Sectors Of Society Research Articles

Botnets in Healthcare: Threats, Vulnerabilities, and Mitigation Strategies

The increasing digitization of healthcare systems has introduced new opportunities to improve efficiency and accessibility for medical professionals and patients. Examples include the simplified collection, storage, and organization of patient data using electronic health records (EHRs), the use of teleconferencing software like Zoom to allow patients to meet with their care providers remotely, and medical IoT devices like glucose monitors, pacemakers, and other remote patient monitoring devices that leverage software and the internet to provide patients and their healthcare providers with critical information. All of these use cases are examples of how technology can increase the quality of patient care. While the healthcare industry has realized many benefits from its increased investment in new technology, trends have shown that this increased utilization has also opened avenues for malicious cyber actors. One of these threats is botnets. These malicious networks of compromised computers, controlled by cybercriminals, can wreak havoc on all sectors of society, with the healthcare industry proving to be a desirable target. This research is a high-level analysis that investigates the threat botnets pose by employing an exploratory review. We identify the multifaceted nature of botnet threats in healthcare, analyzing their standard forms and the vulnerabilities inherent in healthcare infrastructures, ranging from outdated software to inadequate cybersecurity protocols to poor or total lack of security awareness training for staff. Moreover, the various techniques botnets use to propagate are explored to elucidate the potential points of exploitation and the damage they can cause organizations when proper controls are not implemented. These negative consequences include data breaches, service disruptions, and compromised patient confidentiality, which can endanger medical staff and patients if not addressed. This paper then discusses proven mitigation strategies such as end-user awareness, traffic monitoring, and detection response tools that organizations can employ to reduce the potential and efficacy of such threats. The threat landscape will continue to evolve; however, by staying on top of the latest trends, we can ensure the security of such critical infrastructure and save lives.

Research on Talent Training Model from the Perspective of Post-Course Competition and Certificate: Taking Finance and Trade Majors as an Example

The country is presently in a period of rapid social and economic transformation, and the demand for talent in various sectors of society continues to rise. In the process of the construction and optimization of the personnel training model, higher vocational colleges should adapt to the trend of time and reform educational ideas according to students’ needs and employment orientation. In the process of the comprehensive promotion of the integration of production and education, higher vocational colleges should adhere to the integrated development mode of post-course competition certificates to improve the quality of talent training and promote the deepening integration and scientific application of educational resources and enterprise resources. In this context, this paper carries out research and proposes the reform strategy and practice path of talent training mode by analyzing the current situation of financial and commercial professional talent training under the integrated vision of post-course competition and certificate.

Why do business leaders, senior politicians and civil servants move to leading positions in EU civil society? Exploring capital gains through boundary crossing

ABSTRACT Why do business leaders, senior politicians and civil servants move to leading positions in EU civil society? The article addresses this question through thirteen unique life-work history interviews with leaders of some of the most prominent EU civil society organisations (CSOs). Inspired by sociological approaches in EU civil society research, the article combines insights from the literature on EU lobbying and CSO professionalisation with the Bourdieusian concept of capital to explore the specific social resources that EU civil society and individual elite actors gain through the process of boundary crossing. It shows how EU civil society gains predominantly cultural capital (organisational and procedural knowledge), social capital (professional and personal networks), and symbolic capital (status and publicity), while individual elite actors gain primarily a form of civil society-specific symbolic capital that is associated with the alleged goodness of civil society and the act of ‘doing good’ that might facilitate policy influence. The article provides original, first-hand insights into how the civil society sector seeks to strike a balance between passion and professionalism and raises important normative questions about the integration of elites across economic, political, and civil society fields in Brussels.

Speaking Against Silence: Examining Social Work’s Response to Genocide

Since October 7, 2023, the world has witnessed Israel’s unrelenting mass assault against the people of Gaza, killing more than 37,000 Palestinians. The response to this genocide in most sectors of professional society has largely been one of denial and suppression of solidarity with Palestine, unveiling extremes of the longstanding Palestine exception in progressive politics. This article contextualizes the social work profession’s response to Israel’s ongoing genocide of Palestinian people after October 7, 2023, including responses from schools of social work, social work agencies and organizations, and academic journals. This examination finds that social work institutions continue to engage in three primary silencing tactics: passive silence, active repression, and the drawing of false equivalences. Despite the profession’s pervasive silencing, many of us in social work continue to engage in efforts toward a free Palestine, aligned with the profession’s stated values. This article highlights and juxtaposes the grassroots efforts of social workers and social work students for a free Palestine with the repression from our professional institutions. We demonstrate a range of existing and emerging possibilities for sustained solidarity among social workers seeking to end rather than manage state violence, with Palestine as no exception.

