Security Functions Research Articles

The security function of the community protection unit in the Teling Atas Urban Village, Manado City

This research aims to find out, analyze and describe 1) The Security Function of the Community Protection Unit (Satlinmas) in Teling Atas urban village, Manado City has not run optimally, and 2) Determinant factors of the Security Function of the Community Protection Unit in Teling Atas urban village, Manado City. This research used a qualitative research design with a contextual research that makes humans as instruments and is adapted to a natural situation in relation to data collection which is generally qualitative in nature. The results showed that 1) in terms of Member Capacity, so far Satlinmas members in Teling Atas urban village, Manado City have never participated in education and training; 2) in terms of Facilities and Infrastructure, in carrying out security tasks, Satlinmas has not been supported by adequate facilities and infrastructure; 3) in terms of Coordination with the provincial government, district / city, sub-district to the village / urban village level is quite good but not optimal. While coordination with local residents is quite well established; 4) in terms of Budget, there is no budget organized in the Manado City Regional Budget (APBD) through Teling Atas Urban Village for operational costs of carrying out security patrol tasks, procurement of uniforms, supporting equipment for Satlinmas members as well as monthly allowances/honors; 5) in terms of Community Participation, Community participation is very limited.

Gesture-Driven Home Automation System

This project addresses the critical challenge of making home automation accessible and inclusive for individuals with physical disabilities and visual impairments. Existing home automation methods, such as voice control, mobile apps, and timers, exhibit shortcomings that hinder their effectiveness for this demographic. To overcome these limitations, the project shows the development of a gesture-based home automation system. This system integrates gesture recognition and security functionality. It operates in two stages: user authentication through face recognition and gesture-based appliance control. A Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) processes webcam-captured gestures, with signals relayed to an Arduino via Pyfirmata for appliance activation. A model was trained where it could detect the human hand(s) and more soshow the 20 landmarks that media pipe offers. The system worked well in controlling various home appliances using gestures. Through this innovative approach, the project contributes to the advancement of accessible smart home technology, fostering independence and inclusivity for users with diverse abilities.

Understanding Information Disclosure from Secure Computation Output: A Comprehensive Study of Average Salary Computation

Secure multi-party computation has seen substantial performance improvements in recent years and is being increasingly used in commercial products. While a significant amount of work was dedicated to improving its efficiency under standard security models, the threat models do not account for information leakage from the output of secure function evaluation. Quantifying information disclosure about private inputs from observing the function outcome is the subject of this work. Motivated by the City of Boston gender pay gap studies, in this work we focus on the computation of the average of salaries and quantify information disclosure about private inputs of one or more participants (the target) to an adversary via information-theoretic techniques. We study a number of distributions including log-normal, which is typically used for modeling salaries. We consequently evaluate information disclosure after repeated evaluation of the average function on overlapping inputs, as was done in the Boston gender pay study that ran multiple times, and provide recommendations for using the sum and average functions in secure computation applications. Our goal is to develop mechanisms that lower information disclosure about participants’ inputs to a desired level and provide guidelines for setting up real-world secure evaluation of this function.

Theoretical Calculation of Dissolved Gas in Transformer Oil Using the Gas Sensitive Properties of Sc- and Ti-Modified ZrS2.

To guarantee the secure functioning of the complete power system and minimize the risks associated with oil-filled transformers during their operation, it is greatly important to carry out gas sensing studies of dissolved gases in transformer research. Through the utilization of first-principles density functional theory calculations, the adsorption energy, electronic characteristics, and recuperation duration of ZrS2 modified with Sc and Ti were examined. The results show that compared to those of the initial ZrS2 material, the doping of TM atoms Sc and Ti significantly improved the adsorption properties of the material, and the adsorption of CO and C2H4 showed chemisorption. The adsorption capacity for gases decrease in the following order: C2H4 > CO > H2. The calculated recovery times indicate that Sc-ZrS2 and Ti-ZrS2 were ideal carbon monoxide sensing materials under the specific conditions. The results of this work can establish a fundamental rationale for the use of ZrS2 in sensing the conditions of oil-immersed transformers.

