Manifesting Unobtainable Secrets: Threshold Elliptic Curve Key Generation using Nested Shamir Secret Sharing

We present a mechanism to manifest unobtainable secrets using a nested Shamir secret sharing scheme to create public/private key pairs for elliptic curves. A threshold secret sharing scheme can be used as a decentralised trust mechanism with applications in identity validation, message decryption, and agreement empowerment. Decentralising trust means that there is no single point vulnerability which could enable compromise of a system. Our primary interest is in twisted Edwards curves as used in EdDSA, and the related Diffie-Hellman key-exchange algorithms. The key generation is also decentralised, so can be used as a decentralised secret RNG suitable for use in other algorithms. The algorithms presented could be used to fill a ``[TBS]'' in the draft IETF specification ``Threshold modes in elliptic curves'' published in 2020 and updated in 2022

Diazepam and its Anomalous p-Chloro-derivative Ro 5-4864: Comparative effects on mouse neurons in cell culture

The actions of diazepam and its p-chloro-derivative Ro 5-4864 were compared on mouse spinal cord and dorsal root ganglion neurons in cell culture. Diazepam enhanced but Ro 5-4864 reduced iontophoretic GABA responses in a concentration-dependent manner. Both diazepam and Ro 5-4864 limited sustained, high frequency repetitive firing of spinal cord neurons but diazepam was more potent. Ro 5-4864 was, however, more potent than diazepam in inhibiting spontaneous neuronal activity of spinal cord neurons and reducing the duration of calcium-dependent action potentials of dorsal root ganglion neurons. The differeing actions of diazepam and Ro 5-4864 may account for the contrasting pharmalogical spectra of the two benzodiazepines.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/24698/1/0000117.pd

Improving teaching: Enhancing ways of being university teachers

My aim in this paper is to theorize my teaching in a course for experienced university teachers, in a context of increased attention to such courses. My focus in the course is transforming and enhancing ways of being university teachers, through integrating knowing, acting and being. In other words, epistemology is not seen as an end in itself, but rather it is in the service of ontology. In the paper, I explore and illustrate how this focus on ontology is enacted in the course

Conservation successes and challenges for wide-ranging sharks and rays

Overfishing is the most significant threat facing sharks and rays. Given the growth in consumption of seafood, combined with the compounding effects of habitat loss, climate change, and pollution, there is a need to identify recovery paths, particularly in poorly managed and poorly monitored fisheries. Here, we document conservation through fisheries management success for 11 coastal sharks in US waters by comparing population trends through a Bayesian state-space model before and after the implementation of the 1993 Fisheries Management Plan for Sharks. We took advantage of the spatial and temporal gradients in fishing exposure and fisheries management in the Western Atlantic to analyze the effect on the Red List status of all 26 wide-ranging coastal sharks and rays. We show that extinction risk was greater where fishing pressure was higher, but this was offset by the strength of management engagement (indicated by strength of National and Regional Plan of Action for sharks and rays). The regional Red List Index (which tracks changes in extinction risk through time) declined in all regions until the 1980s but then improved in the North and Central Atlantic such that the average extinction risk is currently half that in the Southwest. Many sharks and rays are wide ranging, and successful fisheries management in one country can be undone by poorly regulated or unregulated fishing elsewhere. Our study underscores that well-enforced, science-based management of carefully monitored fisheries can achieve conservation success, even for slow-growing species

Agribusiness Sheep Updates - 2004 - Part 1

Proceedings of the Agribusiness Sheep Updates - 2004 Forward Dr Mark Dolling Manager, Sheep Industries and Pasture, Department of Agriculture Western Australia Keynotes Australian Wool Innovation Limited DR LEN STEPHENS AUSTRALIAN WOOL INNOVATION LIMITED (AWI) Commercialisation of Sheepmeat Eating Quality Outcomes, David Thomason, General Manger Marketing Meat & livestock Australia Limited PLENARY The Fitness of the Future Merino, Norm Adams and Shimin Liu, CSIRO Livestock Industries Ovine Johne’s Disease – Managing the Disease, Managing the Issues, PETER BUCKMAN, CHIEF VETERINARY OFFICER, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE WESTERN AUSTRALIA Animal Welfare – Changes in Latitudes Changes in Attitudes, Michael Paton and Dianne Evans, Department of Agriculture Western Australian. Live Sheep Exports, JOHN EDWARDS. CHAIRMAN, WESTERN AUSTRALIAN LIVE SHEEP EXPORTERS ASSOCIATION MeCustomising to the Needs of the Customer – Insights from the New Zealand Merino Experience, DR SCOTT CHAMPION, RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT AND PRODUCT INNOVATION MANAGER, THE NEW ZEALAND MERINO COMPANY LIMITED Agribusiness Sheep Updates Conference -Economic and Financial Market Update Alan Langford, Economist, BankWest Concurrent sessions - Meeting the Market Breeding Wool to Address Consumer Requirements in Fabrics A.C. SCHLINK CSIRO Livestock Industries, J.C. GREEFF AND M. E. LADYMAN Department of Agriculture Western Australia Fibre Contribution to Retail Demand for Knitwear Melanie LadymanA and John StantonAB ADepartment of Agriculture Western Australia and BCurtin University of Technology Sustainable Merino, is this the Future for Merino? Stuart Adams, iZWool International P/L Meeting lamb Market Specs from Crossbred Ewes Dr. Neal Fogarty, NSW Agriculture and the Australian Sheep Industry CRC Use of Serial Body Weight Measurements in Prime Lamb Finishing Systems Matthew Kelly, CSIRO Livestock Industries, James Skerritt, Ian McFarland Department of Agriculture Western Australia, Australian Sheep Industry CR

