The AI Family: The Information Security Managers Best Frenemy?

In this exploratory study, we deliberately pull apart the Artificial from the Intelligence, the material from the human. We first assessed the existing technological controls available to Information Security Managers (ISMs) to ensure their in-depth defense strategies. Based on the AI watch taxonomy, we then discuss each of the 15 technologies and their potential impact on the transformation of jobs in the field of security (i.e., AI trainers, AI explainers and AI sustainers). Additionally, in a pilot study we collect the evaluation and the narratives of the employees (n=6) of a small financial institution in a focus group session. We particularly focus on their perception of the role of AI systems in the future of cyber security

MN Draconis - peculiar, active dwarf nova in the period gap

Context: We present results of an extensive world-wide observing campaign of MN Draconis. Aims: MN Draconis is a poorly known active dwarf nova in the period gap and is one of the only two known cases of period gap SU UMa objects showing the negative superhumps. Photometric behaviour of MN Draconis poses a challenge for existing models of the superhump and superoutburst mechanisms. Therefore, thorough investigation of peculiar systems, such as MN Draconis, is crucial for our understanding of evolution of the close binary stars. Methods: To measure fundamental parameters of the system, we collected photometric data in October 2009, June-September 2013 and June-December 2015. Analysis of the light curves, $O-C$ diagrams and power spectra was carried out. Results: During our three observational seasons we detected four superoutburts and several normal outbursts. Based on the two consecutive superoutbursts detected in 2015, the supercycle length was derived P_sc = 74 +/- 0.5 days and it has been increasing with a rate of P_dot = 3.3 x 10^(-3) during last twelve years. Based on the positive and negative superhumps we calculated the period excess epsilon = 5.6% +/- 0.1%, the period deficit epsilon_ = 2.5% +/- 0.6%, and in result, the orbital period P_orb = 0.0994(1) days (143.126 +/- 0.144 min). We updated the basic light curve parameters of MN Draconis. Conclusions: MN Draconis is the first discovered SU UMa system in the period gap with increasing supercycle length.Comment: 14 pages, 20 figures, 8 tables, accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysic

The use of respiratory muscle training in patients with pulmonary dysfunction, internal diseases or central nervous system disorders: a systematic review with meta-analysis

Objective: The aim of this systematic review with meta-analysis was to evaluate the effectiveness of RMT in internal and central nervous system disorders, on pulmonary function, exercise capacity and quality of life. Methods: The inclusion criteria were (1) publications designed as Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT), with (2) participants being adults with pulmonary dysfunction caused by an internal disease or central nervous system disorder, (3) an intervention defined as RMT (either IMT or EMT) and (4) with the assessment of exercise capacity, respiratory function and quality of life. For the methodological quality assessment of risk of bias, likewise statistical analysis and meta-analysis the RevMan version 5.3 software and the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool were used. Two authors independently analysed the following databases for relevant research articles: PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and Embase. Results: From a total of 2200 records, the systematic review includes 29 RCT with an overall sample size of 1155 patients. Results suggest that patients with internal and central nervous system disorders who underwent RMT had better quality of life and improved significantly their performance in exercise capacity and in respiratory function assessed with FVC and MIP when compared to control conditions (i.e. no intervention, sham training, placebo or conventional treatments). Conclusion: Respiratory muscle training seems to be more effective than control conditions (i.e. no intervention, sham training, placebo or conventional treatment), in patients with pulmonary dysfunction due to internal and central nervous system disorders, for quality of life, exercise capacity and respiratory function assessed with MIP and FVC, but not with FEV1

Leadership and Trust in Partially Distributed Software Development Teams

Partially distributed teams (PDTs) are common as organizations collaborate across distances. A PDT has at least one collocated subteam and at least two geographically dispersed subteams. We describe a large-scale experiment that examines student global PDTs working on software requirements for an emergency MIS; the teams comprised one U.S. subteam and one Dutch subteam. Leadership configuration was varied so that some teams had only a team leader; some had only subteam leaders; and some had both. However most teams chose to select subteam leaders, regardless of instructions. Trust has been found to be important for team functioning in traditional and virtual teams. This paper focuses on the experimental results related to leadership and trust in PDTs. Results indicate that while there is no evidence that trust varies by leadership configuration, the type of leader (subteam/team) matters and that trust is associated with leader effectiveness and perceptions of team and subteam performance

