Speculative execution is an optimization technique that has been part of CPUs for over a decade. It predicts the outcome and target of branch instructions to avoid stalling the execution pipeline. However, until recently, the security implications of speculative code execution have not been studied. In this paper, we investigate a special type of branch predictor that is responsible for predicting return addresses. To the best of our knowledge, we are the first to study return address predictors and their consequences for the security of modern software. In our work, we show how return stack buffers (RSBs), the core unit of return address predictors, can be used to trigger misspeculations. Based on this knowledge, we propose two new attack variants using RSBs that give attackers similar capabilities as the documented Spectre attacks. We show how local attackers can gain arbitrary speculative code execution across processes, e.g., to leak passwords another user enters on a shared system. Our evaluation showed that the recent Spectre countermeasures deployed in operating systems can also cover such RSB-based cross-process attacks. Yet we then demonstrate that attackers can trigger misspeculation in JIT environments in order to leak arbitrary memory content of browser processes. Reading outside the sandboxed memory region with JIT-compiled code is still possible with 80% accuracy on average.
Cyber-physical systems (CPSs) are vulnerable to cyber-attacks. Nowadays, the detection of cyber-attacks in microgrids as examples of CPS has become an important topic due to their wide use in various practical applications from renewable energy plants to power distribution and electric transportation. In this article, we propose a new artificial intelligence (AI)-based method for the detection of cyber-attacks in direct current (dc) microgrids and also the identification of the attacked distributed energy resource (DER) unit. The proposed method works based on the time-series analysis and a nonlinear auto-regressive exogenous model (NARX) neural network, which is a special type of recurrent neural network for estimating dc voltages and currents. In the proposed method, we consider the effect of cyber-attacks named false data injection attacks (FDIAs), which try to affect the accurate voltage regulation and current sharing by affecting voltage and current sensors. In the presented strategy, first, a dc microgrid is operated and controlled without any FDIAs to gather enough data during the normal operation required for the training of NARX neural networks. It is worth mentioning that in the data generation process, load changing is also considered to have distinguishing data sets for load changing and cyber-attack scenarios. Trained and fine-tuned NARX neural networks are exploited in an online manner to estimate the output dc voltages and currents of DER units in dc microgrid. Then, based on the error of estimation, the cyber-attack is detected. To show the effectiveness of the proposed method, offline digital time-domain simulation studies are performed on a test dc microgrid system in the MATLAB/Simulink environment, and the results are verified using real-time simulations using the OPAL-RT real-time digital simulator (RTDS).
By taking the Feilaixia-Changhu Reservoir area in Guangdong Province, China as an example, the wide field view (WFV) multispectral image data of China's Gaofen-1 (spatial resolution of 16 m) was used, and the remote sensing physical analysis model for water quality (Deng model) based on radiation transfer theory was used to perform remote sensing inversion of the chlorophyll-a concentration in the river-type reservoir. The original image was subjected to a series of image preprocessing steps such as the improved dark-pixel atmospheric correction method for inland water and the water and land separation based on logical discrimination. From the preprocessed water-leaving reflectance result map, three types of single-type special pixels, namely clean water, organically polluted water, and eutrophic water, were selected to first calculate the optical parameters of the water components required by the Deng model. Finally, the remote sensing result map of the chlorophyll-a concentration in the study area was obtained by solving the equation group by combining remote sensing bands. The correlation analysis of the chlorophyll-a remote sensing inversion value and the measured value was performed, and the determination coefficient was <italic>R</italic><sup>2 </sup>= 0.835 8; the result verification was reasonable. The chlorophyll-a remote sensing results reveal that there are several places with serious eutrophication in this area at the time of satellite image imaging, mainly distributed in two reservoir centers and one reservoir bay of Feilaixia Reservoir; two river bays of Lianjiang River; one in the upper reaches of Wengjiang River, and one in Yingde City section of the main stream of Beijiang River. It is inferred that it is caused by the discharge of sewage from cage aquaculture and the catering industry to nearby residents. The high-concentration pollution areas in the reservoir center of Feilaixia Reservoir and the main stream are temporary, because the hydrodynamic conditions are formed with the migration of river diffusion; while the pollutants located in the reservoir bay and river bay are gathered into stable pollution areas due to their poor flow conditions, indicating that the Deng model has also achieved good results under dynamic hydrological conditions. Further statistics show that the water area with chlorophyll-a concentration of 0~3 μg/L accounts for 92.05% (56.21 km<sup>2</sup>), and the pollution area with >3 μg/L accounts for 7.95% (4.85 km<sup>2</sup>), indicating that the chlorophyll-a concentration in the study area is generally at a low level, and the statistical results are consistent with the laws reflected by the image inversion results. This study not only expands the application of the Deng model in river-type reservoirs but also provides a scientific basis for regional water environment management.
