Insertion Detection System Employing Neural Network MLP and Detection Trees Using Different Techniques

by addressing intruder attacks, network security experts work to maintain services available at all times. The Intrusion Detection System (IDS) is one of the available mechanisms for detecting and classifying any abnormal behavior. As a result, the IDS must always be up to date with the most recent intruder attack signatures to maintain the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the services. This paper shows how the NSL-KDD dataset may be used to test and evaluate various Machine Learning techniques. It focuses mostly on the NLS-KDD pre-processing step to create an acceptable and balanced experimental data set to improve accuracy and minimize false positives. For this study, the approaches J48 and MLP were employed. The Decision Trees classifier has been demonstrated to have the highest accuracy rate for detecting and categorizing all NSL-KDD dataset attacks

The developmental dynamics of terrorist organizations

We identify robust statistical patterns in the frequency and severity of violent attacks by terrorist organizations as they grow and age. Using group-level static and dynamic analyses of terrorist events worldwide from 1968-2008 and a simulation model of organizational dynamics, we show that the production of violent events tends to accelerate with increasing size and experience. This coupling of frequency, experience and size arises from a fundamental positive feedback loop in which attacks lead to growth which leads to increased production of new attacks. In contrast, event severity is independent of both size and experience. Thus larger, more experienced organizations are more deadly because they attack more frequently, not because their attacks are more deadly, and large events are equally likely to come from large and small organizations. These results hold across political ideologies and time, suggesting that the frequency and severity of terrorism may be constrained by fundamental processes.Comment: 28 pages, 8 figures, 4 tables, supplementary materia

Aligning Post-Column ESI-MS, MALDI-MS, and Coagulation Bioassay Data of Naja spp., Ophiophagus hannah, and Pseudonaja textillis Venoms Chromatographically to Assess MALDI-MS and ESI-MS Complementarity with Correlation of Bioactive Toxins to Mass Spectrometric Data

Snakebite is a serious health issue in tropical and subtropical areas of the world and results in various pathologies, such as hemotoxicity, neurotoxicity, and local swelling, blistering, and tissue necrosis around the bite site. These pathologies may ultimately lead to permanent morbidity and may even be fatal. Understanding the chemical and biological properties of individual snake venom toxins is of great importance when developing a newer generation of safer and more effective snakebite treatments. Two main approaches to ionizing toxins prior to mass spectrometry (MS) analysis are electrospray ionization (ESI) and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI). In the present study, we investigated the use of both ESI-MS and MALDI-MS as complementary techniques for toxin characterization in venom research. We applied nanofractionation analytics to separate crude elapid venoms using reversed-phase liquid chromatography (RPLC) and high-resolution fractionation of the eluting toxins into 384-well plates, followed by online LC-ESI-MS measurements. To acquire clear comparisons between the two ionization approaches, offline MALDI-MS measurements were performed on the nanofractionated toxins. For comparison to the LC-ESI-MS data, we created so-called MALDI-MS chromatograms of each toxin. We also applied plasma coagulation assaying on 384-well plates with nanofractionated toxins to demonstrate parallel biochemical profiling within the workflow. The plotting of post-column acquired MALDI-MS data as so-called plotted MALDI-MS chromatograms to directly align the MALDI-MS data with ESI-MS extracted ion chromatograms allows the efficient correlation of intact mass toxin results from the two MS-based soft ionization approaches with coagulation bioassay chromatograms. This facilitates the efficient correlation of chromatographic bioassay peaks with the MS data. The correlated toxin masses from ESI-MS and/or MALDI-MS were all around 6–8 or 13–14 kDa, with one mass around 20 kDa. Between 24 and 67% of the toxins were observed with good intensity from both ionization methods, depending on the venom analyzed. All Naja venoms analyzed presented anticoagulation activity, whereas pro-coagulation was only observed for the Pseudonaja textillis venom. The data of MALDI-MS can provide complementary identification and characterization power for toxin research on elapid venoms next to ESI-MS

A randomized placebo-controlled trial of alphacalcidol on the preservation of beta cell function in children with recent onset type 1 diabetes

