The dark side of the internet:protecting yourself and your family from online criminals

In less than a decade, personal computers have become part of our daily lives. Many of us come into contact with computers every day, whether at work, school or home. As useful as the new technologies are, they also have a darker side. By making computers part of our daily lives, we run the risk of allowing thieves, swindlers, and all kinds of deviants directly into our homes. Armed with a personal computer, a modem and just a little knowledge, a thief can easily access confidential information, such as details of bank accounts and credit cards. This book helps people avoid harm at the hands of Internet criminals. It offers a tour of the more dangerous parts of the Internet, as the author explains who the predators are, their motivations, how they operate and how to protect against them. In less than a decade, personal computers have become part of our daily lives. Many of us come into contact with computers every day, whether at work, school or home. As useful as the new technologies are, they also have a darker side. By making computers part of our daily lives, we run the risk of allowing thieves, swindlers, and all kinds of deviants directly into our homes. Armed with a personal computer, a modem and just a little knowledge, a thief can easily access confidential information, such as details of bank accounts and credit cards. This book is intended to help people avoid harm at the hands of Internet criminals. It offers a tour of the more dangerous parts of the Internet, as the author explains who the predators are, their motivations, how they operate and how to protect against them. Behind the doors of our own homes, we assume we are safe from predators, con artists, and other criminals wishing us harm. But the proliferation of personal computers and the growth of the Internet have invited these unsavory types right into our family rooms. With a little psychological knowledge a con man can start to manipulate us in different ways. A terrorist can recruit new members and raise money over the Internet. Identity thieves can gather personal information and exploit it for criminal purposes. Spammers can wreak havoc on businesses and individuals. Here, an expert helps readers recognize the signs of a would-be criminal in their midst. Focusing on the perpetrators, the author provides information about how they operate, why they do it, what they hope to do, and how to protect yourself from becoming a victim.

Oribatid assemblies of tropical high mountains on some points of the “Gondwana-Bridge” – a case study

This work is the first part of a series of studies, which introduces the methodological possibilities of coenological and zoogeographical indication and – following the climate, vegetation and elevation zones – the pattern-describing analysis of the main Oribatid sinusia of the world explored till our days.This current work is a case-study, which displays the comparison of 9 examination sites from 3 different geographical locations. On each location, three vegetation types have been examined: a plain rain-forest, a mossforest and a mountainous paramo. Analyses are based on the hitherto non-published genus-level database and coenological tables of the deceased János Balogh professor. Occurrence of 18 genera is going to be published as new data for the given zoogeographical region.

Effect of sampling effort and sampling frequency on the composition of the planktonic crustacean assemblage: a case study of the river Danube

Although numerous studies have focused on the seasonal dynamics of riverine zooplankton, little is known about its short-term variation. In order to examine the effects of sampling frequency and sampling effort, microcrustacean samples were collected at daily intervals between 13 June and 21 July of 2007 in a parapotamal side arm of the river Danube, Hungary. Samples were also taken at biweekly intervals from November 2006 to May 2008. After presenting the community dynamics, the effect of sampling effort was evaluated with two different methods; the minimal sample size was also estimated. We introduced a single index (potential dynamic information loss; to determine the potential loss of information when sampling frequency is reduced. The formula was calculated for the total abundance, densities of the dominant taxa, adult/larva ratios of copepods and for two different diversity measures. Results suggest that abundances may experience notable fluctuations even within 1 week, as do diversities and adult/larva ratios.

