The construction of Karen Karnak: The multi-author-function

This thesis is situated within the comparatively recent developments of Web 2.0 and the emergence of interactive WikiMedia, and explores the mode of authorship within a Read/Write culture compared to that of a Read/Only tradition. The hypothesis of this study is that the role of the audience has become merged with the author, and as such, represents new functions and attributes, distinct from a more conventional concept of authorship, in which the roles of audience and author are more separate. Read/Write and participatory culture, as defined by this study, is focused on collaboration, and includes the influences of D.I.Y. culture, Open-Source practices and the production of text by multiple authors. Multi-authorship presents a re-thinking of several concepts which support the notion of the individual author, since the focus of multi-authorship is not on attribution and ownership of a finished text, but on the continued malleability of a text. Modes of multi-authorship, demonstrated in the use of the pseudonyms Alan Smithee and Karen Eliot, represent declarative authors whose names signify multiple origins, whilst concurrently indicating a distinct body of work. The function of these names form an important context to this study, since primary research involves the construction of an experimental mode of multi-authorship utilising WikiMedia technology and the interaction of thirty nine participants, who are invited to create a body of work under the collective pseudonym Karen Karnak. The data generated by this experiment is analysed using aspects of Michel Foucault's author-function to identify and determine power structures inherent in the WikiMedia context. The interplay of power structures, including concepts such as identity, ownership and the body of work, affect the resulting mode of authorship and contribute to the construction of Karen Karnak, suggesting further areas of research into the emerging multi-author

Identity Transformation in Saudi Male International University Students Studying in the United States

The number of Saudi Arabian international students who pursue higher education in the United States has steadily risen over the past decade. Relatively little research has been devoted to investigating how the experience of studying at an institution of higher education in the United States impacts the Saudi Arabian identity. It is an area of significance given the interconnected nature of language acquisition, identity, and culture, and the differences between Saudi Arabia and the United States. The aim of this small-scale qualitative study was to explore how the experience of studying in the United States impacts Saudi male identity. Semi-structured, one-on-one interviews were conducted with seven Saudi Arabian male students at a Midwestern university about their experiences studying in the United States, their feelings and perceptions of those experiences, and how they feel it has ultimately impacted their individual identities, as well as the collective Saudi male identity. Nine major themes relating to identity were identified in analysis of the interviews, seven of which related to transformation in the Saudi male identity: independence/self reliance, academics, open-mindedness/tolerance, experiencing discrimination and stereotypes based on perceptions of their identity, interactions with females as peers/classmates and teachers, and evolving perspectives on aspects of Saudi Arabian society culture and society

AUTOPSY – ENHANCED DISTRIBUTED FORENSIC ANALYSIS

No contexto do mestrado em Cibersegurança e Informática Forense, uma das escolhas para o último ano curricular é a realização de um estágio, sendo este documento o relatório resultante da realização do mesmo. A empresa VOID SOFTWARE, S.A. em concordância com o estudante definiram um plano de trabalho, a realizar durante o decorrer do estágio curricular de 9 meses, com o objetivo de desenvolver uma plataforma de análise forense digital baseada na plataforma Autopsy. Existem bastantes plataformas de análise forense digital, mas o Autopsy é a opção grátis e de código aberto com mais reconhecimento no mercado. A plataforma desenvolvida, e sobre a qual incide este trabalho e por conseguinte este relatório, tem como objetivo complementar a plataforma Autopsy com uma das funcionalidades mais importantes das plataformas de análise forense digital, a colaboração, adaptando a arquitetura da plataforma para um modelo clienteservidor. O desenvolvimento da plataforma decorreu com base nas práticas habituais da empresa, utilizando uma framework ágil e trabalhando com diferentes entidades como designer, tester e product owner

The experiences of patients with diabetes and strategies for their management during the frst COVID-19 lockdown: a qualitative study

Background: During the pandemic, primary care systems prioritised attention to COVID-19 patients; chronically ill patients, such as people with Type 2 Diabetes were obliged to take more responsibility for their own care. We aimed to analyse the experiences of patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus during the stay-at-home order that was in place during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic and identify the strategies and resources used in managing their care. Method: We conducted a qualitative descriptive study. The participants were ten patients with type 2 Diabetes Mellitus who experienced strict lockdown during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Catalonia, Spain, selected using intentional sampling. We recorded semi-structured interviews with the participants and conducted thematic analysis. Results: We identified 14 subthemes, which we then grouped into three overarching themes: 1) anxiety, fear, and vulnerability (anxiety, fear, vulnerability, rethinking life, loneliness, sadness), 2) insufficient diabetes monitoring by the health system (health care received, glycaemic control, view of treatment by health providers) and proactive self-care (changes in daily routine, diet, physical activity, medication, personal protective equipment & social distancing). Conclusion: Despite the exceptional nature of the situation and the stress, worry, and changes in their daily lives, many respondents reported that they had successfully modified their lifestyles. Self-care was effective during confinement and was based on a process of adaptation using the resources available, without face-to-face contact with primary care health staff. Relevance to clinical practice: These results can help to guide the design and implementation of self-care-focused strategies and also to explore new ways of empowering patients without access to health care personnel

