Bidirectional data transformation by calculation

MAPi Doctoral Programme in Computer ScienceThe advent of bidirectional programming, in recent years, has led to the development of a vast number of approaches from various computer science disciplines. These are often based on domain-specific languages in which a program can be read both as a forward and a backward transformation that satisfy some desirable consistency properties. Despite the high demand and recognized potential of intrinsically bidirectional languages, they have still not matured to the point of mainstream adoption. This dissertation contemplates some usually disregarded features of bidirectional transformation languages that are vital for deployment at a larger scale. The first concerns efficiency. Most of these languages provide a rich set of primitive combinators that can be composed to build more sophisticated transformations. Although convenient, such compositional languages are plagued by inefficiency and their optimization is mandatory for a serious application. The second relates to configurability. As update translation is inherently ambiguous, users shall be allowed to control the choice of a suitable strategy. The third regards genericity. Writing a bidirectional transformation typically implies describing the concrete steps that convert values in a source schema to values a target schema, making it impractical to express very complex transformations, and practical tools shall support concise and generic coding patterns. We first define a point-free language of bidirectional transformations (called lenses), characterized by a powerful set of algebraic laws. Then, we tailor it to consider additional parameters that describe updates, and use them to refine the behavior of intricate lenses between arbitrary data structures. On top, we propose the Multifocal framework for the evolution of XML schemas. A Multifocal program describes a generic schema-level transformation, and has a value-level semantics defined using the point-free lens language. Its optimization employs the novel algebraic lens calculus.O advento da programação bidirecional, nos últimos anos, fez surgir inúmeras abordagens em diversas disciplinas de ciências da computação, geralmente baseadas em linguagens de domínio específico em que um programa representa uma transformação para a frente ou para trás, satisfazendo certas propriedades de consistência desejáveis. Apesar do elevado potencial de linguagens intrinsicamente bidirecionais, estas ainda não amadureceram o suficiente para serem correntemente utilizadas. Esta dissertação contempla algumas características de linguagens bidirecionais usualmente negligenciadas, mas vitais para um desenvolvimento em mais larga escala. A primeira refere-se à eficiência. A maioria destas linguagens fornece um conjunto rico de combinadores primitivos que podem ser utilizados para construir transformações mais sofisticadas que, embora convenientes, são cronicamente ineficientes, exigindo ser otimizadas para uma aplicação séria. A segunda diz respeito à configurabilidade. Sendo a tradução de modificações inerentemente ambígua, os utilizadores devem poder controlar a escolha de uma estratégia adequada. A terceira prende-se com a genericidade. Escrever uma transformação bidirecional implica tipicamente descrever os passos que convertem um modelo noutro diferente, enquanto que ferramentas práticas devem suportar padrões concisos e genéricos de forma a poderem expressar transformações muito complexas. Primeiro, definimos uma linguagem de transformações bidirecionais (intituladas de lentes), livre de variáveis, caracterizada por um poderoso conjunto de leis algébricas. De seguida, adaptamo-la para receber parâmetros que descrevem modificações, e usamo-los para refinar lentes intrincadas entre estruturas de dados arbitrárias. Por cima, propomos a plataforma Multifocal para a evolução de modelos XML. Um programa Multifocal descreve uma transformação genérica de modelos, cuja semântica ao nível dos valores e consequente otimização é definida em função da linguagem de lentes

A formal treatment of the role of verified compilers in secure computation

First online 19 November 2021Secure multiparty computation (SMC) allows for complex computations over encrypted data. Privacy concerns for cloud applications makes this a highly desired technology and recent performance improvements show that it is practical. To make SMC accessible to non-experts and empower its use in varied applications, many domain-specific compilers are being proposed.We review the role of these compilers and provide a formal treatment of the core steps that they perform to bridge the abstraction gap between high-level ideal specifications and efficient SMC protocols. Our abstract framework bridges this secure compilation problem across two dimensions: 1) language-based source- to target-level semantic and efficiency gaps, and 2) cryptographic ideal- to real-world security gaps. We link the former to the setting of certified compilation, paving the way to leverage long-run efforts such as CompCert in future SMC compilers. Security is framed in the standard cryptographic sense. Our results are supported by a machine-checked formalisation carried out in EasyCrypt. (c) 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.- Acknowledgements Jose Bacelar Almeida was partially funded by the PassCert project, a CMU Portugal Exploratory Project funded by Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia (FCT) , with reference CMU/TIC/0006/2019

