Towards operational measures of computer security

Ideally, a measure of the security of a system should capture quantitatively the intuitive notion of ‘the ability of the system to resist attack’. That is, it should be operational, reflecting the degree to which the system can be expected to remain free of security breaches under particular conditions of operation (including attack). Instead, current security levels at best merely reflect the extensiveness of safeguards introduced during the design and development of a system. Whilst we might expect a system developed to a higher level than another to exhibit ‘more secure behaviour’ in operation, this cannot be guaranteed; more particularly, we cannot infer what the actual security behaviour will be from knowledge of such a level. In the paper we discuss similarities between reliability and security with the intention of working towards measures of ‘operational security’ similar to those that we have for reliability of systems. Very informally, these measures could involve expressions such as the rate of occurrence of security breaches (cf rate of occurrence of failures in reliability), or the probability that a specified ‘mission’ can be accomplished without a security breach (cf reliability function). This new approach is based on the analogy between system failure and security breach. A number of other analogies to support this view are introduced. We examine this duality critically, and have identified a number of important open questions that need to be answered before this quantitative approach can be taken further. The work described here is therefore somewhat tentative, and one of our major intentions is to invite discussion about the plausibility and feasibility of this new approach

Roles for Gcn5p and Ada2p in transcription and nucleotide excision repair at the Saccharomyces cerevisiae MET16 gene

Chromatin structure, transcription and repair of cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers at the MET16 gene of wild type, gcn5Δ and ada2Δ Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells were studied under repressing or derepressing conditions. These two components of the SAGA/ADA chromatin remodelling complexes are expendable for the basal transcription of MET16 but are mandatory for its full transcription induction. Despite their influence on transcription neither protein induces major changes in MET16 chromatin structure, but some minor ones occur. Repair at the coding region of the transcribed strand is faster than repair at non-transcribed regions in all strains and either growth condition. Moreover, the more MET16 is transcribed the faster the repair. The data show that by changing the transcription extent the rate of repair at each DNA strand is altered in a different way, confirming that repair at this locus is strongly modulated by its chromatin structure and transcription level. Deletion of GCN5 or ADA2 reduces repair at MET16. The results are discussed in light of the current understanding of Gcn5p and Ada2p functions, and they are the first to report a role for Ada2p in the nucleotide excision repair of the regulatory and transcribed regions of a gene

Mindfulness Training and Employee Well-being

Purpose - The aim of this paper was to assess the effects of Mindfulness Training (MT) on employee well-being. Mindfulness is the awareness of one’s thoughts, emotions, sensations, actions, and surroundings in the present moment. Methodology – We used pre-post training measures and a four week follow-up on a sample of 23 employees from a UK-based organization. The MT group (n=12) received a weekly two-hour training over eight weeks whilst the control group (n=11) received no training. Qualitative interviews (n=36) were conducted with the MT group at 3 time points to further assess the subjective experiences of training participants. Findings – Compared to the control group, the MT group significantly increased their mindfulness skills including observing and acting with awareness. Scores on well-being i.e. satisfaction with life, hope, and anxiety also improved and were generally maintained at follow-up. Some improvements were seen in the control group too but there was a larger difference in change scores in the MT group on most variables. Qualitative data show additional benefits of MT such as improved concentration at work and better interpersonal relationships. More practice at home led to greater benefits suggesting a dose-response relationship between the amount of practice and substantial benefits. Research limitations/implications – Inviting participants to have a greater amount of practice between sessions may further increase the benefits of mindfulness. Future research should consider a longer follow-up period to further explore the sustainability of the training benefits. Originality/value – Employing a mixed method approach, this study showed that MT is a viable psychological intervention for enhancing employee well-bein

Experience of Using Simulation Technology and Analytics During the Ebola Crisis to Empower Frontline Health Workers and Improve the Integrity of Public Health Systems

Humanitarian Technology: Science, Systems and Global Impact 2016, HumTech2016 keywords: Analytics keywords: Analytics keywords: Analytics keywords: Analytics keywords: Analytics keywords: Analytics keywords: Analytics keywords: Analytics keywords: Analytics keywords: Analytic

Counselling in primary care : a systematic review of the evidence

Primary objective: To undertake a systematic review which aimed to locate, appraise and synthesise evidence to obtain a reliable overview of the clinical effectiveness, cost-effectiveness and user perspectives regarding counselling in primary care. Main results: Evidence from 26 studies was presented as a narrative synthesis and demonstrated that counselling is effective in the short term, is as effective as CBT with typical heterogeneous primary care populations and more effective than routine primary care for the treatment of non-specific generic psychological problems, anxiety and depression. Counselling may reduce levels of referrals to psychiatric services, but does not appear to reduce medication, the number of GP consultations or overall costs. Patients are highly satisfied with the counselling they have received in primary care and prefer counselling to medication for depression. Conclusions and implications for future research: This review demonstrates the value of counselling as a valid choice for primary care patients and as a broadly effective therapeutic intervention for a wide range of generic psychological conditions presenting in the primary care setting. More rigorous clinical and cost-effectiveness trials are needed together with surveys of more typical users of primary care services

Changes in ecosystem carbon following afforestation of native sand prairie

Includes bibliographical references (pages 1622-1624).Determining the dynamics of carbon (C) as a function of vegetation and residue inputs is important for predicting changes in ecosystem functions and the global C cycle. Litter and soil samples were analyzed from plantations of eastern red cedar (Juniperous virginiana) and ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) and native prairie at the Nebraska National Forest to evaluate the impact of different types of land management on soil C contents and turnover rates. Total soil C to a depth of 1 m was greatest in the cedar stands. Pine ecosystems stored more C in the tree biomass and litter but lost more native prairie C from the soil. The soil 13C content showed 82% of the original, and prairie C remained under cedars compared with ∼45% under pine. Soil cation contents were greatest overall in cedar soils and lowest in pine. The C content in cedar soils was strongly related to Ca content. Differences in microbial community fatty acid profiles were related to vegetation type, and nutrients explained ∼60% of the variation in profiles. Our research indicates that changes in soil C and nutrient content following conversion from prairie to forest are dependent on tree species planted, characteristics of the plant litter, and cation cycling in the plant–soil system