Hydrozoa, La Ciotat and nearby areas, Mediterranean coast of France.

The shallow-water hydrozoan fauna of La Ciotat and nearby areas, Mediterranean coast of France, was surveyedover a period of 6 years; 41 species, belonging to 10 families of Athecata and 13 families of Thecata were identified

Hydrozoa, fjord Comau, Chile.

The shallow-water hydrozoan fauna of fjordComau is surveyed. A total of thirty three specieswere recorded. They have been assigned to eightfamilies of Athecata, eight families of Thecata,two families of Narcomedusae and one family ofTrachymedusae. Their ecology is brieflydiscussed

Differences in the determinants of posttraumatic stress disorder and depression after a mass traumatic event

Background: Hurricane Ike struck the Galveston Bay area of Texas on September 13, 2008, leaving substantial destruction and a number of deaths in its wake. We assessed differences in the determinants of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression after this event, including the particular hurricane experiences, including postevent nontraumatic stressors, that were associated with these pathologies. Methods: 658 adults who had been living in Galveston and Chambers counties, TX in the month before Hurricane Ike were interviewed 2–5 months after the hurricane. We collected information on experiences during and after Hurricane Ike, PTSD and depressive symptoms in the month before the interview, and socio‐demographic characteristics. Results: The prevalence of past month hurricane‐related PTSD and depression was 6.1 and 4.9%, respectively. Hurricane experiences, but not socio‐demographic characteristics, were associated with Ike‐related PTSD. By contrast, lower education and household income, and more lifetime stressors were associated with depression, as were hurricane exposures and hurricane‐related stressors. When looking at specific hurricane‐related stressors, loss or damage of sentimental possessions was associated with both PTSD and depression; however, health problems related to Ike were associated only with PTSD, whereas financial loss as a result of the hurricane was associated only with depression. Conclusions: PTSD is indeed a disorder of event exposure, whereas risk of depression is more clearly driven by personal vulnerability and exposure to stressors. The role of nontraumatic stressors in shaping risk of both pathologies suggests that alleviating stressors after disasters has clear potential to mitigate the psychological sequelae of these events. Depression and Anxiety, 2011. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/87144/1/20838_ftp.pd

Active dynamic signage system: A full-scale evacuation trial

Efficient evacuation from transport terminals in an emergency can be constrained by the complex nature of the buildings. Although emergency signage systems are widely used as a well established means of facilitating evacuation, recent research demonstrates that only 38% of people 'see' conventional static emergency signage in simulated emergency situations. Besides, conventional signage only conveys single and passive information; therefore, they cannot be adapted to respond to developing evacuation situations. The EU FP7 GETWAY project addresses this problem for transport terminals through the development of an Intelligent Active Dynamic Signage System (IADSS), which routes terminal passengers to their optimal exit according to the distribution of occupants and the nature of the evolving incident. This paper presents the results of two full scale evacuation trials conducted in a rail station to establish the specific benefits of the Active Dynamic Signage System (i.e. ADSS, a subsystem of the IADSS without the intelligent component) over the current standard emergency signage system. These trials demonstrate that the flashing lights of the ADSS do have a greater effect on route choice compared to the standard signage system and therefore are more likely to promote the adoption of emergency evacuation procedures than would otherwise be the case, especially where evacuees are required to adopt routes not entirely based on proximity

Sampling and design challenges in studying the mental health consequences of disasters

Disasters are unpredictable and frequently lead to chaotic post-disaster situations, creating numerous methodologic challenges for the study of the mental health consequences of disasters. In this commentary, we expand on some of the issues addressed by Kessler and colleagues, largely focusing on the particular challenges of (a) defining, finding, and sampling populations of interest after disasters and (b) designing studies in ways that maximize the potential for valid inference. We discuss these challenges – drawing on specific examples – and suggest potential approaches to each that may be helpful as a guide for future work. We further suggest research directions that may be most helpful in moving the field forward. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/61448/1/267_ftp.pd

A CFD and experimental investigation into a non-intrusive method for measuring cooling air mass flow rate through a synchronous generator

This paper presents a detailed methodology for a non-intrusive measurement of cooling air mass flow rate that enables an overall machine evaluation. This approach enables the simultaneous measurement of air mass flow with shaft torque at differing operating points, while minimising the change in air flow introduced by the measurement system. The impact of geometric parameters in the designed system are investigated using a detailed 180° CFD model. Special attention was paid to minimising their influence on pressure drop, mass flow rate through the machine and measurement uncertainty. Based on the results of this investigation, the system was designed and manufactured and the experimentally measured data was used to validate the CFD predictions. For the as optimal identified configuration, the flow rate is predicted to decrease by 2.2 % relative to unrestricted operation. The achieved measurement uncertainty is ±2.6 % at synchronous speed

CFD optimisation of the thermal design for a vented electrical machine

Optimisation algorithms hold the potential to dramatically reduce computational time whilst ensuring the optimal solution is found. Within this paper, the feasibility of using this novel approach on complex 3-D Computational Fluid Dynamics models, which are required for thermal management of electrical machines, is proven. A model of a simplified generator is parameterised with the aim of minimising the peak stator temperature by varying the axial location of a single stator vent. By generating a single parameterised case, and automating the optimisation, the simulations are run independently after initial setup, hence reducing both computational and user time. Locating a vent in the optimal position reduced the peak stator temperature by 9.4 K. A sensitivity study linking peak temperature to vent position has been carried out developing a polynomial relationship between them for the aforementioned geometry. Mass flow and pressure distribution in the vent have been analysed in detail