6,831 research outputs found
Assessing and countering reaction attacks against post-quantum public-key cryptosystems based on QC-LDPC codes
Code-based public-key cryptosystems based on QC-LDPC and QC-MDPC codes are
promising post-quantum candidates to replace quantum vulnerable classical
alternatives. However, a new type of attacks based on Bob's reactions have
recently been introduced and appear to significantly reduce the length of the
life of any keypair used in these systems. In this paper we estimate the
complexity of all known reaction attacks against QC-LDPC and QC-MDPC code-based
variants of the McEliece cryptosystem. We also show how the structure of the
secret key and, in particular, the secret code rate affect the complexity of
these attacks. It follows from our results that QC-LDPC code-based systems can
indeed withstand reaction attacks, on condition that some specific decoding
algorithms are used and the secret code has a sufficiently high rate.Comment: 21 pages, 2 figures, to be presented at CANS 201
Analysis of reaction and timing attacks against cryptosystems based on sparse parity-check codes
In this paper we study reaction and timing attacks against cryptosystems
based on sparse parity-check codes, which encompass low-density parity-check
(LDPC) codes and moderate-density parity-check (MDPC) codes. We show that the
feasibility of these attacks is not strictly associated to the quasi-cyclic
(QC) structure of the code but is related to the intrinsically probabilistic
decoding of any sparse parity-check code. So, these attacks not only work
against QC codes, but can be generalized to broader classes of codes. We
provide a novel algorithm that, in the case of a QC code, allows recovering a
larger amount of information than that retrievable through existing attacks and
we use this algorithm to characterize new side-channel information leakages. We
devise a theoretical model for the decoder that describes and justifies our
results. Numerical simulations are provided that confirm the effectiveness of
our approach
The Energy Landscape, Folding Pathways and the Kinetics of a Knotted Protein
The folding pathway and rate coefficients of the folding of a knotted protein
are calculated for a potential energy function with minimal energetic
frustration. A kinetic transition network is constructed using the discrete
path sampling approach, and the resulting potential energy surface is
visualized by constructing disconnectivity graphs. Owing to topological
constraints, the low-lying portion of the landscape consists of three distinct
regions, corresponding to the native knotted state and to configurations where
either the N- or C-terminus is not yet folded into the knot. The fastest
folding pathways from denatured states exhibit early formation of the
N-terminus portion of the knot and a rate-determining step where the C-terminus
is incorporated. The low-lying minima with the N-terminus knotted and the
C-terminus free therefore constitute an off-pathway intermediate for this
model. The insertion of both the N- and C-termini into the knot occur late in
the folding process, creating large energy barriers that are the rate limiting
steps in the folding process. When compared to other protein folding proteins
of a similar length, this system folds over six orders of magnitude more
slowly.Comment: 19 page
Super Weyl invariance: BPS equations from heterotic worldsheets
It is well-known that the beta functions on a string worldsheet correspond to
the target space equations of motion, e.g. the Einstein equations. We show that
the BPS equations, i.e. the conditions of vanishing supersymmetry variations of
the space-time fermions, can be directly derived from the worldsheet. To this
end we consider the RNS-formulation of the heterotic string with (2,0)
supersymmetry, which describes a complex torsion target space that supports a
holomorphic vector bundle. After a detailed account of its quantization and
renormalization, we establish that the cancellation of the Weyl anomaly
combined with (2,0) finiteness implies the heterotic BPS conditions: At the one
loop level the geometry is required to be conformally balanced and the gauge
background has to satisfy the Hermitean Yang-Mills equations.Comment: 1+31 pages LaTeX, 5 figures; final version, discussion relation Weyl
invariance and (2,0) finiteness extended, typos correcte
High Energy Gamma-Ray Emission From Blazars: EGRET Observations
We will present a summary of the observations of blazars by the Energetic
Gamma Ray Experiment Telescope (EGRET) on the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory
(CGRO). EGRET has detected high energy gamma-ray emission at energies greater
than 100 MeV from more that 50 blazars. These sources show inferred isotropic
luminosities as large as ergs s. One of the most
remarkable characteristics of the EGRET observations is that the gamma-ray
luminosity often dominates the bolometric power of the blazar. A few of the
blazars are seen to exhibit variability on very short time-scales of one day or
less. The combination of high luminosities and time variations seen in the
gamma-ray data indicate that gamma-rays are an important component of the
relativistic jet thought to characterize blazars. Currently most models for
blazars involve a beaming scenario. In leptonic models, where electrons are the
primary accelerated particles, gamma-ray emission is believed to be due to
inverse Compton scattering of low energy photons, although opinions differ as
to the source of the soft photons. Hardronic models involve secondary
production or photomeson production followed by pair cascades, and predict
associated neutrino production.Comment: 16 pages, 7 figures, style files included. Invited review paper in
"Observational Evidence for Black Holes in the Universe," 1999, ed. S. K.
Chakrabarti (Dordrecht: Kluwer), 215-23
LEDAkem: a post-quantum key encapsulation mechanism based on QC-LDPC codes
This work presents a new code-based key encapsulation mechanism (KEM) called
LEDAkem. It is built on the Niederreiter cryptosystem and relies on
quasi-cyclic low-density parity-check codes as secret codes, providing high
decoding speeds and compact keypairs. LEDAkem uses ephemeral keys to foil known
statistical attacks, and takes advantage of a new decoding algorithm that
provides faster decoding than the classical bit-flipping decoder commonly
adopted in this kind of systems. The main attacks against LEDAkem are
investigated, taking into account quantum speedups. Some instances of LEDAkem
are designed to achieve different security levels against classical and quantum
computers. Some performance figures obtained through an efficient C99
implementation of LEDAkem are provided.Comment: 21 pages, 3 table
Predicting participation in group parenting education in an Australian sample: The role of attitudes, norms, and control factors
We examined the theory of planned behavior (TPB) in predicting intentions to participate in group parenting education. One hundred and seventy-six parents (138 mothers and 38 fathers) with a child under 12 years completed TPB items assessing attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control (PBC), and two additional social influence variables (self-identity and group norm). Regression analyses supported the TPB predictors of participation intentions with self-identity and group norm also significantly predicting intentions. These findings offer preliminary support for the TPB, along with additional sources of social influence, as a useful predictive model of participation in parenting education
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