African Journals Online
South African Computer Journal / Die Suid-Afrikaanse Rekenaartydskrif

Issue 27, August, 2001
Abstracts

A new approach to risk management in the health-care domain

Smith, E.Eloff, J.H.P.

Abstract: This paper is devoted to the presentation of a risk-management methodology (RiMaHCoF) that is specifically tailored for the health-care environment. The proposed methodology includes five successive stages in all, namely initiation, domain analysis, risk assessment, risk analysis and domain monitoring. This paper focuses on the risk analysis stage. The RiMaHCoF ("Risk Management in Health Care - using Cognitive Fuzzy techniques") methodology enhances risk management in the specific domain of health care in the sense that it deems the patient's health-care information, processed and stored in a typical health-care institution, to be of utmost importance to such institution. The methodology further enhances risk management in this domain in that it incorporates cognitive fuzzy-logic techniques - as opposed to quantitative techniques such as annual loss exposure (ALE) calculation - to assess and analyse the information-technology risks. In this way, it is ensured that full cognisance is taken of the intuitive nature of human observation when assessing the possible IT risks to be incurred in a health-care institution. In addition, the methodology takes into account the vagueness of the decision making process with respect to securing patient information. The cognitive fuzzy approach to the assessment and analysis of information technology risks in health care does not only identify the high-risk areas within a typical health-care institution, but also helps to manage risks by facilitating the decision-making process with respect to securing patient information.

A taxonomy of algorithms for constructing minimal acyclic deterministic finite automata

Watson, B.W.

Abstract: In this paper, we present a taxonomy of algorithms for constructing minimal acyclic deterministic finite automata (MADFAs). Such automata represent finite languages and are therefore useful in applications such as storing words for spell-checking, computer and biological virus searching, text indexing and XML tag lookup. In such applications, the automata can grow extremely large (with more than 10 6 states) and are difficult to store without compression or minimization. The taxonomization method arrives at all of the known algorithms, and some which are likely new ones (though proper attribution is not always possible, since the algorithms are usually of commercial value and some secrecy frequently surrounds the identities of the original authors).

Automatic language identification : resisting complexity

Combrinck, H.P.Botha, E.C.

Abstract: We introduce a simpler alternative to existing automatic language identification technology and quantitatively compare its performance to that of a state-of-the-art architecture on the recognised OGI Telephone Speech (OGI TS) multilingual corpus. The comparison is performed on ten two-language tasks spanning five languages. Although the system that we propose exhibits inferior performance (65% versus 81% on a 40s utterance), such an alternative may potentially provide adequate performance where cost and complexity of current technology is prohibitive. In addition, it may serve as an avenue of investigation for improving scalability of automatic language identification systems.

Consumer perception of electronic-commerce

Martins, A.Martins, N.Olivier, M.S.

Abstract: Consumers' concerns about conducting electronic business transactions and the risks involved have a vital impact on the transition of electronic business. This paper deals mainly with consumers' willingness to conduct Electronic-commerce and their knowledge of the security measures used in online transactions. In an inferential survey Human Resource (HR) and Information Technology (IT) consumers' perceptions of buying products and services and giving credit card information over the Internet were compared. The results allow one to conclude that consumers generally do not trust the security of Electronic-commerce. It was also found that IT respondents have a better knowledge of security measures used during online transactions than HR respondents, but are still not significantly more willing to conduct Electronic-commerce. The conclusion drawn that it is not so much the lack of knowledge of security measures that has an impact on consumers' perceptions, but rather the issue of trust that needs to be addressed.

Global conflict resolution in automated service-based -protocol synthesis

Kapus-Kolar, M.

Abstract: A transformation is proposed which, given a specification of the required external behaviour of a server consisting of two synchronously communicating components and a partitioning of the specified service actions among the server components, derives behaviour of individual components, i.e. a protocol implementing the service. The adopted specification language is an abstraction of E-LOTOS. The transformation accepts service specifications written in its Basic-LOTOS-like sublanguage. The stress is on demonstrating that distributed decision-making can be implemented without preventing the derived protocol specifications from reflecting the structure of the service specifications.

On measuring roughness 

Lewis, M.R.M.Murrell, H.C.Jermy, C.A.Palmer, C.G.

Abstract: Roughness is a relatively untouched field considering its significance to natural scientists. In this paper mathematical techniques are constructed and investigated to measure the roughness of signals. Both one dimensional and two dimensional signals are tackled. Applications include geological profiles and biological surfaces.

Processing context-sensing picture grammars on a network

Ewert, S.Wessels, T.

Abstract: Syntactic methods of picture generation have become established during the past years. We generate pictures with random context picture grammars, which are context-free grammars with regulated rewriting. We have shown that these grammars are more powerful than Iterated Function Systems. Still it proved possible to develop iteration theorems for some important subclasses; finding necessary conditions is problematic for most types of picture grammars with context-sensing ability. This model is thus worth further study. We initially used mathematical programming packages to generate pictures, because they allow symbolic manipulation on a level of abstraction that suits the processing of grammars. Unfortunately, the memory and time requirements are correspondingly high. We therefore developed an application which uses a network of processors. This method has the drawback that inter-process communication can become very time-consuming, but the additional memory and the possibility to render parts of a picture in parallel compensate for that.

Separation of Duty administration

Perelson, S.Botha, R.Eloff, J.

Abstract: Access control administration is a huge task. Administration tools should assist the administrator in ensuring that the access control requirements are met. One example of an access control requirement is Separation of Duty (SoD). SoD requirements specify that no single person may have sufficient authority to complete a business process unilaterally. The SoDA prototype administration tool has been developed to assist administrators with the administration of SoD requirements. It demonstrates how the specification of both Static and Dynamic SoD requirements can be done based on the "conflicting entities" paradigm. Static SoD requirements must be enforced in the administration environment. The SoDA prototype, therefore, enforces the specified static SoD requirements.