METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR CONTROLLED INFORMATION DISCLOSURE BASED ON USER CONTEXT USING PRINCIPLES OF JUST-IN-TIME AND JUST-ENOUGH-ACCESS

The present disclosure discloses a system and method to controlled information disclosure based on user context using principles of Just-In-Time and Just-Enough-Access, during package transportation. The system includes a unique identifier generator module for receiving transportation information, associated with a package, and generates a machine-readable unique identifier. The generated unique identifier is stored in a database and placed on the package. Upon receiving the package at the shipper sites, the unique identifier on the package is scanned using a scanning device with a GPS module and the information is provided to a computing unit, for computing and retrieving information about the next location. Finally, after scanning the unique identifier, at a final location at the time of delivery, the computing unit may invalidate the unique identifier, to prevent unnecessary information reveal about the recipient/sender. Thus, the security problems that arise due to unauthorised information access are eliminated

Do Sympathy Biases Induce Charitable Giving? The Effects of Advertising Content

We randomize advertising content motivated by the psychology literature on sympathy generation and framing effects in mailings to about 185,000 prospective new donors in India. We find significant impact on the number of donors and amounts donated consistent with sympathy biases such as the “identifiable victim,” “in-group” and “reference dependence.” A monthly reframing of the ask amount increases donors and amount donated relative to daily reframing. A second field experiment targeted to past donors, finds that the effect of sympathy bias on giving is smaller in percentage terms but statistically and economically highly significant in terms of the magnitude of additional dollars raised. Methodologically, the paper complements the work of behavioral scholars by adopting an empirical researchers’ lens of measuring relative effect sizes and economic relevance of multiple behavioral theoretical constructs in the sympathy bias and charity domain within one field setting. Beyond the benefit of conceptual replications, the effect sizes provide guidance to managers on which behavioral theories are most managerially and economically relevant when developing advertising content

A semantic data federation engine : design, implementation & applications in educational information management

Thesis (S.M. in Technology and Policy)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Engineering Systems Division, Technology and Policy Program; and, (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, 2011.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.Includes bibliographical references (p. 87-90).With the advent of the World Wide Web, the amount of digital information in the world has increased exponentially. The ability to organize this deluge of data, retrieve it, and combine it with other data would bring numerous benefits to organizations that rely on the analysis of this data for their operations. The Semantic Web encompasses various technologies that support better information organization and access. This thesis proposes a data federation engine that facilitates integration of data across distributed Semantic Web data sources while maintaining appropriate access policies. After discussing existing literature in the field, the design and implementation of the system including its capabilities and limitations are thoroughly described. Moreover, a possible application of the system at the Massachusetts Department of Education is explored in detail, including an investigation of the technical and nontechnical challenges associated with its adoption at a government agency. By using the federation engine, users would be able to exploit the expressivity of the Semantic Web by querying for disparate data at a single location without having to know how it is distributed or where it is stored. Among this research's contributions to the fledgling Semantic Web are: an integrated system for executing SPARQL queries; and, an optimizer that faciliates efficient querying by exploiting statistical information about the data sources.by Mathew Sam Cherian.S.M.S.M.in Technology and Polic

SPECTROPHOTOMETRIC METHOD FOR THE DETERMINATION OF IODATE USING METHYLENE BLUE AS A CHROMOGENIC REAGENT

A simple, rapid and sensitive spectrophotometric method has been developed for the determination of iodate (IO3-) in table salt and sea water. The proposed method is based on the reaction of iodate with potassium iodide in an acid medium to liberate iodine. The liberated iodine bleaches the blue color of methylene blue and is measured at 665.6 nm. This decrease in absorbance is directly proportional to the iodate concentration and obeys Beer's law in the range of 0.5-14 μgmL–1 of IO3-. The molar absorptivity, Sandell's sensitivity, detection limit and quantitation limit of the method were found to be 1.24 x 104 L mol-1cm–1, 1.41 x 10-2 μgcm-2, 0.048 μgmL–1 and 0.145 μgmL-1, respectively. The optimum reaction conditions and other analytical conditions were evaluated. The effect of interfering ions on the determination has been described. The proposed method has been successfully applied to the determination of the iodate in the table salt and sea water. KEY WORDS: Iodate determination, Methylene blue, Spectrophotometry, Table salt, Sea water Bull. Chem. Soc. Ethiop. 2006, 20(1), 143-147

Quadriceps-splitting midline approach in the treatment of distal femur infected nonunion with stiff knee and severely scarred soft tissues

