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Massive MIMO (mMIMO) is the essential technique for attaining the exponential increase in the data rate needed for future communication systems. These advancements have been significantly supported by progress in VLSI technology, which enables the integration of an enormous number of antennas and the complex signal processing essential for massive MIMO systems on a single chip. This work conducts a comprehensive analysis of the intricacy of seven matrix decomposition techniques for symbol detection in future mMIMO communication systems: ADMM-based infinity norm (ADMIN), Neumann series (NS), Newton iteration (NI), Jacobi iteration (Ja), improved Gauss-Seidel (IGS), conjugate gradient (CG), and QR decomposition (QR), against linear and near-optimal minimum mean square error (MMSE). QR, GS, Ja, and CG belong to linear algebraic methods based on matrix decomposition. MMSE and ADMIN are nonlinear optimization methods; NS and NI are iterative methods. The analysis examines into the complexity of these detection algorithms, considering the symbol error rate, the convergence rate, the initial solution vector, and the correlation factor. Performance evaluations are conducted on 8 and 16-user mMIMO systems with 64 and 128 base station antennas, modulation schemes (32-QAM and 64-QAM), iteration counts (p = 1, 2, 3, 4), correlation factors (α = 0.2, 0.4, and 0.6), and initial solution vectors (zero vector, D−1 and W2−1yMF). The result clearly shows that if the initial solution and number of iterations are chosen properly, the IGS-based linear detector achieves near-optimal performance with a lower computational complexity of O(K2) compared to the nonlinear MMSE-based detector with a computational complexity of O(K3). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The accelerated processes of urbanization produce an explosive occupation of the land, creating scattered cities, with great demands for infrastructure and high consumption of raw materials and energy, affecting natural territories and increasing the emission of pollutants. The city of Cuenca-Ecuador as well as several Latin American cities are not strangers to this problem, as it reflects a dispersed growth towards the peripheries that have caused an expansion of the urban landscape. The above situation requires sustainable planning, which contributes to decision-making to identify what measures are needed to regulate the growth of the city. Accordingly, the present research proposes combining the set of indicators of the Neighborhood Sustainability Assessment tool with the spatial analysis of GIS, so that the sustainability assessment can be extended at the city level to support urban planning in Cuenca. For this purpose, a 3-step methodology was proposed: selection of sustainable indicators, evaluation of sustainable performance, and design of a model that integrates SIG+NSA, which allowed incorporating spatial analysis in the sustainable assessment of neighborhoods, by designing a model adapted to Cuenca. This model consists of 15 variables, 12 indicators, and 4 evaluation categories, which result in the sustainable performance level of 149 planning sectors. The developed model makes it possible to automate the analysis processes and generate a complement to the ArcGIS geoprocessing tools for evaluating urban sustainability, as a support tool for planners and decision-makers in city planning processes.

Ferroptosis is a regulated cell death induced by iron-dependent lipid peroxidation. The heme-responsive transcription factor BTB and CNC homology 1 (BACH1) promotes ferroptosis by repressing the transcription of genes involved in glutathione (GSH) synthesis and intracellular labile iron metabolism, which are key regulatory pathways in ferroptosis. We found that BACH1 re-expression in Bach1 −/− immortalized mouse embryonic fibroblasts (iMEFs) can induce ferroptosis upon 2-mercaptoethanol removal, without any ferroptosis inducers. In these iMEFs, GSH synthesis was reduced, and intracellular labile iron levels were increased upon BACH1 re-expression. We used this system to investigate whether the major ferroptosis regulators glutathione peroxidase 4 (Gpx4) and apoptosis-inducing factor mitochondria-associated 2 (Aifm2), the gene for ferroptosis suppressor protein 1, are target genes of BACH1. Neither Gpx4 nor Aifm2 was regulated by BACH1 in the iMEFs. However, we found that BACH1 represses AIFM2 transcription in human pancreatic cancer cells. These results suggest that the ferroptosis regulators targeted by BACH1 may vary across different cell types and animal species. Furthermore, we confirmed that the ferroptosis induced by BACH1 re-expression exhibited a propagating effect. BACH1 re-expression represents a new strategy for inducing ferroptosis after GPX4 or system Xc− suppression and is expected to contribute to future ferroptosis research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Classification is a crucial stage in identification systems, most specifically in biometric identification systems. A weak and inaccurate classification system may produce false identity, which in turn impacts negatively on delicate decisions. Decision making in biometric systems is done at the classification stage. Due to the importance of this stage, many classifiers have been developed and modified by researchers. However, most of the existing classifiers are limited in accuracy due to false representation of image features, improper training of classifier models for newly emerging data (over-fitting or under-fitting problem) and lack of an efficient mode of generating model parameters (scalability problem). The Negative Selection Algorithm (NSA) is one of the major algorithms of the Artificial Immune System, inspired by the operation of the mammalian immune system for solving classification problems. However, it is still prone to the inability to consider the whole self-space during the detectors/features generation process. Hence, this work developed an Optimized Negative Selection Algorithm (ONSA) for image classification in biometric systems. The ONSA is characterized by the ability to consider whole feature spaces (feature selection balance), having good training capability and low scalability problems. The performance of the ONSA was compared with that of the standard NSA (SNSA), and it was discovered that the ONSA has greater recognition accuracy by producing 98.33% accuracy compared with that of the SNSA which is 96.33%. The ONSA produced TP and TN values of 146% and 149%, respectively, while the SNSA produced 143% and 146% for TP and TN, respectively. Also, the ONSA generated a lower FN and FP rate of 4.00% and 1.00%, respectively, compared to the SNSA, which generated FN and FP values of 7.00% and 4.00%, respectively. Therefore, it was discovered in this work that global feature selection improves recognition accuracy in biometric systems. The developed biometric system can be adapted by any organization that requires an ultra-secure identification system.

