2,069 research outputs found
LIPIcs, Volume 251, ITCS 2023, Complete Volume
LIPIcs, Volume 251, ITCS 2023, Complete Volum
Provincialising whiteness: Òyìnbó and the politics of race in Lagos, Nigeria
Much academic work on racialisation processes to date has focused on a geographically restricted range of racial regimes characterised by white supremacy. This study broadens the geographical scope of analyses by looking at race-making practices in Lagos, Nigeria. I explore the geographical specificity of race-making in Lagos through interrogation of the concept of òyìnbó – a Yorùbá word most often translated into English as ‘white person.’ By highlighting the particular meanings attached to òyìnbó, and the political work that racialisation does in this understudied context, I argue for the need to provincialise understandings of whiteness in studies of global race-making processes. The project is based upon eleven months of ethnographic fieldwork with Lagosians of different generations and social demographics at three different research sites: a senior secondary school, the University of Lagos, and at a church. My findings suggest that divergent meanings are attached to òyìnbós in these contexts, which do not universally celebrate whiteness. Rather, the practice of race-making in Lagos predominantly addresses local political concerns, and common attributes associated with òyìnbós are primarily evaluated according to local people’s own moral economy. This results in highly ambivalent attitudes to òyìnbós as individuals and to òyìnbó as trope. I suggest that these attitudes can best be explained by situating constructions of òyìnbós within their wider social context in Lagos. By centring local understandings in this way, I argue that the political practice of race-making in Lagos is not purely a reflection of a singular, global racial hierarchy, but a means of actively engaging with global and local power structures. I propose that seeking to understand the emic nature of divergent global race-making processes in this way has the potential to broaden academic understanding of these and related social phenomena
Cognitive Machine Individualism in a Symbiotic Cybersecurity Policy Framework for the Preservation of Internet of Things Integrity: A Quantitative Study
This quantitative study examined the complex nature of modern cyber threats to propose the establishment of cyber as an interdisciplinary field of public policy initiated through the creation of a symbiotic cybersecurity policy framework. For the public good (and maintaining ideological balance), there must be recognition that public policies are at a transition point where the digital public square is a tangible reality that is more than a collection of technological widgets. The academic contribution of this research project is the fusion of humanistic principles with Internet of Things (IoT) technologies that alters our perception of the machine from an instrument of human engineering into a thinking peer to elevate cyber from technical esoterism into an interdisciplinary field of public policy. The contribution to the US national cybersecurity policy body of knowledge is a unified policy framework (manifested in the symbiotic cybersecurity policy triad) that could transform cybersecurity policies from network-based to entity-based. A correlation archival data design was used with the frequency of malicious software attacks as the dependent variable and diversity of intrusion techniques as the independent variable for RQ1. For RQ2, the frequency of detection events was the dependent variable and diversity of intrusion techniques was the independent variable. Self-determination Theory is the theoretical framework as the cognitive machine can recognize, self-endorse, and maintain its own identity based on a sense of self-motivation that is progressively shaped by the machine’s ability to learn. The transformation of cyber policies from technical esoterism into an interdisciplinary field of public policy starts with the recognition that the cognitive machine is an independent consumer of, advisor into, and influenced by public policy theories, philosophical constructs, and societal initiatives
From Zero to Hero: Detecting Leaked Data through Synthetic Data Injection and Model Querying
Safeguarding the Intellectual Property (IP) of data has become critically
important as machine learning applications continue to proliferate, and their
success heavily relies on the quality of training data. While various
mechanisms exist to secure data during storage, transmission, and consumption,
fewer studies have been developed to detect whether they are already leaked for
model training without authorization. This issue is particularly challenging
due to the absence of information and control over the training process
conducted by potential attackers.
