30233 research outputs found
Sort by
Design and Evaluation of Security-Focused Service Meshes for Management of Microservice Deployments
No full textShifting trends in modern software engineering and cloud computing have pushed system designs to leverage containerization and develop their systems into microservice architectures. While microservice architectures emphasize scalability and ease-of-development, the issue of microservice explosion has emerged, stressing hosting environments and generating new challenges within this domain. Service meshes, the latest in a series of developments, are being adopted to meet these needs. Service meshes provide separation of concerns between microservice development and the operational concerns of microservice deployments, such as service discovery and networking. However, despite the benefits provided by service meshes, the security demands of this domain are unmet by the current state-of-art offerings.Through a series of experimental trials in a service mesh testbed, we demonstrate a need for improved security mechanisms in the state-of-art offerings of service meshes. After deriving a series of domain-conscious recommendations to improve the longevity and flexibility of service meshes, we design and implement two proof-of-concept service mesh systems, Anvil and ServiceFRESH to facilitate frequent, automated rotation of security artifacts (keys, certificates, and tokens), within service mesh deployments. Anvil is a novel, standalone service mesh with automated, zero-downtime artifact rotations, while ServiceFRESH is a best-effort service mesh rotation module for use alongside a current state-of-art service mesh, Consul. The next prototype designed and developed as part of this work, ServiceWatch leverages these frequent security artifact refreshments and introduces a novel access control monitoring scheme. ServiceWatch effectively provides holistic monitoring and management of the microservice deployments it hosts. Further, ServiceWatch automatically isolates and removes microservices that violate the defined network policies of the service mesh, requiring no system administrator intervention. Extending this proof-of-concept environment, we design and implement a prototype workflow called CloudCover.CloudCover introduces a verification-in-the-loop scheme and leverages modern service mesh tools, allowing easy adoption of these novel security mechanisms into state-of-art deployments. Under a realistic and relevant threat model, we show how our design choices and improvements are both necessary and beneficial to real-world deployments. By examining network packet captures, we provide a theoretical analysis of the scalability of these solutions in real-world networks. We further extend these trials experimentally using an independently managed and operated cloud environment to demonstrate the practical scalability of our proposed designs to large-scale software systems. Our results indicate that the overhead introduced by ServiceWatch and CloudCover are acceptable for real-world deployments. Additionally, the security capabilities provided effectively mitigate threats present within these environments
Range-wide phylogenomics of the Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus) reveals deep north-south divergence in northern Peru Emily N. Ostrow,corresponding author Lucas H. DeCicco, and Robert G. Moyle
No full textThe Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus) inhabits myriad habitats throughout the Americas and shows complex patterns of individual and geographic morphological variation. The owl family Strigidae is known to follow ecogeographic rules, such as Gloger’s rule. Although untested at the species level, these ecogeographic rules may affect B. virginianus plumage coloration and body size. Previous studies have indicated that, despite this species’ morphological variability, little genetic differentiation exists across parts of their range. This study uses reduced representation genome-wide nuclear and complete mitochondrial DNA sequence data to assess range-wide relationships among B. virginianus populations and the disputed species status of B. v. magellanicus (Magellanic or Lesser Horned Owl) of the central and southern Andes. We found shallow phylogenetic relationships generally structured latitudinally to the north of the central Andes, and a deep divergence between a southern and northern clade close to the Marañón Valley in the central Andes, a common biogeographic barrier. We identify evidence of gene flow between B. v. magellanicus and other subspecies based on mitonuclear discordance and F-branch statistics. Overall differences in morphology, plumage coloration, voice, and genomic divergence support species status for B. v. magellanicus
The genetic basis of variation in immune defense against Lysinibacillus fusiformis infection in Drosophila melanogaster
No full textThe genetic causes of phenotypic variation often differ depending on the population examined, particularly if the populations were founded by relatively small numbers of genotypes. Similarly, the genetic causes of phenotypic variation among similar traits (resistance to different xenobiotic compounds or pathogens) may also be completely different or only partially overlapping. Differences in genetic causes for variation in the same trait among populations suggests context dependence for how selection acts on those traits. Similarities in the genetic causes of variation for different traits, on the other hand, suggests pleiotropy which would also influence how natural selection shapes variation in a trait. We characterized immune defense against a natural Drosophila pathogen, the Gram-positive bacterium Lysinibacillus fusiformis, in three different populations and found almost no overlap in the genetic architecture of variation in survival post infection. However, when comparing our results to a similar experiment with the fungal pathogen, B. bassiana, we found a convincing shared QTL peak for both pathogens. This peak contains the Bomanin cluster of Drosophila immune effectors. Loss of function mutants and RNAi knockdown experiments confirms a role of some of these genes in immune defense against both pathogens. This suggests that natural selection may act on the entire cluster of Bomanin genes (and the linked region under the QTL) or specific peptides for specific pathogens
