The transcription factors BEL1 and SPL are required for cytokinin and auxin signaling during ovule development in Arabidopsis

Hormones, such as auxin and cytokinin, are involved in the complex molecular network that regulates the coordinated development of plant organs. Genes controlling ovule patterning have been identified and studied in detail; however, the roles of auxin and cytokinin in ovule development are largely unknown. Here we show that key cytokinin pathway genes, such as isopentenyltransferase and cytokinin receptors, are expressed during ovule development. Also, in a cre1-12 ahk2-2 ahk3-3 triple mutant with severely reduced cytokinin perception, expression of the auxin efflux facilitator PIN-FORMED 1 (PIN1) was severely reduced. In sporocyteless/nozzle (spl/nzz) mutants, which show a similar phenotype to the cre1-12 ahk2-2 ahk3-3 triple mutant, PIN1 expression is also reduced. Treatment with the exogenous cytokinin N-6-benzylaminopurine also altered both auxin distribution and patterning of the ovule; this process required the homeodomain transcription factor BELL1 (BEL1). Thus, this article shows that cytokinin regulates ovule development through the regulation of PIN1. Furthermore, the transcription factors BEL1 and SPL/NZZ, previously described as key regulators of ovule development, are needed for the auxin and cytokinin signaling pathways for the correct patterning of the ovule

Design for Emergency: An Open Platform to Design and Implement User-Centered Solutions in the COVID-19 Pandemic

As a consequence of the lockdown enforced to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, people found themselves in a state of social isolation, uncertainty, and vulnerability. Design for Emergency is a data and design open platform launched to ideate and develop user-centered solutions addressing people’s needs and emotions during and after the lockdown. The project is made of four stages: data collection, data analysis & visualization, design, and implementation. The initiative started in Italy, but it soon became global, extending to 11 countries in three continents. As a result, we collected and visualized data about people’s experiences during the pandemic at a global level. Our ideas platform, still growing, includes 36 seed ideas of solutions helping individuals and communities cope with the pandemic. Ideas are openly available for development by anyone, and some of them are currently being implemented. This initiative can be used as a reference and a pilot project to create a framework for designing in situations of uncertainty, emergency, or crisis, where design can quickly discover and address emerging feelings and needs

Igeni: Reinforcing Hygiene Practices in Children Through Dynamic Products

Igeni is a set of dynamic products designed to lead children towards autonomy in their personal hygiene practices. The set is composed of three objects: the Billy Brush toothbrush, the Wally Wash faucet-ring and the Fanny Flush toilet reminder. These interactive products are designed to enhance skills of personal hygiene in preschool children, thanks to sensors and actuators for multisensory communication. In this paper, we present the design process that led to the creation of this set of products and we describe the design outcome, consisting of a setoff objects aimed at exploiting the child’s senses to convey messages, to create engaging experiences and to encourage healthy practices. We also present and discuss preliminary tests with users

Mechanical characterization and modelling of Ultra High Performance Fiber Reinforced Concrete

In the last two decades the use of Ultra High Performance Fiber Reinforced Concrete (UHPFRC) for the construction of structural and non-structural elements has increased, but there is still a strong need to establish a complete method for its mechanical characterization, especially of its tensile behavior. In this paper, a mechanical investigation carried out on four UHPFRC specimens with a fiber volume fraction of 3.3% is presented. The fiber content resulted to be sufficient to cause strain hardening behavior, characterized by a multicracking phase. The tensile constitutive law provided by Model Code 2010 for the inverse analysis from bending tests is hereby discussed. In particular, the size of the mul-ticrack diffusion zone is investigated with vision-based measurement tools and used as a characteristic length

“Mama, It’s Peacetime!”: Planning, Shifting, and Designing Activities in the Smart Grid Scenario

In this paper, we describe a research-through-design (RtD) approach to investigate the potential of households’ electricity load balancing in the smart grid. Through the design probe “Peacetime”, householders explore peak hours as opportunities for serene and non-electricity consuming activities. During the 2 weeks, Peacetime was deployed in the homes of three households to explore an alternative framing of non-use of electricity to the commonly used framework for prompting people with feedback on their consumption. Households’ active load balancing included planning of, replacing, reorganizing, and skipping everyday domestic activities. Results indicate that focus could be shifted from restricting electricity use to creating alternatives – leading to a positive framing of load balancing. The scenarios reflected in this paper differ from those of rational energy managers basing decisions of domestic life on complex facts and figures. Scenarios from the study portray how planning, reorganization, and time shifting of activities may be obtained with soft means emphasizing values of well-being and respect of the variation of households’ social contexts

ReActive: Exploring Hybrid Interactive Materials in Craftsmanship

This paper presents ReActive, a design exploration aimed at embedding interactivity in traditional materials by artisanal processes. In the attempt to reconciling technology with human experience and tradition, we experimented with artisans to understand how craftsmanship can embrace technological innovations while at the same time maintaining its nature and value. We built samples of hybrid materials, where electronics and smart materials are embedded in traditional ones, in order to make them reactive and interactive. We discuss implications and new possibilities offered by these new hybrid materials both for artisans and users and new perspectives for interaction design

Ambiguity for Social Self-tracking Practices: Exploring an emerging design space

Ambiguity is gaining attention in self-tracking research as a means to go beyond the mere quantification of body signals. Recent research has suggested that ambiguity can be used even to enable social connection mediated by personal data. To explore this design space more widely, we organized two design workshops with a total of 67 participants. In this paper, we present three design concepts, as outcomes of the workshops, which use ambiguity to enable social self-tracking practices. We then discuss how these concepts demonstrate the potential of ambiguity to encourage collective sense-making, directly impact the user’s social relationships, and offer multifaceted perspectives on reality