Hyperconnected Network Research Articles

미래 학교 교육과정 체제로서의 다중심성 교육과정 생성·공유 체제

Objectives This study recognizes the need to explore a school curriculum system that responds to the changes brought about by the future hyper-connected networks, artificial intelligence era, and intelligent information society. As an alternative to the traditional Research, Development, and Dissemination (RDD) system of curricu-lum, we investigated the creation and sharing system of a polycentric curriculum. Methods To achieve the research objectives, we conducted two rounds of Delphi surveys with 50 education ex-perts, based on scenario construction for the future school curriculum system. Additionally, we carried out a per-ception survey targeting a total of 3,409 participants, including students, parents, teachers, and educational professionals. This was complemented by a semantic network analysis. Results The results of the first and second rounds of Delphi surveys with experts confirmed seven scenarios re-lated to the development and creation of future curricula. There was a high response rate of agreement on the an-ticipated scenarios related to curriculum development and creation in response to societal changes. Additionally, the semantic network analysis revealed that keywords such as individual student curricula, online networks, con-vergence and fusion curricula, online open markets, and digital and artificial intelligence technologies best repre-sent the characteristics of future curriculum development and creation. Conclusions In a future hyper-connected network society built on the integration of advanced digital information and artificial intelligence technologies, the traditional curriculum research, development, and dissemination sys-tem will transition to a polycentric curriculum creation and sharing system. Consequently, future curricula will be based on connected networks, establishing a unified system that will activate network-based curricula. This net-work curriculum system will form an educational ecosystem centered around educational stakeholders, function-ing through connected networks like a living organism.

The Emerging “Metaverse” and Its Implications for International Business

This article presents information on the metaverse as a digital space, highlighting areas for further inquiry by international business researchers. The metaverse is an overarching virtual platform, much like the Internet, but with a few key differences. The metaverse is expected to be a massively-scaled, hyper-connected network with seamless real time 2D and 3D connection to the physical world via virtual, augmented, neural, and traditional interfaces. Early examples of the metaverse exist like digital twins, gaming, education, and social networking spaces. If the metaverse comes to maturity over the next 10-15 years, it can be a US$ 8-13 trillion economy.

Efficiency energy analysis for 6G communication systems using intelligent reflecting surface architecture

The subject of this 6G communication system research is expected to form a hyper-connected network in which various electronic devices can connect continuously without interruption. Several technologies have been built to support 6G communication systems, such as intelligent reflecting surface (IRS). An IRS is a reflector equipped with several two-dimensional passive elements that perform a phase shift by each element, which can reflect electromagnetic (EM) waves coming from the base station (BS) to the user equipment (UE), which is controlled via a controller to increase the signal strength at the UE and overcome poor propagation conditions. IRS can be placed anywhere, such as on a wall or on the roof of a building. The aim of the IRS research is expected to reduce the energy consumption and increase the spectral efficiency of wireless networks using artificial intelligence (AI) with low costs, energy savings, no thermal noise, and fairly small levels of interference. The objective of this research is to evaluate and analyze the energy efficiency (EE), including the achievable rate (AR) and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), by applying the IRS architecture in a 6G communications system, which uses an operating frequency of 95 GHz and a bandwidth of 800 MHz. Then, the method was based on computer simulation using the Matlab software. In this paper, 6G communication system modeling was proposed. This model uses an urban microcell (Umi) that consists of one base station (BS) with multiple antennas, varying the number of IRS reflecting elements and one user. In this research, AR, SNR, and EE, using the frequency of 95 GHz and simulations with MATLAB@2021a software. The results show that the number of elements as many as 400 is 39% more optimal than the number of elements as many as 40 for the AR results. The SNR results without electromagnetic interference (EMI) are higher than SNR values affected by EMI with SNR results of 100 dBm, and the number of reflecting elements is directly proportional to the SNR results. For 800 elements, the EE value is 26% higher than for 40 elements. Conclusions. The application of IRS in 6G communication systems can increase the AR, SNR, and EE.

Band-Specific Altered Cortical Connectivity in Early Parkinson's Disease and its Clinical Correlates.

