Cyberattack Ramifications, The Hidden Cost of a Security Breach

In this in-depth exploration, I delve into the complex implications and costs of cybersecurity breaches. Venturing beyond just the immediate repercussions, the research unearths both the overt and concealed long-term consequences that businesses encounter. This study integrates findings from various research, including quantitative reports, drawing upon real-world incidents faced by both small and large enterprises. This investigation emphasizes the profound intangible costs, such as trade name devaluation and potential damage to brand reputation, which can persist long after the breach. By collating insights from industry experts and a myriad of research, the study provides a comprehensive perspective on the profound, multi-dimensional impacts of cybersecurity incidents. The overarching aim is to underscore the often-underestimated scope and depth of these breaches, emphasizing the entire timeline post-incident and the urgent need for fortified preventative and reactive measures in the digital domain.

The Origins of Bosons and Fermions

This paper proposes that all Bosons and all Fermions originate from even more elementary constituents, which called Spin Angular Momentum Vacuum (SAMV). SAMV is filled with Primitive Spin Particles (PSP). The total square spin angular momentum of each PSP is negative, less than zero. Those PSP labeled by index ?of Casimir Operator, are called Vacuum Spin Particle (VSP), which could be contracted into so-called Vacuum Bubbles (VB). VB are identical bubbles, are 'sub-observable physical quantities'. VB are paired up into Vacuum Bubble Pair VBP. VSP ωj(or ω+,ω-) results from Self-identical vacuum bubble interaction ?through the zero order Phase Transition PT. When the 1st, 2nd, 3rd,... order PT of VBP occur, ?then VBP turn into Bosons and Fermions, excited out of sea level of SAMV ocean.

Empirical Study on the Benefit Increase of New Contract Farming 1+3+X Model

For a long time,the development model of traditional rice planting industry has been single,linear,and focusing on production first and then market.However,with the low price of rice,such problems as slow technological upgrading,meager profits,and unstable rice quality in the primary industry planting units and farmers have become increasingly prominent.The integration and development of the rural primary,secondary,and tertiary industries and industrial integration have the same root.They are integrated industrial development based on technological or model innovation,vertical and horizontal integration.Three agricultural leading companies(Nanjing Tianwei Agricultural Technology Co.,Ltd.,Nanjing CHYKINGYOUNG Biological Technology Co.,Ltd.,and Jiangsu Jingshan Eco-organic Agriculture Co.,Ltd.)established an industrialization complex,and used their respective technical,operational,and market advantages to integrate and form a rice contract farming 1+3+X model.This model effectively integrates scattered rice planting,rice processing,and rice sales in Nanjing City of Jiangsu Province,and Chuzhou City of Anhui Province,and unifies planting regulations and supply of production materials,safeguards the supply of green and high-quality rice and realizes high quality and high price.In addition,it integrates farmers into the entire industrial chain of contract farming,summons up the production enthusiasm of farmers and greatly increases their income from planting production.

An Inquiry into the Approach to Asian Regional Trade Integration Under the Belt and Road Initiative——The Case of the Alignment of a China-Japan-South Korea Free Trade Area

It has been five years since the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) was first introduced. Though there has been a growing body of literature on regional cooperation between covered countries, Japan and South Korea have been barely discussed. This paper starts with the consensus-based mechanism of a China-Japan-South Korea Free Trade Area (FTA) to probe the approach of its alignment with the BRI in terms of the sequence of “master plans,”“viability of cooperation,” and “embedding of rules.” This inquiry found that the three countries have a shared interest in cooperation in Central Asia to which China prefers a pragmatic approach, while Japan and South Korea an approach combining idealism with pragmatism. Given the huge potential of cooperation between the trio, it is suggested that a “Central Asia chapter” be incorporated in the negotiation framework of this trilateral FTA, and that the design feature three aspects;fundamental principles, specific rules, and an executive body with a view to functionally contributing to regional trade integration in Asia. This approach may also be applied to the alignment of other Asian areas with the BRI.

