RapidUp: Multi-Domain Permutation Protocol for Lookup Tables

SNARKs for some standard cryptographic primitives tend to be plenty designed with SNARK-unfriendly operations such as XOR. Previous protocols such as [GW20] worked around this problem by the introduction of lookup arguments. However, these protocols were only appliable over the same circuit. RapidUp is a protocol that solves this limitation by unfolding the grand-product polynomial into two (equivalent) polynomials of the same size. Morevoer, a generalization of previous protocols is presented by the introduction of selectors

eSTARK: Extending STARKs with Arguments

STARK is a widely used transparent proof system that uses low-degree tests for proving the correctness of a computer program. STARK consumes an intermediate representation known as AIR that is more appropriate for programs with a relatively short and structured description. However, an AIR is not able to succinctly express non-equality constraints, leading to the incorporation of unwanted polynomials. We present the eSTARK protocol, a new probabilistic proof that generalizes the STARK family through the introduction of a more generic intermediate representa- tion called eAIR. We describe eSTARK in the polynomial IOP model, which com- bines the optimized version of the STARK protocol with the incorporation of three arguments into the protocol. We also explain various techniques that enhance the vanilla STARK complexity, including optimizations applied to polynomial computa- tions, and analyze the tradeoffs between controlling the constraint degree either at the representation of the AIR or inside the eSTARK itself

PlonKup: Reconciling PlonK with plookup

In 2019, Gabizon, Williamson, and Ciobotaru introduced PlonK – a fast and flexible ZK-SNARK with an updatable and universal structured reference string. PlonK uses a grand product argument to check permutations of wire values, and exploits convenient interactions between multiplicative subgroups and Lagrange bases. The following year, Gabizon and Williamson used similar techniques to develop plookup – a ZK-SNARK that can verify that each element from a list of queries can be found in a public lookup table. In this paper, we present PlonKup, a fully succinct ZK-SNARK that integrates the ideas from plookup into PlonK in an efficient way

Acute Heart Failure in the 2021 ESC Heart Failure Guidelines: a scientific statement from the Association for Acute CardioVascular Care (ACVC) of the European Society of Cardiology.

The current European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Heart Failure Guidelines are the most comprehensive ESC document covering heart failure to date; however, the section focused on acute heart failure remains relatively too concise. Although several topics are more extensively covered than in previous versions, including some specific therapies, monitoring and disposition in the hospital, and the management of cardiogenic shock, the lack of high-quality evidence in acute, emergency, and critical care scenarios, poses a challenge for providing evidence-based recommendations, in particular when by comparison the data for chronic heart failure is so extensive. The paucity of evidence and specific recommendations for the general approach and management of acute heart failure in the emergency department is particularly relevant, because this is the setting where most acute heart failure patients are initially diagnosed and stabilized. The clinical phenotypes proposed are comprehensive, clinically relevant and with minimal overlap, whilst providing additional opportunity for discussion around respiratory failure and hypoperfusion.F.P. has received research grants from Abbott, Becton Dickenson, Brainbox, Calcimedica, CSL Behring, Cue, Ortho Clinical Diagnostics, Relypsa, Roche, Salix, Siemens. Consultant: Abbott, Astra-Zeneca, Beckman, Bosch, Fast Biomedical, Forrest Devices, Ischemia Care, Dx, Instrument Labs, Janssen, Nabriva, Ortho Clinical Diagnostics, Osler, Relypsa, Roche, Quidel, Salix, Siemens, Upstream and has stock/ownership interests in AseptiScope Inc, Brainbox Inc, Braincheck Inc, Coagulo Inc, Comprehensive Research Associates LLC, Comprehensive Research Management Inc, Emergencies in Medicine LLC, Fast Inc, Forrest Devices, Ischemia DX LLC, Lucia Inc, Prevencio Inc, ScPharma, Trivirum Inc, Upstream Inc. E.P.’ employer has received support from Novartis for consulting work and she has consulted for scPharmaceuticals outside of the submitted work. She has received research support from the NIH (R01HL148439).S

