On Designs of Decentralized Reputation Management for Permissioned Blockchain Networks

In permissioned blockchain networks,the Proof of Authority(PoA)consensus,which uses the election of authorized nodes to validate transactions and blocks,has beenwidely advocated thanks to its high transaction throughput and fault tolerance.However,PoA suffers from the drawback of centralization dominated by a limited number of authorized nodes and the lack of anonymity due to the round-robin block proposal mechanism.As a result,traditional PoA is vulnerable to a single point of failure that compromises the security of the blockchain network.To address these issues,we propose a novel decentralized reputation management mechanism for permissioned blockchain networks to enhance security,promote liveness,and mitigate centralization while retaining the same throughput as traditional PoA.This paper aims to design an off-chain reputation evaluation and an on-chain reputation-aided consensus.First,we evaluate the nodes’reputation in the context of the blockchain networks and make the reputation globally verifiable through smart contracts.Second,building upon traditional PoA,we propose a reputation-aided PoA(rPoA)consensus to enhance securitywithout sacrificing throughput.In particular,rPoA can incentivize nodes to autonomously form committees based on reputation authority,which prevents block generation from being tracked through the randomness of reputation variation.Moreover,we develop a reputation-aided fork-choice rule for rPoA to promote the network’s liveness.Finally,experimental results show that the proposed rPoA achieves higher security performance while retaining transaction throughput compared to traditional PoA.

A Reputation-Based AODV Protocol for Blackhole and Malfunction Nodes Detection and Avoidance

Enhancing the security of Wireless Sensor Networks(WSNs)improves the usability of their applications.Therefore,finding solutions to various attacks,such as the blackhole attack,is crucial for the success of WSN applications.This paper proposes an enhanced version of the AODV(Ad Hoc On-Demand Distance Vector)protocol capable of detecting blackholes and malfunctioning benign nodes in WSNs,thereby avoiding them when delivering packets.The proposed version employs a network-based reputation system to select the best and most secure path to a destination.To achieve this goal,the proposed version utilizes the Watchdogs/Pathrater mechanisms in AODV to gather and broadcast reputations to all network nodes to build the network-based reputation system.To minimize the network overhead of the proposed approach,the paper uses reputation aggregator nodes only for forwarding reputation tables.Moreover,to reduce the overhead of updating reputation tables,the paper proposes three mechanisms,which are the prompt broadcast,the regular broadcast,and the light broadcast approaches.The proposed enhanced version has been designed to perform effectively in dynamic environments such as mobile WSNs where nodes,including blackholes,move continuously,which is considered a challenge for other protocols.Using the proposed enhanced protocol,a node evaluates the security of different routes to a destination and can select the most secure routing path.The paper provides an algorithm that explains the proposed protocol in detail and demonstrates a case study that shows the operations of calculating and updating reputation values when nodes move across different zones.Furthermore,the paper discusses the proposed approach’s overhead analysis to prove the proposed enhancement’s correctness and applicability.

How Do Young Children Manage Their Reputation among Peers?

Young children’s reputation management is closely related to their social development.The purpose of our study is to examine the interaction between theory of mind and partner choice on children’s reputation management.Participants consisted of 270 children who were 3 to 5 years old.First,we measured participants’theory of mind capabilities using the unexpected location task and unexpected content task and then randomly divided the participants into the control group,non-partner–choice group,and partner-choice group.We measured reputation management by comparing children’s willingness to share and sharing behavior between these groups.Thefindings are as follows:(1)Children from ages 3 to 5 demonstrated reputation management,and their reputation management followed a significant developmental trend.The reputation management of 4-to 5-year-old children was significantly better than that of 3-year-old children.(2)Scores on the theory of mind tasks positively predicted children’s reputation management.(3)Partner choice affected children’s reputation management.In the partner-choice group,children’s reputation management was more apparent.(4)Partner choice did moderate the relationship between theory of mind and children’s reputation management.In the partner-choice group,theory of mind had a stronger predictive effect on children’s reputation management.

