Experimental and Numerical Study of Drag Reduction on Elliptical Cylinders Using Surface Grooves

Drag reduction on an object subject to external flow remains a topic of interest due to a wide range of applications. Previous studies showed that grooves on the surface of a circular cylinder lead to drag reduction, which had thus been applied to save energy in various implementations. In the present study, the effects of longitudinal surface grooves with respect to drag reduction on circular and elliptical cylinders were experimentally explored through resin additive manufacturing and a wind tunnel. Significant drag reduction originated by surface grooves was observed. In conjunction with experimental investigations, numerical analyses were performed with computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to examine the physical causes of the drag reduction. The numerical studies included two- and three-dimensional simulations of flow over circular and elliptical cylinders. The turbulent energy and wake regions of flow were discussed. Key factors in drag reduction were the location of the beginning of turbulence or vortices in the grooves, the boundary layer separation angle, and the size of the turbulent wake region. Through the numerical CFD simulations and experimental results, spanwise surface grooves on elliptical cylinders are verified to reduce drag

Building Successful Partnerships for Technology Transfer

As budgets for Cooperative Extension projects get tighter, many units are enticed to consider partnerships with agencies and organizations to continue to proactively deliver services. Our experience working with the USDA Forest Service in a partnership that involves joint staffing and funding for technology transfer and research projects enables us to offer specific advice on how to use this tool most effectively. Communication and planning are essential and should cover everything from who gets office keys to who hires temporary staff

Management of New Production Reactor waste streams at Savannah River

To ensure the adequacy of available facilities, the disposition of the several waste types generated in support of a heavy-water NPR operation at the Savannah River Site were projected through waste- treatment and disposal facilities after the year 2000. Volumes of high-level, low-level radioactive, TRU, hazardous, mixed and non-radioactive waste were predicted for early assessments of environmental impacts and to provide a baseline for future waste-minimization initiatives. Life-cycle unit costs for disposal of the waste, adjusted to reflect waste management capabilities in the NPR operating time frame, were developed to evaluate the economic effectiveness of waste-minimization activities in the NPR program

Novel Class 1 Integron Harboring Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Wastewater-Derived Bacteria as Revealed by Functional Metagenomics

Combatting antibiotic resistance is critical to our ability to treat infectious diseases. Here, we identified and characterized diverse antimicrobial resistance genes, including potentially mobile elements, from synthetic wastewater treatment microcosms exposed to the antibacterial agent triclosan. After seven weeks of exposure, the microcosms were subjected to functional metagenomic selection across 13 antimicrobials. This was achieved by cloning the combined genetic material from the microcosms, introducing this genetic library into E. coli, and selecting for clones that grew on media supplemented with one of the 13 antimicrobials. We recovered resistant clones capable of growth on media supplemented with a single antimicrobial, yielding 13 clones conferring resistance to at least one antimicrobial agent. Antibiotic susceptibility analysis revealed resistance ranging from 4 to \u3e50 fold more resistant, while one clone showed resistance to multiple antibiotics. Using both Sanger and SMRT sequencing, we identified the predicted active gene(s) on each clone. One clone that conferred resistance to tetracycline contained a gene encoding a novel tetA-type efflux pump that was named TetA(62). Three clones contained predicted active genes on class 1 integrons. One integron had a previously unreported genetic arrangement and was named In1875. This study demonstrated the diversity and potential for spread of resistance genes present in human-impacted environments

Urinary Ethyl Glucuronide Can Be Used as a Biomarker of Habitual Alcohol Consumption in the General Population

