A Parallel Implementation of Multiple Secret Image Sharing Based on Cellular Automata

Recently, a multisecret sharing scheme for secret color images among a set of users was proposed, which allows that each participant to share secret color images with the rest of participants in such way that all of them can recover all secret color images only if all participants pool their shares. In this work a parallel implementation of the cellular automata-based multisecret sharing scheme is proposed, in which the technology of CUDA （Compute Unified Device Architecture） is used in parallelization, taking advantage that each cell of cellular automata can be processed independently. The processing time of the proposed scheme is analyzed and it is proved that the proposed parallel algorithm using the CUDA structure is more than 12 times faster than the conventional sequential algorithm. This reduction of temporal complexity allows the practical use of the secret sharing scheme in many information security fields.     

Superconductivity in the tetragonal phase of La1.9Bi0.1CuO4+δ annealed under high oxygen pressure

We have investigated the relation between the crystal structure and superconductivity in La_1.9Bi_0.1CuO₄₊ , in which the phase separation observed in La₂CuO₄₊ is suppressed. A phase diagram in theT– plane is given for La_1.9Bi_0.1CuO₄₊ with excess oxygen. For very small values, the crystal structure is orthorhombic, and an orthorhombic-tetragonal phase transition occurs markedly at 0.03 in the measured temperature range between 13 and 293 K. Superconductivity is observed in the range of 0.04<<0.11. This is clear evidence thathigh-T _c superconductivity also appears in the tetragonal phase.     

Methanation of carbon deposited directly from CO2 on rhodium-bearing activated magnetite

Methanation reactivity was studied for the surface carbon deposited from CO₂ on the surface of Rh-bearing activated magnetite. The most active material (Rh=0.83 wt %) for methanation was prepared by the impregnation method at 60°C and showed 98% conversion at 300°C. The surface carbon was composed of elemental carbon (-carbon) and polymerized carbon (-carbon), the proportion being dependent on the density of carbon deposited. In temperature-programmed surface reaction, the extent of conversion of the - and -carbon to CH₄ was 0.34 (-carbon) and 0.53 (-carbon), respectively, and the total conversion was 0.87. This result indicates that not only elemental carbon but polymerized carbon (-carbon) could be converted to CH₄ on the Rh-bearing activated (-carbon) magnetite, whereas -carbon is not hydrogenated on activated magnetite.     

Methanation of CO2 with the oxygen-deficient Ni(II)-ferrite under dynamic conditions

The continuous methanation of CO₂ has been accomplished over hydrogen-reduced Ni(II)-bearing ferrite (Ni_xFe_3–xO_4–; x=0.39, > 0) in a mixed gas flow of CO₂ and H₂ at 250–375 °C. The yield and the selectivity for the methanation were larger than 50% and 95%, respectively, at the initial stage of the process. They decreased to 31% and 89%, respectively, after 6 h methanation. The innovative results can be ascribed to the use of the new material; hydrogen-reduced Ni(II)-bearing ferrite. Its formation was evinced by chemical analyses and the increase in the lattice constant; the lattice constant of the Ni(II)-bearing ferrite (a₀ 0.8375 nm) was enlarged to 0.8379 nm by hydrogen reduction. The enlarged lattice constant was not changed during the methanation. These findings suggest that the methanation occurs at the oxygen-deficient site of the hydrogen-reduced Ni(II)-bearing ferrite, as well as the formation of water by combination of the incorporated oxygens with hydrogen. The methanation consists of three steps of the elementary reaction. First, the oxygen-deficient sites are formed by hydrogen reduction; second, CO₂ is reduced to elementary carbon and two oxygen ions which are incorporated into the oxygen-deficient sites; and third, the carbon deposited on the surface of the reduced ferrite is selectively hydrogenated to CH₄.     

Preparation of alumina and alumina-silica powders by wire explosion resulting from electric discharge

Wires of aluminium and aluminium-silicon alloys containing 5.2 and 12.1 wt% Si were exploded in air by electric discharge, and the properties of the powders obtained were examined. The powders consisted of large particles of several micrometres and very fine spherical ones, which were formed from the metallic droplets and vapours, respectively, and were mostly oxidized. The large particles decreased with an increase in the charged energy. Although the particle-size distribution was broad, the average particle sizes were small and were increased from 0.7 m to 1.3 m with an increase in the charged energy. These powders were identified as -alumina, amorphous alumina-silica compound and a small amount of the metal. The amorphous phase crystallized to mullite in the temperature range 1153–1243 K, and the crystallization temperature fell with increase in the charged energy because the amount of fine particles formed from the vapours increased.     

