bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Preparation of Silver- and Zinc-Doped Mullite-Based Ceramics Showing Anti-Bacterial Biofilm Properties
Authors: Saleh Suhair , Taha Mutasem O. , Haddadin Randa N. , Marzooqa Duá , Hodali Hamdallah
Published: April 2011

Zinc- and silver-doped mullite ceramic discs were prepared and tested as potentially resistant materials against bacterial adhesion and biofilm formation. Elemental analysis and X-ray diffraction studies showed that zinc ions were incorporated in the structural framework of the mullite, while silver ions remained outside the mullite crystal lattice, which allowed their slow (0.02 ppm/24 hours) leaching into the surrounding aqueous environment. In agreement with this behavior, silver-doped mullite showed potent resistance against surface attachment of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, while on the other hand, zinc-doped mullite failed to stop bacterial attachment.
Cyclic Water Clusters in Tape-Like and Cage-Like Structures
Authors: Huang Qin , Diao Lihong , Zhang Chuang , Lei Fuhou
Published: April 2011

Controlling the ratio of 2,2′-bpy to benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxylic acid produces two interesting complexes, namely [Co(2,2′-bpy)3] (SO4) 8.5H2O (1) and [Cu2(BTCA) (2,2′-bpy)4] (OH) (2,2′-bpy)0.5·14H2O (2) (H3BTCA = benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxylic acid, 2,2′-bpy = 2,2′-bipyridine). We report the structural evidence in the solid state of discrete lamellar water cluster conformations. These units are found to act as supramolecular glue in the aggregation of cobalt (II) or copper (II) complexes to give three dimensional cage-like networks through hydrogen-bonding. It is interesting that the structure of complex 1 contains a 3D negatively charged cage.
Comparison of Various Easy-to-Use Procedures for Extraction of Phenols from Apricot Fruits
Authors: Zitka Ondrej , Sochor Jiri , Rop Otakar , Skalickova Sylvie , Sobrova Pavlina , Zehnalek Josef , Beklova Miroslava , Krska Boris , Adam Vojtech , Kizek Rene
Published: April 2011

Phenols are broadly distributed in the plant kingdom and are the most abundant secondary metabolites of plants. Plant polyphenols have drawn increasing attention due to their potential antioxidant properties and their marked effects in the prevention of various oxidative stress associated diseases such as cancer. The objective of this study was to investigate a suitable method for determination of protocatechuic acid, 4-aminobenzoic acid, chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, vanillin, p-coumaric acid, rutin, ferulic acid, quercetin, resveratrol and quercitrin from apricot samples. A high-performance liquid chromatograph with electrochemical and UV detectors was used. The method was optimized in respect to both the separation selectivity of individual phenolic compounds and the maximum sensitivity with the electrochemical detection. The lowest limits of detection (3 S/N) using UV detection were estimated for ferulic acid (3 µM), quercitrin (4 µM) and quercetin (4 µM). Using electrochemical detection values of 27 nM, 40 nM and 37 nM were achieved for ferulic acid, quercitrin and quercetin, respectively. It follows from the acquired results that the coulometric detection under a universal potential of 600 mV is more suitable and sensitive for polyphenols determination than UV detection at a universal wavelength of 260 nm. Subsequently, we tested the influence of solvent composition, vortexing and sonication on separation efficiency. Our results showed that a combination of water, acetone and methanol in 20:20:60 ratio was the most effective for p-aminobenzoic acid, chlorgenic acid, caffeic acid, protocatechuic acid, ferulic acid, rutin, resveratrol and quercetin, in comparison with other solvents. On the other hand, vortexing at 4 °C produced the highest yield. Moreover, we tested the contents of individual polyphenols in the apricot cultivars Mamaria, Mold and LE-1075. The major phenolic compounds were chlorgenic acid and rutin. Chlorgenic acid was found in amounts of 2,302 mg/100 g in cultivar LE-1075, 546 mg/100 g in cultivar Mamaria and 129 mg/100 g in cultivar Mold. Generally, the cultivar LE-1075 produced the highest polyphenol content values, contrary to Mold, which compared to cultivar LE-1075 was quite poor from the point of view of the phenolics content.
Live Cell in Vitro and in Vivo Imaging Applications: Accelerating Drug Discovery
Authors: Isherwood Beverley , Timpson Paul , McGhee Ewan J , Anderson Kurt I , Canel Marta , Serrels Alan , Brunton Valerie G , Carragher Neil O
Published: April 2011

