Patterns of coal sedimentation in the Ipswich Basin Southeast Queensland

The intermontane Ipswich Basin, which is situated 30km south-west of Brisbane, contains coal measures formed in the Late Triassic Epoch following a barren non-depositional period. Coal, tuff, and basalt were deposited along with fluvial dominated sediments. The Ipswich Coal Measures mark the resumption of deposition in eastern Australia after the coal hiatus associated with a series of intense tectonic activity in Gondwanaland during the Permo-Triassic interval. A transtensional tectonic movement at the end of the Middle Triassic deformed the Toogalawah Group before extension led to the formation of the Carnian Ipswich Coal Measures in the east. The Ipswich Coal Measures comprise the Brassall and Kholo Subgroups. The Blackstone Formation, which forms the upper unit of the Brassall Subgroup, contains seven major coal seams. The lower unit of the Brassall Subgroup, the Tivoli Formation, consists of sixteen stratigraphically significant coal seams. The typical thickness of the Blackstone Formation is 240m and the Tivoli Formation is about 500m. The coal seams of the Ipswich Basin differ considerably from those of other continental Triassic basins. However, the coal geology has previously attracted little academic attention and the remaining exposures of the Ipswich coalfield are rapidly disappearing now that mining has ceased. The primary aim of this project was to study the patterns of coal sedimentation and the response of coal seam characteristics to changing depositional environments. The coal accumulated as a peat-mire in an alluvial plain with meandering channel systems. Two types of peat-mire expansion occurred in the basin. Peat-mire aggradation, which is a replacement of water body by the peatmire, was initiated by tectonic subsidence. This type of peat-mire expansion is known as terrestrialisation. It formed thick but laterally limited coal seams in the basin. Whereas, peat-mire progradation was related to paludification and produced widespread coal accumulation in the basin. The coal seams were separated into three main groups based on the mean seam thickness and aerial distribution of one-meter and four-meter thickness contour intervals. Group 1 seams within the one-meter thickness interval are up to 15,000m2 in area, and seams within the four-meter interval have an aerial extent of up to 10,000m2. Group 1A contains the oldest seam with numerous intraseam clastic bands and shows a very high thickness to area ratio, which indicates high subsidence rates. Group 1B seams have moderately high thickness to area ratios. The lower clastic influx and slower subsidence rates favoured peat-mire aggradation. The Group 1A seam is relatively more widespread in aerial extent than seams from Group 1B. Group 1C seams have low mean thicknesses and small areas, suggesting short-lived peat-mires as a result of high clastic influx. Group 2 seams arebetween 15,000 and 35,000m2 in area within the one-meter interval, and between 5,000 and 10,000m2 within the four-meter interval. They have moderately high area to thickness ratios, indicating that peat-mire expansion occurred due to progressively shallower accommodation and a rising groundwater table. Group 3 seams, which have aerial extents from 35,000 to 45,000m2 within the one-meter thickness contour interval and from 10,000 to 25,000m2 within the four-meter interval, show high aerial extent to thickness ratios. They were deposited in quiet depositional environments that favoured prolonged existence of peat-mires. Group 3 seams are all relatively young whereas most Group 1 seams are relatively old seams. All the major fault systems, F1, F2 and F3, trend northwest-southeast. Apart from the West Ipswich Fault (F3), the F1 and F2 systems are broad Palaeozoic basement structures and thus they may not have had a direct influence on the formation of the much younger coal measures. However, the sedimentation patterns appear to relate to these major fault systems. Depocentres of earlier seams in the Tivoli Formation were restricted to the northern part of the basin, marked by the F1 system. A major depocentre shift occurred before the end of the deposition of the Tivoli Formation as a result of subsidence in the south that conformed to the F2 system configuration. The Blackstone Formation depocentres shifted to the east (Depocentre 1) and west (Depocentre 2) simultaneously. This depocentre shift was associated with the flexural subsidence produced by the rejuvenation of the West Ipswich Fault. Coal accumulation mainly occurred in Depocentre 1. Two types of seam splitting occurred in the Ipswich Basin. Sedimentary splitting or autosedimentation was produced by frequent influx of clastic sediments. The fluvial dominant depositional environments created the random distribution of small seam splits. However, the coincidence of seam splits and depocentres found in some of the seams suggests tectonic splitting. Furthermore, the progressive splitting pattern, which displays seam splits overlapping, was associated with continued basin subsidence. The tectonic splitting pattern is more dominant in the Ipswich Basin. Alternating bright bands shown in the brightness profiles are a result of oscillating water cover in the peat-mire. Moderate groundwater level, which was maintained during the development of the peat, reduced the possibility of salinisation and drowning of the peat swamp. On the other hand, a slow continuous rise of the groundwater table, that kept pace with the vertical growth of peat, prevented excessive oxidation of peat. Ipswich coal is bright due to its high vitrinite content. The cutinite content is also high because the dominant flora was pteridosperms of Dicroidium assemblage containing waxy and thick cuticles. Petrographic study revealed that the depositional environment was telmatic with bog forest formed under ombrotrophic to mesotrophic hydrological conditions. The high preservation of woody or structured macerals such as telovitrinite and semifusinite indicates that coal is autochthonous. The high mineral matter content in coal is possibly due to the frequent influx of clastic and volcanic sediments. The Ipswich Basin is part of a much larger Triassic basin extending to Nymboida in New South Wales. Little is known of the coal as it lacks exposures. It is apparently thin to absent except in places like Ipswich and Nymboida. This study suggests that the dominant control on depocentres of thick coal at Ipswich has been the tectonism. Fluvial incursions and volcanism were superimposed on this

