This dissertation addresses data manipulation in collaborative research systems, including what data should be stored, the operations to be performed on that data, and a programming interface to effect this manipulation. Collaborative research systems are discussed, and requirements for next-generation systems are specified, incorporating a range of emerging technologies including multimedia storage and presentation, expert systems, and object-oriented database management systems. A detailed description of a generic query processor constructed specifically for one collaborative research system is given, and its applicability to next-generation systems and emerging technologies is examined. Chapter 1 discusses the Arizona Analyst Information System (AAIS), a successful collaborative research system being used at the University of Arizona and elsewhere. Chapter 2 describes the generic query processing approach used in the AAIS, as an efficient, nonprocedural, high-level programmer interface to databases. Chapter 3 specifies requirements for next-generation collaborative research systems that encompass the entire research cycle for groups of individuals working on related topics over time. These requirements are being used to build a next-generation collaborative research system at the University of Arizona called CARAT, for Computer Assisted Research and Analysis Tool. Chapter 4 addresses the underlying data management systems in terms of the requirements specified in Chapter 3. Chapter 5 revisits the generic query processing approach used in the AAIS, in light of the requirements of Chapter 3, and the range of data management solutions described in Chapter 4. Chapter 5 demonstrates the generic query processing approach as a viable one, for both the requirements of Chapter 3 and the DBMSs of Chapter 4. The significance of this research takes several forms. First, Chapters 1 and 3 provide detailed views of a current collaborative research system, and of a set of requirements for next-generation systems based on years of experience both using and building the AAIS. Second, the generic query processor described in Chapters 2 and 5 is shown to be an effective, portable programming language to database interface, ranging across the set of requirements for collaborative research systems as well as a number of underlying data management solutions.

This thesis presents an automated framework for quantitative vascular shape analysis of the coronary arteries, which constitutes an important and fundamental component of an automated image-based diagnostic system. Firstly, an automated vessel segmentation algorithm is developed to extract the coronary arteries based on the framework of active contours. Both global and local intensity statistics are utilised in the energy functional calculation, which allows for dealing with non-uniform brightness conditions, while evolving the contour towards to the desired boundaries without being trapped in local minima. To suppress kissing vessel artifacts, a slice-by-slice correction scheme, based on multiple regions competition, is proposed to identify and track the kissing vessels throughout the transaxial images of the CTA data. Based on the resulting segmentation, we then present a dedicated algorithm to estimate the geometric parameters of the extracted arteries, with focus on vessel bifurcations. In particular, the centreline and associated reference surface of the coronary arteries, in the vicinity of arterial bifurcations, are determined by registering an elliptical cross sectional tube to the desired constituent branch. The registration problem is solved by a hybrid optimisation method, combining local greedy search and dynamic programming, which ensures the global optimality of the solution and permits the incorporation of any hard constraints posed to the tube model within a natural and direct framework. In contrast with conventional volume domain methods, this technique works directly on the mesh domain, thus alleviating the need for image upsampling. The performance of the proposed framework, in terms of efficiency and accuracy, is demonstrated on both synthetic and clinical image data. Experimental results have shown that our techniques are capable of extracting the major branches of the coronary arteries and estimating the related geometric parameters (i.e., the centreline and the reference surface) with a high degree of agreement to those obtained through manual delineation. Particularly, all of the major branches of coronary arteries are successfully detected by the proposed technique, with a voxel-wise error at 0.73 voxels to the manually delineated ground truth data. Through the application of the slice-by-slice correction scheme, the false positive metric, for those coronary segments affected by kissing vessel artifacts, reduces from 294% to 22.5%. In terms of the capability of the presented framework in defining the location of centrelines across vessel bifurcations, the mean square errors (MSE) of the resulting centreline, with respect to the ground truth data, is reduced by an average of 62.3%, when compared with initial estimation obtained using a topological thinning based algorithm.

Written by a full-time clinician, this thesis explores an example of ‘Big IT’ in healthcare, the National Programme for IT in the United Kingdom National Health Service. It is unique in exploring the interaction between people and information technology in the healthcare workplace, from an engaged standpoint within one of the National Programme’s implementation sites, in order to provide a critical and a socio-technical appreciation.

