scholarly journals The Case for Adaptive Security Interventions

2022 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-52
Author(s):  
Irum Rauf ◽  
Marian Petre ◽  
Thein Tun ◽  
Tamara Lopez ◽  
Paul Lunn ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Software Security ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Adaptive Security ◽  
Proof Of Concept ◽  
Contributing Factors ◽  
Decision Space ◽  
Technological Advances ◽  
Secure Coding ◽  
Psychology Literature ◽  
Interdisciplinary Study

Despite the availability of various methods and tools to facilitate secure coding, developers continue to write code that contains common vulnerabilities. It is important to understand why technological advances do not sufficiently facilitate developers in writing secure code. To widen our understanding of developers' behaviour, we considered the complexity of the security decision space of developers using theory from cognitive and social psychology. Our interdisciplinary study reported in this article (1) draws on the psychology literature to provide conceptual underpinnings for three categories of impediments to achieving security goals, (2) reports on an in-depth meta-analysis of existing software security literature that identified a catalogue of factors that influence developers' security decisions, and (3) characterises the landscape of existing security interventions that are available to the developer during coding and identifies gaps. Collectively, these show that different forms of impediments to achieving security goals arise from different contributing factors. Interventions will be more effective where they reflect psychological factors more sensitively and marry technical sophistication, psychological frameworks, and usability. Our analysis suggests “adaptive security interventions” as a solution that responds to the changing security needs of individual developers and a present a proof-of-concept tool to substantiate our suggestion.

scholarly journals Education in developing countries and reducing maternal mortality: a forgotten piece of the puzzle?

2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Vedran Stefanovic
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Maternal Mortality ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Perinatal Care ◽  
Substantial Improvement ◽  
Global Strategy ◽  
Perinatal Medicine ◽  
Technological Advances ◽  
Women's Role

Abstract Despite substantial improvement in reducing maternal mortality during the recent decades, we constantly face tragic fact that maternal mortality (especially preventable deaths) is still unacceptably too high, particularly in the developing countries, where 99% of all maternal deaths worldwide occur. Poverty, lack of proper statistics, gender inequality, beliefs and corruption-associated poor governmental policies are just few of the reasons why decline in maternal mortality has not been as sharp as it was wished and expected. Education has not yet been fully recognized as the way out of poverty, improvement of women’s role in the society and consequent better perinatal care and consequent lower maternal mortality. Education should be improved on all levels including girls, women and their partners, medical providers, religious and governmental authorities. Teaching the teachers should be also an essential part of global strategy to lower maternal mortality. This paper is mostly a commentary, not a systematic review nor a meta-analysis with the aim to rise attention (again) to the role of different aspects of education in lowering maternal mortality. The International Academy of Perinatal Medicine should play a crucial role in pushing the efforts on this issue as the influential instance that promotes reflection and dialog in perinatal medicine, especially in aspects such as bioethics, the appropriate use of technological advances, and the sociological and humanistic dimensions of this specific problem of huge magnitude. The five concrete steps to achieve these goals are listed and discussed.

Meta-analysis of associations between cooking oil fumes exposure and lung cancer risk

2021 ◽  
pp. 1420326X2110306
Author(s):  
Xiaofang Zhang ◽  
Lei Rao ◽  
Qinghong Liu ◽  
Qin Yang
Keyword(s):  
Lung Cancer ◽  
Lung Cancer Risk ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Cooking Methods ◽  
Contributing Factors ◽  
Cancer Prevalence ◽  
Cooking Oil ◽  
Cooking Oil Fumes ◽  
The Times ◽  
Pan Frying