Escaping Dependency and Trade War:China and the US

Marxist political economy provides a perspective for grasping the root cause of the China-US trade war.The international relations of production,which stem from the international division of labor,shape the distribution of international economic interests and the political status of countries.Traditionally,developing countries have been subjected to the“periphery”in the international division of labor.In the new global value chain,developing countries have remained in a subordinate position characterized by“technological-market”dependence.To achieve the goal of building a strong modern nation,China must escape the“technological-market”dependence.Yet China’s efforts and achievements in escaping dependent development are deemed as a threat to US vested interests in the international markets.To preserve the economic foundation of its hegemony,the US has resorted to a trade war to contain China’s development.

Impact of trade on China's SO_2 emissions is relatively small

To better understand trades impact on the environment, we construct a four-equation simultaneous system in whichthree economic determinants define emissions: scale, composition and technique effects, all embodied directly by trade.Supposing the three economic determinants are also endogenous to trade, we check the indirect impacts of trade onthe environment in the following three functions through the intermediation of the three effects.We then estimate 29Chinese provinces’ panel data in the model on industrial SO2 emissions （1993-2001）.Our estimation results revealthat export expansion and the accumulation of manufactured goods imports had the opposite roles on industrial SO2emissions determination.The results do not support the "pollution haven" hypothesis; the reinforced competitionexporters face is a positive factor that encourages technological progress in pollution abatement.China’s actualcomparative advantage resides in labor-intensive industries; exporting to the world market actually helps to reduce thepollution increases caused by China’s heavy-industry-oriented industrialization strategy, which government-intervenedimport activities traditionally support.

Mitigating Blackhole and Greyhole Routing Attacks in Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks Using Blockchain Based Smart Contracts

The rapid increase in vehicle traffic volume in modern societies has raised the need to develop innovative solutions to reduce traffic congestion and enhance traffic management efficiency.Revolutionary advanced technology,such as Intelligent Transportation Systems(ITS),enables improved traffic management,helps eliminate congestion,and supports a safer environment.ITS provides real-time information on vehicle traffic and transportation systems that can improve decision-making for road users.However,ITS suffers from routing issues at the network layer when utilising Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks(VANETs).This is because each vehicle plays the role of a router in this network,which leads to a complex vehicle communication network,causing issues such as repeated link breakages between vehicles resulting from the mobility of the network and rapid topological variation.This may lead to loss or delay in packet transmissions;this weakness can be exploited in routing attacks,such as black-hole and gray-hole attacks,that threaten the availability of ITS services.In this paper,a Blockchain-based smart contracts model is proposed to offer convenient and comprehensive security mechanisms,enhancing the trustworthiness between vehicles.Self-Classification Blockchain-Based Contracts(SCBC)and Voting-Classification Blockchain-Based Contracts(VCBC)are utilised in the proposed protocol.The results show that VCBC succeeds in attaining better results in PDR and TP performance even in the presence of Blackhole and Grayhole attacks.

Measuring Global Supply Chain Vulnerabilities Using Trade Network Analysis Method

With the trade network analysis method and bilateral country-product level trade data of 2017-2020,this paper reveals the overall characteristics and intrinsic vulnerabilities of China’s global supply chains.Our research finds that first,most global supply-chain-vulnerable products are from technology-intensive sectors.For advanced economies,their supply chain vulnerabilities are primarily exposed to political and economic alliances.In comparison,developing economies are more dependent on regional communities.Second,China has a significant export advantage with over 80%of highly vulnerable intermediate inputs relying on imports of high-end electrical,mechanical and chemical products from advanced economies or their multinational companies.China also relies on developing economies for the import of some resource products.Third,during the trade frictions from 2018 to 2019 and the subsequent COVID-19 pandemic,there was a significant reduction in the supply chain vulnerabilities of China and the US for critical products compared with other products,which reflects a shift in the layout of critical product supply chains to ensure not just efficiency but security.China should address supply chain vulnerabilities by bolstering supply-side weaknesses,diversifying import sources,and promoting international coordination and cooperation.

Empirical Analysis on the Influencing Factors of China’s Total Foreign Trade

On the occasion of the 40th anniversary of reform and opening up, China’s economic growth level has steadily risen and its international status has gradually improved. However, as the global economic downturn, China is facing tremendous challenges and pressures in the international economic and financial markets. The turbulence of foreign trade and international financial markets has put forward greater requirements for the flexibility of China’s financial strategy. Based on the annual data of China’s total foreign trade, exchange rate, commodity retail price index and the proportion of tertiary industry from 2002 to 2017, this paper constructs a multiple regression model to analyze the main influencing factors of China’s total foreign trade. The empirical results show that there is a positive relationship between the commodities retail price index and the total foreign trade, a negative relationship between the proportion of tertiary industry and the total foreign trade, and a positive relationship between the exchange rate of RMB (taking US dollar as an example) and the total foreign trade. On the basis of empirical analysis, the paper puts forward suggestions on relevant financial policies.

