Factors In uencing Curriculum Adoption in 2- and 4-year Undergraduate Cybersecurity Programs

Increased demand in the cybersecurity workforce requires a significant response from colleges and universities in order to meet that demand. The federal government has emphasized cybersecurity education at all levels as a way to meet that demand, yet there is wide variance in curriculum defined by academics, industry, and government organizations. While there are many curriculum standards, little research has been conducted to investigate the drivers for curriculum adoption. This study aims to discover what factors influence the adoption of new curriculum at the undergraduate level through a quantitative adaptation and application of existing technology adoption models (e.g. UTAUT, UTAUT2, TRA, TPB, TAM) to the domain of curriculum adoption. It is hypothesized that many of the same factors that drive technology adoption also drive curriculum adoption with the addition of altruistic motivation of the faculty member on behalf of the student. The survey-based study employs a path model analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling. Of the nine hypotheses derived from technology adoption, three were directly supported and one was partially supported with student performance expectancy and facilitating conditions standing out as the most influential exogenous constructs. If it is desirable to drive toward standardized cybersecurity curriculum, this work will benefit standards bodies, accreditors, university leaders, and the federal government to determine the factors that drive adoption to direct resources appropriately

Structured Sensemaking of Videographic Information within Dataphoric Space

Attempts to create a structured sensemaking model have proven difficult. Much of the research today has evolved into a cacophony of conceptual models. Many of these sensemaking models have been proposed but not tested. Using structural equations, a unified model of sensemaking was developed and tested. This structured sensemaking model contains five sensemaking constructs: chaos, anchoring, articulation, retrospection, and identity. This model was tested using data collected from 224 educationally focused YouTube videos. The confirmatory factor model developed for this research has a measured Comparative Fit Index of 0.979, a measured Standardized Root Mean Square Residual of 0.078, and a measured Akaike’s Information Criterion of 182.892. The associated structural model has a measured Comparative Fit Index of 0.991, a measured Standardized Root Mean Square Residual of 0.047, and a measured Akaike’s Information Criterion of 131.680. This theory of structured sensemaking supports a) the unification of five sensemaking constructs b) a structured sensemaking framework c) the integration of information theory and d) a reusable sensemaking method. This structured sensemaking framework is the first of its kind

Micro-computed tomography assisted distal femur metaphyseal blunt punch compression for determining trabecular bone strength in mice

Shorter generation time and the power of genetic manipulation make mice an ideal model system to study bone biology as well as bone diseases. However their small size presents a challenge to perform strength measurements, particularly of the weight-bearing cancellous bone in the murine long bones. We recently developed an improved method to measure the axial compressive strength of the cancellous bone in the distal femur metaphysis in mice. Transverse micro-computed tomography image slices that are 7µm thick were used to locate the position where the epiphysis-metaphysis transition occurs. This enabled the removal of the distal femur epiphysis at the exact transition point exposing the full extent of metaphyseal trabecular bone, allowing more accurate and consistent measurement of its strength. When applied to a murine model system consisting of five month old male wild-type (WT) and Ca(2+)/calmodulin dependent protein kinase kinase 2 (CaMKK2) knockout (KO) Camkk2(-/-) mice that possess recorded differences in trabecular bone volume, data collected using this method showed good correlation between bone volume fraction and strength of trabecular bone. In combination with micro-computed tomography and histology, this method will provide a comprehensive and consistent assessment of the microarchitecture and tissue strength of the cancellous bone in murine mouse models

Effects of Signaling on Learner Engagement in Informal Learning on YouTube

Millions of educational videos available on YouTube offer unprecedented learning opportunities. A considerable number of studies have been directed toward YouTube educational videos. Yet, research on learner engagement with YouTube educational videos is scarce, despite its central role in learning. This paper addresses this research gap. We adopt the conceptualization that learner engagement has three dimensions - behavioral, emotional, and cognitive- and investigate how signaling in YouTube educational video presentation affects learner engagement in informal learning. Our analysis shows that signaling positively affects behavioral, emotional, and cognitive engagement. These findings substantiate the empirical knowledge on learner engagement with YouTube educational videos. Our study corroborates traditional video engagement research and extends its relevance to the social media learning environment. It also informs video designers and developers on adding features in the video presentation to optimize learner engagement with YouTube educational videos

Safety, the Preface Paradox and Possible Worlds Semantics

This paper contains an argument to the effect that possible worlds semantics renders semantic knowledge impossible, no matter what ontological interpretation is given to possible worlds. The essential contention made is that possible worlds semantic knowledge is unsafe and this is shown by a parallel with the preface paradox

The Possible Transition From Glacial Surge to Ice Stream on Vavilov Ice Cap

An edited version of this paper was published by AGU. Copyright 2019 American Geophysical Union.Surge‐type glaciers typically undergo cyclical flow instability due to mass accumulation; however, some recent glacier surges have caused irreversible ice loss in a short period. At Vavilov Ice Cap, Russia, surge‐like behavior initiated in 2013 and by spring 2019 the ice cap had lost 9.5 Gt of ice (11% mass of the entire basin). Using time series of surface elevation and glacier velocity derived from satellite optical and synthetic‐aperture radar imagery, we identify a shift of flow pattern starting in 2017 when shear margins formed within the grounded marine piedmont fan. Multiple summer speedups correlate with warmer summers during 2015–2019 and suggest that surface melt may access the subglacial environment. Force balance analysis and examination of the Péclet number show that glacier thinning propagated upstream in 2016–2017, and diffusion became a significant dynamic response to thinning perturbations. Our results suggest that the glacier has entered a new ice stream‐like regime