Lung cancer is one of the most common cancers and cooking oil fumes (COF) are considered as the potential dangerous contributing factors. This study, a meta-analysis was conducted to analyse the correlation between exposure to COF and risk of lung cancer. Literature from 1980 to 2020 were searched and 29 studies were selected for analysis. Results showed that population exposed to COF had significant differences in lung cancer prevalence (P < 0.05). The odds ratio (OR) values of different periods (before 2000, 2000–2010 and 2010–2020) were significantly different. Using ventilation equipment had the OR of 0.54. Liao cuisine, Fujian cuisine, Shanghai cuisine, Jingdong cuisine and Shaanxi cuisine had the ORs (95% confidence interval) of 1.91 (1.62, 2.25), 2.38 (1.80, 3.16), 1.56 (1.29, 1.89), 2.58 (1.63, 4.09) and 1.57 (1.16, 2.11), respectively. These results revealed that exposure to COF could increase the risk of lung cancer, but the risk was gradually reduced with the changes of the times and the use of ventilation equipment. Different cooking methods in different regions caused different risks of lung cancer. The risk of lung cancer caused by COF mainly produced by deep-frying, quick-frying, stir-frying and pan-frying is higher than in other methods.

scholarly journals Depicting the Core Transcriptome Modulating Multiple Abiotic Stresses Responses in Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.)

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (16) ◽  
pp. 3930 ◽  
Author(s):  
Komivi Dossa ◽  
Marie A. Mmadi ◽  
Rong Zhou ◽  
Tianyuan Zhang ◽  
Ruqi Su ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Abiotic Stresses ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Plant Responses ◽  
Proof Of Concept ◽  
Rna Seq ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Salt Treatment ◽  
Hub Genes ◽  
Hub Gene ◽  
The Core

Sesame is a source of a healthy vegetable oil, attracting a growing interest worldwide. Abiotic stresses have devastating effects on sesame yield; hence, studies have been performed to understand sesame molecular responses to abiotic stresses, but the core abiotic stress-responsive genes (CARG) that the plant reuses in response to an array of environmental stresses are unknown. We performed a meta-analysis of 72 RNA-Seq datasets from drought, waterlogging, salt and osmotic stresses and identified 543 genes constantly and differentially expressed in response to all stresses, representing the sesame CARG. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis of the CARG revealed three functional modules controlled by key transcription factors. Except for salt stress, the modules were positively correlated with the abiotic stresses. Network topology of the modules showed several hub genes predicted to play prominent functions. As proof of concept, we generated over-expressing Arabidopsis lines with hub and non-hub genes. Transgenic plants performed better under drought, waterlogging, and osmotic stresses than the wild-type plants but did not tolerate the salt treatment. As expected, the hub gene was significantly more potent than the non-hub gene. Overall, we discovered several novel candidate genes, which will fuel investigations on plant responses to multiple abiotic stresses.

scholarly journals Amplification of pulsatile glucagon counterregulation by switch-off of α-cell-suppressing signals in streptozotocin-treated rats

2008 ◽  
Vol 295 (3) ◽  
pp. E575-E585 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leon S. Farhy ◽  
Zhongmin Du ◽  
Qiang Zeng ◽  
Paula P. Veldhuis ◽  
Michael L. Johnson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Network Modeling ◽  
Feedback Regulation ◽  
Saline Group ◽  
Proof Of Concept ◽  
Reciprocal Interactions ◽  
Modeling Analysis ◽  
Feedback Network ◽  
Male Wistar Rats ◽  
Study Support ◽  
Interdisciplinary Study

Glucagon counterregulation (GCR) is a key protection against hypoglycemia that is compromised in diabetes via an unknown mechanism. To test the hypothesis that α-cell-inhibiting signals that are switched off during hypoglycemia amplify GCR, we studied streptozotocin (STZ)-treated male Wistar rats and estimated the effect on GCR of intrapancreatic infusion and termination during hypoglycemia of saline, insulin, and somatostatin. Times 10 min before and 45 min after the switch-off were analyzed. Insulin and somatostatin, but not saline, switch-off significantly increased the glucagon levels ( P = 0.03), and the fold increases relative to baseline were significantly higher ( P < 0.05) in the insulin and somatostatin groups vs. the saline group. The peak concentrations were also higher in the insulin (368 pg/ml) and somatostatin (228 pg/ml) groups vs. the saline (114 pg/ml) group ( P < 0.05). GCR was pulsatile in most animals, indicating a feedback regulation. After the switch-off, the number of secretory events and the total pulsatile production were lower in the saline group vs. the insulin and somatostatin groups ( P < 0.05), indicating enhancement of glucagon pulsatile activity by insulin and somatostatin compared with saline. Network modeling analysis demonstrates that reciprocal interactions between α- and δ-cells can explain the amplification by interpreting the GCR as a rebound response to the switch-off. The model justifies experimental designs to further study the intrapancreatic network in relation to the switch-off phenomenon. The results of this proof-of-concept interdisciplinary study support the hypothesis that GCR develops as a rebound pulsatile response of the intrapancreatic endocrine feedback network to switch-off of α-cell-inhibiting islet signals.

