Stealth: A Highly Secured End-to-End Symmetric Communication Protocol

Symmetric key cryptography is applied in almost all secure communications to protect all sensitive information from attackers, for instance, banking, and thus, it requires extra attention due to diverse applications. Moreover, it is vulnerable to various attacks, for example, cryptanalysis attacks. Cryptanalysis attacks are possible due to a single-keyed encryption system. The state-of-the-art symmetric communication protocol uses a single secret key to encrypt/decrypt the entire communication to exchange data/message that poses security threats. Therefore, in this paper, we present a new secure communication protocol based on Diffie-Hellman cryptographic algorithms, called Stealth. It is a symmetric-key cryptographic protocol to enhance the security of modern communication with truly random numbers. Additionally, it applies a pseudo-random number generator. Initially, Stealth uses the Diffie-Hellman algorithm to compute four shared secret keys. These shared secret keys are used to generate four different private keys to encrypt for the first block of the message for symmetric communication. Stealth changes its private keys in each communication, making it very hard to break the security protocol. Moreover, the four shared secret keys create additional complexity for the adversary to overcome, and hence, it can provide highly tight security in communications. Stealth neither replaces the existing protocol nor authentication mechanism, but it creates another security layer to the existing protocol to ensure the security measurement\u27s tightness

EEG Signal Denoising Using Haar Transform and Maximal Overlap Discrete Wavelet Transform (MODWT) for the Finding of Epilepsy

Wavelet transform filters the signal without changing the pattern of the signal. The transformation techniques have been applied to the continuous time domain signals. The chapter is devoted to the study of the EEG (ElectroEncephaloGram) Signal processing using Haar wavelet transform and Maximal overlap discrete wavelet transform (MODWT) for the analyzing of Epilepsy. Haar transform returns the approximation coefficients and detail coefficients. Detail coefficients are generally referred to as the wavelet coefficients and are a highpass representation of the input. In this chapter, with the help of Haar transform, the detailed coefficients of the input signal have been analyzed for the detection of Epilepsy. Maximal overlap discrete wavelet transform filters the noise coefficients of the input signal in each and every level, and it has displayed the filtered output signal

Determining Abuse Deterrence Performance of Poly (ethylene oxide) Using a Factorial Design

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of thermal processing and antioxidant formulation variables on the abuse deterrence performance of a high molecular weight poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) polymer. Methods: A 24 factorial design with one categorical factor (antioxidant type) and three continuous factors (curing time, curing temperature, % antioxidant) was used. Abuse deterrence performance was evaluated using solution viscosity, surface melting temperature, and mechanical strength. Thermal degradation of PEO powders before compaction was also studied using DSC, FTIR spectroscopy, and viscosity analysis. Results: Our results showed that curing temperature and type of antioxidant can significantly affect the deterrence performance of PEO. The main effect plot for viscosity shows the most prominent factors affecting viscosity are curing temperature and type of antioxidant. However, curvature in the linear model obtained was not sufficient to completely describe the behavior. For surface melting temperature, butylated hydroxytoluene was associated with higher surface melting temperatures compared to ascorbic acid. Additionally, higher percent of antioxidant resulted in higher melting temperature. Particle size distribution to indicate mechanical strength showed no significant effects of tested factors. This suggests that comminution method has more prominent effect on tablet fragment size than the formulation and processing factors studied. Conclusion: While heat confers the mechanical strength to the polymer, it can diminish its physical stability and solution state viscosity. The experimental studies showed that prolonged exposure to high temperatures, even in the presence of antioxidants, can severely hamper polymer deterrence performance in both solid and solution states

Computational intelligence in medical informatics

This Brief highlights Informatics and related techniques to Computer Science Professionals, Engineers, Medical Doctors, Bioinformatics researchers and other interdisciplinary researchers. Chapters include the Bioinformatics of Diabetes and several computational algorithms and statistical analysis approach to effectively study the disorders and possible causes along with medical applications

Computational intelligence techniques for comparative genomics: dedicated to Prof. Allam Appa Rao on the occasion of his 65th birthday

This Brief highlights Informatics and related techniques to Computer Science Professionals, Engineers, Medical Doctors, Bioinformatics researchers and other interdisciplinary researchers. Chapters include the Bioinformatics of Diabetes and several computational algorithms and statistical analysis approach to effectively study the disorders and possible causes along with medical applications

