Abstract: The invention provides a method for classifying the gut inflammation status of an avian subject or of a group of avian subjects to be tested, the method comprising the comparison of the average methylation levels within a panel of pre-selected LMRs in the genomic DNA isolated from gut sample material deriving from the individual avian subject or of the group of avian subjects to be tested with the average methylation levels of the same panel of LMRs in the genomic DNA pertaining to one or more reference samples having a negative gut inflammation status.

Abstract: The invention pertains to a method for the identification of the geographic origin of an individual test subject or of an individual group of test subjects, the method comprising the comparison of a test methylation profile obtained from genomic material of the individual test subject or of the individual group of test subjects with one or more predetermined reference methylation profiles each being specific for a distinct geographic origin.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for detecting C. perfringens induced diseases in animals, the method comprising: a) collecting sample material of a specific animal or of a specific group of animals at consecutive points in time; b) determining the amount of a first marker and a second marker contained in the sample material; and c) determining the ratio of the first marker to the second marker contained in the sample material; wherein the first marker comprises a polynucleotide sequence being specific for the C. perfringens sub-species inducing the targeted disease; and the second marker comprises a polynucleotide being specific for the species C. perfringens; and wherein an increase in the ratio of the first marker to the second marker in the analyzed sample material over time is an indication of the targeted disease.

Abstract: The invention pertains to an in vitro method for predicting the chronological age of healthy Galliformes, the method comprising the steps of: (a.) obtaining genomic DNA from biological sample material deriving from the Galliformes subject or from the Galliformes population to be tested, (b.) determining the methylation level of a set of specific CpG sites in the genomic Galliformes DNA obtained in step (a.), and (c.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method of establishing an epigenetic clock for an avian species including: (a) identifying and determining methylation levels of specific CpG sites within a genomic DNA obtained from a plurality of different biological sample materials deriving from the avian species and representing specific time points within a chronological lifespan of the avian species, (b) excluding all CpG sites associated with single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from the CpG sites identified in (a), (c) excluding all CpG sites located on sex chromosomes from the CpG sites obtained in (b), (d) performing a tissue-specific normalization for the CpG sites obtained in (c), and (e) correlating the CpG methylation levels of the CpG sites obtained in (d) with chronological age with a penalized regression model.

Abstract: The invention provides a method of establishing a chicken methylation clock comprising: (a) determining the methylation ratio and the read coverage of the genomic CpG sites of an age-correlated training sample of a specific chicken tissue; (b) defining a set of CpG sites having reliable methylation ratios in all training samples of step (a) using a cutoff value; and (c) performing a penalized regression using the methylation ratios of step (b) as input and the age correlated to the training sample as dependent variable, by applying a penalized regression model; thereby obtaining a set of CpG sites with corresponding weighting factors and intercept of the linear model equation as parameters defining the chicken methylation clock.

Abstract: The invention pertains to a method for determining the risk of an Avian Pathogenic E. coli (APEC) infection in an avian flock, the method comprising determining the quantitative ratios of the amount of specific virulence factors (VF), each with respect to the amount of E. coli reference gene is ybbW (SEQ ID NO: 6) or functional fragments thereof, in a pooled sample deriving from the avian flock, wherein the specific virulence factors include at least the genes iroN (SEQ ID NO.: 1) and ompT (SEQ ID NO: 2) or functional fragments thereof.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for detecting C. perfringens induced diseases in animals, the method comprising: a) collecting sample material of a specific animal or of a specific group of animals at consecutive points in time; b) determining the amount of a first marker and a second marker contained in the sample material; and c) determining the ratio of the first marker to the second marker contained in the sample material; wherein the first marker comprises a polynucleotide sequence being specific for the C. perfringens sub-species inducing the targeted disease; and the second marker comprises a polynucleotide being specific for the species C. perfringens; and wherein an increase in the ratio of the first marker to the second marker in the analyzed sample material over time is an indication of the targeted disease.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an in vitro method for early detection of a necrotic enteritis outbreak in an avian population, the method comprising: a) collecting fecal sample material deriving from the avian population at consecutive points in time; and b) determining the ratio of the amounts of the marker genes netB to cpa, contained in the sample material obtained in step a); wherein a reversion of the ratio of the amounts of netB to cpa over time is an early indication of a necrotic enteritis outbreak.

