New attacks on secret sharing-based data outsourcing: toward a resistant scheme

In this paper, two new practical attacks on some secret sharing-based data outsourcing schemes are first introduced, and several other security and performance issues with the existing schemes are also explored. The existing and new attacks exploit the information about the share range boundaries or the correspondences between the secret values and shares. A range expansion technique is then proposed to thwart one of the attacks. It expands the ranges in every range predicate in the submitted queries in order to hide the share range boundaries from any query observer. Next, a mapping method is proposed to thwart the other attacks. It maps each secret value to a mapping value using a secret one-to-many mapping with a finite set of linear mapping rules so that the tuples of shares are generated from the mapping values rather than directly from the secret values. The proposed mapping method works as an additional layer of security and addresses any attack based on the correspondences between the secret values and shares. At the same time, it preserves the homomorphism property of secret sharing. Finally, a new secure data outsourcing scheme is elaborated on secret sharing, the proposed mapping method, and the proposed range expansion technique. The proposed scheme is resistant to various attacks and also some inferences. It supports the fully server-side or a partially server-side query execution of most types of queries. The experimental results confirm that the proposed scheme is quite practical and efficient.

     

Assessing the effectiveness of disease awareness programs: Evidence from Google Trends data for the world awareness dates

Objectives

The process of disease awareness distribution on the web was studied. The contribution of WHO world awareness days to the total awareness process over the internet was investigated.

Experimental investigation of the effects of different chemical absorbents on wetting and morphology of poly(vinylidene fluoride) membrane

Membrane wetting is of one the most important factor that affects the CO₂ absorption efficiency in membrane contactors due to the increase of mass transfer resistance. In this study, the effects of different absorbents on the wettability of poly(vinylidene fluoride) membranes were investigated. Four absorbents including monoethanolamine, potassium carbonate–piperazine (PZ), potassium carbonate–monoethanolamine, and methyldiethanolamine–PZ were applied to investigate the effects of different absorbents on membrane wetting. Membrane properties before and after contact with absorbents were investigated using methods of thermogravimetric analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, electron scanning microscope, and contact angle measurements. The results revealed that methyldiethanolamine and mixed absorbents containing methyldiethanolamine caused the most morphological changes in membrane. The results showed that reduction percentages of contact angle for water, K2CO3/PZ, K2CO3/MEA, MEA, and MDEA/PZ solutions were 14.52, 16.9, 21.19, 23.7, and 28.33, respectively, after 30 days immersion. The results also showed that potassium carbonate–PZ solution caused the least change in membrane wettability. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2017 , 134, 45543.     

Gum arabic–acrylic superabsorbing hydrogel hybrids: Studies on swelling rate and environmental responsiveness

The swelling rate and the environmental sensitivity of novel superabsorbent gum arabic–acrylic hydrogel hybrids were investigated. The swelling kinetics of the hydrogel hybrids was studied by means of a Voigt‐based viscoelastic model. The effects of concentration of the initiator, crosslinker, and the monomer ratio on the swelling rate were studied. The superswelling properties of the hydrogel hybrids were evaluated in various environmental pH, salinity and solvent–water mixtures. The optimally prepared hydrogel, MR5, showed a reproducible on–off switching behavior when the swelling medium was alternatively changed between distilled water and alkaline solutions. The hydrogel hybrid MR5 was also tested to be swollen and deswollen alternatively in distilled water and sodium chloride solution. The sorption–desorption behavior was found to be quite repeatable. A similar capability was interestingly observed when a calcium chloride solution with the same molar concentration was used. The swelling changes of the hydrogel hybrid were examined in various water–solvent systems including the aqueous solutions of methanol, ethanol, acetone, ethylene glycol, glycerol, and dimethylsulfoxide. One and/or two volume‐phase transitions were induced by the nonsolvents. The transitions were explained according to the solubility parameters of the solvents and water–solvent mixtures. The swelling–deswelling capability of the hydrogel in alternatively changed solvent–water mixtures was also studied. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 102: 5667–5674, 2006     

An unusual case of an irretrievable hemodialysis catheter in a patient with end stage renal disease

Hemodialysis catheters are associated with higher risks of complications compared to arteriovenous fistulas and grafts. Some common complications of dialysis catheters include infection, thrombus formation, central venous stenosis, and mechanical dysfunction. Rarely, catheters can become firmly adhered to a vessel wall. Catheter adhesion is a serious complication that can impact the delivery of safe and effective dialysis to affected patients. Adherent catheters commonly present insidiously with no overt diagnostic signs and symptoms or antecedent catheter malfunction. Prognosis is variable, but can be potentially fatal depending on the severity of adhesion, and sequelae of complications. There are no standardized methods of therapy and treatment strategies are anecdotally reported by interventional radiology, vascular, and cardiothoracic surgery. We hereby describe a case of hemodialysis catheter that has become firmly embedded within the superior vena cava wall. We review the available literature on the epidemiology, risk factors, long‐term sequelae, and known management strategies of adherent catheters. The development of preventative measures will be of great importance given serious complications and limited treatment options. Clinical awareness and understanding of this rare condition is imperative to the prevention and management of adherent catheters.     

Iranian Medical Universities in SCIE: evaluation of address variation

Patenting and licensing is not only a significant method of university knowledge transfer, but also an important indicator for measuring academic R&D strength and knowledge utilization. The methodologies of quantitative and qualitative analysis, including a special patent h-index indicator to assess patenting quality, were used to examine university patenting worldwide. Analysis of university patenting from 1998 to 2008 showed a significant overall global increase in which Chinese academia stands out: most of the top 20 universities in patenting in 2008 were in China. However, a low rate of utilization of Chinese academic patents may have roots in: (1) university research evaluation system encourages the patent production more, rather than the utilization; (2) problems in the formal mechanisms for university technology transfer and licensing, (3) industry’s limited expectation and receptive capabilities and/or (4) a mismatch between the interests of the two institutional spheres. The next action to be taken by government, university and industry in China will be to explore strategies for improving academic patent quality and industry take-up.     

Slot Numbering and Distributed Winding Effects Analysis on the Torque/Current Spectrum of Three-phase Wound-rotor Induction Machine Using Discrete Modeling Method

Smooth torque production by induction machines is an improbable phenomena that is taken into account only in classic and ideal studying methods. In this research, slot numbering and also non-sinusoidal winding function effects are studied for a three-phase wound-rotor induction machine, which is addressed for the first time, and a new formula is introduced for calculating the spectral components of machine torque and current. To reach this aim, mathematical modeling of the air-gap function is proposed, and a discrete time modeling of the machine is introduced to study the effects of space harmonics on the torque/current spectral. To study the mentioned phenomena, in the first part, the winding functions are considered as ideally sinusoidal and the behavior of simulated machines is investigated based on the winding function approach and numerical method analysis. Two certain formulas are introduced for the spectral components of torque ripple and stator currents according to the slot numbers, rotor speed, and number of machine poles. In the second part, slot opening effects are neglected and non-sinusoidal windings are considered for obtaining the same results. Finally, considering both effects, model validation is confirmed by a finite-element-based method, and the introduced method is proven.