An innovative model based on the WOA-MLP approach for estimating the state of health of lithium-ion batteries

Abstract Lithium-ion batteries typically experience performance degradation during use, which can lead to failures or accidents when aging is severe. Assessing the state of health (SOH) of a battery is essential for refining battery stewardship and upkeep protocols, ensuring its secure and steadfast long-term functionality. Data-driven approaches for estimating the SOH of lithium-ion batteries are advancing swiftly, leading to the development of a novel model, WOA-MLP, for SOH estimation in lithium-ion batteries. Firstly, by analyzing the aging mechanism of lithium-ion batteries and the changing law of the charging voltage curve during the aging process, three health features (HFs), including constant-current (CC) charging time, constant-voltage (CV) charging time and the charging energy of the CC charging process are extracted. Then extracted HFs are inputted into the Multilayer Perceptron (MLP) for the estimation of SOH. The hyper-parameters of the MLP are optimized by using the Whale Optimization Algorithm (WOA), which comprises the hybrid data-driven model WOA-MLP. Finally, the efficacy of the method introduced is corroborated using a public battery dataset.

A coordinated control strategy for energy storage stations to suppress overvoltage in sending-end AC grid caused by DC blocking

Abstract A DC blocking event will cause a substantial quantity of reactive power injection into the sending-end AC grid, leading to overvoltage, which severely affects the secure and reliable functioning of the system. Synchronous condensers (SCs) offer the dual advantages of substantial capacity and rapid response speed, but their output target reactive power requires about 200-500 ms, much slower than energy storage stations. Therefore, this article introduces a coordinated control strategy for energy storage stations, grounded in the Karush-Kuhn-Tucker (KKT) conditions. The strategy in question is designed to optimize the reactive power margin, ensuring that the energy storage station’s total active power output remains steady while maximizing the reactive power it can absorb, as defined by the objective function. By solving the Lagrange equation in MATLAB, the objective value for the optimized energy storage unit’s output power is ascertained and subsequently allocated to individual energy storage units. In addition, the energy storage station, in conjunction with the SCs, jointly absorbs reactive power to mitigate overvoltage in the sending-end AC grid during DC blockages. Finally, simulations confirm the efficacy of the proposed coordinated control strategy.

Robust, Secure, and Private Cache-Aided Scalar Linear Function Retrieval From Distributed System With Blind and Adversarial Servers

Robust, Secure, and Private Cache-Aided Scalar Linear Function Retrieval From Distributed System With Blind and Adversarial Servers

Quantitative evaluation of power grid voltage stability level of power system with high proportional power electronics device

Abstract There is an increasing need for long-distance electricity transportation using high voltage direct current (HVDC). By incorporating numerous renewable energy grid integration technologies at the receiving end, an advanced power grid network will be built. The occurrence of short-circuit faults at the receiving end has the potential to trigger commutation failure and voltage dip. Consequently, the exploration of transient voltage stability assessment is pivotal in enhancing the secure and reliable functioning of the receiving electricity grid. To address this challenge, this paper initially delves into the quantitative assessment of the voltage stability status when subjected to a power system with high proportional power electronics device. It also clarifies the dynamic interplay between reactive power and voltage. Subsequently, a suitable quantitative assessment metric for transient voltage stability is formulated. Finally, the transient voltage stability evaluation of a power system with high proportional power electronics device is realized.

SPT: Security Policy Translator for Network Security Functions in Cloud-Based Security Services

SPT: Security Policy Translator for Network Security Functions in Cloud-Based Security Services

Device Applications Enabled by Bandgap Engineering Through Quantum Dot Tuning: A Review.

Quantum dots (QDs) are becoming essential materials for future scientific and real-world applications, owing to their interesting and distinct optical and electrical properties compared to their bulk-state counterparts. The ability to tune the bandgap of QDs based on size and composition-a key characteristic-opens up new possibilities for enhancing the performance of various optoelectronic devices. These advances could extend to cutting-edge applications such as ultrawide-band or dual-band photodetectors (PDs), optoelectronic logic gates, neuromorphic devices, and security functions. This paper revisits the recent progress in QD-embedded optoelectronic applications, focusing on bandgap tunability. The current limitations and challenges in advancing and realizing QD-based optoelectronic devices are also discussed.

Shedding light on pollination deficits: Cueing into plant spectral reflectance signatures to monitor pollination delivery across landscapes

AbstractPollination underlies plant yield, health and reproductive success in agricultural and natural systems worldwide. It is therefore concerning that declining animal pollinator populations compounded by growing demands for food are leading to rising pollination deficits, with globally significant economic and environmental implications.Despite this urgent issue, accurate and scalable tools to quantify and track pollination across useful spatiotemporal scales are lacking. Here, we propose to shed new light on pollination deficits, looking to remote sensing platforms as a transformative mapping and monitoring tool and a solution for pollinator conservation and crop management.Providing a synthesis of our current understanding of pollination‐triggered floral senescence and underlying ultrastructural and metabolic changes, we propose how spectral reflectance technologies could be applied to accurately detect pollination events in real‐time and at the landscape scale.Synthesis and applications: We highlight where research efforts can be targeted to produce scalable methods for identifying field‐relevant bioindicators of pollination. We provide guidance on how spectral imaging accompanied by machine learning and coupled with autonomous operation technologies will enable applications to detect pollination delivery across complex landscapes. Ultimately, such an ecological application will transform our quantitative understanding of pollination services and, by directly linking plant yields and health, will reveal pollination deficits at high resolution to help mitigate risks to food security and ecosystem functioning.