Machine-checked ZKP for NP-relations: Formally Verified Security Proofs and Implementations of MPC-in-the-Head

MPC-in-the-Head (MitH) is a general framework that enables constructing efficient zero- knowledge (ZK) protocols for NP relations from secure multiparty computation (MPC) protocols. In this paper we present the first machine-checked implementations of this transformation. We begin with an EasyCrypt formalization that preserves modular structure of the original MitH construction and can be instantiated with arbitrary MPC protocols, secret sharing and commitment schemes satisfying standard notions of security. We then formalize various suitable components, which we use to obtain full-fledged ZK protocols for general relations. We compare two approaches for obtaining verified executable implementations. The first approach realizes a fully automated extraction from EasyCrypt to OCaml. The second one reduces the trusted computing base (TCB) and provides better performance for the extracted executable by combining code extraction with manual formal verification of low-level components implemented in the Jasmin language. We conclude the paper with a discussion of the trade-off between formal verification effort and performance, and also discuss how our approach opens the way for fully verified implementations of state-of the-art optimized protocols based on MitH

Características biológicas de Trichogramma pretiosum Riley, 1879 (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) sob estresse de temperatura por gerações sucessivas

The objective of this study was to evaluate the biological characteristics of Trichogramma pretiosum (Riley 1879) under room temperature and temperature stress by successive generations. The evaluation was carried out in split-plot in the time. The temperature (25 ºC – room temperature and 33 ºC – temperature stress) was the Factor 1 and the Generations (n = 15) were the Factor 2. The biological characteristics evaluated were: longevity; posterior tibia length; number of parasitized eggs; emergence; egg-adult period; sexual ratio and deformed individuals. The increase in temperature, from the first generations of T pretiosum, caused an influence in all observed variables. However, for the emergence and sex ratio variables, there was no significant difference between heat stress and control (room temperature) as of the 14th generation, which suggests an adaptability of the species. This adaptability may imply obtaining more aggressive natural enemies in relation to their host (insect pest) and consequently in the greater efficiency of biological control.O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar as características biológicas de Trichogramma pretiosum (Riley 1879) submetido a temperatura ambiente e estresse térmico por sucessivas gerações. A avaliação foi realizada em parcelas subdividida no tempo. A Temperatura (25 ºC – temperatura Ambiente e 33 ºC – estresse térmico) foi o Fator 1 e as gerações (n = 15) foram o Fator 2. As características biológicas avaliadas foram: longevidade; comprimento da tíbia posterior; número de ovos parasitados; emergência; período ovo-adulto; razão sexual e indivíduos deformados. O aumento da temperatura, provocou, desde as primeiras gerações de T pretiosum, influência em todas as variáveis observadas. Entretanto, para as variáveis emergência e a razão sexual, não houve diferença significativa entre o stress térmico e o controle (temperatura ambiente) a partir da 14 geração , o que sugere-se uma adaptalibidade da espécie. Esssa adaptabilidade podem implicar na obtenção de inimigos naturais mais agressivos em relação ao seu hospedeiro (inseto praga) e consequentemente na maior eficiência do controle biológico.&nbsp

