Vulnerable Point Research Articles

RISC Fault of Non‐Salient Wound‐Rotor Synchronous Generator: A Detection Method and Effect Analysis of Insulation

Rotor interturn short circuit (RISC) fault is one of the most prevalent fault types in the non‐salient wound‐rotor synchronous generator (WRSG). In the paper, the theoretical mechanism of the RISC fault is studied in detail. Building upon this understanding, from the fault detection and harm consequences, the further work of this article includes proposing a RISC detection method and analyzing the influence of RISC on the insulation thermal damage. On the one hand, a new detection for RISC fault is first proposed based on the phase voltage. The proposed detection method innovatively allows for accurate determination of both the severity and location of RISC faults. On the other hand, the loss and the temperature of the stator core‐winding system are comprehensively investigated with varied RISC degrees and positions. The thermal responses of the winding insulation are obtained under the joint action of the external magnetic heat source and the internal electric heat source. The study identifies critical points of insulation vulnerability, particularly noting areas prone to noise and connection joints. This research contributes to the timely online identification of RISC faults and supports preventive maintenance strategies for protecting winding insulation. © 2024 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan and Wiley Periodicals LLC.

Smart Security : A Comprehensive Exploration of AI and IoT in Cybersecurity

This paper investigates the transformative roles of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT) in cybersecurity, especially as the complexity and connectivity of digital networks intensify. The rapid adoption of IoT devices in industries and homes alike has significantly broadened the cyber threat landscape, introducing countless points of vulnerability. Cybercriminals now target the vast and often unsecured data generated by IoT devices, exploiting weak access controls, outdated software, and inadequate encryption. In response, AI has become a critical tool in modern cybersecurity strategies, offering enhanced methods for threat detection, predictive analytics, and automated responses. AI-driven systems can proactively analyze patterns in network activity, detect anomalies, and anticipate future threats, all in real-time, providing a strong defence against increasingly sophisticated attacks. Additionally, AI facilitates automation in incident response, enabling immediate isolation or neutralization of threats before significant damage occurs. However, integrating IoT and AI in cybersecurity introduces new challenges, particularly concerning device interoperability, resource limitations in IoT devices, and privacy concerns due to the extensive data generated and processed. This paper explores these technologies in depth, examining their current applications, limitations, and the potential they hold for building smarter, more resilient cybersecurity frameworks in the future.

Mathematical modelling for seismic affected zoning of tunnel cavity section under SH wave incidence and shaking table verification

Tunnel portals are particularly vulnerable during seismic events due to the influence of adjacent slope geometry and fractured rock formations. This study evaluates the seismic response of tunnel portals and determines an appropriate fortification range. Ray theory is employed to calculate the displacement field of a single-sided slope subjected to incident SH waves, while the tunnel entrance is modeled as an elastic foundation beam. An analytical expression for hoop strain is derived, accounting for the interaction between the tunnel and the surrounding rock, as well as the attenuation of seismic waves. A parametric analysis is also performed to examine the impact of slope angle, seismic wavelength, frequency, and foundation stiffness on the tunnel response. Shaking table tests are conducted to validate the theoretical results and reveal failure patterns in both the slope and tunnel. The findings show that the spandrel and arch foot exhibit the highest hoop strain responses, identifying these positions as critical points of seismic vulnerability. The seismic-affected zones of the tunnel portal are classified into three distinct regions based on the distribution of peak hoop strain. The recommended fortification range for the tunnel portal extends up to 7.5 times the tunnel span, effectively encompassing the areas of peak strain to mitigate potential damage.

Opa1 and MT-Nd6 mutations induce early mitochondrial changes in the retina and prelaminar optic nerve of hereditary optic neuropathy mouse models

Abstract Hereditary optic neuropathies (HON), including dominant optic atrophy and Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy, are genetic disorders characterized by retinal ganglion cell (RGC) degeneration leading to vision loss, mainly associated with mitochondrial dysfunction. In this study, we analyzed mitochondrial distribution and ultrastructure in the retina and longitudinal optic nerve sections of presymptomatic HON mouse models with Opa1 and Nd6 deficiency to identify early mitochondrial changes. Our results show significant mitochondrial fragmentation and increased mitophagy in Opa1+/- mice, indicating early mitochondrial changes prior to neuronal loss. Conversely Nd6P25L mice exhibited mitochondrial hypertrophy, suggesting an adaptive response to compensate for altered energy metabolism. These pre-symptomatic mitochondrial changes were mainly observed in the unmyelinated portion of the RGC axons, where the transmission of the visual information requires high energy expenditure, constituting the specific point of vulnerability in HON. These findings highlight early focal mitochondrial changes prior to neuronal loss in HON and provide insight into presymptomatic therapeutic approaches.

