Privacy-Preserving Electronic Ticket Scheme with Attribute-based Credentials

Electronic tickets (e-tickets) are electronic versions of paper tickets, which enable users to access intended services and improve services' efficiency. However, privacy may be a concern of e-ticket users. In this paper, a privacy-preserving electronic ticket scheme with attribute-based credentials is proposed to protect users' privacy and facilitate ticketing based on a user's attributes. Our proposed scheme makes the following contributions: (1) users can buy different tickets from ticket sellers without releasing their exact attributes; (2) two tickets of the same user cannot be linked; (3) a ticket cannot be transferred to another user; (4) a ticket cannot be double spent; (5) the security of the proposed scheme is formally proven and reduced to well known (q-strong Diffie-Hellman) complexity assumption; (6) the scheme has been implemented and its performance empirically evaluated. To the best of our knowledge, our privacy-preserving attribute-based e-ticket scheme is the first one providing these five features. Application areas of our scheme include event or transport tickets where users must convince ticket sellers that their attributes (e.g. age, profession, location) satisfy the ticket price policies to buy discounted tickets. More generally, our scheme can be used in any system where access to services is only dependent on a user's attributes (or entitlements) but not their identities.Comment: 18pages, 6 figures, 2 table

A rare case of renal thrombotic microangiopathy associated with Castleman’s disease

BACKGROUND: Castleman’s disease (CD) is an uncommon, heterogeneous lympho-proliferative disorder leading to high circulating levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Renal involvement has been only described in a limited number of small studies. Herein, we report a rare case of renal thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA) associated with CD and investigate the podocyte expression of VEGF in the renal biopsy prior to initiation of treatment. CASE PRESENTATION: An 18-year-old male presented with fever, diarrhea, diffuse lymphadenopathy, ascites and acute kidney injury. Laboratory tests for hemolytic uremic syndrome and thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura were negative. The kidney biopsy showed TMA. An excisional lymph node biopsy was consistent with CD, plasma cell variant. Immunofluorescence staining showed suppressed podocyte VEGF expression. Chemotherapy that inhibits production of inflammatory mediators including IL-6 and VEGF led to complete recovery of renal function. CONCLUSIONS: Our case illustrates a rare renal histological feature of CD. IL-6 and VEGF are postulated to suppress glomerular VEGF expression, thereby causing renal TMA. Therapy directed against these inflammatory mediators may have important therapeutic implications

Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy Staff Training Program to Tackle Postpartum Depression

Abstract Background: Women in the process of childbirth go through significant physical and psychological changes. The internal changes along with other external factors can be overwhelming. There is a high rate of new mothers suffering from postpartum depression (PPD) as a result. Problem: High prevalence of PPD is a public health crisis. The condition has a negative impact on the mother-baby unit and the wellbeing of the whole family. Aside from the implications on the health of new mothers and babies, PPD is also costly to the economy. Methods: Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) is a common and effective intervention for the treatment of general depression, yet it is limited in the care of PPD. This project is to develop a mindfulness-based cognitive therapy staff training program at local primary care maternal health clinic to educate the staff about perinatal depression and MBCT. The staff can then educate and advocate for peers and patients regarding the above topics. Interventions: Needs assessment and two educational sessions were implemented at the maternal care unit. Results: About 10 staff members participated in the training program. The staff showed significantly increased knowledge level of perinatal depression and MBCT as well as full willingness to educate others on the topics. The teaching sessions were well received. Conclusions: The pilot training program positively improved the staff’s knowledge level as well as their enthusiasm to educate and advocate for patients. Key words: perinatal depression, postpartum depression, mindfulness, cognitive therapy, staff training, maternal car

Wave transformation across a macrotidal shore platform under low to moderate energy conditions

We investigate how waves are transformed across a shore platform as this is a central question in rock coast geomorphology. We present results from deployment of three pressure transducers over four days, across a sloping, wide (~200 m) cliff-backed shore platform in a macrotidal setting, in South Wales, United Kingdom. Cross shore variations in wave heights were evident under the predominantly low to moderate (significant wave height < 1.4 m) energy conditions measured. At the outer transducer 50 m from the seaward edge of the platform (163 m from the cliff) high tide water depths were 8+ m meaning that waves crossed the shore platform without breaking. At the mid platform position water depth was 5 m. Water depth at the inner transducer (6 m from the cliff platform junction) at high tide was 1.4 m. This shallow water depth forced wave breaking, thereby limiting wave heights on the inner platform. Maximum wave height at the middle and inner transducers were 2.41 and 2.39 m respectively and significant wave height 1.35 m and 1.34 m respectively. Inner platform high tide wave heights were generally larger where energy was up to 335% greater than near the seaward edge where waves were smaller. Infragravity energy was less than 13% of the total energy spectra with energy in the swell, wind and capillary frequencies accounting for 87% of the total energy. Wave transformation is thus spatially variable and is strongly modulated by platform elevation and the tidal range. While shore platforms in microtidal environments have been shown to be highly dissipative, in this macro-tidal setting up to 90% of the offshore wave energy reached the landward cliff at high tide, so that the shore platform cliff is much more reflective

