Countermeasure against blinding attack for single-photon detectors in quantum key distribution

Quantum key distribution(QKD),rooted in quantum mechanics,offers information-theoretic security.However,practi-cal systems open security threats due to imperfections,notably bright-light blinding attacks targeting single-photon detectors.Here,we propose a concise,robust defense strategy for protecting single-photon detectors in QKD systems against blinding attacks.Our strategy uses a dual approach:detecting the bias current of the avalanche photodiode(APD)to defend against con-tinuous-wave blinding attacks,and monitoring the avalanche amplitude to protect against pulsed blinding attacks.By integrat-ing these two branches,the proposed solution effectively identifies and mitigates a wide range of bright light injection attempts,significantly enhancing the resilience of QKD systems against various bright-light blinding attacks.This method forti-fies the safeguards of quantum communications and offers a crucial contribution to the field of quantum information security.

A quantum blind signature scheme based on dense coding for non-entangled states

In some schemes, quantum blind signatures require the use of difficult-to-prepare multiparticle entangled states. By considering the communication overhead, quantum operation complexity, verification efficiency and other relevant factors in practical situations, this article proposes a non-entangled quantum blind signature scheme based on dense encoding. The information owner utilizes dense encoding and hash functions to blind the information while reducing the use of quantum resources. After receiving particles, the signer encrypts the message using a one-way function and performs a Hadamard gate operation on the selected single photon to generate the signature. Then the verifier performs a Hadamard gate inverse operation on the signature and combines it with the encoding rules to restore the message and complete the verification.Compared with some typical quantum blind signature protocols, this protocol has strong blindness in privacy protection,and higher flexibility in scalability and application. The signer can adjust the signature operation according to the actual situation, which greatly simplifies the complexity of the signature. By simultaneously utilizing the secondary distribution and rearrangement of non-entangled quantum states, a non-entangled quantum state representation of three bits of classical information is achieved, reducing the use of a large amount of quantum resources and lowering implementation costs. This improves both signature verification efficiency and communication efficiency while, at the same time, this scheme meets the requirements of unforgeability, non-repudiation, and prevention of information leakage.

Quantum circuit-based proxy blind signatures:A novel approach and experimental evaluation on the IBM quantum cloud platform

This paper presents a novel approach to proxy blind signatures in the realm of quantum circuits,aiming to enhance security while safeguarding sensitive information.The main objective of this research is to introduce a quantum proxy blind signature(QPBS)protocol that utilizes quantum logical gates and quantum measurement techniques.The QPBS protocol is constructed by the initial phase,proximal blinding message phase,remote authorization and signature phase,remote validation,and de-blinding phase.This innovative design ensures a secure mechanism for signing documents without revealing the content to the proxy signer,providing practical security authentication in a quantum environment under the assumption that the CNOT gates are securely implemented.Unlike existing approaches,our proposed QPBS protocol eliminates the need for quantum entanglement preparation,thus simplifying the implementation process.To assess the effectiveness and robustness of the QPBS protocol,we conduct comprehensive simulation studies in both ideal and noisy quantum environments on the IBM quantum cloud platform.The results demonstrate the superior performance of the QPBS algorithm,highlighting its resilience against repudiation and forgeability,which are key security concerns in the realm of proxy blind signatures.Furthermore,we have established authentic security thresholds(82.102%)in the presence of real noise,thereby emphasizing the practicality of our proposed solution.

Robust blind image watermarking based on interest points

Digital watermarking technology plays an essential role in the work of anti-counterfeiting and traceability.However,image watermarking algorithms are weak against hybrid attacks,especially geometric attacks,such as cropping attacks,rotation attacks,etc.We propose a robust blind image watermarking algorithm that combines stable interest points and deep learning networks to improve the robustness of the watermarking algorithm further.First,to extract more sparse and stable interest points,we use the Superpoint algorithm for generation and design two steps to perform the screening procedure.We first keep the points with the highest possibility in a given region to ensure the sparsity of the points and then filter the robust interest points by hybrid attacks to ensure high stability.The message is embedded in sub-blocks centered on stable interest points using a deep learning-based framework.Different kinds of attacks and simulated noise are added to the adversarial training to guarantee the robustness of embedded blocks.We use the ConvNext network for watermark extraction and determine the division threshold based on the decoded values of the unembedded sub-blocks.Through extensive experimental results,we demonstrate that our proposed algorithm can improve the accuracy of the network in extracting information while ensuring high invisibility between the embedded image and the original cover image.Comparison with previous SOTA work reveals that our algorithm can achieve better visual and numerical results on hybrid and geometric attacks.

