Seismic Tomography of Kamchatkan Volcanoes

—The Kamchatka Peninsula is one of the most tectonically active regions in the world, where intensive and diverse modern volcanic activity takes place. In the recent decade, substantial progress in the investigation of deep structures beneath Kamchatka has been achieved owing to numerous tomography studies based on seismological data provided by permanent stations and temporary networks deployed in some key areas. The goal of this review is summarizing and systematizing dozens of separate multiscale geophysical studies in Kamchatka and constructing an integral model of volcano-feeding systems. An important part of this review contains the description of results of various seismic studies related to the Klyuchevskoy group volcanoes, which can now be considered one of the best studied volcanic areas in the world. The results of the regional-scale seismic tomography reveal the existence of the Pacific slab window, which determines the particular activity of the Klyuchevskoy group volcanoes. Middle-scale tomography studies have found traces of an ascending hot mantle flow that passes through the slab window, reaches the bottom of the crust below Shiveluch Volcano, and then propagates laterally toward the Klyuchevskoy group. Seismic models of the entire crust in the area of the Klyuchevskoy group were used to identify different mechanisms of magmatic feeding of three most active volcanoes: Klyuchevskoy, Bezymianny, and Tolbachik. The data of local networks deployed on several volcanoes of Kamchatka were used to image the magma sources in the upper crust, which are directly responsible for the current eruption activity. The comparison of the results for the Kamchatka volcanoes with tomography models of several other volcanoes of the world allowed determining some common features and differences in feeding active magmatic systems.

High-Granular Micro-Segmentation in Campus Networks based on Downloadable Access Control Lists

Micro-segmentation of local networks is an important element of network security. The main goal of micro-segmentation of network is to reduce a risk of compromising hosts during a cyber-attack. In micro-segmented networks, if one of the hosts has been compromised, the malicious code or attacker will be limited in the "horizontal" actions by the micro-segment to which the compromised host belongs. Existing methods of micro-segmentation of networks have operational drawbacks that impede their effective practical application. This article presents a new method of micro-segmentation of local wired and wireless networks based on downloadable and wireless access control lists, which allows to achieve a high level of granularity of network access policies by minimizing the microsegment, along with high operational characteristics.

‘It felt like a black hole, great uncertainty, but we have to take care for our patients’–Qualitative findings on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on specialist palliative home care

Background The COVID-19 pandemic has affected health care systems worldwide. Multidisciplinary teams provide specialist palliative home care (SPHC) for patients with incurable, severe, progressive diseases. These patients are at the same time at high risk, if infected, highly constricted by containment measures, and dependent on support. Aim To explore i) how German SPHC teams were affected by the pandemic during the first wave, ii) which challenges they faced, and iii) which strategies helped to handle the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic for providing good SPHC. Method Four focus groups (with representatives of 18 SPHC teams) and five guided interviews with stakeholders were conducted and analysed using qualitative content analysis. Results Seven key categories emerged from the data. A category in the background describes dependence on organizational characteristics (e.g. sponsorship), which varied by regional factors. Information management was a challenge to SPHC teams, as they had to collect, interpret and adapt, and disseminate information. They reported a shift in patient care because of the COVID-19 pandemic, due to restricted home visits, visitation ban in nursing homes, and difficulties for hospital, hospice and nursing home admissions. Measures to reduce risk of infection impeded teamwork. Teams relied upon their local networks in crisis management, but felt often overlooked by local health authorities. Their respective SPHC state associations supported them in information management and exchange. Discussion The pandemic has severely impacted home care for especially vulnerable seriously ill and dying people. A good network with local health providers and authorities could help to harmonize local regulations and ensure quality care for all patient groups. SPHC teams could play an important role in caring for palliative patients with COVID-19 who are not admitted to a hospital due to preferences or resources.

Effects of habitat destruction on coevolving metacommunities

Habitat destruction is a growing threat to biodiversity and ecosystem services. The ecological consequences of habitat loss and fragmentation involve reductions in species abundance and even the extinction of species and interactions. However, we do not yet understand how habitat loss can alter the coevolutionary trajectories of the remaining species or how coevolution, in turn, affects their response to habitat loss. To investigate this, we develop a spatially explicit model which couples metacommunity and coevolutionary dynamics. We show that, by changing the size, composition and structure of local networks, habitat destruction increases the diversity of coevolutionary outcomes across the landscape. Furthermore, we show that while coevolution dampens the negative effects of habitat destruction in mutualistic networks, its effects on the persistence of antagonistic communities are less predictable.

From Local to Global: Class Feature Fused Fully Convolutional Network for Hyperspectral Image Classification

Current mainstream networks for hyperspectral image (HSI) classification employ image patches as inputs for feature extraction. Spatial information extraction is limited by the size of inputs, which makes networks unable to perform effective learning and reasoning from the global perspective. As a common component for capturing long-range dependencies, non-local networks with pixel-by-pixel information interaction bring unaffordable computational costs and information redundancy. To address the above issues, we propose a class feature fused fully convolutional network (CFF-FCN) with a local feature extraction block (LFEB) and a class feature fusion block (CFFB) to jointly utilize local and global information. LFEB based on dilated convolutions and reverse loop mechanism can acquire the local spectral–spatial features at multiple levels and deliver shallower layer features for coarse classification. CFFB calculates global class representation to enhance pixel features. Robust global information is propagated to every pixel with low computational cost. CFF-FCN considers a fully global class context and obtains more discriminative representation by concatenating high-level local features and re-integrated global features. Experimental results conducted on three real HSI data sets demonstrate that the proposed fully convolutional network is superior to multiple state-of-the-art deep learning-based approaches, especially in the case of a small number of training samples.

