What’s it worth to you? Applying risk tradeoff paradigms to explain user interactions with interruptive security messages

Attacks on information security continue to result in large losses for organizations. Oftentimes, the breaches occur because organizational insiders fail to adhere to commonplace system security messages. This could be because, faced with the challenges and time demands of everyday stressors, security policy compliance can be costly for individuals; security actions require time and distract attention from other primary tasks. To defend against these attacks, user interactions with security messages need to be better understood. This study reports the results of a 110-participant MTurk field study that examines user interactions with interruptive security messages through the lens of a risk tradeoff paradigm. First, a gap in the information security literature is identified, wherein findings about low security-message attention are contrasted against studies that assume attention and information processing. Three competing hypotheses are proposed that describe different patterns of risk analysis that users may engage in when interacting with an interruptive security message: (1) very little to no elaboration over the risk-taking decision due to perniciously low attention, (2) consistent security message risk-taking decision elaboration, and (3) a bimodal situation where elaboration depends on the information security risk-reward tradeoff balance. Multiple behavioral dependent variables are corroborated to support the third hypothesis, suggesting the existence of a bimodal risk tradeoff paradigm for user interactions with interruptive security messages. The relevance of the findings for research and practice are discussed

Resonance energy transfer: The unified theory revisited

Resonanceenergy transfer (RET) is the principal mechanism for the intermolecular or intramolecular redistribution of electronic energy following molecular excitation. In terms of fundamental quantum interactions, the process is properly described in terms of a virtual photon transit between the pre-excited donor and a lower energy (usually ground-state) acceptor. The detailed quantum amplitude for RET is calculated by molecular quantum electrodynamical techniques with the observable, the transfer rate, derived via application of the Fermi golden rule. In the treatment reported here, recently devised state-sequence techniques and a novel calculational protocol is applied to RET and shown to circumvent problems associated with the usual method. The second-rank tensor describing virtual photon behavior evolves from a Green’s function solution to the Helmholtz equation, and special functions are employed to realize the coupling tensor. The method is used to derive a new result for energy transfer systems sensitive to both magnetic- and electric-dipole transitions. The ensuing result is compared to that of pure electric-dipole–electric-dipole coupling and is analyzed with regard to acceptable transfer separations. Systems are proposed where the electric-dipole–magnetic-dipole term is the leading contribution to the overall rate

A Near-Solar Metallicity, Nitrogen-Deficient Lyman Limit Absorber Associated with two S0 Galaxies

From UV spectra of the bright quasar PHL 1811 recorded by FUSE and the E140M configuration on STIS, we have determined the abundances of various atomic species in a Lyman limit system at z = 0.0809 with log N(H I) = 17.98. Considerably more hydrogen may be in ionized form, since the abundances of C II, Si II, S II and Fe II are very large compared to that of O I, when compared to their respective solar abundance ratios. Our determination [O/H] = -0.19 in the H I-bearing gas indicates that the chemical enrichment of the gas is unusually high for an extragalactic QSO absorption system. However, this same material has an unusually low abundance of nitrogen, [N/O] < -0.59, indicating that there may not have been enough time during this enrichment for secondary nitrogen to arise from low and intermediate mass stars. In an earlier investigation we found two galaxies at nearly the same redshift as this absorption system and displaced by 34 and 87 kpc from the line of sight. An r-band image recorded by the ACS on HST indicates these are S0 galaxies. One or both of these galaxies may be the source of the gas, which might have been expelled in a fast wind, by tidal stripping, or by ram-pressure stripping. Subtraction of the ACS point-spread function from the image of the QSO reveals the presence of a face-on spiral galaxy under the glare of the quasar; although it is possible that this galaxy may be responsible for the Lyman limit absorption, the exact alignment of the QSO with the center of the galaxy suggests that the spiral is the quasar host.Comment: 74 pages, 14 figures; to be published in the Astrophysical Journal (Part 1) May 1, 2005 issue. A version of the paper with figures of better quality may be found at http://www.astro.princeton.edu/~ebj/PHL1811_paper.ps (postscript) or http://www.astro.princeton.edu/~ebj/PHL1811_paper.pdf (pdf

Psychosocial Interventions and Wellbeing in Individuals with Diabetes Mellitus: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Purpose: A number of studies, including systematic reviews, show beneficial effects of psychosocial interventions for people with diabetes mellitus; however, they have not been assessed using meta-analysis. The purpose of this meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials is to investigate the effects of psychosocial interventions on depressive and anxiety symptoms, quality of life and self-efficacy in individuals with diabetes mellitus. Methods: The databases Pubmed, MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Scopus, Web of Science and SocINDEX were searched with no year restriction. Eligible studies were randomized controlled trials published in English that included individuals diagnosed with diabetes mellitus, aged 18 years or above, who engaged in a psychosocial intervention, with outcome measures addressing depressive or anxiety symptomology, quality of life or self-efficacy. Eligible studies needed to compare the intervention to usual care. Study selection was completed using Covidence and meta-analysis was undertaken using Comprehensive Meta-Analysis software. Results: Seven studies were included in the meta-analysis. Five studies investigated the effects of psychosocial interventions and showed a medium to large benefit for depressive symptoms (SMD: -0.70; CI: -1.27, -0.13) which persisted at follow up (SMD: -1.54, CI: -2.97, -0.12). Similar results were not seen immediately post-intervention in the three studies that assessed anxiety symptoms (SMD: -0.30; CI: -0.69, 0.10); however, a medium beneficial effect was seen at follow up (SMD = -0.61, CI = -0.92 to -0.31). Small benefits were seen in the three studies assessing quality of life outcomes (SMD: 0.30, CI: 0.06, 0.55). No benefit was seen in the two studies assessing self-efficacy (SMD: 0.23, CI: -0.11, 0.57). Conclusions: The results of the current study provide preliminary evidence that psychosocial interventions, compared to usual care, reduce depressive symptoms, and may improve quality of life in individuals with diabetes. However, only a few studies were included and the clinical significance of these findings is unknown

