High-level Control Research Articles

Roadmap for the increase of beam brilliance from ECRIS and Microwave Discharge Ion Sources

The requirements for future accelerator chains need to increase the injected beam brilliance significantly, still keeping high the beam quality in terms of reliability, reproducibility and stability. A roadmap for ion source development may consist of several steps: plasma simulation, multiphysics simulation of each system component, high-level control system, plasma characterization, beam characterization, data analysis and, again, plasma simulation. The cycle starts and ends with plasma simulation because it is the instrument that shows how different phenomena take part in the plasma and beam formation and because, in such a way, the accuracy grows with each cycle. Commercial multiphysics simulation tools are essential for adequately designing all ion source equipment: magnets, intense electrostatic field regions, microwave propagation and coupling, thermal dissipation and vacuum. The dependence of source performances from source parameters (magnetic field profile, gas pressure, microwave power) has been widely investigated using a high-level control system[1] able to test tens of thousands of source configurations without human interaction. This characterization technique allowed us to identify a new magnetic configuration, High Stability Microwave Discharge Ion Sources[2], that produces a beam with high stability, intensity and brilliance. The plasma simulation tool we developed discloses the role of two types of electrostatic waves in plasma formation and their correlation to stability. The simulation provides a complete view of ions and electrons energy and density distributions, the formation of the plasma meniscus and the beam extraction. The paper will present the results obtained with this development procedure on Microwave Discharge Ion Sources and how we started to apply it to the Electron Cyclotron Resonance Ion Sources development.

Electric Vehicle Battery Disassembly Using Interfacing Toolbox for Robotic Arms

This paper showcases the integration of the Interfacing Toolbox for Robotic Arms (ITRA) with our newly developed hybrid Visual Servoing (VS) methods to automate the disassembly of electric vehicle batteries, thereby advancing sustainability and fostering a circular economy. ITRA enhances collaboration between industrial robotic arms, server computers, sensors, and actuators, meeting the intricate demands of robotic disassembly, including the essential real-time tracking of components and robotic arms. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our hybrid VS approach, combined with ITRA, in the context of Electric Vehicle (EV) battery disassembly across two robotic testbeds. The first employs a KUKA KR10 robot for precision tasks, while the second utilizes a KUKA KR500 for operations needing higher payload capacity. Conducted in T1 (Manual Reduced Velocity) mode, our experiments underscore a swift communication protocol that links low-level and high-level control systems, thus enabling rapid object detection and tracking. This allows for the efficient completion of disassembly tasks, such as removing the EV battery’s top case in 27 s and disassembling a stack of modules in 32 s. The demonstrated success of our framework highlights its extensive applicability in robotic manufacturing sectors that demand precision and adaptability, including medical robotics, extreme environments, aerospace, and construction.

E067 Bimekizumab maintained efficacy responses through 52 weeks in biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugnaïve patients with psoriatic arthritis who were responders at week 16: results from BE OPTIMAL, a phase 3, activereference study

E067 Bimekizumab maintained efficacy responses through 52 weeks in biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugnaïve patients with psoriatic arthritis who were responders at week 16: results from BE OPTIMAL, a phase 3, activereference study

Genome-wide association analysis of eggshell color of an F2 generation population reveals candidate genes in chickens

Eggshell color is an important visual characteristic that affects consumer preferences for eggs. Eggshell color, which has moderate to high heritability, can be effectively enhanced through molecular marker selection. Various studies have been conducted on eggshell color at specific time points. However, few longitudinal data are available on eggshell color. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate eggshell color using the Commission International de L'Eclairage L*a*b* system with multiple measurements at different ages (age at the first egg and at 32, 36, 40, 44, 48, 52, 56, 60, 66, and 72 weeks) within the same individuals from an F2 resource population produced by crossing White Leghorn and Dongxiang Blue chicken. Using an Affymetrix 600 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array, we estimated the genetic parameters of the eggshell color trait, performed genome-wide association studies (GWASs), and screened for the potential candidate genes. The results showed that pink-shelled eggs displayed a significant negative correlation between L* values and both a* and b* values. Genetic heritability based on SNPs showed that the heritability of L*, a*, and b* values ranged from 0.32 to 0.82 for pink-shelled eggs, indicating a moderate to high level of genetic control. The genetic correlations at each time point were mostly above 0.5. The major-effect regions affecting the pink eggshell color were identified in the 10.3–13.0 Mb interval on Gallus gallus chromosome 20, and candidate genes were selected, including SLC35C2, PCIF1, and SLC12A5. Minor effect polygenic regions were identified on chromosomes 1, 6, 9, 12, and 15, revealing 11 candidate genes, including MTMR3 and SLC35E4. Members of the solute carrier family play an important role in influencing eggshell color. Overall, our findings provide valuable insights into the phenotypic and genetic aspects underlying the variation in eggshell color. Using GWAS analysis, we identified multiple quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for pink eggshell color, including a major QTL on chromosome 20. Genetic variants associated with eggshell color may be used in genomic breeding programs.

