A Comparison of RF-DNA Fingerprinting Using High/Low Value Receivers with ZigBee Devices

The ZigBee specification provides a niche capability, extending the IEEE 802.15.4 standard to provide a wireless mesh network solution. ZigBee-based devices require minimal power and provide a relatively long-distance, inexpensive, and secure means of networking. The technology is heavily utilized, providing energy management, ICS automation, and remote monitoring of Critical Infrastructure (CI) operations; it also supports application in military and civilian health care sectors. ZigBee networks lack security below the Network layer of the OSI model, leaving them vulnerable to open-source hacking tools that allow malicous attacks such as MAC spoofing or Denial of Service (DOS). A method known as RF-DNA Fingerprinting provides an additional level of security at the Physical (PHY) level, where the transmitted waveform of a device is examined, rather than its bit-level credentials which can be easily manipulated. RF-DNA fingerprinting allows a unique human-like signature for a device to be obtained and a subsequent decision made whether to grant access or deny entry to a secure network. Two NI receivers were used here to simultaneously collect RF emissions from six Atmel AT86RF230 transceivers. The time-domain response of each device was used to extract features and generate unique RF-DNA fingerprints. These fingeprints were used to perform Device Classification using two discrimination processes known as MDA/ML and GRLVQI. Each process (classifier) was used to examine both the Full-Dimensional (FD) and reduced dimensional feature-sets for the high-value PXIe and low-value USRP receivers. The reduced feature-sets were determined using DRA for both quantitative and qualitative subsets. Additionally, each classifier performed Device Classification using a hybrid interleaved set of fingerprints from both receivers

Earthshine as an Illumination Source at the Moon

Earthshine is the dominant source of natural illumination on the surface of the Moon during lunar night, and at locations within permanently shadowed regions that never receive direct sunlight. As such, earthshine may enable the exploration of areas of the Moon that are hidden from solar illumination. The heat flux from earthshine may also influence the transport and cold trapping of volatiles present in the very coldest areas. In this study, Earth's spectral radiance at the Moon is examined using a suite of Earth spectral models created using the Virtual Planetary Laboratory (VPL) three dimensional modeling capability. At the Moon, the broadband, hemispherical irradiance from Earth near 0 phase is approximately 0.15 watts per square meter, with comparable contributions from solar reflectance and thermal emission. Over the simulation timeframe, spanning two lunations, Earth's thermal irradiance changes less than a few mW per square meter as a result of cloud variability and the south-to-north motion of sub-observer position. In solar band, Earth's diurnally averaged light curve at phase angles < 60 degrees is well fit using a Henyey Greenstein integral phase function. At wavelengths > 0.7 microns, near the well known vegetation "red edge", Earth's reflected solar radiance shows significant diurnal modulation as a result of the longitudinal asymmetry in projected landmass, as well as from the distribution of clouds. A simple formulation with adjustable coefficients is presented for estimating Earth's hemispherical irradiance at the Moon as a function of wavelength, phase angle and sub-observer coordinates. It is demonstrated that earthshine is sufficiently bright to serve as a natural illumination source for optical measurements from the lunar surface.Comment: 27 pages, 15 figures, 1 tabl

Age-specific outcomes from the first round of HPV screening in unvaccinated women: Observational study from the English cervical screening pilot

Objective: To report detailed age-specific outcomes from the first round of an English pilot studying the implementation of high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) testing in primary cervical screening. Design: Observational study with screening in 2013–2016, followed by two early recalls and/or colposcopy until the end of 2019. Setting: Six NHS laboratory sites. Population: A total of 1 341 584 women undergoing screening with HR-HPV testing or liquid-based cytology (LBC). Methods: Early recall tests and colposcopies were recommended, depending on the nature of the screening-detected abnormality. Main outcome measures: We reported standard screening process indicators, e.g. proportions with an abnormality, including high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN2+) or cancer, and the positive predictive value (PPV) of colposcopy for CIN2+, by screening test and age group. Results: Among unvaccinated women screened with HR-HPV testing at age 24–29 years, 26.9% had a positive test and 10.4% were directly referred to colposcopy following cytology triage, with a PPV for CIN2+ of 47%. At 50–64 years of age, these proportions were much lower: 5.3%, 1.2% and 27%, respectively. The proportions of women testing positive for HR-HPV without cytological abnormalities, whose early recall HR-HPV tests returned negative results, were similar across the age spans: 54% at 24–29 years and 55% at 50–64 years. Two-thirds of infections at any age were linked to non-16/18 genotypes. Among women with CIN2, CIN3 or cervical cancer, however, the proportion of non-16/18 infections increased with age. As expected, the detection of abnormalities was lower following screening with LBC. Conclusions: These data provide a reliable reference for future epidemiological studies, including those concerning the effectiveness of HPV vaccination. Tweetable abstract: Data from the English pilot study provide a comprehensive overview of abnormalities detected through HPV screening