Functional connectivity (FC) has shown promising results in assessing the pathophysiology and identifying early biomarkers of neurodegenerative disorders, such as Parkinson's disease (PD). In this study, we aimed to assess possible resting-state FC abnormalities in early-stage PD patients using high-density electroencephalography (EEG) and to detect their clinical relationship with motor and non-motor PD symptoms. We enrolled 26 early-stage levodopa naïve PD patients and a group of 20 healthy controls (HC). Data were recorded with 64-channels EEG system and a source-reconstruction method was used to identify brain-region activity. FC was calculated using the weighted phase-lag index in θ, α, and β bands. Additionally, we quantified the unbalancing between β and lower frequencies through a novel index (β-functional ratio [FR]). Statistical analysis was conducted using a network-based statistical approach. PD patients showed hypoconnected networks in θ and α band, involving prefrontal-limbic-temporal and frontoparietal areas, respectively, and a hyperconnected network in the β frequency band, involving sensorimotor-frontal areas. The θ FC network was negatively related to Non-Motor Symptoms Scale scores and α FC to the Movement Disorder Society-Sponsored Revision of the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale part III gait subscore, whereas β FC and β-FR network were positively linked to the bradykinesia subscore. Changes in θ FC and β-FR showed substantial reliability and high accuracy, precision, sensitivity, and specificity in discriminating PD and HC. Frequency-specific FC changes in PD likely reflect the dysfunction of distinct cortical networks, which occur from the early stage of the disease. These abnormalities are involved in the pathophysiology of specific motor and non-motor PD symptoms, including gait, bradykinesia, mood, and cognition. © 2023 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.

Network alterations in eating epilepsy during resting state and during eating using Magnetoencephalography

ObjectiveEating epilepsy presents various imaging and electrophysiological features along with various seizure triggers. As such, network changes in eating epilepsy have not been comprehensively explored. This study was conducted to illustrate resting state network changes in eating epilepsy and to study the changes in network configurations during eating. MethodsMagnetoencephalography recordings of nineteen patients with drug-resistant eating epilepsy were compared with healthy controls during resting state. A subgroup of nine patients and 12 controls had MEG recordings during eating. Network changes were analyzed using phase lag index across 5 frequency bands [delta, theta, alpha, beta, and gamma] using clustering coefficient (CC), betweenness centrality (BC), path length (PL), modularity (Q), and small worldness (SW). ResultsDuring the resting state, PL was decreased in patients with epilepsy in the delta, theta, and gamma band. Q was lower in patients with epilepsy in the beta and gamma bands. During eating, in patients with epilepsy, PL and SW were increased in all frequency bands, and Q was decreased in the beta band and increased in the rest of the frequency bands. Patients with mixed types of seizures showed higher PL in all bands except alpha, higher Q in all bands, and higher SW in the alpha and beta bands. Node-wise changes in CC and BC implicated changes in DMN and ‘eating’ networks. ConclusionReflex Eating epilepsy presents with a hyperconnected network that exacerbates during eating. The cause of seizure onset and loss of consciousness in eating epilepsy might be due to aberrant network interaction between the regions of the brain involved with eating, such as the sensorimotor cortex, lateral parietal cortex, and insula with the limbic cortex and default mode network across multiple frequency bands.

Social-Cognitive Network Connectivity in Preterm Children and Relations With Early Nutrition and Developmental Outcomes.

Infants born very low birth weight (VLBW, < 1,500 g) are at a heightened risk for structural brain abnormalities and social-cognitive deficits, which can impair behavioural functioning. Resting-state fMRI, reflecting a baseline level of brain activity and underlying social-cognitive processes, has also been reported to be altered in children born VLBW. Yet very little is known about the functional networks underlying social cognition using magnetoencephalography (MEG) and how it relates to neonatal factors and developmental outcomes. Thus, we investigated functional connectivity at rest in VLBW children and the associations with early nutrition and IQ and behavioural problems. We collected resting-state MEG recordings and measures of IQ and social-cognitive behaviour, as well as macronutrient/energy intakes during initial hospitalisation in 5-year-old children born VLBW (n = 37) compared to full-term (FT; n = 27) controls. We examined resting-state network differences controlling for sex and age at scan. Functional connectivity was estimated using the weighted phase lag index. Associations between functional connectivity with outcome measures and postnatal nutrition were also assessed using regression analyses. We found increased resting-state functional connectivity in VLBW compared to FT children in the gamma frequency band (65–80 Hz). This hyper-connected network was primarily anchored in frontal regions known to underlie social-cognitive functions such as emotional processing. In VLBW children, increased functional connectivity was related to higher IQ scores, while reduced connectivity was related to increased behavioural problems at 5 years of age. These within-group associations were found in the slower frequency bands of theta (4–7 Hz) and alpha (8–12 Hz), frequently linked to higher-order cognitive functions. We also found significant associations between macronutrient (protein and lipid) and energy intakes during the first postnatal month with functional connectivity at preschool-age, highlighting the long-term impacts of postnatal nutrition on preterm brain development. Our findings demonstrate that at preschool-age, VLBW children show altered resting-state connectivity despite IQ and behaviour being in the average range, possibly reflecting functional reorganisation of networks to support social-cognitive and behavioural functioning. Further, our results highlight an important role of early postnatal nutrition in the development of resting-state networks, which in turn may improve neurodevelopmental outcomes in this vulnerable population.

