Reliable aggregation on network traffic for web based knowledge discovery

The web is a rich resource for information discovery, as a result web mining is a hot topic. However, a reliable mining result depends on the reliability of the data set. For every single second, the web generate huge amount of data, such as web page requests, file transportation. The data reflect human behavior in the cyber space and therefore valuable for our analysis in various disciplines, e.g. social science, network security. How to deposit the data is a challenge. An usual strategy is to save the abstract of the data, such as using aggregation functions to preserve the features of the original data with much smaller space. A key problem, however is that such information can be distorted by the presence of illegitimate traffic, e.g. botnet recruitment scanning, DDoS attack traffic, etc. An important consideration in web related knowledge discovery then is the robustness of the aggregation method , which in turn may be affected by the reliability of network traffic data. In this chapter, we first present the methods of aggregation functions, and then we employe information distances to filter out anomaly data as a preparation for web data mining.

Decision support and the effectiveness of web-based delivery and information tailoring for bowel cancer screening : an exploratory study

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer in males and the second in females throughout the developed world. Population screening using fecal occult blood tests (FOBTs) facilitates early detection and greater chance of survival, but participation rates are low. We developed a Web-based decision tool to provide information tailored to an individual’s decision stage for CRC screening and attitude toward screening utilizing the Preventive Health Model (PHM) and Precaution Adoption Process Model (PAPM) as theoretical frameworks for screening behavior. We describe the practical steps employed in the tool’s design and the subsequent conduct of an exploratory study.
Objective: To design a decision tool for CRC screening and conduct an exploratory study among average-risk men and women to (1) test the impact of message type (tailored vs non-tailored) and message delivery modality (Web-based vs paper-based) on attitudes toward screening and screening uptake, and (2) investigate the acceptability of the decision tool and relevance of materials.
Methods: Participants (n = 100), recruited from a population sample of men and women aged 50-76 residing in urban Adelaide, Australia, were randomly assigned to a control group or one of 4 interventions: (1) Web-based and tailored information, (2) paper-based and tailored information, (3) Web-based and non-tailored (generic) information, or (4) paper-based and non-tailored information. Participation was augmented by snowball recruitment (n = 19). Questionnaires based on PHM variables were administered pre- and post-intervention. Participants were given the opportunity to request an FOBT. Following the intervention, participants discussed the acceptability of the tool.
Results: Full data were available for 87.4% (104/119) of participants. Post-intervention, perceived susceptibility scores for individuals receiving tailored information increased from mean 10.6 (SD 2.1) to mean 11.8 (SD 2.2). Scores on self-efficacy increased in the tailored group from mean 11.7 (SD 2.0) to mean 12.6 (SD 1.8). There were significant time x modality x message effects for social influence and salience and coherence, reflecting an increase in these scores for tailored Web-based participants only; social influence scores increased from mean 11.7 (SD 2.6) to mean 14.9 (SD 2.3), and salience and coherence scores increased from mean 16.0 (SD 2.2) to mean 17.7 (SD 2.1). There was no greater influence of modality or message type on movement toward a decision to screen or screening uptake, indicating that neither tailored messages nor a Web modality had superior effect. Overall, participants regarded tailored messages positively, but thought that the Web tool lacked “media richness.”
Conclusions: This exploratory study confirms that tailoring on PHM predictors of CRC screening has the potential to positively address attitudes toward screening. However, tailoring on these variables did not result in significantly increased screening uptake. Future research should consider other possible psychosocial influences. Mode of delivery did not affect outcomes, but as a delivery medium, the Web has economic and logistical advantages over paper.

Web-based alcohol screening and brief intervention for Māori and non-Māori: the New Zealand e-SBINZ trials

BACKGROUND: Hazardous alcohol consumption is a leading modifiable cause of mortality and morbidity among young people. Screening and brief intervention (SBI) is a key strategy to reduce alcohol-related harm in the community, and web-based approaches (e-SBI) have advantages over practitioner-delivered approaches, being cheaper, more acceptable, administrable remotely and infinitely scalable. An efficacy trial in a university population showed a 10-minute intervention could reduce drinking by 11% for 6 months or more among 17-24 year-old undergraduate hazardous drinkers. The e-SBINZ study is designed to examine the effectiveness of e-SBI across a range of universities and among Māori and non-Māori students in New Zealand. METHODS/DESIGN: The e-SBINZ study comprises two parallel, double blind, multi-site, individually randomised controlled trials. This paper outlines the background and design of the trial, which is recruiting 17-24 year-old students from seven of New Zealand's eight universities. Māori and non-Māori students are being sampled separately and are invited by e-mail to complete a web questionnaire including the AUDIT-C. Those who score >4 will be randomly allocated to no further contact until follow-up (control) or to assessment and personalised feedback (intervention) via computer. Follow-up assessment will occur 5 months later in second semester. Recruitment, consent, randomisation, intervention and follow-up are all online. Primary outcomes are (i) total alcohol consumption, (ii) frequency of drinking, (iii) amount consumed per typical drinking occasion, (iv) the proportions exceeding medical guidelines for acute and chronic harm, and (v) scores on an academic problems scale. DISCUSSION: The trial will provide information on the effectiveness of e-SBI in reducing hazardous alcohol consumption across diverse university student populations with separate effect estimates for Māori and non-Māori students. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR) ACTRN12610000279022.

Requirements engineering for web-based information systems

This chapter overviews the existing methods of requirements analysis as prescribed by some of the best-known web-development methods. It also discusses the pre-eminent importance of stakeholder analysis, identification of stakeholder views and concerns, and the processes governing elicitation of web systems requirements. The chapter finally derives a model of concern-driven requirements evolution from several case studies undertaken in the area of web-enabled employee service systems.

