Security challenges of small cell as a service in virtualized mobile edge computing environments

Research on next-generation 5G wireless networks is currently attracting a lot of attention in both academia and industry. While 5G development and standardization activities are still at their early stage, it is widely acknowledged that 5G systems are going to extensively rely on dense small cell deployments, which would exploit infrastructure and network functions virtualization (NFV), and push the network intelligence towards network edges by embracing the concept of mobile edge computing (MEC). As security will be a fundamental enabling factor of small cell as a service (SCaaS) in 5G networks, we present the most prominent threats and vulnerabilities against a broad range of targets. As far as the related work is concerned, to the best of our knowledge, this paper is the first to investigate security challenges at the intersection of SCaaS, NFV, and MEC. It is also the first paper that proposes a set of criteria to facilitate a clear and effective taxonomy of security challenges of main elements of 5G networks. Our analysis can serve as a staring point towards the development of appropriate 5G security solutions. These will have crucial effect on legal and regulatory frameworks as well as on decisions of businesses, governments, and end-users

Frequency of Aberrant Promoter Methylation of P15(Ink4b) and O-6-Methylguanine-Dna Methyltransferase Genes in B-Cell Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma: a Pilot Study

The methylation status of the target promoter sequences of p15(INK4B) (p15) and O-6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) genes was studied by methylation-specific PCR in 10 adult patients with de novo B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (B-NHL). The aberrant hypermethylation of the p15 gene was more frequent (50%) compared to the hypermethylation of the MGMT gene (30%), and was detected in different types of B-NHL in both genes. Hypermethylation of the MGMT gene occurred exclusively in association with the hypermethylation of the p15 gene. All lymphoma patients with hypermethylation of the p15 and/or MGMT genes had a higher clinical stage of the disease (IV - V). We show the association of anemia and/or thrombocytopenia with the hypermethylation of the p15 gene, ascribing the p15 gene as a potential prognostic marker in B-NHL. Comethylation of MGMT with the p15 gene represents a novel finding and presents both genes as candidates for future studies of the hypermethylation profiles of B-NHL

Pan-European landscape of research into neurodevelopmental copy number variants: a survey by the MINDDS consortium

Background Several rare copy number variants have been identified to confer risk for neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD-CNVs), and increasingly NDD-CNVs are being identified in patients. There is a clinical need to understand the phenotypes of NDD-CNVs. However due to rarity of NDD-CNVs in the population, within individual countries there is a limited number of NDD-CNV carriers who can participate in research. The pan-european MINDDS (Maximizing Impact of Research in Neurodevelopmental Disorders) consortium was established in part to address this issue. Methodology A survey was developed to scope out the current landscape of NDD-CNV research across member countries of the MINDDS consortium, and to identify clinical cohorts with potential for future research. Results 36 centres from across 16 countries completed the survey. We provide a list of centres who can be contacted for future collaborations. 3844 NDD-CNV carriers were identified across clinical and research centres spanning a range of medical specialties, including psychiatry, paediatrics, medical genetics. A broad range of phenotypic data was available; including medical history, developmental history, family history and anthropometric data. In 12/16 countries, over 75% of NDD-CNV carriers could be recontacted for future studies. Conclusion This survey has highlighted the potential within Europe for large multi-centre studies of NDD-CNV carriers, to improve knowledge of the complex relationship between NDD-CNV and clinical phenotype. The MINNDS consortium is in a position to facilitate collaboration, data-sharing and knowledge exchange on NDD-CNV phenotypes across Europe

Redox Parameters in Blood of Thyroid Cancer Patients After the Radioiodine Ablation

The radioactive iodine (I-131) ablation is a well-accepted treatment modality for differentiated thyroid cancer patients. Unfortunately, the radiation induces the oxidative stress and damages cells and tissues, simultaneously activating the mechanisms of antioxidative defense. Since the mechanisms of those processes are not completely known, we wanted to examine the changes in the most important reactive oxygen species and antioxidative components, as well as their correlation and significance for lipid peroxidation. Our results showed that the level of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances was increased during the first 30 days after the radiotherapy. Among antioxidant components, superoxide dismutase was increased in the 3rd and 30th day; catalase in 7th and reduced glutathione in 3rd and 7th day after the radiotherapy. As regards the prooxidants, the reduction of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) was recorded in 7th and 30th day, and superoxide anion radical (O-2(center dot-)) was unchanged after the exposure to I-131. These results indicate that differentiated thyroid cancer patients are under constant oxidative stress despite the observed increase in antioxidative and reduction in prooxidative parameters. The understanding of these early processes is important since their progress determines the latter effects of I-131 therapy

Comparative mapping of quantitative trait loci involved in heterosis for seedling and yield traits in oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.)

