eIDeCert: a user-centric solution for mobile identification

The necessity to certify one's identity for different purposes and the evolution of mobile technologies have led to the generation of electronic devices such as smart cards, and electronic identities designed to meet daily needs. Nevertheless, these mechanisms have a problem: they don't allow the user to set the scope of the information presented. That problem introduces interesting security and privacy challenges and requires the development of a new tool that supports user-centrity for the information being handled. This article presents eIDeCert, a tool for the management of electronic identities (eIDs) in a mobile environment with a user-centric approach. Taking advantage of existing eCert technology we will be able to solve a real problem. On the other hand, the application takes us to the boundary of what the technology can cope with: we will assess how close we are to the boundary, and we will present an idea of what the next step should be to enable us to reach the goal

Distorted-wave born approximation calculations for turbulence scattering in an upward-refracting atmosphere

Weiner and Keast observed that in an upward-refracting atmosphere, the relative sound pressure level versus range follows a characteristic 'step' function. The observed step function has recently been predicted qualitatively and quantitatively by including the effects of small-scale turbulence in a parabolic equation (PE) calculation. (Gilbert et al., J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 87, 2428-2437 (1990)). The PE results to single-scattering calculations based on the distorted-wave Born approximation (DWBA) are compared. The purpose is to obtain a better understanding of the physical mechanisms that produce the step-function. The PE calculations and DWBA calculations are compared to each other and to the data of Weiner and Keast for upwind propagation (strong upward refraction) and crosswind propagation (weak upward refraction) at frequencies of 424 Hz and 848 Hz. The DWBA calculations, which include only single scattering from turbulence, agree with the PE calculations and with the data in all cases except for upwind propagation at 848 Hz. Consequently, it appears that in all cases except one, the observed step function can be understood in terms of single scattering from an upward-refracted 'skywave' into the refractive shadow zone. For upwind propagation at 848 Hz, the DWBA calculation gives levels in the shadow zone that are much below both the PE and the data

Matrix model with superconformal symmetry

A matrix model is presented which leads to the discrete ``eigenvalue model'' proposed recently by Alvarez-Gaum\'e {\it et.al.} for 2D supergravity (coupled to superconformal matters).Comment: 7p

(Discrete) Almansi Type Decompositions: An umbral calculus framework based on osp(1∣2)\mathfrak{osp}(1|2) symmetries

We introduce the umbral calculus formalism for hypercomplex variables starting from the fact that the algebra of multivariate polynomials \BR[\underline{x}] shall be described in terms of the generators of the Weyl-Heisenberg algebra. The extension of \BR[\underline{x}] to the algebra of Clifford-valued polynomials $\mathcal{P}$ gives rise to an algebra of Clifford-valued operators whose canonical generators are isomorphic to the orthosymplectic Lie algebra $\mathfrak{osp}(1|2)$. This extension provides an effective framework in continuity and discreteness that allow us to establish an alternative formulation of Almansi decomposition in Clifford analysis (c.f. \cite{Ryan90,MR02,MAGU}) that corresponds to a meaningful generalization of Fischer decomposition for the subspaces $\ker (D')^k$. We will discuss afterwards how the symmetries of \mathfrak{sl}_2(\BR) (even part of $\mathfrak{osp}(1|2)$) are ubiquitous on the recent approach of \textsc{Render} (c.f. \cite{Render08}), showing that they can be interpreted in terms of the method of separation of variables for the Hamiltonian operator in quantum mechanics.Comment: Improved version of the Technical Report arXiv:0901.4691v1; accepted for publication @ Math. Meth. Appl. Sci http://www.mat.uc.pt/preprints/ps/p1054.pdf (Preliminary Report December 2010

Obesity, unhappiness, and the challenge of affluence : theory and evidence

Is affluence a good thing? The book "The Challenge of Affluence" by Avner Offer (2006) argues that economic prosperity weakens self-control and undermines human well-being. Consistent with a pessimistic view, we show that psychological distress has been rising through time in modern Great Britain. Taking over-eating as an example, our data reveal that half the British population view themselves as overweight, and that happiness and mental health are worse among fatter people in Britain and Germany. Comparisons also matter. We discuss problems of inference and argue that longitudinal data are needed. We suggest a theory of obesity imitation where utility depends on relative weight

Money and mental wellbeing : a longitudinal study of medium-sized lottery wins

One of the famous questions in social science is whether money makes people happy. We offer new evidence by using longitudinal data on a random sample of Britons who receive medium-sized lottery wins of between £1000 and £120,000 (that is, up to approximately US$ 200,000). When compared to two control groups – one with no wins and the other with small wins – these individuals go on eventually to exhibit significantly better psychological health. Two years after a lottery win, the average measured improvement in mental wellbeing is 1.4 GHQ points

