Shared Environment Research Articles

Security and Privacy Perspectives of People Living in Shared Home Environments

Security and privacy (S&P) perspectives of people in a multi-user home are a growing area of research, with many researchers reflecting on the complicated power imbalance and challenging access control issues of the devices involved. However, these studies primarily focused on the multi-user scenarios in traditional family home settings, leaving other types of multi-user home environments, such as homes shared by co-habitants without a familial relationship, under-studied. This paper closes this research gap via quantitative and qualitative analysis of results from an online survey and qualitative content analysis of sampled online posts on Reddit. The study explores the complex roles of shared home users, which depend on various factors unique to the shared home environment, e.g., who owns what home devices, how home devices are used by multiple users, and more complicated relationships between the landlord and people in the shared home and among co-habitants. Half (50.7%) of our survey participants thought that devices in a shared home are less secure than in a traditional family home. This perception was found statistically significantly associated with factors such as the fear of devices being tampered with in their absence and (lack of) trust in other co-habitants and their visitors. We observed cyber-physical threats being a prominent topic discussed in Reddit posts. Our study revealed new user types and user relationships in a multi-user environment such as ExternalPrimary-InternalPrimary while analysing the landlord and shared home resident relationship with regard to shared home device use. Based on the results of the online survey and the Reddit data, we propose a threat actor model for shared home environments, which has a focus on possible malicious behaviours of current and past co-habitants of a shared home, as a special type of insider threat in a home environment. We also recommend further research to understand the complex roles co-habitants can play in navigating and adapting to a shared home environment's security and privacy landscape.

Synthetic bodies: protocols for intra-acting

Our bodies are porous entities that interconnect with and depend on the broader collectivity of human and nonhuman life that exists within a shared environment. Using the figuration of synthetic bodies, this exposition aims to examine the relationships in which we are enmeshed as our bodies absorb and excrete chemicals. With a focus on involuntary exposure to industrially manufactured chemicals (as opposed to exposure to naturally occurring chemicals or voluntary experimentation with chemicals of all types), this exposition invites readers to learn about the chemicals to which we are exposed and by which we are affected. With the ubiquity of chemicals in the environment, who are we becoming? How do chemicals affect us and how do we interact with them? How can we live well with chemicals in spite of their potential to harm? Adopting a decolonial feminist, posthumanist, and new materialist approach and embracing queer ecological sensibilities, this exposition develops protocols for embodied and materially embedded research practices that trace the effects of exposure to chemicals in everyday life. In so doing, it aims to demonstrate how we might build resilience through encounters with toxicity, contamination, and impurity. <style> /* rules to make button only show up in META */ .download-accessible { display:none; } .meta-right-col .download-accessible { display: inline-block; padding: 9px; margin-bottom:25px; border: 1px solid black; background-color:white; } </style> <a class="download-accessible" href="download-media?work=3155507&file=3155516" title="This accessible PDF is a derivative of the original which it is meant to support and not replace.">Download Accessible PDF</a>

Noise-Induced Quantum Synchronization and Entanglement in a Quantum Analogue of Huygens' Clock.

We propose a quantum analogue of the Huygens clock, where the phases of two spins synchronize through their interaction with a shared environment. This environment acts like the escapement mechanism in a mechanical clock, regulating the gear train and allowing discrete timing advances. In our model, the relative phases of the two spins synchronize via a mutually correlated environment. We demonstrate that several arguments can significantly reduce the cardinality of the allowed measurements for a system of qubits, thus simplifying the problem. We present a numerically efficient method to calculate the degree of quantumness in the correlations of the final density matrix, providing a tight upper bound for rank 3 and rank 4 density matrices. We suggest a potential realization of noise-induced synchronization between two nuclear spins coupled to a common ancilla undergoing dynamical decoupling.

