C Secure Coding Standards Performance: CMU SEI CERT vs MISRA

We present a prospective study for performance comparison between programs written in C language and the same programs reviewed and modified to be compliant with CMU SEI CERT C Secure Coding Standard and with MISRA C, the most relevant Secure Coding Standards in existence nowadays. Our initial results show that, as expected, any of the Secure Coding Standards is susceptible to have a negative impact on performance, increasing program running time. We have also found that MISRA C Standard may be less likely to affect code performance than SEI CERT C Standard is, and that it may produce a more optimal code than SEI CERT Standard does; however, further research is needed for proper confirmation of these results

Visualisation of Ultrasound Computer Tomography Breast Dataset

Medical visualisation plays a vital role in diagnosing and detecting early symptoms. In particular, visualising the anatomy of breast model allows doctors or practitioners to identify first signs of the breast cancer. However, despite the advancement in visualisation techniques, most standard visualisation approaches in the medical field still rely on analysing 2D images which lack spatial information. In this paper, we present an interactive web-based 3D visualisation tool for ultrasound computer tomography (USCT) breast dataset. We base our implementation on the Web-based Graphics Language (WebGL) technology that utilises the GPU parallel architecture. The tool serves as a common platform among research collaborators to analyse and share findings on their dataset. We render the data using state-of-the-art algorithms of interactive computer graphics and produce results with quality comparable to the desktop application. Aside from that, our tool enables researchers to perform arbitrary view slicing, modality thresholding and multiple rendering modes. In the evaluation, our tool maintains an interactive frame rate above 30 fps on a standard desktop

Taxonomic diversity and abundance of enchytraeids (Annelida, Clitellata, Enchytraeida) in the Northern Palaearctic. 1. Asian part

Enchytraeids, or potworms, are tiny oligochaetes that are distributed worldwide in many terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems. Despite their key role in the functioning of ecosystems, the diversity and abundance of Enchytraeidae are rarely studied due to the laborious process of species identification. The present study addresses this gap and sheds some light on the distribution and abundance of enchytraeids in the lands of the Northern Palearctic. The provided dataset constitutes the latest and comprehensive field sampling of enchytraeid assemblages across the Asiatic part of the Northern Palearctic, encompassing an original set of soil samples systematically collected throughout the region from 2019 to 2022.The dataset includes occurrences from 131 georeferenced sites, encompassing 39 species and 7,074 records. This represents the first dataset providing species-specific information about the distribution and abundance of terrestrial enchytraeids across an extensive geographic area covering the Asian sector of the Northern Palaearctic. The compiled dataset is the key for exploring and understanding local and regional enchytraeid diversity. It may also serve as a valuable resource for monitoring and conserving the entire soil biodiversity

High-Precision U-Pb Zircon Age Calibration of the Global Carboniferous Time Scale and Milankovitch Band Cyclicity in the Donets Basin, Eastern Ukraine

High-precision ID-TIMS U-Pb zircon ages for 12 interstratified tuffs and tonsteins are used to radiometrically calibrate the detailed lithostratigraphic, cyclostratigraphic, and biostratigraphic framework of the Carboniferous Donets Basin of eastern Europe. Chemical abrasion of zircons, use of the internationally calibrated EARTHTIME mixed U-Pb isotope dilution tracer, and improved mass spectrometry guided by detailed error analysis have resulted in an age resolution o

Phenological shifts of abiotic events, producers and consumers across a continent

Ongoing climate change can shift organism phenology in ways that vary depending on species, habitats and climate factors studied. To probe for large-scale patterns in associated phenological change, we use 70,709 observations from six decades of systematic monitoring across the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. Among 110 phenological events related to plants, birds, insects, amphibians and fungi, we find a mosaic of change, defying simple predictions of earlier springs, later autumns and stronger changes at higher latitudes and elevations. Site mean temperature emerged as a strong predictor of local phenology, but the magnitude and direction of change varied with trophic level and the relative timing of an event. Beyond temperature-associated variation, we uncover high variation among both sites and years, with some sites being characterized by disproportionately long seasons and others by short ones. Our findings emphasize concerns regarding ecosystem integrity and highlight the difficulty of predicting climate change outcomes. The authors use systematic monitoring across the former USSR to investigate phenological changes across taxa. The long-term mean temperature of a site emerged as a strong predictor of phenological change, with further imprints of trophic level, event timing, site, year and biotic interactions.Peer reviewe

Chronicles of nature calendar, a long-term and large-scale multitaxon database on phenology

We present an extensive, large-scale, long-term and multitaxon database on phenological and climatic variation, involving 506,186 observation dates acquired in 471 localities in Russian Federation, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Belarus and Kyrgyzstan. The data cover the period 1890-2018, with 96% of the data being from 1960 onwards. The database is rich in plants, birds and climatic events, but also includes insects, amphibians, reptiles and fungi. The database includes multiple events per species, such as the onset days of leaf unfolding and leaf fall for plants, and the days for first spring and last autumn occurrences for birds. The data were acquired using standardized methods by permanent staff of national parks and nature reserves (87% of the data) and members of a phenological observation network (13% of the data). The database is valuable for exploring how species respond in their phenology to climate change. Large-scale analyses of spatial variation in phenological response can help to better predict the consequences of species and community responses to climate change.Peer reviewe

Direct laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry characterization of some aromatic lanthanide carboxylates

International audienc

Cyclization of the substituted N-(ortho-cyclopropylphenyl)-N'-aryl ureas and thioureas in the gas phase and solution

Electron ionization (EI), chemical ionization (CI), tandem mass spectrometry, high-resolution measurements, and labeling studies as well as quantum chemical calculations were used to understand the behavior of the molecular radical cations (EI) and protonated molecules (CI) of substituted N-(ortho-cyclopropylphenyl)-N′-aryl ureas and N-(ortho-cyclopropylphenyl)-N′-aryl thioureas in a mass spectrometer. Fragmentation schemes and possible mechanisms of primary isomerization were proposed. According to the fragmentation pattern, formation of the corresponding benzoxazines and benzothiazines was considered as the major process of isomerization of the original M+· and MH+, although some portions of these ions definitely transformed into other structures. The treatment of N-(ortho-cyclopropylphenyl)-N′-phenyl urea and N-(ortho-cyclopropylphenyl)-N′-phenylthiourea in solution with strong acids formed predicted 4-ethyl-N-phenyl-4H-3,1-benzoxazin-2-amin and 4-ethyl-N-phenyl-4H-3,1-benzothiazin-2-amine as principal products