Quantum Cyber-Attack on Blockchain-based VANET

Blockchain-based Vehicular Ad-hoc Network (VANET) is widely considered as secure communication architecture for a connected transportation system. With the advent of quantum computing, there are concerns regarding the vulnerability of this architecture against cyber-attacks. In this study, a potential threat is investigated in a blockchain-based VANET, and a corresponding quantum cyber-attack is developed. Specifically, a quantum impersonation attack using Quantum-Shor algorithm is developed to break the Rivest-Shamir-Adleman (RSA) encrypted digital signatures of VANET and thus create a threat for the trust-based blockchain scheme of VANET. A blockchain-based VANET, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, and vehicular mobility are simulated using OMNET++, the extended INET library, and vehicles-in-network simulation (VEINS) along with simulation of urban mobility (SUMO), respectively. A small key RSA based message encryption is implemented using IBM Qiskit, which is an open-source quantum software development kit. The findings reveal that the quantum cyber-attack, example, impersonation attack is able to successfully break the trust chain of a blockchain-based VANET. This highlights the need for a quantum secured blockchain.Comment: This paper consists of 10 pages with 7 figures. It has been submitted to IEEE Internet of Things Journa

Case-fatality ratio of blood culture–confirmed typhoid fever in Dhaka, Bangladesh

With impending rollout of new conjugate typhoid vaccines, better estimates of typhoid case-fatality ratio are needed for countries to set priorities for public health programs. We enrolled 1425 patients of all ages with blood culture–confirmed Salmonella Typhi from laboratory networks serving inpatients and outpatients in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Participants were asked about symptoms and complications including death experienced over a median 3-month period following blood culture diagnosis. Four fatal cases were identified (case-fatality ratio of 0.3% [95% confidence interval, .05%–.55%]). Applying this case-fatality ratio to global typhoid burden estimates would reduce deaths by 70%

Known risk factors and co-morbidities in 100 cases of cerebral palsy in a neu­rology follow-up clinic

Background: Cerebral palsy (CP) is a major cause of crippling in children. Several antenatal, natal and post natal factors for CP like birth asphyxia and pretenn & LBW deliveries were identified.Objective: To see the presence of known risk factors of CP and co-morbidities in our setting. Methods: ln this study 100 cases of cerebral palsy attending the child neurology out-patient department Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) were evaluated with special attention to risk factors of CP. Full evaluation was done to find out co-morbidities. Results: Birth asphyxia (49%) was the most common risk factor. Mental retardation; speech problem and seizure were common co-morbidities. Conclusion: As birth asphyxia is common risk factor of cerebral palsy, it may be reduced by improving perinatal care

Performance of Kala-Azar Surveillance in Gaffargaon Subdistrict of Mymensingh, Bangladesh

Introductio

Association between Infant- and Child-feeding Index and Nutritional Status: Results from a Cross-sectional Study among Children Attending an Urban Hospital in Bangladesh

Integration of infant- and child-feeding index (ICFI) addressing the multidimensional child-feeding practices into one age-specific summary index is gaining importance. This cross-sectional study was aimed at understanding the association between the ICFI and the nutritional status of 259 children, aged 6-23 months, who attended the paediatric outpatient department of the Dhaka Medical College Hospital in Bangladesh. The mean length-for-age z-score (LAZ) of children aged 12-23 months was significantly (p<0.05) higher among those who were at the upper ICFI tercile compared to those who were at the middle or lower ICFI tercile (-2.01 and -3.20 respectively). A significant correlation was found between the ICFI and the LAZ (r=0.24, p=0.01 and r=0.29, p=0.01) in children aged 6-8-months and 12-23-months. Multivariable analysis, after adjusting for potential confounders, also found a significant association between the ICFI and the LAZ (\u3b2=0.13, p=0.03). The predictive capability of the proposed ICFI on nutritional status of children, especially length-for-age, needs to be further evaluated prospectively among healthy children in the community

Familial Aggregation of Vibrio cholerae-associated Infection in Matlab, Bangladesh

Vibrio cholerae is a major cause of diarrhoeal illness in endemic regions, such as Bangladesh. Understanding the factors that determine an individual's susceptibility to infection due to V. cholerae may lead to improved prevention and control strategies. Increasing evidence suggests that human genetic factors affect the severity of V. cholerae-associated infection. This study, therefore, sought to characterize the heritable component of susceptibility to infection due to V. cholerae using the Matlab Health and Demographic Surveillance System database of the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh. In total, 144 pedigrees that included a cholera patient and 341 pedigrees without a cholera patient were evaluated during 1 January–31 December 1992. The odds of the sibling of a patient being admitted with cholera were 7.67 times the odds of the sibling of an unaffected individual being admitted with cholera [95% confidence interval (CI) 2.40–24.5, p<0.001], after adjustment for gender, age, socioeconomic status, and hygiene practices. Although exposure to environmental reservoirs is essential in the epidemiology of cholera, household-specific factors, such as familial relatedness to an index case, may also be important determinants of risk of cholera. Further analysis of human genetic factors that contribute to susceptibility to cholera may be productive

Measuring Coverage in MNCH:A Prospective Validation Study in Pakistan and Bangladesh on Measuring Correct Treatment of Childhood Pneumonia

