VIRTUAL PLC PLATFORM FOR SECURITY AND FORENSICS OF INDUSTRIAL CONTROL SYSTEMS

Industrial Control Systems (ICS) are vital in managing critical infrastructures, including nuclear power plants and electric grids. With the advent of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), these systems have been integrated into broader networks, enhancing efficiency but also becoming targets for cyberattacks. Central to ICS are Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs), which bridge the physical and cyber worlds and are often exploited by attackers. There\u27s a critical need for tools to analyze cyberattacks on PLCs, uncover vulnerabilities, and improve ICS security. Existing tools are hindered by the proprietary nature of PLC software, limiting scalability and efficiency. To overcome these challenges, I developed a Virtual PLC Platform (VPP) for forensic analyses of ICS attacks and vulnerability identification. The VPP employs the packet replay technique, using network traffic to create a PLC template. This template guides the virtual PLC in network communication, mimicking real PLCs. A Protocol Reverse Engineering Engine (PREE) module assists in reverse-engineering ICS protocols and discovering vulnerabilities. The VPP is automated, supporting PLCs from various vendors, and eliminates manual reverse engineering. This dissertation highlights the architecture and applications of the VPP in forensic analysis, reverse engineering, vulnerability discovery, and threat intelligence gathering, all crucial to bolstering the security and integrity of critical infrastructure

The Challenges Experienced during Data Collection on Pensioners’ Time Use in Bahawalpur Division, Pakistan

Collecting data is a crucial part of the research process. In this article we highlight the problems and challenges we encountered while collecting data for the time use of pensioners in Pakistan, a developing country. We faced some anticipated as well as unanticipated problems and challenges while conducting interviews with pensioners for our research. The unforeseen challenges included inappropriate conduct of data providers with a female researcher, lack of funds, time management issues, a decline in response, and security issues in the field. We end the article with the recommendations to overcome those challenges and hence improving the data collection procedure and providing guidelines for societal data collection not only in rural Punjab, Pakistan, but indeed for those working in any underdeveloped and rural society

Impact Assessment of Pozzolanic Material Coupled with River Bed Aggregate on Expansive Behavior of High Strength Concrete

High strength concrete is widely used in engineering structures. Present work is an effort for suitability assessment of river bed aggregates in high strength concrete to be used at structural units of Dam (Spillway & Powerhouse) and the vulnerability of placed concrete expansion. Multiple sizes of coarse aggregate (5-20mm, 20-40mm, and 40-80mm) from Beor river bed material have been tested for physical (water absorption, crushing index, soundness, shape, and bulk density), and mineralogical characterization. Concrete Mix Design (CMD) for Spillway has been optimized using Fly ash and river aggregate that achieved the Unconfined Compressional Strength (UCS) up to 32.5 MPa. The accelerated mortar bar test (AMBT) has been introduced to gauge the reactive aggregates used in CMD.. Expansive properties of concrete were observed at the age of 7 days and 28 days that demonstrate more expansion of the specimen with slag rather than the Fly ash. Results of AMBT suggest that a minimum proportion of GGBS (40%) is needed to limit the AMBT expansion to less than 0.1% for crushed river bed aggregate and sand from the Beor source. The petrographical characterization of coarse aggregate shows the presence of deformed quartz in the coarse aggregate, which directly relates to water absorption (Wa), suggesting its suceseptility to Alkali-Silica Reaction (ASR). Modifications in Pozzolanic additives in CMD indicates that 30% mixing of Fly ash can reduce the expansion rate of concrete up to 96.15%