Corroborative Activities and Recognition Between Community Comprehensive Care Unit’s Nurses and Care Managers in Supporting Discharge of Elderly from Hospital - A Secondary Publication

Objective: The purpose of this study was to clarify the collaborative activities and mutual recognition between community comprehensive care unit nurses (Ns) and care managers (CM) in supporting the discharge of the elderly from the hospital. Methods: A total of 300 nurses working in community comprehensive care wards and 360 care managers working in B City in A Prefecture were surveyed using an anonymous self-administered questionnaire. Results: The highest percentage of responses regarding necessary collaborative activities with multiple professions in supporting hospital discharge were the same for Ns and CMs. The items regarding practice with the highest percentages were “relationship as a team” for Ns, and “user-centered awareness” for CM. While these professionals were willing to share information about their patients’ lives after discharge, the percentage of those explaining their expertise was low. It is thought that collaborative activities focusing on these aspects would lead to more appropriate discharge support.

Blockchain-Empowered Token-Based Access Control System with User Reputation Evaluation

Currently,data security and privacy protection are becoming more and more important.Access control is a method of authorization for users through predefined policies.Token-based access control(TBAC)enhances the manageability of authorization through the token.However,traditional access control policies lack the ability to dynamically adjust based on user access behavior.Incorporating user reputation evaluation into access control can provide valuable feedback to enhance system security and flexibility.As a result,this paper proposes a blockchain-empowered TBAC system and introduces a user reputation evaluation module to provide feedback on access control.The TBAC system divides the access control process into three stages:policy upload,token request,and resource request.The user reputation evaluation module evaluates the user’s token reputation and resource reputation for the token request and resource request stages of the TBAC system.The proposed system is implemented using the Hyperledger Fabric blockchain.The TBAC system is evaluated to prove that it has high processing performance.The user reputation evaluation model is proved to be more conservative and sensitive by comparative study with other methods.In addition,the security analysis shows that the TBAC system has a certain anti-attack ability and can maintain stable operation under the Distributed Denial of Service(DDoS)attack environment.

P2P transaction method for distributed energy prosumers based on reputation value

Adding a reputation incentive system to peer-to-peer(P2P)energy transactions can encourage prosumers to regulate their trading behavior,which is important for ensuring the efficiency and reliability of P2P transactions.This study proposed a P2P transaction mechanism and game optimization model for prosumers involved in distributed energy sources considering reputation-value incentives.First,the deviation of P2P transactions and the non-consumption rate of distributed renewable energy in P2P transactions were established as indicators to quantify the influencing factors of the reputation value,and a reputation incentive model of P2P transactions for prosumers was constructed.Then,the penalty coefficient was applied to the cost function of the prosumers,and a non-cooperative game model of P2P transactions based on the complete information of multi-prosumers was established.Furthermore,the Nash equilibrium problem was transformed into a nonlinear optimization problem by constructing the modified optimal reaction function,and the Nash equilibrium solution of the game was obtained via a relaxation algorithm.Finally,the modified IEEE 33-node test system based on electricity market P2P and an IEEE 123-node test system were used to analyze and verify the cost and P2P participation of prosumers considering the reputation value.The results show that the addition of the reputation incentive system can encourage prosumers to standardize their interactive transaction behavior and actively participate in P2P transactions.It can also improve the operation efficiency of the power grid and promote the perfection of the P2P transaction mechanism.

A dynamic incentive and reputation mechanism for energy-efficient federated learning in 6G

As 5G becomes commercial,researchers have turned attention toward the Sixth-Generation(6G)network with the vision of connecting intelligence in a green energy-efficient manner.Federated learning triggers an upsurge of green intelligent services such as resources orchestration of communication infrastructures while preserving privacy and increasing communication efficiency.However,designing effective incentives in federated learning is challenging due to the dynamic available clients and the correlation between clients'contributions during the learning process.In this paper,we propose a dynamic incentive and reputation mechanism to improve energy efficiency and training performance of federated learning.The proposed incentive based on the Stackelberg game can timely adjust optimal energy consumption with changes in available clients during federated learning.Meanwhile,clients’contributions in reputation management are formulated based on the cooperative game to capture the correlation between tasks,which satisfies availability,fairness,and additivity.The simulation results show that the proposed scheme can significantly motivate high-performance clients to participate in federated learning and improve the accuracy and energy efficiency of the federated learning model.

