Optimization of code caves in malware binaries to evade machine learning detectors

Machine Learning (ML) techniques, especially Artificial Neural Networks, have been widely adopted as a tool for malware detection due to their high accuracy when classifying programs as benign or malicious. However, these techniques are vulnerable to Adversarial Examples (AEs), i.e., carefully crafted samples designed by an attacker to be misclassified by the target model. In this work, we propose a general method to produce AEs from existing malware, which is useful to increase the robustness of ML-based models. Our method dynamically introduces unused blocks (caves) in malware binaries, preserving their original functionality. Then, by using optimization techniques based on Genetic Algorithms, we determine the most adequate content to place in such code caves to achieve misclassification. We evaluate our model in a black-box setting with a well-known state-of-the-art architecture (MalConv), resulting in a successful evasion rate of 97.99 % from the 2k tested malware samples. Additionally, we successfully test the transferability of our proposal to commercial AV engines available at VirusTotal, showing a reduction in the detection rate for the crafted AEs. Finally, the obtained AEs are used to retrain the ML-based malware detector previously evaluated, showing an improve on its robustness.This research was supported by the Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (Grant Refs. PGC2018-095322-B-C22 and PID2019-111429RB-C21), by the Region of Madrid grant CYNAMON- CM (P2018/TCS-4566), co-financed by European Structural Funds ESF and FEDER, and the Excellence Program EPUC3M17

Optimization of a Steam Reforming Plant Modeled with Artificial Neural Networks

The objective of this research is to improve the hydrogen production and total profit of a real Steam Reforming plant. Given the impossibility of tuning the real factory to optimize its operation, we propose modelling the plant using Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs). Particularly, we combine a set of independent ANNs into a single model. Each ANN uses different sets of inputs depending on the physical processes simulated. The model is then optimized as a black-box system using metaheuristics (Genetic and Memetic Algorithms). We demonstrate that the proposed ANN model presents a high correlation between the real output and the predicted one. Additionally, the performance of the proposed optimization techniques has been validated by the engineers of the plant, who reported a significant increase in the benefit that was obtained after optimization. Furthermore, this approach has been favorably compared with the results that were provided by a general black-box solver. All methods were tested over real data that were provided by the factory.Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades PGC2018-095322-B-C22Comunidad de Madrid P2018/TCS-4566Unión Europea P2018/TCS-456

Phase transitions in tumor growth VI: Epithelial–Mesenchymal transition

Herewith we discuss a network model of the epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) based on our previous proposed framework. The EMT appears as a “first order” phase transition process, analogous to the transitions observed in the chemical–physical field. Chiefly, EMT should be considered a transition characterized by a supercritical Andronov–Hopf bifurcation, with the emergence of limit cycle and, consequently, a cascade of saddle-foci Shilnikov's bifurcations. We eventually show that the entropy production rate is an EMT-dependent function and, as such, its formalism reminds the van der Waals equation.Fil: Guerra, A.. Universidad de La Habana; CubaFil: Rodriguez, D. J.. Universidad de La Habana; CubaFil: Montero, S.. Medical Sciences University Of Havana; CubaFil: Betancourt Mar, J. A.. Universidad de La Habana; CubaFil: Martín Pardo, Reinaldo Román. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - San Luis. Instituto de Investigaciones en Tecnología Química. Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Química, Bioquímica y Farmacia. Instituto de Investigaciones en Tecnología Química; Argentina. Mexican Institute Of Complex Systems. Tamaulipas; MéxicoFil: Silva Lamar, Eduardo. Universidad de La Habana; CubaFil: Bizzarri, María Julia. Universidad de La Habana; CubaFil: Cocho, G.. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México; MéxicoFil: Mansilla, R.. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México; MéxicoFil: Nieto Villar, José Manuel. Universidad de La Habana; Cub

Acute and Chronic Effects of Whole-Body Vibration on Balance, Postural Stability, and Mobility in Women With Multiple Sclerosis

