Time flies incredibly quickly, and 5 years have already passed since the worldwide re-launch of Ultrasonography. At this time, as we publish the first issue of the new 2019 volume, in my role as Editor-in-Chief, I would like to express my sincere appreciation for the efforts of all authors, reviewers, and editorial staff members, as well as the journal readers. Ultrasonography has published 200 peer-reviewed articles during the last 5 years, and recently a total of 186,453 hits were recorded during a single month (October 2018) at the journal's homepage (https://www.e-ultrasonography.org/). After Ultrasonography was indexed in PubMed and SCOPUS, global submissions have increased. In 2014, during the first year after our re-launch, all authors of the 40 articles published were Korean. In contrast, in the last year, fully half of the 40 articles we published were written by international authors. The journal's unofficial 2017 impact factor was 2.838, as part of the core collection of the Web of Science via Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI), which corresponded to the 39th-highest of all 129 journals in the "Radiology, Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging" subject category in Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE), and the second-highest of all global academic peer-reviewed journals on medical ultrasound. In 2018, the Korean Society of Ultrasound in Medicine (KSUM), the parent society of Ultrasonography, successfully hosted the annual conference of Asian Federation of Societies for Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology (AFSUMB). The significant contributions of East Asian researchers to medical imaging are well-known in academia, and as one of the leading global journals in the field of medical ultrasound, Ultrasonography will continue to play an indispensable role in covering recent advances and providing dedicated educational materials, in addition to publishing high-quality articles with valuable information for clinical practice.


Cancer is a disease that causes most deaths in this century. In general, cancer can affect Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is a disease with metabolism disorder signed by increasing of glucose blood (hyperglicemia), caused by disorder of insulin secretion and or increasing of insulin resistance. Therapy of Methanolic Swetenia mahagoni Seed Extracts is an alternative treatment for DM. The objective of this research is to prove the effect of extract of Swetenia mahagoni Jacq to decreasing blood glucose content and repair pancreatic tissue damage of rat result Multiple Low Dose-Streptozotocin (MLD-STZ )induced dose of 20 mg/kg weight for 5 days successively. Blood glucose of rat was measured using digital glucometer and categorized as DM if it is >300 mg/dL. This research used 25 wistar strained white rat (Rattus norvegicus). Which were classified into 5 groups, they are one group of negative control, one group of positive control, and three groups of MLD-STZ induced given treatment of Methanolic Swetenia mahagoni Seed Extracts with dose of 100, 250 and 400 mg/kg weight for 7 days. The result showed that treatment of Methanolic Swetenia mahagoni Seed Extracts with dose of 100, 250 and 400 mg/kgBW decreased blood glucose 55,47%; 81,01% and 73,63% successively, and improved damage of pancreas tissue from decreasing in the degree of insulitis (p<0.05). There was a protective effect of methanolic Swetenia mahagoni seed extract to blood glucose and damage of rat pancreas tissue MLD-STZ induced. The terapeutic effect was optimal at dose of 250 mg/kgBW.


Although histone H3 Lysine 4 methylation (H3K4me) is strongly associated with active transcription, an increasing number of arguments indicate its repressive role in gene expression. Recent data in the mammalian and budding yeast systems have provided evidence for H3K4me2 and H3K4me3 tethering histone deacetylase complexes (HDACs) to modulate gene expression. In S. cerevisiae, this regulation is mediated by specific subunits within HDACs that recognize the methylation status of H3K4 allowing chromatin reorganization to attenuate or repress transcription. Albeit we are still a long way from understanding the mechanism and biological consequences, it is becoming clear that H3K4me at certain chromatin loci may prevent aberrant gene expression or modulate transcriptional response. This review will provide a brief overview of a novel interpretation of H3K4me and its outcome on transcription regulation and will suggest future challenges for the field of epigenetics.


Many metagenomics classification tools have been developed with the rapid growth of the metagenomics field. However, the classification of closely related species remains a challenge for this field. Here, we compared MetaPhlAn2, kallisto and Kraken for their performances in two metagenomics settings, human metagenomics and environmental metagenomics. Our comparative study showed that kallisto demonstrated higher sensitivity than MetaPhlAn2 and Kraken and better quantification accuracy than Kraken at the species level. We also showed that classification tools that run on full reference genomes misidentified many species that were not truly present. In order to reduce false positives, we introduced marker genes from MetaPhlAn2 into our pipeline, which uses kallisto for the classification step, as an additional filtering step for species detection.


Clinical notes in electronic health records contain highly heterogeneous writing styles, including non-standard terminology or abbreviations. Using these notes in predictive modeling has traditionally required preprocessing (e.g. taking frequent terms or topic modeling) that removes much of the richness of the source data. We propose a pretrained hierarchical recurrent neural network model that parses minimally processed clinical notes in an intuitive fashion, and show that it improves performance for discharge diagnosis classification tasks on the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care III (MIMIC-III) dataset, compared to models that treat the notes as an unordered collection of terms or that conduct no pretraining. We also apply an attribution technique to examples to identify the words that the model uses to make its prediction, and show the importance of the words' nearby context.


Xenoliths of subducted crustal origin hosted by Miocene ultrapotassic igneous rocks in the southern Pamir provide important new information regarding the geological processes accompanying tectonism during the Indo-Eurasian collision. Four types have been studied: sanidine eclogites (omphacite, garnet, sanidine, quartz, biotite, kyanite), felsic granulites (garnet, quartz, sanidine and kyanite), basaltic eclogites (omphacite and garnet), and a glimmerite (biotite, clinopyroxene and sanidine). Apatite, rutile and carbonate are the most abundant minor phases. Hydrous phases (biotite and phengite in felsic granulites and basaltic eclogites, amphiboles in mafic and sanidine eclogites) and plagioclase form minor inclusions in garnet or kyanite. Solid-phase thermobarometry reveals recrystallization at mainly ultrahigh temperatures of 1000–1100 C and nearultrahigh pressures of 2 5–2 8GPa. Textures, parageneses and mineral compositions suggest derivation of the xenoliths from subducted basaltic, tonalitic and pelitic crust that experienced highpressure dehydration melting, K-rich metasomatism, and solid-state re-equilibration. The timing of these processes is constrained by zircon ages from the xenoliths and Ar/Ar ages of the host volcanic rocks to 57–11Ma. These xenoliths reveal that deeply subducted crust may undergo extensive dehydration-driven partial melting, density-driven differentiation and disaggregation, and sequestration within the mantle. These processes may also contribute to the alkaline volcanism observed in continent-collision zones.


The main goal of care services is provide and promote mankind's health. Patient satisfaction is recognized as an important parameter for assessing the quality of patient care services. Spatially mothers' satisfaction from delivery is very important because psychological health. So, keeping in view a descriptive study was carried out to assess the level of satisfaction regarding intrapartum and postpartum nursing care among 100 women admitted at selected hospital of Ludhian intrapartum nursing care, maximum no. of women (73%) were highly satisfied, whereas 26% of them were satisfied and only 1% was uncertain and regarding postpartum nursing care, more than half women (58%) were satisfied followed by less than half of women (40%) were highly satisfied and remaining 2% were uncertain. Furthermore, the study can be replicated on a large sample. The study findings concluded that level of satisfaction was more rega postpartum nursing care. the quality of hospital services.


Indonesian waters have a high diversity of sharks and rays, with at least 118 species belonging to 25 families found throughout the vast archipelago. Indonesia also has the highest shark landings globally and nearly all high‑value shark species are overexploited and could be considered threatened. This situation is of international concern, especially among conservationists and elasmobranch scientists. Most of the shark catch in Indonesian waters is taken as bycatch of fisheries deploying various types of gear, including longlines, driftnets, handlines and purse‑seines. However, sharks are also targeted in several regions of eastern and southern Indonesia, where they are often the main source of livelihood for many artisanal fishers. Shark fishing, whether targeted or bycatch, occurs throughout most of Indonesia's waters, and the large size of the EEZ, which encompasses nearly 6 million km2, is a primary constraint regarding the effective management of shark fisheries. In 2009, 11 fisheries management zones were established through the gazetting of a regulation on regional fisheries, facilitating management by the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries. Here, we discuss how the implementation of a number of regulations gazetted by the Indonesian government to ensure sustainable utilisation of fisheries resources should take into account shark resources. We also examine recent elasmobranch conservation efforts by the government, including the recent designation of whale sharks Rhincodon typus and manta rays Manta alfredi and M. birostris as fully protected species, and a prohibition on exports of products of hammerhead Sphyrna spp. and oceanic whitetip sharks Carcharhinus longimanus.


GWA studies combined with multiple mutagenesis technologies, including CRISPR/Cas9, were used to functionally validate novel candidate genes contributing to phenotypic variation in symbiosis between legume plants and rhizobial bacteria. Genome-wide association (GWA) studies offer the opportunity to identify genes that contribute to naturally occurring variation in quantitative traits. However, GWA relies exclusively on statistical association, so functional validation is necessary to make strong claims about gene function. We used a combination of gene-disruption platforms (Tnt1 retrotransposons, hairpin RNA-interference constructs, and CRISPR/Cas9 nucleases) together with randomized, well-replicated experiments to evaluate the function of genes that an earlier GWA study in Medicago truncatula had identified as candidates contributing to variation in the symbiosis between legumes and rhizobia. We evaluated ten candidate genes found in six clusters of strongly associated single nucleotide polymorphisms, selected on the basis of their strength of statistical association, proximity to annotated gene models, and root or nodule expression. We found statistically significant effects on nodule production for three candidate genes, each validated in two independent mutants. Annotated functions of these three genes suggest their contributions to quantitative variation in nodule production occur through processes not previously connected to nodulation, including phosphorous supply and salicylic acid-related defense response. These results demonstrate the utility of GWA combined with reverse mutagenesis technologies to discover and validate genes contributing to naturally occurring variation in quantitative traits. The results highlight the potential for GWA to complement forward genetics in identifying the genetic basis of ecologically and economically important traits.


