Constrained by resource endowment, the traditional cobalt supply chain model oriented towards efficiency maximization struggles to effectively respond to sudden risks such as supply disruptions. Therefore, enhancing cobalt supply chain resilience (CSCR) is becoming a critical issue for the sustainable development of the mineral industry sector. However, it remains unclear whether environmental regulation (ER) has an impact on CSCR. This study constructs a theoretical framework for analyzing the influence of ER on CSCR and employs econometric methods to conduct an empirical examination using a sample of 22 representative countries (regions) with accessible data. The research findings are as follows: (1) ER can significantly enhance CSCR, and this conclusion remains valid after a series of robustness tests. (2) ER functions through three channels: First, it drives green technological innovation and enhances the internal production capacity of the supply chain. Second, it guides the diversification of import sources and optimize the structure of the supply chain network. Third, it attracts high-quality foreign direct investment, leverage capital spillover effects, and enhance the vitality of the supply chain system. (3) Political stability plays a positive moderating role in the above process: A stable institutional environment can enhance the resilience dividend of ER. (4) the impact of ER is heterogeneous across different economic scales and the locations of supply chain. The research provides a new resilience theoretical perspective for understanding the relationship between environmental policies and resource security, and offers data support for coordinating ecological environment governance and stable mineral supply.

An integral approach to the evaluation and selection of window constructions for residential buildings under a variable security environment is proposed. The developed model combines classical partial criteria (energy efficiency, architectural and functional properties, market cost, and anti-burglary protection level) with a safety-related criterion—the resistance of window structures to blast-wave impact. The criterion weights are determined using a staged expert pairwise comparison procedure, incorporating a renormalization mechanism that reflects changes in the security context. For spatial risk assessment, a clustering framework is introduced that classifies territories (Rear / Support / Frontier / Boundary / Critical Zone) based on proximity to active combat lines or high-risk borders, closeness to potential targets of missile and bomb attacks, and the density of such objects within the surrounding area. The practical section illustrates the application of the model using five alternative window constructions (V1–V5), demonstrating varying suitability of these options for macro-regions with different levels of security risk. The method is intended to support engineering decision-making in selecting window systems under evolving safety conditions. The integral approach ensures transparency of decision-making, enables justification of the selected option in design documentation, and provides flexibility for adapting to shifts in weighting priorities and changes in the security situation.

Case-based learning (CBL) has been adopted internationally, although there is significant heterogeneity in implementation and delivery. It is unclear how this pedagogical approach is experienced across contexts, among different groups of students, and the important aspects of implementation. The aim of this study was to understand the mechanisms that enable CBL to facilitate learning in undergraduate health professions education, for whom and in what contexts. A realist review was adopted to explore the literature on CBL. Initial programme theories were derived from the CBL literature and based on adult learning theory and inquiry-based learning. 5731 abstracts investigating CBL in undergraduate HPE courses were screened in duplicate. 436 full-text papers were screened and assessed for rigour and relevance, resulting in 25 papers suitable for inclusion in the final analysis. Seven programme theories were developed from our review. Institutional, implementation and student-level factors were found to impact outcomes such as exam performance, participation and clinical reasoning. A lack of institutional support and recognition of faculty contribution to CBL results in poorer learning outcomes. Clinical facilitators promote student engagement, and authentic multimodal cases afford students the opportunity to step into their future roles. When assessment focuses solely on behaviours and teamwork is not fostered, negative group dynamics may result. Our realist review provides insight for healthcare educators on how best to implement CBL to optimise academic, skill and behavioural outcomes for undergraduate students. Fostering student trust in learning through access to clinician facilitators and authentic cases leads to improved learning outcomes. Recognition of faculty and student efforts to contribute to CBL is essential for successful implementation. The facilitation of a safe and secure group learning environment is required for students to meaningfully engage with CBL.

