Formal Analysis Research Articles

Proxy signature-based role delegation scheme: formal analysis and simulation

Proxy signature-based role delegation scheme: formal analysis and simulation

Correlates of Nicotine Dependence Among Current Cigarette Smokers in Nigeria

BACKGROUND: The level of dependence on nicotine, the main addictive chemical in tobacco, is a substance-related disorder that can be used to characterize diverse populations of cigarette smokers and to determine the effectiveness of individualized smoking cessation intervention programs. AIM: This study aimed to investigate the correlates of nicotine dependence among currently established cigarette smokers in Nigeria. SETTING: We conducted a cross-sectional survey among a cohort of current established cigarette smokers (≥ 100 sticks in a lifetime and someday/everyday cigarette smokers) in Lagos, Nigeria. METHODS: Nicotine dependence (ND) was measured using the Fagerstrom scale; independent measures were demographics, harm perception, binge alcohol drinking, and past year internalizing and externalizing problems. Logistic regression models were used to investigate the factors associated with severe nicotine dependence. RESULTS: The analytical sample was drawn from 487 adults. Within our sample, 69%, 27%, and 3.9% had low, moderate, and severe ND levels, respectively (p = 0.02), whereas among daily cigarette smokers, 48.1%, 44.3%, and 7.6% had low, moderate, and severe ND levels, respectively (p <0.001). In the regression analysis, older age (aOR:1.03; 95% CI:1.01,1.06) and being male (vs. female) (aOR:3.70; 95% CI:1.58,8.15), and reduced cigarette harm perceptions (aOR:2.85; 95% CI: 1.75,4.66) were associated with increased odds of moderate/severe ND. CONCLUSION: Older age, male sex, and those with reduced harm perceptions regarding cigarette use had increased odds of moderate/severe ND. Our preliminary findings provide baseline results characterizing use behaviors among relatively understudied current-established cigarette smokers in Nigeria. CONTRIBUTIONS: All Authors were involved in the conceptualization, data curation, formal analysis, writing–review and editing, and project administration.

A Provably Secure Anonymous Authentication Protocol for Consumer and Service Provider Information Transmissions in Smart Grids

Smart grids integrate information technology, decision support systems, communication networks, and sensing technologies. All these components cooperate to facilitate dynamic power adjustments based on received client consumption reports. Although this brings forth energy efficiency, the transmission of sensitive data over the public internet exposes these networks to numerous attacks. To this end, numerous security solutions have been presented recently. Most of these techniques deploy conventional cryptographic systems such as public key infrastructure, blockchains, and physically unclonable functions that have either performance or security issues. In this paper, a fairly efficient authentication scheme is developed and analyzed. Its formal security analysis is carried out using the Burrows–Abadi–Needham (BAN) logic, which shows that the session key negotiated is provably secure. We also execute a semantic security analysis of this protocol to demonstrate that it can resist typical smart grid attacks such as privileged insider, guessing, eavesdropping, and ephemeral secret leakages. Moreover, it has the lowest amount of computation costs and relatively lower communication overheads as well as storage costs.

A Reliable and Privacy-Preserving Vehicular Energy Trading Scheme Using Decentralized Identifiers

As the usage of electric vehicles (EVs) expands, various energy management technologies, including battery energy storage systems, are being developed to efficiently charge EVs using various energy sources. In recent years, many blockchain-based energy trading schemes have been proposed for secure energy trading. However, existing schemes cannot fully solve privacy issues and security problems during energy trading. In this paper, we propose a reliable and privacy-preserving vehicular energy trading scheme utilizing decentralized identifier technology. In the proposed scheme, identity information and trading result information are not revealed publicly; this is due to the use of decentralized identifiers and verifiable credential technologies. Additionally, only parties who have successfully conducted energy trading can manage complete transaction information. We also demonstrate our method’s security and ensure privacy preservation by performing informal and formal security analyses. Furthermore, we analyze the performance and security features of the proposed scheme and related works and show that the proposed scheme has competitive performance.