The cyclooxygenases (COX-1 and COX-2) oxygenate arachidonic acid (AA) in the committed step of prostaglandin biogenesis. Substitutions of I434V, H513R, and I523V constitute the only differences in residues lining the cyclooxygenase channel between COX-1 and COX-2. These changes create a hydrophobic pocket in COX-2, with Arg-513 located at the base of the pocket, which has been exploited in the design of COX-2-selective inhibitors. Previous studies have shown that COX-2, but not COX-1, can oxygenate endocannabinoid substrates, including 2-arachidonoyl glycerol (2-AG). To investigate the isoform-specific structural basis of endocannabinoid binding to COX-2, we determined the crystal structure of the 2-AG isomer 1-arachidonoyl glycerol (1-AG) in complex with wild type and R513H murine (mu) COX-2 to 2.2 and 2.35 Å, respectively, and R513H muCOX-2 in complex with AA to 2.45 Å resolution. The 2,3-dihydroxypropyl moiety of 1-AG binds near the opening of the cyclooxygenase channel in the space vacated by the movement of the Leu-531 side chain, validating our previous hypothesis implicating the flexibility of the Leu-531 side chain as a determinant for the ability of COX-2 to oxygenate endocannabinoid substrates. Functional analyses carried out to compliment our structural findings indicated that Y355F and R513H muCOX-2 constructs had no effect on the oxygenation of 1-AG and 2-AG, whereas substitutions that resulted in a shortened side chain for Leu-531 had only modest effects. Both AA and 1-AG bind to R513H muCOX-2 in conformations similar to those observed in the co-crystal structures of these substrates with wild type enzyme.


Understanding the solution-phase dispersion of pristine, unfunctionalized graphene is important for the production of conducting inks and top-down approaches to electronics. This process can also be used as a higher-quality alternative to chemical vapor deposition. We have developed a theoretical framework that utilizes molecular dynamics simulations and the kinetic theory of colloid aggregation to elucidate the mechanism of stabilization of liquid-phase-exfoliated graphene sheets in N-methylpyrrolidone (NMP), N,N'-dimethylformamide (DMF), dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), γ-butyrolactone (GBL), and water. By calculating the potential of mean force between two solvated graphene sheets using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, we have found that the dominant barrier hindering the aggregation of graphene is the last layer of confined solvent molecules between the graphene sheets, which results from the strong affinity of the solvent molecules for graphene. The origin of the energy barrier responsible for repelling the sheets is the steric repulsions between solvent molecules and graphene before the desorption of the confined single layer of solvent. We have formulated a kinetic theory of colloid aggregation to model the aggregation of graphene sheets in the liquid phase in order to predict the stability using the potential of mean force. With only one adjustable parameter, the average collision area, which can be estimated from experimental data, our theory can describe the experimentally observed degradation of the single-layer graphene fraction in NMP. We have used these results to rank the potential solvents according to their ability to disperse pristine, unfunctionalized graphene as follows: NMP ≈ DMSO > DMF > GBL > H(2)O. This is consistent with the widespread use of the first three solvents for this purpose.


In the framework of completing the master thesis of Health Sciences, I performed research at
the Intensive Care Department (ICD) of the Medisch Spectrum Twente (MST) into studying
how to improve the sta�ffing of nurses.
In January 2016 the MST moved into a new building. With this change, the ICD was expanded
and the capacity increased from 28 beds -in the past situation- to a maximum capacity of 42
beds. The units also changed. In the past situation there was one Thorax and one General
unit, whereas in the new situation there is one Thorax unit, two General intensive care units
and one Medium care unit.
With the change of situation, the medical manager from the ICD thought about the possibility
of adjusting staffi�ng to the activity, with the purpose of increasing the e�fficiency, because he
had the impression that there were more nurses than needed. He also had the feeling that
when there are more nurses than beds to cover the motivation of the nurses decreases. Until
now, the methodology used for sta�ffing is based on the bed capacity. Thus, he wanted to
study the possibility of switching to staffi�ng based on demand, instead of capacity.
The objective of this research is to study how the current methodology employed for nurse
staffi�ng purposes can be improved. Not only do we consider staffi�ng based on demand, but
we also study other sta�ffing approaches. This leads to the following central research question:
"In what way can the current capacity based staffi�ng be improved in the Intensive Care
Department of the MST?"
In order to find an appropriate approach for answering the research question, we have to take
into account that the ICD underwent an important expansion. There was not enough data
from the new situation to extract conclusions about possible changes. Moreover, the data
was not reliable. Together with the manager, the following assumption was agreed upon: if
an approach would have been effective in the old ICD, it will be effective in the new ICD as
well. Accordingly, this is a retrospective study using data from 2012 to 2015.
Before studying the staffi�ng approaches, we analyzed the past situation of the ICD with data
from 2012 to 2015. The most relevant information found was that the most common bed
occupancy rates were between 71% and 90%.
In this project we consider three staffi�ng approaches: sta�ffing based on demand, based on
capacity and based on a hybrid approach. Within each approach, we consider different
scenarios. These approaches and scenarios are: (i) Demand approach: the demand approach consists in predicting the daily average number
of beds occupied per week in 2015. The scenarios considered are: perfect prediction,
naive forecast, moving averages and seasonal indexes. We also forecasted the demand
using ARIMA models. Even though we found mathematically correct models, the
prediction was close to the mean of the data and did not show variations. Since we were
not satisfied with the results, and the application of ARIMA models is time-demanding
and requires forecasting skills, we decided to develop heuristics for demand prediction.
The heuristics developed are the aforementioned demand scenarios (except for the perfect
prediction).
(ii) Capacity approach: the capacity scenarios calculate the number of beds occupied based
on a percentage of the maximum available capacity. The different scenarios considered
are: 100%, 85%, 80%, 75% and 70% of capacity. For example, 85% of capacity means
that we assume that 85% of the beds are occupied, even though 100% of the bed capacity
is available.
(iii) Hybrid approach: it is a combination of capacity and demand staffi�ng. First, staffi�ng is
done based on a percentage of the maximum available capacity. Then, a reinforcement
of this staffi�ng is done based on demand forecasting (using seasonal indexes). This
means that the hybrid approach takes the maximum value between the capacity and the
demand approach. The scenarios are: 85%, 80%, 75% and 70% hybrid.
The presented scenarios were discussed from three perspectives: waste, financial and practical
point of view.
From a waste viewpoint, we were looking for the scenario with the best allocation of nurses,
i.e., the least amount of extra hours and unnecessary hours worked. This resulted to be the
75% capacity scenario, with a pool of nurses of 61.68 FTE. This implies 20.6 FTE less than
using the 100% capacity scenario.
From a financial point of view, the 70% capacity scenario is the best one due to the reduced
costs. Taking into account the pool of nurses and extra hours, the 70% capacity scenario adds
up to a total amount of 1,844,296 e, whereas sta�ffing based on 100% capacity costs 2,617,600
e. This supposes a cost reduction of 29.5%. Nevertheless, due to the lack of nurses that
this scenario implies, and that the resulting nurse-patient ratios differ significantly from the
optimal-defined ones, the implementation of this scenario is not wise.
So far, we have seen that the waste and financial viewpoints are not aligned. Moreover,
we also have to take into account a practical perspective. In this project, reality has been
simplified, thus, the scenarios mentioned so far might be too adjusted and not appropriate to
be implemented. Therefore, taking into consideration the fact that changes are diffi�cult and
that reality has been simplified, we consider that a scenario closer to 100% capacity might be
a good option - such as staffi�ng based on 85% of capacity.
Answering the research question:
(i) Demand approach: we consider it too risky due to the amount of extra and unnecessary
hours of work that it has. Moreover, a considerable amount of reliable past data is
needed, which is often diffi�cult to obtain. (ii) Capacity approach: it is possible to improve the current staffi�ng methodology using this
approach, by reducing the percentage of capacity based on which the sta�ffing is done.
Yet, keeping all the beds open. Almost all the capacity scenarios are prepared to handle
100% of the demand, even though they do not staff based on 100% capacity. With the
capacity scenarios, a cost and waste reduction can be achieved.
(iii) Hybrid approach: this approach presents more waste than the capacity approach, but
the risk of having less nurses than needed is reduced. Its disadvantage is the need of
past reliable data.
In conclusion, we advise to consider the capacity approach and, from this, the 85% capacity
scenario. We consider that further research using simulation is recommended in order to
simulate a more complex environment an evaluate the performance of the scenario. In case
of willing to implement the new proposed methodology, we recommend to make a real life
test, in which during a month the amount of nurses working is reduced. It is important to
measure the motivation of the nurses before and after the test using questionnaires, as well as
to measure the test performance. This will result in valuable information in decision making
regarding the change of methodology.
Even though the analysis is done based on the old ICD, taking into account the aforementioned
assumption, it is possible to change the current staffi�ng methodology in the new ICD to
improve the allocation of resources.


