Failure prediction systems in automatic teller machines

Mestrado em Cibersegurança na Escola Superior de Tecnologia e Gestão do Instituto Politécnico de Viana do CasteloAutomatic Teller Machines (ATM) are a form of access to banking services widely used by end customers. The fact that they are available to users 24 hours a day and 7 days a week (24x7) makes these devices one of the most used services in the banking world. Therefore, the availability of ATMs is essential for evaluating service quality. Like all computer equipment, these machines have hardware and software failures. These incidents have the direct consequence of the non-availability of functions to the end customer, leading to service degradation and user dissatisfaction. These failures can also give rise to ATM security flaws, since human intervention is normally required to repair the equipment, giving third parties access to data on banking transactions that have taken place and/or the cash present on the equipment. This project focuses on predicting failures in this equipment, consequently increasing the security of the equipment and the network in which it is inserted. Through Data Analysis methodologies, decision support tools were created to predict and increase Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF), thus contributing to reducing Mean Time to Repair (MTTR) and consequently maximizing uptime. A Preventative Maintenance approach was also used on the equipment, which contributed to a positive percentage increase in equipment availability.As Automatic Teller Machines (ATM) são uma forma de acesso a serviços bancários amplamente usada pelo cliente final. O facto de estarem disponíveis aos utilizadores 24 horas por dia e 7 dias por semana (24x7), torna estes equipamentos num dos serviços mais utilizados do mundo bancário. Assim, a disponibilidade das ATM é fundamental para a avaliação da qualidade de serviço. Como todos os equipamentos informáticos, estas máquinas têm falhas a nível de hardware e de software. Estes incidentes, tem como consequência direta a não disponibilidade de funções ao cliente final, originando a degradação do serviço e a insatisfação dos utilizadores. Estas falhas podem também dar origem a falhas de segurança do ATM, uma vez que para reparação do equipamento é, normalmente, necessária intervenção humana, originando acesso de terceiros a dados de transações bancárias ocorridos e/ou ao numerário presente no equipamento. Este projeto incide na previsão das falhas nestes equipamentos, aumentando consequentemente a segurança do equipamento e da rede em que o mesmo está inserido. Através de metodologias de Análise de Dados, foram criadas ferramentas de apoio à decisão para prever e aumentar o Tempo Médio entre em Avarias (MTBF), contribuindo dessa forma para a redução do Tempo Médio de Reparação (MTTR) e consequentemente maximizando o uptime. Foi também usada uma abordagem de Manutenção Preventiva nos equipamentos, o que contribuiu para um aumento percentual positivo da disponibilidade dos mesmos

Randomized, phase 1/2, double-blind pioglitazone repositioning trial combined with antifungals for the treatment of cryptococcal meningitis – PIO study

Background: Cryptococcosis affects more than 220,000 patients/year, with high mortality even when the standard treatment [amphotericin B (AMB), 5-flucytosin (5-FC) and fluconazole] is used. AMB presents high toxicity and 5-FC is not currently available in Brazil. In a pre-clinical study, pioglitazone (PIO - an antidiabetic drug) decreased AMB toxicity and lead to an increased mice survival, reduced morbidity and fungal burden in brain and lungs. The aim of this trial is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of PIO combined with standard antifungal treatment for human cryptococcosis. Methods: A phase 1/2, randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled trial will be performed with patients from Belo Horizonte, Brazil. They will be divided into three groups (placebo, PIO 15 mg/day or PIO 45 mg/day) and will receive an additional pill during the induction phase of cryptococcosis’ treatment. Our hypothesis is that treated patients will have increased survival, so the primary outcome will be the mortality rate. Patients will be monitored for survival, side effects, fungal burden and inflammatory mediators in blood and cerebrospinal fluid. The follow up will occur for up 60 days. Conclusions: We expect that PIO will be an adequate adjuvant to the standard cryptococcosis’ treatment. Trial registration: ICTRP/WHO (and International Clinical Trial Registry Plataform (ICTRP/WHO) (http://apps.who.int/trialsearch/Trial2.aspx?TrialID=RBR-9fv3f4), RBR-9fv3f4 (http://www.ensaiosclinicos.gov.br/rg/RBR-9fv3f4). UTN Number: U1111-1226-1535. Ethical approvement number: CAAE 17377019.0.0000.5149