In this paper, we concentrate on the domain of tabular data and introduce a
novel methodology, Local Distribution Shifting Synthesis (\textsc{LDSS}), to
detect leaked data that are used to train classification models. The core
concept behind \textsc{LDSS} involves injecting a small volume of synthetic
data--characterized by local shifts in class distribution--into the owner's
dataset. This enables the effective identification of models trained on leaked
data through model querying alone, as the synthetic data injection results in a
pronounced disparity in the predictions of models trained on leaked and
modified datasets. \textsc{LDSS} is \emph{model-oblivious} and hence compatible
with a diverse range of classification models, such as Naive Bayes, Decision
Tree, and Random Forest. We have conducted extensive experiments on seven types
of classification models across five real-world datasets. The comprehensive
results affirm the reliability, robustness, fidelity, security, and efficiency
of \textsc{LDSS}.Comment: 13 pages, 11 figures, and 4 table
The University of Montana: A History Through the Lens of Physical Culture, PE, Health, Athletics, and Recreation 1897-2019: The Evolution of a Department
https://scholarworks.umt.edu/burns/1000/thumbnail.jp
CaSCaDE: (Time-Based) Cryptography from Space Communications DElay
Time-based cryptographic primitives such as Time-Lock Puzzles (TLPs) and Verifiable Delay Functions (VDFs) have recently found many applications to the efficient design of secure protocols such as randomness beacons or multiparty computation with partial fairness. However, current TLP and VDF candidate constructions rely on the average hardness of sequential computational problems. Unfortunately, obtaining concrete parameters for these is notoriously hard, as there cannot be a large gap between the honest parties’ and the adversary’s runtime when solving the same problem. Moreover, even a constant improvement in algorithms for solving these problems can render parameter choices, and thus deployed systems, insecure - unless very conservative and therefore highly inefficient parameters are chosen.
In this work, we investigate how to construct time-based cryptographic
primitives from communication delay, which has a known lower bound
given the physical distance between devices: the speed of light. In order
to obtain high delays, we explore the sequential communication delay
that arises when sending a message through a constellation of satellites.
This has the advantage that distances between protocol participants are
guaranteed as positions of satellites are observable, so delay lower bounds can be easily computed. At the same time, building cryptographic primitives for this setting is challenging due to the constrained resources of satellites and possible corruptions of parties within the constellation.
We address these challenges by constructing efficient proofs of sequential communication delay to convince a verifier that a message has accrued delay by traversing a path among satellites. As part of this construction, we propose the first ordered multisignature scheme with security under a version of the the discrete logarithm assumption, which enjoys constant-size signatures and, modulo preprocessing, computational complexity independent of the number of signers. Building on our proofs of sequential communication delay, we show new constructions of Publicly Verifiable TLPs and VDFs whose delay guarantees are rooted on physical communication delay lower bounds. Our protocols as well as the ordered multisignature are analysed in the Universal Composability framework using novel models for sequential communication delays and (ordered) multisignatures. A direct application of our results is a randomness beacon that only accesses expensive communication resources in case of cheating
Assessment of Physical Activity in Adults with Progressive Muscle Disease
Introduction: Insufficient physical activity is a major threat to global health. Physical activity benefits peoples’ physical and mental health. The general population, including people living with disabilities and muscle wasting conditions, are recommended to avoid excessive sedentary time and engage in daily activity. Adults with progressive muscle disease experience barriers to physical activity participation, including muscle weakness, fatigue, physical deconditioning, impairment, activity limitations and participation restrictions (including societal and environmental factors), and fear of symptom exacerbation. More research is required to understand the inter-relationship between health and physical activity for adults with progressive muscle disease, particularly non-ambulant people who are under-represented in the existing research literature. Accurate measurement of FITT (frequency, intensity, time, and type of physical activity) is vital for high-quality physical activity assessment. The aim of this thesis was to assess the physical activity of ambulant and non-ambulant adults with progressive muscle disease.Systematic review findings identified various measures used to assess physical activity in adults with muscular dystrophy, including accelerometers, direct observation, heart rate monitors, calorimetry, positioning systems, activity diaries, single scales, interviews and questionnaires. None of the measures identified in the systematic review had well established measurement properties for adults with muscular dystrophy.Patient and public involvement interviews highlighted the importance of inclusive, remote, and technology-facilitated research design, the potential intrusion of direct observations of physical activity, the familiarity of questionnaires for data collection, and practical considerations to ensure wearing an activity monitor was not too burdensome.A feasibility study using multiple methods in 20 ambulant and non-ambulant adults with progressive muscle disease revealed satisfactory acceptability, interpretability, and usability of Fitbit and activity questionnaires, in both paper and electronic formats. During supervised activity tasks, Fitbit was found to have satisfactory criterion validity, reliability, and responsiveness and measurement properties were strengthened using multisensory measurement.An