Development of Beluga, Delphinapterus leucas, Capture and Satellite Tagging Protocol in Cook Inlet, Alaska

Attempts to capture and place satellite tags on belugas, Delphinapterus leucas, in Cook Inlet, Alaska were conducted during late spring and summer of 1995, 1997, and 1999. In 1995, capture attempts using a hoop net proved impractical in Cook Inlet. In 1997, capture efforts focused on driving belugas into nets. Although this method had been successful in the Canadian High Arctic, it failed in Cook Inlet due to the ability of the whales to detect and avoid nets in shallow and very turbid water. In 1999, belugas were successfully captured using a gillnet encirclement technique. A satellite tag was attached to a juvenile male, which subsequently provided the first documentation of this species’ movements within Cook Inlet during the summer months (31 May–17 September)

A compendium of sources of fracture toughness and fatigue crack growth data for metallic alloys, part 3

This Technical Memorandum presents sources of fracture toughness and fatigue crack growth data for metallic alloys. This is Part 3 of a three volume report

Cooperation after War: International Development in Bosnia, 1995 to 1999

This paper discusses how predispositions, incentives, the number and heterogeneity of participants, and leadership (Faerman et al. 2001) jointly influenced the international effort to develop Bosnia and Herzegovina. International coalitions, task forces, and advisory groups are increasingly charged with implementing reforms following civil conflict. This requires a complex web of interorganizational relationships among NGOS, donors and host nations at both global and ‘ground’ levels. To better understand development assistance, attention must be paid to the relationships between these varied players. We find that four factors influenced relationships between policy, donor, and implementing organizations; and those strained relationships, in turn, affected development success. The paper draws on interviews, conducted in Bosnia, with 43 development professionals, observation of development meetings in Tuzla and Sarajevo, and review of related documents from international development programs.international development, interorganizational relationships and cooperation

A study of the factors involved and the strategies employed by Michigan school districts in developing deficit elimination plans

The purpose of this research was to study the factors that contribute to financial deficits, examine the strategies used to reduce deficits, and explore the barriers that may prohibit the reduction of financial deficits. As part of legislative mandates, school superintendents are faced with creating a deficit elimination plan to reduce the financial deficits facing their districts. In 2013, the State of Michigan began to shut down financially challenged districts for the first time. School districts labeled as “deficit districts” struggled to remove the designation assigned to them. Fifty-eight traditional Michigan public school districts with financial deficits between school years 2010-11 and 2014-15 were the focus of this study. The research methodology utilized for this study was a mixed methods approach. Both qualitative and quantitative models were used to collect and analyze data in pursuit of answers to the stated research questions on factors, strategies and barriers supported by the research of Creswell (2014). Initial exploratory phone interviews were used to develop a quantitative survey. Superintendents who worked in a school district with a financial deficit were surveyed to obtain data to answer and address the research questions. Documentation from the Michigan Department of Education, Senate Fiscal Agency, and Center for Education Performance Information provided the information to create the variables used for the various outputs and statistical analysis. The number of districts with the designation as a deficit district grew from the years 2002 to 2014. The number of deficit districts doubled during the focused years of this study. During this same time, resources to schools declined. The findings indicate that of the three areas (factors, strategies, and barriers) studied in this research, factors are the most prominent causes for creating districts with deficits. The study emphasizes that strategies that school districts use when coupled with increased per-pupil foundation allowance have a huge impact on reducing the number of school districts with financial deficits

Attempting to validate the over/under triage matrix at a level I trauma center.

The Optimal Resources Document (ORD) mandates trauma activation based on injury mechanism, physiologic and anatomic criteria and recommends using the over/undertriage matrix (Matrix) to evaluate the appropriateness of trauma team activation. The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of the Matrix method by comparing patients appropriately triaged with those undertriaged. We hypothesized that these two groups are different and Matrix does not discriminate the needs or outcomes of these different groups of patients.Trauma registry data, from 1/2013-12/2015, at a Level I trauma center were reviewed. Over and undertriage rates were calculated by Matrix. Patients with ISS ≥16 were classified by activation level (full, limited, consultation), and triage category by Matrix. Patients in the limited activation and consultation groups were compared to patients with full activation by demographics, injuries, initial vital signs, procedures, delays to procedure, ICU admission, length of stay, and mortality.7031 patients met activation criteria. Compliance with ACS tiered activation criteria was 99%. The Matrix overtriage rate was 45% and undertriage was 24%. Of 2282 patients with an ISS ≥16, 1026 were appropriately triaged (full activation), and 1256 were under triaged. Undertriaged patients had better GCS, blood pressure, and BD than patients with full activation. ICU admission, hospital stays, and mortality were lower in the undertriaged group. The under triaged group required fewer operative interventions with fewer delays to procedure.Despite having an ISS ≥ 16, patients with limited activations were dissimilar to patients with full activation. Level of activation and triage are not equivalent. The ACS-COT full and tiered activation criteria are a robust means to have the appropriate personnel present based on available pre-hospital information. Evaluation of the process of care, regardless of level of activation should be used to evaluate trauma center performance.Level III Therapeutic and Care managementThis is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives License 4.0 (CCBY-NC-ND), where it is permissible to download and share the work provided it is properly cited. The work cannot be changed in any way or used commercially without permission from the journal

Forecasting enrollments in a Virginia community college

Most institutions of higher education are interested in enrollment projections because they are closely related to institutional goals and missions and, are, therefore, essential to financial and program planning at every level. This study was undertaken to determine if relevant factors could be identified and used in a statistical forecasting model to project enrollments in a multidimensional urban community college within the accuracy limitations imposed by a state such as Virginia (who requires State institutions of higher education) to project their enrollment within (+OR-) 1 percent.;Two general types of statistical forecasting models, causal and extrapolation models were explored for use in forecasting fall and summer headcount, and total FTE enrollments within the prescribed accuracy limits. The relevant factors for possible inclusion in the models were identified from previous studies and a student flow model for the institution. The relevant factors used in the final models were selected on the basis of simple correlation coefficients, the mean square error, and average error as variables were added and removed from the models.;The optimum fall and summer headcount forecasts were produced by a combination time-series and multiple regression model. The independent variables used in fall and summer headcount forecasts were a seasonal factor, a time-trend factor, and national economic indicators. In the optimum total FTE forecast, produced by a multiple regression model, the relevant factors were full-time enrollment shifted forward three years and national economic indicator shifted forward three years. The basis for acceptance or rejection of the models was made in context with the fiscal system of the Commonwealth of Virginia for the distribution of public funds to the state colleges and universities. The fiscal system was established primarily to provide a basis for financial planning. Forecasting models were produced for 1 year for fall headcount enrollment and for 2 years for summer headcount and total FTE enrollment within (+OR-) 1 percent.;On the basis of this study certain general conclusions were reached: the large variations between national enrollment projections resulted from different assumptions; enrollment projections have been too generalized for institutions with diverse goals and objectives; present data bases are inadequate to produce accurate enrollment projections; and most projections are not sufficiently reliable for planning purposes. More specific conclusions reached were: state data bases are inadequate for multidimensional institutions; removing quarterly seasonal variations permits the identification of relevant factors; traditional projection models such as the cohort survival and Markov are not applicable in multidimensional institutions such as community colleges; models such as time-series and multiple regression can be developed to accurately project enrollments for less than two years; the current limits of accuracy for Virginia multidimensional institutions are unrealistic; verification of the accuracy of prediction models is valuable for evaluating forecasting models; and models for multidimensional institutions must be revised periodically because relevant factors are constantly in flux