Lee, Chin Ho. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2013. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 77-82). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstracts also in Chinese.

In The Second Theory of Cryptography Conference (TCC 2005), Boneh, Goh, and Nissim proposed a new structure of bilinear groups that have a composite order and a new cryptosystem which is intractable on a decisional problem over the subgroup in such structure [BGN05]. Their proposal, which referred to as the BGN cryptosystem by researchers, receive much attention and is quickly followed by two publications in CRYPTO'05 [BI05, OI05]. / In this thesis, the author performs in-depth study of the BGN public-key cryptosystem and existing literatures on its applications. The author observes two properties of BGN, namely the indistinguishability of the BGN ciphertexts of sum and product of two messages, and the verifiability of elements from composite prime subgroups in BGN settings. The author further proposes three new applications of BGN, namely the protocols for authentication, oblivious transfer, and proof-of-visit respectively. / The BGN cryptosystem is a dual homomorphic public-key cryptosystem that enables the evaluation of 2-DNF (disjunctive normal form) formulas on ciphertexts. In their work, Boneh et. al. also presented three applications, namely private information retrieval with reduced computational complexity, an e-voting system without non-interactive zero knowledge proofs, and a protocol for universally verifiable computation. Few number of works also produced from the BGN public-key system, include non-interactive zero-knowledge proof (NIZK), obfuscated ciphertext mixing, and signature. / Chan Yuen Yan. / "June 2006." / Adviser: Victor K. Wei. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 67-11, Section: B, page: 6498. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 85-100). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. [Ann Arbor, MI] : ProQuest Information and Learning, [200-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / School code: 1307.

Pendant plusieurs décennies, la problématique du programme politique monarchique a monopolisé l’historiographie contemporaine des frontières naturelles de la France. En effet, des années 1815/1830 jusqu’à celles de l’entre-deux guerres, deux thèses se sont imposées tour à tour. La première, soutenue par une large partie des historiens du XIXe siècle, a défendu l’idée selon laquelle la monarchie de l’Ancien Régime se serait donnée pour but de rendre à la France les limites de l’ancienne Gaule. La seconde, soutenue essentiellement par Gaston Zeller, cherche à démontrer que tous ces historiens ont eu une lecture trop « téléologique » de l’histoire de France. Si la question de ce prétendu programme politique monarchique a occupé une place importante de l’historiographie contemporaine, elle n’est pourtant pas centrale et de nouvelles perspectives de recherche s’offrent aujourd’hui à l’historien, comme celle de la définition de la « frontière naturelle ». Bien que l’expression ne soit pas inconnue des documents de l’époque moderne, les occurrences restent rares, les contemporains de l’Ancien Régime usant de diverses formules synonymes renvoyant toutes à un concept métaphysique, religieux et philosophique centré sur l’ordre naturel : à ce titre, les frontières naturelles sont des limites physiques imposées aux peuples et aux États par Dieu dès la Création pour que chacun d’eux puisse vivre en parfaite harmonie et en paix perpétuelle. Les frontières naturelles de la France proviennent d’un univers mental et mythique. Mental, puisque la redécouverte des textes antiques achève de graver dans la mémoire collective la notion d’une Gaule-France. Mythique, en raison du fait que la France succède à la Gaule par le processus de réappropriation de l’espace antique romain par Clovis. Tout un mythe de construction territoriale de l’espace de l’État français se met en place, soutenu et encouragé par la monarchie, non seulement par le biais de l’éducation mais aussi par la diffusion de nombreux ouvrages imprimés avec le privilège du roi. Mais par le traité de Verdun de 843, le « mythe de la France éternelle » s’effondre, le partage de l’empire de Charlemagne amputant la France d’une partie de ses frontières originelles. Aussi le Grand Siècle, qui coïncide avec le réveil de la conscience nationale, voit-il l’émergence de grandes figures mythiques : à ce titre, certains rois et certains ministres deviennent, à l’époque moderne, des symboles de la restauration de l’ordre naturel qui se fonde sur les lois fondamentales du royaume de France. Cependant, si la monarchie ne s’est pas donné pour but de rendre à la France les limites de l’ancienne Gaule, les frontières naturelles ont parfois orienté la politique extérieure pour défendre les impératifs stratégiques en matière de sécurité du territoire : tel est le cas du traité des Pyrénées de 1659 et de celui d’Utrecht de 1713. Bien que ces traités posent un problème d’application par la suite, l’article 42 de la paix des Pyrénées, qui fixe la frontière entre la France et l’Espagne au niveau du Roussillon et de la Catalogne, va faire l’objet, tout au long du XVIIIe siècle, de revendications politiques de la part des communautés françaises résidant dans les parties centrale et occidentale de la chaîne montagneuse. Dès lors, les frontières naturelles deviennent un enjeu de lutte majeure entre le pouvoir monarchique et ses sujets frontaliers. / No abstract available