Designing Privacy-Protecting System with Visual Masking Based on Investigation of Privacy Concerns in Virtual Screen Sharing Environments

Virtual meeting tools, such as Zoom, can sometimes lead to inadvertently sharing private information through screen sharing features. We conducted fundamental investigations on what concerns and strategies users have for protecting their privacy. The results indicate that while most users take actions to protect their privacy before or during meetings, a significant number of users also reported experiences with inadvertent information sharing. We also found that users avoid sharing not only personal data, such as usernames, but also information that could reveal their interests and activities, such as browsing histories or personalized recommendations. Thus, we propose a system that automatically occludes areas that users do not want to share to facilitate the management of privacy during screen sharing. We conducted a data collection experiment to construct a deep learning model to detect the areas that users do not want to share with others. We implemented our system by using this model to protect information in real time during screen sharing in virtual meeting tools.

Security Protection of Video-GIS Data Based on Data Encryption and Digital Watermarking

Abstract. Video-GIS data, a novel generation of multimedia produced through the integration of geographic videos and GIS, has evolved into an innovative form of geospatial data representation. As a kind of digital products, Video-GIS data is vulnerable to unauthorized replication, dissemination, and usage. The potential for large-scale leakage of sensitive or confidential information, including commercial, political, military, and personal privacy data, poses a significant threat to the rights of data producers and may even compromise national security. Given this context, the primary concern is ensuring the security protection of video data in an open and shared data environment. To address this issue, we propose a novel scheme for the security protection of Video-GIS data in this paper, which collaboratively utilizes digital watermarking and data encryption. In the proposed scheme, Video-GIS data is divided into two categories, i.e., general and confidential, based on the presence or absence of sensitive information within the image frames. Appropriate security measures were meticulously designed for each data type to ensure effective prevention and control. Experimental results indicate that this watermarking algorithm exerts minimal influence on the quality of the Video-GIS data, while simultaneously maintaining optimal invisibility and robustness. The employed audio denoising method is characterized by its low complexity, simplicity, and feasibility, thereby ensuring the security of audio signal storage and transmission. This approach effectively realizes the dual protection objective for Video-GIS data, audio, and video.

Finding middle grounds for incoherent horn expressions: the moral machine case

Smart devices that operate in a shared environment with people need to be aligned with their values and requirements. We study the problem of multiple stakeholders informing the same device on what the right thing to do is. Specifically, we focus on how to reach a middle ground among the stakeholders inevitably incoherent judgments on what the rules of conduct for the device should be. We formally define a notion of middle ground and discuss the main properties of this notion. Then, we identify three sufficient conditions on the class of Horn expressions for which middle grounds are guaranteed to exist. We provide a polynomial time algorithm that computes middle grounds, under these conditions. We also show that if any of the three conditions is removed then middle grounds for the resulting (larger) class may not exist. Finally, we implement our algorithm and perform experiments using data from the Moral Machine Experiment. We present conflicting rules for different countries and how the algorithm finds the middle ground in this case.

The Influence of Shared Leadership on the Innovative Behavior of New Generation Faculty

This quantitative study examined the influence of shared leadership on the innovative behavior of the new generation faculty within the context of Chinese higher education institutions. Conducted across various universities in Guangdong Province, China, the research engaged a sample of 340 new generation faculty members. Utilizing a survey method, the study evaluated the faculty’s perceptions of shared leadership, encompassing dimensions such as team progress, authority and responsibility sharing, team expectations, and team contract. Additionally, the survey captured data on the innovative behaviors of faculty, including innovation discovery, innovation proclivity, innovation reinforcement, and innovation cooperation. The findings indicated that the new generation faculty placed significant value on shared leadership aspects, particularly team progress and team expectations. The study revealed that the faculty demonstrated a commendable level of innovative behavior, yet there was room for further enhancement in both shared leadership practices and innovative actions. The research established that a combination of career values related to shared leadership significantly predicts the professional development of faculty in terms of innovation. The study’s implications are vital for educational administrators and policymakers, emphasizing the necessity to foster shared leadership environments conducive to nurturing faculty innovation. By recognizing the predictive role of shared leadership in shaping innovative behaviors, educational institutions can strategize more effectively to promote academic excellence and drive educational reforms.