Integrated Organizational Machine Learning for Aviation Flight Data

An increased availability of data and computing power has allowed organizations to apply machine learning techniques to various fleet monitoring activities. Additionally, our ability to acquire aircraft data has increased due to the miniaturization of small form factor computing machines. Aircraft data collection processes contain many data features in the form of multivariate time-series (continuous, discrete, categorical, etc.) which can be used to train machine learning models. Yet, three major challenges still face many flight organizations 1) integration and automation of data collection frameworks, 2) data cleanup and preparation, and 3) embedded machine learning framework. Data cleanup and preparation has been a well known challenge since database systems were first invented. While integration and automation of data collection efforts within many organizations is quite mature, there are special challenges for flight-based organizations (i.e., the automatic and efficient transmission of aircraft flight data to centralized analytical data processing systems). Furthermore, this creates additional constraints for the operationalization of embedded machine learning methods for classical tasks such as classification and prediction; and magnifying design challenges for the more novel ‘prescriptive-based’ architectures. Our research is focused on the application of a design pattern for a) the integration and automation of data collection and b) an organizationally embedded ensemble machine learning method

Tapering practices of New Zealand's elite raw powerlifters

Pritchard, HJ, Tod, DA, Barnes, MJ, Keogh, JW, and McGuigan, MR. Tapering practices of New Zealand's elite raw powerlifters. J Strength Cond Res 30(7): 1796-1804, 2016-The major aim of this study was to determine tapering strategies of elite powerlifters. Eleven New Zealand powerlifters (28.4 ± 7.0 years, best Wilks score of 431.9 ± 43.9 points) classified as elite were interviewed, using semistructured interviews, about their tapering strategies. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and content analyzed. Total training volume peaked 5.2 ± 1.7 weeks from competition while average training intensity (of 1 repetition maximum) peaked 1.9 ± 0.8 weeks from competition. During tapering, volume was reduced by 58.9 ± 8.4% while intensity was maintained (or slightly reduced) and the final weight training session was performed 3.7 ± 1.6 days out from competition. Participants generally stated that tapering was performed to achieve full recovery; that accessory work was removed around 2 weeks out from competition; and deadlifting takes longer to recover from than other lifts. Typically participants stated that trial and error, and changes based on "feel" were the sources of tapering strategies; equipment used and movements performed during tapering are the same as in competition; nutrition was manipulated during the taper (for weight cutting or performance aims); and poor tapering occurred when too long (1 week or more) was taken off training. These results suggest that athletes may benefit from continuing to strength train before important events with reduced volume and maintained intensity. Only exercises that directly assist sports performance should remain in the strength program during tapering, to assist with reductions in fatigue while maintaining/improving strength expression and performance

Inhibition of CaMKK2 reverses age-associated decline in bone mass

Decline in bone formation is a major contributing factor to the loss of bone mass associated with aging. We previously showed that the genetic ablation of the tissue-restricted and multifunctional Ca(2+)/calmodulin (CaM)-dependent protein kinase kinase 2 (CaMKK2) stimulates trabecular bone mass accrual, mainly by promoting anabolic pathways and inhibiting catabolic pathways of bone remodeling. In this study, we investigated whether inhibition of this kinase using its selective cell-permeable inhibitor STO-609 will stimulate bone formation in 32 week old male WT mice and reverse age-associated of decline in bone volume and strength. Tri-weekly intraperitoneal injections of saline or STO-609 (10 μM) were performed for six weeks followed by metabolic labeling with calcein and alizarin red. New bone formation was assessed by dynamic histomorphometry whereas micro-computed tomography was employed to measure trabecular bone volume, microarchitecture and femoral mid-shaft geometry. Cortical and trabecular bone biomechanical properties were assessed using three-point bending and punch compression methods respectively. Our results reveal that as they progress from 12 to 32 weeks of age, WT mice sustain a significant decline in trabecular bone volume, microarchitecture and strength as well as cortical bone strength. However, treatment of the 32 week old WT mice with STO-609 stimulated apposition of new bone and completely reversed the age-associated decrease in bone volume, quality, as well as trabecular and cortical bone strength. We also observed that regardless of age, male Camkk2(-/-) mice possessed significantly elevated trabecular bone volume, microarchitecture and compressive strength as well as cortical bone strength compared to age-matched WT mice, implying that the chronic loss of this kinase attenuates age-associated decline in bone mass. Further, whereas STO-609 treatment and/or the absence of CaMKK2 significantly enhanced the femoral mid-shaft geometry, the mid-shaft cortical wall thickness and material bending stress remained similar among the cohorts, implying that regardless of treatment, the material properties of the bone remain similar. Thus, our cumulative results provide evidence for the pharmacological inhibition of CaMKK2 as a bone anabolic strategy in combating age-associated osteoporosis