Hybrid Trust Based Reputation Mechanism for Discovering Malevolent Node in MANET

A self-contained connection of wireless links that functions without any infrastructure is known as Mobile Ad Hoc Network(MANET).A MANET’s nodes could engage actively and dynamically with one another.However,MAN-ETs,from the other side,are exposed to severe potential threats that are difficult to counter with present security methods.As a result,several safe communication protocols designed to enhance the secure interaction among MANET nodes.In this research,we offer a reputed optimal routing value among network nodes,secure computations,and misbehavior detection predicated on node’s trust levels with a Hybrid Trust based Reputation Mechanism(HTRM).In addition,the study designs a robust Public Key Infrastructure(PKI)system using the suggested trust evaluation method in terms of“key”generation,which is a crucial component of a PKI cryptosystem.We also concentrate on the solid node authenticating process that relies on pre-authentication.To ensure edge-to-edge security,we assess safe,trustworthy routes to secure computations and authenticate mobile nodes,incorporating uncertainty into the trust management solution.When compared to other protocols,our recommended approach performs better.Finally,we use simulations data and performance evaluation metrics to verify our suggested approach’s validity Our approach outperformed the competing systems in terms of overall end-to-end delay,packet delivery ratio,performance,power consumption,and key-computing time by 3.47%,3.152%,2.169%,and 3.527%,3.762%,significantly.

Blockchain-Based Decentralized Reputation Management System for Internet of Everything in 6G-Enabled Cybertwin Architecture

Internet of Everything(IoE)has emerged as a promising paradigm for the purpose of connecting and exchanging data among physical objects and humans over the Internet,and it can be widely applied in the fields of industry,transportation,commerce,and education.Recently,the emergence of 6G-enabled cybertwin network architecture provides the technical and theoretical foundation for the realization of IoE paradigm.However,the IoE has three open issues in the 6G-enabled cybertwin architecture,i.e.,data authenticity,data storage and node reliability.To address these issues,we propose a blockchain-based decentralized reputation management system(BC-DRMS)for IoE in 6G-enabled Cybertwin architecture.In the proposed BC-DRMS,the traffic data collected from end nodes is stored on the blockchain and the decentralized file system,i.e.,InterPlanetary File System(IPFS),to resist data tampering,and then the data is further processed by the edge clouds and core clouds to provide services to users.Also,a multi-level reputation evaluation scheme is designed to compute the reputation scores of IoE nodes to prevent malicious node attacks.The experiment results and analysis demonstrate that,compared to the traditional centralized reputation management systems(CRMS),the proposed BC-DRMS cannot only address the issues of data authenticity and storage,but also provides high reliability for IoE in 6G-enabled cybertwin architecture.

Roles of Corporate Reputation and Service Recovery in Food Safety Crises:A Case Study of Food Hygiene Incidents in Hot Pot Restaurants

Food hygiene incidents in hot pot restaurants were studied,and a relationship model between corporate reputation and consumers behavioral intention was established.Hot pot consumers of hot pot restaurants were surveyed through questionnaires.The results show that corporate reputation positively affects service recovery and repurchase intention,and service recovery positively influences repurchase intention,while corporate reputation affects repurchase intention through service recovery.In other words,under the situation of enterprise crises,the service recovery of an enterprise can restore its image and reputation.Therefore,when an enterprise has a crisis,it should positively respond to the crisis incident,and take timely crisis recovery to maintain its positive image.