The acute and chronic effects of whole-body vibration (WBV) on balance, postural stability, and mobility were evaluated in 21 women with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS) randomly assigned to control (n = 9) or experimental (n = 12) groups. To assess acute responses, outcome variables were assessed before and immediately after a session of WBV (five 30-second bouts of vibration; frequency 30 Hz; amplitude 3 mm; 1-minute rest intervals) during their first visit (week 1) using field (Timed-Up and Go; 500-m walk; Berg Balance Scale) and laboratory tests (NeuroCom Balance Master and EquiTest System—Sensory Organization Test, Adaptation Test, Limits of Stability, Modified Clinical Test for Sensory Integration of Balance, Unilateral Stance, Tandem Walk, Step/Quick Turn). Acute responses were also measured after their fifth visit for only the Adaptation and Sensory Organization tests. For the chronic responses, participants were exposed to the WBV protocol once a week, for a total of 5 weeks, and then at week 5, were reassessed with the Adaptation and the Sensory Organization tests. Neither acute nor chronic exposure to the WBV protocols used in this study resulted in significant improvements (P > .05) in balance, postural stability, or mobility as assessed by either field or laboratory tests. However, based on promising results from other studies that have used WBV with other clinical populations, either alone or in conjunction with exercise, additional studies that increase the dose of vibration exposure, both acutely and chronically, should be conducted in patients with MS.Declaration of Conflicting Interests The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. Funding The author(s) received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.Ye

Strategies for greenhouse gas emissions mitigation in Mediterranean agriculture: A review

[EN] An integrated assessment of the potential of different management practices for mitigating specific components of the total GHG budget (N2O and CH4 emissions and C sequestration) of Mediterranean agrosystems was performed in this study. Their suitability regarding both yield and environmental (e.g. nitrate leaching and ammonia volatilization) sustainability, and regional barriers and opportunities for their implementation were also considered. Based on its results best strategies to abate GHG emissions in Mediterranean agro-systems were proposed. Adjusting N fertilization to crop needs in both irrigated and rain-fed systems could reduce N2O emissions up to 50% compared with a non-adjusted practice. Substitution of N synthetic fertilizers by solid manure can be also implemented in those systems, and may abate N2O emissions by about 20% under Mediterranean conditions, with additional indirect benefits associated to energy savings and positive effects in crop yields. The use of urease and nitrification inhibitors enhances N use efficiency of the cropping systems and may mitigate N2O emissions up to 80% and 50%, respectively. The type of irrigation may also have a great mitigation potential in the Mediterranean region. Drip-irrigated systems have on average 80% lower N2O emissions than sprinkler systems and drip-irrigation combined with optimized fertilization showed a reduction in direct N2O emissions up to 50%. Methane fluxes have a relatively small contribution to the total GHG budget of Mediterranean crops, which can mostly be controlled by careful management of the water table and organic inputs in paddies. Reduced soil tillage, improved management of crop residues and agro-industry by-products, and cover cropping in orchards, are the most suitable interventions to enhance organic C stocks in Mediterranean agricultural soils. The adoption of the proposed agricultural practices will require farmers training. The global analysis of life cycle emissions associated to irrigation type (drip, sprinkle and furrow) and N fertilization rate (100 and 300 kg N ha(-1) yr(-1)) revealed that these factors may outweigh the reduction in GHG emissions beyond the plot scale. The analysis of the impact of some structural changes on top-down mitigation of GHG emissions revealed that 3-15% of N2O emissions could be suppressed by avoiding food waste at the end-consumer level. A 40% reduction in meat and dairy consumption could reduce GHG emissions by 20-30%. Reintroducing the Mediterranean diet (i.e. similar to 35% intake of animal protein) would therefore result in a significant decrease of GHG emissions from agricultural production systems under Mediterranean conditions. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.The authors would like to thank the Spanish National R+D+i Plan (AGL2012-37815-C05-01, AGL2012-37815-C05-04) and very specifically the workshop held in December 2016 in Butron (Bizkaia) to synthesize the most promising measures to reduce N2O emissions from Spanish agricultural soils. BC3 is sponsored by the Basque Government. M. L. Cayuela thanks Fundacion Seneca for financing the project 19281/PI/14.Sanz-Cobeña, A.; Lassaletta, L.; Aguilera, E.; Del Prado, A.; Garnier, J.; Billen, G.; Iglesias, A.... (2017). Strategies for greenhouse gas emissions mitigation in Mediterranean agriculture: A review. Agriculture Ecosystems & Environment. 238:5-24. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2016.09.038S52423