Novel Architecture of Security Orchestration, Automation and Response in營nternet of Blended Environment

New technologies that take advantage of the emergence of massive Internet of Things (IoT) and a hyper-connected network environment have rapidly increased in recent years. These technologies are used in diverse environments, such as smart factories, digital healthcare, and smart grids, with increased security concerns. We intend to operate Security Orchestration, Automation and Response (SOAR) in various environments through new concept definitions as the need to detect and respond automatically to rapidly increasing security incidents without the intervention of security personnel has emerged. To facilitate the understanding of the security concern involved in this newly emerging area, we offer the definition of Internet of Blended Environment (IoBE) where various convergence environments are interconnected and the data analyzed in automation. We define Blended Threat (BT) as a security threat that exploits security vulnerabilities through various attack surfaces in the IoBE. We propose a novel SOAR-CUBE architecture to respond to security incidents with minimal human intervention by automating the BT response process. The Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response (SOAR) part of our architecture is used to link heterogeneous security technologies and the threat intelligence function that collects threat data and performs a correlation analysis of the data. SOAR is operated under Collaborative Units of Blended Environment (CUBE) which facilitates dynamic exchanges of data according to the environment applied to the IoBE by distributing and deploying security technologies for each BT type and dynamically combining them according to the cyber kill chain stage to minimize the damage and respond efficiently to BT.

Neuromarkers from Whole-Brain Functional Connectivity Reveal the Cognitive Recovery Scheme for Overt Hepatic Encephalopathy after Liver Transplantation.

Neurocognitive impairment is present in cirrhosis and may be more severe in cirrhosis with overt hepatic encephalopathy (OHE). Liver transplantation (LT) can restore liver function, but how it reverses the impaired brain function is still unclear. MRI of resting-state functional connectivity can help reveal the underlying mechanisms that lead to these cognitive deficits and cognitive recovery. In this study, 64 patients with cirrhosis (28 with OHE; 36 without OHE) and 32 healthy control subjects were recruited for resting-state fMRI. The patients were scanned before and after LT. We evaluated presurgical and postsurgical neurocognitive performance in cirrhosis patients using psychomotor tests. Network-based statistics found significant disrupted connectivity in both groups of cirrhotic patients, with OHE and without OHE, compared with control subjects. However, the presurgical connectivity disruption in patients with OHE affected a greater number of connections than those without OHE. The decrease in functional connectivity for both OHE and non-OHE patient groups was reversed after LT to the level of control subjects. An additional hyperconnected network (i.e., higher connected than control subjects) was observed in OHE patients after LT. Regarding the neural–behavior relationship, the functional network that predicted cognitive performance in healthy individuals showed no correlation in presurgical cirrhotic patients. The impaired neural–behavior relationship was re-established after LT for non-OHE patients, but not for OHE patients. OHE patients displayed abnormal hyperconnectivity and a persistently impaired neural–behavior relationship after LT. Our results suggest that patients with OHE may undergo a different trajectory of postsurgical neurofunctional recovery compared with those without, which needs further clarification in future studies.