Preserving the Ozone Layers: Battling Illegal Trade in Ozone-Depleting Substances

The depletion of the ozone layer, a vital shield protecting the Earth from harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation, is now a worldwide environmental concern. Human activities, particularly the release of ozone depleting substances (ODS), have led to the thinning of this protective layer over recent decades. Simultaneously, illegal trade has emerged as a global challenge, giving rise to economic issues, losses of tax revenue, heightened criminal activities, health risks, and environmental hazards. The depletion of the ozone layer, a critical shield protecting the Earth from harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation, has become a global environmental concern. This paper delves into the legal dimensions surrounding ozone-depleting substances (ODS), their impact on the ozone layer, and the subsequent risk of skin cancer. As countries navigate international agreements, domestic regulations, and enforcement mechanisms, the intricate interplay between legal frameworks and the health implications of ozone layer depletion comes to the forefront. The paper highlights particular instances of illegal trade in ozone depleting substances, drawing from data reported by the parties to the Montreal Protocol. Notably, China stands out as a significant source of contraband ODS, with other countries such as Bulgaria, Lithuania, Poland, and France reporting numerous cases. Analyzing these case instances offers insights into the efficacy of legal frameworks and enforcement measures. The paper offers a comprehensive set of recommendations to strengthen global control and enforcement against the illegal trade of ozone depleting substances. These recommendations span diverse aspects such as production monitoring, customs collaboration, mutual verification, cross-border agreements, public-private partnerships, international cooperation, detection equipment, global regulatory standards, resource allocation, public awareness campaigns, alternative substance development, and controlling the trade at its source. By applying these recommendations and enhancing enforcement measures, we aim to protect the ozone layer and create a healthier and safer world for future generations and achieve sustainable development goals.

International Trade Disputes over Contract Execution

Claimant:a domestic firm Respondent:an Egyptian firm Case description The claimant is a food manufacturer registered in one of Chinese economic zones.It signed a potato chips sales contract with respondent in January,

Influence of Sino-US Agricultural Trade on China’s Total Agricultural Output Value Based on Cointegration Model

According to the data of the total trade of agricultural products between China and the United States from 2009 to 2018 and the general description of agriculture in China,this paper adopts the method of econometric model to make a detailed analysis of the agricultural trade between China and the United States by using cointegration analysis,Granger causality test and error correction model in order to explore the impact of agricultural trade between China and the United States on China’s agricultural development. The results of empirical analysis show that there is a balanced relationship between the trade of agricultural products between China and the United States and the development of agriculture in China. The total trade of agricultural products between China and the United States affects the development of China’s agriculture.In addition,in the short term,if the short-term fluctuation deviates from the long-term equilibrium,then the error correction term will reverse it with strength of 0. 378,so that the non-equilibrium state will gradually return to the equilibrium state.

Determinants of airway hyperresponsiveness—Balance of tonic and phasic contractility of airway smooth muscles of lobular bronchioles

Airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) is a characteristic feature of asthma, and generally correlates with severity of asthma. Understanding the protection mechanism against excessive airway narrowing and how it breaks down is fundamental to solving the problem of asthma. In this paper we have proposed a stochastic modeling the airway smooth muscle bundle for reproducing AHR such as an increased sensitivity of the airways to an inhaled constrictor agonist, a steeper slope of the dose-response curve, and a greater maximal response to agonist. A large number N of contractile muscle cells was assumed to repeat themselves in between contraction and relaxation asynchronously. Dynamic equilibrium of statistic physics was applied to the system of ASM bundle. Thus, the relation of dose to response of a piece of ASM bundle was described by Φ=tanh(βH) , where β was Boltzman factor and H represented energy of contraction induced by constrictor agents. Each of adjacent pair contractile cells was assumed to have Ising-type of antimagnetic interactions of preference energy J (for the condition of contraction-relaxation) between them. A motion equation for a piece of ASM bundle was described by Φ=N(H-zJΦ , which explained existence of combined tonic and phasic contractions. Based on observations of Venegas et al. [4], airway responsiveness was assumed to be assessable by total volume of the ventilation defects (TVD) of 13NN PET-CT images. Interactions via propagation of Ca ion waves between ASM bundles would cause percolation probability by PΦ=(1+tanh(βH))2/4 along the tree, then the relation of dose βH to TVD was described by TVD=PΦ[1-(1-PΦ)3/PΦ3]-TVD0. TVD0 represented the protection mechanism against excessive airway narrowing, which was determined by the ratio of amplitudes between tonic and phasic contractions, thus the balance of amplitudes between tonic and phasic contractions of peripheral lobular smooth muscles would be the determinant of AHR.

