Toward Smart Moving Target Defense for Linux Container Resiliency

This paper presents ESCAPE, an informed moving target defense mechanism for cloud containers. ESCAPE models the interaction between attackers and their target containers as a "predator searching for a prey" search game. Live migration of Linux-containers (prey) is used to avoid attacks (predator) and failures. The entire process is guided by a novel host-based behavior-monitoring system that seamlessly monitors containers for indications of intrusions and attacks. To evaluate ESCAPE effectiveness, we simulated the attack avoidance process based on a mathematical model mimicking the prey-vs-predator search game. Simulation results show high container survival probabilities with minimal added overhead.Comment: Published version is available on IEEE Xplore at http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/779685

LECTURERS’ AND STUDENTS’ BELIEFS IN CODE-SWITCHING: A MALAYSIAN POLYTECHNIC CONTEXT

This research is to discover whether lecturers’ beliefs coincide with their practices in their daily teaching. The focus will be on the belief in the use of code-switching in the classroom. At the same time, it is also worthwhile to indicate whether there are differences in the beliefs between the lecturers and the students. For that purpose three lecturers from an engineering department of a polytechnic in a northern region as well as the students in the classrooms were chosen to participate in this research. The methods designed include classroom observations, questionnaires for both the lecturers and students, and interviews with the lecturers after the classroom observation. The findings showed that the lecturers mostly used reiteration and message qualification functions when code-switching. They believed that it was intended mainly to enhance their students’ understanding and to save their time from lengthy explanation whenever the students are in doubt. This was agreeable by most students as they believed that code-switching could help them understand the lessons better. Some recommendations are made based on the findings and analysis of the results, expecting that it would further improve the teaching of Mathematics, Science and technical subjects in the Malaysian polytechnics

Phylogenomic Review of Root Nitrogen-Fixing Symbiont Population Nodulating Northwestern African Wild Legumes

The present review discusses the phylogenomic diversity of root nitrogen-fixing bacteria associated to wild legumes under North African soils. The genus Ensifer is a dominant rhizobium lineage nodulating the majority of the wild legumes, followed by the genus Rhizobium and Mesorhizobium. In addition, to the known rhizobial genera, two new Microvirga and Phyllobacterium genera were described as real nodulating and nitrogen-fixing microsymbiotes from Lupinus spp. The promising rhizobia related to nitrogen fixation efficiency in association with some legumes are shared. Phylogenetic studies are contributing greatly to our knowledge of relationships on both sides of the plant-bacteria nodulation symbiosis. Multiple origins of nodulation (perhaps even within the legume family) appear likely. However, all nodulating flowering plants are more closely related than previously suspected, suggesting that the predisposition to nodulate might have arisen only once. The origins of nodulation, and the extent to which developmental programs are conserved in nodules, remain unclear, but an improved understanding of the relationships between nodulin genes is providing some clues

Fear of COVID-19 and Anxiety in the Arabic Language Learners in Kuala Lumpur

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic contributed to distress and affected mental health in many sectors, including education, which triggered fear and anxiety among learners and educators. Therefore, this research aimed to perceive mental health issues such as fear, stress, and anxiety during the pandemic, especially among learners aged between 15 to 25 from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The questionnaire consisted of seven questions related to the Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S). The respondents were invited to participate via social media platforms such as WhatsApp, Telegram, Emails, and Facebook. The link to the Google form was given to them to allow them to join the survey. Three hundred twenty-four respondents from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, participated in this survey to show their anxiety levels during this pandemic. The findings showed that the level of fear of COVID-19 was high and significant by using SPSS version 26. It also constructed mental health issues among the learners, decreasing their performance in education. This research is applicable to distinguish and describe the fear of the COVID-19 pandemic, which influences learners’ mental health. The findings also revealed that fear and anxiety were high and affected students’ performance

