SHARVOT: secret SHARe-based VOTing on the blockchain

Recently, there has been a growing interest in using online technologies to design protocols for secure electronic voting. The main challenges include vote privacy and anonymity, ballot irrevocability and transparency throughout the vote counting process. The introduction of the blockchain as a basis for cryptocurrency protocols, provides for the exploitation of the immutability and transparency properties of these distributed ledgers. In this paper, we discuss possible uses of the blockchain technology to implement a secure and fair voting system. In particular, we introduce a secret share-based voting system on the blockchain, the so-called SHARVOT protocol. Our solution uses Shamir's Secret Sharing to enable on-chain, i.e. within the transactions script, votes submission and winning candidate determination. The protocol is also using a shuffling technique, Circle Shuffle, to de-link voters from their submissions.Comment: WETSEB'18:IEEE/ACM 1st International Workshop on Emerging Trends in Software Engineering for Blockchain. 5 pages, 2 figure

EDRMS 101: the basics

This paper presents the basic concepts of an electronic document and records management system (EDRMS), i.e. the what, why, and how aspects of an EDRMS. It identifies the key business drivers for implementing an EDRMS. It also explains how an EDRMS differs from an EDMS and identifies the core functionalities of an EDRMS and discusses the different possible design views in an EDRMS. The key functional specifications that assist in the selection of EDRMS are highlighted. The article concludes with points for consideration by records managers and vendors on the future of EDRMS

Alien Registration- Joseph, Pauline (Winslow, Kennebec County)

https://digitalmaine.com/alien_docs/16229/thumbnail.jp

An exploration of community-based organizations' information management challenges

Introduction: Community-based organizations are struggling to manage their current, historical and archival information assets, which impact on the information practices and seeking behaviour in these communities. This paper explores what these challenges are and proposes sustainable solutions with the help of cultural institutions. Methods: Research data were gathered from student projects, participant workshops and a case study with the motor sport community. Analysis: This study draws on the qualitative analysis of a range of sources. Results: The findings scope the information management challenges experienced generally in community-based organisations with detailed insights into the difficulties evident in the motor sport community. Conclusion: A common system to register, capture, access and preserve community-based information assets is recommended to be hosted by an Australian cultural institution in their capacity as ‘keepers’ of Australia’s history, archives and heritage

Diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory demyelinating disorder of the central nervous system. Although there are no pathognomonic features to confirm the diagnosis of this immune-mediated disease, a constellation of clinical, radiological, and immune studies can ensure the clinician gets a more definitive diagnosis. Criteria have been made every few years based on research to clinch the diagnosis. The most recent criteria which are the McDonald criteria have been formed in 2001 and revised in 2005, 2010, and 2017. Most criteria are to be used only as a guide to facilitate the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis. Advances in demyelinating disorders will require diagnostic criteria to be revised every few years with scientists hoping for a more definitive and confirmative diagnosis. The cardinal features for diagnosis are dissemination in time and space. There should be no other possible explanation to the clinical features

Patterns and Dynamics of Bonded Labour and Child Labour in the Spinning Mills of Tamil Nadu: Findings From Life Story Analysis

This is a report of the analysis of multiple life stories collected across the Freedom Fund bonded labour hotspot in Tamil Nadu. They were analysed by NGO fieldwork staff and community representatives at the Collective Story Analysis workshop, 18-22 April 2016. Where appropriate, we add reinforcing material from the scoping study conducted 2-11 December 2015. We outline the major findings and key system dynamics that emerged. The life story collection and analysis process is the first of three research components in the IDS research on the Freedom Fund bonded labour hotspots. Alongside the life story work, a parallel participatory statistics process has been carried out. These two components will generate action research groups which will collect further data, generate solutions and test these in community, NGO and policy domains. The life-story collection and analysis method used for this research is a systematic approach to understanding the context in which Freedom Fund partners are working, but it does not allow us to generalise beyond these participating communities, which have been selected because local civil society organisations believe that workers and their families in these areas are in greatest need. It does not allow us to make inferences about the overall conditions in the industry, though it does show the severity of problems occurring in these selected areas. All real names in this document have been replaced by codes that will be pseudonyms in the final report.Freedom Fun

The Story of the Markham Car Collection: A Cross-Platform Panoramic Tour of Contested Heritage

In this article, we share our experiences of using digital technologies and various media to present historical narratives of a museum object collection aiming to provide an engaging experience on multiple platforms. Based on P. Joseph’s article, Dawson presented multiple interpretations and historical views of the Markham car collection across various platforms using multimedia resources. Through her creative production, she explored how to use cylindrical panoramas and rich media to offer new ways of telling the controversial story of the contested heritage of a museum’s veteran and vintage car collection. The production’s usability was investigated involving five experts before it was published online and the general users’ experience was investigated. In this article, we present an important component of findings which indicates that virtual panorama tours featuring multimedia elements could be successful in attracting new audiences and that using this type of storytelling technique can be effective in the museum sector. The storyteller panorama tour presented here may stimulate GLAM (galleries, libraries, archives, and museums) professionals to think of new approaches, implement new strategies or services to engage their audiences more effectively. The research may ameliorate the education of future professionals as well

Systemic Action Research with Spinning Mill Workers in Tamil Nadu (2017–18)

This report describes the processes, activities and outcomes of 12 Action Research Groups which were set up to generate community led action against bonded labour in the spinning mills of Tamil Nadu, India. Action Research is one strand of a major evaluation and learning programme carried out by IDS and Praxis India to support the Tamil Nadu bonded labour hotspot, which is co-funded by the Freedom Fund and the C&A Foundation. Six local NGOs took part in and supported the action research programme. The methodology used was Systemic Action Research (Burns 2007, Burns and Worsley 2015). Action research took place over 18 months between December 2016 and May 2018 and is ongoing.Freedom Fun

Search behaviour in electronic document and records management systems: An exploratory investigation and model

Introduction. Organisations implement records management programmes and invest in electronic document and records management systems so that information can be accessed by the right person, at the right time, with the least amount of effort and cost. One of the key factors that predicts the effectiveness of these systems relates to the degree to which users successfully identify the records they wish to retrieve. In this paper we offer a deeper insight into how knowledge workers employ these systems to address their information needs. Method. Four records managers were interviewed to determine how records management principles were applied in their systems. Interviews were also conducted with ten users from each organisation to map their search behaviour. Additionally, protocol analysis was used to observe how participants verbalised their thought processes and actions when they conducted their simple and difficult searches in the systems. Results. A comprehensive model of search behaviour when using electronic document and records management systems was developed from the study. Seven key search stages were identified, illustrating the different ways in which searchers approach their information problem. Conclusions. The study highlights some key differences between users of these systems and other forms of information search behaviour, including different methods of addressing simple or difficult search needs, and user approaches around identifying search strategies. The particular challenges that arise in retrieving information from these systems are also explored