scholarly journals Obérisk: Cybersecurity Requirements Elicitation through Agile Remote or Face-to-Face Risk Management Brainstorming Sessions

Information ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. 349
Author(s):  
Stéphane Paul ◽  
Douraid Naouar ◽  
Emmanuel Gureghian

Cyberattacks make the news daily. Systems must be appropriately secured. Cybersecurity risk analyses are more than ever necessary, but… traveling and gathering in a room to discuss the topic has become difficult due to the COVID, whilst having a cybersecurity expert working isolated with an electronic support tool is clearly not the solution. In this article, we describe and illustrate Obérisk, an agile, cross-disciplinary and Obeya-like approach to risk management that equally supports face-to-face or remote risk management brainstorming sessions. The approach has matured for the last three years by using it for training and a wide range of real industrial projects. The overall approach is detailed and illustrated on a naval use case, with extensive feedback from the end-users. We show that Obérisk is really time-efficient and effective at managing risks at the early stages of a project, whilst remaining extremely low-cost. As the project grows or when the system is deployed, it may eventually be necessary to shift to a more comprehensive commercial electronic support tool.

Author(s):  
Lorenzo Invidia ◽  
Silvio Lucio Oliva ◽  
Andrea Palmieri ◽  
Luigi Patrono ◽  
Piercosimo Rametta

The Internet of Things (IoT) is characterized by many technologies, standards, tools and devices for a wide range of application fields and often, for the end-users (makers and developers), is hard to orientate in an equally wide range of offers from various manufacturers. In recent years, the Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) communication protocol is achieving a large portion of the market, thanks to its low-power and low-cost orientation and its pervasiveness in mobile devices, like smartphones. For these reasons, BLE is increasingly used in IoT-oriented Wireless Personal Area Networks (WPAN), where a small set of devices arranged in star topology network and connected to a smartphone and a Wi-Fi gateway, can cover a large number of monitoring and controlling use case scenarios. This work presents the ST’s STM32 Open Development Environment (ODE), a complete suite of hardware and software tools representing a reference point for end-users willing to create BLE-based star topology networks for a wide range of applications. Through a simple use case in a smart home context, it is shown how all provided tools can be used to fast prototype applications addressing all user requirements.


Retos ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 38-45
Author(s):  
Jose Antonio Santacruz Lozano ◽  
María Espada Mateos ◽  
Angel Clemente Remón ◽  
José Emilio Jiménez-Beatty Navarro

 Abstract. Spain boasts numerous multipurpose sports facilities offering a wide range of services. The goal of this study is to ascertain possible differences in management variables or indicators across sports facilities according to whether they are publicly or privately owned and according to business model (administrative license, non-low-cost private, or low-cost private). The universe of study were 4435 Spanish sports facilities (IHRSA, 2016). The represetative sample that participated in the study was 384 sports facilities. Data was gathered by means of face-to-face interviews with sports facilities managers. The results show significant differences for most of the variables analysed (surface area, number of users, income from quotas, extraordinary income, total income, monthly income per customer and average monthly quota) between public and private sports facilities and between business models. The study provides relevant information for people are working in the management of sports facilities, since it allows them to perform benchmark and know what are their points of improvement in the management of sports facilities depending on their ownership and its business model. Resumen. España cuenta con un gran número de instalaciones deportivas polivalentes que ofrecen una amplia gama de servicios. El objetivo de este estudio es determinar las posibles diferencias en las variables o indicadores de gestión en las instalaciones deportivas según sean de propiedad pública o privada y según el modelo de negocio (concesión administrativa, privados low cost y privados no low cost). El universo de estudio fueron 4435 instalaciones deportivas españolas (IHRSA, 2016). La muestra representativa del estudio fue de 384 instalaciones deportivas. Los datos e información fueron recogidos mediante entrevistas personales con los directores de las instalaciones deportivas. Los resultados muestran diferencias significativas en la mayoría de las variables analizadas (metros cuadrados, número de usuarios, ingresos por cuotas, ingresos extraordinarios, ingresos totales, ingresos mensuales por cliente y cuota mensual promedio) entre instalaciones deportivas públicas y privadas, y entre modelos de negocio. El estudio aporta información relevante para las personas dedicadas a la organización y gestión de las instalaciones deportivas, ya que permite tener puntos de referencia en indicadores de gestión de las instalaciones deportivas y conocer los puntos de mejora según sea la propiedad y el modelo de negocio.


