Virtual closed networks: A secure approach to autonomous mobile ad hoc networks

The increasing autonomy of Mobile Ad Hoc Networks (MANETs) has enabled a great many large-scale unguided missions, such as agricultural planning, conservation and similar surveying tasks. Commercial and military institutions have expressed great interest in such ventures; raising the question of security as the application of such systems in potentially hostile environments becomes a desired function of such networks. Preventing theft, disruption or destruction of such MANETs through cyber-attacks has become a focus for many researchers as a result. Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) have been shown to enhance the security of Mobile Ad hoc Networks (MANETs), at a high cost in network resources during the setup of secure tunnels. VPNs do not normally support broadcast communication, reducing their effectiveness in high-traffic MANETs, which have many broadcast communication requirements. To support routing, broadcast updates and efficient MANET communication, a Virtual Closed Network (VCN) architecture is proposed. By supporting private, secure communication in unicast, multicast and broadcast modes, VCNs provide an efficient alternative to VPNs when securing MANETs. Comparative analysis of the set-up overheads of VCN and VPN approaches is provided between OpenVPN, IPsec, Virtual Private LAN Service (VPLS), and the proposed VCN solution: Security Using Pre-Existing Routing for MANETs (SUPERMAN)

Placing the university: thinking in and beyond globalization

In some respects, the impact of globalization on universities is well rehearsed (competition for international students; the drive for status in global rankings; the opening of overseas campuses; the dream of massive open online courses and other forms of digital education), but the relationship between universities as place-based institutions and globalization is less well understood. It is on that this chapter focuses. Drawing on work undertaken as part of an Economic and Social Research Council project (“Higher Education and Regional Social Transformation”) the author sets the arguments in a wider context. He explores the extent to which and ways in which universities have become key players in the reimagination of their city regions in a (neoliberal) global context. As well as reflecting on the wider public (and local) role of universities, he also considers how universities use the tools available to them to position themselves effectively as successful businesses within the new world in which they find themselves

clinical status and evolution in moyamoya which angiographic findings correlate

Abstract Moyamoya is a progressive steno-occlusive cerebrovascular pathology of unknown aetiology that usually involves the terminal portions of the internal carotid arteries and/or the proximal portions of the anterior and middle cerebral arteries bilaterally. The pre-operative Suzuki staging system and post-operative Matsushima grade are nearly universally used markers of natural history and surgical revascularization results, respectively, but their correlation with clinical and radiographic manifestations of moyamoya has not been systematically evaluated in a large cohort. This study evaluated the strength of correlations between pre- and post-operative angiographic parameters and clinical status among paediatric patients with moyamoya. The participants included 58 patients of mean age 11 years at the time of surgery who underwent bilateral indirect revascularization in the same procedure at Boston Children's Hospital, between January 2010 and December 2015. All included patients had available pre-operative and 1-year post-operative digital subtraction angiography. Clinical data included presenting symptoms, degree of functional incapacity, and peri-operative and long-term complications. Radiographic data included pre-operative Suzuki stage, degree of arterial stenosis, a novel collateral score, the presence of hypovascular territories on digital subtraction angiography, and post-operative Matsushima grade and evolution of stenosis. Chi-squared test and Pearson coefficient were used for correlation studies for categorical variables and Spearman's rho was used for correlation studies for continuous variables. Results showed that Suzuki stage, collateral score and degree of stenosis were insufficient to predict clinical presentation, pre-operative incapacity and radiographic presentation, whereas the presence of hypovascular territories was correlated with all of these. At 1-year follow-up, Matsushima grade was insufficient for predicting peri-operative or long-term complications, nor did it correlate with post-operative incapacity. The presence of hypovascular territories at 1-year follow-up was correlated with the incidence of post-operative ischaemic symptoms

mzMatch-ISO: an R tool for the annotation and relative quantification of isotope-labelled mass spectrometry data

<p>Motivation: Stable isotope-labelling experiments have recently gained increasing popularity in metabolomics studies, providing unique insights into the dynamics of metabolic fluxes, beyond the steady-state information gathered by routine mass spectrometry. However, most liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry data analysis software lacks features that enable automated annotation and relative quantification of labelled metabolite peaks. Here, we describe mzMatch–ISO, a new extension to the metabolomics analysis pipeline mzMatch.R.</p> <p>Results: Targeted and untargeted isotope profiling using mzMatch–ISO provides a convenient visual summary of the quality and quantity of labelling for every metabolite through four types of diagnostic plots that show (i) the chromatograms of the isotope peaks of each compound in each sample group; (ii) the ratio of mono-isotopic and labelled peaks indicating the fraction of labelling; (iii) the average peak area of mono-isotopic and labelled peaks in each sample group; and (iv) the trend in the relative amount of labelling in a predetermined isotopomer. To aid further statistical analyses, the values used for generating these plots are also provided as a tab-delimited file. We demonstrate the power and versatility of mzMatch–ISO by analysing a 13C-labelled metabolome dataset from trypanosomal parasites.</p&gt

mzMatch-ISO: an R tool for the annotation and relative quantification of isotope-labelled mass spectrometry data