Canagliflozin and renal outcomes in type 2 diabetes and nephropathy

BACKGROUND Type 2 diabetes mellitus is the leading cause of kidney failure worldwide, but few effective long-term treatments are available. In cardiovascular trials of inhibitors of sodium–glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2), exploratory results have suggested that such drugs may improve renal outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes. METHODS In this double-blind, randomized trial, we assigned patients with type 2 diabetes and albuminuric chronic kidney disease to receive canagliflozin, an oral SGLT2 inhibitor, at a dose of 100 mg daily or placebo. All the patients had an estimated glomerular filtration rate (GFR) of 30 to <90 ml per minute per 1.73 m2 of body-surface area and albuminuria (ratio of albumin [mg] to creatinine [g], >300 to 5000) and were treated with renin–angiotensin system blockade. The primary outcome was a composite of end-stage kidney disease (dialysis, transplantation, or a sustained estimated GFR of <15 ml per minute per 1.73 m2), a doubling of the serum creatinine level, or death from renal or cardiovascular causes. Prespecified secondary outcomes were tested hierarchically. RESULTS The trial was stopped early after a planned interim analysis on the recommendation of the data and safety monitoring committee. At that time, 4401 patients had undergone randomization, with a median follow-up of 2.62 years. The relative risk of the primary outcome was 30% lower in the canagliflozin group than in the placebo group, with event rates of 43.2 and 61.2 per 1000 patient-years, respectively (hazard ratio, 0.70; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.59 to 0.82; P=0.00001). The relative risk of the renal-specific composite of end-stage kidney disease, a doubling of the creatinine level, or death from renal causes was lower by 34% (hazard ratio, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.53 to 0.81; P<0.001), and the relative risk of end-stage kidney disease was lower by 32% (hazard ratio, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.54 to 0.86; P=0.002). The canagliflozin group also had a lower risk of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, or stroke (hazard ratio, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.67 to 0.95; P=0.01) and hospitalization for heart failure (hazard ratio, 0.61; 95% CI, 0.47 to 0.80; P<0.001). There were no significant differences in rates of amputation or fracture. CONCLUSIONS In patients with type 2 diabetes and kidney disease, the risk of kidney failure and cardiovascular events was lower in the canagliflozin group than in the placebo group at a median follow-up of 2.62 years

hnforcing ideal-world leakage bounds in real-world secret sharing MPC frameworks

We give a language-based security treatment of domain-specific languages and compilers for secure multi-party computation, a cryptographic paradigm that. enables collaborative computation over encrypted data. Computations are specified in a core imperative language, as if they were intended to be executed by a trusted-third party, and formally verified against. an information-flow policy modelling (an upper bound to) their leakage. This allows non-experts to assess the impact of performance driven authorized disclosure of intermediate values.Specifications are then compiled to multi-party protocols. We formalize protocol security using (distributed) probabilistic information-flow and prove security-preserving compilation: protocols only leak what. is allowed by the source policy. The proof exploits a natural but previously missing correspondence between simulation-based cryptographic proofs and (composable) probabilistic non-interference.Finally, we extend our framework to justify leakage cancelling, a domain-specific optimization that allows to first write an efficient specification that fails to meet the allowed leakage upper-bound, and then apply a probabilistic preprocessing that brings leakage to the acceptable range.The fourth author is financed by the COMPETE 2020 Programme within project POCI-01-0145-FEDER-006961, by the FCT within project UID/EEA/50014/2013 and grant SFRH/BPD/121389/2016. The second author is financed by Project NanoSTIMA/NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000016 through the NORTE 2020 Programme

Derechos humanos en Paraguay 2002

Tomar conciencia de la historia, la cotidiana, la nuestra y la de nuestros conciudadanos y conciudadanas, de las acciones de lucha por los derechos y las dificultades en el gozo y ejercicio de los mismos, es premisa fundamental para afirmar nuestra identidad y para proyectar nuestro futuro. Esta séptima edición del informe sobre los Derechos Humanos en Paraguay nos ayudará en esta tarea.Índice Presentación institucional 1. Introducción 2. Análisis socio-político y económico 3. Derecho a la vida 4. Derecho a la libertad, seguridad personal e in-tegridad física 5. Derecho a la protección judicial 6. Derecho a la igualdad y a la no discriminación 7. Derecho a la libertad ideológica, religiosa y de conciencia 8. Derecho a la información y a la libertad de expresión 9. Derecho a la asociación, reunión y participación 10. Derechos políticos 11. Derecho al desarrollo sostenible 12. Derecho al empleo 13. Derecho a la seguridad social 14. Derecho a la salud 15. Derecho a la seguridad alimentaria 16. Derecho a la educación 17. Derechos culturales 18. Derecho a la vivienda 19. Derechos de la infancia y la adolescencia 20. Derechos de los pueblos indígenas 21. Derecho a la paz y al desarme 22. Cumplimiento de compromisos internacionales 23. Síntesis general de las recomendaciones 24. Directorio de organizaciones asociadas a CODEHUP

