Semantic Detection of Targeted Attacks Using DOC2VEC Embedding

The targeted attack is one of the social engineering attacks. The detection of this type of attack is considered a challenge as it depends on semantic extraction of the intent of the attacker. However, previous research has primarily relies on the Natural Language Processing or Word Embedding techniques that lack the context of the attacker\u27s text message. Based on Sentence Embedding and machine learning approaches, this paper introduces a model for semantic detection of targeted attacks. This model has the advantage of encoding relevant information, which helps to improve the performance of the multi-class classification process. Messages will be categorized based on the type of security rule that the attacker has violated. The suggested model was tested using a dialogue dataset taken from phone calls, which was manually categorized into four categories. The text is pre-processed using natural language processing techniques, and the semantic features are extracted as Sentence Embedding vectors that are augmented with security policy sentences. Machine Learning algorithms are applied to classify text messages. The experimental results show that sentence embeddings with doc2vec achieved high prediction accuracy 96.8%. So, it outperformed the method applied to the same dialog dataset

Detecting Oxides Mineralization Utilizing Remote Sensing and Comprehensive Mineralogical Analysis: A Case Study Around Mikbi-Zayatit District, South Eastern Desert, Egypt

Undoubtedly, involving more tools, datasets, and techniques for detecting the mineralized areas sharply narrow the zones to be investigated and delivered, in most cases highly potential zones. Consequently, this study is an attempt to apply remote sensing data including Sentinel 2 and ASTER, field observations, petrography of the hydrothermal alteration processes, ore microscopic investigations, X-ray examinations, and EDX analysis to detect and emphasize mineralization types at Wadi Mikbi and Wadi Zayatit district, South Eastern Desert, Egypt. Towards accurate lithological mapping, remote sensing data, previous geological maps, and the field investigations recorded serpentinites, ophiolitic metagabbros, amphibolites, epidosite, arc-related metasediments (schists and quartzites), metagabbro-tonalite complex, dunite, olivine gabbros, and granitic rocks encountered in the study district. Additionally, various hydrothermal alteration zones have been primarily outlined using ASTER and Sentinel 2 data by implementing informative band ratios and constrained energy minimization techniques. The mineralogical studies have confirmed most of the remotely-detected hydrothermal alteration minerals. Ore microscopy, XRD technique, and EDX microchemical analysis of representative mineralized samples of the study district identified magnetite, ilmenite, titanomagnetite, chromite, magnesioferrite, quartz, apatite, clinochlore, plagioclase, pyroxene and epidote. Cross-linking remote sensing results, field observations and laboratory studies revealed that the dominant hydrothermal alteration processes include oxidization, serpentinization, carbonatization, epidotization, silicification, zoisitization, muscovitization, sericitization, and chloritization. Spatial overlay analysis of the resultant altered features, structural dissection, field observations, and analytical studies were integrated to build a mineral potentiality map of the study district

Flow and Tableting Behaviors of Some Egyptian Kaolin Powders as Potential Pharmaceutical Excipients

The present work aimed at assessing the pharmaceutical tableting properties of some Egyptian kaolin samples belong to the Abu Zenima kaolin deposits (estimated at 120 million tons). Four representative samples were selected based on kaolinite richness and their structural order-disorder degree, and after purification, they were dried at 70 ºC and heated from room temperature up to 400 ºC (10 ºC/min). Mineralogy, micromorphology, microtexture, granulometry, porosimetry, moisture content, bulk and tapped density, direct and indirect flowability, and tableting characteristics are studied. Results indicated that purified kaolin samples were made up of 95–99% kaolinite, <3% illite, 1% quartz and 1% anatase. The powder showed mesoporous character (pore diameters from 2 to 38 nm and total pore volume from 0.064 to 0.136 cm3/g) with dominance of fine nanosized particles (<1 um–10 nm). The powder flow characteristics of both the ordered (Hinckley Index HI > 0.7, crystallite size D001 > 30 nm) and disordered (HI < 0.7, D001 < 30 nm) kaolinite-rich samples have been improved (Hausner ratio between 1.24 and 1.09) as their densities were influenced by thermal treatment (with some observed changes in the kaolinite XRD reflection profiles) and by moisture content (variable between 2.98% and 5.82%). The obtained tablets exhibited hardness between 33 and 44 N only from the dehydrated powders at 400 ºC, with elastic recovery (ER) between 21.74% and 25.61%, ejection stress (ES) between 7.85 and 11.45 MPa and tensile fracture stress (TFS) between 1.85 and 2.32 MPa, which are strongly correlated with crystallinity (HI) and flowability (HR) parameters. These findings on quality indicators showed the promising pharmaceutical tabletability of the studied Egyptian kaolin powders and the optimization factors for their manufacturability and compactability.This work has been funded by the Egyptian Cultural Affairs and Missions Sector (Plan 2013–2014), Ministry of Higher Education, in collaboration with the Group CTS-946 (Junta de Andalucía) and MINECO project CGL2016-80833-R (Spain), and the grant funded by Erasmus+ KA1 mobility program 2016/2017

