Hackers and the Dark Net: A Look into Hacking and the Deep Web

The dark web is notorious for the illicit activities it facilitates, including human trafficking, narcotics and weapons sales, and illegally obtained information transfers. In order to combat this constant, invisible threat to security, governments and experts have called for tougher legislation and increased surveillance. But on the opposite end of all this crime and villainy lie persecuted groups who use the dark web and the anonymity it affords to protect themselves from retaliation. This article uses Atavist’s digital storytelling medium to explore how hackers “hack” the web, ethical questions surrounding the dark web, and policy solutions to cyber security

Exploring Personalization of Gamification in an Introductory Programming Course

Gamification has been used in introductory programming courses, for example, to increase engagement with study materials, reduce procrastination, and increase attendance to practice sessions. Indeed, with the rapidly growing adoption of digital tools in such courses, the use of various game elements and mechanics to drive participation is increasing. Previous studies on gamification in computing have examined the effects over the whole student population. Prior work in other disciplines has found that the benefits associated with gamification may only be realized for some students, while others may even experience reduced motivation. The Hexad user types survey attempts to tackle this problem by grouping users into six different types for whom gamification should have different effects. The goal is to personalize the game elements for different user types, thus creating gamified experiences more suitable for individual learners. In this work, we study whether the Hexad survey could be used to guide the personalization of gamification in an introductory programming course. Specifically, we examine the quality of students' answers to the Hexad survey and explore whether they can be used to predict students' preferences for enabling gamification in the platform where they complete assignments. In our specific computing education context, we find that classifying students using the Hexad survey does not appear to be an effective approach for the automatic personalization of gamification.Peer reviewe

Inner Synovial Membrane Footprint of the Anterior Elbow Capsule: An Arthroscopic Boundary

Introduction. The purpose of this study is to describe the inner synovial membrane (SM) of the anterior elbow capsule, both qualitatively and quantitatively. Materials and Methods. Twenty-two cadaveric human elbows were dissected and the distal humerus and SM attachments were digitized using a digitizer. The transepicondylar line (TEL) was used as the primary descriptor of various landmarks. The distance between the medial epicondyle and medial SM edge, SM apex overlying the coronoid fossa, the central SM nadir, and the apex of the SM insertion overlying the radial fossa and distance from the lateral epicondyle to lateral SM edge along the TEL were measured and further analyzed. Gender and side-to-side statistical comparisons were calculated. Results. The mean age of the subjects was 80.4 years, with six male and five female cadavers. The SM had a distinctive double arched attachment overlying the radial and coronoid fossae. No gender-based or side-to-side quantitative differences were noted. In 18 out of 22 specimens (81.8%), an infolding extension of the SM was observed overlying the medial aspect of the trochlea. The SM did not coincide with the outer fibrous attachment in any specimen. Conclusion. The humeral footprint of the synovial membrane of the anterior elbow capsule is more complex and not as capacious as commonly understood from the current literature. The synovial membrane nadir between the two anterior fossae may help to explain and hence preempt technical difficulties, a reduction in working arthroscopic volume in inflammatory and posttraumatic pathologies. This knowledge should allow the surgeon to approach this aspect of the anterior elbow compartment space with the confidence that detachment of this synovial attachment, to create working space, does not equate to breaching the capsule. Alternatively, stripping the synovial attachment from the anterior humerus does not constitute an anterior capsular release

A subcutaneous adipose tissue-liver signalling axis controls hepatic gluconeogenesis.

The search for effective treatments for obesity and its comorbidities is of prime importance. We previously identified IKK-ε and TBK1 as promising therapeutic targets for the treatment of obesity and associated insulin resistance. Here we show that acute inhibition of IKK-ε and TBK1 with amlexanox treatment increases cAMP levels in subcutaneous adipose depots of obese mice, promoting the synthesis and secretion of the cytokine IL-6 from adipocytes and preadipocytes, but not from macrophages. IL-6, in turn, stimulates the phosphorylation of hepatic Stat3 to suppress expression of genes involved in gluconeogenesis, in the process improving glucose handling in obese mice. Preliminary data in a small cohort of obese patients show a similar association. These data support an important role for a subcutaneous adipose tissue-liver axis in mediating the acute metabolic benefits of amlexanox on glucose metabolism, and point to a new therapeutic pathway for type 2 diabetes

The Complex Affective Scene Set (COMPASS): Solving the Social Content Problem in Affective Visual Stimulus Sets