This book explores the value for literary studies of relevance theory, an inferential approach to communication in which the expression and recognition of intentions plays a major role. Drawing on a wide range of examples from lyric poetry and the novel, nine of the ten chapters are written by literary specialists and use relevance theory both as an overall framework and as a resource for detailed analysis. The final chapter, written by the co-founder of relevance theory, reviews the issues addressed by the volume and explores their implications for cognitive theories of how communicative acts are interpreted in context. Originally designed to explain how people understand each other in everyday face-to-face exchanges, relevance theory—described in an early review by a literary scholar as ‘the makings of a radically new theory of communication, the first since Aristotle’s’—sheds light on the whole spectrum of human modes of communication, including literature in the broadest sense. Reading Beyond the Code is unique in using relevance theory as a prime resource for literary study, and is also the first to apply the model to a range of phenomena widely seen as supporting an ‘embodied’ conception of cognition and language where sensorimotor processes play a key role. This broadened perspective serves to enhance the value for literary studies of the central claim of relevance theory: that the ‘code model’ is fundamentally inadequate to account for human communication, and in particular for the modes of communication that are proper to literature.


2021 ◽  
pp. 096100062110165
Author(s):  
Mohammadhiwa Abdekhoda ◽  
Fatemeh Ranjbaran ◽  
Asghar Sattari

This study was conducted with the aim of evaluating the role of information and information resources in the awareness, control, and prevention of COVID-19. This study was a descriptive-analytical survey in which 450 participants were selected for the study. The data collection instrument was a researcher-made questionnaire. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data through SPSS. The findings show that a wide range of mass media has become well known as information resources for COVID-19. Other findings indicate a significant statistical difference in the rate of using information resources during COVID-19 based on age and gender; however, this difference is not significant regarding the reliability of information resources with regard to age and gender. Health information has an undisputable role in the prevention and control of pandemic diseases such as COVID-19. Providing accurate, reliable, and evidence-based information in a timely manner for the use of resources and information channels related to COVID-19 can be a fast and low-cost strategic approach in confronting this disease.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Elena Antinori ◽  
Marco Contardi ◽  
Giulia Suarato ◽  
Andrea Armirotti ◽  
Rosalia Bertorelli ◽  
...  

AbstractMycelia, the vegetative part of fungi, are emerging as the avant-garde generation of natural, sustainable, and biodegradable materials for a wide range of applications. They are constituted of a self-growing and interconnected fibrous network of elongated cells, and their chemical and physical properties can be adjusted depending on the conditions of growth and the substrate they are fed upon. So far, only extracts and derivatives from mycelia have been evaluated and tested for biomedical applications. In this study, the entire fibrous structures of mycelia of the edible fungi Pleurotus ostreatus and Ganoderma lucidum are presented as self-growing bio-composites that mimic the extracellular matrix of human body tissues, ideal as tissue engineering bio-scaffolds. To this purpose, the two mycelial strains are inactivated by autoclaving after growth, and their morphology, cell wall chemical composition, and hydrodynamical and mechanical features are studied. Finally, their biocompatibility and direct interaction with primary human dermal fibroblasts are investigated. The findings demonstrate the potentiality of mycelia as all-natural and low-cost bio-scaffolds, alternative to the tissue engineering systems currently in place.


Polymers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 1807
Author(s):  
Estefanía Álvarez-Castillo ◽  
José Manuel Aguilar ◽  
Carlos Bengoechea ◽  
María Luisa López-Castejón ◽  
Antonio Guerrero

Composite materials based on proteins and carbohydrates normally offer improved water solubility, biodegradability, and biocompatibility, which make them attractive for a wide range of applications. Soy protein isolate (SPI) has shown superabsorbent properties that are useful in fields such as agriculture. Alginate salts (ALG) are linear anionic polysaccharides obtained at a low cost from brown algae, displaying a good enough biocompatibility to be considered for medical applications. As alginates are quite hydrophilic, the exchange of ions from guluronic acid present in its molecular structure with divalent cations, particularly Ca2+, may induce its gelation, which would inhibit its solubilization in water. Both biopolymers SPI and ALG were used to produce composites through injection moulding using glycerol (Gly) as a plasticizer. Different biopolymer/plasticizer ratios were employed, and the SPI/ALG ratio within the biopolymer fraction was also varied. Furthermore, composites were immersed in different CaCl2 solutions to inhibit the amount of soluble matter loss and to enhance the mechanical properties of the resulting porous matrices. The main goal of the present work was the development and characterization of green porous matrices with inhibited solubility thanks to the gelation of alginate.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Duy Tung Phan ◽  
Chang Won Jung

