SPD-safe: Secure administration of railway intelligent transportation systems

The railway transport system is critical infrastructure that is exposed to numerous manmade and natural threats, thus protecting this physical asset is imperative. Cyber security, privacy, and dependability (SPD) are also important, as the railway operation relies on cyber-physical systems (CPS) systems. This work presents SPD-Safe—an administration framework for railway CPS, leveraging artificial intelligence for monitoring and managing the system in real-time. The network layer protections integrated provide the core security properties of confidentiality, integrity, and authentication, along with energy-aware secure routing and authorization. The effectiveness in mitigating attacks and the efficiency under normal operation are assessed through simulations with the average delay in real equipment being 0.2–0.6 s. SPD metrics are incorporated together with safety semantics for the application environment. Considering an intelligent transportation scenario, SPD-Safe is deployed on railway critical infrastructure, safeguarding one outdoor setting on the railway’s tracks and one in-carriage setting on a freight train that contains dangerous cargo. As demonstrated, SPD-Safe provides higher security and scalability, while enhancing safety response procedures. Nonetheless, emergence response operations require a seamless interoperation of the railway system with emergency authorities’ equipment (e.g., drones). Therefore, a secure integration with external systems is considered as future work

Astrocytic Ion Dynamics: Implications for Potassium Buffering and Liquid Flow

We review modeling of astrocyte ion dynamics with a specific focus on the implications of so-called spatial potassium buffering, where excess potassium in the extracellular space (ECS) is transported away to prevent pathological neural spiking. The recently introduced Kirchoff-Nernst-Planck (KNP) scheme for modeling ion dynamics in astrocytes (and brain tissue in general) is outlined and used to study such spatial buffering. We next describe how the ion dynamics of astrocytes may regulate microscopic liquid flow by osmotic effects and how such microscopic flow can be linked to whole-brain macroscopic flow. We thus include the key elements in a putative multiscale theory with astrocytes linking neural activity on a microscopic scale to macroscopic fluid flow.Comment: 27 pages, 7 figure

Gemcitabine plus oxaliplatin combination (GEMOX regimen) in pretreated patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC): A multicenter phase II study

Purpose: To evaluate the activity and tolerance of gemcitabine in combination with oxaliplatin (GEMOX regimen) in pretreated patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Patients and methods: Thirty-two patients with advanced NSCLC who had disease progression after a cisplatin- and taxane-based front-line regimen were treated with gemcitabine (1500 mg/m2 on days 1 and 8) and oxaliplatin (130 mg/m2 on day 8) every 3 weeks. The patients' median age was 62 years and the performance status (WHO) was 0 for 11, 1 for 17 and 2 for 4 patients. The treatment was second line for 22 (69%) and ≥third line for 10 (31%) patients. Results: Partial response was achieved in 5 (16%) patients, stable disease in 8 (25%) and progressive disease in 19 (59%). Two patients with stable disease and one patient with progressive disease while on previous chemotherapy experienced a partial response with GEMOX regimen. The median duration of response was 2.5 months (range, 1-11.5), the median time to tumor progression 3 months (range, 1-18) and the median survival 5.6 months (range, 1-31). Grade III neutropenia occurred in five (16%) patients, grade III thrombocytopenia in two (6%) and grade III anemia in three (9%); moreover, grades II-III asthenia was reported in eight (25%) patients and grades II-III neurotoxicity in three (9%). Conclusion: The GEMOX combination is a relatively active and well tolerated second-line regimen in NSCLC patients pretreated with a taxane- and/or platinum-based chemotherapy. © 2006 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved

A dose-escalation study of pegylated liposomal doxorubicin and oxaliplatin in patients with advanced solid tumors

Purpose: A phase I study was conducted to determine the maximum tolerated doses (MTDs) and dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs) of the pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (PLD) and oxaliplatin combination in patients with advanced solid tumors. Patients and Methods: Forty-five patients with advanced-stage solid tumors received escalating doses of PLD 25-50 mg/m2 as 60-min intravenous (i.v.) infusion and oxaliplatin 80-130 mg/m2 as 2- to 4-hour i.v. infusion on day 1 every 3 weeks without growth factors. Results: MTD was defined at PLD 45 mg/m2 and oxaliplatin 130 mg/m2. Eleven dose levels were evaluated and DLTs were grade 2-3 neutropenia resulting in treatment delays, grade 3 neurotoxicity and nausea/vomiting. A total of 187 cycles were administered with two episodes of febrile neutropenia and one toxic death due to sepsis. Two (4%) and 6 (13%) patients developed grade 4 and 3 neutropenia, respectively, 2 (4%) and 1 (2%) grade 4 and 3 thrombocytopenia, and 1 (2%) grade 4 anemia. The most common nonhematological toxicities were grade 2-3 nausea/vomiting and asthenia observed in 27 (60%) and 16 (36%) of patients, respectively. One complete and eight partial responses were observed. Conclusion: The combination of PLD and oxaliplatin has an acceptable toxicity profile with promising activity and merits further evaluation in phase II studies. Copyright © 2006 S. Karger AG