16 research outputs found
Wind-tunnel study of block 259 building, Houston
No full textCER78-79JEC-JAP-AK18.Prepared for Colaco Engineers, Inc.Includes bibliographical references (pages 32-33).January 1979
A Monte Carlo Simulation Study on Adsorption of Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) in zeolites
No full textNitrogen oxides (NOx) are significant sources of air pollution. Nitrogen oxides like Nitric oxide (NO) and Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) are mainly responsible for the acid rain and smog. Nitrous oxide (N2O), also known as the laughing gas, is the major greenhouse gas that is responsible for the ozone layer's damage in the troposphere. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) report, one pound of N2O is 300 times more potent greenhouse gas than one pound of CO2. The significant emitters of Nitrogen oxides (NOx) are automobiles, agricultural sources, thermal power plants, and chemical processes like Nitric acid production plants, paint manufacturing, etc. This study mainly focuses on the tail gas emitted from the Nitric acid production facility. The tail gas emitted during the HNO3 production consists of almost 2% of O2, 200-400 ppm of NO2, and NO, whereas 800 ppm of N2O. As N2O is the most emitted gas from the Nitric acid production facility, it is followed by NO2 and NO, so it is essential to reduce these pollutants from the tail gas. Selective catalytic reduction (SCR) is a well-known technique currently involved in reducing NOx via the adsorption process from the Nitric acid production facility. But the costs involved in these methods are quite high. Nanoporous materials like zeolite exhibit uniform pore size and high thermal stability are said to be the promising adsorbents of NOx. The availability of a large number of zeolites makes it impossible to identify the proper zeolite for NOx adsorption experimentally. In such situations, molecular simulations are a powerful tool that can help identify the perfect zeolite. The time and cost involved in the process of molecular simulations are very low. In this work, Monte Carlo simulations involving reaction ensemble are implemented to obtain the equilibrium composition of NOx components at desired operating conditions in the Brick molecular simulation package. This is followed by Grand Canonical Monte Carlo simulations (GCMC) and Reactive Grand Canonical Monte Carlo simulations (RXMC-GCMC) for pure and quaternary NOx gas mixture adsorption in five different zeolites (FAU, FER, MOR, MFI, and TON) using simulation package RASPA. The composition results from the reaction ensemble are validated with the composition results obtained using the Gibbs minimization technique in the MATLAB model, and the results are in good agreement. The quaternary gas mixture adsorption results in five different frameworks from RXMC-GCMC simulations are then validated in Ideal adsorbed solution theory in the Python model, and the results are in good agreement at the given operating conditions. </p
Multi-Stage 20-m Shuttle Run Fitness Test, Maximal Oxygen Uptake and Velocity at Maximal Oxygen Uptake.
No full textThe multi-stage 20-m shuttle run fitness test (20mMSFT) is a popular field test which is widely used to measure aerobic fitness by predicting maximum oxygen uptake (VO2max) and performance. However, the velocity at which VO2max occurs (vVO2max) is a better indicator of performance than VO2max, and can be used to explain inter-individual differences in performance that VO2max cannot. It has been reported as a better predictor for running performance and it can be used to monitor athletes' training for predicting optimal training intensity. This study investigated the validity and suitability of predicting VO2max and vVO2max of adult subjects on the basis of the performance of the 20mMST. Forty eight (25 male and 23 female) physical education students performed, in random order, a laboratory based continuous horizontal treadmill test to determine VO2max, vVO2max and a 20mMST, with an interval of 3 days between each test. The results revealed significant correlations between the number of shuttles in the 20mMSFT and directly determined VO2max (r = 0.87, p<0.05) and vVO2max (r = 0.93, p<0.05). The equation for prediction of VO2max was y = 0.0276x + 27.504, whereas for vVO2max it was y = 0.0937x + 6.890. It can be concluded that the 20mMSFT can accurately predict VO2max and vVO2max and this field test can provide useful information regarding aerobic fitness of adults. The predicted vVO2max can be used in monitoring athletes, especially in determining optimal training intensity
Author Correction: Acute and chronic hypoxia differentially predispose lungs for metastases
No full textAn amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.</p
Genetic diversity of infertile males in India
