The projection and measurement of cyberpower

Cyberspace and cyberpower are terms that are increasingly used in common parlance, but are notoriously difficult to define and measure. This article builds on previous work defining the properties of cyberspace in terms of vertical layers, which when combined with a representation of distance presents a three-dimensional model. The unique attributes of cyberspace can be harnessed for power projection, the aim of which is ultimately to alter the behaviour of individuals. Although cyberspace has yet to be used as a medium to demonstrate conventional hard power of coercion and threats supported by physical force, it does present a suitable medium for the projection of soft power of attraction and imitation. These are defined within the context of the online environment and by drawing on the techniques used to optimise Web-based commerce, potential methods of implementing and measuring the success of a campaign of cyberpower projection are proposed

Empirical Study Of Drive-By-Download Spyware

The ability of spyware to circumvent common security practices, surreptitiously exporting confidential information to remote parties and illicitly consuming system resources, is a rising security concern in government, corporate, and home computing environments. While it is the common perception that spyware infection is the result of high risk Internet surfing behavior, our research shows main-stream web sites listed in popular search engines contribute to spyware infection irrespective of patch levels and despite “safe ” Internet surfing practices. Experiments conducted in July of 2005 revealed the presence of spyware in several main-stream Internet sectors as evidenced in the considerable infection of both patched and unpatched Windows XP test beds. Although the experiment emulated conservative web surfing practices by not interacting with web page links, images, or banner advertisements, spyware infection of Internet Explorer based test beds occurred swiftly through crossdomain scripting and ActiveX exploits. As many as 71 different spyware programs were identified among 6 Internet sectors. Real-estate and online travel-related web sites infected the test beds with as many as 14 different spyware programs and one bank-related web site appeared to be the source of a resource consuming dialing program. Empirical analysis suggests that spyware infection via drive-by-download attacks has thus far been unabated by security patches or even prudent web surfing behavior. At least for the moment, it appears the choice of web browser applications is the single most effective measure in preventing spyware infection via drive-by-downloads

Metal hyperaccumulation in Brassicaceae mediates defense against herbivores in the field and improves growth

Kazemi-Dinan A, Barwinski A, Stein RJ, Krämer U, Müller C. Metal hyperaccumulation in Brassicaceae mediates defense against herbivores in the field and improves growth. Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata. 2015;157(1: SI):3-10

Atomic force microscopy investigation of chemically stabilized pericardium tissue

Native and chemically stabilized porcine pericardium tissue was imaged by the contact mode atomic force microscopy (AFM), in air. Chemically stabilized pericardium is used as a tissue-derived biomaterial in various fields of the reconstructive and replacement surgery. Collagen type I is the main component of the fibrous layer of the pericardium tissue. In this study, the surface topography of collagen fibrils in their native state in tissue and after chemical stabilization with different cross-linking reagents: glutaraldehyde (GA), dimethyl suberimidate (DMS) and tannic acid (TA) was investigated. It has been found that chemical stabilization causes considerable changes in the surface topography of collagen fibrils as well as in the spatial organization of the fibrils within the tissue. The observed changes in the D-spacing pattern of the collagen fibril correspond to the formation of intrafibrilar cross-links, whereas formation of interfibrilar cross-links is mainly responsible for the observed tangled spatial arrangement of fibrils and crimp structure of the tissue surface. The crimp structure was distinctly seen for the GA cross-linked tissue. Surface heterogeneity of the cross-linking process was observed for the DMS-stabilized tissue. SDS-PAGE electrophoresis was performed in order to evaluate the stabilization effect of the tissues treated with the cross-linking reagents. It has been found that stabilization with DMS, GA or TA enhances significantly the tissue resistance to SDS/NaCl extraction. The relation between the tissue stability and changes in the topography of the tissue surface was interpreted in terms of different nature of cross-links formed by DMS, GA and TA with collagen

The uninsured and Medicaid Oregon tobacco user experience in a real world, phone based cessation programme

Objective: To describe the experience of uninsured and Medicaid Oregon tobacco users who registered in Free & Clear (F&C), a telephone based cessation programme including five scheduled outbound calls. Design and setting: Using a retrospective cohort design, 1334 (423 uninsured, 806 Medicaid, and 105 commercially insured) Oregon tobacco users who registered in F&C between 18 November 1998 and 28 February 2000 were identified and followed for 12 months post-registration; 648 (48.6%) were successfully contacted at 12 months. Information was collected from the F&C database. Unconditional logistic regression, adjusted for race and education, was used. Results: The seven day quit rate at 12 months, assuming non-respondents were smokers, was 14.8% (95% confidence interval (CI) 13.0 to 16.9). This rate was significantly higher among commercially insured participants (v Medicaid but not uninsured) and among participants who completed ⩾ 5 calls (v < 5 calls). The quit rate for those contacted at 12 months was 30.6% (95% CI 27.0% to 34.3%) and varied, however not significantly, by insurance and number of calls. After adjustment, respondents who completed ⩾ 5 calls were 60% more likely to quit tobacco (odds ratio (OR) 1.6, 95% CI 0.9 to 3.1), and uninsured respondents who completed ⩾ 5 calls were 70% more likely to quit tobacco (OR 1.7, 95% CI 0.9 to 3.5), relative to those who completed < 5 calls, but the difference was not significant. Conclusions: The quit rates are similar to those reported in efficacy trials. The observed variation in quitting tobacco for respondents by number of calls completed and by insurance merits further investigation concentrating on increasing compliance with the call schedule, particularly for the uninsured

N-terminal Dbl domain of the RhoGEF, Kalirin.

Guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEF) promote the release of GDP from GTPases, thus allowing the free GTPase molecule to bind the more abundant GTP molecule. In the GTP-bound state, the GTPase elicits signal transduction by acting on its effector proteins. Spontaneous release of GDP is a slow process and the catalysis of the GDP release by a GEF is generally a prerequisite for efficient signaling (Vetter and Wittinghofer 2001). The structurally related GEFs form subfamilies that regulate a specific family of GTPase proteins. GEFs that activate Rho GTPases have been implicated in cancer and mental retardation. RhoGEFs are a relatively large family, and many of the *69 human RhoGEFs were discovered based on their oncogenic activation in cancer and cancer models. The catalytic components of RhoGEFs are referred to as Dbl homology domains, after the screen that identified the protein Dbl encoded by the diffuse B-cell lymphoma (dbl) oncogene (Eva and Aaronson 1985). Thus the RhoGEF family is a potential target for treating tumors and cancer