Countermeasure of Scour around Pier in Steady Current

The experiments on the countermeasures of scours around pier in steady current were conducted in this paper. The factor formations of scour were identified by extensive research of previous paper that related to the project. Scour formations were influence by the strength of the flow, the size of pier, and the sediment condition. From the literature, the project invented a few innovative pier protection measures which are single cross-threaded pier and double-cross threaded pier with variation of cable diameter and thread angle. These cross-threaded piers also tested with collar protection. As the result, the single cross-threaded piers and double cross-threaded piers able to reduce scour in average of 18% and 21% respectively. While, single cross-threaded piers with collar and double cross-threaded piers with collar able to reduce scour in average of 69% and 63% respectively. The single cross-thread pier with collar of 0.1 cable-pier diameter ratio and 15° thread angle outperforms other models with scour reduction of 79%. That shows the cable-pier diameter ratio and thread angle influent the performance of models in scour reduction. The large number of cross-threaded pier with large cable-pier diameter ratio and small thread angle will give the best performance in reducing potential formation of scour depth

Justifying government accounting change through management needs: The case of Morocco

The paper’s purpose is to contribute to the understanding of why governments adopt accounting practices borrowed from private corporations. Based on a conceptual framework centered on NPM, the evidence for this research was obtained through a qualitative study of the government accounting reform in Morocco (Government accountants, public accounting auditors and accounting professionals). The thematic analysis of collected data through interviews and documents focuses on the management needs that underlie this change by looking at the motivations of said actors. The results highlighted show an overlap between the rational logic and the mimetic logic underlying this accounting choice

Comparative analysis of canal transportation using reciproc blue and wavo one gold in simulated root canals using different kinematics

Objective: The purpose of the current study was to assess and compare the shaping ability of WaveOne Gold and Reciproc Blue in reciprocation and counter clock wise rotation using standardized resin blocks and to assess time required to reach full working length. Methodology: A total of 52 curved canals in clear resin blocks with 30° angle of curvature and 16mm canal length were used in this study. The blocks were divided into 4 groups according to the instrument and motion utilized into: Reciproc Blue/Reciprocation (RB/R) group, Reciproc Blue/counter clock wise rotation (RB/CCW) group, WaveOne gold/Reciprocation (WG/R) and WaveOne gold/Counter clock wise rotation (WO/RCR). Standardized digital images were taken prior and post instrumentation. Then, Adobe Photoshop was used to superimpose post and pre-instrumentation images to evaluate the degree of canal transportation. Digital chronometer was used to record the time required for canal preparation. One-way ANOVA followed by Tukey post hoc test was used to compare between more than two groups in non-related samples. Results: No statistically significant difference was noted among all groups at the apical and middle thirds levels. As for the preparation time, both groups; RB/R and RB/CCW recorded significantly longer time than groups; WG/R and WG/CCW (P \u3c 0.001). Conclusions: The use of single-file in counter clock wise rotation showed favourable results in terms of avoiding canal transportation and preparation time

New grafted PLA-g-PEG polymeric nanoparticles used to improve bioavailability of oral drugs

