Weakest Link Research Articles

The weakest link? Investigative issues in serial sexual assault that lead to wrongful conviction

Wrongful conviction of an innocent person is an extreme type of injustice that plagues the criminal justice system today. Wrongful conviction for a sexual offense is especially traumatic for the individual due to the inherent stigma surrounding this type of crime; however, there is a dearth of research focusing on the unique aspects of both the offense and the investigation that may contribute to those convictions. The current study sought to answer the following research questions: 1-Are most sexual assault wrongful convictions in series inter-racial? 2- Does relational misattribution play a role in wrongful conviction for sexual assault? 3-Where in the series do wrongful convictions occur? 4-Do wrongful convictions in serial sexual assault cases occur primarily due to behavioral inconsistency on the part of the perpetrator (i.e., the crime for which there is a wrongful conviction appears to be significantly different from the rest of the series) leading to linkage blindness? 5-To what extent does police misconduct and other investigative issues play a role in mishandling of the offense as a one-off as opposed to part of series? Data for this study included 43 violent sexual series where a proven wrongful conviction was present for at least one of the crimes. Results suggest that thorough investigation, evidence testing, and the ability to reopen cases after similar incidents can reduce wrongful sexual assault convictions. Distinguishing between group and solo offending, stranger and acquaintance offenses, and developing investigative models that account for serial crime behavior change can improve investigative accuracy.

Failure Analysis of Transformers under Impulse Test

Transformers are the most critical and costly components in AC power systems. Insulation is the weakest link in transformers, and the design and quality of a transformer's insulation system shall be confirmed by performingdielectric tests according to National or International standards. The impulse test is more critical among the dielectric tests, as it verifies the integrity of the whole insulation system of the transformer. However, concluding the impulse test result is difficult when minor discrepancies exist in the earth's current waveforms. This paper presents two such case studieswith distribution class transformers.

Alcohol zero: the end, the beginning of the end, or just the end of the beginning?

Alcohol drinks, especially wine, have been described since 6,000 B.C. For many years in modern medicine, wine in moderation has been considered healthy for cardiovascular prevention, i.e., recommended by nutrition committees. Some regional guidelines still recommend one to two standard drinks per day. By the very recent (January 2023), World Health Organization and Canadian Guidance on alcohol emphasize that any alcoholic drink is hazardous to the health and the safe amount is zero. The risk starts with every single drop. It was also nicely summarized in the manuscript “Alcohol-dose question and the weakest link in a chemical interplay” (Explor Cardiol. 2023;1:15–25. doi: 10.37349/ec.2023.00003) especially from the standpoint of a researcher in the cardiovascular arena. The newest recommendations are based on observational studies and their meta-analysis, therefore establishing associations, pointing out that alcohol may somewhat prevent cardiovascular diseases and diabetes type 2, but with a significant increase in non-cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, especially cancers. Previous recommendations, therefore, may be obsolete as they were based on studies where abstainers from alcoholic beverages had inherent higher risks. The current controversy with conflicting guidelines for alcoholic beverage consumption in the era of precision medicine may stimulate more fundamental investigations up to genetic ones and find the cause-effect relations. In the era of precision medicine, it may come closer to discovering the causes of cancers and many other diseases, enabling predictions of reactions to alcoholic beverages by each person, not just in the population.

Kinematic analysis and process optimization of root-cutting systems in field harvesting of garlic based on computer simulation technology.

