Global Cyber Intermediary Liability: A Legal & Cultural Strategy

This Article fills the gap in the debate on fighting cybercrime. It considers the role of intermediaries and the legal and cultural strategies that countries may adopt. Part II.A of this Article examines the critical role of intermediaries in cybercrime. It shows that the intermediaries’ active participation by facilitating the transmission of cybercrime traffic removes a significant barrier for individual perpetrators. Part II.B offers a brief overview of legal efforts to combat cybercrime, and examines the legal liability of intermediaries in both the civil and criminal context and in varying legal regimes with an emphasis on ISPs. Aside from some level of injunctive relief, intermediaries operate in a largely unregulated environment. Part III looks at what we can learn from other countries. The cleanest intermediary country, Finland, and the worst country, Lithuania, were selected in order to explore the causes for the differences between country performances. The section examines the remarkable distinctions between national cultures to explain differences in national cybercrime rates. Part III.A of this Article argues that the criminal code laws do not account for the difference in host and ISP performances between Finland and Lithuania. There are few differences in the codified laws pertaining to cybercrime between these countries. Instead, it is Finland’s cultural and business environments that appear to drive its cybercrime ranking. Part IV suggests reforms to shift a country’s culture to make it less prone to corruption. However, changing a culture takes time so Part IV also proposes a private law scheme in which intermediaries are unable to wave the “flag of immunity,” as they do now. The guiding philosophy for this proposal is that harmed parties should be permitted to recover damages directly from “bad” intermediaries

Nitroblue tetrazolium: its use in the diagnosis of infection and in the study of leukocytes, lipoproteins and liposomes

A rapid, objective indicator of pyogemc infection would be of great value in the practice of clinical medicine. On the basis of earlier studies it was claimed that the nitroblue tetrazolium ( NBT) test might fulfill such a role. In view of the potential value of this test, it was reassessed m order to determine its diagnostic accuracy and clinical value. The results obtained in this study did not conform with those previously published. Elevated NBT scores were not diagnostic of pyogenic infection, there was a wide overlap of the results of tests performed on patients with pyogenic disease, patients with other diseases and normal subjects. In addition, there was a significant observer error in the interpretation of the slide preparations. The extent of this error was reduced with experience, but was still considerable in the hands of experienced observers. In the NBT test, the dye enters neutrophils by phagocytosis of NBT in particulate form, complexed to heparin and/or '·fibrinogen. The proportion of neutrophils which phagocytose these complexes seems to be related to the severity of illness of the patient. As serum from these patients is capable of enhancing phagocytosis of complexed dye by normal cells, a humeral factor could be responsible for the increased phagocytosis of complexed NBT indicated by a positive test. , Of the compounds tested, man m vitro model system designed to simulate the NBT test, 3 a,l_acid glycoprotein, immunoglobulins and endotoxin, in concentrations that occur in vivo, enhanced NBT reduction. Any one of these compounds, singly or in combination, could be responsible for positive NBT tests

Activity Catalog Tool (ACT) user manual, version 2.0

This report comprises the user manual for version 2.0 of the Activity Catalog Tool (ACT) software program, developed by Leon D. Segal and Anthony D. Andre in cooperation with NASA Ames Aerospace Human Factors Research Division, FLR branch. ACT is a software tool for recording and analyzing sequences of activity over time that runs on the Macintosh platform. It was designed as an aid for professionals who are interested in observing and understanding human behavior in field settings, or from video or audio recordings of the same. Specifically, the program is aimed at two primary areas of interest: human-machine interactions and interactions between humans. The program provides a means by which an observer can record an observed sequence of events, logging such parameters as frequency and duration of particular events. The program goes further by providing the user with a quantified description of the observed sequence, through application of a basic set of statistical routines, and enables merging and appending of several files and more extensive analysis of the resultant data

Initial KAATSU Cuff Tightness: Effect of Limb Anthropometrics on Blood Flow Restriction

