Public Key Cryptography based on Semigroup Actions

A generalization of the original Diffie-Hellman key exchange in $(\Z/p\Z)^*$ found a new depth when Miller and Koblitz suggested that such a protocol could be used with the group over an elliptic curve. In this paper, we propose a further vast generalization where abelian semigroups act on finite sets. We define a Diffie-Hellman key exchange in this setting and we illustrate how to build interesting semigroup actions using finite (simple) semirings. The practicality of the proposed extensions rely on the orbit sizes of the semigroup actions and at this point it is an open question how to compute the sizes of these orbits in general and also if there exists a square root attack in general. In Section 2 a concrete practical semigroup action built from simple semirings is presented. It will require further research to analyse this system.Comment: 20 pages. To appear in Advances in Mathematics of Communication

Controlled packing and single-droplet resolution of 3D-printed functional synthetic tissues

3D-printing networks of droplets connected by interface bilayers are a powerful platform to build synthetic tissues in which functionality relies on precisely ordered structures. However, the structural precision and consistency in assembling these structures is currently limited, which restricts intricate designs and the complexity of functions performed by synthetic tissues. Here, we report that the equilibrium contact angle (θDIB) between a pair of droplets is a key parameter that dictates the tessellation and precise positioning of hundreds of picolitre-sized droplets within 3D-printed, multi-layer networks. When θDIB approximates the geometrically-derived critical angle (θc) of 35.3°, the resulting networks of droplets arrange in regular hexagonal close-packed (hcp) lattices with the least fraction of defects. With this improved control over droplet packing, we can 3D-print functional synthetic tissues with single-droplet-wide conductive pathways. Our new insights into 3D droplet packing permit the fabrication of complex synthetic tissues, where precisely positioned compartments perform coordinated tasks

Application of Synchrotron Radiation-Based Micro-Analysis on Cadmium Yellows in Pablo Picasso's Femme

The cultural heritage community is increasingly exploring synchrotron radiation (SR) based techniques for the study of art and archaeological objects. When considering heterogeneous and complex micro-samples, such as those from paintings, the combination of different SR X-ray techniques is often exploited to overcome the intrinsic limitations and sensitivity of the single technique. Less frequently, SR X-ray analyses are combined with SR micro-photoluminescence or micro-Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy, which provide complementary information on the molecular composition, offering a unique integrated analysis approach. Although the spatial correlation between the maps obtained with different techniques is not straightforward due to the different volumes probed by each method, the combination of the information provides a greater understanding and insight into the paint chemistry. In this work, we discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the combination of X-ray techniques and SR-based photoluminescence through the study of two paint micro-samples taken from Pablo Picasso's Femme (1907). The painting contains two cadmium yellow paints (based on CdS): one relatively intact and one visibly degraded. SR micro-analyses demonstrated that the two Cd-yellow paints differ in terms of structure, chemical composition, and photoluminescence properties. In particular, on the basis of the combination of different SR measurements, we hypothesize that the degraded yellow is based on nanocrystalline CdS with high presence of Cd(OH)Cl. These two characteristics have enhanced the reactivity of the paint and strongly influenced its stability

A novel approach to improve GNSS Precise Point Positioning during strong ionospheric scintillation: theory and demonstration

At equatorial latitudes, ionospheric scintillation is the major limitation in achieving high-accuracy GNSS positioning. This is because scintillation affects the tracking ability of GNSS receivers causing losses of lock and degradation on code pseudorange and carrier phase measurements, thus degrading accuracy. During strong ionospheric scintillation, such effects are more severe and GNSS users cannot rely on the integrity, reliability, and availability required for safety-critical applications. In this paper, we propose a novel approach able to greatly reduce these effects of scintillation on precise point positioning (PPP). Our new approach consists of three steps: 1) a new functional model that corrects the effects of range errors in the observables; 2) a new stochastic model that uses these corrections to generate more accurate positioning; and 3) a new strategy to attenuate the effects of losses of lock and consequent ambiguities re-initializations that are caused by the need to re-initialize the tracking. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our method in an experiment using a 30-day static dataset affected by different levels of scintillation in the Brazilian southeastern region. Even with limitations imposed by data gaps, our results demonstrate improvements of up to 80% in the positioning accuracy. We show that, in the best cases, our method can completely negate the effects of ionospheric scintillation and can recover the original PPP accuracy that would have existed without any scintillation. The significance of this paper lies in the improvement it offers in the integrity, reliability, and availability of GNSS services and applications.</p

Análise da acurácia dos métodos cinemáticos de posicionamento GPS em aplicações costeiras