River, lake, and water-supply engineering (General)
Concrete is the second most common material demanded over the world. Recently, a trending issue is the vast tracking in constructing infrastructure to ensure traffic movement and life quality. Concrete types such as self and rolled compacted concrete offer magical solutions ensuring vast infrastructure and life quality. However, these structures must be assessed using non-destructive testing methods to observe the difference between the concrete types. Several studies have used recycled waste, specifically the crumb rubber extracted from old tires, as a potential replacement for natural aggregate in concrete manufacturing. However, limited research has been devoted to nondestructive testing of produced concrete to further evaluate existing concrete elements containing crumb rubber. This study investigates the self and rolled compacted concrete in comparison with normal ones, in addition to using chopped rubber as recycled materials. This study examines the concrete manufactured destructively by evaluating its compressive, tensile, and flexural strength, in addition to impact resistance, and correlates those results with the non-destructive such as Schmit hammer and Ultrasonic Pulse (UPV) for extended utilization of the concrete produced and data publication. The results showed unique performance and a high potential for data contribution to the extensive utilization of self-compacted rubberized concrete and rolled compacted concrete.
Goal: The main goal of this paper is to examine and analyse in detail the existing services for people with disabilities at the Library of the University Sarajevo – Faculty of Philosophy, physical access to the building, access to the funds, content, and services, and on that track recognize possibilities of further improvement of services for blind and visually impaired users of the Library.
Methodology: As a sample for this research the Library of the University Sarajevo – Faculty of Philosophy was chosen to analyse services that the Library offers to blind and visually impaired students, starting from the definition of disability of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and IFLA’s Glossary of Terms and Definitions, followed by IFLA’s Library Services to People with Special Needs Section. This research is based on selected IFLA guidelines Access to libraries for people with disabilities, which starts from the library’s environment, key categories from its physical space to access to materials and services. The paper also discusses the guidelines of the Library for the blind in the information age: Guidelines for the development of functions and services that provide an overview of all significant aspects of library and information services for the blind, from their historical development, legal and strategic frameworks on which such services directly depend, to users, staff, and the development and management of collections and services. Based on the IFLA guidelines, the paper analyses the following key categories: physical access to the Library’s premises, materials, assistive technology, trained staff, websites, and cooperation with other institutions, strategic documents, and evaluation. In addition to international acts, the paper also examines BH key regulations, such as the Law on Prohibition of Discrimination, which explicitly mentions this category of persons.
Results: The analysis showed a significant adaptation of services to selected key categories, but also revealed the possibilities of improving these services, which are listed in the Conclusion, and recognized substantial successful segments of serving other users with disabilities, not only blind and visually impaired users. Based on the analysis, in the last chapter of the paper, in the Conclusion, the possibility of applying the framework plan for the development of these services of the Library of the Faculty of Philosophy of the University of Sarajevo on other academic libraries in Bosnia and Herzegovina is highlighted, and it points to the importance of cooperation with other institutions that serve blind and visually impaired users, and with whom it is possible to exchange resources for work, assistive technology of different types, but also experiences in working with users with disabilities.
Originality: This paper presents selected IFLA guidelines for people with disabilities as a theoretical basis. The development of the themed services of this Library can serve as a model for other academic libraries in the BH environment.