abstractINTRODUCTION KAATSU training involves low load (20%1RM) resistance exercise combined with partial blood flow restriction (BFR). BFR is achieved by positioning a specially designed pneumatic cuff around the proximal aspect of the limb, cinching it to an initial cuff tightness (ICT), then inflating the cuff to a higher restrictive training pressure. ICTs can potentially impact the degree of BFR (%BFR) caused at the higher training pressures, yet many studies use the same ICTs for all subjects (1). Identifying that discrepancies in %BFR exist between subjects with different limb anthropometrics is an important step in moving toward standardization of BFR dose for KAATSU training prescription. The purpose of this study was to identify variation in %BFR between subjects experiencing the same ICT and what limb anthropometrics (circumference, muscle, and fat composition) may be determinants. METHODS Forty-two volunteers (26 men, 16 women) provided informed consent. Caliper skin folds, Gulick tape circumferences, and peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT) scans were performed on the randomly assigned ipsilateral arm and leg at the level of the KAATSU cuff application. %BFR was measured via pulse-wave Doppler ultrasound at baseline (no cuff) and at an ICT of 30 mmHg. Variable relationships were assessed using Pearson correlations and stepwise linear regression. RESULTS The average %BFR (avg±st. dev.) for the arm and leg was 16.01±11.42% and 16.75±9.27% with a range of 46.66% and 36.41%, respectively. The dependent variable for regression analysis was %BFR. In the arm, pQCT-determined muscle (R2=0.614) and fat composition (R2=0.587) were significant (p<0.05) determinants of %BFR. Circumference was also a determinant (R2=0.163). There were no significant correlations between %BFR and the anthropometrics for the leg. pQCT fat composition and sum of skin folds correlated significantly (r=0.915, p<0.05). pQCT circumference and Gulick circumference measures correlated significantly (r=0.991, p<0.05). DISCUSSION Conflicting BFR training results have been reported in the literature. A potential cause could be universal ICT usage causing some individuals to receive an inadequate training stimulus. Individuals using a 30 mmHg ICT will experience different %BFR when limb anthropometrics vary. Thus a method of assigning ICTs specific to individuals’ anthropometric characteristics is needed to ensure equally potent stimuli. Skin fold measures and circumference measures were highly correlated with pQCT data. As a result, skin fold and Gulick circumference measures can be used to predict arm composition at the level of the cuff and may inform prescription of appropriate ICTs that result in more consistent initial %BFR across individuals

KAATSU Cuff Tightness and Limb Anthropometry: Effect on Blood Flow Restriction

abstractKAATSU resistance training involves low loads (20%1RM) and partial blood flow restriction (BFR). When applying a BFR cuff, the initial cuff tightness (ICT) is important. ICTs can potentially impact the degree of BFR (%BFR) caused by the subsequent inflation to the target training pressures. It’s known that limb anthropometrics can affect the amount of BFR that is produced at specific pressures. Understanding the interaction between limb anthropometrics and ICT is an important first step in standardizing BFR dose between individuals for KAATSU training prescription. Purpose: To determine what limb anthropometrics (circumference, muscle or fat composition) have the greatest effect on %BFR with various ICTs. Methods: Forty-two volunteers (26 men, 16 women) provided informed consent. Caliper skin folds (anterior and posterior), Gulick tape circumferences, and peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT) scans were performed on the randomly assigned ipsilateral arm and leg at the level of the KAATSU cuff. %BFR was measured via pulse-wave Doppler ultrasound at baseline (no cuff) and at 5 ICT pressures (20, 30, 40, 50 and 60mmHg). Variable relationships were assessed using Pearson correlations and stepwise linear regression. Results: The dependent variable for regression analysis was %BFR at each ICT. pQCT-determined muscle (R2= .147, .614, .445, .360, & .232, respectively) and fat composition (R2= .138, .587, .429, .338, & .220, respectively) were significant (p<.05) determinants of BFR at all ICT pressures in the arm. At 30mmHg, circumference was also a determinant (R2=.163). There were no significant correlations between %BFR and any of the ICT pressures for the leg. pQCT fat composition and sum of skin folds correlated significantly (r=.915, p<.05). pQCT circumference and Gulick circumference measures correlated significantly (r=.991, p<.05). Conclusion: Arm anthropometrics impact the %BFR created by 5 ICTs in the arm. Skin fold measures and circumference measures were highly correlated with pQCT data. As a result, skin fold and Gulick circumference measures can be used to predict arm composition at the level of the cuff and may inform prescription of appropriate ICTs that result in more consistent initial %BFR across individuals

Assessment of differential gene expression in human peripheral nerve injury

BACKGROUND: Microarray technology is a powerful methodology for identifying differentially expressed genes. However, when thousands of genes in a microarray data set are evaluated simultaneously by fold changes and significance tests, the probability of detecting false positives rises sharply. In this first microarray study of brachial plexus injury, we applied and compared the performance of two recently proposed algorithms for tackling this multiple testing problem, Significance Analysis of Microarrays (SAM) and Westfall and Young step down adjusted p values, as well as t-statistics and Welch statistics, in specifying differential gene expression under different biological states. RESULTS: Using SAM based on t statistics, we identified 73 significant genes, which fall into different functional categories, such as cytokines / neurotrophin, myelin function and signal transduction. Interestingly, all but one gene were down-regulated in the patients. Using Welch statistics in conjunction with SAM, we identified an additional set of up-regulated genes, several of which are engaged in transcription and translation regulation. In contrast, the Westfall and Young algorithm identified only one gene using a conventional significance level of 0.05. CONCLUSION: In coping with multiple testing problems, Family-wise type I error rate (FWER) and false discovery rate (FDR) are different expressions of Type I error rates. The Westfall and Young algorithm controls FWER. In the context of this microarray study, it is, seemingly, too conservative. In contrast, SAM, by controlling FDR, provides a promising alternative. In this instance, genes selected by SAM were shown to be biologically meaningful