Privacy-Aware Processing of Biometric Templates by Means of Secure Two-Party Computation

The use of biometric data for person identification and access control is gaining more and more popularity. Handling biometric data, however, requires particular care, since biometric data is indissolubly tied to the identity of the owner hence raising important security and privacy issues. This chapter focuses on the latter, presenting an innovative approach that, by relying on tools borrowed from Secure Two Party Computation (STPC) theory, permits to process the biometric data in encrypted form, thus eliminating any risk that private biometric information is leaked during an identification process. The basic concepts behind STPC are reviewed together with the basic cryptographic primitives needed to achieve privacy-aware processing of biometric data in a STPC context. The two main approaches proposed so far, namely homomorphic encryption and garbled circuits, are discussed and the way such techniques can be used to develop a full biometric matching protocol described. Some general guidelines to be used in the design of a privacy-aware biometric system are given, so as to allow the reader to choose the most appropriate tools depending on the application at hand

The random growth of interfaces as a subordinated process

We study the random growth of surfaces from within the perspective of a single column, namely, the fluctuation of the column height around the mean value, y(t)= h(t)-, which is depicted as being subordinated to a standard fluctuation-dissipation process with friction gamma. We argue that the main properties of Kardar-Parisi-Zhang theory, in one dimension, are derived by identifying the distribution of return times to y(0) = 0, which is a truncated inverse power law, with the distribution of subordination times. The agreement of the theoretical prediction with the numerical treatment of the 1 + 1 dimensional model of ballistic deposition is remarkably good, in spite of the finite size effects affecting this model.Comment: LaTeX, 4 pages, 3 figure

Intestinal tuberculosis in a child living in a country with a low incidence of tuberculosis: a case report

Background: Relatively common in adults, intestinal tuberculosis is considered rare in children and adolescents. The protean manifestations of intestinal tuberculosis mean that the diagnosis is often delayed (sometimes even for years), thus leading to increased mortality and unnecessary surgery. The main diagnostic dilemma is to differentiate intestinal tuberculosis and Crohn’s disease because a misdiagnosis can have dramatic consequences. Case presentation: A 13-year-old Caucasian, Italian female adolescent attended the Emergency Department complaining of abdominal pain, a fever of up to 38°C, night sweats, diarrhea with blood in stool, and a weight loss of about three kilograms over the previous two months. Physical examination revealed a marked skin pallor and considerable abdominal distension with relevant discomfort in all the abdominal quadrant. Laboratory tests revealed a decreased white blood cell count with anemia and increased C-reactive protein levels. The Mantoux tuberculin skin test was negative. A chest X-ray and an abdominal ultrasonography did not reveal any significant findings. The patient underwent colonoscopy that showed diffuse mucosal congestion and significant blood loss, and laparatomy showed small bowel and colon loops with a whitish appearance. A biopsy of the ileal mucosa revealed inflammation with noncaseating granulomas possibly due to bacterial infection. Given the suspicion of an opportunistic bacterial infection in a child with chronic inflammatory bowel disease (possibly Crohn’s disease), treatment with a third-generation cephalosporin was started. However, the abdominal pain, fever and poor general condition persisted and so, after 11 days, the patient underwent total body computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging of the brain. On the basis of the radiological findings, miliary tuberculosis was suspected and bronchoscopy was performed and resulted positive for Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Miliary tuberculosis was confirmed and an effective treatment with four drugs was started. Conclusion: This case shows that the manifestations of intestinal tuberculosis can be very difficult to diagnose and mimic those of Chron’s disease. Total body computed tomography and laparotomy with an intestinal biopsy for the detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis are the means of avoid the risks of a misdiagnosis in children with unexplained chronic abdominal problems

Multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification detection of an unknown large deletion of the CREB-binding protein gene in a patient with Rubinstein-Taybi syndrome

Rubinstein-Taybi syndrome is a rare autosomal dominant congenital disorder characterized by postnatal growth retardation, psychomotor developmental delay, skeletal anomalies, peculiar facial morphology, and tumorigenesis. Mutations in the gene encoding the cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB, also known as CREBBP or CBP) on chromosome 16p13.3 have been identified. In addition, some patients with low intelligence quotients and autistic features bear large deletions. Based on these observations, we used multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification to search for large deletions affecting the CREBBP gene in a Rubinstein-Taybi syndrome patient. We identified a novel heterozygote deletion removing five exons (exons 17-21), encoding the histone acetyltransferase domain. We propose the use of multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification as a fast, accurate and cheap test for detecting large deletions in the CREBBP gene in the sub-group of Rubinstein-Taybi syndrome patients with low intelligence quotients and autistic features

Population Genetics of Franciscana Dolphins (Pontoporia blainvillei): Introducing a New Population from the Southern Edge of Their Distribution

