The next generation messaging technology: Makes web services effective

The vision presented in this paper and its technical content are a result of close collaboration between several researchers from the University of Queensland, Australia and the SAP Corporate Research Center, Brisbane, Australia. In particular; Dr Wasim Sadiq (SAP), Dr Shazia Sadiq (UQ), and Dr Karsten Schultz (SAP) are the prime contributors to the ideas presented. Also, PhD students Mr Dat Ma Cao and Ms Belinda Carter are involved in the research program. Additionally, the Australian Research Council Discovery Project Scheme and Australian Research Council Linkage Project Scheme support some aspects of research work towards the HMT solution.

A border-based approach for hiding sensitive frequent itemsets

Sharing data among organizations often leads to mutual benefit. Recent technology in data mining has enabled efficient extraction of knowledge from large databases. This, however, increases risks of disclosing the sensitive knowledge when the database is released to other parties. To address this privacy issue, one may sanitize the original database so that the sensitive knowledge is hidden. The challenge is to minimize the side effect on the quality of the sanitized database so that nonsensitive knowledge can still be mined. In this paper, we study such a problem in the context of hiding sensitive frequent itemsets by judiciously modifying the transactions in the database. To preserve the non-sensitive frequent itemsets, we propose a border-based approach to efficiently evaluate the impact of any modification to the database during the hiding process. The quality of database can be well maintained by greedily selecting the modifications with minimal side effect. Experiments results are also reported to show the effectiveness of the proposed approach. © 2005 IEEE

Sustainable tourism planning: A content analysis of local tourism plans

Tourism planning has been advocated by many as a possible means of alleviating some of the negative impacts of tourism. While a number of approaches have evolved, tourism planning based on the philosophies of sustainability has emerged as the most comprehensive approaches. To investigate the tourism planning approaches of local tourism destinations in Queensland, particularly the extent to which tourism plans exhibit the sustainable approach to tourism planning, 30 local tourism planning documents have been reviewed. Despite claims that sustainable tourism planning is one of the most accepted approaches the study has shown that this is not necessarily the case in practice. It was found that although a number of plans addressed the issue of sustainability, the subsequent strategies and actions suggest that the sustainable approach is not the dominant planning approach, but in fact the economic and infrastructure approaches are the primary planning methods.

Towards more personalized web: Extraction and integration of dynamic content from the Web

Information and content integration are believed to be a possible solution to the problem of information overload in the Internet. The article is an overview of a simple solution for integration of information and content on the Web. Previous approaches to content extraction and integration are discussed, followed by introduction of a novel technology to deal with the problems, based on XML processing. The article includes lessons learned from solving issues of changing webpage layout, incompatibility with HTML standards and multiplicity of the results returned. The method adopting relative XPath queries over DOM tree proves to be more robust than previous approaches to Web information integration. Furthermore, the prototype implementation demonstrates the simplicity that enables non-professional users to easily adopt this approach in their day-to-day information management routines.

The influence of social e-atmospherics in practice:a website content analysis perspectives from Turkey as an illustration of emerging market and France as a mature market

E-atmospherics have been often analyzed in terms of functional features, leaving its characteristics' link to social capital co-creation as a fertile research area. Prior research have demonstrated the capacity of e-atmospherics' at modifying shopping habits towards deeper engagement. Little is known on how processes and cues emerging from the social aspects of lifestyle influence purchasing behavior. The anatomy of social dimension and ICT is the focus of this research, where attention is devoted to unpack the meanings and type of online mundane social capital creation. Taking a cross-product/services approach to better investigate social construction impact, our approach also involves both an emerging and a mature market where exploratory content analysis of landing page are done on Turkish and French web sites, respectively. We contend that by comprehending social capital, daily micro practices, habits and routine, a better and deeper understanding on e-atmospherics incumbent and potential effects on its multi-national e-customer will be acquired.

School vision screening, ages 5-16 years:The evidence-base for content, provision and efficacy

The optometric profession in the UK has a major role in the detection, assessment and management of ocular anomalies in children between 5 and 16 years of age. The role complements a variety of associated screening services provided across several health care sectors. The review examines the evidence-base for the content, provision and efficacy of these screening services in terms of the prevalence of anomalies such as refractive error, amblyopia, binocular vision and colour vision and considers the consequences of their curtailment. Vision screening must focus on pre-school children if the aim of the screening is to detect and treat conditions that may lead to amblyopia, whereas if the aim is to detect and correct significant refractive errors (not likely to lead to amblyopia) then it would be expedient for the optometric profession to act as the major provider of refractive (and colour vision) screening at 5-6 years of age. Myopia is the refractive error most likely to develop during primary school presenting typically between 8 and 12 years of age, thus screening at entry to secondary school is warranted. Given the inevitable restriction on resources for health care, establishing screening at 5 and 11 years of age, with exclusion of any subsequent screening, is the preferred option. © 2004 The College of Optometrists.

