Repositioning fertilizer manufacturing subsidies for improving food security and reducing greenhouse gas emissions in China

China removed fertilizer manufacturing subsidies from 2015 to 2018 to bolster market-oriented reforms and foster environmentally sustainable practices.However,the impact of this policy reform on food security and the environment remains inadequately evaluated.Moreover,although green and low-carbon technologies offer environmental advantages,their widespread adoption is hindered by prohibitively high costs.This study analyzes the impact of removing fertilizer manufacturing subsidies and explores the potential feasibility of redirecting fertilizer manufacturing subsidies to invest in the diffusion of these technologies.Utilizing the China Agricultural University Agri-food Systems model,we analyzed the potential for achieving mutually beneficial outcomes regarding food security and environmental sustainability.The findings indicate that removing fertilizer manufacturing subsidies has reduced greenhouse gas(GHG)emissions from agricultural activities by 3.88 million metric tons,with minimal impact on food production.Redirecting fertilizer manufacturing subsidies to invest in green and low-carbon technologies,including slow and controlled-release fertilizer,organic-inorganic compound fertilizers,and machine deep placement of fertilizer,emerges as a strategy to concurrently curtail GHG emissions,ensure food security,and secure robust economic returns.Finally,we propose a comprehensive set of government interventions,including subsidies,field guidance,and improved extension systems,to promote the widespread adoption of these technologies.

Prions:a threat to health security and the need for effective medical countermeasures

Prions are infectious conformations of certain naturally occurring proteins.These misfolded proteins can struc­turally alter healthy protein,creating misfolded copies that repeat the process and form protein aggregates that lead to neuronal cell death.Although years can pass from initial prion infection to clinical presentation of symp­toms,onset of symptoms is typically followed by rapid neurological decline resulting in death.Prion diseases have been characterized in animals ranging from sheep and cattle to cervids and humans,with notable cross-species infections such as the variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.Thus,prions present a health risk with the potential to disrupt major food sources as well affect human health through animal to human and human to human trans­mission events.While human to human prion transmission is rare and the immediate risks for a prion-facilitated pandemic are low,prions are a class of pathogens for which we are underprepared.In addition,prions,and prion disease-like approaches,have also been discussed in the context of biological weapons and toxins,adding another layer of complexity surrounding biosecurity and biodefense.These threats underscore the need for increased scrutiny and research on prions.Here,pharmaceutical and nonpharmaceutical prion-specific interventions are discussed.Recent advances in prion therapeutic development are also briefly highlighted,and a set of policy rec­ommendations are given that aims to provide high level suggestions for the prevention and mitigation of prion diseases.

An Investigation on Open-RAN Specifications:Use Cases,Security Threats,Requirements,Discussions

The emergence of various technologies such as terahertz communications,Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces(RIS),and AI-powered communication services will burden network operators with rising infrastructure costs.Recently,the Open Radio Access Network(O-RAN)has been introduced as a solution for growing financial and operational burdens in Beyond 5G(B5G)and 6G networks.O-RAN promotes openness and intelligence to overcome the limitations of traditional RANs.By disaggregating conventional Base Band Units(BBUs)into O-RAN Distributed Units(O-DU)and O-RAN Centralized Units(O-CU),O-RAN offers greater flexibility for upgrades and network automation.However,this openness introduces new security challenges compared to traditional RANs.Many existing studies overlook these security requirements of the O-RAN networks.To gain deeper insights into the O-RAN system and security,this paper first provides an overview of the general O-RAN architecture and its diverse use cases relevant to B5G and 6G applications.We then delve into specifications of O-RAN security threats and requirements,aiming to mitigate security vulnerabilities effectively.By providing a comprehensive understanding of O-RAN architecture,use cases,and security considerations,thisworkserves as a valuable resource for future research in O-RAN and its security.