GEOFIZIČKA ISTRAŽIVANJA POTENCIJALNOGA KLIZIŠTA U PODRUČJU MAYOON, DISTRIKT HUNZA, GILGIT-BALTISTAN, PAKISTAN

The Mayoon landslide in the Hunza District is a slowly developed, non-catastrophic landslide that has gained its importance in the last few years after its rapid activation and fast slip rate. The area is characterized by high earthquake hazards (zone 3 with a peak ground acceleration value of 2.4–3.2 m/s2) by the Building Code of Pakistan due to frequent earth quakes. The past high earthquake activity in the area has displaced the foliated rocks towards the south and is responsible for opening the bedrock joints. The head and body of the landslide are covered by unconsolidated material and have fractures of varying lengths and widths. The non-invasive geophysical techniques, including Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) and Electrical Resistivity Soundings (ERS), are deployed to evaluate the Mayoon landslide subsurface. The subsurface is interpreted into a two-layer model. Bright reflectors and highly variable resistivity characterize the top layer (Layer-1). This layer is associated with a loose, highly heterogeneous, fragmented material deposited under glacial settings over the existing bedrock. Hyperbolic reflections and intermediate resistivity characterize the bottom layer (Layer-2). This layer is associated with foliated metamorphic bedrock. The hyperbolic reflections show faults/fractures within the bedrock. The extension of these fractures/faults with depth is uncertain due to decay in the GPR signal with depth. The intermediate resistivity shows the bedrock is weathered and foliated. Reflections within Layer-1 have disrupted directly above the fractures/faults suggesting a possible movement. A bright reflection between the two layers highlights the presence of the debonded surface. Loose material within Layer-1 coupled with debonding possesses a significant hazard to generate a landslide under unfavourable conditions, such as an intense rainstorm or earthquake activity.Klizište Mayoon u distriktu Hunza pripada skupini sporo razvijajućih, nekatastrofičnih klizišta. Važnost mu je porasla u nekoliko zadnjih godina nakon što se klizanje znatno ubrzalo. Cijelo područje obilježeno je visokim potresnim rizikom (zona 3, s najvećim ubrzanjem tla 2,4 – 3,2 m/s2), a u skladu s pakistanskim propisima o gradnji. Snažni potresi u prošlosti pomaknuli su blokove metamorfnih stijena prema jugu i uzrokovali otvaranje brojnih pukotina u stijenama podine. Čelo i tijelo klizišta prekriveno je nekonsolidiranim materijalom te ima pukotine različitih širina i dužina. Prostor klizišta istražen je neinvazivnim geofizičkim tehnikama poput georadara i mjerenja električne otpornosti. Podzemlje je prikazano dvoslojnim modelom. Prvi sloj (1) predstavljen je snažnim reflektorom i vrlo promjenjivom otpornošću. Sastavljen je od rastresitih, vrlo heterogenih, fragmentiranih materijala taloženih tijekom glacijala preko stijenske podine. Ispod je drugi sloj (2) obilježen hiperboličkim refleksima te umjerenom otpornošću i pruža se unutar folijacijskih, metamorfnih stijena. Oblik refleksa upozorava na rasjede i pukotine podine, no oni se teško prate s povećanjem dubine. Otpornost također upućuje na trošenje i folijaciju. Refleksi u sloju 1 prekidaju se iznad rasjeda i pukotina upozoravajući na moguće gibanje. Snažni refleksi između dvaju slojeva naglašavaju postojanje granice između njih. Rastresiti materijal u sloju 1, zajedno s postojanjem takve granice, predstavlja znatan rizik nastanka klizišta, posebice u rizičnim uvjetima poput olujnoga pljuska ili potresa

Metabolic dysregulation in early onset psychiatric disorder before and after exposure to antipsychotic drugs

Antipsychotic Drugs (APDs) are being widely prescribed to treat various disorders, including schizophrenia and bipolar disorder; however, abnormal glucose metabolism and weight gain have been reported with Atypical Anti-Psychotic drugs (AAPDs) that can lead to insulin-resistance and type 2 diabetes mellitus. The study was designed to assess various biochemical parameters including insulin and blood sugar before and after exposure to APDs in order to exclude the involvement of psychiatric disorders and certain other factors in metabolic dysregulations. Fifty seven APDs-naïve patients with first episode psychosis were divided into six groups who received olanzapine, quetiapine, risperidone, aripiprazole, haloperidol or combination of olanzapine with escitalopram and haloperidol. The serum samples were taken before the intake of the first dose and then on follow-up. Decrease in the level of elevated insulin and glucose was observed post-treatment in some patients, while others were observed whose insulin and glucose levels increased post-treatment, yet some patients did not show any disturbance in the insulin and glucose levels. It is concluded that psychiatric disorders by itself, narcotics, cigarette smoking and use of oral snuff may be also be implicated in metabolic dysregulations. The effects of APDs on insulin and glucose in healthy volunteers might be different than in patients with psychiatric disorders

Attitudes of medical students towards incentives offered by pharmaceutical companies -- perspective from a developing nation -- a cross-sectional study

