A Framework to Reveal Clandestine Organ Trafficking in the Dark Web and Beyond

Due to the scarcity of transplantable organs, patients have to wait on long lists for many years to get a matching kidney. This scarcity has created an illicit market place for wealthy recipients to avoid long waiting times. Brokers arrange such organ transplants and collect most of the payment that is sometimes channeled to fund other illicit activities. In order to collect and disburse payments, they often resort to money laundering-like schemes of money transfers. As the low-cost Internet arrives in some of the affected countries, social media and the dark web are used to illegally trade human organs. This paper presents a model to assess the risk of human organ trafficking in specific areas and shows methods and tools to discover digital traces of organ trafficking using publicly available tools

SoK: The Engineer’s Guide to Post-Quantum Cryptography for Embedded Devices

Embedded systems are flexible and cost-effective and thus have found a use case in almost every part of our daily lives. Due to their widespread use, they have also become valuable targets for cyber attacks. However, translating cutting-edge cyber security from servers and desktops to the embedded realm can be challenging due to the limited computational power and memory of embedded devices. Although quantum computing is still in early research and development, it threatens to break conventional asymmetric cryptography which is a key component of most secure applications currently in use. Given the long lifespan of embedded devices, which can last for decades, research must find solutions for post-quantum (PQ) security rather sooner than later. The field of post-quantum cryptography (PQC) received significant attention in 2019 when the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) launched a competition to find suitable PQC algorithms. During the PQC competition, the applicability of novel PQC algorithms to embedded devices was an important topic that garnered significant research interest. We provide a survey of the latest research regarding PQC for embedded systems. However, rather than focusing on PQC algorithms, our study revolves around practical use cases intending to help embedded developers understand the current state of research from an integration perspective

Assessment of bone ingrowth potential of biomimetic hydroxyapatite and brushite coated porous E-beam structures

The bone ingrowth potential of biomimetic hydroxyapatite and brushite coatings applied on porous E-beam structure was examined in goats and compared to a similar uncoated porous structure and a conventional titanium plasma spray coating. Specimens were implanted in the iliac crest of goats for a period of 3 (4 goats) or 15 weeks (8 goats). Mechanical implant fixation generated by bone ingrowth was analyzed by a push out test. Histomorphometry was performed to assess the bone ingrowth depth and bone implant contact. The uncoated and hydroxyapatite-coated cubic structure had significantly higher mechanical strength at the interface compared to the Ti plasma spray coating at 15 weeks of implantation. Bone ingrowth depth was significantly larger for the hydroxyapatite- and brushite-coated structures compared to the uncoated structure. In conclusion, the porous E-beam surface structure showed higher bone ingrowth potential compared to a conventional implant surface after 15 weeks of implantation. Addition of a calcium phosphate coating to the E-beam structure enhanced bone ingrowth significantly. Furthermore, the calcium phosphate coating appears to work as an accelerator for bone ingrowth

Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death worldwide. This article focuses on current guidelines for the primary prevention of CVD and addresses management of key risk factors. Dietary modification, weight loss, exercise, and tobacco use cessation are specific areas where focused efforts can successfully reduce CVD risk on both an individual and a societal level. Specific areas requiring management include dyslipidemia, hypertension, physical activity, diabetes, aspirin use, and alcohol intake. These preventive efforts have major public health implications. As the global population continues to grow, health care expenditures will also rise, with the potential to eventually overwhelm the health care system. Therefore it is imperative to apply our collective efforts on CVD prevention to improve the cardiovascular health of individuals, communities, and nations

Sobre a analgesia pós-operatória da morfina, cetamina ou da associação em cadelas submetidas à ovariossalpingohisterectomia eletiva

This study aimed to evaluate the post operative analgesic effects of morphine or ketamine alone or their combination in 24 healthy bitches, weighing 11.01±8.69kg and aging 27±17 months, submitted to elective ovariohysterectomy. The animals were distributed to one of the three treatments after the anaesthetic induction: morphine (GM, n=8, 0.5mg kg-1 IM), ketamine (GK, n=8, 2.5mg kg-1 IM) or ketamine combined to morphine (GKM) using the same doses previously described. Sedation score and pain assessment were performed blindly two hours before surgery and at 1, 2, 4, 8, 12, and 24 hours after extubation, using the Dobbins scale (sedation) and visual analogue scale (pain) and Glasgow modified pain scale (GMPS). Rescue analgesia was performed with 1.0mg kg-1 of morphine and if not sufficient, followed by 0.2mg kg-1 of meloxicam, both IM, when the GMPS reached above 33% of the total score. Non parametric data were analyzed using Friedmańs test followed by Dunńs test for differences in time. Kruskal-Walliś test followed by Dunńs test were used to investigate differences in the number of analgesic rescues and among groups at each time. Parametric data were evaluated by ANOVA followed by Tukey's test (P<0.05). Except for GMPS, where the values of GM were greater than for GKM at 1h post-extubation, there were no other differences among groups. The number of rescue analgesia was greater in GM (11 in total; twice in 3 animals,) when compared to GKM (3; twice in 1 animal) and GK (2; twice in 1 animal). Analgesia provided by pre-incisional ketamine was more effective when compared to morphine. According to that, ketamine alone may be used as a preemptive analgesic in bitches undergoing ovariohysterectomy; however, rescue analgesia may be necessary.Departamento de Cirurgia Veterinária e Reprodução Animal Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) SMPW, quadra 26, conjunto 07, lote 09, casa G, 71745-600, Rubião Júnior, Botucatu, SPUniversidade de Brasília (UnB) Campus Universitário Darcy Ribeiro Instituto Central de Ciências, Brasília, DFDepartamento de Cirurgia Veterinária e Reprodução Animal Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) SMPW, quadra 26, conjunto 07, lote 09, casa G, 71745-600, Rubião Júnior, Botucatu, S