In this work we have established the efficient mucosal delivery of vaccines using absorption enhancers and chitosan. In addition, the use of chitosan was shown to enhance the action of other known adjuvants, such as CTB or Quil-A. Collectively, the results presented herein indicate that chitosan has excellent potential as a mucosal adjuvant. We have evaluated a number of absorption enhancers for their adjuvant activity in vivo. Polyornithine was shown to engender high scrum immune reasons to nasally delivered antigens, with higher molecular weight polyornithine facilitating the best results. We have demonstrated for the first time that vitamin E TPGS can act as mucosal adjuvant. Deoxycholic acid, cyclodextrins and acylcarnitines were also identified as effective mucosal adjuvants and showed enhanced immune responses to nasally delivered TT, DT and Yersinia pestis V and F1 antigens. Previously, none of these agents, common in their action as absorption enhancing agents, have been shown to have immunopotentiating activity for mucosal immunisation. We have successfully developed novel surface modified microspheres using chitosan as an emulsion stabiliser during the preparation of PLA microspheres. It was found that immune responses could be substantially increased, effectively exploiting the immunopenetrating characteristics of both chitosan and PLA microspheres in the same delivery vehicle. In the same study, comparison of intranasal and intramuscular routes of administration showed that with these formulations, the nasal route could be as effective as intramuscular delivery, highlighting the potential of mucosal administration for these particulate delivery systems. Chitosan was co-administered with polymer microspheres. It was demonstrated that this strategy facilitates markedly enhanced immune responses in both magnitude and duration following intramuscular administration. We conclude that this combination shows potential for single dose administration of vaccines. In another study, we have shown that the addition of chitosan to alum adsorbed TT was able to enhance immune responses. PLA micro/nanospheres were prepared and characterised with discreet particle size ranges. A smaller particle size was shown to facilitate higher scrum IgG responses following nasal administration. A lower antigen loading was additionally identified as being preferential for the induction of immune responses in combination with the smaller particle size. This may be due to the fact that the number of particles will be increased when antigen loading is low, which may in turn facilitate a more widespread uptake of particles. PLA lamellar particles were prepared and characterised. Adsorbed TT was evaluated for the potential to engender immune responses in vivo. These formulations were shown to generate effective immune responses following intramuscular administration. Positively charged polyethylcyanoacrylate and PLA nanoparticies were designed and characterised and their potential as delivery vehicles for DNA vaccines was investigated. Successful preparation of particles with narrow size distribution and positive surface charge (imparted by the inclusion of chitosan) was achieved. In the evaluation of antibody responses to DNA encoded antigen in the presence of alum administered intranasally, discrimination between the groups was only seen following intramuscular boosting with the corresponding protein. Our study showed that DNA vaccines in the presence of either alum or Quil-A may advantageously influence priming of the immune system by a mucosal route. The potential for the combination of adjuvants, Quil-A and chitosan, to enhance antibody responses to plasmid encoded antigen co-administered with the corresponding protein antigen was shown and this is worthy of further investigation. The findings here have identified novel adjuvants and approaches to vaccine delivery. In particular, chitosan or vitamin E TPGS are shown here to have considerable promise as non-toxic, safe mucosal adjuvants. In addition, biodegradable mucoadhesive delivery systems, surface modified with chitosan in a single step process, may have application for other uses such as drug and gene delivery.


This paper reports research findings from a project funded by the European Commission. The research used case studies and surveys to identify gaps between Europe and China in the level of Internet adoption in fresh-produce supply chains. The project reveals barriers to Internet adoption in China in this industry, and employs a transnational knowledge transfer approach to reduce these barriers. In a wider context, the paper analyses the features involved in this knowledge transfer from a knowledge management perspective. Specifically, it outlines the main activities, key actors and the transfer stages involved. The insights gained help further our understanding of knowledge transfer in transnational contexts. The implications of these findings for academia, managers and policy makers are summarized.


Over the years, most of the urban complexes in India have undergone a phenomenal growth for various reasons and so has their vulnerability towards different hazards. Microzonation is thus a principal component of pre disaster mitigation efforts. Unless a detailed plot level microzonation is carried out for the city, it is not possible to prescribe detailed development guidelines and planning norms that will take into consideration the vulnerability of that land. The methodology adopted here is to analyze the results of field reconnaissance surveys and soil borehole details and soil topography surveys, report on the very preliminary stages of the planning of towns/townships /institutional campuses and compare them against the priority index of various types of buildings that these sites constitute in order to have the following: 1. To provide the most appropriate soil conditions for the lifeline structures. 2. To prevent the project from decelerating in doing the above. 3. To reduce the negative effects of defunct urban planning in India because of outdated and ineffective development control regulations. 4. To facilitate the process of microzonation of the cities as a whole. 5. To facilitate strategic long term planning and to add to the pre-disaster mitigation efforts. 6. To help to reduce to a minimum the effects of construction on soil. The urban planning framework in India has disappointingly not kept pace with the growth of cities, nor with the various changes that have come about in the way that planning is understood. The procedure that the research is trying to accomplish shall help to facilitate disaster mitigation efforts in India. The process involves more analytical work of the reports which is on general reports available for all major projects like strategic long term plans for the towns/townships/institutional campuses. Therefore, there shall not be much of a fiscal issue in doing so. The ultimate goal of the research is to define the


This book deals with the economic consequences of monetary integration, which has long been dominated by the Optimal Currency Area (OCA) paradigm. In this model, money is perceived as having developed from a private sector cost minimization process to facilitate transactions. Not surprisingly, the book argues, the main advantage of monetary integration in the OCA context is the reduction of transaction costs, yet the validity of OCA to analyze processes of monetary integration seems to be limited at best.


ABSTRACT Metabolic acidosis, defined as a plasma or serum bicarbonate concentration <22 mmol/L, is a frequent consequence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and occurs in ~10–30% of patients with advanced stages of CKD. Likewise, in patients with a kidney transplant, prevalence rates of metabolic acidosis range from 20% to 50%. CKD has recently been associated with cognitive dysfunction, including mild cognitive impairment with memory and attention deficits, reduced executive functions and morphological damage detectable with imaging. Also, impaired motor functions and loss of muscle strength are often found in patients with advanced CKD, which in part may be attributed to altered central nervous system (CNS) functions. While the exact mechanisms of how CKD may cause cognitive dysfunction and reduced motor functions are still debated, recent data point towards the possibility that acidosis is one modifiable contributor to cognitive dysfunction. This review summarizes recent evidence for an association between acidosis and cognitive dysfunction in patients with CKD and discusses potential mechanisms by which acidosis may impact CNS functions. The review also identifies important open questions to be answered to improve prevention and therapy of cognitive dysfunction in the setting of metabolic acidosis in patients with CKD.


Mobile commerce applications that attempt to introduce a new payment method to the public experience a high failure rate. This mirrors the experience on the Web whereby a number of high profile `Web-money' solutions were withdrawn due to poor adoption. Despite their technological advantage and suitability for mobile payments (lower overheads, cheaper for small transactions) the need to attract a critical mass of merchants before substantial user uptake is often an insurmountable challenge. The public relations failure of WAP-based commerce has undoubtedly discouraged users from making remote purchases with their mobile terminal. Only recently with the rollout of high speed mobile data and higher-resolution colour devices has browsing and buying via a mobile terminal enabled a user-friendly experience. In this paper we present a solution for facilitating credit card payments, using an established XML architecture to wholly describe transactions. Developed with Python for Nokia Series 60 phones, XEPS (XML-enabled payment system) allows for standalone applications to integrate a mobile commerce element, complete with SSL-encrypted card processing. To demonstrate the need for a card payment solution for mobile, we analyse the alternative payment mechanisms present on the Web, and show how the integration of entrenched card networks is crucial for consumer acceptance. Furthermore, we chart the development of a major application on a relatively new platform for mobile, Python for Series 60 (PyS60), and show how the environment can be used for rapid development of applications which require more advanced interaction with the device hardware


The aim of this paper is to study if and how impression management varies during different phases of the legitimation process, in particular during the legitimacy building and legitimacy repairing phases (Suchman, 1995). We aim at understanding whether and how the disclosure tone adopted by a company in the two different moments is diverse and thus functional to the intrinsic objective of the each phase. The empirical analysis focuses on the case of British Petroleum Plc. We investigated the impression management practices undertaken by the company both during the preparation of the rebranding operation, i.e. a situation in which the company is trying to build legitimacy; and during the happenings of two legitimacy crises, like the explosion of the refinery in Texas City and the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The evidence appears in line with the theoretical prediction of legitimacy theory. Results show that while the company tends to privilege image enhancement techniques during the legitimacy-building phase, it uses more obfuscation techniques when managing a legitimacy-repairing process. Moreover, the analysis suggests that the company makes more extensive use of impression management techniques in the disclosures addressed to shareholders, investors and other market operators than in the disclosures addressed to the wide range of other stakeholders.


