Developing a framework for e-commerce privacy and data protection in developing nations: a case study of Nigeria

The emergence of e-commerce has brought about many benefits to a country s economy and individuals, but the openness of the Internet has given rise to misuse of personal data and Internet security issues. Therefore, various countries have developed and implemented cyber-security awareness measures to counter this. However, there is currently a definite lack in this regard in Nigeria, as there are currently, little government-led and sponsored Internet security awareness initiatives. In addition, a security illiterate person will not know of the need to search for these awareness programmes online, particularly in Nigeria s case, where personal information security may not be regarded as an overly important issue for citizens. Therefore, this research attempts to find a means to reduce the privacy and data protection issues. It highlights the privacy and data protection problem in developing countries, using Nigeria as a case study, and seeks to provide a solution focusing on improving Internet security culture rather than focusing on solely technological solutions. The research proves the existence of the privacy and data protection problem in Nigeria by analysing the current privacy practices, Internet users perceptions and awareness knowledge, and by identifying factors specific to Nigeria that influence their current privacy and data protection situation. The research develops a framework for developing countries that consists of recommendations for relevant stakeholders and awareness training. In the case of Nigeria, the stakeholders are the government and organisations responsible for personal information security, and an awareness training method has been created to take into account Nigeria s unique factors. This training method encompasses promoting Internet security awareness through contextual training and promoting awareness programmes. Industry experts and Nigerian Internet users validated the framework. The findings obtained from the validation procedure indicated that the framework is applicable to the current situation in Nigeria and would assist in solving the privacy and Internet problem in Nigeria. This research offers recommendations that will assist the Nigerian government, stakeholders such as banks and e commerce websites, as well as Nigerian Internet users, in resolving the stated problems

