Enhancing Security of Web-Based IoT Services via XSS Vulnerability Detection.

The Internet of Things (IoT) technology is experiencing significant growth and integration into various aspects of daily life. With the rising number of connected devices, diverse security challenges are emerging as substantial threats to IoT. Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) is one of the major security risks in web services and so is within the application layer of IoT. Many existing web applications remain susceptible to XSS vulnerabilities. In this paper, we propose an XSS detection scheme aimed at enhancing the security of IoT, particularly concerning web application services. To achieve this, we developed a framework for combining symbolic execution and dynamic taint analysis to provide a comprehensive security assessment. Our objective is to increase the ratio of vulnerability detection while avoiding false alarms and keeping the required analysis time as minimal. To realize our idea, we have defined an instrumentation scheme for taint analysis and concolic executions and automated the process of vulnerability detection for a web application. Our framework is capable of pinpointing the precise locations of security vulnerabilities and the exact input datasets at risk of XSS threats. Subsequently, the detected flaws can be easily removed. The experimental results demonstrate the validity of the proposed scheme. We achieved a detection rate of XSS threats of 90.62% using a test set of SecuriBench Micro and 69.11% using OWASP while showing 0% false positives.

Smart Contract Broker: Improving Smart Contract Reusability in a Blockchain Environment.

In this paper, we propose a smart contract broker to improve the reusability of smart contracts in a blockchain environment. The current blockchain platform lacks a standard approach to sharing and managing smart contracts, which makes it difficult for developers to reuse them and leads to efficiency issues. The proposed smart contract broker uses tags to identify and organize smart contracts, and it provides an environment for comparing and reusing smart contracts. This improves the reusability of smart contracts and efficiency. The proposed smart contract broker can be applied as a reference model that increases the flexibility and reusability of smart contract management in a blockchain environment.

Ex situ soil washing of highly contaminated silt loam soil using core-crosslinked amphiphilic polymer nanoparticles.

Non-ionic surfactants (Triton X-100 and Brij 30) and core-crosslinked amphiphilic polymer (CCAP) nanoparticles were used as extractants in the ex situ soil washing of silt loam soil contaminated with large quantities of petroleum oil, and their soil-washing performances were compared. Following washing with the surfactants, highly turbid aqueous solutions containing large numbers of soil and petroleum oil particles were produced. In contrast, the CCAP nanoparticles successfully extracted the petroleum oils from the soil samples without the formation of such a turbid aqueous solution. In addition, the CCAP nanoparticles extracted 96% of the petroleum oils, which is a significantly larger quantity than that by Brij 30 and Triton X-100 under equivalent conditions. Indeed, owing to their crosslinked micelle-like structure, the CCAP nanoparticles maintained their nanostructure even upon contact with a highly contaminated silt loam soil matrix, thereby resulting in the extraction of only the hydrophobic oily contaminants from the soil matrix and avoiding the formation of dispersions of soil particles and hydrophobic contaminants. As such, CCAP nanoparticles could be considered as suitable washing materials for highly contaminated silt loam soils.

Aqueous Antibacterial Enhancement Using Kapok Fibers Chemically Modified in 3-D Crosslinked Structure.

The surface of a kapok fiber was coated with Dopamine (DOPA) through a three-dimensional (3-D) polymerization. Such surface-modified kapok fiber was useful in deactivating microbial activity of microorganisms such as bacteria. The morphology of the surface-modified kapok fiber was analyzed with a field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM). After a silver coating process along with DOPA functionalization, a strong antibacterial property was observed against Escherichia coli (E. coli), using a direct contact method. Almost 100% of bacterial cells were deactivated in 4 h, also showing a complete hindrance to a bacterial growth for 48 h. With the help of the images of FE-SEM and its analysis, the mechanism of an antibacterial assay was enlightened and reasonably estimated that silver ions from the poly-DOPA-coated kapok fiber with silver (KF-DOPA/Ag) led to alterations of cell morphology. This 3-D composite successfully interacted in vitro with functional groups in terms of bacterial deactivation.

Longitudinal evaluation of thyroid autoimmunity and function in pregnant Korean women.