A comprehensive examination of structural modifications, optical characteristics, and electrochemical analysis of magnesium‐doped dysprosium chromite

AbstractBackgroundThis study focuses on the synthesis of magnesium‐doped dysprosium chromite via a sol‐gel method. The investigation aims to understand the morphological and structural properties of the synthesized nanochromates. Key techniques employed include x‐ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Raman spectroscopy.AimsThe primary aim is to analyze the structural characteristics of MgxDy1−xCr2O4 nanoparticles with varying Mg doping concentrations (ranging from 0.2 to 0.8). Special attention is given to the crystallinity of the synthesized materials, with the goal of assessing the reliability and reproducibility of the sol‐gel synthesis method.MethodsXRD analysis is employed to identify major diffraction peaks associated with the chromate nanoparticles, providing insights into their crystallinity. SEM imaging allows for the examination of the morphological features of the synthesized materials. Additionally, Raman spectroscopy aids in further understanding the structural properties of the nanochromates.ResultsThe XRD analysis reveals average crystallite sizes for MgxDy1−xCr2O4 nanoparticles at different Mg doping concentrations. Notably, an improvement in crystalline quality is observed with an increase in Mg doping from 0.2 to 0.8, indicating a high level of control achieved in the synthesis process. Cyclic Voltammetry (CV) experiments conducted using a 1M KOH electrolyte and varying scan rates (3 mV/s to 50 mV/s) demonstrate enhanced electrochemical performance of the synthesized nanoparticles.ConclusionThe study concludes that the sol‐gel synthesis method effectively produces MgxDy1−xCr2O4 nanoparticles with controlled morphological and structural properties. The observed improvement in crystalline quality with increasing Mg doping concentration suggests potential applications in fields such as photo‐catalysis, where enhanced crystallinity correlates with improved photo‐catalytic potential for visible light absorption.

Age-related trajectories of the development of social cognition.

Age-related trajectories of intrinsic functional connectivity (iFC), which represent the interconnections between discrete regions of the human brain, for processes related to social cognition (SC) provide evidence for social development through neural imaging and can guide clinical interventions when such development is atypical. However, due to the lack of studies investigating brain development over a wide range of ages, the neural mechanisms of SC remain poorly understood, although considerable behavior-related evidence is available. The present study mapped vortex-wise iFC features between SC networks and the entire cerebral cortex by using common functional networks, creating the corresponding age-related trajectories. Three networks [moral cognition, theory of mind (ToM), and empathy] were selected as representative SC networks. The Enhanced Nathan Kline Institute-Rockland Sample (NKI-RS, N = 316, ages 8-83 years old) was employed delineate iFC characteristics and construct trajectories. The results showed that the SC networks display unique and overlapping iFC profiles. The iFC of the empathy network, an age-sensitive network, with dorsal attention network was found to exhibit a linear increasing pattern, that of the ventral attention network was observed to exhibit a linear decreasing pattern, and that of the somatomotor and dorsal attention networks was noted to exhibit a quadric-concave iFC pattern. Additionally, a sex-specific effect was observed for the empathy network as it exhibits linear and quadric sex-based differences in iFC with the frontoparietal and vision networks, respectively. The iFC of the ToM network with the ventral attention network exhibits a pronounced quadric-convex (inverted U-shape) trajectory. No linear or quadratic trajectories were noted in the iFC of the moral cognition network. These findings indicate that SC networks exhibit iFC with both low-level (somatomotor, vision) and high-level (attention and control) networks along specific developmental trajectories. The age-related trajectories determined in this study advance our understanding of the neural mechanisms of SC, providing valuable references for identification and intervention in cases of development of atypical SC.

