Deception in Network Defences Using Unpredictability

In this article, we propose a novel method that aims to improve upon existing moving-target defences by making them unpredictably reactive using probabilistic decision-making. We postulate that unpredictability can improve network defences in two key capacities: (1) by re-configuring the network in direct response to detected threats, tailored to the current threat and a security posture, and (2) by deceiving adversaries using pseudo-random decision-making (selected from a set of acceptable set of responses), potentially leading to adversary delay and failure. Decisions are performed automatically, based on reported events (e.g., Intrusion Detection System (IDS) alerts), security posture, mission processes, and states of assets. Using this codified form of situational awareness, our system can respond differently to threats each time attacker activity is observed, acting as a barrier to further attacker activities. We demonstrate feasibility with both anomaly- and misuse-based detection alerts, for a historical dataset (playback), and a real-time network simulation where asset-to-mission mappings are known. Our findings suggest that unpredictability yields promise as a new approach to deception in laboratory settings. Further research will be necessary to explore unpredictability in production environments.

Suicidal chemotaxis in bacteria

Bacteria commonly live in communities on surfaces where steep gradients of antibiotics and other chemical compounds routinely occur. While many species of bacteria can move on surfaces, we know surprisingly little about how such antibiotic gradients affect cell motility. Here we study the behaviour of the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa in stable spatial gradients of a range of antibiotics by tracking thousands of cells in microfluidic devices as they form biofilms. Unexpectedly, these experiments reveal that individual bacteria use pili-based ('twitching') motility to actively navigate towards regions with higher antibiotic concentrations. Our analyses suggest that this biased migration is driven, at least in part, by a direct response to the antibiotics. Migrating cells can reach antibiotic concentrations hundreds of times higher than their minimum inhibitory concentration in a few hours and remain highly motile. However, isolating these cells - using fluid-walled microfluidic devices that can be reconfigured in situ - suggests that these bacteria are terminal and not able to reproduce. In spite of moving towards their death, we show that migrating cells are capable of entering a suicidal program to release bacteriocins that are used to kill other bacteria. Our work suggests that bacteria respond to antibiotics as if they come from a competing colony growing in the neighbourhood, inducing them to invade and attack. As a result, clinical antibiotics have the potential to serve as a bait that lures bacteria to their death.

Modernity through syncretism and eclecticism: Wu Guanzhong's artistic practice in the cultural and political environment of the PRC (1949-1989)

<p>This thesis examines Wu Guanzhong’s 吴冠中 (1919-2010) art and art theory in the context of socialist and post-socialist China. Wu’s art came to maturation through a sophisticated syncretism of Chinese and Western painting styles and techniques. Aesthetic considerations notwithstanding, each of Wu’s artistic breakthroughs was also a direct response to the cultural policies of the Chinese Communist Party or to the larger cultural and political currents at important junctures of twentieth-century China. Mirroring the syncretistic style and political nature of his artwork, Wu’s art theory is characterised by an eclecticism that mediates between Chinese and Western artistic concepts and walks a thin line between creative agency and political correctness. By identifying the particular qualities of Wu’s art practice that captured the spirit of the 1980s and contributed to his phenomenal success during the ‘Culture Fever’ at the time, this thesis seeks to demonstrate how Wu’s unique blend of syncretism may exemplify an alternative path of Chinese artistic modernity, one that is forged by ‘official artists’ working within the system and shaped by the artists’ strategies of cultural politics as much as their aesthetic choices.</p>

Modernity through syncretism and eclecticism: Wu Guanzhong's artistic practice in the cultural and political environment of the PRC (1949-1989)

<p>This thesis examines Wu Guanzhong’s 吴冠中 (1919-2010) art and art theory in the context of socialist and post-socialist China. Wu’s art came to maturation through a sophisticated syncretism of Chinese and Western painting styles and techniques. Aesthetic considerations notwithstanding, each of Wu’s artistic breakthroughs was also a direct response to the cultural policies of the Chinese Communist Party or to the larger cultural and political currents at important junctures of twentieth-century China. Mirroring the syncretistic style and political nature of his artwork, Wu’s art theory is characterised by an eclecticism that mediates between Chinese and Western artistic concepts and walks a thin line between creative agency and political correctness. By identifying the particular qualities of Wu’s art practice that captured the spirit of the 1980s and contributed to his phenomenal success during the ‘Culture Fever’ at the time, this thesis seeks to demonstrate how Wu’s unique blend of syncretism may exemplify an alternative path of Chinese artistic modernity, one that is forged by ‘official artists’ working within the system and shaped by the artists’ strategies of cultural politics as much as their aesthetic choices.</p>

