An Evaluated Certification Services System for the German National Root CA - Legally Binding and Trustworthy Transactions in E-Business and E-Government

National Root CAs enable legally binding E-Business and E-Government transactions. This is a report about the development, the evaluation and the certification of the new certification services system for the German National Root CA. We illustrate why a new certification services system was necessary, and which requirements to the new system existed. Then we derive the tasks to be done from the mentioned requirements. After that we introduce the initial situation at the beginning of the project. We report about the very process and talk about some unfamiliar situations, special approaches and remarkable experiences. Finally we present the ready IT system and its impact to E-Business and E-Government.Comment: 6 pages; 1 figure; IEEE style; final versio

A Dodecalogue of Basic Didactics from Applications of Abstract Differential Geometry to Quantum Gravity

We summarize the twelve most important in our view novel concepts that have arisen, based on results that have been obtained, from various applications of Abstract Differential Geometry (ADG) to Quantum Gravity (QG). The present document may be used as a concise, yet informal, discursive and peripatetic conceptual guide-cum-terminological glossary to the voluminous technical research literature on the subject. In a bonus section at the end, we dwell on the significance of introducing new conceptual terminology in future QG research by means of `poetic language'Comment: 16 pages, preliminary versio

Loop quantum black hole

In this paper we consider the Kantowski-Sachs space-time in Ashtekar variables and the quantization of this space-time starting from the complete loop quantum gravity theory. The Kanthowski-Sachs space-time coincides with the Schwarzschild black hole solution inside the horizon. By studying this model we can obtain information about the black hole singularity and about the dynamics across the point r=0. We studied this space-time in ADM variables in two previous papers where we showed that the classical black hole singularity disappears in quantum theory. In this work we study the same model in Ashtekar variables and we obtain a regular space-time inside the horizon region and that the dynamics can be extend further the classical singularity.Comment: 12 pages, latex. We introduce and we calculate the spectrum of the operator 1/|E

Global thermal pollution of rivers from thermoelectric power plants

Worldwide riverine thermal pollution patterns were investigated by combining mean annual heat rejection rates from power plants with once-through cooling systems with the global hydrological-water temperature model variable infiltration capacity (VIC)-RBM. The model simulates both streamflow and water temperature on 0.5° ×0.5° spatial resolution worldwide and by capturing their effect, identifies multiple thermal pollution hotspots. The Mississippi receives the highest total amount of heat emissions (62% and 28% of which come from coal-fuelled and nuclear power plants, respectively) and presents the highest number of instances where the commonly set 3 °C temperature increase limit is equalled or exceeded. The Rhine receives 20% of the thermal emissions compared to the Mississippi (predominantly due to nuclear power plants), but is the thermally most polluted basin in relation to the total flow per watershed, with one third of its total flow experiencing a temperature increase ≥5 °C on average over the year. In other smaller basins in Europe, such as the Weser and the Po, the share of the total streamflow with a temperature increase ≥3 °C goes up to 49% and 81%, respectively, during July-September. As the first global analysis of its kind, this work points towards areas of high riverine thermal pollution, where temporally finer thermal emission data could be coupled with a spatially finer model to better investigate water temperature increase and its effect on aquatic ecosystems

Color Stability of New Composite Restorative Materials Under Accelerated Aging

The color stability of seven microfilled and conventional composites under conditions of accelerated aging was evaluated by reflection spectrophotometry. During early aging the composites generally became darker, more chromatic, and more opaque. The in vitro color stability of the microfilled composites was better and less influenced by erosion than the conventional composites.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/66615/2/10.1177_00220345800590120801.pd

CT findings and patterns of e-cigarette or vaping product use-associated lung injury: A multicenter cohort of 160 cases

BACKGROUND: e-Cigarette or vaping-induced lung injury (EVALI) causes a spectrum of CT lung injury patterns. Relative frequencies and associations with vaping behavior are unknown. RESEARCH QUESTION: What are the frequencies of imaging findings and CT patterns in EVALI and what is the relationship to vaping behavior? STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: CT scans of 160 subjects with EVALI from 15 institutions were retrospectively reviewed. CT findings and patterns were defined and agreed on via consensus. The parenchymal organizing pneumonia (OP) pattern was defined as regional or diffuse ground-glass opacity (GGO) ± consolidation without centrilobular nodules (CNs). An airway-centered OP pattern was defined as diffuse CNs with little or no GGO, whereas a mixed OP pattern was a combination of the two. Other patterns included diffuse alveolar damage (DAD), acute eosinophilic-like pneumonia, and pulmonary hemorrhage. Cases were classified as atypical if they did not fit into a pattern. Imaging findings, pattern frequencies, and injury severity were correlated with substance vaped (marijuana derives [tetrahydrocannabinol] [THC] only, nicotine derivates only, and both), vaping frequency, regional geography, and state recreational THC legality. One-way analysis of variance, χ RESULTS: A total of 160 patients (79.4% men) with a mean age of 28.2 years (range, 15-68 years) with EVALI underwent CT scan. Seventy-seven (48.1%), 15 (9.4%), and 68 (42.5%) patients admitted to vaping THC, nicotine, or both, respectively. Common findings included diffuse or lower lobe GGO with subpleural (78.1%), lobular (59.4%), or peribronchovascular (PBV) sparing (40%). Septal thickening (50.6%), lymphadenopathy (63.1%), and CNs (36.3%) were common. PBV sparing was associated with younger age (P = .02). Of 160 subjects, 156 (97.5%) had one of six defined patterns. Parenchymal, airway-centered, and mixed OP patterns were seen in 89 (55.6%), 14 (8.8%), and 32 (20%) patients, respectively. Acute eosinophilic-like pneumonia (six of 160, 3.8%), DAD (nine of 160, 5.6%), pulmonary hemorrhage (six of 160, 3.8%), and atypical (four of 160, 2.5%) patterns were less common. Increased vaping frequency was associated with more severe injury (P = .008). Multivariable analysis showed a negative association between vaping for \u3e 6 months and DAD pattern (P = .03). Two subjects (1.25%) with DAD pattern died. There was no relation between pattern and injury severity, geographic location, and state legality of recreational use of THC. INTERPRETATION: EVALI typically causes an OP pattern but exists on a spectrum of acute lung injury. Vaping habits do not correlate with CT patterns except for negative correlation between vaping \u3e 6 months and DAD pattern. PBV sparing, not previously described in acute lung injury, is a common finding