Bibliography. Library science. Information resources
Unmanned underwater vehicles are one of the indispensable tools for people to develop， utilize and explore the ocean， and have broad military application prospects.With the continuous progress and development of science and technology， unmanned underwater vehicles continue to break through their own limits of working depth.Due to the particularity and complexity of the marine environment， the requirements for its structural materials are becoming increasingly higher.In this work， based on the latest research progress at home and abroad， a comprehensive analysis was conducted on the corrosion factors of unmanned underwater vehicles structural materials in the marine environment，including seawater temperature， pH value， salinity， chloride ion concentration and dissolved oxygen content.Aiming at the corrosion types of unmanned underwater vehicles structural materials in the marine environment， the causes of corrosion of underwater vehicles structural materials in special working environments were explored.Besides， the anti-corrosion methods of unmanned underwater vehicle structural materials in marine environment were described， and the development of its future anti-corrosion technology was prospected.
Materials of engineering and construction. Mechanics of materials, Technology
Bentonite, as a buffering and backfilled material in high level radioactive waste disposal repository, will produce colloids when interacting with groundwater in near field. Colloids play an important role on the diffusion and migration behavior of radioactive nuclides. Therefore, study on bentonite releasing colloids is one of important issues in disposal safety assessment. GMZ bentonite, short for Gaomiaozi bentonite, is identified as the most promising backfill material in China. GMZ bentonite was taken as research object in this paper, and factors and mechanisms affecting bentonite releasing colloids were studied using turbidimetric method because of good linear relationship between turbidity and colloid concentration. The effects of ion strength, ion types, acid-base property and temperature on releasing colloids were researched. Sample bottle of turbidimeter was special customized in order to avoid disturbance caused by frequent sampling which would affect measurement results. Bentonite was pressed by tableting firstly, then placed in a restricted container made of granite for simulating the real situation of disposal repository. Relationship curves of ion type, ionic strength, pH and temperature with turbidity were obtained, and the mechanisms of all factors affecting colloids releasing were analyzed. The results show that order of cationic species inhibiting the release of colloids from bentonite is Li+＜Na+＜K+＜NH4+＜Zn2+＜Mg2+＜H+＜Ca2+. The cations with higher charge have stronger suppression ability except H+ which could protonate the edge of montmorillonite and reduce the swelling ability of bentonite significantly. The effect of cations on bentonite releasing colloid depends on the ion hydration radius, agglomeration capacity, ability to neutralize negative charges, and adsorption capacity. OH- among four kinds of anions could promote the release of colloids significantly, while others have little effect on the release of colloids basically. The ability of solution to inhibit bentonite releasing colloids would be stronger, when the ionic strength of the solution is higher. Bentonite generates colloids much easier in neutral condition, weak acid and weak base conditions take second place, while strong acid and alkali conditions have the strongest inhibitory effect on colloid release. Acidic environment is more effective in inhibiting colloid release from bentonite than alkaline environment. Increasing the temperature is conducive to the release of bentonite colloid under 20-50 ℃. The reason lied in raising temperature could increase the internal energy of montmorillonite, improve probability of collision between colloidal particles,and reduce the ability of neutralizing negative charges which is beneficial for the swelling of montmorillonite. The results have important guiding significance for analyzing the retardation of nuclide migration by bentonite colloid and understanding the geochemical behavior of bentonite in the near-field correctly.