The purpose of this study was to investigate the beliefs and related classroom practices of a selected group of in-service teachers within the context of a mathematics professional development intervention for primary school teachers in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. A cohort of 34 teachers drawn from urban and rural schools in the Eastern Cape engaged in an accredited professional development intervention offered by the Rhodes University Mathematics Education Project (RUMEP). The 34 teachers were referred to as key teachers as they were expected to stimulate mathematics activities with fellow teachers in their school and in a cluster of nearby schools. The professional development intervention took place in a context of transition and transformation in education in South Africa. Curriculum transformation has been inspired by the production of a national policy document known as Curriculum 2005. This document rests on the theoretical assumptions of a learner-centred, outcomes-based approach within a constructivist framework. The professional development experiences of the RUMEP intervention were based on a strongly constructivist rationale recognising the need for key teachers to implement learner-centred, outcomes-based approaches in their classrooms. Although the study included both qualitative and quantitative data gathering techniques the research paradigm was mainly interpretive. From the group of 34 key teachers, a purposive sample of three cases was selected for classroom observation. Two observation periods of six months each made up the First Phase and Second Phase classroom visits, interspersed with intensive professional development contact sessions. / During the First Phase observations, 1 as the participant observer, visited the classrooms of Lulama, Makana and Ruth (pseudonyms), the three case study teachers. In the Second Phase period, a colleague and 1 video recorded the classroom practices of all three teachers. The videotapes were analysed by a consultant panel of observers to identify emergent themes using Yager's (1991) Constructivist Learning Model to guide the analysis process. The panel identified a number of dominant themes and these meta-themes have possible implications for a teaching and learning approach that is based on learner-centred, constructivist strategies as advocated in the Curriculum 2005 document. The meta-themes included such challenging issues as a constructivist learning environment, learner-centredness, learner participation, collaboration, reflection, teacher content knowledge, topic progression, and power relations. The findings of the study also suggested that the case study teachers' beliefs did influence their classroom practices. A significant outcome was that teachers in the field were unlikely to sustain outcomes- based, constructivist approaches without regular on-site support. Arising out of this study, 1 was able to isolate ten features that should usefully be incorporated into other professional development interventions in the Eastern Cape, and one of these features was the support provided to teachers in the classroom. / Of further significance was the realisation that future interventions need to focus on the conceptual development of teachers' mathematics content knowledge and the systematic planning of related activities when preparing the pace and a particular mathematics topic using the National Curriculum Statement (2001) as a guide. Quantitative data from the full cohort of 34 key teachers was collected via a mathematics Beliefs Scale, authentic assessment tests (Insight Tasks), and a School Level Environment Questionnaire (SLEQ). The results on the Belief Scale indicated significant differences teachers' beliefs on two out of the' c subscales. These differences were in the teaching and learning of mathematics. There was no significant difference on the sequencing topic subscale. The key teachers completed the Insight Tasks pre an intervention to measure gains in their content and pedagogic (professional) knowledge. The Insight Task results indicated that the key teachers made clear progress in their professional development. Quantitative data was also gathered from six mathematics teachers in a selected urban school. The School Level Environment Questionnaire instrument was administered to the six teachers. The aim was to profile the teachers' pedagogic needs within a context of curriculum transformation. The profile raised two items for discussion: Staff Freedom and Resource Adequacy. It would appear that the teachers in this particular school wanted more guidance in planning outcomes-based mathematics topics, and they highlighted the need for classroom- based resources if they were to adequately implement such a curriculum.