TAILOR-MADE POLYVINYL ALCOHOL CRYOGELS FOR PHARMACEUTICAL APPLICATIONS

Objective. The main objective of this study was to characterize adhesive, swelling and viscoelastic properties of Polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH) cryogels Background. PVOH is a hydrophilic linear polymer commonly used as filmformer, emulsifier, and binder in variety of pharmaceutical dosage forms including tablets, transdermal patches, ophthalmic gels, and implants. PVOH can also undergo chemical or physical gelation, which can be utilized for specialized applications such as in controlled drug delivery. Aqueous solutions of PVOH undergoes cryogelation when exposed to repeated freeze-thaw cycles. The cryogels prepared as such possess unique mechanical, elastic, adhesive, and swelling properties, which can be utilized in developing platforms for controlled and novel drug delivery applications. Methods. PVOH aqueous solutions were prepared by dissolving the polymer (PVOH, 99% hydrolyzed, MW 124K-188K, Sigma Aldrich) in deionized water at 90oC under mechanical mixing. The corresponding cryogels were prepared using three different PVOH concentrations (5, 8, 10 wt%) and subjected to two freeze-thaw cycles consisting of freezing at -10oC for 4 hr and thawing at 25oC for 2 h. Adhesive properties were measured using a CT3 Texture analyzer, swelling properties by gravimetry, gumminess by running a texture profile analysis, whereas hardness was measured by compression test using Volodkevich bite jaws (Brookfield Engineering). Results. Cryogels prepared at different concentrations displayed adhesive forces ranging 83-430mN, adhesiveness ranging 0.07-0.36mJ, gumminess ranging 5-22N, hardness ranging 1114mJ, and swelling ranging 10- 50%. Conclusion. Adhesive properties and gumminess decreased with increase in polymer concentration whereas hardness and swelling increased with increase in concentration. Grants. NSU grants# 335867 and 33548

Modulation of Cell-Cycle gene expression by Chitosan coated Silver nanopartices on Human Epidermoid Carcinoma cells.MODULATION OF CELL-CYCLE GENE EXPRESSION BY CHITOSAN COATED SILVER NANOPARTICES ON HUMAN EPIDERMOID CARCINOMA CELLS

Objective: To detect the variability in the expression of cell cycle genes such as Cyclin D1,CDK4 p21,p27 and p57 associated with cytotoxicity of Human epidermoid carcinoma cells using qPCR.Methods: The synthesis silver nanoparticles and chitosan coated silver nanoparticles was done by chemical reduction method using polyvinyalpyrolidone (PVP) as surfactant and glucose as reducing agent. The cell proliferation assay was performed using MTS assay. Gene expression analysis was performed using Eppendorf Realplex 2 PCR systems.Results: The lowest concentration of 1mg of Chitosan-AgNPs with 25μg/ml concentration showed 35% reduction in the A431 cell line growth. Significantly increased expression of p21, p27, p57, CCND1 and CD4 gene was observed among 1mg of Chitosan-AgNPs with 25μg/ml concentrations indicating potential apoptotic activity at the lowest concentration of Chitosan-AgNPs on A431 cells.Conclusions: The effect of AgNPs inducing apoptosis/growth arrest at low concentrations (1mg-25μg/ml) has been more effective while coating the nanoparticle with chitosan. The potential apoptotic properties of Chitosan-AgNPs are evident by the significant up regulation of the cell cycle genes when treated with low concentration of Chitosan-AgNPs.Â

THE CYTOTOXIC EFFECTS OF POLYVINYL ALCOHOL ON HELA CELL MODEL

Objective. The objective of this study was to investigate the cytotoxic effects of different concentrations of this cryogel hydrogel on HeLa cells. Background. Polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH) is a synthetic hydrophilic linear polymer with unique properties such as water-retention, hydrophilicity, biodegradability, mechanical stability, and capability of forming a 3D structure, allowing its safe use in many biomedical applications Methods. Cryogel hydrogels were prepared from PVOH (Mw 124-186K, 99% hydrolyzed) solutions (3, 5, 8, and 10 wt%) subjected to two freezethaw cycles of freezing (4 hrs @ -10oC) followed by thawing (2hrs @ 25oC). HeLa cells (a cervical cancer cells) grown in 24 well plate at 20 ×104 were exposed to 50mg of sterile PVOH cryogels. Cell survival was estimated after 48hr of incubation at 37°C in 5% CO2. The survival of cells exposed to cryogels was compared to that of the cells without hydrogel treatment. The cytotoxic effect of the hydrogel was assessed by determining the viability of the cells using MTT- a mitochondrial assay. Results. The cells exposed to hydrogel displayed excellent viability in all concentrations. Slight decrease in the number of cells grown in the presence of 5% gel was insignificant compared to that of control or at any other concentrations. Conclusion. Results showed that PVOH cryogels of this study are not cytotoxic, and have the potential to be used in cell-based therapy, however further studies are needed to evaluate the cell survival in a 3D environment. Grants. The research was supported by PFRD