The Single drop drying of heat-sensitive materials

The literature relating to the principles and practice of drying of materials, particularly those susceptible to thermal degradation or undesirable loss of volatile components, has been reviewed. Single droplets of heat-sensitive materials were dried whilst suspended in a horizontal wind tunnel from a specially-designed, rotating thermocouple which enabled direct observation of drying behaviour and continuous measurement of droplet temperature as drying progressed. The effects of drying air temperature and initial solids concentration on the potency of various antibiotics, viz. ampicillin, chloramphenicol, oxytetracycline, streptomycin and tetracycline, were assessed using a modified Drug Sensitivity Testing technique. Only ampicillin was heat-sensitive at temperatures above 100°C, e.g. at an air temperature of 115°C its zone diameter was reduced from 100% to 45%. Selected enzymes, viz. dextran sucrase and invertase, were also dried and their residual activities determined by High Performance Liquid Chromatography. The residual activity of dextran sucrase was rapidly reduced at temperatures above 65°C, and the residual activity of invertase reduced rapidly at temperatures above 65°C; but drying with short residence times will retain most of its activity. The performance of various skin-forming encapsulants, viz. rice and wheat starch, dextrin, coffee, skim milk, fructose, gelatine 60 and 150 Bloom, and gum arabic, was evaluated to determine their capabilities for retention of ethanol as a model volatile, under different operating conditions. The effects of initial solids concentration, air velocity and temperature were monitored for each material tested. Ethanol content was analysed by Gas Liquid Chromatography and in some cases dried crusts were removed for examination. Volatiles retention was concluded to depend in all cases upon the rate and nature of the skin formation and selective diffusion phenomena. The results provided further insight into the inter-relationship between temperature, residence time and thermal degradation of heat-sensitive materials. They should also assist in selection of the preferred dryer for such materials, and of the operating parameter to enable maximum retention of the required physico-chemical characteristics in the dried materials.

Investigating the supply and demand relationship in a profession: the English and Welsh schools of librarianship and information Studies and the Higher Education Library and Information Services employment sector in England and Wales.

Concern has been expressed in the professional literature - borne out by professional experience and observation - that the supply and demand relationship existing between the 13 English and Welsh Library and Information Studies (LIS) Schools (as providers of `First Professional' staff) and the Higher Education Library and Information Services (HE LIS) sector of England and Wales (as one group of employers of such staff) is unsatisfactory and needs attention. An appropriate methodology to investigate this problem was devised. A basic content analysis of Schools' curricular and recruitment material intended for public consumption was undertaken to establish an overview of the LIS initial professional education system in England and Wales, and to identify and analyse any covert messages imparted to readers. This was followed by a mix of Main Questionnaires and Semi-Structured Interviews with appropriate populations. The investigation revealed some serious areas of dissatisfaction by the HE LIS Chiefs with the role and function of the Schools. Considerable divergence of views emerged on the state of the working relationships between the two sectors and on the Schools' successes in meeting the needs of the HE LIS sector and on CPD provision. There were, however, areas of substantial and consistent agreement between the two sectors. The main implications of the findings were that those areas encompassing divergence of views were worrying and needed addressing by both sides. Possible ways forward included recommendations on improving the image of the profession purveyed by the Schools; the forming of closer and more effective inter-sectoral relationships; recognising fully the importance of `practicum' and increasing and sustaining the network of `practicum' providers.