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Abstract Introduction Neck-shaft angle (NSA) is of paramount importance to orthopedic surgeons due to its implications for various pathologies of the hip and femur. The primary aim of the study was to establish if NSA measurement may be affected by imaging position (standing and supine) and provide evidence regarding whether the contralateral NSA can be used as a template. The secondary aim was to determine a reference value and precisely understand the effects of sex on NSA measurement. Materials and methods We measured bilateral NSA in a retrospective study of 200 standing and 200 supine anteroposterior pelvis radiographs that met the inclusion criteria, while paying special attention to bilateral hip symmetry. The overall inter-rater reliability was 0.688 (CI 0.128–0.851). Matching was performed according to sex (exact matching) and age. Paired t-test, Pearson correlation coefficient, and independent sample t-test were used (p

Copyright of A&C - Administrative & Constitutional Law Review - Revista de Direito Administrativo e Constitucional is the property of A&C - Revista de Direito Administrativo & Constitucional (Instituto Bacellar) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Software testing is an essential phase in software design process, accounting for more than half of the total cost due to its rigorous and time-consuming nature. Path test data generation is the most important stage in software testing, and researchers have devised several methods to automate it. In this research, a novel approach based on ant colony optimization and negative selection algorithm (NSA) is projected to automatically create test data for path testing. The most widely used benchmark programs such as triangle classification, dayfinder, minmax and isprime, has been used to test the proposed approach. When compared to random testing, the experimental findings reveal that the proposed method is more efficient in terms of coverage, execution time and more effective in terms of test data creation.

