An Improvement of Robust Biometrics-Based Authentication and Key Agreement Scheme for Multi-Server Environments Using Smart Cards

In multi-server environments, user authentication is a very important issue because it provides the authorization that enables users to access their data and services; furthermore, remote user authentication schemes for multi-server environments have solved the problem that has arisen from user’s management of different identities and passwords. For this reason, numerous user authentication schemes that are designed for multi-server environments have been proposed over recent years. In 2015, Lu et al. improved upon Mishra et al.’s scheme, claiming that their remote user authentication scheme is more secure and practical; however, we found that Lu et al.’s scheme is still insecure and incorrect. In this paper, we demonstrate that Lu et al.’s scheme is vulnerable to outsider attack and user impersonation attack, and we propose a new biometrics-based scheme for authentication and key agreement that can be used in multi-server environments; then, we show that our proposed scheme is more secure and supports the required security properties.     

Robust Biometrics Based Authentication and Key Agreement Scheme for Multi-Server Environments Using Smart Cards

Biometrics authenticated schemes using smart cards have attracted much attention in multi-server environments. Several schemes of this type where proposed in the past. However, many of them were found to have some design flaws. This paper concentrates on the security weaknesses of the three-factor authentication scheme by Mishra et al. After careful analysis, we find their scheme does not really resist replay attack while failing to provide an efficient password change phase. We further propose an improvement of Mishra et al.’s scheme with the purpose of preventing the security threats of their scheme. We demonstrate the proposed scheme is given to strong authentication against several attacks including attacks shown in the original scheme. In addition, we compare the performance and functionality with other multi-server authenticated key schemes.     

Cryptanalysis and Improvement of A Secure Password Authentication Mechanism for Seamless Handover in Proxy Mobile IPv6 Networks

Proxy Mobile IPv6 is a network-based localized mobility management protocol that supports mobility without mobile nodes’ participation in mobility signaling. The details of user authentication procedure are not specified in this standard, hence, many authentication schemes have been proposed for this standard. In 2013, Chuang et al., proposed an authentication method for PMIPv6, called SPAM. However, Chuang et al.’s Scheme protects the network against some security attacks, but it is still vulnerable to impersonation and password guessing attacks. In addition, we discuss other security drawbacks such as lack of revocation procedure in case of loss or stolen device, and anonymity issues of the Chuang et al.’s scheme. We further propose an enhanced authentication method to mitigate the security issues of SPAM method and evaluate our scheme using BAN logic.     

Functional Role of miRNAs: Key Players in Soybean Improvement

Soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr) is an agro-economic crop growing across the world to cater nutrition for both human and animal feed due to the high oil and protein content in its edible seeds. The genes and QTLs associated with important agronomic traits in this crop have already been identified and validated for soybean cyst nematode (SCN), Phytophthora root and stem rot, Pythium root rot and aphid resistance, seed quality, nutrient values, and also employed for genetic improvement in soybean. In the last decade, micro RNAs (miRNAs) have been considered the effector molecules, so the detection and characterization of novel miRNAs in soybean have been taken up by several workers. The advancement in the strategy of sequencing and tools of bioinformatics during last decade has contributed to the discovery of many soybean miRNAs, thus miRNA can be used as a tool in molecular breeding studies, and this has opened new vistas for miRNA mediated genetic improvement of soybean to augment crop productivity as well as nutritional quality. This review addresses the current state of understanding of miRNAmediated stress responses, nutrient acquisition, plant development and crop production processes in soybean.     

