Optimizing scalar multiplication for koblitz curves using hybrid FPGAs

Elliptic curve cryptography (ECC) is a type of public-key cryptosystem which uses the additive group of points on a nonsingular elliptic curve as a cryptographic medium. Koblitz curves are special elliptic curves that have unique properties which allow scalar multiplication, the bottleneck operation in most ECC cryptosystems, to be performed very efficiently. Optimizing the scalar multiplication operation on Koblitz curves is an active area of research with many proposed algorithms for FPGA and software implementations. As of yet little to no research has been reported on using the capabilities of hybrid FPGAs, such as the Xilinx Virtex-4 FX series, which would allow for the design of a more flexible single-chip system that performs scalar multiplication and is not constrained by high communication costs between hardware and software. While the results obtained in this thesis were competitive with many other FPGA implementations, the most recent research efforts have produced significantly faster FPGA based systems. These systems were created by utilizing new and interesting approaches to improve the runtime of performing scalar multiplication on Koblitz curves and thus significantly outperformed the results obtained in this thesis. However, this thesis also functioned as a comparative study of the usage of different basis representations and proved that strict polynomial basis approaches can compete with strict normal basis implementations when performing scalar multiplication on Koblitz curves

CSR Maturity Model – Theoretical Framework

The article presents the author’s model of maturity of corporate social responsibility, which covers two main dimen-sions: cultural and strategic, and five levels of maturity. Each dimension contains a number of characteristics that describe it, and the description differs for each level. The cultural dimension is related to the concepts of the culture of stakeholders presented by Maon, Lindgreen and Swaen (2010), and previous proposals by Jones, Felps and Bigley (2007), and contains one variable: a stake-holder culture type. The second dimension, strategic, contains two sub-dimensions. The first one is the type of CSR (the distinction between the type of corporate social responsibility), referring to the concepts of Kourula and Halme (2008), and Rangan et al. (2012). The second sub-dimension is the sphere of influence con-cept, or the limits of corporate responsibility that it is willing to accept – based on Wood’s (2012) and Baumol’s (1970) concepts. Depending on the company’s culture of stakeholders, the type of CSR involved, and the sphere of influence involved, the enter-prise can be found at one of five levels of maturity: Elementary, Engaged, Innovative, Integrated, or Transformational.Purpose: The article is an attempt of conceptualization CSR according to a more dynamic application orientated perspective. The aim is understanding in what way the social responsibility can develop and root in the company’s management system. The use of the maturity model will allow managers to determine at what stage of CSR development their company is located.Design/methodology/approach: The research method is based on the analysis of the subject literature and evaluation of the results of the research procedure.Findings: Depending on the company’s culture of stakeholders, the type of CSR involved, and the sphere of influence involved, the enterprise can be found at one of five levels of maturity: Elementa-ry, Engaged, Innovative, Integrated, or Transformational.Research and practical limitations/implications: The presented model contains only a very general theoretical framework, but will allow for the development of the characteristics in the future and to operationalize them to give managers clear guidance as to what the company is doing well and which practices should still be implemented or further developed.Originality/value: A different conceptions of organisational development are matching with evolutionary nature of CSR. The main advantage of using the maturity model is the ability to determine at what stage of development the social responsibility of the company is located. Self-assessment with such a model provides managers with the knowledge of what the company is already doing in the field and what areas it should still pay atten-tion to possibly develop its CSR. The theoretical framework for the development of social responsibility presented in the article will also allow for further directions, in-depth empirical research, verifying the consistency of issues contained in particular char-acteristics (dimensions and levels) and the actual development of such practices in Polish companies.Paper type: working paper.Purpose: The article is an attempt of conceptualization CSR according to a more dynamic application orientated perspective. The aim is understanding in what way the social responsibility can develop and root in the company’s management system. The use of the maturity model will allow managers to determine at what stage of CSR development their company is located.Design/methodology/approach: The research method is based on the analysis of the subject literature and evaluation of the results of the research procedure.Findings: Depending on the company’s culture of stakeholders, the type of CSR involved, and the sphere of influence involved, the enterprise can be found at one of five levels of maturity: Elementa-ry, Engaged, Innovative, Integrated, or Transformational.Research and practical limitations/implications: The presented model contains only a very general theoretical framework, but will allow for the development of the characteristics in the future and to operationalize them to give managers clear guidance as to what the company is doing well and which practices should still be implemented or further developed.Originality/value: A different conceptions of organisational development are matching with evolutionary nature of CSR. The main advantage of using the maturity model is the ability to determine at what stage of development the social responsibility of the company is located. Self-assessment with such a model provides managers with the knowledge of what the company is already doing in the field and what areas it should still pay atten-tion to possibly develop its CSR. The theoretical framework for the development of social responsibility presented in the article will also allow for further directions, in-depth empirical research, verifying the consistency of issues contained in particular char-acteristics (dimensions and levels) and the actual development of such practices in Polish companies.Paper type: working paper

