Exploring the protection of private browsing in desktop browsers

Desktop browsers have introduced private browsing mode, a security control which aims to protect users’ data that are generated during a private browsing session, by not storing them in the file system. As the Internet becomes ubiquitous, the existence of this security control is beneficial to users,since privacy violations are increasing, while users tend to be more concerned about their privacy when browsing the web in a post-Snowden era. In this context, this work examines the protection that is offered by the private browsing mode of the most popular desktop browsers in Windows (i.e.,Chrome, Firefox, IE and Opera).Our experiments uncover occasions in which even if users browse the web with a private session,privacy violations exist contrary to what is documented by the browser.To raise the bar of privacy protection that is offered by web browsers,we propose the use of a virtual filesystem as the storage medium of browsers’ cache data. We demonstrate with a case study how this countermeasure protects users from the privacy violations, which are previously identified in this work

A Usability Evaluation of Privacy Add-ons for Web Browsers

The web has improved our life and has provided us with more opportunities to access information and do business. Nonetheless, due to the prevalence of trackers on websites, web users might be subject to profiling while accessing the web, which impairs their online privacy. Privacy browser add-ons, such as DuckDuckGo Privacy Essentials, Ghostery and Privacy Badger, extend the privacy protection that the browsers offer by default, by identifying and blocking trackers. However, the work that focuses on the usability of the privacy add-ons, as well as the users’ awareness, feelings, and thoughts towards them, is rather limited. In this work, we conducted usability evaluations by utilising System Usability Scale and Think-Aloud Protocol on three popular privacy add-ons, i.e., DuckDuckGo Privacy Essentials, Ghostery and Privacy Badger. Our work also provides insights into the users’ awareness of online privacy and attitudes towards the abovementioned privacy add-ons; in particular trust, concern, and control. Our results suggest that the participants feel safer and trusting of their respective add-on. It also uncovers areas for add-on improvement, such as a more visible toolbar logo that offers visual feedback, easy access to thorough help resources, and detailed information on the trackers that have been found

Technological innovation diffusion - Bass model

98 σ.Η εργασία συνίσταται στη λεπτομερή ανάλυση του σημαντικότερου μοντέλου διάδοδης τεχνολογικής καινοτομίας, του μοντέλου Bass, στην εισαγωγή στο μοντέλο Βass - Norton για τη διάδοση διαδοχικών γενεών υψηλής τεχνολογίας καθώς και στην εφαρμογή του μοντέλου Bass στις συνδέσεις της καινοτομίας ADSL στην Ελλάδα.his dissertation is about a full analysis on the most successful diffusion model, the Bass model, an introduction in the Norton-Bass model of successive generation of high-technology products and, also, an application of the Bass model on ADSL connections in Greece.Εμμανουήλ Ν. Τσάλη

Hormonal responses to three training protocols in rowing

The aim of this study was to examine the acute responses of serum growth hormone, testosterone, and cortisol to three training protocols in rowing. Six young rowers, members of the national team, carried out three frequently used protocols in rowing, i.e., an endurance, a moderate interval, and a resistance protocol, on separate days in a counterbalanced design. Blood samples were collected before, immediately after, and 4 h after exercise for the determination of growth hormone, testosterone, cortisol, and creatine kinase. All three protocols caused marked increases in growth hormone, the most spectacular being that immediately after the endurance protocol. The change in testosterone concentration immediately after the endurance protocol was significantly higher than the changes after the other two protocols. Cortisol concentration was significantly higher immediately after the endurance protocol than after the other two protocols, but remained relatively low in all cases, suggesting that these protocols did not considerably promote catabolism in muscle tissue. Based on these data, endurance training caused greater responses of the three hormones studied compared to interval or resistance training. In fact, resistance training (at intensities above 85% of 1RM) did not cause any significant changes in the three hormones. We therefore propose that evaluation of training programmes designed for elite athletes should include measurements of hormonal changes in order to ascertain that the programmes do cause the expected adaptations

