Defining and computing a value based cyber-security measure

In earlier work, we presented a value based measure of cybersecurity that quantifies the security of a system in concrete terms, specifically, in terms of how much each system stakeholder stands to lose (in dollars per hour of operation) as a result of security threats and system vulnerabilities; our metric varies according to the stakes that each stakeholder has in meeting each security requirement. In this paper, we discuss the specification and design of a system that collects, updates, and maintains all the information that pertains to estimating our cybersecurity measure, and offers stakeholders quantitative means to make security-related decisions.     

Lower genital tract neoplasia in women with HIV infection

Women who are infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are at greater risk for the development of lower genital tract neoplasia than are HIV-negative women. Among HIV-positive women, those who are more severely immunosuppressed appear to be at higher risk for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN), also known as squamous intraepithelial lesions (SILs). Women who are HIV-positive also are more likely than HIV-negative women to have multifocal lower genital tract neoplasia. Cervical cancer is one of the most important acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS)--related malignancies in women. Cancer and intraepithelial neoplasia of the lower genital tract can be persistent, progressive, recurrent, and difficult to treat in HIV-positive women. The most effective method for treating SILs has not been determined. Regular performance of Pap smears in HIV-positive women is of critical importance, as is careful examination of the entire lower genital tract. Also, women with high-grade intraepithelial or cervical cancer should be tested for HIV.     

Possible aluminum content of canned drinks

Preliminary analyses by a commercial laboratory demonstrated varying amounts of aluminium in a small sampling of canned drinks, which had been stored at 15-20 degrees C., ranging from < 0.1 to 74 ppm depending on the product and storage time. Aluminum foil wrap immersed in several drinks demonstrated varying raters of dissolution from nearly zero to 100% over a 7 months periods when stored at an incubator temperature of 32-34 degrees C. Should aluminum prove to be of significant pathophysiologic consequence, some consideration should be given to all possible sources, including canned drinks which are consumed in copious quantities. When internal protective coatings are complete and remain intact, the cans stored properly and the contents consumed within a reasonable period of time, there appears to be little basis for concern about the ingestion of aluminum from the consumption of the canned drinks tested, as things now stand.     

jContractor: Introducing Design-by-Contract to Java Using Reflective Bytecode Instrumentation

Design by Contract is a software engineering practice that allows semantic information to be added to a class or interface to precisely specify the conditions that are required for its correct operation. The basic constructs of Design by Contract are method preconditions and postconditions, and class invariants. This paper presents a detailed design and implementation overview of jContractor, a freely available tool that allows programmers to write “contracts' as standard Java methods following an intuitive naming convention. Preconditions, postconditions, and invariants can be associated with, or inherited by, any class or interface. jContractor performs on-the-fly bytecode instrumentation to detect violation of the contract specification during a program's execution. jContractor's bytecode engineering technique allows it to specify and check contracts even when source code is not available. jContractor is a pure Java library providing a rich set of syntactic constructs for expressing contracts without extending the Java language or runtime environment. These constructs include support for predicate logic expressions, and referencing entry values of attributes and return values of methods. Fine grain control over the level of monitoring is possible at runtime. Since contract methods are allowed to use unconstrained Java expressions, in addition to runtime verification they can perform additional runtime monitoring, logging, and analysis.     

Repression and High Anxiety Are Associated With Aberrant Diurnal Cortisol Rhythms in Women With Metastatic Breast Cancer.

Previous research has provided evidence of autonomic, endocrine, and immunological dysregulation in repressers and a possible association with cancer incidence and progression. Recently published data from the authors' laboratory demonstrated that flatter diurnal cortisol slopes were a risk factor for early mortality in women with metastatic breast cancer. In the current analysis of this same sample (N=91), the authors tested differences at baseline between groups scored using the Weinberger Adjustment Inventory on diurnal cortisol slope and mean cortisol levels. When compared with self-assured and nonextreme groups, the represser and high-anxious groups had a significantly flatter diurnal slope. Diurnal slope was similar for repressers and high-anxious groups. Groups did not differ on mean cortisol levels, nor did they differ on intercept (morning) values. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A study of scientometric methods to identify emerging technologies via modeling of milestones

This work examines a scientometric model that tracks the emergence of an identified technology from initial discovery (via original scientific and conference literature), through critical discoveries (via original scientific, conference literature and patents), transitioning through Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs) and ultimately on to commercial application. During the period of innovation and technology transfer, the impact of scholarly works, patents and on-line web news sources are identified. As trends develop, currency of citations, collaboration indicators, and on-line news patterns are identified. The combinations of four distinct and separate searchable on-line networked sources (i.e., scholarly publications and citation, patents, news archives, and on-line mapping networks) are assembled to become one collective network (a dataset for analysis of relations). This established network becomes the basis from which to quickly analyze the temporal flow of activity (searchable events) for the example subject domain we investigated.     