Genetic improvement of grain quality for bread making in triticale

Triticale (X Triticosecale Wittmack) is a high-yielding and vigourous interspecific hybrid between wheat and cereal rye. The crop is known for tolerance of abiotic stresses and high biomass production, and thus it has the potential to increase the profitability and productivity of growers in marginal environments and to help address the food production challenges of the 21st century. The original cultivars from the 1960s and 1970s usually produced grain with flour properties in between triticale’s progenitor species, and thus produced dough inferior to wheat and unsuitable for a range of food products, including loaf bread, flat bread, cakes, biscuits and crackers. However over the last 40 years, grain yield and grain quality for animal feed have been significantly improved through breeding and selection, and hence indirect improvements (or at the least, genetic drift in quality alleles) in its potential to produce good food products could be expected. Furthermore, significant advances in wheat quality research have produced vast amounts of information, methodology and technology that can be easily used to improve triticale quality, and the tastes of the modern consumer are different to those of 40 years ago. This thesis aimed to characterise the flour properties of a range of modern triticale cultivars and compare them to wheat, then investigate genetic, agronomic and post-harvest strategies to improve the value of the grain for a human food market. Focus was given to the two major scientific issues which have historically hindered the use of triticale flour in food products – poor gluten strength and high α-amylase activity – and to other quality traits of commercial significance. The grain and flour quality was quantified in up to 17 modern triticale cultivars grown in four environments over 2 years – Greendale, NSW in 2009 (JP09), Cowra, NSW in 2010 (COW10), both of which are typical triticale growing environments with poor soil and minimal fertiliser, Narrabri, NSW in 2010 (NARR10), which is a high yielding, high quality environment known for producing Australian Prime Hard wheat, and Stirling, SA in 2011 (SA11) which is a high protein, low yielding environment. Field plots were arranged in a randomised complete block design at JP09, COW10 and NARR10 with minimal irrigation; rust was controlled with fungicide. The three varieties from SA11 were sourced from commercial seed production lots. Grain was milled to wholemeal flour on a Newport Scientific hammer mill with 0.5mm screen, and to white flour on both a Quadrumat® Junior Mill and a Bühler experimental mill. Glutenin and secalin subunits were characterised by SDS-PAGE and the gluten properties were investigated using the SDS-sedimentation test and mixographs. α-Amylase activity was investigated spectrophotometrically and using the falling number test. These vi measurements were compared to estimations of grain protein, non-starch polysaccharides (NSP), starch content and fibre content using near-infrared transmittance (NIT). Flour protein was estimated by NIR (near-infrared reflectance). The pasting properties of milled flours were evaluated on a Newport Scientific Rapid Visco Analyzer according to AACC 76-21, except 10 mM AgNO3 was used in place of DI water to inhibit α-amylase activity. Grain hardness was measured by the Single-Kernel Characterisation System and moisture and ash content by standard oven methods. Colour of Junior milled flour was assessed using a Minolta Chroma meter CR-400. Finally, plain cookies were baked according to a standard recipe used to assess soft wheats. Variability in the glutenin and secalin subunits was small relative to global diversity amongst triticale cultivars, and reflects the narrow genetic base of material in Australian breeding programs. The gluten quality of these triticale cultivars was inferior to bread wheat but similar to soft wheat; however the protein content of triticale flour was significantly lower than wheat flour. Lower triticale protein content represents a change from early cultivars and reduces its capacity to form viscoelastic gluten. Cultivars Hawkeye and Vicuna were recommended for breeding to improve gluten strength in locally adapted germplasm. Much greater variability in starch and NSP characteristics were found in triticale compared to wheat, and the ranges overlapped between species. The cultivars Tobruk, Yukuri and Berkshire expressed equivalent α-amylase activity to wheat; cultivars Jaywick and Yukuri were found to have partially waxy starch. Triticale generally exhibited higher NSP, equivalent pasting properties, higher α-amylase activity and lower falling number than wheat checks. However, low falling number was not indicative of high α-amylase activity; this contradicts the assumptions on which previous triticale research was based and has implications for the interpretation of research and the use of falling number to compare triticale to wheat. Furthermore, an unexpected negative correlation was observed with NSP, where higher NSP reduced the slurry viscosity measured in the falling number test. Modification of the falling number test is recommended before it can be used in triticale breeding programs. Nevertheless, the observed genetic variability in starch characteristics and α-amylase activity indicates some triticale cultivars have waxy properties conducive to the production of noodles, and that certain lines exhibited similar late-maturity α-amylase activity to modern wheat cultivars: an indirect benefit of breeding and selection over the past few decades. Like starch properties, great variation was found amongst triticale cultivars for hardness, colour and milling yield. Berkshire displayed a grain hardness equivalent to durum wheat, suggesting a null allele at the rye softness protein locus (Sin locus); the remaining cultivars exhibited a grain hardness between soft wheat and bread wheat. The high milling yield and low fibre content of Tobruk (milling yield was even higher than bread wheat) suggested this line has a thin seed coat and thus would be an excellent parent for the genetic improvement of triticale milling yield. Average flour ash content was significantly higher vii than wheat in both statistical and practical terms, and a different bench mark needs to be used for low ash triticale flour compared to low ash wheat. Apart from Vicuna and Yukuri, triticale cultivars produced darker flour than wheat, however with modern consumer preferences tending towards ‘healthy-looking’ foods, darker flour should not be a hindrance to its utility. The overall results confirmed previous suggestions that triticale is suited to soft wheat products such as cookies, and hence their cookie quality was investigated. Although the dough behaviour and water absorption of triticale was different to soft wheat (specifically, triticale dough tended to loose large amounts of water during sheeting), triticale cookies were found to be equivalent to soft wheat cookies. Overall, the survey of quality amongst modern triticale cultivars suggested two things: firstly, sufficient genetic variation exists amongst current lines to breed triticale cultivars with significantly improved flour quality (comparable to wheat for some quality traits); secondly, there is a clear need to classify current cultivars into suitability for various end uses. This would facilitate efficient marketing to the milling industry and subsequent use in food products. Improvement of the the poor gluten strength in triticale was attempted by backcrossing locally-adapted spring breeding lines to DH265, a winter line which contained a modified 1R chromosome carrying two translocations from 1D of bread wheat – the Glu-D1d allele from 1DL (which simultaneously removed Glu-R1) and the Gli-D1/Glu-D3 locus from the distal end of 1DS. Single plant and plot selection was performed on five cross populations grown in multiple environments and the yield, protein content and gluten strength was analysed on F4-derived F7 grain. Lines containing the translocation had a slightly lower yield compared to the null lines and the triticale checks; but similar to the wheat checks for all except one cross (which was significantly less). This may reflect a loss of root system vigour, head length or higher selection pressure due to lower transmission rate of the translocation to offspring. The translocation slightly increased protein content in two populations and increased SDS-sedimentation height in one population (after accounting for the influence of higher protein content). However, no difference was detected between the overall average SDS-sedimentation height of the null lines and the wheat and triticale checks. This is partially due to large variability in SDS-sedimentation height within each cross population resulting from significant variability at other glutenin and secalin loci. Nevertheless, several lines were identified with grain yield equivalent to current triticale cultivars (and significantly higher than wheat) plus equivalent SDS-sedimentation height to wheat. Thus the translocation is a potential solution to the generally poor gluten strength of modern triticale cultivars. The viability of using existing variability for secaloglutenin alleles in the progenitor species was investigated as a means of creating new germplasm (‘primary triticales’) with high gluten strength. The HMW glutenins of five durum lines, and the HMW secalins and 75k γ- secalins of two rye lines, were defined using SDS-PAGE. These lines were then crossed, new primaries were produced, and grain was tested for the expression of secaloglutenin viii alleles, protein content and SDS-sedimentation height as an estimation of secalogluten strength. The secaloglutenin alleles were simply inherited from the parental plants and all were expressed normally in the offspring, however it was possible that mixed oligomers were formed between glutenins and secalins at the macromolecular level. Significant differences were observed in the SDS-sedimentation height of primaries originating from different durum parents, suggesting that selection of durum parents with high SDSsedimentation is a viable method for producing triticale flour with superior gluten properties. In south-eastern Australia, dual-purpose cropping is commonly used by growers to manage risk in mixed enterprise operations. A preliminary report of lower ash content but comparable protein content in triticale produced in dual-purpose systems was reported in Bangladesh and hence an experiment was conducted to assess the effect of biomass removal on grain yield, test weight, protein content and ash content of grain from four Australian dual-purpose triticale lines grown in five year-site environments (ash content is correlated with nutritional value, milling yield and flour colour). Ash content was either unaffected or increased by removal of biomass and both protein content and grain yield were reduced. It was concluded that although ash content was lower in some lines cut late in the season, the general effect was detrimental to quality and even when ash content was reduced, the effect was not large enough to reduce the level to that of wheat. Hence similar to wheat, dual-purpose triticale systems are not recommended for production of grain for a milling market. Poor milling yield in triticale is a key concern for millers. However, the high variability of grain hardness in triticale, historic problems with grain shrivelling, and lack of varietal classification has meant milling is usually conducted without adjusting settings to batch characteristics. Hence the importance of tempering moisture was investigated in three triticale varieties of varying hardness grown in two environments alongside a wheat standard. Milling yield and ash content both increased as tempering moisture was decreased from 15% to 11%. Triticale flour could be produced at a similar extraction rate as bread wheat provided there was no detrimental effect of high flour ash content. Surface area of larger triticale grain may also influence ideal tempering moisture, however further investigation is required. Tempering triticale to a moisture content appropriate to its physical grain hardness was essential in the optimisation of the milling process. The results of this thesis suggests that it is possible to produce triticale cultivars with flour properties equivalent to wheat, either through traditional plant breeding, chromosomal modification or creation of new primary triticales. However, with a changing market, many of the flour requirements have changed since triticale was first investigated in food products e.g. increased popularity of darker/wholemeal flours. Furthermore, general improvement of the crop over the last few decades has indirectly improved the grain e.g. breeding for plump grain has increased starch content and milling yield. Many of the current concerns of millers such as insufficient protein content, sticky dough, high α- ix amylase production, and low milling yield, can be overcome through fertilizer management, classification of varieties into grain hardness, milling yield and protein quality classes, and sourcing batches of grain with low α-amylase activity (avoiding measurement using the falling number test). There is a clear need to develop a marketing pathway for triticale flour in which cultivars and agronomic conditions that optimise milling quality are clearly communicated to growers. This is a prerequisite for the establishment of a price premium for batches of grain that meet the requirements of millers, processers and consumers. The higher yield and abiotic stress tolerance of triticale suggests that with focused breeding and an industry-wide push for efficient flour marketing, this crop could address some of the food production challenges of the 21st century