Dynamic regulation of specific molecular processes and cellular phenotypes in live cell systems reveal unique insights into cell fate and drug pharmacology that are not gained from traditional fixed endpoint assays. Recent advances in microscopic imaging platform technology combined with the development of novel optical biosensors and sophisticated image analysis solutions have increased the scope of live cell imaging applications in drug discovery. We highlight recent literature examples where live cell imaging has uncovered novel insight into biological mechanism or drug mode-of-action. We survey distinct types of optical biosensors and associated analytical methods for monitoring molecular dynamics, in vitro and in vivo. We describe the recent expansion of live cell imaging into automated target validation and drug screening activities through the development of dedicated brightfield and fluorescence kinetic imaging platforms. We provide specific examples of how temporal profiling of phenotypic response signatures using such kinetic imaging platforms can increase the value of in vitro high-content screening. Finally, we offer a prospective view of how further application and development of live cell imaging technology and reagents can accelerate preclinical lead optimization cycles and enhance the in vitro to in vivo translation of drug candidates.
Estimation of the Distribution of Tabebuia guayacan (Bignoniaceae) Using High-Resolution Remote Sensing Imagery
Authors: Sánchez-Azofeifa Arturo , Rivard Benoit , Wright Joseph , Feng Ji-Lu , Li Peijun , Chong Mei Mei , Bohlman Stephanie A.
Published: April 2011

Species identification and characterization in tropical environments is an emerging field in tropical remote sensing. Significant efforts are currently aimed at the detection of tree species, of levels of forest successional stages, and the extent of liana occurrence at the top of canopies. In this paper we describe our use of high resolution imagery from the Quickbird Satellite to estimate the flowering population of Tabebuia guayacan trees at Barro Colorado Island (BCI), in Panama. The imagery was acquired on 29 April 2002 and 21 March 2004. Spectral Angle Mapping via a One-Class Support Vector machine was used to detect the presence of 422 and 557 flowering tress in the April 2002 and March 2004 imagery. Of these, 273 flowering trees are common to both dates. This study presents a new perspective on the effectiveness of high resolution remote sensing for monitoring a phenological response and its use as a tool for potential conservation and management of natural resources in tropical environments.
Time-Frequency Analyses of Tide-Gauge Sensor Data
Authors: Erol Serdar
Published: April 2011

The real world phenomena being observed by sensors are generally non-stationary in nature. The classical linear techniques for analysis and modeling natural time-series observations are inefficient and should be replaced by non-linear techniques of whose theoretical aspects and performances are varied. In this manner adopting the most appropriate technique and strategy is essential in evaluating sensors’ data. In this study, two different time-series analysis approaches, namely least squares spectral analysis (LSSA) and wavelet analysis (continuous wavelet transform, cross wavelet transform and wavelet coherence algorithms as extensions of wavelet analysis), are applied to sea-level observations recorded by tide-gauge sensors, and the advantages and drawbacks of these methods are reviewed. The analyses were carried out using sea-level observations recorded at the Antalya-II and Erdek tide-gauge stations of the Turkish National Sea-Level Monitoring System. In the analyses, the useful information hidden in the noisy signals was detected, and the common features between the two sea-level time series were clarified. The tide-gauge records have data gaps in time because of issues such as instrumental shortcomings and power outages. Concerning the difficulties of the time-frequency analysis of data with voids, the sea-level observations were preprocessed, and the missing parts were predicted using the neural network method prior to the analysis. In conclusion the merits and limitations of the techniques in evaluating non-stationary observations by means of tide-gauge sensors records were documented and an analysis strategy for the sequential sensors observations was presented.
Optimizing the Physical, Mechanical and Hygrothermal Performance of Compressed Earth Bricks
Authors: Obonyo Esther
Published: April 2011

The paper is based on findings from research that assesses the potential for enhancing the performance of compressed earth bricks. A set of experiments was carried out to assess the potential for enhancing the bricks’ physical, mechanical and hygrothermal performance through the design of an optimal stabilization strategy. Three different types of bricks were fabricated: soil-cement, soil-cement-lime, and soil-cement-fiber. The different types of bricks did not exhibit significant differences in performances when assessed on the basis of porosity, density, water absorption, and compressive strength. However, upon exposure to elevated moisture and temperature conditions, the soil-cement-fiber bricks had the highest residual strength (87%). The soil-cement and soil-cement-lime bricks had residual strength values of 48.19 and 46.20% respectively. These results suggest that, like any other cement-based material, compressed earth brick properties are affected by hydration-triggered chemical and structural changes occurring in the matrix that would be difficult to isolate using tests that focus on “bulk” changes. The discussion in this paper presents findings from a research effort directed at quantifying the specific changes through an analysis of the microstructure.
Scotland’s Food and Drink Policy Discussion: Sustainability Issues in the Food Supply Chain
Authors: Leat Philip , Revoredo-Giha Cesar , Lamprinopoulou Chrysa
Published: April 2011

The purpose of the paper is two-fold. First, to identify the main sustainability issues that Scottish food supply chain actors are concerned with and any differences that exist between primary producers, processors and distributors and consumers; and second, to explore the implications of respondents’ views for the direction of food and drink policy in Scotland. The analysis was based on a dataset assembled from the written responses to the National Food Policy discussion in Scotland, which contains opinions on the different dimensions of sustainability (economic, environmental and social) from a broad range of individuals and organizations representing different segments of the Scottish population. The empirical analyses involved comparing the responses according to two criteria: by food supply chain stakeholder and by geographical region. The results indicated that whilst there were differences among the studied groups, the importance of social and economic sustainability were strongly evident in the foregoing analysis, highlighting issues such as diet and nutrition, the importance of local food, building sustainability on sound economic performance, the market power of supermarkets, and regulation and support in building human and technical capabilities.
Efficient Sensing of Avian Influenza Viruses by Porcine Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cells
Authors: Bel Michael , Ocaña-Macchi Manuela , Liniger Matthias , McCullough Kenneth C. , Matrosovich Mikhail , Summerfield Artur
Published: April 2011