scholarly journals Placebo response in trials of drug treatments for cancer-related fatigue: a systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 385-394 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rocio Roji ◽  
Patrick Stone ◽  
Federico Ricciardi ◽  
Bridget Candy
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Placebo Response ◽  
Risk Of Bias ◽  
Small Samples ◽  
Contributing Factors ◽  
Cancer Related Fatigue ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Meta Regression ◽  
Multiple Drugs

BackgroundCancer-related fatigue (CRF) is one of the most distressing symptoms experienced by patients. There is no gold standard treatment, although multiple drugs have been tested with little evidence of efficacy. Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of these drugs have commented on the existence or size of the placebo response (PR). The objective of this systematic review was to establish the magnitude of the PR in RCTs of drugs to relieve CRF and to identify contributing factors.MethodRCTs were included in which the objective was to treat CRF. A meta-analysis was conducted using the standardised mean change (SMC) between baseline and final measurement in the placebo group. To explore factors that may be associated with the PR (eg, population or drug), a meta-regression was undertaken. Risk of bias was assessed using the revised Cochrane tool.ResultsFrom 3916 citations, 30 relevant RCTs were identified. All had limitations that increased their risk of bias. The pooled SMC in reduction in fatigue status in placebo groups was −0.23 (95% confidence intervals −0.42 to −0.04). None of the variables analysed in the meta-regression were statistically significant related to PR.ConclusionThere is some evidence, based on trials with small samples, that the PR in trials testing drugs for CRF is non-trivial in size and statistically significant. We recommend that researchers planning drug studies in CRF should consider implementing alternative trial designs to better account for PR and decrease impact on the study results.

scholarly journals Developing and training mental toughness in sport: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies and pre-test and post-test experiments

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. e000747 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreas Stamatis ◽  
Peter Grandjean ◽  
Grant Morgan ◽  
Robert Noah Padgett ◽  
Richard Cowden ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Mental Toughness ◽  
Single Subject ◽  
Eligibility Criteria ◽  
Post Test ◽  
Psychology Literature ◽  
Training Programmes ◽  
Quality Assessments

ObjectiveTo investigate the efficacy of interventions designed to train and develop mental toughness (MT) in sport.DesignSystematic review and meta-analysis.Data sourcesJournal articles, conference papers and doctoral theses indexed in Embase, Scopus, PubMed and SPORTDiscus from inception to 22 November 2019.Eligibility criteria for selecting studiesObservational and pre–post experimental designs on the efficacy of physical and/or psychological interventions designed to promote MT in athletes.ResultsA total of 12 studies, published between 2005 and 2019, were included in the review. A majority of the studies included a sample comprised exclusively of male athletes (54.55%), MT interventions were primarily psychological (83.33%) and most studies measured MT via self-report (75%). The Psychological Performance Inventory (25%), the Mental Toughness Questionnaire-48 (16.67%), and the Mental, Emotional and Bodily Toughness Inventory (16.67%) were the most popular inventories used to measure MT. Methodological quality assessments for controlled intervention studies (k=7), single group pre-test–post-test designs (k=4) and single-subject designs (k=1) indicated that the risk of bias was high in most (75%) of the studies. The meta-analysis involving k=10 studies revealed a large effect (d=0.80, 95% CI 0.30 to 1.28), with variability across studies estimated at 0.56.ConclusionAlthough the findings of this review suggest there are effective, empirically based interventions designed to train MT in sport, practitioners should be aware of the level of validity of intervention research before adopting any of the MT training programmes reported in the applied sport psychology literature.

scholarly journals The revolution of personalized psychiatry: will technology make it happen sooner?