Neurology of COVID-19

The authors will present a comprehensive account of the neurological aspects of SARS-CoV-2 infection. The aim is to provide a practical clinical book which will serve as a guide for clinicians from all specialties involved in the management of COVID-19 patients. The authors share the extensive clinical experience gained in major hospitals in Lombardy, the first European region to face the COVID-19 emergency in 2020. All are recognized international experts in their respective fields and have been involved in the management of COVID-19 cases from the very beginning of the Italian SARS-CoV-2 outbreak. The text begins with a description of pathobiological and pathophysiological aspects related to the involvement of the nervous system, moving on to the discussion of the neurological complications observed in COVID-19 patients; these range from central to peripheral symptoms, and can occur in the acute or post-acute phases of the disease. Further topics are: neuropathology, seizures and EEG, neuroimaging, delirium, encephalomyelitis, stroke, psychopathology and psychiatry, neuropsychology and cognitive impairment, neuromuscu-lar disorders, and the impact of COVID-19 on other pre-existing neurological disorders. In addi-tion, the book will discuss the new developments in teleneurology approaches, which have been a direct response to the ongoing pandemic. Finally, the possible neurological complications of the COVID-19 vaccines and the neurological complications in children will be considered.Each chapter will present a critical review of the existing literature concerning the specific subject matter, followed by practical clinical recommendations, as well as personal considerations based on the experience gained by each author during the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. Neurology of COVID-19 will be an original and innovative reference book for clinicians of all the specialties involved in the management of patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection

Strategi Komunikasi Pemasaran Terpadu Colourfun Booth Dalam Menjaga Konsumen Di Era New Normal.

In the new normal era, people are becoming more selective in spending costs for household needs, transportation, and other necessities. So, a lot of companies have experienced a decrease in production capacity, a reduction in the capacity of workers, and have out of business. Colourfun Booth is a service industry that provides photobooth services or photo printing services directly at events such as birthdays, weddings, graduations, reunions, companies and so on. Maintain the customers in the new normal era, Colourfun Booth develops a marketing communication strategy by combining elements of communication such as advertising, direct response, sales promotion, and Public Relations to provide maximum communication impact. The method in the preparation of this thesis uses observation, interviews, and documentation. The main concept used the right marketing communication strategy to keep consumers in the new normal era. The strategy adopted by Colourfun Booth are trying to establish a good relationship between brands and consumers through intermediary media, namely social media Instagram and Facebook. Because with this relationship it is expected to be able to become a link between brands and consumers to generate consumer loyalty to the brand.Di era new normal, masyarakat menjadi lebih selektif dalam mengeluarkan biaya untuk keperluan rumah tangga, transportasi, hingga kebutuhan lainnya. Sehingga, tak sedikit perusahaan yang mengalami penurunan kapasitas produksi, pengurangan kapasitas pekerja, hingga harus gulung tikar. Colourfun Booth merupakan industri jasa yang memberikan layanan jasa photo booth atau jasa cetak foto secara langsung pada acara-acara seperti ulang tahun, pernikahan, graduasi, reuni, perusahaan dan sebagainya. Dalam menjaga konsumen di era new normal, Colourfun Booth mengembangkan strategi komunikasi pemasaran dengan cara menggabungkan elemen-elemen komunikasi yang bervariasi seperti periklanan, respon langsung, promosi penjualan, dan Public Relations untuk memberikan dampak komunikasi yang maksimal. Metode dalam penyusunan skripsi ini menggunakan observasi, wawancara, dan dokumentasi. Konsep utama yang digunakan adalah strategi komunikasi pemasaran yang tepat untuk menjaga konsumen di era new normal. Strategi yang dilakukan oleh Colourfun Booth yaitu berusaha menjalin hubungan baik antara merek dengan konsumen melalui media perantara yaitu media sosial Instagram dan Facebook karena dengan adanya hubungan tersebut diharapkan mampu menjadi pengait antara merek dengan konsumen untuk membangkitkan loyalitas konsumen terhadap merek.

