Empirical results of an experimental study on the role of password strength and cognitive load on employee productivity

The demand for information system authentication has significantly increased over the last decade. Research has shown that the majority of user authentications remain to be password based, however, it is well documented that passwords have significant limitations. To address this issue, companies have been placing increased requirements on the user to ensure their passwords are more complex and consequently stronger with little consideration on the impact on employee productivity. Thus, this study was set to determine the effects of changing the password strength (cognitive load) over time and its impact on employee productivity. An experiment with two experimental groups and one control group was conducted. Data was collected on the number of failed operating system logon attempts, users’ logon times, task completion times, and number of reset requests. The data collected from 72 participants was analyzed for group differences and when controlling for computer experience, age, and gender. Our results showed significant differences on all measures between the three groups. However, no significant differences were observed when controlling for computer experience, age, and gender. Furthermore, the results indicated a significant difference between the user’s perceptions about passwords before and after the experiment. Our results may help organizations to realize the point at which increasing authentication places a higher cognitive load on the users, which in turn affects their productivity.

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A Study of Wideband Energy Reflectance in Patients with Otosclerosis: Data from a Chinese Population

BioMed Research International ◽

10.1155/2019/2070548 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 2019 ◽

pp. 1-8 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Suju Wang ◽

Wenyang Hao ◽

Chunxiao Xu ◽

Daofeng Ni ◽

Zhiqiang Gao ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Resonance Frequency ◽

Racial Differences ◽

Chinese Population ◽

Ambient Pressure ◽

Control Group ◽

Age And Gender ◽

Significant Difference ◽

And Gender ◽

And Control ◽

Peak Pressures

Objective(s). The purpose of this study was to explore the effectiveness of wideband acoustic immittance (WAI) in the diagnosis of otosclerosis by comparing the differences in the energy reflectance (ER) of WAI between patients with otosclerosis and age- and gender-matched normal hearing controls in the Chinese population. Methods. Twenty surgically confirmed otosclerotic ears were included in the otosclerotic group. The ER of WAI at ambient and peak pressures, resonance frequency, and 226-Hz tympanogram were collected prior to surgery using a Titan hearing test platform (Interacoustics A/S, Middelfart, Denmark). All diagnoses of otosclerosis in the tested ear were confirmed by surgery after the measurements. Thirteen normal adults (26 ears) who were age- and gender-matched with the otosclerotic patients were included as the control group. Results. At peak pressure, the ERs of otosclerotic patients were higher than those of the control group for frequencies less than 4,000Hz and were lower for frequencies greater than 4,000Hz. In addition, within the analyzed frequencies, the differences observed at 2,520Hz was statistically significant (p<0.05/16=0.003, Bonferroni corrected). At ambient pressure, the differences observed at 1,260 and 6,350Hz were statistically significant (p<0.05/16=0.003, Bonferroni corrected). Although the differences between the otosclerotic and control groups exhibited similar trends to those in studies implemented in Caucasian populations, the norms in the present study in the control group were different from those in the Caucasian populations, suggesting racial differences in WAI test results. Regarding the middle ear resonance frequency, no significant difference was observed between the two groups (P>0.05). Conclusion. WAI can provide valuable information for the diagnosis of otosclerosis in the Chinese population. Norms and diagnostic criteria corresponding to the patient’s racial group are necessary to improve the efficiency of WAI in the diagnosis of otosclerosis.

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Multiple Gene Polymorphisms Associated with Exfoliation Syndrome in the Uygur Population

Journal of Ophthalmology ◽

10.1155/2019/9687823 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 2019 ◽

pp. 1-8 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Yi-Nu Ma ◽

Ting-Yu Xie ◽

Xue-Yi Chen

Keyword(s):