Supporting open innovation with the use of a balanced scorecard approach: a study on deep smarts and effective knowledge transfer to SMEs

This study aims to develop the theory of knowledge management and organizational performance within a small and medium enterprise (SME) context using action research (AR) involving a higher education institution (HEI) and an SME. The vehicle for the knowledge exchange was Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs), the United Kingdom’s primary mechanism for delivering government funded knowledge transfer to small and medium enterprises (SMEs). KTPs facilitate knowledge exchange from HEIs to SMEs via the recruitment of a graduate plus an academic supervisor from the partnering HEI. The AR study was an award-winning KTP and the project deliverable included the implementation of a balanced scorecard for the SME to improve organizational performance. The transfer of knowledge was subsequently fed-back into the university in order to develop a performance framework for measuring the effectiveness of KTP research within the HEI in order to share knowledge and improve effective for other KTP projects

Transparent Gradient-Index Lens for Underwater Sound Based on Phase Advance

Spatial gradients in a refractive index are used extensively in acoustic metamaterial applications to control wave propagation through phase delay. This study reports the design and experimental realization of an acoustic gradient-index lens using a sonic crystal lattice that is impedance matched to water over a broad bandwidth. In contrast to previous designs, the underlying lattice features refractive indices that are lower than the water background, which facilitates propagation control based on a phase advance as opposed to a delay. The index gradient is achieved by varying the filling fraction of hollow, air-filled aluminum tubes that individually exhibit a higher sound speed than water and matched impedance. Acoustic focusing is observed over a broad bandwidth of frequencies in the homogenization limit of the lattice, with intensity magnifications in excess of 7 dB. An anisotropic lattice design facilitates a flat-faceted geometry with low backscattering at 18 dB below the incident sound-pressure level. A three-dimensional Rayleigh-Sommerfeld integration that accounts for the anisotropic refraction is used to accurately predict the experimentally measured focal patterns.This work is supported by the Office of Naval Research.Martin, TP.; Naify, C.; Skerritt, E.; Layman, C.; Nicholas, M.; Calvo, D.; Orris, GJ.... (2015). Transparent Gradient-Index Lens for Underwater Sound Based on Phase Advance. Physical Review Applied. 4(3):034003-1-034003-8. doi:10.1103/PhysRevApplied.4.034003S034003-1034003-843Naify, C. J., Martin, T. P., Layman, C. N., Nicholas, M., Thangawng, A. L., Calvo, D. C., & Orris, G. J. (2014). Underwater acoustic omnidirectional absorber. Applied Physics Letters, 104(7), 073505. doi:10.1063/1.4865480Li, R.-Q., Zhu, X.-F., Liang, B., Li, Y., Zou, X.-Y., & Cheng, J.-C. (2011). A broadband acoustic omnidirectional absorber comprising positive-index materials. Applied Physics Letters, 99(19), 193507. doi:10.1063/1.3659690Climente, A., Torrent, D., & Sánchez-Dehesa, J. (2012). Omnidirectional broadband acoustic absorber based on metamaterials. Applied Physics Letters, 100(14), 144103. doi:10.1063/1.3701611Martin, T. P., Layman, C. N., Moore, K. M., & Orris, G. J. (2012). Elastic shells with high-contrast material properties as acoustic metamaterial components. Physical Review B, 85(16). doi:10.1103/physrevb.85.161103Titovich, A. S., & Norris, A. N. (2014). Tunable cylindrical shell as an element in acoustic metamaterial. The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 136(4), 1601-1609. doi:10.1121/1.4894723Zhang, B., Chan, T., & Wu, B.