A Blind Batch Encryption and Public Ledger-Based Protocol for Sharing Sensitive Data

For the goals of security and privacy preservation,we propose a blind batch encryption-and public ledger-based data sharing protocol that allows the integrity of sensitive data to be audited by a public ledger and allows privacy information to be preserved.Data owners can tightly manage their data with efficient revocation and only grant one-time adaptive access for the fulfillment of the requester.We prove that our protocol is semanticallly secure,blind,and secure against oblivious requesters and malicious file keepers.We also provide security analysis in the context of four typical attacks.

For LEO Satellite Networks: Intelligent Interference Sensing and Signal Reconstruction Based on Blind Separation Technology

In LEO satellite communication networks,the number of satellites has increased sharply, the relative velocity of satellites is very fast, then electronic signal aliasing occurs from time to time. Those aliasing signals make the receiving ability of the signal receiver worse, the signal processing ability weaker,and the anti-interference ability of the communication system lower. Aiming at the above problems, to save communication resources and improve communication efficiency, and considering the irregularity of interference signals, the underdetermined blind separation technology can effectively deal with the problem of interference sensing and signal reconstruction in this scenario. In order to improve the stability of source signal separation and the security of information transmission, a greedy optimization algorithm can be executed. At the same time, to improve network information transmission efficiency and prevent algorithms from getting trapped in local optima, delete low-energy points during each iteration process. Ultimately, simulation experiments validate that the algorithm presented in this paper enhances both the transmission efficiency of the network transmission system and the security of the communication system, achieving the process of interference sensing and signal reconstruction in the LEO satellite communication system.

Research on blind source separation of operation sounds of metro power transformer through an Adaptive Threshold REPET algorithm

Purpose–The safe operation of the metro power transformer directly relates to the safety and efficiency of the entire metro system.Through voiceprint technology,the sounds emitted by the transformer can be monitored in real-time,thereby achieving real-time monitoring of the transformer’s operational status.However,the environment surrounding power transformers is filled with various interfering sounds that intertwine with both the normal operational voiceprints and faulty voiceprints of the transformer,severely impacting the accuracy and reliability of voiceprint identification.Therefore,effective preprocessing steps are required to identify and separate the sound signals of transformer operation,which is a prerequisite for subsequent analysis.Design/methodology/approach–This paper proposes an Adaptive Threshold Repeating Pattern Extraction Technique(REPET)algorithm to separate and denoise the transformer operation sound signals.By analyzing the Short-Time Fourier Transform(STFT)amplitude spectrum,the algorithm identifies and utilizes the repeating periodic structures within the signal to automatically adjust the threshold,effectively distinguishing and extracting stable background signals from transient foreground events.The REPET algorithm first calculates the autocorrelation matrix of the signal to determine the repeating period,then constructs a repeating segment model.Through comparison with the amplitude spectrum of the original signal,repeating patterns are extracted and a soft time-frequency mask is generated.Findings–After adaptive thresholding processing,the target signal is separated.Experiments conducted on mixed sounds to separate background sounds from foreground sounds using this algorithm and comparing the results with those obtained using the FastICA algorithm demonstrate that the Adaptive Threshold REPET method achieves good separation effects.Originality/value–A REPET method with adaptive threshold is proposed,which adopts the dynamic threshold adjustment mechanism,adaptively calculates the threshold for blind source separation and improves the adaptability and robustness of the algorithm to the statistical characteristics of the signal.It also lays the foundation for transformer fault detection based on acoustic fingerprinting.

Exploring the meaning of care among lived experiences of patients with blindness:an interpretive phenomenological study

Objective:To explore the meaning of care experienced by people with blindness in hospitals.Methods:Interpretive phenomenology along with the 6-step method of van Manen was used to conduct the study.Using purposeful sampling,15 people with legal blindness were interviewed.Thematic analysis was used to isolate the meaning of care.Results:Five themes emerged:(a)nurses in the eyes of patients with blindness;(b)negligence in the caring moments;(c)being cared for in ambiguity;(d)Uncoordinated care;and(e)Psychological discomfor t.These sub-themes were condensed into an overarching theme titled as“marginalized patients inside the stereotypical healthcare system.”Conclusions:Lived experiences of patients with blindness revealed that hospitals provide stereotypic or inappropriate care for this minority group in society.Health professionals par ticularly nurses should be skilled to provide person-centered and coordinated care for patients with blindness.