Modern realities place new demands on the transformation of the paradigm of military education in general, especially on the professional training of officers of the security and defense sector of Ukraine, which should result in professional competence and a high level of readiness to perform complex situational, including combat, tasks in various types of professional activities. Approaches amendments to the acquisition of innovative knowledge, skills and abilities by officers of the security and defense sector of Ukraine are laid down in a number of domestic legal acts and the adoption of international experience in training officers using innovative technologies. The results of the study made it possible to identify a number of statements, namely: the result of the graduated professional training of officers of the security and defense sector of Ukraine should not only be the higher military education obtained by officers, but also the formation of professional competence, a high level of readiness to perform complex situational, including combat, tasks in various types of professional activities; to ensure the quality of the results (acquisition of innovative knowledge, skills and abilities by officers while studying in higher education institutions with specific learning conditions) is possible through the introduction of an innovative set of actions aimed at creating a new educational environment, revision of approaches to improving the didactic support of curricula and the choice of modern methods and teaching technologies; a special role in the realization of the research objective is played by understanding the use of innovative educational technologies, including virtual and augmented reality. Such technologies can significantly improve not only the learning outcomes, which can be determined by a number of criteria (innovativeness of the formed competencies, timeliness of their updating, importance for a particular type of professional activity, etc.), but also significantly deepen the personal understanding of the development of critical thinking, communication skills, leadership qualities, the level of responsibility for ensuring the safety of all personnel, making certain leadership decisions on actions in the context of preparation and conduct of combat operations, officers’ understanding of their personality, purpose, aspirations and values in their professional and daily life.
The article aims to highlight the possibilities of a multimodal approach to the study of specialized
texts in technical discourse. The research design for this study is analytical and descriptive, which focuses
on a deductive narrative approach and a complex of complementary theoretical methods: analyzing,
summarizing and interpreting scholarly sources on the issue under scrutiny; conceptual analysis of the
term “multimodal approach”; analyzing multimodal elements of a technical text; distributional analysis –
to find out the environment, which contains various multimodal components; monographic method – to
interpret the results obtained in a coherent logical way.
The theoretical significance of the article lies: firstly, in expanding the existing understanding of
multimodality in linguistic studies at large and in modern technical discourse in particular; secondly,
in applying multimodal analysis to the study of technical texts, which differs significantly from similar
analyses of other types of discourse due to its powerful semiotic component. Its practical significance is
determined by the identification of additional opportunities for linguists to analyze technical texts in terms
of a multimodal approach.
It is stated that a growing interest in multimodality from the linguistic point of view can be attributed
to two main reasons. Firstly, in linguistics, there has been a general turn to functional pragmatism, in
particular, to the study of linguistic performance, including the interaction of sociocultural and cognitive
factors of speech activity. Secondly, significant changes have also occurred in the field of speech practice:
mediated, multi-channel communication in nature, based on the convergence of the semiotic resources
available, has come to the fore.
The principles of the multimodal approach and a model for conducting a multimodal analysis of a
text are considered. As mentioned in the article, the multimodal approach can be applied to analyzing all
types and forms of communication, including the analysis of texts, including technical ones, in which two
or more semiotic resources are integrated and interact to realize the communicative functions of the text.
A multimodal technical text is viewed as a special linguistic and visual phenomenon, where linguistic
and extralinguistic means form a common semantic field, have a complex impact on the addressee of these
texts. These texts demonstrate the diversity and complexity of approaches to expressing the content and
achieving the communicative goal of the message, where, along with verbal elements, non-verbal ones are
integral, in particular, illustrations, diagrams, graphs and schemes.
On the whole, visual content plays an extremely important role in written technical communication.
The image is the most important part of multimodal technical texts and carries a significant functional
load, providing a more complete, comprehensive perception. Also, among the main and most important
elements of multimodal texts, color and signature stand out. Given that, a distinctive feature of multimodal
technical discourse is the presence of accompanying drawings or / and explanatory drawings, which
demonstrate all the geometric parameters and other information concerning the manufacturing processes
of the product.
From an extralinguistic point of view, it is not the language that is considered, but a drawing, a table,
a diagram as a whole, creating an image and representing encrypted data, the correct analysis of which
reveals a large layer of technical information. Extralinguistic parameters of a technical text also include
the surrounding text background – font size and color. Knowledge of these parameters and the ability to
correctly decode and use them helps not only a technical specialist to successfully perform his duties, but
also an ordinary person to successfully interact with machines and mechanisms, to understand innovation
in the information technology age.
