Tiqr: a novel take on two-factor authentication

Authentication is of paramount importance for all modern networked applications. The username/password paradigm is ubiquitous. This paradigm suffices for many applications that require a relatively low level of assurance about the identity of the end user, but it quickly breaks down when a stronger assertion of the user’s identity is required. Traditionally, this is where two- or multi-factor authentication comes in, providing a higher level of assurance. There is a multitude of two-factor authentication solutions available, but we feel that many solutions do not meet the needs of our community. They are invariably expensive, difficult to roll out in heterogeneous user groups (like student populations), often closed source and closed technology and have usability problems that make them hard to use. In this paper we will give an overview of the two-factor au- thentication landscape and address the issues of closed versus open solutions. We will introduce a novel open standards-based authentication technology that we have developed and released in open source. We will then provide a classification of two-factor authentication technologies, and we will finish with an overview of future work

Mobility level and factors affecting mobility status in hospitalized patients admitted in single-occupancy patient rooms

Background: Although stimulating patients’ mobility is considered a component of fundamental nursing care, approximately 35% of hospitalized patients experience functional decline during or after hospital admission. The aim of this study is to assess mobility level and to identify factors affecting mobility status in hospitalized patients admitted in single-occupancy patient rooms (SPRs) on general wards. Methods: Mobility level was quantified with the Johns Hopkins Highest Level of Mobility Scale (JH-HLM) and EQ-5D-3L. GENEActiv accelerometer data over 24 h were collected in a subset of patients. Data were analyzed using generalized ordinal logistic regression analysis. The STROBE reporting checklist was applied. Results:Wearing pajamas during daytime, having pain, admission in an isolation room, and wearing three or more medical equipment were negatively associated with mobilization level. More than half of patients (58.9%) who were able to mobilize according to the EQ-5D-3L did not achieve the highest possible level of mobility according to the JH-HLM. The subset of patients that wore an accelerometer spent most of the day in sedentary behavior (median 88.1%, IQR 85.9–93.6). The median total daily step count was 1326 (range 22-5362). Conclusion: We found that the majority of participating hospitalized patients staying in single-occupancy patient rooms were able to mobilize. It appeared, however, that most of the patients who are physically capable of walking, do not reach the highest possible level of mobility according to the JH-HLM scale. Nurses should take their responsibility to ensure that patients achieve the highest possible level of mobility.</p

A Bayesian approach to two-mode clustering

We develop a new Bayesian approach to estimate the parameters of a latent-class model for the joint clustering of both modes of two-mode data matrices. Posterior results are obtained using a Gibbs sampler with data augmentation. Our Bayesian approach has three advantages over existing methods. First, we are able to do statistical inference on the model parameters, which would not be possible using frequentist estimation procedures. In addition, the Bayesian approach allows us to provide statistical criteria for determining the optimal numbers of clusters. Finally, our Gibbs sampler has fewer problems with local optima in the likelihood function and empty classes than the EM algorithm used in a frequentist approach. We apply the Bayesian estimation method of the latent-class two-mode clustering model to two empirical data sets. The first data set is the Supreme Court voting data set of Doreian, Batagelj, and Ferligoj (2004). The second data set comprises the roll call votes of the United States House

Curbing the lifestyle disease pandemic:making progress on an interdisciplinary research agenda for law and policy interventions

By 2030, noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) will be the leading cause of death in every region in the world. While law and policy have an important role to play in curbing this pandemic, our current understanding of how they can most effectively be used is still limited. This contribution identifies a number of gaps in current research and insists on an interdisciplinary research agenda between law, health science and international relations aimed at designing concrete proposals for laws and policies to curb the NCD pandemic, both globally and domestically.</p

Implementation of a nursing oral health care protocol in a university teaching hospital:A cluster-randomized stepped-wedge design

Introduction: Providing oral care is an essential part of basic nursing care but receives little priority in daily practice, with a risk of adverse events. Also, nurses report many barriers to adequate provision of oral care, such as time restraints, insufficient materials, fear of causing pain, lack of knowledge and a negative attitude towards providing oral care. Methods: We performed a cluster-randomized, stepped-wedge study to explore the effect of the the implementation of a new nursing evidence-based oral care protocol on nurses' knowledge, attitude and protocol adherence. The study population included both nursing students, graduated nurses and patients in selected wards. The implementation strategy included oral and written information, instruction videos and reminders. Nurses' knowledge and attitude towards oral care were assessed at baseline and after the implementation of the protocol with a validated 47-item questionnaire with a score range of 0–100. Secondarily, nurses' protocol adherence to teeth brushing, measured in Activities of Daily Living (ADL) dependent patients, was evaluated. The Standards for Reporting Implementation Studies (StaRI) Statement was used. Results: At baseline, the questionnaire was completed by 226 nurses; after implementation by 283. Knowledge had significantly improved from 68.8 to 72.3. Nurses' attitude improved not significantly. Protocol adherence was assessed in 73 ADL-dependent patients at baseline, in 51 after implementation. Adherence to teeth brushing significantly decreased in patients with permanent teeth. Also, adherence to both teeth brushing and usage of soap decreased in patients with (partial) dentures. Conclusion: Nurses' knowledge and attitude of oral care increased somewhat after the implementation of a new nursing evidence-based protocol. After implementation, there was an unexplained decreased adherence to oral care in ADL-dependent patients.</p

Quantification of the influence of external vibrations on the measurement error of a coriolis mass-flow meter

In this paper the influence of external vibrations on the measurement value of a Coriolis mass-flow meter (CMFM) for low flows is investigated and quantified. Model results are compared with experimental results to improve the knowledge on how external vibrations affect the mass-flow measurement value. A flexible multi-body model is built and the working principle of a CMFM is explained. Some special properties of the model are evaluated to get insight into the dynamic behaviour of the CMFM. Using the model, the transfer functions between external vibrations (e.g. floor vibrations) and the flow error are derived. The external vibrations are characterised with a PSD. Integrating the squared transfer function times the PSD over the whole frequency range results in an RMS flow error estimate. In an experiment predefined vibrations are applied on the casing of the CMFM and the error is determined. The experimental results show that the transfer functions and the estimated measurement error correspond with the model results. The agreement between model and measurements implies that the influence of external vibrations on the measurement is fully understood. This result can be applied in two ways; firstly that the influence of any external vibration spectrum on the flow error can be estimated and secondly that the performance of different CMFM designs can be compared and optimised by shaping their respective transfer function