Solutions and Tools for Secure Communication in Wireless Sensor Networks

Secure communication is considered a vital requirement in Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) applications. Such a requirement embraces different aspects, including confidentiality, integrity and authenticity of exchanged information, proper management of security material, and effective prevention and reaction against security threats and attacks. However, WSNs are mainly composed of resource-constrained devices. That is, network nodes feature reduced capabilities, especially in terms of memory storage, computing power, transmission rate, and energy availability. As a consequence, assuring secure communication in WSNs results to be more difficult than in other kinds of network. In fact, trading effectiveness of adopted solutions with their efficiency becomes far more important. In addition, specific device classes or technologies may require to design ad hoc security solutions. Also, it is necessary to efficiently manage security material, and dynamically cope with changes of security requirements. Finally, security threats and countermeasures have to be carefully considered since from the network design phase. This Ph.D. dissertion considers secure communication in WSNs, and provides the following contributions. First, we provide a performance evaluation of IEEE 802.15.4 security services. Then, we focus on the ZigBee technology and its security services, and propose possible solutions to some deficiencies and inefficiencies. Second, we present HISS, a highly scalable and efficient key management scheme, able to contrast collusion attacks while displaying a graceful degradation of performance. Third, we present STaR, a software component for WSNs that secures multiple traffic flows at the same time. It is transparent to the application, and provides runtime reconfigurability, thus coping with dynamic changes of security requirements. Finally, we describe ASF, our attack simulation framework for WSNs. Such a tool helps network designers to quantitatively evaluate effects of security attacks, produce an attack ranking based on their severity, and thus select the most appropriate countermeasures