Patient satisfaction and follow-up adherence to glaucoma case management clinic in China

AIM:To assess glaucoma patient satisfaction and follow-up adherence in case management and identify associated predictors to improve healthcare quality and patient outcomes.METHODS:In this cross-sectional study,a total of 119 patients completed a Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire-18 and a sociodemographic questionnaire.Clinical data was obtained from the case management system.Follow-up adherence was defined as completing each follow-up within±30d of the scheduled time set by ophthalmologists during the study period.RESULTS:Average satisfaction scored 78.65±7,with an average of 4.39±0.58 across the seven dimensions.Age negatively correlated with satisfaction(P=0.008),whilst patients with follow-up duration of 2 or more years reported higher satisfaction(P=0.045).Multivariate logistics regression analysis revealed that longer follow-up durations were associated with lower follow-up adherence(OR=0.97,95%CI,0.95-1.00,P=0.044).Additionally,patients with suspected glaucoma(OR=2.72,95%CI,1.03-7.20,P=0.044)and those with an annual income over 100000 Chinese yuan demonstrated higher adherence(OR=5.57,95%CI,1.00-30.89,P=0.049).CONCLUSION:The case management model proves effective for glaucoma patients,with positive adherence rates.The implementation of this model can be optimized in the future based on the identified factors and extended to glaucoma patients in more hospitals.

Conflict management styles of nurse managers and influencing factors in children’s hospital, Vietnam

Objective:This study aimed to describe the conflict management styles and identify factors affecting the conflict management styles of nurse managers.Materials and Methods:A cross-sectional study was conducted by interviewing nurse managers with a questionnaire,including the Rahim Organizational Conflict Inventory-II Form B,used to assess an individual’s approach to conflict management across five styles:cooperating,competing,compromising,obliging,and avoiding.Results:A total of 30 nurse managers participated in this study.The mean scores of the cooperating style were the highest at 4.3±0.4,followed by a compromising style at 3.4±0.5,an avoiding style at 3.1±0.6,an accommodating style at 2.9±0.7,and a competing style at 2.8±0.8(χ^(2)=66.624,P<0.001).The mean scores for avoiding style among bachelor’s degree nurse managers(3.2±0.6)were higher than those of master’s degree nurse managers(2.7±0.6)(P=0.036).Nurse managers over 40 years old,holding a managerial position for≥10 years,and frequent conflict handling rated higher mean scores for the cooperating style than their counterparts(P<0.05).Conclusion:The cooperating style was the most commonly used conflict management style among nurse managers.Factors affecting the conflict management style were age,education level,and experience in management and conflict handling.These findings are useful for developing interventions that enhance the competencies of nurse managers in conflict management.

For Mega-Constellations: Edge Computing and Safety Management Based on Blockchain Technology

In mega-constellation Communication Systems, efficient routing algorithms and data transmission technologies are employed to ensure fast and reliable data transfer. However, the limited computational resources of satellites necessitate the use of edge computing to enhance secure communication.While edge computing reduces the burden on cloud computing, it introduces security and reliability challenges in open satellite communication channels. To address these challenges, we propose a blockchain architecture specifically designed for edge computing in mega-constellation communication systems. This architecture narrows down the consensus scope of the blockchain to meet the requirements of edge computing while ensuring comprehensive log storage across the network. Additionally, we introduce a reputation management mechanism for nodes within the blockchain, evaluating their trustworthiness, workload, and efficiency. Nodes with higher reputation scores are selected to participate in tasks and are appropriately incentivized. Simulation results demonstrate that our approach achieves a task result reliability of 95% while improving computational speed.

Overview of the immunological mechanisms in hepatitis B virus reactivation:Implications for disease progression and management strategies