Detection of lensing substructure using ALMA observations of the dusty galaxy SDP.81

We study the abundance of substructure in the matter density near galaxies using ALMA Science Verification observations of the strong lensing system SDP.81. We present a method to measure the abundance of subhalos around galaxies using interferometric observations of gravitational lenses. Using simulated ALMA observations, we explore the effects of various systematics, including antenna phase errors and source priors, and show how such errors may be measured or marginalized. We apply our formalism to ALMA observations of SDP.81. We find evidence for the presence of a $M=10^{8.96\pm 0.12} M_{\odot}$ subhalo near one of the images, with a significance of $6.9\sigma$ in a joint fit to data from bands 6 and 7; the effect of the subhalo is also detected in both bands individually. We also derive constraints on the abundance of dark matter subhalos down to $M\sim 2\times 10^7 M_{\odot}$, pushing down to the mass regime of the smallest detected satellites in the Local Group, where there are significant discrepancies between the observed population of luminous galaxies and predicted dark matter subhalos. We find hints of additional substructure, warranting further study using the full SDP.81 dataset (including, for example, the spectroscopic imaging of the lensed carbon monoxide emission). We compare the results of this search to the predictions of $\Lambda$CDM halos, and find that given current uncertainties in the host halo properties of SDP.81, our measurements of substructure are consistent with theoretical expectations. Observations of larger samples of gravitational lenses with ALMA should be able to improve the constraints on the abundance of galactic substructure.Comment: 18 pages, 13 figures, Comments are welcom

The impact of regulatory reforms on cost structure, ownership and competition in Indian banking

This paper evaluates the impact of financial sector reforms on the cost structure characteristics and on the ownership–cost efficiency relationship in Indian banking. It also examines the impact of reforms on the dynamics of competition in the lending market. We find evidence that deregulation improves banks performance and fosters competition in the lending market. Results suggest technological progress, once Indian commercial banks have adjusted to the new regulatory environment. This, however, does not translate in efficiency gains. There is also evidence of an ownership effect on the level and pattern of efficiency change. Finally, competition keeps building pace even in the re-regulation period and technological improvements are not hampered by the tightening of prudential norms

Using environmental DNA for detection of Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans in natural water

Rapid, early, and reliable detection of invasive pathogenic microorganisms is essential in order to either predict or delineate an outbreak, and monitor appropriate mitigation measures. The chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans is expanding in Europe, and infection with this fungus may cause massive mortality in urodelans (salamanders and newts). In this study, we designed and validated species‐specific primers and a probe for detection of B. salamandrivorans in water. In a garden pond in close proximity to the B. salamandrivorans index site in the Netherlands, B. salamandrivorans‐infected newts had been detected in 2015 and have been monitored since. In 2016 and 2017, no B. salamandrivorans was detected at this site, but in 2018 B. salamandrivorans flared up in this isolated pond which allowed validation of the technique in situ. We here present the development of an environmental DNA technique that successfully detects B. salamandrivorans DNA in natural waterbodies even at low concentrations. This technique may be further validated to play a role in B. salamandrivorans range delineation and surveillance in both natural waterbodies and in captive collections

We can work it out: an enactive look at cooperation

The past years have seen an increasing debate on cooperation and its unique human character. Philosophers and psychologists have proposed that cooperative activities are characterized by shared goals to which participants are committed through the ability to understand each other’s intentions. Despite its popularity, some serious issues arise with this approach to cooperation. First, one may challenge the assumption that high-level mental processes are necessary for engaging in acting cooperatively. If they are, then how do agents that do not possess such ability (preverbal children, or children with autism who are often claimed to be mind-blind) engage in cooperative exchanges, as the evidence suggests? Secondly, to define cooperation as the result of two de-contextualized minds reading each other’s intentions may fail to fully acknowledge the complexity of situated, interactional dynamics and the interplay of variables such as the participants’ relational and personal history and experience. In this paper we challenge such accounts of cooperation, calling for an embodied approach that sees cooperation not only as an individual attitude toward the other, but also as a property of interaction processes. Taking an enactive perspective, we argue that cooperation is an intrinsic part of any interaction, and that there can be cooperative interaction before complex communicative abilities are achieved. The issue then is not whether one is able or not to read the other’s intentions, but what it takes to participate in joint action. From this basic account, it should be possible to build up more complex forms of cooperation as needed. Addressing the study of cooperation in these terms may enhance our understanding of human social development, and foster our knowledge of different ways of engaging with others, as in the case of autism