Thomas G. Masaryk was founding and first president of the State of Czechoslovakia. He was also a dissident charter member of the theoretical vanguard that established modern sociology in the nineteenth century. Many social scientists are aware of Masaryk's political role, but do not know about his significant contributions to sociology. With the publication of this book, Imber and Woolfolk hope to restore Masaryk to his rightful place in history as a founding sociological theorist. This compilation of some of Masaryk's major writings reveals the intertwining of politics and social theory that is characteristic of his thinking. Chapters in Constructive Sociological Theory include The Development of the Modern Suicide Tendency"; "Essence and Method of Sociology"; The Epistemological Problem of Russian Philosophy"; "The Religious Question and Modern Philosophy"; The Class Structure of Society"; "Central Problems of Marxist Policy"; and "Democracy versus Theocracy." Constructive Sociological Theory also presents these writings together in English for the first time. Alan Woolfolk's substantial introduction extensively discusses Masaryk's biographical background, academic life, political career, religious views, and interpretations of Marx and Comte, among other subjects. This landmark volume will be an essential addition to the libraries of political theorists, sociologists, philosophers, and theologians.


The production process of South African bottle-fermented sparkling wine, the Methode Cap Classique (MCC), follows the traditional French method (methode champenoise), although each cellar has its own unique additions to the method. South African winemakers use different techniques and blends to achieve their award-winning MCCs, but there have not been many scientific investigations of the science behind these wines. This project is one of the first scientific studies on MCC. MCC wines were made using Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes harvested over two vintages (2014 and 2015) from two regions (Robertson and Darling) and stored at 0°C, 10°C, 25°C and 30°C before processing. The study was aimed at investigating the effect of grape storage temperature on the sensory characteristics of MCCs. The aroma and taste of the final nine-month old MCCs were evaluated, with each region analysed separately. The study showed a grouping of the MCCs according to temperature treatments for both vintages. There were vintage differences in terms of the attributes cited and the frequency of citations. Based on the frequency of citation, the MCCs made 2014 from grapes stored at 0°C and 10°C were described by the judges as having a fruity, fresh and crisp aroma, whilst those made from grapes stored at 25°C and 30°C were described as having oxidised fruit, volatile acidity and solvent-like aromas. The judges perceived less oxidation and volatile acidity (VA) (in terms of the frequency of citation) in the aroma of the 2015 MCCs, although treatments at higher temperatures were still associated with less desirable attributes compared to treatments at lower temperature. This study shown that the temperature of the grape at the time of processing has a significant effect on the aroma of MCCs aged nine months, and not so much of an effect on the taste.


The aetiological importance of the house-dust mite, Dermatophagoides sp., was examined in 133 asthmatic children referred to hospital. Evidence of sensitization to this allergen from positive skin tests and the presence of circulating specific IgE was found in the majority of these children and sensitization often began in the preschool years. In vitro studies of specific IgE levels were found to bear a close relation to nasal provocation tests and probably have an important place in the identification of offending allergens in the paediatric patient. Ecological studies of the house-dust mite revealed its common occurrence in domestic environments, especially in the bed and bedroom. The mites were not found in hospital beds and only low levels of infestation were found in perambulators and cots and in residential schools for `delicate' children. The findings stress the major importance of this allergen in the causation of childhood asthma.


In a compelling way; Philip Fanning traces the fraternal relationship of Orion and Samuel Clemens from its beginning in Hannibal, Missouri, in the 1830s to Orion's death in Iowa in 1897. He demonstrates that Orion's influence on the writer known as Mark Twain was profound, pervasive, and prolonged. In some respects, Samuel defined himself against Orion's formidable background. It was Orion who became the chief financial and spiritual support of the Clemens family following the father's controversial death in 1847. It was Orion who led the way for his brother into printing, journalism, and mine speculation. And it was Orion who served as Sam's first real editor and literary mentor, recognizing and encouraging his younger brother's talents as a writer. The two siblings had much in common, and they often appeared to be codependent, so much so that their attitudes veered sharply from mutual admiration to mutual disdain and rivalry. Whereas Orion was self-effacing, easygoing, humble, and adventurous in his politics and progressive in his views, Twain was often ill-tempered and antagonistic toward those around him and conservative in his outlook. He frequently portrayed his older brother in autobiographical writings and letters as a buffoon and a laughingstock. Fanning - who drew upon extensive archival sources, unpublished letters between the two brothers, and the Mark Twain Papers at the University of California, Berkeley - charts these divergences in their characters and in their fortunes. As Twain rose to become a national celebrity and a financial success, Orion's finances and self-esteem disintegrated, and Twain's treatment of his brother became evermore harsh and mocking. Fanning's study stands as both a biography of a fractious fraternal relationship and a work of scholarship that highlights for the first time how significantly Orion Clemens influenced Twain's psychic and artistic economy.


Abstract Chitotriosidase (ChT) is an enzyme secreted by activated macrophages and involved in defense against, and in degradation of chitin-containing pathogens, such as fungi, nematodes, and insects. In addition, it plays an important role in the development of atherosclerosis related with systemic low-grade inflammation. To this effect of activity of ChT, we aimed to investigate serum ChT activity in obese subjects and to determine to relation with insulin resistance and high-sensitive C-reactive protein (hsCRP). A total of 73 obese subjects (10.9±2.6 years of age, 44 male patients) and 41 age and gender-matched healthy lean subjects (11.6±2.9 years of age, 18 male patients) were included in this study, between 2007 and 2008. The criterion for diagnosing obesity was defined as the body mass index (BMI) being over 97th percentile of the same gender and age. Fasting serum glucose, insulin, hsCRP and ChT levels were measured. We compared the differences in variables between obese and lean subjects with Student's t-test compared after ascertaining that the data were normally distributed. All data were expressed as mean±standard deviation. There was statistically significant increase in serum ChT activity of obese subjects, while there was statistically significant difference in serum hsCRP levels when compared to healthy lean subjects (30.0±17.9 and 23.0±17.8, p=0.045; 2.3±3.1 and 0.7±1.2, p=0.001). Obese subjects had significantly higher BMI-SDS, TG and HOMA-IR and lower HDL-C levels when compared with the healthy lean subjects (p<0.05). Correlation analysis showed no significant correlation between serum ChT activity and hsCRP, HOMA-IR and BMI-SDS (p>0.05). Although the data need to be validated by further investigation, the observations made in this study seem to indicate that serum ChT activity may not be a useful marker for monitoring systemic low-grade inflammation and insulin resistance in obese subjects.


Working on autobiography in the last decades has been to be in a constant turmoil of changing definitions. This article is an autobiographical description of the theoretical development within the field with a focus on women's autobiographies. It starts with the feministic privileging of the autobiographical genre in the 70's, following the keyword "experience" and its changing status. Celebrated during the 70's it lost its relevance in the linguistic turn during the 80's when language was defined as solidly patriarchal in feminist theory and of no use to women in telling their experiences. In the beginning of the twenty-first century the concept however returned in the theorizing of testimonies, which became a new term for autobiography, often used about non-literary texts written by marginalized groups. Another line in the article is the changing terms for autobiographical texts, from autobiography to autofiction, testimony and life-writing, and the discussion of the theoretical assumptions implicated in these changes. One of the consequences of the split between language and life, opened up by deconstructive theory in the 80's, was a redefinition of the autobiographical genre from factual to fictional. In the 90's a new kind of autobiographical text, mixing fact and fiction and defined as autofiction, took form. What in the 80's seemed to be the death of a genre turned into a proliferation and the term life-writing has become the overarching term for a lot of different autobiographical texts during the last decades. A returning problem in this history of a constantly growing text and research field is however the lacking authorizing of women's life narratives in their multitude, specificities and differences. The article sums up by defining life-writing as relational texts and dependent on a respectful and sympathetic reading.


Wearable body sensors have become an important basis for today's medical and fitness applications. To assist athletes or to take care of elderly people in everyday life situations, sensor data can be collected and processed to give helpful feedback. However, the data collection process of multiple or different sensor systems still had to be done manually by the user or an expert, which usually takes a lot of time and can lead to errors.

This paper presents an embedded data collection and communication module based on an AT90USB microcontroller, which can automatically acquire data from various wired and wireless sensors (e.g. via USB or Bluetooth™. The obtained data can be cached, preprocessed and transmitted to a specified central server using LAN, Wi-Fi or GMS/GPRS. Through unified expansion slots, additional communication devices and a BeagleBone™ embedded can be extended to handle many different sensor systems. Moreover, wired sensors can be charged through appropriate circuits. This data collection and communication module operates without any input settings and special knowledge by the user.

Five prototypes with different configurations and extension units concerning communication interfaces and computation power have been built up. The evaluation of the transfer reliability with 100%, whereupon 98% of data could be transmitted at once and the remaining 2% with the next attempt, confirms the stability of data transmission.


The aim of this study was to examine the motivation, psychology and language effect on Mobile learning in the School of Distance Education, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang. Mobile learning or m-learning is a new learning phenomenon in the open and distance learning environments. Moving from stationary to mobile learning allows informal collaboration and interaction between learners. Therefore, there is a necessity to revise peopleâ??s psychological factors, process and mechanisms that underlie M-learning so that the practice can move from technology-centred implementation to human-centred effective learning processes. The Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) Version 12.0 and Rasch Model Analysis was used to measure these items. The 5-point Likert scale questionnaires (12 items) being sent to 105 distance education students from four courses including Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Social Science and Bachelor of Management which was distributed in tutorial sessions during the annual residential intensive course in the main campus of the Universiti Sains Malaysia by their respective course managers. The finding shows that a positive response from the learners as they feel happy to use this additional learning tools (mobile learning). Learnerâ??s feel supported and motivated to use the mobile application with the usability of simple language.


