The Federal Cybersecurity Workforce: Background and Congressional Oversight Issues for the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security

[Excerpt] This report examines congressional oversight of two strategies undertaken by Congress and the executive branch to strengthen the federal cybersecurity workforce: (1) initiatives to define and identify the federal cybersecurity workforce, and (2) hiring and pay flexibilities applicable to cybersecurity positions at DOD and DHS. This report focuses on DOD and DHS because of their key roles in federal cybersecurity and because the majority of hiring and pay flexibilities for cybersecurity professionals authorized by Congress apply to DOD and DHS

A brief report on an action learning group exploration of how older people adapt to change in later life

In collaboration with Age Concern UK, older people were invited to participate in action learning groups to explore how they adapt to change. Themes for discussion were initially identified using a nominal focus method. Discussions identified actual and desired methods of coping with changes in later life. A series of weekly meetings with three cohorts of urban, rural and sheltered accommodation participants with an average age of 81 years revealed that they were concerned with having to cope with and adapt to a wide range of experiences. These included the loss of sharing and reduced sociability, reduced mobility, bereavement, physical changes, having to move house order to cope with these experiences, participants engaged in a range of activities that centred on aspects of communication and social networking. Participants talked to each other socially and informally, exchanging information and advice. When able, they also participated in more structured but non-specific social events during which time they also had the opportunity more formal social networking and information exchange opportunities

Combination of cobalt, chromium and titanium nanoparticles increases cytotoxicity in vitro and pro-inflammatory cytokines in vivo

BackgroundThe mixture of different metallic nanoparticles released from intended and unintended wearing of orthopaedic implants such as the Co/Cr cup and head, Co/Cr sleeves or tapers and their interface with Ti stems in the case of hip prostheses are a leading cause of adverse inflammatory responses and cytotoxicity to the host.MethodsThis study assessed the in vitro cytotoxic effects of three metallic nanoparticles (Co, Cr and Ti) separately and in combination on macrophages. The in vivo effects were also evaluated after peri-tibial soft tissue injection in mice.ResultsThe results demonstrated that Co, Cr, and Ti nanoparticles and their combination were phagocytosed by macrophages both in vitro and in vivo. High doses of nanoparticles from each individual metal caused a variable rate of cell death in vitro. However, the mixture of Co/Cr/Ti nanoparticles was more toxic than the Co, Cr or Ti metals alone at low doses. Intracellular distribution of Co, Cr, and Ti in the combined group was heterogeneous and associated with distinct morphological features. The results from in vivo experiments showed a significant increase in the mRNA levels of interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, IL-8 and tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α in peri-tibial soft tissue following the administration of Co alone as well as the combination of nanoparticles.ConclusionThis study demonstrated that the combination of Co/Cr/Ti nanoparticles was more cytotoxic than any of the individual metals in vitro and induced higher expression of genes encoding pro-inflammatory cytokines than single metals in vivo. The in vivo model utilised in this study might provide a useful tool for rapid assessment of the effects of unintended release of metal nanoparticles from implants in pre-/post-marketing studies.Translational potential of this articleThis study highlights the importance of preclinical assessments of potential nanoparticles produced by wear and tear of metal implants using macrophages and animal models, in particular their combinational toxicity in addition to the assessments of the bulk metallic materials

Competition in Analogical Transfer: When Does a Lightbulb Outshine an Army

This study investigated competition in analogical transfer to a problem solution. In two experiments, subjects read two stories, then attempted to solve Duncker's (1945) radiation problem, which has both a convergence and an open-passage solution. Stories were constructed that suggested each of these solutions; a third story was irrelevant. Subjects in the competitive conditions read both solution-suggesting stories, and subjects in the two noncompetitive conditions read one of these and the irrelevant story. In Experiment 1, the noncompetitive conditions convergence solutions and open-passage solutions were produced at comparable rates, but in the competitive condition, convergence solutions overwhelmed open-passage solutions. This asymmetry is too large to be explained by unidimensional models of retrieval and reflects the multidimensional nature of retrievability. In Experiment 2, the source stories suggesting each solution type were reversed, and the open-passage solution rate was higher than the convergence solution rate in all three conditions. In both experiments, subjects were able to successfully apply both source stories once cued to do so, indicating that the competition is at the retrieval stage of transfer, not at the mapping stage. Computational models of analogical transfer (e.g., ARCS and MAC/FAC) predict some competition but may have difficulty explaining the extreme nature of these results