Introduction: Neck-shaft angle (NSA) is of paramount importance to orthopedic surgeons due to its implications for various pathologies of the hip and femur. The primary aim of the study was to establish if NSA measurement may be affected by imaging position (standing and supine) and provide evidence regarding whether the contralateral NSA can be used as a template. The secondary aim was to determine a reference value and precisely understand the effects of sex on NSA measurement. Materials and methods: We measured bilateral NSA in a retrospective study of 200 standing and 200 supine anteroposterior pelvis radiographs that met the inclusion criteria, while paying special attention to bilateral hip symmetry. The overall inter-rater reliability was 0.688 (CI 0.128–0.851). Matching was performed according to sex (exact matching) and age. Paired t-test, Pearson correlation coefficient, and independent sample t-test were used (p < 0.01). Results: A total of 400 pairs of femoral necks were reviewed, comprising of 200 males and 200 females. In the upright radiograph, the overall mean NSA was 131.21° ± 4.72°. There was no significant difference between right and left femur NSA among the patients (p = 0.95). On both sides, male NSA was higher than female NSA (p < 0.001). In supine radiograph, the overall mean NSA for the supine position was 133.06° ± 5.71°. There was a significant difference between NSA of the right and left femur among the patients in the supine position (p < 0.001). On supine radiographs there was no statistically significant difference between male and female NSA (p = 0.85). Conclusion: Our findings indicated no significant variability in upright radiographs between the right and left NSA. In contrast, significant asymmetry between the right and left NSA was found in the supine radiographs. However, this study does not provide definitive clinical evidence, and further clinical-oriented research is required. Level of evidence: Level III; retrospective comparative study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sharing network infrastructure is carried out by a few network operators in the world and is regarded as an effective means to accelerate the commercial 5G with seamless coverage and user experience guarantees but significantly reduced investment. Voice via IMS has been defined as the voice-bearing solution from 3rd-Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Release 5. Release 15 pointed out that 5G still adopts the IMS-based voice service architecture. In such a background, and in the process of global 5G network evolution from non-stand-alone (NSA) to stand-alone (SA), how to bear 5G voice services in the sharing network infrastructure has quite a few technical options. This paper investigates the 5G access network sharing technical solutions and presents the voice bearer technology under different new radio (NR) evolution stages. Analysis was performed for the different stages of voice handover. Performance results from field tests are provided to verify the feasibility of the solution, and performance analysis such as end-to-end call setup delay was also carried out. From the theoretical and practical analysis, the voice over long-term evolution (VoLTE) non-back-to-home solution has a relatively short access delay in the NSA sharing stage; EPS fallback based on either handover or redirection introduces a large time delay, so EPS fallback can only be used as a transition solution in the early stage of SA sharing deployment; voice over new radio (VoNR) has the lowest access time delay and the simplest implementation solution, so it is the final voice solution for 5G SA sharing network. The comparison of different voice-bearing solutions in different network development stages provides a reference for countries around the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Software testing is an essential phase in software design process, accounting for more than half of the total cost due to its rigorous and time-consuming nature. Path test data generation is the most important stage in software testing, and researchers have devised several methods to automate it. In this research, a novel approach based on ant colony optimization and negative selection algorithm (NSA) is projected to automatically create test data for path testing. The most widely used benchmark programs such as triangle classification, dayfinder, minmax and isprime, has been used to test the proposed approach. When compared to random testing, the experimental findings reveal that the proposed method is more efficient in terms of coverage, execution time and more effective in terms of test data creation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The misuse of psychostimulants is an increasing behavior among young people, highlighting in some countries the abuse of modafinil (MOD) as a neuropotentiator. However, several clinical trials are investigating MOD as an alternative pharmacological treatment for attentional deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children and adolescents. On the other hand, the early use of psychostimulants and the misdiagnosis rates in ADHD make it crucial to investigate the brain effects of this type of drug in young healthy individuals. The aim of this work was to evaluate the effects of chronic MOD treatment on neurochemicals (γ-aminobutyric acid and glutamate), dopamine receptor 2 (D2) expression and behavior (non-selective attention "NSA") in the mesocorticolimbic system of young healthy Sprague–Dawley rats. Preadolescent male rats were injected with MOD (75 mg/kg, i.p.) or a vehicle for 14 days (from postnatal day 22 to 35). At postnatal day 36, we measured the GLU and GABA contents and their extracellular levels in the nucleus accumbens (NAc). In addition, the GLU and GABA contents were measured in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and D2 protein levels in the prefrontal cortex (PFC). Chronic use of MOD during adolescence induces behavioral and neurochemical changes associated with the mesocorticolimbic system, such as a reduction in PFC D2 expression, VTA GABA levels and NSA. These results contribute to the understanding of the neurological effects of chronic MOD use on a young healthy brain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Exploited spatial correlation in clustered sensor networks after event occurrence. • Determines minimum reporting nodes (4–1) for correlation threshold (0.1–1). • Correlation threshold variation from 0.1 to 1 extended lifetime by 66 %. • Presented neural network based technique for ideal correlation threshold selection. • Impressive model accuracy (R = 0.97813) and act as personalized correlation advisor. Wireless sensor networks comprise autonomous nodes monitoring environments while managing energy consumption. Extending network lifespan involves minimizing redundant transmissions by filtering identical information from correlated sensor nodes. Correlation depends on spatial locations and it quantifies sensor relationships. It allows nodes classification as correlated or uncorrelated using a threshold value between 0 and 1 which enhances network lifespan by 60–65 %. Selecting the optimal threshold considering network metrics remains a challenge. This study proposes a neural network-guided correlation thresholding technique (NNCT). NNCT aims to identify the optimal threshold for filtering redundant reports by training a neural network on varied parameters like node density, threshold, coverage, and events using different clustering methods. The process involves implementing spatial correlation models, virtual clustering, event detection, and iterative threshold-based node selection. The neural network achieves a high accuracy of R = 0.97813, offering a promising adaptive solution for automated threshold selection in correlation-based filtering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fifth generation 5G mobile is the newest global solution wireless standard after 4G. Also, it is a solution that opens the door to new services: Transport, industry..., and help achieve a variety of high-level goals for consumers and businesses. This paper starts by reviewing the evolvement of the mobile generations beginning by 1G until 5G and presenting their characteristics. Secondly, analyzing the implementation of the 5G architecture according to two modes: 5G Standalone Mode (SA) and 5G Non-Standalone (NSA) Mode. Then presenting the options of each mode and deployment scenario of each of these modes. Finally, we draw a conclusion by trying to answer the question that majority of operators are asking, searching for the best implementation of the 5G Network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are currently no concerted attempts to understand the role of whistleblowers in the new social and political environment created by digital ICTs. Digital ICTs drive an accelerating visibility where elites and citizens constantly acquire new tools to track, surveil, and scrutinize each other. Moreover, these technologies make possible a new kind of invisibility. Increasingly complex modes of digital data production and usage generate grey areas that seem to escape legal jurisdiction and democratic oversight. With their privileged access inside these grey areas, conscientious employees-turned-whistleblowers are likely to become key sources for the disclosure of serious wrongdoing in the coming years. The argument is empirically illustrated through three cases that represent different types of grey areas in advanced democracies: big data surveillance (Edward Snowden), tax havens (Antoine Deltour and the Panama and Paradise Papers), and digital political profiling (Christopher Wylie). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the article is to analyse Operation “Olympic Games” including, in particular, to indicate the political background to the activities aimed at preventing the development of Iran’s nuclear programme, and to examine the preparation and conduct of the operation, the involvement of the US and Israeli intelligence services, and the use of intelligence methods and sources. An equally important objective is to indicate the real consequences of the cyberattack with the Stuxnet virus. In the research process, a critical analysis of literature in the field of Intelligence Studies and source materials (including legal acts, strategies, reports, and other official studies of the entities forming the US Intelligence Community) was carried out. The example of Operation Olympics Games shows that complex cyber-sabotage operations resulting in the destruction of critical infrastructure on a large scale require the involvement of numerous state resources and advanced cyber activities, and the use of many different methods and intelligence sources. Thus, strong states with well-developed intelligence capabilities are much more capable of effectively using cyber-sabotage on a large scale.

