DiSSECT: Distinguisher of Standard & Simulated Elliptic Curves via Traits

It can be tricky to trust elliptic curves standardized in a non-transparent way. To rectify this, we propose a systematic methodology for analyzing curves and statistically comparing them to the expected values of a large number of generic curves with the aim of identifying any deviations in the standard curves. For this purpose, we put together the largest publicly available database of standard curves. To identify unexpected properties of standard generation methods and curves, we simulate over 250 000 curves by mimicking the generation process of four standards. We compute 22 different properties of curves and analyze them with automated methods to pinpoint deviations in standard curves, pointing to possible weaknesses

COVID-19 among Czech Dentistry Students: Higher Vaccination and Lower Prevalence Compared to General Population Counterparts

The restrictions on medical students’ clinical education during the COVID-19 pandemic has affected their professional readiness and often lengthened their training. These negative impacts are often considered a necessary price as clinical education is hypothesized to be associated with a high risk of pandemic spread. This work assesses this hypothesis based on COVID-19 epidemiological data among Czech dentistry students and their comparison to data of the Czech general population of similar age. We addressed two of the five Czech medical faculties (Charles University, Faculty of Medicine in Hradec Kralove and in Pilsen) providing dentistry study program with a survey. A total of 240 students participated, representing a 66.9% response rate. Over 75% of respondents participated in clinical education during the pandemic. The school environment was identified as a place of infection by only 9.8% of respondents who were aware of where they were infected. Overall, 100% of students used FFP2 respirators, and 75.3% used face shields or protective glasses while working with patients. By the end of May 2022, COVID-19 full vaccination and 1st booster rates among students were 93.8% and 54.6%, respectively, which is significantly higher (p p p = 0.015, OR 1.2, 95% CI 1.0–1.5). The combination of extensive protective measures and high vaccination against COVID-19 led to significantly lower COVID-19 prevalence among the students compared to their general population counterparts

Comparison of COVID-19 epidemic among Czech dentists and the Czech general population

Abstract Dentists are one of the professional groups most at risk for COVID-19 infection. Enhanced protective measures in dentistry have been adopted worldwide; however, it is unclear to what extent they were sufficient. To assess whether the protective measures outweighed the high infection risk, we compared COVID-19-related data between Czech dentists and the general Czech population. The data was obtained through a survey study attended by 15.8% of Czech Dental Chamber members. Data of the general population were acquired from the Czech Ministry of Health database. By the end of May 2022, COVID-19 full vaccination and 1st booster dose rates among study participants were 85.8% and 70.1%, respectively, which is significantly higher (p < 0.0001) compared to the Czech general population aged over 24 years (74.9% and 49.4%, respectively). To the same date, PCR/Antigen test verified COVID-19 prevalence among participants was 41.7%, and 49.9% among the general population (p < 0.0001). Prevalence and reinfection rates among individuals who received the 1st booster were significantly lower than among individuals without the booster or full vaccination (p < 0.0001). Persons who received the booster showed a faster return to work, shorter and different types of complications. Willingness to future vaccination was positive among 79.7% of respondents. Mandatory vaccination for healthcare workers and the general population was supported by 62.0% and 49.0%, respectively. The results showed that the high risk of COVID-19 infection associated with dentistry did not lead to higher COVID-19 prevalence among respondents compared to the general population