Secret sharing-based authentication and key agreement protocol for machine-type communications

[EN] One of the main challenges for the development of the Internet of Things is the authentication of large numbers of devices/sensors, commonly served by massive machine-type communications, which jointly with long-term evolution has been considered one of the main foundations for the continued growth of Internet of Things connectivity and an important issue to be treated in the development of 5G networks. This article describes some protocols for the group-based authentication of devices/sensors in Internet of Things and presents a new group authentication protocol based on Shamir's secret and Lagrange interpolation formula. The new protocol protects privacy, avoids unauthorized access to information, and assists in the prevention of attacks, as replay, distributed denial of service, and man-in-the-middle. A security analysis and comparisons among the 3GPP evolved packet system authentication and key agreement standard protocol and other recent group authentication protocols were performed toward proving the efficiency of the proposed protocol. The comparisons regard security properties and computational and communication costs. The safety of the protocol was formally verified through simulations conducted by automated validation of internet security protocols and applications.Lopes, APG.; Hilgert, LO.; Gondim, PRL.; Lloret, J. (2019). Secret sharing-based authentication and key agreement protocol for machine-type communications. International Journal of Distributed Sensor Networks (Online). 15(4):1-21. https://doi.org/10.1177/1550147719841003S12115

Evaluation of efficacy and safety of itraconazole oral solution for the treatment of oropharyngeal candidiasis in AIDS patients

This study was a non-comparative multicenter clinical trial to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of itraconazole oral solution 200 mg/day (100 mg twice a day in the fasting state) for the treatment of oropharyngeal candidiasis in AIDS patients. We included 50 patients who were treated and followed for up to 3 weeks after ending therapy in the analysis. Mycological cures at the end of therapy occurred in 20/50 patients (40%), but colonization by Candida sp. was recorded in 42/50 (84%) by the end of follow-up. A high rate of clinical response was observed in 46/50 (92%), and the response was sustained for up to 21 days after stopping therapy in 24/46 patients (52%). Clinical relapses were documented among 22 patients, but all causative fungal organisms associated with a relapse were susceptible to itraconazole. There were many patients with persistence or recurrence of Candida, but without mucositis. Relapse of Candida mucositis was significantly related to low levels of CD4 lymphocytes exhibited by symptomatic patients. The drug was well tolerated by all but 1 patient. We conclude that itraconazole oral solution (100 mg bid for 7-14 days) is a well tolerated and effective treatment for suppressing the symptoms of oropharyngeal candidiasis in AIDS patients. Patients with severe immunosuppression may relapse and require frequent cycles of treatment or longterm suppressive therapy.Federal University of Paraná Clinical HospitalAliança HospitalFederal University of São Paulo DIPA Special Mycology LaboratoryJanssen-Cilag Farmacêutica do BrasilUNIFESP, DIPA Special Mycology LaboratorySciEL

Methylene blue associated with maghemite nanoparticles has antitumor activity in breast and ovarian carcinoma cell lines

Background: Cancer constitutes group of diseases responsible for the second largest cause of global death, and it is currently considered one of the main public health concerns nowadays. Early diagnosis associated with the best choice of therapeutic strategy, is essential to achieve success in cancer treatment. In women, breast cancer is the second most common type, whereas ovarian cancer has the highest lethality when compared to other neoplasms of the female genital system. The present work, therefore, proposes the association of methylene blue with citrate-coated maghemite nanoparticles (MAGCIT–MB) as a nanocomplex for the treatment of breast and ovarian cancer. Results: In vitro studies showed that T-47D and A2780 cancer cell lines underwent a significant reduction in cell viability after treatment with MAGCIT–MB, an event not observed in non-tumor (HNTMC and HUVEC) cells and MDA-MB-231, a triple-negative breast cancer cell line. Flow cytometry experiments suggest that the main mechanism of endocytosis involved in the interiorization of MAGCIT–MB is the clathrin pathway, whereas both late apoptosis and necrosis are the main types of cell death caused by the nanocomplex. Scanning electron microscopy and light microscopy reveal significant changes in the cell morphology. Quantification of reactive oxygen species confirmed the MAGCIT–MB cytotoxic mechanism and its importance for the treatment of tumor cells. The lower cytotoxicity of individual solution of maghemite nanoparticles with citrate (MAGCIT) and free methylene blue (MB) shows that their association in the nanocomplex is responsible for its enhanced therapeutic potential in the treatment of breast and ovarian cancer in vitro. Conclusions: Treatment with MAGCIT–MB induces the death of cancer cells but not normal cells. These results highlight the importance of the maghemite core for drug delivery and for increasing methylene blue activity, aiming at the treatment of breast and ovarian cancer

Starch-based films doped with porphyrinoid photosensitizers for active skin wound healing