Balancing of Counterclaims as a Legal Construction Similar to Set-off

This article examines the application of set-off under Article 410 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation within bankruptcy procedures, highlighting the limitations imposed by proportionality and claims priority rules. These restrictions often conflict with economic feasibility, leading to the emergence of a legal construction known as the balancing of counterclaims in judicial practice. Although balancing of counterclaims functions similarly to set-off, it circumvents the statutory limitations traditionally applied to set-off. Despite its practical utility in addressing set-off admissibility issues in bankruptcy, the concept lacks proper legal justification. This article explores the legal nature of balancing counterclaims, its distinctions from set-off, and its criteria and application procedures. The article begins by examining the historical evolution of balancing counterclaims and the rationale behind their distinct terminology. A comparative analysis with set-off under Article 410 of the Civil Code is conducted, focusing on the grounds for obligations termination, purpose, scope, and procedural applications. Key differences between the two concepts are in their goal and limited application scope, allowing balancing counterclaims to operate beyond the proportionality and claim priority constraints. Additionally, the article delves into potential penalties and the security functions associated with balancing counterclaims. In conclusion, balancing counterclaims can be best understood either as a legal construct derived from traditional set-off principles or as a criterion for determining transaction admissibility, including set-off, within bankruptcy contexts.

The patient-reported outcome measure for older people living with frailty receiving acute care (PROM-OPAC): field-testing and validation

BackgroundCurrent acute healthcare service metrics are not meaningful for older people living with frailty. Healthcare knowledge, situational security, and physical and psychosocial function are important outcomes typically not collected. The use of patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) could support these assessments. Existing instruments are not comprehensive as they typically consider function, while older people with frailty also value enablement (self-determination and security in health and healthcare). This study field-tested and validated a PROM for older people with frailty receiving acute care (PROM-OPAC) to measure enablement.MethodsPeople aged 65+ with Clinical Frailty Scale 5–8 were recruited within seventy-two hours of an emergency attendance. Iterations of the novel instrument were administered over three stages: (1) preliminary field-testing for reliability (response distribution and internal consistency) and structure (exploratory factor analysis, EFA); (2) intermediate field-testing of an improved instrument for reliability and structure; (3) final draft validation assessing reliability, structure (confirmatory factor analysis, CFA), and construct validity based on a priori hypotheses. Feasibility was appraised throughout using data completeness and response rates and times.Results241 people participated. Three items of a preliminary seven-item measure had poor response distribution or loading and were accordingly improved. The intermediate instrument had interpretability issues and three items required further improvement. The final eight-item draft had acceptable reliability (Cronbach’s alpha: 0.71), structure (two factors for self-determination and security; RMSEA: 0.065; TLI: 0.917; CFI: 0.944), and construct validity (lower scores from respondents waiting longer and requiring admission). Feasibility was promising (response rate 39%; 98% responses complete; median completion time 11 (IQR: 12) minutes).ConclusionsAdministration of the PROM-OPAC appeared feasible and the instrument had acceptable psychometric properties. Further evaluation is required to assess generalisability.

REALIZATION OF THE FUNCTIONS OF THE PROSECUTOR’S OFFICE AS AN ELEMENT OF THE MECHANISM OF ENSURING NATIONAL SECURITY OF UKRAINE

The article is devoted to the study of the peculiarities of exercising the functions of the Prosecutor’s Office of Ukraine in the context of ensuring the national security of the State in the current conditions. Attention is focused on the procedural guidance of pre-trial investigation and support of public prosecution in court in criminal proceedings on crimes against the foundations of national security of Ukraine. The author notes that the main regulatory documents defining the main directions of the state policy in the field of national security do not mention the prosecutor’s office and its activities. At the same time, the work demonstrates that, as a key criminal justice body, the prosecutor’s office is actively involved in ensuring the national security of Ukraine within its competence. The author emphasizes the importance of the prosecutor’s office’s coordination activities in the area of combating crime, primarily crimes against the foundations of national security of Ukraine, cybercrime, corruption criminal offenses, offenses in the budgetary and economic security spheres, as well as organized crime, which have a destructive impact on the proper functioning of the national security of the State. The author provides examples of skillful use of coordination powers by the heads of individual prosecutor’s offices, which helped to orient law enforcement agencies to further effective counteraction to separatism, encroachment on the territorial integrity and inviolability of the State and other crimes against the foundations of national security of Ukraine. The author emphasizes the need to improve the mechanisms of interaction between the prosecutor’s office and other law enforcement agencies, which is crucial for a comprehensive approach to protecting national interests and citizens’ rights, which is the basis of a strong and stable state. The author substantiates the importance of timely and high-quality coverage of the work of the prosecutor’s office in the area of ensuring the national security of Ukraine using the capabilities of modern communication tools, such as the official Telegram channel of the Prosecutor General’s Office, the official pages of the Office on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Assessing the impact of farmers’ willingness to pay on different cultivated land attribute levels in China: an empirical analysis using the choice experiment method