A novel Sporothrix brasiliensis genomic variant in Midwestern Brazil: evidence for an older and wider sporotrichosis epidemic.

Sporotrichosis is a subcutaneous infection caused by fungi from the genus Sporothrix. It is transmitted by inoculation of infective particles found in plant-contaminated material or diseased animals, characterizing the classic sapronotic and emerging zoonotic transmission, respectively. Since 1998, southeastern Brazil has experienced a zoonotic sporotrichosis epidemic caused by S. brasiliensis, centred in the state of Rio de Janeiro. Our observation of feline sporotrichosis cases in Brasília (Midwestern Brazil), around 900 km away from Rio de Janeiro, led us to question whether the epidemic caused by S. brasiliensis has spread from the epicentre in Rio de Janeiro, emerged independently in the two locations, or if the disease has been present and unrecognized in Midwestern Brazil. A retrospective analysis of 91 human and 4 animal cases from Brasília, ranging from 1993 to 2018, suggests the occurrence of both sapronotic and zoonotic transmission. Molecular typing of the calmodulin locus identified S. schenckii as the agent in two animals and all seven human patients from which we were able to recover clinical isolates. In two other animals, the disease was caused by S. brasiliensis. Whole-genome sequence typing of seven Sporothrix spp. strains from Brasília and Rio de Janeiro suggests that S. brasiliensis isolates from Brasília are genetically distinct from those obtained at the epicentre of the outbreak in Rio de Janeiro, both in phylogenomic and population genomic analyses. The two S. brasiliensis populations seem to have separated between 2.2 and 3.1 million years ago, indicating independent outbreaks or that the zoonotic S. brasiliensis outbreak might have started earlier and be more widespread in South America than previously recognized

A novel Sporothrix brasiliensis genomic variant in Midwestern Brazil: evidence for an older and wider sporotrichosis epidemic.

Sporotrichosis is a subcutaneous infection caused by fungi from the genus Sporothrix. It is transmitted by inoculation of infective particles found in plant-contaminated material or diseased animals, characterizing the classic sapronotic and emerging zoonotic transmission, respectively. Since 1998, southeastern Brazil has experienced a zoonotic sporotrichosis epidemic caused by S. brasiliensis, centred in the state of Rio de Janeiro. Our observation of feline sporotrichosis cases in Brasília (Midwestern Brazil), around 900 km away from Rio de Janeiro, led us to question whether the epidemic caused by S. brasiliensis has spread from the epicentre in Rio de Janeiro, emerged independently in the two locations, or if the disease has been present and unrecognized in Midwestern Brazil. A retrospective analysis of 91 human and 4 animal cases from Brasília, ranging from 1993 to 2018, suggests the occurrence of both sapronotic and zoonotic transmission. Molecular typing of the calmodulin locus identified S. schenckii as the agent in two animals and all seven human patients from which we were able to recover clinical isolates. In two other animals, the disease was caused by S. brasiliensis. Whole-genome sequence typing of seven Sporothrix spp. strains from Brasília and Rio de Janeiro suggests that S. brasiliensis isolates from Brasília are genetically distinct from those obtained at the epicentre of the outbreak in Rio de Janeiro, both in phylogenomic and population genomic analyses. The two S. brasiliensis populations seem to have separated between 2.2 and 3.1 million years ago, indicating independent outbreaks or that the zoonotic S. brasiliensis outbreak might have started earlier and be more widespread in South America than previously recognized