Subchronic elevation in ambient temperature drives alterations to the sperm epigenome and accelerates early embryonic development in mice

Forecasted increases in the prevalence and severity of extreme weather events accompanying changes in climatic behavior pose potential risk to the reproductive capacity of humans and animals of ecological and agricultural significance. While several studies have revealed that heat stress induced by challenges such as testicular insulation can elicit a marked negative effect on the male reproductive system, and particularly the production of spermatozoa, less is known about the immediate impact on male reproductive function following subchronic whole-body exposure to elevated ambient temperature. To address this knowledge gap, we exposed unrestrained male mice to heat stress conditions that emulate a heat wave (daily cycle of 8 h at 35 °C followed by 16 h at 25 °C) for a period of 7 d. Neither the testes or epididymides of heat-exposed male mice exhibited evidence of gross histological change, and similarly, spermatozoa of exposed males retained their functionality and ability to support embryonic development. However, the embryos generated from heat-exposed spermatozoa experienced pronounced changes in gene expression linked to acceleration of early embryo development, aberrant blastocyst hatching, and increased fetal:placental weight ratio. Such changes were causally associated with an altered sperm small noncoding RNA (sncRNA) profile, such that these developmental phenotypes were recapitulated by microinjection of wild-type embryos sired by control spermatozoa with RNAs extracted from heat-exposed spermatozoa. Such data highlight that even relatively modest excursions in ambient temperature can affect male reproductive function and identify the sperm sncRNA profile as a particular point of vulnerability to this imposed environmental stress.

Dynamic response analysis of pipelines in gas distribution stations under seismic loads

Seismic loads in earthquake-prone regions significantly affect the structural integrity of pipelines at urban natural gas distribution stations, compromising safety. This study analyzes the dynamic response of pipelines in gas distribution stations under seismic loading and proposes effective measures to mitigate stress concentration. A numerical model of the pipeline in the gas distribution station, based on actual cases, was established. The material’s constitutive relationship was derived from tensile tests. The seismic response spectrum, obtained from ground motion data, was introduced to analyze the pipeline’s mechanical behavior. The dynamic response analysis identified critical stress concentration locations in the pipeline under operational conditions. Based on displacement analysis, the study recommended seismic measures. Results indicated that under seismic loading, higher stress values occurred primarily in pipeline sections with intricate flow pattern variations. The manifold connection was the most vulnerable point, with its average stress being 3.37 times that of the system’s average stress. The proposed seismic measures effectively reduced stress concentration at these critical points, mitigating the earthquake’s impact on the gas distribution station. This study establishes a theoretical framework for improving the seismic design and maintenance of natural gas distribution stations, enhancing their seismic resilience and operational safety.

Key-area Cyberspace Mimic Defense Against Data-Oriented Attacks

As modern systems widely deploy protective measures for control data in memory, such as Control-Flow Integrity (CFI), attackers’ ability to manipulate control data is greatly restricted. Consequently, attackers are turning to opportunities to manipulate non-control data in memory (known as Data-Oriented Attacks, or DOAs), which have been proven to pose significant security threats to memory. However, existing techniques to mitigate DOAs often introduce significant overhead due to the indiscriminate protection of a large range of data objects. To address this challenge, this paper adopts a Cyberspace Mimic Defense (CMD) strategy, a generic framework for addressing endogenous security vulnerabilities, to prevent attackers from executing DOAs using known or unknown security flaws. Specifically, we introduce a formalized expression algorithm that assesses whether DOA-attackers can construct inputs to exploit vulnerability points. Building on this, we devise a key-area CMD strategy that modifies the code pathway from input to the vulnerability point, thereby effectively thwarting the activation of the vulnerability. Finally, our simulation experiments demonstrate that the key-area CMD strategy can effectively prevent DOAs by selectively diversifying parts of the program code.