Root cutting is an important process in garlic field harvesting but is the weakest link in the full mechanization of garlic production. To improve the current situation of technological backwardness and poor operational quality of mechanized garlic root-cutting in the main garlic-producing regions of China, this study combined the physical characteristics and agronomic requirements of garlic plants, and proposed an innovative floating root-cutting technology for garlic combine harvesters that enables the top alignment of bulb, adaptive profiling floating of cutter, and embedded cutting of roots. Through the kinematic analysis of the floating cutting process, the coordinate equations of the initial contact point of the bulb, the mathematical model of the floating displacement of the cutting component. Using computer simulation techniques, the dynamic simulation study of the floating cutting process was carried out in the rigid-flexible coupling numerical simulation model of root-cutting mechanism and garlic plant. The influence law of garlic conveying speed, extension spring preload force and stiffness on the floating displacement of the cutting component and the angular velocity of swing arm reset and its formation causes were analyzed by a single-factor simulation test. The key operating parameters of the root-cutting mechanism were optimized through the computerized virtual orthogonal test and fuzzy comprehensive evaluation. The significance of the factors affecting the floating cutting performance decreased in the following order: extension spring preload force, garlic conveying speed and extension spring stiffness. The optimal parameter combination of the root cutting mechanism obtained from the optimization were as follow: extension spring preload force was 16 N, garlic conveying speed was 0.8 m/s, and extension spring stiffness was 215 N/m. Tests conducted with the optimal parameter combination yielded a root excision rate of 92.72%, which meets the requirements of Chinese garlic field harvesting quality. This study provides computer simulation optimization methods for the optimal design of the root-cutting mechanism, and also provides technical and equipment support for the full mechanization of garlic production in China.

Alcohol—dose question and the weakest link in a chemical interplay

The deleterious consequences of alcohol consumption are extensively documented across various dimensions of human health, encompassing somatic disorders such as nervous system impairments, digestive system abnormalities, and circulatory dysfunctions, in addition to socio-psychological aspects. Within the domain of cardiology, a substantial portion of the ongoing scientific discourse centers on elucidating the toxic dose of alcohol. Presented herewith are the findings from a comprehensive review of the latest publications pertinent to this crucial issue.

The Weakest Link: Employee Cyber-Defense Behaviors While Working from Home

ABSTRACT With the increase in the number of employees working remotely from home following the COVID-19 pandemic, cyberattacks have grown in quantity and strength. While companies invest tremendous resources in technical defense practices and protection tools, the main weak link is still the human factor. The current study aims to provide theoretical and empirical evidence of the antecedents that contribute to active cyber defense as well as cyber risk behaviors. Based on a sample of 338 employees who worked from home or on-site during and after COVID-19, we examined the effects of organizational training on employee defense behaviors. The results of the current study suggest that the workplace and the amount of confidence in the defense measures play an important role in contributing to cyber risk behavior. Therefore, it is crucial that managers raise employee awareness of the hazards and educate them on the different defense methods that they can apply.

Figuring it out: configurations of high-performing entrepreneurial ecosystems in Europe

ABSTRACT Is there only one type of successful entrepreneurial ecosystem? This paper applies qualitative comparative analysis to identify and analyse configurations of regional entrepreneurial ecosystems in Europe. We test two rivalling causal logics: a completeness logic stating that all entrepreneurial ecosystem elements need to be present and the weakest link is the most important constraint, and a substitutability logic arguing that elements are substitutable. High entrepreneurship outputs can be realised with different entrepreneurial ecosystem configurations. However, focusing on regions with the highest entrepreneurship outputs, our results point at the importance of a complete entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Machine-Learning-Based Password-Strength-Estimation Approach for Passwords of Lithuanian Context

In an information-security-assurance system, humans are usually the weakest link. It is partly related to insufficient cybersecurity knowledge and the ignorance of standard security recommendations. Consequently, the required password-strength requirements in information systems are the minimum of what can be done to ensure system security. Therefore, it is important to use up-to-date and context-sensitive password-strength-estimation systems. However, minor languages are ignored, and password strength is usually estimated using English-only dictionaries. To change the situation, a machine learning approach was proposed in this article to support a more realistic model to estimate the strength of Lithuanian user passwords. A newly compiled dataset of password strength was produced. It integrated both international- and Lithuanian-language-specific passwords, including 6 commonly used password features and 36 similarity metrics for each item (4 similarity metrics for 9 different dictionaries). The proposed solution predicts the password strength of five classes with 77% accuracy. Taking into account the complexity of the accuracy of the Lithuanian language, the achieved result is adequate, as the availability of intelligent Lithuanian-language-specific password-cracking tools is not widely available yet.

