Towards a relation extraction framework for cyber-security concepts

In order to assist security analysts in obtaining information pertaining to their network, such as novel vulnerabilities, exploits, or patches, information retrieval methods tailored to the security domain are needed. As labeled text data is scarce and expensive, we follow developments in semi-supervised Natural Language Processing and implement a bootstrapping algorithm for extracting security entities and their relationships from text. The algorithm requires little input data, specifically, a few relations or patterns (heuristics for identifying relations), and incorporates an active learning component which queries the user on the most important decisions to prevent drifting from the desired relations. Preliminary testing on a small corpus shows promising results, obtaining precision of .82.Comment: 4 pages in Cyber & Information Security Research Conference 2015, AC

Machining-induced characteristics of microstructure-supported LPBF-IN718 curved thin walls

The microstructure-supported design of engineering components is recently gaining attention due to their high strength-to-weight and high stiffness-to-weight properties. The present study investigates the hybrid manufacturing of Inconel 718 curved thin walls with internal microstructural supports fabricated by laser powder bed fusion (LPBF). Printed walls contain a fixed curvature and thickness, whereas the internal microstructures were varied at different inclination angles. In this research, a finish milling operation has been performed at different milling parameters. Machining-induced damages on the internal microstructures have been studied and correlated with geometrical deviation and surface integrity features on the outer thin wall surfaces

Threading holder based on axial metal cylinder pins to reduce tap risk during reversion instant

Internal thread profiles are used widely in manufacturing processes with the aim of assembling/disassembling different components during maintenance activities from the aeronautics sector until common industrial parts. The threading process is one of the last operations carried out to obtain those components, and consequently, it is an operation of high added value. Threading is a complex operation that must carefully synchronize the rotation with the feed movements to avoid tool breakage during the instant of tapping reversion stage. In order to avoid this risk, several toolholders were developed present in the literature but deficiencies in terms of stability and productivity. Therefore, in this work, a new toolholder is proposed in which the common springs used to mitigate the lack of perfect synchronization between rotation and feed movements are replaced by elastic metal pins achieving a torsional compliance toolholder. The results show that the use of the proposed toolholder implies not only a productivity increase but also a surface integrity improvement as well as a stress reduction that the cutting tap is subjected and thus, achieving a substantial improvement in the current tapping processes. In particular, the use of the proposed toolholder implied a 75% reduction of the maximum stress achieved in the reversal instant, improving 20% tool life with an increase of 30% cutting speed. Therefore, the use of the proposed toolholder implies a substantial improvement in the current tapping processes

Multi-Response Optimization of WEDM Process Parameters for Machining of Superelastic Nitinol Shape-Memory Alloy Using a Heat-Transfer Search Algorithm

Nitinol, a shape-memory alloy (SMA), is gaining popularity for use in various applications. Machining of these SMAs poses a challenge during conventional machining. Henceforth, in the current study, the wire-electric discharge process has been attempted to machine nickel-titanium (Ni55.8Ti) super-elastic SMA. Furthermore, to render the process viable for industry, a systematic approach comprising response surface methodology (RSM) and a heat-transfer search (HTS) algorithm has been strategized for optimization of process parameters. Pulse-on time, pulse-off time and current were considered as input process parameters, whereas material removal rate (MRR), surface roughness, and micro-hardness were considered as output responses. Residual plots were generated to check the robustness of analysis of variance (ANOVA) results and generated mathematical models. A multi-objective HTS algorithm was executed for generating 2-D and 3-D Pareto optimal points indicating the non-dominant feasible solutions. The proposed combined approach proved to be highly effective in predicting and optimizing the wire electrical discharge machining (WEDM) process parameters. Validation trials were carried out and the error between measured and predicted values was negligible. To ensure the existence of a shape-memory effect even after machining, a differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) test was carried out. The optimized parameters were found to machine the alloy appropriately with the intact shape memory effect

Zone design of specific sizes using adaptive additively weighted voronoi diagrams

Territory or zone design processes entail partitioning a geographic space, organized as a set of areal units, into different regions or zones according to a specific set of criteria that are dependent on the application context. In most cases, the aim is to create zones of approximately equal sizes (zones with equal numbers of inhabitants, same average sales, etc.). However, some of the new applications that have emerged, particularly in the context of sustainable development policies, are aimed at defining zones of a predetermined, though not necessarily similar, size. In addition, the zones should be built around a given set of seeds. This type of partitioning has not been sufficiently researched; therefore, there are no known approaches for automated zone delimitation. This study proposes a new method based on a discrete version of the adaptive additively weighted Voronoi diagram that makes it possible to partition a two-dimensional space into zones of specific sizes, taking both the position and the weight of each seed into account. The method consists of repeatedly solving a traditional additively weighted Voronoi diagram, so that each seed?s weight is updated at every iteration. The zones are geographically connected using a metric based on the shortest path. Tests conducted on the extensive farming system of three municipalities in Castile-La Mancha (Spain) have established that the proposed heuristic procedure is valid for solving this type of partitioning problem. Nevertheless, these tests confirmed that the given seed position determines the spatial configuration the method must solve and this may have a great impact on the resulting partition

