159 research outputs found
Improving Response Deliverability in DNS(SEC)
The Domain Name System provides a critical service on the Internet, where it allows host names to be translated to IP addresses. However, it does not provide any guarantees about authenticity and origin integrity of resolution data. DNSSEC attempts to solve this through the application of cryptographic signatures to DNS records. These signatures generally result in larger responses compared to plain DNS responses. Some of these larger responses experience fragmentation, which in turn might be partially blocked by some firewalls. Apparently unresolvable zones may in those cases be a consequence. Analysis of DNS traffic suggests that at least one per cent of all resolvers experience this problem with our signed zones. However, we suspect this number to be much larger. In our presentation we will elaborate on the potential extent of this problem and propose to test two solutions. We intent to test both solutions in our production environment
Differences in Acinetobacter baumannii Strains and Host Innate Immune Response Determine Morbidity and Mortality in Experimental Pneumonia
Despite many reports documenting its epidemicity, little is known on the interaction of Acinetobacter baumannii with its host. To deepen our insight into this relationship, we studied persistence of and host response to different A. baumannii strains including representatives of the European (EU) clones I–III in a mouse pneumonia model. Neutropenic mice were inoculated intratracheally with five A. baumannii strains and an A. junii strain and at several days morbidity, mortality, bacterial counts, airway inflammation, and chemo- and cytokine production in lungs and blood were determined. A. baumannii RUH875 and RUH134 (EU clone I and II, respectively) and sporadic strain LUH8326 resulted in high morbidity/mortality, whereas A. baumannii LUH5875 (EU clone III, which is less widespread than clone I and II) caused less symptoms. A. baumannii type strain RUH3023T and A. junii LUH5851 did not cause disease. All strains, except A. baumannii RUH3023T and A. junii LUH5851, survived and multiplied in the lungs for several days. Morbidity and mortality were associated with the severity of lung pathology and a specific immune response characterized by low levels of anti-inflammatory (IL-10) and specific pro-inflammatory (IL-12p40 and IL-23) cytokines at the first day of infection. Altogether, a striking difference in behaviour among the A. baumannii strains was observed with the clone I and II strains being most virulent, whereas the A. baumannii type strain, which is frequently used in virulence studies appeared harmless
Measuring perceived benefit and disease-related burden in young cancer survivors: validation of the Benefit and Burden Scale for Children (BBSC) in the Netherlands
Item does not contain fulltextPURPOSE: Perceiving favourable changes from one's illness may go hand in hand with experiencing harmful psychosocial effects. Each of these constructs should be considered when examining children's levels of psychological adjustment following stressful life events. A paediatric instrument that accounts for both positive and negative impact of stressful events has not been investigated in The Netherlands before. The aim of the study was to investigate psychometric properties of the Dutch version of the Benefit and Burden Scale for Children (BBSC), a 20-item questionnaire that intends to measure potential benefit and burden of illness in children. METHODS: Dutch paediatric survivors of childhood cancer aged 8-18 (N = 77) completed the BBSC and other psychological questionnaires: Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (health-related quality of life), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children (anxiety), Children's Revised Impact of Event Scale (posttraumatic stress) and Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (behavioural functioning). Reliability and validity were evaluated. RESULTS: Internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha, benefit 0.84, burden 0.72), test-retest reliability (benefit r = 0.74, burden r = 0.78) and homogeneity (mean inter-item correlation, benefit r = 0.34, burden r = 0.22) were satisfactory. Burden was associated with HRQoL (-), anxiety (+), posttraumatic stress symptoms (+) and behavioural problems. Benefit did not correlate with the psychological outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: The Dutch version of the BBSC shows promising psychometric properties. Perceived benefit and disease-related burden are distinct constructs; both should be considered when examining children's psychological adjustment to potentially traumatic experiences. The BBSC may be useful as monitoring and screening instrument
Climate anxiety, wellbeing and pro-environmental action: correlates of negative emotional responses to climate change in 32 countries
This study explored the correlates of climate anxiety in a diverse range of national contexts. We analysed cross-sectional data gathered in 32 countries (N = 12,246). Our results show that climate anxiety is positively related to rate of exposure to information about climate change impacts, the amount of attention people pay to climate change information, and perceived descriptive norms about emotional responding to climate change. Climate anxiety was also positively linked to pro-environmental behaviours and negatively linked to mental wellbeing. Notably, climate anxiety had a significant inverse association with mental wellbeing in 31 out of 32 countries. In contrast, it had a significant association with pro-environmental behaviour in 24 countries, and with environmental activism in 12 countries. Our findings highlight contextual boundaries to engagement in environmental action as an antidote to climate anxiety, and the broad international significance of considering negative climate-related emotions as a plausible threat to wellbeing
Follow-up analyses to the O3 LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA lensing searches
Along their path from source to observer, gravitational waves may be
gravitationally lensed by massive objects. This results in distortions of the
observed signal which can be used to extract new information about fundamental
physics, astrophysics, and cosmology. Searches for these distortions amongst
the observed signals from the current detector network have already been
carried out, though there have as yet been no confident detections. However,
predictions of the observation rate of lensing suggest detection in the future
is a realistic possibility. Therefore, preparations need to be made to
thoroughly investigate the candidate lensed signals. In this work, we present
some of the follow-up analyses and strategies that could be applied to assess
the significance of such events and ascertain what information may be extracted
about the lens-source system from such candidate signals by applying them to a
number of O3 candidate events, even if these signals did not yield a high
significance for any of the lensing hypotheses. For strongly-lensed candidates,
we verify their significance using a background of simulated unlensed events
and statistics computed from lensing catalogs. We also look for potential
electromagnetic counterparts. In addition, we analyse in detail a candidate for
a strongly-lensed sub-threshold counterpart that is identified by a new method.