VICTIMOLOGICAL PREVENTION: EFFECTIVE PRACTICES OF INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE

Victimological prevention is defined as a system of measures and strategies aimed at preventing and reducing violence, as well as at protecting potential and direct victims. In today’s world, this topic is becoming more and more relevant, as socio-cultural, technological and political changes create new challenges and opportunities in the field of victimology. Current challenges are characterized by low public awareness, lack of funding and resources, and cultural relativism. Politicization of problems, ethnic conflicts and deficiencies in legislation are serious tasks for victimological prevention. The rapid development of technology is giving rise to new forms of violence, such as digital violence and cybercrime. Underestimation of these risks can lead to incorrect use of technologies in the framework of victimology prevention. The article notes the need to strengthen public participation and develop culturally sensitive strategies. Ensuring privacy and safety for those seeking care is essential to the success of this field. Inclusive and gender-balanced strategies are also identified as key elements for further improvement. Analysis of international experience indicates the importance of joint work of various sectors of society and global coordination to solve victimological problems. Victimological prevention requires constant improvement of strategies and methods aimed at adapting to changes in the world. Successful victimization prevention relies on broad partnerships, cultural sensitivity, and the innovative use of technology to achieve the global goals of reducing violence and protecting victims’ rights. Successful victimology prevention requires the joint action of all sectors of society and global coordination. The analysis of international experience shows that the cooperation of various sectors, such as law enforcement agencies, public organizations, government structures, as well as the active participation of international organizations, is a decisive factor in the fight against victimological problems. In addition, the use of innovative technologies such as artificial intelligence, data analytics and information visualization can significantly increase the effectiveness of victimology interventions and help achieve the global goals of reducing violence and protecting victims’ rights.

Cultivating sustainability through indigenous literacy: A SWOT analysis

Sustainability is the goal of every entity requiring a holistic approach that considers the interconnectedness of environmental, economic, and social factors. It’s a dynamic process that necessitates continuous adaptation and collaboration among individuals, communities, businesses, and governments. Sustainable Development Goals of 2030 were formulated to improve people’s lives regardless of race, ethnicity, and socio-economic status. Since time immemorial, the Indigenous people have been among the most vulnerable, marginalized, illiterate, and exploited sectors of society, thus, implementing intervention for their development could be a great contribution to attaining the SDGs. The Mindoro State University in collaboration with Mansalay local government unit planned to conduct a 5-year community development program. To ensure an effective and sustainable program, a SWOT analysis was conducted to determine the internal attributes (strengths and weaknesses), and external factors (opportunities and threats) that could be used in formulating a strategic plan for the development of the indigenous community in Mansalay, Oriental Mindoro in the Philippines. This study was part of the SWOT analysis and was focused on identifying the literacy level of the community. The research design utilized was ethnography through community immersion, survey, interview, and focus group discussions. The findings showed that there are professional teachers in the community, however, some elders are illiterate, and some are working instead of attending schools. The findings recommend conducting a literacy drive, especially for elders. As a way forward, the results of the study were integrated into the extension project for the College of Teacher Education.

Challenges of Political Parties in the Appointment of Public Positions

Political parties face several challenges when appointing public positions, the importance lies in the need to guarantee efficiency, transparency and legitimacy, in public management it is the selection of suitable and qualified candidates to occupy positions of responsibility in the government. In one context, citizens demand greater professionalism and ethics in public service, ensuring that their candidates have the skills to perform their duties efficiently. At the same time, it is about promoting inclusion and diversity in the appointment of public positions, ensuring the participation of all sectors of society. This means promoting the inclusion of women, young people, indigenous peoples, as well as people with special abilities and groups that have been relegated for many years. This will contribute to strengthening institutions and improving the quality of public management, responding to the demands of increasingly demanding citizens.

