Provably-Secure Time-Bound Hierarchical Key Assignment Schemes

A time-bound hierarchical key assignment scheme is a method to assign time-dependent encryption keys to a set of classes in a partially ordered hierarchy, in such a way that each class can compute the keys of all classes lower down in the hierarchy, according to temporal constraints.     

Comparison between low-cost marker-less and high-end marker-based motion capture systems for the computer-aided assessment of working ergonomics

The paper deals with the comparison between a high-end marker-based acquisition system and a low-cost marker-less methodology for the assessment of the human posture during working tasks. The low-cost methodology is based on the use of a single Microsoft Kinect V1 device. The high-end acquisition system is the BTS SMART that requires the use of reflective markers to be placed on the subject's body. Three practical working activities involving object lifting and displacement have been investigated. The operational risk has been evaluated according to the lifting equation proposed by the American National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. The results of the study show that the risk multipliers computed from the two acquisition methodologies are very close for all the analysed activities. In agreement to this outcome, the marker-less methodology based on the Microsoft Kinect V1 device seems very promising to promote the dissemination of computer-aided assessment of ergonomics while maintaining good accuracy and affordable costs.     

El Sur Global: Future Resilient City

Shifting the focus from futuristic visions, Alfredo Brillembourg and Hubert Klumpner with Alexis Kalagas of interdisciplinary design practice Urban-Think Tank urge us to ‘forget about utopia’, for in the most part the urban environment of 2050 is already built. Architects’ sights need to be set on the sometimes grim and unfolding reality of favelas and the world's informal cities.     

A new biobased plasticizer for poly(vinyl chloride) based on epoxidized cottonseed oil

The use of epoxidized cottonseed oil as plasticizer for poly(vinyl chloride) was studied. The plasticizer content was set to 70 phr and the optimum isothermal curing conditions were studied in the temperature range comprised between 160 and 220 °C with varying curing times in the 7.5–17.5 min range. The influence of the curing conditions on overall performance of cured plastisols was followed by the evolution of mechanical properties (tensile tests with measurements of tensile strength, elongation at break, and modulus), change in color, surface changes of fractured samples by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermal transitions by differential scanning calorimetry, and migration in n‐hexane. The optimum mechanical features of cured plastisols are obtained for curing temperatures in the 190–220 °C range. For these curing conditions, fractography analysis by SEM gives evidences of full curing process as no PVC particles and free plasticizer can be found. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016 , 133, 43642.     

Metformin Reduces Lipogenesis Markers in Obese Mice Fed a Low-Carbohydrate and High-Fat Diet

Lipogenesis is the process by which fatty acids are synthesized. In metabolic syndrome, an insulin resistant state along with high plasma levels of free fatty acids (FFA) and hyperglycemia may contribute to the lipogenic process. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of oral administration of metformin on the expression of lipogenic genes and glycemic profile in mice fed with low‐carbohydrate high‐fat diet by evaluating their metabolic profile. SWISS male mice were divided into 4 groups (N = 7) that were fed with standard (ST), standard plus metformin (ST + MET), low‐carbohydrate high‐fat diet (LCHFD) and low‐carbohydrate high‐fat diet plus metformin (LCHFD + MET) (100 mg kg^?1 diet) diets respectively. Food intake, body weight and blood parameters, such as glucose tolerance, insulin sensitivity, glucose, HDL‐c, total cholesterol, triglycerides, ASL and ALT levels were assessed. Histological analyses were performed on hematoxylin and eosin‐stained epididymal adipose tissue histological specimens. The expression levels of peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor (PPARγ), sterol regulatory element‐binding protein 1 (SREBP1), fatty acid synthase (FAS) and acetyl‐CoA carboxylase (ACC), were assessed by RT‐PCR. This study showed that metformin decreased adipocyte area, body weight and food consumption in obese animals when compared to the standard group. Furthermore, the expression of lipogenic markers in adipose tissue were diminished in obese animals treated with metformin. This data showed that oral administration of metformin improved glucose and lipid metabolic parameters in white adipose tissue by reducing the expression of lipogenesis markers, suggesting an important clinical application of MET in treating obesity‐related diseases in metabolic syndrome.