Jupyter Notebooks have been widely adopted by many different communities, both in science and industry. They support the creation of literate programming documents that combine code, text, and execution results with visualizations and all sorts of rich media. The self-documenting aspects and the ability to reproduce results have been touted as significant benefits of notebooks. At the same time, there has been growing criticism that the way notebooks are being used leads to unexpected behavior, encourage poor coding practices, and that their results can be hard to reproduce. To understand good and bad practices used in the development of real notebooks, we studied 1.4 million notebooks from GitHub. We present a detailed analysis of their characteristics that impact reproducibility. We also propose a set of best practices that can improve the rate of reproducibility and discuss open challenges that require further research and development.


Methacrylate-ended polypeptides/polypeptoids were successfully synthesized via ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of N-carboxyanhydrides (NCA). These oligomers were further initiated under ultraviolet (UV) irradiation by a polydopamine (pDA) layer which is attachable to the surface of virtually all materials to generate a polymer brush coating. This brush-like polymer coating comprising cationic antimicrobial polypeptides (MePpep) and antifouling polysarcosine (MePsar) exhibited effective antimicrobial activity against four pathogens (Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Candida albicans), as well as antifouling activity in the resistance to protein and platelet adhesion, and thus prevented biofilm formation for up to 7 days. An in vitro cytotoxicity study showed that this coating is biocompatible with mouse fibroblast (L929) cells. More importantly, this coating exhibited significant anti-infectivity in vivo. This dual-functional polymer brush coating can be immobilized on the surface of multiple categories of materials through the mussel-inspired pDA coating, and thus should be widely applicable for combating infection in many classes of bio-medical materials.


Experiencing sexual violence is an important risk factor for trauma symptoms, and these symptoms significantly impair psychosocial functioning. Sexual and gender minority university students are more likely than their heterosexual and cisgender peers to experience sexual violence (e.g., sexual harassment, unwanted sexual contact, or sexual coercion) while attending university, but research on the consequences of these experiences is needed to inform service provision to these vulnerable populations. Using a large-scale study of university-based sexual violence in Quebec, the current study examined how gender and sexual minority status were associated with the severity of trauma symptoms among students who experienced sexual violence (N = 1,196). Findings indicated that compared with their cisgender peers, gender minority students experienced significantly higher levels of trauma symptoms as a result of sexual violence, controlling for the severity of sexual violence behaviors experienced and other variables. Among cisgender women, but not cisgender men, sexual minority identity was also associated with higher levels of trauma symptoms, controlling for severity of sexual violence behaviors experienced and other variables. Furthermore, gender of perpetrator and amount of sexual violence moderated the associations between sexual identity and trauma symptoms among cisgender women. These findings not only suggest that gender minority and some sexual minority university students are more likely to experience sexual violence, but that they are also more likely to experience negative psychological sequelae as a consequence of these experiences. Ultimately, these findings may suggest the need for services that are more supportive of the specific needs of gender and sexual minority students with regard to sexual violence.


Minh N Nguyen, Ph.D. University of Nebraska, 2018 Supervisors: Shinobu Watanabe-Galloway, Ph.D.; Jennie L. Hill, Ph.D. Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder with onset usually occurring in childhood and adolescence. During these developmental stages, social interactions and external environments can have significant impact on children's growth and development. Few studies previously used a theoretical model to examine the effects of social and external environments on ADHD. The goal of this dissertation is to apply an ecological perspective to examine the roles of school and community in the development of childhood ADHD through school engagement and physical activity. Three studies were implemented to carry out this goal. Study 1 examined the associations of neighborhood, school, and family characteristics with school engagement. Study 2 assessed the associations between school engagement and ADHD. Finally, study 3 examined the relationship between neighborhood factors and physical activity in children with and without ADHD. We used data on 65,680 children aged 6 to 17 years from the 2011-2012 National Survey of Children's Health (NSCH). Results indicated that pediatric ADHD diagnosis and symptoms can be influenced by family, school, and community characteristics. Findings from studies 1 and 2 demonstrated that school engagement, family factors (socioeconomic status (SES) and adverse childhood experiences (ACE)), and community characteristics (safety and amenities) are associated with ADHD diagnosis either directly or indirectly. Meanwhile, study 3 results showed that environmental characteristics (safety, social support, and access to physical activity resources) are related to physical activity only in children without ADHD. Further research is needed to understand the levels and factors associated with physical activity in children with ADHD. Overall, our results


Abstract. The first decade of the 21st century has seen a new golden age of lunar exploration, with more missions than in any decade since the 1960's and many more nations participating than at any time in the past. We have previously summarized the history of lunar mapping and described the lunar missions planned for the 2000's (Kirk et al., 2006, 2007, 2008). Here we report on the outcome of lunar missions of this decade, the data gathered, the cartographic work accomplished and what remains to be done, and what is known about mission plans for the coming decade. Four missions of lunar orbital reconnaissance were launched and completed in the decade 2001–2010: SMART-1 (European Space Agency), SELENE/Kaguya (Japan), Chang'e-1 (China), and Chandrayaan-1 (India). In addition, the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter or LRO (USA) is in an extended mission, and Chang'e-2 (China) operated in lunar orbit in 2010–2011. All these spacecraft have incorporated cameras capable of providing basic data for lunar mapping, and all but SMART-1 carried laser altimeters. Chang'e-1, Chang'e-2, Kaguya, and Chandrayaan-1 carried pushbroom stereo cameras intended for stereo mapping at scales of 120, 10, 10, and 5 m/pixel respectively, and LRO is obtaining global stereo imaging at 100 m/pixel with its Wide Angle Camera (WAC) and hundreds of targeted stereo observations at 0.5 m/pixel with its Narrow Angle Camera (NAC). Chandrayaan-1 and LRO carried polarimetric synthetic aperture radars capable of 75 m/pixel and (LRO only) 7.5 m/pixel imaging even in shadowed areas, and most missions carried spectrometers and imaging spectrometers whose lower resolution data are urgently in need of coregistration with other datasets and correction for topographic and illumination effects. The volume of data obtained is staggering. As one example, the LRO laser altimeter, LOLA, has so far made more than 5.5 billion elevation measurements, and the LRO Camera (LROC) system has returned more than 1.3 million archived image products comprising over 220 Terabytes of image data. The processing of controlled map products from these data is as yet relatively limited. A substantial portion of the LOLA altimetry data have been subjected to a global crossover analysis, and local crossover analyses of Chang'e-1 LAM altimetry have also been performed. LRO NAC stereo digital topographic models (DTMs) and orthomosaics of numerous sites of interest have been prepared based on control to LOLA data, and production of controlled mosaics and DTMs from Mini-RF radar images has begun. Many useful datasets (e.g., DTMs from LRO WAC images and Kaguya Terrain Camera images) are currently uncontrolled. Making controlled, orthorectified map products is obviously a high priority for lunar cartography, and scientific use of the vast multinational set of lunar data now available will be most productive if all observations can be integrated into a single reference frame. To achieve this goal, the key steps required are (a) joint registration and reconciliation of the laser altimeter data from multiple missions, in order to provide the best current reference frame for other products; (b) registration of image datasets (including spectral images and radar, as well as monoscopic and stereo optical images) to one another and the topographic surface from altimetry by bundle adjustment; (c) derivation of higher density topographic models than the altimetry provides, based on the stereo images registered to the altimetric data; and (d) orthorectification and mosaicking of the various datasets based on the dense and consistent topographic model resulting from the previous steps. In the final step, the dense and consistent topographic data will be especially useful for correcting spectrophotometric observations to facilitate mapping of geologic and mineralogic features. We emphasize that, as desirable as short term progress may seem, making mosaics before controlling observations, and controlling observations before a single coordinate reference frame is agreed upon by all participants, are counterproductive and will result in a collection of map products that do not align with one another and thus will not be fully usable for correlative scientific studies. Only a few lunar orbital missions performing remote sensing are projected for the decade 2011–2020. These include the possible further extension of the LRO mission; NASA's GRAIL mission, which is making precise measurements of the lunar gravity field that will likely improve the cartographic accuracy of data from other missions, and the Chandrayaan-2/Luna Resurs mission planned by India and Russia, which includes an orbital remote sensing component. A larger number of surface missions are being discussed for the current decade, including the lander/rover component of Chandrayaan-2/Luna Resurs, Chang'e-3 (China), SELENE-2 (Japan), and privately funded missions inspired by the Google Lunar X-Prize. The US Lunar Precursor Robotic Program was discontinued in 2010, leaving NASA with no immediate plans for robotic or human exploration of the lunar surface, though the MoonRise sample return mission might be reproposed in the future. If the cadence of missions cannot be continued, the desired sequel to the decade of lunar mapping missions 2001–2010 should be a decade of detailed and increasingly multinational analysis of lunar data from 2011 onward.