Developing a Small Business Educational Program for Growing Rural Businesses

This paper elaborates on the development of a small business certificate program in rural Kansas. Researchers and local practitioners suggest that there are differences between rural and urban small businesses and that most educational programs do not account for these differences. After exploratory research, the university team identified specific needs facing local businesses and tailored a program for their needs. A program structure and set of topics, paired with faculty experts was developed and implemented. Topics focused on developing an entrepreneurial orientation, as well as certain business fundamentals that were deemed critical to small rural businesses. Each topic was oriented toward the rural context where face to face business is more essential. A feedback loop was implemented leading to a shorter 8-week timeframe and some topic adjustments. To date, 378 firms have participated in the program and have shown an 80% survival rate. Specific feedback has indicated that business growth has occurred and that the respondents do perceive development in their entrepreneurial orientation. In addition, specific skill areas related to unique businesses have been improved. Lastly, the program participants have grown their regional business networks, which has been shown to be an important factor for rural business success

Role of hypoxia inducible factor 1alpha in cobalt nanoparticle induced cytotoxicity of human THP-1 macrophages

Cobalt is one of the main components of metal hip prostheses and cobalt nanoparticles (CoNPs) produced from wear cause inflammation, bone lyses and cytotoxicity at high concentrations. Cobalt ions mimic hypoxia in the presence of normal oxygen levels, and activate hypoxic signalling by stabilising hypoxia inducible transcription factor 1α (HIF1α). This study aimed to assess in vitro the functional role of HIF1α in CoNP induced cellular cytotoxicity. HIF1α, lysosomal pH, tumour necrosis factor α and interleukin 1β expression were analysed in THP-1 macrophages treated with CoNP (0, 10 and 100 μg/mL). HIF1α knock out assays were performed using small interfering RNA to assess the role of HIF1α in CoNP-induced cytotoxicity. Increasing CoNP concentration increased lysosomal activity and acidity in THP-1 macrophages. Higher doses of CoNP significantly reduced cell viability, stimulated caspase 3 activity and apoptosis. Reducing HIF1α activity increased the pro-inflammatory activity of tumour necrosis factor α and interleukin 1β, but had no significant impact on cellular cytotoxicity. This suggests that whilst CoNP promotes cytotoxicity and cellular inflammation, the apoptotic mechanism is not dependent on HIF1α

Strengthening evaluation and implementation by specifying components of behaviour change interventions: a study protocol.

BACKGROUND: The importance of behaviour change in improving health is illustrated by the increasing investment by funding bodies in the development and evaluation of complex interventions to change population, patient, and practitioner behaviours. The development of effective interventions is hampered by the absence of a nomenclature to specify and report their content. This limits the possibility of replicating effective interventions, synthesising evidence, and understanding the causal mechanisms underlying behaviour change. In contrast, biomedical interventions are precisely specified (e.g., the pharmacological 'ingredients' of prescribed drugs, their dose and frequency of administration). For most complex interventions, the precise 'ingredients' are unknown; descriptions (e.g., 'behavioural counseling') can mean different things to different researchers or implementers. The lack of a method for specifying complex interventions undermines the precision of evidence syntheses of effectiveness, posing a problem for secondary, as well as primary, research.We aim to develop a reliable method of specifying intervention components ('techniques') aimed at changing behaviour. METHODS/DESIGN: The research will be conducted in three phases. The first phase will develop the nomenclature. We will refine a preliminary list of techniques and definitions. Using a formal consensus method, experts will then define the key attributes of each technique and how it relates to, and differs from, others. They will evaluate the techniques and their definitions until they achieve an agreed-upon list of clearly defined, nonredundant techniques. The second phase will test the nomenclature. Trained experts (primary researchers and systematic reviewers), equipped with a coding manual and guidance, will use the nomenclature to code published descriptions of complex interventions. Reliability between experts, over time, and across types of users will be assessed. We will assess whether using the nomenclature to write intervention descriptions enhances the clarity and replicability of interventions. The third phase will develop a web-based users' resource of clearly specified and nonredundant techniques, which will aid the scientific understanding of, and development of, effective complex interventions. Dissemination throughout the project will be through stakeholder meetings, targeted multidisciplinary workshops, conference presentation, journal publication, and publication in an interactive web-based platform (a Wiki). DISCUSSION: The development of a reliable method of specifying intervention components aimed at changing behaviour will strengthen the scientific basis for developing, evaluating, and reporting complex interventions. It will improve the precision of evidence syntheses of effectiveness, thus enhancing secondary, as well as primary, research.RIGHTS : This article is licensed under the BioMed Central licence at http://www.biomedcentral.com/about/license which is similar to the 'Creative Commons Attribution Licence'. In brief you may : copy, distribute, and display the work; make derivative works; or make commercial use of the work - under the following conditions: the original author must be given credit; for any reuse or distribution, it must be made clear to others what the license terms of this work are

South-Eastern Europe : History, Concepts, Boundaries

This issue of Balkanologie gathers together a selection of papers presented at a special conference organized by the Centre for South-East European Studies, London, dedicated to exploring the idea of South-Eastern Europe. There is no generally agreed definition of South-Eastern Europe, but there are many reasons for this uncertainty. The most banal reason is that Europe is not symmetrical in shape, and therefore does not lend itself with ease to division according to the points of the compass..