Flight to Quality in Cryptocurrencies

The topic of cryptocurrencies has been on the forefront of investors’ minds as they have seen ridiculous returns from the volatile swings in price. Its value highly debated because the asset is not backed by a hard asset. If we look back at the beginning of our country, we see how each state had its own currency and the difficulties that users faced around who would accept that as legal tender. The birth of a federal currency was accepted because it served as a medium of exchange and was backed by gold through the U.S. government. The final evolution of the U.S. dollar was moving away from the gold standard to a fiat currency backed only by the confidence in the U.S. government’s word. Today, we live in a globalized world where there is significant communication between countries around the globe that it seems that we have almost come to the same crossing point that our country saw when it first adopted a federal currency. For cryptocurrencies to be adopted as the standard around the world, we must first discuss why they would carry the same value as the current federal currencies that are already set in place and why there may be a shift. The paper will be investigating the reasons that cryptocurrencies may gain popularity first as a flight to quality asset before a widespread adoption throughout business and individuals. This carries great importance as the adoption of cryptocurrencies would mark a new era of untested, autonomous free markets around the globe. We will look at current debt levels, different asset class correlations, perceived stable currencies, and if cryptocurrencies can act as an alternative asset. The current idea of flight to quality assets is moving away from more risky assets like equities or unstable currencies to fixed income or stable currencies like the USD but what if investors lose faith in some of the U.S. denominated assets

Quick calculation method for fluid flow through duct systems

Conditions for subsonic compressible flow through duct systems are quickly and easily calculated using compact series of curves showing dimensionless parametric functions of Mach number and specific heat ratio. Method is directly applicable to analysis and design of compressible flow systems in industrial fields or processes

Modification of NASA urine collecting system Final report, 1 May 1966 - 1 Apr. 1968

Development of urinary collection system for orbiting astronaut

Evaluation of urinary collection device Final report, 18 Aug. 1969 - 18 Apr. 1970

Field tests for acceptability of formfitted device for in-flight urinary collectio

Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS) Resistive Heaters as Circuit Protection Devices

With increased opportunities for the exploitation (i.e., reverse engineering) of vulnerable electronic components and systems, circuit protection has become a critical issue. Circuit protection techniques are generally software-based and include cryptography (encryption/decryption), obfuscation of codes, and software guards. Examples of hardware-based circuit protection include protective coatings on integrated circuits, trusted foundries, and macro-sized components that self-destruct, thus destroying critical components. This paper is the first to investigate the use of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) to provide hardware-based protection of critical electronic components to prevent reverse engineering or other exploitation attempts. Specifically, surface-micromachined polycrystalline silicon to be used as meandering resistive heaters were designed analytically and fabricated using a commercially available MEMS prototyping service (i.e., PolyMUMPs), and integrated with representative components potentially at risk for exploitation, in this case pseudomorphic high-electron mobility transistors (pHEMTs). The MEMS heaters were initiated to self-destruct, destroying a critical circuit component and thwart a reverse engineering attempt. Tests revealed reliable self-destruction of the MEMS heaters with approximately 25 V applied, resulting in either complete operational failure or severely altering the pHEMT device physics. The prevalent failure mechanism was metallurgical, in that the material on the surface of the device was changed, and the specific failure mode was the creation of a short-circuit. Another failure mode was degraded device operation due to permanently altered device physics related to either dopant diffusion or ohmic contact degradation. The results, in terms of the failure of a targeted electronic component, demonstrate the utility of using MEMS devices to protect critical components which are otherwise vulnerable to exploitation

A Study of Prospective Ophthalmology Residents’ Career Perceptions

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to identify differences in ophthalmology resident candidates and practicing ophthalmologists’ career perceptions. A secondary aim was to evaluate specific demographic factors (e.g., gender, ethnicity, career interests, etc.) among residency candidates regarding their career perceptions. Methods: A survey instrument (Critical factors in Career Perceptions) was sent by e-mail to prospective residents (n= 122). Group differences were calculated using a one sample t-test analysis. Results: Compared to practicing ophthalmologists (n = 56), residency candidates were more likely (p < 0.05) to expect greater professional job satisfaction from a number of career factors (e.g., time with patients, physician teamwork, etc.); family-personal factors (e.g., diversity of job skills, sole professional responsibility, etc.); and financial factors (i.e., income and security) than those in practice. Gender differences between candidates revealed that women were more interested in spending time with patients and in computer technology applications. Conclusions: These results suggest that medical school and residency program leaders to consider specific factors ophthalmologists encounter in their profession so that residency candidates have a more realistic view of their chosen profession. Several recommendations for resident recruitment and curriculum development are provided

Trimorphodon tau

Number of Pages: 2Integrative BiologyGeological Science

Long-term lunar stations: Some ecological considerations

A major factor for long-term success of a lunar station is the ability to keep an agroecosystem functioning at a desirable, stable steady-state with ecological stability and reliability. Design for a long-lived extraterrestrial manned station must take into account interactions among its subsystems to insure that overall functionality is enhanced (or at least not compromised). Physical isolation of feed production, human living areas, recycling, and other systems may be straightforward, however, microbiological isolation will be very difficult. While it is possible to eliminate plant-associated microbiological communities by growing the plants asepticallly, it is not practical to keep plants germ-free on a large scale if humans are working with them. Ecological theory strongly suggests that some kinds of communities or organisms effectively increase the stability of ecosystems and will protect the plants from potential pathogens. A carefully designed and maintained (lunar-derived) soil can provide a variety of habitats for effective microbial buffers while adding structure to the agroecosystem. A soil can also increase ecosystem reliability through buffering otherwise large element and compound fluctuations (of nutrients, wastes, etc.) as well as buffering temperature level and atmosphere composition. We are doing experiments in ecological dynamics and attempting to extend the relevant theories