Due to anthropogenic factors, the franciscana dolphin, Pontoporia blainvillei, is the most threatened small cetacean on the Atlantic coast of South America. Four Franciscana Management Areas have been proposed: Espiritu Santo to Rio de Janeiro (FMA I), São Paulo to Santa Catarina (FMA II), Rio Grande do Sul to Uruguay (FMA III), and Argentina (FMA IV). Further genetic studies distinguished additional populations within these FMAs. We analyzed the population structure, phylogeography, and demographic history in the southernmost portion of the species range. From the analysis of mitochondrial DNA control region sequences, 5 novel haplotypes were found, totalizing 60 haplotypes for the entire distribution range. The haplotype network did not show an apparent phylogeographical signal for the southern FMAs. Two populations were identified: Monte Hermoso (MH) and Necochea (NC)+Claromecó (CL)+Río Negro (RN). The low levels of genetic variability, the relative constant size over time, and the low levels of gene flow may indicate that MH has been colonized by a few maternal lineages and became isolated from geographically close populations. The apparent increase in NC+CL+RN size would be consistent with the higher genetic variability found, since genetic diversity is generally higher in older and expanding populations. Additionally, RN may have experienced a recent split from CL and NC; current high levels of gene flow may be occurring between the latter ones. FMA IV would comprise four franciscana dolphin populations: Samborombón West+Samborombón South, Cabo San Antonio+Buenos Aires East, NC+CL+Buenos Aires Southwest+RN and MH. Results achieved in this study need to be taken into account in order to ensure the long-term survival of the species.Fil: Gariboldi, María Constanza. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Maimónides. Área de Investigaciones Biomédicas y Biotecnológicas. Centro de Estudios Biomédicos, Biotecnológicos, Ambientales y de Diagnóstico; ArgentinaFil: Tunez, Juan Ignacio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Luján; ArgentinaFil: Dejean, Cristina Beatriz. Universidad Maimónides. Área de Investigaciones Biomédicas y Biotecnológicas. Centro de Estudios Biomédicos, Biotecnológicos, Ambientales y de Diagnóstico; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Filosofía y Letras. Instituto de Ciencias Antropológicas. Sección Antropología Biológica; ArgentinaFil: Failla, Mauricio. Fundación Cethus; ArgentinaFil: Vitullo, Alfredo Daniel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Maimónides. Área de Investigaciones Biomédicas y Biotecnológicas. Centro de Estudios Biomédicos, Biotecnológicos, Ambientales y de Diagnóstico; ArgentinaFil: Negri, Maria Fernanda. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales ; ArgentinaFil: Cappozzo, Humberto Luis. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Maimónides. Área de Investigaciones Biomédicas y Biotecnológicas. Centro de Estudios Biomédicos, Biotecnológicos, Ambientales y de Diagnóstico; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales ; Argentin

Oral temozolomide in heavily pre-treated brain metastases from non-small cell lung cancer: phase II study

Introduction: The primary tumour type most likely to metastasize to the brain is lung cancer. In heavily pre-treated patients, limited therapeutic option is available and the results of availability therapies reported in literature are disappointing. The present phase II study was designed to assess the efficacy and safety of temozolomide (TMZ) as palliative treatment for brain metastases (BrM) in NSCLC patients pre-treated with WBRT and at least one line of chemotherapy for metastatic brain disease. Material and methods: Temozolomide was administered orally at 150 mg/mq/day for five consecutive days for the first cycle, doses were increased to 200 mg/mq/day for 5 days every 28 days for subsequent cycles if no grade 3/4 haematological toxicity was observed. Eligibility criteria included cytological or histological confirmed NSCLC; BrM, recurrent or progressing after WBRT and at least one line of chemotherapy. A total of 30 consecutive patients entered the study and received the allocated treatment. Results: Three patients (10%) achieved an objective response (OR) of BrM with two complete remission. Stable disease and progressive disease were achieved in 3 (10%) and 24 patients (80%), respectively. A correlation between response to TMZ and sensitivity to the previous first line chemotherapy was reported. Time to progression and overall survival were examined both for responder patients and for all included patients. For long-term survivors, we considered the patients who survived >12 months after the start of TMZ. According to this definition, three patients resulted long-term survivors: 2 with OR and 1 with stable brain disease. No grades 3 or 4 toxicity occurred. The total of treatment-related adverse events were mild or moderate (G1-2) in intensity. No patients discontinued TMZ as a result of treatment-related toxicity. Discussion: The results of the present trial clearly demonstrates that TMZ is active and safe in BrM NSCLC patients previously treated with WBRT and at least one line of chemotherapy. © 2005 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved

How does the substrate affect the Raman and excited state spectra of a carbon nanotube?

We study the optical properties of a single, semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotube (CNT) that is partially suspended across a trench and partially supported by a SiO2-substrate. By tuning the laser excitation energy across the E33 excitonic resonance of the suspended CNT segment, the scattering intensities of the principal Raman transitions, the radial breathing mode (RBM), the G-mode and the D-mode show strong resonance enhancement of up to three orders of magnitude. In the supported part of the CNT, despite a loss of Raman scattering intensity of up to two orders of magnitude, we recover the E33 excitonic resonance suffering a substrate-induced red shift of 50 meV. The peak intensity ratio between G-band and D-band is highly sensitive to the presence of the substrate and varies by one order of magnitude, demonstrating the much higher defect density in the supported CNT segments. By comparing the E33 resonance spectra measured by Raman excitation spectroscopy and photoluminescence (PL) excitation spectroscopy in the suspended CNT segment, we observe that the peak energy in the PL excitation spectrum is red-shifted by 40 meV. This shift is associated with the energy difference between the localized exciton dominating the PL excitation spectrum and the free exciton giving rise to the Raman excitation spectrum. High-resolution Raman spectra reveal substrate-induced symmetry breaking, as evidenced by the appearance of additional peaks in the strongly broadened Raman G band. Laser-induced line shifts of RBM and G band measured on the suspended CNT segment are both linear as a function of the laser excitation power. Stokes/anti-Stokes measurements, however, reveal an increase of the G phonon population while the RBM phonon population is rather independent of the laser excitation power.Comment: Revised manuscript, 20 pages, 8 figure

Proposal for the wild grapevine (Vitis vinifera L. subsp. sylvestris (Gmelin) Hegi) conservation in the European countries

Annex