Protective Factor ◽

Lysyl Oxidase ◽

Direct Sequencing ◽

Control Group ◽

Exfoliation Syndrome ◽

Nucleotide Polymorphisms ◽

Age And Gender ◽

Protective Allele ◽

Significant Difference ◽

And Gender

Background. Our previous data suggested that three single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), rs1048661, rs3825942, and rs2165241, of the lysyl oxidase-like 1 gene (LOXL1) are significantly associated with exfoliation syndrome (XFS) and exfoliation glaucoma (XFG). The following study investigated other SNPs that potentially effect XFS/XFG. Methods. A total of 216 Uygur patients diagnosed with XFS/XFG, and 297 Uygur volunteers were admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital at Xinjiang Medical University between January 2015 and October 2017. Blood samples were collected by venipuncture. Alleles and genotypes of LOXL1, TBC1D21, ATXN2, APOE, CLU, AFAP1, TXNRD2, CACNA1A, ABCA1, GAS7, and CNTNAP2 were analyzed by direct sequencing. Results. The allele G of rs41435250 of LOXL1 was a risk allele for XFS/XFG (P<0.001), whereas the allele G of rs893818 of LOXL1 was a protective allele for XFS/XFG (P<0.001). After adjusting all data for age and gender, the following results were obtained: the frequency of genotype CC for rs7137828 of ATXN2 was significantly higher in XFS/XFG patients than in controls (P=0.027), while no significance was found with reference to the frequency of genotype TT. The frequency of genotype GG for rs893818 of LOXL1 (P<0.001) and the frequency of genotype AA were both significantly higher in XFS/XFG groups compared to the control group (P<0.001). In addition, the frequency of genotype TT for rs41435250 of LOXL1 was higher in XFS/XFG patients than in controls (P=0.003), while no significant difference was found with reference to the frequency of genotype GG after adjusting for age and gender. In addition, the haplotypes G-A/T-G/G-G for rs41435250 and rs893818 were significantly associated with XFS/G. Conclusions. With reference to LOXL1, the rs41435250 resulted as a risk factor and rs893818 as a protective factor for XFS/XFG in the Uygur populations. Meanwhile, the rs16958445 of TBC1D21 and the rs7137828 of ATXN2 have also shown to be associated with pathogenesis of XFS/XFG.

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An Electroencephalographic Investigation of Late-Onset Schizophrenia

International Psychogeriatrics ◽

10.1017/s1041610299006031 ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 11 (4) ◽

pp. 421-429 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Perminder Sachdev ◽

Henry Brodaty ◽

Sophia Roubina ◽

Roderick A. Mackenzie

Keyword(s):

Late Onset ◽

Control Group ◽

Neuroleptic Drugs ◽

Schizophrenic Disorder ◽

Age And Gender ◽

Significant Difference ◽

The Subject ◽

Community Controls ◽

And Gender ◽

Healthy Community

We performed awake and resting electroencephalograms (EEGs) on 22 subjects with DSM-III-R schizophrenic disorder of late onset (at or after age 50 years), and compared them with the EEGs of 33 healthy community controls matched for age and gender. The EEGs were rated qualitatively and a 2-minute, artifact-free tracing from each subject was quantified manually by an experienced neurophysiologist unaware of the identity of the subject group. The only significant difference was the presence of more generalized slowing in the EEGs of schizophrenia patients, which was at least partially accounted for by the effect of neuroleptic drugs. The schizophrenic subjects did not have a greater prevalence of epileptiform disturbances or abnormal asymmetry of the EEG compared to the control group. Our study does not suggest the presence of underlying dementia in schizophrenia of late onset.

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Age and Gender Impact on Password Hygiene

Applied Sciences ◽

10.3390/app12020894 ◽

2022 ◽

Vol 12 (2) ◽

pp. 894

Author(s):

Aušrius Juozapavičius ◽

Agnė Brilingaitė ◽

Linas Bukauskas ◽

Ricardo Gregorio Lugo

Keyword(s):

Age Groups ◽

Age And Gender ◽

User Groups ◽

Measured Effect ◽

Active Research ◽

And Gender ◽

The Impact ◽

Password Strength ◽

Security Incidents ◽

Simple Sequence

Password hygiene plays an essential part in securing systems protected with single-factor authentication. A significant fraction of security incidents happen due to weak or reused passwords. The reasons behind differences in security vulnerable behaviour between various user groups remains an active research topic. The paper aims to identify the impact of age and gender on password strength using a large password dataset. We recovered previously hashed passwords of 102,120 users from a leaked customer database of a car-sharing company. Although the measured effect size was small, males significantly had stronger passwords than females for all age groups. Males aged 26–45 were also significantly different from all other groups, and password complexity decreased with age for both genders equally. Overall, very weak password hygiene was observed, 72% of users based their password on a word or used a simple sequence of digits, and passwords of over 39% of users were found in word lists of previous leaks.

