Implementation of a security library using the trusted platform module on Mobile Agent Systems

El principal objetivo de este trabajo fin de grado, ha sido establecer e implantar un protocolo que permita la comunicación de forma segura, entre agentes móviles distribuidos a través de la red, haciendo uso de hardware criptográfico. En la actualidad, la seguridad corresponde con uno de los aspectos vitales a tener en cuenta. No existen protocolos de comunicación que hagan uso del enfoque acontecido en dicho trabajo. La solución establecida es de gran utilidad en diversos campos, tanto para empresas, así como entornos judiciales entre otros. Haciendo uso de una serie de conceptos del ´ámbito de la seguridad previamente establecidos, en concreto mediante un hardware criptográfico denominado TPM, y una serie de funcionalidades que son clave para el diseño de nuestra solución, como es por ejemplo el uso de claves asimétricas, ha sido posible implantar el nuevo enfoque determinado. Con el objetivo de utilizar dicho protocolo, se ha implementado una aplicación en java, haciendo uso del framework de desarrollo denominado Jade, abstrayendo la complejidad del proceso en base al protocolo definido. Para poner a prueba dicha aplicación, se ha establecido un posible caso practico, ligado con el entorno judicial y la cadena de custodi

Elaboración de tejas de microcemento a base de agregado reciclado - Chosica 2019

El objetivo de esta investigación es determinar cómo influye el agregado reciclado en el comportamiento mecánico y físico químico de las tejas de microcemento, esta investigación es de tipo aplicada por que depende de los resultados y el nivel de investigación es descriptivo por que busca especificar propiedades y características Durante el procedimiento, se empleó material proveniente de la trituración de escombros de construcción, se utilizó el agregado reciclado fino con cemento SOL tipo I y agua, en 2 diseños de mezclas con relación de a/c de 0.45 y 0.48 respectivamente. La norma utilizada es la norma UNE, que ha sido creada por la Asociación Española de Normalización, (Normas UNE 490 y 491) y para el ensayo de flexión se usó la Norma Técnica Peruana 339.078 y para el ensayo de durabilidad ante el ataque de sulfatos se utilizó la Norma Técnica Peruana 400.016. Las tejas fueron ensayadas a flexión inicial para evaluar su comportamiento mecánico , posterior a este ensayo se prosiguió con el ensayo de durabilidad e impermeabilidad para evaluar su comportamiento físico químico , al concluir con estos ensayo , se procedió a un último ensayo de flexión para evaluar cuanto afecto en las muestras los 2 últimos ensayos, obteniendo como resultado que las muestras del diseño de mezcla 1 a los 28 días, pasaron el ensayo de flexión inicial con cargas de : 152, 163 y 155kg y el ensayo de flexión final con cargas de: 144, 153 y 147kg y que las tejas de producción comercial echas de arcilla, si bien no cumplieron , estuvieron cerca de lo solicitado por norma , estos 2 tipos de tejas prosiguieron con los ensayos posteriores. Concluyendo que las tejas de microcemento y agregado reciclado con el diseño de mezcla 1 pasaron por los ensayos que indica la norma, con resultados satisfactorios para las ensayadas a los 28 días, con resistencia superiores a 140kg cumpliendo con la normativa europea y demostrando con esta investigación que se puede reutilizar el agregado reciclado en la elaboración de diferentes productos como son tejas, ladrillos, adoquines y en morteros

Object detection in traffic videos: an optimized approach using super-resolution and maximal clique algorithm

Funding for open access publishing: Universidad Málaga/CBUA

Improved detection of small objects in road network sequences using CNN and super resolution