For academic research to release its value, it has to be communicated. It is essential, if research is to flourish, that the various forms of research communication, including journal articles and similar research outputs, are as easily and widely available as possible. The publications in this submission, produced between 1998 and 2010, all discuss major aspects (managerial, technical, economic and cultural) of improving access to research outputs in order to support research activity in higher education institutions. The later works focus in particular on the issue of ‘open access’ (OA) publishing and dissemination. The publications investigate the why and how of OA. Firstly, they examine the potential benefits (and dis-benefits) of OA for the research community and other stakeholders. Secondly, they discuss how OA systems and services might operate in practice. The earlier works on OA focus on repositories, particularly institutional repositories. Some of the later publications bring into consideration OA journals and their (potential) ongoing relationship with repositories. The publications are written from the perspective of a library and information services provider in a research university. They report on ground-breaking action-based research-and-development work: setting up innovative demonstrator systems, developing new business processes, and designing novel organisational policies. Possible future scenarios are modelled and analysed. It is shown that these activities have made a significant impact on wider professional practice, as well as contributing to the research literature, as OA has became more mainstream. Major themes discussed include managerial challenges associated with implementing OA services; technical issues relating to the development of systems and standards; economic factors covering costs, funding streams and business models; and cultural issues, including disciplinary differences. These are examined in relation to different stakeholder groups at institutional, national and system-wide levels. Other key themes include intellectual property rights and quality assurance. A clearer picture of possible research-communication futures incorporating OA is developed.

People faced with infertility will often experience a strong need for psychosocial support and guidance; a need which is not always adequately met by existing sources of support. The growth in access to the Internet over recent years has opened up new opportunities for people affected by infertility to seek support, advice, and information through the means of an online support community. These online communities can potentially play an important role in addressing the support and information needs of people experiencing infertility; by improving their ability to access peer and professional support. Additionally, online communities may offer a more welcoming and comfortable environment in which these individual's can share their infertility experiences and concerns. This thesis adopted a triangulated approach to research the potential role of online communities in helping people cope with the challenges of infertility. An initial qualitative study was conducted with 95 people accessing online infertility support communities to explore their motives, perceptions, and experiences of online support seeking. Responses revealed that participants especially valued the unique characteristics of computer-mediated communication (e.g. anonymity, asynchrony etc), which appeared to facilitate their ability to access and seek support. In addition, there were a number of psychosocial benefits associated with the online support communities, which appeared to aid the participant's ability to cope with their infertility experiences. Key benefits included reduced feelings of isolation and loneliness, improvements in marital relationships and access to a unique and valuable source of emotional and informational support. This study was followed by a content analysis of the therapeutic and self help mechanisms used in 3,500 messages posted to a popular UK online infertility support community. Results from this stage suggested that the key functions of the online support community were to exchange support and empathy and provide a forum for individuals to share their personal experiences related to infertility. Results also revealed that on the whole communication within the online support community was extremely positive and constructive, offering group members the opportunity to utilise many of the therapeutic and self-help mechanisms that are known to be beneficial to people using face-to-face support networks. The issues and questions raised in these initial studies were further examined in a larger scale survey with 295 users of online infertility support communities. This study quantitatively examined the use and experience of online infertility support communities and how this relates to psychosocial well-being. Results revealed that the majority of participants considered there to be a range of important benefits from accessing online communities. However the study also identified a number of potential disadvantages to accessing online infertility support communities, which appeared to have an impact on the experiences and psychosocial wellbeing of infertile individuals. The theoretical, methodological and practical implications of these findings are discussed.

Honeypots are computer systems deliberately designed to be attack targets, mainly to learn about cyber-attacks and attacker behavior. When implemented as part of a security posture, honeypots also protect real networks by acting as a decoy, deliberately confusing potential attackers as to the real data. The objective of this research is to compare attack patterns against a honeypot to those against a real network, the network of the Naval Postgraduate School. Collection of suspicious-event data required the implementation and setup of a honeypot, in addition to the installation and use of an intrusion-detection system. A statistical analysis was conducted across suspicious-event data recorded from a honeypot and from a real network. Metrics used in our study were applied to the alerts generated from Snort 2.4.3, an open-source intrusion detection system. Results showed differences between the honeypot and the real network data which need further experiments to understand. Both the honeypot and the real network data showed much variability at the start of the experiment period and then a decrease in the number of alerts in the later period of the experiment. We conclude that after the initial probing and reconnaissance is complete, the vulnerabilities of the network are learned and therefore fewer alerts occur; but more specific signatures are then aimed at exploiting the network.

This study investigates the influence that increasing end user autonomy has on organizational data models. The independence offered by microcomputer technology offers users increasing independence in their information-handling activities. As independence increases, uniformity of data models across the organization is theorized to diminish. The problem motivating this study is the potential for improper allocation of resources that may result from a misinterpretation of organizational data. This study suggests that the expanding use of microcomputers in the business setting will contribute to diversity of data models. This may eventually lead to confusion and even lack of confidence in the information produced.

