Towards the AlexNet Moment for Homomorphic Encryption: HCNN, theFirst Homomorphic CNN on Encrypted Data with GPUs

Deep Learning as a Service (DLaaS) stands as a promising solution for cloud-based inference applications. In this setting, the cloud has a pre-learned model whereas the user has samples on which she wants to run the model. The biggest concern with DLaaS is user privacy if the input samples are sensitive data. We provide here an efficient privacy-preserving system by employing high-end technologies such as Fully Homomorphic Encryption (FHE), Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) and Graphics Processing Units (GPUs). FHE, with its widely-known feature of computing on encrypted data, empowers a wide range of privacy-concerned applications. This comes at high cost as it requires enormous computing power. In this paper, we show how to accelerate the performance of running CNNs on encrypted data with GPUs. We evaluated two CNNs to classify homomorphically the MNIST and CIFAR-10 datasets. Our solution achieved a sufficient security level (> 80 bit) and reasonable classification accuracy (99%) and (77.55%) for MNIST and CIFAR-10, respectively. In terms of latency, we could classify an image in 5.16 seconds and 304.43 seconds for MNIST and CIFAR-10, respectively. Our system can also classify a batch of images (> 8,000) without extra overhead

Microbiological characterisation of budu, an indigenous Malaysia fish sauce

The study aimed to characterize the microbiological changes during fermentation of budu and hydrolytic properties of the isolated strains. The initial microbial load of the fish substrate was 5.13 ± 0.01 log CFU/g before decreased gradually to 3.20 ± 0.02 log CFU/g after 12 months of fermentation. Micrococcus sp was the predominant bacteria to initiate the fermentation before replacing by Staphylococcus sp that survived throughout the traditional process. Halophilic bacteria especially Micrococcus luteus and Staphylococcus arlettae exhibited good proteolytic and lipolytic activities compared to other isolated bacterial strains. However, most of the identified strains showed weak amylolytic and pectinolytic activity. Lactobacillus plantarum LP1, LP2, Staphylococcus arlettae SA1, Saccharomyces cerevisiae SC3 and Candida glabrata CG2 strains showed potential probiotic activities. These demonstrate that budu is a mixed cultures fermentation involving functional strains in hydrolyzing fish protein into solubilized liquid. Further study is suggested to focus on the selection of technologically important strains as starter cultures for reliable and enhanced budu fermentation

Achieving GWAS with Homomorphic Encryption

One way of investigating how genes affect human traits would be with a genome-wide association study (GWAS). Genetic markers, known as single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), are used in GWAS. This raises privacy and security concerns as these genetic markers can be used to identify individuals uniquely. This problem is further exacerbated by a large number of SNPs needed, which produce reliable results at a higher risk of compromising the privacy of participants. We describe a method using homomorphic encryption (HE) to perform GWAS in a secure and private setting. This work is based on a proposed algorithm. Our solution mainly involves homomorphically encrypted matrix operations and suitable approximations that adapts the semi-parallel GWAS algorithm for HE. We leverage the complex space of the CKKS encryption scheme to increase the number of SNPs that can be packed within a ciphertext. We have also developed a cache module that manages ciphertexts, reducing the memory footprint. We have implemented our solution over two HE open source libraries, HEAAN and SEAL. Our best implementation took $24.70$ minutes for a dataset with $245$ samples, over $4$ covariates and $10643$ SNPs. We demonstrate that it is possible to achieve GWAS with homomorphic encryption with suitable approximations

Microbiological quality and the impact of hygienic practices on the raw milk obtained from the small-scale dairy farmers in Sabah, Malaysia

The aim of this study was to investigate the raw milk hygiene and quality among the dairy farmers within Sabah area. A total of 150 raw milk samples were obtained from different dairy farmers as well as at the milk collecting center (MCC) of the Sebrang Station, Keningau. The results revealed that the bacteriology quality of raw milk was poor as the total plate count was more than 107 CFU/ml. Both the coliform (2.96 – 4.03 log CFU/ml) and Staphylococcus counts (2.73 – 3.55 log CFU/ml) were high in all tested samples. The microbial load of the raw milk increased (p<0.05) upon reaching MCC. A total of 47 samples were tested positive for the presence of E.coli while the Staphylococcus aureus was the second prevalence pathogenic bacteria (8.3-41.6%) found in this study. Only 17 raw milks were found positive with the presence of Salmonella spp, but none of the pathogenic species of E.coli O157:H7 were detected in this study. Stepwise tracer study revealed that personal hygiene of farmers and unhygienic utensils used during milking process contributed most to the bacteriology quality of raw milk. A significant reduction on microbial count was observed after the hygienic practices were introduced to the dairy farmers

Nonlinear temperature-suicide association in Japan from 1972 to 2015: Its heterogeneity and the role of climate, demographic, and socioeconomic factors.