The environment in Latin America today for relating technical change to economic growth is vastly different from the environment of ten, or even five, years ago. In keeping with the moves toward democratic institutions and market economies that characterize most of the countries in Lath America, there is a genuine desire on the part of individuals, institutions and governments of the region to generate economic growth based on science and technology. This was evident at the Hemispheric Conference on Industrial Research for Technological Innovation, which I attended in April in Vina del Mar, Chile. The problem with implementing this desire for growth is that government actions and policies intended to influence the conduct of R&D have followed traditional patterns of supporting basic research in universities and R&D in publicly funded research institutes, without effectively coupling those problems to the economic system. This pattern is certainly not unique to Latin America and, in fact, describes government science and technology policy in most developed countries, including the United States. However, the developed counties, particularly the U.S., have a strong base of industrial research -- the R & D conducted within private firms -- whereas Latin America has only a modest industrial research base, although one that is growing steadily. (I use "Latin America" here as a shorthand for "Latin America and the Caribbean countries.") The Organization of American States (OAS) has initiated one major effort to link science and the economy. Called MERCOCYT, the Spanish acronym for "Common Market of Scientific and Technological Knowledge," it encourages cooperation between universities and industry. These interactions are valuable both in stimulate interest at universities in the technical problems of industry and in providing needed assistance to industry. However, such activity includes more problem-solving and technical services than would be found in similar U.S. programs, such as the NSF University-Industry Centers. These university short-term activities are necessary and valuable for the relatively smaller industrial research organizations that now exist in Latin America. Nevertheless, the MERCOCYT program is developing linkages that can provide the foundation for broader and more sophisticated research programs in the future. I have been cooperating with the OAS Department of Scientific and Technological Affairs, and particularly with the MERCOCYT program, to consider actions that could encourage the growth of industrial research in Latin America. It seems clear that a stronger base of industrial research will accelerate economic growth from the science and technology resource of the region, and it will act to raise the level of research activity at universities and other research institutions that interact with industry. Multinationals in Attendance The Hemispheric Conference was an important step in this direction. Hosted by the Chilean government, it was sponsored by the OAS and the Bolivar Program, which encourages entrepreneurship and joint ventures to accelerate industrial growth. The 60-70 attendees were from Latin American companies, research institutions, and 10-12 multinational corporations including IBM, DuPont, Philips, Gillette, Pfizer, and Hoffmann-LaRoche. They were advised on government and academic policies by a small group of specialists from government ministries and universities. The emphasis was on identifying barriers to expanding industrial R&D and exploring mechanisms to encourage its growth. The immediate value of the conference was that it focused the attention of all sectors in Latin America on the desirability of strengthening industrial research within the region. Importantly, it provided for an informal dialogue between government and industry that brought out the willingness of all parties to develop constructive ways to cooperate in the effective conduct of industrial research. …


Social touch seems to modulate emotions, but its brain correlates are poorly understood. Here, we investigated if frontal power band activity in the electroencephalogram (EEG) during aversive mental imagery is modulated by social touch from one's romantic partner and a stranger. We observed the highest theta and beta power when imaging alone, next so when being touched by a stranger, with lowest theta and beta activity during holding hands with the loved one. Delta power was higher when being alone than with a stranger or a partner, with no difference between the two. Gamma power was highest during the stranger condition and lower both when being alone and with the partner, while alpha power did not change as a function of social touch. Theta power displayed a positive correlation with electrodermal activity supporting its relation to emotional arousal. Attachment style modulated the effect of touch on the EEG as only secure but not insecure partner bonding was associated with theta power reductions. Because theta power was sensitive to the experimental perturbations, mapped onto peripheral physiological arousal and reflected partner attachment style we suggest that frontal theta power might serve as an EEG derived bio-marker for social touch in emotionally significant dyads.


Drinking water sector is one of the public services which is connected tightly to poverty decrease. A small community water supply is more suitable if it uses a simple system which does not need sophisticated planning and construction. Nevertheless, hydraulics calculation should be always conducted accurately because it will influence water supply performance. In this case, pipe hydraulics needs more overview because system reliability depends on pipe capacity. This study discusses two methods of pipe diameter calculation at a simple drinking water supply system. For planning assistance, Directorate General Cipta Karya-Public Work Ministry issued Technical Guideline Book for Simple Drinking Water Construction in 2007. One of its chapters discusses about a method to find pipe diameter based on several tables available, but it is not given an explanation about basic theory of the tables so there is a doubt for planners. For the reason, comparison between the use of the tables (Juknis Method) and Darcy-Weisbach Formula to calculate pipe diameter will be discussed. Data from 5 villages in Kebumen Regency will be utilized to support analysis. The result of procedure for making comparison shows that there is no significant difference (less than 4%) between the result of calculation by Darcy-Weisbach Formula and Juknis Method with accurate interpolation. Both of the methods can be applied with its advantages and disadvantages. It is suggested that Darcy-Weisbach Formula is always implemented to re-check toward pipe diameter which is available in the market and will be used in the system.


There is a pressing need for an evaluation rubric that examines all aspects of educational apps designed for instructional purposes. In past decades, many rubrics have been developed for evaluating educational computer-based programs; however, rubrics designed for evaluating the instructional implications of educational apps are scarce. When an Internet search for existing rubrics was conducted, only two such rubrics were found, and the evaluation criteria used in those rubrics was not clearly linked to previously conducted research nor were their evaluative dimensions clearly defined. These shortcomings result in reviewers being unable to use those rubrics to provide teachers with a precise analysis of an educational app's instructional potential. In response, this paper presents a comprehensive rubric with 24-evaluative dimensions tailored specifically to analyze the educational potential of instructional apps.


REGULATION OF SYSTEM XCBY THE NEUROPEPTIDE PACAP: IMPLICATIONS FOR GLUTAMATE TRANSMISSION IN DRUG ADDICTION Linghai Kong, B.S. Marquette University, 2017 Drug addiction is a chronic brain disorder characterized by heightened relapse susceptibility. Drug-induced aberrant glutamate signaling in corticostriatal circuitry contributes to behaviors in virtually every preclinical model of drug seeking and correlates with drug craving in human. Here, we propose that glutamate signaling is a product of integrated activity between neurons and astrocytes, such that disruptions within astrocytes can stem from abnormal neuronal signaling (e.g., altered corticostriatal firing) and be the source of additional disruptions in other neuronal circuits. The astrocytic mechanism studied in these experiments is system xc(Sxc) since drug-induced changes to this non-vesicular glutamate release mechanism contribute to heightened relapse vulnerability in preclinical models of addiction. My first objective was to determine whether neurons or neuronal factors regulate Sxc activity in astrocytes (Chapter II and III) since this would illustrate the degree to which glutamate signaling involves integrated activity of multiple cell types. We found that neurons release a soluble factor that potently increases Sxc activity. Moreover, we discovered that the neuropeptide PACAP (pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating peptide) likely contributes to this effect since it upregulates Sxc activity in astrocytes (Chapters II and III). Next, we focused on the importance of PACAP regulation of Sxc to synaptic transmission in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), since this structure is highly implicated in drug addiction (Chapter IV). PACAP depressed synaptic transmission in NAc neurons projecting to the substantia nigra, an important efferent that encodes motivated behaviors. Interestingly, PACAP-induced control over synaptic transmission required enhanced Sxc activity. Given this, we then determined the behavioral impact of increasing PACAP signaling in the NAc on drug-seeking behavior (Chapter IV). Specifically, we found that microinfusion of PACAP into the NAc attenuated cocaine-primed reinstatement of drug seeking. Lastly, we determined that PACAP is expressed in corticostriatal projections to the NAc, and that endogenous PACAP is an unrecognized factor influencing relapse vulnerability (Chapter IV). Collectively, this dissertation reveals that a novel form of neuron-astrocyte communication, namely PACAP regulation of Sxc, is a critical link integrating the glutamate network that mediates motivated behavior.


Covers a fascinating period of Theodore RooseveltOCOs life, his first six years in Washington. "Roosevelt the Reformer" sheds light on an important chapter in the biography of the flamboyant 26th president of the United States. From 1889 to 1895OCobefore he was a Rough Rider in the SpanishOCoAmerican War and before he oversaw the building of the Panama Canal and won the 1906 Nobel Peace PrizeOCoOC TeddyOCO Roosevelt served as one of three civil service commissioners. This was a significant period of his life because he matured politically and learned how to navigate through Washington politics. He sparred with powerful cabinet officers and congressmen and survived their attempts to destroy him. He cultivated important friendships and allegiances, flourished intellectually, and strengthened his progressive views of social justice, racial theory, and foreign relations. It was a period altogether significant to the honing of administrative talent and intellectual acuity of the future president. Richard White Jr. situates young Roosevelt within the exciting events of the Gilded Age, the Victorian era, and the gay nineties. He describes Roosevelt's relationships with family, friends, colleagues, and adversaries. Many of these people, such as Henry Cabot Lodge, Cecil Spring-Rice, Alfred Mahan, Henry Adams, and John Hay would significantly influence Roosevelt when he later occupied the White House. White explores TR's accomplishments in civil service reform, the effect of the commission experience on his presidency a decade later, and his administrative legacy. In addition to Harvard UniversityOCOs immense collection of Roosevelt correspondence, White drew from original sources such as the Civil Service Commission files in the National Archives, the Library of Congress, the National Park Service Roosevelt Historical Site at Sagamore Hill, and the records of the National Civil Service Reform League. a"


We propose a smart camera which performs video analysis and generates an MPEG-7 compliant stream. By producing a content-based metadata description of the scene, the MPEG-7 camera extends the capabilities of conventional cameras. The metadata is then directly interpretable by a machine. This is especially helpful in a number of applications such as video surveillance, augmented reality and quality control. As a use case, we describe an algorithm to identify moving objects and produce the corresponding MPEG-7 description. The algorithm runs in real-time on a Matrox Iris P300C camera.