An abnormality in glucocorticoid receptor expression differentiates steroid responders from nonresponders in keloid disease

Background: Glucocorticoids (GCs) are first-line treatment for keloid disease (KD) but are limited by high incidence of resistance, recurrence and undesirable sideeffects. Identifying patient responsiveness early could guide therapy. Methods: Nineteen patients with KD were recruited at week 0 (before treatment) and received intralesional steroids. At weeks 0, 2 and 4, noninvasive imaging and biopsies were performed. Responsiveness was determined by clinical response and a significant reduction in vascular perfusion following steroid treatment, using full-field laser perfusion imaging (FLPI). Responsiveness was also evaluated using (i) spectrophotometric intracutaneous analysis to quantify changes in collagen and melanin and (ii) histology to identify changes in epidermal thickness and glycosaminoglycan (GAG) expression. Biopsies were used to quantify changes in glucocorticoid receptor (GR) expression using quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction, immunoblotting and immunohistochemistry. Results: At week 2, the FLPI was used to separate patients into steroid responsive (n = 12) and nonresponsive groups (n = 7). All patients demonstrated a signifccant decrease in GAG at week 2 (P < 0 05). At week 4, responsive patients exhibited significant reduction in melanin, GAG, epidermal thickness (all P < 0 05) and a continued reduction in perfusion (P < 0 001) compared with nonresponders. Steroid-responsive patients had increased GR expression at baseline and showed autoregulation of GR compared with nonresponders, who showed no change in GR transcription or protein. Conclusions: This is the first demonstration that keloid response to steroids can be measured objectively using noninvasive imaging. FLPI is a potentially reliable tool to stratify KD responsiveness. Altered GR expression may be the mechanism gating therapeutic response

Biomedical Co-Cr-Mo Components Produced by Direct Metal Laser Sintering

Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS) is an additive manufacturing technique based on a laser power source that sinters powdered materials using a 3D CAD model. The mechanical components produced by this procedure typically show higher residual porosity and poorer mechanical properties than those obtained by traditional manufacturing techniques. In this study, samples were produced by DMLS starting from a Co-Cr-Mo powder (in the \u3b3 phase) with a composition suitable for biomedical applications. Samples were submitted to hardness measurements and structural characterization. The samples showed a hardness value remarkably higher that those commonly obtained for the same cast or wrought alloys. In fact, the HRC value measured for the samples is 47 HRC, while the usual range for CAST Co-Cr-Mo is from 25 to 35 HRC. The samples microstructure was investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), electron microscopy (SEM and TEM) and energy dispersive microanalysis (EDX) in order to clarify the origin of this unexpected result. The laser treatment induced a melting of the metallic Co-Cr-Mo powder, generating a phase transformation from the \u3b3 (fcc) to the e (hcp) phase. The rapid cooling of the melted powder produced the formation of e (hcp) nano-lamellae inside the \u3b3 (fcc) phase. The nano-lamellae formed an intricate network responsible for the measured hardness increase. The results suggest possible innovative applications of the DMLS technique to the production of mechanical parts in the medical and dental fields, where a high degree of personalization is required

Effects of build orientation and element partitioning on microstructure and mechanical properties of biomedical Ti-6Al-4V alloy produced by laser sintering

Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS) technology was used to produce tensile and flexural samples based on the Ti-6Al-4V biomedical composition. Tensile samples were produced in three different orientations in order to investigate the effect of building direction on the mechanical behavior. On the other hand, flexural samples were submitted to thermal treatments to simulate the firing cycle commonly used to veneer metallic devices with ceramics in dental applications. Roughness and hardness measurements as well as tensile and flexural mechanical tests were performed to study the mechanical response of the alloy while X-ray diffraction (XRD), electron microscopy (SEM, TEM, STEM) techniques and microanalysis (EDX) were used to investigate sample microstructure. Results evidenced a difference in the mechanical response of tensile samples built in orthogonal directions. In terms of microstructure, samples not submitted to the firing cycle show a single phase acicular α’ (hcp) structure typical of metal parts subject to high cooling rates. After the firing cycle, samples show a reduction of hardness and strength due to the formation of laths of the β (bcc) phase at the boundaries of the primary formed α’ plates as well as to lattice parameters variation of the hcp phase. Element partitioning during the firing cycle gives rise to high concentration of V atoms (up to 20 wt%) at the plate boundaries where the β phase preferentially forms