Survey on Video Security:Examining Threats,Challenges,and Future Trends

Videos represent the most prevailing form of digital media for communication,information dissemination,and monitoring.However,theirwidespread use has increased the risks of unauthorised access andmanipulation,posing significant challenges.In response,various protection approaches have been developed to secure,authenticate,and ensure the integrity of digital videos.This study provides a comprehensive survey of the challenges associated with maintaining the confidentiality,integrity,and availability of video content,and examining how it can be manipulated.It then investigates current developments in the field of video security by exploring two critical research questions.First,it examine the techniques used by adversaries to compromise video data and evaluate their impact.Understanding these attack methodologies is crucial for developing effective defense mechanisms.Second,it explores the various security approaches that can be employed to protect video data,enhancing its transparency,integrity,and trustworthiness.It compares the effectiveness of these approaches across different use cases,including surveillance,video on demand(VoD),and medical videos related to disease diagnostics.Finally,it identifies potential research opportunities to enhance video data protection in response to the evolving threat landscape.Through this investigation,this study aims to contribute to the ongoing efforts in securing video data,providing insights that are vital for researchers,practitioners,and policymakers dedicated to enhancing the safety and reliability of video content in our digital world.

Enhancing Cybersecurity Competency in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia:A Fuzzy Decision-Making Approach

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia(KSA)has achieved significant milestones in cybersecurity.KSA has maintained solid regulatorymechanisms to prevent,trace,and punish offenders to protect the interests of both individual users and organizations from the online threats of data poaching and pilferage.The widespread usage of Information Technology(IT)and IT Enable Services(ITES)reinforces securitymeasures.The constantly evolving cyber threats are a topic that is generating a lot of discussion.In this league,the present article enlists a broad perspective on how cybercrime is developing in KSA at present and also takes a look at some of the most significant attacks that have taken place in the region.The existing legislative framework and measures in the KSA are geared toward deterring criminal activity online.Different competency models have been devised to address the necessary cybercrime competencies in this context.The research specialists in this domain can benefit more by developing a master competency level for achieving optimum security.To address this research query,the present assessment uses the Fuzzy Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory(Fuzzy-DMTAEL),Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process(F.AHP),and Fuzzy TOPSIS methodology to achieve segment-wise competency development in cyber security policy.The similarities and differences between the three methods are also discussed.This cybersecurity analysis determined that the National Cyber Security Centre got the highest priority.The study concludes by perusing the challenges that still need to be examined and resolved in effectuating more credible and efficacious online security mechanisms to offer amoreempowered ITES-driven economy for SaudiArabia.Moreover,cybersecurity specialists and policymakers need to collate their efforts to protect the country’s digital assets in the era of overt and covert cyber warfare.

A Practical Regular LDPC Coded Scheme for Physical-Layer Information Security

In this paper,we aim to design a practical low complexity low-density parity-check(LDPC)coded scheme to build a secure open channel and protect information from eavesdropping.To this end,we first propose a punctured LDPC coded scheme,where the information bits in a codeword are punctured and only the parity check bits are transmitted to the receiver.We further propose a notion of check node type distribution and derive multi-edge type extrinsic information transfer functions to estimate the security performance,instead of the well-known weak metric bit error rate.We optimize the check node type distribution in terms of the signal-to-noise ratio(SNR)gap and modify the progressive edge growth algorithm to design finite-length codes.Numerical results show that our proposed scheme can achieve a lower computational complexity and a smaller security gap,compared to the existing scrambling and puncturing schemes.

Information Security in the Cloud: Emerging Trends and Challenges

This article explores the evolution of cloud computing, its advantages over traditional on-premises infrastructure, and its impact on information security. The study presents a comprehensive literature review covering various cloud infrastructure offerings and security models. Additionally, it deeply analyzes real-life case studies illustrating successful cloud migrations and highlights common information security threats in current cloud computing. The article concludes by offering recommendations to businesses to protect themselves from cloud data breaches and providing insights into selecting a suitable cloud services provider from an information security perspective.

The Role of Plantain in Promoting Food Security: A Review

Plantain is a food security crop of significant nutritional value in the global south. Yet there are significant post-harvest losses, especially at the senescent stage. This review seeks to give a general overview of the crop, its nutritional significance and the technologies that can be adopted to enhance its utilisation at its senescent stage. In West Africa, plantains are eaten at all ripening stages, yet processing is limited to the unripe and semi-ripe. Adoptable technologies such as foam-mat drying will enhance its utilisation in indigenous meals and other food applications. This review provides useful insight to optimize the use of plantain to prevent food waste.

