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Accurate thermal transmittance (U-value) data for building envelopes is crucial for planning effective retrofits and modeling building energy performance. However, missing U-values in existing building stock datasets present a significant barrier to large-scale decarbonization efforts. This study evaluates six data imputation methods for addressing missing U-values, comparing traditional approaches (mean/median imputation) with advanced techniques including multiple imputation via chained equations (MICE) with Bayesian ridge regression (BRR), k-nearest neighbours (KNN), random forest (RF), and LightGBM. The Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) data from 112,125 domestic properties in London’s Barnet borough is used as a case study. The evaluation indicators are imputation errors and execution time. Different methods are further evaluated through sensitivity analysis in EnergyPlus. U-values are varied by each imputer’s error magnitude, so as to assess the impacts of uncertainty in imputed values on energy use and overheating predictions. Results demonstrate that MICE with LightGBM minimises uncertainty in building performance predictions while maintaining reasonable execution time, offering a robust solution for improving building stock data usability. • Investigated six imputation methods on 112K+ EPC records from Barnet, London. • MICE withLightGBM yields lowest imputation errors for missing U-values. • LightGBM imputation reduces uncertainty in building energy performance. • Sensitivity analysis in EnergyPlus links imputation choice to energy metrics. • Robust, efficient imputation aids accurate retrofit planning and modeling.

Le Comité sur les Noms des Poissons, un comité conjoint de la Société Americaine de Pêcheries et de la Société Americaine des Ichtyologistes et Herpetologistes, a publié la dernière édition de la liste des espèces de poissons dans les trois pays de l'Amérique du Nord. Cette contribution fournit des analyses succintes des changements survenus au cours des huit éditions, par exemple la découverte d'espèces nouvelles et d'espèces éxotiques, ainsi que l'état de conservation des poissons, dans les trois pays et par habitat. Il y a 5089 espèces de poissons en Amérique du Nord: 1254 au Canada, 3821 aux ÉtatsUnis, 3261 au Mexique; 107 d'elles sont des espèces introduites établies et 37 sont éteintes.

A taxonomic revision of the genus Centrogenys (family: Centrogenyidae), having previously been regarded as monotypic (also monotypic family) represented by Centrogenys vaigiensis , resulted in the recognition of three species, including two new species from Australia, Centrogenys algrahami , new species, and Centrogenys pogonoskii , new species. The two other nominal species of the genus, Centropristes scorpenoides and Sebastes stoliczkae , were regarded as junior synonyms of C . vaigiensis . Centrogenys vaigiensis is readily distinguished from the two new species by lacking scale patches on the membranes between dorsal-fin spines (a small patch of scales present on each interspinous membrane of the third to last dorsal-fin spines in the two new species). Centrogenys algrahami , new species, is characterized by having fewer body scales, including 31–36 pored lateral-line scales (vs. 37–44 in C . vaigiensis and 39–46 in C . pogonoskii , new species) and 31–36 scale rows in longitudinal series (vs. 36–43 and 39–47), and a slightly greater number of pectoral-fin rays 14–16 (modally 15; vs. 12–15 [modally 14] in C . vaigiensis and C . pogonoskii , new species). Moreover, C . pogonoskii , new species, is distinguished from the two congeners by the presence of squamation on the lateral side of the snout (in specimens >34 mm SL), whereas it is naked in the congeners. The status of the three species resulting from the morphological analysis was also strongly supported by molecular evidence of a partial sequence of the COI gene. Centrogenys vaigiensis is widely distributed in the Indo-West Pacific, ranging from Mauritius east to Indonesia and north to southern Japan. In contrast, Centrogenys algrahami , new species, and Centrogenys pogonoskii , new species, are restricted to Australia.

This paper examines the conditional effectiveness of foreign aid for economic growth. Theoretically, I argue that to maximize the chance to stay in office, the leaders of a large winning coalition will spend the aid money as intended, to provide public goods, which aids economic growth. On the other hand, leaders of a small winning coalition will spend the money on private goods, which is less effective for growth. To test this argument, I construct a panel data set for 28 Asian countries (1990–2010) and apply the generalized method of moments. I find that the interaction between ODA and coalition size significantly affects economic growth. Broadly, for large winning coalitions, growth rate increases with higher ODA, while for small winning coalitions it decreases with higher ODA.

<i>Ichthyology & Herpetology</i> (formerly <i>Copeia</i>) publishes work on the biology of fishes, amphibians, and reptiles, or work using those organisms as models for testing hypotheses of broad significance.

Reductions in cold-water habitat owing to anthropogenic stressors are focusing attention on indicator fish species. We investigated an apparent range expansion in Connecticut of a native cold-water fish, Slimy Sculpin (Cottus cognatus). Unexpectedly, genetic and morphological analyses identified the new population as a non-native cottid from the Ozark region, the Knobfin Sculpin (C. immaculatus). This is the first record of C. immaculatus outside of its native range. The new occurrences were not recognized for over a decade despite comprehensive watershed inventories by state natural resource managers. The mechanism by which the non-native Knobfin Sculpin first arrived in Connecticut is currently unknown. Our findings suggest that unintentional species introductions may occur more frequently than is currently recognized and highlight the need for more comprehensive assessments of non-native species distributions.

the county has some similarities on a far larger scale. Of the 6,542 dental prescriptions for penicillin-related antimicrobials over a recent six-month period, 6,038 were for Amoxicillin, 42 for Co-amoxiclav and 462 for Phenoxymethylpenicillin. Though this is not prescribing but rather dispensing data and it does not specify the reason for the antibiotic, it does highlight that Phenoxymethylpenicillin is used far less frequently than Amoxicillin for dental prescriptions, so perhaps something for wider consideration by the profession.

<i>Ichthyology & Herpetology</i> (formerly <i>Copeia</i>) publishes work on the biology of fishes, amphibians, and reptiles, or work using those organisms as models for testing hypotheses of broad significance.