Background: Treatment of infected distal femur non-union with a stiff knee and severely scarred soft tissues is a challenging problem. We describe a method of addressing the non-union using quadriceps splitting approach to the distal femur.Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 5 patients with distal femur infected nonunion and knee stiffness, who, after infection control, required distal femur bone grafting. All patients had autogenous iliac crest bone grafting of the distal femur using the quadriceps splitting approach. The parameters assessed were the time to surgical wound healing, wound infection, time to bony union, and if any additional procedures were needed.Results: 5 patients were referred with distal femur infected non-union in addition to knee stiffness, with or without an implant in situ. All patients underwent debridement, implant exit, and external fixation of the femur spanning the knee as the primary surgery here, followed later on by iliac crest bone grafting of the distal femur using the above approach. All patients united well within 12 to 16 weeks, without the need for additional procedures.Conclusions: In the presence of pre-existing knee stiffness with severely scarred and contracted soft tissues the quadriceps-splitting approach is a useful method to address bony problems in the distal femur, without the need for a separate procedure for soft tissue or flap cover

Inducible nitric oxide synthase mediates DNA double strand breaks in Human T-Cell Leukemia Virus Type 1-induced leukemia/lymphoma

BACKGROUND: Adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL) is an aggressive and fatal malignancy of CD4(+) T-lymphocytes infected by the Human T-Cell Virus Type 1 (HTLV-1). The molecular mechanisms of transformation in ATLL have not been fully elucidated. However, genomic instability and cumulative DNA damage during the long period of latency is believed to be essential for HTLV-1 induced leukemogenesis. In addition, constitutive activation of the NF-κB pathway was found to be a critical determinant for transformation. Whether a connection exists between NF-κB activation and accumulation of DNA damage is not clear. We recently found that the HTLV-1 viral oncoprotein, Tax, the activator of the NF-κB pathway, induces DNA double strand breaks (DSBs). RESULTS: Here, we investigated whether any of the NF-κB target genes are critical in inducing DSBs. Of note, we found that inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) that catalyzes the production of nitric oxide (NO) in macrophages, neutrophils and T-cells is over expressed in HTLV-1 infected and Tax-expressing cells. Interestingly, we show that in HTLV-1 infected cells, iNOS expression is Tax-dependent and specifically requires the activation of the classical NF-κB and JAK/STAT pathways. A dramatic reduction of DSBs was observed when NO production was inhibited, indicating that Tax induces DSBs through the activation of NO synthesis. CONCLUSIONS: Determination of the impact of NO on HTLV-1-induced leukemogenesis opens a new area for treatment or prevention of ATLL and perhaps other cancers in which NO is produced

Primary intra-articular osteotomy for varus malunion of the medial condyle of the tibial plateau

Background: Reconstructive operative procedures for post-traumatic deformities of the tibial plateau have been described in literature, though rarely. We report short term follow-up of eleven such cases of primary intra-articular osteotomy.Methods: From 2005 through 2011, a primary intra-articular osteotomy for varus malunion of the medial condyle of the tibial plateau was performed in eleven consecutive cases. The patients were assessed clinically and radiologically at a minimum of 28 months post-operatively. The functional outcome was assessed using Rasmussen score.  Paired ‘t’ test was used to determine the statistical significance.Results: There were eleven male patients. Average follow up was 59 months (range 28 to 159). Articular congruity was restored to acceptable in all patients and varus malalignment was corrected from a mean of 1.5 degrees varus to 5.7 degrees of valgus (statistically significant, two-tailed P value of 0.0056) to an extent comparable to the normal side (mean 5.8 degrees). There were no infections. All patients had good to excellent functional outcome.Conclusions: A primary intra-articular osteotomy and osteosynthesis for malunited medial condyle fracture of the tibial plateau would help to restore mechanical alignment and improve functional outcome

Validity of diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging in the evaluation of acute pyelonephritis in comparison with contrast-enhanced computed tomography

Purpose: Applications of diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging outside the brain have gained increasing importance in recent years, and recent studies have shown the usage of diffusion-weighted (DW) imaging in diagnosing pyelonephritis based on renal cortical and medullary apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values. The aim of this study was to assess the validity of DW magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in comparison with contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) in diagnosing pyelonephritis. Material and methods: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted for a period of six months in a tertiary hospital in Coimbatore. All patients with clinical and laboratory diagnosis of acute pyelonephritis, who were referred for radiological imaging (CECT), were taken into the study. Out of 112 patients with a clinical and laboratorial diagnosis of acute pyelonephritis (APN), who underwent both DW MR and CECT, diagnosis of APN was made in 100 patients based on CECT, while in 12 cases the investigation (CECT) was negative. Finally, these 100 patients were included in the study. The validity of DW MR imaging in diagnosing APN was assessed by deriving sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive value in comparison with CECT findings. Results: The validity report of DW MR imaging in the detection of APN showed a very high sensitivity (96-100%) and specificity (86-90%) and very low false positives (6-10%) and negatives (< 5%), and it also showed that in the areas of affected renal parenchyma ADC values were consistently lower compared to unaffected renal parenchyma. Conclusion: Based on the generated hypothesis, DW MR imaging of the kidneys seems to be highly sensitive and specific for the detection of focal or diffuse infections within the kidney in comparison with CECT

Structural Studies of Cu(II) & Ni(II) Complexes with a Chiral Schiff Base

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