Children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder spend more time in hyperconnected network states and less time in segregated network states as revealed by dynamic connectivity analysis

Previous studies in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have observed functional brain network disruption on a whole-brain level, as well as on a sub-network level, particularly as related to the default mode network, attention-related networks, and cognitive control-related networks. Given behavioral findings that children with ADHD have more difficulty sustaining attention and more extreme moment-to-moment fluctuations in behavior than typically developing (TD) children, recently developed methods to assess changes in connectivity over shorter time periods (i.e., “dynamic functional connectivity”), may provide unique insight into dysfunctional network organization in ADHD. Thus, we performed a dynamic functional connectivity (FC) analysis on resting state fMRI data from 38 children with ADHD and 79 TD children. We used Hidden semi-Markov models (HSMMs) to estimate six network states, as well as the most probable sequence of states for each participant. We quantified the dwell time, sojourn time, and transition probabilities across states. We found that children with ADHD spent less total time in, and switched more quickly out of, anticorrelated states involving the default mode network and task-relevant networks as compared to TD children. Moreover, children with ADHD spent more time in a hyperconnected state as compared to TD children. These results provide novel evidence that underlying dynamics may drive the differences in static FC patterns that have been observed in ADHD and imply that disrupted FC dynamics may be a mechanism underlying the behavioral symptoms and cognitive deficits commonly observed in children with ADHD.

Hyperconnected Architecture for High Cognitive Production Plants

The HyperCOG project addresses the full digital transformation of process industry through an innovative Industrial Cyber-Physical System and Data Analytics. It is based on advanced technologies that enable the development of a hyperconnected network of digital nodes. The nodes can catch outstanding streams of data in real-time, which together with the high computing capabilities, provide sensing, knowledge and cognitive reasoning, making companies robust in the face of variant scenarios. The breaking-edge system proposed in this work is validated on productivity, environmental and replicability aspects on three use cases of three different sectors: steel, cement and chemical.

Pancreas morphogenesis: Branching in and then out.

The pancreas of adult mammals displays a branched structure which transports digestive enzymes produced in the distal acini through a tree-like network of ducts into the duodenum. In contrast to several other branched organs, its branching patterns are not stereotypic. Moreover, the branches do not grow from dichotomic splitting of an initial stem but rather from the formation of microlumen in a mass of cells. These lumen progressively assemble into a hyperconnected network that refines into a tree by the time of birth. We review the cell remodeling events and the molecular mechanisms governing pancreas branching, as well as the role of the surrounding tissues in this process. Furthermore, we draw parallels with other branched organs such as the salivary and mammary gland.

In Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Blood Cytokines Are Altered, but Do Not Correlate with Changes in Brain Topology.

Aim: The present study aims at investigating the possible correlation between peripheral markers of inflammation and brain networks. Introduction: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease dominated by progressive motor impairment. Among the complex mechanisms contributing to the pathogenesis of the disease, neuroinflammation, which is associated with altered circulating cytokine levels, is suggested to play a prominent role. Methods: Based on magnetoencephalography data, we estimated topological properties of the brain networks in ALS patients and healthy controls. Subsequently, the blood levels of a subset of cytokines were assayed. Finally, we modeled the brain topological features in the function of the cytokine levels. Results: Significant differences were found in the levels of the cytokines interleukin (IL)-4, IL-1β, and interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) between patients and controls. In particular, IL-4 and IL-1β levels increased in ALS patients, while the IFN-γ level was higher in healthy controls. We also detected modifications in brain global topological parameters in terms of hyperconnectedness. Despite both blood cytokines and brain topology being altered in ALS patients, such changes do not appear to be in a direct relationship. Conclusion: Our results would be in line with the idea that topological changes relate to neurodegenerative processes. However, the absence of correlation between blood cytokines and topological parameters of brain networks does not preclude that inflammatory processes contribute to the alterations of the brain networks. Impact statement The progression of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis entails both neurodegenerative and inflammatory processes. Furthermore, disease progression induces global modifications of the brain networks, with advanced stages showing a more compact, hyperconnected network topology. The pathophysiological processes underlying topological changes are unknown. In this article, we hypothesized that the global inflammatory profile would relate to the topological alterations. Our results showed that this is not the case, as modeling the topological properties as a function of the inflammatory state did not yield good predictions. Hence, our results suggest that topological changes might directly relate to neurodegenerative processes instead.