The detection of small objects is one of the problems present in deep learning due to the context of the scene or the low number of pixels of the objects to be detected. According to these problems, current pre-trained models based on convolutional neural networks usually give a poor average precision, highlighting some as CenterNet HourGlass104 with a mean average precision of 25.6%, or SSD-512 with 9%. This work focuses on the detection of small objects. In particular, our proposal aims to vehicle detection from images captured by video surveillance cameras with pretrained models without modifying their structures, so it does not require retraining the network to improve the detection rate of the elements. For better performance, a technique has been developed which, starting from certain initial regions, detects a higher number of objects and improves their class inference without modifying or retraining the network. The neural network is integrated with processes that are in charge of increasing the resolution of the images to improve the object detection performance. This solution has been tested for a set of traffic images containing elements of different scales to check the efficiency depending on the detections obtained by the model. Our proposal achieves good results in a wide range of situations, obtaining, for example, an average score of 45.1% with the EfficientDet-D4 model for the first video sequence, compared to the 24.3% accuracy initially provided by the pre-trained model.This work is partially supported by the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities of Spain [grant number RTI2018-094645-B-I00], project name Automated detection with low-cost hardware of unusual activities in video sequences. It is also partially supported by the Autonomous Government of Andalusia (Spain) under project UMA18-FEDERJA-084, project name Detection of anomalous behaviour agents by deep learning in low-cost video surveillance intelligent systems. All of them include funds from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). It is also partially supported by the University of Málaga (Spain) under grants B1-2019_01, project name Anomaly detection on roads by moving cameras, and B1-2019_02, project name Self-Organizing Neural Systems for Non-Stationary Environments. The authors thankfully acknowledge the computer resources, technical expertise and assistance provided by the SCBI (Supercomputing and Bioinformatics) center of the University of Málaga. The authors acknowledge the funding from the Universidad de Málaga. I.G.-A. is funded by a scholarship from the Autonomous Government of Andalusia (Spain) under the Young Employment operative program [grant number SNGJ5Y6-15]. They also gratefully acknowledge the support of NVIDIA Corporation with the donation of two Titan X GPUs. Funding for open access charge: Universidad de Málaga / CBUA

Automate d lab eling of training data for improved object detection in traffic videos by fine-tuned deep convolutional neural networks

The exponential increase in the use of technology in road management systems has led to real-time vi- sual information in thousands of locations on road networks. A previous step in preventing or detecting accidents involves identifying vehicles on the road. The application of convolutional neural networks in object detection has significantly improved this field, enhancing classical computer vision techniques. Al- though, there are deficiencies due to the low detection rate provided by the available pre-trained models, especially for small objects. The main drawback is that they require manual labeling of the vehicles that appear in the images from each IP camera located on the road network to retrain the model. This task is not feasible if we have thousands of cameras distributed across the extensive road network of each nation or state. Our proposal presented a new automatic procedure for detecting small-scale objects in traffic sequences. In the first stage, vehicle patterns detected from a set of frames are generated automatically through an offline process, using super-resolution techniques and pre-trained object detection networks. Subsequently, the object detection model is retrained with the previously obtained data, adapting it to the analyzed scene. Finally, already online and in real-time, the retrained model is used in the rest of the traffic sequence or the video stream generated by the camera. This framework has been successfully tested on the NGSIM and the GRAM datasets.Funding for open access charge: Universidad de Málaga/CBU

Editorial: Root functional traits: From fine root to community-level variation

Artículo incluido en la sección Functional Plant Ecology[ES] Plant roots perform multiple essential functions defining plant ecological success and ecosystem functioning. For instance, roots are vital for plant nutrient and water uptake, thus regulating net primary production and nutrient cycling (Freschet et al., 2021). In the last decade, the adoption and advancement of a functional trait approach has greatly improved our understanding of root ecology, evidenced by the recent increase of global syntheses on root trait research (e.g., Freschet et al., 2018; Bergmann et al., 2020; Carmona et al., 2021; Freschet et al., 2021). However, there are still gaps and controversy in our understanding of root trait–functioning relationships (Freschet et al., 2021). Roots display a wide diversity of morphologies and symbiotic associations (i.e., with mycorrhizal fungi and rhizobium), which has made it challenging to seek general patterns across the diverse taxa that inhabit different ecological conditions worldwide (Ma et al., 2018). In this special issue, we bring together studies on root ecology that tackle important unresolved questions and emerging topics, which collectively highlight new knowledge and critical knowledge gaps in belowground ecologySIMarı́a Zambrano contract funded by the Spanish Ministry of UniversitiesSpanish Ministry of UniversitiesMinistry of Science and InnovationEuropean Union-Next Generation PlanEuropean Union FEDER fun

Linking functional composition moments of the sub-Mediterranean ecotone with environmental drivers