O NAVSTAR GPS vem sendo aplicado nas mais diversas áreas entre elas encontram-se o ambiente costeiro. Os levantamentos geodésicos podem ser utilizados para estudar as variações posicionais que ocorrem em sistemas costeiros dinâmicos. O presente trabalho tem por objetivo avaliar a acurácia dos métodos cinemáticos de posicionamento GPS em um esporão arenoso localizado na Ilha do Mel, município de Paranaguá, Estado do Paraná, Brasil. Os testes foram realizados com os seguintes métodos de posicionamento geodésico: Absoluto Cinemático (MAC), Relativo Cinemático (MRC) e Diferencial (RTK e DGPS). Uma estação móvel composta por dois receptores GPS foi construída para efetuar simultaneamente a captação de dados e assim analisar os métodos propostos em um único levantamento geodésico. Os resultados mais satisfatórios foram oriundos da solução RTK, apresentando os menores valores para o Erro Médio Quadrático (EMQ), 0,003 m, 0,007 m e 0,149 m nas componentes Norte (N), Este (E) e Altura Geométrica h, respectivamente. Por fim, recomendações da aplicabilidade dos métodos estudados para a área costeira são apresentadas

Rede geodésica para o monitoramento costeiro do litoral setentrional do estado do Rio Grande do Norte

Este trabalho apresenta os procedimentos técnicos envolvidos na implantação da Rede GPS do Litoral Setentrional do Rio Grande do Norte (RGLS), onde o objetivo é fornecer subsídios fundamentais aos levantamentos geodésicos destinados ao monitoramento de áreas costeiras, submetidas à intensa dinâmica e de grande importância socioeconômica e ecológica para o Estado do Rio Grande do Norte. A metodologia permitiu a determinação das coordenadas geodésicas e altitudes ortométricas das estações com precisão decimétrica em relação ao Sistema Geodésico Brasileiro (SGB), a partir do método de posicionamento relativo e da altimetria por GPS. Ainda, foi possível o estudo de aspectos geodésicos envolvidos na altimetria por GPS, tais como avaliação da situação física e da densidade das Referências de Nível (RRNN) disponíveis, avaliação absoluta e relativa do modelo geoidal, proposição de metodologia para a altimetria por GPS de precisão e desenvolvimento de software para essa finalidade, que contribuíram para o conhecimento geodésico na área de estudo

Effects of a strategy to improve offender assessment practices: Staff perceptions of implementation outcomes

Background: This implementation study examined the impact of an organizational process improvement intervention (OPII) on a continuum of evidence based practices related to assessment and community reentry of drug-involved offenders: Measurement/Instrumentation, Case Plan Integration, Conveyance/Utility, and Service Activation/Delivery. Methods: To assess implementation outcomes (staff perceptions of evidence-based assessment practices), a survey was administered to correctional and treatment staff (n = 1509) at 21 sites randomly assigned to an Early- or Delayed-Start condition. Hierarchical linear models with repeated measures were used to examine changes in evidence-based assessment practices over time, and organizational characteristics were examined as covariates to control for differences across the 21 research sites. Results: Results demonstrated significant intervention and sustainability effects for three of the four assessment domains examined, although stronger effects were obtained for intra- than inter-agency outcomes. No significant effects were found for Conveyance/Utility. Conclusions: Implementation interventions such as the OPII represent an important tool to enhance the use of evidence-based assessment practices in large and diverse correctional systems. Intra-agency assessment activities that were more directly under the control of correctional agencies were implemented most effectively. Activities in domains that required cross-systems collaboration were not as successfully implemented, although longer follow-up periods might afford detection of stronger effects

Integração de redes GNSS: uma proposta metodológica de densificação da rede SIRGAS na América do Sul

A característica continental do Brasil implica na necessidade de constantes desafios científicos em pesquisas espaciais e tecnológicas, que visam contribuir ao engajamento de centros de pesquisas, fornecendo instrumentos às atividades espaciais no país e no mundo, ampliando as perspectivas de aplicação de técnicas geodésicas como o GPS (Global Positioning System). Neste contexto, destaca-se a contribuição ao IGS (International GNSS Service) dos centros de locais de análise SIRGAS (Sistema de Referência Geocêntrico para as Américas) e o IGS-RNAACSIR (IGS Regional Network Associate Analysis Centre for SIRGAS), que disponibilizam soluções semanais no formato SINEX (Software INdependent EXchange Format), referenciadas ao ITRS (International Terrestrial Reference System), que posteriormente são integradas no contexto de uma solução regional pelo DGFI (Deutsches Geodätiches Forschungsinstitut), denominada IGS-RNAACSIR. Nesta perspectiva, este projeto apresenta uma metodologia de integração de redes GNSS locais no contexto de uma solução regional para o Brasil, com base em dados gerados pelas redes ativas RBMC (Rede Brasileira de Monitoramento Contínuo), GNSS SP (Rede GPS Ativa do Oeste do Estado de São Paulo, e em soluções SIRGAS no formato SINEX, utilizando o princípio da combinação das equações normais pelo MMQ (Método dos Mínimos Quadrados), contribuindo com a manutenção e densificação da rede SIRGAS na América Latina

Caracterização da resistência em populações das pragas de grãos armazenados Tribolium castaneum, Oryzaephilus surinamensis e Lasioderma serricorne ao inseticida deltametrina.

Editado por Hugo Soares Kern, Regina Maria Villas Bôas de Campos Leite