[formula omitted]: Self-sovereign identity based privacy-preserving federated learning

Traditional federated learning (FL) raises security and privacy concerns such as identity fraud, data poisoning attacks, membership inference attacks, and model inversion attacks. In the conventional FL, any entity can falsify its identity and initiate data poisoning attacks. Besides, adversaries (AD) holding the updated global model parameters can retrieve the plain text of the dataset by initiating membership inference attacks and model inversion attacks. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first work to propose a self-sovereign identity (SSI) and differential privacy (DP) based FL namely SSI−FL for addressing all the above issues. The first step in the SSI−FL framework involves establishing a secure connection based on blockchain-based SSI. This secure connection protects against unauthorized access attacks of any AD and ensures the transmitted data's authenticity, integrity, and availability. The second step applies DP to protect against model inversion attacks and membership inference attacks. The third step focuses on establishing FL with a novel hybrid deep learning to achieve better scores than conventional methods. The SSI−FL performance analysis is done based on security, formal, scalability, and score analysis. Moreover, the proposed method outperforms all the state-of-art techniques.

Multi-TA model-based conditional privacy-preserving authentication protocol for fog-enabled VANET

The rapid growth of Vehicular Ad-hoc Networks (VANET), fueled by advancements in the Internet-of-Things, cloud computing, Intelligent Transportation Systems, and fog computing, has led to the introduction of fog node-based VANET to serve resource-constrained devices. In the traditional security models of VANET, due to the use of a centralized trusted authority, there is a chance of single-point-of-failure and service unavailable with the increased service access requests. Also, there was one-to-one communication between each roadside unit and trusted authority. This may increase the system complexity and increase the traffic load. To address these issues, a novel authentication protocol for fog-enabled VANET based on multiple trusted authority model is discussed which reduces the chance of service unavailability and single-point-of-failure as the entire traffic load is distributed among multiple sub-trusted authority. Due to the incorporation of fog node, a group of roadside units can be controlled centrally, where trusted authority does not need to perform individual authentication for each roadside unit. The proposed protocol's security is rigorously examined through both informal and formal security analysis. Additionally, the protocol exhibits enhanced security features, as demonstrated in a performance comparison section, showcasing its ability to meet the security and privacy requirements while incurring relatively low communication and computation and storage costs. Thus, the proposed protocol offers a secure and efficient authentication protocol for fog-enabled VANET.

INFLUENCE OF SILK ROAD CULTURE ON MODERN DESIGN: ARTISTIC FEATURES OF CHINESE BROCADE PATTERNS

Goal: this study aims to analyze the influence of Silk Road culture on the style of brocade patterns in the Tang and Ming Dynasties of China, as well as to consider the practices of using brocade motifs of ancient dynasties in modern design. Methodology: based on the research of scientific literature, this article compares and analyses the stylistic characteristics of brocade patterns: connected beads, curly grass, treasure and cloud; the analysis makes it possible to trace the process of formation and evolution of brocade patterns in the Tang Dynasty. The methods of figurative and stylistic, formal analysis, methods of systematisation, and processing of results are also involved. Results. The study pointed out that the opening of the Silk Road promoted cultural exchanges between East and West, and the prosperity of politics, economy, and culture in the Tang Dynasty promoted the diversity and development of patterns. The above-mentioned motives, through integration with foreign cultures, formed symmetrical beauty, curvilinear beauty, and symbolic characteristics of Tang Dynasty patterns. In the example of the creativity of the modern Chinese designer Chen Liwen, the transformation of the motif «Tiger Sniffs the Rose» and the image of the Chinese tiger of the Ming Dynasty period in the development of modern design products is shown. Scientific novelty. This article reveals the historical evolution of the popular brocade patterns in the Tang and Ming Dynasties of China, summarizes his unique artistic style, and provides inspiration for contemporary clothing innovation design. Practical significance. The significance of this study lies in providing historical data for the integration of ethnic cultures and demonstrating the overall characteristics and evolution process of the Tang and Ming Dynasties patterns.

