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This article introduces the 2023 National Offshore Wind data set (NOW-23), which offers the latest wind resource information for offshore regions in the United States. NOW-23 supersedes, for its offshore component, the Wind Integration National Dataset (WIND) Toolkit, which was published a decade ago and is currently a primary resource for wind resource assessments and grid integration studies in the contiguous United States. By incorporating advancements in the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model, NOW-23 delivers an updated and cutting-edge product to stakeholders. In this article, we present the new data set which underwent regional tuning and performance validation against available observations and has data available from 2000 through, depending on the region, 2019–2022. We also provide a summary of the uncertainty quantification in NOW-23, along with NOW-WAKES, a 1-year post-construction data set that quantifies expected offshore wake effects in the US Mid-Atlantic lease areas. Stakeholders can access the NOW-23 data set at https://doi.org/10.25984/1821404 (Bodini et al., 2020).

Mesoscale numerical weather prediction (NWP) models are generally considered more accurate than reanalysis products in characterizing the wind resource at heights of interest for wind energy, given their finer spatial resolution and more comprehensive physics. However, advancements in the latest ERA-5 reanalysis product motivate an assessment on whether ERA-5 can model wind speeds as well as a state-of-the-art NWP model – the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model. We consider this research question for both simple terrain and offshore applications. Specifically, we compare wind profiles from ERA-5 and the preliminary WRF runs of the Wind Integration National Dataset (WIND) Toolkit Long-term Ensemble Dataset (WTK-LED) to those observed by lidars at a site in Oklahoma, United States, and in a United States Atlantic offshore wind energy area. We find that ERA-5 shows a significant negative bias (∼-1ms-1) at both locations, with a larger bias at the land-based site. WTK-LED-predicted wind speed profiles show a limited negative bias (∼-0.5ms-1) offshore and a slight positive bias (∼+0.5ms-1) at the land-based site. On the other hand, we find that ERA-5 outperforms WTK-LED in terms of the centered root-mean-square error (cRMSE) and correlation coefficient, for both the land-based and offshore cases, in all atmospheric stability conditions. We find that WTK-LED's higher cRMSE is caused by its tendency to overpredict the amplitude of the wind speed diurnal cycle. At the land-based site, this is partially caused by wind plant wake effects not being accurately captured by WTK-LED.

Medical school admissions is a contentious and high stakes selection activity. Many assessment approaches are available to support selection; but how are decisions about building, monitoring, and adapting admissions systems made? What shapes the processes and practices that underpin selection decisions? We explore how these decisions are made across several Canadian medical schools, and how values shape the creation, monitoring, and adaptation of admissions systems. Using phenomenography (a qualitative method suited to examining variability), the authors analyzed interviews with 10 current or previous heads of admissions from 10 different undergraduate medical education programs in Canada. Interviews were conducted in English and French, and data was collected between 2016 and 2017 (therefore participants no longer hold these roles). Data was coded and analyzed iteratively, focusing on identifying underlying values, and exploring how these values shape admissions practices and considerations for validity. Eight different intersecting values were identified. Of these, four were shared across all participants: critically questioning the process and tools, aiming for equity, striving for better, and embracing the challenges of change. The expression of these values depended on different contextual variables (e.g., geographic location, access to expertise, resource availability), and values shaped how admissions systems were built, enacted, and monitored for quality. Ultimately, values shaped: (1) admissions practices resulting in different candidates being offered admission, and (2) how arguments supporting score interpretation are built (i.e., validity). This study documents various values that influence admissions processes, practices, and quality monitoring. The values that shape what is assessed, how it is assessed, and how fair and defensible practices are conceptualized have significant impact, ultimately determining who is selected. These values--whether implicit or explicit--result in intended and unintended consequences in selection processes. However, these values are rarely explicitly examined and questioned, leaving it uncertain as to which consequences are the intended outcomes of deliberately chosen values, and which are unintended consequences of implicitly held values of admissions systems and their actors.