Single dose dexamethasone prophylaxis of postembolisation syndrome after chemoembolisation in hepatocellular carcinoma patient:A randomised,double-blind,placebo-controlled study

BACKGROUND Even in the immuno-oncology era,transcatheter arterial chemoembolisation(TACE)is the most effective way to treat intermediate stage hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC).Postembolisation syndrome(PES)is the most common side effect from TACE and there is still no standard prevention guideline.AIM To evaluate the efficacy of single dose intravenous dexamethasone regimen to prevent PES after TACE among patients with HCC.METHODS This study enrolled patients with HCC who had eligible indication for TACE without macrovascular invasion/extrahepatic metastasis.Patients were randomly assigned to either an intravenous single dose of dexamethasone 8 mg or placebo one hour before TACE.The primary outcome was a negative result of PES at 48 h after TACE,which was defined as score<2 of Southwest Oncology Group toxicity coding criteria using fever,nausea,vomiting and pain to calculated.And the secondary end point was duration of admission between two groups.RESULTS One hundred patients were randomly assigned 1:1.Under intention-to-treat analysis,49 patients were randomly assigned to the dexamethasone and 51 to the placebo groups.Both groups were similar for baseline characteristics.The negative PES rate was significantly higher in the dexamethasone group than in the placebo group(63.3%vs 29.4%;P=0.005).Mean Southwest Oncology Group toxicity coding PES was 2.14(95%CI:1.41-2.8)vs 3.71(95%CI:2.97-4.45)between the dexamethasone and placebo groups,respectively.Cumulative incidence of fever was significantly lower in dexamethasone group with P<0.001,pain,nausea and vomiting were also lower in the dexamethasone group compared with the placebo group(P=0.16,P=0.11,and P=0.49).The dexamethasone regimen was generally well tolerated by patients with HCC patients including those with hepatitis B virus infection and well-controlled diabetes mellitus.CONCLUSION Single dose dexamethasone was effective at preventing PES among patients with HCC treated with TACE.The study showed no adverse events of special interest related to dexamethasone.

Contrastive Learning for Blind Super-Resolution via A Distortion-Specific Network

Previous deep learning-based super-resolution(SR)methods rely on the assumption that the degradation process is predefined(e.g.,bicubic downsampling).Thus,their performance would suffer from deterioration if the real degradation is not consistent with the assumption.To deal with real-world scenarios,existing blind SR methods are committed to estimating both the degradation and the super-resolved image with an extra loss or iterative scheme.However,degradation estimation that requires more computation would result in limited SR performance due to the accumulated estimation errors.In this paper,we propose a contrastive regularization built upon contrastive learning to exploit both the information of blurry images and clear images as negative and positive samples,respectively.Contrastive regularization ensures that the restored image is pulled closer to the clear image and pushed far away from the blurry image in the representation space.Furthermore,instead of estimating the degradation,we extract global statistical prior information to capture the character of the distortion.Considering the coupling between the degradation and the low-resolution image,we embed the global prior into the distortion-specific SR network to make our method adaptive to the changes of distortions.We term our distortion-specific network with contrastive regularization as CRDNet.The extensive experiments on synthetic and realworld scenes demonstrate that our lightweight CRDNet surpasses state-of-the-art blind super-resolution approaches.

Thickness effect on solar-blind photoelectric properties of ultrathinβ-Ga_(2)O_(3)films prepared by atomic layer deposition

Theβ-Ga_(2)O_(3)films with different thicknesses are prepared by an atomic layer deposition system.The influence of film thickness on the crystal quality is obvious,indicating that the thicker films perform better crystal quality,which is verified from x-ray diffraction(XRD)and scanning electron microscope(SEM)results.The Ga_(2)O_(3)-based solar blind photodetectors with different thicknesses are fabricated and studied.The experimental results show that the responsivity of the photodetectors increases exponentially with the increase of the film thickness.The photodetectors with inter-fingered structure based on 900 growth cyclesβ-Ga_(2)O_(3)active layers(corresponding film thickness of 58 nm)exhibit the best performances including a low dark current of 134 fA,photo-to-dark current ratio of 1.5×10^(7),photoresponsivity of 1.56 A/W,detectivity of 2.77×10^(14)Jones,and external quantum efficiency of 764.49%at a bias voltage of 10 V under 254-nm DUV illumination.The photoresponse rejection ratio(R_(254)/R_(365))is up to 1.86×10^(5).In addition,we find that the photoelectric characteristics also depend on the finger spacing of the MSM structure.As the finger spacing decreases from 50μm to10μW,the photoresponsivity,detectivity,and external quantum efficiency increase significantly.