BACKGROUND: Alcohol consumption is a frequently studied risk factor for chronic diseases, but many studies are hampered by self-report of alcohol consumption. The urinary metabolite ethyl glucuronide (EtG), reflecting alcohol consumption during the past 72 h, is a promising objective marker, but population data are lacking. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to assess the reliability of EtG as a marker for habitual alcohol consumption compared with self-report and other biomarkers in the general population. METHODS: Among 6211 participants in the Prevention of Renal and Vascular End-Stage Disease (PREVEND) cohort, EtG concentrations were measured in 24-h urine samples. EtG was considered positive when concentrations were ≥100 ng/mL. Habitual alcohol consumption was self-reported by questionnaire (categories: no/almost never, 1-4 units per month, 2-7 units per week, 1-3 units per day or ≥4 units per day). Plasma HDL cholesterol concentration, erythrocyte mean corpuscular volume (MCV), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and γ-glutamyltransferase (GGT) were determined as indirect biomarkers of alcohol consumption. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value, and proportions of agreement between reported consumption and EtG were calculated. To test the agreement of EtG concentration and alcohol consumption in categories, linear regression analysis was performed. In addition, the association between EtG concentrations and indirect biomarkers was analyzed. RESULTS: Mean age was 53.7 y, and 52.9% of participants men. Of the self-reported abstainers, 92.3% had an EtG concentration <100 ng/mL. Sensitivity was 66.3%, positive predictive value was 96.3%, and negative predictive value was 47.4%. The proportion of positive agreement was 78.5%, and the proportion of negative agreement was 62.7%. EtG concentrations were linearly associated with higher categories of alcohol consumption (P-trend < 0.001), adjusted for age, sex, and renal function. EtG was positively related to MCV, HDL cholesterol, and GGT but not to AST and ALT concentrations. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that urinary EtG is in reasonable agreement with self-reported alcohol consumption and therefore can be used as an objective marker of habitual alcohol consumption in the general population

We must become gatekeepers : editing indigenous writing

With the proliferation of Indigenous texts currently published by specialist and mainstream publishers, non-Indigenous editors increasingly find themselves negotiating the uncomfortable territories of race, politics and power for which current training (in an Australian context) leaves them poorly prepared. Indigenous writer Anita Heiss advocates the employment of Indigenous editors as an \u27ideal\u27 solution, though few are currently working in the Australian industry. Margaret McDonell, an experienced non-Indigenous editor of Indigenous texts, suggests non-Indigenous editors need to \u27undertake a journey of learning\u27 during which \u27assumptions, biases, tastes and preconceptions\u27 are examined. Yet this presents a difficult task within a postcolonial society, when, as identified by Clare Bradford, even the classification of texts into genres such as fiction and the short story represents an entirely Eurocentric construct, \u27not readily correspond[ing] with Aboriginal schemata\u27. The Australian Society of Authors\u27 discussion paper \u27Writing about Indigenous Australia: Some Issues to Consider and Protocols to Follow\u27 provides practical guidelines that may be adapted for editorial use. This article canvasses these and other ideas with a focus on establishing an ethical and appropriately sensitive cross-cultural approach to editing Indigenous writing.<br /

Anaesthesia of three young grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) for fracture repair

Three young grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) were presented separately for fracture repair to the veterinary teaching hospital of University College Dublin. The seals were premedicated with a combination of pethidine, midazolam and atropine; anaesthesia was induced with propofol via the front flipper vein and maintained with sevoflurane or isoflurane in oxygen. One of the seals did not breathe spontaneously after anaesthesia; a cardiac arrest, resulting in death, occurred after several hours of mechanical ventilation. Post-mortem examination revealed a severe lungworm infestation and parasitic pneumonia in this animal. The two other seals recovered uneventfully from anaesthesia

Psychoeducation and the family burden in schizophrenia: a randomized controlled trial

Abstract Background The majority of patients with schizophrenia live with their relatives in Pakistan, thereby families experience a considerable burden. We aimed to study the impact of psychoeducation on the burden of schizophrenia on the family in a randomised controlled trial. Methods A total of 108 patients with schizophrenia and their family members from the outpatient department of a teaching hospital in Lahore, Pakistan were randomised. Both groups received psychotropic drugs but one group received psychoeducation in addition. Family burden was assessed at the time of recruitment and at 6 months post intervention. Results In all, 99 patients and their relatives completed the treatment. There was significant reduction in burden at post-intervention assessment in the psychoeducation group based on intention to treat analysis. Conclusion Family psychoeducation can be an important intervention for patients with schizophrenia in Pakistan.</p