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Feasibility of EEG to monitor cognitive performance during venous cannulation: EEG Distracted Intravenous Access (E-DIVA)

BMJ Simulation and Technology Enhanced Learning ◽

10.1136/bmjstel-2015-000082 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 2 (3) ◽

pp. 68-72 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

David J Lowe ◽

Scott A James ◽

Adam Lloyd ◽

Gareth R Clegg

Keyword(s):

Cognitive Load ◽

Clinical Performance ◽

Educational Interventions ◽

Task Completion ◽

Cognitive Workload ◽

Simple Arithmetic ◽

Arithmetic Task ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Set Up ◽

The Impact

BackgroundThe feasibility study aims to evaluate the use of EEG in measuring workload during a simulated intravenous cannulation task. Cognitive workload is strongly linked to performance, but current methods to assess workload are unreliable. The paper presents the use of EEG to compare the cognitive workload between an expert and novice group completing a simple clinical task.Methods2 groups of volunteers (10 final year medical students and 10 emergency medicine consultants) were invited to take part in the study. Each participant was asked to perform 3 components of the simulation protocol: intravenous cannulation, a simple arithmetic test and finally these tasks combined. Error rate, speed of task completion and an EEG-based measure of cognitive workload were recorded for each element.ResultsEEG cognitive workload during the combined cannulation and arithmetic task is significantly greater in novice participants when compared with expert operators performing the same task combination. EEG workload mean measured for novice and experts was 0.62 and 0.54, respectively (p=0.001, 95% CI 0.09 to 0.30). There was no significant difference between novice and expert EEG workload when the tasks were performed individually.ConclusionsEEG provides the opportunity to monitor and analyse the impact of cognitive load on clinical performance. Despite the significant challenges in set up and protocol design, there is a potential to develop educational interventions to optimise clinician's awareness of cognitive load. In addition, it may enable the use of metrics to monitor the impact of different interventions and select those that optimise clinical performance.

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The Impact of Covid-19 Lockdown on Metamemory among Medical Students

10.53350/pjmhs211551014 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 15 (5) ◽

pp. 1014-1016

Author(s):

AF Anjum ◽

G Jawwad ◽

I Naiyar ◽

R Masud ◽

A Khokhar ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Medical Students ◽

Statistical Significance ◽

Phase 1 ◽

Ethical Review ◽

P Value ◽

Age And Gender ◽

Medical College ◽

Significant Difference ◽

And Gender ◽

The Impact

Background: The lockdown due to Covid-19 has impacted certain aspects of cognition among medical students. Aim: To explore the impact of the Covid-19 lockdown on metamemory among medical students studying in a private medical college in Pakistan. Study design: Experimental study. Methodology: This study with enrolled students (n=233) was carried out after ethical review committee’s (ERC) approval at CMH Kharian Medical College (CKMC), Physiology Department, Kharian-Pakistan. Both male and female medical students were enrolled. In phase 1, the students reported to the Physiology laboratory where age and gender were recorded. Metamemory was measured using the Multi-factorial Memory Questionnaire (MMQ)-Satisfaction scale using the Baycrest Centre protocols for its administration and scoring. Data was analyzed by SPSS software, version 21. MMQ-Satisfaction score was presented as mean±SD. Statistical significance was taken at p value <0.05. Results: Among males mean±SD for Pre Covid-19 MMQ was 43.24±9.58 while mean±SD for Post Covid-19 MMQ males was 55.32±6.01. Significant difference was seen between Pre & Post Covid-19 MMQ scores with p-value of <0.000. Conclusion: We concluded that significant difference was seen between Pre & Post Covid-19 MMQ scores with p-value of <0.000. However, means among all age groups were significantly equal with the others in Pre & Post COVID-19 MMQ. Similarly, means were significantly equal among both genders for Pre & Post COVID-19 MMQ. Keywords: Covid-19 lockdown, Medical students, Metamemory, Age and Gender.