Reactive scattering of H2 from Cu(100): comparison of dynamics calculations based on the specific reaction parameter approach to density functional theory with experiment

We present new experimental and theoretical results for reactive scattering of dihydrogen from Cu(100). In the new experiments, the associative desorption of H2 is studied in a velocity resolved and final rovibrational state selected manner, using time-of-flight techniques in combination with resonance-enhanced multi-photon ionization laser detection. Average desorption energies and rota- tional quadrupole alignment parameters were obtained in this way for a number of (v = 0, 1) ro- tational states, v being the vibrational quantum number. Results of quantum dynamics calculations based on a potential energy surface computed with a specific reaction parameter (SRP) density func- tional, which was derived earlier for dihydrogen interacting with Cu(111), are compared with the results of the new experiments and with the results of previous molecular beam experiments on sticking of H2 and on rovibrationally elastic and inelastic scattering of H2 and D2 from Cu(100). The calculations use the Born-Oppenheimer and static surface approximations. With the functional derived semi-empirically for dihydrogen + Cu(111), a chemically accurate description is obtained of the molecular beam experiments on sticking of H2 on Cu(100), and a highly accurate descrip- tion is obtained of rovibrationally elastic and inelastic scattering of D2 from Cu(100) and of the orientational dependence of the reaction of (v = 1, j = 2 − 4) H2 on Cu(100). This suggests that a SRP density functional derived for H2 interacting with a specific low index face of a metal will yield accurate results for H2 reactively scattering from another low index face of the same metal, and that it may also yield accurate results for H2 interacting with a defected (e.g., stepped) surface of that same metal, in a system of catalytic interest. However, the description that was obtained of the average desorption energies, of rovibrationally elastic and inelastic scattering of H2 from Cu(100), and of the orientational dependence of reaction of (v = 0, j = 3 − 5, 8) H2 on Cu(100) compares less well with the available experiments. More research is needed to establish whether more accurate SRP-density functional theory dynamics results can be obtained for these observables if surface atom motion is added to the dynamical model. The experimentally and theoretically found dependence of the rotational quadrupole alignment parameter on the rotational quantum number provides evidence for rotational enhancement of reaction at low translational energies.Fil: Sementa, L.. Leiden University; Países Bajos. Istituto per i Processi Chimico-Fisici of the Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche; ItaliaFil: Wijzenbroek, M.. Leiden University; Países BajosFil: Van Kolck, B. J.. Leiden University; Países BajosFil: Somers, M. F.. Leiden University; Países BajosFil: Al-Halabi, A.. Leiden University; Países BajosFil: Busnengo, Heriberto Fabio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Rosario. Instituto de Física de Rosario (i); ArgentinaFil: Olsen, R. A.. Leiden University; Países Bajos. SINTEF Materials and Chemistry; NoruegaFil: Kroes, G. J.. Leiden University; Países BajosFil: Rutkowski, M.. Westfalische Wilhelms Universitat; AlemaniaFil: Thewes, C.. Westfalische Wilhelms Universitat; AlemaniaFil: Kleimeier, N. F.. Westfalische Wilhelms Universitat; AlemaniaFil: Zacharias, H.. Westfalische Wilhelms Universitat; Alemani

Relativistic corrections of order m\alpha^6 to the two-center problem

Effective potentials of the relativistic m\alpha^6 order correction for the ground state of the Coulomb two-center problem are calculated. They can be used to evaluate the relativistic contribution of that order to the energies of hydrogen molecular ions or metastable states of the antiprotonic helium atom, where precision spectroscopic data are available. In our studies we use the variational expansion based on randomly chosen exponents that permits to achieve high numerical accuracy.Comment: 12 pages, 3 tables 2 figures; submitted to the Journal of Physics