Application of Voice Personal Assistants in the Context of Smart University

Los asistentes personales de voz basados en técnicas avanzadas de comprensión del lenguaje natural se muestran como un recurso prometedor frente al reto del diseño de plataformas virtuales de aprendizaje. Específicamente, estos recursos pueden servir de apoyo para la mejora del proceso de enseñanza-aprendizaje. El objetivo principal de este trabajo ha sido el de estudiar los desafíos actuales para la utilización de este tipo de asistentes en el ámbito de las universidades inteligentes. Asimismo, se ha analizado cómo esta nueva tecnología puede ayudar a los estudiantes en su proceso de aprendizaje y grado de satisfacción. Los resultados de este trabajo se presentan en tres artículos de investigación publicados en revistas científicas indexadas en Web of Science. También se aporta un Registro de la Propiedad Intelectual registrado en el Ministerio de Cultura de España, en la categoría de programa de ordenador, cuyos derechos fueron cedidos a la Universidad de Burgos.Personal voice assistants based on advanced natural language comprehension techniques are shown as a promising resource with regard to the challenge of designing virtual learning platforms. In particular, these resources can support the improvement of the teaching-learning process. The main objective of this work has been to study the current challenges for the use of this type of assistant in the field of smart universities. Likewise, it has been analyzed how this innovative technology can help students in their learning process and their degree of satisfaction. The results of this work are presented in three research articles published in scientific journals indexed on the Web of Science. Also, an Intellectual Property Registry registered with the Ministry of Culture of Spain in the category of computer programs is provided, whose rights were transferred to the University of Burgos

Development of virtual network computing (VNC) environment for networking and enhancing user experience

Virtual Network Computing (VNC) is a thin client developed by Real VNC Ltd, Formerly of Olivetti Research Ltd/AT&T labs Cambridge and can be used as a collaborative environment, therefore it has been chosen as the basis of this research study. The purpose of this thesis is to investigate and develop a VNC based environment over the network and to improve the users’ Quality of Experience (QoE) of using VNC between networked groups by the incorporation of videoconferencing with VNC and enhancing QoE in Mobile environments where the network status is far from ideal and is prone to disconnection. This thesis investigates the operation of VNC in different environments and scenarios such as wireless environments by investigating user and device mobility and ways to sustain their seamless connection when in motion. As part of the study I also researched all groups that implement VNC like universities, research groups and laboratories and virtual laboratories. In addition to that I identified the successful features and security measures in VNC in order to create a secure environment. This was achieved by pinpointing the points of strength and weakness in VNC as opposed to popular thin clients and remote control applications and analysing VNC according to conforming to several security measures. Furthermore, it is reasonable to say that the success of any scheme that attempts to deliver desirable levels of Quality of Service (QoS) of an effective application for the future Internet must be based, not only on the progress of technology, but on usersʹ requirements. For instance, a collaborative environment has not yet reached the desired expectation of its users since it is not capable of handling any unexpected events which can result from a sudden disconnection of a nomadic user engaged in an ongoing collaborative session; this is consequently associated with breaking the social dynamics of the group collaborating in the session. Therefore, I have concluded that knowing the social dynamics of application’s users as a group and their requirements and expectations of a successful experience can lead an application designer to exploit technology to autonomously support the initiating and maintaining of social interaction. Moreover, I was able to successfully develop a VNC based environment for networked groups that facilitates the administration of different remote VNC sessions. In addition to a prototype that uses videoconferencing in parallel to VNC to provide a better user’s QoE of VNC. The last part of the thesis was concerned with designing a framework to improve and assess QoE of all users in a collaborative environment where it can be especially applied in the presence of nomadic clients with their much frequent disconnections. I have designed a conceptual algorithm called Improved Collaborative Quality of Experience (IC‐QoE), an algorithm that aims to eliminate frustration and improve QoE of users in a collaborative session in the case of disconnections and examined its use and benefits in real world scenarios such as research teams and implemented a prototype to present the concepts of this algorithm. Finally, I have designed a framework to suggest ways to evaluate this algorithm

Enhancing the security of electronic commerce transactions

This thesis looks at the security of electronic commerce transaction process- ing. It begins with an introduction to security terminology used in the thesis. Security requirements for card payments via the Internet are then described, as are possible protocols for electronic transaction processing. It appears that currently the Secure Socket Layer (SSL) protocol together with its standardised version Transport Layer Security (TLS) are the most widely used means to se- cure electronic transactions made over the Internet. Therefore, the analysis and discussions presented in the remainder of the thesis are based on the assumption that this protocol provides a `baseline' level of security, against which any novel means of security should be measured. The SSL and TLS protocols are analysed with respect to how well they satisfy the outlined security requirements. As SSL and TLS provide transport layer security, and some of the security requirements are at the application level, it is not surprising that they do not address all the identi¯ed security requirements. As a result, in this thesis, we propose four protocols that can be used to build upon the security features provided by SSL/TLS. The main goal is to design schemes that enhance the security of electronic transaction processing whilst imposing minimal overheads on the involved parties. In each case, a description of the new scheme is given, together with its advantages and limitations. In the ¯rst protocol, we propose a way to use an EMV card to improve the security of online transactions. The second protocol involves the use of the GSM subscriber authentication service to provide user authentication over the Internet. Thirdly, we propose the use of GSM data con¯dentiality service to protect sensitive information as well as to ensure user authentication. Regardless of the protection scheme employed for the transactions, there exist threats to all PCs used to conduct electronic commerce transactions. These residual threats are examined, and motivate the design of the fourth protocol, proposed speci¯cally to address cookie threats