Level Of Protection Research Articles

Prey depletion, interspecific competition, and the energetics of hunting in endangered African wild dogs, Lycaon pictus

Large herbivores are in decline in much of the world, including sub-Saharan Africa, and true apex carnivores like the lion (Panthera leo) decline in parallel with their prey. As a consequence, competitively subordinate carnivores like the African wild dog (Lycaon pictus) are simultaneously experiencing a costly reduction in resources and a beneficial reduction in dominant competitors. The net effect is not intuitively obvious, but wild dogs' density, survival, and reproduction are all low in areas that are strongly affected by prey depletion. To assess whether these correlations are causal, we tested the hypothesized mechanism, using data from 13 wild dog packs in two ecosystems to relate the energetic costs and benefits of hunting to variation in prey density, while controlling for the effects of local lion density, pack size, the number of dependent pups, and the level of protection. All of these variables affected the energetic costs and benefits of hunting. In areas with low prey density, the magnitude of movements and vectorial dynamic body acceleration (a measure of energy expenditure) both increased, the mass of killed prey decreased, and the number of kills per day did not change detectably. Programs to reduce or reverse the decline of large herbivore populations should be an effective means of improving the status of endangered subordinate competitors like the wild dog, and should be a high priority. Our results demonstrate the utility of research that integrates data from biomonitoring with direct, long-term observation of endangered species, their competitors, and their resources.

Ochrana psychického zdraví zaměstnance při práci v Estonsku, Lotyšsku, Slovensku, Maďarsku a v Polsku (přehled právních předpisů)

The psychical health and mainly its protection get even more important in last decades. There are thousands of employees constantly exposed to stress during their whole workday. There are managers performing high pressure roles. The more stress is on the workplace generated, the higher number of psychological health issues society is facing. Therefore, it is important to set forth rules; employers and employees must know how to handle psychical issues. These paper exams the level of protection guaranteed to the psychical health of employees in laws of Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Poland and Slovakia. There is a general definition of psychical health set forth in international agreements and other documents. For example, the preamble of Constitution of the World Health Organization describes health as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. Notwithstanding this definition is not shared in every country in question, all countries protect general health; the psychical health is mostly considered to be an inherent part of it. The level of protection of psychical health is varying throughout the examined countries. Most countries protect employees’ psychical health in occupational safety regulations. The protection is mostly technical without taking account to specific needs of psychical health. The worse regulation can be found in Poland. There are regulations on health protection but these are not considered to be covering psychical health too.

Does far-right populism affect immigrants’ working conditions?

Anti-immigrant stances are central in far-right populist propaganda. We investigate whether the electoral success of far-right populist parties affects the labor market conditions of immigrants. Using administrative panel data from Italian manufacturing workers in 1994–2005, we show that higher electoral support for the populist party Lega Nord significantly increases injury risks for foreign workers within job spells. This effect is most pronounced in small firms, which are characterized by lower levels of unionization and employment protection. The increase in injury rates appears driven by task reallocation to overtime and night shifts and to the exploitation of immigrants’ labor supply rigidity. While alternative factors such as import competition and robotization influence injury risk, they fail to explain our core findings.

Cybersecurity Requirements for Industrial Machine Control Systems

The first part of this paper discusses the research context, taking a closer look at the development of Industry 4.0 and the growing importance of the IIoT, which entails new cybersecurity challenges. The issue of cyber threats and the need to increase the level of protection in machine control systems, which are particularly vulnerable to attacks due to their connection to the network, is also presented. The Introduction concludes with a presentation of the article’s objective, which is to analyze the requirements of security levels (SLs) and the implementation of relevant international standards. The next section reviews the current research on cybersecurity in machine control systems. This section also points out the research gaps that the article aims to fill. The next section presents the risk assessment used to ensure safety during machine operations based on ISO 12100. The article describes safety functions implemented in machine control systems, including the SIL (safety integrity level) and PL (performance level) specifications. An important part of the article is the creation of a relationship between PL and SL, showing how the safety functions of systems are related to protection against cyber threats. The last part of the article gives a case study in the form of examples of machines and their control systems performing safety functions, which require various SLs depending on the PLs.

