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Recursive state estimation in relay channels with enhanced security against eavesdropping: An innovative encryption–decryption framework
Get PDFIn this paper, the problem of secure recursive state estimation is addressed for a networked linear system over a relay channel. We consider the scenario where the transmitted signals and the internal state of the relay node might be intercepted by potential eavesdroppers. To prevent the system states from being inferred by potential eavesdroppers via overheard measurement signals, an encryption–decryption mechanism is adopted to protect the transmitted measurement signals over the communication links. Furthermore, for the purpose of preserving data privacy during the relaying process, a decryption-free relaying protocol is constructed, where a matrix-inequality-based method is proposed for the design of the desired parameters for the relaying protocol. Following this, a recursive state estimator is developed to generate state estimates through a set of recursions. Sufficient conditions are then derived to ensure the ultimate boundedness of the resultant estimation error variance matrix. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed secure recursive state estimation scheme is demonstrated through a simulation example.This work was supported in part by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grants 62273087, 61933007, 62273088 and U21A2019, the Royal Society of the UK, and the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation of Germany
Ban on female migrant workers to be lifted
No full textOnline newspaper articleNepal must recognise and protect its undocumented female domestics in West Asia while legalising migration.BRIEF Award ('BRUNEL RESEARCH INITIATIVE AND ENTERPRISE FUND'
Experimental and Simulation Study on Reducing the Liquid Film and Improving the Performance of a Carbon-Neutral Methanol Engine
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The original contributions presented in the study are included in the article; further inquiries can be directed to the corresponding author.Methanol is a potential carbon-neutral fuel. It has a high latent heat of vaporization, making it difficult to achieve evaporation and mixing, and it is prone to forming a liquid film, which in turn affects engine performance. To reduce the liquid film and improve engine performance, this work investigates the influence mechanism of injection strategies on the generation of liquid films in the intake port and cylinder of an inline 6-cylinder port fuel injection (PFI) spark-ignition (SI) methanol engine and further explores the optimization scheme for improving engine performance. The results show that the end of injection (EOI) influences the methanol evaporation rate and the methanol–air mixing process, thereby determining the liquid film deposition, mixture distribution, and temperature distribution in the cylinder. As the EOI advances, the higher methanol evaporation rate during the intake process reduces the amount of methanol droplets and the deposition of a liquid film in the cylinder. The in-cylinder temperature is relatively high, while the mixture inhomogeneity slightly increases. As the EOI increases from 170 °CA to 360 °CA, the higher in-cylinder temperature and properly stratified mixture accelerate the early and middle stages of combustion, shorten the ignition delay, advance the center of combustion, and improve the brake thermal efficiency (BTE). However, further advancing the EOI results in the BTE remaining basically unchanged. Optimized injection timing can enhance the BTE by 1.4% to 2.4% under various load conditions. The increase in the EOI contributes to the reduction of HC emissions due to the weakening of the crevice effect with lower masses of methanol droplets and liquid film in the cylinder, while the increase in mixture inhomogeneity leads to an increase in CO emissions. In general, controlling the EOI at around 360 °CA can maintain relatively low CO emissions under various load conditions, while significantly reducing HC emissions by 71.2–76.4% and improving the BTE.This work was funded by National Key R&D Program of China (No. 2023YFE0115300)
Nature
Get PDFReferences to nature abound in Sade’s works, both in the libertine books for which he gained notoriety and in his more conventional novels, stories, and plays. The way in which nature is conceived in these texts takes its bearings from the ideology of nature that underpinned the influential Enlightenment philosophies of his time, especially those formulated by so-called Radical Enlightenment thinkers such as La Mettrie, d’Holbach, Helvétius, and Diderot. Drawing on a combination of ideas derived from Spinoza, Lucretius, and Epicurus, these philosophers argued that nature represents a purely physical system of interactions between particles that are made up of matter and motion. This materialist doctrine coincided with a fervent defense of atheism. In the minds of the Radical Enlightenment philosophers, God constitutes not only a logical fallacy, but also an agency that both justifies human suffering as a form of redemption for human beings’ sinful earthly existence and induces more pain and misery by preventing human beings from living in accordance with their own state of nature. These materialist, rationalist, and atheist principles then informed a moral philosophy that is predicated upon the fundamental, natural equality of all human beings and the promotion of a utilitarian ethics in which citizens will only experience happiness if they agree to work together for a common good. Self-interest needs to be balanced against the interest of others, because this virtue of reciprocity is the only way for individual pleasure to be guaranteed. One can easily recognize, here, the Epicurean guide to the good life, which does not advocate limitless hedonism, but rather a strictly measured, calculated satisfaction of essential desires as the necessary precondition for mental tranquility (ataraxia)...