Starch is a biodegradable and biocompatible carbohydrate that, when combined with bioactive molecules, can be processed as biomimetic platforms with enhanced performance, allowing its use as active wound dressing materials. Porphyrinoid photosensitizers can tune the physicochemical/functional profile of biomacromolecules, allowing their use in anti-infective strategies. In this work, the feasibility of using the cationic 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(1-methylpyridinium-4-yl)porphyrin tetraiodide (TMPyP) to enhance the physicochemical, mechanical, antimicrobial performance, and wound healing ability of casted starch-based films was studied. TMPyP conferred a reddish coloration to the films, maintaining their pristine transparency. It increased by 87 % the films hydrophobicity and, depending on the TMPyP used, conferred mobility to the starch polymeric chains. Starch/TMPyP-based films effectively photoinactivated Escherichia coli (>99.99 %) and favored the wound healing process, even in the absence of light. Therefore, the incorporation of TMPyP into starch-based formulations revealed to be a promising strategy to tune the films compaction degree while giving rise to water tolerant and photosensitive biomaterials that can act as multitarget antimicrobial medical dressings and glycocarriers of active compounds relevant for effective skin wound healing.The authors thank to University of Aveiro and FCT/MCT for the financial support provided to CICECO (UIDB/50011/2020, UIDP/50011/2020, LA/P/0006/2020), LAQV-REQUIMTE (UIDB/50006/2020 and UIDP/50006/2020), CESAM (UIDP/50017/2020, UIDB/50017/2020, LA/P/0094/2020), CEB (UIDB/04469/2020), LABBELS (LA/P/0029/2020), and to projects PORP2PS (EXPL/QUI-QOR/0586/2021) and PREVINE (FCT-PTDC/ASP-PES/29576/2017), through national funds (OE) and where applicable co-financed by the FEDER - Operational Thematic Program for Competitiveness and Internationalization - COMPETE 2020, within the PT2020 Partnership Agreement. Thanks are also due to the Portuguese NMR and Mass Networks. FCT also funded ASMJ PhD grant (2021.06854.BD), Investigator FCT program (PF, IF/00300/2015), and the Scientific Employment Stimulus program (IG, CEECIND/00430/2017; AR, 2021.02803.CEECIND). NMMM thanks FCT for funding through program DL 57/2016 (CDL-CTTRI-048-88-ARH/2018). The authors also acknowledge to POTATOPLASTIC project (POCI-01-0247-FEDER-017938), financed by FEDER through POCI, to Isolago – Indústria de Plásticos, S. A., the project leader, and to A Saloinha, Lda. company for providing the starch-rich potato washing slurries.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Exploring and developing a shared understanding of the issues surrounding engineering mathematics

Abstract: - Although Mathematics is a pillar which many of the subjects of any Engineering degree are based on, and in spite of being used as a tool in almost all of such subjects, it is sometimes difficult for students to assimilate the mathematical concepts. Since this relationship between Engineering and Mathematics is unavoidable, a consortium of universities from different countries is working on a project, EngiMath, to, on the one hand, make it easier for teachers to teach Mathematics in the first years of Engineering degrees; and, on the other hand, to promote study from a “student-centric” point of view. As a previous step to the development of educational material that fulfills these purposes, a study of the students' feelings about Mathematics and their experience in studying them has been carried out.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Diversity and patterns of marine non-native species in the archipelagos of Macaronesia

Tiago Marques and Carolina Marques thank partial support by CEAUL (funded by FCT through the project UIDB/00006/2020).Aims The present study is the first attempt to grasp the scale and richness of marine biological invasions in Macaronesia. We pioneered a comprehensive non-native species (NNS), inventory in the region to determine their diversity patterns and native distribution origins. NNS were defined here as the result of both introductions and range expansions. We also used statistical modelling to examine relationships among NNS richness, anthropogenic activities, demographic and geographical variables across Macaronesia. Location Macaronesia. Methods A comprehensive literature search was conducted for marine NNS records in Macaronesia, registering the first record's location and year from 1884 to 2020. We used univariate and multivariate analyses to evaluate differences and similarities in community composition. By applying a Generalized Linear Model (GLM), we tested hypotheses regarding NNS richness as a function of anthropogenic activities, demographic and geographical variables. Results A total of 144 marine non-native species (NNS) were recorded for the whole of Macaronesia. The highest NNS richness was registered in the Canary Islands (76 NNS), followed by the Azores (66 NNS), Madeira (59 NNS) and finally Cabo Verde (18 NNS). Some differences amongst archipelagos were observed, such as the high number of non-native macroalgae in the Azores, fishes in the Canary Islands and tunicates in Cabo Verde. Overall, macroalgae, tunicates and bryozoans were the predominant taxonomic groups in the Macaronesian archipelagos. Madeira and Canary Islands were the archipelagos with more similarity in marine NNS, and Cabo Verde the most divergent. Finally, GLM suggested that non-native richness patterns across Macaronesia were dependent on the considered archipelago and strongly affected by (1) minimum distance to the mainland, (2) the total number of ports and marinas and (3) total marinas area (km2). Conclusions The model results and NNS listing in the present study will likely raise the awareness and response regarding marine NNS in the whole Macaronesia region, serving as a baseline for future research as well as implementing and enforcing regulations related to the introduction of marine NNS in oceanic islands.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