This article is part of the Research Topic Plant Diversity: The Key to Ecosystem Resilience in a Changing World[EN] Introduction: Functional trait-based approaches are extensively applied to the study of mechanisms governing community assembly along environmental gradients. These approaches have been classically based on studying differences in mean values among species, but there is increasing recognition that alternative metrics of trait distributions should be considered to decipher the mechanisms determining community assembly and species coexistence. Under this framework, the main aim of this study is to unravel the effects of environmental conditions as drivers of plant community assembly in sub- Mediterranean ecotones. Methods: We set 60 plots in six plant communities of a sub-Mediterranean forest in Central Spain, and measured key above- and belowground functional traits in 411 individuals belonging to 19 species, along with abiotic variables. We calculated community-weighted mean (CWM), skewness (CWS) and kurtosis (CWK) of three plant dimensions, and used maximum likelihood techniques to analyze how variation in these functional community traits was driven by abiotic factors. Additionally, we estimated the relative contribution of intraspecific trait variability and species turnover to variation in CWM. Results and discussion: The first three axes of variation of the principal component analyses were related to three main plant ecological dimensions: Leaf Economics Spectrum, Root Economics Spectrum and plant hydraulic architecture, respectively. Type of community was the most important factor determining differences in the functional structure among communities, as compared to the role of abiotic variables. We found strong differences among communities in their CWMs in line with their biogeographic origin (Eurosiberian vs Mediterranean), while differences in CWS and CWK indicate different trends in the functional structure among communities and the coexistence of different functional strategies, respectively. Moreover, changes in functional composition were primarily due to intraspecific variability. Conclusion: We observed a high number of strategies in the forest with the different communities spreading along the acquisitive-conservative axis of resource-use, partly matching their Eurosiberian-Mediterranean nature, respectively. Intraspecific trait variability, rather than species turnover, stood as the most relevant factor when analyzing functional changes and assembly patterns among communities. Altogether, our data support the notion that ecotones are ecosystems where relatively minor environmental shifts may result in changes in plant and functional compositionSIThis work was financially supported by the German Research Foundation (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft), being part of the project “the Functional Frontier among Mediterranean and Eurosiberian Plant Communities” (ECOFUMER, 441909701). ER and JG are respectively supported by a Marı́a Zambrano and a Margarita Salas fellowships funded by the Spanish Ministry of Universities and European Union-Next Generation Plan. IP acknowledges funding from a Ramón y Cajal contract (RYC2021-033081-I) funded by the Ministry of Science and Innovation and co-funded by the European Union-Next Generation Plan funded by European Union-NextGenerationE

Efecto de edulcorante a base de Stevia rebaudiana en el cultivo in vitro de Cuitlauzina pendula

In vitro culture is an alternative for the conservation of endangered orchids (Orchidaceae). The objective of this work was to determine the effect of a Stevia. rebaudiana sweetener based on the development of seedlings and pseudobulbs formation in Cuitlauzina pendula. The seeds were germinated in MS culture medium without growth regulators. The seedlings obtained were subcultured in an MS culture medium with 100% salts, 1 g l-1 activated charcoal and 0.5 ml 6-benzylaminopurine and different concentrations of the sweetener CANDEREL® stevia (5.10, 15, 20, 25 g l-1). A control containing sucrose (25 g l-1) was used as the carbon source. The height of the seedlings (cm) was measured and the presence of pseudobulbs was observed in each treatment. The presence of the sweetener in the culture medium of 5 to 25 g l-1 had no influence on the height of the seedlings. Seedlings cultured with sweetener and control with sucrose developed pseudobulbs in vitro but concentrations higher than 5 g l-1 favored the formation of these structures with respect to the control. The sweetener CANDEREL® stevia can be used as an alternative carbon source in the in vitro culture of Cuitlauzina pendula as it does not affect the height of the plants and favors the pseudobulbs formation. This is the first report where a stevia product is used as the carbon source in the in vitro culture of orchids.Keywords: carbohidrate,orchid, pseudobublsEl cultivo in vitro es una alternativa para la conservación de orquídeas (Orchidaceae) amenazadas. El objetivo de este trabajo fue determinar el efecto de un edulcorante a base de Stevia rebaudiana sobre el desarrollo de plántulas y formación de pseudobulbos en Cuitlauzina pendula. Las semillas se germinaron en medio de cultivo MS sin reguladores de crecimiento.Las plántulas obtenidas se subcultivaron en un medio de cultivo MS con las sales al 100%, 1 g l-1 de carbón activado y 0.5 ml de 6-bencilaminopurina y se adicionaron diferentes concentraciones del edulcorante CANDEREL® stevia (5,10, 15, 20, 25 g l-1). Se usó un control que contenía sacarosa (25 g l-1) como fuente de carbono. Se midió la altura de las plántulas (cm) y se observó la presencia de pseudobulbos en cada tratamiento. La presencia del edulcorante en el medio de cultivo de 5 a 25 g l-1 no tuvo influencia en la altura de las plántulas. Las plántulas cultivadas con el edulcorante y el control con sacarosa desarrollaron pseudobulbos in vitro peroconcentraciones superiores a 5 g l-1 se favoreció la formación de estas estructuras con respecto al control. El edulcorante CANDEREL® stevia puede ser utilizado como fuente alternativa de carbono en el cultivo in vitro de Cuitlauzina pendula ya que no afecta la altura de las plantas y favorece la formación de pseudobulbos. Este es el primer informe donde se utiliza como fuente de carbono un producto de stevia en el cultivo in vitro de orquídeas.Palabras clave: carbohidratos, orquídea, pseudobulbo

