Service-oriented architectures (SOA), and in particular Web services, have quickly become a popular paradigm to develop distributed applications. Nowadays, more and more organizations shift their core business to the Web services platform within which various interactions between the autonomous services occur. One of the widely accepted standards in the Web services platform is Business Process Execution Lan- guage for Web Services (BPEL4WS, or BPEL for short). BPEL defines a language to integrate Web services by creating composite Web services in the form of business processes following the service orchestration paradigm, and it enables organizations to focus on core competence and mission-critical operations while outsource every- thing else to reduce costs and time to market. However BPEL is deficient in privacy issues. The facts are: (1) service requestors?? personal information is fundamental to enable business processes (e.g., the mortgage approval business process); (2) privacy concerns have become one of the most important issues in Information Technology and has received increasing at- tention from organizations, consumers and legislators; (3) most organizations have recognized that dealing correctly and honestly with customers?? privacy concerns can have beneficial returns for their businesses, not only in terms of being compliant with laws and regulations but also in terms of reputation and potential business op- portunities. If not addressed properly, privacy concerns may become an impediment to the widespread adoption of BPEL. Privacy issues have many aspects, the privacy concerns of potential service re- questor (i.e., client) and the privacy concerns of service provider (i.e., organization) are two of them. Service requestor specifies his/her privacy concerns as privacy preference, while service provider defines and publishes its privacy policy to specify its privacy promises. Before requestor accesses certain service, he/she likes to know whether the service provider will respect his/her privacy preference. Otherwise, the requestor may seek the desired service from somewhere else. On the other hand,even though most organizations publish their privacy promises, it will be more convincing if customers are assured that such privacy promises are actually kept within the organizations. In this thesis, we propose a privacy enforcement framework for business processes. In particular, we focus on those that are automated using BPEL. The framework consists of two parts. One focuses on the service requestors?? perspective of privacy, the other concentrates on the privacy concerns of the business process owner (i.e., the service provider). More specifically, the first part of the framework is based on description logic, and allows to represent privacy concepts and perform some rea- soning about these concepts. The reasoning engine will check requestor??s privacy preference against the service provider??s published privacy promises before the re- questor accesses the desired service. The second part of the framework facilitates the service provider to enforce its privacy policy within all its business processes throughout the life cycle of personal data. The privacy enforcement can be achieved step by step: privacy inspection, privacy verification and privacy obligation man- agement. The first step, privacy inspection, aims to identify which activity needs the involvement of what personal data. The second step, privacy verification, is to verify the correctness of designed BPEL business processes in terms of privacy. The third step is to enforce the privacy by managing the fulfillment of the obligation during the execution of business process. The privacy enforcement framework presented in the thesis has been implemented. The first part of the framework is implemented in the Privacy Match Engine prototype. For the second part of the framework, as different parts of the privacy policy need to be enforced at different stages of the life cycle of business processes, the implementation consists of a privacy verification tool and a privacy obligation management system.

Thesis (M.S.)--Oregon State University, 1965. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 47-50). Also available on the World Wide Web.

Thesis (M.S.)--Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1983. / "Supported, in part, by the National Science Foundation under Grant Number MCS-7903936."--Leaf iii. Vita. Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 143-145). Also available via the Internet.

Thesis (M.S. in Information Systems)--Naval Postgraduate School, March 1990. / Thesis Advisor(s): Zviran, Moshe ; Haga, William J. "March 1990." Description based on signature page as viewed on October 21, 2009. DTIC identifier(s): Access control, passwords, computer security, identification verification. Author(s) subject terms: Passwords, computer security, user-generated passwords, informaiton system security. Includes bibliographical references (p. 98-99). Also available online.

Thesis, LLM--University of Pretoria, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references. Available on the Internet via the World Wide Web.