Parables: applied economics literature about the impact of genetically engineered crop varieties in developing economies

"A vast literature has accumulated since crop varieties with transgenic resistance to insects and herbicide tolerance were released to farmers in 1996 and 1997. A comparatively minor segment of this literature consists of studies conducted by agricultural economists to measure the farm-level impact of transgenic crop varieties, the size and distribution of the economic benefits from adopting them, consumer attitudes toward GE products, and implications for international trade. This paper focuses only on the applied economics literature about the impact of transgenic crop varieties in non-industrialized agricultural systems, with an emphasis on methods. A number of studies have surveyed the findings for both industrialized and non-industrialized agriculture, at various points in time, but surveys of methods are less frequent and have typically examined only one overall question or approach. Clearly, the methods used in research influence the findings that are presented and what they mean. Understanding the methods therefore enhances understanding of the findings. Four categories of impact analysis are considered: farmers, consumers, industry and trade. In part due to methodological limitations and the relatively brief time frame of most analyses, results are promising, but the balance sheet is mixed. Thus, findings of current case studies should not be generalized to other locations, crops, and traits. The aim of this review is to progress toward the defining a “best practices” methodology for national researchers who seek to produce relevant information about emerging crop biotechnologies for national policymakers. " Authors' AbstractGenetically engineered crops, Economic impacts, Technology adoption, Developing economies, Economics methods, Best practices, biotechnology,