Experimental and numerical investigations of textile-reinforced concrete thin-wall panel bolted connections

Textile Reinforced Concrete (TRC) is a novel building material that merges fine-grained concrete with textile fibers to produce a composite material exhibiting enhanced mechanical characteristics. This study examined the behavior of thin-walled TRC structures connected by bolts and found that the open box panel member is a promising solution for wall, floor, and roof applications. The investigation focused on three types of connections: moment joints, shear joints, and half-box connections. The study also revealed that bolt-to-edge distance significantly affects the bearing capacity of TRC structures. The location and type of cracks in moment-type joints depend on the number of bolts used during fabrication. All four specimens experienced damage at the bolted side in the half-box connection test, with significant cracks around the steel bolts. The specimens failed at about 74 % and 70.6 % of the original panel's bearing capacity. It could be concluded that the bolted connection was the weakest link in the structure. Improving the bolt structure or increasing the thickness of the ribs is necessary to maximize the panel's bearing capacity. Finite element models of the full panels and half-box connections on the ATENA software package were developed and verified with the experimental results. The proposed models accurately captured the load-carrying capacities, load-deflection relationships, and failure modes for both panels and connections.

Cultural Influences on Information Security

Humans are by far the weakest link in the information security chain. Many in the information security industry advocate for a technical solution to this problem. Unfortunately, technology does not hold the answer to solving the human problem. Instead, it is important to better understand the problem and find new ways of training individuals, so they have a better security mindset and make better security minded decisions. The security challenges associated with human factors have been widely studied in previous literature and different research groups. Prior research has shown that both human behavioural factors and social media usage factors can be used to better assess a person’s susceptibility to cybercrime. We know that humans are multi-faceted beings who are swayed by many factors. In addition to behavioural factors and social media factors, humans are predisposed by cultural influences. This paper begins the process of understanding how culture influences a person's ability to make positive cybersecurity decisions in a world that is full of data being thrown at them. The end goal of this research is to use culture, along with behaviour and social media usage as new metrics in measuring a person’s susceptibility to cybercrime. This information can then be used by information security practitioners and researchers to better prepare individuals to defend themselves from cyber threats. This paper is the start of the research process into how culture impacts a person’s susceptibility to cybercrime. It shows the significance of identifying what specific aspects of culture impact how someone makes a decision. This can help mitigate social engineering attacks by better understanding the influencing factors which control an end user. The authors will continue their work on this project to develop new Information Awareness (IA) training programmes that work to modify an individual's behaviour, while taking into consideration their behaviours, social media usage and culture.

Anti-intrusion strategy MANET inspired by the bacterial foraging optimization algorithm

Mobile ad hoc networks (MANET) are reflexivity, fast, versatile wireless networks that are particularly useful when traditional radio infrastructure is unavailable, such as during outdoor events, natural disasters, and military operations. Security may be the weakest link in a network due to its dynamic topology, which leaves it susceptible to eavesdropping, rerouting, and application modifications. More security problems with MANET exist than with its service Quality of Service (QoS). Therefore, intrusion detection, which controls the system to find further security issues, is strongly suggested. Keeping an eye out for intrusions is essential to forestall future attacks and beef up security. If a mobile node loses its power supply, it may be unable to continue forwarding packets, which depends on the structure's condition. The proposed study presents a security of trust and optimization that conserves energy methods for MANETs based on integrating the K means algorithm and Bacteria Foraging Optimization Algorithm (KBFOA). This work proposes a method for quickly and accurately determining which nodes should serve as Cluster Heads (CHs) by K means algorithm. This approach aims to choose a node with a high Sustainable Cell (SC) rate as the Header of a Cluster (HC). Each node will calculate its SC according to its unique factors, such as energy consumption, degree, remaining energy, mobility, and distance from the HC and base stations. The security of MANETs is improved by the inclusion of an algorithm in the proposed approach that detects and eliminates rogue nodes. This suggested approach will increase network stability and performance using a high-sustainable cluster head. The proposed approach will be achieved the highest reliability of clustering rate of 97%. The intended research will be accomplished Maximum security measures rate will be accomplished by 96%, the maximum rate of data transmission will be obtained of 96%, and greater efficient detection of malicious nodes ratio will be enhanced by 95%, lower energy consumption rate will be achieved by 0.09 m joules.

