a web system is undergoing. The combination of the two-phase model with the MultiOutputClassifier module of the scikit-learn library, together with the CatBoost algorithm shows its superiority in classifying attacks in the different criticality scenarios. Conclusion: Experimental results indicate that the combination of machine learning algorithms and multi-phase models leads to improved prediction of web attacks. Also, the use of a multi-label dataset is suitable for training learning models that provide information about the type of attack. (c) 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY license ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

A single Spanish version of maternal and paternal postnatal attachment scales: validation and conceptual analysis

Background: Postnatal bonding constitutes a major process during the postpartum period, and there is evidence that bonding difficulties have negative consequences for parents’ mental health and the child’s development. However, the conceptualization of postnatal bonding presents inconsistencies, as well as problems in having instruments that encompasses the father figure. The objective was to adapt the maternal postnatal attachment scale (MPAS) and the paternal postnatal attachment scale (PPAS) to Spanish, to evaluate its validity and reliability and to analyze the construct dimensionality of both questionnaires from a gender perspective. Methods: Instrumental design. In 2016–2017, a sample of 571 mothers and 376 fathers, with children between 6 and 11 months of age, responded to the Spanish version of MPAS and PPAS, respectively. After a process of translation-back-translation of the instrument, we empirically analyzed the internal consistency (Cronbach alpha, composite reliability (CR)) construct and concurrent validity (with regard to postpartum depression and dyadic adjustment). Additionally, we studied the instrument’s content validity, using the Delphi methodology; and the differential analysis in both samples (mothers and fathers), examining the invariance. Results: A short version of 15 items was obtained, common for mothers and fathers. The results of the Delphi methodology showed a 100% inter-judge agreement, highlighting the absence of differences in the adequacy of the items as a function of the parents’ gender. Confirmatory factor analysis showed a good fit of three original factors proposed by the authors. The global Cronbach alpha coefficients in the total sample were adequate (mothers, 0.70; fathers, 0.78); and Cronbach alpha of each dimension in the case of mothers was 0.50 (Quality of bonding), 0.55 (Absence of hostility), and 0.60 (Pleasure in interaction); in the case of fathers, it was respectively 0.54, 0.64, and 0.72. CR of each dimension were: quality of bonding, 0.74 in mothers and 0.80 in fathers; absence of hostility, 0.93 in mothers and 0.94 in fathers; pleasure in interaction, 0.83 in mothers and 0.90 in fathers. With regard to the analysis of group invariance, the results revealed empirical evidence of configural and metric invariance. Concurrent validity showed moderate negative correlations for postnatal depression (mothers, r = −0.41, p < 0.001; fathers, r = −0.38, p < 0.001), and positive correlations for dyadic adjustment (mothers, r = 0.39, p < 0.001; fathers, r = 0.44, p < 0.001). Discussion: A new version of the instrument was generated, with good psychometric properties, adequate for use both with mothers and with fathers. This scale helps evaluate postnatal maternal and paternal bonding, allowing to study it from within the family system, a necessary step forward to advance perinatal mental health.This project was supported by the General Sub-Directorate for Evaluation and Promotion of Research (Institute of Health Carlos III, ISCIII) and co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER) (No. PI14/01549)

Association between Life Skills and Academic Performance in Adolescents in the Autonomous Community of Aragon (Spain)

Background: Learning and socio-emotional development is promoted through the creation and nurturing of an optimal school climate. This study aims to analyze the relationship between life skills and academic performance in a large sample of adolescents from the autonomous community of Aragón (Spain). Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on the life skills and academic performance of a sample of 7th and 8th grade middle school students during the academic year 2018–2019. A sample of 43 middle schools were randomly selected; the final sample comprised 1745 students. The following data were collected through an anonymized, previously validated questionnaire: sociodemographic variables, social skills, self-efficacy, affective balance, and academic performance. Results: We found a statistically significant association between life skills and academic performance (p < 0.001) in our sample. We also observed significant gender differences in life skills, with boys obtaining higher scores in cognitive skills and affective balance, and with girls achieving higher scores in social skills. Conclusion: We argue that life skills should be integrated into educational policies in order to improve the academic performance and health outcomes of students