EXOME SEQUENCING APPROACH TO IDENTIFY CAUSATIVE GENES FOR AMYOTROPHIC LATERAL SCLEROSIS

Introduzione: La Sclerosi laterale amiotrofica (SLA) \ue8 una malattia neurodegenerativa progressiva e fatale caratterizzata dalla perdita selettiva dei motoneuroni nella corteccia cerebrale, nel tronco cerebrale e midollo spinale. La maggior parte dei casi \ue8 costituita da forme sporadiche, mentre solo il 5-10% dei casi \ue8 rappresentato da forme familiari, causate da geni con modalit\ue0 di trasmissione mendeliana, generalmente autosomica dominante. Sono stati identificati pi\uf9 di 20 geni causativi delle forme familiari, che hanno contribuito a comprendere meglio i meccanismi patogenetici coinvolti e sottolineano la grande eterogeneit\ue0 genetica della malattia. Nonostante i numerosi progressi raggiunti, in circa il 40% dei casi familiari la causa genetica non \ue8 stata ancora identificata, mentre la componente genetica delle forme sporadiche \ue8 in gran parte sconosciuta. L\u2019 applicazione delle tecniche di sequenziamento di nuova generazione ed in particolare il sequenziamento della porzione codificante del genoma o esoma rappresenta un approccio innovativo e promettente per gli studi genetici sulla SLA. Lo scopo del presente progetto di ricerca di Dottorato \ue8 stato quello di identificare nuovi geni associati alle forme familiari e sporadiche di SLA mediante sequenziamento dell\u2019esoma come metodo alternativo per superare i limiti delle tecniche genetiche tradizionali. Metodi: Sono state utilizzate tre diverse strategie per l\u2019identificazione di geni causativi: I) sequenziamento dell\u2019esoma in combinazione con analisi di linkage in due grandi famiglie SLA a trasmissione dominante; II) analisi per varianti rare degli esomi di 363 casi familiari singoli; III) sequenziamento dell\u2019esoma in 32 casi di SLA sporadica e dei loro genitori non affetti (approccio dei trios). Risultati: I) Attraverso l\u2019approccio combinato di sequenziamento dell\u2019esoma ed analisi di linkage, abbiamo identificato il gene PFN1 (profilina-1), codificante per una proteina implicata nella regolazione dell\u2019actina, come nuovo gene causativo di SLA. Mutazioni a carico del gene PFN1 sono state osservate nel 2,6% dei pazienti SLA familiari e gli studi funzionali condotti sui mutanti hanno dimostrato una maggiore tendenza all\u2019aggregazione, una riduzione del legame all\u2019actina ed un effetto inibitorio sulla crescita assonale. II) L\u2019analisi delle varianti rare tra casi e controlli, applicata su un totale di 12.495 geni, ha portato all\u2019identificazione di TUBA4A (codificante per lalfa-tubulina 4a) come gene candidato caratterizzato da un eccesso significativo di varianti rare potenzialmente dannose nei 363 casi familiari analizzati. L\u2019analisi funzionale ha dimostrato per i mutanti di TUBA4A una capacit\ue0 ridotta di dimerizzazione con la beta-tubulina in vitro ed un\u2019alterata incorporazione nei microtubuli in vivo. Inoltre, il mutante tronco TUBA4A p.W407X ha mostrato una maggiore tendenza all\u2019aggregazione. III) Infine, analizzando l\u2019esoma di 32 pazienti con SLA sporadica e dei loro genitori non affetti, abbiamo identificato 25 mutazioni de novo in 16 dei 32 trios analizzati, con un tasso di mutazioni de novo pari a 0,78. Non sono stati identificati geni con molteplici mutazioni de novo nei trios sequenziati, ma le analisi bioinformatiche hanno mostrato possibili connessioni tra i geni candidati e la classificazione funzionale ha rilevato che le mutazioni de novo sono principalmente a carico di geni codificanti per trasportatori o per proteine con attivit\ue0 regolatoria sulle GTPasi. Conclusioni: I risultati ottenuti hanno dimostrato che il sequenziamento dell\u2019esoma, applicato con specifiche strategie di studio e di analisi, \ue8 un approccio efficace per l\u2019identificazione di nuovi geni causativi nella SLA. La scoperta dei due geni PFN1 e TUBA4A, codificanti per proteine coinvolte nel processo di polimerizzazione dell\u2019actina e dei microtubuli, fornisce ulteriori evidenze a supporto del coinvolgimento del citoscheletro nella patogenesi della SLA.Introduction: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is an adult-onset neurodegenerative disorder caused by the loss of motor neurons in the cerebral cortex, brainstem and spinal cord. ALS occurs prevalently as sporadic forms (SALS), but a small proportion of cases (5-10%) displays a positive family history (FALS), generally with an autosomal dominant pattern of inheritance. To date, more than 20 causative genes have been identified in FALS, providing fundamental insights into the pathogenic mechanisms and underlying the great genetic heterogeneity of the disease. Despite these numerous advances, the genetic basis of nearly 40% of FALS remains to be identified, while the genetic component of SALS is largely unknown. A powerful and innovative tool for genetic studies in ALS is represented by next-generation sequencing and in particular by the targeted sequencing of the coding part of the genome or exome. Aim of this research project was to identify novel genes associated to FALS and SALS by applying complementary approaches all based on exome sequencing, which overcomes the limitations of traditional genetic strategies. Methods: Three different disease gene identification strategies were applied: I) exome sequencing associated to linkage analysis in two large ALS dominant pedigrees; II) exome-wide rare variant burden analysis on 363 unrelated index FALS cases; III) exome sequencing of 32 SALS and their unaffected parents (trio-design). Results: I) By performing exome-sequencing in combination with linkage analysis, we identified PFN1 (profilin-1), encoding for a protein regulating actin dynamics, as a novel ALS-causative gene. Mutations in PFN1 were observed in ~2.6% of FALS and functional studies demonstrated aggregation propensity, reduction of actin binding ability and axonal outgrowth inhibition of mutant PFN1 proteins. II) As a result of the unbiased case-control rare variant analysis, applied on a total 12.495 genes, we identified TUBA4A (Tubulin, Alpha 4a) as candidate gene showing a statistically significant excess of rare damaging variants in 363 index FALS cases sequenced. Functional analysis revealed that ALS-related mutants were defective in forming alpha/beta tubulin dimers in vitro and in incorporating into microtubules in vivo. In addition, the truncated mutant TUBA4A p.W407X showed aggregation propensities. III) By sequencing the exomes of 32 SALS patients and their unaffected parents, we identified 25 de novo mutations (DNMs) in 16 of 32 trios, with an overall DNM rate of 0.78. Although we did not find recurrently mutated genes in our ALS trios, bionformatic analysis showed potential inter-connections between the candidate genes. Functional classification revealed that DNMs are enriched in genes encoding for proteins involved in transport and in GTPase regulatory activity. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that exome-sequencing, combined with different strategies for study design and data analysis, is an effective and successful approach for the identification of novel ALS causative genes. The identification of PFN1 and TUBA4A genes, encoding for proteins implicated, respectively, in actin polymerization and microtubule formation, further supports a major role of cytoskeletal defects in ALS pathogenesis

Un antropólogo entre spanks: Posiciones del investigador y límites de la participación en eventos BDSM en la ciudad de Córdoba

