ShareABEL: Secure Sharing of mHealth Data through Cryptographically-Enforced Access Control

Owners of mobile-health apps and devices often want to share their mHealth data with others, such as physicians, therapists, coaches, and caregivers. For privacy reasons, however, they typically want to share a limited subset of their information with each recipient according to their preferences. In this paper, we introduce ShareABEL, a scalable, usable, and practical system that allows mHealth-data owners to specify access-control policies and to cryptographically enforce those policies so that only parties with the proper corresponding permissions are able to decrypt data. The design (and prototype implementation) of this system makes three contributions: (1) it applies cryptographically-enforced access-control measures to wearable healthcare data, which pose different challenges than Electronic Medical Records (EMRs), (2) it recognizes the temporal nature of mHealth data streams and supports revocation of access to part or all of a data stream, and (3) it departs from the vendor- and device-specific silos of mHealth data by implementing a secure end-to-end system that can be applied to data collected from a variety of mHealth apps and devices

Individual Values as a Predictor for Job Applicant Preferences: An Application of the Theory of Work Adjustment

The present study examined the relationship between individual values and job characteristic preferences based on the Theory of Work Adjustment (TWA) (Lofquist & Dawis, 1969). In order to increase the generalizability of the research, an expanded values inventory and job characteristics framework were used to measure job applicant needs and preferences in work design. Furthermore, a profile analysis approach was used to account for the interaction of multiple job attributes on job applicant attraction perceptions. Survey data, collected from senior undergraduate students (N=155), showed a significant relationship between several value dimensions (i.e., power, stimulation, benevolence) and an increased attraction to its hypothesized "ideal" job profile type, written to reflect the theoretical relationship between each value dimension and the job characteristics framework. These results provide preliminary evidence for the use of the TWA and the job profile approach to better understand job applicant preferences. Implications for research and practice are discussed

CROSS-CULTURAL COMPETENCE TRAINING EFFECTIVENESS: THE IMACT OF TRAINING TRANSFER AND PREDICTORS OF TRANSFER

In order to better understand the many inconsistencies found in previous research on cross-cultural competence (3C) training effectiveness, this study investigated the impact of training transfer (i.e., the extent to which training concepts are applied to the job context) on cross-cultural success outcomes. Predictors of training transfer, unique to 3C training setting, were also examined. Specifically, individual characteristics, such as personality (i.e., openness to experience, tolerance for ambiguity), cultural motivation, and previous international experience, in addition to climate for transfer (home and host organizations), were discussed as important factors that will likely impact the extent to which training transfer occurs. Hypotheses were tested in a sample of Peace Corps volunteers (N=101) who were completing a cross-cultural training course in preparation for foreign assignment. Results found support for training transfer main effects, as well as cultural motivation and home organization climate for transfer as significant predictors of transfer. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed

Eliciting Information During a Standardized Patient History

ELICITING INFORMATION DURING A STANDARDIZED PATIENT HISTORY AUTHORS Sydney Greene, BA Candidate; Emily J Noonan, PhD, MA; Laura A. Weingartner, PhD, MS BACKGROUND Learning how to take a detailed patient history is a fundamental skill that is essential for all medical students to master. Understanding the amount of information elicited in various categories of a patient history may reveal areas where many students struggle to engage the patient, gaps in medical education that could be addressed, or possible predictors of patient satisfaction. METHODS I coded videos of rising third year medical students as they took a patient history and counted each time the student elicited information, the student gave explanations, and the patient asked questions. These counts were compared across the main categories of the patient history, which included past medical history, a hormone use discussion specific to this encounter, family medical history, social history, mental health history, sexual history, and the treatment plan. RESULTS On average, students prompted for information 50 times during a new patient encounter while providing about 12 explanations. Under 4% of questions were related to the patient’s mental health on average compared to 23% of student questions about past medical history and 24% about social history. Patients asked about four questions on average, with most being asked during discussions of the treatment plan. DISCUSSION The results may indicate that students feel uncomfortable asking questions relating to mental health or that students feel mental health is less important to consider than other factors when taking a patient history. In comparison, students seem to feel confident and comfortable discussing the past medical history and social history of the patient. REFERENCES: Ha et al. Doctor-Patient Communication: A Review. Ochsner Journal. V(10):2010. Teutsch, Carol. Patient-Doctor Communication. Medical Clinics of North America. V(87):2003

One for the Road: Public Transportation, Alcohol Consumption, and Intoxicated Driving

We exploit arguably exogenous train schedule changes in Washington DC to investigate the relationship between public transportation provision, the risky decision to consume alcohol, and the criminal decision to engage in alcohol–impaired driving. Using a triple differences strategy, we provide evidence that overall there was little effect on DUI arrests, alcohol related fatal traffic and alcohol related arrests. However, we find that these overall effects mask considerable heterogeneity across geographic areas and spatial shifting. Specifically, we find that areas close to bars that are within walking distance to Metro stations experience increases in alcohol related arrests and decreases in DUI arrests.