H5N1 influenza A virus (IAV) infections in human remain rare events but have been associated with severe disease and a higher mortality rate compared to infections with seasonal strains. An excessive release of pro-inflammatory cytokine together with a greater virus dissemination potential have been proposed to explain the high virulence observed in human and other mammalian and avian species. Among the cells involved in the cytokine storm, plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDC) could play an important role considering their unique capacity to secrete massive amounts of type I interferon (IFN). Considering the role of IFN as a major component of antiviral responses as well as in priming inflammatory responses, we aimed to characterize the induction of IFN-α release upon infection with IAV originating from various avian and mammalian species in a comparative way. In our porcine pDC model, we showed that the viral components triggering IFN responses related to the ability to hemagglutinate, although virosomes devoid of viral RNA were non-stimulatory. Heat-treatment at 65 °C but not chemical inactivation destroyed the ability of IAV to stimulate pDC. All IAV tested induced IFN-α but at different levels and showed different dose-dependencies. H5 and H7 subtypes, in particular H5N1, stimulated pDC at lower doses when compared to mammalian IAV. At high viral doses, IFN-α levels reached by some mammalian IAV surpassed those induced by avian isolates. Although sialic acid-dependent entry was demonstrated, the α-2,3 or α-2,6 binding specificity alone did not explain the differences observed. Furthermore, we were unable to identify a clear role of the hemagglutinin, as the IFN-a doses-response profiles did not clearly differ when viruses with all genes of identical avian origin but different HA were compared. This was found with IAV bearing an HA derived from either a low, a high pathogenic H5N1, or a human H3. Stimulation of pDC was associated with pDC depletion within the cultures. Taken together and considering the efficient sensing of H5N1 at low dose, pDC on one side may play a role in the cytokine storm observed during severe disease, on the other hand could participate in early antiviral responses limiting virus replication.
Cent ans de géomorphologie dans les Annales de Géographie
Authors: Tricart Jean
Published: April 2011

À ses débuts, la géomorphologie est fort hésitante et de nombreux articles ne sont consacrés qu'à de la géologie, sans même une description des formes du relief. Les récits d'exploration tiennent une place importante : les explorations, surtout en Afrique, sont un moyen de prise de possession coloniale. Certains (Y. Urvoy) ont une réelle valeur scientifique. Le Commandant O. Barré est l'un des initiateurs de la géomorphologie moderne, au début du siècle, alors que E. de Martonne étudiait les formes glaciaires. La géomorphologie climatique apparaît aux environs de la Seconde Guerre mondiale. C'est alors qu'A. Cholley, malgré un vocabulaire encore davisien, applique ce qui est, en fait, une approche systémique.
A travers un siècle de géographie humaine française dans les pays tropicaux
Authors: Vennetier Pierre
Published: April 2011

The creation in Paris, in 1893, of the chair of colonial geography, in those days entrusted to Mr. Marcel Dubois, can be considered as the birth of french tropical geography. During more than half a century, it has above all consisted of a " discovery ", and an inventory of tropical countries through civilian and military missions, and through civil servants holding a post in the different parts of the Empire. Geographers were using collected data to elaborate regional or thematic synthesis, and to make acquired knowledge circulate. Initiated before 1940, the specialization of an increasing number of those geographers is especially to be noted after the second world war, at a time when working opportunities "on the field " were made available: teaching in oversea territories, secondment in a specialized body etc. Researchs achieved through Master's thesis are showing a noteworthy durability of " traditionnal " fields, Western and Central Africa being always more studied than Latin America and Asia. After 1960 especially, even if monographic study remained very popular, a certain number of subjects appeared, or showed a new and rapid development (geographies of developing countries, of languages, health and political geographies) ; the multiple orientations of the discipline can be well observed in ORSTOM, which teams have played an important role in the knowledge of environment and men of tropical regions for more than 30 years. If the specificity of tropical geography (characterized by the creation of CEGET in 1968 in Talence, an internal body of CNRS) was, at a certain time, thrown back into question, this dispute, certainly due to temporary circumstances, did not have tangible repercussions.
Géographie religieuse et géopolitique en Biélorussie du XVIe siècle à nos jours.
Authors: Richard Yann
Published: April 2011

