Efficient Pairings and ECC for Embedded Systems

The research on pairing-based cryptography brought forth a wide range of protocols interesting for future embedded applications. One significant obstacle for the widespread deployment of pairing-based cryptography are its tremendous hardware and software requirements. In this paper we present three side-channel protected hardware/software designs for pairing-based cryptography yet small and practically fast: our plain ARM Cortex-M0+-based design computes a pairing in less than one second. The utilization of a multiply-accumulate instruction-set extension or a light-weight drop-in hardware accelerator that is placed between CPU and data memory improves runtime up to six times. With a 10.1 kGE large drop-in module and a 49 kGE large platform, our design is one of the smallest pairing designs available. Its very practical runtime of 162 ms for one pairing on a 254-bit BN curve and its reusability for other elliptic-curve based crypto systems offer a great solution for every microprocessor-based embedded application

On spectra and colours of synthetic stellar populations

We compiled a library of integrated properties of stellar populations called BLoIS (Basel Library of Integrated Spectra) with the help of evolutionary synthesis algorithms developed by Gustavo Bruzual and Stéphane Charlot, using the theoretical stellar spectral library called BaSeL, which was constructed by François Cuisinier, Thibault Lejeune, and Pieter Westera. By building up BLoIS we were able to study the effects of the different input parameters on the integrated properties (mainly spectra and colours) of synthetic stellar populations. We find that the slope of the Initial Mass Function (IMF) produces the largest effects, followed by the SFR, and the mass range of the IMF. Different stellar evolutionary tracks and different spectral libraries have only moderate effects. The analysis of BLoIS showed that all population spectra and most of the population colours are unique, because the metallicity characterizes the spectra in a unique way. Comparisons amongst model populations confirmed that the IMF affects the integrated spectra and colours in the most sensitive way. Furthermore, there is no absolute degeneracy between age and metallicity in BLoIS, but certain combinations of these parameters can lead to similar spectra and colours. However, we can confirm that these similarities are more pronounced at older ages and we can state that the degree of similarity depends on the position in the age-metallicity plane. As a theoretical application we developed a least-squares algorithm to derive subpopulations from a composed population spectrum. In the framework of model populations this algorithm is able to recover the individual contributions of subpopulations to the total spectrum. To put contraints on observatrions we developted Monte Carlo simulation programmes. Using those we found that the observations of old populations must be more accurate than observations of young populations in order to achieve the same confidence level in recovering the correct population

Solving the Discrete Logarithm of a 113-Bit Koblitz Curve with an FPGA Cluster

Abstract. Using FPGAs to compute the discrete logarithms of elliptic curves is a well-known method. However, until to date only CPU clus-ters succeeded in computing new elliptic curve discrete logarithm records. This work presents a high-speed FPGA implementation that was used to compute the discrete logarithm of a 113-bit Koblitz curve. The core of the design is a fully unrolled, highly pipelined, self-sufficient Pollard’s rho iteration function. An 18-core Virtex-6 FPGA cluster computed the discrete logarithm of a 113-bit Koblitz curve in extrapolated 24 days. Until to date, no attack on such a large Koblitz curve succeeded using as little resources or in such a short time frame

Evaluating 16-Bit Processors for Elliptic Curve Cryptography

Part 4: Implementations and Hardware Security 1International audienceIn a world in which every processing cycle is proportional to used energy and the amount of available energy is limited, it is especially important to optimize source code in order to achieve the best possible runtime. In this paper, we present a side-channel secure C framework performing elliptic curve cryptography and improve its runtime on three 16-bit microprocessors: the MSP430, the PIC24, and the dsPIC. To the best of our knowledge we are the first to present results for the PIC24 and the dsPIC. By evaluating different multi-precision and field-multiplication methods, and hand-crafting the performance critical code in Assembler, we improve the runtime of a point multiplication by a factor of up to 5.41 and the secp160r1 field-multiplication by 6.36, and the corresponding multi-precision multiplication by 7.91 (compared to a speed-optimized C-implementation). Additionally, we present and compare results for four different standardized elliptic curves making our data applicable for real-world applications. Most spectacular are the performance results on the dsPIC processor, being able to calculate a point multiplication within 1.7 – 4.9 MCycles