Abstract: The present invention pertains to an in vitro method for monitoring the load of at least one pathogen in an avian population, the method comprising the following steps: collecting and pooling excremental sample material deriving from an avian population; homogenizing the pooled sample material obtained in step (a); diluting and optionally stabilizing the pooled sample material obtained in step (b) with aqueous buffer solution; lysing the cell material contained in the diluted sample material obtained in step (c); isolating nucleic acid material from the lysed sample material of step (d); detecting and quantifying at least one pathogen-specific target gene, or functional fragment thereof, contained in the nucleic acid isolate obtained in step (e); repeating steps (a) to (f) at consecutive points in time; and observing alterations in amount of the at least one pathogen specific target gene over time.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for detecting C. perfringens induced diseases in animals, the method comprising: a) collecting sample material of a specific animal or of a specific group of animals at consecutive points in time; b) determining the amount of a first marker and a second marker contained in the sample material; and c) determining the ratio of the first marker to the second marker contained in the sample material; wherein the first marker comprises a polynucleotide sequence being specific for the C. perfringens sub-species inducing the targeted disease; and the second marker comprises a polynucleotide being specific for the species C. perfringens; and wherein an increase in the ratio of the first marker to the second marker in the analyzed sample material over time is an indication of the targeted disease.

Abstract: A white-box system and method for producing a digital signature of a message m, including: a white-box implementation of a symmetric cipher configured to produce a deterministic nonce value by encrypting the message m using a secret key; and a digital signature algorithm configured to produce a digital signature of the message m based upon the deterministic nonce, the message m, and a secret signing key.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an in vitro method for guiding measures against the propagation of Salmonella and/or against the propagation Campylobacter in an animal flock, the method comprising i.) determining the amount of at least one marker gene being specific for Salmonella or Campylobacter in a test sample and ii.) comparing the amount of said at least one marker gene being specific for Salmonella or Campylobacter determined in the test sample with a control sample, wherein an increase in the amount of said at least one marker gene being specific for Salmonella or Campylobacter in the test sample vs. the control sample by at least a factor of two, indicates the necessity of initiating or enhancing measures against the propagation of Salmonella and/or against the propagation Campylobacter.

Abstract: A method of computing a message authentication code (MAC) for a message having a common part and an independent part using a constrained processor, including: performing a MAC function on the common part of the message using a first secret key to produce a first output; performing a pseudorandom function on the independent part of the message using a second key to produce a second output, wherein the computation time of the pseudorandom function is significantly less than the computation time of the MAC function; and combining the first output and the second output to produce a computed MAC for the message.

Abstract: A white-box system and method for producing a digital signature of a message m, including: a white-box implementation of a symmetric cipher configured to produce a deterministic nonce value by encrypting the message m using a secret key; and a digital signature algorithm configured to produce a digital signature of the message m based upon the deterministic nonce, the message m, and a secret signing key.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for embedding a tissue sample into an embedding medium. In a first step the tissue sample is held in an intended orientation in a container by means of a holding element that presses the tissue sample against a base of the container. In a further step a liquid embedding medium that has a temperature above 64 degrees Celsius, in particular in the range from 65 degrees Celsius to 67 degrees Celsius, or a temperature of 66 degrees Celsius, is poured into the container, and the base of the container is cooled.

Abstract: A method of trust provisioning a device, including: receiving, by a hardware security module (HSM), a list of instructions configured to produce trust provisioning information; performing, by the HSM, a constraint check on the list of instructions including performing a symbolic execution of the list of instructions; receiving confidential inputs; executing, by the HSM, the list of instructions on the confidential inputs when the list of instructions passes the constraint check; outputting, by the HSM, trust provisioning information.

Abstract: Embodiments utilizing secret keys for authentication and/or encrypted communication are described. In certain embodiments, authentication data is provided from a source network communication device to a target network communication device that allows a computing server to verify that the key migration is authorized by the source network communication device. The authentication data also enables the data provider and the target network communication device to independently determine a temporary key for establishing a secure communication channel between the service provider and the target network communication device and/or determine a new key for the target network communication device. In some implementations, the authentication data may be exchanged between the source and target network communication devices between offline without involvement of the computing server.

Abstract: A method of computing a message authentication code (MAC) for a message having a common part and an independent part using a constrained processor, including: performing a MAC function on the common part of the message using a first secret key to produce a first output; performing a pseudorandom function on the independent part of the message using a second key to produce a second output, wherein the computation time of the pseudorandom function is significantly less than the computation time of the MAC function; and combining the first output and the second output to produce a computed MAC for the message.

Abstract: A method of trust provisioning a device, including: receiving, by a hardware security module (HSM), a list of instructions configured to produce trust provisioning information; performing, by the HSM, a constraint check on the list of instructions including performing a symbolic execution of the list of instructions; receiving confidential inputs; executing, by the HSM, the list of instructions on the confidential inputs when the list of instructions passes the constraint check; outputting, by the HSM, trust provisioning information.