A new generation of spent fuel shipping casks are being developed for the Department of Energy (DOE) in support of transportation system development activities for the Civilian Radioactive Waste Management (CRWM) program. As part of subcriticality control for design basis accident condition, credit is taken for the burnup of Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) spent fuel assemblies for a full loading configuration. Therefore, the PWR casks can be used for transporting those PWR spent fuel assemblies which have a certain minimum burnup and maximum enrichment. No burnup credit was needed in the design of casks for transporting boiling water reactor spent fuel assemblies. This paper presents the results of an analysis performed to determine the GA-4 and the BR-100 cask loading capabilities from a criticality standpoint, given the spent fuel discharge from commercial reactors as projected by the DOE Energy Information Administration (EIA). The results indicate that the BR-100 cask can accommodate 96% of the current PWR spent fuel inventory, and the GA-4 cask 99% of the inventory if a full loading requirement is imposed. The PWR spent fuel accommodation by the GA-4 and BR-100 casks are reduced considerably for the No-New-Orders, Lower-Reference, and Upper-Reference cases. The results also indicate that there will be a considerable number of PWR spent fuel assemblies with initial enrichments higher than that used for designing the GA-4 and BR-100 casks.


In the assessment of the reliability of a large water supply system made up of many reservoirs and links, it is important to be able to simulate the performance of the system to assess its characteristics and ask 'what if' questions, without waiting for history to unfold. An essential ingredient in the assessment of system reliability by simulation is a sound generator of artificial hydrological records. This paper describes the analysis, fitting, verification and validation of a model designed to produce correctly cross-correlated flow sequences at a large number of sites simultaneously in the Vaal River System Study. To check the performance of the model in producing generated streamflow sequences that mimic the historical flows, a set of verification and validation tests were used. This strategy shows that fitting probability models to highly skewed flow data needs to be done by robust methods that must be carefully assessed and demonstrates the absolute necessity of such checking. The variety of flow regimes encountered in the Vaal study, from semi-humid to arid, is large enough to suggest that the model is potentially reliable in a wider context within the subcontinent.


Endoreduplication is an endonuclear chromosome duplication that occurs in the absence of mitosis and in Zea mays (L.) is required for endosperm development. Induction of DNA synthesis during early stages of endosperm development is maintained by increasing the amount and activity of S phase—related protein kinases, which was demonstrated here by their ability to interact with human E2F or with the adenovirus E1A proteins. In addition it was shown that endoreduplicated endosperm cells contain an inhibitor that suppresses the activity of the M phase—promoting factor (MPF). These results demonstrate that in maize endosperm, endoreduplication proceeds as a result of two events, inhibition of MPF and induction of S phase—related protein kinases.


We propose a novel unsupervised learning framework to model activities and interactions in crowded and complicated scenes. Hierarchical Bayesian models are used to connect three elements in visual surveillance: low-level visual features, simple "atomic" activities, and interactions. Atomic activities are modeled as distributions over low-level visual features, and multi-agent interactions are modeled as distributions over atomic activities. These models are learnt in an unsupervised way. Given a long video sequence, moving pixels are clustered into different atomic activities and short video clips are clustered into different interactions. In this paper, we propose three hierarchical Bayesian models, Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) mixture model, Hierarchical Dirichlet Process (HDP) mixture model, and Dual Hierarchical Dirichlet Processes (Dual-HDP) model. They advance existing language models, such as LDA [1] and HDP [2]. Our data sets are challenging video sequences from crowded traffic scenes and train station scenes with many kinds of activities co-occurring. Without tracking and human labeling effort, our framework completes many challenging visual surveillance tasks of board interest such as: (1) discovering typical atomic activities and interactions; (2) segmenting long video sequences into different interactions; (3) segmenting motions into different activities; (4) detecting abnormality; and (5) supporting high-level queries on activities and interactions.


Aim To analyse aerobic fitness and its relationship with sport participation, exercise training and habitual physical activity (HPA) during youth. Methods Studies were located through computer searches of Medline, SPORT Discus and personal databases. Systematic reviews of time trends in aerobic fitness/performance, and exercise training and peak oxygen uptake (peak VO2) are reported. Results Peak VO2 increases with age and maturation. Boys' peak VO2 is higher than girls'. Despite data showing a decrease in performance test estimates of aerobic fitness there is no compelling evidence to suggest that young people have low levels of peak VO2 or that it is declining over time. The primary time constant of the VO2 kinetics response to moderate and heavy intensity exercise slows with age and the VO2 kinetics response to heavy intensity exercise is faster in boys. There is a negative correlation between lactate threshold as a percentage of peak VO2 and age but differences related to maturation or sex remain to be proven. Young athletes have higher peak VO2, a faster primary time constant and accumulate less blood lactate at the same relative exercise intensity than their untrained peers. Young people can increase their peak VO2 through exercise training but a meaningful relationship between aerobic fitness and HPA has not been demonstrated. Conclusions During youth the responses of the components of aerobic fitness vary in relation to age, maturation and sex. Exercise training will enhance aerobic fitness but a relationship between young people's current HPA and aerobic fitness remains to be proven.


Tiffs paper reports on recent progress addressing two issues, one of importvalce to theoretical and experimental research in generative planning and the second of importvalce to the practical application of probabilistic planning methods. The first issue concerns what makes planning problems hard from a computational perspective. We report on research investigating threshold phenomena in deterministic planning problems. The observed phenomena are similar to those observed in boolean satisfiability problems, but raise interesting issues concerning the random generation of planning instances. The second issue concerns the problem of learning models for stochastic domains. Developing planning systems currently requires the tedious hand construction of domain models. We survcy Bayesian methods for learning such models from data, augqnented with expert knowledge when available.


This essay takes a literary journey to Jack London State Historic Park, the National Steinbeck Center, and the Beat Museum. An exploration of the shrines that are devoted to writers and which attract readers from around the world as well as close to home, the essay explores California's identity as a cultural destination for tourists as well as for natives of the Golden State. By linking specific geographical places, such as Glen Ellen, Salinas, and San Francisco to books and to their authors, California's literary shrines weave a kind of cultural magic that transcends time and place and invigorates twentieth-century classics such as Steinbeck's  The Grapes of Wrath , Kerouac's  On the Road , and Jack London's  The Iron Heel.


We investigated the association of broad plasma depletions (BPDs) with plasma bubbles and ionospheric uplift in the equatorial F region using the coincident satellite and radar observations over Jicamarca in Peru. BPDs were detected by the first Republic of China satellite (ROCSAT‐1) on the nights of 21 and 22 December 2002 during the period of moderate geomagnetic activity. The observations of the Jicamarca Unattended Long‐term Investigations of the Ionosphere and Atmosphere radar and an ionosonde showed that the F peak height was lifted above the ROCSAT‐1 altitude (600 km) at the times of the BPD detection. The fraction of NO+ was substantial at the locations of BPDs. These observations support the association of the BPDs with the ionospheric uplift. However, the absence of large backscatter plumes at the times of the BPD detection indicates that the BPDs were not produced by a single large bubble or a merger of bubbles.


This paper examines the status of formal institutional linkages and its implications on MSEs performance in Ethiopia, particularly in Kombolcha town. The study was carried out in Kombolcha town. This paper has employed mixed (quantitative and qualitative) research design and explanatory sequential analytic approach. Using primary and secondary data, this study examines formal institutional linkages in terms of access to the market, financial support, infrastructures and educational institutions against MSEs performance. Thus, findings of the study show that locally produced raw materials are in a dearth of quality and affordability in the area. Despite having a favorable institutional linkage with TVET institutions in access to training and business improvement tools; technology transfer, credit access and market link for their produces is currently encountered with challenges from administrative sides and lack of appropriate policy concerns. Credit accesses as a backbone of MSEs has been highly affected by collateralize issues and entrepreneurs failures to organize under micro-enterprise as a mandatory procedure. Unlike formal linkages, the informal linkages have a significant role to play in access to the market. Thus, it is important to make revisions to the administrative procedures and traditional work practices at governmental and private institutions, and policy rigidity together to strengthen MSEs linkages with formal institutions.


As digital design technologies become ever more widespread, CAD-CAM, virtual and rapid prototyping techniques are increasingly being exploited by creative practitioners working in areas outside the industrial design and engineering contexts in which these technologies are currently predominantly employed. This review paper aims to critically examine work by artists, craft practitioners, and designer-makers who creatively engage with these new and rapidly emerging technologies and, by doing so, extend their own practice and push at the boundaries of art and design disciplines. Historic precedents for new 3D technologies in the fine and applied arts are identified, and writing by Heidegger, Baudrillard, and Virilio informs the critical review of work by art and design practitioners in sculpture, metalwork, jewellery, and ceramics. The discussion reflects on relationships between art and technology and physical and virtual making, and concludes by pointing to the possibility of new "hybrid" forms of practice which bridge the gap between physical and virtual design worlds. The paper closes by suggesting that the notion of "truth to materials" in the arts and crafts might now be extended to one of "truth to virtual materials", as practitioners creatively negotiate relationships between digital cause and physical effect.


Purpose Little is known about injury prevention practices in professional football clubs. The purpose of this study was therefore to determine the current perceptions and practices of premier league football clubs internationally concerning risk factors, testing and preventative exercises for non-contact injuries. Methods A survey was administered to 93 premier league football clubs internationally. The survey included four sections: (1) persons involved in the injury prevention programme: position, quantity, role, qualification; (2) perceptions regarding non-contact injury risk factors; (3) tests used to identify non-contact injury risk and (4) non-contact injury prevention exercises used, their perceived effectiveness and implementation strategies. Results 44 surveys were successfully returned (47%). The position of physiotherapist was the most represented position in the injury prevention programme. The top five perceived risk factors in rank order were previous injury, fatigue, muscle imbalance, fitness and movement efficiency. The five most commonly used tests to identify injury risk (in rank order) were functional movement screen, questionnaire, isokinetic dynamometry, physical tests and flexibility. The top five exercises used by clubs were (also in rank order) eccentric exercise, balance/proprioception, hamstring eccentric, core stability and, sharing the fifth position, Nordic hamstring and gluteus activation. Conclusions The survey revealed the most common perceptions and practices of premier league football clubs internationally regarding risk factors, testing and preventative exercises. The findings can enable reduction of the gap between research and practice.