<p>Motivation: Stable isotope-labelling experiments have recently gained increasing popularity in metabolomics studies, providing unique insights into the dynamics of metabolic fluxes, beyond the steady-state information gathered by routine mass spectrometry. However, most liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry data analysis software lacks features that enable automated annotation and relative quantification of labelled metabolite peaks. Here, we describe mzMatch–ISO, a new extension to the metabolomics analysis pipeline mzMatch.R.</p> <p>Results: Targeted and untargeted isotope profiling using mzMatch–ISO provides a convenient visual summary of the quality and quantity of labelling for every metabolite through four types of diagnostic plots that show (i) the chromatograms of the isotope peaks of each compound in each sample group; (ii) the ratio of mono-isotopic and labelled peaks indicating the fraction of labelling; (iii) the average peak area of mono-isotopic and labelled peaks in each sample group; and (iv) the trend in the relative amount of labelling in a predetermined isotopomer. To aid further statistical analyses, the values used for generating these plots are also provided as a tab-delimited file. We demonstrate the power and versatility of mzMatch–ISO by analysing a 13C-labelled metabolome dataset from trypanosomal parasites.</p&gt

Urogenital symptoms: prevalence, bother, associations and impact in 22 year-old women of the Raine Study

Introduction and hypothesis: Urogenital symptoms are prevalent in older women, but there is little data available on the prevalence, bother, impact and associations with low back pain (LBP), obesity, parity, mental health (MH) and quality of life (QOL) in young women. Our aim was to determine the prevalence, bother and impact of urogenital symptoms and to explore associations with LBP, obesity, parity, MH and QOL in 22 year-old women. Methods: This was a cross-sectional evaluation using data collected from 588 women in the Raine Study, a pregnancy cohort in which participants have been regularly followed up from birth until 22 years. Data was analysed using descriptive statistics, univariate comparisons and linear regression models. Results: Prevalence of urogenital symptoms were stress urinary incontinence (SUI) 6.3%, mixed urinary incontinence (MUI) 11.5%, leakage of drops 5.8%, urge urinary incontinence (UUI) 5.3%, bothersome urinary frequency 41.5%, difficulty emptying 11.8% and urogenital pain 22.9%. Urinary frequency, MUI, difficulty emptying and urogenital pain were most bothersome, whilst difficulty emptying and urogenital pain were associated with greatest impact. Urinary frequency, SUI, leakage of drops, difficulty emptying and urogenital pain were associated with current LBP and LBP ever. Difficulty emptying and urogenital pain were associated with chronic LBP. Urogenital symptoms were not associated with obesity or parity. Women with urogenital symptoms had significantly poorer scores on the Mental Component Score of the Short Form Health Survey (SF)-12 and all aspects of the Depression Anxiety Stress Score. Conclusions: Urogenital symptoms are prevalent in young women, bothersome for some and are associated with LBP, poorer MH and reduced QOL

Cerebral Perfusion and Gray Matter Changes Associated With Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy

PURPOSE: To investigate the longitudinal relationship between chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) symptoms (sx) and brain perfusion changes in patients with breast cancer. Interaction of CIPN-sx perfusion effects with known chemotherapy-associated gray matter density decrease was also assessed to elucidate the relationship between CIPN and previously reported cancer treatment-related brain structural changes. METHODS: Patients with breast cancer treated with (n = 24) or without (n = 23) chemotherapy underwent clinical examination and brain magnetic resonance imaging at the following three time points: before treatment (baseline), 1 month after treatment completion, and 1 year after the 1-month assessment. CIPN-sx were evaluated with the self-reported Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy/Gynecologic Oncology Group-Neurotoxicity four-item sensory-specific scale. Perfusion and gray matter density were assessed using voxel-based pulsed arterial spin labeling and morphometric analyses and tested for association with CIPN-sx in the patients who received chemotherapy. RESULTS: Patients who received chemotherapy reported significantly increased CIPN-sx from baseline to 1 month, with partial recovery by 1 year (P < .001). CIPN-sx increase from baseline to 1 month was significantly greater for patients who received chemotherapy compared with those who did not (P = .001). At 1 month, neuroimaging showed that for the group that received chemotherapy, CIPN-sx were positively associated with cerebral perfusion in the right superior frontal gyrus and cingulate gyrus, regions associated with pain processing (P < .001). Longitudinal magnetic resonance imaging analysis in the group receiving chemotherapy indicated that CIPN-sx and associated perfusion changes from baseline to 1 month were also positively correlated with gray matter density change (P < .005). CONCLUSION: Peripheral neuropathy symptoms after systemic chemotherapy for breast cancer are associated with changes in cerebral perfusion and gray matter. The specific mechanisms warrant further investigation given the potential diagnostic and therapeutic implications