Academic literature on the topic 'Distributed crypto scheme'

AbstractRb–Sr isotope whole-rock data from the end-Caledonian Leinster Batholith define an errorchron age of 464±26 Ma, appreciably older than the accepted emplacement age of c. 405 Ma. This anomalously old age is the consequence of a highly variable initial Sr isotopic composition. Initial Nd ratios and TDM model ages also show a wide range of values. However, these isotopic variations are neither randomly distributed nor related to petrographic changes but instead reflect, in a simple way, geographic position about the axis of the batholith. The isotopic pattern revealed in the Leinster Batholith means that isochron ages obtained from S-type granites may be largely dependent on the sampling scheme adopted. The variable isotopic composition of the granite most likely resulted from either a heterogeneous metasedimentary source or hybridization of coeval, dominantly crustal melts.

The modern financial world has seen a significant rise in the use of cryptocurrencies in recent years, partly due to the convincing lure of anonymity promised by these schemes. Bitcoin, despite being considered as the most widespread among all, is claimed to have significant lapses in relation to its anonymity. Unfortunately, studies have shown that many cryptocurrency transactions can be traced back to their corresponding participants through the analysis of publicly available data, to which the cryptographic community has responded by proposing new constructions with improved anonymity claims. Nevertheless, the absence of a common metric for evaluating the level of anonymity achieved by these schemes has led to numerous disparate ad hoc anonymity definitions, making comparisons difficult. The multitude of these notions also hints at the surprising complexity of the overall anonymity landscape. In this study, we introduce such a common framework to evaluate the nature and extent of anonymity in (crypto) currencies and distributed transaction systems, thereby enabling one to make meaningful comparisons irrespective of their implementation. Accordingly, our work lays the foundation for formalizing security models and terminology across a wide range of anonymity notions referenced in the literature, while showing how “anonymity” itself is a surprisingly nuanced concept, as opposed to existing claims that are drawn upon at a higher level, thus missing out on the elemental factors underpinning anonymity.

This study assessed the effect of the combination of microencapsulated sodium butyrate (SB) and phytase (PH) on the performance, intestinal integrity, and bone development of broilers. The experiment comprised 736 chicks distributed in a completely randomised design in a 2 × 2 factorial scheme (with and without the inclusion of SB and with the inclusion of PH at the recommended dose and superdosing) totalling four treatments and eight repetitions of 23 birds each. SB was added at 0.750 kg/tonne and PH was included at 750 phytase units (FTU)/kg and 1 500 FTU/kg of diet. The live weight (LW), feed intake (FI) and feed conversion (FC) were evaluated weekly. Bone measurements of the tibia and femur, densitometry, length, the Seedor index, and diameter were performed at seven and 28 days. In the same ages, fragments of the jejunum and ileum segments were collected and subjected to a morphometry analysis. At seven days of age, the birds supplemented with the phytase superdosing showed a better FI and LW, and the microencapsulated SB in the diet showed a better LW and FC. In the period from one to 28 days, the treatment supplemented with SB provided a higher FI and LW. The SB supplementation resulted in greater bone measurements at seven and 28 days. The use of the superdosing phytase increased the villus length and width of the jejunum at seven days and at 28 days. There was an increase in the villus length, villus-to-crypt ratio, absorption area, and muscular layer of the jejunum and a decrease in the crypt width of the jejunum. The SB supplementation increased the ileum crypt width at seven days and there was no effect on any intestinal segment at 28 days. The supplementation of SB or PH 1 500 FTU/kg in the broiler diets’ growth promoter or antibiotic-free resulted in a better performance and bone measurements, while the association of the additional PH 1 500 FTU/kg and SB supplementation resulted in the greater depth and width of the jejunum crypt and villus : ileum crypt at seven days and greater villus length and ileum absorption area at 28 days. The association of SB and PH may be a strategy to improve the performance and bone quality and intestinal integrity in broilers.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of glutamine and threonine supplementation on the ileal mucosa of broilers aged 21-42 days. Six-hundred and forty-one-day old chicks of the Cobb Slow lineage were utilized in this study. From 1 to 21 days of age, the chicks received a commercial diet; and after 22 days, the broilers were distributed in a completely randomized design in a 2 ? 4 factorial scheme (challenge and diet), with 4 replications and 20 chicks per experimental unit. At 22 days of age, the challenged broilers received a commercial vaccine against coccidiosis. A commercial diet was utilized as control and three other diets were formulated with reduced crude protein (-3%), and were corrected with the addition of glutamine (Gln) and glutamic acid (Glu) as non-specific nitrogen sources, and finally supplemented with L-Threonine (Thr) at 0.70, 0.80, and 0.85% digestible threonine, respectively. At 28 days of age, diets with Gln/Glu + Thr resulted in greater ileal villi lengths. Challenge with Eimeria sp. reduced the number of goblet cells and increased the duodenal and jejunal crypt depths. At 42 days of age, an interaction was observed between diet and challenge in relation to ileal villi length; better results were observed in the challenged broilers that received 0.85% Gln/Glu + Thr. The mucosal morphology in the ileal villi extremities was preserved in the challenged broilers that received higher Thr levels in their diets. The results suggested that the inclusion of glutamine and threonine affected the morphometry and mucosa of the ileum, thereby improving the mucosal quality.