Space Force Design Project

The objective of our research project is to develop a lab testbed composed of a curved surface to represent a spacecraft hull, a mobile robot equipped with repair tools, and a robotic arm equipped with a laser 3D scanner. This project is part of a larger grant to the University of Akron from Space Force and Air Research Labs. The lab testbed developed in this project will be used to assist in creating and testing a software and algorithm to inspect and repair spacecraft while in orbit. The project will involve researching spacecraft hulls to create an accurate simulation bed, using the gathered information to design a testbed complete with all components found on the outside of a spacecraft, researching and designing a mobile robot to traverse the hull surface, and implementing the use of the 3D scanner by creating a gripper to allow the robotic arm to use the scanner

Comparing Meteoric 10Be, In Situ 10Be, and Native 9Be Across a Diverse Set of Watersheds

The cosmogenic nuclide 10Be is a tool for quantifying earth surface processes that occur on millennial timescales. 10Be is produced in the atmosphere (meteoric 10Be) or in mineral grains (in situ 10Be). Well-understood nuclear physics, physical mixing processes, and the denudation of regolith control concentrations of in situ 10Be; in contrast, a combination of geomorphic, pedogenic, geochemical, and biological processes influence meteoric 10Be concentrations. Some have hypothesized that meteoric 10Be can be used as a tracer of sediment movement if meteoric 10Be is normalized against the concentration of native 9Be in grain coatings. This study aims to better understand Be dynamics in river sediment systems by further characterizing a large dataset of fluvial sediments (202 total samples from 7 study areas) that have previously been analyzed for in situ and meteoric 10Be. I determined 9Be and major element compositions of grain coatings (as the acid-extractable fraction) and grains (by total digestion) of fluvial sediments. I compiled the emical data with characteristics of sample watersheds that I acquired using ArcGIS and with meteoric and in situ 10Be data from previous studies. With this dataset, I performed a statistical analysis testing relationships between the concentration of meteoric 10Be and 9Be in acid-extractable grain coatings, meteoric 10Be/9Be ratios, 9Be concentrations in mineral grains, watershed characteristics, and major element compositions of fluvial sediment grains and grain coatings. I calculated meteoric 10Be/9Be-derived denudation rates using a published mass balance model and compared them to in situ 10Be-derived denudation rates. Though this thesis focuses on fluvial sediment samples, I also measured 9Be concentrations of soil, suspended sediment, and glacial lake sediment samples with known meteoric 10Be or in situ 10Be concentrations, which can be used in future studies of 9Be and 10Be dynamics. I find that meteoric 10Be and 9Be concentrations in grain coatings are significantly influenced by geochemical and geomorphic conditions in watersheds. HCl-extracted 9Be is significantly correlated to total meteoric 10Be concentrations in all but one study area, suggesting that meteoric 10Be and 9Be are well mixed in most, but not all, soil systems. Trends in meteoric 10Be do not mirror trends in in situ 10Be. Though normalizing meteoric 10Be against 9Be concentrations improves the correlation between meteoric 10Be and in situ 10Be in fluvial sediments, the spatial variation in parent 9Be concentrations and meteoric 10Be delivery rates, combined with the observation that meteoric 10Be and 9Be are not always well mixed, makes it difficult to interpret changes in meteoric 10Be/9Be across study areas. A mass balance model for deriving meteoric 10Be/9Be denudation rates helps control for some variation in 9Be concentrations and meteoric 10Be delivery rates across study areas, but uncertainties in quantifying these variables for each watershed introduce noise into the correlations between meteoric 10Be/9Be -derived denudation rates and 10Beis-derived denudation rates. When considering all samples, meteoric 10Be/9Be-derived and 10Beis-derived denudation rates are significantly correlated and have similar central tendencies. However, the 10Bemet/9Bereactive -derived measure is less sensitive to changes in denudation than the 10Beis –derived measure

Pricking the Monster: Netflix and the modification of how and what we watch

Established in 1997, Netflix Inc. introduced a subscription-based DVD-by-mail service in 1999, and went public in 2005 at a share price of $15. At this stage, Netflix--whose basic plan now sits at$7.99--has upwards of 69 million subscribers around the world, a figure that is likely to dramatically increase following recent entry into 130 additional territories in January 2016. (Johnson) Crucially, Netflix is no longer just an aggregator of content from various networks and studios, but rather its own provider of quality film and television content. To date, the impact of Netflix is undeniable and far-reaching. Precisely what this new technology has done, and is continuing to do, to the film and television industries should not go unacknowledged. Namely, one can pose the question, how does Netflix modify not only our cinema and television-watching habits, but also the content that is produced and consumed

Mitigating the Harm of Public Mass Shooting Incidents Through Situational Crime Prevention

This dissertation used environmental theoretical frameworks to understand how public mass shooting incidents are impacted by aspects of the crime situation and opportunity. Predatory, public shootings perpetrated by individuals with evidence of mass intent were examined in the United States between 1966 and 2019. This project progressed in several distinct steps with discrete aims: (1) establish an open source database of public mass shooting incidents meeting definitional criteria; (2) perform statistical analysis, including latent class analysis, regression modeling, and structural equational modeling to assess research questions; and (3) perform comparative case studies and crime script analysis to assess situational crime prevention failure or success in eight purposively selected cases. Two research questions, guided by pathway to violence literature, rational choice perspective, and situational crime prevention, were examined: (1) can public mass shooting perpetrators be sorted into meaningful classes according to preparatory and warning signs behaviors?; and (2) how do the built environment and situational guardianship structure of the public mass shooting location influence incident casualties and severity outcomes? Results from this mixed methods study indicate that public mass shooting perpetrators fall into three distinct behavioral classes characterized by different probabilities of warning signs behaviors. Next, there is a protective role of holistic situational crime prevention for mitigating harm of public mass shooting incidents. Protective environmental design exerted a contradictory effect on incident outcomes, mediated by perpetrator and victim behaviors during the shooting. Case studies revealed that failure is often due to human error in implementation of established SCP protocols, rather than a lack of SCP protocols. Implications for prevention and harm mitigation are discussed