No full text\ua9 The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2026. Purpose: To systematically investigate the genetic architecture of severe male infertility in Indian men, with a specific focus on chromosomal abnormalities and the contribution of de novo variants. Method: We recruited 247 infertile males between 2021 and 2024 presenting with severe quantitative and qualitative sperm defects. All patients underwent karyotyping and Y chromosome microdeletion STS-PCR. A single molecule molecular inversion probe-based targeted sequencing assay covering 39 male infertility genes was performed in 120 patients, while whole exome sequencing (WES) was conducted in 48 patients using a duo/trio-based approach to enable segregation and de novo variant detection. Result: Gonosomal aneuploidies were observed in 3/247 patients (1.2%, 95% CI 0.3–3.5%) and causal AZF microdeletions in 8/247 (3.2%, 95% CI 1.4–6.3%). Targeted sequencing identified pathogenic/likely pathogenic (P/LP) variants in 4/120 patients (3.3%, 95% CI 0.9–8.3%), with additional CFTR variants in 3 patients where parental DNA was unavailable for phasing. WES yielded P/LP variants in 4/48 patients (8.3%, 95% CI 2.3–19.9%) affecting PMFBP1, DNAH1, and AR genes, confirmed via segregation analysis. No de novo or copy number variants were confirmed as causative, though several candidate genes were prioritised. Sequencing-based approaches provided an additional ~ 6–8% diagnostic yield, with the overall diagnostic rate reaching 7.7% (19/247; 95% CI 4.7–11.8%). Conclusion: Sequencing-based strategies, particularly family-based trio WES, significantly enhance diagnostic yield beyond current guideline-recommended tests, with data supporting their adoption as first-tier investigations for severe male infertility. This represents India’s largest cohort-based genomic study on male infertility to date. Larger family-based cohorts will be essential to delineate the contribution of de novo variants to male infertility genetics
Animal colour vision - behavioural tests and physiological concepts
No full textOver a century ago workers such as J. Lubbock and K. von Frisch developed behavioural criteria for establishing that non-human animals see colour. Many animals in most phyla have since then been shown to have colour vision. Colour is used for specific behaviours, such as phototaxis and object recognition, while other behaviours such as motion detection are colour blind. Having established the existence of colour vision, research focussed on the question of how many spectral types of photoreceptors are involved. Recently, data on photoreceptor spectral sensitivities have been combined with behavioural experiments and physiological models to study systematically the next logical question: what neural interactions underlie colour vision? This review gives an overview of the methods used to study animal colour vision, and discusses how quantitative modelling can suggest how photoreceptor signals are combined and compared to allow for the discrimination of biologically relevant stimuli
Economic valuation of ecosystem services provided by deep-sea sponges
No full textABSTRACT
This report was commissioned under the SponGES project as a pivotal information it em (Deliverable 8.1) with a direct impact on resource management and conservation of deep-sea sponges in the North Atlantic. It is based on information available in the scientific literature at the time of writing, but also indicates the research areas where discoveries and research advances are shortly expected. The report is aimed at a generic public with no specialized knowledge on sponges or on economic valuation. It is outlined in a way to provide essential background information but makes reference to a comprehensive list of scientific publications for further insights.
The initial part provides basic information on the definition of ecosystem services, on an ecosystem service classification framework, and on common approaches undertaken for ecosystem service valuation. In this introductory overview, the economic valuation of deep-sea sponges is placed in the wider context of ecosystem services provided by the deep sea. Common challenges encountered in the economic valuation of deep-sea sponges as well as deep-sea ecosystems are discussed, and a summary is provided of approaches found in the literature for the economic valuation of deep-sea ecosystem services.
The ecosystem services provided by sponges were categorized under The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity ecosystem service classification. This classification distinguishes four main categories of ecosystem services: provisioning services; regulating services; habitat services; and cultural services. Four ecosystem services associated to deep-sea sponges, one for each category, were selected and used to exemplify the level of information needed for an economic valuation as well as common challenges and data gaps encountered.
In particular, deep-sea sponges were analysed as a potential source for pharmaceuticals and biotechnology applications (provisioning services), as natural filtering systems of the deep sea (regulating services), as habitat for commercial fish species (habitat services), and as promising candidates for scientific research and education (cultural services). The overall description of baseline ecological and economic data required for a monetary valuation of these four ecosystem services was further complemented by detailed examples on how economic valuation approaches could be applied to existing baseline data. These examples, described in stand-alone text boxes, show the complexity of the economic valuation of deep-sea sponges. At the same time, they also provide some insight on what the economic relevance of deep-sea sponge ecosystem services could be in future, when, with advances in scientific research, the full ecological and consequently economic importance of deep-sea sponges will become more evident.