We present estimates of line-of-sight distortion fields derived from the 95 and 150 GHz data taken by BICEP2, BICEP3, and the Keck Array up to the 2018 observing season, leading to cosmological constraints and a study of instrumental and astrophysical systematics. Cosmological constraints are derived from three of the distortion fields concerning gravitational lensing from large-scale structure, polarization rotation from magnetic fields or an axion-like field, and the screening effect of patchy reionization. We measure an amplitude of the lensing power spectrum ${A}_{L}^{\phi \phi }=0.95\pm 0.20$ . We constrain polarization rotation, expressed as the coupling constant of a Chern–Simons electromagnetic term g _a _γ ≤ 2.6 × 10 ^−2 / H _I , where H _I is the inflationary Hubble parameter, and an amplitude of primordial magnetic fields smoothed over 1 Mpc B _1Mpc ≤ 6.6 nG at 95 GHz. We constrain the rms of optical depth fluctuations in a simple “crinkly surface” model of patchy reionization, finding A ^τ < 0.19 (2 σ ) for the coherence scale of L _c = 100. We show that all of the distortion fields of the 95 and 150 GHz polarization maps are consistent with simulations including lensed ΛCDM, dust, and noise, with no evidence for instrumental systematics. In some cases, the EB and TB quadratic estimators presented here are more sensitive than our previous map-based null tests at identifying and rejecting spurious B -modes that might arise from instrumental effects. Finally, we verify that the standard deprojection filtering in the BICEP/Keck data processing is effective at removing temperature to polarization leakage.

We characterize Galactic dust filaments by correlating BICEP/Keck and Planck data with polarization templates based on neutral hydrogen (H i ) observations. Dust polarization is important for both our understanding of astrophysical processes in the interstellar medium (ISM) and the search for primordial gravitational waves in the cosmic microwave background (CMB). In the diffuse ISM, H i is strongly correlated with the dust and partly organized into filaments that are aligned with the local magnetic field. We analyze the deep BICEP/Keck data at 95, 150, and 220 GHz, over the low-column-density region of sky where BICEP/Keck has set the best limits on primordial gravitational waves. We separate the H i emission into distinct velocity components and detect dust polarization correlated with the local Galactic H i but not with the H i associated with Magellanic Stream i . We present a robust, multifrequency detection of polarized dust emission correlated with the filamentary H i morphology template down to 95 GHz. For assessing its utility for foreground cleaning, we report that the H i morphology template correlates in B modes at a ∼10%–65% level over the multipole range 20 < ℓ < 200 with the BICEP/Keck maps, which contain contributions from dust, CMB, and noise components. We measure the spectral index of the filamentary dust component spectral energy distribution to be β = 1.54 ± 0.13. We find no evidence for decorrelation in this region between the filaments and the rest of the dust field or from the inclusion of dust associated with the intermediate velocity H i . Finally, we explore the morphological parameter space in the H i -based filamentary model.

Introduction An estimated 8.1% of Canadians adults have asthma. While there are challenges associated with the use of objective measurement of lung function in the diagnosis of asthma, we are uncertain of the barriers that impact the use of objective measures, and have limited understanding of the challenges experienced by primary care providers in diagnosis of asthma. The objectives of this quality improvement initiative were to identify primary care providers’ methods of diagnosing asthma and to identify challenges with diagnosis. Methods An online survey was disseminated using a snowball methodology. Setting Primary care practices in Alberta, Canada. Participants A total of 84 primary care providers completed the survey. Main Outcome Measures Participants were asked their ideal and sufficient methods for diagnosing asthma and to identify challenges in their practice related to asthma diagnosis. Results They identified full pulmonary function testing (54%), pre- and postbronchodilator spirometry (54%), complete history and physical (42%), peak flow measurement overtime (26%), pulmonary consult (26%), and trial of asthma medication(s) (23%), as ideal methods of diagnosing asthma. The most significant barriers to diagnosis included episodic care–care provided typically during times of worsening symptoms without ongoing preventative/maintenance care (55%), patient follow-up (44%), conflict between clinical impression and pulmonary function results (43%), patient already on asthma medications (43%), and interpreting spirometry/pulmonary function results (39%). Conclusion The results of this survey indicate that the majority of primary care providers would choose full pulmonary function testing or pre- and postbronchodilator spirometry as the ideal methods of diagnosing asthma. However, barriers related to the nature of asthma care, patient factors, and challenges with diagnostic testing create challenges. This study also highlights that primary care providers have adapted to challenges in leveraging objective measurement and may rely upon other methods for diagnosis such as trials of medications.