Enhancing EV Charging Station Reliability and RAS Safety

Enhancing EV Charging Station Reliability and RAS Safety

Security Analysis of the Consumer Remote SIM Provisioning Protocol

Remote SIM provisioning (RSP) for consumer devices is the protocol specified by the GSM Association for downloading SIM profiles into a secure element in a mobile device. The process is commonly known as eSIM, and it is expected to replace removable SIM cards. The security of the protocol is critical because the profile includes the credentials with which the mobile device will authenticate to the mobile network. In this paper, we present a formal security analysis of the consumer RSP protocol. We model the multi-party protocol in applied pi calculus, define formal security goals, and verify them in ProVerif. The analysis shows that the consumer RSP protocol protects against a network adversary when all the intended participants are honest. However, we also model the protocol in realistic partial compromise scenarios where the adversary controls a legitimate participant or communication channel. The security failures in the partial compromise scenarios reveal weaknesses in the protocol design. The most important observation is that the security of RSP depends unnecessarily on it being encapsulated in a TLS tunnel. Also, the lack of pre-established identifiers means that a compromised download server anywhere in the world or a compromised secure element can be used for attacks against RSP between honest participants. Additionally, the lack of reliable methods for verifying user intent can lead to serious security failures. Based on the findings, we recommend practical improvements to RSP implementations, future versions of the specification, and mobile operator processes to increase the robustness of eSIM security.

Faecal egg count reduction tests and nemabiome analysis reveal high frequency of multi-resistant parasites on sheep farms in north-east Germany involving multiple strongyle parasite species

Anthelmintic resistance in sheep parasitic gastrointestinal nematodes is widespread and a severe health and economic issue but prevalence of resistance and involved parasite species are unknown in Germany. Here, the faecal egg count reduction test (FECRT) was performed on eight farms using fenbendazole, ivermectin and moxidectin and on four farms using only moxidectin. A questionnaire was used to obtain data on management practices to potentially identify risk factors for presence of resistance. All requirements of the recently revised WAAVP guideline for diagnosing anthelmintic resistance using the FECRT were applied. Nematode species composition in pre- and post-treatment samples was analysed with the nemabiome approach. Using the eggCounts statistic package, resistance against fenbendazole, ivermectin and moxidectin was found on 7/8, 8/8 and 8/12 farms, respectively. No formal risk factor analysis was conducted since resistance was present on most farms. Comparison with the bayescount R package results revealed substantial agreement between methods (Cohen's κ = 0.774). In contrast, interpretation of data comparing revised and original WAAVP guidelines resulted in moderate agreement (Cohen's κ = 0.444). The FECR for moxidectin was significantly higher than for ivermectin and fenbendazole. Nemabiome data identified 4 to 12 species in pre-treatment samples and treatments caused a small but significant decrease in species diversity (inverse Simpson index). Non-metric multidimensional scaling and k-means clustering were used to identify common patterns in pre- and post-treatment samples. However, post-treatment samples were scattered among the pre-treatment samples. Resistant parasite species differed between farms. In conclusion, the revised FECRT guideline allows robust detection of anthelmintic resistance. Resistance was widespread and involved multiple parasite species. Resistance against both drug classes on the same farm was common. Further studies including additional drugs (levamisole, monepantel, closantel) should combine sensitive FECRTs with nemabiome data to comprehensively characterise the anthelmintic susceptibility status of sheep nematodes in Germany.

A Contrastive Study of Resultative Constructions in Albanian and Other Languages

In the last two or three decades, linguists have paid great attention to certain ways and means of expressing result, especially in English and other Germanic languages, but also in Neo-Latin and Slavic languages, as well as in Chinese, Japanese, Korean and the like. As Zhang (2009) notes, resultative constructions have a prominent place in contemporary linguistic studies, because they shed light on the nature of relationship between semantics and syntax. They have been examined not only based on the syntactic composition, but also on the structure of argument and lexical semantics. Formal analysis instruments, as well as functional and cognitive ones have been already used. However, the last word has not yet been said, since there are many other languages where the concept of result and the elements used to express it have not been examined deeply enough. This is especially true for languages spoken outside the Eurasian continent, but also for languages within this area, including Albanian. The following study is focused on different syntactic patterns by which the concept of result is codified in several languages belonging to different families, with the belief that this analysis will help to determine the position of Albanian language amidst these languages concerning resultative constructions in general. Received: 21 March 2024 / Accepted: 28 May 2024 / Published: 5 May 2024