Navigating Trust and Safety in Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning: Attacks, Defenses, and Future Directions

Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning (MARL) is a key framework for building intelligent systems where multiple agents operate within a shared environment, with applications spanning autonomous driving, robotics, and distributed control systems. However, real-world deployment of MARL brings significant trust and safety challenges, as these systems are susceptible to a range of attacks that can compromise their robustness and reliability. This paper provides a comprehensive review of trust and safety attacks in MARL, categorizing various types of attacks and their implications. We explore existing defense mechanisms designed to mitigate these threats, highlighting their strengths and limitations. Additionally, we identify open challenges that remain unaddressed and propose potential future research directions to enhance the robustness and security of MARL systems.

7938 Validation of Inflammatory Cytokine Multiplex Array With Variations in Target Panel

Abstract Disclosure: W.M. Sanders: None. C.A. Karvonen-Gutierrez: None. D.S. McConnell: None. Background: Multiplex arrays are an invaluable tool for conducting large-scale biomarker research as they provide a high-throughput, cost-effective method for quantifying a panel of endocrine markers. However, the shared reaction environment between antibodies of differing reactivities creates the potential for inducing a technical difference in the assay methods due to any variation in panel selection. Methods: We evaluated the R&D Systems Luminex HS Cytokine Panel A (Catalog # FCSTM09) for systematic differences when measuring a “panel” of IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL-10 vs. measuring “IL-10 only.” We selected 72 serum samples and assayed them in singleton 4 times: 2 separate “panel” batches, and 2 separate “IL-10 only” batches. Differences in log-transformed IL-10 results for sample replicates within and between the “panel” and “IL-10 only” batches were assessed for significance with paired t-tests (α=.01). We also assessed the differences graphically with Bland-Altman plots of differences and absolute percent differences.All batches included control materials from R&D Systems and internal lab serum pools (male and female). To retroactively assess the test batches, we graphically compared their quality control results to those of the subsequent, larger assay project we were piloting. Results: The “IL-10 only” assay yielded an average result of .879 pg/mL (SD .57) on batch 1 and .712 pg/mL (SD .58) on batch 2, with an average paired sample difference of .167 pg/mL, and an average absolute percent difference of 28.8%. The “panel” assay produced an average IL-10 result of .645 pg/mL (SD .50) on batch 1 and .720 pg/mL (SD .52) on batch 2, with an average paired sample difference of .075 pg/mL, and an average absolute percent difference of 15.5%. Comparing pooled IL-10 results from the “IL-10 only” batches with the “panel” batches, there was an average paired difference of .113 pg/mL and absolute percent difference of 16.2%. Paired t-testing of log-transformed results for within “panel,” within “IL-10 only,” and between pooled results from the two methods demonstrated that each had significant differences (p<.0001). The Bland-Altman plots further revealed that these differences were ubiquitously large for samples with low concentrations of IL-10.Test batch quality control results were consistent with those in the primary assay project. The serum pool QCs exhibited significant inter-assay variation – the male pool average result was .41 pg/mL (SD .10) vs. .359 in the test batches, and the female pool average was .57 pg/mL (SD .10) vs. .548 in the test batches. Conclusion: The multiplex assay had considerable inter-assay variation at low concentrations of IL-10, and low results were prevalent. Due to this, we determined that any methodological differences between the “panel” and “IL-10 only” methods were undetectable compared to ambient variation, and irrelevant given the sample characteristics. Presentation: 6/3/2024

Adapting to non-human listening agencies

One central concept in soundscape studies has been that of an acoustic community, i.e. a group of people sharing an understanding of a listened environment, either acoustic or mediated. This understanding manifests in recognition of sound sources, their communicative function and their discoursive use in everyday life. The growing use of hearing aids, noise-cancelling headphones and other intelligent listening technology renders the soundscape more individual and at the same time introduces a non-human listening agency as a mediator to the individually calibrated soundscape. This raises conceptual and methodological questions of listening abilities in general and of how the listening experience is to be understood as taking place in a shared environment. To illuminate this problematic the paper will present as a case how listening through cochlear implants and their sound prosessors can be understood as a process of adaptation to a mediated acoustic community.

