A Framework for Incorporating Insurance into Critical Infrastructure Cyber Risk Strategies

Critical infrastructure owners and operators want to minimize their cyber risk and expenditures on cybersecurity. The insurance industry has been quantitatively assessing risk for hundreds of years in order to minimize risk and maximize profits. To achieve these goals, insurers continuously gather statistical data to improve their predictions, incentivize their clients\u27 investment in self-protection and periodically refine their models to improve the accuracy of risk estimates. This paper presents a framework which incorporates the operating principles of the insurance industry in order to provide quantitative estimates of cyber risk. The framework implements optimization techniques to suggest levels of investment for both cybersecurity and insurance for critical infrastructure owners and operators. This analysis can be used to quantitatively formulate strategies to minimize cyber risk

mixtools: An R Package for Analyzing Mixture Models

The mixtools package for R provides a set of functions for analyzing a variety of finite mixture models. These functions include both traditional methods, such as EM algorithms for univariate and multivariate normal mixtures, and newer methods that reflect some recent research in finite mixture models. In the latter category, mixtools provides algorithms for estimating parameters in a wide range of different mixture-of-regression contexts, in multinomial mixtures such as those arising from discretizing continuous multivariate data, in nonparametric situations where the multivariate component densities are completely unspecified, and in semiparametric situations such as a univariate location mixture of symmetric but otherwise unspecified densities. Many of the algorithms of the mixtools package are EM algorithms or are based on EM-like ideas, so this article includes an overview of EM algorithms for finite mixture models.

Evolution from a respiratory ancestor to fill syntrophic and fermentative niches: comparative fenomics of six Geobacteraceae species

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The anaerobic degradation of organic matter in natural environments, and the biotechnical use of anaerobes in energy production and remediation of subsurface environments, both require the cooperative activity of a diversity of microorganisms in different metabolic niches. The <it>Geobacteraceae </it>family contains members with three important anaerobic metabolisms: fermentation, syntrophic degradation of fermentation intermediates, and anaerobic respiration.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In order to learn more about the evolution of anaerobic microbial communities, the genome sequences of six <it>Geobacteraceae </it>species were analyzed. The results indicate that the last common <it>Geobacteraceae </it>ancestor contained sufficient genes for anaerobic respiration, completely oxidizing organic compounds with the reduction of external electron acceptors, features that are still retained in modern <it>Geobacter </it>and <it>Desulfuromonas </it>species. Evolution of specialization for fermentative growth arose twice, via distinct lateral gene transfer events, in <it>Pelobacter carbinolicus </it>and <it>Pelobacter propionicus</it>. Furthermore, <it>P. carbinolicus </it>gained hydrogenase genes and genes for ferredoxin reduction that appear to permit syntrophic growth via hydrogen production. The gain of new physiological capabilities in the <it>Pelobacter </it>species were accompanied by the loss of several key genes necessary for the complete oxidation of organic compounds and the genes for the <it>c</it>-type cytochromes required for extracellular electron transfer.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The results suggest that <it>Pelobacter </it>species evolved parallel strategies to enhance their ability to compete in environments in which electron acceptors for anaerobic respiration were limiting. More generally, these results demonstrate how relatively few gene changes can dramatically transform metabolic capabilities and expand the range of environments in which microorganisms can compete.</p

Evolution of electron transfer out of the cell: comparative genomics of six Geobacter genomes

Background: Geobacter species grow by transferring electrons out of the cell - either to Fe(III)-oxides or to manmade substances like energy-harvesting electrodes. Study of Geobacter sulfurreducens has shown that TCA cycle enzymes, inner-membrane respiratory enzymes, and periplasmic and outer-membrane cytochromes are required. Here we present comparative analysis of six Geobacter genomes, including species from the clade that predominates in the subsurface. Conservation of proteins across the genomes was determined to better understand the evolution of Geobacter species and to create a metabolic model applicable to subsurface environments. Results: The results showed that enzymes for acetate transport and oxidation, and for proton transport across the inner membrane were well conserved. An NADH dehydrogenase, the ATP synthase, and several TCA cycle enzymes were among the best conserved in the genomes. However, most of the cytochromes required for Fe(III)-reduction were not, including many of the outer-membrane cytochromes. While conservation of cytochromes was poor, an abundance and diversity of cytochromes were found in every genome, with duplications apparent in several species. Conclusions: These results indicate there is a common pathway for acetate oxidation and energy generation across the family and in the last common ancestor. They also suggest that while cytochromes are important for extracellular electron transport, the path of electrons across the periplasm and outer membrane is variable. This combination of abundant cytochromes with weak sequence conservation suggests they may not be specific terminal reductases, but rather may be important in their heme-bearing capacity, as sinks for electrons between the inner-membrane electron transport chain and the extracellular acceptor

2022 Safety Belt Usage Survey in Kentucky

Each year Kentucky Transportation Center researchers conduct a safety belt usage survey to estimate Kentucky’s statewide safety belt usage rate. In 2022, the safety belt usage rate in Kentucky was 86.72 percent, which represents a 3.06 decline over 2021. Safety belt usage peaked in 2018 at 89.99 percent. Declines in safety belt usage rate over the past couple years may be attributable in part to changes in driver behaviors and traffic dynamics following the COVID-19 pandemic. If Kentucky wants to increase safety belt usage rates, the state may need ramp up enforcement of safety belt laws or bolster educational outreach in targeted areas

2023 Safety Belt Usage Survey in Kentucky

Data and results of a statewide observational survey used to establish the statewide usage rate for safety belts in Kentucky

Apoptosis and antigen receptor function in T and B cells following exposure to herpes simplex virus

AbstractT cells are an essential component of the immune response against herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection. We previously reported that incubation of T cells with HSV-infected fibroblasts inhibits subsequent T cell antigen receptor signal transduction. In the current study, we found that incubation of T cells with HSV-infected fibroblasts also leads to apoptosis in exposed T cells. Apoptosis was observed in Jurkat cells, a T cell leukemia line, and also in CD4+ cells isolated from human peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Direct infection of these cells with HSV also resulted in apoptosis. Clinical isolates of both HSV type 1 and 2 induced apoptosis in infected T cells at comparable levels to cells infected with laboratory strains of HSV, suggesting an immune evasion mechanism that may be clinically relevant. Further understanding of these viral immune evasion mechanisms could be exploited for better management of HSV infection

Thermal image processing for real-time noncontact respiration rate monitoring

A real-time thermal imaging based, non-contact respiration rate monitoring method was developed. It measured the respiration related skin surface temperature changes under the tip of the nose. Facial tracking was required as head movements caused the face to appear in different locations in the recorded images over time. The algorithm detected the tip of the nose and then, a region just under it was selected. The pixel values in this region in successive images were processed to determine respiration rate. The segmentation method, used as part of the facial tracking, was evaluated on 55,000 thermal images recorded from 14 subjects with different extent of head movements. It separated the face from image background in all images. However, in 11.7% of the images, a section of the neck was also included, but this did not cause an error in determining respiration rate. The method was further evaluated on 15 adults, against two contact respiration rate monitoring methods that tracked thoracic and abdominal movements. The three methods gave close respiration rates in 12 subjects but in 3 subjects, where there were very large head movements, the respiration rates did not match

Panel discussion on chiral extrapolation of physical observables

This is an approximate reconstruction of the panel discussion on chiral extrapolation of physical observables. The session consisted of brief presentations from panelists, followed by responses from the panel, and concluded with questions and comments from the floor with answers from panelists. In the following, the panelists have summarized their statements, and the ensuing discussion has been approximately reconstructed from notes.Comment: Lattice2002(plenary) 15 pages, 3 figure