Country-report pattern corrections of new cases allow accurate 2-week predictions of COVID-19 evolution with the Gompertz model

Accurate short-term predictions of COVID-19 cases with empirical models allow Health Officials to prepare for hospital contingencies in a two–three week window given the delay between case reporting and the admission of patients in a hospital. We investigate the ability of Gompertz-type empiric models to provide accurate prediction up to two and three weeks to give a large window of preparation in case of a surge in virus transmission. We investigate the stability of the prediction and its accuracy using bi-weekly predictions during the last trimester of 2020 and 2021. Using data from 2020, we show that understanding and correcting for the daily reporting structure of cases in the different countries is key to accomplish accurate predictions. Furthermore, we found that filtering out predictions that are highly unstable to changes in the parameters of the model, which are roughly 20%, reduces strongly the number of predictions that are way-off. The method is then tested for robustness with data from 2021. We found that, for this data, only 1–2% of the one-week predictions were off by more than 50%. This increased to 3% for two-week predictions, and only for three-week predictions it reached 10%

Bevacizumab dose adjustment to improve clinical outcomes of glioblastoma.

Background Glioblastoma (GBM) is one of the most aggressive and vascularized brain tumors in adults, with a median survival of 20.9 months. In newly diagnosed and recurrent GBM, bevacizumab demonstrated an increase in progression-free survival, but not in overall survival. Methods We conducted an in silico analysis of VEGF expression, in a cohort of 1082 glioma patients. Then, to determine whether appropriate bevacizumab dose adjustment could increase the anti-angiogenic response, we used in vitro and in vivo GBM models. Additionally, we analyzed VEGFA expression in tissue, serum, and plasma in a cohort of GBM patients before and during bevacizumab treatment. Results We identified that 20% of primary GBM did not express VEGFA suggesting that these patients would probably not respond to bevacizumab therapy as we proved in vitro and in vivo. We found that a specific dose of bevacizumab calculated based on VEGFA expression levels increases the response to treatment in cell culture and serum samples from mice bearing GBM tumors. Additionally, in a cohort of GBM patients, we observed a correlation of VEGFA levels in serum, but not in plasma, with bevacizumab treatment performance. Conclusions Our data suggest that bevacizumab dose adjustment could improve clinical outcomes in Glioblastoma treatment.post-print1360 K

IAA : Información y actualidad astronómica (66) (2022)

Nómadas estelares.- Cuatro años del proyecto Severo Ochoa del IAA.- Deconstrucción. Proyecto MASCOT. Primera liberación de datos.- El Moby Dick de Azaymi Siu (IAA-CSIC).- Historias: Exposición AstrónomAs.- Actualidad.Este número ha contado con el apoyo económico de la Agencia Estatal de Investigación (Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades) a través de la acreditación de Centro de Excelencia Severo Ochoa para el Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía (SEV-2017-0709). La página web de esta revista ha sido financiada por la Sociedad Española de Astronomía (SEA).Peer reviewe

Hospital emergency department utilisation rates among the immigrant population in Barcelona, Spain

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The recent increase in the number of immigrants of Barcelona represents a challenge for the public healthcare system, the emergency department being the most used healthcare service by this group. However, utilisation rates in our environment have not yet been studied. We aimed to compare emergency department utilisation rates between Spanish-born and foreign-born residents in a public hospital of Barcelona.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The <it>s</it>tudy population included all adults residing in the area of study and visiting the emergency department of Hospital del Mar in 2004. The emergency care episodes were selected from the Emergency Department register, and the population figures from the Statistics Department of Barcelona. Emergency care episodes were classified into five large clinical categories. Adjusted rate ratios (RR) of utilisation among foreign-born vs. Spanish-born residents were assessed through negative binomial regression.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The overall utilisation rate was 382 emergency contacts per 1,000 persons-years. The RR for foreign-born versus Spanish-born residents was 0.62 (95% CI: 0.52; 0.74%). The RR was also significantly below one in surgery (0.51, 95% CI: 0.42; 0.63), traumatology (0.47, 95% CI: 0.38; 0.59), medicine (0.48, 95% CI: 0.38; 0.59) and psychiatry (0.42, 95% CI: 0.18; 0.97). No differences were found in utilisation of gynaecology and minor emergency services.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The overall lower utilisation rates obtained for foreign-born residents is consistent with previous studies and is probably due to the "healthy immigrant effect". Thus, the population increase due to immigration does not translate directly into a corresponding increase in the number of emergency contacts. The lack of differences in minor and gynaecological emergency care supports the hypothesis that immigrants overcome certain barriers by using the emergency department to access to health services. The issue of healthcare barriers should therefore be addressed, especially among immigrants.</p