Complex needs in homelessness practice; a review of 'new markets of vulnerability'

This article reviews institutional responses to adult homeless people, to argue that there is a contemporary flourishing of debates about complex needs across homelessness research and practice fields. These understand housing need as a mental and physical health issue and a care and support need, with foundations in biographical and societal events, issues and experiences, including trauma. Responses to complex needs are conceptualised as enterprising in scope; articulated as fresh, proactive, preventative and positive. The article suggests that there are a range of legislative, policy and funding drivers for these developments, from across homelessness, housing support and adult social care fields, which are distinctive to the English context. At the same time, debates about what complex needs are, and how best to respond to them, are evident in international debates about service delivery models with homeless service users in the Global Western North. ‘Complex needs’ is defined as a travelling concept, with affective qualities, which provides foundation for practice interventions, techniques and principles in different locations. The article conceptualises institutional machinations around the governance of complex needs as ‘new markets of vulnerability’. This term theorises new markets and new marketising strategies around complex needs in the context of a much larger reconfiguring of the mixed economies of welfare around markets and market mimicking devices and practices. It is argued that the intensification of activities around complex needs give insight into processes of neoliberalisation in contemporary modernized welfare ‘mixes’

Evaluation of appendicitis risk prediction models in adults with suspected appendicitis

Background Appendicitis is the most common general surgical emergency worldwide, but its diagnosis remains challenging. The aim of this study was to determine whether existing risk prediction models can reliably identify patients presenting to hospital in the UK with acute right iliac fossa (RIF) pain who are at low risk of appendicitis. Methods A systematic search was completed to identify all existing appendicitis risk prediction models. Models were validated using UK data from an international prospective cohort study that captured consecutive patients aged 16–45 years presenting to hospital with acute RIF in March to June 2017. The main outcome was best achievable model specificity (proportion of patients who did not have appendicitis correctly classified as low risk) whilst maintaining a failure rate below 5 per cent (proportion of patients identified as low risk who actually had appendicitis). Results Some 5345 patients across 154 UK hospitals were identified, of which two‐thirds (3613 of 5345, 67·6 per cent) were women. Women were more than twice as likely to undergo surgery with removal of a histologically normal appendix (272 of 964, 28·2 per cent) than men (120 of 993, 12·1 per cent) (relative risk 2·33, 95 per cent c.i. 1·92 to 2·84; P < 0·001). Of 15 validated risk prediction models, the Adult Appendicitis Score performed best (cut‐off score 8 or less, specificity 63·1 per cent, failure rate 3·7 per cent). The Appendicitis Inflammatory Response Score performed best for men (cut‐off score 2 or less, specificity 24·7 per cent, failure rate 2·4 per cent). Conclusion Women in the UK had a disproportionate risk of admission without surgical intervention and had high rates of normal appendicectomy. Risk prediction models to support shared decision‐making by identifying adults in the UK at low risk of appendicitis were identified

Age‐specific outcomes from the first round of HPV screening in unvaccinated women : observational study from the English cervical screening pilot

Objective To report detailed age-specific outcomes from the first round of an English pilot studying the implementation of high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) testing in primary cervical screening. Design Observational study with screening in 2013–2016, followed by two early recalls and/or colposcopy until the end of 2019. Setting Six NHS laboratory sites. Population A total of 1 341 584 women undergoing screening with HR-HPV testing or liquid-based cytology (LBC). Methods Early recall tests and colposcopies were recommended, depending on the nature of the screening-detected abnormality. Main outcome measures We reported standard screening process indicators, e.g. proportions with an abnormality, including high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN2+) or cancer, and the positive predictive value (PPV) of colposcopy for CIN2+, by screening test and age group. Results Among unvaccinated women screened with HR-HPV testing at age 24–29 years, 26.9% had a positive test and 10.4% were directly referred to colposcopy following cytology triage, with a PPV for CIN2+ of 47%. At 50–64 years of age, these proportions were much lower: 5.3%, 1.2% and 27%, respectively. The proportions of women testing positive for HR-HPV without cytological abnormalities, whose early recall HR-HPV tests returned negative results, were similar across the age spans: 54% at 24–29 years and 55% at 50–64 years. Two-thirds of infections at any age were linked to non-16/18 genotypes. Among women with CIN2, CIN3 or cervical cancer, however, the proportion of non-16/18 infections increased with age. As expected, the detection of abnormalities was lower following screening with LBC. Conclusions These data provide a reliable reference for future epidemiological studies, including those concerning the effectiveness of HPV vaccination