Role of excitatory amino acids in the regulation of dopamine synthesis and release in the neostriatum

We have explored the role of excitatory amino acids in the increased dopamine (DA) release that occurs in the neostriatum during stress-induced behavioral activation. Studies were performed in awake, freely moving rats, using in vivo microdialysis. Extracellular DA was used as a measure of DA release; extracellular 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA) after inhibition of DOPA decarboxylase provided a measure of apparent DA synthesis. Mild stress increased the synthesis and release of DA in striatum. DA synthesis and release also were enhanced by the intra-striatal infusion of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA), an agonist at NMDA receptors, and kainic acid, an agonist at the DL-alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole-4-propionate (AMPA)/kainate site. Stress-induced increase in DA synthesis was attenuated by co-infusion of 2-amino-5-phosphonovalerate (APV) or 6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione (CNQX), antagonists of NMDA and AMPA/kainate receptors, respectively. In contrast, intrastriatal APV, CNQX, or kynurenic acid (a non-selective ionotropic glutamate receptor antagonist) did not block the stress-induced increase in DA release. Stress-induced increase in DA release was, however, blocked by administration of tetrodotoxin along the nigrostriatal DA projection. It also was attenuated when APV was infused into substantia nigra. Thus, glutamate may act via ionotropic receptors within striatum to regulate DA synthesis, whereas glutamate may influence DA release via an action on receptors in substantia nigra. However, our method for monitoring DA synthesis lowers extracellular DA and this may permit the appearance of an intra-striatal glutamatergic influence by reducing a local inhibitory influence of DA. If so, under conditions of low extracellular DA glutamate may influence DA release, as well as DA synthesis, by an intrastriatal action. Such conditions might occur during prolonged severe stress and/or DA neuron degeneration. These results may have implications for the impact of glutamate antagonists on the ability of patients with Parkinson's disease to tolerate stress.     

Enhanced fed-batch production,partial purification,characterization of jenseniin P,and discovery of a new bacteriocin-like substance produced by Propionibacterium jensenii B1264

Propionibacterium jensenii B1264 was discovered to inhibit various Propionibacterium, Lactobacilli, and Lactococcus strains based on a deferred agar spot-on-lawn detection method in previous research, in which Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. lactis ATCC 4797 was the most susceptible one. The antimicrobial substance(s) was named jenseniin P and L. delbrueckii ssp. lactis ATCC 4797 was thereafter used as the indicator strain in subsequent research. In current study, production of jenseniin P was significantly enhanced via an improved fed-batch fermentation method and was partially purified using reverse phase silica gel (C18). This partially purified jenseniin P was inactivated by trypsin, pronase, and proteinase K. The molecular weight of jenseniin P was determined to be between 4.5 and 5 kDa. Jenseniin P was characterized as being pH stable with partial inactivation at 100 °C. Jenseniin P was determined to be bactericidal, causing 2.38 log reduction within 60 min at room temperature. A new bacteriocin-like inhibitory substance (BLIS) produced by P. jensenii B1264 was discovered in this study. The new BLIS inhibited the growth of Propionibacterium acnes ATCC 6919 but not the previously used indicator strain L. lactis ATCC 4797. The new discovered BLIS was recovered from the 30 % acetonitrile elution fraction of C18 resin silica column purification process. This new BLIS might present new potential application in the pharmaceutical industry for acne treatment.     

Acute cortisol elevations cause heightened arousal ratings of objectively nonarousing stimuli.

To test the effects of cortisol on affective experience, the authors orally administered a placebo, 20 mg cortisol, or 40 mg cortisol to 85 men. Participants' affective responses to negative and neutral stimuli were measured. Self-reported affective state was also assessed. Participants in the 40-mg group (showing extreme cortisol elevations within the physiological range) rated neutral stimuli as more highly arousing than did participants in the placebo and 20-mg groups. Furthermore, within the 20-mg group, individuals with higher cortisol elevations made higher arousal ratings of neutral stimuli. However, cortisol was unrelated to self-reported affective state. Thus, findings indicate that acute cortisol elevations cause heightened arousal in response to objectively nonarousing stimuli, in the absence of effects on mood. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)