Bing-jie Huang,1– 4 Yong Wang,1– 4 Qi Miao,1– 4 Xin Yu,1– 4 Cheng-cheng Pu,1– 4 Chuan Shi1– 4 1Clinical Research Department, Peking University Sixth Hospital, Beijing, People’s Republic of China; 2Institute of Mental Health, Peking University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China; 3NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), , Beijing, People’s Republic of China; 4National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Cheng-cheng Pu; Chuan Shi Email pciami@163.com; shichuan@bjmu.edu.cnPurpose: The Negative Symptom Assessment-16 (NSA-16) is an instrument with significant validity and utility for assessing negative symptoms associated with schizophrenia. This study aimed to validate the Chinese version of the NSA-16.Patients and Methods: A total of 172 participants with schizophrenia were assessed with the NSA-16, Scale for Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS), Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), Calgary Depression Scale for Schizophrenia (CDSS) and Rating Scale for Extrapyramidal Side Effects (RSESE). The factor structure of the NSA-16 was evaluated via exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. Cronbach’s α and intraclass correlation coefficients were computed. Correlations were evaluated via Spearman correlation coefficient.Results: The original five-factor model of the NSA-16 did not fit our sample. Exploratory factor analysis followed by confirmatory factor analysis suggested a three-factor structure, consisting of communication, emotion and motivation, with 15 items. The NSA with 15 items was termed as the NSA-15. The NSA-15 showed excellent convergent validity by high correlations with the SANS and PANSS total and negative factor scores and good divergent validity by independence from the PANSS positive factor, CDSS and RSESE. The NSA-15 showed good internal consistency, interrater reliability and test–retest reliability.Conclusion: The NSA-15 is best characterized by a three-factor structure and is valid for assessing negative symptoms of schizophrenia in Chinese individuals.Keywords: negative symptoms, schizophrenia, NSA, reliability, validity

The misuse of psychostimulants is an increasing behavior among young people, highlighting in some countries the abuse of modafinil (MOD) as a neuropotentiator. However, several clinical trials are investigating MOD as an alternative pharmacological treatment for attentional deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children and adolescents. On the other hand, the early use of psychostimulants and the misdiagnosis rates in ADHD make it crucial to investigate the brain effects of this type of drug in young healthy individuals. The aim of this work was to evaluate the effects of chronic MOD treatment on neurochemicals (γ-aminobutyric acid and glutamate), dopamine receptor 2 (D2) expression and behavior (non-selective attention “NSA”) in the mesocorticolimbic system of young healthy Sprague–Dawley rats. Preadolescent male rats were injected with MOD (75 mg/kg, i.p.) or a vehicle for 14 days (from postnatal day 22 to 35). At postnatal day 36, we measured the GLU and GABA contents and their extracellular levels in the nucleus accumbens (NAc). In addition, the GLU and GABA contents were measured in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and D2 protein levels in the prefrontal cortex (PFC). Chronic use of MOD during adolescence induces behavioral and neurochemical changes associated with the mesocorticolimbic system, such as a reduction in PFC D2 expression, VTA GABA levels and NSA. These results contribute to the understanding of the neurological effects of chronic MOD use on a young healthy brain.

It has recently been discovered that large companies and nations "observe" their customers and citizens, disregarding any remaining moral and technological lines, being able to listen to telephone conversations and monitoring communications, through powerful monitoring and surveillance programs. Elsewhere on the planet, nations in turmoil or wrapped in a cloak of censorship persecute their citizens, controlling them by denying them access to the free Web without the threat of repercussions that threatens their dignity. To support the present research, an analysis of platforms that allow anonymous and secure browsing and a study of technologies and programs with potential privacy breach and computer intrusion were performed. The main objective of this work was to analyse the computer monitoring and surveillance technologies, identifying the available tools, trying to find potential solutions, developing and providing a methodology that enhances any desktop, server or mobile operating system, with characteristics that combat the exposed in this summary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fifth-generation of mobile networks (5G) claims for a radio access network (RAN) update in order to support the enormous incoming wireless data traffic. In this context, we experimentally evaluate two distinct hybrid architectures applied to 5G New Radio (NR) FiWi systems based on different optical fronthaul approaches. The first architecture operates in non-standalone (NSA) mode, defined by the 3rd generation partnership project (3GPP), for simultaneously transmitting 4G and 5G technologies through an unique FiWi system. The three considered waveforms are as follows: a filtered orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (F-OFDM) signal at 778 MHz with 10 MHz bandwidth from our 5G flexible-waveform transceiver; a long-term evolution-advanced (LTE-A) signal with five 20 MHz sub-bands centralized at 2.24 GHz; a 5G NR signal at 2.35 GHz with 100 MHz bandwidth. On the other side, the second architecture employs radio over fiber (RoF), free space optics (FSO), and wireless technologies converged into a heterogeneous network (HetNet). The additional multi-standard and multiband optical-wireless network is based on a 10-MHz bandwidth F-OFDM signal at 788 MHz, a 100-MHz bandwidth 5G NR signal at 3.5 GHz, and a 400-MHz bandwidth M-QAM signal at 26 GHz. Throughput up to 3 and 1.4 Gbps are demonstrated for RoF/FSO and RoF/FSO/Wireless transmission, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, the generalized shallow water wave (GSWW) equation is studied from the perspective of one dimensional optimal systems and their conservation laws (Cls). Some reduction and a new exact solution are obtained from known solutions to one dimensional optimal systems. Some of the solutions obtained involve expressions with Bessel function and Airy function [1,2,3]. The GSWW is a nonlinear self-adjoint (NSA) with the suitable differential substitution, Cls are constructed using the new conservation theorem.