Therefore, the analysis of non-verbal means in technical texts makes it possible to single out their
main functions. Each non-verbal tool has its own function, but often these functions are intertwined due
to the combination of elements. At the same time, not only the number of non-verbal means increases,
but also the attractiveness of the text, because the general function of non-verbal means is to explain
the verbal series. In the interaction of verbal and non-verbal means in the analyzed technical texts, the
following general patterns have been revealed: parallel use of verbal and non-verbal elements to explain
the text and create a coherent image; extensive use of graphs, diagrams, illustrations and other graphic
elements (use of colors, fonts and formatting) to visualize information and facilitate its effective perception.
Introduction: the article is devoted to the analysis of the state of victimity and its internal conflictogenic potential. Victimity is considered as a factor of penitentiary conflictogenity. Development of the conflict at its various stages is analyzed and, in this regard, the state of conflictogenity as a trend of penitentiary relations is characterized. It is argued that partnership and conflict in the conditions of the penitentiary life activity can equally be assessed from the point of view of both legal normativity and deviance. The opinion is substantiated that victimity is a reaction of the subject to the danger produced by almost all types of penitentiary communications. Purpose: to conduct a comprehensive intersectoral analysis of the institute of crime as a factor of conflict-prone public relations in the field of penitentiary life. Methods: the research methodology is determined by the specifics of the penitentiary environment, characterized by a high degree of conflictogenity due to the antagonisms in goal-setting, value priorities and behavioral motivations of administrators (“jailers”) and special agents (“prisoners”), collectively forming the “penitentiary population”. The article uses a complex of general scientific (dialectical, analysis and synthesis, system-structural) and special methods of cognition. Results: representing a specific social environment of a significant number of Russian citizens, the penitentiary system operates on the basis of two main regulatory and protective systems: legal and criminal. The antagonism of these systems causes a high degree of conflictogenity of penitentiary relations and, as a consequence, entails victimization of their participants. Conclusion: having conducted research, the author comes a conclusion that all penitentiary relations can be conditionally divided into partnership and conflict. At the same time, both partnership and conflict can equally be assessed as normative and deviant. Victimity, representing the subject’s potential predisposition to the state of a victim should be considered as an element of the socio-legal status of the conflict participant. At the same time, subjective victimity is directly related to the change of conflict stages, within which the aggressive impact can be unilateral (unilateral victimization) or bilateral in nature.
One of the structural components of the forensic methodology for investigating intentional destruction or damage to property of a law enforcement officer is the specific tactics of certain investigative (detective) actions. The complexity of their conduct, as well as their significant effectiveness in collecting evidence of a person's guilt and in clarifying the circumstances of the said criminal offence, necessitate a thorough study on this issue. Considering this, the purpose of the study is to determine the tactical and organisational features of investigative (detective) actions during the investigation of intentional destruction or damage to property of a law enforcement officer.
It has been established that scene examinations during the investigation of intentional destruction or damage to property of a law enforcement officer are challenging, time-consuming, require the use of various types of special knowledge and skills, and also involve the use of a large number of technical and forensic tools, so the investigator is obliged to treat their planning, preparation and conduct responsibly and ensure their implementation in accordance with the principles of legality, science, comprehensiveness, completeness, thoroughness, etc. It has been determined the main tactical tasks to be solved during the inspection of the place of destruction or damage to the property of a law enforcement officer.
It has been substantiated that the interrogation tactics and techniques used by the prosecution must comply with the provisions of the current criminal procedure legislation. Given that in the category of crimes under study, the victim is a law enforcement officer or his/her close relative, this should not influence the prosecution representative and lead to a biased attitude towards the suspect or witness who is trying to avoid giving full and objective testimony.
Based on the analysis, it has been established that the most correct approach is to interrogate the victim first, even in an investigative situation when a person involved in a criminal offence is detained at the scene of the crime. It has been provided a list of circumstances that should be clarified during the interrogation of a victim, witness or suspect.