Resumos concluídos - Saúde Coletiva

Resumos concluídos - Saúde Coletiv

NEOTROPICAL CARNIVORES: a data set on carnivore distribution in the Neotropics

Mammalian carnivores are considered a key group in maintaining ecological health and can indicate potential ecological integrity in landscapes where they occur. Carnivores also hold high conservation value and their habitat requirements can guide management and conservation plans. The order Carnivora has 84 species from 8 families in the Neotropical region: Canidae; Felidae; Mephitidae; Mustelidae; Otariidae; Phocidae; Procyonidae; and Ursidae. Herein, we include published and unpublished data on native terrestrial Neotropical carnivores (Canidae; Felidae; Mephitidae; Mustelidae; Procyonidae; and Ursidae). NEOTROPICAL CARNIVORES is a publicly available data set that includes 99,605 data entries from 35,511 unique georeferenced coordinates. Detection/non-detection and quantitative data were obtained from 1818 to 2018 by researchers, governmental agencies, non-governmental organizations, and private consultants. Data were collected using several methods including camera trapping, museum collections, roadkill, line transect, and opportunistic records. Literature (peer-reviewed and grey literature) from Portuguese, Spanish and English were incorporated in this compilation. Most of the data set consists of detection data entries (n = 79,343; 79.7%) but also includes non-detection data (n = 20,262; 20.3%). Of those, 43.3% also include count data (n = 43,151). The information available in NEOTROPICAL CARNIVORES will contribute to macroecological, ecological, and conservation questions in multiple spatio-temporal perspectives. As carnivores play key roles in trophic interactions, a better understanding of their distribution and habitat requirements are essential to establish conservation management plans and safeguard the future ecological health of Neotropical ecosystems. Our data paper, combined with other large-scale data sets, has great potential to clarify species distribution and related ecological processes within the Neotropics. There are no copyright restrictions and no restriction for using data from this data paper, as long as the data paper is cited as the source of the information used. We also request that users inform us of how they intend to use the data

NEOTROPICAL ALIEN MAMMALS: a data set of occurrence and abundance of alien mammals in the Neotropics

Biological invasion is one of the main threats to native biodiversity. For a species to become invasive, it must be voluntarily or involuntarily introduced by humans into a nonnative habitat. Mammals were among first taxa to be introduced worldwide for game, meat, and labor, yet the number of species introduced in the Neotropics remains unknown. In this data set, we make available occurrence and abundance data on mammal species that (1) transposed a geographical barrier and (2) were voluntarily or involuntarily introduced by humans into the Neotropics. Our data set is composed of 73,738 historical and current georeferenced records on alien mammal species of which around 96% correspond to occurrence data on 77 species belonging to eight orders and 26 families. Data cover 26 continental countries in the Neotropics, ranging from Mexico and its frontier regions (southern Florida and coastal-central Florida in the southeast United States) to Argentina, Paraguay, Chile, and Uruguay, and the 13 countries of Caribbean islands. Our data set also includes neotropical species (e.g., Callithrix sp., Myocastor coypus, Nasua nasua) considered alien in particular areas of Neotropics. The most numerous species in terms of records are from Bos sp. (n = 37,782), Sus scrofa (n = 6,730), and Canis familiaris (n = 10,084); 17 species were represented by only one record (e.g., Syncerus caffer, Cervus timorensis, Cervus unicolor, Canis latrans). Primates have the highest number of species in the data set (n = 20 species), partly because of uncertainties regarding taxonomic identification of the genera Callithrix, which includes the species Callithrix aurita, Callithrix flaviceps, Callithrix geoffroyi, Callithrix jacchus, Callithrix kuhlii, Callithrix penicillata, and their hybrids. This unique data set will be a valuable source of information on invasion risk assessments, biodiversity redistribution and conservation-related research. There are no copyright restrictions. Please cite this data paper when using the data in publications. We also request that researchers and teachers inform us on how they are using the data