Little is known about the genetic control of heterosis in the complex polyploid crop species oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.). In this study, two large doubled-haploid (DH) mapping populations and two corresponding sets of backcrossed test hybrids (THs) were analysed in controlled greenhouse experiments and extensive field trials for seedling biomass and yield performance traits, respectively. Genetic maps from the two populations, aligned with the help of common simple sequence repeat markers, were used to localise and compare quantitative trait loci (QTL) related to the expression of heterosis for seedling developmental traits, plant height at flowering, thousand seed mass, seeds per silique, siliques per unit area and seed yield. QTL were mapped using data from the respective DH populations, their corresponding TH populations and from mid-parent heterosis (MPH) data, allowing additive and dominance effects along with digenic epistatic interactions to be estimated. A number of genome regions containing numerous heterosis-related QTL involved in different traits and at different developmental stages were identified at corresponding map positions in the two populations. The co-localisation of per se QTL from the DH population datasets with heterosis-related QTL from the MPH data could indicate regulatory loci that may also contribute to fixed heterosis in the highly duplicated B. napus genome. Given the key role of epistatic interactions in the expression of heterosis in oilseed rape, these QTL hotspots might harbour genes involved in regulation of heterosis (including fixed heterosis) for different traits throughout the plant life cycle, including a significant overall influence on heterosis for seed yield

Estimating Exposome Score for Schizophrenia Using Predictive Modeling Approach in Two Independent Samples: The Results From the EUGEI Study

Exposures constitute a dense network of the environment: exposome. Here, we argue for embracing the exposome paradigm to investigate the sum of nongenetic "risk" and show how predictive modeling approaches can be used to construct an exposome score (ES; an aggregated score of exposures) for schizophrenia. The training dataset consisted of patients with schizophrenia and controls, whereas the independent validation dataset consisted of patients, their unaffected siblings, and controls. Binary exposures were cannabis use, hearing impairment, winter birth, bullying, and emotional, physical, and sexual abuse along with physical and emotional neglect. We applied logistic regression (LR), Gaussian Naive Bayes (GNB), the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO), and Ridge penalized classification models to the training dataset. ESs, the sum of weighted exposures based on coefficients from each model, were calculated in the validation dataset. In addition, we estimated ES based on meta-analyses and a simple sum score of exposures. Accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, area under the receiver operating characteristic, and Nagelkerke's R2 were compared. The ESMeta-analyses performed the worst, whereas the sum score and the ESGNB were worse than the ESLR that performed similar to the ESLASSO and ESRIDGE. The ESLR distinguished patients from controls (odds ratio [OR] = 1.94, P < .001), patients from siblings (OR = 1.58, P < .001), and siblings from controls (OR = 1.21, P = .001). An increase in ESLR was associated with a gradient increase of schizophrenia risk. In reference to the remaining fractions, the ESLR at top 30%, 20%, and 10% of the control distribution yielded ORs of 3.72, 3.74, and 4.77, respectively. Our findings demonstrate that predictive modeling approaches can be harnessed to evaluate the exposome

White Noise Speech Illusions: A Trait-Dependent Risk Marker for Psychotic Disorder?

Introduction: White noise speech illusions index liability for psychotic disorder in case-control comparisons. In the current study, we examined i) the rate of white noise speech illusions in siblings of patients with psychotic disorder and ii) to what degree this rate would be contingent on exposure to known environmental risk factors (childhood adversity and recent life events) and level of known endophenotypic dimensions of psychotic disorder [psychotic experiences assessed with the Community Assessment of Psychic Experiences (CAPE) scale and cognitive ability]. Methods: The white noise task was used as an experimental paradigm to elicit and measure speech illusions in 1,014 patients with psychotic disorders, 1,157 siblings, and 1,507 healthy participants. We examined associations between speech illusions and increasing familial risk (control -> sibling -> patient), modeled as both a linear and a categorical effect, and associations between speech illusions and level of childhood adversities and life events as well as with CAPE scores and cognitive ability scores. Results: While a positive association was found between white noise speech illusions across hypothesized increasing levels of familial risk (controls -> siblings -> patients) [odds ratio (OR) linear 1.11, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.02-1.21, p = 0.019], there was no evidence for a categorical association with sibling status (OR 0.93, 95% CI 0.79-1.09, p = 0.360). The association between speech illusions and linear familial risk was greater if scores on the CAPE positive scale were higher (p interaction = 0.003; ORlow CAPE positive scale 0.96, 95% CI 0.85-1.07; ORhigh CAPE positive scale 1.26, 95% CI 1.09-1.46); cognitive ability was lower (p interaction < 0.001; ORhigh cognitive ability 0.94, 95% CI 0.84-1.05; ORlow cognitive ability 1.43, 95% CI 1.23-1.68); and exposure to childhood adversity was higher (p interaction < 0.001; ORlow adversity 0.92, 95% CI 0.82-1.04; ORhigh adversity 1.31, 95% CI 1.13-1.52). A similar, although less marked, pattern was seen for categorical patient-control and sibling-control comparisons. Exposure to recent life events did not modify the association between white noise and familial risk (p interaction = 0.232). Conclusion: The association between white noise speech illusions and familial risk is contingent on additional evidence of endophenotypic expression and of exposure to childhood adversity. Therefore, speech illusions may represent a trait-dependent risk marker