MODEL OF STRUCTURING SETTLEMENT ON THE WA-TER IN COASTAL AREA OF TERNATE

Ternate in North Maluku province has assets with a coastal marine area 5547.55 km2, wider plains than just covering 250.85 km2. Coastal areas become large enough portion for housing development; although prone to disasters, grow uncontrollably, lack of public facilities and the lack of environmental controls. This causes the quality of the coastal environment so declined. Arrangement is needed to prevent the development of sporadic and slums, as well as to anticipate disaster. The purpose of this study is to produce a model of the arrangement of settlements in the coastal zone of the water Ternate, for disaster mitigation. The research method is qualitative with purposive sampling system. The results showed that very precise grid pattern applied in the coastal areas because it can maximize the land use, circulation becomes more fluent evacuation, distribution function and development of the area easier, either macro or micro in accordance with the needs of the region. In addition, the grid pattern can support human circulation and transportation effectively and efficiently

Factors Influencing The Adoption Of Information System In Private Hospitals In Malaysia

Pengambilan dan aplikasi teknologi maklumat adalah sangat penting dalam menangani perubahan pengurusan kesihatan untuk memenuhi keperluan pesakit di masa hadapan. The adoption and application of information technology is essential to reform healthcare and meet the needs of patients in the coming decades

Early warning characteristics of monitoring and evaluation systems on the "functionality" of municipal service delivery processes