La Biélorussie est une originalité géographique, religieuse et culturelle. C'est sur son territoire que s'opère la jonction de deux Europes : celle du catholicisme à l'ouest et celle de l'orthodoxie à l'est. Cette partition méridienne s'est peu à peu mise en place et s'est consolidée du XVIe au XXe siècles. Elle est le fruit d'un séculaire antagonisme géopolitique entre la Pologne et la Russie. Cette lutte d'influence a eu trois conséquences majeures : elle a déterminé la carte religieuse de l'Europe orientale pendant plusieurs siècles ; elle a fait avorter la Biélorussie de sa spécificité religieuse et culturelle, lui interdisant parallèlement l'accès à une conscience nationale claire ; elle continue de rendre compte de l'actuelle géographie religieuse de la Biélorussie, encore très contrastée, malgré la tentative soviétique d'éradiquer toute trace de religion dans les âmes et les paysages.
Cartes et paroles. Ethnologie et géographie sur le terrain de la religion.
Authors: Julliard André
Published: April 2011

Dès sa naissance, l'ethnologie éprouve un réel intérêt pour l'outil cartographique qui en restituant les processus sociologiques de densité, répartition et diffusion, permet de saisir l'importance des phénomènes sociaux et symboliques de frontière. Mais le plus souvent, le dialogue s'arrête à ce seul niveau car la géographie ne sait comment utiliser les matériaux ethnographiques difficilement quantifiables. Dans le domaine des religions, l'ethnologie étudie l'activité religieuse en ne privilégiant aucune des dimensions contextuelles : aires culturelles multiples, diversité des sources d'information (écrites et orales), datation transchronologique, variété des modes de transmission, mécanismes de transformation culturelle, échelles individuelle et collective. Elle apparaît donc plus préoccupée de « représentation spatiale » (rendre compte du mouvement et de la durée) que de cartographie. Aussi, la rencontre entre les deux disciplines semble plus fructueuse lorsqu'elle se place sur le plan de la méthode.
Behavioral Bone-Conduction Thresholds for Infants with Normal Hearing
Authors: Hulecki Lauren R. , Small Susan A.
Published: April 2011

Background:Bone-conduction thresholds have been used in audiologic assessments of both infants and adults to differentiate between conductive and sensorineural hearing losses. However, air- and bone-conduction thresholds estimated for infants with normal hearing using physiological
measures have identified an “air‐bone gap” in the low frequencies that does not result from conductive hearing impairment but, rather, from maturational differences in sensitivity. This maturational air‐bone gap appears to be present up to at least 2 yr of age. Because
most infants older than 6 mo of age are clinically assessed behaviorally, rather than physiologically, it is necessary to determine whether a similar maturational air‐bone gap is present for behavioral air- and bone-conduction thresholds.Purpose:The purpose of this study was
to estimate behavioral bone-conduction thresholds for infants using a standard clinical visual reinforcement audiometry (VRA) protocol to determine whether frequency-dependent maturational patterns exist as previously reported for physiological bone-conduction thresholds.Research Design:Behavioral
bone-conduction minimum response levels were estimated at 500, 1000, 2000, and 4000 Hz using VRA for each participant.Study Sample:Young (7‐15 mo; N = 17) and older (18‐30 mo; N = 20) groups of infants were assessed. All infants were screened and considered
to be at low risk for hearing loss.Data Collection and Analysis:Preliminary “normal levels” were determined by calculating the 90th percentile for responses present as a cumulative percentage. Mean bone-conduction thresholds were compared and analyzed using a mixed-model
analysis of variance across frequency and age group. Linear regression analysis was also performed to assess the effect of age on bone-conduction thresholds.Results:Results of this study indicate that, when measured behaviorally, infants under 30 mo of age show frequency-dependent bone-conduction
thresholds whereby their responses at 500 and 1000 Hz are significantly better than those at 2000 and 4000 Hz. However, thresholds obtained from the younger group of infants (mean age of 10.6 mo) were not significantly different from those obtained from the older group of infants (mean age
of 23.0 mo) at any frequency.Conclusions:The findings of the present study are similar to the results obtained from previous physiological studies. Compared to previously documented air-conduction thresholds of infants using similar VRA techniques, a maturational air‐bone gap
is observed in the low frequencies. Therefore, differences between infant and adult bone-conduction thresholds persist until at least 30 mo of age. As a result, different “normal levels” should be used when assessing bone-conduction hearing sensitivity of infants using behavioral
methods.
Differential Effects of Salicylate, Quinine, and Furosemide on Guinea Pig Inner and Outer Hair Cell Function Revealed by the Input‐Output Relation of the Auditory Brainstem Response
Authors: Pienkowski Martin , Ulfendahl Mats
Published: April 2011