Enhancing Security in QR Code Technology Using AI: Exploration and Mitigation Strategies

The widespread adoption of QR codes has revolutionized various industries, streamlined transactions and improved inventory management. However, this increased reliance on QR code technology also exposes it to potential security risks that malicious actors can exploit. QR code Phishing, or “Quishing”, is a type of phishing attack that leverages QR codes to deceive individuals into visiting malicious websites or downloading harmful software. These attacks can be particularly effective due to the growing popularity and trust in QR codes. This paper examines the importance of enhancing the security of QR codes through the utilization of artificial intelligence (AI). The abstract investigates the integration of AI methods for identifying and mitigating security threats associated with QR code usage. By assessing the current state of QR code security and evaluating the effectiveness of AI-driven solutions, this research aims to propose comprehensive strategies for strengthening QR code technology’s resilience. The study contributes to discussions on secure data encoding and retrieval, providing valuable insights into the evolving synergy between QR codes and AI for the advancement of secure digital communication.

A Holistic Secure Communication Mechanism Using a Multilayered Cryptographic Protocol to Enhanced Security

In an era characterized by digital pervasiveness and rapidly expanding datasets,ensuring the integrity and reliability of information is paramount.As cyber threats evolve in complexity,traditional cryptographic methods face increasingly sophisticated challenges.This article initiates an exploration into these challenges,focusing on key exchanges(encompassing their variety and subtleties),scalability,and the time metrics associated with various cryptographic processes.We propose a novel cryptographic approach underpinned by theoretical frameworks and practical engineering.Central to this approach is a thorough analysis of the interplay between Confidentiality and Integrity,foundational pillars of information security.Our method employs a phased strategy,beginning with a detailed examination of traditional cryptographic processes,including Elliptic Curve Diffie-Hellman(ECDH)key exchanges.We also delve into encrypt/decrypt paradigms,signature generation modes,and the hashes used for Message Authentication Codes(MACs).Each process is rigorously evaluated for performance and reliability.To gain a comprehensive understanding,a meticulously designed simulation was conducted,revealing the strengths and potential improvement areas of various techniques.Notably,our cryptographic protocol achieved a confidentiality metric of 9.13 in comprehensive simulation runs,marking a significant advancement over existing methods.Furthermore,with integrity metrics at 9.35,the protocol’s resilience is further affirmed.These metrics,derived from stringent testing,underscore the protocol’s efficacy in enhancing data security.

Systematic Security Guideline Framework through Intelligently Automated Vulnerability Analysis

This research aims to propose a practical framework designed for the automatic analysis of a product’s comprehensive functionality and security vulnerabilities,generating applicable guidelines based on real-world software.The existing analysis of software security vulnerabilities often focuses on specific features or modules.This partial and arbitrary analysis of the security vulnerabilities makes it challenging to comprehend the overall security vulnerabilities of the software.The key novelty lies in overcoming the constraints of partial approaches.The proposed framework utilizes data from various sources to create a comprehensive functionality profile,facilitating the derivation of real-world security guidelines.Security guidelines are dynamically generated by associating functional security vulnerabilities with the latest Common Vulnerabilities and Exposure(CVE)and Common Vulnerability Scoring System(CVSS)scores,resulting in automated guidelines tailored to each product.These guidelines are not only practical but also applicable in real-world software,allowing for prioritized security responses.The proposed framework is applied to virtual private network(VPN)software,wherein a validated Level 2 data flow diagram is generated using the Spoofing,Tampering,Repudiation,Information Disclosure,Denial of Service,and Elevation of privilege(STRIDE)technique with references to various papers and examples from related software.The analysis resulted in the identification of a total of 121 vulnerabilities.The successful implementation and validation demonstrate the framework’s efficacy in generating customized guidelines for entire systems,subsystems,and selected modules.

Security and Privacy in Solar Insecticidal Lamps Internet of Things:Requirements and Challenges

Solar insecticidal lamps(SIL) can effectively control pests and reduce the use of pesticides. Combining SIL and Internet of Things(IoT) has formed a new type of agricultural IoT,known as SIL-IoT, which can improve the effectiveness of migratory phototropic pest control. However, since the SIL is connected to the Internet, it is vulnerable to various security issues.These issues can lead to serious consequences, such as tampering with the parameters of SIL, illegally starting and stopping SIL,etc. In this paper, we describe the overall security requirements of SIL-IoT and present an extensive survey of security and privacy solutions for SIL-IoT. We investigate the background and logical architecture of SIL-IoT, discuss SIL-IoT security scenarios, and analyze potential attacks. Starting from the security requirements of SIL-IoT we divide them into six categories, namely privacy, authentication, confidentiality, access control, availability,and integrity. Next, we describe the SIL-IoT privacy and security solutions, as well as the blockchain-based solutions. Based on the current survey, we finally discuss the challenges and future research directions of SIL-IoT.