2017 ◽  
Vol 48 (5) ◽  
pp. 705-713 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Perna ◽  
M. Grassi ◽  
D. Caldirola ◽  
C. B. Nemeroff
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Decision Making ◽  
Clinical Decision ◽  
Machine Learning Techniques ◽  
Proof Of Concept ◽  
Time Data ◽  
New Approach ◽  
Technological Advances ◽  
Learning Techniques ◽  
Personalized Psychiatry ◽  
Smart Wearable

Personalized medicine (PM) aims to establish a new approach in clinical decision-making, based upon a patient's individual profile in order to tailor treatment to each patient's characteristics. Although this has become a focus of the discussion also in the psychiatric field, with evidence of its high potential coming from several proof-of-concept studies, nearly no tools have been developed by now that are ready to be applied in clinical practice. In this paper, we discuss recent technological advances that can make a shift toward a clinical application of the PM paradigm. We focus specifically on those technologies that allow both the collection of massive as much as real-time data, i.e., electronic medical records and smart wearable devices, and to achieve relevant predictions using these data, i.e. the application of machine learning techniques.

The prevalence of fatigue after stroke: A systematic review and meta-analysis

2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 968-977 ◽  
Author(s):  
Toby B Cumming ◽  
Marcie Packer ◽  
Sharon F Kramer ◽  
Coralie English
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Research Literature ◽  
Rapid Expansion ◽  
Stroke Survivors ◽  
Contributing Factors ◽  
Total N ◽  
Post Stroke ◽  
Prevalence Estimates ◽  
Wide Variability

Background Fatigue is a common and debilitating symptom after stroke. The last decade has seen rapid expansion of the research literature on post-stroke fatigue, but prevalence remains unclear. Aims To estimate post-stroke fatigue prevalence and to identify the contributing factors to fatigue, by conducting a systematic review and meta-analysis. Summary of review We included all studies of adult stroke survivors that used a recognized assessment scale for fatigue (search date September 2014). Two reviewers independently reviewed all full texts for inclusion. Data were extracted by one reviewer and independently cross-checked by a second. Risk of bias was evaluated using a critical appraisal tool. From an overall yield of 921 studies, 101 full text papers were screened, and 49 of these met inclusion criteria. The most widely used measure of fatigue was the Fatigue Severity Scale ( n = 24 studies). Prevalence estimates at a cut-off score of > or ≥ 4 were available for 22 of these 24 studies (total n = 3491), and ranged from 25 to 85%. In random effects meta-analysis, the pooled prevalence estimate was 50% (95% CI 43–57%), with substantial heterogeneity (I2 = 94%). Neither depression status nor time point post-stroke explained the heterogeneity between studies. In post-hoc analysis, fatigue prevalence was found to be lower in the four Asian studies (35%; 95% CI 20–50; I2 = 96%). Conclusions Our results confirm that fatigue is a widespread issue for stroke survivors, although it may be less prevalent in Asia. Further research is needed to explain the wide variability in prevalence estimates between studies.

scholarly journals Service Design Creating Value for Industrial Corporates through AI Proofs of Concept

2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Essi KUURE ◽  
Titta JYLKÄS ◽  
Satu MIETTINEN
Keyword(s):  
Artificial Intelligence ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Service Design ◽  
Service Development ◽  
Proof Of Concept ◽  
New Ways Of Working ◽  
Technological Advances ◽  
Industrial Service ◽  
Industrial Context

The field of service design has set practices that are useful during servitization transformations intended to help businesses respond to customers’ rising expectations regarding the value of the service experience itself. As businesses increasingly pursue service development alongside product development, they need new ways of working and of evaluating solutions. Simultaneously, technological advances open avenues to new services and ways of interacting with customers. This paper draws on two workshop case studies of artificial intelligence (AI) assistant projects to examine service design in the industrial context. Through these case studies, the paper illustrates how proof of concept (PoC) is used at different project stages and explores how service design can support creation of PoCs in large industrial corporate contexts. The findings reveal the aspects of PoC as embodied experiencing of intangible AI concepts, the creation of PoCs through conversations, and the role of PoCs in industrial service design process.

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