Moving Target Defense Based on Adaptive Forwarding Path Migration for Securing the SCADA Network

Static characteristics of supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system are often exploited to perform malicious activities on smart grids. Most of the time, the success of cyberattacks begins with the profiling of the target system and follows by the analysis of the limited resources. To alleviate the asymmetry between attack and defense, network-based moving target defense (MTD) techniques have been applied in the network system to defend against cyberattacks by constructing a dynamic attack surface to the adversary. In this paper, we propose a novel MTD technique based on adaptive forwarding path migration (AFPM) that focuses on improving the defense capability and optimizing the network performance of path mutation. Considering the transient problems present in path mutation caused by the dynamic switching of the forwarding path, we formalize the mutation constraints based on the satisfiability modulo theory (SMT) to select the mutation path. Considering the limited defense capability of path mutation owing to the traditional mutation selection mechanism, we design the mutation path generation algorithm based on the network security capacity matrix to obtain an optimal combination of mutation path and mutation period. Finally, we compare and analyze various cyber defense techniques used in the SCADA network and demonstrate experimentally that our MTD technique can prevent more than 92% of passive monitoring under specified conditions while ensuring the quality of service (QoS) to be almost the same as the static network.

Land Consumption, Ecosystem Services and Urban Planning Policies: Preliminary Results of Research Undertaken in the Tuscany Region

In the contemporaneity, the issues of land or soil consumption and of the protection of areas that, within the urban areas, provide ecosystem services (ESs) is becoming increasingly important also in relation of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. The concept of "Ecosystem Service" appears, in this respect, a fruitful support to define the land consumption effects on the loss of functionality and of settlement quality. Following this considerations the paper presents the first results of a research developed in Tuscany and commissioned by the Regional Government. The research aims to measure the loss of ESs in connection with land use / land cover transformations, and to verify the contribution of soil consumption to these variations. The research use methodologies for elaborating of the geographical data required for territorial governance, LUCL 2010/2016 and Land Cover Flow (LCF) model and the theoretical model of the “Capacity matrix” to provide ecosystem services.

Protective Effects of Liposomal Curcumin on Oxidative Stress/Antioxidant Imbalance, Metalloproteinases 2 and -9, Histological Changes and Renal Function in Experimental Nephrotoxicity Induced by Gentamicin

Background: Our study aimed to assess the efficiency of Curcumin nanoformulation (LCC) on experimental nephrotoxicity induced by Gentamicin in rats. Methods: Six groups of seven rats were used: C—(control group) received saline solution i.p. (i.p. = intraperitoneal), G—gentamicin (G, 80 mg/kg body weight (b.w.)), GCC1 and GCC2—with G and CC solution (single dose of 10 mg/kg b.w.-CC1, or 20 mg/kg b.w.-CC2), GLCC1 (10 mg/kg b.w.) and GLCC2 (20 mg/kg b.w.) with G and LCC administration. Oxidative stress parameters (NOx = nitric oxide, MDA = malondialdehyde, TOS = total oxidative stress), antioxidant parameters (CAT = catalase, TAC = total antioxidant capacity), matrix metalloproteinases (MMP-2 and MMP-9), and renal function parameters (creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, and urea) were measured. Kidneys histopathologic examination was made for each group. Results: Pretreatment with CC and LCC in both doses had significantly alleviating effects on assessed parameters (NOx, MDA, TOS, CAT, TAC, MMP-2, and -9) as compared with the untreated group (p < 0.006). Histopathological aspect and renal function were significantly improved in CC and LCC groups. Liposomal formulation (LCC) showed higher efficiency on all examined parameters compared to CC (p < 0.006). Conclusions: Our results demonstrated improving renal function and kidney cytoarchitecture, oxidative stress/antioxidant/balance, and MMPs plasma concentrations with better dose-related efficacity of LCC than CC.

Assessing landscape services as foundation for Green Infrastructure functionality: the case of the Wienerwald Biosphere Reserve.

Biosphere Reserves are considered as means for the people who live and work within them to attain a balanced relationship with the natural and semi-natural environment. Moreover, they contribute to the needs of society by showing a way to a more sustainable future. The Wienerwald Biosphere Reserve partly surrounds the city of Vienna and other minor settlements, representing a well-developed example of Green Infrastructure (GI) of great cultural and natural value. Its heterogeneous landscape offers a variety of landscape services (LS). In this work we quantified and mapped the capacity of LS offered by the open land elements of Wienerwald. Starting from a high-resolution dataset, we selected suitable indicator classes, and scored each ecological and socio-cultural service through an expert-based capacity matrix. The subsequent GIS analyses focused on the intensity and density of LS capacities by developing an index useful for mapping GI functionality. The work provides an effective monitoring tool for the Reserve’s both ecological and socio-cultural sustainability performance. It also allows detecting resilient areas, by considering both the spatial distribution and the abundance of landscape elements.

Taylor Series Numerical Method in Transient Heat Conduction Analysis

Taylor series numerical method (TSNM) is extended to the field of transient heat conduction. Theoretical description of TSNM for transient heat conduction problems is presented. Furthermore, the algorithm is realized and embedded in commercial software ANSYS®. If a lumped mass heat capacity matrix provided, the governing equation of transient heat conduction problems, which is a differential equation, will be solved by a series of recursion calculation of Taylor expanding coefficients. A typical transient heat conduction problem with analytical solution was discussed to verify the TSNM. At last, the TSNM is applied in the transient heat analysis of an all-solid fiber optic gyro (FOG).

Fast Prediction of Temperature by FEM in Hot Strip Rolling

Finite element method (FEM) has been one of the most important numerical simulation tools with the development of computer technology. However, it is only used to simulate and analyze different process offline in many fields because of the longer computational time. The influencing factors of prediction of temperature in the strip rolling by FEM including equations, mesh and storage of matrix was investigated in the paper. The lumped heat capacity matrix was introduced to resolve the oscillation problem and improve precision. Furthermore, the refined elements layer upon layer was discussed to improve solution efficiency and precision. In addition, in order to improve the solution efficiency one dimensional compressed storage method was employed to carry out in the solution of equations. The FEM program code for the solution of temperature was embed in the online rolling control system program successfully. The predictive results are in good agreement with the measured value. The computational time and precision are satisfied in the strip rolling process.