Uncovering Hidden Risks in IoT devices: A Post-Pandemic National Study of SOHO Wi-Fi Router Security

This study thoroughly analyzes the cybersecurity status of Small Office/Home Office (SOHO) Wi-Fi routers. These routers are crucial but frequently overlooked elements in network infrastructure, particularly in light of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on network security. The pandemic has led to shifts in network usage patterns, blurring traditional security perimeters and extending them into private residences, creating additional points of vulnerability in urban environments. Our nationwide research evaluated an extensive dataset of router brands and models currently used at scale. We measured the prevalence of known vulnerabilities, assessed the currency of userspace and kernel software versions, and compared the security robustness of proprietary firmware against open-source alternatives. Our findings reveal a concerning landscape of widespread vulnerabilities and outdated software components, posing latent risks to end-users. The results indicate a predominance of Linux on MIPS and ARM architectures, with an average delay of 5 to 10 years between the release of the kernel and the implementation of the most recent firmware versions. As a result, we observed an average of 1344 and 72 vulnerabilities in the kernel and applications. One significant discovery from our research is that replacing the manufacturer's original firmware with open-source alternatives, such as DD-WRT, OpenWrt, and Tomato, can substantially enhance the security of the software stack. This enhancement results in improvements of up to 97% in the case of binaries and 98.42% in the kernel. Our research helps increase cybersecurity awareness by pinpointing critical home network environment weaknesses and alerting the need for more rigorous security practices in producing and maintaining SOHO routers. This investigation also allowed the report of a new remote code execution vulnerability (disclosed in CVE-2022-46552).

DIGITALIZATION CHANGES CRIMINAL PROTECTION OF CITIZENS' RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS

The widespread use of modern digital technologies has raised a number of complex issues related to the investigation and resolution of criminal cases before law enforcement specialists. The mechanism for bringing to criminal liability by introducing a new crime related to the use of digital technologies into the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, proposed by legal theorists, turned out to be an unsuccessful solution. This is due to the fact that there is an increase in the number of crimes related to digital technologies in one way or another. In this regard, this study becomes especially relevant. The purpose of the study is to determine how digitalization affects the protection and defense of public relations within the framework of criminal law. To achieve this goal, it is necessary to solve the following tasks: identify the signs of crimes committed using digital technologies; determine the most effective ways to counter such crimes; point out the mistakes that cybercriminals most often make when committing crimes. The following methods are used in the work: determinism, systemic, logical, comparative legal and functional. Conclusions: Digitalization transforms the methods of committing crimes, increases their latency and complicates the investigation and resolution of criminal cases. However, this process can be facilitated by involving highly qualified specialists (experts) in the field of high technology. The most vulnerable point in the process of committing a crime by a cybercriminal is the exchange of digital currency for regular money, which occurs through a bitcoin exchanger. Having studied it, you can identify the owner of the crypto wallet. The use of digital technologies (including cryptocurrency) as a method or instrument of crime should be recognized as an aggravating circumstance under Article 63 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. This is due to the increased public danger of this type of crime.

Investigation on shear performance of sliding-type rapid segmental joints for shield tunnels

This paper introduces a sliding-type rapid joint and investigates the joint's failure modes under compression-shear loading with a combination of numerical and experimental methods. The study analyzes the influence of axial force, arrangement methods, and segment thickness on the joint's shear resistance. Additionally, a detailed examination of stress distribution within the joints provides a deeper understanding of their mechanical behavior. The results reveal that four-stage exists in the shear-dislocation curve of joints, including static frictional stage, partial sliding stage, overall sliding stage, and descending stage. Increasing axial force enhances the joint's shear resistance, but excessively high axial forces raise the risk of shear failure in T-shaped components. Under the trans-arrangement, the sliding-type rapid segmental joint exhibits superior shear resistance, especially under high axial loads. The material strength of C-shaped components impacts the joint's shear resistance, and increasing segment thickness enhances the joint's shear resistance. Under reverse-radial shear conditions, the structure's shear capacity is not solely determined by the joint strength. Tangential shear occurs during the assembly process, emphasizing the need to avoid excessive assembly forces. The junction between the T-shaped structure and the joint panel is a vulnerable point for T-shaped components, and reinforcement by increasing size and thickness can prevent shear failure at this location.