Background:Sensory hearing loss is predominantly caused by the destruction of cochlear outer hair cells (OHCs), inner hair cells (IHCs), or spiral ganglion cells (SGCs). There have been a number of attempts to differentiate between these etiologies of hearing loss, using various
psychoacoustic and physiologic paradigms.Purpose:Here we investigate the potential of the auditory brainstem response (ABR) input/output function for such differential diagnosis. On the basis of the saturation of the OHC-based cochlear amplifier, it was hypothesized that selective impairment
of OHCs would reduce ABR amplitudes at low to moderate but not at high sound levels. Selective impairment of IHCs or SGCs would reduce ABR amplitudes more or less uniformly across sound level. Finally, a mix of OHC and IHC or SGC impairment would reduce ABR amplitudes at all sound levels but
less so at high levels depending on the relative contribution of OHC impairment to the hearing loss.Research Design:To test these hypotheses, normal-hearing adult guinea pigs were intravenously injected with either salicylate, furosemide, or quinine, under ketamine anesthesia. ABRs,
as well as distortion-product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs), were measured as a function of the sound stimulus level before and after drug injection.Results:Following salicylate injection, ABR amplitudes were reduced only at low‐moderate stimulus levels. Following furosemide
or quinine injection, ABR amplitudes were reduced at all levels but less so at high ones. This is in accord with the expectation that acute salicylate administration selectively affects the OHCs, while furosemide and quinine affect both OHCs and IHCs/SGCs. Such differential diagnosis was not
possible solely on the basis of DPOAE amplitudes, which were unchanged at high stimulus levels after the injection of each of the three drugs. Comparison of ABR and DPOAE threshold shifts could also differentiate the effects of salicylate from those of furosemide and quinine but could not,
for example, unequivocally point to salicylate's selective impairment of OHCs.Conclusions:ABR amplitudes appear suitable for differentiating between damage to OHCs and IHCs/SGCs, at least in a controlled experimental setting where pre- and postmanipulation data are available. This could
be useful for noninvasively testing the effects of drugs or acoustic overstimulation on the cochlea, at least in the laboratory. Clinical applicability would seem to be limited by the high variability in ABR amplitudes among normal-hearing humans but might be feasible in the future if regular
ABR testing entered into routine clinical practice.
Subjective and Psychophysiological Indexes of Listening Effort in a Competing-Talker Task
Authors: Mackersie Carol L. , Cones Heather
Published: April 2011

Background:The effects of noise and other competing backgrounds on speech recognition performance are well documented. There is less information, however, on listening effort and stress experienced by listeners during a speech-recognition task that requires inhibition of competing
sounds.Purpose:The purpose was (a) to determine if psychophysiological indexes of listening effort were more sensitive than performance measures (percentage correct) obtained near ceiling level during a competing speech task, (b) to determine the relative sensitivity of four psychophysiological
measures to changes in task demand, and (c) to determine the relationships between changes in psychophysiological measures and changes in subjective ratings of stress and workload.Research Design:A repeated-measures experimental design was used to examine changes in performance, psychophysiological
measures, and subjective ratings in response to increasing task demand.Study Sample:Fifteen adults with normal hearing participated in the study. The mean age of the participants was 27 (range: 24‐54).Data Collection and Analysis:Psychophysiological recordings of heart
rate, skin conductance, skin temperature, and electromyographic (EMG) activity were obtained during listening tasks of varying demand. Materials from the Dichotic Digits Test were used to modulate task demand. The three levels of task demand were single digits presented to one ear (low-demand
reference condition), single digits presented simultaneously to both ears (medium demand), and a series of two digits presented simultaneously to both ears (high demand). Participants were asked to repeat all the digits they heard, while psychophysiological activity was recorded simultaneously.
Subjective ratings of task load were obtained after each condition using the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Task Load Index questionnaire. Repeated-measures analyses of variance were completed for each measure using task demand and session as factors.Results:Mean performance
was higher than 96% for all listening tasks. There was no significant change in performance across listening conditions for any listener. There was, however, a significant increase in mean skin conductance and EMG activity as task demand increased. Heart rate and skin temperature did not change
significantly. There was no strong association between subjective and psychophysiological measures, but all participants with mean normalized effort ratings of greater than 4.5 (i.e., effort increased by a factor of at least 4.5) showed significant changes in skin conductance.Conclusions:Even
in the absence of substantial performance changes, listeners may experience changes in subjective and psychophysiological responses consistent with the activation of a stress response. Skin conductance appears to be the most promising measure for evaluating individual changes in psychophysiological
responses during listening tasks.
Vers un islamo-nationalisme
Authors: Gomez Garcia Luz
Published: April 2011

Au cours du dernier quart du 20ème siècle, l’idéologie islamiste et ses pratiques ont été caractérisées par une progressive trans-territorialisation dont le point culminant furent les attentats du 11 septembre 2001. Néanmoins, dix ans plus tard, il faut analyser le 11 septembre et ses répliques (Madrid, Londres) comme le « chant du cygne » d’une forme d’islamisme globalisé. La vigueur actuelle de l’islamo-nationalisme dans différents contextes régionaux, culturels et politiques montre une inflexion dans la trajectoire ultime de l’islamisme, qui était caractérisé par la perméabilité idéologique et le pragmatisme stratégique. Le Hamas, le Hezbollah et les talibans incarnent le pari islamo-nationaliste sans renoncer à leurs spécificités respectives.
Les relations inter-palestiniennes au temps mort
Authors: Heacock Roger
Published: April 2011