SummaryBackground & aimsThis participant-blinded parallel-group randomized placebo-controlled study demonstrated that alfacalcidol (vitamin D analogue) preserves beta cell function in newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes (T1DM) in children.MethodsSubjects from outpatient clinic were randomized to intervention and control groups. Inclusion: (1) age 8–15, (2) T1DM, (3) duration <8 weeks, (4) no chronic diseases, (5) stable diet. Exclusion: (1) vitamin D, calcium supplements or fortified foods, (2) hypercalcemia. Intervention group received alfacalcidol 0.25μg twice daily, while control group received placebo. Insulin given physician-titrated to blood glucose. Safety monitored by serum calcium and phosphate. Beta cell function assessed at 0, 3, 6 months using fasting C-peptide (FCP) and daily insulin dosage per body weight (DID). Primary outcome measured using multivariate repeated measures GLM-ANOVA, with FCP and DID as primary measures and age, gender, sunlight exposure, 25-hydroxy vitamin D, and HbA1c as covariates.ResultsOf 61 subjects, 7 dropped out. GLM-ANOVA showed that groups were different (p=0.019, Eta-squared=0.087), with no significant covariates. FCP was higher and DID lower in the intervention group, with males having stronger responses to alfacalcidol (p=0.001). No adverse effects were observed.ConclusionsThe study confirmed that alfacalcidol can safely preserve beta cell function in newly diagnosed T1DM in children, with a stronger effect in males.Clinical Trial Reg. NoIRCT201205159753N

Nanofractionation Analytics for Comparing MALDI-MS and ESI-MS Data of Viperidae Snake Venom Toxins

Worldwide, it is estimated that there are 1.8 to 2.7 million cases of envenoming caused by snakebites. Snake venom is a complex mixture of protein toxins, lipids, small molecules, and salts, with the proteins typically responsible for causing pathology in snakebite victims. For their chemical characterization and identification, analytical methods are required. Reversed-phase liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (RP-LC-ESI-MS) is a widely used technique due to its ease of use, sensitivity, and ability to be directly coupled after LC separation. This method allows for the efficient separation of complex mixtures and sensitive detection of analytes. On the other hand, matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) is also sometimes used, and though it typically requires additional sample preparation steps, it offers desirable suitability for the analysis of larger biomolecules. In this study, seven medically important viperid snake venoms were separated into their respective venom toxins and measured by ESI-MS. In parallel, using nanofractionation analytics, post-column high-resolution fractionation was used to collect the eluting toxins for further processing for MALDI-MS analysis. Our comparative results showed that the deconvoluted snake venom toxin masses were observed with good sensitivity from both ESI-MS and MALDI-MS approaches and presented overlap in the toxin masses recovered (between 25% and 57%, depending on the venom analyzed). The mass range of the toxins detected in high abundance was between 4 and 28 kDa. In total, 39 masses were found in both the ESI-MS and/or MALDI-MS analyses, with most being between 5 and 9 kDa (46%), 13 and 15 kDa (38%), and 24 and 28 kDa (13%) in size. Next to the post-column MS analyses, additional coagulation bioassaying was performed to demonstrate the parallel post-column assessment of venom activity in the workflow. Most nanofractionated venoms exhibited anticoagulant activity, with three venoms additionally exhibiting toxins with clear procoagulant activity (Bothrops asper, Crotalus atrox, and Daboia russelii) observed post-column. The results of this study highlight the complementarity of ESI-MS and MALDI-MS approaches for characterizing snake venom toxins and provide a complementary overview of defined toxin masses found in a diversity of viper snake venoms

Associations of Serum Concentrations of Organochlorine Pesticides with Breast Cancer and Prostate Cancer in U.S. Adults

Ba c k g r o u n d: Organochlorine (OC) pesticides are a group of environmental endocrine disruptors that may be associated with an increased risk for hormone-related cancers including cancers of the breast and prostate. However, epidemiologic evidence is limited and inconsistent. Objectives a n d m e t h o d s: We used 1999–2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data to examine associations between serum concentrations of OC pesticides and prostate and breast cancers. Res u l t s: After adjustment for other covariates, serum concentrations of β-hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) (p for trend = 0.02), trans-nonachlor (p for trend = 0.002), and dieldrin (p for trend = 0.04) were significantly associated with the risk of prevalent prostate cancer. Adjusted odds ratios for the second and third tertiles of detectable values were 1.46 [95 % confidence interval (CI), 0.52–4.13] and 3.36 (95 % CI, 1.24–9.10) for β-HCH; 5.84 (95 % CI, 1.06–32.2) and 14.1 (95 % CI, 2.55–77.9) for trans-nonachlor; and 1.06 (95 % CI, 0.30–3.73) and 2.74 (95 % CI, 1.01–7.49) for dieldrin compared with concentrations in the lowest tertile or below the limit of detection. However, there was no positive association between serum concentrations of OC pesticides and breast cancer prevalence. Con c l u s i o n: Although further study is necessary to confirm these findings, these results suggest that OC pesticide exposures may have a significant effect on cancer risk. Efforts to reduce worldwide OC use are warranted. Key w o r d s: cancer, endocrine disruptors, organochlorine pesticides, pesticide, prostate cancer. Environ Health Perspect 118:60–66 (2010). doi:10.1289/ehp.0900919 available vi

