When Eye-Tracking Meets Cognitive Modeling: Applications to Cyber Security Systems

Human cognitive modeling techniques and related software tools have been widely used by researchers and practitioners to evaluate the effectiveness of user interface (UI) designs and related human performance. However, they are rarely used in the cyber security field despite the fact that human factors have been recognized as a key element for cyber security systems. For a cyber security system involving a relatively complicated UI, it could be difficult to build a cognitive model that accurately captures the different cognitive tasks involved in all user interactions. Using a moderately complicated user authentication system as an example system and CogTool as a typical cognitive modeling tool, this paper aims to provide insights into the use of eye-tracking data for facilitating human cognitive modeling of cognitive tasks more effectively and accurately. We used visual scan paths extracted from an eye-tracking user study to facilitate the design of cognitive modeling tasks. This allowed us to reproduce some insecure human behavioral patterns observed in some previous lab-based user studies on the same system, and more importantly, we also found some unexpected new results about human behavior. The comparison between human cognitive models with and without eye-tracking data suggests that eye-tracking data can provide useful information to facilitate the process of human cognitive modeling as well as to achieve a better understanding of security-related human behaviors. In addition, our results demonstrated that cyber security research can benefit from a combination of eye-tracking and cognitive modeling to study human behavior related security problems

Operons

Operons (clusters of co-regulated genes with related functions) are common features of bacterial genomes. More recently, functional gene clustering has been reported in eukaryotes, from yeasts to filamentous fungi, plants, and animals. Gene clusters can consist of paralogous genes that have most likely arisen by gene duplication. However, there are now many examples of eukaryotic gene clusters that contain functionally related but non-homologous genes and that represent functional gene organizations with operon-like features (physical clustering and co-regulation). These include gene clusters for use of different carbon and nitrogen sources in yeasts, for production of antibiotics, toxins, and virulence determinants in filamentous fungi, for production of defense compounds in plants, and for innate and adaptive immunity in animals (the major histocompatibility locus). The aim of this article is to review features of functional gene clusters in prokaryotes and eukaryotes and the significance of clustering for effective function

Use of a rapid intraoperative parathyroid hormone assay in the surgical management of parathyroid disease.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the utility of a rapid intraoperative parathyroid hormone (PTH) immunoradiometric assay in the surgical management of parathyroid disease, particularly with reference to limiting extent of cervical exploration. DESIGN: Nonrandomized prospective study. SETTING: Academic tertiary care center. PATIENTS: Forty-three consecutive patients undergoing parathyroid exploration for adenoma or hyperplasia had rapid PTH assays performed from blood drawn at induction and 7 minutes after resection of all hyperfunctioning parathyroid tissue. OUTCOME MEASURES: Excision of all hyperfunctioning parathyroid tissue as assessed by bilateral neck exploration, postoperative normalization of serum calcium and PTH levels, and resolution of clinical symptoms. RESULTS: The intraoperative rapid PTH assay accurately reflected whether all hyperfunctioning parathyroid tissue was excised in every patient. In 41 patients, all hyperfunctioning parathyroid tissue was resected at the time of surgery and confirmed by a corresponding decrease in the intraoperative postexcision rapid PTH determination as well as by subsequent normalization of postoperative serum calcium and PTH levels and resolution of clinical symptoms. In 2 patients, the postexcision rapid PTH assay determination was not consistent with removal of all hyperfunctioning parathyroid disease and both patients demonstrated persistent hyperparathyroidism postoperatively. CONCLUSIONS: The intraoperative rapid PTH assay may be of significant benefit in permitting directed unilateral parathyroid explorations for adenoma when combined with preoperative localization with a technetium-99m sestamibi scan. Additionally, the rapid PTH assay has proved to be of benefit in confirming excision of all hyperfunctioning parathyroid tissue in patients with multiple gland hyperplasia, particularly those who may harbor ectopic parathyroid tissue

Introduction

This opening chapter presents the research question, gives a brief overview of the book, and pinpoints the main theoretical and practical contributions of the present work. The study examines whether the generative mechanism for managing earnings identified by the previous research (i.e., financial crisis) is adequate. Chapter 2 presents the earnings management phenomenon while Chap. 3 provides a critical realist evaluation of mainstream earnings management literature. Chapter 4 approaches the question of the relationship between financial crisis and earnings management. Finally, Chap. 5 presents both the positivist and the critical realist approach to the research question