We are happy to present this special issue of the scientific journal Scalable Computing: Practice and Experience. In this special issue on Infrastructures and Algorithms for Scalable Computing (Volume 19, No 3 June 2018), we have selected four papers out of submitted nine, which gone through a peer review according to the journal policy. All papers represent novel results in the fields of distributed algorithms and infrastructures for scalable computing.
The first paper presents present a novel approach for efficient data placement, which improves the performance of workflow execution in distributed datacenters. The greedy heuristic algorithm, which is based on a network flow optimization framework, minimizes the total storage cost, including efforts to move and store the data from different source locations and dependencies. The second paper evaluated the significance of different clustering techniques viz. k-means, Hierarchical Agglomerative Clustering and Markov Clustering in groupingawaredata placement for data-intensive applications with interest locality. The evaluation in Azure reported that Markov Clustering-based data placement strategy improves the local map execution and reduces the execution time compared to Hadoops Default Data Placement Strategy and other evaluated clustering techniques. This is more emphasized for data-intensive applications that have interest locality. The third paper presents an experimental evaluation of the openMP thread-mapping strategies in different hardware environments (IntelXeon Phi coprocessor and hybrid CPU-MIC platforms). The paper shows the optimal choice of thread affinity, the number of threads and the execution mode that can provide optimal performance of the LU factorization. In the fourth paper, the authors study the amount of memory occupied by sparse matrices split up into same-size blocks. The paper considers and statistically evaluates four popular storage formats and combinations among them. The conclusion is that block-based storage formats may significantly reduce memory footprints of sparse matrices arising from a wide range of application domains.
We use this opportunity to thank all contributors to this Special Issue: all authors who submitted the results of their latest research and all reviewers for their valuable comments and suggestions for improvement. We would like to express our special gratitude for the Editor-in-Chief, Professor Dana Petcu, for her constant support during the whole process of this Special Issue.


2014-Issue 18 – It's a tale as old as time itself: Buyer meets seller. Buyer falls in love with seller's business. Buyer proposes to seller. Seller accepts buyer's proposal and transfers assets to the buyer in exchange for consideration, resulting in a fairytale ending. Part of the buyer's consideration may include the assumption of various working-capital liabilities that are essential to the business, which may include such items as accounts payable or deferred revenue, the latter of which is the focus of this article.


The problem of constructing optimum stratum boundaries (OSB) and the problem of determining sample allocation to different strata are well known in the sampling literature. To increase the efficiency in the estimates of population parameters these problems are to be addressed by the sampler while using stratified sampling. There are several methods available to determine the OSB when the frequency distribution of the study (or a correlated) variable is available. Whereas, the problem of determining optimum allocation was addressed in the literature mostly as a separate problem assuming that the strata are already formed and the stratum variances are known. However, many of these attempts have been made with an unrealistic assumption that the frequency distribution and the stratum variances of the target population are known prior to conducting the survey. As both the problems are not addressed simultaneously, the OSB and the sample allocations so obtained may not be feasible or may be far from optimum. In this paper, the problems of finding the OSB and the optimum allocation are discussed simultaneously when the population mean of the study variable y is of interest and a frequency distribution ( ) f y or the frequency distribution ( ) f x of its auxiliary variable x is available. The problem is formulated as a Nonlinear Programming Problem (NLPP) that seeks minimization of the variance of the estimated population parameter of the target population, which is subjected to a fixed total sample size. The formulated NLPP is then solved by executing a program coded in a user's friendly optimization software, LINGO. Two numerical examples, when the study variable or the auxiliary variable follows a uniform and a right-triangular distribution in the population, are presented to demonstrate the practical application of the proposed method or its computational details. The proposed technique can easily be applied to other frequency distributions. 1 Address for Correspondence: M. G. M. Khan, School of Computing, Information and Mathematical Sci., The University of the South Pacific, Suva, Fiji. E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com and Sushita Sharma


In this paper, experimental results are reported to quantify the effect of hydrophobic coating LT-8 on frictional drag of water flow in pipes of 450 mm length. Five pipes of 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 mm inner diameter were tested. The results from 1, 2 and 3 mm diameter pipes demonstrated an average frictional drag reduction of 9%, 11.5% and 3%, respectively, while the results from 4mm and 5mm pipes showed an increase in frictional drag of 12% and 10%, respectively. The 2mm and 4mm pipes were also tested with a half application of hydrophobic coating. The half coated 2mm pipe showed decrease in drag while 4mm pipe showed increase in drag. The results indicate a relationship between drag reduction/ increase withnthe percentage of coated surface. The main conclusions are, the flow changed from laminar state to the liquid-air wetting surface condition (Cassie-Baxter wetting state) at the pipe surface and then destabilized by the turbulent boundary layer and entered the liquid wetting surface (Wenzel wetting state) will be appeared. This transition lead to a reduction in friction drag for laminar flow condition and increase in drag for turbulent flow condition.


This book looks at every aspect of interior detail for domestic spaces. It is designed to appeal to anyone interested in improving the home environment, from professionals such as architects and interior designers to DIY enthusiasts. Products selected come from around the world and are all currently available to buy (websites of manufacturers/suppliers are included in the product captions). The selection includes a combination of the newest and the best products launched since the millennium, arranged into chapters to provide inspiration for every space in the domestic interior. The book has seven chapters: Walls and Floors; Doors, Windows and Stairs; Heating and Cooling; Kitchens; Bathrooms; Lighting; Home Technology. Each chapter is prefaced by an in-depth interview with a leading architect/designer, who has a specialist knowledge of the chapter's subject: James Soane, co-founder of Project Orange, looks at windows and doors. Gregorio Spini, the founder of Kundalini, one of Italys most progressive lighting manufacturers, discusses domestic lighting. Jack Mama, creative director at Philips Design, talks about technology in the home.


OF THE DISSERTATION THE EFFECT OF THE ADVANCED PLACEMENT EXAMINATION FOR CREDIT POLICY BY THE FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITIES ON THE ACCELERATION OF A STUDENT'S POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION by Denise A. Cordova Florida International University, 1997 Professor Kingsley Banya, Major Professor The purpose of this research study was to determine if the Advanced Placement program as it is recognized by the universities in the Florida State University System (SUS) truly serves as an acceleration mechanism for those students who enter an SUS institution with passing AP scores. Despite mandates which attempt to control uniformity of policy, each public university in Florida determines which courses will be exempted and the number of credits they will grant for passing Advanced Placement courses. This is a descriptive study in which the AP policies of each of the SUS institutions were compared. Additionally, the college attendance and graduation data on members of a cohort of 593 Broward County high school graduates of the class of June, 1992 were compared. Approximately 28% of the cohort members entered university with passing Advanced Placement scores. The rate of early and on time graduation was significantly dependent on the Advanced Placement standing of the students in the cohort. Given the financial and human cost involved, it is recommended that all state universities bring their Advanced Placement policies into line with each other and implement a uniform Advanced Placement policy. It is also recommended that a follow-up study be conducted with a new cohort bound under the current 120 credit limitation for graduation. CHAPTER PAGE


Bioeconomy is an important element of the Polish economy and the basis of bioeconomy is innovative biotechnology. The development of bio-economy (especially in closed circuit) requires modern "bio" technology. The resignation of such elements in the economy as achievements of modern biotechnology – albeit possible – is associated with a significant increase in development costs and the loss of access to innovative technologies that are essential for the today and future economy of the country. It is necessary to gain public acceptance for the emerging market of bioproducts, bioservice and bioprocesses. Legislation ammendment supporting innovation in general, and bio domains in particular, is a necessity. The current state of Polish biotechnology is presented on the basis of detailed studies and published on the website of the Biotechnology Committee of the Polish Academy of Sciences: "Biotechnological centers in Poland – MAP OF POLISH BIOTECHNOLOGY"; on this page you will find as well this report (www.kbiotech.pan.pl).


Six new species of Platypalpus Macquart, 1827 are described from tropical forest at Yangambi (Democratic Republic of the Congo): Platypalpus bolikoi sp. nov., P. ikoso sp. nov., P. lokonda sp. nov., P. manjano sp. nov., P. saffradi sp. nov. and P. yangambensis sp. nov. All species are photographed and, except for P. saffradi sp. nov. known only from females, male terminalia are illustrated for all. A key is provided for the six species of DR Congo. COI barcodes are available for all species at GenBank.


Since the 1990s, western, developed countries have moved away from rule-making and standard-setting in multilateral intergovernmental organizations and have increasingly collaborated on those matters in clubs of developed countries, such as trans-governmental regulatory networks. Although clubs often generate rules or standards that affect developing countries, the latter have not had a voice in rule-making, resulting in a 'participation gap', for which clubs are being criticized. Against this background, I analyse a recent development that has largely gone unnoticed: Clubs have been integrating previously excluded developing countries. From small and exclusive clubs, they are growing into larger and more inclusive clubs. I call this trajectory of the past seventy years – the establishment of intergovernmental organizations, their increasing displacement in favour of clubs, and the recent reversion towards larger clubs – accordion governance. Like an accordion that expands or contracts as needed, so too have governance models and rule-making adjusted to changing conditions and preferences by becoming more or less inclusive. Focusing on club expansion, I address three questions: (1) How has participation – and the rules governing it – evolved over time? (2) Why are governments voluntarily sharing rule-making authority with new participants? (3) Can these reforms close the participation gap in international rule-making?


We investigate direct-sequence spread-spectrum multiple-access (DS/SSMA) communication systems with general linear modulation and error control coding. By the central limit theorem for martingale difference arrays, it is proved that under general conditions, the overall multiple-access interference (MAI) across different symbol intervals tends to a jointly complex Gaussian random vector as both the number of chips per symbol interval and the number of interferers tend to infinity. The result allows the calculation of the limiting exact error probabilities, and justifies the use of the popular standard Gaussian approximation. The asymptotic properties of the MAI from each individual interferer are also examined. The results lead to another approximation, the conditional Gaussian approximation, which provides better estimates to the error probabilities, especially in near-far situations.