Innovative Teaching Format: Environmental Emergencies

Learning Objectives: 1. Create content that varies in teaching format and requires active engagement by a small group of residents for six twenty-minute sessions 2. Teach a variety of environmental disaster medicine topics and their subsequent workup and managementIntroduction: We present an Innovative Teaching Format (ITF) focusing on Environmental Emergencies developed during our 2021-2022 academic year at Orlando Health Emergency Medicine Residency Program, an ACGME accredited, Level 1 trauma center. The curriculum was introduced to PGY1-3 residents. Resident assessments were provided pre- and post- ITF.Curricular Design: ITF: Environmental Emergencies is designed to review six environmental medicine categories, each the focus of 20-minute small group learning sessions. Topics include snake envenomation, altitude sickness, dysbarism, lightning strike, marine envenomation, and hypothermia. Stations are designed with intent to be engaging and require active participation, as well as vary in teaching style and format. Formats included SIM sessions, virtual hiking expeditions and toxic animal encounters, tabletop discussions, and oral boards cases. Seven staff members are required for this curriculum: six expert educators for stations, and one coordinator. Pre- and post- test assessments were given to residents with a total of 18 objective content questions and a subjective self- assessment. Google Forms via a QR code was utilized for pre- and post- test assessments.Impact: We recorded 29 resident responses to our pre-test and 26 responses to the post-test. Average number of correct answers on the pre-test were 3.66/9 compared to 5.23/9 on the post-test. On a numbered scale from 1-10, residents initially reported confidence levels of 5/10 in knowledge, diagnosis, and treatment of environmental emergencies. Residents reported improvement of all categories on the post-test with a response of 7, 8, and 8 respectively. Although the ITF curriculum requires substantial preparation and many involved staff, these findings suggest those investments are worthwhile. Conclusion: Innovative Teaching Format: Environmental Emergencies is an enriching way to teach residents varying environmental emergency topics

Immunohistochemical evaluation of epithelial antigen Ber-Ep4 and CD10: new markers for endometriosis?

Early and certain diagnoses of endometriosis are mandatory to begin the correct treatment and to exclude the risk of endometriosis-associated ovarian carcinoma (EOC) and endometrial stromal sarcoma (ESS). PURPOSE OF THE STUDY: To assess the immunohistochemical expression of Ber-Ep4, an epithelial antigen, and CD10 in endometriosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-eight women underwent laparoscopic surgery for endometriosis and endometriotic samples were recovered for histology. In all surgical specimens Ber-Ep4 and CD10 were searched by an immnohistochemical method. The authors evaluated the correlations among the immunohistochemical positivity and the location of endometriosis. RESULTS: Most cases (40/48 83.34%) were represented by ovarian endometriotic cyst. Among the eight remaining cases, three (3/48, 6.25%) were pelvic endometriotic lesions, two (2/48, 4.17%) peritoneum of vesico-uterine pouch, one vaginal lesion (2.08%), one salpinx lesion (2.08%), and one inguinal location (2.08%). Ber-Ep4 and CD10 were expressed in 90% and in 100% of the ovarian lesions, respectively. In pelvic lesions Ber-Ep4 and CD10 showed both 66.67% of positivity and had the same pattern in peritoneal, salpinx, vaginal, and inguinal lesions (50%, 100%, 100%, 100%, respectively). Ber-Ep4 was negative in 6/48 (12.5%) cases whereas CDO10 was negative in 2/48 (4.17%) cases of endometriosis. The sensitivity of Ber-Ep4 and CD10 for endometriosis diagnosis were 87.50% and 95.83%, respectively. Immunohistochemistry for Ber-Ep4 showed positivity in all cases of endometriosis with typical cubic epithelium, whereas CD10 was positive in 1/2 (50%) atypical case

Semi-automated assembly of high-quality diploid human reference genomes

The current human reference genome, GRCh38, represents over 20 years of effort to generate a high-quality assembly, which has benefitted society1,2. However, it still has many gaps and errors, and does not represent a biological genome as it is a blend of multiple individuals3,4. Recently, a high-quality telomere-to-telomere reference, CHM13, was generated with the latest long-read technologies, but it was derived from a hydatidiform mole cell line with a nearly homozygous genome5. To address these limitations, the Human Pangenome Reference Consortium formed with the goal of creating high-quality, cost-effective, diploid genome assemblies for a pangenome reference that represents human genetic diversity6. Here, in our first scientific report, we determined which combination of current genome sequencing and assembly approaches yield the most complete and accurate diploid genome assembly with minimal manual curation. Approaches that used highly accurate long reads and parent-child data with graph-based haplotype phasing during assembly outperformed those that did not. Developing a combination of the top-performing methods, we generated our first high-quality diploid reference assembly, containing only approximately four gaps per chromosome on average, with most chromosomes within ±1% of the length of CHM13. Nearly 48% of protein-coding genes have non-synonymous amino acid changes between haplotypes, and centromeric regions showed the highest diversity. Our findings serve as a foundation for assembling near-complete diploid human genomes at scale for a pangenome reference to capture global genetic variation from single nucleotides to structural rearrangements