Parameterized key assignment for confidential communication in wireless networks

Predistribution of cryptographic keys is a widely used approach for establishing secure communication between severely resource-constrained nodes with limited or no access to network infrastructure. Many proposed key predistribution schemes make the implicit assumption that message contents need not be kept private from nodes other than the intended recipient. Messages in such schemes are not guaranteed to be confidential—they may be read by nodes within the network other than the intended recipient. In this paper, we present TASK—a symmetric key predistribution scheme that enables secure and confidential communication within wireless networks. TASK distributes keys by generating and reinforcing a series of template key assignment instances. It is parameterized, which allows it to make use of key storage capacities that other recently proposed schemes cannot. We show, through analysis and simulation, that TASK can achieve a level of security superior to that of two recently proposed schemes that also provide confidentiality. We also demonstrate that the techniques used in TASK (namely parameterization, templatization, and selective reinforcement) can be applied to other key assignment schemes for star or bipartite networks.     

Characterization and Properties of γ-Cyclodextrin-C60 Complex In Aqueous Solution

Water soluble fullerene was prepared by complexing C₆₀ with γ-cyclodextrin. The stoichiometry of the complex [2:1, γ-CD: C₆₀] was determined by thermo gravimetric analysis. The complex was characterized by ¹H NMR, FTIR, SEM, circular dichroism and fluorescenc techniques.     

Industrial fires and explosions due to electrostatic ignition

Static electricity is a frequent source of fires and explosions in industry. A variety of operations may generate static electricity leading to such fires and explosions. This requires adequate preventive and protective measures against this hazard. The present paper describes the theory and mechanism of electrostatic sparking, parameters needed to assess the respective hazard in a plant, safety measures to combat electrostatic problems, common operations where such problems exist and measures to eliminate or mitigate these problems.     

The spectrum of diaphragmatic hernia

Diaphragmatic hernias are among the most common abnormalities of the gastrointestinal tract. Those with significant paraesophageal features may require surgical intervention to prevent potentially lethal complications. By contrast, 90% of patients with sliding hiatal hernias respond favorably to behavior modification and antisecretory drug therapy.     

Triploidy: antenatal sonographic features with post-mortem correlation

The CD34 antigen is expressed by human hematopoietic progenitor and stem cells. These cells are capable of reconstituting marrow function after marrow-ablative chemo-radiotherapy. Several different technologies have been developed for the separation of CD34+ cells from bone marrow or peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) components. We used an immunomagnetic separation technique to enrich CD34+ cells from PBSC components in anticipation of autologous transplantation for patients with B lymphoid malignancies. Twenty-nine patients enrolled on this study and received mobilization chemotherapy followed by G-CSF. Of these, 21 achieved a peripheral blood CD34+ cell level of at least 2.0 x 10(4)/l required by protocol for separation of the stem cell components. A median of three components per patient was collected for processing. The average CD34+ cell concentration in the components after apheresis was 1.0 +/- 1.2%. After the CD34+ cell selection, the enriched components contained 0.6 +/- 0.6% of the starting nucleated cells. The recovery of CD34+ cells, however, averaged 58.4 +/- 19.2% of the starting cell number, with a purity of 90.8 +/- 6.5%. Overall depletion of CD34- cells was 99.96 +/- 0.06%. Nineteen patients were treated with marrow-ablative conditioning regimens and received an average of 6.2 +/- 2.0 x 10(6) CD34+ cells/kg body weight. These patients recovered to an ANC >0.5 x 10(9)/l at a median of 11 days (range 8-14), and platelet transfusion independence at a median of 9 days (range 5-13). Four patients died of transplant-related complications or relapse before 100 days after transplantation. No patient required infusion of unseparated cells because of failure of sustained bone marrow function. These data demonstrate that peripheral blood-derived CD34+ cells enriched by use of an immunomagnetic separation technique are capable of rapid engraftment after autologous transplantation.     

Randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled trial of coenzyme Q10 in patients with acute myocardial infarction

Adherence with inhaled beta-agonists and corticosteroids in 24 asthmatic children was tracked over 3 months utilizing the metered-dose inhaler chronolog (MDIC). Patients seldom took all of their medications as prescribed, and failed to take any inhaled corticosteroid doses on a median of 41.8% of days or inhaled beta-agonists on 28.1% of days despite prescribed daily use. Medication nonadherence was correlated with lower levels of asthma knowledge (Asthma Knowledge Questionnaire) and family dysfunction (Family Assessment Device), but not child behavior disorder (Child Behavior Checklist). Patients tended to dramatically over-report medication use. Improved identification of the markers of nonadherence can directly facilitate more efficient targeting of behavioral interventions, resulting in improved adherence, better illness control, and less requirement of urgent medication intervention.     

HIV seroprevalence in sexually transmitted disease clients in a low-prevalence southern state. Evidence of endemic sexual transmission

Seventy male Fischer 344 (F-344) rats were treated with s.c. injection of (-)deprenyl (0.5 mg/kg, n = 35) or physiological saline (n = 35) 3 times a week from the age of 18 months until the time of their natural death. The fifty percent survival time was 28 months in control animals and 30 months in the deprenyl treated group. The mean survival time after the start of treatment (18 months) and after 24 months were 378.3 +/- 97.4 days (mean +/- SD) and 196.3 +/- 97.4 days, respectively, in deprenyl treated rats and 328.7 +/- 108.8 days and 146.7 +/- 108.7 days in control rats. The increases in average life expectancies caused by deprenyl treatment (15% from 18 months and 34% from 24 months) were both statistically significant (P < 0.05, two-tailed t-test). The average body weights were comparable for both groups but the variation of body weight was greater in control groups, thus excluding the possibility that the life prolonging effect of deprenyl results from reduced dietary intake. The results confirm those of two previous studies (1,2) which reported a significant life prolonging effect of deprenyl in aged rats and lend added support to the results of a study on male F-344 rats where the effect was only marginally significant (16% increase after 24 months, P = 0.048 by one-tailed t test) (2).     

Fragile ''X'' syndrome. A case study

Aim of this paper is to assess the validity of bone scanning for radiation therapy treatment planning in the skeletal system. Radiation therapy treatment planning in the skeletal system is based on plain film radiographs and bone scanning. Between January 1, 1993 and June 30, 1994, 228 patients were irradiated due to malignancies in the skeletal system. Included were bone metastases, lymphomas, sarcomas and bone invasion of neuroblastoma. The morphological display of the plain film radiographs and the bone scintigraphies were compared and modifications of the target volume due to the scan findings quantified. In 17 of 228 patients (7.5%) the target volume was modified by at least 2 cm due to tumor invasion depicted by radionuclide scanning only. Bone scintigraphy enables a sensitive display of bony invasion in skeletal malignancies. Because of a scan induced alteration of the target volume in 7.5% of the cases, bone scanning cannot be abandoned in RT treatment planning.     

One-dimensional flow of a real gas in a diverging channel with generalized Ohm's law

The present analysis gives the effects of the thermoelectric currents on the quasi-one-dimensional flow of a real gas in a diverging channel. Numerical solutions are obtained for generator and accelerator modes with subsonic and supersonic flows. the variation of current and power density are presented for the special cases of (i) a linearly diverging channel and (ii) a constant velocity channel. It is observed that the rate of change of the transverse current and the power is slower owing to the influence of thermoelectric currents.