This chapter provides an overview of the field of Global Political Economy (GPE), also known as International Political Economy (IPE). It begins with a discussion of how GPE/IPE has developed as a major focus of study within the broader field of global politics over the last four decades. It then considers the rise of mercantilism as a theory of GPE, along with its relationship to nationalism and colonialism. It also examines the emergence of liberal political economy, Marxism and critical IPE, and the international economic order after World War II. In particular, it looks at the Bretton Woods system, which emerged after the war as a compromise between liberalism and nationalism. The chapter concludes with an analysis of international political, economic, and social problems associated with the North–South gap, globalization and regionalization in the post-Cold War period, and financial crises that rocked the global economic system.


The science fiction genre has traditionally exemplified alternative forms of sexuality and/ or gender identities, providing with the ideal forum for any criticism on gender biased societies and behaviors. Taking into account that futures are always based on the present and the ways it is envisioned, we will focus on how gender identities are constructed in contemporary Hollywood cinema, an hegemonic discourse that dictates how femininity and masculinity should be (subjected on many occasions to mere marketing strategies). For this purpose, we will adopt a critical poststructuralist perspective on how images of the body are represented in popular science fiction films released in the last few decades. We further aim at illustrating how some science fiction films released at the end of the millennium and current century propose alternative gender realities, suggesting at the same time the idea that the oppressive patriarchal structure that govern most contemporary societies can be deconstructed and changed, or at least silenced, in these movies.


Abstract Initially associated with large urban centers, the HIVI AIDS epidemic in African American communities is now being acknowledged in suburban and rural areas across the country. As the disease is being recognized in other areas, the impact of the disease has posed many challenges in the African American community. One such challenge is experienced by older caregivers as they struggle to provide support to their younger loved ones who are living with the virus. This paper discusses how the social stigma of HIV disease affects their caregiving roles, social networks and use of community resources such as the black church. Recommendations are presented for further study in this vulnerable caregiver population. Keywords Elderly, African Americans, HIV/AIDS, Caregivers Background The incidence of acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) cases among African Americans continue to be reported in record numbers across the United States.- As of December, 1998, 251,408 they have been diagnosed with AIDS (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1999). Although African Americans are 13% of the national population, they account for 37% of people diagnosed with AIDS (Bureau of the Census, 1997; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1999). The high incidence of reported AIDS cases has been traditionally associated with large urban centers such as New York City. However, the impact of human immune deficiency virus (HIV) and AIDS has been slowly recognized in rural and urban areas that border urban centers (Belluck, 1998; Centers for Disease Control, 1989; Ellerbrock, 1992; National Commission on AIDS, 1990; National Research Council, 1993; AIDS Institute, 1995; Wallace, et al. 1995; Wallace & Wallace, 1997; Wasser, Gwinn, & Flemming, 1993; Young, 1992). More recently, Long Island, New York has been identified as havin the highest incidence of HIV/AIDS, among suburban areas nationwide (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1998; Hernandez, 1997). Long Island is located near New York City and comprises two suburban counties (Nassau and Suffolk). AIDS cases have been reported in record numbers among African Americans living on Long Island. Similar to the national trends on AIDS, African Americans living with AIDS comprise a rate that exceeds their total population living in this area (37% and 7%, respectively) (New York State Department of Health, 1999: Bureau of Census, 1997). HIV/AIDS AND-THE NEED FOR CAERGIVING Family caregivers of people living with HIV/ AIDS are faced with challenging problems as they strive to provide care and support to loved ones. Contributing to these challenges is the complex nature of the disease and prescribed treatments. A common thread in the review of the general caregiving literature is the problem of caregiver burden, which includes the emotional, physical, financialand social effects of providing care (Cantor, 1983; George & Gwyther, 1986; Zarit, Reever & BachPeterson, 1980). In looking at caregiving situations related to HIV/AIDS, the social stigma of the disease has had a major impact on the families of gay men, children, elderly, and minority men and women living with HIV/AIDS (Baker, Sudit & Litwak, 1998a; Baker, Sudit & Litwak, 1998b; Bonuck, 1993; Hays, et al., 1993; Macklin, 1988; Matocha, 1992; Takigiku, Brubaker, & Hennon, 1993; Reidy, Taggart, & Asselin, 1991). In essence, across types of people living with HIV/AIDS, the problem of stigma is a common concern. Besides the demographic and geographical characteristics of AIDS, the impact of this disease has created a great demand for caregiving assistance in the African American community. Since AIDS is a chronic illness with potentially debilitating and terminal effects, the need for providing assistance to people living with HIV/AIDS in communities has been reported (Baker, Sudit & Litwak, 1998a; Katoff, 1992; Litwak, Sudit, Baker, Dobkin & Fullilove, 1995; Morrison, 1993). …


Electrodeposited zinc-nickel coatings are broadly used as sacrificial coatings for steel since many years in the automotive industry and for other high corrosion resistant applications. The best corrosion resistance is obtained with ZnNi deposits having 12 – 15 % Ni in the alloy. Many studies were performed showing the influence of nickel content in the alloy. In industrial plating electrolytes other metals than Zn and Ni can be present. In alkaline zinc-nickel electrolytes mild steel is usually used as anode material. Depending on electrolyte composition and plating conditions more or less iron can be dissolved by anodic dissolution into the electrolyte. It is well known that the iron is codeposited into the zinc nickel alloy, but the effect on the alloy properties was never systematic investigated. In this study the influence of up to 800 mg/L iron in commercially used alkaline zinc nickel processes is investigated. Up to 8% iron is amorphously codeposited in the alloy. No new iron containing phases could be detected by X-ray diffraction (XRD). ZnNi γ-phases (Ni2Zn11/Ni5Zn21) are still the dominant phases, but plain orientation can be effected by iron codeposition. Corrosion properties are investigated by electrochemical measurements and neutral salt spray test. Whereas no huge difference in the corrosion properties between the bare ZnNi and ZnNiFe coatings was observed, the corrosion resistance with a subsequent trivalent chromium passivate can be drastically improved using iron in the alloy.


Reasoning about change requires predicting how long a proposition, having become true, will continue to be so. Lacking perfect knowledge, an agent may be constrained to believe that a proposition persists indefinitely simply because there is no way for the agent to infer a contravening proposition with certainty. In this paper, we describe a theory of causal reasoning under uncertainty. Our theory uses easily obtainable statistical data to provide expectations concerning how long propositions are likely to persist in the absence of specific knowledge to the contrary. We consider a number of issues that arise in combining evidence, and describe an approach to computing probabilistic assessments of the sort licensed by our theory.


Fifty years ago, President Lyndon Johnson appointed a blue ribbon panel called the National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders to examine the causes of urban riots that happened during the summer of 1967. The Kerner Commission, as the group came to be known, produced a report on March 1, 1968, that identified some of the causes of the unrest. The Kerner Commission report found the riots to be rooted in crushing urban poverty and recommended solutions that would address those deep issues, such as job training, living wages, and funding for public schools. To commemorate the 50th Anniversary of this work and to refocus attention on these important issues, the last living member of the Kerner Commission, former U.S. Senator Fred Harris, compiled a book "Healing our Divided Society: Investing in America Fifty Years After the Kerner Report" that revisits some of these issues. Harris invited several scholars to contribute to the book, including Professor Joseph Stiglitz, Professor Washburn. Professor Washburn contributed the attached essay which highlights the changes that have occurred in federal Indian policy in the last 50 years and makes recommendations about continuing efforts to address poverty there.


Volcanoes form along the edges of tectonic plates. Although it is true that volcanic erup- tions are destructive, these eruptions also have benefits. Volcanic eruptions provide minerals to the surrounding soil, and these minerals are beneficial to agriculture and can be used as building materials. Exposure to volcanic emissions can threaten the health of inhabitants in many ways; dermal and ocular irritation, cardiopulmonary exacerbations in people who suffer from chronic diseases, and even cancer have been linked with exposure to volcanic emissions. When rainwater passes through volcanic ashes deposited on land surfaces, the leaching of metals leads to significant changes in the chemistry of the surface water, increasing the risk of drinking water and land contamination. In addition to the health effects, volcanic eruptions are known to lead to surface cooling at the regional and global scales because of the emission of fine ash particles; however, these emissions, being a source of sulfates, contribute to acid rain formation. Because volcanic ash is highly abrasive, this ash can lower visibility and cause considerable damage to the engines of transportation systems. To avoid fatalities, it is important to closely monitor volcanic activity and promote a culture of prevention at all levels of society.