An increasing number of ebusiness projects are undertaken as voluntary collaborations of independent organizations. These projects are known as ‘ebusiness collaborative projects’. Industry sources estimate only about 20% of these projects achieve their stated objectives due partly to inadequate project management. The volunteer and virtual nature of the collaboration and relationships among the participating organizations means existing project management frameworks and methods are not appropriate because they assume project management has authority, or that projects occur within a single organization. This thesis investigates the nature of ebusiness collaborative projects to provide insight into management approaches that increase the likelihood of success. The research questions are: What concepts need to be addressed in a framework capable of supporting effective management and providing an understanding of ebusiness collaborative project outcomes? Is there an existing framework with this capability? Are the concepts supported by empirical evidence and a sound theoretical base? Can these concepts be used to form an integrated framework suitable for use by practitioners? A qualitative meta analysis of 6 published case studies identified characteristics that explained challenges specific to ebusiness collaborative project management. Empirical research identified concepts that need to be addressed in a management framework, namely: 3 organizational levels – organizations, teams and representatives; 3 stages of the eBusiness Collaborative Project Lifecycle© and; 4 management meta factors - motivation, capability, communication and coordination These concepts were supported by theory. In the absence of an existing framework, the concepts were used to develop the Integrated Framework for Managing eBusiness Collaborative Projects. Five additional case studies were used to evaluate the Integrated Framework and its usefulness for practitioners. Findings indicate the Integrated Framework is capable of supporting effective management and providing an understanding of the outcomes of ebusiness collaborative projects within the Australian context. This thesis contributes to knowledge by integrating and building on theory and existing research about project management, collaborations and virtuality and applying these findings to a real world environment. The Integrated Framework enhances industry best practice and may apply to all collaborative projects in which participating organizations volunteer to work towards an agreed objective or outcome.

This thesis is concerned with the relationship between the education system and its critics - with the terms in which programmes of educational reform are viewed by critical intellectuals, and with the claims and limitations of a particular mode of 'principled' critique. It explores this concern in relation to a number of recent developments in Australian education policy, describing the debates that they have engendered and identifying the political ambiguities that attend them. Three case studies are developed. The first is drawn from reactions to the recent bureaucratic reorganisation of higher education, especially those responses concentrated on the defence of the humanities. The second concerns developments in post-compulsory education, especially the construction of the new national credentialling system based on the assessment of 'Key Competencies'. The third addresses the endemic problem of educational assessment and equity. While each of these case studies is discussed in its own right, the three areas of discussion supplement one another within an overall argument concerning the relationship between the education system and a particular mode of 'principledt critique. In exploring this relationship, the thesis puts the case that we require a more historically-informed understanding of current problems in Australian education and a more pragmatic appreciation of the achievements of the existing education system. The issues raised are timely ones. Matters of educational policy have become particularly pressing over the past decade, as Australian education has undergone significant changes. In recent years, we have seen the effects of the drive towards a national education system, of the reorganisation of higher education, of the development of schemes for national credentialling and of the reconstruction of links between schooling, training and industry. These reforms have been driven by some pressing imperatives: to produce a trained and flexible workforce; to monitor levels of literacy and numeracy at a national level; and to satisfy the 'unmet demand' for increased educational places, while managing a limited educational budget.