抗肿瘤药物临床药师培训及其参与合理用药的应用进展

临床药学是药学的重要分支,临床药师为病人提供药学监护,优化了使用药物治疗,促进康复,加强了保健和疾病的预防。开展临床药师教育,有利于临床用药审查,并将为培养临床药师的工作提供参考。回顾近年来国内外的临床药师及抗肿瘤药物专业临床药师的培训经验和合理用药的进展情况,分别对临床药师培养模式、理论课程设置、药学查房带教、临床记录书写和业务学习等方面作了总结。本文通过系统性的回顾了和对比了国内外的临床药师的培养方案,从理论和实践两方面的应用进展分析了临床药师在临床中的重要作用。     

地高辛标记探针Southern印迹杂交技术要点及改进

Southern印迹杂交技术是检测特定DNA片段的常规方法之一,其操作程序繁琐,对基因组DNA的提取、纯化、酶切等均有较高要求,要获得理想杂交结果需要反复摸索.总结地高辛标记探针Southern印迹杂交的技术要点,并结合具体操作提出改良方案.     

Authentication of beef production systems using a metabolomic-based approach

There is a need for new, non-invasive, rapid and reliable analytical methodologies that can easily be implemented and used for authentication of cattle production systems and the meat derived from them. Easily quantifiable markers could strengthen the current tracing methods for beef authentication. This study investigated the use of a nuclear magnetic resonance-based metabolomic approach as a tool to authenticate beef on the basis of the pre-slaughter production system. Urine and muscle samples were collected from animals fed either pasture outdoor, a barley-based concentrate indoor, silage followed by pasture outdoor or silage followed by pasture outdoor with concentrate over 1 year. A metabolomic analysis was performed on urine (n = 68) and muscle (n = 98) samples collected from animals on the different diets. The results showed that separation according to production system was possible indicating the potential use of this approach in beef authentication. Identification of the major discriminating peaks in urine led to the identification of potential markers of production system including creatinine, glucose, hippurate, pyruvate, phenylalanine, phenylacetylglycine and three unassigned resonances.     

Improvement in Protein Domain Identification Is Reached by Breaking Consensus,with the Agreement of Many Profiles and Domain Co-occurrence

Traditional protein annotation methods describe known domains with probabilistic models representing consensus among homologous domain sequences. However, when relevant signals become too weak to be identified by a global consensus, attempts for annotation fail. Here we address the fundamental question of domain identification for highly divergent proteins. By using high performance computing, we demonstrate that the limits of state-of-the-art annotation methods can be bypassed. We design a new strategy based on the observation that many structural and functional protein constraints are not globally conserved through all species but might be locally conserved in separate clades. We propose a novel exploitation of the large amount of data available: 1. for each known protein domain, several probabilistic clade-centered models are constructed from a large and differentiated panel of homologous sequences, 2. a decision-making protocol combines outcomes obtained from multiple models, 3. a multi-criteria optimization algorithm finds the most likely protein architecture. The method is evaluated for domain and architecture prediction over several datasets and statistical testing hypotheses. Its performance is compared against HMMScan and HHblits, two widely used search methods based on sequence-profile and profile-profile comparison. Due to their closeness to actual protein sequences, clade-centered models are shown to be more specific and functionally predictive than the broadly used consensus models. Based on them, we improved annotation of Plasmodium falciparum protein sequences on a scale not previously possible. We successfully predict at least one domain for 72% of P. falciparum proteins against 63% achieved previously, corresponding to 30% of improvement over the total number of Pfam domain predictions on the whole genome. The method is applicable to any genome and opens new avenues to tackle evolutionary questions such as the reconstruction of ancient domain duplications, the reconstruction of the history of protein architectures, and the estimation of protein domain age. Website and software: http://www.lcqb.upmc.fr/CLADE.     

医技检查窗口沟通服务重点环节改进的实践探索

通过对医院医技检查沟通服务中涉及的重点环节进行分析,查找存在的各项问题,结合医院制定的“医疗服务重点环节沟通指南”指导手册,对重点服务问题进行改进和完善。比较医技窗口服务投诉情况、医院医技部门患者综合满意度调查发现, “医疗服务重点环节沟通指南”在临床应用后,医技检查部门服务有了明显的改善。     

Precision and Agreement of Corneal Power Measurements Obtained Using a New Corneal Topographer OphthaTOP

Purpose

To evaluate repeatability and reproducibility of anterior corneal power measurements obtained with a new corneal topographer OphthaTOP (Hummel AG, Germany) and agreement with measurements by a rotating Scheimpflug camera (Pentacam HR, Oculus, Germany) and an automated keratometer (IOLMaster, Carl Zeiss Meditec, Germany).