An important component that has been missing from image synthesis is the effect of weathering. In this paper, we present an approach for the modeling and rendering of one type of weathering — metallic patinas. A patina is a film or incrustation on a surface that is produced by the removal of material, the addition of material, or the chemical alteration of a surface. Oxidation, sulphidization, and painting are examples of phenomena that produce patinas. We represent a surface as a series of layers. Patinas are simulated with a collection of operators, such as "coat," "erode," and "polish," which are applied to the layered structure. The development of patinas is modulated according to an object's geometry and local environmental factors. We introduce a technique to model the reflectance and transmission of light through the layered structure using the Kubelka-Munk model. This representation yields a model that can simulate many aspects of the time-dependent appearance of metals as they are exposed to the atmosphere or treated chemically. We demonstrate the approach with a collection of copper models. CR


Zn2+-finger proteins comprise one of the largest protein superfamilies with diverse biological functions. The ATM substrate Chk2-interacting Zn2+-finger protein (ASCIZ; also known as ATMIN and ZNF822) was originally linked to functions in the DNA base damage response and has also been proposed to be an essential cofactor of the ATM kinase. Here we show that absence of ASCIZ leads to p53-independent late-embryonic lethality in mice. Asciz-deficient primary fibroblasts exhibit increased sensitivity to DNA base damaging agents MMS and H2O2, but Asciz deletion or knock-down does not affect ATM levels and activation in mouse, chicken, or human cells. Unexpectedly, Asciz-deficient embryos also exhibit severe respiratory tract defects with complete pulmonary agenesis and severe tracheal atresia. Nkx2.1-expressing respiratory precursors are still specified in the absence of ASCIZ, but fail to segregate properly within the ventral foregut, and as a consequence lung buds never form and separation of the trachea from the oesophagus stalls early. Comparison of phenotypes suggests that ASCIZ functions between Wnt2-2b/ß-catenin and FGF10/FGF-receptor 2b signaling pathways in the mesodermal/endodermal crosstalk regulating early respiratory development. We also find that ASCIZ can activate expression of reporter genes via its SQ/TQ-cluster domain in vitro, suggesting that it may exert its developmental functions as a transcription factor. Altogether, the data indicate that, in addition to its role in the DNA base damage response, ASCIZ has separate developmental functions as an essential regulator of respiratory organogenesis.


We propose a method of automatic extraction of the tidal channel network from topographic data of marsh and tidal flat lands that uses a combination of a threshold elevation and threshold curvature. Not only the location but also the area of the channel bed is identified. This method differs substantially from that used to identify terrestrial channel networks, and it successfully predicts all of the main channels and nearly all of the smaller tributaries of the channel networks derived from SPOT imagery of the northern Venice Lagoon. Channel network maps of Venice and other sites (Petaluma Marsh in the San Francisco Bay and Barnstable Marsh in Massachusetts) were examined for scaling properties. Because of the large width of the channels relative to a characteristic length of their drainage area, we had to develop procedures for automatically delineating channel width and then for identifying the skeleton of the channel network (the pattern connecting the loci of the channel centerlines) for box‐counting analysis. Box‐counting dimensions of the network skeleton proved site‐dependent and showed finite‐size effects. Because of the large widths we also performed a scaling analysis based on the proportions of the total channel bed area occupied by the tidal networks (i.e., a "fat" fractal analysis). This analysis showed a strong break in scaling between large and small channels. These analyses suggest that tidal channels differ significantly in their scaling relationships from terrestrial systems. In subsequent papers [Rinaldo et al., this issue (a), (b)] we pursue this point much further.


Defrayal is supply of money or invoice that can do likened based on acceptance or agreement between banks with other party obliging party financed to refund or the invoice over a period with sharing holder. Defrayal of Moslem law as one of product type with Moslem law principle that is on the market by Kanindo Syariah East Java.
This research aim to know level of level of loan colectibility at Kanindo Syariah Jawa Timur and know strategy applied in overcoming defrayal to have problem passed to the client at co-operation.
Analyzer applied is colectibility analysis in the year 2007-2009 and analysis of SWOT. Data collecting technique done is by the way of interview technique and documentation technique.
Result of analysis calculation level of defrayal colectibility in Kanindo Syariah as a whole indicates that company in giving defrayal from year to year tends to stable. This thing is visible from Kanindo Syariah, data as a whole in the year 2007 equal to Rp 6.091.741.267, the year 2008 Rp 7.569.678.117, while for the year 2009 experiencing increase of Rp 11.149.674.440.
From result of this research writer can conclude that Kanindo Syariah East Java included in colectibility category A or fluent. This thing do proved with loan rate of return by last three years that is 2007, 2008, and 2009 reaching more than the defrayal total. Kanindo Syariah East Java to be more increase security and observation of defrayal and must follow defrayal-vesting procedure carefully.


The new wave of wireless technologies, fitness trackers, and body sensors have had a great impact on personal biometric tracking and monitoring. These technologies make a great contribution to personal health care, and can even be used in clinical settings. Among all of these devices, smartwatches are one of the most popular, and are becoming increasingly common among the general public. Commercially available smartwatches incorporate sophisticated algorithms and multi-sensor technologies, which are capable of providing users with real-time biometrics. Some of these sensors include a photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor that detects the wearer's heart rate, Galvanic skin response sensors which can provide skin surface information, and an accelerometer which can be used to provide activity and movement information. When considering clinical applications, researchers find the smartwatch's PPG sensor to be of most interest, as heart rate is one of the most important vitals that are monitored for clinical purposes. Heart rate can be used to detect and prevent serious diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases and seizures. However, the accuracy of PPG sensors still needs thorough investigation. Although the ability of wearable PPG sensors to reliably measure heart rate in regular movement (i.e. walking or jogging) has been demonstrated in previous research, there doesn't exist premier research that focuses on the accuracy of a PPG sensor in daily activities, such as brushing one's teeth, cooking, or vacuuming. These activities are of interest because they involve short periods of high frequency vibrations or intense wrist movements, which could affect the smartwatch's heart rate calculation. To validate the relative accuracy of a smartwatch's PPG sensor in these activities, a Microsoft Band (MB) and a Huawei Android smartwatch (HW) were used to conduct a series of experiments from which the heart rate signals were gathered and evaluated. Six participants were recruited to collect data from these two smartwatches, which involved completing a set of three daily activities under a specific protocol. The participants completed these sets of activities twice, giving us enough data to compare the collected heart rate between the two watches. Each activity was further divided into different stages, including the Rest Stage, Dominant Hand Active Stage (D-Active Stage), and Non Dominant Hand Active Stage (N-Active Stage). The heart rate differences between each watch during the same activity and the same stage of all activities were evaluated. We also investigated how relative heart rate accuracy was affected by skin tone, and if we could tell which hand the watch was being worn, being the user's dominant or non dominant hand. During the experiment, each subject wore a MB and a HW on the wrist of their dominant hand. Care was taken to follow proper wear guidelines as suggested for each device in order to collect the most reliable data possible. Each participant did a series of timed activities including cutting vegetables, electric tooth brushing, and walking along a given route. The participant was asked to follow timed instructions from the experiment instructor. The heart rate measurements of the two devices were stored in separate CSV files in their Bluetooth-connected smartphones to be processed for further analysis. After a close examination of the experiment's results, the vegetable cutting activity showed the largest heart rate differences among two devices, and the Dominant Hand Active Stage of cutting vegetables had the largest heart rate difference. Among all three test cases, electric tooth brushing shows the smallest heart rate difference in both the rest and active stages, which indicated that the influence of high frequency vibration is smaller than the magnitude of movement. Statistical results show that the user's relative heart rate accuracy will be affected by daily activities even when a smartwatch is being worn on their non dominant hand. However, the influence is much smaller than if the watch is worn on the wrist of the user's dominant hand. Furthermore, the skin tone of the participant also shows some effect on the relative accuracy of optical heart rate sensor as well. Based on the findings of these experiments, we discovered that a further exploration of the heart rate anomaly detection algorithm is required. This algorithm was used to identify the anomaly in the smartwatch's heart rate measurement while the user was completing an activity. The heart rate from the MB was compared with a pulse oximeter in order to tune the parameters of the anomaly algorithm. Data received from a separate test stage showed that the anomaly detection algorithm with tuned parameters can detect most of the heart rate anomalies identified by an examination of the heart rate signals.