Challenges Faced by the Judiciary in Implementing Cybersecurity Laws in Pakistan

Due to the inherent growth of technological elements, today’s world of governance, commerce, and societies has been revolutionized, opening new vistas of opportunity as well as new horizons of cyber security threats. Fraud such as hacking, identity theft, and ransom ware are important threats that are knowledgeable about to personal and business associations and the government. In Pakistan, law enforcement agencies and the judiciary are overwhelmed with inadequate resources lack of training, and technical knowledge. However, the institutions operating in the country still face legislative gaps and enforcement challenges even after the passing of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2016 means. The paper deals with Pakistan's situation concerning cyber security enhancement judicial practices and legislation and compares it to the United States’ strategic enhancement in the security domain. There are some leading projects like the National Judicial Automation Program and e-Courts, but still, it seems there are a lot more systems problems and no significant digital forensics available in the judiciary of Pakistan. The comparative analysis indicates that Pakistan needs to reform its laws, train its judges specialized in cybercrime and look for international cooperation when it comes to fighting transnational criminals engaged in cybercrimes. The importance of increasing the level of protection in cyberspace is highlighted by raising public awareness or engaging private structures. This research stresses the need to mitigate cyber security threats through legal, organizational, and social change. From best practices and international collaboration so that Pakistan can better address the issue, increase the capacity of its judicial system in combating cyber threats, and protect its critical IT assets. The actual findings of the research include ways to improve the efficiency of Courts, protect digital rights, and strengthen the governance of cyber security in the country.

Weak evidence for a relationship between group size and flight initiation distance in response to underwater human presence in an exploited fish species

Group size can influence flight initiation distance (FID), a key antipredator behavior, in many animal species. In fishes, however, the effect of group size on FID remains unclear. Two different mechanisms might explain a putative relationship between group size and FID. If fish benefited from having more vigilant individuals around, we would expect group size to be positively associated with FID (considering collective vigilance in the context of the many eyes hypothesis). By contrast, if fish benefited from a predator dilution effect, we would expect group size to be negatively associated with FID. Importantly, such relationships should be critically sensitive to background risk levels. We capitalized on FID observations inside and outside marine protected areas and simulated risk by having a risky spearfisher or a non-risky snorkeler swim towards white seabream (Diplodus sargus) to estimate the relationship between FID and group size. Model selection provides weak evidence that group size positively influences FID of white seabream when group size was modelled two ways: categorically (alone vs. shoal), and continuously (range 2–15). While the results suggest that overall group size has a measurable impact on FID, the presence of spearfishers or snorkelers had a weak effect on the relationship of group size and FID, which seems to be more sensitive exclusively to the protection level (inside/outside marine protected areas). Our findings align with previous studies showing mixed results on the relationship between group size and FID. This study underscores the complexity of antipredator behaviors in natural settings and suggests that multiple interlinked factors, rather than group size alone, drive FID in fishes. Future research should integrate field observations, laboratory experiments, and modeling to study the ecological influence of group size on FID more comprehensively.

Assessing User Perceptions and Preferences on Applying Obfuscation Techniques for Privacy Protection in Augmented Reality

As augmented reality (AR) technologies become increasingly integrated into everyday life, privacy-maintenance concerns about their capacity to capture and process sensitive visual data also increase. Visual data sanitization and obfuscation may effectively increase the privacy protection level. This study examines user perceptions of privacy protection strategies within AR environments. We developed and disseminated a questionnaire to assess users’ preferences, experiences, and concerns related to visual obfuscation techniques, namely masking, pixelation, and blurring. We collected and analyzed the responses using both qualitative and quantitative methodologies. The results indicate that user perceptions varied based on the AR context and individual preferences. Participants identified blurring as a versatile option that provides the best aesthetic appeal. Users recognized masking as the most secure method but less visually appealing. This study also revealed that demographic factors, such as age, education, and occupation, influenced privacy concerns and the acceptance of obfuscation methods. These findings enhance the understanding of user preferences and the effectiveness of obfuscation techniques in AR. These insights can guide the development of privacy-preserving AR applications tailored to accommodate diverse user needs.

Effect of reserve protection level and governance on tree cover loss and gain.