Fluid intake and incidence of renal cell carcinoma in UK women

Background:It has been suggested that the apparent protective effect of alcohol intake on renal cell carcinoma may be due to the diluting effect of carcinogens by a high total fluid intake. We assessed the association between intakes of total fluids and of specific beverages on the risk of renal cell carcinoma in a large prospective cohort of UK women.Methods:Information on beverage consumption was obtained from a questionnaire sent 3 years after recruitment into the Million Women Study. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate relative risks (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for renal cell carcinoma associated with beverage consumption adjusted for age, region of residence, socioeconomic status, smoking, and body mass index.Results:After an average of 5.2 years of follow-up, 588 cases of renal cell carcinoma were identified among 779 369 women. While alcohol intake was associated with a reduced risk of renal cell carcinoma (RR for 2 vs 1 drink per day: 0.76; 95% CI: 0.61-0.96; P for trend0.02), there was no association with total fluid intake (RR for 12 vs 7 drinks per day: 1.15; 95% CI: 0.91-1.45; P for trend0.3) or with intakes of specific beverages.Conclusions:The apparent protective effect of alcohol on the risk of renal cell carcinoma is unlikely to be related to a high fluid intake. © 2011 Cancer Research UK All rights reserved

Alcoholic beverages and risk of renal cell cancer

Using a mailed questionnaire, we investigated the risk of renal cell cancer in relation to different types of alcoholic beverages, and to total ethanol in a large population-based case–control study among Swedish adults, including 855 cases and 1204 controls. Compared to non-drinkers, a total ethanol intake of >620 g month−1 was significantly related to a decreased risk of renal cell cancer (odds ratio (OR) 0.6, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.4–0.9; P-value for trend=0.03). The risk decreased 30–40% with drinking more than two glasses per week of red wine (OR 0.6, 95% CI 0.4–0.9), white wine (OR 0.7, 95% CI 0.4–1.0), or strong beer (OR 0.6, 95% CI 0.4–1.0); there was a clear linear trend of decreasing risk with increasing consumption of these beverages (P-values for trends <0.05)

do non state armed groups influence each other in attack timing and frequency generating analyzing and comparing empirical data and simulation

Non-State Armed Groups (NSAGs) operate in complex environments, commonly existing as one of the many organizations engaged in one-sided violent attacks against the state and/or the civilian population. When trying to explain the execution and timing of these attacks, most theories look at NSAGs' internal organizational features or how these groups interact with the state or civilian population. In this study, we take a different approach: we use a self-exciting temporal model to ask if the behavior of one NSAG affects the behavior of other groups operating in the same country and if the actions of groups with actual ties (i.e., groups with some recognized relationship) have a larger effect than those with environmental ties (i.e., groups simply operating in the same country). We focus on three cases where multiple NSAGs operated at the same time: Afghanistan, Iraq, and Colombia, from 2001 to 2005. We find mixed results for the notion that the actions of one NSAG influence the actions of others operating in the same conflict. In Iraq and Afghanistan, we find evidence that NSAG actions do influence the timing of attacks by other NSAGs; however, there is no discernible link between NSAG actions and the timing of attacks in Colombia. Nevertheless, we do consistently find that there is no significant difference between the effect that actual or environmental ties could have in these three cases

Obesity and renal cell cancer – a quantitative review

Obesity has been associated with an increased risk of renal cell cancer among women, while the evidence for men is considered weaker. We conducted a quantitative summary analysis to evaluate the existing evidence that obesity increases the risk of renal cell cancer both among men and women. We identified all studies examining body weight in relation to kidney cancer, available in MEDLINE from 1966 to 1998. The quantitative summary analysis was limited to studies assessing obesity as body mass index (BMI, kg m−2), or equivalent. The risk estimates and the confidence intervals were extracted from the individual studies, and a mixed effect weighted regression model was used. We identified 22 unique studies on each sex, and the quantitative analysis included 14 studies on men and women, respectively. The summary relative risk estimate was 1.07 (95% CI 1.05–1.09) per unit of increase in BMI (corresponding to 3 kg body weight increase for a subject of average height). We found no evidence of effect modification by sex. Our quantitative summary shows that increased BMI is equally strongly associated with an increased risk of renal cell cancer among men and women. © 2001 Cancer Research Campaignhttp://www.bjcancer.co