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Toward Graph-Based Network Traffic Analysis and Incident Investigation
Full text linkEven though network traffic is typically encrypted, and it is almost impossible to look into the content of transmitted data, the analysis of metadata and characteristics of individual connections still plays an essential role in an incident or criminal investigation. In recent years, we have seen a significant development of various approaches for storing and analyz-ing large-scale data, including graph databases. Such an approach offers great potential for expert analysts performing digital forensics and network traffic investigation, as it corresponds to their natural perception of the data. In addition, it allows a simple connection of different types and sources of data, which represents the primary focus of our research
Shannon entropy: A novel parameter for quantifying pentagon copying performance in non-demented Parkinson's disease patients
Full text linkIntroduction: Impaired copy of intersecting pentagons from the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), has been used to assess dementia in Parkinson's disease (PD). We used a digitizing tablet during the pentagon copying test (PCT) as a potential tool for evaluating early cognitive deficits in PD without major cognitive impairment. We also aimed to uncover the neural correlates of the identified parameters using whole-brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Methods: We enrolled 27 patients with PD without major cognitive impairment and 25 age-matched healthy controls (HC). We focused on drawing parameters using a digitizing tablet. Parameters with between-group differences were correlated with cognitive outcomes and were used as covariates in the whole-brain voxel-wise analysis using voxel-based morphometry; familywise error (FWE) threshold p < 0.001. Results: PD patients differed from HC in attention domain z-scores (p < 0.0001). In terms of tablet parameters, the groups differed in Shannon entropy (horizontal in-air, p = 0.003), which quantifies the movements between two strokes. In PD, a correlation was found between the median of Shannon entropy (horizontal in-air) and attention z-scores (R = -0.55, p = 0.006). The VBM revealed an association between our drawing parameter of interest and gray matter (GM) volume variability in the right superior parietal lobe (SPL). Conclusion: Using a digitizing tablet during the PCT, we identified a novel entropy-based parameter that differed between the nondemented PD and HC groups. This in-air parameter correlated with the level of attention and was linked to GM volume variability of the region engaged in spatial attention
Incident Investigation: From Packets to Graph-Based Analysis
Full text linkAnalysis of network traffic allows us to explore events in the monitored network (even retrospectively). It benefits from the fact that it is almost impossible to maliciously affect the captured data (as opposed to system logs, for example). Therefore, it is a reliable source that suitably complements cyber incident investigation. The analysis of network traffic is currently performed by the use of tools such as Wireshark or Arkime, which allow manual data browsing, filtering, aggregation, and provide interactive visualizations but don't account for the fact that the human brain perceives the data as associations/graphs. This interactive keynote will show you how network traffic is typically analyzed today and how it can be adapted to human thinking by using a graph database. In the introductory part, you will see what a typical network attack looks like, how it can be analyzed using Wireshark, and what the advantages and disadvantages of today's analysis techniques are. We will then show you how to transform network data into a format suitable for a graph database while at the same time preserving the natural perception of network traffic. In the final part of the keynote, we will introduce the Granef toolkit (https://granef.csirt.muni.cz/) and use it to analyze the given data. Through simple tutorial exercises, participants will have the opportunity to explore graph-based analysis on their own and gain new insights into network traffic data
Volunteer work at the 2018 Olympic Festivals in Brno – on some key organizational aspects of sports event project management and financial value of volunteers’ work
Full text linkThe work quantifies the value of volunteer work that was done during the organization of the Olympic Festival (OF) in Brno in February 2018 based on the specification of individual volunteer positions according to the ISCO classification and the median average wage for each level for the South Moravian Region in February 2018. The vast majority of sporting events cannot really do without the active involvement of volunteers. Mega sports events need to fill dozens of positions with staff for which they usually do not have the necessary budget and therefore supplement their organizational team with volunteers, hoping for a sufficient number of volunteers (i.e. quantity) but also for their competence (i.e. quality). The task of volunteers is usually to provide those services that are in direct contact with spectators and active participants, especially in the case of mass sporting events. These activities are often a combination of "responsible/monotonous/stressful". This paper compares the planned numbers of volunteers to deliver a 17-day long sporting event carrying a national impact with the actual numbers generated by accurate records throughout the project and struggles to provide best possible answers to the question of what the additional cost to the organizer would have been if volunteers had not been part of the organizing team
Tear osmolarity, its measurement and correlation with other tests for dry eye examination
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Examining country development indicators and e-waste under the moderating effect of country development levels and e-waste policy
