Situation aware intrusion recovery policy in WSNs

Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) have been gaining tremendous research attention the last few years as they support a broad range of applications in the context of the Internet of Things. WSN-driven applications greatly depend on the sensors’ observations to support decision-making and respond accordingly to reported critical events. In case of compromisation, it is vital to recover compromised WSN services and continue to operate as expected. To achieve an effective restoration of compromised WSN services, sensors should be equipped with the logic to take recovery decisions and self-heal. Self-healing is challenging as sensors should be aware of a variety of aspects in order to take effective decisions and maximize the recovery benefits. So far situation awareness has not been actively investigated in an intrusion recovery context. This research work formulates situation aware intrusion recovery policy design guidelines in order to drive the design of new intrusion recovery solutions that are operated by an adaptable policy. An adaptable intrusion recovery policy is presented taking into consideration the proposed design guidelines. The evaluation results demonstrate that the proposed policy can address advanced attack strategies and aid the sensors to recover the network’s operation under different attack situations and intrusion recovery requirements

Detection of early osteogenic commitment in primary cells using Raman spectroscopy

Major challenges in the development of novel implant surfaces for artificial joints include osteoblast heterogeneity and the lack of a simple and sensitive in vitro assay to measure early osteogenic responses. Raman spectroscopy is a label-free, non-invasive and non-destructive vibrational fingerprinting optical technique that is increasingly being applied to detect biochemical changes in cells. In this study Raman spectroscopy has been used to obtain bone cell-specific spectral signatures and to identify any changes therein during osteoblast commitment and differentiation of primary cells in culture. Murine calvarial osteoblasts (COBs) were extracted and cultured and studied by Raman spectroscopy over a 14 day culture period. Distinct osteogenic Raman spectra were identified after 3 days of culture with strong bands detected for mineral: phosphate ν3 (1030 cm−1) and B-type carbonate (1072 cm−1), DNA (782 cm−1) and collagen matrix (CH2 deformation at 1450 cm−1) and weaker phosphate bands (948 and 970 cm−1). Early changes were detected by Raman spectroscopy compared to a standard enzymatic alkaline phosphatase (ALP) assay and gene expression analyses over this period. Proliferation of COBs was confirmed by fluorescence intensity measurements using the Picogreen dsDNA reagent. Changes in ALP levels were evident only after 14 days of culture and mRNA expression levels for ALP, Col1a1 and Sclerostin remained constant during the culture period. Sirius red staining for collagen deposition also revealed little change until day 14. In contrast Raman spectroscopy revealed the presence of amorphous calcium phosphate (945–952 cm−1) and carbonated apatite (957–962 cm−1) after only 3 days in culture and octacalcium phosphate (970 cm−1) considered a transient mineral phase, was detected after 5 days of COBs culture. PCA analysis confirmed clear separation between time-points. This study highlights the potential of Raman spectroscopy to be utilised for the early and specific detection of proliferation and differentiation changes in primary cultures of bone cells

Aging and Mechanoadaptive Responsiveness of Bone

Osteoporosis is an age-related disorder characterized by bone loss and increased fracture susceptibility. Whether this is due to reduced loading in less active elderly individuals or inherent modifications in bone cells is uncertain. We suppose that osteoporosis is nonetheless prima facie evidence for impaired mechanoadaptation; either capacity to accrue new bone declines, or the stimulus for such accrual is absent/can no longer be triggered in the aged. Herein, we provide only sufficient background to enable a focus on recent advances which seek to address such dilemmas

Survey in Smart Grid and Smart Home Security: Issues, Challenges and Countermeasures

The electricity industry is now at the verge of a new era. An era that promises, through the evolution of the existing electrical grids to Smart Grids, more efficient and effective power management, better reliability, reduced production costs and more environmentally friendly energy generation. Numerous initiatives across the globe, led by both industry and academia, reflect the mounting interest around the enormous benefits but also the great risks introduced by this evolution. This paper focuses on issues related to the security of the Smart Grid and the Smart Home, which we present as an integral part of the Smart Grid. Based on several scenarios we aim to present some of the most representative threats to the Smart Home / Smart Grid environment. The threats detected are categorized according to specific security goals set for the Smart Home/Smart Grid environment and their impact on the overall system security is evaluated. A review of contemporary literature is then conducted with the aim of presenting promising security countermeasures with respect to the identified specific security goals for each presented scenario. An effort to shed light on open issues and future research directions concludes the paper

Vitamin K catabolite inhibition of ovariectomy-induced bone loss: Structure–activity relationship considerations

The potential benefit of vitamin K as a therapeutic in osteoporosis is controversial and the vitamin K regimen being used clinically (45 mg/day) employs doses that are many times higher than required to ensure maximal gamma‐carboxylation of the vitamin K‐dependent bone proteins. We therefore tested the hypothesis that vitamin K catabolites, 5‐carbon (CAN5C) and 7‐carbon carboxylic acid (CAN7C) aliphatic side‐chain derivatives of the naphthoquinone moiety exert an osteotrophic role consistent with the treatment of osteoporosis

Privacy Concerns in Sharing Personal Consumption Data through Online Applications

As online eco-feedback social applications are being increasingly used around the world for motivating citizens to become more energy-aware, privacy concerns in terms of sharing personal electricity consumption data among online contacts are rising. Through Social Electricity, an online application offering personal energy management through a social and collaborative environment, we study the privacy concerns of the users in two case studies, in Cyprus and Singapore. For the Cyprus case, we present an analysis of results gathered through a large questionnaire-based survey combined with mini focus group studies. For the Singapore case, we analyze the findings collected through a students’ semester exercise. This paper provides interesting insights about the overall acceptance and tolerance levels of users of eco-feedback social applications

Local origins impart conserved bone type-related differences in human osteoblast behaviour

Osteogenic behaviour of osteoblasts from trabecular, cortical and subchondral bone were examined to determine any bone type-selective differences in samples from both osteoarthritic (OA) and osteoporotic (OP) patients. Cell growth, differentiation; alkaline phosphatase (TNAP) mRNA and activity, Runt-related transcription factor-2 (RUNX2), SP7-transcription factor (SP7), bone sialoprotein-II (BSP-II), osteocalcin/bone gamma-carboxyglutamate (BGLAP), osteoprotegerin (OPG, TNFRSF11B), receptor activator of nuclear factor-κβ ligand (RANKL, TNFSF11) mRNA levels and proangiogenic vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A) mRNA and protein release were assessed in osteoblasts from paired humeral head samples from age-matched, human OA/OP (n = 5/4) patients. Initial outgrowth and increase in cell number were significantly faster (p < 0.01) in subchondral and cortical than trabecular osteoblasts, in OA and OP, and this bone type-related differences were conserved despite consistently faster growth in OA. RUNX2/SP7 levels and TNAP mRNA and protein activity were, however, greater in trabecular than subchondral and cortical osteoblasts in OA and OP. BSP-II levels were significantly greater in trabecular and lowest in cortical osteoblasts in both OA and OP. In contrast, BGLAP levels showed divergent bone type-selective behaviour; highest in osteoblasts from subchondral origins in OA and trabecular origins in OP. We found virtually identical bone type-related differences, however, in TNFRSF11B:TNFSF11 in OA and OP, consistent with greater potential for paracrine effects on osteoclasts in trabecular osteoblasts. Subchondral osteoblasts (OA) exhibited highest VEGF-A mRNA levels and release. Our data indicate that human osteoblasts in trabecular, subchondral and cortical bone have inherent, programmed diversity, with specific bone type-related differences in growth, differentiation and pro-angiogenic potential in vitro