The final part of the report outlines the way forward, pointing out the research priorities for making advances in the economic valuation of ecosystem services provided by sponges. It presents an overview of current drivers on research on deep-sea sponges, existing and required investments, and challenges posed to policymakers in considering present and future trade-offs in the management of the deep sea. It wraps up by summarizing the economic benefits, ecological reasons and cultural value of sponges as a possible UNESCO site of outstanding universal value, recommending the precautionary principle in the conservation and management of deep-sea sponge grounds.ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The author is indebted to the whole SponGES project consortium for sharing their unfolding understanding of deep-sea sponges during the SponGES project's life. Since deep-sea sponges are relatively recently discovered organisms, very little knowledge was available in the literature and all ideas and methodological approaches proposed for this economic valuation matured from close interaction and brainstorming with the SponGES project participants.
Gratitude goes particularly to the SponGES project coordinators: Joana Xavier, Ellen Kenchington, Shirley Pomponi and Hans Tore Rapp who have all enthusiastically supported the development of this study under the strong belief that an economic valuation was an essential tool for highlighting the importance of deep-sea sponge conservation.
Sincere gratitude goes to the leaders of SponGES' work packages for providing scientific advice on specific chapters of this report. In particular, Shirley Pomponi for reading through chapter 3, Manuel Maldonado chapter 4, Ellen Kenchington chapter 5, and Joana Xavier chapters 6 and 7.
Among the SponGES Consortium gratitude goes to Christopher Pham and Lindsay Beazley for working together on data analysis as well as to Anna de Kluijver, Ana Colaco, Ana Riesgo, Carolina Doya, Detmer Sipkema, Erik Wurz, Jasper de Goeij, Javier Cristobo, Malcom Clark, Martina Milanese, Ronald Osinga and Teresa Morganti for the fruitful discussions.
Within FAO, the author wishes to thank Merete Tandstad in the role of supervisor, Claus Hagebro for encouraging the production of a policy brief from this study, Yaw Ansah for providing technical advices on economic valuation, Julian Plummer for the language editing and Edoardo Mostarda, for closely following and overseeing the unfolding of this 3-year research, through all its ups and downs, till the final publication of this document
To be seen or to hide : visual characteristics of body patterns for camouflage and communication in the Australian giant cuttlefish Sepia apama
No full textAuthor Posting. © University of Chicago, 2011. This article is posted here by permission of University of Chicago for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in American Naturalist 177 (2011): 681-690, doi:10.1086/659626.It might seem obvious that a camouflaged animal must generally match its background whereas to be conspicuous an organism must differ from the background. However, the image parameters (or statistics) that evaluate the conspicuousness of patterns and textures are seldom well defined, and animal coloration patterns are rarely compared quantitatively with their respective backgrounds. Here we examine this issue in the Australian giant cuttlefish Sepia apama. We confine our analysis to the best-known and simplest image statistic, the correlation in intensity between neighboring pixels. Sepia apama can rapidly change their body patterns from assumed conspicuous signaling to assumed camouflage, thus providing an excellent and unique opportunity to investigate how such patterns differ in a single visual habitat. We describe the intensity variance and spatial frequency power spectra of these differing body patterns and compare these patterns with the backgrounds against which they are viewed. The measured image statistics of camouflaged animals closely resemble their backgrounds, while signaling animals differ significantly from their backgrounds. Our findings may provide the basis for a set of general rules for crypsis and signals. Furthermore, our methods may be widely applicable to the quantitative study of animal coloration.S.Z. was supported by a Case award from
the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
and QinetiQ and is currently supported by Office of
Naval Research (ONR) grant N00014-09-1-1053. R.T.H.