A framework for monitored dynamic slicing of reaction systems

AbstractReaction systems (RSs) are a computational framework inspired by biochemical mechanisms. A RS defines a finite set of reactions over a finite set of entities. Typically each reaction has a local scope, because it is concerned with a small set of entities, but complex models can involve a large number of reactions and entities, and their computation can manifest unforeseen emerging behaviours. When a deviation is detected, like the unexpected production of some entities, it is often difficult to establish its causes, e.g., which entities were directly responsible or if some reaction was misconceived. Slicing is a well-known technique for debugging, which can point out the program lines containing the faulty code. In this paper, we define the first dynamic slicer for RSs and show that it can help to detect the causes of erroneous behaviour and highlight the involved reactions for a closer inspection. To fully automate the debugging process, we propose to distil monitors for starting the slicing whenever a violation from a safety specification is detected. We have integrated our slicer in BioResolve, written in Prolog which provides many useful features for the formal analysis of RSs. We define the slicing algorithm for basic RSs and then enhance it for dealing with quantitative extensions of RSs, where timed processes and linear processes can be represented. Our framework is shown at work on suitable biologically inspired RS models.

Neural networks for intelligent multilevel control of artificial and natural objects based on data fusion: A survey

Today the tasks of complex artificial and natural objects control have come to the fore in the majority of subject domains. The efficiency and effectiveness of solving these tasks directly depends of the efficiency and effectiveness of data fusion (DF). Data fusion methods are designed to integrate data from multiple sources and transform it in order to produce more consistent, accurate, and useful information than that provided by any individual data source. Although DF has been extensively studied for a considerable period of time it is still hardly applicable in practice in the processes of the control of the real world objects with complex structure and behavior as the data produced by the objects is, in the majority of cases, heterogeneous, multimodal, and imperfect, has huge volume. To ensure proper response to the changes in the state and behavior of the controlled objects that can be caused by both internal and external influencing factors the data should be processed with high accuracy and with minimum delays. Despite the importance of the tasks of complex objects control till now there are no researches that clarify to what extent the DF problem has been solved from the perspective of its application in the processes of objects control based on the data received from the objects. In the survey we define the requirements to DF in the interests of the control of complex artificial and natural objects, consider the structure of the multilevel process of intelligent object control, identify the neural networks that can be used in the control process for data fusion. Despite the wide capabilities of the existing NN we reveal that they still do not meet all the requirements to DF for complex objects control. Based on the analysis of NN architectures, we define requirements for advanced NN architectures and discuss future research directions. To facilitate our literature analyses, we also perform conceptual exploration of collected papers with lattices of closed itemsets and implications from Formal Concept Analysis and Data Mining used for knowledge processing in similar large-scale studies.

Abstract PO1-23-02: Magnetic seeds used for the detection of target lymph nodes after neoadjuvant therapy for early breast cancer – a subgroup analysis of the prospective AXSANA (EUBREAST-03) trial