Este artigo questiona os modos de estar do pesquisador -como um sujeito situado- em uma etnografia focada em eventos BDSM, espaços onde foram feitas práticas de bondage, dominação/submissão e sadomasoquismo. Contra o pedido expresso de um dos organizadores para fazer qualquer das atividades, interessa-me particularmente explorar os limites da participação em uma investigação interessada na produção de subjetividades e sujeições a partir de formas erótico-sociais da sociabilidade. É por isso que me pergunto, como interagir em instâncias expressamente reguladas, onde uma série de códigos que marcam as (im)possibilidades de interação entre/com submissos e dominantes? Como responder a pedidos de participação em práticas consideradas eróticas em aqueles espaços? Como se constrói um "personagem" capaz de fluir através de diferentes cenários?El presente escrito se pregunta por los modos de estar del investigador -en tanto sujeto situado- en una etnografía centrada en eventos BDSM, espacios donde se realizaban prácticas de bondage, dominación/sumisión y sadomasoquismo. Frente al pedido expreso de uno de los organizadores por hacer alguna de las actividades, me propongo indagar en los límites de la participación en una pesquisa preocupada por la producción de subjetividades y sujeciones a partir de formas de sociabilidad erótico-sociales. Es por ello que me pregunto ¿cómo interactuar en instancias expresamente regladas, donde entraban en juego una serie de códigos que marcaban las (im)posibilidades de interacción entre/con sumisos y dominantes? ¿Cómo responder frente a los pedidos de participación en prácticas consideradas eróticas en esos espacios? ¿Cómo se construye un “personaje” capaz de fluir por diversos escenarios?This paper asks about the researcher's ways of being -as a situated subject- in an ethnography focused on BDSM events, spaces where bondage, domination/submission and sadomasochism practices were performed. Faced with the express request of one of the organizers to do some of the activities, I intend to investigate the limits of participation in a research concerned with the production of subjectivities and subjections from forms of social-erotic sociability. That is why I wonder how to interact in expressly regulated instances, where a series of codes that marked the (im)possibilities of interaction between/with submissives and dominants came into play? How to respond to requests for participation in practices considered as erotic in those places? How to construct a "character" capable of flowing through different scenarios

Derivas de unas noches cordobesas. De las prácticas que nos encuentran/encontramos y las reformulaciones en un proyecto de investigación

Fil: Liarte Tiloca, Agustín. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Filosofía y Humanidades. Secretaría de Posgrado; Argentina.El presente escrito busca indagar acerca de la construcción de un objeto deinvestigación en ciencias sociales, así como adentrarse en el trabajo de campoque atraviesa la pesquisa etnográfica llevada a cabo en mi estudio doctoral. Atales fines, me propongo narrar parte de los caminos trazados desde laelaboración de un proyecto hasta la delimitación de un campo, con miras acomenzar en el adentramiento que propone la densidad geertziana delquehacer antropológico. En estos primeros recorridos surgieron una serie decambios tras inesperados encuentros con una práctica social otrora desconocida-al menos desde la especificidad de su nombre-, lo que devino en procesos dereformulación de los referentes empíricos. De modo semejante, estos girostambién involucraron replanteamientos en los modos de abordar laconstrucción de una presentación de sí propia, así como en las formas de trazarlímites a la participación en las instancias de observación.https://rdu.unc.edu.ar/bitstream/handle/11086/4625/5jornadas-.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=yFil: Liarte Tiloca, Agustín. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Filosofía y Humanidades. Secretaría de Posgrado; Argentina.Ciencias Sociales Interdisciplinaria

Increasing the agricultural sustainability of closed agrivoltaic systems with the integration of vertical farming: A case study on baby-leaf lettuce

The photovoltaic (PV) greenhouses are closed agrivoltaic (CA) systems that allow the production of energy and food on the same land, but may result in a yield reduction when the shading of the PV panels is excessive. Adopting innovative cropping systems can increase the yield of the CA area, generating a more productive and sustainable agrosystem. In this case study we quantified the increase of land productivity derived from the integration of an experimental vertical farm (VF) for baby leaf lettuce inside a pre-existing commercial CA. The mixed system increased the yield by 13 times compared to the CA and the average LER was 1.31, but only 12 % of the energy consumption was covered by the CA energy. To achieve the energy self-sufficiency and avoid the related CO2 emissions, the VF area should not exceed 7–18 % of the CA area, depending on the PV energy yield and the daily light integral (DLI) of the LED lighting, meaning a land consumption from 5 to 14 times higher than the VF area. The support of the PV energy was essential for the profitability of the VFCA. Design features and solutions were proposed to increase the agronomic and economic sustainability of the VFCA. The VFs can be considered a possible answer for the reconversion of the actual underutilized CAs with high PV cover ratios into productive and efficient cropping systems, but a trade-off between energy production and land consumption should be identified to ensure an acceptable environmental sustainability of the mixed system

