A Verifiable Fully Homomorphic Encryption Scheme for Cloud Computing Security

Performing smart computations in a context of cloud computing and big data is highly appreciated today. Fully homomorphic encryption (FHE) is a smart category of encryption schemes that allows working with the data in its encrypted form. It permits us to preserve confidentiality of our sensible data and to benefit from cloud computing powers. Currently, it has been demonstrated by many existing schemes that the theory is feasible but the efficiency needs to be dramatically improved in order to make it usable for real applications. One subtle difficulty is how to efficiently handle the noise. This paper aims to introduce an efficient and verifiable FHE based on a new mathematic structure that is noise free

A Like ELGAMAL Cryptosystem But Resistant To Post-Quantum Attacks

The Modulo 1 Factoring Problem (M1FP) is an elegant mathematical problem which could be exploited to design safe cryptographic protocols and encryption schemes that resist to post quantum attacks. The ELGAMAL encryption scheme is a well-known and efficient public key algorithm designed by Taher ELGAMAL from discrete logarithm problem. It is always highly used in Internet security and many other applications after a large number of years. However, the imminent arrival of quantum computing threatens the security of ELGAMAL cryptosystem and impose to cryptologists to prepare a resilient algorithm to quantum computer-based attacks. In this paper we will present a like-ELGAMAL cryptosystem based on the M1FP NP-hard problem. This encryption scheme is very simple but efficient and supposed to be resistant to post quantum attacks

An improved Framework for Biometric Database’s privacy

Security and privacy are huge challenges in biometric systems. Biometrics are sensitive data that should be protected from any attacker and especially attackers targeting the confidentiality and integrity of biometric data. In this paper an extensive review of different physiological biometric techniques is provided. A comparative analysis of the various sus mentioned biometrics, including characteristics and properties is conducted. Qualitative and quantitative evaluation of the most relevant physiological biometrics is achieved. Furthermore, we propose a new framework for biometric database privacy. Our approach is based on the use of the promising fully homomorphic encryption technology. As a proof of concept, we establish an initial implementation of our security module using JAVA programming language

Pathotypic diversity of Rhynchosporium secalis (Oudem) in Tunisia

Scald, caused by Rhynchosporium secalis (Oudem), is an important disease of barley in Tunisia particularly in northern, northwestern and central parts of the country where the climate is usually cold and wet during most of the barley growing season. Pathogenic variability of the barley scald pathogen in Tunisia was determined by testing the pathogenicity of 100 isolates from 5 different regions on 19 host differentials. Pathotypic diversity was high, with 93 R. secalis pathotypes identified on two differential sets (one comprising 9 and the other 10 barley lines) containing known resistance genes. A few pathotypes comprised 2% of the isolates; however, the majorities were represented by a single isolate. None of the differential lines was resistant to all isolates. The differential cultivar “Astrix” was the least compatible with the scald pathotypes followed by the differential cultivars “Atlas” and “Abyssinia”. Compatibility of the pathotypes on “Rihane” (69%) was close to that on “Osiris” (73%) and “La Mesita” (61%). None of the pathotypes was found in all the five regions of Tunisia surveyed. Some pathotypes were specific to a single region while others were found in several regions. The incidence of pathotypes varied considerably among regions, with region 3 (northwestern Tunisia) comprising the largest number of pathotypes. Virulent pathotypes were recovered in all regions but more pathotypic variability (44%) was observed in the semi-arid region 3. Differential cultivars allowed classification of R. secalis in four virulence groups. Canonical discriminant analysis showed no apparent association between virulence and geographical origin of the populations. Pathogenic variability in R. secalis in Tunisia was found not to be associated with geographical region, hence, the necessity for deployment of different resistance sources in major barley growing areas.Key words: Rhynchosporium secalis, barley, virulence groups, pathotypic variation

Development and biodistrubition modeling of 99mTc-DTPA

Purpose: In this study, the team modeled the biodistribution and the efficiency of two 99m-technetium diethylene triamine penta acetate (99mTc-DTPA) based radiopharmaceuticals.Methods: The first radiopharmaceutical (DTPA-CNESTEN) is developed at the laboratories of the radiopharmaceutical production unit of the National Center for Nuclear Energy, Sciences and Technologies (CNESTEN-Morocco), and the second one is the commercial DTPA (DTPA-ref). Freeze-dried kits were successfully radiolabeled (radiochemical purity >95%) with the 99m Tc. Then drugs were injected to male BALB/c mice. In each 2 min, 5 min, 15 min, 1 h and 2 h time points after injections we evaluate tissue’s distributions characteristics. At the end, an automatic modeling of the data were recorded from thyroid, blood and urinary excretion kinetics and biodistribution in mice using both DTPA kits. The study aimed to extract the parameters of the function used to fit the recorded data. Results and Conclusion: the team concluded that the biodistribution of 99mTc-DTPA can be modeled using a combination of two exponential parts. Moreover, the resultant plots showed that there is strong correlation between the formula found in literature and the one derived on the basis of the fit of data sets in this study. In addition, it was found that the biodistribution behaviors of the developed kit and the commercial one were very close. The obtained results suggest that the developed DTPA has practically the same kinetics as the commercial one