This study analyzes the changes in individuals' Internet search behavior and economic variables following Edward Snowden's revelation of National Security Agency (NSA) surveillance activities of global Internet communications. We refer to the abrupt changes in individual search behavior beginning in June 2013 following Snowden's revelations as the "Snowden effect." The "Snowden effect" is a form of chilling effect. Using data from a unique search engine, DuckDuckGo, we show that chilling effects indeed exist. However, further analysis including the stock prices of the largest cybersecurity companies demonstrate a muted market response to the revelations, while cybersecurity spending data suggest resulting economic harm in the form of increased opportunity costs of buyers of cybersecurity services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To investigate the impact of dual readout bandwidths (dBW) in a dual echo fat/water acquisition and describe a dBW‐rapid acquisition relaxation enhanced, or turbo spin echo sequence where the concept is used to improve SNR by removing dead times between refocusing pulses and avoiding redundant Chemical‐shift encoded. Methods: Cramér‐Rao bounds and Monte Carlo simulations were used to investigate a two‐point fat/water model where the difference in bandwidths is incorporated. In vivo images were acquired at 1.5 and 3 T with the dBW‐rapid acquisition relaxation enhanced, or turbo spin echo sequence. Typical bandwidth ratios were 1:2. SNR was compared with a single bandwidth sequence under identical scan parameters at 3T. Results: Monte Carlo simulations and Cramér‐Rao analysis demonstrate that number of signal averages can be improved with dual bandwidths compared to conventional single bandwidth acquisitions. The dBW‐rapid acquisition relaxation enhanced, or turbo spin echo sequence can acquire images with high readout resolutions with well‐conditioned sampling. An SNR improvement of 52% was measured, in line with the theoretical gain of 54%. Conclusions: The proposed dBW‐rapid acquisition relaxation enhanced, or turbo spin echo sequence is a highly SNR‐efficient two‐point rapid acquisition relaxation enhanced, or turbo spin echo sequence without dead times, and can acquire images at higher resolutions than current vendor‐supplied alternatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Snowden leaks revealed how surveillance agencies conduct surveillance along all geographical scales, from the global to the local. A close look at National Security Agency (NSA) surveillance infrastructures demonstrates how these infrastructures have expanded globally. This expansion is based on technological advances, collaborations between domestic and foreign agencies and ambiguous liaisons between public and private actors. The emergence of global surveillance has to be seen in the context of the increasing techno-securitization of societies that has made surveillance technologies a key technique of government. State-led efforts to secure societies against global threats such as terrorism have turned everyone into a potential threat and therefore into a target of surveillance technologies. Hence, analyses need to take into account the globality of modern surveillance and give global surveillance a face and a name. Inspired by Derek Gregory's conceptualization of 'everywhere war', the here introduced notion of 'everywhere surveillance' provides a theoretical concept suitable for the study of global surveillance regimes. The concept allows for the analysis of complex surveillance apparatuses in all their intricacies, ruptures and interconnections and it allows for the study of the socio-technological and geographical characteristics and implications of global surveillance. 'Everywhere surveillance', the drawing together of heterogeneous, interoperable surveillance artefacts allows for surveillance to be carried out potentially everywhere and against everyone. This in turn is made possible by the capability of surveillance technologies to integrate global communication infrastructures. In the broader environment of techno-securitization the key characteristics of 'everywhere surveillance' lie in its globality, the production of heterogeneous geographies of surveillance, the blurring of lines between combatants and civilians as well as an alarming decline in transparency and accountability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the article is to analyse Operation "Olympic Games" including, in particular, to indicate the political background to the activities aimed at preventing the development of Iran's nuclear programme, and to examine the preparation and conduct of the operation, the involvement of the US and Israeli intelligence services, and the use of intelligence methods and sources. An equally important objective is to indicate the real consequences of the cyberattack with the Stuxnet virus. In the research process, a critical analysis of literature in the field of Intelligence Studies and source materials (including legal acts, strategies, reports, and other official studies of the entities forming the US Intelligence Community) was carried out. The example of Operation Olympics Games shows that complex cyber-sabotage operations resulting in the destruction of critical infrastructure on a large scale require the involvement of numerous state resources and advanced cyber activities, and the use of many different methods and intelligence sources. Thus, strong states with well-developed intelligence capabilities are much more capable of effectively using cyber-sabotage on a large scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay examines how the US government intelligence community (IC) as well as the public and commercial sectors contributed demand-pull, in different ways, for an unregulated, privatized Internet. Demand-pull entails more demand than supply, or a shortage in supply (such as a shortage in networks and thus a demand-pull for them). It is argued that an excessive supply of Cold War era IC spy data, which required high-speed data processing, incentivized ARPANET expansion. In the public sector, people wanted expanded networks for personal computing and in the commercial sector there was demand-pull for unregulated networks that bootlegged and gifted PROMIS derived software could be harnessed to. The IC demand pulled for their own cloned and separate networks, while the public demand pulled for their own networks and commercial interests demand pulled for unregulated, privatized and expanded networks. Together these different demand-pull scenarios incentivized a speedy and unchallenged privatization of an Internet that was neither owned nor regulated by any one government or company. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present contribution maps materialist advances in media studies. Based on the assumption that matter and materiality constitute significant aspects of communication processes and practices, I introduce four fields of inquiry - technology, political economy, ecology, and the body - and argue that these perspectives enable a more comprehensive understanding of the implications of contemporary technologically afforded forms of interaction. The article shows how each perspective can balance apologetic and apocalyptic approaches to the impact of in particular digital technologies, before it demonstrates the applicability of an integrated framework with reference to the techno-politics of NSA surveillance and the counter-practices of WikiLeaks.

