Simulation of attacks for security in wireless sensor network

The increasing complexity and low-power constraints of current Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN) require efficient methodologies for network simulation and embedded software performance analysis of nodes. In addition, security is also a very important feature that has to be addressed in most WSNs, since they may work with sensitive data and operate in hostile unattended environments. In this paper, a methodology for security analysis of Wireless Sensor Networks is presented. The methodology allows designing attack-aware embedded software/firmware or attack countermeasures to provide security in WSNs. The proposed methodology includes attacker modeling and attack simulation with performance analysis (node?s software execution time and power consumption estimation). After an analysis of different WSN attack types, an attacker model is proposed. This model defines three different types of attackers that can emulate most WSN attacks. In addition, this paper presents a virtual platform that is able to model the node hardware, embedded software and basic wireless channel features. This virtual simulation analyzes the embedded software behavior and node power consumption while it takes into account the network deployment and topology. Additionally, this simulator integrates the previously mentioned attacker model. Thus, the impact of attacks on power consumption and software behavior/execution-time can be analyzed. This provides developers with essential information about the effects that one or multiple attacks could have on the network, helping them to develop more secure WSN systems. This WSN attack simulator is an essential element of the attack-aware embedded software development methodology that is also introduced in this work.This work has been funded by the Spanish MICINN under the TEC2011-28666-C04-02 and TEC2014-58036-C4-3-R project

Air pollution from household solid fuel combustion in India: an overview of exposure and health related information to inform health research priorities

Environmental and occupational risk factors contribute to nearly 40% of the national burden of disease in India, with air pollution in the indoor and outdoor environment ranking amongst leading risk factors. It is now recognized that the health burden from air pollution exposures that primarily occur in the rural indoors, from pollutants released during the incomplete combustion of solid fuels in households, may rival or even exceed the burden attributable to urban outdoor exposures. Few environmental epidemiological efforts have been devoted to this setting, however. We provide an overview of important available information on exposures and health effects related to household solid fuel use in India, with a view to inform health research priorities for household air pollution and facilitate being able to address air pollution within an integrated rural–urban framework in the future

Prevalence of premenstrual syndrome among students – Stress a potential risk factor

Background: Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is a group of symptoms that occur prior to menstruation and disappear with its onset. This study aims to determine the prevalence and possible risk factors of PMS among the medical students. Methods: We conducted a cross sectional survey which includes 450 female health professional undergraduate and postgraduate students between the age group of 18–35years. A self-administered questionnaire for PMS and self-rating stress (perceived stress scale-PSS) was used to evaluate the prevalence and severity of the PMS. Results: The prevalence of PMS among the student was 76.35%. Prevalence of PMS was significantly higher among the participants of age group 18–21 years, hostellers, participants who reported irregular physical activity and participants with high stress levels. The most common psychological symptom of PMS reported was reduced social interaction, followed by irritability while the most common somatic symptoms were aches and pains - muscle pain followed by abdominal bloating. PSS levels were significantly higher in females with PMS as compared to females without PMS. Conclusion: This study suggests that stress is a potential risk factor in increasing the incidence of PMS among young girls. PMS can impact the academic performance and decrease quality of life of students. Thus, interventions such as yoga and mind relaxing techniques should be adopted to minimize stress levels and thus improve the quality of life among young females who experience PMS

Evaluation of mucociliary clearance among women using biomass and clean fuel in a periurban area of Chennai: A preliminary study

Background: Nasal mucociliary clearance (NMC) plays a crucial role in the defense of the airways against inhaled substances and is affected by various factors. The effect of particulate matter on NMC in women using biomass fuel has not been well studied. Aim: This cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the NMC time in biomass fuel users and compare it with that of clean fuel users. Materials and Methods: NMC time and Peak Expiratory Flow Rate (PEFR) were determined in women of age ranging from 18 to 45 years using biomass fuel (n=30) and clean fuel (n=30). The time taken to perceive the sweet taste, following placement of saccharin 1 cm behind the anterior end of inferior turbinate was recorded as NMC time. PEFR was measured using mini-Wright peak flow meter. Comparison between groups was analyzed using t-test and ANOVA in R statistical software. Results: NMC time was significantly prolonged in biomass fuel users (765.8 ± 378.16 s) in comparison to clean fuel users (545.4 ± 215.55 s). PEFR was significantly reduced (319.3 l/min) in biomass fuel users compared to clean fuel users (371.7 l/min). Women from lower socioeconomic status, lower literacy status, older undernourished women and women cooking for >15 years had prolonged Saccharin Transit Time (STT) and reduced PEFR. Conclusions: This study highlights the effects of indoor air pollution on respiratory defense mechanism. This simple noninvasive, inexpensive, screening test can be used as an early indicator of respiratory damage caused by exposure to air pollutants

Reactivity in rapidly collected hygiene and toilet spot check measurements: a cautionary note for longitudinal studies.

Discreet collection of spot check observations to measure household hygiene conditions is a common measurement technique in epidemiologic studies of hygiene in low-income countries. The objective of this study was to determine whether the collection of spot check observations in longitudinal studies could itself induce reactivity (i.e., change participant behavior). We analyzed data from a 12-month prospective cohort study in rural Tamil Nadu, India that was conducted in the absence of any hygiene or toilet promotion activities. Our data included hygiene and toilet spot checks from 10,427 household visits. We found substantial evidence of participant reactivity to spot check observations of hygiene practices that were easy to modify on short notice. For example, soap observed at the household's primary handwashing location increased from 49% at enrollment to 81% by the fourth visit and remained at or above 77% for the remainder of the study

Associations between High Temperature, Heavy Rainfall, and Diarrhea among Young Children in Rural Tamil Nadu, India: A Prospective Cohort Study.

BackgroundThe effects of weather on diarrhea could influence the health impacts of climate change. Children have the highest diarrhea incidence, especially in India, where many lack safe water and sanitation.ObjectivesIn a prospective cohort of 1,284 children under 5 y of age from 900 households across 25 villages in rural Tamil Nadu, India, we examined whether high temperature and heavy rainfall was associated with increased all-cause diarrhea and water contamination.MethodsSeven-day prevalence of diarrhea was assessed monthly for up to 12 visits from January 2008 to April 2009, and hydrogen sulfide ([Formula: see text]) presence in drinking water, a fecal contamination indicator, was tested in a subset of households. We estimated associations between temperature and rainfall exposures and diarrhea and [Formula: see text] using binomial regressions, adjusting for potential confounders, random effects for village, and autoregressive-1 error terms for study week.ResultsThere were 259 cases of diarrhea. The prevalence of diarrhea during the 7 d before visits was 2.95 times higher (95% CI: 1.99, 4.39) when mean temperature in the week before the 7-d recall was in the hottest versus the coolest quartile of weekly mean temperature during 1 December 2007 to 15 April 2009. Diarrhea prevalence was 1.50 times higher when the 3 weeks before the diarrhea recall period included [Formula: see text] (vs. 0 d) with rainfall of [Formula: see text] (95% CI: 1.12, 2.02), and 2.60 times higher (95% CI: 1.55, 4.36) for heavy rain weeks following a 60-d dry period. The [Formula: see text] prevalence in household water was not associated with heavy rain prior to sample collection.ConclusionsThe results suggest that, in rural Tamil Nadu, heavy rainfall may wash pathogens that accumulate during dry weather into child contact. Higher temperatures were positively associated with diarrhea 1-3 weeks later. Our findings suggest that diarrhea morbidity could worsen under climate change without interventions to reduce enteric pathogen transmission through multiple pathways. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP3711