Hepatitis B virus(HBV)reactivation is a clinically significant challenge in disease management.This review explores the immunological mechanisms underlying HBV reactivation,emphasizing disease progression and management.It delves into host immune responses and reactivation’s delicate balance,spanning innate and adaptive immunity.Viral factors’disruption of this balance,as are interac-tions between viral antigens,immune cells,cytokine networks,and immune checkpoint pathways,are examined.Notably,the roles of T cells,natural killer cells,and antigen-presenting cells are discussed,highlighting their influence on disease progression.HBV reactivation’s impact on disease severity,hepatic flares,liver fibrosis progression,and hepatocellular carcinoma is detailed.Management strategies,including anti-viral and immunomodulatory approaches,are critically analyzed.The role of prophylactic anti-viral therapy during immunosuppressive treatments is explored alongside novel immunotherapeutic interventions to restore immune control and prevent reactivation.In conclusion,this compre-hensive review furnishes a holistic view of the immunological mechanisms that propel HBV reactivation.With a dedicated focus on understanding its implic-ations for disease progression and the prospects of efficient management stra-tegies,this article contributes significantly to the knowledge base.The more profound insights into the intricate interactions between viral elements and the immune system will inform evidence-based approaches,ultimately enhancing disease management and elevating patient outcomes.The dynamic landscape of management strategies is critically scrutinized,spanning anti-viral and immunomodulatory approaches.The role of prophylactic anti-viral therapy in preventing reactivation during immunosuppressive treatments and the potential of innovative immunotherapeutic interventions to restore immune control and proactively deter reactivation.

Heat transfer enhanced inorganic phase change material compositing carbon nanotubes for battery thermal management and thermal runaway propagation mitigation

Developing technologies that can be applied simultaneously in battery thermal management(BTM)and thermal runaway(TR)mitigation is significant to improving the safety of lithium-ion battery systems.Inorganic phase change material(PCM)with nonflammability has the potential to achieve this dual function.This study proposed an encapsulated inorganic phase change material(EPCM)with a heat transfer enhancement for battery systems,where Na_(2)HPO_(4)·12H_(2)O was used as the core PCM encapsulated by silica and the additive of carbon nanotube(CNT)was applied to enhance the thermal conductivity.The microstructure and thermal properties of the EPCM/CNT were analyzed by a series of characterization tests.Two different incorporating methods of CNT were compared and the proper CNT adding amount was also studied.After preparation,the battery thermal management performance and TR propagation mitigation effects of EPCM/CNT were further investigated on the battery modules.The experimental results of thermal management tests showed that EPCM/CNT not only slowed down the temperature rising of the module but also improved the temperature uniformity during normal operation.The peak battery temperature decreased from 76℃to 61.2℃at 2 C discharge rate and the temperature difference was controlled below 3℃.Moreover,the results of TR propagation tests demonstrated that nonflammable EPCM/CNT with good heat absorption could work as a TR barrier,which exhibited effective mitigation on TR and TR propagation.The trigger time of three cells was successfully delayed by 129,474 and 551 s,respectively and the propagation intervals were greatly extended as well.

Whole-process case management effects on mental state and selfcare ability in patients with liver cancer

BACKGROUND Regarding the incidence of malignant tumors in China,the incidence of liver cancer ranks fourth,second only to lung,gastric,and esophageal cancers.The case fatality rate ranks third after lung and cervical cancer.In a previous study,the whole-process management model was applied to patients with breast cancer,which effectively reduced their negative emotions and improved treatment adherence and nursing satisfaction.METHODS In this single-center,randomized,controlled study,60 randomly selected patients with liver cancer who had been admitted to our hospital from January 2021 to January 2022 were randomly divided into an observation group(n=30),who received whole-process case management on the basis of routine nursing mea-sures,and a control group(n=30),who were given routine nursing measures.We compared differences between the two groups in terms of anxiety,depression,the level of hope,self-care ability,symptom distress,sleep quality,and quality of life.RESULTS Post-intervention,Hamilton anxiety scale,Hamilton depression scale,memory symptom assessment scale,and Pittsburgh sleep quality index scores in both groups were lower than those pre-intervention,and the observation group had lower scores than the control group(P<0.05).Herth hope index,self-care ability assessment scale-revision in Chinese,and quality of life measurement scale for patients with liver cancer scores in both groups were higher than those pre-intervention,with higher scores in the observation group compared with the control group(P<0.05).CONCLUSION Whole-process case management can effectively reduce anxiety and depression in patients with liver cancer,alleviate symptoms and problems,and improve the level of hope,self-care ability,sleep quality,and quality of life,as well as provide feasible nursing alternatives for patients with liver cancer.

