Abstract: A method of controlling a drive motor for a powered ankle exoskeleton is disclosed. The method includes modeling motor drive current as a linear function of desired torque and ankle angular velocity, and then controlling motor current as a function of measured torque and determined ankle angular velocity.

Abstract: The performance of quantum key distribution by systems and methods that use wavelength division multiplexing and encode information using both wavelength and polarization of photons of two or more wavelengths. Multi-wavelength polarization state encoding schemes allow ternary-coded digits, quaternary-coded digits and higher-radix digits to be represented by single photons. Information expressed in a first radix can be encoded in a higher radix and combined with a string of key values to produce a datastream having all allowed digit values of that radix in a manner that allows eavesdropping to be detected without requiring the sender and receiver to exchange additional information after transmission of the information.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide a method of reducing colonization of a subject's anterior nares and/or nasal cavity by a microorganism (e.g., Staphylococcus aureus). In some aspects, the method may include administering a pharmaceutical composition to the subject, wherein the pharmaceutical composition comprises a therapeutically effective amount of at least one probiotic.

Abstract: Systems and methods for symmetric encryption between a client and a server device include a client device having an array of physical unclonable function devices and a server device storing information sufficient to reconstruct responses of the devices to an applied stimulus such as varying levels of electrical current. The server shares a challenge with the client, which measures characteristics such as electrical resistances for a subset of the devices according to instructions extracted from the challenge. The client measures a corresponding reference device in the array for each device of the subset and assigns a value determined based on a comparison of each device with the corresponding reference device to generate a cryptographic key. The server calculates an expected response of the client to the challenge according to a model of the devices in the array, and uses the calculated response to generate the key independently.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to implementations of physically unclonable functions (PUFs) for cryptographic and authentication purposes. Specifically, the disclosure describes implementations of systems using PUFs that may replace existing public key infrastructures (PKIs).

Abstract: The invention disclosed herein generally relates to genotyping one or more single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) to stratify cancer risk and/or prognosis.

Abstract: Computing systems with dynamic architectures may be used to secure against code-injection attacks and other exploits. A system may generate multiple representations of instructions or other data associated with each of a set of configurations of the system. The system may periodically or randomly change configurations such that malicious code that is executable in one configuration cannot be executed in another configuration. A system may also detect malicious code by comparing code previously generated in one representation with different representations of the same code. If, during execution of a representation of a program code, the system determines that the representation specifies instructions that differ from other representations of the same program code, they system may stop executing the compromised program code, change its configuration, and continue to execute another representation of the program code that has not been compromised.

Abstract: Systems and methods for improving security in computer-based authentication systems by using physical unclonable functions are presented. A computing device used to provide authentication includes multiple arrays of physical unclonable function devices. Rather than storing user passwords or message digests of passwords, the computing device generates a message digest based on a user's credentials. A challenge response generated by measuring physical parameters of set of physical unclonable function devices specified by the message digest. The computing device can provide authentication without storing information which could be used by an attacker to compromise user credentials. Redundancy and robustness to varying loads are provided by the use of multiple PUF arrays which may be used as backups or to provide load balancing. Backdoor access may be provided to trusted parties without exposing user credentials.

Abstract: Lower-limb exoskeletons used to improve free-living mobility for individuals with neuromuscular impairment must be controlled to prescribe assistance that adapts to the diverse locomotor conditions encountered during daily life, including walking at different speeds and across varied terrain. This system employs an ankle exoskeleton control strategy that instantly and appropriately adjusts assistance to the changing biomechanical demand during variable walking. Specifically, this system utilizes a proportional joint-moment control strategy that prescribes assistance as a function of the instantaneous estimate of the ankle joint moment.

Abstract: A system and method of secure communication between computing devices based on physical unclonable functions such as memories having dissolvable conductive paths is provided. The method involves enrolling a client device, the client device having a PUF such as a pristine ReRAM. The PUF is enrolled in a secure environment by reading and storing the resistances of the PUF's addressable memory cells. The cells are categorized into “rugged” and “vulnerable” categories on the basis of their resistance, the vulnerable cells being those more likely to be permanently altered during the generations of PUF responses. The rugged cells are used for the generation of PUF responses for cryptographic key generation, but the vulnerable cells may be inspected to detect unauthorized 3rd party access to the PUF.

Abstract: The performance of quantum key distribution by systems and methods that use wavelength division multiplexing and encode information using both wavelength and polarization of photons of two or more wavelengths. Multi-wavelength polarization state encoding schemes allow ternary-coded digits, quaternary-coded digits and higher-radix digits to be represented by single photons. Information expressed in a first radix can be encoded in a higher radix and combined with a string of key values to produce a datastream having all allowed digit values of that radix in a manner that allows eavesdropping to be detected without requiring the sender and receiver to exchange additional information after transmission of the information.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of detecting Staphylococcus aureus in a subject, by contacting a sample obtained from the subject with at least one detectably labeled probe of the invention or detecting in the sample identity to a sequence of the invention. The invention is also directed to kits, microarrays and detectable Staphylococcus aureus polynucleotide probes useful in detecting the presence of Staphylococcus aureus.