Local elections in Spain. The Personalization of Voting Behavior

Cuando los ciudadanos votan en elecciones municipales,¿tienen en cuenta solo factores a nivel nacional? O, porel contrario, ¿prestan también atención a elementos decarácter local? En este artículo sostenemos que la evaluación que hacen los ciudadanos de los candidatos ala alcaldía es un factor particularmente importante paraexplicar el sentido del voto en las elecciones locales enEspaña. Para verificar empíricamente la existencia deesta relación, analizamos las elecciones de 1999, 2007y 2011. Examinando una muestra relativamente heterogénea de municipios y gracias a las encuestas del Centrode Investigaciones Sociológicas, demostramos el efectode las evaluaciones de los candidatos a expensas de unpapel menos pronunciado de la ideología. La evidenciaaportada también apunta a que este patrón es más fuerteen municipios pequeños y para elecciones más recientes.When voters cast their ballot in local elections, are they only taking into account national factors? Or do they, to the contrary, also pay attention to local elements? In this article we argue that voters’ evaluations of candidates for mayor are particularly important to explain party choice in this type of subnational elections in Spain. To empirically verify the existence of this relationship, we focus on the 1999, 2007, and 2011 elections. By dwell-ing on a relatively heterogeneous sample of municipali-ties and working with surveys undertaken by the Centro de Investigaciones Sociológicas, we show the effect of candidates’ evaluations at the expense of a less pro-nounced role of ideology. The provided evidence also suggests that this pattern becomes stronger in small municipalities and more recent elections

In situ architecture of neuronal α-Synuclein inclusions

The molecular architecture of α-Synuclein (α-Syn) inclusions, pathognomonic of various neurodegenerative disorders, remains unclear. α-Syn inclusions were long thought to consist mainly of α-Syn fibrils, but recent reports pointed to intracellular membranes as the major inclusion component. Here, we use cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET) to image neuronal α-Syn inclusions in situ at molecular resolution. We show that inclusions seeded by α-Syn aggregates produced recombinantly or purified from patient brain consist of α-Syn fibrils crisscrossing a variety of cellular organelles. Using gold-labeled seeds, we find that aggregate seeding is predominantly mediated by small α-Syn fibrils, from which cytoplasmic fibrils grow unidirectionally. Detailed analysis of membrane interactions revealed that α-Syn fibrils do not contact membranes directly, and that α-Syn does not drive membrane clustering. Altogether, we conclusively demonstrate that neuronal α-Syn inclusions consist of α-Syn fibrils intermixed with membranous organelles, and illuminate the mechanism of aggregate seeding and cellular interaction

Results of Nurse Case Management in Primary Heath Care: Bibliographic Review

Background: The new characteristics of today’s population, together with the presence of chronic diseases in the elderly, require a new approach to care, promoting coordination between different levels of care. In this sense, we find the figure of the nurse case manager (NCM) in primary health care mainly responsible for ensuring continuity of care in complex patients with chronic diseases. Objective: to describe the role of the NCM in care management, determining its effectiveness in addressing chronic disease (health outcomes and quality of life) and its efficiency in the health system. Methods: Bibliographic review of scientific evidence on case management applied to nursing. Between March and April 2020 a bibliographic search was carried out in the Dialnet, Scielo, Scopus and Pubmed databases. Inclusion criteria: articles written in the last 5 years, which analyze how this nursing rol influences the care and health of patients. Results: A total of 16 articles were selected. The NCM reduced the use of the emergency department, hospital admissions, readmissions, and the duration of these in the patients studied. Conclusion: The NCM is effective and efficient for both patients and health institutions, and a common practice model is needed that includes standardized protocols and evidence-based practices