Toxoplasma gondii infection misdirects placental trophoblast lineage specification.

Pregnancy is a critical point of vulnerability to infection and other insults that could compromise proper fetal development. The placenta acts as a protective and nutrient-permeable barrier to most infectious agents, but a few are capable of bypassing its defenses. Remarkably little is known about how exposure to these select pathogens might impact ongoing placental development. Here we demonstrate that Toxoplasma gondii entirely misdirects the developmental program of trophoblast stem cells. Infection of progenitor cytotrophoblasts prevents fusion and differentiation to infection-resistant syncytiotrophoblast. Rather, T. gondii elicits a unique transcriptional identity that polarizes cytotrophoblasts to the infection-permissive extravillous trophoblast fate. Strong evidence of developmental disruption is found in multiple orthogonal models, including trophoblast stem cells, trophoblast organoids, and chorionic villi. Manipulation of cell fate by the parasite is most dramatic in trophoblast organoids, where we see robust outgrowth of HLA-G(+) extravillous trophoblasts. Collectively, these data show that Toxoplasma antagonizes differentiation of an infection-resistant cell type by inducing formation of an infection-permissive cell type, therefore potentiating its own transmission to the fetus.

A Not So Discrete Sampler: Power Analysis Attacks on HAWK signature scheme

HAWK is a lattice-based signature scheme candidate to the fourth call of the NIST’s Post-Quantum standardization campaign. Considered as a cousin of Falcon (one of the future NIST post-quantum standards) one can wonder whether HAWK shares the same drawbacks as Falcon in terms of side-channel attacks. Indeed, Falcon signature algorithm and particularly its Gaussian sampler, has shown to be highly vulnerable to power-analysis attacks. Besides, efficiently protecting Falcon’s signature algorithm against these attacks seems a very challenging task. This work presents the first power analysis leakage review on HAWK signature scheme: it extensively assesses the vulnerabilities of a central and sensitive brick of the scheme, the discrete Gaussian sampler. Knowing the output x of the sampler for a given signature leads to linear information about the private key of the scheme. This paper includes several demonstrations of simple power analysis attacks targeting this sample x with various attacker strengths, all of them performed on the reference implementation on a ChipWhisperer Lite with STM32F3 target (ARM Cortex M4). We report being able to perform key recoveries with very low (to no) offline resources. As this reference implementation of HAWK is not claimed to be protected against side-channel attacks, the existence of such attacks is not surprising, but they still concretely warn about the use of this unprotected signature on physical devices. To go further, our study proposes a generic way of assessing the performance of a sidechannel attack on x even when less information is recovered, in a setting where some protections are implemented or when the attacker has less measurement possibilities. While it is easy to see that x is a sensitive value, quantifying the residual complexity of the key recovery with some knowledge about x (like the parity or the sign of some coefficients) is not straightforward as the underlying hardness assumption is the newly introduced Module-LIP problem. We propose to adapt the existing methodology of leaky LWE estimation tools (Dachman-Soled et al. at Crypto 2020) to exploit the retrieved information and lower down the residual key recovery complexity. To finish, we propose an ad-hoc technique to lower down the leakage on the identified vulnerability points. These modifications prevent our attacks on our platform and come with essentially no cost in terms of performance. It could be seen as a temporary solution and encourages more analysis on proven side-channel protection of HAWK like masking.