Marginalized Males, Disparate COVID-19 Outcomes, and Health Equity: A Profile of Highest Risk

This paper is a direct response to Smith et al.’s (2020) call for more insight into health equity concerns pertaining to COVID-19 outcomes. The goal of this discussion is to offer the field with an evidence-informed ‘avatar’ representing the most-impacted group as it pertains to COVID-19 mortality and morbidity. Policy and practice implications are offered as a call to action for public health professionals to support these most impacted and highest risk communities.

The Study of Digital Adoption and Usage Trends in Kolkata Area

This study is based on a research which was done in order to know the awareness and usage of the people toward internet. Mainly this study was focused on the urban people who are lived in the place like Kolkata and much more educated then the rural people. Under this I tried to find out that out of the total sample how many are aware about the internet, how many use internet regularly, how many occasionally (Before 1month), internet owner and non-users. For this study I follow certain process of market research. I had the sample of 65 respondents. For that we conducted this study and collected data from the urban households about their perception and usage of internet it is concern that it aims towards to get direct response form the respondents and to disseminate awareness among the people aware internet. Except this it also has various aims like preference towards internet, purchasing capacity of respondents, fulfill the respondents expectation etc. There are some important factors to carry the research in a careful manner. The key factors are  Active Internet User  Claim Internet User  Internet Owner  Non-User of Internet  Perception and Preference of People Towards Internet

Reassessing Japanese American Collective Memory Through Gene Oishi’s Internment Narratives

Seven decades after Japanese Americans were interned during the Second World War, former journalist and internment survivor Gene Oishi published Fox Drum Bebop (2014). The protagonist, Hiroshi, had been introduced in Oishi’s previous memoir, In Search of Hiroshi (1988), as “quasi-fictional” and “neither American nor Japanese, but simply me”. Yet, in the same memoir, Oishi had also described his inability to write about ‘Hiroshi’, thus settling on ‘Gene’ as a main character and waiting 28 more years before publishing a book about his true self. A comparison between the two books highlights that In Search of Hiroshi was written as an attempt at telling a story that would implicitly support the ‘model minority’ myth by offering an account of the internment experience as a direct response to the sociopolitical constraints related to the request by Japanese Americans for redress from the U.S. government. On the other hand, the more recent Fox Drum Bebop represents a fictional retelling of Oishi’s memoir which reveals the limits of the collective memory of the internment as developed during the redress years by openly defying the ‘model minority’ stereotype while at the same time once more denouncing the injustices suffered by the Japanese American community during the war. This essay focuses on Oishi’s double narrative as a reassessment of the collective memory of the internment experience and of its lasting effects on Japanese Americans.

Controlled urban sprawl in Auckland, New Zealand and its impacts on the natural environment and housing affordability

Auckland experienced phenomenal expansion since 1841. This study assesses the pace of urban sprawl and its control over the natural environment and housing affordability. After the urban built-up area was mapped, its change over time was detected, and correlated with population. From 1842 to 2014 built-up area in Auckland grew from 48 ha to 50,531 ha. The pace of growth was 151 ha/year during 1842–1945 but jumped to 989 ha per annum during 1975–2001. It dropped to only 249 ha per annum in this century. This unchecked sprawl is a direct response to population growth and facilitated by improved transportation. Since the late 1990s urban built-up areas experienced a subdued expansion despite continued population growth. This curtailed sprawl is attributed to the contentious planning regulations implemented to curtail sprawl. Consequently, population density rose to 28 persons/ha, the highest since a century ago. Urban growth has reduced biomass and green fields with mean vegetation index dropped from 129.5 to 118.7 during 2002–2014 with a smaller standard deviation, suggesting the landscape is increasingly homogenized. House prices rose slowly when the growth potential decreased slowly and vice versa (r = − 0.925) while the number of vacant sections suitable for single dwellings declined. Thus, controlled urban sprawl is largely responsible for the skyrocketed price of sections and declined housing affordability.