Modified Timed Efficient Stream Loss-tolerant Authentication to Secure Power Line Communication

This paper investigates the feasibility of Timed Efficient Stream Loss-tolerant Authentica- tion to serve security needs of Power Line Communication (PLC) system. PLC network has been identified as the ideal choice to function as the last mile network, deliver load management messages to smart meters. However, there is need to address the security concerns for load management messages delivered over power line communications. The ubiquitous nature of the power line communication infrastructure exposes load management systems (LMS) deployed over it to a security risk. Ordinarily, PLC network does not em- ploy any security measures on which the smart meters and data concentrators can depend on. Therefore, the need to provide a secure mechanism for communication of load man- agement system messages over a PLC network. In LMS, source authentication is of highest priority because we need to respond only to messages from an authenticated source. This is achieved by investigating suitable robust authentication protocols. In this paper we present modifications to Timed Efficient Stream Loss-tolerant Authentication for secure authentica- tion to secure messages for load management over PLC. We demonstrate that PLC can be used to securely and effectively deliver Load Management messages to smart meters, with minimal overhead.

Early Bacterial Cultures from Open Fractures - Differences Before and After Debridement

Background: The pattern of organisms found in open fractures is important in the selection of antibiotics for prophylaxis and empirical treatment. So far, there is paucity of data on local patterns of bacteria contaminating and infecting open fractures and their antibiotic susceptibility profile. Objective: To describe the pattern and antibiotic susceptibility of bacterial isolates obtained within 24 hours of injury from open fractures and to compare these to bacterial isolates from fractures that subsequently develop infection. Methods: A prospective study of 98 patients with open fractures seen at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) within 24 hours of injury between November 2015 and March 2016 was conducted. Swabs for culture and sensitivity were taken from the wounds and antibiotics initiated.Surgical debridement was subsequently carried out witha 14 day follow up for wound infection. Wounds thatbecame infected were sampled for cultures And sensitivity. Results: Fifty-one (52.2%) pre debridement wound samples had positive cultures. Staphylococcus aureus and (Coagulase Negative) CON Staphylococci were the predominant gram positive isolates. At 14 days’ follow-up, the infection rate was58.9 %. The predominant gram positive isolate was Staphylococcus aureus. Only 5.7% of the pre-debridement isolates were similar to the post debridement isolates. Conclusions: The contaminating organisms are not similar to the organisms isolated from injuries that later develop infection.Key words: Open fracture, Antibiotics, Infection, Bacterial cultures

Network capacity enhancement in HetNets using incentivized offloading mechanism

This work investigates distributed algorithms for joint power allocation and user association in heterogeneous networks. We propose auction-based algorithms for offloading macrocell users (MUs) from the macrocell base station (MBS) to privately owned small-cell access points (SCAs). We first propose a simultaneous multiple-round ascending auction (SMRA) for allocating MUs to SCAs. Taking into account the overheads incurred by SCAs during valuation in the SMRA, further improvements are proposed using techniques known as sub-optimal altered SMRA (ASMRA), the combinatorial auction with item bidding (CAIB) and its variations; the sequential CAIB (SCAIB) and the repetitive CAIB (RCAIB). The proof for existence of the Walrasian equilibrium (WE) is demonstrated through establishing that the valuation function used by the SCAs is a gross substitute. Finally, we show that truthful bidding is individual rational for all of our proposed algorithms

Random linear network coding based physical layer security for relay-aided device-to-device communication

We investigate physical layer security design, which employs random linear network coding with opportunistic relaying and jamming to exploit the secrecy benefit of both source and relay transmissions. The proposed scheme requires the source to transmit artificial noise along with a confidential message. Moreover, in order to further improve the dynamical behaviour of the network against an eavesdropping attack, aggregated power controlled transmissions with optimal power allocation strategy is considered. The network security is accurately characterised by the probability that the eavesdropper will manage to intercept a sufficient number of coded packets to partially or fully recover the confidential message

