Threat Situation Research Articles

Repertory characteristics of role models of university students’ security

The article discusses psychological issues of the role repertoire of university students in a situation of danger. Topicality of the problem is related to the wide range of threats a group may face, and its low scientific knowledge. The purpose of the research presented in the article is to study the nature of the distribution of roles in the group when solving security problems. The main research hypothesis is the assumption that the need to overcome danger may contribute to the repertory and functional specialisation of roles in the group caused by the fact and type of danger. Achieving this goal required an experiment. When organising it, ethical restrictions related to the inadmissibility of purposeful placement of a person in a situation of threat to life and health were taken into account. This determined the use of role-playing capabilities as the basis of the experiment. 10 student groups (10≤n≤15) with a high level of group cohesion according to the Carl Emil Seashore’s index were involved in the experiment. Each group was offered three dangerous situations, differing in the “field” and “effect” of danger, and its participants were required to discuss, play and reflect the repertoire and functional content of the necessary roles. Experts were engaged to analyse the empirical data. According to the results of the study, two types of roles demanded by a dangerous situation were identified – those aimed at overcoming the threat (initiator, expert, developer, coordinator, controller, commentator) and those aimed at supporting group members (optimist, nihilist, conformist, dogmatist). It is established that danger by its very fact specialises the functions of group roles. Each type of hazard increases the significance of certain roles. Regardless of the type of danger, the group is most in demand for the roles of optimist, conformist and developer. The study is promising to continue on other sample compositions and arsenals of dangerous situations.

An Unsupervised Learning-Based Network Threat Situation Assessment Model for Internet of Things

With the wide application of network technology, the Internet of Things (IoT) systems are facing the increasingly serious situation of network threats; the network threat situation assessment becomes an important approach to solve these problems. Aiming at the traditional methods based on data category tag that has high modeling cost and low efficiency in the network threat situation assessment, this paper proposes a network threat situation assessment model based on unsupervised learning for IoT. Firstly, we combine the encoder of variational autoencoder (VAE) and the discriminator of generative adversarial networks (GAN) to form the V-G network. Then, we obtain the reconstruction error of each layer network by training the network collection layer of the V-G network with normal network traffic. Besides, we conduct the reconstruction error learning by the 3-layer variational autoencoder of the output layer and calculate the abnormal threshold of the training. Moreover, we carry out the group threat testing with the test dataset containing abnormal network traffic and calculate the threat probability of each test group. Finally, we obtain the threat situation value (TSV) according to the threat probability and the threat impact. The simulation results show that, compared with the other methods, this proposed method can evaluate the overall situation of network security threat more intuitively and has a stronger characterization ability for network threats.

Stereotype Threat Effect on a Simple Motor Task: An Investigation of the Visuo-Spatial Working Memory

ABSTRACT Purpose: Based on the Chalabaev et al. (2013) study showing that in a Stereotype Threat (ST) situation the velocity of force production in a simple motor task can be affected, this study aimed to replicate this result and tested the role of Visuo-Spatial Working Memory (VSWM) in the ST effect. Method: Twenty one female athletes performed maximum voluntary contractions of the knee extensor muscles on an isokinetic dynamometer (Biodex), under neutral, ST, and ST with mental imagery conditions. The Rate Force of Development (RFD), a velocity indicator, was measured under each condition. VSWM and avoidance-related processes were measured in at a separate time. Results: Data confirmed that the RFD decreased when the stereotype threat was introduced, but also that mental imagery of the movement in the pre-contraction stage prevented this effect. Moreover, in the ST condition avoidance-related processes did not affect the RFD. In contrast, higher VSWM performance was associated with higher RFD. Conclusion: These findings suggest that the ST effects on a simple motor task can be explained by an alteration of working memory which impairs movement preparatory processes in the pre-contraction stage.