This paper derives the gravity equation with intermediate goods trade. We extend a standard monopolistic competition model to incorporate intermediate goods trade, and show that the gravity equation with intermediates trade is identical to the one without it except in that gross output should be used as the output measure instead of value added. We also show that the output elasticity of trade is significantly underestimated when value added is used as the output measure. This implies that with the conventional gravity equation, the contribution of output growth can be substantially underestimated and the role of trade costs reduction can be exaggerated in explaining trade expansion, as we demonstrate for the case of Korea's trade growth between 1995 and 2007.

Higher education is awash with data that, when refined, facilitates data-informed decisions. Such decision-making is much more prevalent in support of undergraduate education given the much larger number of undergraduates pursuing higher education in contrast to the much smaller proportion of graduate students. A simple extension of current undergraduate-focused tools to the population of graduate students risks ignoring large differences in the students, processes, and policies that are unique to graduate education. Graduate education is more decentralized, less grade-focused and more milestone-focused (e.g., passing preliminary exams, defending a thesis), graduate admissions is driven by department-level processes and criteria, expected products vary across programs (e.g., performances, journal articles, books), and curricular specialization is the norm. Consequently, local contextual variables predominate. This article describes the development of a milestones dashboard to support programs in their pursuit of graduate education excellence by creating data transparency at the student level, visualizing student progress through milestones, allowing benchmarking against other programs at the university, and empowering college and university administrators to identify trends and to ask questions when unusual data arise.

We explore the history and position of the foundational communication course (FCC) in communication education. The material impact of calling the course basic since the 1940s has caused internalized oppression, which results in a lack of innovation and general disempowerment. The use of the term basic to describe the foundational communication course reflects little cultural awareness of the impact of the word. The term basic also demonstrates a need to adapt the course to meet the needs of its constituents. Failing to adapt may result in more oppressive conditions for communication education, a problem if the discipline is to make significant progress towards equity and inclusion. We argue that among other action items the first step to resist internalized oppression is to abandon the use of basic in relation to the foundational communication course.

This study examines the role of trade finance in the trade collapse of 2008-09 from the perspective of the Korean economy. We use two approaches. Firstly, as background to a more formal analysis, we make a casual observation on the behavior of aggregate data on trade finance, on which Korea has relatively abundant data. Aggregate data do not convincingly support the view that trade finance played an active role in causing the trade collapse. The measures of trade finance and the value of trade both dropped sharply, but the ratio of trade finance over trade was stable and in some cases increased during the crisis period. Secondly, using quarterly data on listed firms in Korea, we conduct panel estimations to test whether firms that are more dependent on external finance experienced greater export contraction during the crisis. Our regression analysis suggests that the financial vulnerability of firms, measured by various financial ratios, did not contribute to export contraction during the financial crisis. This observation largely applies even to smaller firms, who are usually thought of as being more vulnerable financially. However, we find that small exporters that relied heavily on cross-border trade payables or receivables suffered larger drops in export growth during the crisis.

This paper investigates the source of bilateral trade imbalance at industry level. We build a simple model based on gravity theory and derive the prediction that the bilateral trade balance in an industry is increasing in the difference between trading partners in the output share of the industry. We test this prediction and find that the difference in industry share is highly significant in predicting both the sign and the magnitude of trade balance at industry level. We also find that FTAs tend to enlarge trade imbalance at industry level. However, the overall predictive power of the model is rather limited, suggesting that factors other than production specialization are important in determining trade balance at industry level. Another finding of the paper is that the influence of the difference in industry share on trade balance increases as we move to industries that produce more homogeneous products. This finding calls into question monopolistic competition as the main driver of gravity in international trade.