Le projet régional israélien est aujourd’hui hégémonique sur le plan politique, les priorités et les inquiétudes des régimes arabes le démontrent. Sur le plan militaire par contre, il est menacé par les revers successifs de la dernière décennie. C’est dans ce contexte qu’ont pris fin, après vingt ans de révolte de 1987 à 2007 sous forme d’initiatives contrastées – recours aux manifestations, aux armes et aux urnes – les initiatives autonomes des Palestiniens. Les politiques antagonistes des autorités de Cisjordanie et de Gaza sont à nouveau assujetties à une polarité mondiale qui les dépasse, et dont la société palestinienne transnationale fait les frais, tout comme elle fait les frais des types de gouvernance aliénantes auxquels elle est soumise.
23 ans après sa création... où va le Hamas ?
Authors: Eshnaiwer Raed
Published: April 2011

23 ans après sa création, contrairement à ce qui est souvent dit, la stratégie du Hamas a beaucoup évolué. La preuve en est qu’il a accepté de se présenter à des élections que, jusque-là, il récusait et a sensiblement infléchi sa position sur la question d’un Etat palestinien. Cependant, les contradictions qui le traversent et l’isolement politique qu’il subit devraient le pousser à faire des choix décisifs sans lesquels il ne pourra sortir de l’impasse où il se trouve aujourd’hui.
A propos du partenariat franco-algérien
Authors: Colin de Verdière Hubert
Published: April 2011

Monsieur Hubert Colin de Verdière, Ambassadeur de France, a été ambassadeur à Alger de 2000 à 2002 puis de 2004 à 2006. Il connaissait déjà l’Algérie pour y avoir précédemment exercé les fonctions de conseiller auprès de l’ambassade de France à Alger. Cette connaissance approfondie de ce pays et l’intérêt qu’il lui porte, conduisent l’ambassadeur à être souvent sollicité pour faire partager, à des auditoires très divers, son expérience et son regard attentif sur les relations franco-algériennes. Ainsi, le texte ci-dessous reprend et développe les idées présentées lors de trois conférences données tout d’abord en 2009 à Paris et à Marseille, à l’invitation de l’association Euromed-IHEDN, partenaire de la revue, et en juin 2010, lors d’un séminaire consacré à la Méditerranée occidentale au Collège interarmées de Défense à Paris.
Exploring the Key Challenges: Adaptability, Sustainability, Interoperability and Security to M-payment
Authors: Mantri Rashmi , Feng Junkang
Published: April 2011

Abstract:

Any payment which uses mobile device as payment method is called M-payment whether it is proximity or remote and online or point of sale. Since it has been identified that mobile phone is everywhere and ever-present essential consumer device, and could be used for payment offline or online, Mobile payment has been hyped significantly. However early market adoption is facing some challenges and in need of the unanimous effort of all key players (manufacturers, mobile operators, merchants and customers) of value chain in order to accept mobile payment method and achieve standard and sustainable business model. Achieving one business model is important for user convenience and reachability, resulting in increased market opportunities. The main focus of this research proposal is that why cohesive technologies are needed and how it could be achieved? Some M-payment ventures are successfully working in Japan, US and Asian countries such as NTTDoCoMo and PayPal M-payments. The main reason of M-payment adoption among consumers in those countries is that their security issues are dealt carefully and solved to acceptable level. This paper is presented in the form of research proposal and overview looking into various challenging issues which are preventing the higher success in UK.
From E-Learning to M-Learning - the use of Mixed Reality Games as a new Educational Paradigm
Authors: Fotouhi-Ghazvini F. , Earnshaw Rae , Moeini Ali , Robison David , Excell Peter
Published: April 2011

This paper analyses different definitions of mobile learning which have been proposed by various researchers. The most distinctive features of mobile learning are extracted to propose a new definition for Mobile Educational Mixed Reality Games (MEMRG). A questionnaire and a quantifying scale are designed to assist the game developers in designing MEMRG. A new psycho-pedagogical approach to teaching is proposed for MEMRG. This methodology is based on the theme of â??conversationâ?? between different actors of the learning community with the objective of building the architectural framework for MEMRG.
On the Development of a Web-Based M-Learning System for Dual Screen Handheld Game Consoles
Authors: Al-Khalifa Hend S.
Published: April 2011

This paper presents our experience on the design and development of an M-Learning web-based system for the Nintendo DSi game console. The paper starts by addressing the difficulties that emerged from the lack of resources on design guidelines for dual screen devices also the absence of adequate techniques and methods to support the design decisions. Then it explains how we overcame these challenges by adopting a design decision suitable for the screen requirements of the Nintendo DSi console. Finally, we present the components of our M-Learning system and the results of a preliminary usability evaluation.
Unified M-Learning Model through Interactive Education Satellite:A Proposal for an Arab Homeland Education Satellite
Authors: Issa Ghassan , Hussain Shakir M. , AlBahadili Hussain
Published: April 2011

In this paper, we propose a unified and interactive mobile learning (M-Learning) model to help with expanding and spreading education in the Arab Homeland countries. The model utilizes a new competitive spot beam satellite communication technology, which enables efficient channel allocation, where communication channels can be allocated to specific and precise areas. The proposed model is referred to as the interactive Arab education satellite (IAESat).The communication satellite can efficiently and effectively cover the entire Arab Homeland and reaches a wide area and mobile users that cannot be reached otherwise. The model implements existing interactivity components to enhance the learning process and meet international standards in education.
The Impact of eXtreme Programming on Maintenance
Authors: Fioravanti Fabrizio
Published: April 2011