In recent years, we have seen a rise in digital technology. In response to the tempestuous nature of technology and its manifold "threats", the State has adopted fresh armoury. It has inducted mass surveillance programmes, which collect information on every citizen. In India, these measures were adopted in 2007. India's bulk phone metadata collection programme, equivalent to the National Security Agency is called the Central Monitoring System. Additionally, India has created the Crime and Criminal Tracking and Network System, a nation-wide reposity of criminal data. This paper delves into a constitutional analysis of the validity of these programmes by identifying the key constitutional concerns and reviewing whether these programmes satisfy the test of proportionality. Finally, this paper critiques the ramifications of these measures on democracy. It argues that these measures stifle the exchange of information in the public sphere and reduce public space for reasoning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper documents the early life of Horst Feistel, in particular, the events shaping his career. His creativity led to the development of today's high-grade cryptographic algorithms. We describe Feistel's successful escape from Nazi Germany, his university training in physics in Zürich and in Boston, and the career change to cryptography. Feistel became a Research Staff Member at the IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center in Yorktown Heights, New York, in 1968. The cryptographic algorithm LUCIFER encrypts data to secure their contents. It embodies the ideas intrinsic in Feistel's 1971 IBM patent. Claude Shannon's 1949 prescription for achieving ideal secrecy was the basis for LUCIFER and its successors DES, 3DES and AES. DES authenticated transactions in the automated teller machine system developed by IBM as part of the Lloyds Bank Cashpoint System in England. Public key cryptography and advances in communication networks would provide a means to secure credit card transactions and lead to a lucrative environment for E-Commerce. The availability of high-grade encryption appears to have drastically limited the National Security Agency's Signals Intelligence mission. The Department of Justice's dispute with Apple's iPhone is an attempt to restrict the commercial availability of high-grade encryption algorithms. It signals the struggle between privacy and national security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Panopticon is a popular metaphor in discussions about mass surveillance. Drawing on deterrence theory and chilling effects, we provide two empirical tests of this analogy to examine whether perceptions of online government surveillance suppress or entirely eradicate an array of sensitive online activities. Study 1 indicates that surveillance significantly deters individuals' intentions to engage in illegal offenses, an effect that extends to political, but not privacy-protective behaviors. Study 2 retests the pervasiveness of this effect with a sample of Muslims who reside in the United States. Results indicate that restrictive chilling effects are not specific to any one online population, experimental stimuli, or political context. Implications for US political and social systems are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The NSA/Snowden revelations represent a case for studying the degree of journalistic autonomy versus the political field, in a situation where national and international security is at stake. In an era of rapid digital transition the revelations constitute a unique moment for studying field relations. This article examines the coverage of the NSA/Snowden revelations of massive transnational surveillance in six national Norwegian newspapers, with a main emphasis on opinionated articles. By way of content analysis we find that a clear majority of the editorials demonstrate a supportive attitude to Edward Snowden and treat him as a whistleblower, while treating the publishing journalists in The Guardian as situated within a proud tradition of investigative journalism, albeit with some diversity of opinion. In external opinionated contributions, a majority of the items reveal a critical attitude towards this surveillance and a supportive attitude towards Snowden. With a few exceptions, politicians do not take part in these exchanges, and are challenged for their low degree of engagement by several editorials. The article demonstrates a strong field autonomy vis-à-vis a political field where only a few parliamentarians came out in support of Snowden.

