Testing Methods and Pass/Fail Rates in Developmental Mathematics Classes at Southwest Virginia Community College

To solve this problem the following hypothesis was developed: There is no correlation between examination method and pass/fail rate of students in developmental mathematics at Southwest Virginia Community College

Case study of a large-scale solar and wind power hybrid system at Fakken Wind Farm, Troms

The objective of this thesis is to investigate the feasibility of a large scale hybrid system at Fakken, Troms. There is already an existing 54 MW wind farm at site. The wind farm has considerably higher power production during winter compared to summer, and the electricity grid is therefore not fully exploited during summer. Adding a solar panel utility to the site could be a solution to this issue. This thesis is centralized around simulating the hybrid system using \textit{HOMER Pro}. This tool requires a whole year of data to perform a simulation. Since only three months of observed radiation are available, will WRF simulated solar radiation data be used in the HOMER simulations. To evaluate the feasibility of such a system is an anti correlation analysis between the solar and wind resources at site conducted. A negative correlation would be optimal. The anti correlation analysis is performed on observed wind and solar radiation for February, March and April 2017. A similar analysis is conduced on simulated solar radiation data and measured wind data for a whole year as well. The analysis do not show any anti correlation on small to middle time scales. Only on a very large time scale is the anti correlation significantly high. The WRF model fails in producing a reliable solar radiation source partly because it overestimates the radiation levels and also because it has an offset in the daily profile of the radiation. Measures are taken for scaling the radiation to obtain more reliable results, but the offset is not corrected for. A 20 MW solar power system is simulated together with the pre-existing wind far, with a grid constraint of 54 MW. Sensitivity analysis are performed on several physical, technical and economic parameters that might affect the feasibility of the system. Under the most realistic conditions simulated, did the system not qualify as an economic feasible system. There is possible to extract large amounts of power from the system if the right measures are taken, but it was not enough for the system to become profitable

The regulatory landscape of plastic governance - a Norwegian perspective

In this report we co-produced a matrix of governance fragmentation in the Norwegian plastic value chain to assess where there are overlaps, interplay and synergies to be aligned. This also included an assessment of the global level of plastic regulatory fragmentation as it relates to the upcoming negotiations for a global treaty to end plastic pollution.Norges forskningsrådpublishedVersio

Genome-wide analyses identify a role for SLC17A4 and AADAT in thyroid hormone regulation.

Thyroid dysfunction is an important public health problem, which affects 10% of the general population and increases the risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Many aspects of thyroid hormone regulation have only partly been elucidated, including its transport, metabolism, and genetic determinants. Here we report a large meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies for thyroid function and dysfunction, testing 8 million genetic variants in up to 72,167 individuals. One-hundred-and-nine independent genetic variants are associated with these traits. A genetic risk score, calculated to assess their combined effects on clinical end points, shows significant associations with increased risk of both overt (Graves' disease) and subclinical thyroid disease, as well as clinical complications. By functional follow-up on selected signals, we identify a novel thyroid hormone transporter (SLC17A4) and a metabolizing enzyme (AADAT). Together, these results provide new knowledge about thyroid hormone physiology and disease, opening new possibilities for therapeutic targets

Case study of a large-scale solar and wind power hybrid system at Fakken Wind Farm, Troms

The objective of this thesis is to investigate the feasibility of a large scale hybrid system at Fakken, Troms. There is already an existing 54 MW wind farm at site. The wind farm has considerably higher power production during winter compared to summer, and the electricity grid is therefore not fully exploited during summer. Adding a solar panel utility to the site could be a solution to this issue. This thesis is centralized around simulating the hybrid system using \textit{HOMER Pro}. This tool requires a whole year of data to perform a simulation. Since only three months of observed radiation are available, will WRF simulated solar radiation data be used in the HOMER simulations. To evaluate the feasibility of such a system is an anti correlation analysis between the solar and wind resources at site conducted. A negative correlation would be optimal. The anti correlation analysis is performed on observed wind and solar radiation for February, March and April 2017. A similar analysis is conduced on simulated solar radiation data and measured wind data for a whole year as well. The analysis do not show any anti correlation on small to middle time scales. Only on a very large time scale is the anti correlation significantly high. The WRF model fails in producing a reliable solar radiation source partly because it overestimates the radiation levels and also because it has an offset in the daily profile of the radiation. Measures are taken for scaling the radiation to obtain more reliable results, but the offset is not corrected for. A 20 MW solar power system is simulated together with the pre-existing wind far, with a grid constraint of 54 MW. Sensitivity analysis are performed on several physical, technical and economic parameters that might affect the feasibility of the system. Under the most realistic conditions simulated, did the system not qualify as an economic feasible system. There is possible to extract large amounts of power from the system if the right measures are taken, but it was not enough for the system to become profitable

Geodetic Achievement and Avoidance Games for Graphs

Let G = (V, E) be a nontrivial connected graph. For a subset S ⊆ V, the geodesic closure (S) of S is the set of all vertices on geodesics (shortest paths) between two vertices of S. We study the geodetic achievement and avoidance games defined by Buckley and Harary (Geodetic games for graphs, Quaestiones Math. 8 (1986), 321–334) as follows. The first player A chooses a vertex v1 of G. The second player B then selects v2 ≠ v1 and determines the geodetic closure (S 2) for S 2 = {v 1 , v 2 }. If (S 2) = V, then the second player wins the achievement game, but loses the avoidance game. If (S 2) = V, then A picks v 3 ∉ S 2 and determines (S 3) for S 3 = {v 1 , v 2 , v 3 }. In general, A and B alternatively select a new vertex in this manner. The first player who selects a vertex v k such that (S k) = V wins the achievement game; in the avoidance game he is the loser. We solve these games for several families of graphs, including trees and complete multipartite graphs, by determining which player is the winner

The clinical and molecular spectrum of the KDM6B-related neurodevelopmental disorder

International audienceDe novo variants are a leading cause of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs), but because every monogenic NDD is different and usually extremely rare, it remains a major challenge to understand the complete phenotype and genotype spectrum of any morbid gene. According to OMIM, heterozygous variants in KDM6B cause "neurodevelopmental disorder with coarse facies and mild distal skeletal abnormalities." Here, by examining the molecular and clinical spectrum of 85 reported individuals with mostly de novo (likely) pathogenic KDM6B variants, we demonstrate that this description is inaccurate and potentially misleading. Cognitive deficits are seen consistently in all individuals, but the overall phenotype is highly variable. Notably, coarse facies and distal skeletal anomalies, as defined by OMIM, are rare in this expanded cohort while other features are unexpectedly common (e.g., hypotonia, psychosis, etc.). Using 3D protein structure analysis and an innovative dual Drosophila gain-of-function assay, we demonstrated a disruptive effect of 11 missense/in-frame indels located in or near the enzymatic JmJC or Zn-containing domain of KDM6B. Consistent with the role of KDM6B in human cognition, we demonstrated a role for the Drosophila KDM6B ortholog in memory and behavior. Taken together, we accurately define the broad clinical spectrum of the KDM6B-related NDD, introduce an innovative functional testing paradigm for the assessment of KDM6B variants, and demonstrate a conserved role for KDM6B in cognition and behavior. Our study demonstrates the critical importance of international collaboration, sharing of clinical data, and rigorous functional analysis of genetic variants to ensure correct disease diagnosis for rare disorders

A Bayesian reanalysis of the Standard versus Accelerated Initiation of Renal-Replacement Therapy in Acute Kidney Injury (STARRT-AKI) trial

Background Timing of initiation of kidney-replacement therapy (KRT) in critically ill patients remains controversial. The Standard versus Accelerated Initiation of Renal-Replacement Therapy in Acute Kidney Injury (STARRT-AKI) trial compared two strategies of KRT initiation (accelerated versus standard) in critically ill patients with acute kidney injury and found neutral results for 90-day all-cause mortality. Probabilistic exploration of the trial endpoints may enable greater understanding of the trial findings. We aimed to perform a reanalysis using a Bayesian framework. Methods We performed a secondary analysis of all 2927 patients randomized in multi-national STARRT-AKI trial, performed at 168 centers in 15 countries. The primary endpoint, 90-day all-cause mortality, was evaluated using hierarchical Bayesian logistic regression. A spectrum of priors includes optimistic, neutral, and pessimistic priors, along with priors informed from earlier clinical trials. Secondary endpoints (KRT-free days and hospital-free days) were assessed using zero–one inflated beta regression. Results The posterior probability of benefit comparing an accelerated versus a standard KRT initiation strategy for the primary endpoint suggested no important difference, regardless of the prior used (absolute difference of 0.13% [95% credible interval [CrI] − 3.30%; 3.40%], − 0.39% [95% CrI − 3.46%; 3.00%], and 0.64% [95% CrI − 2.53%; 3.88%] for neutral, optimistic, and pessimistic priors, respectively). There was a very low probability that the effect size was equal or larger than a consensus-defined minimal clinically important difference. Patients allocated to the accelerated strategy had a lower number of KRT-free days (median absolute difference of − 3.55 days [95% CrI − 6.38; − 0.48]), with a probability that the accelerated strategy was associated with more KRT-free days of 0.008. Hospital-free days were similar between strategies, with the accelerated strategy having a median absolute difference of 0.48 more hospital-free days (95% CrI − 1.87; 2.72) compared with the standard strategy and the probability that the accelerated strategy had more hospital-free days was 0.66. Conclusions In a Bayesian reanalysis of the STARRT-AKI trial, we found very low probability that an accelerated strategy has clinically important benefits compared with the standard strategy. Patients receiving the accelerated strategy probably have fewer days alive and KRT-free. These findings do not support the adoption of an accelerated strategy of KRT initiation