Plasma microRNA-192 expression as a potential biomarker of diabetic kidney disease in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

Background. Albuminuria is an early clinical indicator of diabetic kidney disease (DKD). However, it has several limitations. The aim of this study was to evaluate the plasma microRNA-192 (miRNA-192) expression and its diagnostic performance in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and DKD.Methods. In this case-control study, 75 subjects were included into 3 groups: group (1): 20 patients with T2DM and UACR (urinary albumin creatinine ratio) &lt; 30 mg/gm, group (2): 30 patients with T2DM and ACR ≥ 30 mg/gm, and group (3): 25 healthy controls. Patients were recruited from the outpatient clinic of the Diabetes unit at our institution. Real-Time Quantitative Reverse Transcription PCR was used to assess plasma miRNA-192 expression.Results. Plasma miRNA-192 was significantly higher in T2DM patients with DKD compared to those with normal UAE. Additionally, in patients with T2DM, plasma miRNA-192 was positively correlated with UACR. The ROC curve analysis for miRNA-192 plasma expression in patients with T2DM, revealed that miRNA-192 had a good diagnostic performance (AUC = 0.778) to define T2DM patients with DKD.Conclusion. Plasma expression of miRNA-192 was able to discriminate increased UAE among patients with T2DM; suggesting a promising role for miRNA-192 as a potential biomarker for DKD

Symbiodinium Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) Production and Migration in the Octocorals Sympodium sp. and Sarcothelia sp.

Climate change may be increasingly causing corals to bleach, as bleaching may be triggered by elevated temperatures and light. Corals bleach due to their symbionts’ overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS). This mechanism breaks down the syntrophic relationship between corals and symbionts, as the symbionts either migrate or die (Parrin et al., 2012).  We primarily aimed to identify the relationship between stress, ROS production, and symbiont migration in the octocorals, Sympodium sp. and Sarcothelia sp. The experimental groups were stressed with 140 µmol photons sec-1m-2 for 4 hours (Table 1), while the control groups were kept in a culture tank with minimal light. The groups were put in finger bowls in an incubator with a probe that detects ROS for 1 hour. Through Image Pro 6.3, we were able to quantify background and colony luminance that represents ROS production. We also used the manual tag feature in the software to count the migrating and non-migrating symbionts. Our data is shown in graphs (Figs. 3-6) and paired comparisons (Tables 2-3). In general, there was a positive correlation between stress and colony luminance and moving symbionts on both Sympodium sp. and Sarcothelia sp. (Figures 3-6). There was a greater correlation between relative luminance and stress in Sympodium as compared to stressed Sarcothelia (Tables 2-3). This implies that in the presence of ROS, symbionts are more likely to exit the cells of Sarcothelia. We had good control groups for both octocorals, as there wasn’t a significant difference between nonmoving symbionts in the control and stressed groups in either (Figure 7). To form more conclusive results, we could have done more trials, while limiting our errors, on both species. Because coral bleaching is detrimental to corals and other marine organisms, many sought to find ways to prevent or alleviate it. Environmental conditions that may prevent or aid in the recovery of bleached corals include shade and deeper waters, as they lack in temperature and illumination (Grahem et al., 2015). Symbionts may avoid stress by migrating to the coenenchyme lumen, then back to the stolons of the coral tissues, once the stress ceases (Parrin et al., 2012). Parrin and his team, also found that because Sarcothelia and Sympodium had higher surface area coenenchyme than Phenganax parrini, they had more symbiont recovery. Acropora millepora increased their tolerance to stress by changing from type C symbionts to type D symbionts (Berkelmans and van Oppen, 2006). Further studies on the syntrophic associations between corals and symbionts, may help increase knowledge of the coping mechanisms that may mitigate coral bleaching.B.S. (Bachelor of Science

Protective effect of Glycyrrhiza glabra L. root (licorice) extract against severe acute pancreatitis-induced acute lung injury via suppressing autophagy and inflammation

