2,732 research outputs found
A framework for the forensic investigation of unstructured email relationship data
Our continued reliance on email communications ensures that it remains a major source of evidence during a digital investigation. Emails comprise both structured and unstructured data. Structured data provides qualitative information to the forensics examiner and is typically viewed through existing tools. Unstructured data is more complex as it comprises information associated with social networks, such as relationships within the network, identification of key actors and power relations, and there are currently no standardised tools for its forensic analysis. Moreover, email investigations may involve many hundreds of actors and thousands of messages. This paper posits a framework for the forensic investigation of email data. In particular, it focuses on the triage and analysis of unstructured data to identify key actors and relationships within an email network. This paper demonstrates the applicability of the approach by applying relevant stages of the framework to the Enron email corpus. The paper illustrates the advantage of triaging this data to identify (and discount) actors and potential sources of further evidence. It then applies social network analysis techniques to key actors within the data set. This paper posits that visualisation of unstructured data can greatly aid the examiner in their analysis of evidence discovered during an investigation
Mycoplasma genitalium: An Emerging Cause of Pelvic Inflammatory Disease
Mycoplasma genitalium is a sexually transmitted pathogen that is increasingly identified among women with pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). Although Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae frequently cause PID, up to 70% of cases have an unidentified etiology. This paper summarizes evidence linking M. genitalium to PID and its long-term reproductive sequelae. Several PCR studies have demonstrated that M. genitalium is associated with PID, independent of gonococcal and chlamydial infection. Most have been cross-sectional, although one prospective investigation suggested that M. genitalium was associated with over a thirteenfold risk of endometritis. Further, a nested case-control posttermination study demonstrated a sixfold increased risk of PID among M. genitalium positive patients. Whether or not M. genitalium upper genital tract infection results in long-term reproductive morbidity is unclear, although tubal factor infertility patients have been found to have elevated M. genitalium antibodies. Several lines of evidence suggest that M. genitalium is likely resistant to many frequently used PID treatment regimens. Correspondingly, M. genitalium has been associated with treatment failure following cefoxitin and doxycycline treatment for clinically suspected PID. Collectively, strong evidence suggests that M. genitalium is associated with PID. Further study of M. genitalium upper genital tract infection diagnosis, treatment and long-term sequelae is warranted
Using Open Journal Systems to Move from Paper Production to Online Open Access
The Canadian Journal of Sociology is an independent, peer-reviewed publication, originally constituted as a charitable organization in 1975. From 1975 to 2008, CJS was printed quarterly and mailed to its subscribers. The move to Open Access and the Open Journal System has meant some adjustments philosophically and pragmatically. In outlining them below, we hope to guide other journals who may be contemplating the same move. While we focus on our use of the Open Journal System, the comments are easily transferrable to other programs and situations
Reduction of Ion Heating During Magnetic Reconnection by Large-Scale Effective Potentials
The physical processes that control the partition of released magnetic energy
between electrons and ions during reconnection is explored through
particle-in-cell simulations and analytical techniques. We demonstrate that the
development of a large-scale parallel electric field and its associated
potential controls the relative heating of electrons and ions. The potential
develops to restrain heated exhaust electrons and enhances their heating by
confining electrons in the region where magnetic energy is released.
Simultaneously the potential slows ions entering the exhaust below the
Alfv\'enic speed expected from the traditional counterstreaming picture of ion
heating. Unexpectedly, the magnitude of the potential and therefore the
relative partition of energy between electrons and ions is not a constant but
rather depends on the upstream parameters and specifically the upstream
electron normalized temperature (electron beta). These findings suggest that
the fraction of magnetic energy converted into the total thermal energy may be
independent of upstream parameters
Management of Chlamydia trachomatis genital tract infection: screening and treatment challenges
Chlamydia trachomatis is a prevalent sexually transmitted infection that can lead to serious reproductive morbidity. Management and control of C. trachomatis is a challenge, largely due to its asymptomatic nature and our incomplete understanding of its natural history. Although chlamydia screening programs have been implemented worldwide, several countries have observed increasing rates of reported chlamydia cases. We reviewed the literature relating to the long-term complications of C. trachomatis, as well as screening strategies, treatment, and prevention strategies for reducing chlamydia in the population. Articles from 1950β2010 were identified through a Medline search using the keyword βChlamydia trachomatisβ combined with βscreeningβ, βpelvic inflammatory diseaseβ, βendometritisβ, βsalpingitisβ, βinfertilityβ, βectopic pregnancyβ, βurethritisβ, βepididymitisβ, βproctitisβ, βprostatitisβ, βreinfectionβ, βcost-effectivenessβ, βtreatmentβ, βvaccinesβ, or βpreventionβ. Progression of C. trachomatis varies, and recurrent infections are common. Currently, there is limited evidence on the effectiveness of chlamydia screening. Higher quality studies are needed to determine the efficacy of more frequent screening, on a broader range of sequelae, including infertility and ectopic pregnancy, in addition to pelvic inflammatory disease. Studies should focus on delineating the natural history of recurrent infections, paying particular attention to treatment failures. Furthermore, alternatives to screening, such as vaccines, should continue to be explored
Continuing data analysis of the AS/E grazing incidence X-ray telescope experiment on the OSO-4 satellite
The work to correct and extend the calculation of the theoretical solar X-ray spectrum produced during earlier OSO-4 data analysis is reported along with the work to formulate models of active regions, and compare these models with the experimental values. An atlas of solar X-ray photographs is included, and solar X-ray observations are correlated with the solar wind
Kinetic signatures of the region surrounding the X-line in asymmetric (magnetopause) reconnection
Kinetic particle-in-cell simulations are used to identify signatures of the
electron diffusion region (EDR) and its surroundings during asymmetric magnetic
reconnection. A "shoulder" in the sunward pointing normal electric field (EN >
0) at the reconnection magnetic field reversal is a good indicator of the EDR,
and is caused by magnetosheath electron meandering orbits in the vicinity of
the x-line. Earthward of the X-line, electrons accelerated by EN form strong
currents and crescent-shaped distribution functions in the plane perpendicular
to B. Just downstream of the X-line, parallel electric fields create
field-aligned crescent electron distribution functions. In the immediate
upstream magnetosheath, magnetic field strength, plasma density, and
perpendicular electron temperatures are lower than the asymptotic state. In the
magnetosphere inflow region, magnetosheath ions intrude resulting in an
Earthward pointing electric field and parallel heating of magnetospheric
particles. Many of the above properties persist with a guide field of at least
unity.Comment: Submitted to Geophysical Research Letter
Evolution of suprathermal seed particle and solar energetic particle abundances
We report on a survey of the composition of solar-wind suprathermal tails and solar energetic particles (SEPs) including data from 1998 to 2010, with a focus on 2007 to 2010. The start of solar cycle 24 included several SEP events that were unusually He-poor. We conclude that these He-poor events are more likely related to Q/M-dependent spectral variations than to seed-particle composition changes. We also find that the quiet-time suprathermal Fe/O ratio during the 2008-2009 solar-minimum was dramatically lower (Fe/O β€ 0.01) than earlier due in part to very low solar activity, but also suggesting contributions from an oxygen-rich source of suprathermal ions of unknown origin
Radiation risks from large solar energetic particle events
Solar energetic particles (SEPs) constitute a radiation hazard to both humans and hardware in space. Over the past few years there have been significant advances in our knowledge of the composition and energy spectra of SEP events, leading to new insights into the conditions that contribute to the largest events. This paper summarizes the energy spectra and frequency of large SEP events, and discusses the interplanetary conditions that affect the intensity of the largest events
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