Relevance, validity, and evidential reasoning in clinical practice

Relevance, validity, and evidential reasoning in clinical practice

Human-monkey conflict in human dominated landscape of Najibabad forest division, Bijnor

Conflicts between humans and monkeys are recognized among major issues related to human-wildlife conflict. Today, human-monkey conflict has garnered the global attention as over the years it has become a serious concern. The present study was done in the human dominated landscape of Najibabad forest division (NFD). The data were collected from 2015 to 2018. The study aimed to assess the damage caused by monkeys on human-society and crop fields. The study showed that biting humans, destroying orchards, crops and stealing household things are the major damages caused by rhesus macaques (Macaca mullata). Destruction of habitats, over-population, and improper disposal of wastes are the main causes of human-monkey conflict and the monkeys also face threat in such situations. Hostile attitude of people and transportation of trapped monkey to release them in forest causes injuries or even death of monkeys.

A narrative review comparing SARS-CoV-2, SARS-CoV-1 and MERS-CoV highlighting their characteristic features, evolution and clinical outcomes

COVID‑19 pandemic caused by SARS‑CoV‑2 created a bio threat situation throughout the world. This article features evolution and clinical outcomes of SARS‑CoV‑2, SARS‑CoV‑1 and MERS‑CoV. COVID‑19 originated in Wuhan, China and resulted in severe morbidity and mortality. Features of SARS are similar to COVID‑19. MERS exhibited a relatively milder disease, mainly in Middle East countries. Coronaviruses are large (100 nm) viruses exhibiting a spherical shape with a lipoprotein envelope and can cause diseases in animals and humans. All coronaviruses are sensitive to physicochemical agents. They attach to angiotensin Converting Enzyme ‑2 (ACE‑2) and serine protease receptors of lungs. Literature review and genetic homology were conducted using data sources and bioinformatics tools for the comparison of SARS‑CoV‑2 with SARS‑CoV‑1 and MERS‑CoV. Genome analysis between SARS‑CoV‑2 with SARS‑CoV‑1 and MERS‑CoV revealed that SARS‑CoV‑2 and SARS‑CoV‑1 are 95% related with each other whereas SARS‑CoV‑2 and MERS‑CoV are 65% related. SARS‑CoV‑2 and SARS‑CoV‑1 are genetically more related than MERS‑CoV. Animal reservoirs for SARS‑CoV‑2 and SARS‑CoV‑1 may be bats, pangolins, etc. MERS can be transmitted from infected camels. SARS‑CoV‑2 might have evolved from SARS‑CoV‑1 or from another animal reservoir coronavirus. It can be transmitted from infected animals and humans through respiratory route. Strict public health measures such as physical distancing and maintaining good hygiene should be taken to contain their community spread. SARS‑CoV‑2 can undergo antigenic variation resulting in difficulty to develop drugs and vaccines. COVID‑19 has caused a severe blow to the economy of both developed and developing nations.

THE VETERINARIAN IN PANDEMY SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19): BACKGROUND AND ATTRIBUTIONS

In December 2019, the world watched in disbelief as a viral epidemic, originating in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, took on frightening proportions. On January 30, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak of the disease caused by the new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) to be a public health emergency of international importance, the highest level of alert of the Organization, as provided in the International Health Regulations (IHR, 2016). On March 11, 2020, the epidemic was declared a pandemic by the WHO. Despite the rapid distribution of the new virus, many countries were reluctant or slow to comply strictly with the prophylactic methods suggested by those who had already experienced the whole situation of threat to the health of their populations.

How Nonnative Speakers Experience Conflict at Work: The Influence of Stereotype Threat

The trend towards globalization increases the likelihood that organizations will employ persons with nonnative accents. Many people with nonnative accents are aware that they sound different, but for the most part, their experiences have been largely ignored in organizational research. Our research begins to rectify this omission by examining how nonnative speakers think, act and perceive the results of, conflict situations. We investigate the experiences of nonnative speakers in three studies, in which we examine 1) whether nonnative speakers experience stereotype threat in workplace conflict situations with native speakers, 2) whether stereotype threat is associated with certain conflict managing behaviors (e.g. yielding and avoiding), and 3) the relationship between stereotype threat, satisfaction with conflict outcomes and processes, and objective conflict outcomes. Findings suggest that nonnative speakers experience stereotype threat when interacting with native speakers in conflict situations and the experience of stereotype threat can lead to more passive conflict behaviors. Stereotype threat was also associated with less satisfaction with conflict outcomes and goal-attainment as well as lower objective conflict outcomes. Theoretical and practical implications of these results as well as directions for future research are discussed.