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Residual signal auto-correlation to evaluate speech in Parkinson’s disease patients

Arquivos de Neuro-Psiquiatria ◽

10.1590/s0004-282x2006000600004 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 64 (4) ◽

pp. 912-915 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

José Carlos Pereira ◽

Arthur Oscar Schelp ◽

Arlindo Neto Montagnoli ◽

Ana Rita Gatto ◽

André Augusto Spadotto ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Parkinson’S Disease ◽

Parkinson's Disease ◽

Statistical Difference ◽

Control Group ◽

Healthy Individuals ◽

Age And Gender ◽

Residual Signal ◽

Auto Correlation ◽

Significant Difference ◽

And Gender

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the maximum residual signal auto-correlation also known as pitch amplitude (PA) values in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients. METHOD: The signals of 21 Parkinson’s patients were compared with 15 healthy individuals, divided according age and gender. RESULTS: Statistical difference was seen between groups for PA, 0.39 for controls and 0.25 for PD. Normal value threshold was set as 0.3; (p<0.001). In the Parkinson’s group 80.77%, and in the control group only 12.28%, had a PA<0.3 demonstrating an association between these variables. The dispersion diagram for age and PA for PD individuals showed p=0.01 and r=0.54. There was no significant difference in relation to gender and PA between groups. CONCLUSION: The significant differences in pitch’s amplitude between PD patients and healthy individuals demonstrate the methods specificity. The results showed the need of prospective controlled studies to improve the use and indications of residual signal auto-correlation to evaluate speech in PD patients.

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Relationship between papillary muscles abnormalities and apparently unexplained infero-lateral T-wave inversion in athletes

European Heart Journal ◽

10.1093/ehjci/ehaa946.3132 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 41 (Supplement_2) ◽

Author(s):

N Bettella ◽

M De Lazzari ◽

A Zorzi ◽

T Vessella ◽

A Cipriani ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Left Ventricle ◽

Papillary Muscle ◽

Prognostic Significance ◽

Left Ventricular ◽

Control Group ◽

Papillary Muscles ◽

Age And Gender ◽

Significant Difference ◽

And Gender ◽

Apical Displacement

Abstract Aims To evaluate by cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) if left ventricle papillary muscle abnormalities, such as hypertrophy and abnormal location, may be the anatomo-functional substrates responsible for TWI inversion in lateral or infero-lateral leads in otherwise healthy athletes. Methods We included competitive athletes with TWI in lateral or infero-lateral leads in the absence of cardiac diseases detected by CMR. The control population included healthy athletes with normal ECG, matched for age and gender. We compared thickness, volume (both absolute and relative to the cardiac mass) and position of the papillary muscles between cases and controls. Results We included 53 athletes with apparently unexplained TWI in the lateral or infero-lateral leads (median age 20 years (17–42), 86.8% males) and 53 athletes with no TWI matched for age and gender. 4 patients (7.6%) had family history for cardiomyopathy or sudden cardiac death. Athletes with TWI showed more hypertrophic papillary muscles compared to controls, with statistically significant difference in diameter, area and volume (p<0.01). The median ratio between the papillary muscles and the left ventricular mass was 4.4% among athletes with TWI versus 3% among those without TWI (p<0.001). Papillary muscles showed apical displacement in 47% of cases, compared to 17% in the control group (p=0.001). Conclusions Idiopathic TWI in lateral or infero-lateral leads is associated with left ventricle papillary muscle hypertrophy and their apical displacement detected by CMR. The comprehension of clinical and prognostic significance of papillary muscle abnormalities responsible for these ventricular repolarization alterations requires further studies. Example Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding source: None

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A case-control study on body composition of teenagers with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis

European Journal of Public Health ◽

10.1093/eurpub/ckab165.505 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 31 (Supplement_3) ◽

Author(s):

D Marinov ◽

T Dimitrova

Keyword(s):