Indoor Visible Light Communication:A Tutorial and Survey

Abstract With the advancement of solid-state devices for lighting, illumination is on the verge of being completely restructured. This revolution comes with numerous advantages and viable opportunities that can transform the world of wireless communications for the better. Solid-state LEDs are rapidly replacing the contemporary incandescent and fluorescent lamps. In addition to their high energy efficiency, LEDs are desirable for their low heat generation, long lifespan, and their capability to switch on and off at an extremely high rate. The ability of switching between different levels of luminous intensity at such a rate has enabled the inception of a new communication technology referred to as visible light communication (VLC). With this technology, the LED lamps are additionally being used for data transmission. This paper provides a tutorial and a survey of VLC in terms of the design, development, and evaluation techniques as well as current challenges and their envisioned solutions. The focus of this paper is mainly directed towards an indoor setup. An overview of VLC, theory of illumination, system receivers, system architecture, and ongoing developments are provided. We further provide some baseline simulation results to give a technical background on the performance of VLC systems. Moreover, we provide the potential of incorporating VLC techniques in the current and upcoming technologies such as fifth-generation (5G), beyond fifth-generation (B5G) wireless communication trends including sixth-generation (6G), and intelligent reflective surfaces (IRSs) among others

A Secured Data Management Scheme for Smart Societies in Industrial Internet of Things Environment

Smart societies have an increasing demand for quality-oriented services and infrastructure in an Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) paradigm. Smart urbanization faces numerous challenges. Among them, secured energy Demand Side Management (DSM) is of particular concern. The IIoT renders the industrial systems to malware, cyber attacks, and other security risks. The IIoT with the amalgamation of Big Data analytics can provide efficient solutions to such challenges. This paper proposes a secured and trusted multi-layered DSM engine for a smart social society using IIoT-based Big Data analytics. The proposed engine uses a centralized approach to achieve optimum DSM over a Home Area Network (HAN). To enhance the security of this engine, a payload-based authentication scheme is utilized that relies on a lightweight handshake mechanism. Our proposed method utilizes the lightweight features of Constrained Application Protocol (CoAP) to facilitate the clients in monitoring various resources residing over the server in an energy-efficient manner. In addition, data streams are processed using Big Data analytics with MapReduce parallel processing. The proposed authentication approach is evaluated using NetDuino Plus 2 boards that yield a lower connection overhead, memory consumption, response time and a robust defense against various malicious attacks. On the other hand, our data processing approach is tested on reliable datasets using Apache Hadoop with Apache Spark to verify the proposed DMS engine. The test results reveal that the proposed architecture offers valuable insights into the smart social societies in the context of IIo

A Secured Data Management Scheme for Smart Societies in Industrial Internet of Things Environment

Smart societies have an increasing demand for quality-oriented services and infrastructure in an Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) paradigm. Smart urbanization faces numerous challenges. Among them, secured energy Demand Side Management (DSM) is of particular concern. The IIoT renders the industrial systems to malware, cyber attacks, and other security risks. The IIoT with the amalgamation of Big Data analytics can provide efficient solutions to such challenges. This paper proposes a secured and trusted multi-layered DSM engine for a smart social society using IIoT-based Big Data analytics. The proposed engine uses a centralized approach to achieve optimum DSM over a Home Area Network (HAN). To enhance the security of this engine, a payload-based authentication scheme is utilized that relies on a lightweight handshake mechanism. Our proposed method utilizes the lightweight features of Constrained Application Protocol (CoAP) to facilitate the clients in monitoring various resources residing over the server in an energy-efficient manner. In addition, data streams are processed using Big Data analytics with MapReduce parallel processing. The proposed authentication approach is evaluated using NetDuino Plus 2 boards that yield a lower connection overhead, memory consumption, response time and a robust defense against various malicious attacks. On the other hand, our data processing approach is tested on reliable datasets using Apache Hadoop with Apache Spark to verify the proposed DMS engine. The test results reveal that the proposed architecture offers valuable insights into the smart social societies in the context of IIo

A Quality of Service-Aware Secured Communication Scheme for Internet of Things-Based Networks

