Velocity Measurements within High Velocity Air-Water Jets

High velocity turbulent jets are often used in hydraulic structures to dissipate energy and to induce or enhance air entrainment. Examples include ski jumps and bottom aeration devices. This article presents new air concentration and velocity measurements performed in the flow development region of high velocity water jets. The measurements were obtained using a two-tips conductivity probe. The data are compared with analytical air concentration profiles derived from the diffusion equation, and theoretical velocity profiles of turbulent shear layers. The results highlight that the lower jet interface defined as C = 90% coincides with the streamline of maximum velocity gradient

Disordered microbial communities in asthmatic airways.

A rich microbial environment in infancy protects against asthma [1], [2] and infections precipitate asthma exacerbations [3]. We compared the airway microbiota at three levels in adult patients with asthma, the related condition of COPD, and controls. We also studied bronchial lavage from asthmatic children and controls.We identified 5,054 16S rRNA bacterial sequences from 43 subjects, detecting >70% of species present. The bronchial tree was not sterile, and contained a mean of 2,000 bacterial genomes per cm(2) surface sampled. Pathogenic Proteobacteria, particularly Haemophilus spp., were much more frequent in bronchi of adult asthmatics or patients with COPD than controls. We found similar highly significant increases in Proteobacteria in asthmatic children. Conversely, Bacteroidetes, particularly Prevotella spp., were more frequent in controls than adult or child asthmatics or COPD patients.The results show the bronchial tree to contain a characteristic microbiota, and suggest that this microbiota is disturbed in asthmatic airways