The development of a framework for enterprise security architecture and its application in organizations

The main purpose of this study is to develop an enterprise security framework that is based on a comprehensive following the Zachman EA architecture. The enterprise architecture (EA) is a long-term view or blueprint for an organization. It is a very important blueprint for balancing business and IT technology and for adding value to an organization. Security is also an essential dimension for enterprises nowadays. This paper will incorporate the security dimension with the Zachman EA framework, which intends to serve as an enterprise security framework in assisting an organization to successfully and effectively implement security

Edge chirality determination of graphene by Raman spectroscopy

Raman imaging on the edges of single layer micromechanical cleavage graphene (MCG) was carried out. The intensity of disorder-induced Raman feature (D band at ~1350 cm-1) was found to be correlated to the edge chirality: it is stronger at the armchair edge and weaker at the zigzag edge. This shows that Raman spectroscopy is a reliable and practical method to identify the chirality of graphene edge and to help in determination of the crystal orientation. The determination of graphene chirality is critically important for fundamental study as well as for applications.Comment: 14 pages, 3 figures, 1 tabl

Marker-less motion capture for biomechanical analysis using the Kinect sensor

Motion capture systems are gaining more and more importance in different fields of research. In the field of biomechanics, marker-based systems have always been used as an accurate and precise method to capture motion. However, attaching markers on the subject is a time-consuming and laborious method. As a consequence, this problem has given rise to a new concept of motion capture based on marker-less systems. By means of these systems, motion can be recorded without attaching any markers to the skin of the subject and capturing colour-depth data of the subject in movement. The current thesis has researched on marker-less motion capture using the Kinect sensor, and has compared the two motion capture systems, marker-based and marker-less, by analysing the results of several captured motions. In this thesis, two takes have been recorded and only motion of the pelvis and lower limb segments have been analysed. The methodology has consisted of capturing the motions using the marker-based and marker-less systems simultaneously and then processing the data by using specific software. At the end, the angles of hip flexion, hip adduction, knee and ankle obtained through the two systems have been compared. In order to obtain the three-dimensional joint angles using the marker-less system, a new software named iPi Soft has been introduced to process the data from the Kinect sensor. Finally, the results of two systems have been compared and thoroughly discussed, so as to assess the accuracy of the Kinect system

Mechanical characterization of Polymer matrix composites produced by 3D printing

In the last decade, additive manufacturing (AM) technology has undergone exponential growth and gained more and more importance in the recent research, mainly due to the freedom of creating sophisticated geometries that are impossible to produce using either one or a combination of several alternative production techniques. AM technology has mostly been used for prototyping application during the product design and development phase in many different industrial sectors. However, 3D printed prototypes have limited mechanical properties and the printed parts usually cannot fulfil mechanical requirements for functional applications. As a consequence, this problem has given rise to a new concept of 3D printing technique based on adding fibers to the polymeric material matrix. By means of this technique, the mechanical properties of the printed parts can be enhanced. The current thesis has researched in carbon fiber reinforcement for nylon specimens printed by the Mark One printer from Markforged. The carbon reinforced specimens were compared with pure nylon specimens by means of the results obtained from tensile and flexural tests. Nylon and carbon reinforced nylon specimens were printed for both tensile and flexural tests. The methodology consisted of obtaining the specimens by 3D printer, do the mechanical characterization and treat the data obtained. In order to print the specimens and configure the printing options, a software named Eiger was used. The results of the mechanical characterization of carbon reinforced nylon and pure nylon specimens were compared and thoroughly discussed, so as to assess the improvement of the carbon reinforced nylon specimens’ mechanical properties