Wyniki analiz spektrometrycznych dwóch dzbanów fenickich z kolekcji gołuchowskiej

This paper presents results of the spectrometric analyses of two Phoenician jugs from the Gołuchów collection. A non-invasive portable X-ray fluorescence spectrometer (pXRF) has been used to determine the chemical composition of the jugs. The aim of this work was to add new results to a database of spectrometric data of Phoenician pottery from central and western Mediterranean. Good agreement obtained between the chemical results of the two jugs suggest  that they could have been made from the same clay

Effect of short- and long-time exposure to ambient air pollution on blood pressure

It has been known for a number of years that air pollution significantly increases the morbidity and mortality of people exposed. More and more research and the last two meta-analyses also showed that even a short-time increase in air pollution can raise blood pressure and long-term air pollution leads to an increase in the incidence and prevalence of arterial hypertension. The elevation of blood pressure caused by air pollution may contribute to the increase in cardiovascular diseases observed in areas affected by air pollution. This increase in blood pressure caused by air pollution can be particularly dangerous for women, the elderly, obese people and those already burdened with cardiovascular diseases

Cardiac troponin measured by a high-sensitivity assay in hypertensive patients

Thanks to the rapid advances in laboratory techniques sensitive assays for measurement of cardiac troponin level have been recently introduced, and now is possible to determine ten-fold lower concentration of troponin in blood serum than the standard method used until now. The blood level of highly sensitive cardiac troponin in hypertensive patients is higher than in healthy persons, which may indicate increased necrosis or apoptosis of cardiac cells. Elevated high-sensitivity cardiac troponin concentration is an important risk factor for future cardiovascular complications independent of many co-existing contributing factors. In particular, elevated concentration of this troponin indicates the left ventricular hypertrophy and a tendency to develop heart failure. It has also been shown that elevated concentrations of high-sensitivity troponin are more common in non-dipper patients than in those with a normal circadian pattern of blood pressure. Few studies so far indicate that currently used antihypertensive therapy only slightly lower the increase concentration of those compounds in serum

Visit-to-visit blood pressure variability and cardiovascular and kidney diseases

In healthy people and patients with hypertension, blood pressure varies between clinic visits every several days, a week, or a month apart. Although long thought to be an artifact, recent data suggest that visit-to-visit variability of blood pressure is reproducible and has independent association with cardiovascular outcomes and mortality. There currently is no consensus on how to define blood pressure variability best. The most common metric used is standard deviation of mean blood pressure, variation independent of the mean and average real variability. Blood pressure variability is higher in female, older age and patients with hypertension, with cardiovascular diseases, with diabetes mellitus and chronic kidney disease. Therefore, we are not sure if higher blood pressure variability is the only marker of arterial stiffness and consequence of end organ damage or prognostic indicator of cardiovascular events. We also do not know whether reducing blood pressure variability would reduce the risk of cardiovascular outcomes. However, the number of studies on blood pressure variability is growing exponentially and perhaps in the near future, high blood pressure variability will also be the goal of hypertension therapy.In healthy people and patients with hypertension, blood pressure varies between clinic visits every several days, a week, or a month apart. Although long thought to be an artifact, recent data suggest that visit-to-visit variability of blood pressure is reproducible and has independent association with cardiovascular outcomes and mortality. There currently is no consensus on how to define blood pressure variability best. The most common metric used is standard deviation of mean blood pressure, variation independent of the mean and average real variability. Blood pressure variability is higher in female, older age and patients with hypertension, with cardiovascular diseases, with diabetes mellitus and chronic kidney disease. Therefore, we are not sure if higher blood pressure variability is the only marker of arterial stiffness and consequence of end organ damage or prognostic indicator of cardiovascular events. We also do not know whether reducing blood pressure variability would reduce the risk of cardiovascular outcomes. However, the number of studies on blood pressure variability is growing exponentially and perhaps in the near future, high blood pressure variability will also be the goal of hypertension therapy