Background: A training physician has his first interaction with a pharmaceutical representative during medical school. Medical students are often provided with small gifts such as pens, calendars and books, as well as free lunches as part of drug promotion offers. Ethical impact of these transactions as perceived by young medical students has not been investigated in Pakistan before. This study aimed to assess the association of socio-demographic variables with the attitudes of medical students towards pharmaceutical companies and their incentives.Methods: As part of a cross-sectional survey, a validated questionnaire previously used for assessing attitude of medical students towards pharmaceutical industry, was modified, pre-tested and distributed among consenting clinical year students at DUHS and AKU. Questions included acceptability of pharmaceutically sponsored gifts, events and tuition fee, and their impact on future prescription. Responses were graded as agree, disagree or neutral which were then scored according to the AMSA guidelines of ethical conduct.Results: Out of a total of 353 targeted students 303 responded, corresponding to a response rate of 85.8%. Responses indicated that 42.7% students believed in no interaction with drug companies during medical school. However, 81% of students favored pharmaceutical sponsorship of student-body events/seminars at medical colleges. More than one-third of the students were comfortable receiving gifts from drug companies. Overall, the results of this study offer an interesting comparison between the students of a private medical school (AKU) and a public medical school (DUHS); AKU students exhibited a greater degree of mistrust towards drug information provided by pharmaceutical companies compared to DUHS students (p=0.040). Furthermore, when asked if there was a need to incorporate guidelines in the undergraduate curriculum with regard to interaction with drug companies, 84.2% students at AKU agreed, compared to 54.9% at DUHS. Medical student Attitude Scores are more or less similar to each other independent of their various demographical differences.CONCLUSION: This study highlights that medical students in our population have a high level of acceptability towards incentives offered by pharmaceutical industry and that formal guidance regarding the subject should be incorporated into medical curriculum

Prevalence Pattern of Risk Factors for Coronary Artery Disease among Patients Presenting for Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting in Oman

Objectives: To identify the pattern of prevalence of risk factors in patients presenting for coronary artery bypass grafting at a single center in Oman. Methods: All patients who had coronary artery bypass grafting between March 2008 to March 2010 were included and data were obtained from history and laboratory investigations. The prevalence rates of eight conventional risk factors are presented as a retrospective single center observational study. Results: Out of 146 total patients, 107 (73.29%) were male. The age ranged from 31 to 87 years old. The mean age was 58.18 ± 10.08 years (males = 56.81 ± 10.42, females = 61.95 ± 7.97). Hypertension was present in 119 patients (81.51%), 115 patients (78.77%) had dyslipidemia, 107 patients (73.29%) were male, 79 patients (54.11%) had diabetes mellitus, 70 patients (47.95%) were over the age of 60 years, 41 patients (28.08%) gave a history of smoking, 31 patients (21.23%) were obese, and 19 patients (13.01%) gave a positive family history. Conclusions: The most common risk factor was hypertension, followed by dyslipidemia, male gender, diabetes mellitus, old age, smoking, obesity and positive family history; 87.7% had three or more risk factors. The females in this study were older than the males and had more risk factors at presentation. The most common combination of factors seen together was diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia and male gender

A multiband circular polarization selective metasurface for microwave applications

In this research article, a multiband circular polarization selective (CPS) metasurface is presented. A reciprocal bi-layered metasurface is designed by introducing the chirality in the structure. The top layer of the proposed metasurface is composed of circular split-ring resonator with a cross shape structure inside it. The same structure is printed on the bottom side of the proposed metasurface by rotating it at an angle of 90° to achieve chirality in the structure. The proposed metasurface is able to add CPS surface capability between 5.18 and 5.23 GHz for y-polarized incident wave. For the frequency band of 5.18–5.23 GHz, the transmission goes up to − 4 dB, while the polarization extinction ratio (PER) reaches up to − 27.4 dB at 5.2 GHz. Similarly, for x-polarized incident wave, three strategic CPS operating bands are achieved within the frequency ranges of 10.64–10.82 GHz, 12.25–12.47 GHz, and 14.42–14.67 GHz. The maximum PER of 47.16 dB has been achieved for the 14.42–14.67 GHz frequency band at 14.53 GHz. Furthermore, the response of the metasurface does not vary against oblique incidences up to 45°. The simple structure, angular stability, multiband and miniaturized size make this metasurface an outstanding applicant for polarization conversion and biomedical applications

Revamping of Chronic Respiratory Diseases in Low- and Middle-Income Countries

Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) endure an asymmetrically high burden of worldwide disease and death caused by chronic respiratory diseases (CRDs), i.e., asthma, emphysema, bronchiectasis, and post-tuberculosis lung disease (PTLD). CRDs are firmly related with indigence, infectious diseases, and other non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and add to complex multi-disease with great impact on the lives and livelihood of those affected. The pertinence of CRDs to health and demographic wellbeing is relied upon to increment in the long time ahead, as expectations of life rise and the contending dangers of right on time youth mortality and irresistible infections level. The WHO has distinguished the counteraction and control of NCDs as an earnest improvement issue and crucial for the sustainable development goals (SDSs) by 2030. In this review, we center on CRDs in LMICs. We examine the early life roots of CRDs, challenges in their avoidance, identification and administration in LMICs, and the pathways to resolve for accomplish valid widespread wellbeing inclusion