Abstract Background: Surgical strategies for axillary staging in patients with early breast cancer who convert from clinical lymph node positivity (cN+) to a clinically negative lymph node status (ycN0) after neoadjuvant therapy (NAT) vary between breast cancer centers and countries. The international prospective multicenter-cohort study AXSANA (EUBREAST-03) aims to comparatively evaluate long-term outcomes of different surgical staging procedures such as axillary lymph node dissection, sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB), target lymph node biopsy (TLNB) and targeted axillary dissection (TAD). A secondary study aim is the comparison of different localization techniques for the target lymph node (TLN), one of which is the use of magnetic seeds. Here we report on the largest so far studied prospective cohort using this technique. Methods: We prospectively examined the retrieval rate of magnetic seeds and the identification rate of a TLN in cN+ patients who underwent NAT and were scheduled for TAD. Magnetic seeds were inserted under ultrasound guidance before the start of NAT. The detection rate of TLN and its associations with residual axillary tumor burden as well as with techniques used for detection of SLN were analyzed. Results: Of the 169 patients with magnetic seed marking of the TLN prior to NAT who were included in the AXSANA study, 135 (79.9%) had undergone final surgery at the time of analysis. 13 patients had 2 magnetic seeds implanted, 122 only 1 seed. In 133 (98.5%) patients the magnetic seeds were successfully identified and removed. No additional procedures or imaging were performed in the two cases with seeds still in situ. In 131 out of 135 patients (97.0%) the TLN was identified and resected, in 4 cases no TLN could be identified although in two of those a dislocated magnetic seed was removed. 85 patients converted from cN+ to ycN0 and a TAD was planned. In 84 of these cases (98.8%) the TLN could be detected during TAD. Eight patients (9.4%) had residual tumor only in the TLN, 15 (17.6%) had residual tumor in TLN and SLN and seven (8.2%) only in the SLN. In 71 (84.2%) cases the TLN was also a SLN. Techniques used for the detection of SLN were Tc99 alone (41.2%), blue dye alone (3.5%), both tracers combined (7.1%), indocyanine green (1.2%) and magnetic tracers (36.5%). Because of the high detection rate of 98.5% for all TLN and 98.8% during TAD a formal analysis of confounding parameters was not performed. Conclusion: To our knowledge this is the largest prospective series of patients using magnetic seeds for the marking of involved lymph nodes prior to NAT. The retrieval rate of the seed and the detection rate for the TLN after NAT is excellent. Magnetic seeds are a reliable tool for the marking of involved lymph nodes before NAT. Citation Format: Hans-Christian Kolberg, Steffi Hartmann, Maggie Banys-Paluchowski, Elmar Stickeler, Jana de Boniface, Oreste Davide Gentilini, Sarah Fröhlich, Marc Thill, Michael P. Lux, Guldeniz Karadeniz Cakmak, Isabel Rubio, Michalis Kontos, Rosa Di Micco, Dawid Murawa, Thorsten Kühn. Magnetic seeds used for the detection of target lymph nodes after neoadjuvant therapy for early breast cancer – a subgroup analysis of the prospective AXSANA (EUBREAST-03) trial [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2023 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2023 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(9 Suppl):Abstract nr PO1-23-02.

Coinage networks in fifth-century BCE Ionia

Abstract This article revisits ‘the problem of Classical Ionia’, the long-persisting idea put forward by John Manuel Cook in 1961 that Ionia experienced regional economic impoverishment in the fifth century BCE. By looking comprehensively at the dataset of coinage available from fifth-century Ionia, this article argues that there is actually significant evidence for regional networking in Classical Ionia, and that various communities, even if not continually emitting new coinages at all points in the fifth century, adopted various strategies for maintaining their economic reach and extending their network of trading partners. Formal network analysis is applied to the coinage dataset, taking the shared weight standards to which communities minted their coins as indicative of participation in common economic networks. The network patterns are tested against two other patterns, specifically the distribution of fifth-century Chian and Samian amphoras, and the pattern of Ionian-coin-containing hoards from within and beyond Ionia. Together, these patterns strengthen the case for a high-level Ionian economic resilience, offering a radically different position to Cook and reaffirming that continuing economic networking was crucial to the activities of fifth-century Ionian states.

Surgical Approaches to Resection of Olfactory Groove Meningiomas: Comparative Meta-analysis of the Endoscopic Endonasal versus Transcranial and Unilateral versus Bilateral Approaches

Abstract Introduction Here we systematically review the extant literature to highlight the advantages of bilateral versus unilateral approaches and endoscopic endonasal (midline) approaches versus transcranial approaches for olfactory groove meningiomas, focusing on complications, extent of resection, and local recurrence rates. Methods Three databases were queried to identify all primary prospective trials and retrospective series comparing outcomes following endoscopic endonasal versus transcranial approaches and unilateral versus bilateral craniotomy for surgical resection of olfactory groove meningiomas. All articles were screened by two independent authors and selected for formal analysis according to predefined inclusion/exclusion criteria. Results Seven studies comprising 288 total patients (mean age 55.0 ± 24.6 years) met criteria for inclusion. In the three comparing the endoscopic endonasal (n = 21) versus transcranial (n = 32) approaches, there was no significant difference between the two with respect to gross total resection (p = 0.34) or rates of Simpson Grade 1 resection (p = 0.69). EEA demonstrated higher rates of overall complications (p < 0.01) including postoperative infection (p = 0.03). In the four studies comparing bilateral (n = 117) versus unilateral approaches (n = 118), overall complication rates (p < 0.01) and disease recurrence (p = 0.01) were higher with bilateral approaches. All surgery-related mortalities also occurred in the bilateral cohort (n = 7, 7.14%). Gross total resection (p = 0.63) and Simpson grade (p = 0.48) were comparable between approaches. Olfaction preservation was superior for unilateral approaches (p < 0.01). Conclusions Though the literature is limited, current evidence suggests that the endoscopic endonasal approach may be favorable over conventional craniotomy for select olfactory groove meningioma patients. Where craniotomy is used, unilateral approaches appear to reduce complications and the risk of olfaction loss.