Cybersecurity Implications of Edge Computing in Data Engineering

Edge computing, as an extension of cloud computing, brings computation and data storage closer to the data source. This shift offers significant advantages in terms of latency reduction, bandwidth optimization, and real-time processing capabilities. By minimizing the distance that data needs to travel, edge computing enhances the performance of applications that require rapid data processing and immediate response times. This is particularly beneficial for Internet of Things (IoT) devices, autonomous vehicles, smart grids, and other applications that demand low-latency interactions. However, the decentralization inherent in edge computing introduces a unique set of cybersecurity challenges that are distinct from those faced in traditional centralized cloud environments. The distributed architecture of edge computing creates numerous points of vulnerability, each of which can be exploited by cyber attackers. Additionally, edge devices often operate with limited computational resources and power, which complicates the implementation of robust security measures. This paper explores the cybersecurity implications of edge computing in the context of data engineering. It begins with a comprehensive review of existing literature to establish the current understanding of edge computing security issues. The review identifies the primary vulnerabilities associated with edge computing, including those related to distributed architecture, data transmission, and resource constraints. Following the literature review, the paper delves into specific security threats that edge computing environments face. These include man-in-the-middle (MitM) attacks, distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, malware and ransomware, and insider threats. Each threat is analyzed to understand its potential impact on edge computing systems and the data they process.

Proteome signatures reveal homeostatic and adaptive oxidative responses by a putative co-chaperone, Wos2, to influence fungal virulence determinants in cryptococcosis.

The increasing prevalence of invasive fungal pathogens is dramatically changing the clinical landscape of infectious diseases, posing an imminent threat to public health. Specifically, Cryptococcus neoformans, the human opportunistic pathogen, expresses elaborate virulence mechanisms and is equipped with sophisticated adaptation strategies to survive in harsh host environments. This study extensively characterizes Wos2, an Hsp90 co-chaperone homolog, featuring bilateral functioning for both cryptococcal adaptation and the resulting virulence response. In this study, we evaluated the proteome and secretome signatures associated with wos2 deletion in enriched and infection-mimicking conditions to reveal Wos2-dependent regulation of the oxidative stress response through global translational reprogramming. The wos2Δ strain demonstrates defective intracellular and extracellular antioxidant protection systems, measurable through a decreased abundance of critical antioxidant enzymes and reduced growth in the presence of peroxide stress. Additional Wos2-associated stress phenotypes were observed upon fungal challenge with heat shock, osmotic stress, and cell membrane stressors. We demonstrate the importance of Wos2 for intracellular lifestyle of C. neoformans during in vitro macrophage infection and provide evidence for reduced phagosomal replication levels associated with wos2Δ. Accordingly, wos2Δ featured significantly reduced virulence within impacting fungal burden in a murine model of cryptococcosis. Our study highlights a vulnerable point in the fungal chaperone network that offers a therapeutic opportunity to interfere with both fungal virulence and fitness.IMPORTANCEThe global impact of fungal pathogens, both emerging and emerged, is undeniable, and the alarming increase in antifungal resistance rates hampers our ability to protect the global population from deadly infections. For cryptococcal infections, a limited arsenal of antifungals and increasing rates of resistance demand alternative therapeutic strategies, including an anti-virulence approach, which disarms the pathogen of critical virulence factors, empowering the host to remove the pathogens and clear the infection. To this end, we apply state-of-the-art mass spectrometry-based proteomics to evaluate the impact of a recently defined novel co-chaperone, Wos2, toward cryptococcal virulence using in vitro and in vivo models of infection. We explore global proteome and secretome remodeling driven by the protein and uncover the novel role in modulating the fungal oxidative stress response. Complementation of proteome findings with in vitro infectivity assays demonstrated the protective role of Wos2 within the macrophage phagosome, influencing fungal replication and survival. These results underscore differential cryptococcal survivability and weakened patterns of dissemination in the absence of wos2. Overall, our study establishes Wos2 as an important contributor to fungal pathogenesis and warrants further research into critical proteins within global stress response networks as potential druggable targets to reduce fungal virulence and clear infection.

