We used chloroplast DNA sequences from matK and rbcL to infer the phylogeny for 101 of the approximately 111 species of Pinus (Pinaceae). At the level of subsection and above, the cpDNA tree is congruent with phylogenies based on nuclear DNA with one notable exception: cpDNA sequences from subsect. Contortae are sister to all other North American hard pines rather than occupying a more derived position in the same clade. We used the cpDNA tree plus evidence from nuclear ribosomal DNA and morphology to propose a new classification for the genus. The molecular phylogenies are symmetrical at the deepest branches of the genus, allowing for the delineation of two subgenera, each with two sections that form sister groups. Within sections, clades were slightly asymmetric and sometimes ambiguously resolved. To accomodate ambiguity in some interrelationships, avoid the creation of new ranks, and retain traditional names, we recognised up to three monophyletic subsections per section. Subgenus Pinus (the diploxylon, or hard pines) is divided into the predominantly Eurasian and Mediterranean section Pinus, composed of subsections Pinus and Pinaster, and the strictly North American section Trifoliae, composed of subsections Australes, Ponderosae, and Contortae. Subgenus Strobus (the haploxylon, or soft pines) is divided into the strictly North American section Parrya, composed of subsections Cembroides, Nelsoniae, and Balfourianae, and the Eurasian and North American section Quinquefoliae, composed of subsections Gerardianae, Krempfianae, and Strobus. Mapping of ten morphological and distributional characters indicates that two were diagnostic for infrageneric taxa: the number of vascular bundles per leaf distinguishes subgenus Pinus from subgenus Strobus, and a terminal­positioned umbo on the ovulate cone scale is diagnostic of subsect. Strobus.

No abstract

No abstract

Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) have been successfully used in a large number of domains. This paper proposes the use of GANs for generating network traffic in order to mimic other types of traffic. In particular, our method modifies the network behavior of a real malware in order to mimic the traffic of a legitimate application, and therefore avoid detection. By modifying the source code of a malware to receive parameters from a GAN, it was possible to adapt the behavior of its Command and Control (C2) channel to mimic the behavior of Facebook chat network traffic. In this way, it was possible to avoid the detection of new-generation Intrusion Prevention Systems that use machine learning and behavioral characteristics. A real-life scenario was successfully implemented using the Stratosphere behavioral IPS in a router, while the malware and the GAN were deployed in the local network of our laboratory, and the C2 server was deployed in the cloud. Results show that a GAN can successfully modify the traffic of a malware to make it undetectable. The modified malware also tested if it was being blocked and used this information as a feedback to the GAN. This work envisions the possibility of self-adapting malware and self-adapting IPS.

Botnets are an important security problem on the Internet. They continuously evolve their structure, protocols and attacks. This survey analyzes and compares the most important efforts carried out in a network‐based detection area. It accomplishes four tasks: first, the comparison of previous surveys and the proposal of four new dimensions to analyze their classification schemes; second, a new classification and comparison of network‐based botnet detection proposals, which includes the definition of 20 desired properties of every botnet detection paper; third, an extensive comparison between the most representative detection proposals; and fourth, the description of the most important problems and highlights in the area. We conclude that the area has achieved great advances so far, but there are still many open problems. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

We examined the early developmental stages of the seed cones and seeds of two conifer genera, Cunninghamia and Taiwania, using scanning electron microscope (SEM) images of freshly collected material. In recent similar studies, these two taxa were not described. The present paper aims to fill that gap. Both genera appear to have features crucial to the understanding of the evolution of the cupressaceous cone, characteristic of the families Cupressaceae and Taxodiaceae, and provide further evidence for the need to merge these families. These features are: the ovuliferous scale in Cunninghamia develops as a small lobe with each of three ovules; in Taiwania these lobes are absent, but a small ridge could be a vestige of them. In neither of these two genera does an ovuliferous scale develop to maturity and only limited intercalary growth transforms the bracts, of which only their width and final shape distinguishes them from sterile leaves. Thus, the bracts, not the ovuliferous scales, form the mature cone in these two genera. This trend is continued in more derived genera of Cupressaceae. Another key extant taxon that has helped to elucidate the evolution of this type of conifer cone is Sciadopitys; similar studies have already been done on this genus, and we compared our findings to them. We also considered certain fossil Mesozoic conifer cones, which shed further light on the evolution of the cupressaceous cone. The evidence from these various genera strongly indicates that recently reconstructed phylogenies of gymnosperms based on molecular evidence from extant taxa do not reflect the evolution that actually happened. Such studies need to take into account nonmolecular evidence, as detailed here.

No abstract

Today, cardiovascular disease has a great impact on the global population due to its high prevalence. One challenge that cardiovascular patients face to achieve a better prognosis is to follow a healthy diet. This study focused on psychological factors linked to adaptation to a healthy diet in these patients. The main objective was to analyze the interrelationship between motivation to follow a healthy diet and self-efficacy to adhere to the Mediterranean diet with life satisfaction over time. The sample consisted of cardiovascular patients who were assessed at three measurement moments (NT1 = 755; NT2 = 593; NT3 = 323, average interval time: nine months). Correlation analyses showed that self-efficacy, motivation, and life satisfaction followed a pattern of positive relations across the three measurements. A time effect over the study variables was also observed. The results of path analyses showed that self-efficacy positively predicted autonomous motivation, which in turn was associated with patients’ life satisfaction. This interrelation was stable over a period of 18 months. Moreover, life satisfaction predicted self-efficacy nine months later. Psychological interventions might be a positive resource for cardiovascular patients, since psychological variables influence their life satisfaction and their subsequent quality of life in their new health condition.