Comparative assessment of dry- and humid-heat extremes in a warming climate: Frequency, intensity, and seasonal timing

Dry and humid-heat extremes are two types of heat extremes, each exhibiting unique climatological characteristics and impacts on different sectors of society. Using historical simulations and projections produced under two Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSP2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5) by models from the sixth phase of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP6), we show a comparative assessment of the future changes in dry- and humid-heat extremes over global land. Relative to 1995–2014, projections for the mid-term future (2041–2060) and long-term future (2081–2100) periods suggest that most global regions will experience an increase in frequency and intensity of both dry- and humid-heat extremes, especially the tropical regions. In these future periods, the peak occurrences of dry- and humid-heat extremes in mid-to high-latitude regions often occur within the same month. However, there will be a one-to two-month gap between the peak occurrences of dry- and humid-heat extremes in tropical regions, primarily due to monsoonal circulations that introduce variability by causing dry-heat extremes before the onset of monsoons and humid-heat extremes as the monsoons commence. This suggests the need for sector-specific adaptation strategies during different periods of the year for tropical regions. Under both future scenarios, whether considering individual exposure or land area, the average level of exposure to extreme humid-heat days is projected to increase more significantly compared to dry-heat days. The above results highlight the risks associated with the intensification of humid heat in future climate scenarios and warrant the development of effective strategies to mitigate the adverse effects.

Can digital financial inclusion help reduce migrant workers' overwork? Evidence from China.

Migrant workers in China are migrants from the rural to the urban areas who usually work in the cities and return to the countryside after a certain period. Due to China's strict household registration system, they differ significantly from urban residents' access to public services. However, at the same time, China's workers are facing a severe phenomenon of overwork, and the group of migrant workers is even more hard-hit by overwork, which will cause various adverse effects on workers and society and should attract the attention of all sectors of society. This paper focuses on the impact of digital financial inclusion on the overwork of migrant workers. This study considered cross-sectional data containing 98,047 samples based on the 2017 China Migrants Dynamic Survey 2017 (CMDS) and China Municipal Statistical Yearbook after robustness tests and heterogeneity analysis using probit models. (1) digital financial inclusion can effectively alleviate overwork among migrant workers; (2) the impact of digital finance on overwork is more significant for the new generation, digitized industries, and self-employed migrant workers; it is also more significant for the South, East, and small and medium-sized cities than for the North, the Midwest, and large cities; (3) job quality and income are crucial factors in how digital financial inclusion affects overwork among migrant workers. Digital financial inclusion can improve the quality of employment for migrant workers and alleviate overwork. However, the income substitution effect partially reduces the inhibitory impact of digital financial inclusion on overwork. Continuously promote the development of digital inclusive finance, improve laws and regulations, and protect the labor rights and interests of migrant workers. At the same time, vocational training and skills upgrading for rural migrant workers should be strengthened to improve the quality of their employment so that they can leave the secondary labor market and enter the primary labor market.

Theological ethics expressed through Setswana proverbs: Another way of decolonising theology

he intention of this article is to demonstrate that theological ethics as a discipline can be expressed through some Setswana proverbs and idioms, which is another way of decolonising theology in Africa. Decolonising theology through African proverbs in expressing ethics is another way of decolonising theology since the philosophical elucidations and the meaning embedded in proverbs does not easily change over time. Proverbs are important in the substantiation of philosophical claims, and therefore are a powerful tool for education and moral formation in all sectors of society. The method used in this research is a literature study, as the main tool to gather the information of these proverbs and how they are educatively used in ethical and moral decision-making. The objective of this article is not just to define the proverbs but to point out that African folklore is rich with moral and ethical instructions. Methodologically, various proverbs are quoted to indicate that individuals are responsible for self-development when it comes to ethical and moral formation. The same sentiment prevails that an individual is a member of the community, and that as an individual he or she achieves higher goals of life not in isolation but through the contribution of the community. Application of these Setswana proverbs is didactive when considering an individual’s development and achievement, the importance of community involvement, and the complementarity where an individual cannot live in isolation. The conclusion is made that there is still some hope that although ethics and morality are dwindling in African cultural fabrics, African preachers should embark on popularisation of proverbs, promote school curricula that include proverbs, and articulate theological ethics through proverbs.Contribution: This is an interdisciplinary study engaging disciplines such as linguistics, history, ethics, theology, anthropology, sociology, and communications. This study shows the richness of Setswana proverbs in articulating theological ethics. It shows that proverbs in African languages can be used to unwrap theology from western clutches and make it relevant to the African context. It makes a remarkable contribution towards a theological decolonial project.