Comparative Study of Fatty Acid Composition of Muscles of Atlantic Cod (Gadus morhua Linnaeus, 1758) with Natural Diet and Feeding near Salmon Farms

Coastal aquaculture and local fisheries interact in shared marine environments, influencing each other synergistically and/or antagonistically. Salmon farming, notably with open-net sea cages along the Norwegian coast, attracts wild fish due to increased food availability from uneaten feed, but it also exposes wild fish to farm emissions like waste and toxic chemicals (de-lice treatments, antifouling and medical agents). The attraction behaviour of wild fish can impact fatty acid composition in fish tissues, influenced by the high terrestrial fat content in salmon aquafeed. We study how the Atlantic cod, aggregating around salmon farms in a subarctic fjord in Northern Norway, can be affected, potentially altering their natural diet and fatty acid profiles. Our study compares the muscle-tissue fatty acid compositions of cod caught near aquaculture facilities (impact) versus fish caught in neighbouring fjords (control), and we hypothesise decreased omega-3 fatty acids near farms. The analysis revealed no significant differences in the fatty acid concentrations or categories between the impacted and control fish, challenging our initial expectations. However, differences were found for C18:1(n9)t (elaidic acid), with a higher value in the impacted fish. These findings suggest that salmon farming’s influence on cod’s fatty acid profiles in the flesh (i.e., relevant for the nutritional quality of the fillets that consumers eat) may be limited or minimal despite their aggregative behaviours around farms. The threshold levels of salmon feed consumed by wild cod before it affects the quality and survival of, e.g., sperm or other life stages, are not known and require new investigations. This study underscores the complexity of interactions between aquaculture and wild fisheries, impacting both ecological dynamics and consumer perspectives on seafood quality and health benefits.

Genetic Influence on Social Support: A Twin Study.

Social support is often considered an environmental factor affecting health, especially in aging populations. However, its genetic underpinnings suggest a more complex origin. This study investigates the heritability of social support through applying a threshold model on data of a large adult sample of twins (N = 8019) from the Netherlands Twin Register, collected between 2009 and 2011. The study employed the Duke - UNC Functional Social Support Questionnaire to assess social support quality. Our analysis revealed genetic contributions to social support, with heritability estimated at 37%, without a contribution of shared environment and no differences between men and women in heritability. The study's results underscore the complexity of social support as a trait influenced by genetic and environmental factors, challenging the notion that it is solely an environmental construct.

Emerging Zooanthroponotic Risks: Detection of the Human Norovirus GII.4_Sydney[P31] strain in a Domestic Dog in Brazil

Recent increases in zoonotic diseases underscore the integration of companion animals into urban environments, posing complex transmission risks and highlighting the necessity of One Health approaches. Respiratory and enteric viruses have been consistently linked to interspecies transmission between humans and animals. This study aimed to assess the circulation of human noroviruses (NoV), adenoviruses (HAdV), enteroviruses (EV), parechoviruses (PeV-A), bocaviruses (HBoV), hepatitis A (HAV) and E viruses (HEV), Influenza A and B viruses (Flu A/B), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and SARS-CoV-2 in domestic dogs and cats in Brazil to understand potential zooanthroponosis risks. Between 2012 and 2021, 600 fecal samples from dogs and cats (516 and 84, respectively) were collected at small animal clinics in São Paulo state, Brazil. The specimens underwent in-house qPCR screening for HBoV and HAdV, while EV, PeV-A, NoV, and HEV were tested using in-house RT-qPCR. SARS-CoV-2, Flu A/B, and RSV were investigated with a commercial RT-qPCR kit assay. HAV detection utilized conventional nested (RT)-PCR. Positive samples were sequenced for molecular characterization and phylogenetic analysis. NoV was detected in 0.2% (1/600) of the animals, while all other investigated viruses tested negative. The NoV-positive sample, collected in 2012 from a pet dog, was identified as genotype GII.4_Sydney[P31]. The Dog/BRA/2012/GII.4_Sydney[P31]/IAL-M21 strain exhibited a close genetic relationship to Brazilian human and environmental NoV GII.4_Sydney[P31] strains, with 98.1-99.2% nucleotide similarity in ORF1 and 99.2-99.6% in ORF2 sequences, suggesting interspecies transmission. Pet dogs are frequently exposed to human fecal-borne viruses, highlighting the potential for zooanthroponotic transmission due to their close interaction with humans in shared environments. There is an urgent need to enhance surveillance studies in companion animals to better understand the implications of detecting human NoV strains in pets, as NoV could potentially act as a reverse zoonotic disease in households, animal hospitals, or shelters worldwide.