received partial support from ONR grant N0001406-1-
0202
On the Benthic Invertebrate Megafauna at the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, in the Vicinity of the Charlie-Gibbs Fracture Zone
No full textLittle is known about the fauna that inhabits non-chemosynthetic environments associated with mid-ocean ridges. This thesis investigates a ridge and fracture zone system to assess its influence as a barrier to faunal dispersal, and as a unique bathyal habitat. It also describes the ecology of megabenthic communities inhabiting a ridge. Sites were chosen on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge in the vicinity of the Charlie-Gibbs Fracture Zone, at a target depth of 2,500 m. Four superstations were chosen north and south of the Fracture Zone, on either side of the ridge. Different productivity levels and hydrographic features were characteristic for the northern and southern sites. In order to characterise the benthic megafauna 50 ha were trawled and 32,000 m2 of seafloor were sampled with HD video footage, targeting both flat and 10 ? sloped habitats. Holothurians were the most abundant megafauna. In order to assess their evolutionary relationship 43 holothurian specimens were genetically studied by modelling five of their genes (16S, 18S, 28S, COI, H3) in a phylogenetic analysis. All four sites exhibited noticeably different faunal characteristics. The biomass was highest at the SE, and lowest at the NW site. Body sizes differed between sites for most taxa, that were sufficient in numbers to be compared between sites, most likely as a result of different adaptations to food supply. Differences in species richness were observed between the sampling methods, with the highest richness at the SE site in trawl samples, and highest at the NW and SW sites in the video survey. Species densities were highest at the northern sites with both methods. Differences in diversity were also observed, with trawl samples providing a higher taxonomic resolution than the video survey and showing highest diversity at the SE site and lowest at the NE site. Community composition was significantly different between sites. Variations in the composition of megabenthic assemblages were observed between flat and 10 ? sloped habitats, although the effect of slope appears to be site dependent. The genetic analyses revealed a close relationship between individuals from different families. The extent to which the Ridge acts as a faunal barrier was unclear as the southern sites lacked an obvious difference in community composition. Faunal differences to the north and south of the Fracture Zone, however, suggest that this feature is a barrier to dispersal. The contrasting megafaunal assemblages of the sites probably reflect a combination of environmental drivers including sediment type, phytodetrital quality, hydrography, and habitat complexity
大學教師學術發表影響力之影響因素 Factors Influencing Publication Impact of Faculty
No full text學術論文發表與被引用次數是高等教育評估大學教師研究影響力的主要測量指標，常被視為教育政策擬定、大學重要決策與資源分配的參照值。目前學術發表影響力之相關研究大多以書目學或引文計量為主，本研究目的有二：一為從學院、系所、個人三個層次，考驗學院領域、系所生師比、個人學術年資、指導研究生畢業人數、職等、國內（或國外）博士學位，以及性別等社會因素與大學教師學術發表影響力的關係；二為考量教育資料之階層結構，應用廣義線性混合效果模型樹分析具有巢套和群集特性之數據，進而釐清各因素與大學教師學術影響力之影響效果，藉此提供高等教育發展和大學機構決策者實證取向之資料為依據，落實扶植與優化國內大學教師學術發表影響力之理念與措施。本研究以臺灣南部某研究型綜合大學之教師為研究對象，從九個學院中抽取50個系所的800名大學教師為樣本。研究發現：一、學院是影響教師學術影響力最重要的因素，相較於人文社會領域，以引文計量為測量指標之學術研究影響力對自然科學領域較為有利；二、系所的生師比僅對自然科學領域學院教師之學術影響力有影響；三、研究生畢業人數與學術年資對不同領域教師之學術發表影響力皆為正向；四、大學教師的學術發表影響力因職等與國內（或國外）學位而有所差異，性別則未呈現顯著差異。
Introduction
Academic paper publication and citation count are primary indicators used to assess the research impact of university faculty, serving as benchmarks for educational policy formulation, major university decisions, and resource allocation. Bibliometrics or citation metrics are predominantly used in research on publication impact. Citation-based metrics provide several advantages, particularly with respect to reducing the subjective bias of peer review processes (Sternberg, 2018). These metrics are quantifiable measures that enable a comparative evaluation of scholars’ impact and standing within their respective academic fields (Ruscio et al., 2012). Therefore, metrics such as the h-index (Hirsch, 2005) have gained considerable research attention and serve as
essential reference points in assessments of faculty scholarly output in major research databases such as the Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar.
Literature Review
Various societal, organizational, and institutional factors contribute to the academic productivity and publication impact of university faculty members (Aboagy et al., 2021; Fisher, 2005; Golden & Carstensen, 1992). Despite their professional and research interests, faculty members’ academic research output and impact patterns are often shaped by the opportunities created and the requirements imposed by their affiliated institutions (Way et al., 2019). Consequently, a close connection exists between faculty publication impact and the research environment.
A higher graduate student-faculty ratio suggests that faculty members must dedicate more time to teaching activities and student supervision, which may reduce their research productivity (O’Hara et al., 2019; Smeltzer et al., 2016). However, graduate students also serve as valuable human resources for faculty research (Buckner & Zhang, 2021). Therefore, the present study further
explored the uncertain relationship between the student-faculty ratio of a department and its faculty publication impact, accounting for the college affiliation of faculty members.