Towards an interactive architecture for web-based databases

World Wide Web has brought us a lot of challenges, such as infinite contents, resource diversity, and maintenance and update of contents. Web-based database (WBDB) is one of the answers to these challenges. Currently the most commonly used WBDB architecture is three-tier architecture, which is still somehow lack of flexibility to adapt to frequently changed user requirements. In this paper, we propose a hybrid interactive architecture for WBDB based on the reactive system concepts. In this architecture, we use sensors to catch users frequently changed requirements and use a decision making manager agent to process them and generate SQL commands dynamically. Hence the efficiency and flexibility are gained from this architecture, and the performance of WBDB is enhanced accordingly.

A load balancing algorithm for web based server grids

Load balance is a critical issue in distributed systems, such as server grids. In this paper, we propose a Balanced Load Queue (BLQ) model, which combines the queuing theory and hydro-dynamic theory, to model load balance in server grids. Base on the BLQ model, we claim that if the system is in the state of global fairness, then the performance of the whole system is the best. We propose a load balanced algorithm based on the model: the algorithm tries its best to keep the system in the global fairness status using job deviation. We present three strategies: best node, best neighbour, and random selection, for job deviation. A number of experiments are conducted for the comparison of the three strategies, and the results show that the best neighbour strategy is the best among the proposed strategies. Furthermore, the proposed algorithm with best neighbour strategy is better than the traditional round robin algorithm in term of processing delay, and the proposed algorithm needs very limited system information and is robust.

Knowledge transfer in enterprise information technology support using web-based self-service systems

This paper explores Critical Success Factors (CSFs) in the transfer
of after-sales support-oriented knowledge from Information Technology (IT)
support organisations to enterprise customers, using Web-based self-service Systems (WSS). As it appears that best-in-class companies are ahead of the academic work in this area, we approached the topic through an exploratory CSF study of a best-in-class multinational IT services firm and identified 26 CSFs. Key findings from the study indicate that best-in-class IT service organisations may be cognisant of a range of factors relating to supporting customers, but are less aware of what is needed to support their own frontline support agents. Such organisations also lack an understanding of what is needed to provide enterprise support in the later stages of knowledge transfer, where enterprise customers can experience problems attempting to integrate resolutions. The study further showed that many aspects that might be characterised as encompassing socio-technical issues relating to the provision of web-based self-service are still poorly understood.

Developing wikis to foster web-based learning communities : an iterative approach

This paper discusses ongoing research at Deakin University, which focuses on developing wikis to foster web-based learning communities. Research to date has used wikis to facilitate collaborative icebreaker exercises, discussions, and to create knowledge repositories. Student feedback has contributed to the iterative revision of the wiki interface, the icebreaker exercise and the development of new tasks for students to complete using the wiki. The analysis and discussion of the experiments presented in this paper focuses on usage trends such as the signature, viewing and editing patterns exhibited by the student cohort. The community building potential of wikis is discussed, highlighting the specific wiki features that can be used to foster a sense of community in a web-based learning environment. Finally, issues surrounding the development of web-based learning communities, which have emerged through the wiki study, are discussed and future directions are outlined.

Development of a web-based information system for cascading utilisation of construction materials

This paper presents a Web-based information system for promoting the cascading utilisation of construction materials in order to mitigate the increasing environmental pressure by the construction industry. First, this paper points out me weaknesses of current waste material exchange systems. Then, a new approach is introduced to reuse demolished materials, by which the utilisation of demolished materials may be ascertained before the demolition is actually produced.. Information technologies, including web-based intelligent and distributed systems, are applied to actua1ise this approach. Finally, the development and implementation of the system is described in detail.

Quality-of-service routing for web-based multimedia servers

Quality-of-Service is an important issue in multimedia applications; so far most of the research focuses on bandwidth guarantee, few pays attention to the server performance guarantee. In this paper we pay more attention to the server performance guarantee under the prerequisite of guaranteed bandwidth quality. We take advantage of anycast to find the "best" multimedia server among a distributed server group in terms of bandwidth, the request will be submitted to the selected server, moreover, the selected server's neighbours' (all the servers with feasible paths) addresses are delivered to the selected server simultaneously. If the selected server can not guarantee the QoS for the request in terms of server performance, then a proposed QoS-Aware Server Load Deviation (QASLD) mechanism wiII be employed, which will deliver the request to one of its neighbours until there exists a suitable server that can guarantee the server performance for the request. Our experiments show that the proposed QASLD algorithm works well.

End-user control in web-based electronic services : a case study

This paper reports a case study of end-user control in delivery of Web-based electronic services. The case study concentrates the adoption of a Web-based electronic system being implemented in processing student’s admission applications on a Web site. The end-user’s control interface provides information on the detail existing in the Web-based electronic service. This insight into end-user synthesis in developing effective control in Web service environment relates to ease of use in doing the task. To assume the leverage of end-user control strictly on the basis of the Web service usage would limit the purpose of understanding. Rather it is suggested that it would be better to develop an approach to study the end-user ease of use interface in doing the task with the user’s perception towards Web-based interactivity.

End-user experience with information in Web-based electronic service : a case study

End-user experience with information presumably considered as one of the prominent factors shaping the adoption of web-based electronic services. User interfacing with large amount of information the rationale is to deduce the effect in the current web-based task environment. Understanding user’s perception on the basis of the prior experience with information may provide insights into what constitutes in driving those perceptions and their effect in the current and future task in web-based electronic services. The paper lays the theoretical context of end-user experience with information and proceeds further in an attempt to distinguish the role in web-based electronic services.