Why Do Developers Get Password Storage Wrong? A Qualitative Usability Study

Passwords are still a mainstay of various security systems, as well as the cause of many usability issues. For end-users, many of these issues have been studied extensively, highlighting problems and informing design decisions for better policies and motivating research into alternatives. However, end-users are not the only ones who have usability problems with passwords! Developers who are tasked with writing the code by which passwords are stored must do so securely. Yet history has shown that this complex task often fails due to human error with catastrophic results. While an end-user who selects a bad password can have dire consequences, the consequences of a developer who forgets to hash and salt a password database can lead to far larger problems. In this paper we present a first qualitative usability study with 20 computer science students to discover how developers deal with password storage and to inform research into aiding developers in the creation of secure password systems

The Grizzly, February 7, 1986

Refrigerators are Still a Hot Issue • Bridge Reopens • Nursing Homes: Investigation II • Letters: Controversial Issue has no Basis; Space Shuttle: Tragedy Turned Spectacle; Times are Changing • USGA Election Candidates • Mer Chicks Take Two • Mermen Drown W. Maryland • Bears No. 2 in MAC • Lady Bears Thrash Haverford • Gymnasts Take Bryn Mawr • A Tough Job Gets Recognition • Track Team Impressive at Widener • Lab Manual to be Rewritten • Open Dialog: Women Ministers • Coulter Chosen MVPhttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/grizzlynews/1156/thumbnail.jp

Avoiding common errors in X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy data collection and analysis, and properly reporting instrument parameters

Despite numerous tutorials and standards written to the technical community on X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), difficulties with data acquisition, analysis, and reporting persist. This work focuses on common errors in XPS that are frequently observed in the scientific literature and their sources. Indeed, this work covers: (i) XPS data collection, initial data analysis, and data presentation, (ii) Handling XPS backgrounds, (iii) Common errors in XPS peak fitting, and (iv) XPS data presentation and reporting. Graphical examples of errors and appropriate ways of handling data and correcting errors are provided. Additional readings are listed for greater in-depth exploration of the subjects discussed

Inhibitors of ORAI1 Prevent Cytosolic Calcium-Associated Injury of Human Pancreatic Acinar Cells and Acute Pancreatitis in 3 Mouse Models

Background & Aims Sustained activation of the cytosolic calcium concentration induces injury to pancreatic acinar cells and necrosis. The calcium release–activated calcium modulator ORAI1 is the most abundant Ca2+ entry channel in pancreatic acinar cells; it sustains calcium overload in mice exposed to toxins that induce pancreatitis. We investigated the roles of ORAI1 in pancreatic acinar cell injury and the development of acute pancreatitis in mice. Methods Mouse and human acinar cells, as well as HEK 293 cells transfected to express human ORAI1 with human stromal interaction molecule 1, were hyperstimulated or incubated with human bile acid, thapsigargin, or cyclopiazonic acid to induce calcium entry. GSK-7975A or CM_128 were added to some cells, which were analyzed by confocal and video microscopy and patch clamp recordings. Acute pancreatitis was induced in C57BL/6J mice by ductal injection of taurolithocholic acid 3-sulfate or intravenous' administration of cerulein or ethanol and palmitoleic acid. Some mice then were given GSK-7975A or CM_128, which inhibit ORAI1, at different time points to assess local and systemic effects. Results GSK-7975A and CM_128 each separately inhibited toxin-induced activation of ORAI1 and/or activation of Ca2+ currents after Ca2+ release, in a concentration-dependent manner, in mouse and human pancreatic acinar cells (inhibition >90% of the levels observed in control cells). The ORAI1 inhibitors also prevented activation of the necrotic cell death pathway in mouse and human pancreatic acinar cells. GSK-7975A and CM_128 each inhibited all local and systemic features of acute pancreatitis in all 3 models, in dose- and time-dependent manners. The agents were significantly more effective, in a range of parameters, when given at 1 vs 6 hours after induction of pancreatitis. Conclusions Cytosolic calcium overload, mediated via ORAI1, contributes to the pathogenesis of acute pancreatitis. ORAI1 inhibitors might be developed for the treatment of patients with pancreatitis

VERITAS (Venus Emissivity, Radio Science, InSAR, Topography, and Spectroscopy): Surface Science Objectives

The VERITAS mission is designed to understand Venus’ evolution through acquiring foundational, high resolution global datasets including those that inform our understanding of Venus’ surface and interior. VERITAS is the first in a trio of #DecadeofVenus missions, launching in December of 2027 and acquiring data beginning in 2029