Management of Student Records: Data Access Right Matrix and Data Sharing

AbstractThis work proposes a procedure to implement a Data Access Policy to ensure the protection of privacy rights of students’ records within higher educational systems. First it reviews the general legal constraints applicable to higher Institutional Data management. Second it reviews the principles of a Coordinated Model. The procedure is based on an Access Right Matrix that assigns data access privileges to Data Users. The first purpose is to handle the common and regular access by rightful users to data needed in their daily routine job through operational interface. The main purpose of the procedure is to handle ad-hoc requests that come from outside the university or from some services which do not have formal access to the data. Data access right matrix is used to grant or reject ad hoc requests based on the following criteria: the degree of sensitivity of the data requested, the number of records requested the purpose of the usage, and finally the privileges and trustworthiness of the requester

An indigenous-non-indigenous collaborative experience at the college level in Quebec

Comprend des références bibliographiques et webographiquesDisponible en français dans EDUQ.info sous le titre "Expérience d’un faire ensemble autochtone-allochtone dans une formation collégiale au Québec""In recent years, inquiry reports across Canada have detailed the devastating consequences of many of the policies and decisions faced by First Nations, Métis and Inuit. Each of these reports, whether issued by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (2015), the Commission des droits de la personne et de la jeunesse, the Viens Commission (2019) or the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (2019), has made various recommendations, some of which specifically target higher education institutions. Despite these publications, a number of tragic situations that are reported from time to time in the media and on social networks, show that there is still an imperative to act in order to prevent history from repeating itself. By way of example, and never to be forgotten, let us recall the intolerable conditions that led to the deaths of Joyce Echaquan on September 28, 2020; Raphael André on January 17, 2021; Elisapie Pootoogook on November 12, 2021; and the Manawan baby on April 4, 2022." -- AQP

Scattering through fruits during ripening: laser speckle technique correlated to biochemical and fluorescence measurements

International audienceThis paper reports monitoring fruits maturation using speckle technique. Performed measurements aim the assessing of biological inner fruit variation effect on the speckle image. We show that the speckle grain size is both affected by the glucose level inside the fruits and by the chlorophyll content. Moreover, the determination of circular polarization degree and circular grain size indicate that a Rayleigh diffusion regime gradually becomes predominant in fruits. Principal component analysis is used to highlight high correlation between results and strengthen the establishment of speckle as a novel non invasive method to monitor fruits ripening

Ransomware Attacks in the Software Supply Chain: A Review of Attack Vectors, Defenses and Gaps

The proliferation of cyberattacks in the software supply chain domain is a pressing concern making them a formidable threat to software security and compromising its integrity and credibility which needs to be critically acknowledged and investigated. The lack of familiarity with the design and pattern of emerging attacks has contributed to the occurrence of several vulnerable software supply chain attacks in the preceding years. This project aims to conduct a comprehensive study of the various tactics and techniques employed by cybercriminals in this domain along with a focus on exploring the influence of software supply chain stakeholders’ traits, limitations, and actions on the likelihood of a successful attack. Furthermore, this research also identifies the regulatory tools and protocols administrating software supply chains that assist in reducing an organization’s susceptibility to these challenges. Using a rigorous methodology, we investigate the frequency, how, and where ransomware attacks occur. We review current defense techniques and gaps. The findings will provide valuable insights concerning the recent trends in disrupting the security and efficiency of the software supply chains and offer recommendations to researchers, organizations, and practitioners to remain cautious and proactive in their cybersecurity posture

Expérience d’un faire ensemble autochtone-allochtone dans une formation collégiale au Québec

Comprend des références bibliographiques et webographiques"Ces dernières années, des rapports d’enquête au Canada ont décrit avec précisions les conséquences désastreuses de nombreuses politiques et décisions auxquelles ont dû faire face les Premières Nations, les Métis et les Inuit. Chacun de ces rapports, qu’il s’agisse de la Commission vérité et réconciliation (2015), des rapports annuels de la Commission des droits de la personne et de la jeunesse, de la Commission Viens (2019) ou encore de l’Enquête nationale sur les femmes et les filles autochtones disparues et assassinées (2019), formule diverses recommandations, dont certaines ciblent spécifiquement les institutions d’enseignement supérieur. Malgré ces publications, plusieurs situations tragiques, relayées ponctuellement dans les médias et sur les réseaux sociaux, montrent qu’un impératif d’agir s’impose toujours, pour éviter que l’histoire se répète. À titre d’exemples, et pour ne jamais oublier, rappelons-nous les conditions intolérables ayant entrainé les décès de Joyce Echaquan survenu le 28 septembre 2020 ; de Raphael André, le 17 janvier 2021 ; d’Elisapie Pootoogook, le 12 novembre 2021 ; et du bébé de Manawan, le 4 avril 2022." -- AQP

Software Supply Chain Security Attacks and Analysis of Defense

The Software Supply chain or SSC is the backbone of the logistics industry and is crucial to a business\u27s success and operation. The surge of attacks and risks for the SSC has grown in coming years with each attack\u27s impact becoming more significant. These attacks have led to the leaking of both client and company sensitive information, corruption of the data, and having it subject to malware and ransomware installation, despite new practices implemented and investments into SSC security and its branches that have not stopped attackers from developing new vulnerabilities and exploits. In our research, we have investigated Software Supply Chain security tools and their infrastructure along with ways to help mitigate and reduce the risk of an attack. As well as following the route an Attacker takes, and the steps taken to cause such an attack. Ransomware is one of the more popular attacks in recent years in which the attacker gains access to the system and blocks its usage from anyone else until a ransom is paid. This ransom is often delivered in cryptocurrency to ensure anonymity from the attacker. Our goal is to extend the research to where Software Supply Chain attacks can be reduced for companies and develop solutions for vulnerable systems