Blind quantum computation with a client performing different single-qubit gates

In the field of single-server blind quantum computation(BQC), a major focus is to make the client as classical as possible. To achieve this goal, we propose two single-server BQC protocols to achieve verifiable universal quantum computation. In these two protocols, the client only needs to perform either the gate T(in the first protocol) or the gates H and X(in the second protocol). With assistance from a single server, the client can utilize his quantum capabilities to generate some single-qubit states while keeping the actual state of these qubits confidential from others. By using these single-qubit states, the verifiable universal quantum computation can be achieved.

Smart Shoes Safety System for the Blind People Based on (IoT) Technology

People’s lives have become easier and simpler as technology has proliferated.This is especially true with the Internet of Things(IoT).The biggest problem for blind people is figuring out how to get where they want to go.People with good eyesight need to help these people.Smart shoes are a technique that helps blind people find their way when they walk.So,a special shoe has been made to help blind people walk safely without worrying about running into other people or solid objects.In this research,we are making a new safety system and a smart shoe for blind people.The system is based on Internet of Things(IoT)technology and uses three ultrasonic sensors to allow users to hear and react to barriers.It has ultrasonic sensors and a microprocessor that can tell how far away something is and if there are any obstacles.Water and flame sensors were used,and a sound was used to let the person know if an obstacle was near him.The sensors use Global Positioning System(GPS)technology to detect motion from almost every side to keep an eye on them and ensure they are safe.To test our proposal,we gave a questionnaire to 100 people.The questionnaire has eleven questions,and 99.1%of the people who filled it out said that the product meets their needs.

The Efficacy and Safety of a Patent Pending Combination of Ginger and Goldenrod Extracts on the Management of Cold Symptoms: A Randomized, Double-Blind Controlled Trial

Objective: In a randomized, double-blind, exploratory, active-controlled trial, the efficacy and safety of a patent-pending combination of Ginger and Goldenrod extracts (BDI-630) in alleviating cold symptoms in community-dwelling adults was compared to a combination of standardized amounts of Echinacea (EC) components. Methods: 44 healthy adults, experiencing new onset of cold symptoms were randomly assigned to receive either BDI-630 (900 mg) or EC (500 mg) twice daily for 10 days. The severity of cold symptoms and the quality of life was assessed by self-reporting of subjects using the Wisconsin Upper Respiratory Symptom Survey (WURSS-21? 2004). Results: The intent-to-treat population (ITT) consisted of 44 subjects (n = 22 for BDI-630;n = 22 for EC). The modified ITT (mITT) population consisted of 40 subjects, excluding four subjects with major protocol deviations related to inclusion/exclusion criteria and/or use of prohibited drugs from the efficacy analysis (n = 3 for BDI-630 and n = 1 for EC). Results indicated a sig-nificant difference between the two groups: the superiority of BDI-630 over EC was particularly noticeable between Day 1 and Day 7, as demonstrated by a 14-fold difference of the mean percentage of change of total score from baseline in the mITT population. Adverse events (AEs) following the intake of BDI-630 were mostly limited to mild gastrointestinal intolerance in less than 10% of the subjects. Conclusions: BDI-630 was shown to be more effective than EC in alleviating cold symptoms in the adult population, particularly during the first 7 days of treatment. BDI-630 was very well tolerated by all subjects.

Evaluation of the etiologies and rehabilitation status of patients with blindness: A prospective observational study

Objective:Preventive measures and appropriate rehabilitation are important in reducing the social burden of blindness.This study was to evaluate the etiologies,proportions,and level of rehabilitation for patients with blindness.Materials and Methods:A prospective observational study with 1000 visually impaired patients was conducted.The data regarding age,gender,socioeconomic status(SES),etiologies,curable or incurable blindness(IB),treatments,awareness,and state of rehabilitation were collected and reviewed.Results:The ratio of curable to IB was 0.82:1.The proportion of blindness rises after 40,even while the proportion of curable blindness(CB)increases after 60.The male–female ratios were 1.25:1 and 1:1.66 in the cases of CB and IB,respectively.On the other hand,the male–female ratio for childhood blindness was 1.66:1.Cataracts(78.22%)were the most common cause of CB,whereas diabetic retinopathy(24%),corneal opacity(17.5%),and trauma(12.4%)were causes of IB.Patients with illiteracy,low SES,and female gender were more likely to develop IB.There were low enrollment rates at the blind school and poor rehabilitation,mainly because of a lack of knowledge.Conclusion:Diabetic retinopathy,corneal opacity,and trauma are the major causes of IB.IB and poor rehabilitation were more profound in women and were associated with illiteracy,low SES,and a lack of awareness.

