Multi-cloud Security Mechanisms for Smart Environments

Achieving transparency and security awareness in cloud environments is a challenging task. It is even more challenging in multi-cloud environments (where application components are distributed across multiple clouds) owing to its complexity. This complexity open doors to the introduction of threats and makes it difficult to know how the application components are performing and when remedial actions should be taken in the case of an anomaly. Nowadays, many cloud customers are becoming more interested in having a knowledge of their application status, particularly as it relates to the security of the application owing to growing cloud security concerns, which is multi-faceted in multi-cloud environments. This has necessitated the need for adequate visibility and security awareness in multi-cloud environments. However, this is threatened by non-standardization and diverse CSP platforms. This thesis presents a security evaluation framework for multi-cloud applications. It aims to facilitate transparency and security awareness in multi-cloud applications through adequate evaluation of the application components deployed across different clouds as well as the entire multi-cloud application. This will ensure that the health, internal events and performance of the multi-cloud application can be known. As a result of this, the security status and information about the multi-cloud application can be made available to application owners, cloud service providers and application users. This will increase cloud customers’ trust in using multi-clouds and ensure verification of the security status of multi-cloud components at any time desired. The security evaluation framework is based on threat identification and risk analysis, application modelling with ontology, selection of metrics and security controls, application security monitoring, security measurement, decision making and security status visualization

Effect of Health Insurance on the Demand on the Demand for Health care in Oyo State, Nigeria

Health service is for all- both the rich and the poor. A country that lacks adequate health care budgets has got a severe problem including unproductive work force. Often, households and health seekers are faced with health care traffic and increasing cost of health care which have led to a decrease in marginal benefits of health stock and poor health services. One of the innovative ways to raise funds for the provision of health services is the provision of health care insurance that can shield rural households from some of the costs of health care. Health insurance plays an important role in reducing the influence of high costs of health care on the economic wellbeing of households and health care seekers because health insurance turns unpredictable health expenditures into predictable insurance payments. This study looks at effects of health insurance on the demand for health care in Oyo State, Nigeria. The study specifically determines the demand for health insurance in Oyo State. The paper adopted descriptive statistics and Chi-Square Test. The study found out that the association between age category and mode of payment was significant such that older people tend to use health insurance (NHIS) with a percentage of (22.0%) more than the other women

Methodology to obtain the security controls in multi-cloud applications

What controls should be used to ensure adequate security level during operation is a non-trivial subject in complex software systems and applications. The problem becomes even more challenging when the application uses multiple cloud services which security measures are beyond the control of the application provider. In this paper, a methodology that enables the identification of the best security controls for multicloud applications which components are deployed in heterogeneous cloud providers is presented. The methodology is based on application decomposition and modelling of threats over the components, followed by the analysis of the risks together with the capture of cloud business and security requirements. The methodology has been applied in the MUSA EU H2020 project use cases as the first step for building up the multi-cloud applications’ security-aware Service Level Agreements (SLA). The identified security controls will be included in the applications’ SLAs for their monitoring and fulfilment assurance at operation.European Commission's H202

Parasitological identification and histological examination of Fasciola gigantica sequel to occurrence of bovine Billiary fasciolosis in cattle slaughtered at Bodija abattoir, Ibadan

Fasciola gigantica is the parasitic fluke causing tropical fasciolosis leading to greateconomic losses in cattle production in Nigeria. One hundred and five (105) flukes werecollected and identified after careful examination of the bile ducts from twenty one (21)infected slaughtered cattle out of a total of two hundred (200) cattle examined fromBodija Municipal Abattoir. Semichon’s Acetic-Carmine staining technique and histologicalexamination was carried out for parasitic identification while simple faecal floatation andsedimentation techniques was done for parasite egg examination. Postmortemexamination showed enlarged and friable liver covered with fibrin tags while bile ductswere thickened, distended and packed with adult flukes when sliced open. Microscopicand histological examination revealed greyish-brown leaf-shaped adult Fasciola giganticaflukes, bearing a cone shaped projection and a pair of broad shoulders with the intestinalceca branched as well as the testes and the ovary. The vitelline follicles fill the lateralfields of the worm and the common genital pore just anterior to the acetabulum. LargeFasciola gigantica eggs which are oval, yellowish to greenish in colour and bears a polaroperculum. Public enlightenment especially among the butchers and abattoir workersshould be periodical on the public health importance of the parasite and howunwholesome abattoir practices can lead to accidental human infection. This will greatlyreduce the practice of selling infected organ that have been deemed unfit for humanconsumption.Keywords: Fasciola gigantica, Cattle, Semichon’s Acetic-Carmine technique, Histology, Bile duc

Alleviating the Material and Health Challenges of Young Internally Displaced People in North-East Nigeria