Community Development Districts: The entrepreneurial side of government

In an effort to reduce the cost and size of government public service delivery has become more decentralized, flexible and responsive. Public entrepreneurship entailed, among other things, the establishment of special-purpose governments to finance public services and carry out development projects. Community Development Districts (CDDs) are a type of special-purpose governments whose purpose is to manage and finance infrastructure improvements in the State of Florida. They have important implications for the way both growth management and service delivery occur in the United States. This study examined the role of CDDs for growth management policy and service delivery by analyzing the CDD profile and activity, the contribution of CDDs to the growth management and infrastructure development as well as the way CDD perceived pluses and minuses impact service delivery. The study used a mixed methods research approach, drawing on secondary data pertaining to CDD features and activity, semi-structured interviews with CDD representatives and public officials as well as on a survey of public officials within the counties and cities that have established CDDs. Findings indicated that the CDD institutional model is both a policy and a service delivery tool for infrastructure provision that can be adopted by states across the United States. Results showed that CDDs inhibit rather than foster growth management through their location choices, type and pattern of development. CDDs contributed to the infrastructure development in Florida by providing basic infrastructure services for the development they supported and by building and dedicating facilities to general-purpose governments. Districts were found to be both funding mechanisms and management tools for infrastructure services. The study also pointed to the fact that specialized governance is more responsive and more flexible but less effective than general-purpose governance when delivering services. CDDs were perceived as being favorable for developers and residents and not as favorable for general-purpose governments. Overall results indicated that the CDD is a flexible institutional mechanism for infrastructure delivery which has both advantages and disadvantages. Decision-makers should balance districts’ institutional flexibility with their unintended consequences for growth management when considering urban public policies.

The effects of age, ethnicity, sexual dysfunction, urinary incontinence, masculinity, and relationship with the partner on the quality of life of men with prostate cancer

Prostate cancer, the leading cause of cancer in men, has positive survival rates and constitutes a challenge to men with its side effects. Studies have addressed the bivaritate relationships between prostate cancer treatment side effects masculinity, partner relationship, and quality of life (QOL). However, few studies have highlighted the relationships among prostate cancer treatment side effects (i.e., sexual dysfunction, urinary incontinence), masculinity, and relationship with the partner together on QOL in men. Most studies were conducted with predominately Caucasian sample of men. Miami is a unique multiethnic setting that hosts Cuban, Columbian, Venezuelan, Haitian, other Latin American and Caribbean communities that were not represented in previous literature. The purpose of this study was to examine relative contributions of age, ethnicity, sexual dysfunction, urinary incontinence, masculinity, and perception of the relationship with the partner on the quality of life in men diagnosed with prostate cancer. Data were collected using self administered questionnaires measuring demographic variables, sexual and urinary functioning (UCLA PCI), masculinity (CMNI), partner relationship (DAS), and QOL (SF-36). A total of 117 partnered heterosexual men diagnosed with prostate cancer were recruited from four urology clinics in Miami, Florida. Men were 67.47 (SD = 8.42) years old and identified themselves to be of Hispanic origin (54.3 %, n = 63). Findings demonstrated that there was a significant moderate negative relationship between urinary and sexual functioning of men. There was a significant strong negative association between men's perceived relationship with partner and masculinity. There was a weak negative relationship between the partner relationship and QOL. Hierarchal multiple regression showed that the partner relationship (β = -.25, t (91) = -2.28, p = .03) significantly contributed overall to QOL. These findings highlight the importance of the relationship satisfaction in the QOL of men with prostate cancer. Nursing interventions to enhance QOL for these men should consider strengthening the relationship and involving the female partner as an active participant.^

Effect of Hydrologic Restoration on the Habitat of The Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow, Annual Report of 2003-2004

Following on our previous year’s work on ‘Effect of hydrologic restoration on the habitat of the Cape Sable seaside sparrow (CSSS)’, we presented first year results at the Cape Sable seaside sparrow – fire planning workshop at Everglades National Park in December 2003. Later, with almost the same set of crews as in the previous year, we started field work in the first week of January and continued till May 26, 2004. Protocols for sampling topography and vegetation in 2004 were identical to the previous year. In the early season, we completed topographic surveys along two remaining transects, B and E (~16.5 km), and vegetation surveys along three transects, D, E and F (~10.8 km), leaving only the vegetation sampling on transects B and C to be completed in 2005. During April and May, vegetation sampling was completed at 230 census sites, making the total of 409 CSSS census sites for which we have complete vegetation data. We updated data sets from both 2003 and 2004, and analyzed them together using cluster analysis, ordination, weighted-averaging regression and analysis of variance, as we had in 2003. Additionally, we used logistic regression to examine the effect of vegetation structural parameters on the recent occurrence of CSSS. We also analyzed vegetation observations recorded by the sparrow census team in 1981 and annually between 1992 and 2004 to assess historical patterns of vegetation change in CSSS habitat.