The Internet of Things (IoT) is an emerging technology that aims to enable the interconnection of a large number of smart devices and heterogeneous networks. Ad hoc networks play an important role in the designing of IoT-enabled platforms due to their efficient, flexible, low-cost and dynamic infrastructures. These networks utilize the available resources efficiently to maintain the Quality of Service (QoS) in a multi-hop communication. However, in a multi-hop communication, the relay nodes can be malicious, thus requiring a secured and reliable data transmission. In this paper, we propose a QoS-aware secured communication scheme for IoT-based networks (QoS-IoT). In QoS-IoT, a Sybil attack detection mechanism is used for the identification of Sybil nodes and their forged identities in multi-hop communication. After Sybil nodes detection, an optimal contention window (CW) is selected for QoS provisioning, that is, to achieve per-flow fairness and efficient utilization of the available bandwidth. In a multi-hop communication, the medium access control (MAC) layer protocols do not perform well in terms of fairness and throughput, especially when the nodes generate a large amount of data. It is because the MAC layer has no capability of providing QoS to prioritized or forwarding flows. We evaluate the performance of QoS-IoT in terms of Sybil attack detection, fairness, throughput and buffer utilization. The simulation results show that the proposed scheme outperforms the existing schemes and significantly enhances the performance of the network with a large volume of data. Moreover, the proposed scheme is resilient against Sybil attack

The Potential Impact on Farmer Health of Enhanced Export Horticultural Trade between the U.K. and Uganda

The export of vegetables from African countries to European markets presents consumers with an ethical dilemma: should they support local, but relatively well-off farmers, or poorer farmers from distant countries? This paper considers the issue of farm worker health in the U.K. and Uganda, and considers the dilemma facing U.K. consumers if Uganda achieves their aim of exporting more vegetables to the U.K. Self-reported health scores of 1,200 farm workers in the U.K. and Uganda were measured with the internationally recognised SF-36 questionnaire and compared to an international population norm. The age-corrected health status of U.K. farm workers was significantly lower than the population norm, whereas Ugandans scored significantly higher (indicating good health) for physical health and lower for mental health. If Ugandan produce enters U.K. markets, then consumers may wish to consider both the potential benefits that enhanced trade could offer Ugandan farmers compared with its impacts on U.K. workers

Understanding Interpretations of and Responses to Childhood Fever in the Chikhwawa District of Malawi

Background Universal access to, and community uptake of malaria prevention and treatment strategies are critical to achieving current targets for malaria reduction. Each step in the treatment-seeking pathway must be considered in order to establish where opportunities for successful engagement and treatment occur. We describe local classifications of childhood febrile illnesses, present an overview of treatment-seeking, beginning with recognition of illness, and suggest how interventions could be used to target the barriers experienced. Methods Qualitative data were collected between September 2010 and February 2011. A total of 12 Focus Group Discussions and 22 Critical Incident Interviews were conducted with primary caregivers who had reported a recent febrile episode for one of their children. Findings and Conclusion The phrase ‘kutentha thupi’, or ‘hot body’ was used to describe fever, the most frequently mentioned causes of which were malungo (translated as ‘malaria’), mauka, nyankhwa and (m)tsempho. Differentiating the cause was challenging because these illnesses were described as having many similar non-specific symptoms, despite considerable differences in the perceived mechanisms of illness. Malungo was widely understood to be caused by mosquitoes. Commonly described symptoms included: fever, weakness, vomiting, diarrhoea and coughing. These symptoms matched well with the biomedical definition of malaria, although they also overlapped with symptoms of other illnesses in both the biomedical model and local illness classifications. In addition, malungo was used interchangeably to describe malaria and fever in general. Caregivers engaged in a three-phased approach to treatment seeking. Phase 1—Assessment; Phase 2—Seeking care outside the home; Phase 3—Evaluation of treatment response. Within this paper, the three-phased approach is explored to identify potential interventions to target barriers to appropriate treatment. Community engagement and health promotion, the provision of antimalarials at community level and better training health workers in the causes and treatment of non-malarial febrile illnesses may improve access to appropriate treatment and outcomes