Big Data in Internet of Healthcare Things (IoHT) environments includes large volumes of structured and unstructured clinical information. The Hadoop Distributed File System (HDFS) is widely used for its scalability and ability to run on commodity hardware. However, it offers limited native encryption, leaving data vulnerable to security risks. Although several encryption techniques exist, traditional algorithms still face performance and security limitations with large-scale medical datasets. Therefore, this study introduces a hybrid encryption framework designed to enhance security in IoHT environments that process large-scale medical Big Data. The framework combines Attribute-Based Encryption (ABE) with the Blowfish cipher to secure data generated by heterogeneous medical devices across the IoHT infrastructure. The proposed approach is benchmarked against established hybrid schemes-CP-ABE + HE, HE + BF, and CP-ABE + AES-to provide a comparative assessment of its security strength and computational performance. The performance assessment employed key computational metrics, including system efficiency, encryption latency, and decryption latency. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed hybrid scheme delivers superior performance compared to existing approaches, attaining a peak efficiency of 98.5%. The method further achieved encryption and decryption times of 6.8min and 5.7min, respectively, indicating improved computational handling of large-scale IoHT data.

In a world grappling with the impacts of climate change and environmental degradation, the shift towards green energy sources is not just a choice but a necessity. Green energy, also known as renewable energy, has emerged as a beacon of hope in the quest for a sustainable future. As we navigate the complexities of a changing climate, investing in and embracing green energy is not just an option; it is the key to a cleaner, greener, and more sustainable future for generations to come. India stands at a crossroads, facing both challenges and opportunities in its pursuit of a green energy future. While the obstacles are formidable, the potential benefits – environmental sustainability, energy security, and economic growth – are equally compelling. This article explores the multifaceted challenges that India encounters on its path to integrating green energy into its energy portfolio and also discusses the initiatives a common man can take for adopting green energy and what government has done so far in this direction.

Police effectiveness constitutes a foundational element of state capacity, particularly in fragile security environments where violent crime, insurgency, and public distrust undermine governance and social order (World Bank, 2023; UNDP, 2022). In Nigeria, persistent weaknesses in policing manifested in corruption, brutality, low investigative capacity, and strained police–community relations have endured despite repeated reform initiatives, most notably following the 2020 #EndSARS protests (Amnesty International, 2021; CLEEN Foundation, 2021). This article argues that these deficiencies are not merely the result of individual misconduct or leadership failure but are rooted in structural weaknesses embedded in recruitment practices and training curricula within the Nigeria Police Force (NPF). Drawing on secondary data, policy documents, and recent empirical studies published between 2020 and 2025, the article examines how compromised entry standards, politicized recruitment processes, and outdated, militarized training frameworks undermine professional competence, operational effectiveness, and institutional legitimacy. Anchored in state capacity theory and human capital theory, the study demonstrates that Nigeria’s policing challenges reflect deeper institutional fragility rather than isolated behavioral lapses. The article concludes that sustainable police reform in fragile security settings must prioritize merit-based recruitment, curriculum modernization, and continuous professional development as core strategies for rebuilding state capacity, legitimacy, and effective security governance.

Environmental disasters are inherently political phenomena, shaped by systemic inequalities and entrenched power dynamics. This article analyzes how the securitization paradigm and slow violence frameworks explain the disproportionate impact of Hurricane Katrina on marginalized communities. While the territorial securitization paradigm focuses on reactionary military preparedness, it fails to address the long-term systemic issues-such as racism, socioeconomic inequality, and inadequate -infrastructure-that exacerbate vulnerability to environmental events. Using qualitative case study analysis, this article draws on federal reports, congressional records, academic literature, and media sources to examine structural neglect and racialized disaster response, and it draws parallels between Hurricanes Katrina and Maria. The disproportionate impact of Katrina on New Orleans' Black and low-income communities underscores the intersection of structural violence, slow violence, and environmental vulnerability. By reframing environmental security within the context of systemic inequities, this article calls for a renewed focus on resilience-building measures and inclusive disaster planning to address the root causes of vulnerability and mitigate future disasters.