The increasing rate of attack in the North-Eastern parts of Nigeria has caused the deaths of thousands and thereby forcing many of the residents, including children to abandon their comforts zones. This study assessed the material and health challenges of young IDPs and the impacts of sexual and reproductive health programs in improving the conditions of these young ones. The study was conducted in sixteen local governments of three states (Borno, Adamawa and Yobe) in the North-East of Nigeria using mixed methods. The quantitative data were obtained by the administration of a structured questionnaire to the young IDPs in the three states. The quantitative data were analysed and were complemented by the qualitative data {Focus Group Discussions (FGDs)} that were obtained from the young IDPs. Data were analysed using SPSS version 20. The majority (78.5%) of the young internally displace persons (IDPs) were within the age group of 10-14 years with 51.8% males and 59.1% have attained primary. The major material challenges facing the young IDPs include lack of food (31.6%), clothing (28.7%), Soap/cream (19.8%) and medicine (13.1%). The most common health problems include Malaria (28.9%), cough 23.1%, diarrhoea (18.3%) and cholera (13.1%). The IDPs confirmed that they were fully protected in the camp with no experience of rape. They affirmed that their needs were met by the intervention programs provided for them; 71.7% affirmed that their situation was “Good” since they came to the camps and more than half (55.2%) confirmed a better situation. The training in the IPD camps was mostly artisan related while only 31.7% were schooling. This study found that young IDPs are being faced with material and health-related challenges as well as the lack of proper training and education. However, the outcome of the SRH project is a manifestation of the efficient utilization of the resources of the project. More intervention programs to alleviate the challenges of IDPs are advocated

Geographic Variation Within the Military Health System

Background: This study seeks to quantify variation in healthcare utilization and per capita costs using system-defined geographic regions based on enrollee residence within the Military Health System (MHS). Methods: Data for fiscal years 2007 – 2010 were obtained from the Military Health System under a data sharing agreement with the Defense Health Agency (DHA). DHA manages all aspects of the Department of Defense Military Health System, including TRICARE. Adjusted rates were calculated for per capita costs and for two procedures with high interest to the MHS- back surgery and Cesarean sections for TRICARE Prime and Plus enrollees. Coefficients of variation (CoV) and interquartile ranges (IQR) were calculated and analyzed using residence catchment area as the geographic unit. Catchment areas anchored by a Military Treatment Facility (MTF) were compared to catchment areas not anchored by a MTF. Results: Variation, as measured by CoV, was 0.37 for back surgery and 0.13 for C-sections in FY 2010- comparable to rates documented in other healthcare systems. The 2010 CoV (and average cost) for per capita costs was 0.26 ($3,479.51). Procedure rates were generally lower and CoVs higher in regions anchored by a MTF compared with regions not anchored by a MTF, based on both system-wide comparisons and comparisons of neighboring areas. Conclusions: In spite of its centrally managed system and relatively healthy beneficiaries with very robust health benefits, the MHS is not immune to unexplained variation in utilization and cost of healthcare

Energy-Based Prognostics for Gradual Loss of Conveyor Belt Tension in Discrete Manufacturing Systems

This paper presents a data-driven approach for the prognosis of the gradual behavioural deterioration of conveyor belts used for the transportation of pallets between processing workstations of discrete manufacturing systems. The approach relies on the knowledge of the power consumption of a conveyor belt motor driver. Data are collected for two separate cases: the static case and dynamic case. In the static case, power consumption data are collected under different loads and belt tension. These data are used by a prognostic model (artificial neural network (ANN)) to learn the conveyor belt motor driver’s power consumption pattern under different belt tensions and load conditions. The data collected during the dynamic case are used to investigate how the belt tension affects the movement of pallets between conveyor zones. During the run time, the trained prognostic model takes real-time power consumption measurements and load information from a testbench (a discrete multirobot mobile assembling line) and predicts a belt tension class. A consecutive mismatch between the predicted belt tension class and optimal belt tension class is an indication of failure, i.e., a gradual loss of belt tension. Hence, maintenance steps must be taken to avoid further catastrophic situations such as belt slippages on head pulleys, material slippages and belt wear and tear.publishedVersionPeer reviewe

Racial Disparities in Emergency General Surgery: Do Differences in Outcomes Persist Among Universally Insured Military Patients?