Improved analysis of isovector nucleon matrix elements with Nf=2+1 flavors of O(a) improved Wilson fermions

We present an update of our determination of the isovector charges gAu−d, gSu−d and gTu−d, and the isovector twist-2 forward matrix elements ⟨x⟩u−d, ⟨x⟩Δu−Δd and ⟨x⟩δu−δd on the Nf=2+1 gauge ensembles generated by the Coordinated Lattice Simulations (CLS) effort. We have significantly extended our coverage of the parameter space by adding ensembles at the physical pion mass and fine lattice spacing, at nearly physical pion masses and very fine lattice spacings, and at very large physical lattice volumes, enabling a well-controlled extrapolation to the physical point. Another major improvement is achieved owing to the extended range of source-sink separations, which allows us to perform two-state fits to summed correlator ratios, leading to a much higher level of control over excited-state effects. Systematic uncertainties from the chiral, continuum and infinite-volume extrapolations are incorporated via model averages based on the Akaike information criterion. Our final results at the physical point are gAu−d=1.254(19)stat(15)sys[24]total, gSu−d=1.203(77)stat(81)sys[112]total, gTu−d=0.993(15)stat(05)sys[16]total, ⟨x⟩u−d=0.153(15)stat(10)sys[17]total, ⟨x⟩Δu−Δd=0.207(15)stat(06)sys[16]total, and ⟨x⟩δu−δd=0.195(17)stat(15)sys[23]total. While our results for the isovector charges are in excellent agreement with the FLAG 21 averages, we note that our error for the tensor charge gTu−d is considerably smaller. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Take a shot! Natural language control of intelligent robotic X-ray systems in surgery.

The expanding capabilities of surgical systems bring with them increasing complexity in the interfaces that humans use to control them. Robotic C-arm X-ray imaging systems, for instance, often require manipulation of independent axes via joysticks, while higher-level control options hide inside device-specific menus. The complexity of these interfaces hinder "ready-to-hand" use of high-level functions. Natural language offers a flexible, familiar interface for surgeons to express their desired outcome rather than remembering the steps necessary to achieve it, enabling direct access to task-aware, patient-specific C-arm functionality. We present an English language voice interface for controlling a robotic X-ray imaging system with task-aware functions for pelvic trauma surgery. Our fully integrated system uses a large language model (LLM) to convert natural spoken commands into machine-readable instructions, enabling low-level commands like "Tilt back a bit," to increase the angular tilt or patient-specific directions like, "Go to the obturator oblique view of the right ramus," based on automated image analysis. We evaluate our system with 212 prompts provided by an attending physician, in which the system performed satisfactory actions 97% of the time. To test the fully integrated system, we conduct a real-time study in which an attending physician placed orthopedic hardware along desired trajectories through an anthropomorphic phantom, interacting solely with an X-ray system via voice. Voice interfaces offer a convenient, flexible way for surgeons to manipulate C-arms based on desired outcomes rather than device-specific processes. As LLMs grow increasingly capable, so too will their applications in supporting higher-level interactions with surgical assistance systems.

Local Autonomy in Education Finance in a Mixed Economy: The Case of Vietnam

Allocation mechanisms are crucial to shaping the effectiveness of a country's school finance system. In Vietnam, local authorities make their own decisions about allocating operating resources for pretertiary education. Despite this high level of control, there is a lack of comprehensive studies on how Vietnamese provinces allocate resources for their schools. This study aims to fill this gap by examining official legal documents from Vietnamese provinces, focusing on the allocation of operating funds to P-12 schools. The findings reveal significant variations in resource allocation across operating purposes (salary vs. nonsalary), grade levels, methods of accounting for scale economies, and different student subgroups, including those who are socio-economically disadvantaged students, gifted students, and with disabilities.

Regioselective super-assembly of Prussian blue analogue

The construction of high-asymmetrical structures demonstrates significant potential in improving the functionality and distinctness of nanomaterials, but remains a considerable challenge. Herein, we develop a one-pot method to fabricate regioselective super-assembly of Prussian blue analogue (PBA) —— a PBA anisotropic structure (PBA-AS) decorated with epitaxial modules——using a step-by-step epitaxial growth on a rapidly self-assembled cubic substrate guided by thiocyanuric acid (TCA) molecules. The epitaxial growth units manifest as diverse geometric shapes, which are predominantly concentrated on the {100}, {111}, or {100}+{111} crystal plane of the cubic substrate. The crystal plane and morphology of epitaxial module can be regulated by changing the TCA concentration and reaction temperature, enabling a high level of controllability over specific assembly sites and structures. To illustrate the advantage of the asymmetrical structure, phosphated PBA-AS demonstrates improved performance in the oxygen evolution reaction compared to simple phosphated PBA nanocube. This method offers valuable insights for designing asymmetrical nanomaterials with intricate architectures and versatile functionalities.