Methods

The right eyes of 79 healthy subjects were prospectively measured three times with all three devices. Another examiner performed three additional scans with the OphthaTOP in the same session. Within one week, the first examiner repeated the measurements using the OphthaTOP. The flat simulated keratometry (Kf), steep K (Ks), mean K (Km), J₀, and J₄₅ were noted. Repeatability and reproducibility of measurements were assessed by within-subject standard deviation (Sw), repeatability (2.77 Sw), coefficient of variation (CoV), and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Agreement between devices was assessed using 95% limits of agreement (LoA).

Results

Intraobserver repeatability and interobserver and intersession reproducibility of all measured parameters showed a 2.77 Sw of 0.29 diopter or less, a CoV of less than 0.24%, and an ICC of more than 0.906. Statistically significant differences (P<0.001) were found between the parameters analyzed by the three devices, except J₀ and J₄₅. The mean differences between OphthaTOP and the other two devices were small, and the 95% LoA was narrow for all results.

Conclusions

The OphthaTOP showed excellent intraobserver repeatability and interobserver and intersession reproducibility of corneal power measurements. Good agreements with the other two devices in these parameters were found in healthy eyes.     

NaCl and TDZ are Two Key Factors for the Improvement of In Vitro Regeneration Rate of Salicornia europaea L.

The present study aimed to find out suitable conditions for the In vitro culture of Sallcornla europaea L. and to develop an efficient regeneration system. S. europaea plants were regenerated successfully In vitro from callus derived from mature embryos. Via the method of 2,4-dlchlorophenoxyacetlc acid （2,4-D）-short-treatment on mature seeds, callus was Induced from hypocotyls on the MS medium with 4.55 μmol/L N-phenyl-N＇-1, 2, 3-thladlazol-5-yl urea （TDZ） 3-4 weeks after the seeds germinated. The callus differentiated Into shoots at a rate of 27.6% after subculture for one time on the same medium. When NaCl was Included In the medium, shoots were formed In cluster and the shoot differentiation frequency was Increased to 55.2%. The shoots were rooted when cultured on 1/2 MS medium supplemented with Indole-3-butyric acid （IBA）, kinetin （KN） end activated charcoal （AC）. The results Indicated that NeCl and TDZ played an Important role In the Improvement of the regeneration rate of the halophyte, S. europaea.     

Agreement between theory and measurement in quantification of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria

Autotrophic ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) are of vital importance to wastewater treatment plants (WWTP), as well as being an intriguing group of microorganisms in their own right. To date, corroboration of quantitative measurements of AOB by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) has relied on assessment of the ammonia oxidation rate per cell, relative to published values for cultured AOB. Validation of cell counts on the basis of substrate transformation rates is problematic, however, because published cell-specific ammonia oxidation rates vary by over two orders of magnitude. We present a method that uses FISH in conjunction with confocal scanning laser microscopy to quantify AOB in WWTP, where AOB are typically observed as microcolonies. The method is comparatively simple, requiring neither detailed cell counts or image analysis, and yet it can give estimates of either cell numbers or biomass. Microcolony volume and diameter were found to have a log-normal distribution. We were able to show that virtually all (>96%) of the AOB biomass occurred as microcolonies. Counts of microcolony abundance and measurement of their diameter coupled with a calibration of microcolony dimensions against cell numbers or AOB biomass were used to determine AOB cell numbers and biomass in WWTP. Cell-specific ammonia oxidation rates varied between plants by over three orders of magnitude, suggesting that cell-specific ammonia oxidation is an important process variable. Moreover, when measured AOB biomass was compared with process-based estimates of AOB biomass, the two values were in agreement.     

