Monitoring DBMS activity to detect insider threat using query selectivity

The objective of the research presented in this thesis is to evaluate the importance of query selectivity for monitoring DBMS activity and detect insider threat. We propose query selectivity as an additional component to an existing anomaly detection system (ADS). We first look at the advantages of working with this particular ADS. This is followed by a discussion about some existing limitations in the anomaly detection system (ADS) and how it affects its overall performance. We look at what query selectivity is and how it can help improve upon the existing limitations of the ADS. The system is then implemented using Java on top of the existing query parser used by the AD mechanism which in itself is written in Java. Towards the end, we look at how our version of the anomaly detection mechanism using query selectivity fares against a Relational database management system (RDBMS) query optimizer. With high accuracy results that closely match the results produced by the underlying query optimizer, we provide some proof of concept (PoC) for adding query selectivity to the existing AD mechanism. We conclude that a tool to analyze SQL and evaluate query selectivity is required to make the anomaly detection mechanism more maintainable and self-sustained

Preoperative estimation of humerus intramedullary nail length using clinical landmarks

Purpose: Intramedullary interlocking nailing is one of the accepted methods of treating humerus diaphyseal fractures. Appropriate nail length and diameter are of paramount importance to achieve a stable fracture fixation. Estimating the nail length can be as challenging in certain cases as it is important. This study aims to provide an easy-to-use formula utilizing clinical measurements from contra lateral arm to accurately estimate humeral nail length. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at 3 tertiary care hospitals in Mangalore, India. Patients above the age of 18 years coming to the outpatient department with elbow, shoulder or arm complaints requiring radiological investigation from July 2021 to July 2022 were included. Patients with fractures or dislocations of upper limbs, malunited or non-united fractures of upper limbs, congenital or developmental deformities and patients with open growth plates were excluded. Patients’ variables (like age and gender), radiological humerus length and contralateral arm clinical measurements were recorded. An independent samples t-test was used for univariate analysis, and linear regression analysis was done to estimate the desired nail length using the clinical measurement of the humerus (cm) in both genders separately. The significance level was set at p < 0.05. Results: Our study included 204 participants of which 108 were male and 96 were female. The formula for predicting humeral nail length in males is (−2.029) + (0.883 × clinical measurement). The formula for females is 1.862 + (0.741 × clinical measurement). A simplified formula to determine humeral nail length is 0.9 clinical length – 2 cm (in males) and 0.7 × clinical length + 2 cm (in females). Conclusion: To improve the stability of fixation with intramedullary nails it is imperative to select the appropriate nail length. There have been studies that devised reliable methods of determining nail lengths in the tibia and femur using preoperative clinical measurements. A similar clinical method of determining humeral nail length is lacking in the literature. Our study was able to correlate radiological lengths of the humerus medullary canal with clinical measurements performed using anatomical landmarks to arrive at a formula. This allows for a reliable and easy nail length determination preoperatively

Visual speech enhancement without a real visual stream

In this work, we re-think the task of speech enhancement in unconstrained real-world environments. Current state- of-the-art methods use only the audio stream and are limited in their performance in a wide range of real-world noises. Recent works using lip movements as additional cues improve the quality of generated speech over "audio-only "methods. But, these methods cannot be used for several applications where the visual stream is unreliable or completely absent. We propose a new paradigm for speech enhancement by exploiting recent breakthroughs in speech- driven lip synthesis. Using one such model as a teacher network, we train a robust student network to produce accurate lip movements that mask away the noise, thus acting as a "visual noise filter". The intelligibility of the speech enhanced by our pseudo-lip approach is comparable ( &lt; 3% difference) to the case of using real lips. This implies that we can exploit the advantages of using lip movements even in the absence of a real video stream. We rigorously evaluate our model using quantitative metrics as well as human evaluations. Additional ablation studies and a demo video on our website containing qualitative comparisons and results clearly illustrate the effectiveness of our approach.</p

Magnetically Maneuvered Bioceramic Nanostructures Cures Dental Hypersensitivity

Dental hypersensitivity is an acute pain triggered by everyday stimuli, like extremes of temperature or pH, affecting more than one billion people worldwide. The condition occurs when dentinal tubules are exposed through enamel loss or cementum erosion of the tooth, stimulating nerves located in the peripheral odontoblast zone of the pulp. Existing treatments, such as sensitive toothpastes and adhesive resins, offer short-term relief and are often ineffective, leaving patients reliant on continuous interventions. Here, we demonstrate a new approach to cure dental hypersensitivity using nanoparticles made of magnetic bioactive glass called "CalBots." These sub-micron particles can be maneuvered up to 300 µm deep inside the dentinal tubules for both human and murine teeth, thereafter, triggering the formation of a biocompatible seal and thus preventing response of the exposed tubules and their nerve fibers to external stimuli. We demonstrate CalBots to be non-toxic to animals, at least up to a dosage of 550 mg/kg bodyweight of the animal. Our controlled animal trial experiments, featuring various control groups, demonstrated a remarkable 100% recovery from dental hypersensitivity within the treatment group. In contrast, none of the other groups, encompassing four control groups and one negative control group, exhibited any signs of recovery. The temporal efficacy of our CalBot-based treatment protocol surpasses that of current toothpaste-based solutions available in the market by providing pain relief for a duration orders of magnitude more than the standard 24-48 hours

