University of Guelph

About: University of Guelph is a education organization based out in Guelph, Ontario, Canada. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Gene. The organization has 26542 authors who have published 50553 publications receiving 1715255 citations. The organization is also known as: U of G & Guelph University.

VerifyNet: Secure and Verifiable Federated Learning

Abstract: As an emerging training model with neural networks, federated learning has received widespread attention due to its ability to update parameters without collecting users’ raw data. However, since adversaries can track and derive participants’ privacy from the shared gradients, federated learning is still exposed to various security and privacy threats. In this paper, we consider two major issues in the training process over deep neural networks (DNNs): 1) how to protect user’s privacy (i.e., local gradients) in the training process and 2) how to verify the integrity (or correctness) of the aggregated results returned from the server. To solve the above problems, several approaches focusing on secure or privacy-preserving federated learning have been proposed and applied in diverse scenarios. However, it is still an open problem enabling clients to verify whether the cloud server is operating correctly, while guaranteeing user’s privacy in the training process. In this paper, we propose VerifyNet, the first privacy-preserving and verifiable federated learning framework. In specific, we first propose a double-masking protocol to guarantee the confidentiality of users’ local gradients during the federated learning. Then, the cloud server is required to provide the Proof about the correctness of its aggregated results to each user. We claim that it is impossible that an adversary can deceive users by forging Proof , unless it can solve the NP-hard problem adopted in our model. In addition, VerifyNet is also supportive of users dropping out during the training process. The extensive experiments conducted on real-world data also demonstrate the practical performance of our proposed scheme.

Pigs expressing salivary phytase produce low-phosphorus manure

Abstract: To address the problem of manure-based environmental pollution in the pork industry, we have developed the phytase transgenic pig. The saliva of these pigs contains the enzyme phytase, which allows the pigs to digest the phosphorus in phytate, the most abundant source of phosphorus in the pig diet. Without this enzyme, phytate phosphorus passes undigested into manure to become the single most important manure pollutant of pork production. We show here that salivary phytase provides essentially complete digestion of dietary phytate phosphorus, relieves the requirement for inorganic phosphate supplements, and reduces fecal phosphorus output by up to 75%. These pigs offer a unique biological approach to the management of phosphorus nutrition and environmental pollution in the pork industry.

Emotional abuse in the workplace: Conceptual and empirical issues.

Abstract: Violence and harassment in the workplace have garnered substantial public and research attention in the past decade. Most attention has been focused on the more extreme forms of physical violence such as homicide and, to a lesser degree, sexual and racial harassment in the workplace. However, recent surveys of workplaces suggest there is another form of violence that is more frequent, has similar effects as physical, sexual, and racial violence, yet appears to be more socially acceptable. Emotional abuse is the term coined in this review to capture the hostile verbal and nonverbal behaviors that are not explicitly tied to sexual or racial content yet are directed at gaining compliance from others. Examples of these behaviors include yelling or screaming, use of derogatory names, the “silent treatment,” withholding of necessary information, aggressive eye contact, negative rumors, explosive outbursts of anger, and ridiculing someone in front of others. Despite increasing public awareness, systemat...