A number of studies explore the link between gender and good government, and confirm the correlation first observed by Dollar et al (2001): the number of women in elected office is related to levels of corruption. These studies build on cross-country comparative analyses and have thus far failed to discern whether the observed correlation indicates causation or whether both derive from successful liberal democratic project. We explore these issues in an analysis at the subnational level in Mexico. Using several waves of data from a bribe-payers survey conducted by Transparencia Mexicana, we examine the dynamic interrelationship between women in government and levels of corruption over time. The results suggest that levels of corruption affect women's ability to enter the political arena, but that once in political office, the presence of women in government contributes to reducing corruption. While the latter finding is somewhat less certain, we subject the hypothesis to a rigorous test, as the analyses consider whether female representation is linked to change in the prevalence of bribe-paying between 2001 and 2010. Marcia Grimes The Quality of Government Institute Department of Political Science University of Gothenburg firstname.lastname@example.com Lena Wängnerud The Quality of Government Institute Department of Political Science University of Gothenburg email@example.com


* Benson, Rodney and Erik Neveu (2005). Bourdieu and the Journalistic Field. Cambridge, UK, and Maiden, MA: Polity Press, pp. 267. * Zelizer, Barbie (2004). Taking Journalism Seriously: News and the Academy. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, pp. 286. These two books represent attempts to examine journalism through interdisciplinary lenses, the Benson and Neveu book by drawing together a group of contributors to apply sociologist Bourdieu's field theory to journalism, and the Zelizer book through a literature review of scholarship on journalism in disciplines other than mass communication. They aim at two very different goals, and their results are equally varying. The Bourdieu book attempts to build on the late French sociologist's book On Television with essays mostly laying out factors influencing journalists being more or less autonomous in their work from media's corporate owners, their own educational and professional backgrounds, political allegiances, and more. Its cover also promises that it "discuss[es] the similarities and differences between field theory, new institutionalism, hegemony and differentiation theory." After an introductory chapter, the editors have included a previously unpublished essay by Bourdieu, "The Political Field, the Social Science Field, and the Journalistic Field"; Patrick Champagne on journalism caught between politics and economics; and Dominique Marchetti on journalism specialties (beats, etc.). These chapters are followed by case studies of sorts: Benson on comparing and contrasting French with U.S. journalism; Champagne and Marchetti on French medical news coverage of contaminated blood; Julien Duval on French economic journalism; Eric Darras on which politicians get covered the most in the United States and France; and Eric Klinenberg on teenagers' involvement in the U.S. "media justice movement." Neveu, Michael Schudson, and Daniel C. Hallin end the book with more theoretical pieces. The book shows field theory as a "work in progress," and certainly there is value in putting a "work in progress" out there to provoke interest, stir debate, and so on. Parts of the book are more devoted to explaining what field theory is not than what it is. Field theory is never defined clearly-apparently because it is a "work in progress." But to the extent that it is defined, it seems to be partly gatekeeping theory (the media decide what stories to cover more, less, or not at all, and which sources to interview), partly agendasetting (if some news media cover-somewhere between vigorously and sensationalistically-a story such as tainted blood, other media will follow and it will catch the attention of politicians and the public), partly sociology of journalism (educational and employment backgrounds and conditions affect news content), partly political economy and ethics (journalists are answerable to their capitalist bosses and even nonprofit journalists are answerable to their underwriters), and so on. Overall, then, this book shows field theory making a very small contribution, if any-certainly nothing new. In fact, as one reads this book, one increasingly realizes that it offers nothing authentically original, whether or not one has heard of "field theory" and "differentiation theory." Moreover, the comparisons of journalism between the United States and France show only that journalism in the United States and journalism in France are different, no surprise even if each one's notable features are predictably framed as possibilities (at least historically) for the other. Comparative international studies of journalism between two countries are helpful only when the two countries have much in common to begin with, by the same token that one learns more concrete and specific information by comparing/contrasting chimpanzees and bonobos than one does by comparing/contrasting cats and elephants. We should compare/ contrast news media in the United States and Canada, or Germany and Austria, not the United States and France (or, as is now frequently done, South Korea). …


Intelligent-agents technology provides techniques and algorithms for distributed coordination and distributed decision making. The authors developed AgentFly, a multiagent prototype for air traffic control of free-flight-based operations of multiple aerial assets, based on intelligent agents. AgentFly provides mechanisms for distributed planning, negotiation-based collision avoidance, and multiagent flight simulation. The US Air Force supports this project, but the Federal Aviation Administration is also studying AgentFly for planning mixed traffic of manned and unmanned air traffic.


This research was concluded at Chittagong Hill Tracts in Bangladesh to identify the effects of different hedge species and assess alley width in controlling soil erosion and crop yield. Hedgerow or alley cropping cultivation is very helpful in reducing soil erosion in the hilly area. In order to perform cataloguing the hedges and their alley, four hedge species such as Indigofera, Bogamedula, Pineapple and Napier were used. Three different slopes viz., gentle slope, moderate slope and steeps slope, two different crops like yard long bean and okra were used in this experiment. The experiment lay out was in Split Plot Design with three replications. Soil erosion was measured through spike lay out method. Wider alley width gives a better performance of yield. Grass species (Napier) responses better than tree/shrub species ( Bogamedula and Indegofera ) on crops yield. Performance of pineapple among all other hedge species on crop yield and soil loss reducing capacity was recorded the best on all slope gradients and alley width. More yields were gained from the managed plots by hedge, though the number of total plant was comparatively less in those plots than the controlled one. Slope gradients have got the most important role on crops yield and soil erosion factor. The highest yields and the lowest soil loss were recorded in gentle slope in comparison with moderate and steep slope respectively. Crops yield were significantly reduced with the increase of slope gradients.


A compact scanning probe microscope for operation in air and liquid is described. The probe techniques implemented are scanning tunnelling microscopy and scanning ion conductance microscopy. The software, electronics, mechanical construction and some representative measurements are presented. The compact and concentric microscope head is built around a commercial piezoelectric inchworm motor. The scanner is a standard piezo tube. An analogue feedback system is used for taking images, while digital control of the probe-sample distance is used for other experiments, such as measurements of current-voltage characteristics. A Macintosh personal computer is used for control and presentation of data. A simple method to make scanning tunnelling microscope tips suitable for electrochemical use is described. The microscope has a high resonance frequency (9.6 kHz), low noise (0.01 nm Hz- 12 / at 10 Hz), low thermal drift (less than 0.1 nm min-1), and high acoustical noise suppression. The current-distance-dependency of the scanning ion conductance microscope was found to be linear.


Purpose: The article addresses the issue of new scientific decisions shaping with respect to the study of problems, current trends and perspectives of blockchain technology usage in the Russian Federation. Design/methodology/approach: To achieve the objectives of this study the increasing interest to blockchain technology in Russia was discussed. Findings: The article determined main problems in blockchain technology which includes gaps in legislative regulation; the existence of a considerable number of projects that are undergoing the development stage and that have not proved own economic feasibility yet; incomplete understanding of the blockchain spheres' implementation by state officials, society and business representatives as well as expected outcomes according to the amount and time of their receiving; disputes on cryptocurrencies turnover in the country's territory and their influence in the national economy. Practical implications: The study has demonstrated the interest growth mainly by businesses to the usage of blockchain technology in order to improve own competitiveness and to obtain additional benefits, including the form of their profits. Originality/value: The research has also determined the area of further key studies in blockchain technology usage in Russia and the world.


It's amazing what a type system can do at compile time. This paper offers a peek at the C++ type system and standard libraries, which can make certain types of bugs difficult or even impossible to express in code. By brewing more robust code interfaces, engineers can save their QA teams from chasing down rare crashes, and let them focus instead on usability and performance. Writing good software is difficult; doubly so in an unsafe language like C++. A simple off-by-one indexing error can cause code execution vulnerabilities. A couple of lines of cut-and-paste code can lead to memory leaks that slowly rob users of good performance. Whenever an error strikes, one's reaction should be, "How can we make it harder for this bug to happen again?" Typical solutions involve more tests, or code review. These are both good things. But what if engineers could make errors disappear from a code base forever—that is, prevent them at compile time? With its support for generic and functional programming, C++ is finally becoming an interesting enough programming language to explore this style of bug prevention. Programmers may be familiar with using smart pointers to reduce memory leaks, or with using constructs like boost::optional to prevent data corruption. This paper will take these familiar ideas to the next logical step, using a technique called denotational design. With denotational design, as espoused by Conal Elliott, a developer can first sketch a design in a typesafe language like Idris—even mathematically proving parts of a design correct—before translating to C++. One can dramatically change a C++ API by looking at it through the lens of denotational design.


Since the inception of stuttering therapy, the field of speech-language pathology has become increasingly evidence based; its affects have lead clinicians to come up with better techniques that can be successful. However, there are still some gaps in research that need to be analyzed. Recent research has shown both the clinician's point of view and the experiences and perceptions of clients that should also be considered in treatment planning. Not only is it important to view the stuttering behavior, but also to view the byproducts of the speech disorder. These byproducts of stuttering are not separate from therapy sessions; they are present outside and can influence fluency therapy. Which is why the discussion of success in fluency therapy needs to consider the personal experiences of individuals who stutter. While previous research has reported clients' and clinicians' perceptions of success separately, this research considers both views. The results from this qualitative study will aid speech-language pathologists to consider the factors that can create a successful fluency therapy session. Participants for this study were adults who stutter, beginning clinicians, and a clinical educator. The participants who stutter were interviewed to determine if personality traits, hobbies, outside support, life events, or specific therapeutic characteristics influence success. The clinicians were asked what they have observed to be successful in speech therapy and what they believe their clients perceive as vital in fluency sessions. The data collected were transcribed and analyzed to generate themes between three types of people involved with stuttering therapy. Expected results of this research including themes that yielded the most positive perceptions of success will be discussed.


For seniors, an inactive lifestyle can result in declines in mental and physical functioning, loss of independence, and poorer quality of life. This cross-sectional descriptive study examined theory-of-planned-behavior, health-status, and sociodemographic predictors on exercise intention and behavior among 109 older and physically frail adults. Significant predictors of being a high versus a low active were a strong intention to continue exercising, positive indirect attitudes about exercise, and having been advised by a doctor to exercise. Findings indicate that a strong intention to continue exercising differentiates between those who report low levels and those who report high levels of physical activity. The results also highlight the salience of physician's advice for seniors to exercise.