Analysis of agricultural insurance vulnerability in the face of natural disasters: Insights from Iran

Agricultural insurance plays a crucial role in managing and mitigating damages from natural disasters, while also providing support to farmers through equitable risk distribution. This study focuses on identifying vulnerabilities of the Agricultural Insurance Fund (AIF) in Iran during natural disasters and proposing solutions for maintaining preparedness and adapting to new circumstances. Utilizing a qualitative approach, the research involved a three-stage classic Delphi technique with 24 experts in agricultural insurance which purposefully selected using snowball sampling. Three open-ended questions on AIF vulnerabilities in facing natural disasters, AIF's adaptive capacity, and forecasting strategic measures for the future, were provided in the first research round. After refining in subsequent rounds, a consensus was reached on 19 vulnerability points, 7 adaptive capacity factors, and 20 strategic actions. Key indicator of vulnerabilities includes the “weak financial capacity of the insurance fund”. “Designing an integrated agricultural insurance system” was the most crucial factor in enhancing AIF's adaptive capacity. Finally, the study proposes strategies like "strengthening financial capacity and ensuring sustainable credit resources," "developing capacities of the insurance system with location-based technologies," and "differentiating catastrophic damages in the insurance tariffing system" to address vulnerabilities and enhance agricultural insurance resilience.

Enhancing honeynet-based protection with network slicing for massive Pre-6G IoT Smart Cities deployments

Internet of Things (IoT) coupled with 5G and upcoming pre-6G networks will provide the scalability and performance required to deploy a wide range of new digital services in Smart Cities. This new digital services will undoubtedly contribute to an improvement in the quality of life of citizens. However, security is a major concern in IoT where low-powered constrained devices are a target for attackers who identify them as a vulnerable entry point to exploit the network weaknesses. This concern is exacerbated in Smart Cities where it is expected to deploy millions of heterogeneous yet unattended and vulnerable IoT devices throughout vast urban areas. A security breach in a Smart City allows attackers to target critical services such as the power grid network or the road traffic control or to expose sensitive health data to intruders. Thus, the security and privacy of citizens could be seriously compromised. Honeynets are an effective security mechanism to distract attackers from legitimate targets and collect valuable information on how they operate. Meanwhile, current honeynets lack functionality to protect the real and lure networks from large-scale volumetric Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks. This paper provides a novel solution to empower honeynet security tools with Network Slicing capabilities as an innovative way to isolate and minimize the network resources available from attackers. The proposed system supports the ambitious IoT scalability requirements associated to 5G networks and the forthcoming 6G networks. The solution has been empirically evaluated in a emulated testbed where promising results have been achieved when dealing with mMTC and eMBB traffic profiles. In mMTC scenarios where scalability is a challenge, the solution is able to deal with up to 1000 slices and 1 Million IoT devices sending traffic simultaneously. In eMBB use cases, the solution is able to cope with up to 19 Gbps of combined bandwidth. The gathered results demonstrate that the proposed solution is suitable as a security tool in 5G IoT multi-tenant infrastructures as those expected in Smart Cities deployments.

Data Privacy and Security in the Age of IoT A Comprehensive Study on Information System Vulnerabilities

In the era of the Internet of Things (IoT), data privacy and security issues have become a primary concern in information systems. This research aims to investigate the underlying vulnerabilities of information systems concerning data privacy and security in the context of IoT. The research methods employed include literature surveys, case analyses, and reviews of best practices in data protection. The findings highlight several key vulnerability points, including weaknesses in credential management, network attacks, and deficiencies in data encryption implementation. Moreover, the findings indicate that despite advancements in security technology, significant gaps still exist that can be exploited by unethical parties to access users' IoT personal data. In conclusion, data protection in the context of IoT requires a holistic approach involving preventive measures, detection, and rapid response to evolving security threats. This research underscores the importance of data security education and awareness among IoT users and the necessity of collaboration among government, industry, and society to address these challenges.

Observed rates of surgical instrument errors point to visualization tasks as being a critically vulnerable point in sterile processing and a significant cause of lost chargeable OR minutes