L’exposition au soleil, et donc aux rayons ultraviolets, est de plus en plus fréquente chez l’homme dans les pays occidentaux. En effet, les modes de vie ont fortement changé ces dernières années, avec pour résultat une augmentation non négligeable des loisirs en extérieur. Ceci a pour conséquence une augmentation de l’apparition des cancers cutanés, dont le pronostic de survie est souvent mauvais et l’issue fatale. De plus, les traitements associés à ces maladies sont lourds et n’agissent pas toujours de façon efficace. Les campagnes d’information et de prévention face aux dangers du soleil restent donc les principales mesures efficaces pour lutter contre le cancer cutané lié à une surexposition au soleil. La recherche de nouveaux produits permettant de protéger de manière efficace la peau des effets néfastes des rayons UV reste donc un défi permanent et primordial pour la recherche dans l’industrie cosmétique. Dans un premier temps, le travail a consisté à développer des nouvelles formulations de produits solaires contenant des concentrations élevées en filtres UV, conditionnées sous forme d’aérosol, celles-ci valables pour le marché européen. Une émulsion E/H et une émulsion E/Si ont donc été réalisées. Elles contenaient au final 27% de filtres UV pour l’émulsion E/H et 16,5% de filtres UV pour l’émulsion E/Si, dont 4% de filtres inorganiques pour les deux types d’émulsion. Leur viscosité était de 6800 mPa.s pour l’émulsion E/H et de 2800 mPa.s pour l’émulsion E/Si. Ces formulations étaient stables lorsqu’elles étaient conservées pendant 2 mois à 40°C et également lorsqu’elles subissaient 5 cycles de température entre 5°C et 40°C. La mise en aérosol de ces émulsions a nécessité l’utilisation de 22% de gaz propulseur (mélange : butane, propane, isobutane). La taille des gouttelettes étant un paramètre important de la caractérisation des aérosols pour le choix des matériaux à utiliser ainsi que pour sécurité afin d’éviter toute inhalation pulmonaire, l’influence de différents éléments sur celle-ci a été étudiée. Nous avons ainsi montré que la concentration en gaz, la viscosité, la présence ou non de filtres inorganiques ainsi que le choix des valves et diffuseurs utilisés jouent un rôle dans la taille des gouttelettes émises, celle-ci ne pouvant pas être inférieure à 30 µm de diamètre. La taille des gouttelettes émises était supérieure à 50 µm avec pas plus de 0.1% ayant une taille inférieure à 10 µm et maximum 25% des gouttelettes ayant une taille comprise entre 10 et 30 µm. Les produits formulés contenaient de grandes quantités en filtres solaires, organiques et inorganiques (27% pour l’émulsion E/H et 16,6% pour l’émulsion E/Si), il était donc important de vérifier qu’aucun des filtres présents dans les émulsions ne passaient à travers la peau lors de l’application des produits solaires. En effet, ceux-ci doivent rester à la surface de l’épiderme afin de maintenir l’efficacité des produits solaires et d’éviter des effets néfastes systémiques éventuels en pénétrant la peau. Une étude in vitro utilisant de la peau humaine excisée et des cellules de diffusion de Franz nous a permis de constater que les filtres inorganiques présents dans les formulations restaient en surface de la peau, et seulement deux des filtres organiques (l’EMC et MBBT) présentaient un potentiel de pénétration cutanée négligeable et non nocif pour la santé humaine (maximum 1,21 µg/ml/cm2 pour EMC et maximum 0,14 µg/ml/cm2 pour MBBT). De plus, après 24 h d’expérience, plus de 50% des filtres restaient à la surface de la peau, ce qui permettait de maintenir l’efficacité des produits solaires. Afin de mener à bien cette étude, des méthodes analytiques pour l’analyse simultanée des filtres solaires organiques d’une part, par CLHP (Chromatographie Liquide Haute Performance), et inorganiques d’autre part, par ICP-OES (Inductively Coupled Plasma - Optical Emission Spectrometry), ont été mises au point et validées. Une étude in vivo non invasive, basée sur le prélèvement des couches successives du stratum corneum, a été réalisée par la suite. Cette dernière a été effectuée par la méthode du « tape stripping », qui utilise des disques adhésifs rigides, et sur 9 volontaires pendant une période de 8 h. Elle a permis de confirmer les résultats obtenus avec la méthode in vitro. Une bonne corrélation entre ces deux types d’étude a été observée. Enfin, la dernière partie du travail a porté sur l’EMC, un des filtres organiques utilisé dans la plupart des produits solaires mis sur le marché et dans les émulsions E/H et E/Si formulées. Ce filtre présente une sensibilité à la lumière et aux rayons UV. L’encapsulation lipidique de celui-ci a donc été envisagée afin de produire des nanoparticules dont la matrice lipidique a pour but de protéger l’EMC contre une dégradation causée par les rayons UV. Trois lipides différents ont été investigués et ont montré des résultats positifs de protection vis-à-vis des rayonnements UV. En effet, après 2 h d’irradiation par les UV, une perte d’efficacité de 30% de l’EMC pur a été observée contre 10% à 21% pour l’EMC encapsulé par les différents lipides. De plus, les nanoparticules n’ont pas montré de potentiel d’augmentation de pénétration cutanée de l’EMC.

In response to growing concerns over wetland habitat loss and the associated impact on water resources, federal and state legislation has been enacted to protect vulnerable wetland habitats from the impacts of humans. In order to examine the efficacy of current coastal resource policy and its implementation, a study was conducted in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, a coastal city of the Atlantic, focusing on the quantification of wetland habitat change over time within a specific area of interest. The study incorporated an assessment of the effects of escalating population pressures and subsequent urban development on local wetland habitats due to the inherent threat of habitat degradation resulting from negligent development practices. The research methodology included a series of stakeholder interviews conducted within the Mount Pleasant community in order to define the key players who shape coastal resource policy formation, implementation, and enforcement. Further, a spatial analysis examined land use change over time. A historical record of regional land use derived from remotely sensed satellite imagery enabled the measurement of land use change over time. The results of a change detection analysis indicate an acceleration of wetland habitat loss in the second decade chosen for analysis in spite of strengthened coastal resource regulations enacted within the same time period. These results support a need for improved regulatory enforcement strategies and utilization of conservation-driven development practices.