Contractions of Certain Lie Algebras in the Context of the DLF-Theory

Contractions of the Lie algebras d = u(2), f = u(1 ,1) to the oscillator Lie algebra l are realized via the adjoint action of SU(2,2) when d, l, f are viewed as subalgebras of su(2,2). Here D, L, F are the corresponding (four-dimensional) real Lie groups endowed with bi-invariant metrics of Lorentzian signature. Similar contractions of (seven-dimensional) isometry Lie algebras iso(D), iso(F) to iso(L) are determined. The group SU(2,2) acts on each of the D, L, F by conformal transformation which is a core feature of the DLF-theory. Also, d and f are contracted to T, S-abelian subalgebras, generating parallel translations, T, and proper conformal transformations, S (from the decomposition of su(2,2) as a graded algebra T + Ω + S, where Ω is the extended Lorentz Lie algebra of dimension 7).

“两廊一圈”与中国—东盟区域性物流中心建设

The cooperation of“Two Corridors and One Ring”between China and Vietnam is one of the most important components in the construction of China-ASEAN free trade area,in which Guangxi plays a very strategic role.With the“Two Corridors and One Ring”as a cutting point,to build a regional freight center in Guangxi will act as a propelling force to speed up the establishment of the free trade area.

Construction of BDS Spatiotemporal Information Agricultural Product Digital Credit System

Spatiotemporal information,positioning and navigation services have become important elements of new type infrastructure.The rapid development of global digital trade provides a large-scale application scenario for the use of Beidou Navigation Satellite System(BDS)spatiotemporal information to support the certification of origin of agricultural products.The BDS spatiotemporal information agricultural product digital credit system uses such modules as BDS,spatiotemporal information collection,spatiotemporal coding,and spatiotemporal blockchain.It incorporates multi-level joint supervision mechanisms such as government,associations,and users.Starting from the initial production link of agricultural products,it realizes the correspondence and locking of online and offline products,effectively improves the integrity and credibility of information in the production process,finished product quality and circulation process of products,effectively manages the green production and anti-channel conflicts of producers,and provides credible information for consumers,thus realizing the digital credit certification of products.The successful practice of characteristic agricultural products in Yunnan Province has verified the application ability of the BDS spatiotemporal information agricultural product digital credit system.This system has played a significant role in promoting the online and offline locking,credible information,effective supervision and high quality and high price of characteristic agricultural products from the field.The BDS provides services for global digital trade and contributes to the further enhancement of the global application scale of GNSS.

Metformin attenuates motility,contraction,and fibrogenic response of hepatic stellate cells in vivo and in vitro by activating AMP-activated protein kinase