Extracellular Bacterial Pathogen Induces Host Cell Surface Reorganization to Resist Shear Stress

Bacterial infections targeting the bloodstream lead to a wide array of devastating diseases such as septic shock and meningitis. To study this crucial type of infection, its specific environment needs to be taken into account, in particular the mechanical forces generated by the blood flow. In a previous study using Neisseria meningitidis as a model, we observed that bacterial microcolonies forming on the endothelial cell surface in the vessel lumen are remarkably resistant to mechanical stress. The present study aims to identify the molecular basis of this resistance. N. meningitidis forms aggregates independently of host cells, yet we demonstrate here that cohesive forces involved in these bacterial aggregates are not sufficient to explain the stability of colonies on cell surfaces. Results imply that host cell attributes enhance microcolony cohesion. Microcolonies on the cell surface induce a cellular response consisting of numerous cellular protrusions similar to filopodia that come in close contact with all the bacteria in the microcolony. Consistent with a role of this cellular response, host cell lipid microdomain disruption simultaneously inhibited this response and rendered microcolonies sensitive to blood flow–generated drag forces. We then identified, by a genetic approach, the type IV pili component PilV as a triggering factor of plasma membrane reorganization, and consistently found that microcolonies formed by a pilV mutant are highly sensitive to shear stress. Our study shows that bacteria manipulate host cell functions to reorganize the host cell surface to form filopodia-like structures that enhance the cohesion of the microcolonies and therefore blood vessel colonization under the harsh conditions of the bloodstream

Water-mediated structuring of bone apatite

International audienceIt is well known that organic molecules from the vertebrate extracellular matrix of calcifying tissues are essential in structuring the apatite mineral. Here, we show that water also plays a structuring role. By using solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance, wide-angle X-ray scattering and cryogenic transmission electron microscopy to characterize the structure and organization of crystalline and biomimetic apatite nanoparticles as well as intact bone samples, we demonstrate that water orients apatite crystals through an amorphous calcium phosphate-like layer that coats the crystalline core of bone apatite. This disordered layer is reminiscent of those found around the crystalline core of calcified biominerals in various natural composite materials in vivo. This work provides an extended local model of bone biomineralization

Organised Genome Dynamics in the Escherichia coli Species Results in Highly Diverse Adaptive Paths

The Escherichia coli species represents one of the best-studied model organisms, but also encompasses a variety of commensal and pathogenic strains that diversify by high rates of genetic change. We uniformly (re-) annotated the genomes of 20 commensal and pathogenic E. coli strains and one strain of E. fergusonii (the closest E. coli related species), including seven that we sequenced to completion. Within the ∼18,000 families of orthologous genes, we found ∼2,000 common to all strains. Although recombination rates are much higher than mutation rates, we show, both theoretically and using phylogenetic inference, that this does not obscure the phylogenetic signal, which places the B2 phylogenetic group and one group D strain at the basal position. Based on this phylogeny, we inferred past evolutionary events of gain and loss of genes, identifying functional classes under opposite selection pressures. We found an important adaptive role for metabolism diversification within group B2 and Shigella strains, but identified few or no extraintestinal virulence-specific genes, which could render difficult the development of a vaccine against extraintestinal infections. Genome flux in E. coli is confined to a small number of conserved positions in the chromosome, which most often are not associated with integrases or tRNA genes. Core genes flanking some of these regions show higher rates of recombination, suggesting that a gene, once acquired by a strain, spreads within the species by homologous recombination at the flanking genes. Finally, the genome's long-scale structure of recombination indicates lower recombination rates, but not higher mutation rates, at the terminus of replication. The ensuing effect of background selection and biased gene conversion may thus explain why this region is A+T-rich and shows high sequence divergence but low sequence polymorphism. Overall, despite a very high gene flow, genes co-exist in an organised genome

Acid stress response in Escherichia coli: mechanism of regulation of gadA transcription by RcsB and GadE

Escherichia coli can survive extreme acid stress for several hours. The most efficient acid resistance system is based on glutamate decarboxylation by the GadA and GadB decarboxylases and the import of glutamate via the GadC membrane protein. The expression of the corresponding genes is controlled by GadE, the central activator of glutamate-dependent acid resistance (GDAR). We have previously shown by genetic approaches that as well as GadE, the response regulator of the Rcs system, RcsB is absolutely required for control of gadA/BC transcription. In the presence of GadE, basal activity of RcsB stimulates the expression of gadA/BC, whereas activation of RcsB leads to general repression of the gad genes. We report here the results of various in vitro assays that show RcsB to regulate by direct binding to the gadA promoter region. Furthermore, activation of gadA transcription requires a GAD box and binding of an RcsB/GadE heterodimer. In addition, we have identified an RcsB box, which lies just upstream of the −10 element of gadA promoter and is involved in repression of this operon