BACKGROUND: Maternal thyroid dysfunction during pregnancy has been associated with adverse outcomes for both the mother and child. For this reason, it is important to understand thyroid status in pregnant women. However, there are relatively few published studies that examine thyroid function tests (TFT) and thyroid autoimmunity in non-Western pregnant women. METHODS: Serum samples were longitudinally collected throughout pregnancy from 108 Korean women. TFT, thyroid peroxidase antibodies (TPO-Ab), and thyroglobulin antibodies (Tg-Ab) testing was performed. The impact of gestational age on TPO-Ab and Tg-Ab levels was evaluated and gestational age-specific reference intervals for TFT were established in antibody negative women. RESULTS: In the first trimester, TPO-Ab and Tg-Ab were positive in 13.9% and 16.7% of women, respectively. For antibody positive women, median autoantibody levels for TPO-Ab and Tg-Ab dropped from first trimester to near term (133.7-10.5 IU/mL, and 162.1-21.9 IU/mL, respectively). Antibody status influenced thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) during the first trimester, and TSH, free T4 (FT4) and total T4 (TT4) in the early second trimester. Later in gestation, no significant differences in TFT were found based on antibody status. Gestational age-specific reference intervals for TFT were calculated in antibody negative women. CONCLUSIONS: Laboratory evidence of autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD) is common in this population of pregnant Korean women. Antibody status influences TFT values in the first and early second trimester. Thyroid autoantibody status and titer change in an individual-specific manner throughout pregnancy. Gestational age-specific reference intervals should be utilized for interpretation of TFT results in pregnant women.

Feasibility study on cross-linked biopolymeric concrete encapsulating selenium glass wastes.

Feasibility study was conducted to encapsulate the selenium (Se) contained in glass waste, using the biopolymer-modified concrete. Biopolymer has unique characteristics to provide the chemical sites to metals or toxic compounds through the three-dimensional cross-linked structure. Very minute amount of biopolymer enhanced the characteristics of cementitious material. The resulting biopolymeric composite with selenium glass waste showed 20% higher compressive strength than ordinary concrete and the lower leaching concentration than the equipment detection limit. For a qualitative measurement, X-ray diffraction (XRD; X-ray powder diffractogram) was used to characterize the biopolymeric concrete. The optimum waste content percentage with appropriate biopolymer concrete mixture ratio was identified for its possible commercial use.

Plasma proGRP concentration is sensitive and specific for discriminating small cell lung cancer from nonmalignant conditions or non-small cell lung cancer.

To date, most clinical data on pro-gastrin-releasing peptide (proGRP) have been based on serum concentrations. This study evaluated the agreement between proGRP levels in fresh serum and plasma in patients with various lung diseases. Pairs of serum and EDTA plasma were collected from 49 healthy individuals. At the same time, EDTA plasma of 118 lung cancer patients and 23 patients with benign pulmonary diseases were prospectively collected. Compared to serum, plasma proGRP concentrations were higher by an average of 103.3%. Plasma proGRP was higher in malignancy (336.4 ± 925.4 pg/mL) than in benign conditions (40.1 ± 11.5 pg/mL). Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) patients showed higher levels of proGRP (1,256.3 ± 1,605.6 pg/mL) compared to other types of lung cancer. Based on the ROC curve analyses at a specificity of 95%, the diagnostic sensitivity of plasma proGRP was estimated to be 83.8% in distinguishing SCLC from all the other conditions, and 86.5% for discriminating SCLC from the nonmalignant cases. Among the SCLC cases, limited stage disease had lower levels of plasma proGRP than extensive disease. When measuring circulating levels of proGRP, the use of plasma is preferred over serum. Plasma proGRP has a potential marker for discriminating SCLC from nonmalignant conditions or non-small cell lung cancer.

Evaluation of the accuracy of serum human epididymis protein 4 in combination with CA125 for detecting ovarian cancer: a prospective case-control study in a Korean population.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to determine the serum concentrations of CA125 and human epididymis protein 4 (HE4) in patients with ovarian cancer, and to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of these biomarkers for differentiating between patients with benign gynecological disease and those with ovarian cancer, when used alone and in combination in a Korean population. METHODS: We consecutively recruited 159 women with an adnexal mass, including 78 women with ovarian cancer. A total of 224 healthy women served as controls. The serum concentrations of HE4 and CA125 were analyzed using immunochemiluminescence assays. The concentrations of the markers were compared among the different subgroups, and the diagnostic accuracy of each marker and the combination of the two markers was assessed by plotting receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. In addition, the Risk of Ovarian Malignancy Algorithm (ROMA) was utilized to categorize patients into low- and high-risk groups for epithelial ovarian cancer. RESULTS: Serum HE4 and CA125 concentrations were significantly higher in the ovarian cancer patients compared with those seen in patients with benign disease or in the healthy controls (p<0.0001 in both). In patients with an adnexal mass, the area under the ROC curve was higher when the combination of the markers was used compared with use of CA125 only. Using ROMA, patients could be successfully classified into high- and low-risk group, with 87.5% sensitivity at a specificity of 93.8%. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that measuring serum HE4 concentrations along with CA125 concentrations may provide higher accuracy for detecting ovarian cancer.