-I. (2010). Lateral Shift Makes a Ground-Plane Cloak Detectable. Physical Review Letters, 104(23). doi:10.1103/physrevlett.104.233903Yin, M., Yong Tian, X., Xue Han, H., & Chen Li, D. (2012). Free-space carpet-cloak based on gradient index photonic crystals in metamaterial regime. Applied Physics Letters, 100(12), 124101. doi:10.1063/1.3696040Torrent, D., & Sánchez-Dehesa, J. (2007). Acoustic metamaterials for new two-dimensional sonic devices. New Journal of Physics, 9(9), 323-323. doi:10.1088/1367-2630/9/9/323Climente, A., Torrent, D., & Sánchez-Dehesa, J. (2010). Sound focusing by gradient index sonic lenses. Applied Physics Letters, 97(10), 104103. doi:10.1063/1.3488349Martin, T. P., Nicholas, M., Orris, G. J., Cai, L.-W., Torrent, D., & Sánchez-Dehesa, J. (2010). Sonic gradient index lens for aqueous applications. Applied Physics Letters, 97(11), 113503. doi:10.1063/1.3489373Peng, S., He, Z., Jia, H., Zhang, A., Qiu, C., Ke, M., & Liu, Z. (2010). Acoustic far-field focusing effect for two-dimensional graded negative refractive-index sonic crystals. Applied Physics Letters, 96(26), 263502. doi:10.1063/1.3457447Sanchis, L., Yánez, A., Galindo, P. L., Pizarro, J., & Pastor, J. M. (2010). Three-dimensional acoustic lenses with axial symmetry. Applied Physics Letters, 97(5), 054103. doi:10.1063/1.3474616Zigoneanu, L., Popa, B.-I., & Cummer, S. A. (2011). Design and measurements of a broadband two-dimensional acoustic lens. Physical Review B, 84(2). doi:10.1103/physrevb.84.024305Lin, S.-C. S., Tittmann, B. R., & Huang, T. J. (2012). Design of acoustic beam aperture modifier using gradient-index phononic crystals. Journal of Applied Physics, 111(12), 123510. doi:10.1063/1.4729803Chang, T. M., Dupont, G., Enoch, S., & Guenneau, S. (2012). Enhanced control of light and sound trajectories with three-dimensional gradient index lenses. New Journal of Physics, 14(3), 035011. doi:10.1088/1367-2630/14/3/035011Hladky-Hennion, A.-C., Vasseur, J. O., Haw, G., Croënne, C., Haumesser, L., & Norris, A. N. (2013). Negative refraction of acoustic waves using a foam-like metallic structure. Applied Physics Letters, 102(14), 144103. doi:10.1063/1.4801642Ren, C., Xiang, Z., & Cen, Z. (2010). Design of acoustic devices with isotropic material via conformal transformation. Applied Physics Letters, 97(4), 044101. doi:10.1063/1.3467852Layman, C. N., Martin, T. P., Moore, K. M., Calvo, D. C., & Orris, G. J. (2011). Designing acoustic transformation devices using fluid homogenization of an elastic substructure. Applied Physics Letters, 99(16), 163503. doi:10.1063/1.3652914Maldovan, M. (2013). Sound and heat revolutions in phononics. Nature, 503(7475), 209-217. doi:10.1038/nature12608Kadic, M., Bückmann, T., Schittny, R., & Wegener, M. (2013). Metamaterials beyond electromagnetism. Reports on Progress in Physics, 76(12), 126501. doi:10.1088/0034-4885/76/12/126501Torrent, D., & Sánchez-Dehesa, J. (2008). Anisotropic mass density by two-dimensional acoustic metamaterials. New Journal of Physics, 10(2), 023004. doi:10.1088/1367-2630/10/2/023004Parazzoli, C. G., Koltenbah, B. E. C., Greegor, R. B., Lam, T. A., & Tanielian, M. H. (2006). Eikonal equation for a general anisotropic or chiral medium: application to a negative-graded index-of-refraction lens with an anisotropic material. Journal of the Optical Society of America B, 23(3), 439. doi:10.1364/josab.23.000439Ward, G. P., Lovelock, R. K., Murray, A. R. J., Hibbins, A. P., Sambles, J. R., & Smith, J. D. (2015). Boundary-Layer Effects on Acoustic Transmission Through Narrow Slit Cavities. Physical Review Letters, 115(4). doi:10.1103/physrevlett.115.044302Guild, M. D., García-Chocano, V. M., Kan, W., & Sánchez-Dehesa, J. (2015). Acoustic metamaterial absorbers based on multilayered sonic crystals. Journal of Applied Physics, 117(11), 114902. doi:10.1063/1.4915346Reyes-Ayona, E., Torrent, D., & Sánchez-Dehesa, J. (2012). Homogenization theory for periodic distributions of elastic cylinders embedded in