AbstractAn electromagnetic pulse (EMP) with high energy can damage electronic equipment instantly within a wide range of thousands of kilometers. Generally, a metal plate placed inside a thick concrete wall is used against an EMP, but it is not suitable for an EMP shielding window, which requires not only strong shielding effectiveness (SE) but also optical transparency (OT). In this paper, we propose a very thin and optically transparent structure with excellent SE for EMP shielding window application. The proposed structure consists of a saltwater layer held between two glass substrates and two metal mesh layers on the outside of the glass, with a total thickness of less than 1.5 cm. The SE and OT of the structure are above 80 dB and 45%, respectively, which not only meet the requirement of EMP shielding for military purposes but also retain the procedure of good observation. Moreover, the OT of the structure can be significantly improved using only one metal mesh film (MMF) layer, while the SE is still maintained high to satisfy the required SE for home applicants. With the major advantages of low cost, optical transparency, strong SE, and flexible performance, the proposed structure can be considered a good solution for transparent EMP shielding windows.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shi Cao ◽  
Wei Hong ◽  
Ziqi Ye ◽  
Lei Gong

AbstractThe direct and selective C(sp3)-H functionalization of cycloalkanes and alkanes is a highly useful process in organic synthesis owing to the low-cost starting materials, the high step and atom economy. Its application to asymmetric catalysis, however, has been scarcely explored. Herein, we disclose our effort toward this goal by incorporation of dual asymmetric photocatalysis by a chiral nickel catalyst and a commercially available organophotocatalyst with a radical relay strategy through sulfur dioxide insertion. Such design leads to the development of three-component asymmetric sulfonylation involving direct functionalization of cycloalkanes, alkanes, toluene derivatives or ethers. The photochemical reaction of a C(sp3)-H precursor, a SO2 surrogate and a common α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compound proceeds smoothly under mild conditions, delivering a wide range of biologically interesting α-C chiral sulfones with high regio- and enantioselectivity (>50 examples, up to >50:1 rr and 95% ee). This method is applicable to late-stage functionalization of bioactive molecules, and provides an appealing access to enantioenriched compounds starting from the abundant hydrocarbon compounds.


2021 ◽  
pp. 088391152199784
Author(s):  
Nipun Jain ◽  
Shashi Singh

Development of an artificial tissue by tissue engineering is witnessed to be one of the long lasting clarified solutions for the damaged tissue function restoration. To accomplish this, a scaffold is designed as a cell carrier in which the extracellular matrix (ECM) performs a prominent task of controlling the inoculated cell’s destiny. ECM composition, topography and mechanical properties lead to different types of interactions between cells and ECM components that trigger an assortment of cellular reactions via diverse sensing mechanisms and downstream signaling pathways. The polysaccharides in the form of proteoglycans and glycoproteins yield better outcomes when included in the designed matrices. Glycosaminoglycan (GAG) chains present on proteoglycans show a wide range of operations such as sequestering of critical effector morphogens which encourage proficient nutrient contribution toward the growing stem cells for their development and endurance. In this review we discuss how the glycosylation aspects are of considerable importance in everyday housekeeping functions of a cell especially when placed in a controlled environment under ideal growth conditions. Hydrogels made from these GAG chains have been used extensively as a resorbable material that mimics the natural ECM functions for an efficient control over cell attachment, permeability, viability, proliferation, and differentiation processes. Also the incorporation of non-mammalian polysaccharides can elicit specific receptor responses which authorize the creation of numerous vigorous frameworks while prolonging the low cost and immunogenicity of the substance.


Author(s):  
Alif Chebbi ◽  
Massimiliano Tazzari ◽  
Cristiana Rizzi ◽  
Franco Hernan Gomez Tovar ◽  
Sara Villa ◽  
...  

Abstract Within the circular economy framework, our study aims to assess the rhamnolipid production from winery and olive oil residues as low-cost carbon sources by nonpathogenic strains. After evaluating various agricultural residues from those two sectors, Burkholderia thailandensis E264 was found to use the raw soluble fraction of nonfermented (white) grape marcs (NF), as the sole carbon and energy source, and simultaneously, reducing the surface tension to around 35 mN/m. Interestingly, this strain showed a rhamnolipid production up to 1070 mg/L (13.37 mg/g of NF), with a higher purity, on those grape marcs, predominately Rha-Rha C14-C14, in MSM medium. On olive oil residues, the rhamnolipid yield of using olive mill pomace (OMP) at 2% (w/v) was around 300 mg/L (15 mg/g of OMP) with a similar CMC of 500 mg/L. To the best of our knowledge, our study indicated for the first time that a nonpathogenic bacterium is able to produce long-chain rhamnolipids in MSM medium supplemented with winery residues, as sole carbon and energy source. Key points • Winery and olive oil residues are used for producing long-chain rhamnolipids (RLs). • Both higher RL yields and purity were obtained on nonfermented grape marcs as substrates. • Long-chain RLs revealed stabilities over a wide range of pH, temperatures, and salinities


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document