Challenges in modelling and measuring sustainability competencies crucial to successful sustainability transitions

Current environmental risks, such as climate change and nature loss, force us to look for solutions in every sector of society. A successful sustainability transition requires the manipulation of deep systemic leverage points. Hence, a deep leverage point framework based on sustainability competencies is needed to conceptualise sustainability transitions. In this study, we present an approach to measuring citizens’ sustainability competencies. The methods used to validate the measurement scales are exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, while a structural equation modelling technique is applied to analyse the causal relationships proposed in the model. The fit indices did not indicate a good overall fit for this extended model. The results show that further efforts are needed to validate the measurement of sustainability competencies.

Research on the Billing Standard of Highway and Water Transport Test and Inspection in Shandong Province

With the rapid development of China's economy, all sectors of society on the quality and safety of road and water transport projects have gradually increased the importance of road and water transport test, and inspection services market demand and cost share have also increased. Many test and inspection organizations have flooded the market, resulting in malicious competition and price confusion in the test and inspection market. Therefore, providing a set of scientific, reasonable, and standardized test and inspection billing standards is urgently needed to improve the test and inspection management of road and water transport projects and solve the existing problems. Based on this, the project will rely on Shandong Province highway and water transport engineering test and inspection billing standard research project, systematic analysis of Shandong Province highway and water transport engineering test and inspection factors. It is from the cost of scientific management and field research of the characteristics of the system research, for Shandong Province test and inspection charges to provide a more objective, accurate, scientific theoretical basis for calculating, for the further preparation of Shandong Province, highway and water transport engineering test and inspection Billing standards in Shandong Province to lay a solid theoretical foundation.

Artificial intelligence in Departments of Communication: A course proposal

When communication and mass media faculty returned from a kind of exile that COVID-19 had inflicted on them, they were hit almost immediately with the phenomenon of artificial intelligence (AI). The fall semester of 2023 seemed to usher in a new means by which students would complete assignments that left faculty scratching their heads. They faced a new form of information retrieval that students (as well as faculty) were using that, at once, yielded more substantive prose while at the same time posed new questions about authorship, trust, reliability, bias and even personhood. The discipline of communication and media studies bears a particular responsibility to contemplate the massive change underway with the use of AI. Most of us in the field have dedicated our careers to considering the human-media-culture interface. Media ecologists, in particular, routinely explore how media shape culture, conscience and communication. Yet many of us have not known what to make of the phenomenon suddenly surging in academics and in all sectors of society. This article seeks to offer a framework, cultivated out of media ecological sensibilities, for critically examining implications of AI in the realm of communication. Specifically, we have designed a graduate course that takes up the major lines of inquiry into how AI challenges conventions and urges new paradigms in our discipline. Our article offers a course proposal that communication faculty can adopt to their curriculum. It consists of a sample course syllabus, recommended textbooks and YouTube videos, sample assignments, a review of major AI themes in scholarly and trade journals, a suggested media ecology tool for critical application (the Tetrad), and an extensive bibliography. The overall objective of our course proposal is to guide reflection on the implications of AI in various communication contexts and environments.

Consciência situacional como ferramenta estratégica da defesa cibernética

The technological growth of the last decades has changed the way many sectors of society and the state carry out their respective activities. The defense sector is part of this framework due to its essentially technological nature. With these changes, discussions began about phenomena known as ‘cyberspace’, ‘cyber power’, and ‘cyber domain’. Because cyberspace permeates and can even influence the other operational domains (sea, land, air, and space), having the right knowledge of cyberspace – both one’s own and that of one’s adversaries – has become a competitive advantage in interstate conflicts. This knowledge is called situational awareness, a concept conceived in the 1980's by Mica Endsley, then Chief Scientist of the United States Air Force, and which can be defined as the ability to perceive and understand activities in a given time and space and to predict the future evolution of the situation. This concept can be unfolded in the cyber domain, giving rise to the socalled cyber situational awareness, which generally means the full knowledge of the actions occurring in the cyber space of interest. Thus, this article aims to elucidate the strategic role of cyber situational awareness, identifying the theories and models of its emerging concept and, subsequently, its developments in military strategy.

Promotion of the refugee to legitimate employment through the prism of the development of the economic sector of the host country

This article aims to describe the most important aspects of refugee inclusion and adaptation in the economic sector of a prosperous democratic society. Particular attention is paid to employing refugees, as they are expected to contribute to the economic development of the host country. Various new elements of analysis are applied to demonstrate that the information is current and truthful. This act exposes some premordial aspects such as: refugee adaptation disputes in employment and the process of integration into the host community. It describes the definitive assimilation of local instruments in relation to the main moments of adaptation of the subjects, in our case refugees. The authors of several doctrinal arts convey to multiple sources of ideas where the applicable rules for the classification of refugees in different countries are described. At the end of the article are exposed defenitory factors of research on refugee employment, ending with recommendations.