Architecture Integration of 5G Networks and Time-Sensitive Networking with Edge Computing for Smart Manufacturing

Digitalization and networking are taking on an increasingly important role in manufacturing. Fifth Generation mobile networks (5G) allow us to wirelessly connect multiple assets in factories with guaranteed quality of service (QoS). A 5G non-public network (5G-NPN) realizes a dedicated network with secure communication within the factory. Time-sensitive networking (TSN) provides deterministic connectivity and reliability in local networks. Edge computing moves computing power near factory locations, reducing the latency of edge applications. Making production processes more flexible, more robust, and resilient induces a great challenge for integrating these technologies. This paper presents the benefits of the joint use of 5G-NPN, TSN, and edge computing in manufacturing. To that end, first, the characteristics of the technologies are analyzed. Then, the integration of different 5G-NPN deployment options with edge (and cloud) computing is presented to provide end-to-end services. For enhanced reliability, ways of interworking between TSN and edge computing domains are proposed. Afterward, as an example realization of edge computing, the investigation on the capabilities of the Kubernetes container orchestration platform is presented together with the gap analysis for smart manufacturing requirements. Finally, the different integration options, interworking models, and Kubernetes-based edge computing are evaluated to assist smart factories to use these new technologies in combination in the future.

Segregation and clustering of preferences erode socially beneficial coordination

Polarization on various issues has increased in many Western democracies over the last decades, leading to divergent beliefs, preferences, and behaviors within societies. We develop a model to investigate the effects of polarization on the likelihood that a society will coordinate on a welfare-improving action in a context in which collective benefits are acquired only if enough individuals take that action. We examine the impacts of different manifestations of polarization: heterogeneity of preferences, segregation of the social network, and the interaction between the two. In this context, heterogeneity captures differential perceived benefits from coordinating, which can lead to different intentions and sensitivity regarding the intentions of others. Segregation of the social network can create a bottleneck in information flows about others’ preferences, as individuals may base their decisions only on their close neighbors. Additionally, heterogeneous preferences can be evenly distributed in the population or clustered in the local network, respectively reflecting or systematically departing from the views of the broader society. The model predicts that heterogeneity of preferences alone is innocuous and it can even be beneficial, while segregation can hamper coordination, mainly when local networks distort the distribution of valuations. We base these results on a multimethod approach including an online group experiment with 750 individuals. We randomize the range of valuations associated with different choice options and the information respondents have about others. The experimental results reinforce the idea that, even in a situation in which all could stand to gain from coordination, polarization can impede social progress.

Centralization and the development potential of peripheral areas

Asymmetrical power relations between centre and periphery have been analysed for decades by scholars, who pointed out the cumulative advantages of centres and the social, political and economic disadvantages of the dependent peripheries. The common element of centre periphery theories with a multidisciplinary approach is that the centre tends to keep the periphery dependent by draining its resources. At the same time, the positive mission of the centre is to provide services and job opportunities for the periphery, to accelerate its modernization and catching up and to act as a mediator towards the dynamizing networks. Developmental disadvantages of peripheries have sparked academic interest by asking whether and how disadvantages in power and space can be compensated for. In order to answer this question, this paper analyses the role of the state, the central government in shaping the centre-periphery relationship. In systems that are based on centralized redistribution and subsidies, the fate of both the periphery and the centre depends on their ‘designated’ place, which is determined by a public planning process at best, and by personal, informal power assertion situations at worst. We have much less knowledge about whether the peripheries’ own local activity can change this pre-assigned position and the disadvantages caused by peripherality, and if so, what governance conditions and public policy interventions are necessary to achieve this. The issue is particularly topical in light of the fact that in Hungary the relationship between the central government and local governments has become particularly controversial over the past decade. Local governments are steadily losing their position and resources. It is clear that peripheral municipalities have the narrowest room for manoeuvre, as they are unable to mobilise their own resources and are far from development and power centres. While the government has announced an ambitious rural development strategy, resource-strapped municipalities are unable to act as real partners. The theoretical part of the study draws on analyses employed by the EU-funded RELOCAL project while the empirical study relies on the first findings of an ongoing research programme funded by the National Research, Development and Innovation Office. The theoretical chapters review the main findings of different disciplines that analyse the peripheral situation and centre periphery relations from the perspective of the power-institutional context. The empirical chapters present preliminary empirical research results of an ongoing research project. So far findings have only partially highlighted correlations between power position and development trajectories. This has drawn our attention to aspects that were previously ignored, and which will influence the direction of further research. In light of data on local government elections in the county understudy, it seems that voter behaviour is not necessarily determined by the ‘losing’ or ‘winning’ position of a settlement or region. There is no significant divergence from national trends: opposition-led municipalities are a few (besides the county capital), and in particular in small municipalities, multiple re-election of leaders is common. Contrary to our preliminary assumptions, the majority of respondents belonging to the local elite consider local visibility and personal qualities more important than connections with higher levels of government in spite of their perception that the majority of development funding comes from national and EU sources. These results of course require further interpretation. It seems that people's political sensitivity is less dependent on the territorial location and the &success! of the municipality. It is also possible that the role of information transfer, communication, political socialisation and local networks is more important than local, personal and existential circumstances.

BUILDING SECURE INFORMATIONAL COMMUNICATION BETWEEN AUTOMATED CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE SYSTEMS THROUGH AN OPEN INTERNET NETWORK

The article provides the basic principles of building a secure network interaction of automated critical infrastructure systems (ACSIs) in a secure execution and solving the problem of safe communication of local networks through the open Internet network via Intranet technology.