AIM To investigate the effect of metformin on activated hepatic stellate cells(HSCs) and the possible signaling pathways involved. METHODS A fibrotic mouse model was generated by intraperitoneal injection of carbon tetrachloride(CCl_4) and subsequent treatment with or without metformin. The level of fibrosis was detected by hematoxylin-eosin staining, Sirius Red staining, and immunohistochemistry. The HSC cell line LX-2 was used for in vitro studies. The effect of metformin on cell proliferation(CCK8 assay),motility(scratch test and Transwell assay), contraction(collagen gel contraction assay), extracellular matrix(ECM) secretion(Western blot), and angiogenesis(ELISA and tube formation assay) was investigated. We also analyzed the possible signaling pathways involved by Western blot analysis.RESULTS Mice developed marked liver fibrosis after intraperitoneal injection with CCl_4 for 6 wk. Metformin decreased the activation of HSCs, reduced the deposition of ECM, and inhibited angiogenesis in CCl_4-treated mice. Platelet-derived growth factor(PDGF) promoted the fibrogenic response of HSCs in vitro, while metformin inhibited the activation, proliferation, migration, and contraction of HSCs, and reduced the secretion of ECM. Metformin decreased the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF) in HSCs through inhibition of hypoxia inducible factor(HIF)-1α in both PDGF-BB treatment and hypoxic conditions, and it down-regulated VEGF secretion by HSCs and inhibited HSC-based angiogenesis in hypoxic conditions in vitro. The inhibitory effects of metformin on activated HSCs were mediated by inhibiting the Akt/mammalian target of rapamycin(m TOR) and extracellular signal-regulated kinase(ERK) pathways via the activation of adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase(AMPK).CONCLUSION Metformin attenuates the fibrogenic response of HSCs in vivo and in vitro, and may therefore be useful for the treatment of chronic liver diseases.

Preserving Data Secrecy and Integrity for Cloud Storage Using Smart Contracts and Cryptographic Primitives

Cloud computing has emerged as a viable alternative to traditional computing infrastructures,offering various benefits.However,the adoption of cloud storage poses significant risks to data secrecy and integrity.This article presents an effective mechanism to preserve the secrecy and integrity of data stored on the public cloud by leveraging blockchain technology,smart contracts,and cryptographic primitives.The proposed approach utilizes a Solidity-based smart contract as an auditor for maintaining and verifying the integrity of outsourced data.To preserve data secrecy,symmetric encryption systems are employed to encrypt user data before outsourcing it.An extensive performance analysis is conducted to illustrate the efficiency of the proposed mechanism.Additionally,a rigorous assessment is conducted to ensure that the developed smart contract is free from vulnerabilities and to measure its associated running costs.The security analysis of the proposed system confirms that our approach can securely maintain the confidentiality and integrity of cloud storage,even in the presence of malicious entities.The proposed mechanism contributes to enhancing data security in cloud computing environments and can be used as a foundation for developing more secure cloud storage systems.

Strategic Contracting for Software Upgrade Outsourcing in Industry 4.0

The advent of Industry 4.0 has compelled businesses to adopt digital approaches that combine software toenhance production efficiency. In this rapidly evolving market, software development is an ongoing process thatmust be tailored to meet the dynamic needs of enterprises. However, internal research and development can beprohibitively expensive, driving many enterprises to outsource software development and upgrades to externalservice providers. This paper presents a software upgrade outsourcing model for enterprises and service providersthat accounts for the impact of market fluctuations on software adaptability. To mitigate the risk of adverseselection due to asymmetric information about the service provider’s cost and asymmetric information aboutthe enterprise’s revenues, we propose pay-per-time and revenue-sharing contracts in two distinct informationasymmetry scenarios. These two contracts specify the time and transfer payments for software upgrades. Througha comparative analysis of the optimal solutions under the two contracts and centralized decision-making withfull-information, we examine the characteristics of the solutions under two information asymmetry scenarios andanalyze the incentive effects of the two contracts on the various stakeholders. Overall, our study offers valuableinsights for firms seeking to optimize their outsourcing strategies and maximize their returns on investment insoftware upgrades.

Design and pricing of maintenance service contract based on Nash non-cooperative game approach

Nowadays manufacturers are facing fierce challenge.Apart from the products,providing customers with multiple maintenance options in the service contract becomes more popular,since it can help to improve customer satisfaction,and ultimately promote sales and maximize profit for the manufacturer.By considering the combinations of corrective maintenance and preventive maintenance,totally three types of maintenance service contracts are designed.Moreover,attractive incentive and penalty mechanisms are adopted in the contracts.On this basis,Nash non-cooperative game is applied to analyze the revenue for both the manufacturer and customers,and so as to optimize the pricing mechanism of maintenance service contract and achieve a win-win situation.Numerical experiments are conducted.The results show that by taking into account the incentive and penalty mechanisms,the revenue can be improved for both the customers and manufacturer.Moreover,with the increase of repair rate and improvement factor in the preventive maintenance,the revenue will increase gradually for both the parties.