Translational research of temporomandibular joint pathology: a preliminary biomarker and fMRI study

BackgroundThe temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is well innervated by braches of the trigeminal nerve. The temporomandibular joint disorders (TMD) can cause neural-inflammation in the peripheral nervous system (PNS) at the site of injury, or compression, and may have systemic effects on the central nervous system (CNS). Neural-inflammation causes elevations in cytokine expression and microglia activation. When the site of injury, or compression is treated, or relieved, neural inflammation is reduced. These changes can be seen and measured with fMRI brain activities.MethodsFor this study, patients with comorbid TMD and systemic/neurologic conditions were compared using clinical diagnostic markers, inflammatory, pain, tissue destruction enzymatic biomarkers, and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) activity of the brain, with and without a custom-made dental orthotic.ResultsOur results showed a correlation between the clinical diagnosis of the pathological TMJ, biomarkers and the fMRI study. There was a marked elevation of biomarkers in samples taken from TMJ of patients who were clinically diagnosed with TMD. The fMRI study of TMD patients showed an abnormal hyper-connected salience network and a diminished blood flow to the anterior frontal lobes when they did not wear their customized dental orthotics.ConclusionsOur findings highlight the importance of TMJ-CNS connections and use of fMRI as an investigative tool for understanding TMD and its related neurological pathologies.

Epichaperome Abundance Predicts Response to the Epichaperome Inhibitor, Puh-71, in Acute Myeloid Leukemia

The epichaperome, which was previously described by our team (Rodina et al. Nature 2016, Joshi et al. Nature Reviews Cancer 2018), is a complex hyper-connected network of chaperones and co-chaperones that are present in a subset of tumors, and its role is to facilitate the survival of malignant cells. We have previously shown abundant epichaperome networks in different tumor types, including AML. PU-H71 is a novel epichaperome inhibitor that selectively targets cells expressing the epichaperome. We hypothesize that personalizing PU-H71 in AML based on epichaperome abundance will significantly improve the clinical efficacy of PU-H71. To investigate this, we assessed the frequency of epichaperome abundance in primary AML samples and sought to develop a method with clinical application to predict response to PU-H71. We screened 55 de novo and relapsed/refractory primary AML bone marrow and peripheral blood samples for epichaperome abundance and cytotoxicity. Epichaperome abundance was assessed by incubating cells with FITC-bound PU-H71 (labeled F2) for 4 hours followed by analysis by multi-parameter flow cytometry. A chemically similar FITC-bound PU-H71, which does not bind the epichaperome, termed F9, was used as a control (Taldone et al. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2011). MV411 cell lines were also used as positive controls (given known epichaperome abundance and high sensitivity to PU-H71), and intra-sample T-cells were used as negative controls. Furthermore, we assessed cell survival by incubating cells with 0.5uM PU-H71 for 48-hours followed by evaluation by multi-parameter flow cytometry. All analyses were performed in duplicates or triplicates. The ratio of blast F2 to F9 was combined with the F2-F9 blast to T cell ratio to calculate epichaperome abundance. Data on epichaperome abundance was available in 50 patient samples. Cytotoxicity data was available in 41 patients. 22/41 (54%) of patient samples underwent ≥60% cell death, respectively, and 7/41 (17%) were resistant to PU-H71, as defined by &amp;lt; 5% cytotoxicity. An ROC curve using epichaperome cut-offs of 1, 2.5, 4.5, 6, 8 and 15 provided an AUC of 0.97 (95% CI 0.889-1.056, p=0.006). Using a cut-off of 4.5 for epichaperome abundance, 22/50 (44%) of samples expressed high levels of the epichaperome, and sensitivity and specificity for predicting &amp;gt;60% in vitro cytotoxicity to PU-H71 were 81.8% (95% CI 59.7-94.8%) and 94.7% (95% CI 74-100%) (Figure 1). This method's diagnostic accuracy was 87.8%, with positive and negative likelihood ratios of 15.5 and 0.19. Collectively, our data suggests that this flow cytometry-based evaluation of epichaperome abundance is a promising tool for detecting epichaperome abundance and personalizing the treatment of PU-H71 in patients with AML. Disclosures Chiosis: Samus Therapeutics: Equity Ownership, Patents &amp; Royalties: Intellectual rights to the PU-FITC assay. Roboz:Trovagene: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Takeda: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Sandoz: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Roche/Genentech: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Pfizer: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Otsuka: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Orsenix: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; MEI Pharma: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Novartis: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Jazz: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Janssen: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Celltrion: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Celgene: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; AbbVie: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Actinium: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Agios: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Amphivena: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Argenx: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Astex: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Astellas: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Bayer: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Eisai: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Daiichi Sankyo: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Guzman:Samus Therapeutics: Patents &amp; Royalties: intellectual rights to the PU-FITC assay; Cellectis: Research Funding; SeqRx: Consultancy.