The Cultural Paradigm of Visuality in Times of Blindness

Visuality can be generically described as the quality of the visual,that is,as the given visual field in which a subject’s attention is concentrated.In fact,the visual is intrinsically linked to human vision,and this presupposes the existence of a visible horizon from which(visual)images are given.However,this formulation presents something uncanny paradoxical because it forgets,on one hand,the broader status of the image(such as auditory and olfactory images)-seeing is not just a visual process(at least since Diderot we know it)and there are mental mechanisms in the visual constitution process that help to fabricate reality and that gestalt theory has explained-and on the other hand,the possibility of seeing beyond what is visible,after all,everything(or almost everything)that presents itself in a digital and virtual environment it can be quite ontologically suspect.Based on some of these premises,we will trace a path of analysis that leads us to the current blindness:unconditional faith in digital technology and the fragile hope of happiness in a way that rejects the reality of the visible.

The Blind and the Thief

He carefully pulled open the unlocked,light grey security door and saw an outdated,pale yellow plywood door.He was thrilled.His previous experience in lockpicking helped him effortlessly enter this shabby apartment.Rumour had it that such kind of apartments might contain secret treasure of corrupt officials.He inserted his tools into the keyhole,and the door clicked open.This simple lock was too easy for him to open with his professional skills.He could not help thinking the host was a fool.

Effect of <i>Lactobacillus brevis</i>SBC8803 on Gamma-Glutamyl Transferase in Japanese Habitual Drinkers: A Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study

A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial in Japanese habitual drinkers was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of Lactobacillus brevis SBC8803 to alleviate adverse effect of alcohol. Subjects who drank habitually and had moderately higher levels of gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) (50 - 100 IU/L) were enrolled. The levels of transaminases in these subjects were almost within normal levels (aspartate transaminase (AST) <30 IU/L and alanine transaminase (ALT) <40 IU/L). Either the capsules containing placebo (n = 23) or 130 mg (4.0 × 1010 colony-forming units) of live L. brevis SBC8803 (n = 22) per day were administered for the continuous eight weeks (56 days). During the period, the subjects both in test group and placebo groups have kept each drinking behavior as usual. Regarding lipid metabolism, triacylglycerol (TG) levels in the male test group significantly decreased at week 4 as compared with week 0. Biomarkers of hepatocytes-damage;AST and ALT levels showed no significant differences between the pla- cebo and test groups at both weeks 4 and 8. Oxidative stress marker;GGT at weeks 4 was significantly lower in the test group than that in the placebo group (p = 0.017), but not at weeks 8. However, taking a reduced rate of GGT at weeks 8 comparing with that at week 0, that in the test group showed larger value comparing with that in the placebo group. These data about TG and GGT suggest that, although efficacy of L. brevis SBC8803 is limited in this study, intake of the probiotic may alleviate alcoholic influence in lipid metabolism and oxidative stress.

Effects of Depth of Needle Insertion with Risperidone Long-Acting Injectable in Persons with Schizophrenia: A Randomized Double-Blind Study

In some cases, if the insertion depth is shallower than expected, intramuscular (IM) injection of risperidone long-acting injectable (RLAI) may not penetrate the muscle fascia. However, if needle insertion depth is deeper than anticipated, needle penetration may cause damage to nerves, arteries and veins. Few clinical studies were done to evaluate the depth of needle length insertion reaching the intended gluteal muscle. The aim of this study was to evaluate the suitable depth of injecting RLAI. Twenty-six patients with schizophrenia were treated with RLAI, and randomly divided into two groups: 50 mm needle inserted group (Group-D, deep insertion, n = 13) and 20 mm needle insertion group (Group-S, shallow insertion, n = 13). For Group-S, the needle length was marked with a spacer at exactly 20 mm. Injections were performed by the psychiatrist or nurse, alternating between the two gluteal sites by double-cross method every two weeks. Clinical psychotic symptoms and injection site reactions were recorded throughout the study period. Experienced psychologists who were blinded from the needle-length experimental variable evaluated patients’ psychotic symptoms using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) every two weeks. The plasma 9-hydroxyrisperidone (9-OH-RIS) concentrations were measured every two weeks;comparison data were determined on the 8th week and the 14th week. No significant difference was observed in 9-OH-RIS concentrations, psychotic symptoms, injection site skin reactions of subjects in both groups. However, in Group-D, injection site adverse reactions were confirmed in two subjects (15%). In Group-S, injection site reactions were confirmed in six subjects (46%). Although effective 9-OH-RIS concentrations were obtained with the insertion using both depth, it was concluded that the 50 mm insertion length was more suitable for dorsogluteal IM injections in adult patients with schizophrenia as demonstrated by the incidence of local adverse skin reactions.