Exploring acoustic properties of banana fiber composites with elastomeric filler through a computational approach

In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the use of natural fibers as reinforcements in composites. This trend is mainly driven by their eco-friendly nature and wide availability. The objective of this research is to explore the extensive potential of combining Banana Fiber with Tyre Rubber Particles (TRP) as elastomeric fillers in natural fiber composites, focusing primarily on their applications in the automotive and aeronautical industries, particularly in terms of acoustic response. The composite sequences were named as NFC-I to NFC-V, where NFC represented Natural Fiber Composites. To thoroughly investigate the acoustic properties of these innovative composites, experimental analysis on the impedance tube was conducted along with numerical simulations on the Ansys Harmonic Acoustics ^® module with Transmission Loss (TL) as the key parameter. An orthotropic material model based on the chopped fiber RVE (Representative Volume Element) was developed on the Ansys 2022 R1 ^® Material Designer Module which could be deemed as the novelty of the current work. From the results, it was seen that within the designated frequency bands, specifically the low (67–400 Hz), medium (400–1900 Hz), and high (1900–6300 Hz) ranges, the NFC-4 (15 wt% of TRP) composite consistently demonstrated the lowest average TL values. Conversely, NFC-3 (27 wt% of TRP) consistently showcased the highest TL values, reaching a peak of 27.13 dB in the low-frequency range and 46.73 dB in the high-frequency range. The results obtained from the impedance tube experiments align remarkably well with the numerical simulation outputs, demonstrating the reliability of the numerical model in estimating the transmission loss of composite laminatesa crucial parameter for evaluating acoustic performance

Dirty Jobs: Macrophages at the Heart of Cardiovascular Disease

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is one of the greatest public health concerns and is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States and worldwide. CVD is a broad yet complex term referring to numerous heart and vascular conditions, all with varying pathologies. Macrophages are one of the key factors in the development of these conditions. Macrophages play diverse roles in the maintenance of cardiovascular homeostasis, and an imbalance of these mechanisms contributes to the development of CVD. In the current review, we provide an in-depth analysis of the diversity of macrophages, their roles in maintaining tissue homeostasis within the heart and vasculature, and the mechanisms through which imbalances in homeostasis may lead to CVD. Through this review, we aim to highlight the potential importance of macrophages in the identification of preventative, diagnostic, and therapeutic strategies for patients with CVD

As We Drink and Breathe: Adverse Health Effects of Microcystins and Other Harmful Algal Bloom Toxins in the Liver, Gut, Lungs and Beyond

Freshwater harmful algal blooms (HABs) are increasing in number and severity worldwide. These HABs are chiefly composed of one or more species of cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae, such as Microcystis and Anabaena. Numerous HAB cyanobacterial species produce toxins (e.g., microcystin and anatoxin&mdash;collectively referred to as HAB toxins) that disrupt ecosystems, impact water and air quality, and deter recreation because they are harmful to both human and animal health. Exposure to these toxins can occur through ingestion, inhalation, or skin contact. Acute health effects of HAB toxins have been well documented and include symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhea, headache, fever, and skin rashes. While these adverse effects typically increase with amount, duration, and frequency of exposure, susceptibility to HAB toxins may also be increased by the presence of comorbidities. The emerging science on potential long-term or chronic effects of HAB toxins with a particular emphasis on microcystins, especially in vulnerable populations such as those with pre-existing liver or gastrointestinal disease, is summarized herein. This review suggests additional research is needed to define at-risk populations who may be helped by preventative measures. Furthermore, studies are required to develop a mechanistic understanding of chronic, low-dose exposure to HAB toxins so that appropriate preventative, diagnostic, and therapeutic strategies can be created in a targeted fashion

3rd National Conference on Image Processing, Computing, Communication, Networking and Data Analytics

This volume contains contributed articles presented in the conference NCICCNDA 2018, organized by the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, GSSS Institute of Engineering and Technology for Women, Mysore, Karnataka (India) on 28th April 2018