Introduction: Acute pancreatitis (AP) is an inflammatory disease with a high incidence of morbidity and mortality rate. The present study aimed to evaluate the protective effect of licorice extract administration on L-arginine-induced AP and associated lung tissue damage in rats. Methods: The experimental groups were the healthy control group (G1), L-arginine group (G2), licorice extract group (G3), and licorice extract +L-arginine; (protection group; G4). The protective effect of licorice extract was evaluated by measuring serum amylase and lipase, oxidative stress markers (malondialdehyde, nitric oxide, and myeloperoxidase), and inflammatory biomarkers levels (interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, toll-like receptor 4, and vascular cell adhesion molecule 1), as well as apoptosis assessment via caspase-3 activity and beclin-1 expression. Furthermore, an immunohistochemical assessment of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) and a histopathological examination of lung and pancreatic tissues were performed. Results: Licorice extract administration significantly reduced serum amylase, lipase, and inflammatory markers levels that pointed to the local and systemic inflammatory condition of AP induced by L-arginine. Moreover, the administration of licorice extract reversed the significant elevation in oxidative stress markers levels in the pancreas and lung tissues. Furthermore, licorice extract downregulated pancreatic gene expression of beclin-1 and caspase-3 which reversed dysregulated pancreatic autophagy. Conclusion: Licorice extract administration causes modulation of oxidative damage and systemic inflammation associated with acute pancreatic damage. Moreover, licorice extract markedly decreases the biochemical and histopathologic changes in AP, preserving the pancreatic and lung tissues through its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antiapoptotic effects

Impact of DEMs for Improvement Sentinel 2 Lithological Mapping Utilizing Support Vector Machine: A Case Study of Mineralized Fe-Ti-Rich Gabbroic Rocks from the South Eastern Desert of Egypt

Fused remote sensing datasets have greatly contributed to enhancing lithological targets and providing significant information for mineral exploration. For instance, multispectral datasets can discriminate rock units through their unique spectral signatures. Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) could be an effective tool boosting lithological discrimination based mainly on their topographic variations. Consequently, the current study applied the power of the support vector machine (SVM) algorithm and the integrated Phased Array L-type band Synthetic Aperture Radar (PALSAR) DEM and multispectral Sentinel 2 data to: 1—Create an updated lithological map of a poorly mapped arid terrain (Khashir-Ras El-Kharit district, Eastern Desert of Egypt), and 2—Compare and assess the distribution of ferrogabbros with the aim of improving the localization of these rock bodies and investigating their mineral content. Our results enhanced the lithological mapping and revealed a better generalization of mineralized ferrogabbros when the input was a fused DEM with Sentinel 2 compared to the salt and pepper effect observed when adopting the Sentinel 2 solely as the input data. Additionally, the current research strongly recommends detailed exploration programs for Fe-Ti oxide ores within the gabbroic rocks delineated through the resultant thematic map. The ferrogabbros were subjected to a comprehensive analysis involving whole rock geochemistry, XRD, EDX, and light-reflecting investigations, which revealed the existence of magnetite, titanomagnetite, and hematite. The titanomagnetite crystals display subhedral morphology and exhibit fine- to medium-grained surfaces with irregular shapes. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis revealed the presence of magnetite and hematite in the concentrated Fe-Ti oxides. Additionally, the whole rock geochemistry highlighted the origin of the ferrogabbros and their proposed tectonic setting as an alkaline to calc-alkaline magma type that developed in a continental arc setting

Multiscale mineralogical investigations for mineral potentiality mapping of Ras El-Kharit-Wadi Khashir district, Southern Eastern Desert, Egypt

Through various scales of observation, ranging from remote sensing data, field investigations, hand specimens, microscopic petrographic examinations, XRD, to SEM, indicators of various mineralization types are highlighted in Ras El-kharit-wadi Khashir (Eastern Desert, Egypt). Systematic remote sensing exploration of the mineralized zones is performed through integrating Sentinel 2 and ASTER datasets. False-color combinations, informative band ratios, relative absorption band depth, and CEM techniques were applied to discriminate rock units and various types of hydrothermal alterations. Moreover, ALOS PALSAR DEM was utilized to decipher the structural lineaments. Intensive field investigations confirmed hydrothermally altered zones that were picked out through remote sensing analysis and revealed that the study area is affected by cataclastic metamorphism to some extent. Magmatic and metamorphic rock types are represented by propylitic, phyllic, argillic, and silicification zones. Sericitization, chloritization, epidotization, kaolinitization, carbonatization, and silicification are recorded utilizing petrographic and remote sensing investigations. Moreover, the current study reveals that the detected alteration is the main reason for the apparent wide range of petrographic characteristics of each rock type and bearing several opaque minerals, such as pyrite, magnetite, titanomagnetite, chalcopyrite, arsenopyrite, covellite, galena, goethite, and hematite. Most of these opaques were identified using ore microscopy, XRD, and SEM. The distribution of hydrothermal alterations, representative samples bearing mineralization, structurally dissected zones are integrated to build a mineral potentiality map of the study area. The resultant MPM was confirmed via field survey and emphasized the usefulness of the current integrated approach besides highlighting about 125 km2 as potential mineralized zones