Medical researchers utilize data sharing agreements (DSA) to communicate privacy policies that govern the treatment of data in their collaboration. Expression of privacy policies in DSAs have been achieved through the use of natural and policy languages. However, ambiguity in natural language and rigidness in policy languages make them unsuitable for use in collaborative medical research. Our goal is to develop an unambiguous and flexible form of expression of privacy policies for collaborative medical research. In this thesis, we developed a DSA Privacy Ontology to express privacy policies in medical research. Our ontology was designed with hierarchy structure, lightweight in expressivity, closed world assumption in interpretation, and the reuse of other ontologies. The design allows our ontology to be flexible and extensible. Being flexible allows our ontology to express different types of privacy policies. Being extensible allows our ontology to be mapped to other linkable ontologies without the need to change our existing ontology. We demonstrate that our ontology is capable of supporting the DSA in a collaborative research data sharing scenario through providing the appropriate vocabulary and structure to log privacy events in a linked data based audit log. Furthermore, through querying the audit log, we can answer privacy competency questions relevant to medical researchers. / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc)

Much of the confusion about the effectiveness of information security programs concerns not only how to measure, but also what to measure — an issue of equivocality. Thus, to lower uncertainty for improved decision-making, it is first essential to reduce equivocality by defining, expanding, and clarifying risk factors so that metrics, the "necessary measures," can be unambiguously applied. We formulate a system that (1) allows threats to be accurately measured and tracked, (2) enables the impacts and costs of successful threats to be determined, and (3) aids in evaluating the effectiveness and return on investment of countermeasures. We then examine the quality of controls implemented to mitigate cyber risk and study how effectively they reduce the likelihood of security incidents. Improved control quality was shown to reduce the likelihood of security incidents, yet the results indicate that investing in maximum quality is not necessarily the most efficient use of resources. The next manuscript expands the discussion of cyber risk management beyond single organizations by surveying perceptions and experiences of risk factors related to 3rd parties. To validate and these findings, we undertake in an in-depth investigation of nearly 1000 real-world data breaches occurring over a ten-year period. It provides a robust data model and rich database required by a decision support system for cyber risk in the extended enterprise. To our knowledge, it is the most comprehensive field study ever conducted on the subject. Finally, we incorporate these insights, data, and factors into a simulation model that enables us study the transfer of cyber risk across different supply chain configurations and draw important managerial implications. / Ph. D.

In October 2022, the Swedish government announced a political agreement named the Tidö Agreement which presented multiple collaborative projects aimed at facing current societalissues in Sweden. In the agreement, a suggestion regarding increased information sharingbetween professionals in work with children and youth was presented as a part of the crimeprevention work. The aim of this qualitative study is to describe and analyze the role ofinformation sharing when working with children and youth, based on the experience of school counselors', social workers' and police officers'. Data collected from two semi-structured focus group interviews with seven professionals have been thematically analyzed, using Danermark’s (2007) theory of cooperation. The results indicate that political decisionsthat are perceived as difficult to interpret for professionals are used restrictively. In additionto the design of the laws, the respondents request guidance in how existing laws should beapplied, rather than new laws being established. Cooperation between school counselors',social workers' and police officers' seem to be limited by external factors, and multiplebarriers hinders a well-functioning cooperation. An overall conclusion is that politicaldecisions have a clear impact on practical work, and information sharing cannot be solelyreduced to positive or negative aspects.