Access to Stereoblock Polyesters via Irreversible Chain-Transfer Ring-Opening Polymerization (ICT-ROP).

Precise control over polymer microstructure can enable the molecular tunability of material properties and represents a significant challenge in polymer chemistry. Stereoblock copolymers are some of the simplest stereosequenced polymers, yet the synthesis of stereoblock polyesters from prochiral or racemic monomers outside of "simple" isotactic stereoblocks remains limited. Herein, we report the development of irreversible chain-transfer ring-opening polymerization (ICT-ROP), which overcomes the fundamental limitations of single catalyst approaches by using transmetalation (e.g., alkoxide-chloride exchange) between two catalysts with distinct stereoselectivities as a means to embed temporally controlled multicatalysis in ROP. Our combined small-molecule model and catalytic polymerization studies lay out a clear molecular basis for ICT-ROP and are exploited to access the first examples of atactic-syndiotactic stereoblock (at-sb-st) polyesters, at-sb-st polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs). We achieve high levels of control over molecular weight, tacticity, monomer composition, and block structures in a temporally controlled manner and demonstrate that stereosequence control leads to polymer tensile properties that are independent of thermal properties.

Optimal Observer-Based Power Imbalance Allocation for Frequency Regulation in Shipboard Microgrids

This paper proposes a two-level control strategy based on a super-twisting sliding-mode algorithm (STA) to optimally allocate power imbalances in shipboard microgrids (SMGs) while achieving frequency regulation. The strategy employs an STA observer to estimate the unknown power load demand imbalances in finite time. This estimate is then passed to an online high-level optimal control framework to periodically determine the optimal sequence of power reference values for each energy storage device (ESS), minimising the operational cost of the SMG. The online optimised power reference values are interpolated and passed to the low-level STA control strategy to control the output power of each ESS. The efficacy of the proposed methods is demonstrated through numerical simulations conducted on a prototypical model of an SMG equipped with two ESSs, namely batteries and fuel cells with associated hydrogen storage.

Perceived parental bonding and cortisol awakening response in people with eating disorders

IntroductionEarly life experiences may have an impact on hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis functioning in eating disorders (EDs). Parental bonding is defined as the parental contribution of care and control to parent–child relationships. We evaluated whether perceived care and protection of parental bonding in childhood and adolescence were associated with HPA axis functioning in adult patients with EDs. The activity of the HPA axis was assessed by measuring the salivary cortisol awakening response (CAR).ObjectivesWe evaluated whether parental care and control in childhood and adolescence were associated with HPA axis functioning in adults with EDs. On the basis of literature data on healthy participants, we hypothesized that people with high levels of parental care would show a reduced CAR compared to people with low levels of parental care.MethodsWe admitted patients according to the following inclusion criteria: (a) female sex, (b) age > 18 years, (c) current diagnosis of AN or BN according to DSM-5 criteria, (d) absence of severe physical disorders, (e) no history of endocrine disorders, psychoactive substance use, schizophrenia or other psychoses, bipolar disorders or head trauma. Participants completed the Italian version of the Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI). To measure the CAR, participants were instructed to collect saliva samples at awakening and 15, 30, and 60 min after awakening.Results64 women with EDs participated in the study: 37 with AN and 27 with BN. 28 participants reported low levels of both maternal and paternal care while 12 participants reported high levels of care from both parents; 31 participants reported high levels of both maternal and paternal control, while 12 participants reported low levels of control from both parents. When maternal care was entered as between factor in the analysis, the repeated measures 3-way ANOVA showed a significant time effect (F3, 180 = 2.81, p < 0.05) and a significant maternal care X time interaction (F3, 180 = 2.99, p < 0.05), while, when paternal care was entered as between factor, the repeated measures 3-way ANOVA did not show significant effects for time and no significant paternal care X time interaction.ConclusionsOur results show an association of perceived maternal care with the time pattern of CAR in female patients with ED, while perceived parental control was not associated with any CAR feature in EDs. Maternal control, paternal care and paternal control were not associated with any difference in the CAR.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

IJCM_195A: Prevalence of Drug Adherence Among Hypertensive Patients attending Primary Health Centre - A Cross sectional Study