The Role of Gut Microbiota Urease in the Host With Liver Disease

Significant metabolic interactions exist between the gut microbiota and the mammalian host, one prime example of which is nitrogen metabolism. In the colon, bacterial urease hydrolyzes host-derived urea into carbon dioxide and ammonia. Colonic ammonia can subsequently be absorbed by the host or utilized by the gut microbiota for additional nitrogen metabolism. In patients with liver disease such as cirrhosis and congenital urea cycle disorders, hepatic abnormalities prevent the normal processing of ammonia, leading to hyperammonemia and hepatic encephalopathy (HE). Although circulating ammonia levels are correlated with damage to the central nervous system, the pathogenesis of HE is complex and not fully elucidated, hindering progress in treatment. Current treatment options including antibiotics, lactulose, and a low protein diet (LPD) are complicated by issues such as side effects, concerns of safety and efficacy in long-term use, and poor adherence. Our goal is to develop a safe, durable, and efficacious treatment for HE through the inoculation of a urease-free bacterial consortium. We show that we are able to engineer the gut microbiota to reduce fecal urease activity and ammonia levels in mice. Depletion of the endogenous gut microbiota followed by transplantation with Altered Schaedler Flora (ASF), a defined consortium of eight murine gut commensal bacteria with minimal urease gene content, established a persistent new community that exhibited long-term reduction in fecal urease activity and fecal ammonia production. ASF transplantation was associated with a decrease in morbidity and mortality in the thioacetamide (TAA) murine model of hepatic injury and fibrosis. Although the ASF consortium demonstrated reduced resilience in response to dietary stress, ASF transplantation led to further reductions in fecal ammonia on a LPD without exacerbating host metabolic dysfunction. These findings point to the potential use of a human urease-free bacterial consortium to alter clinical management and outcome in HE. Furthermore, they provide proof of concept that microbiota transplantation with a defined microbial consortium can lead to durable metabolic changes with therapeutic utility

The Complex Effects of Picturebooks on English as a Foreign Language Reading

While effects of picturebooks on reading were examined in higher grades (e.g., high school students) (Ajayi, 2009), little is known about the emerging English as Foreign Language (EFL) Kindergartens to 4th graders (i.e., K-4) students in China. Language institutes are critical phenomena for EFL K-4 education in China (Shi, 2019). Aiming to test the hypothesis that picturebooks have positive effects for reading, this study adopted within-subjects and between-subjects design to examine the effects of picturebooks on EFL reading comprehension of K-4 students in a language institute in China. Thirty-two participants were assigned into two groups to complete multiple choice and ordering tasks. The results showed that students reading with picturebooks outperformed in the two tasks than those who did not, especially on answering literal questions. With pedagogical implication as a goal, we suggest that EFL teachers need to (1) provide scaffoldings in class such as activating students’ prior knowledge, (2) make connections to students’ experience in the reading process. (3) select picturebooks considering the complex relationship between pictures and texts

Preparation and Characterization of PMMA and its Derivative via RAFT Technique in the Presence of Disulfide as a Source of Chain Transfer Agent

Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) were synthesized by using chain transfer agents(CTA), S-1-Dodecyl-S′-(α,α′-dimethyl-α-acetic acid) trithiocarbonate (MTTCD), S,S′-bis (2-hydroxyethyl-2′-dimethylacrylate) trithiocarbonate (BDATC), 2-cyanoprop-2-yl dithiobenzoate (CPDB) respectively, through the reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization under a range of synthesis conditions. The results indicated that the structure of the end-group of RAFT agents had significant effects on the ability to control polymerization. Compared with MTTCD and CPDB, BDATC can provide better control over the relative molecular mass, distribution and polymerization of PMMA. The derived well-controlled block copolymer PMMA-b-PDMAEMA and PMMA-b-PDMAEA were also successfully prepared by using N, N-dimethylaminoethy acrylate (DMAEA) or N, N-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate (DMAEMA) as the second monomer. The chemical composition and structure of the products were characterized by FTIR, 1HNMR, XRD and DSC. CO2 and N2 permeation performance of the PMMA-b-PDMAEA/PS composite membranes were tested at different pressure. The results showed that the resulted composited membrane had a CO2 permeation rate of 3.68×10-5cm3 (STP) cm-2s-1cmHg-1, a N2 permeation rate of 1.78×10-7 cm3 (STP) cm-2s-1cmHg-1 and an ideal CO2/ N2 selectivity of 206.6 at a feed gas pressure of 7.6 cmHg and 30 oC