Terrestrial protected areas are essential for biodiversity conservation, yet it is not fully understood when and how different types of protected areas are most effective in achieving specific conservation objectives. We assessed the impact of reserves on tree cover loss and gain through a case study in Tasmania, Australia. We considered varying protection levels (strict, where human activities are restricted, and multiple use) and governance types (public and private). We used a counterfactual matching approach to compare tree cover loss and gain between reserves and matched unprotected areas from 2004 to 2021. We accounted for forest policy changes, environmental covariates, and human pressures to reduce placement bias. We also characterized reserves by size, governance, management, and vegetation and compared covariates inside and outside reserves to define baseline conditions. Reserves established from 2004 to 2016 were overall 75.4% less likely to have lost tree cover and 16.0% more likely to have had tree cover gain compared with controls. Patterns of loss and gain varied by protection level and governance type. Multiple-use reserves were as effective as reserves in which human activities were more restricted. Privately managed reserves contributed to tree cover growth, and public reserves helped avoid loss. This highlights reserves' distinct contributions to conservation targets, with private reserves allowing for growth and restoration and public reserves acting as stable anchor points. Our results emphasize the importance of having a diverse array of protected areas to enhance the resilience of reserve networks. We advocate for adaptive regional measures and robust monitoring to achieve global ecological targets.

Effects of protection on large-bodied reef fishes in the western Indian Ocean.

Predatory and large-bodied coral reef fishes have fundamental roles in the functioning and biodiversity of coral reef ecosystems, but their populations are declining, largely due to overexploitation in fisheries. These fishes include sharks, groupers, Humphead wrasse (Cheilinus undulatus), and Green Humphead parrotfish (Bolbometopon muricatum). In the western Indian Ocean, this situation is exacerbated by limited population data on these fishes, including from conventional visual census methods, which limit the surface area surveyed. We developed a rapid timed scuba swim survey approach for application over large areas for estimation of the abundance of large-bodied reef fishes and assessment of the effectiveness of marine protected areas (MPAs) in maintaining these species' populations. Using this method, we sampled 7 regions in the western central Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden, including 2 remote reference locations where fishing is prohibited. Eight families were selected for the surveys from across 3 categories: pelagic, demersal, and large-bodied single species. Sharks (Carcharhinidae) were absent in 5 of the 7 regions, observed only in Mozambique and the Chagos Archipelago. Tunas (Scombridae) and barracudas (Sphyraenidae) were rarely observed (none in Madagascar, Djibouti, and Iles Glorieuses). The Giant grouper (Epinephelus lanceolatus) was absent in all regions, Humphead wrasse was absent in Comoros and Iles Glorieuses, and Green Humphead parrotfish was observed at only one site in Tanzania. The MPAs were not effective in protecting these single large-bodied species or the 4 pelagic families, except for sharks in the highly protected reference locations. However, MPAs with medium levels of protection were effective in maintaining the abundance of some demersal families, notably large-bodied groupers. Our results support the hypothesis of local extirpation of these large-bodied fishes on many coral reefs in the western Indian Ocean.

Population Behavior Regarding the Use of Face Masks to Prevent the Transmission of Respiratory Infections: Lessons to Be Learned from the COVID-19 Pandemic

Historically, the use of a face mask has been associated with personal protection during epidemics. However, the type of mask used and the way it is used can affect the level of protection it provides. To analyze the practices of using face masks in the population in the Northeast of Brazil, a cross-sectional study was carried out, from December 2021 to February 2022, through interviews with 308 people at bus stops (simple random sample). Pearson’s Chi-square test was calculated to verify the association between exposure and outcome variables. The prevalence of clinical manifestations of COVID-19 was 21.4%. The most used type of mask was made of one- and two-layer fabric when compared to N-95 and a three-layer surgical mask and its use were associated with people in the age group of 18–39 years, an income less than four minimum wage and education level equivalent to elementary/secondary school. An association was found between the infrequent use of a mask in a public environment, removing or lowering the mask when coughing and not washing hands before removing the mask and the occurrence of clinical manifestations suggestive of COVID-19. This study showed that socioeconomic factors are associated with the type of face mask used by the population and that the hygiene behavior of face-mask users was also associated with the occurrence of clinical manifestations of COVID-19. This highlights the need for guidelines and educational strategies that address these aspects to better protect the population against possible respiratory epidemics, especially in countries with important risk factors related to the use of face masks, and highlights the need for clear and objective guidelines and educational strategies to better protect the population against possible epidemics.

Efficacy of HA130 Hemoadsorption in Removing Advanced Glycation End Products in Maintenance Hemodialysis Patients.