ABSTRACT This study aimed to evaluate the performance, carcass yield and intestinal morphometry of 1- to 21-day-old broiler chickens fed a diet containing increasing levels of sunflower cake, supplemented with or without an enzyme complex (EC). We used 1200 Cobb 500 birds, which were distributed in a completely randomized design in a 2x5 factorial scheme and five levels of sunflower cake inclusion (0, 5, 10, 15, and 20%) in diets supplemented or not with EC. Each treatment consisted of 5 replicates. Animals were fed the experimental diets from 1 to 21 days of age and from 22 to 42 days all birds received the same feed based on corn and soybean meal. There was no interaction between the level of sunflower cake inclusion and presence of EC. From 1 to 21 days of age, the weight gain, final weight, and feed intake linearly decreased (P<0.05) with increasing sunflower cake inclusion level. At 42 days old, after animals consumed diets based on corn and soybean meal (from 22 to 42 days), the levels provided least 21 days did not influence the performance results. Animals receiving the EC in the first phase showed better results at the end of the experiment (P<0.05). Up to 21 days old, carcass yield decreased, and abdominal fat increased with the sunflower cake inclusion. The addition of EC in the diet improved the thigh, breast and carcass yield. Intestinal morphology after 21 days revealed that the three segments of the intestine had at least one type of change, such as a decrease in villus height and increase in crypt depth, with increased level of sunflower cake in the diet, affecting performance.

Abstract Background Culicoides obsoletus is an abundant and widely distributed Holarctic biting midge species, involved in the transmission of bluetongue virus (BTV) and Schmallenberg virus (SBV) to wild and domestic ruminants. Females of this vector species are often reported jointly with two morphologically very close species, C. scoticus and C. montanus, forming the Obsoletus/Scoticus Complex. Recently, cryptic diversity within C. obsoletus was reported in geographically distant sites. Clear delineation of species and characterization of genetic variability is mandatory to revise their taxonomic status and assess the vector role of each taxonomic entity. Our objectives were to characterize and map the cryptic diversity within the Obsoletus/Scoticus Complex. Methods Portion of the cox1 mitochondrial gene of 3763 individuals belonging to the Obsoletus/Scoticus Complex was sequenced. Populations from 20 countries along a Palaearctic Mediterranean transect covering Scandinavia to Canary islands (North to South) and Canary islands to Turkey (West to East) were included. Genetic diversity based on cox1 barcoding was supported by 16S rDNA mitochondrial gene sequences and a gene coding for ribosomal 28S rDNA. Species delimitation using a multi-marker methodology was used to revise the current taxonomic scheme of the Obsoletus/Scoticus Complex. Results Our analysis showed the existence of three phylogenetic clades (C. obsoletus clade O2, C. obsoletus clade dark and one not yet named and identified) within C. obsoletus. These analyses also revealed two intra-specific clades within C. scoticus and raised questions about the taxonomic status of C. montanus. Conclusions To our knowledge, our study provides the first genetic characterization of the Obsoletus/Scoticus Complex on a large geographical scale and allows a revision of the current taxonomic classification for an important group of vector species of livestock viruses in the Palaearctic region.