a viscous fluid. The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 132(4), 2896-2908. doi:10.1121/1.4744933Molerón, M., Serra-Garcia, M., & Daraio, C. (2014). Acoustic Fresnel lenses with extraordinary transmission. Applied Physics Letters, 105(11), 114109. doi:10.1063/1.4896276Li, Y., Yu, G., Liang, B., Zou, X., Li, G., Cheng, S., & Cheng, J. (2014). Three-dimensional Ultrathin Planar Lenses by Acoustic Metamaterials. Scientific Reports, 4(1). doi:10.1038/srep06830Gao, Y., Liu, J., Zhang, X., Wang, Y., Song, Y., Liu, S., & Zhang, Y. (2012). Analysis of focal-shift effect in planar metallic nanoslit lenses. Optics Express, 20(2), 1320. doi:10.1364/oe.20.001320Born, M., Wolf, E., Bhatia, A. B., Clemmow, P. C., Gabor, D., Stokes, A. R., … Wilcock, W. L. (1999). Principles of Optics. doi:10.1017/cbo9781139644181Shen, C., Xu, J., Fang, N. X., & Jing, Y. (2014). Anisotropic Complementary Acoustic Metamaterial for Canceling out Aberrating Layers. Physical Review X, 4(4). doi:10.1103/physrevx.4.041033Dubois, M., Farhat, M., Bossy, E., Enoch, S., Guenneau, S., & Sebbah, P. (2013). Flat lens for pulse focusing of elastic waves in thin plates. Applied Physics Letters, 103(7), 071915. doi:10.1063/1.4818716Dubois, M., Bossy, E., Enoch, S., Guenneau, S., Lerosey, G., & Sebbah, P. (2015). Time-Driven Superoscillations with Negative Refraction. Physical Review Letters, 114(1). doi:10.1103/physrevlett.114.013902Kock, W. E., & Harvey, F. K. (1949). Refracting Sound Waves. The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 21(5), 471-481. doi:10.1121/1.1906536Liang, Z., & Li, J. (2012). Extreme Acoustic Metamaterial by Coiling Up Space. Physical Review Letters, 108(11). doi:10.1103/physrevlett.108.114301Xie, Y., Konneker, A., Popa, B.-I., & Cummer, S. A. (2013). Tapered labyrinthine acoustic metamaterials for broadband impedance matching. Applied Physics Letters, 103(20), 201906. doi:10.1063/1.4831770Frenzel, T., David Brehm, J., Bückmann, T., Schittny, R., Kadic, M., & Wegener, M. (2013). Three-dimensional labyrinthine acoustic metamaterials. Applied Physics Letters, 103(6), 061907. doi:10.1063/1.4817934Bozhko, A., García-Chocano, V. M., Sánchez-Dehesa, J., & Krokhin, A. (2015). Redirection of sound in straight fluid channel with elastic boundaries. Physical Review B, 91(9). doi:10.1103/physrevb.91.094303García-Meca, C., Carloni, S., Barceló, C., Jannes, G., Sánchez-Dehesa, J., & Martínez, A. (2014). Transformational acoustic metamaterials based on pressure gradients. Physical Review B, 90(2). doi:10.1103/physrevb.90.024310Cummer, S. A., & Schurig, D. (2007). One path to acoustic cloaking. New Journal of Physics, 9(3), 45-45. doi:10.1088/1367-2630/9/3/045Chen, H., & Chan, C. T. (2007). Acoustic cloaking in three dimensions using acoustic metamaterials. 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A conceptual model for action and design research

Organizational research has a pattern of special characteristics which make a clear distinction from other research paradigms. When using these approaches – based on Action and Design – the Interpretivist, Constructivist, and Participatory perspectives dominate. They have already proven to have strong foundations, which turn these paradigmatic approaches into effective ways for getting knowledge, doing things, and promoting change within organizational settings. It combines the traditional scientific, engineering, and organization development approaches, depicting how an organization can, simultaneously, solve multidimensional problems and produce actionable knowledge, effective change and useful artifacts. It has been developed using a Design Science Research approach, tested in a major organizational change program (Henriques, 2015; Henriques & ONeill, 2014), and successfully used to teach research methods essentials to Master and DBA students.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio