bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Chemical reaction and radiation effects on the transient MHD free convection flow of dissipative fluid past an infinite vertical porous plate with ramped wall temperature
Authors: Rajesh V.
Published: February 2011

A finite-difference analysis is performed to study the effects of thermal
radiation and chemical reaction on the transient MHD free convection and mass
transform flow of a dissipative fluid past an infinite vertical porous plate
subject to ramped wall temperature. The fluid considered here is a gray,
absorbing/emitting radiation but a non-scattering medium. The dimensionless
governing equations are unsteady, coupled and non-linear partial differential
equations. An analytical method fails to give a solution. Hence an implicit
finite difference scheme of Crank-Nicolson method is employed. The effect of
the Magnetic parameter (M), Chemical reaction parameter (K), Radiation
parameter (F), Buoyancy ratio parameter (N), Schmidt number (Sc) on the
velocity field and skin friction for both air (Pr=0.71) and water(Pr=7) in
the presence of both aiding (N>0) and opposing (N<0) flows are extensively
discussed with the help of graphs.
The effect of pH of the sodium hypochlorite on smear layer removal
Authors: Karadzic Branislav , Dimitrijevic Nina , Manojlovic Dragica , Trisovic Tomislav
Published: February 2011

Introduction. Canal irrigation is an important segment of endodontic
treatment. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of 0.5% NaOCl
solutions of different pH values on smear layer removal. Material and
Methods. Thirty-two freshly extracted single rooted teeth with gangrenous
pulp were used in the study. The samples were divided into four groups of
eight teeth in each. Four solutions of 0.5% NaOCl having pH values 5, 7, 9
and 12 respectively, were used during chemomechanical instrumentation with
hand instruments and using step back technique. SEM analysis was done to
assess the quality of smear layer removal in apical, middle and coronal part
of root canal. Presence and quantity of smear layer and detritus was
quantified using the scale from 1 to 5. Results. SEM analysis results showed
similar results for 0.5% NaOCl solutions of different pH values in root canal
cleaning with no statistically significant differences. Conclusion. The most
effective cleaning root canal was achieved with 0.5% NaOCl solution of pH 5.
Endodontic therapy of a mandibular premolar with three root canals: Two case reports
Authors: Ilic Jugoslav , Vujaskovic Mirjana , Nedeljkovic Ruzica
Published: February 2011

The most important requirements for successful endodontic treatment are
accurate diagnosis and good knowledge of canal morphology. A mandibular
second premolars rarely have more than one root and one root canal. Data from
the literature indicate low percentage of a mandibular premolars with three
or more root canals. Unusual morphology of the root canal system is
diagnostic and therapeutic challenge. It is very important to analyze
preoperative radiograph and to explore thoroughly the entrance of the root
canal. The aim of this study was to present two patients who had lower second
premolars with three canals that required endodontic therapy.
A citation analysis of Serbian Dental Journal using Web of Science, Scopus and Google Scholar
Authors: Jacimovic Jelena , Petrovic Ruzica , Zivkovic Slavoljub
Published: February 2011

Introduction. For a long time, The Institute for Scientific Information (ISI,
now Thomson Scientific, Philadelphia, US) citation databases, available
online through the Web of Science (WoS), had an unique position among
bibliographic databases. The emergence of new citation databases, such as
Scopus and Google Scholar (GS), call in question the dominance of WoS and the
accuracy of bibliometric and citation studies exclusively based on WoS data.
The aim of this study was to determine whether there were significant
differences in the received citation counts for Serbian Dental Journal (SDJ)
found in WoS and Scopus databases, or whether GS results differed
significantly from those obtained by WoS and Scopus, and whether GS could be
an adequate qualitative alternative for commercial databases in the impact
assessment of this journal. Material and Methods. The data regarding SDJ
citation was collected in September 2010 by searching WoS, Scopus and GS
databases. For further analysis, all relevant data of both, cited and citing
articles, were imported into Microsoft Access? database. Results. One hundred
and fifty-eight cited papers from SDJ and 249 received citations were found
in the three analyzed databases. 74% of cited articles were found in GS, 46%
in Scopus and 44% in WoS. The greatest number of citations (189) was derived
from GS, while only 15% of the citations, were found in all three databases.
There was a significant difference in the percentage of unique citations
found in the databases. 58% originated from GS, while Scopus and WoS gave 6%
and 4% unique citations, respectively. The highest percentage of databases
overlap was found between WoS and Scopus (70%), while the overlap between
Scopus and GS was 18% only. In case of WoS and GS the overlap was 17%. Most
of the SDJ citations came from original scientific articles. Conclusion. WoS,
Scopus and GS produce quantitatively and qualitatively different citation
counts for SDJ articles. None of the examined databases can provide a
comprehensive picture and it is necessary to take into account all three
available sources.
Lack of Association Between 25(OH)D Levels and Incident Type 2 Diabetes in Older Women
Authors: Robinson Jennifer G. , Manson JoAnn E. , Larson Joseph , Liu Simin , Song Yiqing , Howard Barbara V. , Phillips Lawrence , Shikany James M. , Allison Matthew , Curb J. David , Johnson Karen C. , Watts Nelson
Published: February 2011

OBJECTIVE

To examine whether lower serum levels of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin (OH) D [25(OH)D] are associated with increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

A post hoc analysis of three nested case-control studies of fractures, colon cancer, and breast cancer that measured serum 25(OH)D levels in women participating in the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) Clinical Trials and Observational Study who were free of prevalent diabetes at baseline. Diabetes was defined as self-report of physician diagnosis or receiving insulin or oral hypoglycemic medication. We used inverse probability weighting to make the study population representative of the WHI population as a whole. Weighted logistic regression models compared 25(OH)D levels (divided into quartiles, clinical cut points [<50, 50–<75, ≥75 nmol/L], or as a continuous variable) using the distribution of control subjects and adjusted for multiple confounding factors.

RESULTS

Of 5,140 women (mean age 66 years) followed for an average of 7.3 years, 317 (6.2%) developed diabetes. Regardless of the cut points used or as a continuous variable, 25(OH)D levels were not associated with diabetes incidence in either age or fully adjusted models. Nor was any relationship found between 25(OH)D and incident diabetes when evaluated by strata of BMI, race/ethnicity, or randomization status in the Calcium Vitamin D trial.

CONCLUSIONS

Lower serum 25(OH)D levels were not associated with increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes in this racially and ethnically diverse population of postmenopausal women.
Self-Monitoring of Blood Glucose: The Use of the First or the Second Drop of Blood
Authors: Hortensius Johanna , Slingerland Robbert J. , Kleefstra Nanne , Logtenberg Susan J.J. , Groenier Klaas H. , Houweling Sebastiaan T. , Bilo Henk J.G.
Published: February 2011

OBJECTIVE

There is no general agreement regarding the use of the first or second drop of blood for glucose monitoring. This study investigated whether capillary glucose concentrations, as measured in the first and second drops of blood, differed ≥10% compared with a control glucose concentration in different situations.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

Capillary glucose concentrations were measured in two consecutive drops of blood in the following circumstances in 123 patients with diabetes: without washing hands, after exposing the hands to fruit, after washing the fruit-exposed hands, and during application of different amounts of external pressure around the finger. The results were compared with control measurements.

RESULTS

Not washing hands led to a difference in glucose concentration of ≥10% in the first and in the second drops of blood in 11% and 4% of the participants, respectively. In fruit-exposed fingers, these differences were found in 88% and 11% of the participants, respectively. Different external pressures led to ≥10% differences in glucose concentrations in 5–13% of the participants.

CONCLUSIONS

We recommend washing the hands with soap and water, drying them, and using the first drop of blood for self-monitoring of blood glucose. If washing hands is not possible, and they are not visibly soiled or exposed to a sugar-containing product, it is acceptable to use the second drop of blood after wiping away the first drop. External pressure may lead to unreliable readings.
Dietary Salt Intake and Mortality in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes
Authors: Ekinci Elif I. , Clarke Sophie , Thomas Merlin C. , Moran John L. , Cheong Karey , MacIsaac Richard J. , Jerums George
Published: February 2011

OBJECTIVE

Many guidelines recommend that patients with type 2 diabetes should aim to reduce their intake of salt. However, the precise relationship between dietary salt intake and mortality in patients with type 2 diabetes has not been previously explored.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

Six hundred and thirty-eight patients attending a single diabetes clinic were followed in a prospective cohort study. Baseline sodium excretion was estimated from 24-h urinary collections (24hUNa). The predictors of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality were determined by Cox regression and competing risk modeling, respectively.

RESULTS

The mean baseline 24hUNa was 184 ± 73 mmol/24 h, which remained consistent throughout the follow-up (intraindividual coefficient of variation [CV] 23 ± 11%). Over a median of 9.9 years, there were 175 deaths, 75 (43%) of which were secondary to cardiovascular events. All-cause mortality was inversely associated with 24hUNa, after adjusting for other baseline risk factors (P < 0.001). For every 100 mmol rise in 24hUNa, all-cause mortality was 28% lower (95% CI 6–45%, P = 0.02). After adjusting for the competing risk of noncardiovascular death and other predictors, 24hUNa was also significantly associated with cardiovascular mortality (sub-hazard ratio 0.65 [95% CI 0.44–0.95]; P = 0.03).

CONCLUSIONS

In patients with type 2 diabetes, lower 24-h urinary sodium excretion was paradoxically associated with increased all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. Interventional studies are necessary to determine if dietary salt has a causative role in determining adverse outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes and the appropriateness of guidelines advocating salt restriction in this setting.
Impaired Endothelial Function in Preadolescent Children With Type 1 Diabetes
Authors: Babar Ghufran S. , Zidan Hanaa , Widlansky Michael E. , Das Emon , Hoffmann Raymond G. , Daoud Marwan , Alemzadeh Ramin
Published: February 2011

OBJECTIVE

We evaluated the prevalence of endothelial dysfunction as measured by flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) of the brachial artery and carotid intima-media thickness (c-IMT) in relationship to vascular inflammatory biomarkers in preadolescent children with type 1 diabetes.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

We studied 21 type 1 diabetic children (aged 8.3 ± 0.3 years with diabetes duration of 4.3 ± 0.4 years) and 15 group-matched healthy siblings (aged 7.6 ± 0.3 years). Fasting plasma glucose (FPG), lipid profile, HbA1c, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), fibrinogen, homocysteine, and erythrocyte (red blood cell [RBC]) folate were evaluated in all subjects. Each subject underwent c-IMT and brachial artery FMD percentage (FMD%) measurements using high-resolution vascular ultrasound.

RESULTS

Type 1 diabetic children had higher FPG (173.4 ± 7.9 mg/dL vs. 81.40 ± 1.7 mg/dL; P < 0.0001), HbA1c (8.0 ± 0.2% vs. 5.0 ± 0.1%; P < 0.0001), and hs-CRP (1.8 ± 0.3 vs. 0.70 ± 0.2; P = 0.017) than control children without significant differences in BMI, homocysteine, and fibrinogen levels; RBC folate content; and c-IMT between the groups. Children with type 1 diabetes had lower FMD% than control children (7.1 ± 0.8% vs. 9.8 ± 1.1%; P = 0.04), whereas c-IMT did not differ between groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Preadolescent children with type 1 diabetes and mean diabetes duration of 4 years displayed evidence of low-intensity vascular inflammation and attenuated FMD measurements. These data suggest that endothelial dysfunction and systemic inflammation, known harbingers of future cardiovascular risk, are present even in preadolescent children.
Organization of matter into one-dimensional units on designed media
Authors: Paul Karen
Published: February 2011

The organization of magnetic materials into one-dimensional micro- and nanowires on designed media is discussed, exemplified by two experiments on the microscale and nanoscale, with regard to particles as basic building blocks for the growth and development of matter.

In the first organizational experiments, cobalt (Co) micro-particles are assembled on patterned media with perpendicular magnetization by acoustic vibrations onto designed shapes reflecting macroscopically the parent material. In the second experiments, semiconductor Germanium-Dysprosium (Ge98Dy2) matter is assembled on gold (Au) catalytic nuclei in a tube reactor by physical vapor transport as clusters of nanowires.

The underlying mechanisms of organization are described, and similarities and distinctive features in the processes are discussed. The role of the energy-input in the form of mechanical vibrations and heat is outlined with its similar impact on the assembly and growth of matter on surfaces. The description of these experiments in view of organization allows more control over the processes of planned arrangement on designed media. Routes for further progress in this direction are briefly outlined.
Polar nanoregions in Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3 (PMN): insights from a supercell approach
Authors: Klotins Eriks , Popov Anatoli , Pankratov Vladimir , Shirmane Liana , Engers Davis
Published: February 2011

We report construction of a model of polar nanoregions in the PMN relaxor ferroelectric based on first-principles lattice dynamics for chemically ordered supercells [S.A. Prosandeev et al., Phys. Rev. B 70, 134110 (2004)], combined with invariance under permutations and dipole-dipole interaction as a source supporting randomly oriented residual polarization. Representative analytical estimates of polar nanore-gion — supercell mapping reproduce both nonzero local and zero macroscopic polarization of the structure, as well as the temperature change of the supercell anisotropy at cooling and field cooling.
Biodegradation kinetics of 2,4-D by bacterial strains isolated from soil
Authors: Cycoń Mariusz , Żmijowska Agnieszka , Piotrowska-Seget Zofia
Published: February 2011

The aim of the study was to characterize the 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) degradative potential of three bacterial strains identified by MIDI-FAME profiling as Burkholderia cepacia (DS-1), Pseudomonas sp. (DS-2) and Sphingomonas paucimobilis (DS-3) isolated from soil with herbicide treatment history. All strains were capable of using herbicide as the only source of carbon and energy when grown in mineral salt medium (MSM) containing 2,4-D (50 mg/l). Over a 10 day incubation period, 69%, 73% and 54% of the initial dose of 2,4-D were degraded by strains DS-1, DS-2 and DS-3, respectively. Analysis of 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP) concentration, the main metabolite of 2,4-D degradation, revealed that strains DS-1 and DS-2 may also have the potential to metabolize this compound. The percentage of 2,4-DCP removal was 67% and 77% in relation to maximum values of 9.5 and 9.2 mg/l determined after 4 and 2 days for MSM+DS-1 and MSM+DS-2, respectively. The degradation kinetics of 2,4-D (50 mg/kg) in sterile soil (SS) showed different potential of tested strains to degrade 2,4-D. The times within which the initial 2,4-D concentration was reduced by 50% (DT50) were 6.3, 5.0 and 9.4 days for SS+DS-1, SS+DS-2 and SS+DS-3, respectively.
Computer analysis of gallbladder ultrasonic images towards recognition of pathological lesions
Authors: Ogiela M. , Bodzioch S.
Published: February 2011

This paper presents a new approach to gallbladder ultrasonic image processing and analysis towards automatic detection and interpretation of disease symptoms on processed US images. First, in this paper, there is presented a new heuristic method of filtering gallbladder contours from images. A major stage in this filtration is to segment and section off areas occupied by the said organ. This paper provides for an inventive algorithm for the holistic extraction of gallbladder image contours, based on rank filtration, as well as on the analysis of line profile sections on tested organs. The second part concerns detecting the most important lesion symptoms of the gallbladder. Automating a process of diagnosis always comes down to developing algorithms used to analyze the object of such diagnosis and verify the occurrence of symptoms related to given affection. The methodology of computer analysis of US gallbladder images presented here is clearly utilitarian in nature and after standardising can be used as a technique for supporting the diagnostics of selected gallbladder disorders using the images of this organ.
Numerical elimination methods of ITO cell contribution to dielectric spectra of ferroelectric liquid crystals
Authors: Perkowski P.
Published: February 2011

Indium tin oxide (ITO) electrodes are widely used for liquid crystal applications as well as for measuring cells. Unfortunately, ITO layer possesses its own non zero resistivity R which produces (with the capacity C) the cut-off frequency f0 of RC circuit. Dielectric spectroscopy cannot be performed for high frequencies because of high frequency losses caused by the cell behaviour. Four procedures for estimating and extracting high frequency losses in ITO cells are presented and compared in this paper. Their limitations and viability are discussed.
Estimating age of carnivores from the Pantanal region of Brazil
Authors: Olifiers Natalie , de Cassia Bianchi Rita , D'Andrea Paulo Sérgio , Mourão Guilherme , Gompper Matthew E.
Published: February 2011

Conservation and management of animal populations often require knowledge about the age structure, but this information is usually difficult to discern. We propose a method to estimate the age of carnivores based on dental condition and body size measurements, and we apply the method to populations of brown‐nosed coatis Nasua nasua and crab‐eating foxes Cerdocyon thous in the Brazilian Pantanal. We sexed, weighed and measured 31 coatis and 45 foxes of known‐age, and characterized and quantified their pattern of dental eruption and wear for the construction of a teeth condition index. Scores of the first factors of a principal component analysis including data on six body size measurements and the teeth condition index of the individuals were then used in a discriminant analysis to generate functions that can be used for estimating age of animals of unknown age. Models were validated using subsets of individuals of known age through a 3‐fold cross validation process. The first functions accounted for over 90% of the discriminatory power for both species. Whereas in coatis, the first function was mainly explained by the body size measurements, in crab‐eating foxes it was represented mainly by the teeth condition index. During model validation, individuals were on average classified with 88 and 80% average confidence for coatis and foxes, respectively. Our method is as accurate as other methods that are commonly applied to assess age, but less subjective. While it requires animal capturing, it is less invasive than methods requiring tissue removal such as analyses of teeth cementum annuli. The method we outlined can be used for age estimation of other populations, as long as the models are validated with a subset of animals from the region studied. It could also be useful as a model for estimating age of other carnivore species.
Home ranges and space use of muskrats Ondatra zibethicus in restricted linear habitats
Authors: Ahlers Adam A. , Heske Edward J. , Schooley Robert L. , Mitchell Mark A.
Published: February 2011

Modern farming practices in the midwestern United States have drastically altered the landscape. Most wetlands have been drained, and small streams are channelized to transport excess water away from tile‐drained agricultural fields. Loss of critical wetland habitat has shifted the distribution of muskrats Ondatra zibethicus, an economically important furbearer in the region, to highly altered riparian habitats with unstable flow regimes. However, information regarding home‐range size and space use for muskrats occurring in these linear habitats is lacking. We used location data from 26 radio‐marked muskrats to estimate home‐range size and space use in riparian habitats in an agroecosystem in east‐central Illinois, USA. Home ranges were highly linear and confined to stream bank edges. Contrary to our prediction, muskrats did not freely move to upland habitat (e.g. row‐crop agriculture) adjacent to stream edges to forage. Linear home ranges were longer for adults than for juveniles. Home‐range size also was related positively to number of burrows used by individuals. As expected, muskrats used space non‐randomly within linear home ranges with most movements aggregated around established bank burrows. Muskrats in riparian habitat are multiple central‐place foragers. Our study provides insight into how muskrats, a semi‐aquatic species affected by large‐scale landscape change, use space within highly restricted linear habitats.
Determinants of bird ring return: a questionnaire to duck hunters
Authors: Guillemain Matthieu
Published: February 2011

Many ringing programmes rely heavily on rings returned by hunters, yet the motivation of hunters to participate in such schemes has not so far been examined. A questionnaire survey was launched while French hunters reported hunted teal Anas crecca rings. The main aim was to quantify the proportion of rings returned by different means, to ask hunters about their previous knowledge of the ringing programme and about their motivation to report rings. Hunters reporting rings exhibited altruistic behaviour, sending their data with little knowledge of what they will be used for, and indicated their willingness to help research as their main motivation. They showed little interest in an internet‐based ring return system or internet information, but relied mostly on a phone‐reporting system when the phone number was indicated on nasal saddles (although the sole presence of a nasal saddle in addition to a metal ring also likely improved the reporting rate of such marked birds). Considering these sociological aspects in the advertisement of ringing programmes may help improve ring recovery rates of quarry species.
On the Importance of Reliable Covariate Measurement in Selection Bias Adjustments Using Propensity Scores
Authors: Steiner Peter M. , Cook Thomas D. , Shadish William R.
Published: February 2011

The effect of unreliability of measurement on propensity score (PS) adjusted treatment effects has not been previously studied. The authors report on a study simulating different degrees of unreliability in the multiple covariates that were used to estimate the PS. The simulation uses the same data as two prior studies. Shadish, Clark, and Steiner showed that a PS formed from many covariates demonstrably reduced selection bias, while Steiner, Cook, Shadish, and Clark identified the subsets of covariates from the larger set that were most effective for bias reduction. Adding different degrees of random error to these covariates in a simulation, the authors demonstrate that unreliability of measurement can degrade the ability of PSs to reduce bias. Specifically, increases in reliability only promote bias reduction, if the covariates are effective in reducing bias to begin with. Increasing or decreasing the reliability of covariates that do not effectively reduce selection bias makes no difference at all.
Les Objections des Hébreux : un document du premier iconoclasme?
Authors: Andrist Patrick
Published: February 2011

On savait que le débat sur les images s'était nourri de polémique antijudaïque, mais, depuis que les Objections des Hébreux ont été publiées, on possède enfin un texte qui emprunte à la polémique anti-judaïque son titre, sa forme et une partie de ses arguments, mais qui n'appartient, de fait, qu'à la dispute sur les images. Si les conclusions de cette étude sont exactes, ce document fut composé peu avant le concile de Nicée II et a été fortement influencé par la propagande iconodoule romaine.
Un acte de Baudouin II en faveur de l'abbaye cistercienne de Sainte-Marie De Percheio (octobre 1241)
Authors: Martin Jean-Marie , Cuozzo Errico , Martin-Hisard Bernadette
Published: February 2011

L'abbaye cistercienne féminine, particulièrement opulente, de Sainte-Marie de Percheio avait été fondée par la haute aristocratie franque de Constantinople. Après la chute de l'empire latin, les moniales se sont installées à Naples. En octobre 1241, elles ont largement contribué à éviter la mise en vente des reliques de la Passion, en particulier la Couronne d'épines, mise en gage par Baudouin. Pour cette raison, l'empereur Baudouin II leur a octroyé le privilège d'acheter quelques reliques. Cet acte est donné en annexe.
L'histoire d'un faux document athonite
Authors: Pavlikianov Cyrille
Published: February 2011

REB 57 1999 France p. 271

Cyrille Paulikianov, L'histoire d'un faux document athonite. — This document of the Athonite monastery of Zographou, hitherto considered genuine, would appear to be a fake of the 17th century.
Moines et monastères géorgiens du 9e siècle : la Vie de saint Grigol de Xancta
Authors: Martin-Hisard Bernadette
Published: February 2011

Translation (with an index) of a 10th-century Georgian hagiographical text about the monk Grigol (759-861), who with the help of the Bagratide family contributed to the renewal of Georgian monastic life through the foundation of the monasteries of Xancta and Šat'berdi, in the K'larjeti region in the vicinity of Byzantine Chaldaea. The introduction identifies the places and the principal characters quoted in the text and studies the political terminology used. In the next issue of the Revue, this translation will be followed by a commentary which will bring out the importance of a text fundamental to the understanding of the close relations built in the 9th-century Georgian world between political circles, monasteries and ecclesiastical institutions.
La perception de la peste en pays chrétien byzantin et musulman
Authors: Congourdeau Marie-Hélène , Melhaoui Mohammed
Published: February 2011

REB 59 2001 Fiance p. 95.

Marie-Hélène Congourdeau - Mohammed Melhaoui, La perception de la peste en pays chrétien byzantin et musulman. — Le premier contact des Arabes avec la peste bubonique eut lieu lors de l'entrée du calife Omar en Palestine byzantine, en 639-640. Connue par les sources arabes sous le nom de peste d'Emmaüs, cette épidémie était une résurgence de la pandémie autrement connue sous le nom byzantin de peste de Justinien. La peste est donc dès l'abord un malheur que les musulmans partagent avec les Byzantins. Ces demiers ont historiquement de l'avance, puisqu'ils sont affrontés au fléau depuis un siècle (ses premières manifestations remontent à 540). Cependant, chacune de ces deux aires culturelles possède un certain bagage conceptuel avec lequel elle peut aborder la peste.
La promotion du clerc et du moine à l'épiscopat et au patriarcat
Authors: Failler Albert
Published: February 2011

REB 59 2001 France p. 125.

Albert Failler, La promotion du clerc et du moine à l'épiscopat et au patriarcat. — Membre du clergé patriarcal, Georges Pachymérès (1242-après 1307) se montre solidaire de son corps social et manifeste les plus graves soupçons à l'encontre des moines. Il conteste à ces derniers la prédominance, si ce n'est l'exclusivité, qu'ils ont acquise au fil des siècles pour l'accession à l'épiscopat. Il met particulièrement en cause l'obligation de la tonsure monastique comme préalable à l'ordination episcopate. Dans la même ligne, il ne cache pas sa préférence pour les patriarches qui ne sont pas issus du monachisme ou qui, du moins, n'ont pas reçu leur première formation ecclésiastique chez les moines. Pour l'historien, Jean XI Bekkos demeure, malgré ses erreurs, le modèle du bon patriarche, tandis qu'Athanase Ier, dont il projette l'ombre sur chacun des autres patriarches de l'époque, personnifie le mauvais pasteur.
Apion et Praejecta : hypothèses anciennes et nouvelles données
Authors: Beaucamp Joëlle
Published: February 2011

New papyrological data invite reexamination of two aspects of the career of Apion, consul Ordinarius for 539. The first is Apion's age at the time of his consulate : if — as one may infer from P.Oxy. LXIII 4397 — he was under his mother's guardianship (tutela) in the years 542-543, he was named consul at the age often or eleven. The second point of interest is the existence among Apion's heirs of a woman bearing the same name as the niece of Justinian (Praejecta). Thus, even though the reconstruction suggested by E. Stein has been put into question by the publication of new papyri, its central element, that is the hypothesis of an imperial family alliance, still stands.
The Maniakion or Torc in Byzantine Tradition
Authors: Walter Christopher
Published: February 2011

Cet article présente de façon systématique le torque — en grec μανιάκι,ον — dans le cérémonial et l'iconographie à Byzance. Après avoir précisé son usage chez les peuples "barbares", notamment les Sassanides et les Gaulois, l'auteur décrit comment les Romains — et surtout les Byzantins — s'en sont servis, d'abord pour récompenser la valeur au combat et ensuite comme insigne des spatharioi. Comme attribut, le torque était utilisé dans l'iconographie presque uniquement pour les saints Serge et Bacchus. Dans l'iconographie copte, le torque est devenu plutôt décoratif ou honorifique.
L'archonte Georges, prôtos ou émir ?
Authors: Prigent Vivien
Published: February 2011

REB 59 2001 France p. 193.

Vivien Prigent, L'archonte Georges, prôtos ou émir ? — Un sceau traditionnellement attribué à un gouverneur de Sicile du 8e siècle a en fait appartenu à l'émir Georges d'Antioche, ministre des rois de Sicile. Ce personnage, ou son père, fut dans un premier temps au service de l'empereur Alexis Ier, et la fuite de sa famille loin de Constantinople pourrait être mise en relation avec le complot du Pseudo-Diogène en 1087. Le titre de panhypersébaste dont l'honore son épitaphe ne peut remonter à cette étape constantinopo- litaine de sa carrière et la dignité lui fut vraisemblablement octroyée lors de l'ambassade de Basile Xèros en 1143.
Une famille méconnue : les Kratéroi
Authors: Cheynet Jean-Claude
Published: February 2011

REB 59 2001 France p. 225.

Jean-Claude Cheynet, Une famille méconnue : les Kraléroi. — Les Kratéroi appartiennent à l'aristocratie la plus ancienne, car la lignée remonte au 9e siècle. Leur capacité à traverser les crises de régime est remarquable puisqu'ils donnent une impératrice à Romain II et sont encore au premier rang au temps de l'Empire de Nicée. Quelques sceaux inédits permettent de combler les lacunes des sources narratives et documentaires.
La manne de saint Jean. À propos d'un ensemble de cuillers inscrites
Authors: Papaconstantinou Arietta
Published: February 2011

REB 59 2001 France p. 239.

Arietta Papaconstantinou, La manne de saint Jean. A propos d'un ensemble de cuillers inscrites. — Trois cuillers inscrites d'origine égyptienne sont ici réinterprétées à la lumière de la tradition hagiographique concernant Jean l'évangéliste. La mention de la manne sur l'une d'entre elles ne renvoie pas à l'Ancien Testament, mais à la poudre blanche qui jaillissait du tombeau de l'apôtre à Éphèse.
In memoriam : Nicolas Oikonomidès
Authors: Lefort Jacques
Published: February 2011

REB 59 2001 France p. 251.

In memoriam : Nicolas Oikonomidès
Context-Aware Services for Ambient Environments
Authors: Meier Rene , Lee Deirdre
Published: February 2011

This article presents the iTransIT framework for building context-aware pervasive services in large-scale ambient environments. The iTransIT framework provides an architecture for conceptually integrating the independent systems underlying an ambient environment and a data model for capturing the contextual information generated by these systems. The data model is based on a hybrid approach to context-modelling that incorporates the management and communication benefits of traditional object-based context modelling with the semantic and inference advantages of ontology-based context modelling. The iTransIT framework furthermore supports a programming model designed to provide a standardised way to access and correlate information from systems and their devices based on context and ultimately, to build context-aware ambient services. The framework has been assessed based on a prototypical realisation of an architecture for integrating diverse intelligent transportation systems in Dublin and by building context-aware ambient transportation services for urban journey planning and for visualising traffic congestion.
Towards a Unified Middleware for Ubiquitous and Pervasive Computing
Authors: Villanueva Felix J. , Moya Francisco , Santofimia Fernando Rincon , Villa David , Barba Jesus , Lopez Juan Carlos
Published: February 2011

The broad variety of topics covered under the umbrella of ubiquitous computing led the research community to a fragmentation of the methods and tools used to achieve their goals. We however believe that different goals do not necessarily mean different approaches. For a number of years now, we have been proponents of a unified approach based on the distributed object abstraction which allows synergies to be better exploited. Remote device management, wireless sensor and actuator networks, hardware components and now even reconfigurable hardware platforms and service platforms are considered as part of a large evolving system sharing a common middleware and a single design methodology. Considerable effort was put into the design of basic services to allow autonomous implementations on the smallest micro-controllers in the market.
Staged Façades
Authors: Wally Bernhard , Ferscha Alois
Published: February 2011

Media façades, realized through projection systems, could be a promising technology for scalable public displays in urban spaces. With low requirements regarding the infrastructure and virtually no influence on the buildings’ fabric, projected façades offer exceptional flexibility and extensibility as well as easy maintenance. As cities are increasingly confronted with digital signage products besides other public display systems, a projector-based system offers the possibility to be switched off and restore the screen to its previous state in the blink of an eye. We present the prototypical implementation of a “Staged Façades Framework” leveraging a façade’s structure and ornamentation for dynamically adapting pieces of multimedia content.
Ambient Displays in Academic Settings
Authors: Rashid Umar , Quigley Aaron
Published: February 2011

This work reports on the findings of a case study examining the use of ambient information displays in an indoor academic setting. Using a questionnaire-based survey, we collect experiences and expectations of the viewers who are based on different floors of the same building. Based on the survey feedback, we offer some design principles to avoid the underutilization of peripheral displays and make the most of their potential in indoor environments.
Meaning Makers
Authors: Insua Germán Lado , Bennett Mike , Nixon Paddy , Coyle Lorcan
Published: February 2011

Presence is an important part of our day-to-day lives. Often we will have a sense of who is around us and what they are doing by the sounds of doors closing, cupboards banging, footsteps on floors, voices vaguely heard through walls, etc. In digital spaces, such as GUI desktops, presence enhances our sense of connection with geographical separate friends and colleagues. In this article we report on Ambient Jewelry, which is a project exploring the intersection of individual and user generated customization with ambient presence displays. With this research we are seeking techniques that enable people to invent, discover and find new forms of ambient presence visualizations.
Designing Interactive Architecture
Authors: Wiberg Mikael
Published: February 2011

Interactive architecture bridges in itself two design traditions, i.e. design of interactive systems on the one hand, and architecture as the tradition of designing our built environment on the other hand. This article reports from our ongoing project focused on the design and implementation of an interactive environment for public use. The article describes the project, reviews and outlines the main design challenges as pinpointed in the literature on interactive architecture, and describes the practical challenges identified in this particular project. This article then presents the participatory design approach adopted in this project to overcome these challenges, and describes and analysis the methodological implications from this project. These implications include the lessons learned from the coordination of a geographically distributed design team, “role gliding” as the reinterpretation of the designers as users in the participatory design process, and a shift from communities of practices to mixtures of professions.
Prototype Implementation of a Proxy Caching System for Streaming Media Objects
Authors: Hui Guo , Jingli Zhou , Yunpeng Wang , Shengsheng Yu
Published: February 2011

Existing techniques for caching Web objects are not appropriate for the multimedia streaming service. In this paper, the authors focus on the proxy caching problem specifically for multimedia streaming objects. A prototype design and implementation of a proxy caching system – HUSTProxy is proposed. The main contribution of HUSTProxy is its ability of partial video caching, sending rate control and providing a more rational prefix caching size determination. These techniques are implemented in our design and are discussed in detail in this paper.
Addressing Spam E-Mail Using Hashcast
Authors: Curran Kevin , Honan John Stephen
Published: February 2011

This paper investigates the problem of e-mail spam and identifies methods to efficiently minimize the volumes. It is argued that the usefulness of e-mail and its potential for future growth are jeopardized by the rising tide of unwanted e-mail, both SPAM and viruses. This threatens to wipe out the advantages and benefits of e-mail. An important flaw in current e-mail standards (most notably SMTP) is the lack of any technical requirement that ensures the reliable identification of the sender of messages. A message’s domain of origin can easily be faked, or “spoofed”. We focus on the Hashcash proof-of-work approach and investigate the feasibility of implementing a Hashcash-based solution. We conclude that a hybrid antispam system in conjunction with a legal and policy framework is best. However, this needs to be agreed on and implemented by the main industry players and technical bodies to be successful.
An Investigation into Factors Associated with Web Page Download Delay
Authors: Curran Kevin , Broderick Noel
Published: February 2011

Since the Mosaic browser was introduced with its ability to display images, there has been a proliferation in the number of Web pages using a combination of text and image-heavy design with the use of images contributing heavily to slow-loading sites. Studies have shown that surfers spend a lot of time waiting impatiently for Web pages to emerge on the screen, and HCI guidelines indicate that 10 seconds is the maximum response time before users lose interest. Such delays impact a site’s success and are expensive in terms of lost business opportunity or user productivity. This paper presents research into the observed usage of images by academic institutions and the effects on page retrieval times. Findings of this study will help to devise a strategy reducing potentially harmful effects of slow page retrieval times.
A Framework for the Provision of Network Quality of Service for Enterprise Resource Planning Systems
Authors: Lo Ted Chia-Han , Gutierrez Jairo
Published: February 2011

This paper presents research into the use of network Quality of Service (QoS) technologies to improve the performance of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems. The paper explores state-of-the-art QoS technologies and implementations and provides a framework for the provision of QoS for ERP systems that utilize Internet Protocol (IP) networks. Four individual case studies, including both leading ERP vendors and network technology vendors, were conducted. Cross-case analysis confirmed that the traditional approaches for ensuring the performance of ERP systems on IP networks do not address network congestion and latency effectively, nor do they offer guaranteed network service quality for ERP systems. Moreover, cross-case comparative data analysis also reviewed existing QoS implementations and suggested that while QoS is being acknowledged increasingly by enterprises as an important issue, its deployment remains limited. The proposed framework focuses on providing a structured approach to implement end-to-end IP QoS that accommodates both ERP systems and their Web-enabled versions, based on traffic classification mechanisms.
Wi-Fi Development
Authors: Houliston Bryan , Sarkar Nurul I.
Published: February 2011

Wi-Fi (also known as IEEE 802.11b) has proved to be a viable technology for wireless local area networking applications in both business and home environments. There has been a significant growth in Wi-Fi networking in recent years, both in applications and as the subject of academic research papers, articles in the IT press and research house reports. How much of this material, predominantly based on overseas experience, is relevant to New Zealand’s early-adopter context? This paper reports on a survey of large New Zealand organizations focusing on the level of Wi-Fi deployment, reasons for non-deployment, the scope of deployment, investment in deployment, problems encountered, and future plans. Survey results show that most organizations at least have considered the technology, though a much smaller proportion has deployed it on any significant scale.
On Building a Data Broadcast System in a Wireless Environment
Authors: Waluyo Agustinus Borgy , Goh Gabriel , Taniar David , Srinivasan Bala
Published: February 2011

Data broadcasting is a scalable mechanism to disseminate information to a large number of mobile clients in a wireless environment. This paper concerns the development of a data broadcast system in a wireless environment. The broadcast data is retrieved from a central database server. We apply three different data broadcast schemes in the following order: first, we implement a filtering technique for a mobile device to select and display the desired data from incoming broadcast data items; second, the index broadcasting scheme is designed to predict the arrival of the desired data to appropriately execute the power conserving mode; third, we incorporate multiple channel environments to allow a mobile device to tune into multiple broadcast channels in order to receive the desired data. The proposed model uses a shared indices price context to demonstrate the effective use of these data broadcast schemes in order to provide efficient data retrieval. In order to develop this model, a wireless ad-hoc network infrastructure is used.
A Study on the Performance of IPv6-Based Mobility Protocols
Authors: Kong Ki-Sik , Roh Sung-Ju , Hwang Chong-Sun
Published: February 2011

The performance of IP mobility protocols is highly dependent on the change of mobile nodes’ (MNs’) mobility and traffic-related characteristics. Therefore, it is essential to investigate the effects of these characteristics and to conduct an in-depth performance study of these protocols. In this paper, we introduce a novel analytical approach using a continuous-time Markov chain model and hierarchical network model for the performance analysis of IPv6 mobility protocols: Mobile IPv6 (MIPv6) and Hierarchical Mobile IPv6 (HMIPv6). According to these analytical models, we derive the location update costs (i.e., binding update costs plus binding renewal costs), packet tunneling costs, and total signaling costs, which are generated by an MN during its average domain residence time, when MIPv6 or HMIPv6 is deployed under the same network architecture, respectively. In addition, based on these derived costs, we investigate the effects of various parameters, such as the average speed of an MN, binding lifetime period, the ratio of the network scale, and packet arrival rate, on the signaling costs generated by an MN under MIPv6 and HMIPv6. Moreover, we conduct the performance comparison between these two protocols by showing the relative total signaling costs under the various conditions. The analytical results show that as the average speed of an MN gets higher and the binding lifetime period is set to the larger value or as its packet arrival rate gets lower, the total signaling cost generated by an MN during its average domain residence time under HMIPv6 will get relatively lower than that under MIPv6, and that under the reverse conditions, the total signaling cost under MIPv6 will get relatively lower than that under HMIPv6.
Adaptation of Content in Personalized Redirection of Communication
Authors: Yang Yuping , Williams M. Howard
Published: February 2011

With the rapid development of various networks and the growth in mobile communication devices, there is a growing demand to access content ubiquitously and to control information in a personalized way. This paper introduces the adaptation approach adopted in a personalized communication redirection system, which routes communication from the sender to the recipient, whatever his or her location or the communication devices that he or she is currently using, and discusses the evaluation results of the system. Some of these ideas are being incorporated into a pervasive system under development in the Daidalos project.
A SEEP (Security Enhanced Electronic Payment) Protocol Design Using 3BC, ECC (F), and HECC Algorithm
Authors: Lee ByungKwan , Yang SeungHae , Lee Tai-Chi
Published: February 2011

Unlike SET (Secure Electronic Transaction) protocol, this paper proposes a SEEP (Security Enhanced Electronic Payment) protocol, which uses ECC (Elliptic Curve Cryptosystem with F2m not Fp) (Koblitz, 1987; Harper, Menezes, & Vanstone, 1993; Miller, 1986), SHA (Secure Hash Algorithm), and 3BC (Block Byte Bit Cipher) instead of RSA and DES. To improve the strength of encryption and the speed of processing, the public key and the private key of ECC and HECC (Hyper Elliptic Curve Cryptosystem) are used in 3BC (Cho & Lee, 2002; Cho, Shin, Lee, & Lee, 2002) algorithm, which generates session keys for the data encryption. In particular, when ECC and HECC are combined with 3BC, the strength of security is improved significantly. As the process of the digital envelope used in the existing SET protocol is removed by the 3BC algorithm in this paper, the processing time is reduced substantially. In addition, the use of multiple signatures has some advantages, such as reducing the size of transmission data as an intermediate payment agent and avoiding the danger of eavesdropping of private keys.