Can Landscape be created like a caricature? How can the key characteristics of a site be celebrated in different ways through design? Can potential design possibilities be generated through celebrating the key characteristics of a site's contexts? My research started with the idea of 'Identity', as the existing Central Plaza copies the physical form of an adjacent park (People's Park) in a simplistic way without considering its own unique key contexts, and I think every location and context is different. Careful consideration of both physical and cultural contexts is what a landscape architect undertakes as an essential part of developing a design, however, how can a stronger or more interesting idea be created for a specific site? One day, the idea of CARICATURE suddenly occurred to me when I was having a shower. What I find inspirational about caricature is the aspect of 'Celebration' which it encourages. Just as a site has unique characteristics and each of them can be celebrated differently, each caricature celebrates the particular physical and emotional characteristics of a single, unique original identity. Each successful caricature can be related clearly to the key characteristics of its own identity, so you can still recognize the person and you are encouraged to have fun as well in that game of recognition. By 'Celebration' I mean the carefully chosen, positive exaggeration, intensification and emphasis of key characteristics which reveal how good, how important, or how unique the site is. 'Celebration' is an act of revealing and sharing the positive potential qualities of a site. In terms of landscape design, what I sought to do is to reinforce the key qualities of my site through design or designs which would emphasize. If landscape is thought about and designed like caricatures are created, interesting or potential possibilities could be generated for design responses. Before celebrating, it is necessary to make sure that the site contexts have been fully analyzed and understood. After that, we can celebrate particular qualities through design. I have produced three different designs based on the conceptual idea of 'caricature'. They are called Topopark, Occupark and Tocopark. Topopark started from a focus on one of the physical context of the site - that is, its topography. It celebrates the topographic context as well as the relationship of the activities between and beneath Central Plaza and People's Park. Occupark focuses on the celebration of the various types of occupation activities which take place. Tocopark started around the possibility of generating the plaza's organisation from the organization of circulation systems and combines to celebrate both topography and active occupation. Although Tocopark is more intensive than Topopark and Occupark in terms of the idea of celebration, all three have different strengthens and weaknesses. Like the example of the caricatures of Ronaldinho, the same identity is celebrated in different ways, but you still can recognize him in each one and enjoy them equally as well, because all of them relate to t he key characteristics of his appearance and personality.

Facilities management is emerging rapidly as a distinct and critical field of study and professional practice for all sectors of the economy. In the past it has tended to be regarded as a service function and subsumed within other areas such as engineering, the built environment and business management. The health sector is an important part of the overall FM industry because it represents a driver of capital works that is both extensive and expensive. The health sector building requirements are growing, demand regular maintenance and upgrading, and are critical to core business. An extensive literature review revealed that there has been minimal published research into the development and implementation of a central feature of effective FM, namely, performance management. Performance management provides the primary evaluation and planning tool for FM, in that it identifies the performance indicators that are meaningful to FM and core business, provides measures for those indicators and enables projective planning and benchmarking to be undertaken. This research study assesses the possibility of developing a comprehensive performance measurement system for FM in the healthcare sector. The research has two main aims: - To identify the knowledge gaps in current FM performance measurement systems in general, and for the healthcare sector in particular. - To investigate the possibility of benchmarking FM performance across the healthcare sector using a weighted assessment across all categories of performance. In order to meet the research purpose and data collection requirements from the relatively limited number of FM experts who specialise in the health sector, the research methodology employs a combination of a case study approach as an exploratory tool, and a phenomenological approach as the main qualitative design. In achieving the aims and objectives, this research helps in improving FM practice in the healthcare sector through: - Providing facility managers with a comprehensive study which highlights the achievements and knowledge gaps in FM and its performance measurement - Providing top management with a study for the effectiveness of developing decision support strategy to make effective and efficient changes to their facility management practices - Facilitate the implementation of benchmarking techniques in the health sector, in order to improve the performance of the healthcare sector FM over time. The study concludes that developing aggregate/collective KPIs for each performance measurement category of possible measure (social/quality, financial, environmental, functional, and technical) is feasible. However, before being able to develop and implement that approach an improvement to the current FM practices is required. The improvement can be achieved via either a voluntarily or compulsory commitment from top management towards FM in the organizations. This commitment should be implemented with an appropriate hierarchy from the bottom to the top. The key components include: establishing the contribution of FM to the success of the overall business in financial terms; setting agreed FM objectives; deriving meaningful general KPIs; defining the data required for each KPI; establishing the system for collecting, analyzing and interpreting the data; and conducting the benchmarking process for continual improvement.