Rethinking ‘responsibility’ in precision agriculture innovation: lessons from an interdisciplinary research team
No full textWe examine the interactions, decisions, and evaluations of an interdisciplinary team of researchers tasked with developing an artificial intelligence-based agricultural decision support system that can provide farmers site-specific information about managing nutrients on their land. We answer the following research questions: (1) How does a relational perspective help an interdisciplinary team conceptualize ‘responsibility' in a project that develops precision agriculture (PA)? and (2) What are some lessons for a research team embarking on a similar interdisciplinary technology development project? We show that how RI is materialized in practice within an interdisciplinary research team can produce different understandings of responsibility, notions of measurement of ‘matter,’ and metrics of success. Future interdisciplinary projects should (1) create mechanisms for project members to see how power and privilege are exercised in the design of new technology and (2) harness social sciences as a bridge between natural sciences and engineering for organic and equitable collaborations
Advancing biomedical science through investments in elite training
Get PDFHow can governments invest in the public good of science in a way that accelerates advancement and encourages innovation at the frontier of science–all the while acknowledging that investing in science means investing in scientists? The Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) program is a research-training program administered by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) that makes such investments. This study examines the impact of NRSA postdoctoral fellowships on subsequent career outcomes using NIH administrative records on applicants for the fellowship from 1996 to 2008. It finds that fellowships increased the probability of receiving subsequent research awards from 4.0 to 6.3 percentage points and of achieving a major independent research award from 2.6 to 4.6 percentage points. The findings demonstrate that federally funded fellowships promote the retention of scientists in the biomedical research workforce
Strangers helping strangers in a strange land: Vietnamese immigrant (expectant) mothers in the US use social media to navigate health issues in acculturation
Get PDFA grant from the One-University Open Access Fund at the University of Kansas was used to defray the author's publication fees in this Open Access journal. The Open Access Fund, administered by librarians from the KU, KU Law, and KUMC libraries, is made possible by contributions from the offices of KU Provost, KU Vice Chancellor for Research & Graduate Studies, and KUMC Vice Chancellor for Research. For more information about the Open Access Fund, please see http://library.kumc.edu/authors-fund.xml.Objectives
Trying to adapt to a new culture, Vietnamese (expectant) mothers in the USA gathered in few Facebook groups with thousands of members discussing pregnancy, health, and child caring issues. However, there is little research exploring how social support was given/taken among these (expectant) mothers. This empirical research aims at shedding light on how such mothers use social media groups for social support seeking/providing regarding health utilization during their acculturation process.
Methods
Drawing from Andersen's Behavioral Model of Health Utilization, acculturation, and online social support conceptual frameworks, this study analyzes 18 in-depth interviews with immigrant Vietnamese (expectant) mothers in the United States on the use of social media in navigating health acculturation during their pregnancy and motherhood.
Results
Results show that these mothers give and take all forms of social support including informational, emotional, relational, and instrumental ones. Facebook groups do not provide the best environment for improving “bonding” social capital for its members. However, these groups provide a platform where “strangers help strangers” overcome various barriers to sufficiently understand and independently access and use the official healthcare system. The groups, hence, aid these women's pregnancy and their child(ren)'s health. The informational and emotional support provided by Facebook groups among (soon-to-be) mothers helped them tremendously in overcoming acculturative stress. Moreover, with better language skills, knowledge, and experience in using health and social security systems, help-seekers tend to be transformed into help providers to deliver support for those “newcomers.”
Conclusions
This research provides insights into personal experience on the uses of social media in navigating health behavior in the process of acculturation among Vietnamese immigrant (expectant) mothers in the United States. The research seeks to contribute to the conceptual frameworks and practical experience of behavioral model of health utitlization among immigrant Vietnamese ethnic immigrant pregnant women and mothers of babies and toddlers in navigating health during acculturation process in the United States. The limitations and future research suggestions are also discussed
Leptospirosis in Ecuador: Current Status and Future Prospects
Get PDFThe location of Ecuador—an equatorial nation—favors the multiplication and dispersal of the Leptospira genus both on the Pacific Coast and in the Amazon tropical ecoregions. Nevertheless, leptospirosis epidemiology has not been fully addressed, even though the disease has been recognized as a significant public health problem in the country. The purpose of this literature review is to update knowledge on the epidemiology and geographical distribution of Leptospira spp. and leptospirosis in Ecuador to target future research and develop a national control strategy. A retrospective literature search using five international, regional, and national databases on Leptospira and leptospirosis including humans, animals, and environmental isolations of the bacteria and the disease incidence in Ecuador published between 1919 and 2022 (103 years) with no restriction on language or publication date was performed. We found and analyzed 47 publications including 22 of humans, 19 of animals, and two of the environments; three of these covered more than one of these topics, and one covered all three (i.e., One Health). Most (60%) of the studies were conducted in the Coastal ecoregion. Twenty-four (51%) were published in international journals, and 27 (57%) were in Spanish. A total of 7342 human and 6314 other animal cases were studied. Leptospirosis was a frequent cause of acute undifferentiated febrile illness in the Coast and Amazon and was associated with rainfall. All three major clusters of Leptospira—pathogenic, intermediate, and saprophytic—were identified from both healthy and febrile humans, the environment, and animals; moreover, nine species and 29 serovars were recorded over the three Ecuadorian ecoregions. Leptospira infections were diagnosed in livestock, companion, and wild animals from the Amazon and the Coast regions along with sea lions from the Galápagos Islands. Microscopic-agglutination test was the diagnostic tool most widely used. Three reviews covering national data on outpatients and inpatients determined the varied annual incidence and mortality rate, with males being more commonly affected. No human cases have been reported in the Galápagos Islands. Genomic sequences of three pathogenic Leptospira were reported. No studies on clinical ground, antibiotic resistance, or treatment were reported, nor were control programs or clinical-practice guidelines found. The published literature demonstrated that leptospirosis was and still is an endemic disease with active transmission in the four geoclimatic regions of Ecuador including the Galápagos Islands. Animal infections, distributed in mainland and insular Ecuador, pose a significant health risk for humans. Nationwide epidemiological surveys—encouraging more research on the fauna and environment with appropriate sampling design on risk factors for human and animal leptospirosis, Leptospira genotyping, increased laboratory capability, and readily available official data—are required to improve our understanding of transmission patterns and to develop effective national intervention strategies with the intention of applying One Health approaches
Engineered Peptides Enable Biomimetic Route for Collagen Intrafibrillar Mineralization
Get PDFOvercoming the short lifespan of current dental adhesives remains a significant clinical need. Adhesives rely on formation of the hybrid layer to adhere to dentin and penetrate within collagen fibrils. However, the ability of adhesives to achieve complete enclosure of demineralized collagen fibrils is recognized as currently unattainable. We developed a peptide-based approach enabling collagen intrafibrillar mineralization and tested our hypothesis on a type-I collagen-based platform. Peptide design incorporated collagen-binding and remineralization-mediating properties using the domain structure conservation approach. The structural changes from representative members of different peptide clusters were generated for each functional domain. Common signatures associated with secondary structure features and the related changes in the functional domain were investigated by attenuated total reflectance Fourier-transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy, respectively. Assembly and remineralization properties of the peptides on the collagen platforms were studied using atomic force microscopy (AFM). Mechanical properties of the collagen fibrils remineralized by the peptide assemblies was studied using PeakForce-Quantitative Nanomechanics (PF-QNM)-AFM. The engineered peptide was demonstrated to offer a promising route for collagen intrafibrillar remineralization. This approach offers a collagen platform to develop multifunctional strategies that combine different bioactive peptides, polymerizable peptide monomers, and adhesive formulations as steps towards improving the long-term prospects of composite resins
Sustainable Methodologies for Efficient Gel Electrophoresis and Streamlined Screening of Difficult Plasmids
Get PDFWe describe a workflow for efficient, environmentally attentive, and sustainable practices related to routine agarose gel electrophoresis. The methods reduce plastic waste and improve efficiency, especially for the exhaustive screening of difficult-to-obtain plasmids. Sustainability is increased when agarose is used ten times over by virtue of a thorough recycling regimen. The workflow optimizes workspaces and standardizes lab practices for handling potentially hazardous waste, minimizing environmental harm. Safety, efficiency, and sustainability improve laboratory productivity, help minimize environmental contamination, and increase cost-effectiveness
Anxiety and Depression in Autistic College Students: The Freshman Survey Results
Get PDFObjective
Mental health among undergraduate students is a growing concern in higher education, but relatively little is known about the mental health of autistic college students. In order to better understand the unique needs of this population, the present study examines whether demographic and psychosocial correlates of anxiety and depression differ in autistic first-year college students and their non-autistic peers.
Methods
Secondary data analysis was conducted utilizing population-weighted data of full-time college students in their first year attending four-year colleges and universities in 2016, 2018, and 2019. Autistic and non-autistic students who self-identified as having frequent anxiety or depression were compared in terms of demographic characteristics, physical and emotional health, and academic aspirations and achievement.
Results
The majority of first-year students with frequent anxiety or depression in this sample tended to be white and had parents who completed a bachelor's degree or went to graduate school, with higher rates of male students in the autistic group. While autistic college freshmen with frequent anxiety or depression self-report lower overall quality of physical health (below average or lowest 10% reported by 57.3% vs. 37.1%) and higher rates of learning disabilities (25.3% vs. 4.6%) and psychological disorders (62.3% vs. 29.3%), these students also tend to outperform their non-autistic peers on standardized academic testing.
Conclusion
As autistic students are investing in themselves through their education and future careers, practitioners and researchers alike should be investing in accessible physical and mental health services in order to help set autistic students up for success in college and beyond