Developing a Robust Model-Based Framework to Estimate Groundfish Abundance and Understanding Spatial Variability in Life History of Atlantic Cod (Gadus Morhua) in the Eastern Gulf of Maine

Over the past several decades, the Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) stock in the Gulf of Maine (GOM) has experienced a steep decline in abundance and exhibited changes in spatial distribution. Although the cod fishery in the Eastern Gulf of Maine (EGOM) remains open to fishing, low stock density and complex bathymetry have resulted in little fishing effort and sparse data collection. In an effort to fill gaps in the available data, the Eastern Gulf of Maine Sentinel Survey is a longline/jig survey that targets groundfish species, such as Atlantic cod, Atlantic halibut (Hippoglossus hippoglossus), white hake (Urophycis tenuis), and cusk (Brosme brosme), to collect fine-scale fisheries-independent and dependent data to improve the existing stock assessments for commercially important groundfish species. This research aims to evaluate the methodology for the jigging portion of the EGOM Sentinel Survey for sources of bias which may skew estimates of relative abundance in addition to developing a robust modeling framework that will produce accurate estimates of abundance for groundfish species in the EGOM. Statistical models will be used to make inferences about groundfish abundance and assess potential sources of bias from survey methodology. Furthermore, the established Gulf of Maine cod stock assessment/management strategy assumes unit stock structure in which life history parameters are consistent among individuals across the GOM such that any differences would not impede the stock-rebuilding plan. Given the variation in habitat, ecosystem structure, and food availability across the GOM, such simplifying assumptions may inhibit efforts to rebuild the overall cod stock and reduce overfishing across the GOM. This research aims to improve the analysis and interpretation of the fine-scale hook-and-line surveys, provide suggestions to improve fishery survey designs, and provide more information to better inform regional science and management efforts in the Gulf of Maine. In addition to evaluating survey methods and modeled estimates of abundance, age-specific absolute growth (e.g. change in length, weight, and condition factor) will be evaluated for cod in spatially explicit regions of the Gulf of Maine using a non-parametric bootstrap approach to evaluate inter-regional growth rates of Atlantic cod between the EGOM, western GOM, and George’s Bank

Comparison of the Ralph Smith and the Time Domain Flying Qualities Criteria

Aircraft pitch response is a crucial element of piloted vehicle flying qualities. The short term pitch response has created controversy over the form and substance of any requirements. Currently there are six different methods for evaluation in MIL-STD-1797A. There are many other methods which have been proposed. The biggest problem is that many of these methods often give conflicting results. The overall goal of the present effort is to compare and contrast the Time Domain criterion and the Ralph Smith criterion. By examining these methods on common grounds, areas of agreement and discrepancies can be found. Parametric studies are performed and trends identified

Getting It Right in Restrictive Lung Disease

Restrictive lung disease (predominantly in patients with neuromuscular disease (NMD) and ribcage deformity) may induce chronic hypercapnic respiratory failure, which represents an absolute indication to start home NIV (HNIV). However, in the early phases of NMD, patients may present only diurnal symptoms or orthopnoea and sleep disturbances with normal diurnal gas exchange. The evaluation of respiratory function decline may predict the presence of sleep disturbances (SD) and nocturnal hypoventilation that can be respectively diagnosed with polygraphy and PCO2 transcutaneous monitoring. If nocturnal hypoventilation and/or apnoea/hypopnea syndrome are detected, HNIV should be introduced. Once HNIV has been started, adequate follow-up is mandatory. The ventilator’s built-in software provides important information about patient adherence and eventual leaks to correct. Detailed data about pressure and flow curves may suggest the presence of upper airway obstruction (UAO) during NIV that may occur with or without decrease in respiratory drive. Etiology and treatment of these two different forms of UAO are different. For this reason, in some circumstances, it might be useful to perform a polygraph. PtCO2 monitoring, together with pulse-oximetry, seem to be very important tools to optimize HNIV. The role of HNIV in neuromuscular disease is to correct diurnal and nocturnal hypoventilation with the consequence of improving quality of life, symptoms, and survival

Getting It Right in Obstructive Lung Disease

Chronic hypercapnic respiratory failure in obstructive lung diseases may benefit from nocturnal Home non-invasive ventilation (HNIV). It has been shown that in patients with persistence of hypercapnia after an acute episode of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbation requiring mechanical ventilation, HNIV may improve the risk for new admission and survival. The ability to reach these aims depends on the correct timing of enrolling patients, as well as a correct definition of ventilatory needing and setting of the ventilator. This review tries to define a possible home treatment path of hypercapnic respiratory failure in COPD by analyzing the main studies published in recent years

Critical Analysis of Software Tools Aimed at Generating Future Weather Files with a view to their use in Building Performance Simulation