Swamps are unique ecological communities that provide many valuable ecosystem services. In Kentucky, however, many swamps were altered by cypress removal and land development in their watersheds. Cypress Creek Swamp, which lies near Paducah in western Kentucky, is a good example of a swamp whose ecological integrity may be threatened by past and current nearby land use practices. This study was conducted to assess the water quality and macro- and microinvertebrate communities in the swamp. Three sites were monitored for temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, specific conductivity, depth, phosphorus measured as orthophosphate, nitrite (NO2") and nitrate (NO3", NOx collectively), and ammonia nitrogen (NH3). The temperature, dissolved oxygen, NH3 and NOx concentrations changed with the growing season, but pH demonstrated little variability among the sites. The specific conductivity and phosphorus levels were highly variable. Principal component analysis (PCA) indicated no significant difference in microinvertebrate taxa identified among locations or through time. A oneway analysis of variance (ANOVA) indicated no significant difference in macroinvertebrate population total densities between locations (P = 0.847), and a oneway analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed no significant difference in microinvertebrate population total densities among locations (P = 0.153) or through time (P = 0.294). As development continues in the watershed, this work provides an important baseline for future water quality monitoring in the preserve.

Recycling is an important issue when dealing with solid waste. It keeps many tons of garbage out of our landfills and prolongs landfill life. Although many people in the Bowling Green area participate in the mandatory recycling program, there are still many who do not. The number of people who participate in the program has steadily grown over the past five years; however, there are still many people who need to get involved. This research argues that much effort has been put into recycling in recent years at the global, national, and local level. However, it also argues that even more remains to be done, especially at the local level. I have conducted a sixty-day field study of both commercial and residential sites in the Bowling Green area. This field study shows that everyday there are many recyclables as well as other items placed into the trash that need not go into our garbage. This field study will also show that there are some very wasteful industries in Bowling Green. They are throwing food items away that could be used to help hungry people in the Bowling Green vicinity. It will also show that some industries, such as Houchens Markets, throw recyclables such as cardboard into their dumpster even though they have a cardboard bailer on the premises. This research will also offer reasons for people choosing not to use the recycling program. I have conducted a survey of one hundred people who live in the Bowling Green area. This survey shows that one reason some people do not use the recycling program is that they feel they are forced to do it. A few people went so far as to say that they feel the recycling program is a form of communism, and they will not use the program for that reason. I have also included entire matrices from both the residential and commercial study areas. These matrices list every item that I found during this field study. I have also included some recommendations for increased participation in the recycling program, as well as some suggestions for the industries as to how they could dispose of their unwanted food items and help the general public at the same time. I wish people could see the Earth the way that I see it. If they could, they wouldn't even think about recycling: it would become a part of their everyday routine.

The purpose of this study is to investigate environmentalism in the United States. The dimension of perspective receives considerable attention. The prevailing perspective by a society regarding the importance of the health of the natural world greatly influences the degree of support of environmental organizations, environmental policy, as well as the direction charted for the future of that society. The perspectives of the Native Americans and the dominant European cultures which arrived in North America are presented and contrasted. It is supposed that the perspective which prevails in the United States regarding the importance of the natural world is evolving. During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, Manifest Destiny and the American Industrial Revolution exacted a steep cost from the nation's natural resources. Previously perceived as "raw materials," today the unmanipulated environment is viewed in terms of its recreational, aesthetic, ecologic, and spiritual worth. This evolving perspective is demonstrated qualitativelythrough case studies featuring methods of sustainable agriculture, by an ecological restoration project, and by grassroots eco-poltical activism. The changing perspective is quantified by measuring the growth of some of the nation's leading environmental organizations. It is hypothesized that those organizations have experienced significant growth over the study period, or from 1980-1994. It is concluded that there has been phenomenal growth of the leading environmental organizations during the study period. The prevailing perspective by the citizens of the United States is indeed evolving toward a view that is more sustainable since the missions of the nation's leading environmental organizations are endorsed by the financiers of those organizations Environmentalists, now more than ever, must remain encouraged and vigilant in order to increase the chances that the newly evolved perspective will become policy. Increased participation in the political process is facilitated by the personal computer which allows both the monitoring of environmental voting records of the individual Members of Congress while making those legislators accessible by electronic mail systems. Finally, the optimal sustainable perspective is reflected in the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson. Each step toward the ultimate environmental perspective indicates genuine progress for America.