Pushing the limits of C3 intrinsic water use efficiency in Mediterranean semiarid steppes: responses of a drought‐avoider perennial grass to climate aridification

[EN] 1. Intrinsic water use efficiency (WUEi) reflects the trade-off between photo- synthetic carbon gain and water loss through stomatal conductance and is key for understanding dryland plant responses to climate change. Stipa tenacissima is a perennial tussock C3 grass with an opportunistic, drought- avoiding water use strategy that dominates arid and semiarid steppes across the western Mediterranean region. However, its ecophysiological responses to aridification and woody shrub encroachment, a major land-use change in drylands worldwide, are not well-understood. 2. We investigated the variations in leaf stable isotopes (δ18 O, δ13 C, δ15 N), nutrient concentrations (N, P, K), and culm water content and isotopic composition (δ18 O,δ2H) of paired pure-grass and shrub-encroached S. tenacissima steppes along a 350 km aridity gradient in Spain (10 sites, 160 individuals). 3. Culm water isotopes revealed that S. tenacissima is a shallow-rooted grass that depends heavily on recent rainwater for water uptake, which may render it vulnerable to increasingly irregular rainfall combined with faster topsoil drying under climate warming and aridification. With increasing aridity, S. tenacissima enhanced leaf-level WUEi through more stringent stomatal regulation of plant water flux and carbon assimilation (higher δ13C and δ18 O), reaching exceptionally high δ13C values (−23‰ to −21‰) at the most arid steppes. Foliar N concentration was remarkably low across sites regardless of woody shrub encroachment, evidencing severe water and N co-limitation of photosynthesis and productivity. Shrub encroachment decreased leaf P and K but did not affect S. tenacissima water status. Perennial grass cover decreased markedly with both declining winter rainfall and shrub encroachment suggesting population-level rather than individual-level responses of S. tenacissima to these changes.4. The fundamental physiological constraints of photosynthetic C3 metabolism com-bined with low foliar N content may hamper the ability of S. tenacissima and other drought-avoider species with shallow roots to achieve further adaptive improve-ments in WUEi under increasing climatic stress. A drought-avoiding water use strategy based on early stomatal closure and photosynthesis suppression during prolonged rainless periods may thus compromise the capacity of semiarid S. tena-cissima steppes to maintain perennial grass cover, sustain productivity and cope with ongoing climate aridification at the drier parts of their current distributionSISpanish Ministry of Science and Innovation, Grant/Award Number: EUR2022-134048, PRX19/00301, PID2019-107382RB-I00, CGL2013- 48753-R, CGL2010-21064, AGL- 2006-11234, PID2020-113021RA-I00, RTI2018- 098895-A-100 and RYC- 2016-20604; Fundación BBVA, Grant/ Award Number: BIOCON06/105; Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Grant/Award Number: URJC-RNT- 063-2; European Research Council, Grant/Award Number: 647038; Generalitat Valenciana, Grant/ Award Number: CIDEGENT/2018/041; National Natural Science Foundation of China, Grant/Award Number: 41801091; China Postdoctoral Science Foundation, Grant/Award Number: 2018M643542 and 2019T120868; Fundación Séneca, Grant/ Award Number: 20654/JLI/