Estimating the biases of the Korean national cholesterol proficiency test.

It is recommended that clinical laboratories keep the bias of serum total cholesterol analysis at < or =3.0% compared to a reference method. In Korea, national cholesterol proficiency testing has long been available, but there has been little information about the magnitude of analytical bias. The authors calculated the bias of the peer group mean for Korea's national cholesterol proficiency test through an indirect approach that overcomes the potential matrix effect of proficiency test materials. One laboratory was selected among the proficiency test participants to represent Korean laboratories. Total cholesterol levels of six fresh serums spanning a wide range of concentrations were measured by the representative laboratory and three reference laboratories. The relationship between the proficiency test mean and the reference method mean was established by linear regression analysis. The peer group mean of the proficiency test was calculated to have a bias of +2.4 to +2.5% at the medical decision levels. When grouped by instrument and reagent, 29 to 66% of the laboratories showed biases <3.0%. Thus it was determined that the peer group mean of the Korean cholesterol proficiency test has an acceptable level of positive bias. The indirect approach used in this study provides a practical model for estimating cholesterol analytical bias for proficiency testing.

Serologic screening of pregnant Korean women for primary human cytomegalovirus infection using IgG avidity test.

BACKGROUND: Primary human cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection during pregnancy is a major cause of congenital malformation. We detected primary CMV infection in pregnant Korean women by using an algorithm that comprises CMV IgG, IgM, and IgG avidity tests. METHODS: During a 2-month period, 744 pregnant women who were at 10-19 weeks of gestation were consecutively enrolled in this study. Human anti-CMV IgG and IgM levels in their sera were determined by chemiluminescence immunoassays. Serum samples from the women who were positive for CMV IgG and IgM were assayed by the ARCHITECT CMV IgG avidity test in order to distinguish primary from non-primary CMV infection. Gross examination of the neonates of the women who were positive for CMV IgM was conducted. RESULTS: The seroprevalence of CMV IgG and IgM was estimated to be 98.1% and 1.7%, respectively. The samples from all the women who were positive for CMV IgM or with grey zone results contained high avidity CMV IgG. Seven women with positive CMV IgG and IgM results who completed follow-up up to delivery showed no gross evidence of in utero CMV transmission. CONCLUSIONS: Maternal primary CMV infection was not detected in any of the pregnant women included in this study cohort. CMV IgG avidity test enabled the identification of women who were at a low risk of transmitting CMV infection and provided informative for subsequent pregnancy outcomes. Compared to previous studies, the seroprevalence of CMV IgG antibody across pregnant Korean women remained unchanged.

Evaluation of pilot-scale in-vessel composting for food waste treatment.

This study is aimed to evaluate the performance of pilot-scale in-vessel composting for food wastes treatment. The composting plant was installed with 324 m3 of the composting bay volume and 14,000 kg/day of the composting material flow rate. The evaluations studied included the operational indices, the compost maturity indices, and the quality of the final compost. Blowers of this system were useful in maintaining aerobic condition (over 6% oxygen concentration in off-gas) through the entire compost bay. The levels of indices evaluated remained constant in the final part of composting. The final compost was satisfactory for its agricultural application. It was revealed in this study that bulk density bore a linear relation to moisture content during composting, and the final compost without bulking agent showed negative correlation between heavy metal and organic matters content.

Direct-to-vial comparison of a new liquid-based cytology system, liqui-PREP versus the conventional pap smear.

The objective of the study was to assess the clinical utility of a liquid-based cytology system on cervicovaginal screening in a clinical commercial laboratory. Twenty-six thousand, one hundred and seventy eight cervicovaginal specimens were prepared by the Liqui-PREP (LGM International Inc., Ft. Lauderdale, FL) with a direct-to-vial comparison to 218,548 cases of the conventional direct smear from August 2005 through December 2005. Biopsy data was obtained to confirm the sensitivity for each method. Liqui-PREP showed a marked increase in HSIL+ detection compared to the conventional smear ( P = 0.001). The rate of LSIL and AGC detection was higher with Liqui-PREP ( P equals; 0.001 for both). The percentage of ASCUS specimens was higher than with conventional smear due to cleaner slides and easier detection of suspicious cells. The WNL rate was lower for Liqui- PREP ( P = 0.001) consistent with increased HSIL+ and ASCUS. The unsatisfactory rate was lower for Liqui-PREP ( P = 0.017). The histological predictive value of Liqui-PREP was slightly higher than the conventional smear (94.1% versus 89.9%). The Liqui-PREP system similar to other reported LBC technologies shows an increased detection of squamous intraepithelial lesions, and gives higher-quality slides for interpretation than the conventional smear. Histological results confirm that this increase in cytological findings are clinically significant. LGM's new LBC technology is a more sensitive screening tool when compared with the conventional smear.