Biliary Duct Granular Cell Tumor: A Rare But Surgically Curable Benign Tumor

Granulosa cell tumors are rare benign tumors which may be found throughout the body. Rare cases are isolated within the biliary tree. If completely resected, surgical excision is curative

Searching for Trojan Asteroids in the HD 209458 System: Space-based MOST Photometry and Dynamical Modeling

We have searched Microvariability and Oscillations of STars (MOST) satellite photometry obtained in 2004, 2005, and 2007 of the solar-type star HD 209458 for Trojan asteroid swarms dynamically coupled with the system's transiting "hot Jupiter" HD 209458b. Observations of the presence and nature of asteroids around other stars would provide unique constraints on migration models of exoplanetary systems. Our results set an upper limit on the optical depth of Trojans in the HD 209458 system that can be used to guide current and future searches of similar systems by upcoming missions. Using cross-correlation methods with artificial signals implanted in the data, we find that our detection limit corresponds to a relative Trojan transit depth of 1\times10-4, equivalent to ~1 lunar mass of asteroids, assuming power-law Trojan size distributions similar to Jupiter's Trojans in our solar system. We confirm with dynamical interpretations that some asteroids could have migrated inward with the planet to its current orbit at 0.045 AU, and that the Yarkovsky effect is ineffective at eliminating objects of > 1 m in size. However, using numerical models of collisional evolution we find that, due to high relative speeds in this confined Trojan environment, collisions destroy the vast majority of the asteroids in <10 Myr. Our modeling indicates that the best candidates to search for exoTrojan swarms in 1:1 mean resonance orbits with "hot Jupiters" are young systems (ages of about 1 Myr or less). Years of Kepler satellite monitoring of such a system could detect an asteroid swarm with a predicted transit depth of 3\times10-7.Comment: 32 pages, 8 figure

Kepler Observations of Transiting Hot Compact Objects

Kepler photometry has revealed two unusual transiting companions orbiting an early A-star and a late B-star. In both cases the occultation of the companion is deeper than the transit. The occultation and transit with follow-up optical spectroscopy reveal a 9400 K early A-star, KOI-74 (KIC 6889235), with a companion in a 5.2 day orbit with a radius of 0.08 Rsun and a 10000 K late B-star KOI-81 (KIC 8823868) that has a companion in a 24 day orbit with a radius of 0.2 Rsun. We infer a temperature of 12250 K for KOI-74b and 13500 K for KOI-81b. We present 43 days of high duty cycle, 30 minute cadence photometry, with models demonstrating the intriguing properties of these object, and speculate on their nature.Comment: 12 pages, 3 figures, submitted to ApJL (updated to correct KOI74 lightcurve

Acceptance of Simulated Oral Rabies Vaccine Baits by Urban Raccoons

In summer 1986, a study was conducted to evaluate raccoon (Procyon lotor) acceptance of oral baits that could be used for rabies vaccination, One thousand wax-coated sponge bait cubes were filled with 5 mg of a seromarker (iophenoxic acid), placed in polyethylene bags, and hand-distributed in an 80 ha area within an urban National Park in Washington, D.C. (USA), After 3 wk, target and nontarget animals were trapped and blood samples collected to evaluate bait uptake. Thirty-three of 52 (63%) raccoons had elevated blood iodine levels indicating they had eaten at least one bait, 13 (25%) were negative, and six (12%) had marginal values, These results indicate that sponge baits hand-placed at a density of 12,4/ha can reach a significant proportion of an urban raccoon population. Implications for oral rabies vaccination of raccoons are discussed

Cardiac myocyte-specific knock-out of calcium-independent phospholipase A2γ (iPLA2γ) decreases oxidized fatty acids during ischemia/reperfusion and reduces infarct size

Calcium-independent phospholipase A(2)γ (iPLA(2)γ) is a mitochondrial enzyme that produces lipid second messengers that facilitate opening of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP) and contribute to the production of oxidized fatty acids in myocardium. To specifically identify the roles of iPLA(2)γ in cardiac myocytes, we generated cardiac myocyte-specific iPLA(2)γ knock-out (CMiPLA(2)γKO) mice by removing the exon encoding the active site serine (Ser-477). Hearts of CMiPLA(2)γKO mice exhibited normal hemodynamic function, glycerophospholipid molecular species composition, and normal rates of mitochondrial respiration and ATP production. In contrast, CMiPLA(2)γKO mice demonstrated attenuated Ca(2+)-induced mPTP opening that could be rapidly restored by the addition of palmitate and substantially reduced production of oxidized polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). Furthermore, myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) in CMiPLA(2)γKO mice (30 min of ischemia followed by 30 min of reperfusion in vivo) dramatically decreased oxidized fatty acid production in the ischemic border zones. Moreover, CMiPLA(2)γKO mice subjected to 30 min of ischemia followed by 24 h of reperfusion in vivo developed substantially less cardiac necrosis in the area-at-risk in comparison with their WT littermates. Furthermore, we found that membrane depolarization in murine heart mitochondria was sensitized to Ca(2+) by the presence of oxidized PUFAs. Because mitochondrial membrane depolarization and calcium are known to activate iPLA(2)γ, these results are consistent with salvage of myocardium after I/R by iPLA(2)γ loss of function through decreasing mPTP opening, diminishing production of proinflammatory oxidized fatty acids, and attenuating the deleterious effects of abrupt increases in calcium ion on membrane potential during reperfusion