Data set on the effectiveness of Flip Teaching on engineering students' performance in the physics lab compared to Traditional Methodology

[EN] This paper shows the data of the Flip Teaching and Traditional Methodology on the laboratory practice in two subjects, Physics and Electricity, of a technical degree. The laboratory and final grades of these subjects were shown in four consecutive years. The characteristics of all four years were quite similar, except that the Traditional teaching Methodology (TM) was used in two, while Flip Teaching methodology (FT) was applied in the other two. For further discussion, please refer to the scientific article entitled "Effectiveness of flip teaching on engineering students' performance in the physics lab" [1]. Additional segmentation data in three levels are presented in this data in brief paper.This work was supported by the Universitat Politecnica de Valencia [Project PIME/2018/B25 Convocatoria de Proyectos de Innovacion y Convergencia de la UPV].Gómez-Tejedor, J.; Vidaurre, A.; Tort-Ausina, I.; Molina Mateo, J.; Serrano, M.; Meseguer Dueñas, JM.; Martínez Sala, RM.... (2020). Data set on the effectiveness of Flip Teaching on engineering students' performance in the physics lab compared to Traditional Methodology. Data in Brief. 28:1-7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dib.2019.104915S1728Gómez-Tejedor, J. A., Vidaurre, A., Tort-Ausina, I., Molina-Mateo, J., Serrano, M.-A., Meseguer-Dueñas, J. M., … Riera, J. (2020). Effectiveness of flip teaching on engineering students’ performance in the physics lab. Computers & Education, 144, 103708. doi:10.1016/j.compedu.2019.10370

Simulation of electron transport and secondary emission in a photomultiplier tube and experimental validation

[EN] The electron amplification and transport within a photomultiplier tube (PMT) has been investigated by developing an in-house Monte Carlo simulation code. The secondary electron emission in the dynodes is implemented via an effective electron model and the Modified Vaughan¿s model, whereas the transport is computed with the Boris leapfrog algorithm. The PMT gain, rise time and transit time have been studied as a function of supply voltage and external magnetostatic field. A good agreement with experimental measurements using a Hamamatsu R13408-100 PMT was obtained. The simulations have been conducted following different treatments of the underlying geometry: three-dimensional, two-dimensional and intermediate (2.5D). The validity of these approaches is compared. The developed framework will help in understanding the behavior of PMTs under highly intense and irregular illumination or varying external magnetic fields, as in the case of prompt gamma-ray measurements during pencil-beam proton therapy; and aid in optimizing the design of voltage dividers with behavioral circuit models.This work was supported by Conselleria de Educación, Investigación, Cultura y Deporte (Generalitat Valenciana) under grant numbers CDEIGENT/2019/011 and CDEIGENT/2021/012. P. Martín-Luna is supported by the Ministerio de Universidades (Gobierno de España), Spain under Grant Number FPU20/04958. We thank Hamamatsu (V. Sánchez, D. Castrillo) for technical support and guidance; R. Carrasco (IFIC) and P. Wohlfahrt (Siemens Healthineers) for the CT scanning; D. Calvo and D. Real (KM3net-IFIC) for their LED test platform, the electronics and maintenance services at IFIC for excellent support; and K. Albiol, J. V. Casaña-Copado, A. Gallas Torreira, E. Lemos Cid, G. Pausch, A. Pazos Álvarez, E. Pérez Trigo, S. Rit, A. Ros, J. Roser, J. Stein, J. L. Taín and R. Viegas for useful discussions.Martín-Luna, P.; Esperante, D.; Fernández Prieto, A.; Fuster-Martínez, N.; García Rivas, I.; Gimeno, B.; Ginestar Peiro, D.... (2024). Simulation of electron transport and secondary emission in a photomultiplier tube and experimental validation. Sensors and Actuators A Physical. 365:1-10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sna.2023.11485911036