Introduction As part of another study we monitored Choose and Book (C&B) referrals attending our respiratory clinic and asked their views on their referral process. High non-attendance and limited patient choice with the C&B system has previously been observed elsewhere, despite it being intended as a patient-centred service enhancement. We sought to gain insight into non-attendance of C&B referrals at our clinic by analysing the levels of satisfaction with the referral process expressed by those who attended. Method C&B non-attendance/cancellation rates were calculated for the initial study recruitment period. Patients attending clinic were asked to confirm their referral route and their satisfaction with the referral system via a nurse-administered questionnaire. Results 47/57 (82.5%) C&B patients attended clinic during the study recruitment period. 2/57 (3.5%) rearranged to a different clinic. 8/57 (14%) failed to attend or cancelled. 44/47 (93.6%) patients who attended clinic responded to the questionnaire. 18/44 (40.9%) patients reported limited or no choice regarding time/date or hospital location of the appointment. 4/18 (22.2%) said the appointment was arranged by their GP. A further 7/18 (38.9%) seemed unaware of the C&B system or that they had a choice. 5/18 (27.8%) would have chosen a different hospital and 3/18 (16.7%) would have chosen a different date/time. 3/18 (16.7%) failed to get their preference using the online/telephone booking systems. In 12/44 (27.3%) cases the GP either made or assisted with the booking: 4/12 (33.3%) patients were happy for the GP to choose, 4/12 (33.3%) described a consultative process, 2/12 (16.7%) felt choice was limited and 2/12 (16.7%) made no additional comment. Only 16/44 (36.4%) mentioned using the telephone/online booking systems. 5/16 (31.3%) commented that the choice of dates or location that this provided was important to them. Patient reported problems with the systems included limited options and inflexibility when booking or rearranging appointments and a lack of information. 12/44 (27.3%) specifically mentioned that they liked the choice and convenience the system offered. Conclusion Our findings suggest that a high proportion of respiratory patients do not exercise true choice with Choose and Book. This supports observations in other patient groups. System and process obstacles seem to be exacerbated by lack of patient awareness and may be contributing to high non-attendance rates.


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We present mass and radius measurements of K2-79b and K2-222b, two transiting exoplanets orbiting active G-type stars observed with HARPS-N and K2. Their respective 10.99 day and 15.39 day orbital periods fall near periods of signals induced by stellar magnetic activity. The two signals might therefore interfere and lead to an inaccurate estimate of exoplanet mass. We present a method to mitigate these effects when radial velocity (RV) and activity-indicator observations are available over multiple observing seasons and the orbital period of the exoplanet is known. We perform correlation and periodogram analyses on subsets composed of each target's two observing seasons, in addition to the full data sets. For both targets, these analyses reveal an optimal season with little to no interference at the orbital period of the known exoplanet. We make a confident mass detection of each exoplanet by confirming agreement between fits to the full RV set and the optimal season. For K2-79b, we measure a mass of 11.8 ± 3.6 M ⊕ and a radius of 4.09 ± 0.17 R ⊕. For K2-222b, we measure a mass of 8.0 ± 1.8 M ⊕ and a radius of 2.35 ± 0.08 R ⊕. According to model predictions, K2-79b is a highly irradiated Uranus analog and K2-222b hosts significant amounts of water ice. We also present a RV solution for a candidate second companion orbiting K2-222 at 147.5 days.


Chaos synchronization in two unidirectionally coupled vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) with open-loop configuration is studied numerically. We consider two low-order transverse modes for weakly index-guided VCSELs and investigate the generalized type of chaos synchronization for both global coupling and mode-selective coupling configurations. It is found that the synchronization can be obtained between each mode of the transmitter and the receiver lasers when all modes of the transmitter are injected into the receiver equally and coupled with the corresponding modes of the receiver laser. For mode-selective cases, the modes with strong optical injection can achieve the synchronization; while the rest modes without coupling can not obtain the synchronization any more even though the injection is very strong. The results afford an opportunity to multichannel optical secure communications.


Background: Pneumonia is an acute respiratory illness characterized by symptoms as cough, dyspnoea and poor general condition. Recovery can endure up to eight weeks. Inspiratory muscle training (IMT) shows increased functional capacity and decreased dyspnoea among patients with COPD and heart failure. If IMT could affect symptoms after community-acquired pneumonia is not yet studied. The aim of the study was to evaluate IMT performed after hospitalization for adults with community-acquired pneumonia compared to sham IMT. Method: Twenty seven patients diagnosed with community-acquired pneumonia performed home-based IMT twice a day, 3 x 30 breaths during 4 weeks with a Threshold IMT. They were randomly allocated to IMT (n=12) or sham IMT (n=15). Outcome measurements before and after the training period were fatigue (Borg CR-10), cough (LCQ-S), dyspnoea (mMRC), functional capacity (6 MWT), health-related quality of life (SF-36) and maximal inspiratory muscle strength, MIP (microRPM). Patients were followed up with telephone contact. Results: No significant differences between the IMT group and sham IMT in any outcome measurements were found. Functional capacity were significantly improved within both groups, the IMT group improved more compared to sham IMT. The IMT group showed significant improvement in all domains and total score in LCQ-S after training and reduced their dyspnoea, while no improvements in sham IMT group were found. Conclusion: Adults hospitalized with community-acquired pneumonia who perform home-based IMT may receive positive effects on cough, dyspnoea and functional capacity.


Using the X-ray data taken with ASCA, a detailed analysis was made of intensity and spectral variations of three ultraluminous extragalactic compact X-ray sources (ULXs): IC 342 source 1, M81 X-6, and NGC 1313 source B, all exhibiting X-ray luminosity in the range from 2 × 1039 to 1.5 × 1040 ergs s-1. As already reported, IC 342 source 1 showed short-term X-ray intensity variability by a factor of 2.0 on a typical timescale of 10 ks. M81 X-6 varied by a factor of 1.6 across seven observations spanning 3 yr, while NGC 1313 source B varied by a factor of 2.5 between two observations conducted in 1993 July and 1995 November. The ASCA spectra of these sources acquired on these occasions were all described successfully as optically thick emission from standard accretion disks around black holes. This confirms previous ASCA works that explained ULXs as mass-accreting massive black hole binaries. In all three sources, the disk color temperature was uncomfortably high at Tin = 1.0-2.0 keV and was found to vary in proportion to the square root of the source flux. The apparent accretion disk radius is hence inferred to change as inversely proportional to Tin. This suggests a significant effect of advection in the accretion disk. However, even taking this effect fully into account, the too high values of Tin of ULXs cannot be explained. Further invoking the rapid black hole rotation may give a solution to this issue.


This work represents the first stress-optical study of strontium titanate (SrTiO3). The report includes a brief review of previous stress-optical work on crystals, a brief review of synthetic SrTiO3, and a brief review of stress-optical theory. The remainder of the paper is divided into two parts: Part I describes the piezobirefringence experimental apparatus and experimental procedure, sources of error and corrections, the measured values of the piezobirefringence constants (q2211–q1111) and 2q1212 for the spectral range 4200–7700 A in steps of 100 A, an investigation of the linearity of the stress-optical relationship up to "moderate" pressures, and an investigation of stress-optical hysteresis up to "moderate" pressures. Part II covers the following: the problem of measuring the absolute values of stress-optical constants q1111 and q2211, apparatus and procedure, sources of error, the measured values of the stress-optical constants at 5400 A, the theoretical change in index of refraction under an hydrostatic stress, and confirmation of the linearity of the stress-optical relationship up to "moderate" pressures.Strontium titanate has been found to become an optically negative uniaxial crystal when stressed along a crystallographic axis and an optically negative biaxial crystal when under a crystallographic diagonal stress.


Practically, the entire area of modern day Ghana was once dominated by the Asante Empire. How did such a vast empire come into existence? This empire was able to consolidate the multiple ethnic groups within the region into one unified nation. Who were some of these ethnic groups and how were they brought into the empire? The strength of the Asante's economy was extremely important to the longevity of their civilization. Their economic strength enabled them to procure funding which they utilized to build an army, to build trade networks, and to increase their reputation within the region. How did they build their economic strength within the region and how did their reputation help to safeguard them from hostile powers? The Asante influenced West African history by manipulating the pattern of trade within the region. The coastline of Ghana was coined, "The Gold Coast" due to the prominence of gold trading activities. However, this was by no means the only trade asset which the Asante possessed. Therefore, what were their other main trade commodities and with whom did the Asante engage in trade? Also, it is important to understand why trade was an important force in the establishment of the Asante's economic power and how they came to monopolize various trading networks. Then the question of how the Asante lost this economic power will also be explored. Before answering these inquiries, an ethnic profile of the Akan of whom the Asante evolved, must first be undertaken. Degree Type Open Access Senior Honors Thesis Department History and Philosophy