Effect of gas velocity and influent concentration on biofiltration of gasoline off-gas from soil vapor extraction.

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of gas inlet concentration and velocity on the biofiltration of gasoline vapor. Gasoline vapor was treated using a compost biofilter operated in an upflow mode for about 3 months. The inlet concentration of gasoline total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) ranged from about 300 to 7000 mgm(-3) and gas was injected at velocities of 6 and 15 mh(-1) (empty bed residence time (EBRT)=10 and 4 min, respectively). The maximum elimination capacities of TPH at 6 and 15 mh(-1) found in this research were over 24 and 19 gm(-3) of filling material h(-1), respectively. TPH removal data was fit using a first-order kinetic relationship. In the low concentration range of 300-3000 mg m(-3), the first-order kinetic constants varied between about 0.10 and 0.29 min(-1) regardless of gas velocities. At TPH concentrations greater than 3000 mgm(-3), the first-order kinetic constants were about 0.09 and 0.07 min(-1) at gas velocities of 6 mh(-1) and 15 mh(-1), respectively. To evaluate microbial dynamics, dehydrogenase activity, CO2 generation and microbial species diversity were analyzed. Dehydrogenase activity could be used as an indicator of microbial activity. TPH removal corresponded well with CO2 evolution. The average CO2 recovery efficiency for the entire biofilter ranged between 60% and 70%. When the gas velocity was 6 mh(-1), most of the microbial activity and TPH removal occurred in the first quarter of the biofilter. However, when the gas velocity was 15 mh(-1), the entire column contributed to removal. Spatial and temporal variations in the biofilter microbial population were also observed. Nearly 60% of the colonies isolated from the compost media prior to biofiltration were Bacillus. After 90 days of biofiltration, the predominant species in the lower portion (0-50 cm) of the filter were Rhodococcus, while Pseudomonas and Acinetobacter dominated the upper portion (75-100 cm).

Biofiltration of gasoline vapor by compost media.

Gasoline vapor was treated using a compost biofilter operated in upflow mode over 4 months. The gas velocity was 6 m/h, yielding an empty bed retention time (EBRT) of 10 min. Benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene (BTEX) and total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) removal efficiencies remained fairly stable approximately 15 days after biofilter start-up. The average removal efficiencies of TPH and BTEX were 80 and 85%, respectively, during 4 months of stable operation. Biodegradation portions of the treated TPH and BTEX were 60 and 64%, respectively. When the influent concentration of TPH was less than 7800 mg TPH/m3, approximately 50% of TPH in the gas stream was removed in the lower half of the biofilter. When the influent concentration of BTEX was less than 720 mg BTEX/m3, over 75% of BTEX in the gas stream was removed in the lower half of the biofilter. Benzene removal efficiency was the lowest among BTEX. A pressure drop could not be detected over a 1-m bed height at a gas velocity of 6 m/h after approximately 4 months of operation. Results demonstrated that BTEX in gasoline vapor could be treated effectively using a compost biofilter.

Bioremediation of diesel-contaminated soil with composting.

The major objective of this research was to find the appropriate mix ratio of organic amendments for enhancing diesel oil degradation during contaminated soil composting. Sewage sludge or compost was added as an amendment for supplementing organic matter for composting of contaminated soil. The ratios of contaminated soil to organic amendments were 1:0.1, 1:0.3, 1:0.5, and 1:1 as wet weight basis. Target contaminant of this research was diesel oil, which was spiked at 10,000 mg/kg sample on a dry weight basis. The degradation of diesel oil was significantly enhanced by the addition of these organic amendments relative to straight soil. Degradation rates of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) and n-alkanes were the greatest at the ratio of 1:0.5 of contaminated soil to organic amendments on wet weight basis. Preferential degradation of n-alkanes over TPH was observed regardless of the kind and the amount of organic amendments. The first order degradation constant of n-alkanes was about twice TPH degradation constant. Normal alkanes could be divided in two groups (C10-C15 versus C16-C20) based on the first order kinetic constant. Volatilization loss of TPH was only about 2% of initial TPH. Normal alkanes lost by volatilization were mainly by the compounds of C10 to C16. High correlations (r=0.80-0.86) were found among TPH degradation rate, amount of CO2 evolved, and dehydrogenase activity.