Expanding the Scope of Nanobiocatalysis and Nanosensing: Applications of Nanomaterial Constructs

The synergistic interaction between advanced biotechnology and nanotechnology has allowed the development of innovative nanomaterials. Those nanomaterials can conveniently act as supports for enzymes to be employed as nanobiocatalysts and nanosensing constructs. These systems generate a great capacity to improve the biocatalytic potential of enzymes by improving their stability, efficiency, and product yield, as well as facilitating their purification and reuse for various bioprocessing operating cycles. The different specific physicochemical characteristics and the supramolecular nature of the nanocarriers obtained from different economical and abundant sources have allowed the continuous development of functional nanostructures for different industries such as food and agriculture. The remarkable biotechnological potential of nanobiocatalysts and nanosensors has generated applied research and use in different areas such as biofuels, medical diagnosis, medical therapies, environmental bioremediation, and the food industry. The objective of this work is to present the different manufacturing strategies of nanomaterials with various advantages in biocatalysis and nanosensing of various compounds in the industry, providing great benefits to society and the environment.This work was supported by Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (CONACyT) and Tecnologico de Monterrey, Mexico under Sistema Nacional de Investigadores (SNI) program awarded to Rafael Gomes Araújo (CVU: 714118), Manuel Martínez Ruiz (CVU: 418151), Juan Eduardo Sosa Hernández (CVU: 375202), Roberto Parra Saldívar (CVU: 35753), and Hafiz M.N. Iqbal (CVU: 735340).Peer reviewe

Detection and Tertiary Treatment Technologies of Poly-and Perfluoroalkyl Substances in Wastewater Treatment Plants

PFAS are a very diverse group of anthropogenic chemicals used in various consumer and industrial products. The properties that characterize are their low degradability as well as their resistance to water, oil and heat. This results in their high persistence in the environment and bioaccumulation in different organisms, causing many adverse effects on the environment as well as in human health. Some of their effects remain unknown to this day. As there are thousands of registered PFAS, it is difficult to apply traditional technologies for an efficient removal and detection for all. This has made it difficult for wastewater treatment plants to remove or degrade PFAS before discharging the effluents into the environment. Also, monitoring these contaminants depends mostly on chromatography-based methods, which require expensive equipment and consumables, making it difficult to detect PFAS in the environment. The detection of PFAS in the environment, and the development of technologies to be implemented in tertiary treatment of wastewater treatment plants are topics of high concern. This study focuses on analyzing and discussing the mechanisms of occurrence, migration, transformation, and fate of PFAS in the environment, as well the main adverse effects in the environment and human health. The following work reviews the recent advances in the development of PFAS detection technologies (biosensors, electrochemical sensors, microfluidic devices), and removal/degradation methods (electrochemical degradation, enzymatic transformation, advanced oxidation, photocatalytic degradation). Understanding the risks to public health and identifying the routes of production, transportation, exposure to PFAS is extremely important to implement regulations for the detection and removal of PFAS in wastewater and the environment.This work is part of the project entitled “Contaminantes emergentes y prioritarios en las aguas reutilizadas en agricultura: riesgos y efectos en suelos, producción agrícola y entorno ambiental” funded by CSIC-Tecnológico de Monterrey under i-Link + program (LINKB20030).Peer reviewe