observational, longitudinal study that included 111 ambulant and non-ambulant adults with progressive muscle disease showed that:Activity monitoring had satisfactory validity, reliability and responsiveness using Fitbit, but there was considerable measurement error between Fitbit and the research grade GENEActiv accelerometer. Fitbit thresholds and multiple metrics (including accelerometer and heart rate data extrapolations of FITT) were appropriate for physical activity assessment in ambulant and non-ambulant adults with progressive muscle disease.Activity self-report had unsatisfactory concurrent validity, test-retest reliability, and responsiveness with substantial activity overestimation using the modified International Physical Activity Questionnaire. However, self-report properties were improved when used concurrently with Fitbit.Observed physical activity in adults with progressive muscle disease was generally low with excessive daily sedentary time. Activity frequencies, intensities and durations were lower, and activity types were more domestic, for wheelchair users and during the COVID-19 lockdown. Lower physical activity was significantly associated with greater functional impairment, less cardiorespiratory fitness, worse metabolic health, and lower quality of life. Activity optimisation thresholds and minimal clinically important differences were established.Discussion: The implications of this thesis include guidance for selection of appropriate physical activity measures by clinicians and researchers working with adults with progressive muscle disease. Fitbit is suitable in clinical practice and research for interactive, weekly remote activity monitoring or to support activity self-management and may represent an appropriate compromise between potential underestimation by accelerometry alone, and overestimation by self-report alone. A draft conceptual framework for physical activity measurement was also proposed. It includes frequency, intensity, time, and type of physical activity, and incorporates wider aspects of the physical activity construct, including somatic factors (relating to progressive muscle disease and underlying fitness) and contextual factors (relating to personal, social, and environmental situations). Future research will build on the knowledge gained in this thesis, furthering understanding of the inter-relationships between physical activity, health and wider contexts. Implementation will include testing a remote physical activity optimisation intervention that is inclusive of ambulant and non-ambulant participants, featuring Fitbit self-monitoring with a focus on optimisation of daily activity frequency and regularly interrupting sedentary time.</div
Mothers who listen with more than ears: The phenomenological experience of the non-verbal communication between mothers and their child with complex cerebral palsy
In England, every 1000 babies born 1 will be left with complex cerebral palsy affecting all limbs and internal organs. Of those children by age 12, 43% will have no consistent way to communicate with the world. Empirically, many mothers of these children self-report that they can communicate effectively with their children in these cases in a way that possibly only the mother understands. Understanding the mother’s experience of living with a complex cerebral palsy non-verbal child is important for professionals and the society that supports them.
The aim of this research is not to prove or disprove this phenomenon but rather to explore the lived experience of mothers with disabled non-verbal cerebral palsy children, validating and giving a voice to an otherwise isolated abnormal form of mothering.
A homogenous sample was collected made up of 8 mothers who had non-verbal complex cerebral palsy as a result of Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy at birth. The age range of the children was not > 3 and not <16. Interviews took place on a video link, semi-structured interviews were done and the six stages of a Heuristic Inquiry were used to analyse the transcribed data.
The results produced 7 universal themes: ‘The Choice to Communicate,’ ‘Communication Over Time’, Impediments to communication’, ‘Certainty and Uncertainty’, ‘Embodied Communication’, ‘Being Towards Communication’, and ‘Being in the World with Others’. These themes capture the essence of the experience that mothers have when confronted by a baby that is diagnosed with multiple disabilities and unable to verbalise. The findings that emerged are fundamentally existential and they are examined through an existential lens
Understanding the Sources of Hurt and Wounded Members in the Church of Pentecost Norfolk
Church hurt is an emotional feeling that disconnects a person from reality, and remains a neglected topic in many Pentecostal churches. In the church setting, hurt members who are broken inside often portray an attitude of wholeness on the outside, even if the physical, spiritual, and physiological atmosphere of hurt prevents them from fully connecting or interacting with others. That hurt eventually hinders their growth, the growth of others, and the potential of the whole church. In this thesis, the researcher investigates the causes of church hurt experienced by members of COP Norfolk, a US subsidiary of the global Christian organization, The Church of Pentecost (COP). The researcher engaged fifteen participants in interviews and seminars to understand better the nuances of the emotional pain experienced by these individuals. Among the findings is the expectation that Christians should ignore their feelings when hurt and how the fear of being judged prevents congregants from freely expressing their feelings of hurt. The researcher discovered that the culture of the most dominant Ghanaian population could also be one of the sources of hurt. As a result of this research, the root causes of hurt discovered will help incite honest conversations among the leadership and members of COP Norfolk that will encourage healing and forgiveness among hurt congregants. The research results will further bring the leadership of COP Norfolk to a place of awareness, providing an atmosphere that breeds authentic growth among members at all levels
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