불교와 초연결 네트워크 사회: ‘4연(緣)’과 ‘행위자 네트워크 이론’을 중심으로

불교와 초연결 네트워크 사회: ‘4연(緣)’과 ‘행위자 네트워크 이론’을 중심으로

The Environment of a Hyper-Connected Network Society and Occupational Ethics

The Environment of a Hyper-Connected Network Society and Occupational Ethics

Predictive Analytics of Hyper-Connected Collaborative Network

The foundation of the infrastructure of a collaborative network for ubiquitous connectivity will employ hyper-connected technologies in smart and sustainable cities. Typically, there are millions of items for processing and analytics on the massive generated data. The predictive analytics are indispensable for such volumes of which there are many drifts in data structures and contents. In order to make better decisions and future planning of ubiquity, a model, and correspondence implementation are designed and developed. It brings decision-making to the expected boundary of collaboration for different performance indexes. The selected method finds cause-and-effect between data to predict the optimum responses to incoming events. The core of approach focuses on Event-Condition-Action rules to build decision trees, which helps further planning. The method can summarize complexity via effective recommended decisions to local experts and analysts.

Hyperconnected molecular glass network architectures with exceptional elastic properties

Hyperconnected network architectures can endow nanomaterials with remarkable mechanical properties that are fundamentally controlled by designing connectivity into the intrinsic molecular structure. For hybrid organic–inorganic nanomaterials, here we show that by using 1,3,5 silyl benzene precursors, the connectivity of a silicon atom within the network extends beyond its chemical coordination number, resulting in a hyperconnected network with exceptional elastic stiffness, higher than that of fully dense silica. The exceptional intrinsic stiffness of these hyperconnected glass networks is demonstrated with molecular dynamics models and these model predictions are calibrated through the synthesis and characterization of an intrinsically porous hybrid glass processed from 1,3,5(triethoxysilyl)benzene. The proposed molecular design strategy applies to any materials system wherein the mechanical properties are controlled by the underlying network connectivity.

Anti-reversible dynamic tamper detection scheme using distributed image steganography for IoT applications

In the provision of on-demand personalized services in an IoT-based hyper-connected network, it is inevitable for the mobile device that centrally controls personal information to become the focal point. In this IoT environment, because mobile devices serve as a gateway for all personalized services, their protection plays a crucial role in the creation of a secure IoT environment. In the case of Android, the classic mobile platform, security is at risk from repackaging attacks because of structural weaknesses in the platform. To prevent such repackaging attacks, Android-based applications currently utilize various obfuscation techniques and insert tamper detection methods. However, it is possible to easily bypass even these measures. Thus, in this paper we propose an anti-reverse-engineering dynamic tamper detection scheme that applies image steganography to distribute and hide code in PNG image files. We design and implement this proposed scheme, and present the results of a security evaluation of an application with the scheme applied.

Altered EEG resting-state effective connectivity in drug-naïve childhood absence epilepsy

ObjectiveWe investigated interictal EEG activity in patients with childhood absence seizures with the aim of detecting markers of network defects generating “idiopathic” hyperexcitability in this form of epilepsy. MethodsWe included 11 drug-naïve patients with childhood absence epilepsy (CAE), and 11 age matched controls (CTRL). We analyzed interictal EEG using partial directed coherence (PDC), a connectivity estimator in frequency domain based on autoregressive multivariate (MVAR) modeling giving the advantage of indicating the direction and strength of the interactions between multiple variables. ResultsOur results revealed the presence of an abnormal cortico-cortical network occurring in the interictal condition in CAE and involving a large span of frequencies, with prominence in the alpha band; the most evident finding was a highly significant increase of out-going connectivity involving frontal and central cortical areas in CAE patients compared to CTRL subjects. ConclusionsOur observation indicates that, in interictal conditions, a distorted network characterizes CAE, and a hyperconnected network is already detectable under resting conditions in the delta, theta and alpha bands. SignificanceThe increased interictal EEG connectivity demonstrated here provides support for a persistent abnormal relationship between the thalamus and a hyperexcitable cortex outside the ictal phase.