Patients on maintenance hemodialysis (HD) face complications due to the accumulation of protein-bound uremic toxins, such as advanced glycation end products (AGEs), which contribute to inflammation, oxidative stress, and cardiovascular disease. Conventional HD techniques inadequately remove AGEs. This study evaluates the efficacy of the HA130 hemoadsorption cartridge combined with high-flux HD (HF-HD) in enhancing AGE removal. This prospective, single-center study included 20 maintenance HD patients randomized into two groups: HF-HD alone (n = 10) and HF-HD plus hemoadsorption (n = 10). Blood samples were collected before and after a single session to measure carboxymethyllysine (CML), soluble RAGE (sRAGE), prolactin, and parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels. Reduction ratios (RR) were calculated, including corrected for hemoconcentration (RRc), to ensure accuracy. Statistical analyses included Mann-Whitney U and Chi-square tests. The HF-HD plus hemoadsorption group showed significantly enhanced removal of CML compared to HF-HD alone, with RRc of 64.7% [52.6-74.9] versus 39.3% [33.8-49.4], respectively (p = 0.045). Similarly, uncorrected reduction ratios demonstrated a trend favoring hemoadsorption, with values of 57.5% [45.1-70.7] versus 30.3% [19.1-44.5] (p = 0.053). Importantly, sRAGE levels were preserved in both groups (RRc: 23.4% (15.1-30.4) vs. 21.8% (16.6-31.7), p = 0.791), highlighting the safety of hemoadsorption. Other biochemical parameters, including prolactin, PTH, albumin, and electrolytes, showed no significant differences between groups. All sessions were completed without adverse events. Combining hemoadsorption with HF-HD significantly enhances CML removal, as evidenced by corrected RR, without compromising protective sRAGE levels. This innovative approach offers a promising adjunctive therapy for reducing AGEs-related complications in end-stage renal disease patients. Further longitudinal studies are needed to confirm these findings and evaluate long-term outcomes.

Impact of sodium alginate hydrogel containing bacteriophage peptides that specifically bind to the EtCab protein on the inhibition of Eimeria tenella infection

Avian coccidiosis, caused by the protozoan Eimeria, leads to significant economic losses for the poultry industry. In this study, bacteriophages that specifically bind to the calcium-binding protein (EtCab) of Eimeria tenella were selected using a biopanning process with a pIII phage display library. The recombinant EtCab protein served as the ligand in this selection process. The binding ability of target phages to the EtCab protein or E. tenella sporozoites was evaluated. The role of peptides corresponding to target phages in inhibiting the invasion of E. tenella sporozoites into cells was analysed using flow cytometry. Subsequently, the phages were encapsulated in sodium alginate to protect them from degradation in gastric fluid, which has a low pH value. Chickens were orally administered both microencapsulated and non-microencapsulated phages, and the protective effects against E. tenella infection were assessed. The binding mechanism of these peptides to the EtCab protein was investigated through in silico analysis. The results indicated that three specific phages (Y, G, and V) could bind effectively to recombinant EtCab protein as well as to sporozoite proteins. All three peptides, particularly Y and G, demonstrated significant inhibition of sporozoite invasion into cells in vitro. Additionally, oral administration of the encapsulated phages Y and G provided a higher level of protection against Eimeria infection compared to encapsulated phage V and the unencapsulated phages. Molecular docking studies revealed that three peptides, particularly Y and G, efficiently bind to the EtCab protein through hydrogen bonds. This study provides a reference for developing small molecular drugs targeting coccidiosis.

Daphnids can safeguard the use of alternative bioassays to the acute fish toxicity test: A focus on neurotoxicity.

