GANIL Status report

International audienc

Combining leak--resistant arithmetic for elliptic curves defined over \F_p and RNS representation

In this paper we combine the residue number system (RNS) representation and the leak-resistant arithmetic on elliptic curves. These two techniques are relevant for implementation of elliptic curve cryptography on embedded devices.\\ % since they have leak-resistance properties. It is well known that the RNS multiplication is very efficient whereas the reduction step is costly. Hence, we optimize formulae for basic operations arising in leak-resistant arithmetic on elliptic curves (unified addition, Montgomery ladder) in order to minimize the number of modular reductions. We also improve the complexity of the RNS modular reduction step. As a result, we show how to obtain a competitive secured implementation.\\ Finally, %we recall the main advantages of the RNS representation, %especially in hardware and for embedded devices, and we show that, contrary to other approaches, ours takes optimally the advantage of a dedicated parallel architecture

Progress report and first operation of the GANIL injector

http://accelconf.web.cern.ch/AccelConf/c81/papers/abp-07.pdfInternational audienc

Monitoring the Bragg peak location of 73 MeV/u carbon ions by means of prompt γ\gamma-ray measurements

By means of a time-of-flight technique, we measured the longitudinal profile of prompt $\gamma$-rays emitted by 73 MeV/u $^{13}$C ions irradiating a PMMA target. This technique allowed us to minimize the shielding against neutrons and scattered $\gamma$-rays, and to correlate prompt gamma emission to the ion path. This correlation, together with a high counting rate, paves the way toward real-time monitoring of the longitudinal dose profile during ion therapy treatments. Moreover, the time correlation between the prompt gamma detection and the transverse position of the incident ions measured by a beam monitor can provide real-time 3D control of the irradiation.Comment: to be published in Applied Physics Letter

Vers une arithmétique efficace pour le chiffrement homomorphe basé sur le Ring-LWE

Fully homomorphic encryption is a kind of encryption offering the ability to manipulate encrypted data directly through their ciphertexts. In this way it is possible to process sensitive data without having to decrypt them beforehand, ensuring therefore the datas' confidentiality. At the numeric and cloud computing era this kind of encryption has the potential to considerably enhance privacy protection. However, because of its recent discovery by Gentry in 2009, we do not have enough hindsight about it yet. Therefore several uncertainties remain, in particular concerning its security and efficiency in practice, and should be clarified before an eventual widespread use. This thesis deals with this issue and focus on performance enhancement of this kind of encryption in practice. In this perspective we have been interested in the optimization of the arithmetic used by these schemes, either the arithmetic underlying the Ring Learning With Errors problem on which the security of these schemes is based on, or the arithmetic specific to the computations required by the procedures of some of these schemes. We have also considered the optimization of the computations required by some specific applications of homomorphic encryption, and in particular for the classification of private data, and we propose methods and innovative technics in order to perform these computations efficiently. We illustrate the efficiency of our different methods through different software implementations and comparisons to the related art.Le chiffrement totalement homomorphe est un type de chiffrement qui permet de manipuler directement des données chiffrées. De cette manière, il est possible de traiter des données sensibles sans avoir à les déchiffrer au préalable, permettant ainsi de préserver la confidentialité des données traitées. À l'époque du numérique à outrance et du "cloud computing" ce genre de chiffrement a le potentiel pour impacter considérablement la protection de la vie privée. Cependant, du fait de sa découverte récente par Gentry en 2009, nous manquons encore de recul à son propos. C'est pourquoi de nombreuses incertitudes demeurent, notamment concernant sa sécurité et son efficacité en pratique, et devront être éclaircies avant une éventuelle utilisation à large échelle.Cette thèse s'inscrit dans cette problématique et se concentre sur l'amélioration des performances de ce genre de chiffrement en pratique. Pour cela nous nous sommes intéressés à l'optimisation de l'arithmétique utilisée par ces schémas, qu'elle soit sous-jacente au problème du "Ring-Learning With Errors" sur lequel la sécurité des schémas considérés est basée, ou bien spécifique aux procédures de calculs requises par certains de ces schémas. Nous considérons également l'optimisation des calculs nécessaires à certaines applications possibles du chiffrement homomorphe, et en particulier la classification de données privées, de sorte à proposer des techniques de calculs innovantes ainsi que des méthodes pour effectuer ces calculs de manière efficace. L'efficacité de nos différentes méthodes est illustrée à travers des implémentations logicielles et des comparaisons aux techniques de l'état de l'art