Self-affirmation buffering by the general public reduces anxiety levels during the COVID-19 epidemic

<p id="C2">In December 2019, an outbreak of a novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) occurred in Wuhan, Hubei province, China. COVID-19 is characterised by fever and severe acute respiratory symptoms in early stages, which can rapidly progress to acute respiratory distress syndrome that is associated with high mortality. As of 9 February 2020, 40171 cases have been confirmed cumulatively and 23589 suspected cases were collected in China. The wide and rapid spread of COVID-19 has intensely captured public attention, leading to increased mental health stress. Timely mental health care and intervention during the outbreak of COVID-19 is urgently needed not only for confirmed or suspected patients and frontline medical workers, but also for the general public.<br/>Previous studies showed that affirmation of personal values can buffer psychological stress responses in various threat situations. The goal of the present study was to investigate whether an intervention involving reflection on personal values was capable of buffering psychological stress responses during the outbreak. We recruited 220 participants who completed a questionnaire on their personal values. Those in the self-affirmation group were asked to choose and write their thoughts and feelings of a personal value that made them feel important to themselves while those in the control condition were asked to do the same for a personal value that they thought was important to others. Both groups completed a Self-rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) prior to and 7 days after intervention. <br/>We used two-way repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) to evaluate the buffer effect of value affirmation on stress responses with time of assessment as a within-subjects factor and intervention group as a between-subjects factor for anxiety and depression. Our results revealed a significant relationship between time and intervention for the reduction of anxiety. Further simple effect analysis demonstrated that the control group showed heightened levels of anxiety 7 days after intervention compared with before, whereas participants who affirmed their values did not show any increase. This effect remained significant after controlling for sex, age, educational level, and annual family income. However, no significant differences were found for depression. <br/>The present study demonstrates for the first time that an experimental intervention involving the affirmation of personal values can buffer psychological stress response during the COVID-19 epidemic. Specifically, participants who affirmed their values did not show increased levels of anxiety compared with control participants. Self-affirmation is easy to accomplish since it does not require professional guidance or a distinct environment and occupies little time, it would be a convenient strategy for the public to cope with psychological stress during the outbreak.

Farmers Distress During the COVID-19 Lock Down: Psychosocial Response

Background: COVID 19 outbreak in the nation have significantly affected the farmers. The farming economy is totally dependent on rain in India, however this time it is COVID 19 that have put the agriculture and farmers under threat situation. Farmers who have the crop in their hand but are unable to sale in the market as unavailability of transport facility, shutdown at many place across nation. The distress of farmers have increased due to nationwide lockdown. The obstacle caused by the COVID-19 pandemic will drop the country’s struggling rural economy that supports nearly half its population into further distress. COVID-19 pandemic is become major stressor for most of people. Socio-economic impact is highly disastrous. Farmers are having the biggest loss due to this lockdown. And there are psychosocial consequences of this disaster needs to be recognized and addressed efficiently. These consequences include feeling sadness, anxiety, lack of interest in doing daily activity, low mood, depression, suicidal thoughts, lack of sleep, use of substance, domestic violence. Funding Statement: None to declare. Declaration of Interests: None to declare Ethics Approval Statement: The ethical approval for the study obtained from Indian Institute of Mind Research and Rehabilitation under Kumarswami Bahuudeshiya Sevabhavi Sanstha (KBSS), Latur

Role of security guards in Code Black events in medical and surgical settings: A retrospective chart audit.