Assessment of potential impacts of chemicals on the environment traditionally involves regulatory standard data requirements for acute aquatic toxicity testing using algae, daphnids and fish (e.g., OECD test guidelines (TG) 201, 202, and 203, respectively), representing different trophic levels. In line with the societal goal to replace or reduce vertebrate animal testing, alternative bioassays were developed to replace testing with fish: the fish cell line RTgill-W1 acute toxicity assay (OECD TG249) and the zebrafish embryo acute toxicity test (zFET, OECD TG236). However, previous studies revealed the lower sensitivity of the RTgill-W1 cell line assay and zFET for some neurotoxic chemicals and allyl alcohol, which is presumably biotransformed in fish to the more toxic acrolein (which is predicted well through the cell line assay). To provide an additional alternative to acute fish toxicity, in this study, we analyzed historic ecotoxicity data for fish and daphnids from the EnviroTox Database. We found a considerable variability in acute fish LC50 and acute daphnids EC50 values, particularly for neurotoxic chemicals. Comparing sensitivity of these taxonomic groups according to different neurotoxicity classification schemes indicates that fish rarely represent the most sensitive trophic level of the two. Exceptions here most prominently include a few cyclodiene compounds, which are no longer marketed, and a chemical group that could be identified through structural alerts. Moreover, daphnids are more sensitive than fish to acrolein. This analysis highlights the potential of the Daphnia acute toxicity test, which is usually a standard regulatory data requirement, in safeguarding the environmental protection level provided by the RTgill-W1 cell line assay and the zFET. This research, rooted in decades of efforts to replace the fish acute toxicity test, shifts the focus from predicting fish toxicity 1-to-1 to emphasizing the protectiveness of alternative methods, paving the way for further eliminating vertebrate tests in environmental toxicology.

Development of UV‐Protective Hemp‐Based Eco‐Friendly Textiles

ABSTRACTWhen exposed to UV rays, one of the rays emitted from the sun, for a certain period of time, it can harm the human body. Therefore, people should be protected from these harmful rays, especially children who are more sensitive need extra care as they often spend time outside. This study aimed to design an environmentally friendly seasonal outerwear fabric with high UV protection. To do so, the protection level of rib, half‐Milan, and full‐Milan fabrics manufactured from the yarns made of viscose, cotton, hemp and/or Refibra fiber mixtures is investigated. Additionally, a hybrid yarn feeding scheme is adopted, namely, feeding 4 ends of Ne 30/1 yarn and 2 ends of Ne 30/2 yarn, during knitting process in an attempt to have the benefit of various types of fibers and yarns involved. In the light of the results, an alternative rib‐based structure namely pique rib is developed by employing comparatively more miss stitches in the structure. Generally speaking, the UPF performance of the structures under discussion worsen as the percentage of cotton and/or viscose and Refibra fibers in the yarns increases. Furthermore, it is observed that the amount of the hemp fiber in the fabric is not influential on the UV‐blocking behavior of the fabrics. Finally, the structures knitted using the yarn feeding scheme composed of 4 ends of Ne 30/1 yarn have higher UPF performance than the others, and among all the structures the pique one exhibits the best performance so far as UV protection is concerned.

Use of Propolis and Echinacea extracts as alternatives to organic filter in photoprotective formulations

Recently, the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries have aimed to reduce the concentration of EU-approved organic filters in their products by incorporating more natural ingredients. The goal is to find effective SPF boosters from plants while maintaining high protection levels and adhering to ecological and public health standards. This study focuses on developing a sunscreen formulation that replaces the organic filter EHMC (2-ethylhexyl-4-meth­oxycinnamate) with extracts from Echinacea purpurea and/or Propolis oil. The new formulation, which includes Ethylhexyltriazone (EHT), Octocrylene (OCR), Diethylamino hydroxybenzoyl hexyl benzoate (DHHB), and Methylene bis-benzotriazol­yltetramethylbutylphenol (MBBT), was compared with a control formulation containing EHMC. The results showed that the plant-based combination significantly enhanced the in vitro SPF and UVAPF by over 80% and 60%, respectively.

Adaptive clinical trial of AZD7442 and SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in immunosuppressed patients highly vulnerable to infection with SARS-CoV-2 virus (RAPID-PROTECTION): protocol for a multicentre, interventional open-label, randomised controlled trial

IntroductionDespite repeated vaccinations against SARS-CoV-2 virus, patients who are immunocompromised remain at very high risk of catching SARS-CoV-2 virus and becoming unwell. AZD7442 (Evusheld) is a long-acting monoclonal antibody treatment...

A World of Difference: Overcoming Normative Limits of the ECHR Framework through a Legally Binding Recognition of the Human Right to a Healthy Environment

Abstract This article argues that while the Strasbourg human rights system provides a level of environmental protection through existing rights and their evolutive interpretation by the European Court of Human Rights, adopting an additional Protocol to the European Convention on Human Rights (‘ECHR’) on the right to a healthy environment (‘R2HE’) would strengthen safeguarding of environmental human rights. By comparing R2HE with the green human rights doctrine, I identify six normative limits within the current ECHR framework, which, as shown through an analysis of the historic and most recent case law, stem from the lack of legally binding recognition of an autonomous R2HE. In this vein, this study argues that the Protocol could enable forward-looking environmental adjudication and resolution of a wide range of situations affecting both the environment and human rights, foster a more consistent, predictable adjudication process, as well as support the Council of Europe’s goal of strengthening human rights protection in response to the triple planetary crisis.

