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How increased ransomware attacks have impacted hospitals in the United States
Get PDFIntroduction: The healthcare industry, particularly hospitals, have fallen prey to the alarming rise of ransomware attacks. In recent years, highly sophisticated cybergroups, armed with substantial funds and advanced technology, have intensified their focus on hospitals. Despite the advice against it, most hospitals have paid the ransom in order to regain access to their electronic systems and patient data, underlining the severity of these attacks.
Purpose of the Study: The purpose of this research was to evaluate the effects of ransomware attacks on hospitals in the US to determine if the patients were at risk due to hackers withholding patient information and causing equipment malfunctions, the associated operational and ransom costs, and the disruption of hospital business operations.
Methodology: This study utilized a literature review complemented by a semi-structured interview with a cybersecurity professor. Three electronic databases, Google Scholar, and other private and government websites were searched for this research, and 32 sources were referenced. Of these, 14 sources were used in the results section.
Results: The research showed that costs such as ransom payments, operations, revenue loss, remediation fees, and legal fines have increased over the last few years. As cybergroups become more sophisticated, the more costly ransomware attacks have become on hospitals in the US. The interconnectedness of hospital electronic systems and technology (i.e., imaging services, ventilators, infusion pumps, etc.) increased patient risk during ransomware attacks. Longer lengths of stay were reported during a ransomware attack. Hospital business operations were shown to be severely disrupted when ransomware attacks occurred. Canceled appointments/surgeries and ambulance diversions decreased patient volume during the first week of an attack.
Discussion/Conclusion: Ransomware attacks on hospitals in the US significantly impacted costs and business operations. The findings were inconclusive on whether patient risk increased due to ransomware attacks. Some publications showed an increase, while others did not. Further study was needed on all three outcomes due to recent ransomware attacks that have become more frequent and sophisticated
New records of \u3ci\u3eMesobuthus mesopotamicus\u3c/i\u3e (Penther, 1912) in Iraq and \u3ci\u3eMesobuthus faiki\u3c/i\u3e sp. nov. from Turkey (Scorpiones: Buthidae)
Get PDFNew locality records for Mesobuthus mesopotamicus (Penther, 1912) are given from Iraq. The populations from southeastern Turkey, earlier identified as M. mesopotamicus by Kovařík et al. (2022), are examined and compared with the specimens from the area close to the type locality of M. mesopotamicus. These populations are described as a new species, Mesobuthus faiki sp. nov. Detailed illustrations of both species and a map are given
Charged excitons and trions in the semiconductor quantum dot: electronic structure and effect of external fields
Get PDFIn this thesis, we are studying the electronic structures and optical properties of charged excitons and trions (i.e., the exciton-associated quasi-particles in semiconductor materials) in quantum dots which have a three-dimensional confinement configuration. We also consider the effects of an external electric and magnetic field on the charged excitons. Initially theorized in 1958, charged excitons are a fairly new phenomenon in physics in which an exciton (i.e., an electron coupled with an electron hole) is coupled with either another electron or another hole (giving either a ‘negative exciton’ or ‘positive exciton’ accordingly). In the completely confined configuration like the quantum dots, the interaction between the excitons and the electron (or the electron hole) is strong due to the confinement. We have obtained the energies as well as the wave functions for the electronic states of the charged excitons. Using these results, we were able to find the energy splitting and the resulting states under the application of an external field. We have made the same calculations for the negative and positive trions and our results supported previous theoretical work which stated that charged excitons and trions are different quasi-particles. In order to understand more about the differences between these quasi-particles, in this work the electric and magnetic field effects and splitting of energy levels have been calculated for a negative exciton, negative trion, and positive trion structure inside a direct band gap semiconducting quantum dot. The respective wave functions of the resulting states for the negative and positive exciton and trions have also been obtained for the first time
Can West Virginia have an Apple
No full textPlace yourself on a college campus. What is the most common brand amongst those students? At almost any university across America it will be Apple. Whether it be an iPhone, MacBook, or Air Pods they are everywhere. The only states in the U.S without an Apple store are West Virginia, Montana, North and South Dakota, Wyoming and Vermont. This research seeks to understand why West Virginia does not have an Apple store and if it is feasible to open one in West Virginia. Regional adjacent cities of Cincinnati, Columbus, and Pittsburgh were compared to Charleston, Huntington, and Morgantown to determine the feasibility of opening and Apple store in one of West Virginias largest markets. When comparing the cities, the factors used were Population, Medium income, Percent of population with a bachelor’s degree, Retail sales, Per capita income, and Persons in poverty. Results show that the only possible city that could support an apple store in West Virginia would be Morgantown mainly because of its medium income and growing population
Examining the Culture of Dependency: An Analysis of the Rhetorical Implications of the Welfare Queen Trope in Political Discourse
No full textThe purpose of this research article is to analyze the construction and enactment of the “welfare queen” trope in 21st century political discourse. A trope is the metaphorical use of an expression. In this case, the expression is “welfare-queen.” Analyzing this trope will seek to determine how the “welfare queen” impacts the targeted group of low-income, single, black mothers. By performing this critical analysis of political discourse, the negative impacts on the targeted groups access to public assistance, as well as the way the trope is translated throughout political discourse, will be revealed using Muted Group Theory Lens. This research will attempt to discover how the “welfare queen” trope has been constructed across eight decades of political discourse and to what effect have the rhetorical impacts of the trope harmed its targeted group in political discourse. Understanding this subject further is important to highlight inequities between individuals in need and political power structures. Specifically, highlighting the modern impacts of the “welfare-queen” trope on low-income, single, black mothers is important due to lack of depth and recency of scholarly research on this topic. To begin this research study, a literature review of the “welfare-queen” trope within policy will be conducted. Following the that, the analysis portion will examine the transcendence of the “welfare-queen” trope in 21st-century presidential politics. The discussion and conclusion section will compare 21st century rhetoric regarding the “welfare-queen” trope to its origins, draw final conclusions using Muted Group Theory, and determine the rhetorical impact of the trope on its targeted group
Sustainability: An Appalachian Ecology of Commerce
No full textAs the global economy begins to adapt to the lingering threat of climate change, local businesses in West Virginia are doing the same. “Sustainability: An Appalachian Ecology of Commerce” dives into the social impact of these changes on organizational workplace structures. This study asks questions about how and why workplace management, work-force and consumer consciousness is changing through both survey data and recorded interviews. This data cross-references theories of work and social organization from sociologists Max Weber and Karl Marx, including Weber’s Bureaucratic Organizational Theory and Marx’s Surplus Value Theory. This study aims to uncover new attitudes and expand conversations about Sustainability amongst the reality of changing production methods
A Subcultural Divide: Tension Within Fan Culture
No full textThe advent of fandom has always had queer associations; zines featuring non-canonical gay relationships arguably brought fan culture to what it is today. Recently, fan dialogue has become more available due to the accessibility of social media. With it has come political discourse. Individuals under any ideological or identity spectrum can consider themselves fans. Because the subject of fan studies is a relatively new area, specific intersectional analysis has only recently been considered. This paper aims to start the discussion of the relationship between LGBTQ fans, alt-right fans, and the media they consume