Advanced Near-Field Radar Imaging Approaches in Security: An overview on signal processing challenges, opportunities, and future directions
No full textNear-field (NF) microwave and millimeter-wave (mm-wave) imaging, extending into the terahertz (THz) frequency range, has seen remarkable advancements across diverse applications, particularly security screening. These technologies benefit from the unique properties of microwave, mm-wave, and THz (MMT) spectra, such as penetration, nonionizing radiation, material sensitivity and the capability to operate in all weather conditions. This article provides an overview of the evolution and current state of NF radar imaging, emphasizing the critical role of signal processing in overcoming challenges related to hardware complexity, long acquisition time, and image reconstruction quality. Advanced signal processing techniques—including Fourier-based algorithms, sparse imaging, low-rank matrix recovery, and deep learning—are highlighted for their contributions to enhancing image resolution and processing efficiency. The article also discusses recent innovations in antenna technologies, aperture configurations, and scanning methods that have significantly improved NF radar imaging capabilities. Future research directions are suggested to further advance the field, highlighting the importance of continued exploration and innovation in NF MMT imaging.10.13039/501100000275-Leverhulme Trust (Grant Number: RL-2019-019)
Global food prices and inflation
Get PDFJEL Classification: C13, C58, E31, Q10.Purpose:
This paper aims to examine the role of global food price mean as well as volatility shocks as determinants of domestic food price inflation for a range of countries with different food shares in total consumption and in the CPI basket. The analysis provides useful information to policymakers to control inflation and also to market participants to develop appropriate investment strategies.
Design/methodology/approach:
It uses the endogenous regime-switching model with dynamic feedback and interactions developed by Chang et al. (2023) to obtain mean and volatility indicators and then includes them in structural vector autoregressive models to assess their impact on inflation. Counterfactual analysis is also carried out.
Findings:
The results suggest that both global food price mean and volatility shocks have sizeable effects on food price inflation in all countries and persistent second-round effects on core inflation in most countries. An extension of the analysis using disaggregate global food price data shows that the existence of second-round effects is independent of the size of the response of domestic food inflation to global food price shocks.
Originality/value:
Unlike previous studies, the analysis carefully distinguishes between two types of global food price shocks (namely, mean or volatility) and their effects on core inflation, which provides crucial information to monetary authorities to formulate appropriate policy responses and to agents to make investment decisions
The Linguistics of International Law: Genocide, Apartheid and the Hermeneutical Boundaries of International Terms and Notions
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Written Evidence submitted by Dr Solon Solomon
Get PDFI. Overview of the submission. 1. The author makes the submission in response to the call from evidence issued by the Defence Committee. This submission focuses on Question 3, sub question 1 in the call for
evidence which asks:
‘Are there areas which the Armed Forces Covenant ought to be extended to and why? If so, which are the priority areas
Synaesthetic emergence: a scoping review of factors facilitating synaesthetic states in non-synaesthetes through arts engagement
Get PDFSynaesthesia is defined as a multi-sensory phenomenon in which one sense can be triggered by another without external stimuli, for example seeing colours when hearing music. This paper maps findings from the literature to describe what elements of arts engagement facilitate synaesthetic experiences among non-synaesthetes. The rationale for this study is on the basis that evidence shows multi-sensory experiences underpin creative innovations and serve as a foundation for embodied wellbeing practices. Through a scoping review guided by the PRISMA-ScR framework, this study identifies eight interdependent themes within which combinations of factors have the potential to produce synaesthetic states: Inviting Co-creation, Participatory Embodiment, Cultural and Social Engagement, Embodying Cognition, Producing Affective Intensity, Stimulating Associative Memory, Unifying Sensory Engagement, and Sensory Digital Enhancement. The review spans a diverse array of arts engagement practices, music, dance, visual arts, performance, and culinary events, to investigate how these modalities can evoke synaesthetic experiences in non-synaesthetes. The methodology employs deductive thematic synthesis informed by a new materialist perspective. The findings support the hypothesis that under particular conditions co-creative arts engagement can blur traditional sensorial boundaries, demonstrating that participatory arts can elicit embodied synaesthetic states in non-synaesthetes. The study also provides insights into how synaesthestic experiences in arts engagement influences perception, cognition, and social interaction, offering innovative pathways to enhance wellbeing and promote social cohesion. These findings have implications for the use of arts-based interventions in fostering multi-sensory engagement and expanding understanding of synaesthetic states with non-synaesthetes and the potential effects on wellbeing
A novel protein subfamily of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex shows stable co-evolution with human populations
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All data supporting the findings of this study are available within the paper and its Supplementary Information. Genome Sequences of the MTBC strains analysed are provided in Supplementary Data [1. https://www.nature.com/articles/s42003-025-08383-3#MOESM3].Code availability:
A custom Python script was used to extract the ppe50 gene from the MTBC strains. It is deposited at https://github.com/jodyphelan/PPE50 .Supplementary information is available online at: https://www.nature.com/articles/s42003-025-08383-3#Sec16 .While evidence supports co-evolution between Mycobacterium tuberculosis and humans, underlying mechanisms remain unclear. We identified PPE50 as a novel subfamily of PE/PPE proteins comprising eight variants. Surveying 387 M. tuberculosis complex (MTBC) strains representing global phylogeography, we found PPE50 variants are lineage-specific and stably associated with geographic regions, defining them as phylogeographically-associated proteins (PAPs). PPE50-381 is the ancestral variant (present in early-branching M. canettii) and the only variant observed in both Ancient and Modern MTBC lineages. Transcriptomic analysis confirmed that ppe50 variant genes are expressed in strains from respective MTBC lineages, but not in all L1 strains and sub-lineages L2.1 and L4.1 where the gene was deleted. In silico analysis revealed significant structural diversity among variants, particularly in C-terminal regions. This strong association of M. tuberculosis protein diversity with phylogeography suggests PPE50 may contribute to MTBC adaptation to different host populations. Further characterization of PPE50 and other PAPs may facilitate improved targeted diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines.TGC is funded by the UKRI (BBSRC BB/X018156/1; MRC MR/X005895/1; EPSRC EP/Y018842/1)
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