Impact of metaverse and corporate social responsibility on agriculture production and accounting firm performance output of nigerian firms

The study objective is to examine the impact of the metaverse and corporate social responsibility (CSR) on agriculture production and accounting firm performance output of Nigerian firms. The study ascertained that metaverse is described as a communal virtual shared environment that is produced when physically persistent virtual reality (VR) and virtually augmented physical reality collide while CSR assists firms in becoming socially responsible to the public, their stakeholders, and themselves. the study findings recognized that firms that effectively use technology to showcase their dedication to ethical CSR practices will likely draw investors who support the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Thus, the production of agricultural products and the performance of accounting businesses within Nigerian firms are significantly impacted by both the metaverse and CSR. Their integration improves community ties, stimulates creativity, increases productivity, supports sustainability, and eventually results in a stronger economic framework within Nigeria's crucial agriculture industry. It was concluded in the study that the synergistic impact that improves the performance of accounting firms and agricultural production is produced when CSR initiatives are combined with metaverse technologies. Businesses can create creative solutions to address social concerns that farmers confront, including market access or teaching about sustainable practices, by utilizing the metaverse technology included in CSR frameworks

Opening the Metaverse: The Next Frontier in Sport and Leisure

The metaverse is at the forefront of digital innovations transforming sport and leisure. The metaverse, a shared digital environment accessible via the Internet, currently operates as separate entities, challenging the promise of an integrated space. This highlights a critical dilemma—the need to balance centralized control with individual agency. The purpose of this article is to examine the metaverse’s development at the intersection of technological innovation and user interaction. Guided by a uses and gratifications perspective, we underscore the critical role of collaboration between firms shaping the metaverse and the individuals enhancing it. Despite centralization challenges, maintaining a balance between firm-led initiatives and user contributions is instrumental for an interactive metaverse. Addressing this tension will help shape whether the metaverse evolves into a shared space or remains constrained by centralized control. Overall, the metaverse is poised to impact sport and leisure, making it a crucial area for exploration and development.

Impact of family dynamics on cancer progression and patient outcomes: An analysis of emotional and psychological support

BackgroundCancer is a group of diseases that results from the growth of cells in an uncontrolled way, and in addition spreading of abnormal cells. At the molecular level, Alterations of oncogenes, tumor-suppresser genes, and microRNA genes cause cancer. These alterations of genes usually occur at the somatic level, if they occur as germline mutations, they can cause heritable or familial cancer. Materials/methodsThis is a cross-sectional study which aims to find if there is any relationship between genetic relationship (genes) and cancer development, symptoms severity and prognosis. This study was conducted during the period of January 2022 and August 2022, and consisted of 1998 participants. ResultsThere was a statistical difference in the distribution of participants' relative symptoms severity and improvement based on the duration they stayed with those people. Staying for days followed by weeks was the most reported in the group of participants with the same symptoms' severity of the diseased relative. On the opposite side, a longer duration of years was the predominant for worse symptoms of the family members despite the improvement of the patient. ConclusionsFamily history of cancer has been used by epidemiologists as a proxy for a genetically determined predisposition. However, a shared environment and similar lifestyles can also lead to multiple cancers in the same family. Genes' communication has a role in spreading the cancer among families.

