Homomorphic encryption and some black box attacks

This paper is a compressed summary of some principal definitions and concepts in the approach to the black box algebra being developed by the authors. We suggest that black box algebra could be useful in cryptanalysis of homomorphic encryption schemes, and that homomorphic encryption is an area of research where cryptography and black box algebra may benefit from exchange of ideas

Powers of conjugacy classes in a finite group

© 2019, Fondazione Annali di Matematica Pura ed Applicata and Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature. The aim of this paper is to show how the number of conjugacy classes appearing in the product of classes affect the structure of a finite group. The aim of this paper was to show several results about solvability concerning the case in which the power of a conjugacy class is a union of one or two conjugacy classes. Moreover, we show that the above conditions can be determined through the character table of the group

Variability of nutrients and carbon dioxide in the Antarctic Intermediate Water between 1990 and 2014

Antarctic Intermediate Water (AAIW) formation constitutes an important mechanism for the export of macronutrients out of the Southern Ocean that fuels primary production in low latitudes. We used quality-controlled gridded data from five hydrographic cruises between 1990 and 2014 to examine decadal variability in nutrients and dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) in the AAIW (neutral density range 27 < γ n <  27.4) along the Prime Meridian. Significant positive trends were found in DIC (0.70 ± 0.4 μmol kg− 1 year− 1) and nitrate (0.08 ± 0.06 μ mol kg− 1 year− 1) along with decreasing trends in temperature (− 0.015 ± 0.01∘C year− 1) and salinity (− 0.003 ± 0.002 year− 1) in the AAIW. Accompanying this is an increase in apparent oxygen utilization (AOU, 0.16 ± 0.07 μ mol kg− 1 year− 1). We estimated that 75% of the DIC change has an anthropogenic origin. The remainder of the trends support a scenario of a strengthening of the upper-ocean overturning circulation in the Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean in response to the positive trend in the Southern Annular Mode. A decrease in net primary productivity (more nutrients unutilized) in the source waters of the AAIW could have contributed as well but cannot fully explain all observed changes

Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Levels in Cord Blood from Growth Restricted Fetuses with Doppler Alteration Compared to Adequate for Gestational Age Fetuses

Background and Objectives: Fetal growth restriction (FGR) is a severe obstetric disease characterized by a low fetal size entailing a set of undesired consequences. For instance, previous studies have noticed a worrisome association between FGR with an abnormal neurodevelopment. However, the precise link between FGR and neurodevelopmental alterations are not yet fully understood yet. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a critical neurotrophin strongly implicated in neurodevelopmental and other neurological processes. In addition, serum levels of BDNF appears to be an interesting indicator of pathological pregnancies, being correlated with the neonatal brain levels. Therefore, the aim of this study is to analyze the blood levels of BDNF in the cord blood from fetuses with FGR in comparison to those with weight appropriate for gestational age (AGA). Materials and Methods: In this study, 130 subjects were recruited: 91 in group A (AGA fetuses); 39 in group B (16 FGR fetuses with exclusively middle cerebral artery (MCA) pulsatility index (PI) 95th percentile). Serum levels of BDNF were determined through ELISA reactions in these groups. Results: Our results show a significant decrease in cord blood levels of BDNF in FGR and more prominently in those with UA PI >95th percentile in comparison to AGA. FGR fetuses with exclusively decreased MCA PI below the 5th percentile also show reduced levels of BDNF than AGA, although this difference was not statistically significant. Conclusions: Overall, our study reports a potential pathophysiological link between reduced levels of BDNF and neurodevelopmental alterations in fetuses with FGR. However, further studies should be conducted in those FGR subjects with MCA PI < 5th percentile in order to understand the possible implications of BDNF in this group.Depto. de Salud Pública y Materno - InfantilFac. de MedicinaTRUEUnión EuropeaComunidad de MadridInstituto de Salud Carlos IIIHalekulani S.LFundación Santiago Dexeus Fontpu

Demonstrating the Source of Inherent Instability in NiFe LDH Based OER Electrocatalysts

Nickel iron layered double hydroxides are known to be one of the most highly active catalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction in alkaline conditions. The high electrocatalytic activity of the material however cannot be sustained within the active voltage window on timescales consistent with commercial requirements. The goal of this work is to identify and prove the source of inherent catalyst instability by tracking changes in the material during OER activity. By combining in situ and ex situ Raman analyses we elucidate long term effects on the catalyst performance from a changing crystallographic phase. In particular, we attribute electrochemically stimulated compositional degradation at active sites as the principal cause of the sharp loss of activity from NiFe LDHs shortly after the alkaline cell is turned on. EDX, XPS, and EELS analyses performed after OER also reveal noticeable leaching of Fe metals compared to Ni, principally from highly active edge sites. In addition, post cycle analysis identified a ferrihydrite by product formed from the leached Fe. Density functional theory calculations shed light on the thermodynamic driving force for the leaching of Fe metals and propose a dissolution pathway which involves [FeO4]2 amp; 8722; removal at relevant OER potential

Genome-wide association studies for methane production in dairy cattle

© 2019 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. Genomic selection has been proposed for the mitigation of methane (CH4) emissions by cattle because there is considerable variability in CH4 emissions between individuals fed on the same diet. The genome-wide association study (GWAS) represents an important tool for the detection of candidate genes, haplotypes or single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) markers related to characteristics of economic interest. The present study included information for 280 cows in three dairy production systems in Mexico: 1) Dual Purpose (n = 100), 2) Specialized Tropical Dairy (n = 76), 3) Familiar Production System (n = 104). Concentrations of CH4 in a breath of individual cows at the time of milking (MEIm) were estimated through a system of infrared sensors. After quality control analyses, 21,958 SNPs were included. Associations of markers were made using a linear regression model, corrected with principal component analyses. In total, 46 SNPs were identified as significant for CH4 production. Several SNPs associated with CH4 production were found at regions previously described for quantitative trait loci of composition characteristics of meat, milk fatty acids and characteristics related to feed intake. It was concluded that the SNPs identified could be used in genomic selection programs in developing countries and combined with other datasets for global selection

Numerical Simulation of Flow Behavior within a Venturi Scrubber

The present work details the three-dimensional numerical simulation of single-phase and two-phase flow (air-water) in a venturi scrubber with an inlet and throat diameters of 250 and 122.5 mm, respectively. The dimensions and operating parameters correspond to industrial applications. The mass flow rate conditions were 0.483 kg/s, 0.736 kg/s, 0.861 kg/s, and 0.987 kg/s for the gas only simulation; the mass flow rate for the liquid was 0.013 kg/s and 0.038 kg/s. The gas flow was simulated in five geometries with different converging and diverging angles while the two-phase flow was only simulated for one geometry. The results obtained were validated with experimental data obtained by other researchers. The results show that the pressure drop depends significantly on the gas flow rate and that water flow rate does not have significant effects neither on the pressure drop nor on the fluid maximum velocity within the scrubber