Background: There is an increase in prevalence of hypertension 31.5% in urban and 26.2% in rural dwellers of Tamil Nadu (ICMR-INDIAB study). Adherence to hypertension medication is very important for improving the quality of life and preventing complications. In this study we aim to estimate the drug adherence among hypertensive patients using Morisky Medication Adherence Scale. Objectives: To estimate the prevalence of drug adherence and its influencing factors among hypertensive patients in Rural Health Training Centre areas of Madras Medical College. Methodology: 180 Hypertensive patients attending Non-Communicable Disease clinic from two rural health centres 90 patients from each Padiyanallur PHC and Medavakkam PHC were recruited for the study. In this study we have used The Morisky Scale MMAS-4 to address medication adherence. Results: Study results showed that 32.62% of hypertensive patients had high adherence to antihypertensive medications,53.48% patients had medium adherence whereas 13.9% patients had low adherence. Adherence to drug is higher among females (36.9%) than males (29.1%). Patients with low to medium adherence to antihypertensive drugs are having more than 10% risk of developing cardiovascular disease (OR – 3.6, 95% CI – 1.86 to 6.75) than their counterpart. Patients with good knowledge (42%) had high adherence than people with poor knowledge (24.2%) Conclusion: The study reported only 32.62% were found to be adherent to antihypertensive medications. To ensure high level of control among hypertensive sustained and focussed interventions should be implemented at all levels of health care.

Safety assessment of the construction of double track tunnels underneah exsiting railway tunnels

The ground disturbance caused by the tunnel construction will inevitably have an impact on the upper part of the constructed tunnel structure, and the railroad tunnel requires a very high level of control over the structural settlement deformation. For the problem of double-hole tunnel under the built tunnel, this paper takes Chongqing Mingyue Mountain Tunnel under the built Shanghai-Rong Railway Paihua Cave tunnel and Zheng-Yu Railway tunnel as the engineering background, and starts from the mechanism of ground loss caused by tunnel excavation, firstly, the settlement at the height of the existing tunnel strata is obtained through theoretical analysis, and the new Mingyue Mountain Tunnel under the Shanghai-Rong Railway tunnel is determined to be a more dangerous section. Further simulate and calculate the dynamic excavation process of the new double-hole tunnel underpass, and study the settlement deformation law of the Mingyue Mountain Tunnel underpassing the Hurong Railway Tunnel. According to the requirements of railroad tunnel for settlement deformation control, the new tunnel is determined to be constructed by step method to ensure the safety of railroad tunnel. The shortcomings of the theoretical calculation are analyzed to illustrate the important role of numerical simulation in the evaluation of tunnel underpass projects.

Cryptographic Engineering a Fast and Efficient SIKE in FPGA

Recent attacks have shown that SIKE is not secure and should not be used in its current state. However, this work was completed before these attacks were discovered and might be beneficial to other cryptosystems such as SQISign. The primary downside of SIKE is its performance. However, this work achieves new SIKE speed records even using less resources than the state-of-the-art. Our approach entails designing and optimizing a new field multiplier, SIKE-optimized Keccak unit, and high-level controller. On a Xilinx Virtex-7 FPGA, this architecture performs the NIST Level 1 SIKE scheme key encapsulation and key decapsulation functions in 2.23 and 2.39 ms, respectively. The combined key encapsulation and decapsulation time is 4.62 ms, which outperforms the next best Virtex-7 implementation by nearly 2 ms. Our implementation achieves speed records for the NIST Level 1, 2, and 3 parameter sets. Only our NIST Level 5 parameter set was beat by an all-out performance implementation. Our implementations also efficiently utilize the FPGA resources, achieving new records in area-time product metrics for all parameter sets. Overall, this work continues to push the bar for accelerating SIKE computations to make a stronger case for SIKE standardization.

Evaluation of the Root Rupture Method for Controlling Belowground Spread of the Oak Wilt Pathogen (Bretziella fagacearum) in Northeast Wisconsin, USA