Exploring farmers’ willingness to pay (WTP) for cultivated land protection and its influencing factors is key to promoting their enthusiasm for participating in cultivated land pollution governance. However, existing studies often overlook the differences in farmers’ preference for different levels of cultivated land attributes and the issue of intertemporal choice in farmers’ WTP, thus lowering the effectiveness of cultivated land protection policies. Using survey data from 646 small farmers in Shandong, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang provinces of China, this study empirically analyzes the impact of time preference on farmers’ WTP for cultivated land attribute levels by utilizing the choice experiment method, measures the relative importance of different cultivated land attributes and attribute levels to farmers, and calculates farmers’ WTP for different cultivated land attribute levels. The results revealed that farmers are generally reluctant to pay for cultivated land protection. Time preference affects farmers’ WTP for different levels of cultivated land attributes, with future-biased preference increasing farmers’ WTP and present-biased preference inhibiting it. Furthermore, for farmers, the relative importance of cultivated land attributes is in the order of cultivated land quality, cultivated land surrounding landscape and ecological environment, cultivated land social security function, and cultivated land area. The most crucial cultivated land attribute level is the improved cultivated land quality, with an average WTP of 3290.625 CNY per hectare (approximately 459.117 USD). In contrast, the least important cultivated land attribute level is the unchanged cultivated land area, with an average WTP of 1001.250 CNY per hectare (approximately 139.697 USD). The economic benefits of cultivated land protection in the sampled provinces can reach 353.892 million CNY per year (approximately 49.376 million USD) annually, which is calculated based on vegetable planting area. Our results suggest that the government should diversify farmers’ sources of income while increasing the amount of income, thereby reducing barriers to farmers’ payment. Simultaneously, farmers’ time preferences should be considered to guide them toward expecting long-term benefits and encouraging their active participation in cultivated land pollution governance. Moreover, cultivated land protection policies should match the preference of farmers for cultivated land attributes and attribute levels, and a limited fiscal fund should be allocated to the cultivated land attributes (i.e., cultivated land quality) and attribute levels (i.e., improved cultivated land quality) preferred by farmers to improve policy efficiency. This study highlights the importance of encouraging farmers to actively participate in cultivated land pollution governance and improving the allocation efficiency of the government’s cultivated land protection fund.

On the issue of maintaining a balance of private and public interests in satisfying creditors’ claims in bankruptcy proceedings

The article analyzes the problems of satisfying creditors’ claims in bankruptcy proceedings. In the context of a conflict of interests of creditors caused by insufficient property of an insolvent debtor, the search for an optimal model for satisfying their claims was carried out. Common conflict situations arising between pledgees and authorized bodies have been identified. For example, in cases of satisfaction of claims for mandatory payments secured by the seizure of a taxpayer’s property. The tax authorities, as current creditors, also file claims for payment of income tax, property tax and land tax. The legal positions of the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation are analyzed. It is concluded that it is necessary to eliminate the imbalance of interests of collateral creditors and authorized bodies, and restoration of the security function of the pledge.

Характеристика способов вовлечения в занятие проституцией и организации занятия проституцией, осуществляемых участниками организованных преступных формирований

The article examines the preparatory stage of criminal activity related to the organization of prostitution, including: finding certain categories of persons who form the necessary structural, administrative, personnel and financial foundation for the effective implementation of this type of criminal business; developing rules for interaction between these categories of persons and with the external environment; selecting and equipping places where both direct provision of sexual services and performance of security functions will be carried out, as well as finding means to ensure the commission of crimes. It also describes in detail such methods of involving persons in this illegal activity as fraud, coercion, placing in financial dependence and others. The article considers various categories of persons participating in the organization of prostitution as part of organized groups. The following forms of organizing prostitution are described: street; in a home at the place of residence of the client or the person providing sexual services; organizing the provision of sexual services under the guise of the activities of leisure facilities; hotel, escort services.

