Data protection: the challenges facing social networking

The popularity of social networking sites has increased dramatically over the past decade. A recent report indicated that thirty-eight percent of online users have a social networking profile. Many of these social networking site users (SNS users) post or provide personal information over the internet every day. According to the latest OfCom study, the average adult SNS user has profiles on 1.6 sites and most check their profiles at least once every other day. However, the recent rise in social networking activity has opened the door to the misuse and abuse of personal information through identity theft, cyber stalking, and undesirable screenings by prospective employers. Behavioral advertising programs have also misused personal information available on social networking sites. Society is now facing an important question: what level of privacy should be expected and required within the social networking environment

Initial validation of the Chinese Quality of Life Questionnaire - Intellectual Disabilities (CQOL-ID): A cultural perspective

Background In the field of intellectual disabilities (ID), the quality of life concept has been developing rapidly in Chinese societies including Hong Kong, mainland China and Taiwan. However, there is a lack of locally validated instruments to measure the quality of life of people with ID. The study reported in this paper attempted to validate the Chinese Quality of Life Questionnaire - Intellectual Disabilities adapted from the Quality of Life Questionnaire developed by Schalock & Keith. Methods People with mild/moderate ID aged 15 years or above were recruited from special schools, skills centres, community service units and residential units in different regions of Hong Kong. A number of procedures were followed including reliability tests, factor analysis, content validity and construct validity. Results A total of 359 participants were recruited for the study. Factor analysis was conducted according to the rotated component matrix method, in which 23 items were extracted from the original 40-item version of the Quality of Life Questionnaire and three domains (renamed satisfaction, competence and daily choice making/interpersonal relations) were observed. The items in each domain were shown to have factor loadings ranging from 0.42 to 0.90. Construct validity tests indicated the positive nature of the relationship between earnings, and that self-determination and social interaction increase with more independent living environments and less segregated work environments achieving higher scores (P<0.000, P<0.01 and P<0.05 respectively). The scale also achieved a good degree of reliability (Cronbach's α=0.79). Conclusions Initial validity tests indicated that the Chinese Quality of Life Questionnaire - Intellectual Disabilities may be a useful instrument for measuring the quality of life of Chinese people with ID. Cultural issues are discussed and recommendations for future research and service development are made. © 2011 The Authors. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.postprin

An assessment of systems and software engineering scholars and institutions (2002-2006)

This paper summarizes a survey of publications in the field of systems and software engineering from 2002 to 2006. The survey is an ongoing, annual event that identifies the top 15 scholars and institutions over a 5-year period. The rankings are calculated based on the number of papers published in TSE, TOSEM, JSS, SPE, EMSE, IST, and Software. The top-ranked institution is Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Korea, and the top-ranked scholar is Magne Jørgensen of Simula Research Laboratory, Norway. © 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.postprin

Perception of Cantonese Parkinsonian speech

Abstract no. 1pSC18published_or_final_versio

An assessment of systems and software engineering scholars and institutions (2001-2005)

This paper presents the findings of a five-year study of the top scholars and institutions in the systems and software engineering field, as measured by the quantity of papers published in the journals of the field in 2001-2005. The top scholar is Magne Jørgensen of Simula Research Laboratory, Norway, and the top institution is Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Korea. This paper is part of an ongoing study, conducted annually, that identifies the top 15 scholars and institutions in the most recent five-year period. © 2007 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.postprin

En-face optical coherence tomography in the diagnosis and management of age-related macular degeneration and polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy

published_or_final_versio

Experimental arthritis is dependent on mouse mast cell protease-5

© 2017 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc. The constitutive heparin+ (HP) mast cells (MCs) in mice express mouseMCprotease (mMCP)-5 and carboxypeptidaseA (mMC-CPA). The amino acid sequence ofmMCP-5is most similar to that of human chymase-1, as are the nucleotide sequences of their genes and transcripts. Using a homologous recombination approach, a C57BL/6 mouse line was created that possessed a disrupted mMCP-5 gene. The resulting mice were fertile and had no obvious developmental abnormality. Lack of mMCP-5 protein did not alter the granulation of the IL-3/IL-9-dependent mMCP-2+ MCs in the jejunal mucosa of Trichinella spiralisinfected mice. In contrast, the constitutive HP+ MCs in the tongues of mMCP-5-null mice were poorly granulated and lacked mMC-CPA protein. Bone marrow-derived MCs were readily developed from the transgenic mice using IL-3. Although these MCs contained high levels of mMC-CPA mRNA, they also lacked the latter exopeptidase. mMCP-5 protein is therefore needed to target translated mMC-CPA to the secretory granule along with HP-containing serglycin proteoglycans. Alternately, mMCP-5 is needed to protect mMC-CPA from autolysis in the cell's granules. Fibronectin was identified as a target of mMCP-5, and the exocytosis ofmMCP-5from theMCs in the mouse's peritoneal cavity resulted in the expression of metalloproteinase protease-9, which has been implicated in arthritis. In support of the latter finding, experimental arthritis was markedly reduced in mMCP-5-null mice relative to wildtype mice in two disease models

Atypical haemolytic uraemic syndrome presenting initially as suspected meningococcal disease: a case report

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS) is the most common cause of acute renal failure in children and is usually linked with Escherichia coli O157 infection. With a fatality rate of around 5%, some reports have associated antibiotic treatment with a worsening prognosis.</p> <p>Case Presentation</p> <p>We describe a female infant patient, initially treated for suspected meningococcal septicaemia, who went on to develop renal complications and thrombocytopenia characteristic of HUS. A subsequent positive stool sample for <it>E. coli </it>O157 confirmed HUS as an appropriate diagnosis, although there was no evidence of diarrhoea or vomiting throughout the course of her management.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The urgency of early recognition and treatment for suspected meningococcal disease in very young children while entirely appropriate can initially divert attention from other serious conditions. Evidence of infection with <it>E. coli </it>O157 infection in this case also highlights what can be a blurred distinction between atypical (non-diarrhoeal) HUS from classical HUS of infective origin.</p

Towards better characterization and quantification of emulsification of silicone oil in vitro

Purpose Emulsification is related to complications arising from silicone oil (SO ) tamponade. Currently, there is no widely accepted method for testing the propensity of SO to emulsify that are physiologically realistic and quantitative. Methods We compared different ways of inducing emulsification namely vortex mixing, sonication and homogenization. Silicone oil (SO) emulsification was quantitatively assessed using the Coulter counter and laser light scattering. The in vitro results are compared with the droplet size distribution profile of vitreous clinical washout. Conventional SO was compared with two novel SO blends with high‐molecular‐weight (HMW ) additives (SOHMW 2000 and SOHMW 5000). Results Of the three methods for inducing emulsification, homogenization generated the most consistent emulsion samples with the smallest variance. The results from the Coulter counter measurement correlated strongly with the laser light scattering measurement within the range of 1 to 30 µm. The droplet size distribution profiles from human eyes were similar to that of emulsions generated in vitro by homogenization. The human size distribution profile was within the range of values obtained by the in vitro experiment. Compared to the conventional SO , the emulsion droplet counts for the new SO blends were significantly lower (SOHMW 2000 and SOHMW 5000 were 79% (±17%) and 49% (±18%) of the SO 2000 and SO 5000, respectively; p = 0.03 and p = 0.002). Conclusion Emulsion generated in vitro by homogenization has similar droplet size profile as human eyes filled with SO . Using this method to induce emulsion, SO blends with HMW additives demonstrated less propensity to emulsification with lower droplet counts compared to conventional SO with similar shear viscosity