Incremental Common Criteria certification processes using DevSecOps practices

The growing digitalisation of our economies and societies is driving the need for increased connectivity of critical applications and infrastructures to the point where failures can lead to important disruptions and consequences to our lives. One growing source of failures for critical applications and infrastructures originates from cybersecurity threats and vulnerabilities that can be exploited in attacks. One approach to mitigating these risks is verifying that critical applications and infrastructures are sufficiently protected by certification of products and services. However, reaching sufficient assurance levels for product certification may require detailed evaluation of product properties. An important challenge for product certification is dealing with product evolution: now that critical applications and infras- tructures are connected they are being updated on a more frequent basis. To ensure continuity of certification, updates must be analysed to verify the impact on certified cybersecurity properties. Impacted properties need to be re-certified. This paper proposes a lightweight and flexible incremental certification process that can be integrated with DevSecOps practices to automate as much as possible evidence gathering and certification activities. The approach is illustrated on the Common Criteria product certification scheme and a firewall update on an automotive case study. Only the impact analysis phase of the incremental certification process is illustrated

Effects of rituximab in two patients with dysferlin-deficient muscular dystrophy

Background. The administration of rituximab (RTX) in vivo results in B-cell depletion, but evidence for multiple mechanisms of action have been reported. Surprisingly, B cell depletion produced a response in patients with polymyositis, which is characterized as a T cell-mediated autoimmune disorder with biopsy findings similar to Miyoshi myopathy (MM). Indeed, in dysferlinopathies, there is evidence of immune system involvement including the presence of muscle inflammation and a down regulation of the complement inhibitory factor, CD55. Methods. Two patients were treated with four weekly infusions of RTX 375 mg/m2. To measure the improvement in muscle strength after treatment, the isometric hand grip maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) was measured by load cell four times during treatment, and again after one year. In order to assess the reproducibility of our grip assessment, we determined the hand MVC analysis in 16 healthy subjects. Moreover, we measured the number of B cells present in patients by flow cytometric analysis during the course of treatment. Results. The analysis of B cell number during the course of treatment showed that CD20- and CD19-positive cells were depleted to 0-0.01%. The decrease in B cells was followed by an improvement in the mobility of the pelvic and shoulder girdles as shown by the MRC%. The MVC values of both patients began at values lower than normal whereas during treatment patients had improved percentage of muscle strength. The strength peak in both patients coincided with the minimum B cell values. There were no severe adverse events associated with an infusion of RTX. Conclusion. We consider the increase in muscle strength observed in both treated patients to be a consequence of their treatment with RTX. To our knowledge, these are the first cases of increased muscle strength in patients with MM. Furthermore, the results of this study indicate that B cell depletion with RTX may be useful in the treatment of patients affected by MM, suggesting a possible role for B cells in the pathophysiology of this muscle disorder

Operator product expansion and quark condensate from Lattice QCD in coordinate space

We present a Lattice QCD determination of the chiral quark condensate based on a new method. We extract the quark condensate from the operator product expansion of the quark propagator at short euclidean distances, where it represents the leading contribution in the chiral limit. From this study we obtain ^ms(2 GeV)=-(265+-5+-22 MeV)^3$, in good agreement with determinations of this quantity based on different approaches. The simulation is performed by using the O(a)-improved Wilson action at beta=6.45 on a volume 32^3\times70 in the quenched approximation

Next-to-leading order strong interaction corrections to the Delta F=2 effective Hamiltonian in the MSSM

We compute the next-to-leading order strong interaction corrections to gluino-mediated Delta F=2 box diagrams in the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model. These corrections are given by two loop diagrams which we have calculated in three different regularization schemes in the mass insertion approximation. We obtain the next-to-leading order Wilson coefficients of the Delta F=2 effective Hamiltonian relevant for neutral meson mixings. We find that the matching scale uncertainty is largely reduced at the next-to-leading order, typically from about 10-15% to few percent.Comment: 26 pages, 8 figure