The United Nations Charter and the African Union Constitutive Act: The search for compatibility in addressing African peace and security

ABSTRACT Collective security by regional organisations continues to be impacted by evolving global security threats. Previously focused at the global level, the shift from interstate conflicts to intra-state conflicts resulted in the acknowledgement of regionalism and the functions of collective security being implemented at the regional level. This paper examines the development of regionalism in the security sphere and the evolving relationship between the United Nations (UN) and regional organisations. Employing historical and comparative perspectives, it considers both the development of regional security projects and the reasons for their successes and failures. It also critically analyses the various constitutional developments that have occurred within regional arrangements looking particularly at the African Union (AU) and what accounts for such regional organisations to depart from the normative framework of regional arrangements contained in Chapter VIII of the UN Charter. The paper uses primary and secondary material to understand the compatibility of Chapter VIII of the UN Charter and the Constitutive Act of the AU as mechanisms used to respond to peace and security challenges on the African continent. The design of the study is qualitative research and the AU is used as a case study from other regional organisations. The theoretical framework adopted, based on its explanatory power, is collective security.

A Method for Assessing the Prevalence of Food Insecurity in Older Adults Based on Resource Constraints and Food-Related Physical Functioning Limitations

BackgroundOlder adults with food-related physical functioning limitations often face food insecurity because of challenges that go beyond resource constraints. Difficulties with food acquisition at retailers, and food preparation and consumption are not captured by the United States Department of Agriculture’s food security measure. ObjectivesThe objective of this study was to develop a method to assess the overall prevalence of food insecurity regardless of underlying cause using validated measures that capture both food-related physical functioning limitations and resource-constraint food hardships. It also aims to examine the validity of this method in relation to sociodemographic characteristics, health, appetite, and dietary outcomes. MethodsUsing information from National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (2007–2018), 10,237 adults aged 60 y and older with complete food security and food-related physical functioning limitations data were included in the study. Comparisons of the cross-classification method and the standard food security methods are made and their relationships with depression, self-reported health, and healthy eating index 2015 are examined using multiple linear regression models. ResultsUsing the cross-classification method, prevalence of low and very low food security because of resource constraints and food-related physical functioning limitations was found to be higher (13.6% and 7.3%, respectively) compared with food insecurity based solely on resource constraints (4.7% and 3.3%, respectively) or food-related physical functioning limitations (11.4% and 4.4%). Low and very low food security levels using the cross-classification method were associated with higher odds of depression and poor self-reported health, compared with the standard United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) resource-constrained food security measure. ConclusionsThe cross-classification method enables the identification of potentially food insecure older adults who might be classified otherwise if only each measure is used alone. This method serves as guidance for using both measures jointly to estimate food insecurity, regardless of its cause.

Evaluation of microleakage of mineral trioxide aggregate and biodentine as apical barriers in simulated young permanent teeth

BackgroundApexification is a procedure that promotes apical closure by forming mineralized tissue in the apex region of a nonvital young permanent tooth. Calcium silicate-based cement like Mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) and Biodentine are commonly employed as apical barriers to facilitate this process. Microleakage, defined as the leakage along the junction between the canal wall and filling material, is a crucial aspect to assess in MTA and Biodentine applications as apical barriers, as it directly impacts the prevention of bacterial seepage and maintenance of structural integrity. The current study aims to assess the microleakage of MTA and Biodentine when used as apical barriers in simulated young permanent teeth.MethodsFrom a total of 128 extracted teeth, 114 were selected for the study and randomly allocated into three groups: G1 (MTA), G2 (Biodentine), and G3 (Control), with 38 teeth per group. After excluding 5 teeth from each group due to issues such as canal calcification, breakage during sectioning, and procedural errors, 33 teeth were analyzed to ensure equal distribution. To simulate young permanent teeth, samples were instrumented using a person-reamer with a diameter of 1.7 mm. A 4 mm thick apical plug of MTA and Biodentine was placed in G1 and G2, respectively, while G3 was the control group. Apical microleakage in all experimental groups was assessed using a dye penetration method. Specimens were longitudinally sectioned and examined under a stereomicroscope with graded eyepiece.ResultsThe Kruskal-Wallis test revealed variations in mean apical microleakage among the groups: G1 recorded 0.67, G2–0.16, and G3–1.62, with G2 showing the lowest value and G3 group exhibiting the highest.ConclusionsBiodentine was found to excel in its ability to create a secure seal and function effectively as an apical barrier in simulated young permanent teeth. These results underscore its potential as a highly efficient material for dental applications, particularly in scenarios requiring reliable sealing and barrier formation in the root canal system of developing permanent teeth.