It has been found that the tactical techniques which should be used during investigative experiments in the investigation of intentional destruction or damage to property of a law enforcement officer are: repeated conduct of experiments and control over their implementation; creation of an environment which will facilitate the provision of as much detailed information as possible about the circumstances of criminal offences; asking questions to a participant of an investigative experiment with a view to detailing his/her explanations and evaluating the answers; the use of models, application of scientific and technical means and involvement of specialists with special knowledge in the relevant field of science; application of technical means of recording, in particular, continuous video recording.
Law in general. Comparative and uniform law. Jurisprudence
Simon B. Weber, Stefan Stein, Michael Pilgermann
et al.
The threat situation due to cyber attacks in hospitals is emerging and patient life is at risk. One significant source of potential vulnerabilities is medical cyber-physical systems (MCPS). Detecting intrusions in this environment faces challenges different from other domains, mainly due to the heterogeneity of devices, the diversity of connectivity types, and the variety of terminology. To summarize existing results, we conducted a structured literature review (SLR) following the guidelines of Kitchenham et al. for SLRs in software engineering. We developed six research questions regarding detection approach, detection location, included features, adversarial focus, utilized datasets, and intrusion prevention. We identified that most researchers focused on an anomaly-based detection approach at the network layer. The primary focus was on the detection of malicious insiders. While several researchers used publicly available datasets for training and testing their algorithms, the lack of suitable datasets resulted in the development of testbeds consisting of various medical devices. Based on the results, we formulated five future research topics. First, the special conditions of hospital networks, the MCPS deployed within them, and the contrasts to other IT and OT environments should be examined. Thereupon, MCPS-specific datasets should be created that allow researchers to address the health domain’s unique requirements and possibilities. At the same time, endeavors aimed at standardization in this area should be supported and expanded. Moreover, the use of medical context for attack detection should be further explored. Last but not least, efforts for MCPS-tailored intrusion prevention should be intensified. This way, the emerging threat landscape can be addressed, IT security in hospitals can be improved, and patient health can be protected.
In current seismic studies, special attention is given to the correctness of both the processing methods and the results of their using. In particularly, this applies to the migration procedure, which allows reproducing the deep structure of the research area directly from the observed wave field. In the Institute of Geophysics named after SI. Subbotin of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, for many years, methods of migration and modeling of the wave field, which are theoretically based on the finite-difference method of solving differential equations, have been developed. Modeling the wave field makes it possible to identify useful waves in the real observed seismic field for the effective formation of a migration image of the geological environment and to confirm the correctness and accuracy of the reproduction of various types of disturbances on it.
S.I. Subbotin Institute of geophysics of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine in 2013 on the continental slope of the northwestern part of the Black Sea, seismometry observations with reflection CDP (Common Deep Point) profiles were carried out. When processing the registered wave fields to form a depth image of the geological section, post-stack full-wave finite-difference migration was used. As a tool for assessing the correctness of the obtained results, the finite-difference modeling of the wave field is considered, which is based on the solution of the wave equation on a grid with a seven-point pattern.
Coal gangue is an inevitable product in coal mining and processing and is the most important source of pollution in mines. Vegetation restoration of coal gangue piles must consider its special site conditions. Therefore, we conducted unmanned air vehicle (UAV) temperature monitoring, field investigation and experimental analysis on spontaneous combustion coal gangue piles in Lu’an mining area. In the vegetation construction of coal gangue piles, high-temperature stress affects plant survival. The spontaneous combustion coal gangue piles have abnormal temperature, high surface temperature and few vegetation types. The plant community species diversity index (Shannon–Wiener index, Pielou’s index and Species abundance index) is small, the plant community is single and the plant diversity is low. Spontaneous combustion of coal gangue leads to soil acidification, reducing soil water content, soil organic carbon (SOM), available nitrogen (AN), available potassium (AK) and available phosphorus (AP). These factors are single or interactive in plants and have an impact on plant survival and growth. The research results are of great significance to the vegetation restoration of spontaneous combustion coal gangue piles, ecological reconstruction and the improvement of the ecological environment of coal mine areas.