TEMPEST and the Bank of England

Since the major British banks first purchased computers in the 1960s, they have been concerned with the security challenges that these machines presented. One of the most potent risks was TEMPEST, the discovery that computers emitted radiation which could reveal the content of information processed by them, even if it had been encrypted. Archival material recently uncovered within the Bank of England’s archives from the mid-late 1970s is presented here to provide a first look at how the Bank evaluated the credibility of the threat posed by TEMPEST and how it sought to manage this new risk.     

A Comparison of Chemical Enhancements for the Detection of Latent Blood,,

Luminol, Bluestar^®, and Hemascein^® were tested to compare detection sensitivities to latent blood. Untreated, EDTA‐treated human blood, and a catalytically similar blood substitute were diluted (neat to 1:1,000,000) and pipetted onto a variety of substrates. Luminol and Bluestar^® performed similarly on all surfaces and fabrics. Hemascein^® yielded poor results on wood surfaces, but performed well in the detection of latent blood on fabrics. Results from untreated, EDTA‐treated, and synthetic blood results indicate that EDTA‐treated blood is similar or slightly less sensitive than untreated blood at all dilutions and on all substrates, and the synthetic blood is less sensitive than real blood, but consistent in detection threshold and thus is useful as a training aid. Additionally, some foods and household chemicals that have previously been shown to cross‐react were tested with Bluestar^®, Hemascein^®, and luminol. Hemascein^® cross‐reacted with many substances, while both luminol reagents were more discriminating.     

Serious about Change: A Gendered Examination of the Impact of Offense Type on Parole Success

Female offender populations are growing at an unprecedented rate. The present study examines gender differences among a large sample of male and female offenders as related to seriousness of their offense and success on parole. Data analyzed were originally collected from a random sample of parole case files in California. Results revealed that although gender does significantly impact parole success, seriousness of the offense does not. Other significant factors include age at release on parole, criminal history, and measures of stability upon release. The need for wrap-around services, comprehensive treatment models, and funding for gender-specific services are discussed.     

Life Satisfaction and Student Engagement in Adolescents

Situated within a positive psychology perspective, this study explored linkages between adolescent students’ positive subjective well-being and their levels of engagement in schooling. Specifically, using structural equation modeling techniques, we evaluated the nature and directionality of longitudinal relationships between life satisfaction and student engagement variables. It was hypothesized that adolescents’ life satisfaction and student engagement variables would show bidirectional relationships. To test this hypothesis, 779 students (53% female, 62% Caucasian) in a Southeastern US middle school completed a measure of global life satisfaction and measures of cognitive, emotional, and behavioral engagement at two time points, 5 months apart. A statistically significant bidirectional relationship between life satisfaction and cognitive engagement was found; however, non-significant relationships were found between life satisfaction and emotional and behavioral student engagement. The findings provide important evidence of the role of early adolescents’ life satisfaction in their engagement in schooling during the important transition grades between elementary and high school. The findings also help extend the positive psychology perspective to the relatively neglected context of education.     

Every Bag Counts

正Plastic. In these petroleum-based times, you can’t live with it, and you can’t live without it. Since this magical substance, with its plethora of manifestations, controls our city-dwelling lives to such a mas-sive degree, it pays to sit back and remember our day-to-day environmental responsibilities