Two software tools, namely CCWorldWeatherGen and WeatherShift (TM), are today available on the market and enable individual end-users, to generate future projection weather data that can be used for executing building performance simulation. These software tools have been developed based on different assumptions. Therefore, the outputs of the two tools were generated and compared both graphically and using statistical methods to get to a better understanding of their differences and, hence, to identify possible consequences when applied to building performance simulation. The results suggest that, depending on the purpose of the design, care should be taken in using the above-mentioned tools

Lack of humidification may harm the patient during continuous positive airway pressure

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Does one size fit all? An update on chronic ventilatory support in different respiratory illnesses

Home noninvasive ventilation (HNIV) improves outcomes in different disease categories. In this article, we discuss indications for when and how to initiate HNIV in COPD, obesity hypoventilation syndrome (OHS) and neuromuscular disorders (NMD). While in COPD, significant diurnal hypercapnia and high-intensity HNIV are essential ingredients for success, in NMD and OHS, early respiratory changes are best detected during sleep through oxy-capnography associated (or not) with respiratory polygraphy. In COPD and OHS, it is crucial to consider the coexistence of obstructive sleep apnoea because treatment with continuous positive airway pressure may be the simplest and most effective treatment that should be proposed even in hypercapnic patients as first-line therapy. In NMD, the need for continuous HNIV and eventual switching to tracheostomy ventilation makes this group’s management more challenging. Achieving successful HNIV by improving quality of sleep, quality of life and keeping a good adherence to the therapy is a challenge, above all in COPD patients. In OHS patients, on top of HNIV, initiation of other interventions such as weight loss management is crucial. More resources should be invested in improving all these aspects. Telemonitoring represents a promising method to improve titration and follow-up of HNIV

Combustion and performance characteristics of air-fuel mixtures ignited by means of photo-thermal ignition of Nano-Energetic Materials

Abstract This work presents an experimental investigation to determine the performance and characteristics of the combustion process triggered by a new ignition system based on photo-thermal effect, observed when nano-Energetic Materials are exposed to a flash light. The resulting combustion process has been compared with the one obtained using the spark-plug traditionally used in spark ignition engines. Results showed that the photo-thermal ignition determines higher combustion pressure gradient, peak pressure, total heat released, fuel combustion efficiency, and a shorter ignition delay and combustion duration compared with the spark ignition, for all the tested fuels and air-fuel ratios

Performance Information and Managerial Knowledge Needs

Performance management raises managerial information needs. This paper elaborates various knowledge processes that are used for gathering, analysing and communicating performance information. Thus, the paper explores the potential contribution of knowledgebased management disciplines on performance management. Although the literature on performance measurement provides guidance on building performance measurement systems, there remains many open questions relating to how the data is obtained, analyzed and utilized. To address these phenomena knowledge-based management literature focuses on knowledge assets as performance drivers and the role of knowledge management as a lever of performance. There are also approaches that aim to streamline knowledge flows in order to improve operational performance. However, between these strategic and operative approaches is a research gap concerning thIe question, how can knowledge-based management support performance management. To address this gap in practice, the paper studies managerial information needs in 9 case environments in Finland

Analysis of the integration of the three-way catalyst thermal management in the on-line supervisory control strategy of a gasoline full hybrid vehicle

Full hybrid electric vehicles have proven to be a midterm viable solution to fulfil stricter regulations, such as those regarding carbon dioxide abatement. Although fuel economy directly benefits from hybridization, the use of the electric machine for propulsion may hinder an appropriate warming of the aftertreatment system, whose temperature is directly related to the emissions conversion efficiency. The present work evaluates the efficacy of a supervisory energy management strategy based on Equivalent Minimization Consumption Strategy (ECMS) which incorporates a temperature-based control for the thermal management of the Three-Way Catalyst (TWC). The impact of using only the midspan temperature of TWC is compared against the case where temperature at three different sampling points along the TWC length are used. Moreover, a penalty term based on TWC temperature has been introduced in the cost functional of the ECMS to allow the control of the TWC temperature operating window. In fact, beyond a certain threshold, the increase of the engine load, requested to speed up TWC warming, does not translate into a better catalyst efficiency, because the TWC gets close to its highest conversion rate. A gasoline P2 parallel full hybrid powertrain has been considered as test case. Results show that the effects of the different calibrations strategies are negligible on the TWC thermal management, as they do not provide any improvements in the fuel economy nor in the emissions abatement of the hybrid powertrain. This effect can be explained by the fact that the charge sustaining condition has a greater weight on the energy management strategy than the effects deriving from the addition of the soft constraints to control the TWC thermal management. These results hence encourage the use of simple setups to deal with the control of the TWC in supervisory control strategies for full hybrid electric vehicle