Studies have indicated that early involvement in academic work yields benefits in terms of accumulating research output and impact (Mishra & Smyth, 2013; Nosek et al., 2010; Sugimoto et al., 2016). However, Sinatra et al. (2016) discovered that scientific researchers randomly produce highly impactful works instead of following a systematic trajectory from their first publication. Full professors are often in advantageous positions in terms of having research resources and professional networks, which may aid them in accumulating research publications and impact (Colaco et al., 2013). Conversely, assistant or associate professors may be required to dedicate more time and effort
to publishing research papers because of the pressures associated with earning promotions and tenure (Hesli et al., 2012). Furthermore, faculty members who earned their doctoral degrees abroad may have more opportunities for academic networking and international collaborations relative to those with domestic doctoral degrees (Huang et al., 2022), potentially leading to higher citation rates and greater visibility for their research works (Bauder, 2020). Faculty members often co-author research papers with their graduate students (Henriksen, 2016). When professors supervise graduate student thesis projects, their active involvement may result in them having co-authorship for the
resulting publications, which indicates a potential connection between the publication outcomes of professors and the thesis projects they supervise (Corsini et al., 2022). Gender has also garnered considerable attention in this context because of its effect on faculty members’ publication impact
(Abramo et al., 2019; Aguinis et al., 2018; Eloy et al., 2013; Jena et al., 2016). In academia, men often secure key positions, resources, and international collaboration opportunities more frequently than women do (Kwiek & Roszka, 2021), contributing to gender bias in academic research, with the
problems and effects related to female representation often overlooked (Abramo et al., 2019). Such underrepresentation may adversely affect female scholars (van Veelenn & Derks, 2022).
The present study investigated the influence of several factors on faculty publication at various levels, including college affiliation, the student–faculty ratio, academic seniority, graduate student supervision, academic rank, domestic (or foreign) doctoral degree, and gender. Additionally, given
the hierarchical structure of educational data, this study employed generalized linear mixed-effect model tree analysis to examine data with nested and clustered properties.
Method
The present study enrolled faculty members from a research-intensive comprehensive university in southern Taiwan, establishing a sample of 800 university faculty members selected from 50 departments across 9 colleges (Bioscience and Biotechnology, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Engineering, Liberal Arts, Management, Medicine, Planning and Design,
Sciences, and Social Sciences). Data were collected manually from the university websites and the National Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations in Taiwan, with information such as the origin of degrees, academic rank, year of first publication, gender, and the number of supervised graduate students extracted.
Results
College affiliation was identified as the most significant factor in determining the academic research impact of faculty members. Faculty members were classified into two major domains: natural sciences and humanities and social sciences. In the humanities and social sciences domain, the College of Liberal Arts and the College of Planning and Design exhibited similarities, as did the
College of Management and the College of Social Sciences. Academic rank was the second most significant factor influencing these two clusters, with significant differences in the h-index being identified between professors and associate professors/assistant professors. In the natural sciences domain, the student-faculty ratio of a department was the second most significant factor after college affiliation. Faculty members were further categorized by the student-faculty ratios of their affiliated departments and their college affiliation. Within clusters such as the College of Medicine and the College of Science, academic rank was positively and significantly correlated with h-index
performance. Conversely, in clusters such as the College of Engineering, the College of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, and the College of Life Sciences, h-index performance was additionally influenced by whether a faculty member had a domestic or foreign doctoral degree.
Discussion
The publication impact of faculty members in the natural sciences domain was significantly higher than that of faculty members in the humanities and social sciences domain. This finding can be attributed to differences in collaborative research and funding. The student-faculty ratio substantially influenced the publication impact of natural sciences faculty, likely because of the prevalence of co-authorship in this domain. Academic seniority and graduate student supervision had varying effects across the clusters. Although full professors generally achieved a higher publication impact, assistant professors from specific departments also achieved excellent performance. Faculty
members with foreign doctoral degrees had a higher publication impact, with this being particularlytrue for those in departments with higher student-faculty ratios. No significant gender-related differences were identified within the study sample.
Conclusion
Full professors from the College of Medicine and the College of Science, which are within the natural sciences domain, achieved the highest publication impact. By contrast, associate professors and assistant professors in the College of Planning and Design and the College of Liberal Arts,
which are within the humanities and social sciences domain, are likely to encounter difficulties in building publication impact, according to citation metrics. Therefore, government agencies and universities should avoid directly comparing disparate fields when allocating resources. Additionally,
researchers and relevant authorities must account for the potential varying effects of factors such as PhD origin and the number of supervised students across specific domains. Institutions can effectively optimize resource allocation to enhance academic productivity by adopting a nuanced approach to such allocation