Alone Together, Together Alone: The Effects of Social Context on Nonverbal Behavior in Virtual Reality

Abstract Social virtual reality (VR), by definition, focuses on people using networked VR systems to bring avatars together. Previous studies have examined how different factors affect social interaction, in small groups such as dyads or triads. However, in a typical social VR scene there tends to be dozens of avatars, even those not directly interacting with a given user. Furthermore, beyond the virtual environment, VR users are also situated in various immediate physical social contexts. In two field experiments, we investigate how the presence of virtual and physical people contextualize and influence nonverbal behaviors. Study 1 examines virtual context and asks how interacting with others in a private or public virtual environment influences nonverbal outcomes during interactions in a social VR platform. Across two sessions, participants (n = 104) met either in a private virtual environment with their group members alone or in a public environment surrounded by four other groups. Results showed that participants moved their avatars slower and stood closer to group members in public versus private environments. Study 2 examines physical context and asks how interacting with virtual others while physically together or alone influences nonverbal behaviors. Participants (n = 61) met in virtual environments while they were in either a shared physical environment or separated physical environments. Results showed that, compared to remote participants, participants who were physically together moved their bodies more slowly, but their avatars faster. Moreover, there was more mutual gaze among remote participants. We discuss implications to theories of social influence in VR.

Prototype development of a multi-user augmented reality framework for collaborative medical visualization in shared environments

Abstract This study developed and evaluated a prototype for augmented reality (AR) interaction among multiple users sharing a three-dimensional hologram within a shared physical space. A systems requirements analysis was conducted to determine necessary interactions, followed by an iterative implementation plan with testing at each step. The application for the HoloLens 2 (HL2) headset was developed using Unity for 3D design, C# for programming, and Photon for multiplayer capabilities. The prototype was evaluated in a user study utilizing custom and NASA TLX questionnaires, comparing participants' self-reported task success with recorded data to assess the accuracy of selfassessments. The prototype effectively facilitated multi-user interactions within a shared environment, achieving acceptable synchronization for two users. Most participants successfully completed tasks, with TLX scores indicating low cognitive and mechanical load during AR task execution. This study demonstrates AR's viability for displaying and manipulating complex three-dimensional structures within a collaborative medical context among multiple individuals in the same physical space.

Assessing leptospirosis and toxoplasmosis seropositivity in wild boars (Sus scrofa): Implications for public and animal health in Southern Brazil

Leptospirosis and toxoplasmosis are re-emerging zoonosis caused by infection with pathogenic spirochaetes of Leptospira and the protozoa Toxoplasma gondii, respectively. Wild boars (Sus scrofa), an exotic invasive species in Brazil, could play a role in the diseases’ epidemiological cycles, but this issue is still unexplored. This study aimed to evaluate the Leptospira spp. and T. gondii seropositivity in wild boars in Rio Grande do Sul state, south Brazil. Of evaluated animals, 16% (13/80) and 85% (52/61) had antibodies to T. gondii and Leptospira spp., respectively. Sex, weight, age, hunt location and season of hunt were evaluated by their association with seropositivity for both pathogens, but none of them had statistical significance. This study revealed that wild boars should be considered as a potential source of Leptospira spp. and T. gondii dissemination for humans and animal species in shared environments in Rio Grande do Sul state.

Predicting social experience from dyadic interaction dynamics: the BallGame, a novel paradigm to study social engagement

Theories of embodied cognition suggest that a shared environment and ongoing sensorimotor interaction are central for interpersonal learning and engagement. To investigate the embodied, distributed and hence dynamically unfolding nature of social cognitive capacities, we present a novel laboratory-based coordination task: the BallGame. Our paradigm requires continuous sensing and acting between two players who jointly steer a virtual ball around obstacles towards as many targets as possible. By analysing highly resolved measures of movement coordination and gaming behaviour, game-concurrent experience ratings, semi-structured interviews, and personality questionnaires, we reveal contributions from different levels of observation on social experience. In particular, successful coordination (number of targets collected) and intermittent periods of high versus low movement coordination (variability of relation) emerged as prominent predictors of social experience. Importantly, having the same (but incomplete) view on the game environment strengthened interpersonal coordination, whereas complementary views enhanced engagement and tended to generate more complex interactive behaviour. Overall, we find evidence for a critical balance between similarity and synchrony on the one hand, and variability and difference on the other, for successful engagement in social interactions. Finally, following participant reports, we highlight how interpersonal experience emerges from specific histories of coordination that are closely related to the interaction context in both space and time.