Abstract Oak wilt, caused by the pathogen Bretziella fagacearum, is a destructive disease on oak (Quercus) species in the United States. Established methods to control the belowground spread of oak wilt are not appropriate in all circumstances; thus, forest health managers have a strong need for alternative methods for disease control. We evaluated the effectiveness of operational stump excavation treatments (i.e., “root rupture” method) applied between 2004 and 2014 to control belowground spread of oak wilt on two forests in northeast Wisconsin, USA. The root rupture method achieved a high level of disease control (≥85% of evaluated disease infection centers) for 5 years by harvesting red oak trees within infection centers and uprooting the stumps and associated root mass. The likelihood of disease control success depended on the initial size of the infection center that was treated, with larger infection centers being less likely to be contained with a single treatment than small infection centers. This study highlights the importance of early detection and prompt management in oak wilt suppression programs. Study Implications: Forest management agencies and organizations in the North Central United States continue to face oak wilt epidemics. No single tool or treatment method ensures complete containment of oak wilt; thus, most managers carefully consider all the tools and techniques available to them and determine what best suits their budget and land use priorities. Stump excavation (i.e., “root rupture” method) is a cost-effective treatment for halting belowground spread of the oak wilt fungus, Bretziella fagacearum, that can achieve a high level of disease control. In northern red oak (Quercus rubra) stands with high economic value, this treatment can be applied as a group selection, with the value of the timber potentially offsetting the cost of treatment. The opportunity for complete disease control decreases as oak wilt infection centers increase in size; thus, monitoring and early control actions are critical.

Directed Diffusion: Direct Control of Object Placement through Attention Guidance

Text-guided diffusion models such as DALLE-2, Imagen, and Stable Diffusion are able to generate an effectively endless variety of images given only a short text prompt describing the desired image content. In many cases the images are of very high quality. However, these models often struggle to compose scenes containing several key objects such as characters in specified positional relationships. The missing capability to ``direct'' the placement of characters and objects both within and across images is crucial in storytelling, as recognized in the literature on film and animation theory. In this work, we take a particularly straightforward approach to providing the needed direction. Drawing on the observation that the cross-attention maps for prompt words reflect the spatial layout of objects denoted by those words, we introduce an optimization objective that produces ``activation'' at desired positions in these cross-attention maps. The resulting approach is a step toward generalizing the applicability of text-guided diffusion models beyond single images to collections of related images, as in storybooks. Directed Diffusion provides easy high-level positional control over multiple objects, while making use of an existing pre-trained model and maintaining a coherent blend between the positioned objects and the background. Moreover, it requires only a few lines to implement.

The Morality Game: Is the Evaluation of the Instrumental Utility of Moral Dilemmas Related to Decision Outcomes

This article investigates the relation of the evaluation of the instrumental utility of moral dilemmas to decision outcomes. The results indicate that nuances of dilemma perception assessed in the study (perceived realism of dilemmas, their plausibility, reflection of real behavior and an assessment of the extent to which responses to moral dilemmas can be used to judge moral maturity, empathy, level of intelligence and sense of humor) are not significantly related to objective behavior, as expressed in the number of consequentialist responses. Instruction about the nature of the study, however, may influence the moral choices made. Participants who were informed by instruction that their personality could be judged by their responses to moral dilemmas gave more deontological responses than others. An explanation is proposed that such instruction acts as a factor that provokes the adoption of the role of the apprehensive participant and, as a consequence, socially desirable behavior. This aspect highlights the importance of considering contextual factors in the study of moral behavior. It is suggested that moral dilemmas should not be viewed through the lens of ecological validity but rather as a tool that allows for a high level of experimental control, facilitating a more indepth study of behavior under specific stimulus conditions

Securi-Chain: Enhancing Smart Contract Security in Blockchain Systems Through Optimized Access Control

With the increase in usage of blockchain technology across domains, there is a high demand for the need of secure access control and a high level of security for smart contracts within blockchain to accommodate the domains that already implement blockchain and become accessible to other domains that require a high level of security in its transactions. This paper aims to evaluate the relationship between the best practices of access control and security of smart contracts in blockchain to optimise the usage of both technologies for blockchain usage across domains into a generalized blockchain model named the Securi-Chain Model. A literature review compares the relationship between access control and the security of smart contracts across three domains: Healthcare, IoT, and e-voting. Based on the findings of the literature review, Securi-Chain is proposed to implement the best practices displayed in these three domains and combine them in a way that ensures secure transactions across blockchain as a generalized approach that can be used throughout various domains. This model will also implement methods that enhance the security of transaction processes within the system. A Case Scenario is used to implement the Securi-Chain Model for the Healthcare and e-voting domains to display how this proposed model is used for domains that have been researched. The research that is conducted found that blockchain networks can support not only high-level access control across transactions in a network but also the security of smart contracts that comply to safeguard confidentiality, integrity, and data accessibility. Secrui-Chain, as well as the findings of the literature review, seem to benefit the domains that have been researched, as well as domains that require a high level of security regarding transactions across a network. These domains can benefit from using blockchain technology as well as the level of security that comes with the access control and security of smart contracts that have been implemented in Securi-Chain.