The main research of the study was: How is integrated communication applied in the UKZN AIDS Programme at Westville Campus? The following six subsidiary research questions were formulated to address this topic:  How is communication aligned with the strategic focus in the UKZN AIDS Programme?  How consistent are messages and media used in and outside the UKZN AIDS Programme?  What is the status of infrastructure for integration within the UKZN AIDS Programme?  What is the status of internal stakeholder orientation and differentiation in the UKZN AIDS Programme?  What are the mechanisms put in place to coordinate communication efforts and action within the UKZN AIDS Programme?  What is the status of free flow of information within the UKZN AIDS Programme? A qualitative research design was conducted using field and survey research. These two research methods may be used for descriptive, exploratory, and explanatory research (Mouton 1996:232). Descriptive and exploratory field and survey research were used to ascertain the integrated communication applied in the UKZN AIDS Programme. Data was collected from sixteen UKZN AIDS Programme employees and eight students using semi-structured focus group and in-depth interviews respectively. Data collected was analysed using thematic analysis a technique that involves identifying, analysing and reporting in detail patterns or themes within data.The study found that the UKZN AIDS Programme focuses mostly on the University as its main stakeholder. Therefore, there is little emphasis on employees and students. Besides, the study revealed that there is poor alignment of the programme’s communication strategy with the programme’s strategy. To achieve the UKZN AIDS Programmes’ strategic objectives and mission, there is need to reassess the efforts of the programme and re-strategise. Findings on the consistency of messages and media in the UKZN AIDS Programme reveal that all communications are managed by senior employees and consistent in terms of programme identity by using the university identity, and website messages. The status of the consistency of messages and media in the programme can be improved if a comprehensive approach can be used in communicating internal messages. Findings on the consistency of messages and media in external communication show that the programme tries to communicate different prevention messages using channels favoured by students. However, channels such as drama and peer educators have weaknesses that need to be addressed in addition to employing diverse communication channels. Findings show that some of the messages communicated are relevant in the sense that they address students’ sexual risk behaviour while others are not as they are off tangent such that they address issues students are not concerned about. In addition, findings show that peer educators were not exemplary in their work while drama programmes did not allow students to actively participate in the prevention activities. On infrastructure for integration, the study found that there is infrastructure and several prospects for information sharing in the programme created by information technology though not fully explored. With regards the free flow and sharing of information, the study established that the required systems for communication exist but not adequately utilised. Findings on the co-ordination of communication efforts and actions to promote integrated communication show flaws. Departments in the programme function in silos due to lack of cross-functional planning. The integrated communication conceptual framework used in the study was useful in making the study successfully ascertain integrated communication applied by the UKZN AIDS Programme. The conceptual framework can therefore be used to underpin any research topic on health integrated communication. / Communication Science / MA (Communication) / 1 online resource (v, 222 leaves)

大型政府機關或企業，由於服務範圍廣大，應用系統繁多，各系統間不時有資料共享的需求（如各系統須使用人資系統）。但對於這些共享資料的管理上，常常因缺乏有效的機制與流程，而一直有無法同步或同步上資訊不一致的困擾。本研究提供一套中央控管規格機制，以管理面和技術面雙管齊下來解決此問題。本研究認為統一資訊必需先從統一資料規格（Data Specification）做起，同時訂定單一資料的提供來源及多個資料使用對象。 本研究利用Web Service WDSL語言特性作為制訂資料規格的依據。WSDL本身即是可自我描述的一種資訊規格，並具有跨平台的特性，以利各使用不同程式語言開發之系統進行整合。本研究認為既然共享資訊是一種共用行為，理當有一資訊規格維護者負責制訂維護管理規格，同時定期召開共享資訊制訂會議討論共享資訊範圍，本研究所設計之系統藉由資訊規格維護者，訂定WSDL共享資訊規格，供資訊提供者實作，並經由發表給各系統開發單位使用。本研究已實作一個工具來產生WSDL。 本研究期藉由集中控管資料規格的共享服務方法，定義各系統開發者的角色與責任，以治理源頭的方式，讓系統整合或資料交換更為容易，開發時程可以縮短，節省系統開發成本，讓有意參與政府機關的廠商不會怯步，讓機關招商更為容易。 / For the wide range of services and diversified application systems in operation in large government agencies or businesses, information sharing among systems is becoming increasingly necessary (such as users’ personal data on different systems). When it comes to managing shared information, lacking an effective system and flow process makes synchronized operation or access to information a less successful task. The research in question brings up a centralized control specification as solution to the issue through sound management and technique. In the research, uniform information starts from uniform data specification. At the same time, a single data source is set together with a plurality of data destinations. In the research in question, information specification is made based on Web Service WDSL language characteristics. WSDL refers to a kind of self-descriptive information specification that is operational across different platforms for successful integration of systems developed in different program languages. In this research, it is believed, since information sharing is a common behavior; there must be an information specification guard responsible for the scheming, maintenance and management of the same. On the other hand, regular meetings on information sharing must be convened for discussion of the scope. In the system made available in this research, the information specification guard makes the WSDL information sharing specification for operation by information providers and use by the system developers once publicized.We also Implement a tool to generate WSDL. In this research, it is expected, through the centralized managament of the specifications for shared services, the system developers could have their roles and responsibilities properly defined. By means of sorting out the sources, system integration or data exchange could become much easier and development could become successful more rapidly as a way to reduce the cost involved in system development and eventually, allow those who are willing to bid in public projects come to participate without much concern. If so, bidding by private sector could be an easy task.