MicroRNA regulation of the paired-box transcription factor Pax3 confers robustness to developmental timing of myogenesis

Commitment of progenitors in the dermomyotome to myoblast fate is the first step in establishing the body musculature. Pax3 is a crucial transcription factor, important for skeletal muscle development and expressed in myogenic progenitors in the dermomyotome of developing somites and in migratory muscle progenitors that populate the limb buds. Down-regulation of Pax3 is essential to ignite the myogenic program, including up-regulation of myogenic regulators, Myf-5 and MyoD. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) confer robustness to developmental timing by posttranscriptional repression of genetic programs that are related to previous developmental stages or to alternative cell fates. Here we demonstrate that the muscle-specific miRNAs miR-1 and miR-206 directly target Pax3. Antagomir-mediated inhibition of miR-1/miR-206 led to delayed myogenic differentiation in developing somites, as shown by transient loss of myogenin expression. This correlated with increased Pax3 and was phenocopied using Pax3-specific target protectors. Loss of myogenin after antagomir injection was rescued by Pax3 knockdown using a splice morpholino, suggesting that miR-1/miR-206 control somite myogenesis primarily through interactions with Pax3. Our studies reveal an important role for miR-1/miR-206 in providing precision to the timing of somite myogenesis. We propose that posttranscriptional control of Pax3 downstream of miR-1/miR-206 is required to stabilize myoblast commitment and subsequent differentiation. Given that mutually exclusive expression of miRNAs and their targets is a prevailing theme in development, our findings suggest that miRNA may provide a general mechanism for the unequivocal commitment underlying stem cell differentiation

Real time monitoring of the Bragg-peak position in ion therapy by means of single photon detection

For real-time monitoring of the longitudinal position of the Bragg-peak during an ion therapy treatment, a novel non-invasive technique has been recently proposed that exploits the detection of prompt -rays issued from nuclear fragmentation. Two series of experiments have been performed at the GANIL and GSI facilities with 95 MeV/u and 305 MeV/u 12C6+ ion beams stopped in PMMA and water phantoms. In both experiments a clear correlation was obtained between the carbon ion range and the prompt photon profile. Additionally, an extensive study has been performed to investigate whether a prompt neutron component may be correlated with the carbon ion range. No such correlation was found. The present paper demonstrates that a collimated set-up can be used to detect single photons by means of time-of-flight measurements, at those high energies typical for ion therapy. Moreover, the applicability of the technique both at cyclotron and synchrotron facilities is shown. It is concluded that the detected photon count rates provide sufficiently high statistics to allow real-time control of the longitudinal position of the Bragg-peak under clinical conditions

Functional Myogenic Engraftment from Mouse iPS Cells

Direct reprogramming of adult fibroblasts to a pluripotent state has opened new possibilities for the generation of patient- and disease-specific stem cells. However the ability of induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells to generate tissue that mediates functional repair has been demonstrated in very few animal models of disease to date. Here we present the proof of principle that iPS cells may be used effectively for the treatment of muscle disorders. We combine the generation of iPS cells with conditional expression of Pax7, a robust approach to derive myogenic progenitors. Transplantation of Pax7-induced iPS-derived myogenic progenitors into dystrophic mice results in extensive engraftment, which is accompanied by improved contractility of treated muscles. These findings demonstrate the myogenic regenerative potential of iPS cells and provide rationale for their future therapeutic application for muscular dystrophies