Before June 2013, civil society and much of Congress were largely in the dark about the extent of the surveillance activities of the National Security Agency and the circumlocutions of statute undertaken by the White House and the Department of Justice. After the releases by Edward Snowden to specific journalists, the mendacity of Intelligence Community lawyers and leaders, the evasions of the law and manipulation of the FISA Court by the White House working with the Justice Department, and the scope of the violations of the Fourth Amendment protections of U.S. Persons (USPs) became increasingly apparent.2 This article reviews the changes that were initiated in the Executive Branch (and to a lesser extent in the Legislative Branch), the role civil society played in pushing and utilizing greater transparency, and what the changes mean for government accountability to the public.

This article describes the author’s experiences researching three books on espionage history in three different countries and on three different topics. The article describes the foreign intelligence arm of the Ministry for State Security; a global history of secret writing from ancient to modern times; and finally, my current project on U.S. intelligence and technology from the Cold War to the War on Terror. The article also discusses the tensions between national security and openness and reflects on the results of this research and its implications for history and for national security.

The recent exposure of the NSA documents has raised a great deal of concerns with regards to the effective control of companies that cooperate with intelligence agencies. It also exposed a network of secret government spying partnerships used to go around existing domestic guarantees and to spy on one’s own citizens through the back door. The dread that both legal and technological means designed with legitimate purposes such as counter-terrorism and crime prevention are also employed for total social control is now out there. In many aspects it looks like we are experiencing the end of privacy and opting for a ‘surveillance society’ instead. In the clutter of pressing issues, most of the recent scholarly attention has focused on the assessment and reform proposals of the existing, but as it turns out inadequate with respect to actual rights protection, domestic legal frameworks. This has left the obligations of the intruders under international human rights law unconsidered. Therefore, the present paper aims at evaluating the legality of such surveillance programs under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the European Convention on Human Rights.

The Hagelin M-209 was a mechanical encryption device used by the U.S. Army during World War 2 (WWII) and the Korean War, as well as by other armies and diplomatic services. The Hagelin M-209 has been the focus of extensive research by codebreaking agencies. Several ciphertext-only attacks have been published, but, those attacks are applicable only to the case of long cryptograms. In this article, the authors present a nested hill-climbing and simulated annealing algorithm for recovering the full key settings from ciphertext only, with ciphertexts as short as 500 letters, compared to a minimum of 750 to 1,250 letters with prior methods. With this method, the authors have solved the last problem of a public Hagelin M-209 challenge contest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: To provide quantitative conversions between commonly used scales for the assessment of negative symptoms in schizophrenia.Method: Linear regression analyses generated conversion equations between symptom scores from the Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS), the Schedule for the Deficit Syndrome (SDS), the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), or the Negative Symptoms Assessment (NSA) based on a cross sectional sample of 176 individuals with schizophrenia. Intraclass correlations assessed the rating conversion accuracy based on a separate sub-sample of 29 patients who took part in the initial study as well as an independent sample of 28 additional subjects with schizophrenia.Results: Between-scale negative symptom ratings were moderately to highly correlated (r = 0.73-0.91). Intraclass correlations between the original negative symptom rating scores and those obtained via using the conversion equations were in the range of 0.61-0.79.Conclusions: While there is a degree of non-overlap, several negative symptoms scores reflect measures of similar constructs and may be reliably converted between some scales. The conversion equations are provided at http://www.converteasy.org and may be used for meta- and mega-analyses that examine negative symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research details a country-wide cyber-attack and proposes a cyber-firewall called 'Seddulbahir' to defend against future attacks. The country-wide dual-phased cyber-attack scenario includes two separate phases. First, the attack spreads the malicious malware and second it creates botnets to generate malicious traffic from local subnets against the country's DNS servers to disrupt internet connections and the communication infrastructure of the country. This research paper simulates and exposes the impact of one of the most popular National Security Agency (NSA)'s leaked tools called the FuzzBunch toolkit that can spread a proposed malware within a country's local subnets and networks. The proposed national cyber firewall named 'Seddulbahir' will be used by the Cyber Emergency Response Team (CERT) to detect malicious traffic and clear proposed malware from the subnets through Network Address Translation (NAT) maps and prevent a botnet attack to protect against disruption of DNS servers and country's communication infrastructure. The simulation results show that a country-wide cyber-attack would have a significant effect on DNS, HTTP response time, server CPU utilization, and link utilization metrics on communication servers. The performance results based on these metrics indicated that Seddulbahir mitigated the countrywide cyber-attack significantly and the interference of Seddulbahir (configured on simulation time) kept the CPU utilization level of DNS servers stable at 4%. This research highlights the importance and necessity of national cyber firewall systems to protect the critical communication infrastructure of the country through this proposed cyber-firewall mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article goes briefly over the formation of the US as an imperial power and resorts to Furbies as a symbol to reflect on the risk posed to a democratic society by the erosion of the distinction between the private and the public in the digital age.