Trade union policy and new technology: the Civil and Public Services Association

The introduction of a micro-electronic based technology to the workplace has had a far reaching and widespread effect on the numbers and content of jobs. The importance of the implications of new technology were recognised by the trade unions, leading to a plethora of advice and literature in the late 70s and early 80s, notably the TUC 'Technology and Employment ' report. However, studies into the union response have consistently found an overall lack of influence by unions in the introduction of technology. Whilst the advent of new technology has coincided with an industrial relations climate of unprecedented hostility to union activity in the post-war period, there are structural weaknesses in unions in coming to terms with the process of technological change. In particular was the identification of a lack of suitable technological expertise. Addressing itself to this perceived weakness of the union response, this thesis is the outcome of a collaborative project between a national union and an academic institution. The thesis is based on detailed case studies concerning technology bargaining in the Civil Service and the response of the Civil and Public Services Associations (CPSA), the union that represents lower grade white collar civil servants. It is demonstrated that the application of expertise to union negotiators is insufficient on its own to extend union influence and that for unions to effectively come to terms with technology and influence its development requires a re-assessment across all spheres of union activity. It is suggested that this has repercussions for not only the internal organisation and quality of union policy formation and the extent, form and nature of collective bargaining with employer representatives, but also in the relationship with consumer and interest groups outside the traditional collective bargaining forum. Three policy options are developed in the thesis with the 'adversarial' and 'co~operative' options representing the more traditional reactive and passive forms of involvement. These are contrasted with an 'independent participative' form of involvement which was a 'pro-active' policy option and utilised the expertise of the Author in the CPSA's response to technological change.

An enhanced functional ability questionnaire (faVIQ) to measure the impact of rehabilitation services on the visually impaired

AIM To develop a short, enhanced functional ability Quality of Vision (faVIQ) instrument based on previous questionnaires employing comprehensive modern statistical techniques to ensure the use of an appropriate response scale, items and scoring of the visual related difficulties experienced by patients with visual impairment. METHODS Items in current quality-of-life questionnaires for the visually impaired were refined by a multi-professional group and visually impaired focus groups. The resulting 76 items were completed by 293 visually impaired patients with stable vision on two occasions separated by a month. The faVIQ scores of 75 patients with no ocular pathology were compared to 75 age and gender matched patients with visual im pairm ent. RESULTS Rasch analysis reduced the faVIQ items to 27. Correlation to standard visual metrics was moderate (r=0.32-0.46) and to the NEI-VFQ was 0.48. The faVIQ was able to clearly discriminate between age and gender matched populations with no ocular pathology and visual impairment with an index of 0.983 and 95% sensitivity and 95% specificity using a cut off of 29. CONCLUSION The faVIQ allows sensitive assessm ent of quality-of-life in the visually im paired and should support studies which evaluate the effectiveness of low vision rehabilitation services. © Copyright International Journal of Ophthalmology Press.

User involvement in UK cancer services:bridging the policy gap

Recent UK government initiatives aim to increase user involvement in the National Health Service (NHS) in two ways: by encouraging service users to take an active role in making decisions about their own care; and by establishing opportunities for wider public participation in service development. The purpose of this study was to examine how UK cancer service users understand and relate to the concept of user involvement. The data were collected through in-depth interviews, which were analysed for content according to the principles of grounded theory. The results highlight the role of information and communication in effective user involvement. Perhaps more importantly, this study suggests that the concept of user involvement is unclear to many cancer service users. This paper argues the need for increased awareness and understanding of what user involvement is and how it can work.

Nucleoside diphosphate kinase--a component of the [Na+1]- and [Cl-]-sensitive phosphorylation cascade in human and murine airway epithelium

We have shown that proteins within apically enriched fractions of human nasal respiratory epithelium vary their phosphohistidine content with ambient [Cl-] and other anion concentrations. This membrane-delimited phosphorylation cascade includes a multifunctional protein histidine kinase - nucleoside diphosphate kinase (NDPK). NDPK is itself a cascade component in both human and ovine airway, the self-phosphorylation of which is inhibited selectively by [Na+] in the presence of ATP (but not GTP). These findings led us to propose the existence of a dual anion-/cation-controlled phosphorylation-based "sensor" bound to the apical membrane. The present study showed that this cascade uses ATP to phosphorylate a group of proteins above 45 kDa (p45-group, identities unknown). Additionally, the Cl- dependence of ATP (but not GTP) phosphorylation is conditional on phosphatase activity and that interactions exist between the ATP- and GTP-phosphorylated components of the cascade under Cl--free conditions. As a prelude to studies in cystic fibrosis (CF) mice, we showed in the present study that NDPK is present and functionally active in normal murine airway. Since NDPK is essential for UTP synthesis and regulates fetal gut development, G proteins, K+channels, neutrophil-mediated inflammation and pancreatic secretion, the presence of ion-regulated NDPK protein in mouse airway epithelium might aid understanding of the pathogenesis of CF.