The Internet and foreign market entry mode : some evidence from Hong Kong

Perspectives on entry mode choice are broad, emphasising different tenets and variables. However, none of them has examined the impact of the Internet, which has emerged since the 1980s. The thesis aims to investigate to what extent differing Internet usage impacts on foreign market entry mode choice, the achievement of a web site and the performance of a firm. The different Internet uses include using what the technology offers to businesses, getting ready for Internet business by disseminating information online and providing online customer service, and selling products and services online. Propositions are compiled and tested by using data collected with a structured questionnaire in a survey of 569 Hong Kong firms. Some pilot case studies were conducted to motivate the construction of the questionnaire. Sample firms were selected from the Hong Kong Business Web Directory 2000 and www.yahoo.com.hk. Data obtained through the questionnaire were analysed with the use of hierarchical logistic regression and hierarchical multiple regression models. It was found that firm size does not affect entry mode choice when the Internet is used, and having previous international experience is not a prerequisite for a firm to choose equity modes. Using what the Internet offers businesses and selling products and services online have a significant negative and positive impact on equity mode choice respectively. Findings on other variables such as special abilities, market potential, investment risk, and transaction cost are all influential by the use of the Internet, but their effects are less significant. In the examination of the achievement of a web site, special abilities, having previous international experience and using the Internet to sell products and services were found to have significant positive effects; while investment risk and industry type have significant negative effects. In the examination of the performance of firms, special abilities, using what the Internet offers businesses and getting ready for Internet business were found to have significant positive effects. In comparison, transaction cost and mode type have significant negative effects. Overall, the pattern of findings suggest that Internet usage has important positive and negative effects upon entry mode choice and a range of variables concerning foreign market entry choice, at least from the sample of Hong Kong organisations. The main contributions of the present research are three-fold. First, it has examined the impact of different uses of the Internet on entry mode choice. The findings on the impact of firm size and previous international experience pose challenge to prior perspectives. When the Internet is used in firms' internationalisation, both small and large firms may follow the same pattern. Firms' previous international experience is no longer as important as in prior studies. This has implications for the ways in which prior entry mode perspectives embrace the relative new technology. Secondly, it has investigated these uses in great detail. Prior research depicts different commercial uses of the Internet. In the present research, pilot case studies and surveys were adopted to examine these uses and their impact on entry mode choice. Thirdly, a method was suggested in the present research to measure these uses

The 2017 AISI Cold-Formed Steel Design Manual

The 2017 edition of AISI D100, the Cold-Formed Steel Design Manual (Manual) has been published. Updates to the Manual include: alignment with AISI S100-16, the North-American Specification for the Design of Cold-Formed Steel Structural Members (NA Specification); several new and varied design examples; additional discussions related to the design of cold-formed steel structures and components; and expanded bibliographies of relevant resources. The database of examples illustrating the Direct Strength Method (DSM) and new provisions in the NA Specification has been expanded. Also published with the Manual are the North-American Specification and its Commentary

Is Organisational Commitment Culturally Bound?

The paper investigates whether organisational commitment is culturally bound. Literature was reviewed on the impact of Hofstede’s four dimensions of culture on organisational commitment. Three hypotheses were put forward in relation to the cultural impact on the three components of organisational commitment: affective, normative and continuance commitment. Data was collected from two branches of an American multinational corporation with operations in China and Ireland. The two cultures were chosen as they demonstrate differences as well as similarities on Hofstede’s dimensions, which provided an opportunity to explore the cultural impact. The results supported two of the hypotheses that Chinese employees have higher levels of affective and normative commitment than their Irish counterparts. Such findings reaffirm some extant literature and justified the conclusion that affective and normative commitments are culturally bound. If organisational commitment is culturally bound then it is sufficient to use Hofstede’s cultural scores to compare organisational commitment across cultures. In addition, income was found to be significant in predicting continuance and normative commitment; tenure was a significant factor in understanding affective and normative commitment