Cable news advertising: Applying formal analysis to uncover current trends in self-promotional marketing

The emergence of 24/7 cable news channels within the US revolutionized news consumption, offering viewers accessibility beyond fixed broadcast schedules. While the phenomenon began with CNN, competitors quickly emerged, targeting different political ideologies and mirroring the heightened polarization that has altered American society. Cable news channels must market themselves effectively to their audiences through distinctive product differentiation strategies. Understanding these approaches provides insights into information dissemination, political communication, and audience engagement dynamics. This paper aims to conduct a formal media analysis of current self-promotional advertisements across the big three cable news networks within the US to derive insights into contemporary differentiation strategies crucial for monitoring the industry’s technological transition. As the rest of the world has begun to wrestle with increased polarization, this analysis will be relevant to anticipating how non-US news sources use ideology and values to position themselves within highly competitive markets.

John Finnis and the central case constitution

This article formulates a novel conception of constitutions based on John Finnis’s jurisprudential work. The ‘central case constitution’ transcends the formal or functionalist analyses currently dominant in constitutional theory by considering a constitution as having a ‘double life’. Constitutions are necessarily and intrinsically normative and factual. The article explores Finnis’s natural law philosophy, emphasizing the central case constitution’s alignment with the practical reasonableness viewpoint and its role in directing a political community towards its common good. Focusing on key elements such as the rule of law and the context of a political community, the central case constitution emerges as a legal determination that structures society, frames political institutions and authoritatively directs communities towards justice. This ontological understanding has theoretical and practical implications, including identifying genuine constitutional purposes, safeguarding private associations from the overwhelming state presence, promoting community identity and accommodating diverse constitutional choices for self-determination.

Adverbian Phrase Structure in Karo Language

In this research, adverbial phrases in the Karo language will be discussed. This research aims to find out, analyze and describe phrases in the Karo language. Data collection techniques were carried out using reading techniques and recording techniques or listening notes and analyzed using formal and informal qualitative descriptive analysis techniques. This research examines the structure of adverbial phrases in the Karo language, using qualitative research. Data were analyzed using distributional studies, there were 4 stages, namely data collection, data reduction, data presentation and conclusion of research findings and verification. The research results show that (1) there are three types of phrases found in the Karo language, namely: verb phrases (FV), adjective phrases (F Adj.) and adverb phrases (F. Ad).

A new canvas of learning: Enhancing formal analysis skills in AP art history through AI-generated Islamic art

This study explores the use of AI art generators to enhance formal analysis skills in AP Art History students, with a focus on Islamic Art and Architecture. Students, often entering the course with high academic achievements, find the unique challenge of articulating detailed visual descriptions of artworks. The study’s approach involves using AI image-generation websites, like wepik.com, where students create AI images resembling Islamic artworks studied in class. This method aims to refine their descriptive skills, focusing on visual evidence rather than relying on identifying details. The choice of Islamic Art, markedly different from other historical periods covered in the curriculum, is intended to boost retention and learning engagement. The results show that students were more successful in describing architectural artworks compared to two-dimensional narrative pieces, with limited site access and the need for iterative description refinement being key challenges. Successful attempts were marked by precise vocabulary usage and detailed descriptions, resulting in AI images closely matching the original artworks. In contrast, less successful attempts revealed deficiencies in comprehensive and detailed descriptions, particularly in narrative artworks. These outcomes highlight the potential and limitations of AI tools in art history education, suggesting that their effectiveness depends largely on the depth and precision of student inputs. The study not only demonstrates the innovative application of AI in education but also underscores the importance of detailed visual analysis, pointing towards future enhancements in AI-assisted educational methodologies.