The prevalence of security guards in health care settings is growing worldwide. There is a need to explore and understand their role and actions to inform policy and training and support least restrictive practices in health care. The aim of this study was to conduct a retrospective chart audit of security guard logs to investigate security guard involvement in Code Blacks, called in emergency situations of personal threats including patient and/or visitor violence, in medical and surgical wards in a large metropolitan health network in South Australia. Security guards attended 1664 Code Blacks (0.63% of admissions) over the 2.5-year study period. Events were more frequently reported in medical than surgical wards. The most common reasons for security guard attendance were patients threatening/harming staff and patients threatening/harming themselves. The most frequent security guard actions were "Attend only/standby," "Physical restraint," and "Patient located and returned to the ward." The most frequent outcomes were physical restraint, chemical restraint, and de-escalation respectively. Results highlight the imperative that health services maintain and increase efforts to support least restrictive practice through policy directives and staff training.

Dynamic Path Planning of the UAV Avoiding Static and Moving Obstacles

This paper introduces a dynamic path planning method for the UAV that can avoid both static and moving obstacles. The condition with sudden threats can better reflect the real situation of the UAV in the real environment. First of all, the A* algorithm is adopted to generate an optimal path in a known environment in this method. Then, in the situation of static sudden threats, a series of candidate paths are generated by the principle of cubic spline second-order continuity. In order to make the static sudden threat at the center of a cluster of candidate paths, they need to be adjusted. After that, this path cluster completely surrounds the sudden threat and has symmetry about the sudden threat. When encountering a sudden threat of movement, factors such as the speed, acceleration and certain parameters of the movement obstacle or the UAV are considered, and a correlation model of the dynamic sudden threat is established. Finally, the total cost function is established to select the optimal obstacle avoidance path, and the total cost function contains four sub-cost functions, they are static security cost function, smoothness cost function, consistency cost function and dynamic security cost function. The simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.

THE CORONAVIRUS IN LIBERAL AND ILLIBERAL DEMOCRACIES AND THE FUTURE OF GLOBALIZED WORLD

&#x0D; The aim of this article is to compare the effectiveness of two political systems: liberal democracy and illiberal democracy in fighting the coronavirus pandemic. The analysis has been carried out on the basis of the theoretical assumptions and conceptualization of non-Marxian historical materialism. In the first part of my article, I present the concept of ‘regulative credit” which has been introduced in that theory. In standard socio-political conditions, the growth of power regulations is usually contested by citizens. However, in a situation of danger, when social order is undermined, citizens support the authorities’ extraordinary regulations. This social support, called regulative credit, lasts as long as the danger persists. In chapter two, I characterize shortly liberal and illiberal democracies. In liberal democracy, there is a balance between different branches of power, and citizens share a socio-political consciousness of the individualistic type. In illiberal democracy, the executive branch of power – although it has been democratically chosen – has an advantage over the two other kinds of power, and citizens share a socio-political consciousness of the collectivist type. Those differences result in diverse reactions of the authorities to a situation of threat. The political authorities of an illiberal democracy react faster in comparison with the political authorities in liberal democracies that react slower. Also, the attitude of citizens toward the introduced restrictions varied. Societies of illiberal democracies are more self-disciplined and more willing to accept restrictions from above. Whereas societies of liberal democracies are more individualistic and less willing to accept limitations. In the fourth part of my paper, I analyze briefly the influence of the pandemic on globalization processes and on the relations between the EU and the nation states in Europe. In the summary (chapter five), I predict that the mass use of modern technologies to control social life and strengthening of the sovereignty of nation states will be the two most important effects of the pandemic.

Leader Member Exchange in Leaders’ Support for Voice: Good Relationships Matter in Situations of Power Threat

While previous research underscores the role of leaders in stimulating employee voice behaviour, comparatively little is known about what affects leaders’ support for such constructive but potentially threatening employee behaviours. We introduce leader member exchange quality (LMX) as a central predictor of leaders’ support for employees’ ideas for constructive change. Apart from a general benefit of high LMX for leaders’ idea support, we propose that high LMX is particularly critical to leaders’ idea support if the idea voiced by an employee constitutes a power threat to the leader. We investigate leaders’ attribution of prosocial and egoistic employee intentions as mediators of these effects. Hypotheses were tested in a quasi‐experimental vignette study (N = 160), in which leaders evaluated a simulated employee idea, and a field study (N = 133), in which leaders evaluated an idea that had been voiced to them at work. Results show an indirect effect of LMX on leaders’ idea support via attributed prosocial intentions but not via attributed egoistic intentions, and a buffering effect of high LMX on the negative effect of power threat on leaders’ idea support. Results differed across studies with regard to the main effect of LMX on idea support.

