An outline of a trust model for electronic commerce

A generic model of trust for electronic commerce is presented. The basic components of the model are party trust and control trust. It is argued that an agent's trust in a transaction with another party is a combination of the trust in the other party and the trust in the control mechanisms for the successful performance of the transaction. The generic trust model can be used for the design of trust related value-added services in electronic commerce. To illustrate this design use of the model, two activities in electronic commerce are compared that require trust, namely electronic payment and cross-border electronic trade. It is shown with the model that these two activities actually require two different types of trust, and that complete different services are needed to create these different types of trust.     

Specific Heat Capacity of Nitrobenzene–Tetradecane Near the Liquid–Liquid Critical Point

High-resolution adiabatic scanning calorimetry has been used to study the specific heat capacity anomaly of the nitrobenzene–tetradecane mixture near its upper critical point. The analysis, which is based on a method that uses heat capacity and enthalpy data, yields a value of the critical amplitude ratio A ⁺/A ^? which is consistent with the universal, accepted one. The critical amplitude of the correlation length was derived via two-scale factor universality. All this information is compared to that reported in previous studies for nitrobenzene–alkane mixtures.     

Exact modal analysis and optimization of N×N×1 cascadedwaveguide structures with multimode guiding sections

Cascaded multimode interference waveguide devices are analyzed to predict their switching properties. The results obtained using an exact modal analysis of an infinite slab model of these structures are compared to those found using simple approximations. Using this model, design parameters for both 2×2×1 and 8×8×1 switching structures are optimized; robustness of the numerical optimization algorithm is discussed. Sensitivity of device transmission performance to lengths and widths of each of the multimode regions, phase shifts in the interconnect regions, and wavelength are presented for the optimized devices. The deviations of the multimode region lengths found using simple approximations from those found by optimizing the model are also presented     

Synthesis of charged phenyl radicals and biradicals by laser photolysis in a Fourier-transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer

The feasibility of generating substituted phenyl radicals and biradicals (with a charged substituent) in the gas phase by laser photolysis was examined by using a Fourier-transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer. The precursors were generated by ipso-substitution of a halogen atom in the radical cation of a di- or trihalobenzene by various nucleophiles. Photolytic cleavage of the remaining carbon-halogen bond(s) with 266-nm radiation was found to produce many substituted phenyl radicals in greater yields than the earlier employed method, sustained off-resonance irradiated collision-activated dissociation (SORI-CAD). Furthermore, ion generation by photolysis leads to isomerization less often than collisional activation. Finally, not only phenyl-bromine and phenyl-iodine but also certain phenyl-chlorine bonds can be cleaved by photolysis, whereas the synthetic utility of SORI-CAD appears to be largely limited to the cleavage of phenyl-iodine bonds. Hence, laser photolysis greatly expands the variety of substituted phenyl radicals and biradicals that can be synthesized inside a mass spectrometer.     

Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection in two East African oryxes

Tuberculous lesions were observed at necropsy of 2 East African oryxes (Oryx gazella beisa) at a municipal zoological park in Jackson, Ms. Microscopic examination revealed granulomas containing acid-fast bacilli in the lungs and liver of both animals, as well as in the uterus and mediastinal lymph nodes of 1 animal. Mycobacterium tuberculosis was isolated from the tissues of both oryxes and from fluid aspirated from the mammary gland of 1 oryx; the organism was pathogenic for guinea pigs but not for rabbits.     

Performance analysis of combined transmit-SC/receive-MRC

The average bit-error rate of transmit antenna selection combined with receive maximum-ratio combining is computed as a function of the transmit antenna update rate when using binary phase-shift keying in flat Rayleigh fading channels. This scheme achieves an order of diversity equal to the product of the number of transmit and receive antennas. Therefore, it can gain significant diversity benefits over traditional receive diversity schemes by distributing the antennas over the transmit and receive side     

Ultrasensitive Kilo-Pixel Imaging Array of Photon Noise-Limited Kinetic Inductance Detectors Over an Octave of Bandwidth for THz Astronomy

We present the development of a background-limited kilo-pixel imaging array of ultrawide bandwidth kinetic inductance detectors (KIDs) suitable for space-based THz astronomy applications. The array consists of 989 KIDs, in which the radiation is coupled to each KID via a leaky lens antenna, covering the frequency range between 1.4 and 2.8 THz. The single pixel performance is fully characterised using a representative small array in terms of sensitivity, optical efficiency, beam pattern and frequency response, matching very well its expected performance. The kilo-pixel array is characterised electrically, finding a yield larger than 90% and an averaged noise-equivalent power lower than 3 \(\times \) 10\(^{-19}\) W/Hz\(^{1/2}\). The interaction between the kilo-pixel array and cosmic rays is studied, with an expected dead time lower than 0.6% when operated in an L2 or a similar far-Earth orbit.     

Experimental investigation of leaky lamb modes by an optically induced grating

By removing the symmetry of a free plate configuration, fluid loading significantly modifies the nature of acoustic waves travelling along a plate, and it even gives existence to new acoustic modes. We present theoretical predictions for the existence, dispersive behavior, and spatial distribution of leaky Lamb waves in a fluid-loaded film. Although Lamb modes are often investigated by studying the radiated fluid waves resulting from their leakage, here their properties are assessed by detecting the wave displacements directly using laser beam deflection. By using crossed laser beam excitation, the detection and analysis of the different modes is done at a fixed wavelength, allowing one to verify the existence, the velocity, and the damping of each predicted mode in a simple and unambiguous way. Our theoretical predictions for the nature of the modes in a water-loaded Plexiglas film, including parts of looping modes, are experimentally confirmed.