Performance evaluation of Indian electricity distribution companies: An integrated DEA-IRP-TOPSIS approach

Energy is a fundamental building block of human growth and plays a significant role in developing emerging economies such as India. The Indian electricity sector has a strong generation and transmission system but a weak distribution system. This is considered the weakest link in the electricity sector's value chain, and regulators are primarily concerned with the performance of electricity distribution companies (DISCOMs). Despite numerous reforms introduced to attain financial sustainability, most DISCOMs consistently incur losses and are financially unsustainable. Therefore, evaluating the performance of DISCOMs is essential by measuring their efficiency to ensure competition among them and to make reforms successful. This study aimed to identify and compare the performance efficiencies of 48 electricity DISCOMs from 24 states across India between 2015/16 and 2018/19. This study used the integrated DEA-IRP-TOPSIS technique to segment efficient and inefficient DISCOMs. The study recommends that states provide operational and financial autonomy to power Discoms. The study will be helpful for DISCOMs professionals to understand their performance and design suitable strategies based on efficiency assessments and their position concerning their peers. By comparing Indian DISCOMs with their contemporaries, this study contributes new evidence at the policy level and to the literature on the efficiency analysis of Indian DISCOMs.

The strength of surgical knots involves a critical interplay between friction and elastoplasticity.

Knots are the weakest link in surgical sutures, serving as mechanical ligatures between filaments. Exceeding their safe operational limits can cause fatal complications. The empirical nature of present guidelines calls for a predictive understanding of the mechanisms underlying knot strength. We identify the primary ingredients dictating the mechanics of surgical sliding knots, highlighting the previously overlooked but critical effect of plasticity and its interplay with friction. The characterization of surgeon-tied knots reveals the relevant ranges of tightness and geometric features. Using model experiments coupled with finite element simulations, we uncover a robust master curve for the target knot strength versus the tying pre-tension, number of throws, and frictional properties. These findings could find applications in the training of surgeons and robotic-assisted surgical devices.

Interobserver agreement on definition of the target volume in stereotactic radiotherapy for pancreatic adenocarcinoma using different imaging modalities

PurposeThe aim of this study was to evaluate interobserver agreement (IOA) on target volume definition for pancreatic cancer (PACA) within the Radiosurgery and Stereotactic Radiotherapy Working Group of the German Society of Radiation Oncology (DEGRO) and to identify the influence of imaging modalities on the definition of the target volumes.MethodsTwo cases of locally advanced PACA and one local recurrence were selected from a large SBRT database. Delineation was based on either a planning 4D CT with or without (w/wo) IV contrast, w/wo PET/CT, and w/wo diagnostic MRI. Novel compared to other studies, a combination of four metrics was used to integrate several aspects of target volume segmentation: the Dice coefficient (DSC), the Hausdorff distance (HD), the probabilistic distance (PBD), and the volumetric similarity (VS).ResultsFor all three GTVs, the median DSC was 0.75 (range 0.17–0.95), the median HD 15 (range 3.22–67.11) mm, the median PBD 0.33 (range 0.06–4.86), and the median VS was 0.88 (range 0.31–1). For ITVs and PTVs the results were similar. When comparing the imaging modalities for delineation, the best agreement for the GTV was achieved using PET/CT, and for the ITV and PTV using 4D PET/CT, in treatment position with abdominal compression.ConclusionOverall, there was good GTV agreement (DSC). Combined metrics appeared to allow a more valid detection of interobserver variation. For SBRT, either 4D PET/CT or 3D PET/CT in treatment position with abdominal compression leads to better agreement and should be considered as a very useful imaging modality for the definition of treatment volumes in pancreatic SBRT. Contouring does not appear to be the weakest link in the treatment planning chain of SBRT for PACA.

