Authenticating wireless nodes in building automation : challenges and approaches

Modern wireless nodes in building automation systems interconnect natively through the Internet Protocol (IP). As a result, the emerging coalescence of existing IT networks with networks on the field level presents many challenges. Specifically, mutual authentication of devices in an IT environment is one of the main issues. Moreover, this mutual authentication has to take place with embedded devices in the field that feature manifold constraints and require a simple but secure provisioning. The Fairhair Alliance is in the process of standardizing an autonomic secure bootstrapping process to tackle these challenges. The paper outlines this automated approach and shows the successful implementation of a real-life prototype. This demonstrates that the required cryptographic functions and procedures are feasible on a constrained low power device

The independent associations of recorded crime and perceived safety with physical health in a nationally representative cross-sectional survey of men and women in New Zealand

Objectives: We investigated associations of officially recorded crime and perceived neighbourhood safety with physical health, evaluating potential effect modification by gender. Setting: Nationally representative population-based survey in New Zealand. Participants: Individual-level data from 6995 New Zealand General Social Survey (2010–2011) participants with complete data on physical health status, perceived neighbourhood safety, sociodemographic characteristics and smoking. Crime rate for each participant's home census was estimated based on data from the New Zealand Police (2008–2010). Primary outcome measure: The Transformed Physical Composite Score from the SF-12, a physical health summary score based on self-report ranging from 0 to 100. Results: We used cluster robust multivariable regression models to examine the associations among neighbourhood crime rates, perceived neighbourhood safety and the physical health summary score. Crime rates predicted adults’ perception that it was unsafe to walk in their neighbourhood at night: for each additional crime per 100 000 residents adults were 1.9% more likely to perceive their neighbourhood as unsafe (95% CI 1.2% to 2.5%). While relatively uncommon, the rate of crime with a weapon strongly predicted perceived safety: for each additional crime per 100 000 residents in this category, adults were 12.9% more likely to report the neighbourhood as unsafe (95% CI 8.8% to 17.0%). Police-recorded violent and night crime rates were associated with worse physical health among women: for each additional crime per 100 000 residents in these category women had a 0.3 point lower physical health score (95% CIs −0.6 to −0.1 for violent crime and −0.5 to −0.1 for crime at night, gender interaction p values 0.08 and 0.01, respectively). Perceiving the neighbourhood as unsafe was independently associated with 1.0 point lower physical health score (95% CI −1.5 to −0.5). Conclusions: Gender may modify the associations of officially recorded crime rates with physical health. Perceived neighbourhood safety was independently associated with physical health

Functional aspects of root architecture and mycorrhizal inoculation with respect to nutrient uptake capacity

ACESSO via B-on: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00572-003-0254-5The aim of this research was to investigate theeffect of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) colonisation onroot morphology and nitrogen uptake capacity of carob(Ceratonia siliqua L.) under high and low nutrientconditions. The experimental design was a factorialarrangement of presence/absence of mycorrhizal fungusinoculation (Glomus intraradices) and high/low nutrientstatus. Percent AM colonisation, nitrate and ammoniumuptake capacity, and nitrogen and phosphorus contentswere determined in 3-month-old seedlings. Grayscale andcolour images were used to study root morphology andtopology, and to assess the relation between rootpigmentation and physiological activities. AM colonisationlead to a higher allocation of biomass to white andyellow parts of the root. Inorganic nitrogen uptakecapacity per unit root length and nitrogen content weregreatest in AM colonised plants grown under low nutrientconditions. A better match was found between plantnitrogen content and biomass accumulation, than betweenplant phosphorus content and biomass accumulation. It issuggested that the increase in nutrient uptake capacity ofAM colonised roots is dependent both on changes in rootmorphology and physiological uptake potential. Thisstudy contributes to an understanding of the role of AMfungi and root morphology in plant nutrient uptake andshows that AM colonisation improves the nitrogennutrition of plants, mainly when growing at low levelsof nutrients

Educazione civica, una nuova sfida nella società post-secolare

Recent change in the Constitution (articles 9 and 41) represents a challenge, questioning human and social sciences, on several points: the interdependence between human, technology, other living species and the environment; diversity and social inclusion; social inequality and justice in a new horizon that connects schools with the society at large. The intergenerational dimension that is added to gender, which is now intended in intersectional ways, contributes to value diversity, putting to the fore also a principle of future sustainability. From a cultural viewpoint, what is human or technological and what is natural is being renegotiated along a continuum, foreboding uncertainty, divisions and contrasts, in a post-secular society.A new social contract is needed, with third spaces of human sociability and knowledge, after pandemic times. This allows civic education to gain an important role in overcoming traumatic experiences, at different ages in the life-cycle, with a relational approach, as envisaged by Unesco in Reimagining our futures together (2021). It invites to treasure and sustain diversity, laicité, participation and pluralism at school, considered a vital and collaborative social institution and a centre of society, bringing together services that support the well-being of individuals, families, and communities, even in uncertain times, as we are in this interdependent.La recente modifica della Costituzione (artt. 9 e 41) rappresenta una sfida che interpella le scienze umane e sociali su alcuni punti: l’interdipendenza tra l’umano, la tecnologia, le altre specie viventi e l’ambiente; la diversità e l’inclusione sociale; la disuguaglianza e la giustizia sociale in un nuovo orizzonte che riguarda la scuola in connessione con la società. La dimensione intergenerazionale, che si aggiunge alle differenze di genere, inteso sempre più in senso intersezionale, contribuisce a valorizzare la diversità, richiamando anche un principio di sostenibilità per il futuro. Dal punto di vista culturale, cosa è umano o tecnologico e cosa è naturale viene rinegoziato secondo un continuum, in tempi incerti, forieri di divisioni e di contrasti, in una società post-secolare.È necessario un nuovo contratto sociale che apra terzi spazi di socialità umana e di conoscenza, nel post-pandemia, nelle comunità culturali. Ciò attribuisce all’educazione civica un ruolo importante nel superamento dell’esperienza traumatica, in diverse età nel ciclo di vita, con un approccio relazionale, come previsto dall’Unesco in Reimagining our futures together (2021). L’invito è a valorizzare e a sostenere la diversità, la laicità, la partecipazione e il pluralismo a scuola, considerata un’istituzione sociale vitale e collaborativa, al centro di una rete di servizi che promuovono il benessere di individui, famiglie e comunità, anche in tempi di incertezza, in quanto siamo tutti interdipendenti