As the information-processing and telecommunications revolutions now underway will continue to change our life styles in the rest of the 21st century, our personal and economic lives rely more and more on our ability to transact over the electronic medium in a secure way. The privacy, authenticity, and integrity of the information transmitted or stored on networked computers must be maintained at every point of the transaction. Fortunately, cryptography provides algotrithms and techniques for keeping information secret, for determining that the contents of a transaction have not been tampered with, for determining who has really authorized the transaction, and for binding the involved parties with the contents of the transaction. Since we need security on every piece of digital equipment that helps conduct transactions over the internet in the near future, space and time performances of cryptographic algorithms will always remain to be among the most critical aspects of implementing cryptographic functions. A major class of cryptographic algorithms comprises public-key schemes which enable to realize the message integrity and authenticity check, key distribution, digital signature functions etc. An important category of public-key algorithms is that of elliptic curve cryptosystems (ECC). One of the major advantages of elliptic curve cryptosystems is that they utilize much shorter key lengths in comparison to other well known algorithms such as RSA cryptosystems. However, as do the other public-key cryptosystems ECC also requires computationally intensive operations. Although the speed remains to be always the primary concern, other design constraints such as memory might be of significant importance for certain constrained platforms. In this thesis, we are interested in developing space- and time-efficient hardware and software implementations of the elliptic curve cryptosystems. The main focus of this work is to improve and devise algorithms and hardware architectures for arithmetic operations of finite fields used in elliptic curve cryptosystems. / Graduation date: 2001

Abstract The laboratory accreditation system can be broadly identified as compulsory accreditation and voluntary accreditation. Compulsory accreditation is required and enforced by law, which is seen as an extension of government¡¦s public authority. The laboratory performing the test must first be certified by the relevant official institution before being allowed to provide testing services. Voluntary accreditation is industrial accreditation based on the credibility of the test results. This research hopes to study the key success factors of commercial laboratories accredited under both the compulsory and voluntary systems. The research hopes to make recommendations to commercial laboratories on the competitive strategies which will aid in the long term development of commercial laboratories. This study analyses 12 indicators, comprising of finance, market, core competencies, learning and growth, using the five-forces model, SWOT analysis and analytic hierarchy process (AHP). The weighting order of the key success factors for compulsory and voluntary commercial laboratories is identified as follows. 1. The weight ordering of key success factors for laboratory accredited under the compulsory system: 1. brand awareness, 2. creativity, 3. core competitiveness (accredited items), 4. training, 5. service quality, 6. responsiveness, 7. differentitation and diversity, 8. investment, 9. employee loyalty, 10. use of information technology, 11. government policy (redundancy cost), and 12. economies of scale (profitability). 2. The weight ordering of key success factors for laboratory accredited under the compulsory system: 1. brand awareness, 2. creativity, 3. service quality, 4. differentitation and diversity, 5. responsiveness, 6. core competitiveness (accredited items), 7. training, 8. government policy (redundancy cost), 9. economies of scale (profitability), 10. employee loyalty, and 11. use of information technology. The conclusions above are significant to the management in the following aspects. ¡EUnder the same indices, the weighting of key success factors vary according to differences in internal and external environmental conditions, market orientation and corporate market positioning ¡EBrand awareness and creativity are equally important for laboratories accredited under the compulsory and voluntary system, there top the first and second place of the list. ¡ECapability to compete in the market is much more significant in voluntarily accredited laboratories, indicating that it is more market orientated than laboratories accredited under the compulsory system.