Jardins per a la salut

Facultat de Farmàcia, Universitat de Barcelona. Ensenyament: Grau de Farmàcia. Assignatura: Botànica farmacèutica. Curs: 2014-2015. Coordinadors: Joan Simon, Cèsar Blanché i Maria Bosch.Els materials que aquí es presenten són el recull de les fitxes botàniques de 128 espècies presents en el Jardí Ferran Soldevila de l’Edifici Històric de la UB. Els treballs han estat realitzats manera individual per part dels estudiants dels grups M-3 i T-1 de l’assignatura Botànica Farmacèutica durant els mesos de febrer a maig del curs 2014-15 com a resultat final del Projecte d’Innovació Docent «Jardins per a la salut: aprenentatge servei a Botànica farmacèutica» (codi 2014PID-UB/054). Tots els treballs s’han dut a terme a través de la plataforma de GoogleDocs i han estat tutoritzats pels professors de l’assignatura. L’objectiu principal de l’activitat ha estat fomentar l’aprenentatge autònom i col·laboratiu en Botànica farmacèutica. També s’ha pretès motivar els estudiants a través del retorn de part del seu esforç a la societat a través d’una experiència d’Aprenentatge-Servei, deixant disponible finalment el treball dels estudiants per a poder ser consultable a través d’una Web pública amb la possibilitat de poder-ho fer in-situ en el propi jardí mitjançant codis QR amb un smartphone

Linkable Attribute-based Signature

Attribute-based signatures, as introduced by Maji et al. [MPR11] allow to generate anonymously a signature for a message on behalf of a signing policy. To sign a message, a private attribute that satises the signing policy has to be used. It is furthermore not possible to identify the actual signer based on the signature. Attribute-based signatures have some important properties for electronic voting, e.g., it guarantees that a vote has been submitted by an eligible voter without revealing her identity. To be fully applicable in that setting, attribute-based signatures must allow not only to determine when some signatures have been emitted by the same person, but also it has to easily detect when the signatures have been issued by dierent persons. In this thesis, we solve the aforementioned problems by constructing a linkable attribute-based signature (LABS) scheme for unbounded circuits in the random oracle model. We start by providing a generic construction of LABS schemes, where we dene both the linkability and exculpability properties. We also provide a concrete instantiation of our generic LABS construction from protocols based on lattices. We do it by introducing a new zero-knowledge proof of knowledge for proving possession of a valid signature of the lattice-based signature scheme of Boschini et al. [Bos+20]

PlonKup: Reconciliando PlonK con plookup

Article publicat al Cryptology ePrint ArchiveIn 2019, Gabizon, Williamson, and Ciobotaru introduced PlonK – a fast and flexible ZK-SNARK with an updatable and universal structured reference string. PlonK uses a grand product argument to check permutations of wire values, and exploits convenient interactions between multiplicative subgroups and Lagrange bases. The following year, Gabizon and Williamson used similar techniques to develop plookup – a ZK-SNARK that can verify that each element from a list of queries can be found in a public lookup table. In this paper, we present PlonKup, a fully succinct ZK-SNARK that integrates the ideas from plookup into PlonK in an efficient wPostprint (author's final draft

European society of cardiology - acute cardiovascular care association position paper on safe discharge of acute heart failure patients from the emergency department

Heart failure is a global public health challenge frequently presenting to the emergency department. After initial stabilization and management, one of the most important decisions is to determine which patients can be safely discharged and which require hospitalization. This is a complex decision that depends on numerous subjective factors, including both the severity of the patient’s underlying condition and an estimate of the acuity of the presentation. An emergency department observation period may help select the correct option. Ideally, during an observation period, risk stratification should be carried out using parameters specifically designed for use in the emergency department. Unfortunately, there is little objective literature to guide this disposition decision. An objective and reliable definition of low-risk characteristics to identify early discharge candidates is needed. Benchmarking outcomes in patients discharged from the emergency department without hospitalization could aid this process. Biomarker determinations, although undoubtedly useful in establishing diagnosis and predicting longer-term prognosis, require prospective validation for emergency department disposition guidance. The challenge of identifying emergency department acute heart failure discharge candidates will only be overcome by future multidisciplinary research defining the current knowledge gaps and identifying potential solutions

European Society of Cardiology - acute cardiovascular care association position paper on safe discharge of acute heart failure patients from the emergency department

Heart failure is a global public health challenge frequently presenting to the emergency department. After initial stabilization and management, one of the most important decisions is to determine which patients can be safely discharged and which require hospitalization. This is a complex decision that depends on numerous subjective factors, including both the severity of the patient’s underlying condition and an estimate of the acuity of the presentation. An emergency department observation period may help select the correct option. Ideally, during an observation period, risk stratification should be carried out using parameters specifically designed for use in the emergency department. Unfortunately, there is little objective literature to guide this disposition decision. An objective and reliable definition of low-risk characteristics to identify early discharge candidates is needed. Benchmarking outcomes in patients discharged from the emergency department without hospitalization could aid this process. Biomarker determinations, although undoubtedly useful in establishing diagnosis and predicting longer-term prognosis, require prospective validation for emergency department disposition guidance. The challenge of identifying emergency department acute heart failure discharge candidates will only be overcome by future multidisciplinary research defining the current knowledge gaps and identifying potential solutions