Sacubitril/valsartan in therapy of hypertension

In recent years a new very promising drug was introduced for the treatment of chronic heart failure. This drug, sacubitril/valsartan, prevents the clinical progression of surviving patients with heart failure more effectively than enalapril and it reduces the need for hospitalization by more than 20%. At the same time it has been shown that it reduces blood pressure particularly in patients with essential hypertension. This drug is an inhibitor of neprilysin, an enzyme that degrades natriuretic factors. Natriuretic factors (ANP, BNP, CNP) increase diuresis and natriuresis, reduce the activity of the sympathetic system, relax the blood vessels and inhibit fibrosis. Several studies have shown that sacubitril/valsartan therapy more significantly reduces blood pressure in patients with salt-sensitive or refractory to treatment hypertension than is observed with valsartan or amlodipine. Furthermore, beneficial effects of this drug on central blood pressure and renal function have been demonstrated in patients with chronic renal failure. More rarely than enalapril it leads to hyperkalaemia in patients treated simultaneously with mineralocorticoid receptor inhibitors. Sacubitril/valsartan is the first representative of a new class of drugs that inhibit neprilysin, which probably in the future will be frequently used in hypertension

Can you swallow your mother as a pill? Thoughts on antidepressant pharmacotherapy in the course of group psychotherapy

Do dziś nie jest do końca znany skomplikowany mechanizm działania leków przeciwdepresyjnych, mimo że nikt nie podważa ich skuteczności. Fascynującym obszarem badań i refleksji, bardzo przydatnym w praktyce klinicznej, może być teren na styku biochemii mózgu i reszty naszego ciała oraz psychologicznych mechanizmów, które są z jednej strony beneficjentami farmakologii, a z drugiej regulują jej efekty. Wyniki jednych z nowszych badań pokazują, że stan, który można osiągnąć po zażyciu antydepresantów z grupy SSRI, przypomina poczucie bycia w relacji z opiekuńczą — jak powiedziałby psychoterapeuta Donald Winnicott — wystarczająco dobrą matką. Jeśli uznać, że przyjmowanie substancji chemicznych wpływa na nasze uczucia, myśli, wzorce więzi, to również na nasze schematy relacyjne i w związku z tym na realne relacje w życiu. Oddziałuje więc także na prowadzoną w gabinetach psychoterapię. Proces ten wydaje się najłatwiejszy do uchwycenia tam, gdzie mamy do czynienia z bogactwem relacji — w grupie psychoterapeutycznej.To this day, the complicated mechanism of antidepressants and its effects are not fully known, although their effectiveness is not undermined. A fascinating area of research and reflection, very useful in clinical practice, may be the area at the junction of brain biochemistry and the rest of our body as well as the psychological mechanisms, which are on the one hand beneficiaries of pharmacology, and on the other hand regulate its effects. One of the more recent studies shows that the state, which can be achieved after taking SSRI antidepressants, is reminiscent of the feeling of being in a relationship with a caring — as the psychotherapist Donald Winnicott would say — good enough mother. If we accept that chemical substances affect our feelings, thoughts and relationship patterns, then they also affect our relational schemas and therefore real life relations. Thus, they also affect the way psychotherapy is conducted. This process seems to be most visible in situations where we have a wealth of relationship interaction - in group psychotherapy