Clinical and genetic data of Huntington disease in Moroccan patients

Background: Huntington's disease (HD) occurs worldwide with prevalence varying from 0.1 to 10 /100,000 depending of the ethnic origin. Since no data is available in the Maghreb population, the aim of this study is to describe clinical and genetic characteristics of Huntington patients of Moroccan origin.Methods: Clinical and genetics data of 21 consecutive patients recruited from 2009 to 2014 from the outpatient clinic of six medical centers were analyzed. Statistical analysis was performed using descriptive statistics.Results: Twenty one patients from 17 families were diagnosed positive for the IT15 gene CAG expansion. Clinical symptoms were predominantly motor (19/21). Twelve patients had psychiatric and behavioral disorders, and 11 patients had cognitive disorders essentially of memory impairment. Analysis of genetic results showed that 5 patients had reduced penetrant (RP) alleles and 16 had fully penetrant (FP) alleles. The mean CAG repeat length in patients with RP alleles was 38.4 ± 0.54, and 45.37 ± 8.30 in FP alleles. The age of onset and the size of the CAG repeat length showed significant inverse correlation (p <0.001, r = -0.754).Conclusion: Clinical and genetic data of Moroccan patients are similar to those of Caucasian populations previously reported in the literature.Keywords: Huntington disease/diagnosis, Huntington disease/epidemiology, Huntington disease/genetics, Trinucleotide repeat expansio

Clinical and genetic data of Huntington disease in Moroccan patients

Background: Huntington's disease (HD) occurs worldwide with prevalence varying from 0.1 to 10 /100,000 depending of the ethnic origin. Since no data is available in the Maghreb population, the aim of this study is to describe clinical and genetic characteristics of Huntington patients of Moroccan origin. Methods: Clinical and genetics data of 21 consecutive patients recruited from 2009 to 2014 from the outpatient clinic of six medical centers were analyzed. Statistical analysis was performed using descriptive statistics. Results: Twenty one patients from 17 families were diagnosed positive for the IT15 gene CAG expansion. Clinical symptoms were predominantly motor (19/21). Twelve patients had psychiatric and behavioral disorders, and 11 patients had cognitive disorders essentially of memory impairment. Analysis of genetic results showed that 5 patients had reduced penetrant (RP) alleles and 16 had fully penetrant (FP) alleles. The mean CAG repeat length in patients with RP alleles was 38.4 \ub1 0.54, and 45.37 \ub1 8.30 in FP alleles. The age of onset and the size of the CAG repeat length showed significant inverse correlation (p <0.001, r = -0.754). Conclusion: Clinical and genetic data of Moroccan patients are similar to those of Caucasian populations previously reported in the literature

An autosomal recessive leucoencephalopathy with ischemic stroke, dysmorphic syndrome and retinitis pigmentosa maps to chromosome 17q24.2-25.3

Background Single-gene disorders related to ischemic stroke seem to be an important cause of stroke in young patients without known risk factors. To identify new genes responsible of such diseases, we studied a consanguineous Moroccan family with three affected individuals displaying hereditary leucoencephalopathy with ischemic stroke, dysmorphic syndrome and retinitis pigmentosa that appears to segregate in autosomal recessive pattern. Methods All family members underwent neurological and radiological examinations. A genome wide search was conducted in this family using the ABI PRISM linkage mapping set version 2.5 from Applied Biosystems. Six candidate genes within the region linked to the disease were screened for mutations by direct sequencing. Results Evidence of linkage was obtained on chromosome 17q24.2-25.3. Analysis of recombination events and LOD score calculation suggests linkage of the responsible gene in a genetic interval of 11 Mb located between D17S789 and D17S1806 with a maximal multipoint LOD score of 2.90. Sequencing of seven candidate genes in this locus, ATP5H, FDXR, SLC25A19, MCT8, CYGB, KCNJ16 and GRIN2C, identified three missense mutations in the FDXR gene which were also found in a homozygous state in three healthy controls, suggesting that these variants are not disease-causing mutations in the family. Conclusion A novel locus for leucoencephalopathy with ischemic stroke, dysmorphic syndrome and retinitis pigmentosa has been mapped to chromosome 17q24.2-25.3 in a consanguineous Moroccan family

Deep Brain Stimulation in Moroccan Patients With Parkinson's Disease: The Experience of Neurology Department of Rabat

Introduction: Deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) is known as a therapy of choice of advanced Parkinson's disease. The present study aimed to assess the beneficial and side effects of STN DBS in Moroccan Parkinsonian patients.Material and Methods: Thirty five patients underwent bilateral STN DBS from 2008 to 2016 in the Rabat University Hospital. Patients were assessed preoperatively and followed up for 6 to 12 months using the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale in four conditions (stimulation OFF and ON and medication OFF and ON), the levodopa-equivalent daily dose (LEDD), dyskinesia and fluctuation scores and PDQ39 scale for quality of life (QOL). Postoperative side effects were also recorded.Results: The mean age at disease onset was 42.31 ± 7.29 years [28–58] and the mean age at surgery was 54.66 ± 8.51 years [34–70]. The median disease duration was 11.95 ± 4.28 years [5–22]. Sixty-three percentage of patients were male. 11.4% of patients were tremor dominant while 45.71 showed akinetic-rigid form and 42.90 were classified as mixed phenotype. The LEDD before surgery was 1200 mg/day [800-1500]. All patients had motor fluctuations whereas non-motor fluctuations were present in 61.80% of cases. STN DBS decreased the LEDD by 51.72%, as the mean LEDD post-surgery was 450 [188-800]. The UPDRS-III was improved by 52.27%, dyskinesia score by 66.70% and motor fluctuations by 50%, whereas QOL improved by 27.12%. Post-operative side effects were hypophonia (2 cases), infection (3 cases), and pneumocephalus (2 cases).Conclusion: Our results showed that STN DBS is an effective treatment in Moroccan Parkinsonian patients leading to a major improvement of the most disabling symptoms (dyskinesia, motor fluctuation) and a better QOL