This thesis examines the interaction of criminal justice policy and social policy within the Prolific and Priority Offenders Scheme (PPOS), a government initiative which aims to reduce offending by persistent offenders. The research on which this thesis is based takes an interpretative approach to social inquiry and employs a qualitative methodology. It examines the operation of four PPO Schemes in the Thames Valley through semi-structured interviews with 22 practitioners and 16 offenders, and participant observation of over 45 multi-agency meetings. The interaction between crime and social policy is explored through examination of three aspects of the PPOS: the coercion of offenders within the Schemes; the working practices and roles of the police and probation officers seconded to the Schemes; and the way in which information and intelligence is used and generated within the Schemes. The central argument of this thesis is that the widely-accepted idea that social policy is being ‘criminalised’ provides an inadequate account of the relationship between criminal justice and social policy in the PPOS. Rather, this Scheme evidences a merger of criminal justice and social welfare agendas, which includes elements of the ‘socialisation’ of crime policy in addition to elements of ‘criminalisation’ of social policy. Whilst the ultimate aim of the PPOS is to reduce crime, and whilst social welfare services such as health, housing and benefits are provided in pursuance of this aim, the ways in which these services are provided accords with the ethos and values of social policy. The idea of a merger of criminal justice and social policy has relevance beyond the PPOS, providing a framework for analysis of other contemporary criminal justice policies, and contributing to broader debates in criminology which have for so long been dominated by the ‘criminalisation’ thesis.

Quando um sistema quântico é acoplado à diversos banhos térmicos de diferentes temperaturas, eventualmente um estado estacionário fora do equilíbrio (NESS), caracterizado por correntes internas de calor é atingido. Por um lado, essas correntes são responsáveis por causar decoerência e produzir entropia no sistema. Entretanto, sua existência também induz correlações entre diferentes partes do sistema. Neste trabalho, nós exploramos este duplo aspecto dos NESSs. Usando técnicas do espaço de fase nós calculamos a produção de entropia de Wigner em redes lineares harmônicas. Trabalhando no célebre limite de fraco acoplamento interno e dissipativo, nós obtivemos expressões simples e frechadas para a contribuição de cada corrente de quasi-probabilidade na entropia. Nossa análise também mostra que, a dinâmica interna (reversével) é exclusivamente responsável em manter a produção de entropia (irreversível) estacionária. Considerando um ponto de vista informacional, nós trabalhamos no problema de como quantificar a informação compartilhada entre partes desconexas de uma cadeia quântica em um estado estacionário fora do equilíbrio. Nós mostramos então que esta é mais precisamente caracterizada utilizando a informação mútua condicional (CMI), um quantificador mais geral de correlações tripartites do que a usual informação mútua. Como aplicação, nós utilizamos o paradigmático problema da transferência de energia em uma cadeia de osciladores sujeita a banhos internos auto-consistentes, que podem ser usados para mudar de um transporte balístico para difusivo. Nós encontramos que a produção de entropia escala com diferentes leis de potência nos regimes balístico e difusivo, permitindo então quantificar o \'\'custo entrópico da difusividade\'\'. Nós também computamos a CMI para cadeias de diversos tamanhos e assim encontramos leis de escala relacionando a informação compartilhada com a difusividade. Finalmente nós discutimos como esta nova perspectiva na caracterização de sistemas fora do equilíbrio pode ser aplicada para entender o problema de equilibração local em estados fora do equilíbrio. / When a quantum system is coupled to several heat baths at different temperatures, it eventually reaches a non-equilibrium steady state (NESS) featuring stationary internal heat currents. From one side, these currents are responsible to cause decorehence and produce entropy in the system. However, their existence also induce correlations between different parts of the system. In this work, we explore this two-folded aspect of NESSs. Using phase-space techniques we calculate the Wigner entropy production on general linear networks of