One of the emerging techniques for managing software project is eXtreme Programming (XP), which surely is changing the way in which we develop and manage software. XP is based on four values and 12 rules that explain how to develop software in an XP-compliant mode. In this chapter, all values and rules are addressed and the XP lifecycle of a project is introduced in order to guide the reader in discovering how XP can aid maintenance by keeping maintenance costs constant over time. Before drawing conclusions, the direct impact on the maintenance process due to the adoption of XP values and rules is also exploited at the end of the chapter.
Enhancing Software Maintainability by Unifying and Integrating Standards
Authors: Chu William C. , Chang Chih-Hung , Lu Chih-Wei , Chung Yeh-Ching , Yang Hongji , Qiao Bing , Jiau Hewijin Christine
Published: April 2011

Software standards are highly recommended because they promise faster and more efficient ways for software development with proven techniques and standard notations. Designers who adopt standards like UML and design patterns to construct models and designs in the processes of development suffer from a lack of communication and integration of various models and designs. Also, the problem of implicit inconsistency caused by making changes to components of the models and designs will significantly increase the cost and error for the process of maintenance. In this chapter, an XML-based unified model is proposed to help to solve the problems and to improve both software development and maintenance through unification and integration.
Migrating Legacy System to the Web
Authors: Aversano Lerina , Canfora Gerardo , De Lucia Andrea
Published: April 2011

The Internet is an extremely important new technology that is changing the way in which organizations conduct their business and interact with their partners and customers. To take advantage of the Internet open architecture, most companies are applying business reengineering with the aim of moving from hierarchical centralized structures to networked decentralized business units cooperating with one another. As a consequence, the way in which software information systems are conceived, designed, and built is changing too. Monolithic, mainframe-based systems are being replaced by distributed, Web-centric, component-based systems with an open architecture. Ideally, business process reengineering should entail the adoption of new software systems designed to satisfy the new needs of the redesigned business. However, economic and technical constraints make it impossible in most cases to discard the existing and legacy systems and develop replacement systems from scratch. Therefore, legacy system migration strategies are often preferred to replacement. This entails that a balance must be struck between the constraints imposed by the existing legacy systems and the opportunities offered by the reengineering of the business processes.
Requirements Risk and Maintainability
Authors: Schneidewind Norman F.
Published: April 2011

In order to continue to make progress in software measurement as it pertains to reliability and maintainability, we must shift the emphasis from design and code metrics to metrics that characterize the risk of making requirements changes. By doing so we can improve the quality of delivered software, because defects related to problems in requirements specifications will be identified early in the life cycle. We provide an approach for identifying requirements change risk factors as predictors of reliability and maintainability problems. Our case example consists of twenty-four Space Shuttle change requests, nineteen risk factors, and the associated failures and software metrics. The approach can be generalized to other applications with numerical results that would vary according to application.
A Methodology for Software Maintenance
Authors: Polo Macario , Piattini Mario , Ruiz Francisco
Published: April 2011

Software maintenance is the most expensive stage of the software life cycle. However, most software organizations do not use any methodology for maintenance, although they do use it for new developments. In this article, a methodology for managing the software maintenance process is presented. The methodology defines clearly and rigorously all the activities and tasks to be executed during the process and provides different sets of activities for five different types of maintenance (urgent and non-urgent corrective, perfective, preventive, and adaptive). In order to help in the execution of tasks, some techniques have been defined in the methodology. Also, several activities and tasks for establishing and ending outsourcing relationships are proposed, as well as several metrics to assess the maintainability of databases and their influence on the rest of the Information System. This methodology is being applied by Atos ODS, a multinational organization among whose primary business activities is the outsourcing of software maintenance.
Transactional Database Accesses for M-Commerce Clients
Authors: Leong Hong Va
Published: April 2011

Advances in wireless communication technologies in the past decade have led to the emergence of e-commerce applications that can be executed on mobile handheld devices. A major class of this new type of applications, commonly known as mobile e-commerce or m-commerce applications, relies on access to one or more database servers. Although conventional database technologies can still serve for applications in this evolving context, some of the techniques need to be adapted to the new environment to take advantage of the characteristics of the mobile environment or to combat the inherent limitations in such an environment. This chapter explores the appropriate mechanisms to be supported by database servers in the mobile environment and the generic architecture that can suit such a need. In particular, we focus our discussion on an important class of database applications, namely, transaction processing, which ensures the atomicity and other desirable correctness criteria of the database accessing activities. Furthermore, the concept of transaction processing is generalized to encompass accessing multiple databases while staying within the context of a mobile computing platform. A generic architecture that supports the necessary features is described. Relevant issues on the broadcast database and the disconnected processing of transactions are also considered.
Techniques to Facilitate Information Exchange in Mobile Commerce
Authors: Celik Aslihan , Datta Anindya
Published: April 2011