Pengaruh Kualitas Produk Kopi Terhadap Kepuasan Konsumen: Studi kasus pada kedai kopi “Dari Hati” di Kota Makassar

A coffee shop (cafe) offers a relaxed atmosphere for fast food and drink. A good cafe can provide satisfaction for consumers in terms of service, affordable products and prices, and adequate equipment and facilities. The research objectives are: (1) Describe the coffee drink production process and (2) Describe product quality. (3) Describe consumer satisfaction with the quality of coffee drink products. (4) Analyzing the influence of coffee drink product quality on consumer satisfaction. The population of this research is consumers who make purchases directly at the "From Heart" coffee shop in Makassar City. The sampling technique was Purposive Sampling, with a total of 100 respondents. The research results show (1) The coffee drink production process begins with procuring and selecting the main ingredients, namely coffee beans, grinding them to become powder, and procuring/selecting additional ingredients in the form of flavor variants. The ground coffee beans are mixed with the flavor variants according to the consumer's wishes; then, the packaging process is carried out. (2) The quality of the coffee drink product, namely performance, features, aesthetics, and conformance to specifications, is in the "very good" category. (3) The level of consumer satisfaction based on emotional factors, price, and service quality in the "very satisfied" category. (4) The influence of the quality of coffee drink products, namely performance, features, aesthetics, and conformance to specifications, together (F test) or partially (t-test), has a significant effect on consumer satisfaction

Muscle metabolism and performance improvement after two training programmes of sprint running differing in rest interval duration

Repeated-sprint training often involves short sprints separated by inadequate recovery intervals. The effects of interval duration on metabolic and performance parameters are unclear. We compared the effects of two training programmes, differing in rest interval duration, on muscle (vastus lateralis) metabolism and sprint performance. Sixteen men trained three times a week for 8 weeks, each training session comprising 2-3 sets of two 80-m sprints. Sprints were separated by 10 s (n = 8) or 1 min (n = 8). Both training programmes improved performance in the 100-, 200-, and 300-m sprints, but the improvement was greater in the 10-s group during the final 100 m of the 200- and 300-m runs. Independent of interval duration, training mitigated the drop of muscle ATP after two 80-m sprints. The drop in phosphocreatine and the increases in glucose-6-phosphate and fructose-6-phosphate after two 80-m sprints were greater in the 10-s group. In conclusion, training with a limited number of repeated short sprints (≤10 s) may be more effective in improving speed maintenance in 200- and 300-m runs when performed with a 1:1 rather than a 1:6 exercise-to-rest ratio. This may be due to a greater activation of glycolysis caused, in part, by the limited resynthesis of phosphocreatine during the very short rest interval. © 2011 Taylor & Francis

Hematologic and biochemical profile of juvenile and adult athletes of both sexes: Implications for clinical evaluation

The aim of the present study was to compare the values of seventeen hematologic and biochemical parameters between juvenile and adult athletes and non-athletes of both sexes. 579 athletes and 241 non-athletes participated in the study. We measured packed-cell volume, hemoglobin, red blood cell count, white blood cell count, platelet count, iron, glucose, urea, triacylglycerols, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, total/ high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio, calcium, magnesium, creatine kinase, as well as alanine and aspartate aminotransferases. We found significant differences according to age, sex, and physical activity in the majority of the parameters. The effect size of physical activity on most parameters was small (< 0.5); however, that on packed-cell volume, glucose, urea, calcium, magnesium, and creatine kinase was moderate to high (0.5 to 0.8). It is remarkable that three of the highest effect sizes of physical activity appeared on parameters thought to be under tight homeostatic control (i.e., glucose, calcium, and magnesium). We conclude that physical training influences most of the biochemical parameters routinely measured in athletes, although, in some cases, its effect appears to be of limited biological importance. Therefore, clinical assessment on the basis of blood tests has to take into account not only the age and sex, but also the training status of individuals