Background and Purpose: Health researchers need access to continuing education and specialized advice to improve the quality, efficiency and accessibility of health systems. The creation of communities of researchers can provide the information necessary for their daily work in addition to strengthening the links between researchers. In this context, Web 2.0 technologies can facilitate the establishment of these communities. The AFRICA BUILD project aims to promote health research through the creation of virtual communities of health researchers, educators and practitioners, and the use of Information and Communication Technologies. This paper highlights the main findings and challenges found in the development of these communities. Methods: We have developed a social platform, the AFRICA BUILD Portal (ABP), which integrates health research related didactic contents and resources, as well as tools that facilitate collaboration. This portal has been developed following three principles: (i) use of free and open source tools, (ii) adaptation of these tools to low bandwidth connections, and (iii) creation of a Euro-African community of developers for the sustainability of the ABP. Results: Several communities of users were initiated within the ABP, mainly structured in three types according to: the organization or country to which they belong, the specific area they are working in, and researchers from two pilots courses on HIV/AIDS and Reproductive Health Research. Conclusions: Project partners and associates, who form several communities of users, currently use the ABP. The main challenges faced in the creation of these communities are: the language, a need for facilitators for the discussions and interactions, and the motivation of some members to actively participate and contribute in exchanges. In future steps, we plan to develop new functionalities within the ABP and disseminate the platform to the biomedical scientific community in Africa, fostering the creation of African communities of biomedical researchers. Keywords: Community Networks, Health Research, Social Media


The recently released 'Educational PAC' attempts to place basic education at the center of the social debate. We have subsidized this debate, offering a diagnosis of how different education levels can impact individuals' lives through broad and easily interpreted indicators. Initially, we analyze how much each educational level reaches the poorest population. For example, how are those in the bottom strata of income distribution benefited by childcare centers, private secondary education, public university or adult education. The next step is to quantify the return of educational actions, such as their effects on employability and an individual's wages, and even health as perceived by the individual, be that individual poor, middle class or elite. The next part of the research presents evidence of how the main characters in education, aka mothers, fathers and children, regard education. The site available with the research presents a broad, user-friendly database, which will allow interested parties to answer their own questions relative to why people do not attend school, the time spent in the educational system and returns to education, which can all be cross-sectioned with a wide array of socio-demographic attributes (gender, income, etc.) and school characteristics (is it public, are school meals offered, etc.) to find answers to: why do young adults of a certain age not attend school? Why do they miss classes? How long is the school day? Aside from the whys and hows of teaching, the research calculates the amount of time spent in school, resulting from a combination between absence rates, evasion raters and length of the school day. The study presents ranks of indicators referring to objective and subjective aspects of education, such as the discussion of the advantages and care in establishing performance based incentives that aim at guiding the states in the race for better educational indicators.


Siemens gas turbines are monitored and controlled by a large number of sensors and actuators. Process information is stored in a database and used for offline calculations and analyses. Before storing the sensor readings, a compression algorithm checks the signal and skips the values that explain no significant change. Compression of 90 % is not unusual. Since data from the database is used for analyses and decisions are made upon results from these analyses it is important to have a system for validating the data in the database. Decisions made on false information can result in large economic losses. When this project was initiated no sensor validation system was available. In this thesis the uncertainties in measurement chains are revealed. Methods for fault detection are investigated and finally the most promising methods are put to the test. Linear relationships between redundant sensors are derived and the residuals form an influence structure allowing the faulty sensor to be isolated. Where redundant sensors are not available, a gas turbine model is utilized to state the input-output relationships so that estimates of the sensor outputs can be formed. Linear parametric models and an ANN (Artificial Neural Network) are developed to produce the estimates. Two techniques for the linear parametric models are evaluated; prediction and simulation. The residuals are also evaluated in two ways; direct evaluation against a threshold and evaluation with the CUSUM (CUmulative SUM) algorithm. The results show that sensor validation using compressed data is feasible. Faults as small as 1% of the measuring range can be detected in many cases.


Hyporheic sediment bacterial communities were exposed to dissolved organic matter (DOM) from a variety of sources to assess the interdependence of bacterial metabolism and community composition. Experiments ranged from small‐scale core perfusions with defined compounds (glucose, bovine serum albumin) to mesocosms receiving natural leaf leachate or water from different streams. Response variables included bacterial production, oxygen consumption, extracellular enzyme activity, and community similarity as manifest by changes in banding patterns of randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD). All DOM manipulations generated responses in at least one metabolic variable. Additions of both labile and recalcitrant materials increased either oxygen consumption, production, or both depending on background DOM. Enzyme activities were affected by both types of carbon addition with largest effects from the labile mixture. Cluster analysis of RAPD data showed strong divergence of communities exposed to labile versus recalcitrant DOM. Additions of leaf leachate to mesocosms representing hyporheic flowpaths caused increases in oxygen consumption and some enzyme activities with weaker effects on production. Community structure was strongly affected; samples from the leachate‐amended mesocosms clustered separately from the control samples. In mesocosms receiving water from streams ranging in DOC (0.5–4.5 mg L−1), there were significant differences in bacterial growth, oxygen consumption, and enzyme activities. RAPD analysis showed strongest clustering of samples by stream type with more subtle effects of position along the flowpaths. Responses in community metabolism were always accompanied by shifts in community composition, suggesting carbon supply affects both functional and structural attributes of hyporheic bacterial communities.


BACKGROUND IVF, using donor oocytes, has become increasingly common. The donation procedure carries psychiatric risks, including depression, anxiety and rarely, psychosis, and this risk increases when there is a past history of psychiatric illness. We report on the psychiatric status, at intake assessment, of a group of candidate oocyte donors. METHODS The authors reviewed clinical records of 63 women continuously presenting to a University medical center for psychiatric evaluation as part of the screening process for oocyte donation. A board certified psychiatrist administered a structured clinical interview to candidate donors, and self-report measures were obtained from 28 women. RESULTS There was a significant discrepancy between psychiatric history of depression and current mood status, as measured by both clinical interview and psychometric self-report data. Nearly one-quarter of candidate donors (22%) reported a history of major depressive disorder; however, all candidate donors denied current mood disturbance on clinical interview, and mean Beck depression inventory and profile of mood states scores were lower than expected compared with psychometric norms (P < 0.0005), epidemiological data and the recurrent nature of depressive disorders. CONCLUSIONS Candidate donors may minimize psychiatric symptoms. Given the potential for ovarian stimulation protocols to induce or exacerbate mood symptoms, and the moderate heritability of mood disorders, careful evaluation of candidate donor affective disorder history is recommended. This evaluation should focus on sensitivity to mood destabilization during times of hormonal change. Measures that examine whether a candidate donor may have a tendency to present herself in an overly favorable manner, and/or a tendency to minimize symptoms, are recommended.


Due to its extraordinary explanatory power for individual behavior, the interest in the concept of locus of control (LOC) has increased substantially within applied economic research. But, even though LOC has been found to affect economic behavior in many ways, the reliability of these findings is at risk as they commonly rely on the assumption that LOC is stable over the life course. While absolute stability has been generally rejected, the extent to which LOC and thus personality changes is, nonetheless, strongly debated. We contribute to this discussion by analyzing the effect of unemployment on LOC. Based on German panel data, we apply a difference-in-difference approach by using an involuntary job loss as trigger for unemployment. Overall, we find a significant shift in stated LOC due to unemployment. Because the effect is observable during unemployment only and not heterogeneous with respect to individual characteristics or unemployment duration, we conclude that only the stated LOC is biased during unemployment but the underlying personality trait itself is not affected.


In recent years much research work has been dedicated to detecting user activity patterns from sensor data such as location, movement and proximity. However, how daily activities are correlated to people's happiness (such as their satisfaction from work and social lives) is not well explored. In this work, we propose an approach to investigate the relationship between users' daily activity patterns and their life satisfaction level. From a well-known longitudinal dataset collected by mobile devices, we extract various activity features through location and proximity information, and compute the entropies of these data to capture the regularities of the behavioral patterns of the participants. We then perform component analysis and structural equation modeling to identify key behavior contributors to self-reported satisfaction scores. Our results show that our analytical procedure can identify meaningful assumptions of causality between activities and satisfaction. Particularly, keeping regularity in daily activities can significantly improve the life satisfaction.


An increase in the demand for agricultural goods leads to the use of more intensive cultivation methods. Though Ricardo sees no difficulties in the intensification process, their existence is revealed by the possible occurrence of multiple equilibria. A general theory of intensive rent is based on a formal parallel with single-product systems without land.


The Literature pertaining to the present research has been critically reviewed. Hot deformation of Nb-free and Nb-containing stainless and C-Mn steels has been carried out by: upset-forging, rolling, and plane strain compression testing. Also, some gridded lead alloy and some mild steel containing Type I MnS inclusions as markers have been hot rolled. Subsequently investigations have been made into: barrelling and lubrication in upsetting; distributions of temperature and strain during thermomechanical working; microstructural processes associated with hot deformation of steel and the evolution of microstructures particularly recrystallised gamma-grain size; isothermal transformation of austenite to ferrite; and the mechanisms governing hot deformation of austenite.Barrelling during the hot upsetting of a solid cylinder arises from the combined effects of interface friction and inhomogeneous distribution of temperature. A barrelling factor, B[f], has been defined to quantify the degree of barrelling and hence of inhomogeneity of deformation in an upset-forged cylinder. Employing glass as a lubricant, an optimised lubrication technique, which ensures homogeneous deformation in upsetting, has been developed and a mechanism of lubrication proposed. The through-thickness temperature distribution of a deforming material, particularly during hot rolling, is inhomogeneous. Generally, the centre-plane temperature rises due to heat generation while the surface-plane temperature drops due to the cooling effects of the tools. Strain distribution during hot rolling is also inhomogeneous. In particular, the vertical strain (epsilon[z]) is minimum at the surface-plane of the material, maximum at the mid-plane and intermediate at the centre-plane.Hot deformation of the stainless steels leads to substructure formation and, at suitably high strains, dynamic and metadynamic recrystallisation. Only a small amount of static recovery precedes static recrystallisation. Nucleation for recrystallisation occurs at preferential sites, particularly serrated boundaries and triple junctions of the deformed prior gamma-grains.The nucleated gamma-grains grow anisotropically and link up to form chains of grains at the prior gamma-grain boundaries. Recrystallisation in hot-rolled samples is inhomogeneous at micro and macro-levels. Particularly, recrystallisation is accelerated at the centre-plane and retarded at the surface plane. This effect arises mainly from non-uniform distribution of temperature and is influenced by material and hot rolling variables. Nb retards recrystallisation by the combined effects of Nb carbide/ nitride particles and Nb atoms in solid solution, the particle effect predominating at 1100°C. Recrystallisation is accelerated by a higher strain, a higher deformation temperature, a higher strain rate, a decrease in the prior ?-grain size, and the presence of deformation bands and twins. A non-isothermal multiple deformation sequence increases the incubation time due to a large temperature drop but promotes a fast recrystallisation rate at the recrystallisation temperature. (Abstract shortened by ProQuest.).