Dietary Diversity and Food Security Status among Cameroonian Adults Living in Semi-Urban Areas: A Cross-Sectional Study

Introduction: Food security is one of the greatest challenges that most African countries face. It is a concept that considers not only food quantity but also food quality. The objective of this study was to describe dietary diversity and food security status at the individual level in Cameroonian populations. Methods: A total of 1180 men and women aged 20 and over and living in the West, North West, and Littoral regions of Cameroon were recruited. Data on dietary habits were collected through the frequency of consumption of various food groups. Dietary diversity was assessed using a 24-hour dietary recall. Food security status was determined by combining two indicators (food consumption score and individual food diversity score). Results: The mean dietary diversity score of the population was 3.53 ± 1.44, p Conclusion: The diet diversity of adults living in the West, North West, and Littoral regions of Cameroon is medium. Although half of the study population was food secure, there is a need to implement food security policies further to reduce food insecurity among the Cameroonian population.

A Review on the Security of the Ethereum-Based DeFi Ecosystem

Decentralized finance(DeFi)is a general term for a series of financial products and services.It is based on blockchain technology and has attracted people’s attention because of its open,transparent,and intermediary free.Among them,the DeFi ecosystem based on Ethereum-based blockchains attracts the most attention.However,the current decentralized financial system built on the Ethereum architecture has been exposed to many smart contract vulnerabilities during the last few years.Herein,we believe it is time to improve the understanding of the prevailing Ethereum-based DeFi ecosystem security issues.To that end,we investigate the Ethereum-based DeFi security issues:1)inherited from the real-world financial system,which can be solved by macro-control;2)induced by the problems of blockchain architecture,which require a better blockchain platform;3)caused by DeFi invented applications,which should be focused on during the project development.Based on that,we further discuss the current solutions and potential directions ofDeFi security.According to our research,we could provide a comprehensive vision to the research community for the improvement of Ethereum-basedDeFi ecosystem security.

NFT Security Matrix:Towards Modeling NFT Ecosystem Threat

Digital assets have boomed over the past few years with the emergence of Non-fungible Tokens(NFTs).To be specific,the total trading volume of digital assets reached an astounding$55.5 billion in 2022.Nevertheless,numerous security concerns have been raised by the rapid expansion of the NFT ecosystem.NFT holders are exposed to a plethora of scams and traps,putting their digital assets at risk of being lost.However,academic research on NFT security is scarce,and the security issues have aroused rare attention.In this study,the NFT ecological process is comprehensively explored.This process falls into five different stages encompassing the entire lifecycle of NFTs.Subsequently,the security issues regarding the respective stage are elaborated and analyzed in depth.A matrix model is proposed as a novel contribution to the categorization of NFT security issues.Diverse data are collected from social networks,the Ethereum blockchain,and NFT markets to substantiate our claims regarding the severity of security concerns in the NFT ecosystem.From this comprehensive dataset,nine key NFT security issues are identified from the matrix model and then subjected to qualitative and quantitative analysis.This study aims to shed light on the severity of NFT ecosystem security issues.The findings stress the need for increased attention and proactive measures to safeguard the NFT ecosystem.

Soybean maize strip intercropping:A solution for maintaining food security in China

The practice of intercropping leguminous and gramineous crops is used for promoting sustainable agriculture,optimizing resource utilization,enhancing biodiversity,and reducing reliance on petroleum products.However,promoting conventional intercropping strategies in modern agriculture can prove challenging.The innovative technology of soybean maize strip intercropping(SMSI)has been proposed as a solution.This system has produced remarkable results in improving domestic soybean and maize production for both food security and sustainable agriculture.In this article,we provide an overview of SMSI and explain how it differs from traditional intercropping.We also discuss the core principles that foster higher yields and the prospects for its future development.