Lex coronavirus. Włoskie prawo w walce z pandemią

An epidemic caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 has been existed in Europe and worldwide for several weeks now. On 11 March 2020, the WHO declared it a global pandemic. At the time of writing, Europe, in particular Italy, is the largest outbreak of coronavirus. Italy is attempting to tackle the virus with increasingly drastic legal measures. On 31 January 2020, its Council of Ministers declared a state of emergency related to the sanitary risk of coronavirus infection. Italy has started the fight against the virus using two legal instruments: the first is the Council of Ministers’ declaration of a six-month state of emergency on 31 January 2020, and the second is a decree-law (decreto legge) issued by the Prime Minister temporarily restricting the freedom of movement throughout the state. In exceptional cases, the Italian Government has the right to issue normative legal acts. Recent legislative acts issued in Italy have undoubtedly limited the fundamental rights granted by the Constitution of 1947. These limited rights include the right of movement, but also freedom of assembly, the right to work, freedom of economic activity and freedom of conscience and religion. As a result of the legal solutions introduced, fundamental human rights are subject to justifiable restrictions in order to protect the constitutionally guaranteed right of the community to health care. In situations of epidemiological threats, protecting the lives and health of citizens is essential. Any restrictions on rights and freedoms are intended to protect these goods. However extensive these restrictions may be, in a democratic state this must be introduced under strict control and for a specified period of time linked to the duration of an epidemic.

Acute effects of oxytocin in music performance anxiety: a crossover, randomized, placebo-controlled trial.

Individuals with music performance anxiety (MPA) present physical, behavioral, and cognitive manifestations of anxiety, in addition to information processing deficits, especially in facial emotion recognition (FER). To assess the effects of a single dose of intranasal oxytocin (24IU) on FER in a sample of musicians with high and low MPA (primary outcome), as well as indicators of mood/anxiety and self-assessed performance (secondary outcomes). Crossover, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial involving 43 male musicians with different levels of MPA. Participants completed a static facial emotion recognition task and self-rated mood and performance scales. Data were analyzed using ANOVA 2 × 0 for crossover trials and the Omnibus test (measure of separability between intervention and carryover effects). Only musicians with high MPA treated with oxytocin had a higher accuracy in the recognition of happiness (p < 0.03; d > 0.72). No effects of oxytocin were found on mood indicators or on self-perceived performance, regardless of MPA level. The results indicate possible benefits of the acute treatment with oxytocin in MPA, which may improve the management of this common and disabling condition that affects professional musicians. The appropriate perception of positive feedback may increase confidence and feelings of social acceptance, reducing symptoms associated with the condition. The lack of effects on mood/anxiety and cognition may be explained by the context-dependent characteristic of the effects of oxytocin, since the experiment did not represent an actual situation of social threat. Brazilian Clinical Trials Registry (Registro Brasileiro de Ensaios Clínicos): No. RBR-9cph2q.