Les nanoparticules (NPs) de polymère ont montré des résultats prometteurs pour leur utilisation comme système de transport de médicaments pour une libération contrôlée du médicament, ainsi que pour du ciblage. La biodisponibilité des médicaments administrés oralement pourrait être limitée par un processus de sécrétion intestinale, qui pourrait par la suite être concilié par la glycoprotéine P (P-gp). La dispersion de la Famotidine (modèle de médicament) à l’intérieur des nanoparticules (NPs) pegylées a été évaluée afin d’augmenter la biodisponibilité avec du polyéthylène glycol (PEG), qui est connu comme un inhibiteur de P-gp. L’hypothèse de cette étude est que l’encapsulation de la Famotidine (un substrat de P-gp) à l’intérieur des NPs préparées à partir de PEG-g-PLA pourrait inhiber la fonction P-gp. La première partie de cette étude avait pour but de synthétiser quatre copolymères de PEG greffés sur un acide polylactide (PLA) et sur un squelette de polymère (PLA-g-PEG), avec des ratios de 1% et 5% (ratio molaire de PEG vs acide lactique monomère) de soit 750, soit 2000 Da de masse moléculaire. Ces polymères ont été employés afin de préparer des NPs chargés de Famotidine qui possède une faible perméabilité et une solubilité aqueuse relativement basse. Les NPs préparées ont été analysées pour leur principaux paramètres physicochimiques tels que la taille et la distribution de la taille, la charge de surface (Potentiel Zeta), la morphologie, l’efficacité d’encapsulation, le pourcentage résiduel en alcool polyvinylique (PVA) adsorbé à la surface des NPs, les propriétés thermiques, la structure cristalline et la libération du médicament. De même, les formules de NPs ont été testées in vitro sur des cellules CaCo-2 afin dʼévaluer la perméabilité bidirectionnelle de la Famotidine. Généralement, les NPs préparées à partir de polymères greffés PLA-g-5%PEG ont montré une augmentation de la perméabilité du médicament, ce par l’inhibition de l’efflux de P-gp de la Famotidine dans le modèle CaCo-2 in vitro. Les résultats ont montré une baisse significative de la sécrétion de la Famotidine de la membrane basolatéral à apical lorsque la Famotidine était encapsulée dans des NPs préparées à partir de greffes de 5% PEG de 750 ou 2000 Da, de même que pour d’autres combinaisons de mélanges physiques contenant du PEG5%. La deuxième partie de cette étude est à propos de ces NPs chargées qui démontrent des résultats prometteurs en termes de perméabilité et d’inhibition d’efflux de P-gp, et qui ont été choises pour développer une forme orale solide. La granulation sèche a été employée pour densifier les NPs, afin de développer des comprimés des deux formules sélectionnées de NPs. Les comprimés à base de NPs ont démontré un temps de désintégration rapide (moins d’une minute) et une libération similaire à la Famotidine trouvée sur le marché. Les résultats de l’étude du transport de comprimés à base de NPs étaient cohérents avec les résultats des formules de NPs en termes d’inhibition de P-gp, ce qui explique pourquoi le processus de fabrication du comprimé n’a pas eu d’effet sur les NPs. Mis ensemble, ces résultats montrent que l’encapsulation dans une NP de polymère pegylé pourrait être une stratégie prometteuse pour l’amélioration de la biodisponibilité des substrats de P-gp.Polymeric nanoparticles (NPs) have shown promising results to be used as drug delivery carriers for controlled drug release and for targeting. The bioavailability of orally administrated drugs might be limited by an intestinal absorbed secretion process, which could in turn be mediated by P-glycoprotein (P-gp). The dispersion of Famotidine (drug model) within PEGylated nanoparticles (NPs) was evaluated in order to enhance the bioavailability using polyethylene glycol (PEG), which is known as a P-gp inhibitor. The hypothesis of this study is that the encapsulation of Famotidine into NPs prepared from PEG-g-PLA could inhibit the P-gp function. The first part of the study aimed to synthesize four copolymers of PEG grafted on a polylactide acid (PLA) polymer backbone (PLA-g-PEG) with ratios of 1 % and 5 % (molar ratio of PEG vs lactic acid monomer) of either 750 or 2000 Da molecular weights. These polymers have been used to prepare NPs loaded with Famotidine, which has low permeability and relatively low aqueous solubility. Prepared NPs were analyzed for their main physicochemical parameters such as size and size distribution, surface charge, morphology, encapsulation efficiency, percentage of residual poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) adsorbed at the surface of the NPs, thermal properties, crystalline structure and drug release. Also, NP formulations were tested in vitro on CaCo-2 monolayer cells in order to assess the bidirectional permeability of Famotidine. Generally speaking, NPs prepared from PLA-g-5%PEG grafted polymers showed improved drug permeability by inhibiting the P-gp efflux of Famotidine in the CaCo-2 in vitro model. Results showed a very significant decrease in the secretion of Famotidine from basolateral to apical when Famotidine was encapsulated in NPs prepared from 5 % grafting of either 750 or 2000 Da PEG, as well as in other combinations of physical mixtures containing PEG5%. The second part of the study is about those loaded NPs which showed promising results in terms of permeability and inhibition of P-gp efflux and which were selected to develop a solid oral dosage form. Dry granulation was used to densify NPs in order to develop tablets of the two selected NP formulations. NP based tablets showed a fast disintegration time (less than one minute) and a similar release profile as marketed Famotidine. The transport study of NP based tablets showed consistent results with NP formulations in terms of P-gp inhibition, which explains why the tablet’s manufacturing process had no effect on NPs. Our results demonstrated that the presence of hydrophilic polymers (PEG) on the surface of NPs grafted at 5 % PEG, irrespective to molecular weights, provides an effective way to control the interface between NPs and the biological systems (P-gp in this case) as they are designed to interact with. Taken together, these results show that encapsulation in a PEGylated polymeric NP could be a promising strategy to improve the oral bioavailability of P-gp substrates