Effect of Hydrologic Restoration on the Habitat of The Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow, Annual Report of 2004-2005

The major activities in Year 3 on ‘Effect of hydrologic restoration on the habitat of the Cape Sable seaside sparrow (CSSS)’ included presentations, field work, data analysis, and report preparation. During this period, we made 4 presentations, two at the CSSS – fire planning workshops at Everglades National Park (ENP), one at the Society of Wetland Scientists’ meeting in Charleston, SC, and a fourth at the Marl Prairie/CSSS performance measure workshop at ENP. We started field work in the third week of January and continued till June 3, 2005. Early in the field season, we completed vegetation surveys along two transects, B and C (~15.1 km). During April and May, vegetation sampling was completed at 199 census sites, bringing to 608 the total number of CSSS census sites with quantitative vegetation data. We updated data sets from all three years, 2003-05, and analyzed them using cluster analysis and ordination as in previous two years. However, instead of weighted averaging, we used weighted-averaging partial least square regression (WA-PLS) model, as this method is considered an improvement over WA for inferring values of environmental variables from biological species composition. We also validated the predictive power of the WA-PLS regression model by applying it to a sub-set of 100 census sites for which hydroperiods were “known” from two sources, i.e., from elevations calculated from concurrent water depth measurements onsite and at nearby water level recorders, and from USGS digital elevation data. Additionally, we collected biomass samples at 88 census sites, and determined live and dead aboveground plant biomass. Using vegetation structure and biomass data from those sites, we developed a regression model that we used to predict aboveground biomass at all transects and census sites. Finally, biomass data was analyzed in relation to hydroperiod and fire frequency.

The other side of the kitchen door: Domestic service in Lima, Peru

Domestic service refers to the work required to complete duties pertaining to the maintenance and functioning of the household, particularly when performed by employed labor. This study provides an ethnographic account of domestic service through an analysis of social behavior and cultural patterns. The participants in the social structure of domestic service are the señora (the lady of the house), her family, and the empleadas (domestic workers) all of whom have specific social identities and roles within the household. The señora/empleada dyad is central to the institution and all other participants are secondary. This study contributes to the growing body of work in anthropology that concentrates on elite sectors of society and explores theoretical issues relating to gender, class, and ethnic differences in Peru.

Impact of high pCO2 and warmer temperatures on the process of silica biomineralization in the sponge Mycale grandis

Siliceous sponges have survived pre-historical mass extinction events caused by ocean acidification and recent studies suggest that siliceous sponges will continue to resist predicted increases in ocean acidity. In this study, we monitored silica biomineralization in the Hawaiian sponge Mycale grandis under predicted pCO2 and sea surface temperature scenarios for 2100. Our goal was to determine if spicule biomineralization was enhanced or repressed by ocean acidification and thermal stress by monitoring silica uptake rates during short-term (48 h) experiments and comparing biomineralized tissue ratios before and after a long-term (26 d) experiment. In the short-term experiment, we found that silica uptake rates were not impacted by high pCO2 (1050 µatm), warmer temperatures (27°C), or combined high pCO2 with warmer temperature (1119 µatm; 27°C) treatments. The long-term exposure experiments revealed no effect on survival or growth rates of M. grandis to high pCO2 (1198 µatm), warmer temperatures (25.6°C), or combined high pCO2 with warmer temperature (1225 µatm, 25.7°C) treatments, indicating that M. grandis will continue to prosper under predicted increases in pCO2 and sea surface temperature. However, ash-free dry weight to dry weight ratios, subtylostyle lengths, and silicified weight to dry weight ratios decreased under conditions of high pCO2 and combined pCO2 warmer temperature treatments. Our results show that rising ocean acidity and temperature have marginal negative effects on spicule biomineralization and will not affect sponge survival rates of M. grandis.