Use of an Inverse Method for Time Series to Estimate the Dynamics of and Management Strategies for the Box Jellyfish Carybdea marsupialis

Frequently, population ecology of marine organisms uses a descriptive approach in which their sizes and densities are plotted over time. This approach has limited usefulness for design strategies in management or modelling different scenarios. Population projection matrix models are among the most widely used tools in ecology. Unfortunately, for the majority of pelagic marine organisms, it is difficult to mark individuals and follow them over time to determine their vital rates and built a population projection matrix model. Nevertheless, it is possible to get time-series data to calculate size structure and densities of each size, in order to determine the matrix parameters. This approach is known as a “demographic inverse problem” and it is based on quadratic programming methods, but it has rarely been used on aquatic organisms. We used unpublished field data of a population of cubomedusae Carybdea marsupialis to construct a population projection matrix model and compare two different management strategies to lower population to values before year 2008 when there was no significant interaction with bathers. Those strategies were by direct removal of medusae and by reducing prey. Our results showed that removal of jellyfish from all size classes was more effective than removing only juveniles or adults. When reducing prey, the highest efficiency to lower the C. marsupialis population occurred when prey depletion affected prey of all medusae sizes. Our model fit well with the field data and may serve to design an efficient management strategy or build hypothetical scenarios such as removal of individuals or reducing prey. TThis This sdfsdshis method is applicable to other marine or terrestrial species, for which density and population structure over time are available.

Time-differentiated target temperature management after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: a multicentre, randomised, parallel-group, assessor-blinded clinical trial (the TTH48 trial): study protocol for a randomised controlled trial

BACKGROUND The application of therapeutic hypothermia (TH) for 12 to 24 hours following out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) has been associated with decreased mortality and improved neurological function. However, the optimal duration of cooling is not known. We aimed to investigate whether targeted temperature management (TTM) at 33 ± 1 °C for 48 hours compared to 24 hours results in a better long-term neurological outcome. METHODS The TTH48 trial is an investigator-initiated pragmatic international trial in which patients resuscitated from OHCA are randomised to TTM at 33 ± 1 °C for either 24 or 48 hours. Inclusion criteria are: age older than 17 and below 80 years; presumed cardiac origin of arrest; and Glasgow Coma Score (GCS) <8, on admission. The primary outcome is neurological outcome at 6 months using the Cerebral Performance Category score (CPC) by an assessor blinded to treatment allocation and dichotomised to good (CPC 1-2) or poor (CPC 3-5) outcome. Secondary outcomes are: 6-month mortality, incidence of infection, bleeding and organ failure and CPC at hospital discharge, at day 28 and at day 90 following OHCA. Assuming that 50 % of the patients treated for 24 hours will have a poor outcome at 6 months, a study including 350 patients (175/arm) will have 80 % power (with a significance level of 5 %) to detect an absolute 15 % difference in primary outcome between treatment groups. A safety interim analysis was performed after the inclusion of 175 patients. DISCUSSION This is the first randomised trial to investigate the effect of the duration of TTM at 33 ± 1 °C in adult OHCA patients. We anticipate that the results of this trial will add significant knowledge regarding the management of cooling procedures in OHCA patients. TRIAL REGISTRATION NCT01689077.

Information for employers and unions entering into a collective bargaining relationship for the first time : an address at the Information Program for Labor and Management at West Virginia University, April 18, 1963.

Mode of access: Internet.

Increased fuel economy in transportation systems by use of energy management. Volume III. Real-time (hybrid computer) simulation program set.

Transportation Department, Washington, D.C.

Total quality management : a time for decision /

Cover title.

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The challenge of real-time automatic mapping for environmental monitoring network management

The automatic interpolation of environmental monitoring network data such as air quality or radiation levels in real-time setting poses a number of practical and theoretical questions. Among the problems found are (i) dealing and communicating uncertainty of predictions, (ii) automatic (hyper)parameter estimation, (iii) monitoring network heterogeneity, (iv) dealing with outlying extremes, and (v) quality control. In this paper we discuss these issues, in light of the spatial interpolation comparison exercise held in 2004.

Leaders' sensemaking under crises:emerging cognitive consensus over time within management teams

When facing a crisis, leaders' sensemaking can take a considerable amount of time due to the need to develop consensus in how to deal with it so that vision formation and sensegiving can take place. However, research into emerging cognitive consensus when leaders deal with a crisis over time is lacking. This is limiting a detailed understanding of how organizations respond to crises. The findings, based on a longitudinal analysis of cognitive maps within three management teams at a single organization, highlight considerable individual differences in cognitive content when starting to make sense of a crisis. Evidence for an emerging viable prescriptive mental model for the future was found, but not so much in the management as a whole. Instead, the findings highlight increasing cognitive consensus based on similarities in objectives and cause-effect beliefs within well-defined management teams over time.

A Real-time Decision Support System Prototype for Management of a Power Block

This paper describes the basic tools for a real-time decision support system of a semiotic type on the example of the prototype for management and monitoring of a nuclear power block implemented on the basis of the tool complex G2+GDA using cognitive graphics and parallel processing. This work was supported by RFBR (project 02-07-90042).

Management of slow light dispersion and delay time characteristics with SNAP bottle resonators

The nanoscale radius variation of a bottle microresonator with the required dispersion characteristics is determined theoretically. Experimentally, a microresonator with the footprint 0.08 mm2 exhibiting 20 ns/nm dispersion compensation of 100 ps pulses is demonstrated. © 2014 OSA.

Conservative management in very elderly patients with severe aortic stenosis: Time to change?

Despite current recommendations, a high percentage of patients with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis are managed conservatively. The aim of this study was to study symptomatic patients undergoing conservative management from the IDEAS registry, describing their baseline clinical characteristics, mortality, and the causes according to the reason for conservative management. Consecutive patients with severe aortic stenosis diagnosed at 48 centers during January 2014 were included. Baseline clinical characteristics, echocardiographic data, Charlson index, and EuroSCORE-II were registered, including vital status and performance of valve intervention during one-year follow-up. For the purpose of this substudy we assessed symptomatic patients undergoing conservative management, including them in 5 groups according to the reason for performing conservative management [I: comorbidity/frailty (128, 43.8%); II: dementia 18 (6.2%); III: advanced age 34 (11.6%); IV: patients’ refusal 62 (21.2%); and V: other reasons 50 (17.1%)]. We included 292 patients aged 81.5 ± 9 years. Patients from group I had higher Charlson index (4 ± 2.3), higher EuroSCORE-II (7.5 ± 6), and a higher overall (42.2%) and non-cardiac mortality (16.4%) than the other groups. In contrast, patients from group III had fewer comorbidities, lower EuroSCORE-II (4 ± 2.5), and low overall (20.6%) and non-cardiac mortality (5.9%). Patients with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis managed conservatively have different baseline characteristics and clinical course according to the reason for performing conservative management. A prospective assessment of comorbidity and other geriatric syndromes might contribute to improve therapeutic strategy in this clinical setting.