Full text linkPurpose - The purpose of this paper is to investigate if country development indicators i.e., gross domestic product per capita (GDPPC), literacy rate, internet penetration, and urban population influence the generation of e-waste on a global level. The moderation effect due to differences between countries in terms of absence or presence of e-waste policy and level of development is also checked. Design/methodology/approach - This is an archival study that builds upon data from United Nations (UN), World Bank, and Global E-waste Statistics Partnership. We did a path analysis comprising mediation and multigroup analyses to decipher the proposed research model containing data from 172 countries. Findings - Results indicate that GDPPC, literacy rate, internet penetration, and urban population do not directly influence the generation of e-waste. However, higher internet penetration in developing countries leads to higher e-waste, while higher literacy rates in developed countries suppress e-waste generation. When it comes to e-waste policy, a higher urban population without a regulatory legal framework boosts higher e-waste. We observed that higher internet penetration leads to higher e-waste in the presence of e-waste policy as well. Originality - This is the first study to include economic wellbeing indicators in elaborating e-waste generation, on a global scale. No previous study has observed differences between countries nested in e-waste policy and level of development
Better Scrum through Essence
Full text linkWe live at an exciting time where software has become a dominant aspect of our everyday life. Although software provides opportunities for improving various aspects of our society, it also presents many challenges. One of them is development, deployment and sustaining of high quality software on a broad scale. While agile methods (Scrum being one of the most prominent examples) ease the process, their popularity deteriorates the clarity and simplicity they were once meant to bring into software development. This article explores the synergy of Scrum and Essence, a domain model of software engineering processes, intending to become a common ground for software development methods, bringing clarity into the composition of methods from individual practices. This short communication motivates the interplay of Scrum and Essence, being accompanied with a set of videotutorials and 21 Scrum Essential cards to further guide more effective team's way of working
Use of conditional prey attack strategies in two generalist ground spider species
Full text linkGeneralist predators have evolved a variety of behavioural adaptations in prey capture to effectively subdue different prey types. Such predators use a conditional hunting strategy. Among spiders, representatives of Gnaphosidae are known to use either venom attack (subduing prey with venom) or silk attack (subduing prey with silk). In this study, we aimed to test the hypothesis of the conditional use of prey capture strategy (venom versus silk attack) in two species, Drassodes sp. and Zelotes sp. We also measured the size of their venom glands and the number of their piriform glands in order to reveal whether behavioural adaptations are paralleled with morphological ones. As prey, we used other spiders of variable sizes as these are considered dangerous prey. We found that Drassodes used mainly silk attack, while the majority of Zelotes used venom attack. The probability of using silk attack increased with predator/prey body length ratio in Drassodes, but not in Zelotes. Then, we disabled silk use in individuals of both species. All disabled Drassodes used venom attack, but about half of individuals attempted to use silk attack first. All Zelotes used venom attack, and none attempted to use silk attack first. We found significantly larger venom glands in Drassodes than in Zelotes, while the number of piriform silk glands was similar. The behavioural adaptations are, thus, not paralleled with morphological (i.e., venom and silk gland size) ones. Our results suggest that both Drassodes and Zelotes can use both attack strategies with similar efficacy
Molecular nanoinformatics approach assessing the biocompatibility of biogenic silver nanoparticles with channelized intrinsic steatosis and apoptosis
Full text linkThe developmental rapidity of nanotechnology poses higher risks of exposure to humans and the environment through manufactured nanomaterials. The multitude of biological interfaces, such as DNA, proteins, membranes, and cell organelles, which come in contact with nanoparticles, is influenced by colloidal and dynamic forces. Consequently, the ensued nano-bio interface depends on dynamic forces, encompasses many cellular absorption mechanisms along with various biocatalytic activities, and biocompatibility that needs to be investigated in detail. Addressing the issue, the study offers a novel green synthesis strategy for antibacterial AgNPs with higher biocompatibility and elucidates the mechanistic in vivo biocompatibility of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) at the cellular and molecular levels. The analysis ascertained the biosynthesis of G-AgNPs with the size of 25 +/- 10 nm and zeta potential of -29.2 +/- 3.0 mV exhibiting LC50 of 47.2 mu g mL(-1) in embryonic zebrafish. It revealed the mechanism as a consequence of abnormal physiological metabolism in oxidative stress and neutral lipid metabolism due to dose-dependent interaction with proteins such as he1a, sod1, PEX protein family, and tp53 involving amino acids such as arginine, glutamine and leucine leading to improper apoptosis. The research gave a detailed insight into the role of diverse AgNPs-protein interactions with a unique combinatorial approach from first-principles density functional theory and in silico analyses, thus paving a new pathway to comprehending their intrinsic properties and usage