Data for Whom, Data from Whom: How Social Movements Might Create Value for Their Community Data Practices

Belief in the power of data-driven decision-making has expanded from corporate environments to include all sectors of society, including social justice efforts. The problem with this newfound trust in "data" is that it can be hard to agree upon what exactly data are, recognize when they are useful, what they are useful for, and whose data should be valued as worthy of informing decisions.

Analysis of the local economic project, future Route

The objective of this research was to analyze the implementation of an economic project for local development, which aims to contribute to the introduction of Alternative Energy outside the national electrical interconnection with the use of renewable sources, as well as, use Computer and Communications Technologies in the different sectors of society through scientific-technical services with high added value. To fulfill the research objective, four stages were developed: Characterization, analysis of the environment, economic viability and programming of activities. The methods and techniques used to meet the proposed objective were: study of the environment and the feasibility of the project, direct observation and interviews. Among the main results are the determination of the net flow of benefits and feasibility, with an Internal Rate of Return of 15.2% and a recovery period of 1.13 years, demonstrating the feasibility of the project, which subsequently allowed us to propose the execution schedule of theeconomic local development project Route Future.

Analysis of Haze Problem in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region of China: Causes and Solutions

This paper analyzes the causes and countermeasures of severe haze in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, based on the status quo of haze in China, especially in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. This paper analyzes the causes of severe haze in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, based on the complexity and multi-factor nature of the haze problem in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, it is difficult to control. The government needs to adopt comprehensive policy measures, including strengthening the management of industrial and transportation emissions, promoting the use of clean energy, optimizing the energy structure, improving domestic pollution control, and strengthening meteorological early warning and monitoring, so as to gradually reduce the problem of smog, improve air quality, and protect people's health. It is considered that quantifying the role of anthropogenic emissions and climate change is the premise of rational control of air pollution, and it is proposed to implement stricter and more specific air pollution prevention and control policies. Some solutions are listed that require joint efforts from all sectors of society to effectively reduce the smog pollution problem in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, improve air quality and protect people's health.

The ‘dark side’ of organizational resilience: The civil society sector in Croatia

ABSTRACT This article explores the challenges experienced by civil society organizations (CSOs) in Croatia, as magnified during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the strategies they use to mitigate their effects. ‘Organisational resilience' is discussed based on interviews with CSO representatives from four fields: contemporary arts and culture, environmental protection, women's rights, and educational/youth organizations. Three themes are developed: the ‘normality' of crisis, established practices of resilience, and emergent practices of resilience. Although the pandemic was experienced as a major disruption, there is a lingering sense of persistent crisis in the civil society sector which is constituted by many tribulations: wars and economic crises, piercing insecurity due to lack of stable funding and an antagonistic political climate. Established practices of resilience that help organizations stay afloat encapsulate financial ingenuity, caring about one's work, and good relations within and outside of the organization. Emergent practices include strengthening technology infrastructure and use, establishing a trade union for CSO workers, but also charging for services. The advocacy role of CSOs seems dimmed and their ability to help others comes at the expense of their founding values and personal wellbeing. This suggests a ‘dark’ side to organizational resilience, a concept frequently used to signal a positive ability.

The Influence of Cultural Difference Cognition on the Entrepreneurship Process of International Students in China

This study focuses on the entrepreneurial activities of Chinese students studying abroad, and explores in depth the impact of cultural differences on the entrepreneurial process of international students. Through literature review and theoretical analysis, a theoretical model was constructed to investigate the impact of cultural differences among international students on the entrepreneurial process. This reveals the significant impact of cultural differences on the entrepreneurial process of international students, providing useful insights for them to overcome cultural differences and smoothly carry out entrepreneurial activities. International students can enhance their awareness of cultural differences, explore unique business perspectives and innovative inspirations in the market, and utilize economic and social differences to seek opportunities for cross-border entrepreneurship. At the same time, universities and all sectors of society should also pay attention to entrepreneurship education for international students, provide necessary support and guidance, and promote the healthy development of entrepreneurial activities for international students.