Cyanobacterial blooms in drinking water reservoirs present a major ecosystem functioning and human health issue. The ability to predict reservoir vulnerability to these blooms would provide information critical for decision making, hazard prevention and management. We developed a new, comparative index of vulnerability based on simple measures of reservoir and catchment characteristics, rather ...

52 Computer Windows of Vulnerability: A Case Study Analysis C omplex information and communication systems give rise to design, implementation, and management errors. These errors can lead to a vulnerability—a flaw in an information technology product that could allow violations of security policy. Anecdotal evidence alone suggests that known and patchable vulnerabilities cause the majority of ...

Some of the key aspects of vulnerability—discovery, dissemination, and disclosure—have received some attention recently. However, the role of interaction among the vulnerability discoverers and vulnerability acquirers has not yet been adequately addressed. Our study suggests that a major percentage of discoverers, a majority in some cases, are unaffiliated with the software developers and thus ...

The sexual behavioral system evolved to motivate reproductive acts by arousing sexual desire. Building on the idea that this system has also been "exploited" by evolutionary processes to promote enduring bonds between romantic partners, the present article introduces an integrative model that delineates the functional significance of sexual desire in relationship formation and maintenance. This...

Evolutionary histories of species and lineages can influence their vulnerabilities to extinction, but the importance of this effect remains poorly explored for extinctions in the geologic past. When analyzed using a standardized taxonomy within a phylogenetic framework, extinction rates of marine bivalves estimated from the fossil record for the last approximately 200 million years show conserv...

The relationship between the Tibetan prelate Tāranātha (1575-1634) and his major patrons, the various sDe pa of gTsang is a most complex one. In studying it I am increasingly aware that the wealth of detail to be gleaned from the various relevant texts is not just limited to the narrow study of the lives of just a few people, in this case those of Tāranātha and the various rulers of gTsang. Ind...

Network security checking is a vital process to assess and to identify weaknesses in network for management of security. Insecure entry points of a network provide attackers an easy target to access and compromise. Open ports of network components such as firewalls, gateways and end systems are analogues to open gates of a building through which any one can get into. Network scanning is perform...

Developing and deploying software patches is currently slow and labor-intensive. After software vendors discover a security bug in their product, they must write a patch, test it thoroughly, and distribute it to users, who may peform further testing before installing the patch. These manual steps take time, leaving users vulnerable for days or even weeks after a bug is discovered. Prepatched so...

BACKGROUND The evidence that heat waves can result in both increased deaths and illness is substantial, and concern over this issue is rising because of climate change. Adverse health impacts from heat waves can be avoided, and epidemiologic studies have identified specific population and community characteristics that mark vulnerability to heat waves. OBJECTIVES We situated vulnerability to ...

The economy of China and the travel needs of its citizens depend significantly on the continuous and reliable services provided by its railway system. However, this system is subject to frequent natural hazards, such as floods, earthquakes, and debris flow. A mechanism to assess the railway system vulnerability under these hazards and the design of effective vulnerability mitigation strategies ...