For microlensing candidates, we perform model selection using a number of lens
models to investigate our ability to determine the mass density profile of the
lens and constrain the lens parameters. We also look for millilensing
signatures in one of the lensed candidates. Applying these additional analyses
does not lead to any additional evidence for lensing in the candidates that
have been examined. However, it does provide important insight into potential
avenues to deal with high-significance candidates in future observations.Comment: 34 pages, 27 figure
Climate anxiety, pro-environmental action and wellbeing: antecedents and outcomes of negative emotional responses to climate change in 28 countries
This study explored the correlates of climate anxiety in a diverse range of national contexts. We analysed cross-sectional data gathered in 32 countries (N = 12,246). Our results show that climate anxiety is positively related to rate of exposure to information about climate change impacts, the amount of attention people pay to climate change information, and perceived descriptive norms about emotional responding to climate change. Climate anxiety was also positively linked to pro-environmental behaviours and negatively linked to mental wellbeing. Notably, climate anxiety had a significant inverse association with mental wellbeing in 31 out of 32 countries. In contrast, it had a significant association with pro-environmental behaviour in 24 countries, and with environmental activism in 12 countries. Our findings highlight contextual boundaries to engagement in environmental action as an antidote to climate anxiety, and the broad international significance of considering negative climate-related emotions as a plausible threat to wellbeing
Do Biofilm Formation and Interactions with Human Cells Explain the Clinical Success of Acinetobacter baumannii?
BACKGROUND: The dramatic increase in antibiotic resistance and the recent manifestation in war trauma patients underscore the threat of Acinetobacter baumannii as a nosocomial pathogen. Despite numerous reports documenting its epidemicity, little is known about the pathogenicity of A. baumannii. The aim of this study was to obtain insight into the factors that might explain the clinical success of A. baumannii. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We compared biofilm formation, adherence to and inflammatory cytokine induction by human cells for a large panel of well-described strains of A. baumannii and compared these features to that of other, clinically less relevant Acinetobacter species. Results revealed that biofilm formation and adherence to airway epithelial cells varied widely within the various species, but did not differ among the species. However, airway epithelial cells and cultured human macrophages produced significantly less inflammatory cytokines upon exposure to A. baumannii strains than to strains of A. junii, a species infrequently causing infection. CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE: The induction of a weak inflammatory response may provide a clue to the persistence of A. baumannii in patients
Negative emotions about climate change are related to insomnia symptoms and mental health : Cross-sectional evidence from 25 countries
Climate change threatens mental health via increasing exposure to the social and economic disruptions created by extreme weather and large-scale climatic events, as well as through the anxiety associated with recognising the existential threat posed by the climate crisis. Considering the growing levels of climate change awareness across the world, negative emotions like anxiety and worry about climate-related risks are a potentially pervasive conduit for the adverse impacts of climate change on mental health. In this study, we examined how negative climate-related emotions relate to sleep and mental health among a diverse non-representative sample of individuals recruited from 25 countries, as well as a Norwegian nationally-representative sample. Overall, we found that negative climate-related emotions are positively associated with insomnia symptoms and negatively related to self-rated mental health in most countries. Our findings suggest that climate-related psychological stressors are significantly linked with mental health in many countries and draw attention to the need for cross-disciplinary research aimed at achieving rigorous empirical assessments of the unique challenge posed to mental health by negative emotional responses to climate change.Peer reviewe
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