How to avoid reputation damage in financial restatement? The role of investor relations management

In order to examine the effects of avoiding reputation damage by investor relations management under certain corporate governance structures and mechanisms, samples of 1120 listed companies are used to research the influence on financial restatements by corporate governance. Then the moderating effects of investor relations management on financial restatements are analyzed. The result is that the more dispersed the equity, the higher the probability of financial restatements will be (This includes the government-controlled companies). Also the higher the proportion of independent directors and the higher the level of investor relations management, the lower the probability of financial restatements will be. Furthermore, as a moderating variable, investor relations management can eliminate the negative effects of corporate governance, enhance the effect of independent directors and reduce the probability of financial restatement.

Fourth Industrial Revolution: A Readiness Assessment of Project Managers in Tanzania

The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) is transforming the way we live, learn, work, and relate to one another. However, there is still an awareness inadequacy of the 4IR among project managers and the society in Tanzania, thus low readiness to conceptualize, implement and manage 4IR-related projects in the country. This study aimed to assess the 4IR readiness of project managers in Tanzania. The assessment is made in the frame of 4 readiness dimensions: strategy and governance structure, technology awareness, human capital digital skills development, and social-economic impact. The research used a quantitative method with the diffusion of innovations theory perspective, and data were collected mainly through an online survey questionnaire. The survey aimed at answering the research question concerning the project managers’ readiness for the 4IR. The 50 valid samples were completed by project managers from various industries such as agriculture, finance, consulting, construction, education and training, government, healthcare, Information Technology, and manufacturing. Data were analysed using SPSS. The results revealed that despite the generally low awareness of 4IR, several project managers in Tanzania have some varying awareness of 4IR technologies such as artificial intelligence, Internet of Things (IoT), data analytics, blockchain, robotics, cryptocurrency, chatbots, drones, and other digital transformation platforms. The results also indicated that project managers in Tanzania had little extent in readiness to initiate, develop and implement 4IR products and services due to inadequate 4IR-related awareness, strategy and governance structure, human capital digital skills development, and social economic impact. Consequently, some recommendations are made in the frame of the four assessed readiness dimensions for improvement. The value of this research is mainly to provide the state of 4IR readiness of project managers and associated recommendations to policymakers, practitioners, academia, donors, business industry and youth in digital innovation. The study also contributes to the body of knowledge on 4IR, project management and digital transformation.

Estimation of the Direct Cost of Management of Venous Thromboembolism in Three Reference Hospitals in the City of Yaoundé: A Retrospective Study over a Three-Year Period

Background: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a major public health problem due to its increasing frequency, mortality and management cost. This cost may require major financial efforts from patients, especially in developing countries like ours where less than 7% of the population has health insurance. This study aimed to estimate the direct cost of managing VTE in three reference hospitals in Yaoundé. Methods: This was a cross-sectional retrospective study over a three-year period (from January 1st 2018 to December 31 2020) carried out in the Cardiology departments of the Central and General Hospitals, and the Emergency Centre of the city of Yaoundé. All patients managed during the study period for deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism confirmed by venous ultrasound coupled with Doppler and computed tomography pulmonary angiography respectively were included. For each patient, we collected sociodemographic and clinical data as well as data on the cost of consultation, hospital stay, workups and medications. These data were analysed using SPSS version 23.0. Results: A total of 92 patient’s records were analysed. The median age was 60 years [48 - 68] with a sex ratio of 0.53. The median direct cost of management of venous thromboembolism was 766,375 CFAF [536,455 - 1,029,745] or $1415 USD. Management of pulmonary embolism associated with deep vein thrombosis was more costly than isolated pulmonary embolism or deep vein thrombosis. Factors influencing the direct cost of management of venous thromboembolism were: hospital structure (p = 0.015), health insurance (p 0.001), type of pulmonary embolism (p = 0.021), and length of hospital stay (p = 0.001). Conclusion: Management of VTE is a major financial burden for our patients and this burden is influenced by the hospital structure, health insurance, type of pulmonary embolism and length of hospital stay.