Body Composition ◽

Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis ◽

Idiopathic Scoliosis ◽

Body Fat ◽

Medical Documentation ◽

Control Group ◽

Age And Gender ◽

Screening Programs ◽

Significant Difference ◽

And Gender

Abstract Background Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is the most common form of spinal abnormality. It affects about 2-3% of all teenagers. Its etiology remains unknown but studies suggest that multiple factors may play a role. A growing body of evidence supports the role of body composition abnormalities including low body mass index (BMI) and low body fat percentage (BF%) as risk factors for AIS development. This study aimed to evaluate these indicators in a group of teenagers with AIS and compare them to age and gender-matched controls. Methods The study included 98 adolescents with AIS and 73 controls aged 11-18 years from Varna, Bulgaria. Data was collected after receiving informed consent from the parents. Data on AIS diagnosis and severity was collected from the available medical documentation. Anthropometrics were measured using calibrated Tanita BC-420MA (ISSO 9001) and following ESPEN guidelines. BMI for age and BF% for age were estimated using WHO Child Growth Standards and BF% reference curves for children. Results In the AIS group, 15% were underweight with BMI for age under -2SD. 11% were above +1SD indicating a risk of overweight or obesity. In comparison, 7% of the control group were underweight while 32% were at risk of being overweight or obese. There is a statistically significant difference between the BMI for age in the two groups (χ2=19.564 Đ¿рĐ, p < 0.005). In the AIS group, 47% had BF% for age under the 2nd percentile indicating underfat, while 7% of AIS cases had BF% for age above the 85th percentile indicating they are overfat or obese. In comparison, 15% of the control group were underfat while 19% were overfat or obese. There is a statistically significant difference between the BF% for age in the two groups (χ2=21,504 Đ¿рĐ, p < 0.001). Conclusions Children with AIS are more likely to be underweight and underfat compared to their healthy peers. Cases of having a high BF% and being overweight or obese are scarce amongst AIS patients. Key messages The majority of children with AIS have abnormal body composition compared to healthy age and gender-matched controls. Aspects of the nutritional status may play a role in the etiology of AIS. Children with low body fat might be at a higher risk of developing AIS. AIS screening programs should be directed towards underweight children.

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A highly effective and practical desensitization regimen: Results in comparable clinical outcomes for multiple myeloma patients with skin rash after immunomodulatory drugs.

Journal of Clinical Oncology ◽

10.1200/jco.2020.38.15_suppl.12104 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 38 (15_suppl) ◽

pp. 12104-12104

Author(s):

Amin Firoozmand ◽

Naveed Ali ◽

Nausheen Ahmed ◽

Pingfu Fu ◽

Shufen Cao ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Multiple Myeloma ◽

Skin Rash ◽

Cox Regression ◽

Progression Free Survival ◽

Immunomodulatory Drugs ◽

Age And Gender ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Highly Effective ◽

And Gender ◽

The Impact

12104 Background: Immunomodulatory drugs (IMiDs) are backbone of myeloma therapy for patients with Multiple Myeloma (MM). The incidence of IMiD-associated rash is up to 27% in some reports impeding maximal benefit of this agent. The optimal management of IMiDs-associated skin is unclear. The concurrent weekly Dexamethasone (Dex) does not diminish the incidence of skin eruptions with IMiDs (Sviggum, et al. 2006), therefore we designed a low dose daily and tapering corticosteroid regimen to tame this immune response upon restarting IMiDs and allow desensitization and reinstitution of the same IMiD. Furthermore, we assessed the impact of this desensitization regimen on clinical outcome. Methods: A total of 160 patients were evaluated. The incidence of rash was found to be 13% (n = 21). A cohort of age- and gender-matched without rash (n = 39) was randomly selected. The effects of rash on overall and progression free survival (OS and PFS) were further estimated using Cox regression controlling the effects of age and gender. Results: Median time to development of rash after IMiD initiation was 28 days (range, 2-232). Rashes were graded as low (I-II) in 89% (n = 17) and high (III-IV) in 19% of pts. All pts were managed by temporary treatment interruption and upon clearance of rash, re-institution of the same IMiD concomitantly with a standardized 3-week steroid rash prophylaxis protocol (prednisone at 10 mg daily for 10 days, followed by 5 mg daily for 10 days, followed by 5 mg on alternate days for 10 days). As a result, all patients were able to restart the same IMiD with none re-experiencing any dermatologic adverse effect afterward. Comparing to no-rash controls, there was no significant difference in PFS (0.13) or OS (p = 0.12) in multivariate regression model. Conclusions: Proposed 3-week corticosteroid regimen showed 100% success rate in reinstituting IMiDs in our cohort. It may provide a highly effective and practical short term immunosuppression required to enable patients to restart IMiDs and enjoy comparable outcome to pts without skin rash.

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