BackgroundThe reporting of surgical instrument errors historically relies on cumbersome, non-automated, human-dependent, data entry into a computer database that is not integrated into the electronic medical record. The limitations of these reporting systems make it difficult to accurately estimate the negative impact of surgical instrument errors on operating room efficiencies. We set out to determine the impact of surgical instrument errors on a two-hospital healthcare campus using independent observers trained in the identification of Surgical Instrument Errors.MethodsThis study was conducted in the 7 pediatric ORs at an academic healthcare campus. Direct observations were conducted over the summer of 2021 in the 7 pediatric ORs by 24 trained student observers during elective OR days. Surgical service line, error type, case type (inpatient or outpatient), and associated length of delay were recorded.ResultsThere were 236 observed errors affecting 147 individual surgical cases. The three most common errors were Missing+ (n = 160), Broken/poorly functioning instruments (n = 44), and Tray+ (n = 13). Errors arising from failures in visualization (i.e. inspection, identification, function) accounted for 88.6% of all errors (Missing+/Broken/Bioburden). Significantly more inpatient cases (42.73%) had errors than outpatient cases (22.32%) (p = 0.0129). For cases in which data was collected on whether an error caused a delay (103), over 50% of both IP and OP cases experienced a delay. The average length of delays per case was 10.16 min. The annual lost charges in dollars for surgical instrument associated delays in chargeable minutes was estimated to be between $6,751,058.06 and $9,421,590.11.ConclusionsThese data indicate that elimination of surgical instrument errors should be a major target of waste reduction. Most observed errors (88.6%) have to do with failures in the visualization required to identify, determine functionality, detect the presence of bioburden, and assemble instruments into the correct trays. To reduce these errors and associated waste, technological advances in instrument identification, inspection, and assembly will need to be made and applied to the process of sterile processing.

Impact of New Technologies on Economic Behavior and Consumer Freedom of Choice: from Neuromarketing to Neuro-Rights

Objective: to identify the possibilities for an adequate response of the existing legal regime to the various challenges posed to European law by artificial intelligence systems underlying neuromarketing techniques.Methods: the study is based on the risk-oriented approach, formal-logical, formal-legal and comparative-legal methods, as well as on the method of legal forecasting, in order to identify the problems of legislation caused by the emerging technologies capable of recognizing human emotions and using them to control consumer behavior, and to propose ways to solve them.Results: the conducted research provides a brief overview of the most widely used neuromarketing techniques used by algorithms and machine learning. These allow identifying points of cognitive and emotional vulnerability, collecting and processing data, and then building the most effective marketing techniques that push a consumer to choose a certain product or service. Ethical problems are analyzed which arise from the use of neuromarketing techniques in relation to some basic values such as individual independence, human dignity, and freedom of choice. The subtle line is shown between techniques that manipulate consumer behavior (manipulation technique) and those that, on the contrary, have a persuasive effect, which in itself does not make them illegal (persuasion technique). An overview of the existing legal framework is presented, as well as case law from both the European Court of Justice and national courts of member states with a particular focus on the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive, the EU General Regulation on the Protection of Personal Data (hard law), and codes of ethics (soft law).Scientific novelty: the paper points out the transformation of traditional legal categories and important problem points of the existing regulation due to the growing recognition of the potential of neuromarketing as a tool capable of explaining and predicting consumer behavior, as well as influencing the economic behavior of the subjects of relations.Practical significance: the obtained conclusions and proposals can be taken into account in improving the regulation of artificial intelligence in terms of its safety and reliability, increasing trust in the system, given the need to protect ethical principles and maintain fundamental values.

Smallpox Geographies: vaccination, borders and Indigenous peoples in Australia's coastal north.

Australia's approach to its biosecurity and borders has always been two-pronged - quarantine first, vaccination second. This article asks what this combination looked like in practice by exploring two neglected smallpox vaccination campaigns directed towards Indigenous peoples in the early twentieth century. We argue these were important campaigns because they were the first two pre-emptive, rather than reactionary, vaccination programs directed towards First Nations people. Second, both episodes occurred in Australia's northern coastline, where the porous maritime geography and proximity to Southeast Asia posed a point of vulnerability for Australian health officials. While smallpox was never endemic, (though epidemic), in Australia, it was endemic at various times and places across Southeast Asia. This shifting spectre of smallpox along the northern coastline was made even more acute for state and federal health officials because of the existing polyethnic relationships, communities, and economies. By vaccinating Indigenous peoples in this smallpox geography, they were envisioned and embedded into a 'hygienic' border for the protection of white Australia, entwining the two-prongs as one approach. In this article, we place public health into a recent scholarship that has 'turned the map upside down' to re-spatialise Australia's history and geography to the north and its global connections, while demonstrating how particular coastlines and their connections were drawn into a national imaginary through a health lens.