Agreement between Theory and Measurement in Quantification of Ammonia-Oxidizing Bacteria

Autotrophic ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) are of vital importance to wastewater treatment plants (WWTP), as well as being an intriguing group of microorganisms in their own right. To date, corroboration of quantitative measurements of AOB by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) has relied on assessment of the ammonia oxidation rate per cell, relative to published values for cultured AOB. Validation of cell counts on the basis of substrate transformation rates is problematic, however, because published cell-specific ammonia oxidation rates vary by over two orders of magnitude. We present a method that uses FISH in conjunction with confocal scanning laser microscopy to quantify AOB in WWTP, where AOB are typically observed as microcolonies. The method is comparatively simple, requiring neither detailed cell counts or image analysis, and yet it can give estimates of either cell numbers or biomass. Microcolony volume and diameter were found to have a log-normal distribution. We were able to show that virtually all (>96%) of the AOB biomass occurred as microcolonies. Counts of microcolony abundance and measurement of their diameter coupled with a calibration of microcolony dimensions against cell numbers or AOB biomass were used to determine AOB cell numbers and biomass in WWTP. Cell-specific ammonia oxidation rates varied between plants by over three orders of magnitude, suggesting that cell-specific ammonia oxidation is an important process variable. Moreover, when measured AOB biomass was compared with process-based estimates of AOB biomass, the two values were in agreement.     

Authentication of beef cuts by multielement and machine learning approaches

BackgroundBrazil has consolidated a relevant position in the world market, being the largest exporter and second producer of beef. Genetics, feeding system, geographic origin and climate influence the multielement profile of beef. The feasibility of combining classification algorithms with major and trace elements was evaluated as a tool for authentication of beef cuts.MethodsAnimals of Angus, Nelore and Wagyu crossbreeds, raised in a vertically integrated system, were sampled at the slaughterhouse for chuck steak, rump cap and sirloin steak. Supervised learning algorithms i.e. Classification and Regression Tree (CART), Multilayer Perceptron (MLP), Naïve Bayes (NB), Random Forest (RF) and Sequential Minimal Optimization (SMO) were used to build classification models based on the multielement profile of beef determined by neutron activation analysis.ResultsBr, Co, Cs, Fe, K, Na, Rb, Se and Zn were determined in the beef samples. The classification accuracy values obtained for the beef cuts were 96% (MLP), 95% (SMO), 91% (RF), 86% (NB) and 70% (CART).ConclusionThe Multilayer Perceptron algorithm provided the best classification performance towards authentication of beef cuts on basis of major and trace element mass fractions.     

Agreement of measured and calculated muscle activity during highly dynamic movements modelled with a spherical knee joint

The inclusion of muscle forces into the analysis of joint contact forces has improved their accuracy. But it has not been validated if such force and activity calculations are valid during highly dynamic multidirectional movements. The purpose of this study was to validate calculated muscle activation of a lower extremity model with a spherical knee joint for running, sprinting and 90°-cutting. Kinematics, kinetics and lower limb muscle activation of ten participants were investigated in a 3D motion capture setup including EMG. A lower extremity rigid body model was used to calculate the activation of these muscles with an inverse dynamics approach and a cubic cost function. Correlation coefficients were calculated to compare measured and calculated activation. The results showed good correlation of the modelled and calculated data with a few exceptions. The highest average correlations were found during walking (r = 0.81) and the lowest during cutting (r = 0.57). Tibialis anterior had the lowest average correlation (r = 0.33) over all movements while gastrocnemius medius had the highest correlation (r = 0.9). The implementation of a spherical knee joint increased the agreement between measured and modelled activation compared to studies using a hinge joint knee. Although some stabilizing muscles showed low correlations during dynamic movements, the investigated model calculates muscle activity sufficiently.