Comparative Study of Volatile Corrosion Inhibitors in Various Electrochemical Setups

Volatile corrosion inhibitors (VCIs) are increasingly used in closed systems affected by atmospheric corrosion. In order to achieve a satisfactory level of protection, an inhibitor must be present in a sufficient concentration that should be determined experimentally. Electrochemical measurements are indispensable in corrosion studies examining the protection efficiency of corrosion inhibitors. Volatile corrosion inhibitors are often examined by electrochemical measurements conducted in a bulk of electrolyte, although they protect metal surfaces from atmospheric corrosion where a thin film of electrolyte is present. The aim of this work is to study the protection of carbon steel by two VCIs on different types of electrodes that allow electrochemical tests in a thin electrolyte film and to compare the obtained results with those obtained in a larger volume in a classical electrochemical cell. For this purpose, disc and comb-like electrodes are used. The investigations are carried out in two corrosion media simulating either a marine or urban polluted atmosphere. Studies are performed on low-carbon S235JR steel, which is typically used for crude oil tank bottoms that often suffer from atmospheric corrosion and are increasingly protected by VCIs. Two benzoate-based VCIs recommended for such application are selected for this study.

A Combination of Classification Robust Adaptive Kalman Filter with PPP-RTK to Improve Fault Detection for Integrity Monitoring of Autonomous Vehicles

Real-time integrity monitoring (IM) is essential for autonomous vehicle positioning, requiring high availability and manageable computational load. This research proposes using precise point positioning real-time kinematic (PPP-RTK) as the positioning method, combined with an improved classification adaptive Kalman filter (CAKF) for processing. PPP-RTK enhances IM availability by allowing undifferenced and uncombined observations, enabling individual observation exclusion during fault detection and exclusion (FDE). The CAKF reduces FDE computational load by using a robustness test instead of traditional FDE methods, improving precision and availability in protection level estimation. Epoch-wise weighting adjustments in the robustness test create a more accurate stochastic model, aided by an adaptive unit weight variance (UWV) calculated with a sliding window, achieving a 7–28% UWV reduction. Three test scenarios with up to four simultaneous faults in code and phase observations, ranging from 1 to 200 m and 0.4 to 20 m, respectively, demonstrated successful identification and de-weighting of faults, resulting in maximum positioning errors of 6 mm (horizontal) and 11 mm (vertical). The method reduced FDE computational load by 50–99.999% compared to other approaches.

Sustaining Innovation and Regulation: The Eco-System of Decentralized and Centralized Finance

This study examines the ongoing debate between Decentralized Finance (DeFi) and Centralized Finance (CeFi), analysing their unique advantages and challenges within the rapidly evolving financial landscape. The objective of this research is to argue for the convergence of DeFi and CeFi to create an innovative and secure financial ecosystem that balances accessibility with security, using Kazakhstan as a case study. The study employs comparative analysis and case-study methodology to explore Kazakhstan’s regulatory approach to digital assets. The focus is on understanding how licensing, anti-money laundering (AML) protocols, and consumer protection measures can support the integration of DeFi and CeFi. Primary data includes an analysis of Kazakhstan’s regulatory framework for digital assets, statistical data on AML implementation, and levels of consumer protection within the country. Findings indicate that a hybrid regulatory model effectively bridges the operational differences between DeFi and CeFi, fostering inclusivity and economic growth while safeguarding consumer interests. Kazakhstan’s regulatory focus on licensing and AML protocols illustrates that a balanced regulatory approach can accommodate both technological progress and necessary protections for financial participants. The study concludes that a convergence of DeFi and CeFi through a hybrid regulatory model can lay the foundation for a sustainable digital financial environment that is accessible, innovative, and secure. Future studies are encouraged to explore the role of emerging technologies, such as quantum computing, and examine the socio-economic impacts of DeFiCeFi integration on financial inclusivity for underserved populations.