Abstract: A low-power, controllable, and reconfigurable method to control weights in model neurons in an Artificial Neural Network is disclosed. Memristors are utilized as adjustable synapses, where the memristor resistance reflects the synapse weight. The injection of extremely small electric currents (a few nanoamperes) in each cell forces the resistance to drop abruptly by several orders of magnitudes due to the formation of a conductive path between the two electrodes. These conductive paths dissolve as soon as the current injection stops, and the cells return to their initial state. A repeated injection of currents into the same cell results in an almost identical effect in resistance drop. Different, stable resistance values in each cell can be controllably achieved by injecting different current values.

Abstract: The generation of “fingerprints”, also called challenge-response pairs (CRPs) of Physically Unclonable Functions (PUFs), can often stress electronic components, leaving behind traces that can be exploited by crypto-analysts. A non-intrusive method to generate CRPs based on Resistive RAMs may instead be used, which does not disturb the memory cells. The injection of small electric currents (magnitude of nanoAmperes) in each cell causes the resistance of each cell to drop abruptly by several orders of magnitudes through the formation of temporary conductive paths in each cell. A repeated injection of currents into the same cell, results in an almost identical effect in resistance drop for a single cell. However, due to the small physical variations which occur during manufacturing, the cells are significantly different from each other, in such a way that a group of cells can be used as a basis for PUF authentication.

Abstract: A computing device includes an array of addressable elements. Each addressable element is a hardware element that generates a substantially consistent response when interrogated. The device includes a processor coupled to the array of addressable elements and configured to communicate using a communication network. The processor receives a public key, and processes the public key to produce at least a set of addresses. Each address in the set of addresses identifies one or more hardware elements in the array of addressable elements. The processor generates a set of responses by interrogating the one or more hardware elements in the array of addressable elements identified by the set of addresses according to a set of reading instructions, appends the responses in the set of responses to generate a private key, receives an encrypted message and decrypts the encrypted message using the private key to generate an unencrypted message.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to implementations of physically unclonable functions (PUFs) for cryptographic and authentication purposes. Specifically, the disclosure describes implementations of systems using PUFs that may replace existing public key infrastructures (PKIs).

Abstract: Several methods may be used to exploit the natural physical variations of sensors, to generate cryptographic physically unclonable functions (PUF) that may strengthen the cybersecurity of microelectronic systems. One method comprises extracting a stream of bits from the calibration table of each sensor to generate reference patterns, called PUF challenges, which can be stored in secure servers. The authentication of the sensor is positive when the data streams that are generated on demand, called PUF responses, match the challenges. To prevent a malicious party from generating responses, instructions may be added as part of the PUF challenges to define which parts of the calibration tables are to be used for response generation. Another method is based on differential sensors, one of them having the calibration module disconnected. The response to a physical or chemical signal of such a sensor may then be used to authenticate a specific pair of sensors.

Abstract: A system includes a memory device configured to store data at addressable locations in the memory device, a physically unclonable function (PUF) device including an array of PUF elements, and a memory interface coupled to the memory device and the PUF device. The memory interface is configured to receive a request to store first data in the memory device, store the first data in the memory device at a first location of the memory device, and transmit the first data and the first location to the PUF device. The PUF device is configured to create a first challenge value using the first data and the first location, generate a first response value using the first challenge value, and store the first response value as a first data integrity tag in the memory device, wherein the first data integrity tag is associated with the first data.

Abstract: A system is configured to derive a set of encryption keys from measured device characteristics of at least one PUF device and communicate with a remote device by performing a cryptographic operation secured by the set of encryption keys. The cryptographic operation includes segmenting a first data stream into a first plurality of data stream fragments, segmenting a first data stream fragment of the first plurality of data stream fragments into a first numeric value and a second numeric value, identifying, using the first numeric value, a first encryption key of the set of encryption keys, and applying a one-way cryptographic function to the first encryption key a first number of times determined by the second numeric value to generate a transformed fragment having a value that depends on the values of the first numeric value and the second numeric value from the first data stream fragment and a value of the first encryption key.

Abstract: Systems and methods of authentication and encrypted communication between a server and client devices using independently-generated shared encryptions keys are disclosed. Client devices with arrays of physical-unclonable-function devices are respond to challenges from a server. Characteristics of the arrays are stored by the server during a secure enrollment process. Subsequently, the server issues challenges to the clients. The clients derive encryption keys from their responses to those challenges generated by the clients from characteristics of portions of the arrays specified by the challenges. The clients send messages encrypted with the client-generated encryption keys to the server. The server uses the stored characteristics to independently reproduce the client-generated encryption key. When the server-generated encryption key matches the client-generated key, the clients may be authenticated and the clients can communicate securely with the server without exchanging encryption keys.