The widespread distribution of personal computers (PCs) throughout organizations has made a substantial impact on information systems. Additionally, the tremendous growth of the Internet has changed the way business is carried out. As the user population evolves into a much more technical and demanding group, their needs are also changing. With this change, Management Information Systems (MIS) departments must develop new ways of providing service and support to the user community. This study investigates the relationship between information systems support structures, support services, service quality and the characteristics of a diverse user population. This includes investigating technical support issues influencing user satisfaction. This study attempts to improve the understanding of the support function within MIS. The results of this study clarify the support needs of the users and identify user satisfaction factors, as well as factors relative to the quality of the support received. Six streams of prior research were reviewed when developing the research framework. These include: user support, end users and end-user computing, identifying and classifying user types, information centers, user satisfaction, service quality and other sources of computer support. A survey instrument was designed using the (UIS) user satisfaction instrument developed by Doll and Torkzadeh (1988) and the SERVQUAL instrument as modified by Kettinger and Lee (1994). The survey was distributed to 720 individuals. A total of 155 usable responses were analyzed providing mixed results. Of the ten hypotheses, only four were rejected. The finding of this study differ from those in earlier studies. The variables that were found to be significant to the users for service quality are the method of support that is provided to the user, i.e., help desk or local MIS support and the support technician's experience level. For user satisfaction the location of the service personnel made a difference to the end user. As with service quality, the support technician's experience level added to the users' satisfaction with MIS support. The results of this study are pertinent to managers of MIS departments as it clarifies the support needs of the users and identifies issues of user satisfaction and service quality.

M.Inf. / In an environment of uncertainty, information has a potential competitive advantage for enterprises. South African enterprises, in metropolitan areas operate in a global market and must withstand the competitive pressure from other producers and from new alternative technologies and products. Managers therefore need an input of competitive information and must manage and utilise this information. This empirical study therefore investigates the extent to which small- and medium-sized enterprises in Acornhoek make use of business information for sustainable competitive advantage. An extensive literature review determining the information needs of business managers as well as how managers use and handle information in business enterprises is conducted. Based on the literature review, a survey method using pre-structured questionnaire is used. The study provides recommendations on how small- and medium-sized enterprises in Acornhoek should make use of business information to survive in a competitive environment. Finally, areas for further investigation on the subject of information as an economic resource for small– and medium–sized enterprises are provided.

M.Inf. / For centuries man has relied on agriculture to sustain human life. Farmers, as usual, were concerned with growing crops, vegetables and breeding domestic animals for transport, meat and milk supply. Success in farming, especially stock farming was a sign of wealth. Land area for cultivation of crops and pasture for livestock was ample. So, if land gets depleted and cannot meet the needs of all adequately, farmers moved to other parts of the land where soils were still fertile. So, agriculture and stock farming relied heavily on nomadic farmers to find fresh fertile soils. Specialized agricultural information which is prevalent today was not necessary. However, as the world population increased, land areas diminished and man’s migration stopped. Soils depletion of minerals had to be re-used and technology was developed to aid in improving the quality of the soils. Fertilizers, manure and irrigation were introduced as did pesticides and herbicides which assisted in improving the quality and quantity of agricultural output. Information is a powerful tool in addressing these agricultural needs and if it is used appropriately it could change a nation’s economy. The purpose of the research was to investigate agricultural information needs of agriculturists and farmers in Lesotho and resources that are available to satisfy these needs. Therefore, it will be argued that relevant and timely information has to be organized according to language and format understood by different categories of agriculturists and farmers. Agricultural information that might be useful to improve productivity should be appropriately disseminated to users who may benefit from the information. Specifically, the research project investigated different categories of agriculturists and farmers and their type of agricultural information needs. Resources that are available in Lesotho and in organizations were also investigated in order to identify those that could be utilized to meet agriculturists’ and farmers’ needs. In order to arrive at this, the researcher did a literature study on the status of agricultural information in the developed countries (DC), the less developed countries (LDC) and Southern African Development Community (SADC). The project also looked at both the positive and negative factors that affect agricultural development in order to select which methods and resources could be adapted to address the needs of local agriculturists and farmers. The researcher used the interview method to collect data on agricultural information needs of agriculturists and farmers, as well as resources that are available to them in Lesotho. The purpose of the structured interview was to gather information related to the use of information sources, sources of agricultural information, document and information delivery and IT connectivity. The findings showed that farmers interviewed were spread evenly in agricultural farming of maize, sorghum, beans and vegetables; and stock farming of cattle, cows, piggery and poultry. iii Agriculturists indicated that the purpose for which agricultural information was needed included marketing of agricultural produce, research information and information for selfimprovement. Farmers on the other hand indicated that they needed agricultural information for advancement of primary production, community education, self-improvement and sustainable agriculture. Other major findings included concern for which pest control and sustainable agriculture. Current awareness services were also rated highly and publications were the method of dissemination that was preferred. Agricultural information that is cost-effective and appropriate was considered for purchase. In terms of acquisition and accession of information, results showed that most users preferred surface mail, as it is reliable and cheap, even though it is sometimes slow. Through it, bulky packages like books and journals could be sent.