Nutritional and socio-economic factors associated with Plasmodium falciparum infection in children from Equatorial Guinea: results from a nationally representative survey

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Malaria has traditionally been a major endemic disease in Equatorial Guinea. Although parasitaemia prevalence on the insular region has been substantially reduced by vector control in the past few years, the prevalence in the mainland remains over 50% in children younger than five years. The aim of this study is to investigate the risk factors for parasitaemia and treatment seeking behaviour for febrile illness at country level, in order to provide evidence that will reinforce the EG National Malaria Control Programme.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The study was a cross-sectional survey of children 0 to 5 years old, using a multistaged, stratified, cluster-selected sample at the national level. It included a socio-demographic, health and dietary questionnaires, anthropometric measurements, and thick and thin blood smears to determine the <it>Plasmodium </it>infection. A multivariate logistic regression model was used to determine risk factors for parasitaemia, taking into account the cluster design.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The overall prevalence of parasitemia was 50.9%; it was higher in rural (58.8%) compared to urban areas (44.0%, p = 0.06). Age was positively associated with parasitemia (p < 0.0001). In rural areas, risk factors included longer distance to health facilities (p = 0.01) and a low proportion of households with access to protected water in the community (p = 0.02). Having had an episode of cough in the 15 days prior to the survey was inversely related to parasitemia (p = 0.04). In urban areas, the risk factors were stunting (p = 0.005), not having taken colostrum (p = 0.01), and that someone in the household slept under a bed net (p = 0.002); maternal antimalarial medication intake during pregnancy (p = 0.003) and the household socio-economic status (p = 0.0002) were negatively associated with parasitemia. Only 55% of children with fever were taken outside their homes for care, and treatment seeking behaviour differed substantially between rural and urban populations.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Results suggest that a national programme to fight malaria in Equatorial Guinea should take into account the differences between rural and urban communities in relation to risk factors for parasitaemia and treatment seeking behaviour, integrate nutrition programmes, incorporate campaigns on the importance of early treatment, and target appropriately for bed nets to reach the under-fives.</p

ZikaPLAN: addressing the knowledge gaps and working towards a research preparedness network in the Americas.

Zika Preparedness Latin American Network (ZikaPLAN) is a research consortium funded by the European Commission to address the research gaps in combating Zika and to establish a sustainable network with research capacity building in the Americas. Here we present a report on ZikaPLAN`s mid-term achievements since its initiation in October 2016 to June 2019, illustrating the research objectives of the 15 work packages ranging from virology, diagnostics, entomology and vector control, modelling to clinical cohort studies in pregnant women and neonates, as well as studies on the neurological complications of Zika infections in adolescents and adults. For example, the Neuroviruses Emerging in the Americas Study (NEAS) has set up more than 10 clinical sites in Colombia. Through the Butantan Phase 3 dengue vaccine trial, we have access to samples of 17,000 subjects in 14 different geographic locations in Brazil. To address the lack of access to clinical samples for diagnostic evaluation, ZikaPLAN set up a network of quality sites with access to well-characterized clinical specimens and capacity for independent evaluations. The International Committee for Congenital Anomaly Surveillance Tools was formed with global representation from regional networks conducting birth defects surveillance. We have collated a comprehensive inventory of resources and tools for birth defects surveillance, and developed an App for low resource regions facilitating the coding and description of all major externally visible congenital anomalies including congenital Zika syndrome. Research Capacity Network (REDe) is a shared and open resource centre where researchers and health workers can access tools, resources and support, enabling better and more research in the region. Addressing the gap in research capacity in LMICs is pivotal in ensuring broad-based systems to be prepared for the next outbreak. Our shared and open research space through REDe will be used to maximize the transfer of research into practice by summarizing the research output and by hosting the tools, resources, guidance and recommendations generated by these studies. Leveraging on the research from this consortium, we are working towards a research preparedness network