Electrical Resistance Performance of Cable Accessory Interface Considering Thermal Effects.

Power cables are widely used in various fields of power transmission, and cable accessories are the weakest link in power cable systems due to their complex structure and multi-layer insulation coordination issues. This paper investigates the changes in electrical properties of the silicone rubber/cross-linked polyethylene (SiR/XLPE) interface at high temperatures. The physicochemical properties of XLPE material under thermal effects with different times are characterized through FTIR, DSC, and SEM tests. Finally, the mechanism of the effects of the interface state on the electrical properties of the SiR/XLPE interface is analyzed. It is found that with the increase in temperature, the changes in electrical performance of the interface do not show a monotonic downward trend, while interestingly, they can be divided into three stages. Under the thermal effects for 40 d, the internal recrystallization of XLPE in the early stage improves the electrical properties of the interface. In the later stage of thermal effects, the amorphous region inside the material is severely damaged and the molecular chains are severely broken, resulting in a decrease in the electrical properties of the interface. The results above provide a theoretical basis for the interface design of cable accessories at high temperatures.

Fatigue and fracture of shape memory alloys in the nanoscale: An in-situ TEM study

This study is aimed at demonstrating the fatigue and fracture mechanisms in nanoscale NiTi shape memory alloy thin films. During functional fatigue, permanent strains are attributed to residual martensite pinned by Ni4Ti3 precipitates and interfacial dislocations parallel to type II internal twins of the martensite. These residual martensite-austenite interfaces acted as heterogeneous nucleation sites for stress-induced martensite in subsequent cycles thereby explaining the reduction in transformation stress. Finally, structural failure was observed to occur along the dislocation-rich austenite-martensite interface, making it the weakest link in the microstructure thus establishing a direct link between mechanisms of functional fatigue that result in the accumulation of permenant strain and mechanisms of structural fatigue that result in fracture. This work provides a comprehensive understanding of deformation mechanisms in nanoscale shape memory alloys and points to fundamental mechanisms that are applicable to macro scales.

Rural Energy Transition for Cooking in India—Revisiting the Drivers

The recent analysis from IEA (International Energy Agency) on energy transition in India highlights that cooking continues to be the weakest link in the energy transition process for rural households and that rural energy transition of households to cleaner fuel is nonlinear in nature. Several programs have been designed to plague the voids and address this nonlinearity, but the transition to cleaner alternatives for cooking did not happen in the pace it should ideally have. Therefore, an empirical exercise was carried out at a national level to revisit the disconnect between the income growth and energy transition and identify the drivers of the energy transition process in cooking at the national as well as at the subnational state level for a developing country. The paper adds to the current scholarship on drivers of household energy transition by analyzing the relationship between household energy choices and non-income determinants and proves the nonlinearity in energy consumption of rural households of Bihar. Analyzing unit level record from National Sample Survey, an empirical exercise was carried out by using multinomial logit model to identify the potential determining factors at the individual household and group level. The group effect analysis through fixed and random effect has been conducted purposely to understand if social and cultural norms or community level factors within a village society have any effect on the cooking energy transition of rural households and if that offsets the effect of household income in energy transition for cooking. Furthermore, to statistically examine the perceived non-linearity in the consumption of cooking fuel such as firewood by rural households, Brock–Dechert–Scheinkman (BDS) test was conducted for rural households of 38 districts of Bihar. The analysis helps in inferring that subsidy on modern fuel and/or other cooking alternatives alone may not suffice to drive the transition process, but more targeted intervention rooted in the local cultural context in consonance with social and cultural norms or community level factors could be more effective for sustained rural energy transition.