SafeZone is an AI-based web safety platform designed to provide support and protection for everyone. It uses modern web technologies and AI to create a secure space where users can record incidents, report abuse anonymously, and connect with a supportive community. The platform includes an Incident Recording Vault to safely store evidence, an Anonymous Abuse Reporting and Support System for confidential help, and a Social Community Page where users can share experiences and spread awareness. SafeZone offers secure login using JWT with role-based access for Admin and User, and manages data efficiently using MongoDB Atlas. Overall, SafeZone aims to create a secure, inclusive, and safe online environment for all users.

Purpose: This study takes a unique approach by delving into the subjective experiences of individuals with dementia who engage in dementia choirs. We aim to explore how individuals with dementia perceive and experience participation in a dementia choir. Methodology: A qualitative approach was employed, using semi-structured interviews with dementia choir participants to gather insights into their experiences and perceptions. Thematic analysis was conducted to identify key themes. Results: The study revealed four key themes: the significance of a secure environment, the influence of prior musical experience, the positive impact of choir participation, and the choir as a community for social interaction and self-development. Participants reported feeling safer, more joyful, and socially connected, with choir activities providing a sense of purpose and belonging. Conclusion: The study concludes that participation in dementia choirs positively impacts emotional well-being and social inclusion. These findings strongly suggest that choirs could be valuable to dementia care, offering non-pharmacological benefits that promote meaningful engagement. Keywords: Dementia, dementia choir, quality of life, social engagement, music therapy.

This study empirically validates the feasibility of On-Premise Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) as a techno-managerial alternative for SMEs facing security and cost barriers in AI adoption. Applying the TOE (Technology-Organization-Environment) framework, we conducted a comparative analysis between a Base Model (Zero-shot), GPT RAG, and an open-source-based On-Premise RAG. Results indicated that the On-Premise RAG not only matches commercial models in quantitative performance but also superiorly fulfills qualitative criteria such as usefulness and relevance by utilizing a systematic knowledge-base approach. While exhibiting inherent latency, the system optimizes organizational efficiency by eliminating recurring token costs and ensures environmental security by fundamentally preventing external data leakage. Ultimately, On-Premise RAG provides a reliable, cost-effective solution for maintaining data sovereignty in specialized manufacturing domains.

This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness and performance of the K-Nearest Neighbor (KNN) algorithm in classifying regional security levels based on crime data. Secondary data are used with a quantitative research approach, applying KNN as the classification method and the Confusion Matrix as the evalution metric. The dataset consists of September and October data as training data and November data as testing data, with features including the number of crimes, theft cases, and violence cases. The result show that KNN achieves an accuracy of 96.15%, with a precision of 1.00 for the safe and vulnerable classes, a recall of 1.00 for the safe and alert classes, and 0.80 for the vulnerable class. This study demonstrates that KNN can effectively classify regional security levels and support decision-making based on official crime data.

The rapid growth of mobile payment systems has positioned Near Field Communication (NFC) as a core enabling technology. However, conventional NFC protocols primarily emphasize transmission efficiency rather than robust authentication and privacy protection, which exposes users to threats such as eavesdropping, replay, and tracking attacks. In this study, a lightweight and privacy-preserving authentication protocol is proposed for NFC-based mobile payment services. The protocol integrates anonymous authentication, replay resistance, and tracking protection while maintaining low computational overhead suitable for resource-constrained devices. A secure offline session key generation mechanism is incorporated to enhance transaction reliability without increasing system complexity. Formal security verification using the Scyther tool (version 1.1.3) confirms resistance against major attack vectors, including impersonation, man-in-the-middle, and replay attacks. Comparative performance analysis further demonstrates that the proposed scheme achieves superior efficiency and stronger security guarantees compared with existing approaches. These results indicate that the protocol provides a practical and scalable solution for secure and privacy-aware NFC mobile payment environments.