遷るメタファー : アート実践によるゲニウス・ロキの探求 [要旨]

東京藝術大学令和3年

Characterisation of the Vitis vinifera PR10 multigene family

Background: Genes belonging to the pathogenesis related 10 (PR10) group have been studied in several plant species, where they form multigene families. Until now, such an analysis has not been performed in Vitis vinifera, although three different PR10 genes were found to be expressed under pathogen attack or abiotic stress, and during somatic embryogenesis induction. We used the complete genome sequence for characterising the whole V. vinifera PR10 gene family. The expression of candidate genes was studied in various non-treated tissues and following somatic embryogenesis induction by the auxin 2,4-D. Results: In addition to the three V. vinifera PR10 genes already described, namely VvPR10.1, VvPR10.2 and VvPR10.3, fourteen different PR10 related sequences were identified. Showing high similarity, they form a single cluster on the chromosome 5 comprising three pseudogenes. The expression of nine different genes was detected in various tissues. Although differentially expressed in non-treated plant organs, several genes were up-regulated in tissues treated with 2,4-D, as expected for PR genes. Conclusions: PR10 genes form a multigene family in V. vinifera, as found in birch, apple or peach. Seventeen closely related PR10 sequences are arranged in a tandem array on the chromosome 5, probably reflecting small-scale duplications during evolution. Various expression patterns were found for nine studied genes, highlighting functional diversification. A phylogenetic comparison of deduced proteins with PR10 proteins of other plants showed a characteristic low intraspecific variability. Particularly, a group of seven close tandem duplicates including VvPR10.1, VvPR10.2 and VvPR10.3 showed a very high similarity, suggesting concerted evolution or/and recent duplications

Variation in DNA methylation patterns of grapevine somaclones (Vitis vinifera L.)

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In traditional vine areas, the production should present a typicity that partly depends on the grapevine variety. Therefore, vine improvement is considered difficult because of the limited choice in the natural variability of the cultivars within the limits of their characteristics. A possibility to circumvent this problem is the use of somatic variability. <it>In vitro </it>somatic embryogenesis and organogenesis can lead to genotypic and phenotypic variations, described as somaclonal variation, that could be useful for the selection of improved grapevine genotypes.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In order to study tissue culture-induced variation of grapevine, we have analysed 78 somaclones obtained from somatic embryos of two distinct cultivars using molecular marker techniques. SSRs were only useful to verify the conservation of the microsatellite genotype between the somaclones and the respective mother clones. AFLP polymorphism between mother clones and somaclones was 1.3–2.8 times higher to that found between clones. However, a majority of the somaclones (45/78) exhibited only few changes. Seven and five somaclones of 'Chardonnay 96' and 'Syrah 174', respectively, which covered at least all polymorphic loci found in AFLP analysis were used for MSAP study. All of the 120 polymorphic fragments were found only in the somaclones. The percentage of full methylation at CCGG recognition sites was slightly higher in somaclones due to more polymorphic bands generated after cleavage by <it>Eco</it>RI/<it>Hpa</it>II. Different digestion patterns revealed different methylation status, especially different levels of de-methylation, that are the consequence of the <it>in vitro </it>culture.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>MSAP highlights DNA methylation variation in somaclones compared to mother clones and, therefore, is a powerful tool for genotypic characterisation of somatic embryo-derived grapevines. The detection of the same polymorphic bands in numerous somaclones of different cultivars suggests the possibility of hot spots of DNA methylation variation. SSR profiles of the 'Chardonnay' and 'Syrah' somaclones were the same as of the respective mother clones. The somaclones exhibited a higher AFLP variation than clones obtained via traditional clonal selection in the field. Therefore, somatic embryogenesis through <it>in vitro </it>culture technique could be useful for the selection of improved cultivars with subtle changes but conserving their main characteristics.</p

Epigenetic regulation of adaptive responses of forest tree species to the environment

Epigenetic variation is likely to contribute to the phenotypic plasticity and adaptative capacity of plant species, and may be especially important for long-lived organisms with complex life cycles, including forest trees. Diverse environmental stresses and hybridization/polyploidization events can create reversible heritable epigenetic marks that can be transmitted to subsequent generations as a form of molecular “memory”. Epigenetic changes might also contribute to the ability of plants to colonize or persist in variable environments. In this review, we provide an overview of recent data on epigenetic mechanisms involved in developmental processes and responses to environmental cues in plant, with a focus on forest tree species. We consider the possible role of forest tree epigenetics as a new source of adaptive traits in plant breeding, biotechnology, and ecosystem conservation under rapid climate chang