Data management issues related to organizing and retrieving information from wireless channels have posed challenges for the database community. In this chapter, we discuss data dissemination to mobile clients and present solutions that address the bandwidth and energy limitations resulting from short battery life of the mobile units. We also add a subscription-based data access layer on top of this. Our solutions overall propose a secure and scalable wireless data dissemination architecture. Our broadcast organization and subscription-based access protocols are geared to work hand-in-hand to facilitate a complete content distribution solution via broadcasts.
Digital Rights Management for Mobile Multimedia
Authors: Kwok Sai Ho
Published: April 2011

In the future, intellectual property protection will be a need for distributed media in mobile multimedia. With the constraints of mobile commerce and mobile technologies such as limited bandwidth and computing capability, new schemes of rights management emerge. Digital rights management (DRM) operations in these schemes differ from those in existing DRM solutions for electronic commerce. This chapter presents a general DRM framework for mobile multimedia based on current DRM, mobile network, mobile device, and payment technologies. The framework is partially referenced to the NTT DoCoMo i-mode model, which centralizes payment and maintains user information within the service center. This chapter also presents the basic operations of the general framework and illustrates how rights insertion, rights enforcement, and music sharing are realized under the framework.
Known by the Network
Authors: Barnes Stuart James
Published: April 2011

The use of mobile telecommunications devices for commercial transactions, coined mobile (m-) commerce, has been an emerging trend since the late 1990s. As the phenomenal growth of the Internet and mobile devices has continued unabated, the inevitable convergence of these two streams of technologies has occurred, promising a plethora of mobile data services to the handset user. Although these services have been considerably hyped in the media, and adoption has been somewhat patchy and limited, it does signal the emergence of a range of innovative value added services. With further developments in technology and markets, further services will appear, bringing new revenue streams. One potential area of m-commerce development is in location-based services (LBS). LBS are heralded as the next major class of value added services that mobile network operators can offer their customers. Using a range of network- and handset-based positioning techniques, operators will be able to offer entirely new services and improvements on current ones. Popular examples cited include emergency caller location, people or asset tracking, navigation, location-based information, or geographically sensitive billing. The purpose of this chapter is to examine the technologies, applications and strategic issues associated with the commercialisation of LBS. The chapter concludes with some predictions on the role of LBS in m-commerce.
Usable M-Commerce Systems
Authors: Krogstie John , Brandtzaeg Petter Bae , Heim Jan , Opdahl Andreas L.
Published: April 2011

Mobile solutions are becoming more and more common in e-commerce and are giving rise to a new breed of m-commerce systems, which are characterized, among other things, by strong demands on usability. This chapter discusses new challenges and possible solutions for developing and evolving usable m-commerce systems, with focus on model-based approaches. We have experienced these new challenges through several research and industrial projects on mobile solutions, usability and model-based approaches over the last years. In this chapter, we apply our experience to the emerging m-commerce field. We summarize the main challenges on how model-based approaches can support the development of usable m-commerce systems and indicate upcoming research issues in this very dynamic area. We argue that this research area is also timely, because the underlying technological infrastructure are just becoming sufficiently mature to make feasible research on personal, group and organizational issues, and not only on technical issues.
Mobile Commerce and Usability
Authors: Chan Susy , Fang Xiaowen
Published: April 2011

This chapter analyzes the critical issues confronting usability for mobile commerce (m-commerce) applications. Limited bandwidth and multiple form factors pose constraints for user interface design in terms of the amount and format of content presentation, navigation, and site structure. Mobile tasks performed on handheld devices—such as wireless PDAs, Pocket PCs and WAP phones—challenge developers to adopt new methods and design guidelines that take into account contextual variations in a mobile environment. At this early stage of mobile commerce, careful mapping of e-business strategies, mobile tasks, and technology characteristics will be critical for wireless interface design. Future research in these areas is needed to improve the usability of mobile commerce.
Mobile Applications for Adaptive Supply Chains
Authors: Kalakota Ravi , Robinson Marcia , Gundepudi Pavan
Published: April 2011

Streamlining supply chains is a high priority for corporations. In a volatile economy, customer satisfaction, market share and revenue growth become dependent on getting the right product to the right place at the right time. As a result, the notion of adaptive supply chains is emerging as the next competitive battlefield. Fulfillment velocity, inventory visibility, and supplier coordination versatility form the three pillars of adaptive supply chains. To support these business objectives, traditional tethered computing models are inadequate. Untethered models, enabled by mobile computing, facilitate the improvement, management and re-design of next generation supply chains. In this chapter, we examine the different ways mobility is morphing supply chain applications. Specifically, we show how mobile technology and infrastructure is transforming the key areas of procurement, supply execution, supply chain visibility and after-sales service management.
Internet Privacy
Authors: Dhillon Gurpreet S. , Moores Trevor T.
Published: April 2011

The phenomenal growth in Internet commerce in recent years has brought privacy concerns to the fore. Although privacy as a concept has been well understood with respect to brick and motor businesses, there is limited research in identifying major issues of concern related to Internet privacy. This paper systematically identifies the major Internet privacy concerns. Data for the study was collected through two panels and subjective evaluation.