This paper derives a general relationship among intra-industry trade, specialization, and gravity. This relationship holds in any two-country trade model under assumptions that are frequently adopted in theoretical trade models. Using this general relationship, we can take an integrated approach to the theory of intra-industry trade. In two-good, two-factor models, this relationship implies that the intensity of intra-industry trade is decreasing in the difference in factor proportions and is increasing in the product of per-worker GDPs. Thus, the popular assertion that a negative correlation between the intensity of intra- industry trade and the difference in factor proportions supports monopolistic competition is groundless. Using panel data on bilateral trade flows, we estimate these relationships. We find that the negative correlation between intra-industry trade and specialization is quite robust. We also find a robust positive correlation between intra-industry trade and the product of per-capita GDPs.

The purpose of this paper is two-fold. One is to clarify the concept of gravity in international trade flows. The other is to measure the strength of gravity in international trade flows in a way that is consistent with a well-defined concept of gravity. This paper shows that the widely accepted belief that specialization is the source of gravity is not well grounded on theory. We propose to define gravity in international trade as the force that makes the market shares of an exporting country constant in all importing countries, regardless of their sizes. In a stochastic context, we should interpret it as implying that the strength of gravity increases i) as the correlation between market shares and market sizes gets weaker and ii) as the variance of market shares gets smaller. We estimate an empirical gravity equation thoroughly based on this definition of gravity. We find that a strong degree of gravity exists in most bilateral trade, regardless of income levels of countries, and in trade of most manThe purpose of this paper is two-fold. One is to clarify the concept of gravity in international trade flows. The other is to measure the strength of gravity in international trade flows in a way that is consistent with a well-defined concept of gravity. This paper shows that the widely accepted belief that specialization is the source of gravity is not well grounded on theory. We propose to define gravity in international trade as the force that makes the market shares of an exporting country constant in all importing countries, regardless of their sizes. In a stochastic context, we should interpret it as implying that the strength of gravity increases i) as the correlation between market shares and market sizes gets weaker and ii) as the variance of market shares gets smaller. We estimate an empirical gravity equation thoroughly based on this definition of gravity. We find that a strong degree of gravity exists in most bilateral trade, regardless of income levels of countries, and in trade of most manufactured goods, regardless of the degree of product differentiation.

This paper shows that Cournot competition in segmented markets generate both intra-industry trade and the gravity equation. The paper also demonstrates that the gravity equation holds if and only if the market shares of an exporting country do not depend on the market where it sells. Thus, the widely accepted wisdom that specialization generates the force of gravity is not well grounded on theory.

A paint-spraying device was employed for marking wild African mammals without capture. This relatively inexpensive marking technique, which had originally been used for the marking of American desert bighorn sheep at drinking places, was also successfully applied in the marking of impala, Aepyceros melampus, blue wildebeest, Connochaetes taurinus, Burchell's zebra, Equus burchellii antiquorum aud the African elephant, Loxodonta africana. The apparatus used differs in some respects from that originally described by Hanson (1964). It was also used for the marking of animals from a mobile unit and away from fixed drinking places. This paper is based on a part of a thesis, submitted to the University of Pretoria in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of D.Sc. (Wildlife Management).

The results of a special survey are supplemented inthis report with a review of all other applicable information onthe diseases and parasites of Cape mountain zebra, black wildebeest, mountain reedbuck and blesbok in the Mountain ZebraNational Park. The possible significance of some of these infections is discussed and various suggestions are made which aim atthe continued and successful preservation of the Cape mountainzebra and other species in this National Park.

Thirteen species of parasitic metazoa and two protozoa have been identified. Pathological effects are described where applicable. Serological tests for virus diseases were negative but biochemical analyses revealed certain mineral deficiencies. The possible decimating effects of the former are discussed and appropriate guide lines for control suggested.