Social information, including faces and human bodies, holds special status in visual perception generally, and in visual processing of complex arrays such as real-world scenes specifically. To date, unbalanced representation of social compared with nonsocial information in affective stimulus sets has limited the clear determination of effects as attributable to, or independent of, social content. We present the Complex Affective Scene Set (COMPASS), a set of 150 social and 150 nonsocial naturalistic affective scenes that are balanced across valence and arousal dimensions. Participants (n = 847) rated valence and arousal for each scene. The normative ratings for the 300 images together, and separately by social content, show the canonical boomerang shape that confirms coverage of much of the affective circumplex. COMPASS adds uniquely to existing visual stimulus sets by balancing social content across affect dimensions, thereby eliminating a potentially major confound across affect categories (i.e., combinations of valence and arousal). The robust special status of social information persisted even after balancing of affect categories and was observed in slower rating response times for social versus nonsocial stimuli. The COMPASS images also match the complexity of real-world environments by incorporating stimulus competition within each scene. Together, these attributes facilitate the use of the stimulus set in particular for disambiguating the effects of affect and social content for a range of research questions and populations

The Grizzly, December 8, 1998

Actual Implications of Student Evaluations • Students Debate Greek Life on Campus • Opinion: Letter to the Editor; Greek Life Controversy; Who\u27s Recycling? • Final Exam Schedule • Baseball Coach Discusses Return to Vietnam • New Law Helps College Students Manage Debt • WVOU Benefit a Success • High-Tech Cheating, For a Price • Panelists Square Off on Global Warming • Women\u27s Basketball Setting Their Mark • Men\u27s Basketball Opens League Play With Win • UC Swimming in Full Swinghttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/grizzlynews/1430/thumbnail.jp

Improvements over time for patients following liver trauma: A 17-year observational study

BackgroundCentralisation of trauma care has been shown to be associated with improved patient outcomes. The establishment of Major Trauma Centres (MTC) and networks in England in 2012 allowed for centralisation of trauma services and specialties including hepatobiliary surgery. We aimed to investigate the outcomes for patients with hepatic injury over the last 17 years at a large MTC in England in relation to the MTC status of the centre.MethodsAll patients who sustained liver trauma between 2005 and 2022 were identified using the Trauma Audit and Research Network database for a single MTC in the East Midlands. Mortality and complications were compared between patients before and after establishment of MTC status. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to determine the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) for complications according to MTC status, accounting for the potentially confounding variables of age, sex, severity of injuries and comorbidities for all patients, and the subgroup with severe liver trauma (AAST Grade IV and V).ResultsThere were 600 patients; the median age was 33 (IQR 22–52) years and 406/600 (68%) were male. There were no significant differences in 90-day mortality or length of stay between the pre- and post-MTC patients. Multivariable logistic regression models showed both lower overall complications [OR 0.24 (95% CI 0.14, 0.39); p < 0.001] and lower liver-specific complications [OR 0.21 (95% CI 0.11, 0.39); p < 0.001] in the post-MTC period. This was also the case in the severe liver injury subgroup (p = 0.008 and p = 0.002 respectively).ConclusionsOutcomes for liver trauma were superior in the post-MTC period even when adjusted for patient and injury characteristics. This was the case even though patients in this period were older with more comorbidities. These data support the centralisation of trauma services for those with liver injuries

The Grizzly, November 10, 1998

Financial Aid: Who Here Gets It? • President Pleased with Success of Roundtable • Upperclassman Mentors • Opinion: Letter to the Editor; New Athletic Facility; Reflection on Mid-term Elections; U.S. Policy Makers, Look Before you Leap; Cashing in on the Past • Betting, Off-Track and On-Campus • Kidnapped? Grizzly Uncovers Surprising Truth About Missing Corson Statue • War Years Classes Dedicate Promise-Anthem • Remembering War Years Life at Ursinus • Eden Cinema at Ursinus • Waiting for the World to Catch Up • Swimming Takes First Plunge • UC Field Hockey Finishes Strong • Bears\u27 Future: Contenders or Pretenders? • NCAA Sets to Control Wrestling Tragedies • Men\u27s Basketball Prepares for Tough Schedule • Ursinus Athletes Honored • UC Soccer Finishes Season with Tough Losshttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/grizzlynews/1428/thumbnail.jp

The Grizzly, November 3, 1998

President\u27s Proposal Summons Bears to the Roundtable • Pay...Now or Later • Myrin Security a Necessity • Close of Olin\u27s Open Door Policy • Opinion: Random Rudeness and Senseless Acts of Destruction; Why This Election Matters; College Students: Get Out and Vote! • Group Helps Students Cope with Loss • Kicking the Habit, One Habit at a Time • New Course Tackles The Big Questions • A Night of Jazz • Intercollegiate Choir • Graffiti Tribe Returns • Men\u27s Soccer Dominates Swarthmore • Season High for UC Volleyball • Field Hockey Victorious Over Colgate • UC Swimmers Test the Water • Women\u27s Soccer Season Ends Its Third Year • Football Loses to Muhlenberg in Overtimehttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/grizzlynews/1427/thumbnail.jp