CP violation and Leptogenesis in models with Minimal Lepton Flavour Violation

We investigate the viability of leptogenesis in models with three heavy right-handed neutrinos, where the charged-lepton and the neutrino Yukawa couplings are the only irreducible sources of lepton-flavour symmetry breaking (Minimal Lepton Flavour Violation hypothesis). We show that in this framework a specific type of resonant leptogenesis can be successfully accomplished. For natural values of the free parameters, this mechanism requires a high right-handed neutrino mass scale (M_\nu \gsim 10^{12} GeV). By means of a general effective field theory approach, we analyse the impact of the CP violating phases responsible for leptogenesis on the low-energy FCNC observables and derive bounds on the scale of flavour violating new physics interactions. As a result of the high value of the scale of total lepton-number violation, in this class of models the $\mu\to e\gamma$ decay is expected to be close to the present exclusion limit (under the additional assumption of new particles carrying lepton flavour at the TeV scale).Comment: 19 pages, 9 figures; v2: new appendix, added note on hep-ph/0609067, and other minor modification

Amniotic Mesenchymal Stem Cells: A New Source for Hepatocyte-Like Cells and Induction of CFTR Expression by Coculture with Cystic Fibrosis Airway Epithelial Cells

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a monogenic disease caused by mutations in the CF transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene, with lung and liver manifestations. Because of pitfalls of gene therapy, novel approaches for reconstitution of the airway epithelium and CFTR expression should be explored. In the present study, human amniotic mesenchymal stem cells (hAMSCs) were isolated from term placentas and characterized for expression of phenotypic and pluripotency markers, and for differentiation potential towards mesoderm (osteogenic and adipogenic) lineages. Moreover, hAMSCs were induced to differentiate into hepatocyte-like cells, as demonstrated by mixed function oxidase activity and expression of albumin, alpha1-antitrypsin, and CK19. We also investigated the CFTR expression in hAMSCs upon isolation and in coculture with CF airway epithelial cells. Freshly isolated hAMSCs displayed low levels of CFTR mRNA, which even decreased with culture passages. Following staining with the vital dye CM-DiI, hAMSCs were mixed with CFBE41o- respiratory epithelial cells and seeded onto permeable filters. Flow cytometry demonstrated that 33–50% of hAMSCs acquired a detectable CFTR expression on the apical membrane, a result confirmed by confocal microscopy. Our data show that amniotic MSCs have the potential to differentiate into epithelial cells of organs relevant in CF pathogenesis and may contribute to partial correction of the CF phenotype