Special Issue on Human Digital Twin Technology

With the advancement of information technologies such as the Internet of Things and artificial intelligence, cyber-physical systems are being introduced into society. At the core of these systems is the digital twin, a computer model (twin) of a physical entity built in cyberspace for simulation-based prediction. Currently, the digital twin mainly targets artificial objects, such as aircraft engines and factories. However, if it can be extended to humans, it could lead to the realization of human-machine cooperative systems and health promotion services, thereby solving social issues stemming from the aging of society. However, humans are the weakest link in the system, and many technical problems remain to be solved, such as realizing the measurement, modeling, and prediction of human behavior, if the human digital twin is to become reality. This special issue contains 9 papers on developing essential technologies for the human digital twin and constructing human-machine systems for specific applications. The topics covered include learning algorithms, motion measurement and analysis techniques, human perception, system development, and platform software for system development. These clearly show that cross-disciplinary efforts are essential to the realization of the human digital twin. We thank the authors of the papers submitted for this special issue. We are confident that the information provided by the authors is suggestive and informative for both specialists and non-specialists alike. We also sincerely appreciate the efforts of the reviewers. Their contributions helped to make this special issue possible. We hope that this special issue will catalyze sharing across the boundaries of research fields along the path to realizing a human digital twin.

Bacteriological Assessment of Critical Areas in Three Selected Units in Jodhpur Dental College General Hospital, Jodhpur Rajasthan, India

The hospital environment plays a crucial role in the chain of infection spread. Thus, there is need to attack the chain of infection at its weakest link as the most effective way in combating and/or preventing nosocomial infections. The study aims to assess the common aerobic pathogenic bacteria in the different departments of Jodhpur National University Dental Hospital and to establish the best disinfectant as well as disinfection procedure. A cross sectional descriptive study was conducted. Air and surface samples were taken before and after dental procedures from all the three departments within durations of 14 days. Different antiseptics were used so as to compare their effectiveness. Swabs taken from different places were streaked on blood agar plates and incubated at 37oC under aerobic conditions for 24 hours. After incubation, isolates obtained were appropriately identified. After aerobic incubation of the settle plates at 370C for 24hours, the colonies on each plate were counted and recorded as the number of bacteria carrying particles settling over the area of the plate in a given period of time. The level of bacterial contamination of air is usually expressed as the number of bacteria carrying particles per cubic millimeter. A total of 274 surface samples and 97 air samples were collected. Bacteria were isolated in all air samples while only 255 surface samples had growth. The predominant species in all services was Bacillus spp, followed by coagulase negative Staphylococci, Micrococcus luteus, aerobic spore formers and least was Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The bacteria isolated in the air were similar to those isolated from surfaces. In conclusion, lack of a universal procedure for surveillance of nosocomial infection, presence of pathogenic bacteria, poor hand hygiene and heavy contamination of some important surfaces are the most important problems in our hospitals.

The influence of bottlenecks on innovation systems performance: Put the slowest climber first

This paper contributes to the literature with a methodology that helps identify the functions that constrain the overall performance of an innovation system, hence providing clear guidelines to policymakers on the direction of their interventions. This methodology relies on the notion of penalty for bottleneck, which is defined as the weakest link or the binding constraint that holds back system performance. These penalty bottlenecks are applied to all the indicators that characterize innovation systems, and consider its input-output mix when assessing their performance through a Productivity Innovation Index. The data provided by the 2021 edition of the European Innovation Scoreboard are used to illustrate the utility of the method introduced in the paper.We first identify the input and output bottlenecks for every country. Second, we report the productivity loss due to the existence of these bottlenecks. Third, we evidence the responsiveness of the Productivity Innovation Index to bottleneck alleviation, from three different perspectives: (i) application of a 10 % alleviation to the input bottleneck; (ii) application of a 10 % alleviation to the output bottleneck; and (iii) application of a 5 % alleviation to both the input and output bottlenecks, respectively.