Long-Term Care (LTC) in Canada faces persistent challenges in quality, staffing, and accountability. InterRAI assessment instruments, used nationally and internationally, provide validated scales, quality indicators, and care planning tools that support evidence-based resident assessment. Yet, their potential has been limited by delayed access, facility-level aggregation, and lack of integration with workforce and operational data. OnSPARK (Ontario Supporting Partnerships to Advance Care and Knowledge in Long-Term Care) addresses this gap as Canada's largest sector-governed LTC data platform. By integrating de-identified interRAI assessments, electronic health records, and staffing data from more than 200 Ontario homes, OnSPARK delivers unit-level analytics, near real-time performance reporting, and a secure environment for embedded research and artificial intelligence development. This article describes how OnSPARK enables interRAI to function as the backbone of a learning health system in LTC, advancing unit-level reporting, workforce-outcome linkages, artificial intelligence-enabled tools, and collaboratives such as the Seniors Quality Leap Initiative.

One of the fundamental reasons why history is so important is that it essentially provides access to a vast collection of “lessons learned” accessible to those willing to study and understand them. In the realm of international relations, national defense, homeland security, regional geopolitics, strategic foresight, and societal resilience, history becomes essential. This article undertakes a brief literature review in order to understand whether professionals continue to regard “lessons learned” as a valuable tool. Furthermore, it includes a comparative analysis of recent wars and their aftermath, in order to address a central question – which are the challenges we can expect to face and how will the world look like once the war in Ukraine reaches its conclusion? Historical evidence suggests that, regardless of the outcome of the war in Ukraine, we will be looking at a much more volatile security environment throughout the world. This will be due, especially, to the proliferation of emerging technologies, new military equipment and the new expertise developed in the war in Ukraine, which will be exported worldwide.

ABSTRACT Antigovernment milieus (AGM) have become increasingly prominent in the contemporary Australian security environment. Recent high-profile events such as the shootings in Porepunkah, arson at Old Australian Parliament House, and the counter-terrorism disruption of an anti-government coup plot, underscore the need to understand anti-government. The purpose of this article is to develop insight into the general ideological contours of anti-government beliefs in Australia. It achieves this through a discourse analysis of international knowledge contexts, which resulted in the 3I Framework, organising the core ideological categories of Illegitimacy, Individualism, and Immunity. We then applied this to Australian case studies to illuminate localised narratives and beliefs. To orientate this in theory, we argue that Australian anti-government ideologies are ‘thin-centred’, focused on political legitimacy, and often lacking a coherent theory for social change.

Growing agricultural water demand, driven by climate change and land-use intensification, is accelerating global water scarcity and threatening food and environmental security. This study quantifies spatiotemporal changes in crop water requirements (CWR) and irrigation water requirement (IWR) from 1980 to 2017 for wheat, maize, and soybean. A corrected FAO crop coefficient method was used to estimate global CWR, while the logarithmic mean Divisia index (LMDI) was applied to decompose its drivers into climate and crop area changes. IWR was calculated to evaluate the increasing water stress in four representative river basins: the Haihe (HRB), Yellow (YRB), Mississippi (MRB), and Ganges (GRB) river basins. Multiple linear regression models were used to identify dominant drivers of water stress. Results show that from 1980 to 2017, CWR increased significantly for maize (+210 × 108 m3) and soybean (+523 × 108 m3) primarily due to crop area expansion, while wheat CWR declined (−109 × 108 m3). Area growth contributed over +850 × 108 m3 to global CWR increases. At the basin scale, IWR rose notably in HRB, YRB, and GRB, but declined in MRB. Regression analysis confirms that crop area change was the dominant driver of variations in IWR, particularly for soybean in HRB and maize in YRB, while precipitation exerted strong negative effects in some regions. This study provides a scalable framework for diagnosing agricultural water stress and its key drivers, supporting climate adaptation and irrigation planning under global change.