Rates of glacier mass loss in the northern Pacific coastal temperate rainforest (PCTR) are among the highest on Earth, and changes in glacier volume and extent will affect the flow regime and chemistry of coastal rivers, as well as the nearshore marine ecosystem of the Gulf of Alaska. Here we synthesize physical, chemical and biological linkages that characterize the northern PCTR ecosystem, with particular emphasis on the potential impacts of glacier change in the coastal mountain ranges on the surface–water hydrology, biogeochemistry, coastal oceanography and aquatic ecology. We also evaluate the relative importance and interplay between interannual variability and long-term trends in key physical drivers and ecological responses. To advance our knowledge of the northern PCTR, we advocate for cross-disciplinary research bridging the icefield-to-ocean ecosystem that can be paired with long-term scientific records and designed to inform decisionmakers.


The matter of formation of information learning environment of educational systems is among the actual problems of modern education development and transformation. Implementing of ICT-based tools on modern high-tech base into the educational process to ensure the submission and use of qualitative electronic educational resources, organization of flexible and convenient access to them, rising the quality of educational services through ICT, empowerment of access to education improve its quality and effectiveness.
ICT-based tools appear to be an instrument of open and distance learning. Just open education technologies suit best to meet the challenges of solving urgent social, economic, educational and cultural problems of modern society. In this context we face new needs and goals, professional and educational aims associated with the current state of the information society development. One of the main purposes is formation of educational, social, professional and personal competencies of a learner that enable him to live and work in a high-tech environment of the rapid aging of knowledge and of a rising intensity of acquisition information processes.


Existing 3D sketching methods typically allow the user to draw in empty space which is imprecise and lacks tactile feedback. We introduce a shape-stamping interface where users can model with tangible 3D primitive shapes. Each of these shapes represents a copy or a fragment of the construction material. Instead of modeling in empty space, these shapes allow us to use the real-world environment and other existing objects as a tangible guide during 3D modeling. We call this approach Situated Modeling: users can create new real-sized 3D objects directly in 3D space while using the nearby existing objects as the ultimate reference. We also describe a two-handed shape-stamping technique for stamping with tactile feedback. We show a variety of doit-yourself furniture and household products designed with our system, and perform a user study to compare our method with a related AR-based modeling system.


George Washington ranks as one of the great military leaders in history. The character traits he exemplified, and the leadership skills he employed, enabled him to defeat what was then the world's most powerful nation. In this marvelous book, Mark McNeilly shows today's managers how they can learn from Washington's career--both his triumphs and setbacks--to succeed as leaders in their chosen field. McNeilly paints vivid portraits of some of the crucial moments in Washington's military career, from the early debacle on Long Island Heights to the masterstroke at Trenton. There Washington, aided by his use of intelligence and disinformation, and by his great fortitude in the face of truly daunting conditions, routed the Hessians. McNeilly uses these stirring military encounters to underscore Washington's managerial genius: to persuade and inspire, to open up the decision-making process, to seize opportunities when they arise, to persevere when setbacks occurred, and to learn from his mistakes. Indeed, the true value of the book lies in McNeilly's brilliant ability to link military and business strategy, revealing that successful corporate leaders must possess many of the same traits that Washington did. Using examples from the NFL, Cadillac, Coke, Samsung, Embraer, IBM and others, McNeilly shows how business leaders can apply Washington's principles for success. Blending colorful military and business history with crystal-clear commentary, George Washington and the Art of Business belongs of the shelves of all executives who want to hone their leadership skills. Available in OSO: http://www.oxfordscholarship.com/oso/public/content/management/9780195189780/toc.html


Two receptors for the proinflammatory cytokine interleukin 1 (IL-1) have been cloned and characterized biochemically. While it has been well established that the type I (80-kDa) IL-1 receptor can mediate responses to IL-1, the function of the type II (60-kDa) IL-1 receptor has been unknown. In this manuscript we describe experiments designed to ask whether the type II receptor is capable of delivering a biological signal. We have examined two types of experimental situation: responses to IL-1 in cells which express predominantly the type II receptor, and responses to IL-1 which have been suggested previously in the literature to be mediated by type II receptors. In both situations we find that the responses instead are mediated via type I receptors. A blocking antibody against the type II receptor never inhibits, and in fact sometimes enhances, the responses. We conclude that a very small number of type I receptors is sufficient to mediate all of the actions of IL-1 which we have examined here and that the function of the type II receptor may not be to transduce signals.


The question as to whether political influence can benefit the commercial activity of companies, and the related questions surrounding political corruption that arise, are of perennial fascination for persons at every level of society and in every country. With this in mind, this article seeks to explore the relationship between political connections in commercial firms and investment efficiency. This relationship will be studied on an empirical basis, and will shed some light on the actual parameters, mechanisms, and effects of political influence in the business sphere in the Russian Federation.

In this research, we consider only direct relations between business operators and the members of Russian ministries,councils, political parties, heads of the regions and cities. These relationships are categorized as being politically influential depending on the status of the politician, and whether they are active at a federal, regional or municipal level. Connections with such politicians are examined where there is evidence of direct links with company CEOs and chairmen of the boards of directors of companies.

This research is carried out on the sample of 106 Russian non-financial companies for the period 2010–2015. 44 companies from the final sample were considered as politically connected on at least one level. Some firms have connections more than at one level (11 companies). Companies have politically connected chairman of the board (36 companies) more often than connected CEO (26 companies). Using regression analysis, we determined whether the political ties in Russia have a positive or a negative impact on the investment expenditures of companies. Interestingly, and perhaps contrary to popular belief, we identified a negative relationship between political ties and the efficiency of investment decisions for individual companies. The presence of politically-connected CEOs at federal and regional levels is seen to have a significant negative impact on investment efficiency. However, our results also indicate that the presence of politically-connected chairmen of the board which are active at the municipal level is correlated with efficient investment activity. This indicates that political influence at this level may be responsible for more prudent recommendations regarding commercial and investment decisions. Overall, it can be seen that in this sample of companies from the Russian Federation, the presence of state-tied representatives may be aligned with a tendency for companies to follow targets that are favorable for its government connections and not for the firm itself. Although political connections have a mixed impact on the company's value, the relation with investment efficiency is primarily negative. Thus, we may reason that the government has a strong power over politically-related companies. Such influences are linked with a tendency for companies to deviate from their primary goal of value maximization.

These results may indicate the influence of undue pressure from a government which strives to reach its own goals through the mechanism of commercial activity, or perhaps the opportunistic behavior of individuals in management positions who are motivated towards personal political gain at the expense of the company. Political connections have a mixed effect on the company's performance and investment efficiency, and we postulate that firms establish relationships with government officials pursuing the goal to obtain more advantageous position. The links between political operators and business activity demonstrated in this research undoubtedly highlight some uncomfortable areas of discourse in the commercial sphere. On a granular level, further research into specific transactions and motivations may seem more a research area for journalists or law enforcement investigators, but this may be simply a popular prejudice. There is certainly ample opportunity for expanding the scope of this study's results. Beyond the interests of political, sociological and legal researchers, the data presented herein will be of immediate interest to persons operating in the commercial, business, and economic spheres of the Russian Federation and internationally.


Objective: This study aims to synthesize a series of five new Mannich bases of dehydrozingerone (DHZ) derivatives and to evaluate for their antiinflammatory and antioxidant activity. Methods: The synthesis was performed by refluxing DHZ with formaldehyde and secondary amines, and the structures of the synthesized compounds were confirmed by FT-IR, 1 H-NMR, 13 C-NMR, and HR-MS. The anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity evaluations were done by inhibition of heat-induced albumin denaturation and a free-radical DPPH method, respectively. Results: All the synthesized compounds ( 2a-e ) showed anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity. The highest anti-inflammatory activity was shown by compound 2c . The activity was comparable to the that of diclofenac sodium as a standard. While, the highest antioxidant activity was demostrated by compound 2e . The compound showed moderate activity compared to that of quercetin as a standard. Mostly of Mannich base derivatives of DHZ compounds exhibited higher antioxidant activity than that of DHZ. Conclusion: A series of five new Mannich bases of DHZ ( 2a-e ) was synthesized successfully. Compound 2c demonstrated anti-inflammatory activity which was comparable to diclofenac sodium, while compound 2e exhibited moderate antioxidant activity compared to quercetin as standard. Key words: Dehydrozingerone, Mannich Bases, Synthesis, Anti-inflammatory, Antioxidant.