PRODUÇÃO CIENTÍFICA SOBRE TRILHAS INTERPRETATIVAS EM PERIÓDICOS NACIONAIS DA ÁREA DE EDUCAÇÃO FÍSICA

In this article, a literature review was carried out in order to identify the scientific production in national journals in the field of Physical Education on interpretative trails between the years 2010 to 2020. Publications in national journals evaluated between A1 and B2 by WebQualis were searched (2013 – 2016), using the descriptors: trail, interpretive trail, trail, trail-walking, hiking and interpretive trails. Nine articles were selected from the proposed objective divided into two categories of analysis: informative / environmental perceptions (IEP); and continuing education, attitudes and procedures (CEAP). The research shows that, although there is little research on the subject, there is a growing human search for a connection with nature, using protected areas as a means of contact with the natural environment. Moreover, it points to the need for Environmental Education to be present in the driving on trails work, in addition to suggesting continuous and transdisciplinary training, given the heterogeneous characteristics of the public that seeks contact with nature through the trails.En este artículo se realizó una revisión bibliográfica con el fin de identificar la producción científica en periódicos nacionales del campo de la Educación Física en senderos interpretativas entre los años 2010 a 2020. Se buscaron publicaciones en periódicos nacionales evaluadas entre A1 y B2 por WebQualis (2013 – 2016), utilizando los descriptores: sendero, sendero interpretativo, trail, trail-walking, hiking e interpretative trails. Del objetivo propuesto se seleccionaron nueve artículos divididos en dos categorías de análisis: informativo/percepciones ambientales (PEI); y educación continua, actitudes y procedimientos (CEAP). La investigación muestra que, aunque hay poca investigación sobre el tema, existe una creciente búsqueda humana por una conexión con la naturaleza, utilizando las áreas protegidas como medio de contacto con el medio natural. Además, apunta a la necesidad de que la Educación Ambiental esté presente en el trabajo de conducción en senderos, además de sugerir una formación continua y transdisciplinaria, dadas las características heterogéneas del público que busca el contacto con la naturaleza a través de los senderos.Neste artigo, realizou-se uma revisão de literatura a fim de identificar a produção cientifica em periódicos nacionais na área de Educação Física sobre trilhas interpretativas entre os anos de 2010 a 2020. Foram pesquisadas publicações em periódicos nacionais avaliados entre A1 e B2 pelo WebQualis (2013 – 2016), utilizando os descritores: trilha, trilha interpretativa, trail, trail-walking, hiking e interpretative trails. Nove artigos foram selecionados a partir do objetivo proposto divididos em duas categorias de análise: informativa / percepções ambientais (IPA); e formação continuada, atitudes e procedimentos (FCAP). A pesquisa evidencia que apesar de haver poucas pesquisas sobre o tema, há uma crescente busca do ser humano por uma conexão com a natureza, utilizando áreas protegidas como meio de contato com o ambiente natural. Ademais aponta à necessidade da Educação Ambiental se fazer presente no trabalho de condução em trilhas, além de sugerir uma formação continuada e transdisciplinar, haja vista as características heterogêneas do público que busca o contato com a natureza por meio das trilhas. &nbsp

Efficacy of radiotherapy in normalizing serum IGF-I, acid-labile subunit (ALS) and IGFBP-3 levels in acromegaly

OBJECTIVE: Radiotherapy (RT) has been used for many years in order to complete the cure of unsuccessfully operated acromegalic patients. Several studies have shown its efficacy in normalizing GH levels, while reports about IGF-I normalization are conflicting. Moreover, data regarding other markers of disease activity, such as IGFBP-3 and acid-labile subunit (ALS), i.e. the other two components of the circulating 150 kDa complex, are lacking. DESIGN: Retrospective study. PATIENTS AND MEASUREMENTS: Sixty-seven acromegalic patients (20 males and 47 females, aged 40 \ub1 6 years) who underwent postoperative RT (in fractionated doses for a total of 40-75 Gy) were followed-up for 11 \ub1 6 years (range: 1-26 years, median: 10 years). Serum GH and IGF-I levels off medical therapy were measured in all patients; ALS and IGFBP-3 were measured in 11 patients with normalization of IGF-I concentrations. Computed tomography or nuclear magnetic resonance imaging periodically assessed possible development of pituitary deficiency along with imaging of the hypothalamic-pituitary region. RESULTS: Forty-one out of 67 patients (58%) achieved GH levels < 2.5 \u3bcg/l by 1-15 years after RT (mean 8 \ub1 6) and 37/67 patients (55%) had normal or low IGF-I levels 1-26 years after RT (mean: 12 \ub1 6), a normalization of both parameters being seen in 37 patients. GH < 2.5 \u3bcg/l and normal IGF-I levels were achieved in 17/26 (65%) patients followed-up for at least 15 years. ALS and IGFBP-3 concentrations paralleled IGF-I levels in all patients studied. With respect to secondary pituitary insufficiency, acquired ACTH deficiency was found in 25 patients, TSH deficiency in 20, gonadotropin deficiency in 23 and GH deficiency in seven. In total, two cases of meningioma and one pineal tumour, possibly related to RT, were seen 9-22 years after RT. CONCLUSIONS: RT is an effective, although slow-acting, therapeutic tool for acromegaly, with 'safe' GH levels and normal IGF-I concentrations being achieved in 65% of patients after 15 years. IGF-I levels normalize more slowly than GH levels. Radiotherapy is able to normalize the concentration of all three components of the circulating 150 kDa complex. Checks for loss of pituitary function and appearance of second brain tumours must be carried out life-long