Intelligent Solution System for Cloud Security Based on Equity Distribution:Model and Algorithms

In the cloud environment,ensuring a high level of data security is in high demand.Data planning storage optimization is part of the whole security process in the cloud environment.It enables data security by avoiding the risk of data loss and data overlapping.The development of data flow scheduling approaches in the cloud environment taking security parameters into account is insufficient.In our work,we propose a data scheduling model for the cloud environment.Themodel is made up of three parts that together help dispatch user data flow to the appropriate cloudVMs.The first component is the Collector Agent whichmust periodically collect information on the state of the network links.The second one is the monitoring agent which must then analyze,classify,and make a decision on the state of the link and finally transmit this information to the scheduler.The third one is the scheduler who must consider previous information to transfer user data,including fair distribution and reliable paths.It should be noted that each part of the proposedmodel requires the development of its algorithms.In this article,we are interested in the development of data transfer algorithms,including fairness distribution with the consideration of a stable link state.These algorithms are based on the grouping of transmitted files and the iterative method.The proposed algorithms showthe performances to obtain an approximate solution to the studied problem which is an NP-hard(Non-Polynomial solution)problem.The experimental results show that the best algorithm is the half-grouped minimum excluding(HME),with a percentage of 91.3%,an average deviation of 0.042,and an execution time of 0.001 s.

Security and Privacy Challenges in SDN-Enabled IoT Systems: Causes, Proposed Solutions,and Future Directions

Software-Defined Networking(SDN)represents a significant paradigm shift in network architecture,separating network logic from the underlying forwarding devices to enhance flexibility and centralize deployment.Concur-rently,the Internet of Things(IoT)connects numerous devices to the Internet,enabling autonomous interactions with minimal human intervention.However,implementing and managing an SDN-IoT system is inherently complex,particularly for those with limited resources,as the dynamic and distributed nature of IoT infrastructures creates security and privacy challenges during SDN integration.The findings of this study underscore the primary security and privacy challenges across application,control,and data planes.A comprehensive review evaluates the root causes of these challenges and the defense techniques employed in prior works to establish sufficient secrecy and privacy protection.Recent investigations have explored cutting-edge methods,such as leveraging blockchain for transaction recording to enhance security and privacy,along with applying machine learning and deep learning approaches to identify and mitigate the impacts of Denial of Service(DoS)and Distributed DoS(DDoS)attacks.Moreover,the analysis indicates that encryption and hashing techniques are prevalent in the data plane,whereas access control and certificate authorization are prominently considered in the control plane,and authentication is commonly employed within the application plane.Additionally,this paper outlines future directions,offering insights into potential strategies and technological advancements aimed at fostering a more secure and privacy-conscious SDN-based IoT ecosystem.

High-Level Security Dimension Evaluation of Blockchain BaaS System and Key Technology

In recent years,blockchain technology integration and application has gradually become an important driving force for new technological innovation and industrial transformation.While blockchain technology and applications are developing rapidly,the emerging security risks and obstacles have gradually become prominent.Attackers can still find security issues in blockchain systems and conduct attacks,causing increasing losses from network attacks every year.In response to the current demand for blockchain application security detection and assessment in all industries,and the insufficient coverage of existing detection technologies such as smart contract detectiontechnology,this paper proposes a blockchain core technology security assessment system model,and studies the relevant detection and assessment key technologies and systems.A security assessment scheme based on a smart contract and consensus mechanism detection scheme is designed.And the underlying blockchain architecture supports the traceability of detection results using super blockchains.Finally,the functionality and performance of the system were tested,and the test results show that the model and solutions proposed in this paper have good feasibility.

Food security amid the COVID-19 pandemic in Central Asia:Evidence from rural Tajikistan

Food security has been long understudied in the context of Central Asia.We present an analysis examining household-level food demand for Tajikistan and assessing the magnitude of its food security changes during the COVID-19 pandemic.Based on an extensive household survey data set from Tajikistan,we estimate the expenditure,income,and price elasticities for nine food categories using the QUAIDS model.Then,we develop a microsimulation model using the estimated elasticities to assess the dual impact of declining remittance income and rising food prices stemming from the pandemic shock.There are significant differences in demand elasticities across food groups,with high elasticities observed for nutritious foods,such as meat,fruit,eggs,and milk,in rural households.Moreover,our findings show that changes in remittance income and food prices significantly negatively affected food security for rural households during the COVID-19 pandemic.These findings have important implications for policymakers concerned about rural livelihoods and food security in remittance-receiving economies during the post-pandemic period.