Abstract
Breast cancer conservative treatment (BCCT), due to its proven oncological safety, is considered, when feasible, the gold standard of breast cancer treatment. However, aesthetic results are heterogeneous and difficult to evaluate in a standardized way, due to the lack of reproducibility of the subjective methods usually applied. The objective assessment methods, considered in the past as being less capable of evaluating all aspects of BCCT, are nowadays being preferred to overcome the drawbacks of the subjective evaluation. A computer-aided medical system was recently developed to objectively and automatically evaluate the aesthetic result of BCCT. In this system, the detection of the breast contour on the patient's digital photograph is a necessary step to extract the features subsequently used in the evaluation process. In this paper an algorithm based on the shortest path oil a graph is proposed to detect automatically the breast contour. The proposed method extends an existing semi-automatic algorithm for the same purpose. A comprehensive comparison with manually-drawn contours reveals the strength of the proposed method.

Abstract
The current heterogeneous world of networks and terminals combined with the generalized mobility of users pose telecommunications operators and service providers the challenge of dynamically adapt the services they provide. This paper presents a proposal to solve the problem of the adaptation of multimedia services in mobile contexts. The paper combines context-awareness techniques with user interface modeling and description to dynamically adapt telecommunications services to user resources, in terms of terminal and network conditions. The solution is mainly characterized by the approach used for resolving the existing dependencies among user interface variables, which is based on the constraints theory, and by the mechanism for acquiring the user context information, which uses the Parlay/OSA interfaces. The experiments and tests carried out with these techniques demonstrate a general Improvement of the adaptation of multimedia services in mobile environments, in comparison to systems that do not dynamically integrate the user context information in the adaptation process. © 2008 Academy Publisher.

Abstract
Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) is a promising technique to spatially identify activated areas. However, because of its limited time resolution (about one volume every 3 seconds), integration with a high temporal resolution method (Electroencephalography (EEG)) has shown to be promising. Two main artifacts rise on the EEG in this setup: The imaging artifact and the Ballistocardiogram artifact (BCG). The focus of this paper is to present a new approach for BCG removal. The most common method for its removal is based on average wave shape subtraction. This method assumes a deterministic approach to the BCG, which, as every analog biomedical signal, is not a good assumption. In this paper we present and evaluate, for the first time, a Ballistocardiogram removal adaptive algorithm based on dynamic time warping (DTW) [1]. Although for stable pulse this method can slightly distort the wave shape, we believe it can be reliable to deal with greater BCG time variations, like in the presence of arrhythmia, or during emotion stimulation.

Abstract

Abstract
This paper explores the development of long-term, close relationships that are likely to influence the relationship between Transnational Corporations (TNCs) affiliates and their local suppliers. Based on the interdependencies between six industrial foreign subsidiaries and 26 local suppliers, it is possible to conclude that the complementarity between local suppliers and their TNC clients depends on two dynamics: • on the technological trajectory created by the supplier towards the upper steps of the technological competence • on the technological trajectory created by the transmissive capacity of the TNC client that helps their suppliers on their organisational transformation. © 2008, Inderscience Publishers.

Abstract
This paper describes the design and implementation of a PKI-based e-Health authentication architecture. This architecture was developed to authenticate e-Health Professionals accessing RTS (Rede Telematica da Saude), a regional platform for sharing clinical data among a set of affiliated health institutions. The architecture had to accommodate specific RTS requirements, namely the security of Professionals' credentials, the mobility of Professionals, and the scalability to accommodate new health institutions. The adopted solution uses short. lived certificates and cross-certification agreements between RTS and e-Health institutions for authenticating Professionals accessing the RTS. These certificates carry as well the Professional's role at their home institution for role-based authorization. Trust agreements between health institutions and RTS are necessary in order to make the certificates recognized by the RTS. As a proof of concept, a prototype was implemented with Windows technology. The presented authentication architecture is intended to be applied to other medical telematic systems.