This paper explores how institutional quality relates to subjective well-being in Latin America, a region often described by a ‘well-being paradox’: relatively high life satisfaction despite modest incomes and persistent governance problems. We test whether countries with stronger institutions report higher average life satisfaction and whether year-to-year changes in institutional quality are linked to contemporaneous changes in well-being. Combining individual survey data with country-year governance indicators, we estimate a multilevel within-between random-intercept model that separates long-run cross-country differences from short-run within-country dynamics. Results indicate that well-being is higher where Government Effectiveness and Rule of Law are stronger, and where Voice and Accountability and Political Stability provide a secure and participatory political environment. In contrast, short-term fluctuations in governance show limited effects, consistent with institutional persistence and slow adaptation. Education is a key moderator: more educated individuals display a stronger link between institutional quality and life satisfaction, with the association more consistent for within-country variation than for cross-country differences. Overall, the findings suggest that human capital improves citizens’ ability to perceive and respond to institutional quality, and that joint improvements in governance and education can yield sizable welfare gains.

The pervasive integration of computers into teaching and learning activities has generated a pressing demand for effective monitoring solutions to support the management and regulation of students’ learning behaviors within educational contexts. Nevertheless, many existing monitoring systems exhibit notable limitations, including high implementation costs, limited adaptability, inadequate compatibility with mid-range hardware configurations, and reliance on users possessing advanced technical expertise. This paper presents the design and implementation of a computer activity monitoring software solution tailored for educational environments, with a particular focus on students engaged in both school-based and home-based learning settings. The proposed system facilitates the systematic collection, organization, and analysis of computer usage data, thereby assisting parents and educators in supervising, assessing, and managing students’ learning processes. The solution is developed with an emphasis on system robustness, ease of deployment, interoperability with widely adopted information technology infrastructures in Vietnam, and compliance with fundamental security requirements. Preliminary experimental results demonstrate the system’s practical applicability and its potential contribution to the establishment of a secure, structured, and effective learning environment.

China’s approach to the formation of regional and global security systems represents a complex combination of soft power instruments, economic interdependence, and strategic diplomacy aimed at ensuring a secure environment for national development while contributing to global stability. Rooted in Confucian philosophical traditions, China’s security thinking prioritizes harmony, stability, and the minimization of conflict. Economically, China capitalizes on its position as a leading trading partner for numerous states, using economic connectivity as a tool for fostering cooperation and influence, most notably through large-scale initiatives such as the Belt and Road Initiative. At the diplomatic level, China promotes a vision of multilateral global governance and advocates reforming international institutions to better reflect the pluralistic and interconnected nature of the contemporary international system. This approach often contrasts with Western security paradigms, which traditionally emphasize military alliances and interventionist practices. Regionally, China seeks to maintain stable relations with neighboring states through mechanisms such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and active engagement in ASEAN-led forums. Nevertheless, China’s growing influence is accompanied by persistent challenges, including territorial disputes, regional tensions, and concerns related to the expansion of its military capabilities.

Over the last two decades, the United Nations, the African Union and Regional Economic Communities have conducted various stabilisation interventions to establish secure environments during crises and advance stabilisation activities in different parts of Africa. However, while these organisations and other actors work to resolve crises, the progress made in addressing existing conflicts that threaten overall security is also at risk due to the impact of climate change in various regions of the continent. This has led to significant challenges for vulnerable local communities, particularly in the Sahel and Lake Chad Basin, as they face the effects of climate change –,such as floods, droughts and land degradation. This article explores the understanding and implementation of stabilisation and Climate, Peace and Security (CPS) across Africa. We find that there is a need to rethink how we tackle challenges such as climate, peace and security in African-led stabilisation contexts. We argue that existing models are inadequate for dealing with emerging challenges in stabilisation contexts, and provide fresh thinking on addressing African peace and security challenges from a holistic perspective. We propose a conceptual framework that integrates the rationale of stabilisation and CPS to address the emerging 21st-century CPS challenges in Africa. This proposal aims to enhance our understanding of how stakeholders can stabilise situations in the presence of climate change challenges, thereby better equipping communities and stakeholders to manage risks.