A dynamic compressed accessibility map for secure XML querying and updating

By specifying a fine-grained access control on the XML data, an accessibility map is required to determine the accessibility of XML nodes for a specific subject (e.g. user or role) under a specific action (e.g. read or write). In the recent years, several research works have been done to reduce the overall storage cost of accessibility map with rapid determination of accessibility of XML nodes at runtime but there is no effort to implement the accessibility map in a compact format for dynamic environment where the accessibility of XML nodes can be updated frequently. In this paper, we propose a Dynamic Compressed Accessibility Map called DCAM to implement the accessibility map in a compact format which can be used in dynamic environment. Moreover, we suggest an efficient lookup method to determine the accessibility of XML nodes by labeling the authorization nodes in the DCAM with the dynamic XML labeling scheme. We also propose an efficient method to accelerate the process of checking the access authorizations for a set of XML nodes retrieved from the XML query processor when the access locality among the XML nodes in the XML tree is high. Besides, we define a set of constraints on the process of XML updating in order to maintain the DCAM in a compact format with minimum maintenance cost. The experimental results demonstrate that the DCAM is more efficient in both the space and time requirements for secure XML querying and updating

Hybrid approach for XML access control (HyXAC)

While XML has been widely adopted for sharing and managing information over the Internet, the need for efficient XML access control naturally arise. Various access control models and mechanisms have been proposed in the research community, such as view-based approaches and preprocessing approaches. All categories of solutions have their inherent advantages and disadvantages. For instance, view based approach provides high performance in query evaluation, but suffers from the view maintenance issues. To remedy the problems, we propose a hybrid approach, namely HyXAC: Hybrid XML Access Control. HyXAC provides efficient access control and query processing by maximizing the utilization of available (but constrained) resources. HyXAC uses pre-processing approach as a baseline to process queries and define sub-views. It dynamically allocates the available resources (memory and secondary storage) to materialize sub-views to improve query performance. Dynamic and fine-grained view management is introduced to utilize cost-effectiveness analysis for optimal query performance. Fine-grained view management also allows sub-views to be shared across multiple roles to eliminate the redundancies in storage

A distributed solution to software reuse

Reuse can be applied to all stages of the software lifecycle to enhance quality and to shorten time of completion for a project. During the phases of design and implementation are some examples of where reuse can be applied, but one frequent obstruction to development is the building of and the identifying of desirable components. This can be costly in the short term but an organisation can gain the profits of applying this scheme if they are seeking long-term goals. Web services are a recent development in distributed computing. This thesis combines the two research areas to produce a distributed solution to software reuse that displays the advantages of distributed computing within a reuse system. This resulted in a web application with access to web services that allowed two different formats of component to be inserted into a reuse repository. These components were searchable by keywords and the results are adjustable by the popularity of a component’s extraction from the system and by user ratings of it; this improved the accuracy of the search. This work displays the accuracy, usability, and speed of this system when tested with five undergraduate and five postgraduate students

AXMEDIS 2008

The AXMEDIS International Conference series aims to explore all subjects and topics related to cross-media and digital-media content production, processing, management, standards, representation, sharing, protection and rights management, to address the latest developments and future trends of the technologies and their applications, impacts and exploitation. The AXMEDIS events offer venues for exchanging concepts, requirements, prototypes, research ideas, and findings which could contribute to academic research and also benefit business and industrial communities. In the Internet as well as in the digital era, cross-media production and distribution represent key developments and innovations that are fostered by emergent technologies to ensure better value for money while optimising productivity and market coverage

Evaluating the potential of internet GIS technology for managing and sharing diverse spatial information: A case study of the National Trust for Scotland

Emerging Internet GIS technology offers an attractive solution to some data interoperability problems by incorporating existing Internet framework standards, providing familiar web browsers as user interfaces and enabling access to data anywhere at anytime. This study investigates the capability of Internet GIS technology for managing and sharing data using the specific example of the National Trust for Scotland (NTS) as an internationally recognised non-governmental organisation uniquely responsible for the protection and conservation of both the cultural and natural heritage of Scotland. This research first looks at the organisation and evaluates their perceived requirements through semi-structured interviews conducted at selected NTS properties and regional and central offices. The second stage demonstrates how these requirements can be addressed using Internet GIS technology, through the creation of three demonstration systems using two software packages, ArcIMS and ASPMap. Arc IMS was selected as an example of a commercial GIS software product and ASPMap as an example of a bespoke system. NTS staff then evaluated these demonstration systems through questionnaires and during a face-to-face feedback and evaluation session. The specific case study is used to broach common sets of issues such as data access and interoperability, which are shared throughout many research sectors and are becoming more important with the fast developing nature of the Internet. The importance of interoperability and the benefits of adhering to metadata guidelines and open standards are discussed in conjunction with internal and external data sharing. Recent advancements in web service technology and their potential for inter- organisational data exchange are also discussed. If pitched practically to address user's needs, an Internet GIS would be invaluable for a spatially oriented organisation like NTS. Results indicated that users required basic GIS functionality and favoured a bespoke approach, both for financial and practical reasons

CHORUS Deliverable 2.1: State of the Art on Multimedia Search Engines

Based on the information provided by European projects and national initiatives related to multimedia search as well as domains experts that participated in the CHORUS Think-thanks and workshops, this document reports on the state of the art related to multimedia content search from, a technical, and socio-economic perspective. The technical perspective includes an up to date view on content based indexing and retrieval technologies, multimedia search in the context of mobile devices and peer-to-peer networks, and an overview of current evaluation and benchmark inititiatives to measure the performance of multimedia search engines. From a socio-economic perspective we inventorize the impact and legal consequences of these technical advances and point out future directions of research