Research Objective: Described as one of the most serious health problems affecting the nation, racial disparities are estimated to account for \u3e83,000 deaths, \u3e$57 billion per year. They have been identified in multiple surgical settings, including differences in outcomes by race among emergency general surgery(EGS) patients. As many minority patients are uninsured, increasing access to care is thought to be a viable solution to mitigate inequities. The objectives of this study were to determine whether racial disparities in 30/90/180day outcomes exist within a universally-insured population of military/civilian-dependent EGS patients and whether differences in outcomes differentially persist in care received at military-vs-civilian hospitals and among sponsors who are enlisted-service members-vs-officers. It also considered longer-term outcomes of care. Study Design: Risk-adjusted survival analyses using Cox proportional-hazards models assessed race-based differences in mortality, major morbidity, and readmission from index-hospital admission (discharge for readmission) through 30/90/180days. Models accounted for hospital clustering and possible biases associated with missing race (reweighted-estimating equations). Sub-analyses considered effects restricted to operative interventions, stratified by 24 EGS-diagnostic categories defined by the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma(AAST), and effect modification related to rank (SES-proxy: officers-vs-enlisted-sponsors) and military-vs-civilian-hospital care. Population Studied: Five years of national TRICARE Prime/Prime-plus data, which provides insurance to active/reserve/retired members of the US Armed Services and dependents, were queried for adults (≥18y) with primary EGS conditions, defined by the AAST. Patients who did not have an index admission between 01/01/2006-01/07/2010 (minimum 180days follow-up) or who were not continuously enrolled in TRICARE for 180days were excluded. Non-surviving patients were retained while they survived. Principal Findings: A total of 101,011 patients were included: 73.5% White, 14.5% Black, 4.4% Asian, 7.7% other. Risk-adjusted analyses reported equivalent-or-better mortality and readmission outcomes among minority patients at 30/90/180days—even when restricted to civilian hospitals where studies suggest that EGS disparities are found. Readmissions within military hospitals were lower among minority patients. Major morbidity was higher among Black versus White patients (HR[95%CI]): 30day-1.23[1.13-1.35], 90day-1.18[1.09-1.28], 180day-1.15[1.07-1.24]—a finding driven by appendiceal disorders (HR:1.69-1.70). No other diagnostic category-based HR was significant. When considered by rank, significant effects were isolated to enlisted-service members. However, given the relatively small number of patients who were (dependents of) officers, it is difficult to determine whether rank-based findings are a result of social determinants or influenced by the limited number of minority patients. Conclusions: The first of its kind to examine racial disparities in longer-term outcomes of EGS care, this longitudinal analysis of military patients demonstrated apparent mitigation of racial disparities within a universally-insured health system when compared to the overall US health system. Efforts to explain findings based on consideration of care provided in military-vs-civilian hospitals, among specific EGS-diagnostic categories, and based on sponsor rank revealed modification of the association between race and outcomes to some extent for all three. Implications for Policy or Practice: The contrast between results for universally-insured military/civilian-dependent patients and reported disparities among all US civilian patients merits consideration. The data speak to the importance of insurance-coverage in the development of disparities interventions nationwide and will help to inform policy within the DoD

Measurement of the Branching Fraction for B- --> D0 K*-

We present a measurement of the branching fraction for the decay B- --> D0 K*- using a sample of approximately 86 million BBbar pairs collected by the BaBar detector from e+e- collisions near the Y(4S) resonance. The D0 is detected through its decays to K- pi+, K- pi+ pi0 and K- pi+ pi- pi+, and the K*- through its decay to K0S pi-. We measure the branching fraction to be B.F.(B- --> D0 K*-)= (6.3 +/- 0.7(stat.) +/- 0.5(syst.)) x 10^{-4}.Comment: 7 pages, 1 postscript figure, submitted to Phys. Rev. D (Rapid Communications

Measurement of Branching Fraction and Dalitz Distribution for B0->D(*)+/- K0 pi-/+ Decays

We present measurements of the branching fractions for the three-body decays B0 -> D(*)-/+ K0 pi^+/-$and their resonant submodes$B0 -> D(*)-/+ K*+/- using a sample of approximately 88 million BBbar pairs collected by the BABAR detector at the PEP-II asymmetric energy storage ring. We measure: B(B0->D-/+ K0 pi+/-)=(4.9 +/- 0.7(stat) +/- 0.5 (syst)) 10^{-4} B(B0->D*-/+ K0 pi+/-)=(3.0 +/- 0.7(stat) +/- 0.3 (syst)) 10^{-4} B(B0->D-/+ K*+/-)=(4.6 +/- 0.6(stat) +/- 0.5 (syst)) 10^{-4} B(B0->D*-/+ K*+/-)=(3.2 +/- 0.6(stat) +/- 0.3 (syst)) 10^{-4} From these measurements we determine the fractions of resonant events to be : f(B0-> D-/+ K*+/-) = 0.63 +/- 0.08(stat) +/- 0.04(syst) f(B0-> D*-/+ K*+/-) = 0.72 +/- 0.14(stat) +/- 0.05(syst)Comment: 7 pages, 3 figures submitted to Phys. Rev. Let