HFE variants and the expression of iron-related proteins in breast cancer-associated lymphocytes and macrophages

Disponível em: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5264664/The association of HFE (High Iron FE) major variants with breast cancer risk and behavior has been a matter of discussion for a long time. However, their impact on the expression of iron-related proteins in the breast cancer tissue has never been addressed. In the present study, hepcidin, ferroportin 1, transferrin receptor 1 (TfR1), and ferritin expressions, as well as tissue iron deposition were evaluated in a collection of samples from breast cancers patients and analyzed according to the patients’ HFE genotype. Within the group of patients with invasive carcinoma, those carrying the p.Cys282Tyr variant in heterozygosity presented a higher expression of hepcidin in lymphocytes and macrophages than wild-type or p.His63Asp carriers. An increased expression of TfR1 was also observed in all the cell types analyzed but only in p.Cys282Tyr/p.His63Asp compound heterozygous patients. A differential impact of the two HFE variants was further noticed with the observation of a significantly higher percentage of p.Cys282Tyr heterozygous patients presenting tissue iron deposition in comparison to p.His63Asp heterozygous. In the present cohort, no significant associations were found between HFE variants and classical clinicopathological markers of breast cancer behavior and prognosis. Although limited by a low sampling size, our results provide a new possible explanation for the previously reported impact of HFE major variants on breast cancer progression, i.e., not by influencing systemic iron homeostasis but rather by differentially modulating the local cellular expression of iron-related proteins and tissue iron deposition.OM is a recipient of the PhD grant SFRH/BD/2011/78184 from Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT). The authors also acknowledge financial support from ICBAS/AI&NSUMIB and by national funds through FCT and Ministério da Educação e Ciência (MEC) and when applicable co-funded by FEDER funds within the partnership agreement PT2020 related with the research unit number 4293.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Genetic Diversity and Population Structure of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Strains Isolated from Different Grape Varieties and Winemaking Regions

We herein evaluate intraspecific genetic diversity of fermentative vineyard-associated S. cerevisiae strains and evaluate relationships between grape varieties and geographical location on populational structures. From the musts obtained from 288 grape samples, collected from two wine regions (16 vineyards, nine grape varieties), 94 spontaneous fermentations were concluded and 2820 yeast isolates were obtained that belonged mainly (92%) to the species S. cerevisiae. Isolates were classified in 321 strains by the use of ten microsatellite markers. A high strain diversity (8–43 strains per fermentation) was associated with high percentage (60–100%) of fermenting samples per vineyard, whereas a lower percentage of spontaneous fermentations (0–40%) corresponded to a rather low strain diversity (1–10 strains per fermentation)

Metabolic risk factors, physical activity and physical fitness in azorean adolescents: a cross-sectional study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The prevalence of metabolic syndrome has increased over the last few decades in adolescents and has become an important health challenge worldwide. This study analyzed the relationships between metabolic risk factors (MRF) and physical activity (PA) and physical fitness (PF) in a sample of Azorean adolescents.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A cross-sectional school-based study was conducted on 417 adolescents (243 girls) aged 15-18 from the Azorean Islands, Portugal. Height, weight, waist circumference, fasting glucose, HDL-cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood pressure were measured. A sum of MRF was computed, and adolescents were classified into three groups: no MRF, one MRF and two or more MRF. PA was assessed by a sealed pedometer. PF was assessed using five tests from the Fitnessgram Test Battery. Dietary intake was obtained using a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Mean daily steps for girls and boys were 7427 ± 2725 and 7916 ± 3936, respectively. Fifty-nine percent of the adolescents showed at least one MRF and 57.6% were under the healthy zone in the 20 m Shuttle Run Test. Ordinal logistic regression analysis showed that after adjusting for sex, body mass index, socio-economic status and adherence to a Mediterranean diet, adolescents who were in the highest quartile of the pedometer step/counts (≥9423 steps/day) and those who achieved the healthy zone in five tests were less likely to have one or more MRF (OR = 0.56;95%CI:0.33-0.95; OR = 0.55;95%CI:0.31-0.98, respectively).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Daily step counts and PF levels were negatively associated with having one or more MRF among Azorean adolescents. Our findings emphasize the importance of promoting and increasing regular PA and PF to reduce the public health burden of chronic diseases associated with a sedentary lifestyle.</p