A Simulation Tool for Evaluating Attack Impact in Cyber Physical Systems

Abstract. Security is getting an ever increasingly important issue in cyber-physical systems comprising autonomous systems. However, it is not possible to defend from all possible attacks for cost and performance reasons. An attack ranking is thus necessary. We propose a simulative framework that makes it possible to rank attacks according to their impact. We also describe a case study to assert its usefulness and effectiveness

Vulnerabilities of the 6P protocol for the Industrial Internet of Things: Impact analysis and mitigation

The 6TiSCH architecture defined by the IETF provides a standard solution for extending the Internet of Things (IoT) paradigm to industrial applications with stringent reliability and timeliness requirements. In this context, communication security is another crucial requirement, which is currently less investigated in the literature. In this article, we present a deep assessment of the security vulnerabilities of 6P, the protocol used for resource negotiation at the core of the 6TiSCH architecture. Specifically, we highlight two possible attacks against 6P, namely the Traffic Dispersion and the Overloading attacks. These two attacks effectively and stealthy alter the communication schedule of victim nodes and severely thwart network basic functionalities and efficiency, by specifically impacting network availability and energy consumption of victim nodes. To assess the impact of the attacks two analytical models have been defined, while, to demonstrate their feasibility, they have been implemented in Contiki-NG. The implementation has been used to quantitatively evaluate the impact of the two attacks by both simulations and measurements in a real testbed. Our results show that the impact of both attacks may be very significant. The impact, however, strongly depends on the position of the victim node(s) in the network and it is highly influenced by the dynamics of the routing protocol. We have investigated mitigation strategies to alleviate this impact and proposed an extended version of the Minimal Scheduling Function (MSF), i.e., the reference scheduling algorithm for 6TiSCH. This allows network nodes to early detect anomalies in their schedules possibly due to an Overloading attack, and thus curb the attack impact by appropriately revising their schedule

Evaluation of Feasibility and Impact of Attacks against the 6top Protocol in 6TiSCH Networks

The 6TiSCH architecture has been gaining attraction as a promising solution to ensure reliability and security for communication in applications for the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). While many different aspects of the architecture have been investigated in literature, an in-depth analysis of the security features included in its design is still missing. In this paper, we assess the security vulnerabilities of the 6top protocol, a core component of the 6TiSCH architecture for enabling network nodes to negotiate communication resources. Our analysis highlights two possible attacks against the 6top protocol that can impair network performance and reliability in a significant manner. To prove the feasibility of the attacks in practice, we implemented both of them on the Contiki-NG Operating System and tested their effectiveness on a simple deployment with three Zolertia RE-Mote sensor nodes. Also, we carried out a set of simulations using Cooja in order to assess their impact on larger networks. Our results show that both attacks reduce reliability in the overall network and increase energy consumption of the network nodes

On-demand Key Distribution for Cloud Networks

Emerging fine-grained cloud resource billing creates incentives to review the software execution footprint in virtual environments. Operators can use novel virtual execution environments with ever lower overhead: from virtual machines to containers, to unikernels and serverless functions. However, the execution footprint of security mechanisms in virtualized deployments has either remained the same or even increased. In this demo, we present a novel key provisioning mechanism for cloud networks that unlocks scalable use of symmetric keys and significantly reduces the related computational load on network endpoints

¿Qué color querés? : construcción de guiones sexuales y roles de interacción entre practicantes de BDSM de la ciudad de Córdoba

La presente ponencia busca aproximarse a la construcción de guiones sexuales y roles de interacción en encuentros atravesados por prácticas BDSM. El acrónimo era presentado por los propios asistentes como un conjunto de experiencias que incluía bondage –ataduras en inmovilizaciones con cuerda relaciones de dominación y sumisión, y sadomasoquismo. Pensadas estas formas de sociabilidad como un condimento a la cotidianeidad de los intercambios sexo-eróticos, las instancias festivas implicaban una primera división entre sus participantes a partir de membretes con colores: rojo para dominantes/dóminas, blanco para sumisos/as, y azul para switch o curiosos/as. En otras palabras, el escoger un color implicaba identificarse con un rol particular, lo que conllevaba un posicionamiento diferencial en el transcurrir de las sesiones, entendidas como los recortes témporo-espaciales donde se realizaban las prácticas. Por ello, me pregunto por los modos de (re)producción de estas categorías a partir de la construcción de guiones sexuales y la adopción de un rol por sobre otros, y cómo ese esquema de colores atravesaba las (im)posibilidades de relacionamiento entre las personas.Fil: Liarte Tiloca, Agustín. Universidad Nacional de Córdob