harmonic nodes. Working in the ubiquitous limit of weak internal coupling and weak dissipation, we obtain simple closed-form expressions for the entropic contribution of each individual quasi-probability current. Our analysis also shows that, it is exclusively the (reversible) internal dynamics which maintain the stationary (irreversible) entropy production. From the informational point of view, we address how to quantify the amount of information that disconnected parts of a quantum chain share in a non-equilibrium steady-state. As we show, this is more precisely captured by the conditional mutual information (CMI), a more general quantifier of tripartite correlations than the usual mutual information. As an application, we apply our framework to the paradigmatic problem of energy transfer through a chain of oscillators subject to self-consistent internal baths that can be used to tune the transport from ballistic to diffusive. We find that the entropy production scales with different power law behaviors in the ballistic and diffusive regimes, hence allowing us to quantify what is the \'\'entropic cost of diffusivity\'\'. We also compute the CMI for arbitrary sizes and thus find the scaling rules connecting information sharing and diffusivity. Finally, we discuss how this new perspective in the characterization of non-equilibrium systems may be applied to understand the issue of local equilibration in non-equilibrium states.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-26T20:48:36Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Daniel Henrique de Mendonca.pdf: 648601 bytes, checksum: 65cf6cc99fbe5f4d508f0c8760990e40 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-05-21 / The main aim of this study is to analyze the new legislation adopted in Brazil (Law nº 12,414/2011), which regulates the functioning of the credit positive information sharing market in the light of the asymmetric information theory and the international experience, highlighting similarities and differences as well as their possible impact on performance of the bank loans local market. For this, it was performed an intensive bibliography review on the literature existent about asymmetric information, with special attention to the role played by sharing data on individuals and companies, and the role of credit bureaus as a tool developed to reduce adverse selection and moral hazard problems. A presentation of the international experience is used as a way of highlighting the empirical aspect of the theory as well as serve as a comparison model to analyze the main points of the new Brazilian legislation in the light of the results already measurable in other economies. Special attention is given to the experience of Hong Kong, whose the creation of an effective information sharing framework is considered a recent international benchmarking. One of the main conclusions is that the implementation of this mechanism is an important step forward in structuring the national financial system, but its impact in reducing interest rates, reducing delinquency rates and increasing of the credit amount available must occur in the medium and long term / O objetivo principal do presente trabalho é analisar a nova legislação aprovada no Brasil (Lei nº 12.414/2011) que regulamenta o funcionamento do mercado de compartilhamento de informações positivas de crédito à luz da teoria sobre assimetria de informações e da experiência internacional, destacando similaridades e diferenças, bem como seus possíveis impactos no desempenho do mercado de empréstimos bancários local. Para isso, foi realizada uma pesquisa bibliográfica intensa sobre a literatura existente que trata da assimetria de informações, com especial atenção ao papel desempenhado pelo compartilhamento de dados sobre pessoas físicas e jurídicas, e a atuação dos birôs de crédito como instrumentos desenvolvidos para reduzir os problemas de seleção adversa e risco moral. Uma apresentação da experiência internacional é utilizada como forma de ressaltar o aspecto empírico da teoria, bem como servir de modelo de comparação para analisar os principais pontos da nova legislação brasileira à luz de resultados já mensuráveis em outras economias. É dada uma especial atenção na experiência de Hong Kong por ser considerado benchmarking internacional recente na criação de uma estrutura de compartilhamento de informações eficiente. Uma das principias conclusões diz respeito ao fato de que a implantação desse mecanismo é um avanço estruturante importante dentro do sistema financeiro nacional, porém, seus impactos na redução das taxas de juros, na redução da inadimplência e no aumento do volume de crédito disponível devem ocorrer no médio e longo prazo