Cieľom systému Excalibur je presunúť autentifikáciu od hesiel používaných v súčastnosti ku bezheslovej budúcnosti. Zámerom tejto práce je integrácia systému Excalibur s webovými bezheslovými protokolmi SAML a FIDO2.    Štandard SAML bol integrovaný do systému Excalibur a úspešne otestovaný s niekoľkými známymi aplikáciami. Excalibur má na starosti samotnú autentifikáciu a manažment používateľov a SAML je použitý na predanie týchto informácii aplikáciam tretích strán.   FIDO2 je, na druhú stranu, kompletný autentifikačný štandard, ktorý môže byť do systému Excalibur integrovaný viacerými spôsobmi. Ako najsľubnejší spôsob sa javí výmena autentifikačného mechanizmu systému Excalibur za FIDO2, ale slabá podpora štandardu a chýbajúce funkcie to zatiaľ nedovoľujú.

The endothelium plays a crucial role in the regulation of the fibrinolytic process, since it synthesizes and secretes tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) as well as the fast-acting plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI-1). Molecular cloning of full-length PAI-1 cDNA, employing a human endothelial cDNA expression library, and a subsequent determination of the complete nucleotide sequence, allowed a prediction of the amino-acid sequence of the PAI-1 glycoprotein. It was observed that the amino-acid sequence is significantly homologous to those of members of the serine protease inhibitor ("Serpin") family, e.g. αl-antitrypsin and antithrombin III. Serpins are regulators of various processes, such as coagulation, inflammatory reactions, complement activation and share a common functional principle and a similar structure, indicative for a common primordial gene. The intron-exon arrangement of Serpin genes may provide a record for the structure of a primordial gene. A comparison of the location of introns among members of the Serpin family reveals that some introns are indeed present at identical or almost identical positions, however in many other cases there is no correspondence between the intron positions among different Serpin genes.Obviously, more data on the chromosomal gene structure of members of this family are required to formulate a scheme for the evolutionary creation of the Serpins. To that end, we have established the number and the precise location of the introns in the PAI-1 gene and have compared these data with those reported on other Serpin genes. For that purpose a human genomic cosmid DNA library of about 340.000 independent colonies was screened with radiolabelled full-length PAI-1 cDNA as probe. Two clones were found which contain the entire PAI-1 gene. Restriction site mapping, electron microscopic inspection of heteroduplexes and nucleotide sequence analysis demonstrate that the PAI-1 gene comprises about 12.2kilo basepairs and consists of nine exons and eight introns. Intron-exon boundaries are all in accord with the "GT-AG" rule, including a cryptic acceptor splice site found in intron 7. Furthermore, it is observed that intron 3 of the PAI-1 gene occupies an identical position as intron E of chicken ovalbumin and intron E of the ovalbumin-related gene Y. The location of the other seven introns is unrelated to the known location of introns in the genes encoding the Serpins, rat angiotensin, chicken ovalbumin (and gene Y), human antithrombin III and human al-antitrypsin. The 3' untranslated region of the PAI-1 gene is devoid of introns, indicating that the two mRNA species detected in cultured endothelial cells which share an identical 5' untranslated segment and codogenic region, but differ in the length of the 3' untranslated region, arise by alternative polyadenylation. An extrapolation of the position of the introns to the amino-acid sequence of PAI-1, and adaption of the view that the subdomain structure of the Serpins is analogous, shows that the introns of PAI-1 are non-randomly distributed. Except for intron 7, the position of the other seven introns corresponds with randon-coil regions of the protein or with the borders of β-sheets and a-helices. Extrapolation of the position of introns in the genes of other Serpins to their respective amino-acid sequences and subdomain structures also reveals a preference for random-coil regions and borders of subdomains. These observations are reminiscent of an evolutionary model, called "intron sliding", that accounts for variations in surface loops of the same protein in different species by aberrant splicing (Craik et al., Science 220 (1983) 1125). The preferential presence of introns in gene segments, encoding these variable regions, and absence in regions determining the general folding of these proteins would explain conservation of the structure during the evolution of those genes.