CLINICAL GENOMIC RESEARCH MANAGEMENT

Technological advancement in Genomics has propelled research in a new era, where methods of conducting experiments have completely been renovated. Riding the wave of Information Technology, equipped with statistical tools, Genomics provide a revolutionized perspective unthought-of in the past. With the completion of the Human Genome project, we have a common reference for analysis at the level of the complete genome. High throughput technologies for gene expression, genotyping and sequencing are propelling present research. Attempts are now being made for the incorporation of these methods in the health care in a structured format. Clinicians cherish the use of genomics for the assessment disease predisposition and realizing personalized medical care for a better health care. As genome sequencing is becoming swifter and its cost reducing, the public genomic data has increased many folds. Data from other high throughput technologies and annotations further increase the storage requirements. Laboratory management software, LIMS, is now becoming the limiting factor as automation and integration increases. Thus genomics now faces the challenge of management of this enormous data catering to varied needs, not limited only for the research laboratories, but extends also to health care institutions and individual clinicians. Further, there is a growing need for the analysis and visualization of the generated data to be integrated into the same platform for a continuous research experience and systematic supervision. Data security is of prime concern, especially in health care concerning human subjects. The interest of the clinicians adds another management requirement, a delivery system for the concerned subject. Hypertension is a complex disorder with world-wide prevalence. HYPERGENES project was centered on the objective of integrating biological data and processes with Hypertension as the disease model. The HYPERGENES project focuses on the definition of a comprehensive genetic epidemiological model of complex traits like Essential Hypertension (EH) and intermediate phenotypes of hypertension such as Target Organ Damage (TOD). During the HYPERGENES project, the above mentioned challenges were comprehended and evaluated, leading to the present work as an endeavor to provide a generalized integrated solution towards the management of genomic and clinical data for clinical genomic research. This PhD thesis represents the description of AD2BioDB, biological data management platform and SeqPipe, dynamic pipeline management software, in the path of meeting the challenges posed in the area of clinical genomics. AD2BioDB provides the platform where data generated using different technologies can be managed and analyzed with reporting and visualization modules for improved understanding of the results among all research collaborators. AD2BioDB is the management software environment in which the in-silico data can be shared and analyzed. The analysis software is connected within AD2BioDB through the plug-in system. SeqPipe software provides opportunity to dynamically create pipeline workflows for the multi-step analysis of data. The interactive graphical user interface provides the opportunity for coding free pipeline creation and analysis. This tool is especially useful in the dynamic NGS analysis, where multiple tools i with different versions are in use. SeqPipe can be used as independent software or as a plug-in analysis tool within an application like AD2BioDB. The key features of AD2BioDB can be summarized as: \uf0b7 Clinical genomics data management \uf0b7 Project management \uf0b7 Data security \uf0b7 Dynamic creation of graphical representation. \uf0b7 Distributed workflow analysis \uf0b7 Reporting and alert features. \uf0b7 Dynamic integration of high throughput technologies We developed AD2BioDB as a prototype in our laboratory for providing support to the increasing genomic data and complexity of analysis. The software aims at providing a continuous research experience with a versatile platform that supports data management, analysis and public knowledge integration. Through the integration of SeqPipe into AD2BioDB, the management system becomes robust in providing a distributed analysis environment

Multimodal Content Delivery for Geo-services

This thesis describes a body of work carried out over several research projects in the area of multimodal interaction for location-based services. Research in this area has progressed from using simulated mobile environments to demonstrate the visual modality, to the ubiquitous delivery of rich media using multimodal interfaces (geo- services). To effectively deliver these services, research focused on innovative solutions to real-world problems in a number of disciplines including geo-location, mobile spatial interaction, location-based services, rich media interfaces and auditory user interfaces. My original contributions to knowledge are made in the areas of multimodal interaction underpinned by advances in geo-location technology and supported by the proliferation of mobile device technology into modern life. Accurate positioning is a known problem for location-based services, contributions in the area of mobile positioning demonstrate a hybrid positioning technology for mobile devices that uses terrestrial beacons to trilaterate position. Information overload is an active concern for location-based applications that struggle to manage large amounts of data, contributions in the area of egocentric visibility that filter data based on field-of-view demonstrate novel forms of multimodal input. One of the more pertinent characteristics of these applications is the delivery or output modality employed (auditory, visual or tactile). Further contributions in the area of multimodal content delivery are made, where multiple modalities are used to deliver information using graphical user interfaces, tactile interfaces and more notably auditory user interfaces. It is demonstrated how a combination of these interfaces can be used to synergistically deliver context sensitive rich media to users - in a responsive way - based on usage scenarios that consider the affordance of the device, the geographical position and bearing of the device and also the location of the device

Data Service Outsourcing and Privacy Protection in Mobile Internet

Mobile Internet data have the characteristics of large scale, variety of patterns, and complex association. On the one hand, it needs efficient data processing model to provide support for data services, and on the other hand, it needs certain computing resources to provide data security services. Due to the limited resources of mobile terminals, it is impossible to complete large-scale data computation and storage. However, outsourcing to third parties may cause some risks in user privacy protection. This monography focuses on key technologies of data service outsourcing and privacy protection, including the existing methods of data analysis and processing, the fine-grained data access control through effective user privacy protection mechanism, and the data sharing in the mobile Internet