Complexity underlying life is largely governed by the dynamics of interaction within and between living and nonliving entities. Evolutionary strategy games are extensively used in modelling and understanding complex behaviors in a wide range of fields including theoretical biology, social interactions, economics, politics, defense and security. Strategy games are said to distill the key elements of interactions be- tween real-world entities and organizations - one of the challenges lies in determining the mapping of complex real life situation dynamics to that of a certain game. That leads us to the two major research questions outlined below. In this thesis, we are taking evolutionary games a step further to investigate the interplay between local and global dynamics, where local dynamics are repre- sented by locally pairwise interactions among the population's players governed by the Iterated Prisoner's Dilemma game. To represent the global dynamics, two main modelling ideas are proposed, in the first model; a mixed evolutionary game is in- troduced where players are competing globally on the population level in a minority game. The interplay between local and global dynamics in this model represents the interplay between different scopes of competition between the same players. Sec- ondly, we introduce a model for studying the effect of sharing global information concerning a population of players, shedding light on how global information can alter the emerging dynamics of local interactions. Furthermore, the thesis addresses the question of whether games - with different dynamics - have unique signatures (footprints) that can be used in recognizing and differentiating among them, and whether these footprints are consistent along the evolutionary path of these games. We show here that by building winning networks between players, and determining network motifs of these winning networks, we can obtain motifs' counts signals that are sufficient to categorize and recognize the game's utility matrix used by the players. We also demonstrate that these footprints - motifs' counts - are consistent along the evolutionary path of the games, due to a hyper-cyclic behavior that exists between strategies. Finally, we show that this approach is capable of identifying whether a certain population is driven by local dynamics or both local and global dynamics using the proposed mixed game.

隨著網際網路的發展，人們花費更多時間群聚在網路空間裡活動，實體社群 的概念也因此延伸至虛擬網路中。在網路空間瀏覽時，可以看到相當多主題和性 質不盡相同的線上虛擬社群，例如：提供人們交誼聯繫的社群、或是以論壇討論 形式存在，讓人們對共同的興趣討論和分享資訊的帄台。其中，資訊瀏覽和分享 的交流以及人際往來討論的互動，是網友參與虛擬社群的核心活動，故不論對哪 種虛擬社群來說，擁有一個良好的資訊交流和互動環境是相當重要的，也成員社 群經營者關心的問題。 本研究以探究社會群體活動特性的社會資本為基礎，將過去學者所定義的社會資本三構面：認知面（cognitive dimension）、結構面（structural dimension）、關係面（relational dimension），應用至虛擬社群成員交流互動的參與行為探討，並選擇在台灣具有代表性的虛擬社群–Facebook 和Mobile01 作為研究對象，Facebook 是讓參與成員和朋友維持社交友誼的社群，Mobile01 則是讓對相同主題有興趣的成員一起交流討論的社群，兩個虛擬社群主要內容和群聚成員參與的動機和目的都不盡相同，各代表了不同性質種類的虛擬社群。研究結果發現不同構面的社會資本對於成員在社群內交流互動的參與行為有不同程度的影響，而不同性質的虛擬社群在同一構面的社會資本下對於參與成員的行為債向也會有不同程度的影響。 / With the rapid development of internet, much more people have spent much more time surfing through internet. The concept of community in the real life also extends to the virtual network. There are so many kinds of virtual community in the virtual network space that it provide different content and benefit for members, including social contacts and common topic discussion. Actually, the information sharing and interpersonal social interactions are the core activities for members in the virtual communities. Therefore, it is important to form a good environment in the virtual communities. This research uses social capital, constituting cognitive dimension, structural dimension and relational dimension, to examine the behavior of members in virtual communities. We choose two different types of virtual community, Facebook and Mobile01, as our sampling source. Facebook provides members to stay in touch with their friends, and Mobile01 provides members to discuss common topic of conversation and interest. Therefore, members in these virtual community have different purpose and motivation. The results found that different social capital can influence members’ behavior in different ways. Also, different types of virtual communities can influence members’ behavior in different ways through the same social capital dimension.