Clonality in hepatocellular carcinoma: analysis of methylation pattern of polymorphic X-chromosome-linked phosphoglycerate kinase gene in females

Analysis of X-chromosome inactivation patterns in women has been used to assess the clonality of various tumors. In this report, we analyzed 27 liver tumors in women, including 18 samples obtained by the performance of ultrasonically guided thin-needle biopsies. By analysis of the heterogeneity of phosphoglycerate kinase gene, 11 of 27 (41%) cases were found to be heterozygous at the gene. Of these informative 11 cases with liver tumors, 7 cases were "large" tumors (> 25 mm in diameter) and 4 cases were "small" tumors (< 25 mm in diameter). All 7 large tumors showed monoclonal patterns by the phosphoglycerate kinase gene analysis. Of the 4 small tumors, 2 showed monoclonal, and 2 showed polyclonal patterns. The 2 with monoclonal patterns were pathologically diagnosed as hepatocellular carcinoma despite their small sizes (20 mm and 23 mm). Of the two with polyclonal patterns, the smallest one (15 mm) was diagnosed as benign adenomatous hyperplasia, and the other as hepatocellular carcinoma heavily infiltrated by lymphocytes. These data suggest that analysis of the methylation pattern of the phosphoglycerate kinase gene may be helpful on rare occasions in elucidating the nature of liver tumors but must in fact be used in conjunction with histological appearances to avoid errors secondary to inflammatory infiltrates.     

Metal Single-Atom Cocatalyst on Carbon Nitride for the Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution Reaction: Effects of Metal Species

Single-atom (SA) catalysts exhibit high activity in various reactions because there are no inactive internal atoms. Accordingly, SA cocatalysts are also an active research fields regarding photocatalytic hydrogen (H₂) evolution which can be generated by abundant water and sunlight. Herein, it is investigated whether 10 transition metal elements can work as an SA on graphitic carbon nitride (g-C₃N₄; i.e., gCN), a promising visible-light-driven photocatalyst. A method is established to prepare SA-loaded gCN at high loadings (weight of ≈3 wt.% for Cu, Ni, Pd, Pt, Rh, and Ru) by modulating the photoreduction power. Regarding Au and Ag, SAs are formed with difficulty without aggregation because of the low binding energy between gCN and the SA. An evaluation of the photocatalytic H₂-evolution activity of the prepared metal SA-loaded gCN reveals that Pd, Pt, and Rh SA-loaded gCN exhibits relatively high H₂-evolution efficiency per SA. Transient absorption spectroscopy and electrochemical measurements reveal the following: i) Pd SA-loaded gCN exhibits a particularly suitable electronic structure for proton adsorption and ii) therefore they exhibit the highest H₂-evolution efficiency per SA than other metal SA-loaded gCN. Finally, the 8.6 times higher H₂-evolution rate per active site of Pd SA is achieved than that of Pd-nanoparticles cocatalyst.     

Bounded Rationality,Group Formation and the Emergence of Trust: An Agent-Based Economic Model

Computational Economics - It is possible to model trust as an investment game, where a player in order to receive a reward or a better outcome, accepts a certain risk of defection by another...     

Optical Properties of Self‐Assembled Cellulose Nanocrystals Films Suspended at Planar–Symmetrical Interfaces

Hierarchically structured materials comprising rod‐like, chiral, nanoparticles are commonly encountered in nature as they can form assemblies with exceptional optical and mechanical characteristics. These include cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs), which have a large potential for the fabrication of bioinspired materials mimicking those advanced properties. Fine‐tuning the optomechanical properties of assemblies obtained from CNCs hinges on the transformations from suspensions of liquid crystals to long‐range order in the dry state. So far, associated transitions have been studied using trivial interfaces such as planar substrates. Such transitions are explored as they evolve onto meshed supports. The meshed substrate offers a complex topology, as is encountered in nature, for the formation of CNCs films. The CNCs self‐assembly occurs under confinement and support of the framework bounding the mesh openings. This leads to coexisting suspended and supported nanoparticle layers exhibiting nematic and/or chiral nematic order. Optical microscopy combined with crossed polarizers indicate that the formation of the suspended films occurs via intermediate gelation or kinetic arrest of CNCs across the mesh's open areas. The formation of self‐standing, ultrathin films of CNCs with tunable optical properties, such as selective reflections in the visible range (structural color), is demonstrated by using the presented simple and scalable approach.     

Evolution of the trappin multigene family in the Suidae

The purpose of the study was to examine the effects of manipulating lung volume (LV) on phonatory and articulatory kinematic behavior during sentence production in healthy adults. Five men and five women repeated the sentence "I sell a sapapple again" under five LV conditions. These included (1) speaking normally, (2) speaking after exhaling most of the air from the lungs, (3) speaking at end expiratory level (EEL), (4) speaking after a maximal inhalation, and (5) speaking after a maximal inhalation while attempting to maintain as normal a mode of speech as possible. From a multichannel recording, measures were made of LV, sound pressure level (SPL), fundamental frequency (F0) and semitone standard deviation (STSD), and upper and lower lip displacements and peak velocities. When compared with the reference condition, the sentence was spoken significantly more quickly at the lowest LV. SPL increased significantly for the high LV condition, as did the women's F0 and STSD. Upper lip displacements and peak velocities generally decreased for LVs other than the reference condition. Lower lip movements showed inconsistent changes as a function of LV. Adjustments to the LV for speech led to SPL and F0 changes consistent with a coordinated control of the respiratory system and the larynx. However, less consistent effects were observed in the articulatory kinematic measures, possibly because of a less direct biomechanical and neural control linkage between respiratory and articulatory structures.