It has been reported that suicide is associated with ambient temperature; however, the heterogeneity in this association and its underlying factors have not been extensively investigated. Therefore, we investigated the spatial and temporal variation in the temperature-suicide association and examined climatic, demographic, and socioeconomic factors that may underlie such heterogeneity. We analyzed the daily time-series data for the suicide counts and ambient temperature, which were collected for the 47 prefectures of Japan from 1972 to 2015, using a two-stage analysis. In the first stage, the prefecture-specific temperature-suicide association was estimated by using a generalized linear model. In the second stage, the prefecture-specific associations were pooled, and key factors explaining the spatial and temporal variation were identified by using mixed effects meta-regression. Results showed that there is an inverted J-shape nonlinear association between temperature and suicide; the suicide risk increased with temperature but leveled off above 24.4 °C. The nationwide relative risk (RR) for the maximum suicide temperature versus 5th temperature percentile (2.9 °C) was estimated as 1.26 (95% CI: 1.22, 1.29). The RRs were larger for females than for males (1.32 vs. 1.22) and larger for elderly people (?65 y) than for the non-elderly (15-64 y) (1.51 vs. 1.18). The RRs were larger for rural prefectures, which are characterized by smaller population, higher proportions of females and elderly people, and lower levels of financial capability and the proportion of highly educated people. The RRs were also larger in colder and less humid prefectures. These findings may help in understanding the potential mechanism of the temperature-suicide association and projecting the future risk of suicide under climate change

First direct evidence of Chalcolithic footwear from the Near Eastern Highlands

In 2008, a well preserved and complete shoe was recovered at the base of a Chalcolithic pit in the cave of Areni-1, Armenia. Here, we discuss the chronology of this find, its archaeological context and its relevance to the study of the evolution of footwear. Two leather samples and one grass sample from the shoe were dated at the Oxford Radiocarbon Accelerator Unit (ORAU). A third leather sample was dated at the University of California-Irvine Accelerator Mass Spectrometry Facility (UCIAMS). The R_Combine function for the three leather samples provides a date range of 3627–3377 Cal BC (95.4% confidence interval) and the calibrated range for the straw is contemporaneous (3627–3377 Cal BC). The shoe was stuffed with loose, unfastened grass (Poaceae) without clear orientation which was more than likely used to maintain the shape of the shoe and/or prepare it for storage. The shoe is 24.5 cm long (European size 37), 7.6 to 10 cm wide, and was made from a single piece of leather that wrapped around the foot. It was worn and shaped to the wearer's right foot, particularly around the heel and hallux where the highest pressure is exerted in normal gait. The Chalcolithic shoe provides solid evidence for the use of footwear among Old World populations at least since the Chalcolithic. Other 4th millennium discoveries of shoes (Italian and Swiss Alps), and sandals (Southern Israel) indicate that more than one type of footwear existed during the 4th millennium BC, and that we should expect to discover more regional variations in the manufacturing and style of shoes where preservation conditions permit

Prevalence of hallux valgus in the general population: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Hallux valgus (HV) is a foot deformity commonly seen in medical practice, often accompanied by significant functional disability and foot pain. Despite frequent mention in a diverse body of literature, a precise estimate of the prevalence of HV is difficult to ascertain. The purpose of this systematic review was to investigate prevalence of HV in the overall population and evaluate the influence of age and gender. METHODS: Electronic databases (Medline, Embase, and CINAHL) and reference lists of included papers were searched to June 2009 for papers on HV prevalence without language restriction. MeSH terms and keywords were used relating to HV or bunions, prevalence and various synonyms. Included studies were surveys reporting original data for prevalence of HV or bunions in healthy populations of any age group. Surveys reporting prevalence data grouped with other foot deformities and in specific disease groups (e.g. rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes) were excluded. Two independent investigators quality rated all included papers on the Epidemiological Appraisal Instrument. Data on raw prevalence, population studied and methodology were extracted. Prevalence proportions and the standard error were calculated, and meta-analysis was performed using a random effects model. RESULTS: A total of 78 papers reporting results of 76 surveys (total 496,957 participants) were included and grouped by study population for meta-analysis. Pooled prevalence estimates for HV were 23% in adults aged 18-65 years (CI: 16.3 to 29.6) and 35.7% in elderly people aged over 65 years (CI: 29.5 to 42.0). Prevalence increased with age and was higher in females [30% (CI: 22 to 38)] compared to males [13% (CI: 9 to 17)]. Potential sources of bias were sampling method, study quality and method of HV diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: Notwithstanding the wide variation in estimates, it is evident that HV is prevalent; more so in females and with increasing age. Methodological quality issues need to be addressed in interpreting reports in the literature and in future research