In the case of civil transport aircraft, engines were the dominant noise source until the advent of the high-bypass ratio engines in the early 1970s. Since then, airframe noise has become more important, particularly during the approach-to-landing stage of aircraft operations. The main components of airframe noise are the flap side edge, leading edge slat, and the landing gear. Experiments in both the wind tunnel and via fly-over measurements have shown that the slat noise is a major contributor to the overall airframe noise during the landing approach for a commercial aircraft. To achieve the goal of reducing slat noise significantly without adversely affecting the aerodynamic performance of the wing, it is obligatory to improve the understanding of the mechanism of slat noise generation. Experiments and numerical simulations were performed to investigate the phenomena of slat noise. It was found that the slat broadband noise generation is governed by two kinds of mechanism. At a low angle of attack of the wing, the typical circulation region is not formed in the slat cove and the slat noise level is low. As the angle of attack increases to a certain value, vortical structures are intermittently generated due to flow interaction occuring between the shear layer originating from the slat cusp and the flow convected from the stagnation line on the main element. Intense slat noise is produced as the vortical structures approach the slat cove surface. With the angle of attack increasing further, the slat noise becomes weak again. The interaction effect tends to become weaker as the shear layer deviates away from the surface of the main element. Two approaches with the aim of attenuating the slat noise were experimentally and numerically studied. The first approach was to reduce the slat noise using air blown on the suction surface of the slat near its trailing edge. A numerical simulation showed that the slat noise levels over most of the frequencies, especially above a St number of 7, were obviously attenuated. In the second approach, a strip mounted on the pressure surface of the main element model was experimentally proven to be an effective method for reducing the broadband slat noise at an angle of attack of 8 degrees and a freestream velocity of 25 m/s. The position and height of the strip also influenced the level of the reduction. Several tonal noise components appear in the slat noise spectrum at an angle of attack of 4 degrees and a freestream velocity of 25 m/s. The dominant tone is associated with the vortex shedding off the slat cusp through the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability. This tone was successfully suppressed using a plasma actuator employing an open-loop control. A maximum reduction of 11 dB was achieved at a St number of approximately 19.7. A quasi-static feedback control system was also developed, wherein a controller is responsible for calculating the control inputs in terms of ii feedback signals. The experimental results show that the controller can work effectively to suppress the slat noise.


Abstract:  Breast cancer is commonly diagnosed at late stages in countries with limited resources. Efforts aimed at early detection can reduce the stage at diagnosis, potentially improving the odds of survival and cure, and enabling simpler and more cost‐effective treatment. Early detection of breast cancer entails both early diagnosis in symptomatic women and screening in asymptomatic women. Key prerequisites for early detection are ensuring that women are supported in seeking care and that they have access to appropriate, affordable diagnostic tests and treatment. We therefore propose the following sequential action plan: 1) promote the empowerment of women to obtain health care, 2) develop infrastructure for the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer, 3) begin early detection efforts through breast cancer education and awareness, and 4) when resources permit, expand early detection efforts to include mammographic screening. Public education and awareness can promote earlier diagnosis, and these goals can be achieved in simple and cost‐effective ways, such as dissemination of messages through mass media. All women have the right to education about breast cancer, but it must be culturally appropriate and targeted and tailored to the specific population. When resources become available for screening, they should be invested in screening mammography, as it is the only modality that has thus far been shown to reduce breast cancer mortality. Clinical breast examination (CBE) and breast self‐examination (BSE) are important components of routine breast care in countries with access to mammography and are important for general breast health education in all countries. However, the evidence does not support the use of CBE and BSE as lifesaving screening methods at this time, recognizing that data from countries with very limited resource are lacking. When widespread screening is not possible, screening can begin in an institution, city, or region, or by targeting screening to women at highest risk. A pilot program can be an ideal way to define the best approach to screening. To succeed, early detection efforts must include the health care providers with whom women have contact; these providers may be physicians, nurses, midwives, traditional healers, or others. There are tremendous differences among and within countries, and a program to promote early detection must be tailored to each country's unique situation.


School leaders play a vital role in ensuring that schools attend to issues of local and global justice within the ethos and daily practices of their school community. This article examines the attitudes and activities of school
leaders in relation to development education and their vision for its integration in schools based on a national survey of post-primary school leaders in the Republic of Ireland. We consider the conditions needed for development
education to be successfully implemented and the drivers of change required that can sustain it in the longer term. We examine why some school leaders and communities seem to be disconnected from development education opportunities and unaware of available supports, whilst others engage actively
with it as an organic part of their school culture. This has broader implications for resilience of school leadership, the teaching profession and school community, particularly in an era of constraint. It offers a unique insight into development education from the vantage point of those leading schools.


Higher education has been on the rollercoaster for the last couple of decades with the advent of the first personal computer in the 1980s and then the internet in the 1990s and not only explicitly in terms of using innovative digital gadgets, but also implicitly in perceptions about and approaches to e-learning from behaviourism through cognitive to social constructivism or more specifically, from transmitted knowledge to negotiated and then harvested knowledge. The journey reflects the emancipation of learners from bonded (teacher-led) learning to independent and self-reigned knowledge-acquisition. This paper is a short discourse on the theoretical voyage of pedagogy and learning in higher education institutions (HEIs) from the introduction of traditional 'technology-based-instruction' to modern 'network based' 'web-enhanced e-courses' in collaborative and socially active learning environments operating with 'social-software-tools' of blogging and social-book marking.

 Key words: Objectivism, behaviourism, constructivism, cognitive-constructivism, social-constructivism, transmitted, negotiated, harvested-knowledge, e-learning, blended, virtual.


Central Africa has been identified as one of the main sources of illegal ivory fueling unregulated domestic ivory trade throughout West and Central Africa and overseas destinations, especially Asia, in recent years. This report presents the results of field surveys of ivory markets carried out in 11 cities of five Central African countries in 2007, 2009, 2014 and 2015 by two different researchers, one in 2007 and 2009, and another in 2014 and 2015, using the same methodology. The aim was to assess the status and trends of domestic ivory trade in the region following the last substantial study in Central Africa, undertaken by Martin and Stiles in 1999, which established a baseline in key markets from which future changes could be assessed (Martin & Stiles, 2000).


Generating a concise summary from a large collection of arguments on a given topic is an intriguing yet understudied problem. We propose to represent such summaries as a small set of talking points, termed key points, each scored according to its salience. We show, by analyzing a large dataset of crowd-contributed arguments, that a small number of key points per topic is typically sufficient for covering the vast majority of the arguments. Furthermore, we found that a domain expert can often predict these key points in advance. We study the task of argument-to-key point mapping, and introduce a novel large-scale dataset for this task. We report empirical results for an extensive set of experiments with this dataset, showing promising performance.


As successful organ or marrow transplantation correlates with the degree of HLA-compatibility between patient and donor, registries have been developed to facilitate matching. However, racial minority groups have a lower chance of finding a match. We evaluate the impact of the biology of racial genetic polymorphism upon the probability of finding an HLA match for patients of different racial groups. The National Marrow Donor Program has compiled the HLA types of 20,449 patients and 1,625,159 potential volunteer donors. These HLA types were used to estimate the probability of finding an HLA-matched donor for patients of different racial groups. We estimated the HLA haplotype frequencies for different races, and then determined the probability of finding matched donors, given several hypothetical registry sizes. We confirmed that patients of minority races searching the current National Marrow Donor Program registry have low probabilities of finding matches. This was only partly due to the smaller number of donors from these racial minorities, as the observation persisted even when hypothetical donor registry sizes were the same for all racial groups. We demonstrate that African-Americans are more polymorphic with respect to HLA, and are hence less likely to find donors at any given registry size. An increase in the recruitment of minority racial groups for organ and marrow donors will only partially alleviate the problem of equal access to HLA matches for patients belonging to racial minority groups. It will therefore be important to attempt to improve methods for transplantation using HLA-mismatched donors.


Many applications require fast implementations of signal processing algorithms to analyze data in real time or to effectively process many large data sets. Past implementations of a signal transform need to take advantage of structure in the transformation matrix to factor the transform into a product of structured matrices. These factorizations compute the transform with fewer operations than the naive implementation of matrix multiplication. Signal transforms can have a vast number of factorizations, with each factorization of a single transform represented by a unique but mathematically equivalent formula. Interestingly, when implemented in code, these formulas can have significantly different runtimes on the same processor, sometimes differing by an order of magnitude. Further, the optimal implementations differ significantly between processors. Therefore, determining which formula is the most efficient for a particular processor is of great interest.
This thesis contributes methods for automating the modeling and optimization of performance across a variety of signal processing algorithms. Modeling and understanding performance can greatly aid in intelligently pruning the huge search space when optimizing performance. Automation is vital considering the size of the search space, the variety of signal processing algorithms, and the constantly changing computer platform market.
To automate the optimization of signal transforms, we have developed and implemented a number of different search methods in the SPIRAL system. These search methods are capable of optimizing a variety of different signal transforms, including new user-specified transforms. We have developed a new search method for this domain, STEER, which uses an evolutionary stochastic algorithm to find fast implementations.
To enable computer modeling of signal processing performance, we have developed and analyzed a number of feature sets to describe formulas representing specific transforms. We have developed several different models of formula performance, including models that predict runtimes of formulas and models that predict the number of cache misses formulas incur.
Further, we have developed a method that uses these learned models to generate fast implementations. This method is able to construct fast formulas, allowing us to intelligently search through only the most promising formulas. While the learned model is trained on data from one transform size, our method is able to produce fast formulas across many transform sizes, including larger sizes, even though it has never timed a formula of those other sizes.


This thesis develops the theory of operator algebras from the perspective of abstract harmonic analysis, and in particular, the theory of von Neumann algebras. Results from operator algebras are applied to the study of spaces of coefficient functions of unitary representations of locally compact groups, and in particular, the Fourier algebra of a locally compact group. The final result, which requires most of the material developed in earlier sections, is that the group von Neumann algebra of a locally compact group is in standard form.


Fashion has been steadily moving from the brick and mortar to the digital market. As such, it is increasingly vital to research new methods that will help businesses to grow and succeed in this new sphere.

