Moving forward with complimentary feeding

"For a number of reasons, progress in improving child feeding practices in the developing world has been remarkably slow. First, complementary feeding practices encompass a number of interrelated behaviors that need to be addressed simultaneously. Child feeding practices are also age-specific within narrow age ranges, which add to the complexity of developing recommendations and measuring responses. Finally, the lack of clear international recommendations for some aspects of complementary feeding has prevented the development of universal indicators to define optimal feeding. Without appropriate measurement tools, the design and evaluation of programs to improve complementary feeding practices cannot move forward. The present paper is the first systematic attempt at filling this gap. It puts forth a framework for the development of indicators of complementary feeding practices and proposes a series of possible indicators to measure some of the most critical aspects of infant and young child feeding. The emphasis is on simple indicators for use in large surveys or in program contexts. Indicators for the following aspects of complementary feeding of 6-23-month-old children are discussed: (1) breastfeeding; (2) energy from complementary foods; (3) nutrient density of complementary foods; and (4) safe preparation and storage of complementary foods. Finally, possible approaches to validate the proposed indicators are discussed and research priorities are highlighted." Authors' Abstract"Child Feeding ,Child care ,evaluation ,

Moving forward with complimentary feeding

"For a number of reasons, progress in improving child feeding practices in the developing world has been remarkably slow. First, complementary feeding practices encompass a number of interrelated behaviors that need to be addressed simultaneously. Child feeding practices are also age-specific within narrow age ranges, which add to the complexity of developing recommendations and measuring responses. Finally, the lack of clear international recommendations for some aspects of complementary feeding has prevented the development of universal indicators to define optimal feeding. Without appropriate measurement tools, the design and evaluation of programs to improve complementary feeding practices cannot move forward. The present paper is the first systematic attempt at filling this gap. It puts forth a framework for the development of indicators of complementary feeding practices and proposes a series of possible indicators to measure some of the most critical aspects of infant and young child feeding. The emphasis is on simple indicators for use in large surveys or in program contexts. Indicators for the following aspects of complementary feeding of 6-23-month-old children are discussed: (1) breastfeeding; (2) energy from complementary foods; (3) nutrient density of complementary foods; and (4) safe preparation and storage of complementary foods. Finally, possible approaches to validate the proposed indicators are discussed and research priorities are highlighted." Authors' Abstract"Child Feeding ,Child care ,evaluation ,

Optimizing time allocation for network defence

The presence of unpatched, exploitable vulnerabilities in software is a prerequisite for many forms of cyberattack. Because of the almost inevitable discovery of a vulnerability and creation of an exploit for all types of software, multiple layers of security are usually used to protect vital systems from compromise. Accordingly, attackers seeking to access protected systems must circumvent all of these layers. Resource- and budget-constrained defenders must choose when to execute actions such as patching, monitoring and cleaning infected systems in order to best protect their networks. Similarly, attackers must also decide when to attempt to penetrate a system and which exploit to use when doing so. We present an approach to modelling computer networks and vulnerabilities that can be used to find the optimal allocation of time to different system defence tasks. The vulnerabilities, state of the system and actions by the attacker and defender are used to build partially observable stochastic games. These games capture the uncertainty about the current state of the system and the uncertainty about the future. The solution to these games is a policy, which indicates the optimal actions to take for a given belief about the current state of the system. We demonstrate this approach using several different network configurations and types of player. We consider a trade-off for the system administrator, where they must allocate their time to performing either security-related tasks or performing other required non-security tasks. The results presented highlight that, with the requirement for other tasks to be performed, following the optimal policy means spending time on only the most essential security-related tasks, while the majority of time is spent on non-security tasks

Optical implementation of systolic array processing

Algorithms for matrix vector multiplication are implemented using acousto-optic cells for multiplication and input data transfer and using charge coupled devices detector arrays for accumulation and output of the results. No two dimensional matrix mask is required; matrix changes are implemented electronically. A system for multiplying a 50 component nonnegative real vector by a 50 by 50 nonnegative real matrix is described. Modifications for bipolar real and complex valued processing are possible, as are extensions to matrix-matrix multiplication and multiplication of a vector by multiple matrices

Discrete Choice, Social Interaction, and Policy in Encryption Technology Adoption

We introduce a model for examining the factors that lead to the adoption of new encryption technologies. Building on the work of Brock and Durlauf, the model describes how agents make choices, in the presence of social interaction, between competing technologies given their relative cost, functionality, and usability. We apply the model to examples about the adoption of encryption in communication (email and messaging) and storage technologies (self-encrypting drives) and also consider our model’s predictions for the evolution of technology adoption over time

Found in Translation: Co-design for Security Modelling

Background. In increasingly complex and dynamic environments, it is difficult to predict potential outcomes of security policies. Therefore, security managers (or other stakeholders) are often challenged with designing and implementing security policies without knowing the consequences for the organization. Aim. Modelling, as a tool for thinking, can help identify those consequences in advance as a way of managing decision-making risks and uncertainties. Our co-design approach aims to tackle the challenges of problem definition, data availability, and data collection associated with modelling behavioural and cultural aspects of security. Method. Our process of modelling co-design is a proposed solution to these challenges, in particular for models aiming to incorporate organizational security culture. We present a case study of a long-term study at Company A, where using the methods of participatory action research, humble inquiry, and thematic analysis, largely shaped our understanding of co-design. We reflect on the methodological advantages of co-design, as well as shortcomings. Result. Our methodology engages modellers and system stakeholders through a four-stage co-design process consisting of (1) observation and candidate data availability, (2) candidate model design, (3) interpretation of model consequences, and (4) interpretation of domain consequences. Conclusion. We have proposed a new methodology by integrating the concept of co-design into the classical modelling cycle and providing a rigorous methodology for the construction of models that captures the system and its behaviours accurately. We have also demonstrated what an attempt at co-design looks like in the real-world, and reflected upon necessary improvements