Law and Policy in the Age of the Internet

Technological knowledge is of many different kinds, from experience-based know-how in the crafts to science-based knowledge in modern engineering. It is inherently oriented towards being useful in technological activities, such as manufacturing and engineering design. The purpose of this thesis is to highlight special characteristics of technological knowledge and how these affect how technology should be taught in school. It consists of an introduction, a summary in Swedish, and five papers: Paper I is about rules of thumb, which are simple instructions, used to guide actions toward a specific result, without need of advanced knowledge. One off the major advantages of rules of thumb is the ease with which they can be learnt. One of their major disadvantages is that they cannot easily be adjusted to new situations or conditions. Paper II describes how Gilbert Ryle's distinction between knowing how and knowing that is applicable in the technological domain. Knowing how and knowing that are commonly used together, but there are important differences between them which motivate why they should be regarded as different types: they are learnt in different ways, justified in different ways, and knowing that is susceptible to Gettier type problems which technological knowing how is not. Paper III is based on a survey about how Swedish technology teachers understand the concept of technological knowledge. Their opinions show an extensive variation, and they have no common terminology for describing the knowledge. Paper IV deals with non-scientific models that are commonly used by engineers, based on for example folk theories or obsolete science. These should be included in technology education if it is to resemble real technology. Different, and partly contradictory, epistemological frameworks must be used in different school subjects. This leads to major pedagogical challenges, but also to opportunities to clarify the differences between technology and the natural sciences and between models and reality. Paper V is about explanation, prediction, and the use of models in technology education. Explanations and models in technology differ from those in the natural sciences in that they have to include users' actions and intentions.QC 20140512</p

Why haven\u27t technologies fixed open source intelligence?

Abstract The Intelligence Community (IC) reached consensus after 9/11/2001 on the importance of Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) due to the changing nature of the global threat environment, the information explosion, and the changing intelligence requirements of the IC. Voluminous amounts of information, much of it with potential application for use in intelligence operations, continue to challenge IC intelligence analysts’ capabilities to harness, and effectively use in finished all-source intelligence production. Government reform commissions, senior IC officials, along with OSINT and technology advocates, have all espoused the growing importance of OSINT, and have outlined many ways in which the IC should improve including through improved OSINT training and expertise, along with the application of technologies and tools to assist IC analysts to perform the OSINT mission. This thesis examines how OSINT became important again after the events of 9/11, and the systematic efforts to institutionalize OSINT within the IC. This thesis examines the envisioned state of OSINT as published in the 2006 National Open Source Enterprise OSINT vision, that OSINT would be used as the “Source of First Resort”, and examines past IC efforts to implement technological solutions to make OSINT better for IC analysts. This examination attempts to answer the simple question of why haven’t technologies fixed OSINT yet? The thesis outlines many of the IC cultural challenges and limitations of the IC, as reflected in the literature, and personal observations of IC challenges that have inhibited OSINT, or may do so in the future. The thesis concludes by highlighting where OSINT has been and the unclear status of OSINT in the future IC. It is unknown whether OSINT will ever reach its full potential within the IC, or if on-going OSINT initiatives and reform efforts will repeat past trends. Further research may be required to understand future IC OSINT initiatives and how well OSINT fares in the coming years

Knowledge Management Across Cultural Boundaries: Global Organizational Knowledge-Sharing

The practice of knowledge management is becoming pervasive in the modern business world. Yet, as the corporate world globalizes at an alarming rate, the process of how knowledge is captured and shared does not address the cultural nuances of those new participants spread across nearly every global region. Academically, knowledge management itself does rely on three primary pillars for success; those being process, technology, and culture. However, the culture aspect in the formal knowledge programs is more closely aligned with influencing users to share knowledge that they would otherwise hold close as an asset of their gained expertise. While this is also key to the success of this research, the manner in which knowledge capture is performed does not address those who are already willing to share, but are unable to understand the value that they can provide due to limitations of their culture and/or background. This study looks at three things: one, the global propensity of corporate knowledge management programs, two, how participants of knowledge management programs currently in existence knowledge share with their peers in other countries through the course of their daily work routine and three, through a brief survey and qualitative analysis, whether global knowledge management programs are addressing cultural concerns of their participants as part of their defined process. In addition, recommendations for further study on this topic are discussed

Privacy Issues on the Internet

Abstract The whole of science is nothing more than a refinement of everyday thinking-Albert Einstei

Reaching for Home: Global Learning on Family Reintegration in Low and Lower-Middle Income Countries

This inter-agency, desk-based research aims to arrive at a clearer understanding of reintegration practices for separated children in low and lower-middle income countries. The research pulls together learning from practitioners and academics working with a range of separated children, such as those torn from their families by emergencies, children who have been trafficked or migrated for work, and children living in institutions or on the streets. Practitioners and researchers who work with these different population groups are for the most part unaware of the approaches and methods used in other areas of child protection, and this research aims to consolidate experience and create opportunities for dialogue and shared learning. The findings are based on an in-depth review of 77 documents, a short online survey involving 31 practitioners and policy makers, and key informant interviews with 19 individuals with expertise in children's reintegration