Esse trabalho tem por objetivo fazer uso da análise documental e contextual para estudar uma parcela das informações tornadas públicas em junho 2013 pelo especialista em segurança digital Edward Snowden, que detalhavam o projeto PRISM, uma iniciativa de espionagem global e sistemática dos meios de comunicação que estava sendo praticada pela National Security Agency (NSA) sob ordens do governo dos Estados Unidos. Abordamos incialmente como se configurou a montagem do sistema de espionagem, prosseguindo então para a observação de dois casos distintos, um deles proveniente da esfera diplomática e o outro da esfera econômica, sendo que ambos incluem o Brasil em posição de protagonismo. O primeiro caso envolve as ações estadunidense a respeito da imposição de novas sanções econômicas ao Irã, enquanto o segundo trata da espionagem praticada contra a Petrobrás. Conclui-se que de fato ocorreram ações de espionagem digital por parte dos EUA em ambas as situações, e que o governo e seus clientes se beneficiaram de informações privilegiadas durante o processo de tomada de decisão.

Secondary data proved that high grown teas are losing their position as the highest Elevation Average (EA) recorded over the years. As EA is determined by the factory Net Sale Average (NSA), factors affecting NSA are responsible for fluctuations of EA. This study attempts to identify those factors which affect NSA of orthodox black tea factories in high elevation. Data were collected for tea factories representing agro climatic regions in high elevation. Fixed effect panel data regression analysis was employed for the econometric analysis. Results revealed that NSA is determined by main grade percentage, own leaf quantity, best leaf standard, quality certification of factories and number of brokers involved in the selling process. However, Udu Pussellawa sub region shows negative relationship for own leaf and best leaf standard whereas Uva sub region shows negative relationship only for the main grade percentage. The overall results indicate that high elevation factory NSA is determined by the quality of the raw material and final output.The Kelaniya Journal of Management, Vol. 3(1); 2014: 63-85

A neoconservative coalition of oppositional forces, comprised of the Clinton wing of the Democratic Party and their allies in the Republican Party, the liberal mainstream media, and the deep state have promoted a new Cold War against Russia. This is intended as a mobilizing strategy to overturn the Trump presidency, weaken the Russian state, and reconstruct state legitimacy following years of decline in the quality of life and democracy in America. The coalition reconstructed the Cold War as an ideological tool in the interest of continuing to pursue domestic and global neoliberal policies and dealing with a fractious public disenchanted with government, its elected officials, the mainstream media, and a failing democracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

World War II proved the value of using mathematicians as codebreakers. Both the Army’s Signal Intelligence Service (SIS) and the Navy’s OP-20-G recruited mathematicians. When the war ended and demobilization occurred, some of these mathematicians accepted academic positions or positions in industry, but some continued to serve as codebreakers. In the early 1950s, the Armed Forces Security Agency (AFSA) struggled with Soviet ciphers and with the United States’ communications intelligence (COMINT) needs for the Korean War. In 1951, in the face of a seemingly intractable problem with a Soviet cipher machine called Albatross, AFSA established a group of consultants, the Special Cryptologic Advisory Group (SCAG), which consisted of academic and industrial mathematicians and engineers. The year-long experience with SCAG led, in 1952, to AFSA’s establishment of a summer program, Special Committee Advising on Mathematical Problems (SCAMP), which enlisted academic mathematicians to work on Agency problems, and it also led to the establishment of the NSA Scientific Advisory Board (NSASAB). This article explores the immediate post-World War II evolution of the relationship between academic mathematicians and the NSA that is reflected in SCAG and in the beginnings of SCAMP and NSASAB. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Artificial immune algorithms have been widely used in anomaly detection. Negative selection algorithm (NSA) is one of the most popular detector generation algorithms. However NSA has problems such as large detector size, high overlapping rate and low detection efficiency etc. In order to reduce its overlap rate and detector size in guarantee of high detection efficiency, a novel radius adaptive hybrid detector generation algorithm is proposed, abbreviated as RAH-NSA. In order to reduce the number of self-detectors, the number of self-samples in different directions are evaluated of various radius to make sure the generated detector could cover each direction as possible. Based on the principle that self-set edge will make the number of self-set less in a certain direction, the radius of self-detector is self-adaptive. In this way, the number of self-detectors and the overlapping rate could be reduced sharply. For each non-self-detector, distance from sample self is calculated as its radius threshold to reduce the number of self-samples and false alarm rate. And non-self-detector centers are automatically generated by normalized endpoints. Shortest distance from the initially detector is used to generate two new negative detectors, whose radius are bigger to reduce the overlapping rate and the number of detector. Finally both self-detector and negative detector are applied as hybrid detectors for data sets detection. When the data sample belongs to self-detector means it’s normal, while either detector includes test sample or the test sample belongs to the nearest one. Simulation results testify that proposed RAH-NSA has higher detector accuracy while reducing the negative detector size and overlapping rate compared with other classic detector generation algorithms without obvious execution time increase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]