Advanced Fashion Technology and Operations Management is a pivotal reference source for the latest development management strategies, fashion marketing, international business, and fashion entrepreneurship. Featuring extensive coverage across a range of relevant perspectives and topics, such as online shopping behavior, digital fashion, and e-commerce, this book is ideally designed for professionals, entrepreneurs, students, and researchers.


In this book, renowned Renaissance drama critic Arthur F. Kinney argues that Shakespeare's method of composing plays through networks of meanings can be seen as a harbinger of today's information technology. Drawing upon hypertext and cognitive theory--areas that have for some time promised to take on more importance in the sphere of Shakespeare Studies--as well as the central metaphor of the Routledge collection The Renaissance Computer, Kinney looks in detail at four objects/images in Shakespeare's plays--mirrors, maps, clocks, and books--and explores the ways in which they make up networks of meaning within single plays and across the dramatist's body of work that anticipate in some ways the networks of meaning or "information" now possible in the computer age.


Asset-liability mismatch in balance sheet of banks shows serious challenges in banks because of the traditional methods of recording assets and liabilities at book value in Iran. The Central Bank of the country motivated and advised banks to take concrete steps in minimizing the mismatch in the asset-liability composition. This paper attempts to suggest a micro funded framework that can evaluate the role of asset and liability management in banking sector in business cycles through a DSGE model. In this paper, we use Bayesian method to estimate parameters and use national account and balance sheet data from 1981 to 2013. Results show that tightening monetary policy decreases the cost of ALM .On the other hand, raising required reserve requirement increases the cost of asset and liability management; technology shock leads to decrease of asset and liability management cost, and the costs of ALM affects interest rate. Then, the increase of the cost of ALM leads to increase of interest rate.


Numerous studies have demonstrated the relevance of magnitude estimation skills for mathematical proficiency, but little research has explored magnitude estimation with negative numbers. In two experiments the current study examined middle school students' magnitude knowledge of negative numbers with number line tasks. In Experiment 1, both 6th (n = 132) and 7th grade students (n = 218) produced linear representations on a -10,000 to 0 scale, but the 7th grade students' estimates were more accurate and linear. In Experiment 2, the 7th grade students also completed a -1,000 to 1,000 number line task; these results also indicated that students are linear for both negative and positive estimates. When comparing the estimates of negative and positive numbers, analyses illustrated that estimates of negative numbers are less accurate than those of positive numbers, but using a midpoint strategy improved negative estimates. These findings suggest that negative number magnitude knowledge follows a similar pattern to positive numbers, but the estimation performance of negatives lags behind that of positives.


Salinity is a major limiting factor for crop production in coastal areas of Bangladesh. Organic amendments could contribute to the improvement of crop production in coastal areas. Two maize cultivars (BARI Hybrid Maize-5 and Hybrid Maize Pacific-987) were grown in pots to investigate the mitigating adverse effects of salt stress in maize by organic amendments. Two doses of farmyard manure (FYM) and poultry manure (PM) were mixed with soils before seed sowing. Plants were subjected to salinity (0-50 mM NaCl) at vegetative stage. Salt stress caused a significant reduction in growth and yield of both maize cultivars. Higher NaCl (50 mM) stress caused a drastic decrease in growth and yield of both maize cultivars. Salinity also decreased reproductive growth, chlorophyll contents and K + /Na + ratio in both maize cultivars. Organic amendments with FYM and PM improved salt tolerances of maize that were associated with increased yield components, chlorophyll content and K + /Na + ratio. Hybrid Maize Pacific-987 grown in low salinity with FYM or PM amendments produced higher yield than control condition. On the contrary, BARI Hybrid Maize-5 conferred tolerance to high salinity, when soils were amended with FYM or PM. Furthermore, organic amendments improved electrical conductivity, exchangeable Na and organic matter status under salinity condition. The present study suggests that organic amendments with FYM or PM confer tolerance to salinity in maize by increasing chlorophyll content and K + /Na + ratio. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/ijasbt.v1i4.9128  Int J Appl Sci Biotechnol, Vol. 1(4): 233-239


Interferograms, the information directly available from lamellar grating and Michelson interferometer-type spectrometers, are derived on the basis of an absorption spectrum whose lines are sharp, symmetrical, and reasonably well isolated from each other. The formulation shows that if the absorption spectrum is periodic in wavenumber, the interferogram will also have periodic structure characterized by features called signatures. The results are used to predict the interferogram for the pure rotational spectrum of a molecule whose rotational constants approximate those of carbon monoxide. It is found for an absorption spectrum consisting of equally spaced lines (rigid rotor model) that the shape of the individual signatures should be almost identical although damped out exponentially. However when centrifugal distortion is taken into account (nonrigid rotor model), which cause the absorption lines for a linear or diatomic molecule to converge slightly at higher wavenumbers, it is found to lead to a distortion of the signatures, the distortion becoming more pronounced toward large differences of optical path between the interfering beams.


The experience of the increasing climate changes on the earth has given rise to gloomy predictions about the development of the entire biosphere in general and to questions about the continuing existence of biological species, in particular mankind, on earth. Since the advanced technology of western civilisation is undoubtedly – at least to some extent – the cause of the substantial changes that seem to threaten the ecological balance, man ́s carelessness with nature has not only become a significant matter on the world political agenda, it has also stimulated research in the development of sustainable technological solutions. Not least, it has caused a variety of philosophical reflections on man's fundamental relation to nature, man's place in the cosmos. From a religious Christian perspective it has been questioned whether man's unique position in creation implied a relation of dominion over nature or whether god has assigned to man the role of an administer of the created world. However, secularization has displaced the church from the administration of societal affairs, and this has led to the view that there is no ethical aspect of man's use of nature but only more or less favourable consequences.


On the grid power, the generation power should be used immediately to maintain the grid frequency constant. Therefore, grid generation power at any moment must be equal to the grid consumption power. Increasing or decreasing grid consumption power leads to the request for an increase or decrease in grid generation power; and if this request is not provided by the units in the grid generation power, a power difference will be created causing the grid frequency deviation from its nominal value. This grid power control process is called frequency control. In Iran, the main component of frequency control is provided by gas turbines. As gas turbines have been more installed in the country, the response of gas turbines to grid frequency variations has become more and more important. In order to study the frequency response of these systems, an appropriate gas turbine model is required. In this paper, the frequency model of a gas turbine has been identified. After modeling, the model's response against the errors applied to the gas turbine from the grid power is investigated by MATLAB software.


This paper analyses a detailed data set on drugs in human clinical trials around the world between 1989 and 2002. The data provides information on the probabilities with which drugs successfully complete the different phases of the trials and the durations of successful completions. The paper shows that success rates and durations can vary substantially across observable characteristics of the drugs, including primary indication, originating company, route of administration and chemistry. It suggests that analysis of this type of data can help us to answer questions such as: Do AIDS drugs get to market faster? Do Biotech drugs have higher probabilities of getting to market? This paper provides some general statistics for analyzing these questions.


Clive Cussler's astounding Devil's Gate sees the return of Kurt Austin and the NUMA team. Deep beneath the Eastern Atlantic Ocean lies an extraordinary underwater burial ground of ships and planes...Nearby, a Japanese cargo ship blows up without warning. Racing to help, Kurt Austin and the NUMA team are beaten to the scene by heavily armed pirates. But when the ruthless gang's own boat explodes as they're making their escape, the men from NUMA are suddenly plunged from a disaster into a mystery. Soon they uncover a scheme involving the deadly ambitions of an African dictator, the creation of a weapon of terrible power, a kidnapped CERN scientist and a deep-water graveyard holding a lost aircraft and its precious cargo. As a terrifying and audacious plan to bring the world's major nations to their knees is set in motion, only Kurt Austin - the right man, in the right place, at the right time - can stop it...With Devil's Gate, UK number one bestseller Clive Cussler shows us once more why he is the grand master of adventure fiction. The ninth book in Clive Cussler's bestselling NUMA Files series, Devils' Gate is a novel that will have readers gripped right to the last page. Kurt Austin, hero of previous titles Medusa and The Navigator, must avert a disaster of global proportions. Praise for Clive Cussler: "Clive Cussler is the guy I read." (Tom Clancy). "The Adventure King." (Sunday Express).


Background It is well known that hypertension may cause glomerular damage, but the molecular mechanisms involved are still incompletely understood. Methods In the present study, we used formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue to investigate changes in the glomerular proteome in the non-clipped kidney of two-kidney one-clip (2K1C) hypertensive rats, with special emphasis on the glomerular filtration barrier. 2K1C hypertension was induced in 6-week-old Wistar Hannover rats (n = 6) that were sacrificed 23 weeks later and compared with age-matched sham-operated controls (n = 6). Tissue was stored in FFPE tissue blocks and later prepared on tissue slides for laser microdissection. Glomeruli without severe morphological damage were isolated, and the proteomes were analysed using liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. Results 2K1C glomeruli showed reduced abundance of proteins important for slit diaphragm complex, such as nephrin, podocin and neph1. The podocyte foot process had a pattern of reduced abundance of transmembrane proteins but unchanged abundances of the podocyte cytoskeletal proteins synaptopodin and α-actinin-4. Lower abundance of important glomerular basement membrane proteins was seen. Possible glomerular markers of damage with increased abundance in 2K1C were transgelin, desmin and acyl-coenzyme A thioesterase 1. Conclusions Microdissection and tandem mass spectrometry could be used to investigate the proteome of isolated glomeruli from FFPE tissue. Glomerular filtration barrier proteins had reduced abundance in the non-clipped kidney of 2K1C hypertensive rats.