Metacognitive model of coping behavior of a subject during the COVID-19 pandemic

Mental experience is a necessary construct of self-regulation of behavior in a stressful situation. During the pandemics of a new coronavirus infection, metacognitive approach towards analysis of adaptation mechanism of regulation of behavior allows determining the resource potential of personality for the purpose of achieving social re-adaptation. Adequacy of cognitive assessment of a potential COVID-19 threat as a stressogenic factor characterizes the metacognitive model of coping behavior of a subject. Mental representations as coping resources of the system of self-regulation of personality define the nature of mental activity for overcoming a difficult life situation. In the conditions of COVID-19 pandemic increases the risk of mental disturbance due to cognitive dissonance in assessing the situation of potential threat as stressogenic factor. A destructive model of metacognitive activity as a method of regulation of stress resistance leads to maladaptive behavior of a subject based on cognitive distortions. As a factor of social disintegration, cognitive deteriorations negatively affect the subjective level of stress resilience, increasing the risk of chronification psychoemotional tension. The pilot research on the basis of Google platform involved 48 students. The assessment of acquired results is conducted with the use of correlation-regression analysis. It is determined that the adequate cognitive assessment of potential risk of coronavirus infection explains the internal constructive ensemble of the strategies of coping behavior with stressogenic situation of behavior. Therefore, the effective strategies of metacognitive regulation of behavior of a subject pertaining to COVID-19 contribute to social re-adaptation, associated with the need for inner transformation. Metacognitive model of dysfunctional fear regarding the threat of COVID-19 characterizes the external vector of destructive repertoire of coping strategies for regulation of behavior of a subject, and reflects negatively on the personal level. &amp;nbsp;Therefore, semantic field of metacognitive model of social re-adaptation by means of subjective control of behavior substantiates individual differences in the level of personal anxiety as a factor of stress resilience.

AMEAÇAS À INDEPENDÊNCIA DO AUDITOR: UMA ANÁLISE A PARTIR DA PERCEPÇÃO DE AUDITORES INDEPENDENTES EM CONSONÂNCIA A NBC PA 290

O objetivo da pesquisa é identificar como os auditores independentes se comportam diante de situações de ameaças em relação a sua independência, conforme a NBC PA 290 (R2) do Conselho Federal de Contabilidade (CFC). Para tanto, realizou pesquisa descritiva, de levantamento e com abordagem quantitativa. A amostra compreende 45 auditores independentes e o instrumento de coleta de dados é constituído por um questionário com 17 assertivas, sendo 7 de caracterização da amostra e 10 casos que caracterizam ameaças e não ameaças à independência do auditor, conforme NBC PA 290 (R2). Os dados foram analisados mediante estatística descritiva e por meio da entropia informacional. Os resultados demonstram que uma parte significativa dos auditores tem uma percepção equivocada quanto às ameaças à independência do auditor. Quando analisados os casos em que consta a ameaça à independência, constatou-se maior assertividade dos respondentes. Os destaques foram o caso 4 com 97,78% de identificação de ameaças, o caso 7 com 88,89% e o caso 8 com 82,24% com alguma ameaça identificada pelos auditores. Estes casos referem-se a ameaças de interesse próprio, de auto revisão ou de familiaridade. Os resultados elucidam a necessidade do constante monitoramento e observância às possibilidades de ameaça à independência do auditor, visto que, diferentes stakeholders utilizam o resultado final da auditoria para acompanhamento ou tomada de decisão.

Research on the Quantitative Assessment and Security Measures of Hierarchical Network Security Threat Situation

With the rapid development of modern network technology, technology not only changes people’s life, but also breeds a variety of new problems. With the popularization of network application technology, various kinds of harmful means are emerging, and network security problems emerge in endlessly, among which information network security is the most prominent. This paper mainly describes the development and response methods of information security threats, analyzes the main attack modes and the evolution of information security threats, and analyzes the development direction of vulnerability detection technology that threatens the root of information security. Aiming at the security problem of school network, through analyzing all kinds of hidden dangers of network security, the best way is the hierarchical security solution. According to the implementation of the network security deployment cycle, security strategies are proposed from the network planning, network management and the use of network individuals.

Towards sector specific security operation

Many organisations, especially Critical Infrastructures, are facing an increasingly severe cyber threat situation and are continuously improving their IT-security. We present the state of the art of sector specific security operation of CI operators with the German health sector as an example. To improve the situation we propose several spheres of activity with practical exemplary measures, e.g. for relevant protocols. In this way we help to prepare a CI sector governance with sourcing options for security operation for all relevant actors: from the responsible authorities in the country via a single point of contact in the health sector to hospital centres and the medical practice.