The Everalbum, Inc. Case, or How the Federal Trade Commission Protected Consumer Rights Regarding the Collection, Use, Storage, Dissemination, and Destruction of Facial Recognition Data

This essay aims to analyze and evaluate the In the Matter of Everalbum, Inc. case. The paper discusses the Ever facial recognition application, its history, how it was developed, and the effects of the user deactivation process. The following section outlines Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act, focusing on unfair trade practices. The third section lists the issues in the case. The fourth section outlines the Decision and Order from the Federal Trade Commission regarding how the Commission demanded how Everalbum was to behave in the future. The comments by David Valentine and World Privacy Forum are summarized. A critique of the Order is provided, noting that by demanding that Ever album delete and destroy its facial recognition technology, the question of who then owned the technology is paramount. The essay concludes by observing that a balance must be struck between the benefits of employing facial recognition technology and its unknown and possibly unknowable detrimental effects.

The inulin hydrolysis by recombinant exo-inulinases: determination the optimum temperatures and activation energies

The advantages of recombinant enzymes over native include the control in a production environment, product purity and also high yield. The paper presents the determination the optimum temperatures and the activation energies for various origin recombinant exo-inulinases, among others from Aspergillus niger, A. awamori, Kluyveromyces marxianus and K. cicerisporus. The parameters were estimated based on the literature of the activity curves versus temperature for hydrolysis of inulin. It was assumed that both the hydrolysis reaction process and the deactivation process of recombinant exo-inulinase were first-order reactions by the enzyme concentration. A mathematical model describing the effect of temperature on recombinant exo-inulinase activity was used. Based on the comparison analysis, values of the activation energies $${E_{\rm a }}$$ E a were in the range from $${32.01 \pm 7.80}$$ 32.01 ± 7.80 to $${43.83 \pm 4.87}$$ 43.83 ± 4.87 kJ mol$$^{-1}$$ - 1 , the deactivation energies $${E_{\rm d }}$$ E d were in the range from $${83.93 \pm 4.82}$$ 83.93 ± 4.82 to $${352.44 \pm 14.26}$$ 352.44 ± 14.26 kJ mol$$^{-1}$$ - 1 and the optimum temperature $${T_{\rm opt }}$$ T opt were obtained in the range from $${318.91 \pm }$$ 318.91 ± 1.19 to $${328.76 \pm 0.25}$$ 328.76 ± 0.25 K.

Deactivation of Zeolite Catalysts in the Prins Reaction between Propene and Formaldehyde in the Liquid Phase

The Prins reaction between propene and formaldehyde was studied over H-BEA, H-FAU, H-MFI and H-MOR zeolites at 150 °C in liquid phase. It was found that the H-BEA sample is the most active and selective toward buta-1,3-diene; the H-MFI is a potential catalyst for 3-buten-1-ol synthesis, while H-FAU can be used for 4-methyl-1,3-dioxane production. It had been confirmed that zeolite textural and acidic properties influence catalyst behaviour: the acidic properties influence sample activity, while product distribution is controlled by pore volume and effective pore diameter. The sample’s deactivation process had been studied and the kinetic model of deactivation was proposed. It was shown that the deactivation rate for the H-MFI catalyst is four times greater than for the H-BEA catalyst, probably because its strong/weak acid sites ratio is much more high than for the H-BEA.

SOCIAL STEREOTYPES AND COGNITIVE MECHANISM OF THEIR PROCESSING

Given study tests cognitive model related to social information processing - Parallel Constraint Satisfaction Theory. The study was conducted as one of the research steps within another scientific project, which explored stereotypic mode of impression formation. Unlike other models, PCST presents stereotypic mode of thinking as the process, in which received information just as a neural impulse flows in the endless web of mental associations in observer’s mind and automatically acxites/inhibites certain information stored in there. We decided to test these two cognitive processes on the content of real social stereotypes. We explored stereotypes of five social categories (Cook, Lecturer, Doctor, IT and Typical Georgian Man). Then, we measured the level of acxitation/inhibition of certain characteristics within the stereotype of each category. After comparing the level of character activation-deactivation between each category, as well as to the textual characterizations obtained from focus groups about the same categories, it became clear that activation/deactivation process indeed takes place. Moreover, associations activate/deactivate in such a way, that they automatically fit (satisfy) the content of stereotype, held by the observer about perceived social category.

Determination of Activation Energies and the Optimum Temperatures of Hydrolysis of Starch by α-Amylase from Porcine Pancreas

The present paper reports the determination of the activation energies and the optimum temperatures of starch hydrolysis by porcine pancreas α-amylase. The parameters were estimated based on the literature data on the activity curves versus temperature for starch hydrolysis by α-amylase from porcine pancreas. It was assumed that both the hydrolysis reaction process and the deactivation process of α-amylase were first-order reactions by the enzyme concentration. A mathematical model describing the effect of temperature on porcine pancreas α-amylase activity was used. The determine deactivation energies Ea were from 19.82 ± 7.22 kJ/mol to 128.80 ± 9.27 kJ/mol, the obtained optimum temperatures Topt were in the range from 311.06 ± 1.10 K to 326.52 ± 1.75 K. In turn, the values of deactivation energies Ed has been noted in the range from 123.57 ± 14.17 kJ/mol to 209.37 ± 5.17 kJ/mol. The present study is related to the starch hydrolysis by α-amylase. In the industry, the obtained results the values Ea, Ed, Topt can be used to design and optimize starch hydrolysis by α-amylase porcine pancreas. The obtained results might also find application in research on the pharmaceutical preparations used to treat pancreatic insufficiency or prognosis of pancreatic cancer.

Immobilization of Naringinase from Aspergillus Niger on a Magnetic Polysaccharide Carrier

Naringinase is an enzymatic complex used in the deglycosylation of compounds with a high application potential in the food and pharmaceutical industries. The aim of the study was to immobilize naringinase from Aspergillus niger KMS on a magnetic carrier obtained on the basis of carob gum activated by polyethyleneimine. Response surface methodology was used to optimize naringinase immobilization taking into account the following factors: pH, immobilization time, initial concentration of naringinase and immobilization temperature. The adsorption of the enzyme on a magnetic carrier was a reversible process. The binding force of naringinase was increased by crosslinking the enzyme with the carrier using dextran aldehyde. The crosslinked enzyme had better stability in an acidic environment and at a higher temperature compared to the free form. The immobilization and stabilization of naringinase by dextran aldehyde on the magnetic polysaccharide carrier lowered the activation energy, thus increasing the catalytic capacity of the investigated enzyme and increasing the activation energy of the thermal deactivation process, which confirms higher stability of the immobilized enzyme in comparison with free naringinase. The preparation of crosslinked naringinase retained over 80% of its initial activity after 10 runs of naringin hydrolysis from fresh and model grapefruit juice.