Antibiotic treatment for pneumonia as measured by Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS) is a key indicator for tracking progress in achieving Millennium Development Goal 4. Concerns about the validity of this indicator led us to perform an evaluation in urban and rural settings in Pakistan and Bangladesh.Caregivers of 950 children under 5 y with pneumonia and 980 with "no pneumonia" were identified in urban and rural settings and allocated for DHS/MICS questions 2 or 4 wk later. Study physicians assigned a diagnosis of pneumonia as reference standard; the predictive ability of DHS/MICS questions and additional measurement tools to identify pneumonia versus non-pneumonia cases was evaluated. Results at both sites showed suboptimal discriminative power, with no difference between 2- or 4-wk recall. Individual patterns of sensitivity and specificity varied substantially across study sites (sensitivity 66.9% and 45.5%, and specificity 68.8% and 69.5%, for DHS in Pakistan and Bangladesh, respectively). Prescribed antibiotics for pneumonia were correctly recalled by about two-thirds of caregivers using DHS questions, increasing to 72% and 82% in Pakistan and Bangladesh, respectively, using a drug chart and detailed enquiry.Monitoring antibiotic treatment of pneumonia is essential for national and global programs. Current (DHS/MICS questions) and proposed new (video and pneumonia score) methods of identifying pneumonia based on maternal recall discriminate poorly between pneumonia and children with cough. Furthermore, these methods have a low yield to identify children who have true pneumonia. Reported antibiotic treatment rates among these children are therefore not a valid proxy indicator of pneumonia treatment rates. These results have important implications for program monitoring and suggest that data in its current format from DHS/MICS surveys should not be used for the purpose of monitoring antibiotic treatment rates in children with pneumonia at the present time

Operational research to identify amenable barriers to kala-azar elimination in Bangladesh

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is caused by protozoan Leishmania transmitted by the bite of Phlebotomus sand flies. The disease causes fever, emaciation, enlargement of liver and spleen, and darkening of the skin. Globally there are 200,000 to 400,000 VL cases from 79 countries and 20,000 to 40,000 consequent deaths annually. Eighty percent of the global VL cases are reported from South Asia where the disease is known as kala-azar meaning black fever. In Bangladesh, 12,000 to 25,000 kala-azar cases occurred every year during 2004-2008. South Asian kala-azar has been targeted for elimination since 2005 with a new agreement signed among Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal and Thailand in September 2014. The aim is to bring down the annual incidence to less than 1 per 10,000 population. Five strategies were identified: i) disease surveillance; ii) early diagnosis and treatment; iii) vector control; iv) social mobilization; v) research to support elimination. Operational Research (OR) to provide evidence on how to improve the performance of the programme is the basis of the research reported in this Thesis. I focus on kala-azar surveillance and on barriers to early diagnosis and treatment. I used qualitative and quantitative (mixed) methods in Mymensingh district in Bangladesh. After screening 9824 households obtained from multi-stage cluster sampling, I found 102 kala-azar cases who participated in the quantitative component of the study. Of them, 29 also participated in qualitative studies with in-depth interviews and focus group discussions. The monthly tallies of kala-azar cases reported to the government under-represented the actual cases that occurred by about 50% (95% CI: 37% - 63%). Supply and administration of kala-azar treatment drug at the Upazila (sub-district) Health Complex (UHC) significantly and positively associated with recording. Under-reporting arose due to high demands on responsible staff and the reporting burden for multiple diseases. The study found a median delay of two months between onset of fever and confirmatory diagnosis of kala-azar. There was low pre-illness awareness regarding symptoms and available treatment facilities. Most care seeking started with unqualified village doctors in the community. The frequency of early diagnosis was greater in public than private facilities. The qualified providers, adhering to the national guidelines, had to wait for the development of palpable spleen before confirming diagnosis of treatment. Delay arose with treatment for other febrile systemic illnesses, particularly typhoid. Other causes of delay included poverty, limited education, and various transport difficulties. To improve kala-azar control in Bangladesh a community awareness campaign designed in local context is needed. The national guidelines for kala-azar diagnosis need to be reviewed and modified. The government health system needs to be able to test for kala-azar at the union and village level. There is scope to improve surveillance which is the only source of information on the nationwide incidence of kala-azar. Findings of this Thesis reinforce the importance and complexity of the multi-country kala-azar elimination programme now underway in South Asia. The next five years will be very important to the eventual elimination of kala-azar

Zika virus infection and Commonwealth Games 2018 on the Gold Coast, Australia

Highlights: Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast, Australia in 2018 (GC2018) will bring in visitors, athletes and officials from 71 countries. Zika virus (ZIKV) infected visitors will likely be there and the local transmission of ZIKV during GC2018 will largely depend on the future growth of Aedes mosquito population in the area. Control of Aedes mosquito population, and early detection and containment of any imported cases will be essential for the prevention of local transmission of Zika during GC2018

Flooding in Townsville, North Queensland, Australia, in February 2019 and Its Effects on Mosquito-Borne Diseases

In February 2019, a major flooding event occurred in Townsville, North Queensland, Australia. Here we present a prediction of the occurrence of mosquito-borne diseases (MBDs) after the flooding. We used a mathematical modelling approach based on mosquito population abundance, survival, and size as well as current infectiousness to predict the changes in the occurrences of MBDs due to flooding in the study area. Based on 2019 year-to-date number of notifiable MBDs, we predicted an increase in number of cases, with a peak at 104 by one-half month after the flood receded. The findings in this study indicate that Townsville may see an upsurge in the cases of MBDs in the coming days. However, the burden of diseases will go down again if the mosquito control program being implemented by the City Council continues. As our predictions focus on the near future, longer term effects of flooding on the occurrence of mosquito-borne diseases need to be studied further