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of the Witwatersrand, Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, Wits School of Governance, 2017Since 1994, the new democratically elected government has embarked on a series of massive initiatives, policies and programmes to improve municipal service delivery performance. Municipalities are, however, still incapable of fulfilling their designated service delivery mandate. The preliminary study of this research discovered that the current municipal monitoring and evaluation (M&E) systems, although they are legislated to serve as an early warning system (EWS), do not have essential components of an EWS and, as a result, cannot alert key players and stakeholders of developing problematic trends in municipal service delivery processes. The research examined the extent to which the current M&E system of the City of Johannesburg contains the components of an EWS. The purpose is to design and propose a model of M&E system that can serve as an EWS and enable municipalities to receive advance information about potential problems, and then to implement the necessary corrective interventions. Using a qualitative and a casestudy methodology, data were collected through observation, interviews, focus-group discussions (FGDs) and documentary study. Root cause, thematic analysis and data categorisation were used to analyse data. The findings indicate that early warning signals exist and are noticed by some officials and staff, but no mechanism or budget exists to enable them to use the knowledge (i.e., no EWS exists). An important original finding this study makes is that one of the root causes of municipal problems is the state of alienation municipal workers and managers across race and class experience, which results in silo mentality of workers, departments and sectors, and fragmentation throughout planning, functionalities, information and knowledge, as the effects of alienation on municipal performance have not been in the local government discourse. Conceptually, it argues that the M&E concept and framework need to be re-designed to encompass and build-in the concept of EWS, and, in turn, proposes a model of proactive M&E (pM&E), i.e., an M&E system integrated with EWS components, and therefore serves as an EWS. Moreover, it also suggests that concept and approach of the Weak Signals Theory (WST) is applicable in an M&E framework, but would be hard to use in “municipal” M&E systems, for three reasons: capacity constraint, political, and the multi-sectorial nature of the municipal system. ■ ii KEY WORDS Local government, Municipal service delivery processes, Municipal service delivery challenges, Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E), pM&E (proactive M&E), eM&E (M&E system integrated with EWS components and therefore serves as an EWS), Early Warning System (EWS), Weak Signal Theory, Alienation, Alienation in local government contextGR201

Assessing Mammal and Bird Biodiversity and Habitat Occupancy of Tiger Prey in the Hukaung Valley of Northern Myanmar

I used results from camera traps set for tigers (Panthera tigris) during 2001-2011 in the Hukaung Valley Wildlife Sanctuary of northern Myanmar to assess overall biodiversity of large mammal and bird species, and to identify differences in photo rates inside and outside of the most protected core area of the Sanctuary. A total of 403 camera stations were deployed during October-July in the dry seasons of 2001-2011, 260 inside the Core area and 143 Outside. From 10,750 trap-nights I obtained 2,077 independent photos of wildlife species and 699 of domestic animals and humans, including 35 species of wild mammals (19 carnivores, 4 primates, 1 elephant, 6 even-toed ungulates, 1 pangolin, and 4 rodents) and 16 species of wild birds. Of these, 1 is considered critically endangered, 7 are endangered, 11 are vulnerable, and 5 are nearly threatened. Some species that probably occur in the Sanctuary (e.g., arboreal or semi-aquatic mammals) were not photographed, likely because of camera placement. In total, 48 wild species were photographed in the Core area vs. only 33 at locations Outside of the core area. Generally, few photos of any domestic animal species were obtained inside 9 the Core area, and no photos insurgents were obtained there, but many more photos of poachers and villagers, but also park rangers, were obtained there. Increased patrol efforts may have helped maintain species presence in the Core area, but differences in photo rates between areas were likely mostly influenced by differences in elevation, slope, density of streams, trails, and roads, and perhaps vegetative cover type. Tiger abundance is most influenced naturally by prey availability and anthropogenically by poaching. In the Hukaung Valley Wildlife Sanctuary in northern Myanmar, a major conservation area established to protect tigers, tiger presence has declined. This study was conducted to assess habitat occupancy and distribution of principal tiger prey species in the Core part of the Sanctuary by surveying for sign on 1650.9 km partitioned into 554 sampling units during November 2007 and May 2008. Using standard occupancy model in the program PRESENCE (6.2), habitat occupancy and detection probabilities were predicted and the best candidate model for each species was selected using the Akaike information criterion (AIC). By incorporating 7 environmental and 4 social covariates, the predicted habitat occupancy rates were 0.76 (SE=0.196, naïve estimate = 0.5162) for gaur (Bos gaurus), 0.91 (SE=0.03, naïve estimate = 0.7762) for sambar (Rusa unicolor), 0.57 (SE = 0.003, naïve estimate = 0.3195) for wild pigs (Sus scrofa) and 0.89 (SE = 0.001, naïve estimate = 0.7996) for muntjac (Muntiacus muntjak). Overall, shorter Euclidean distances to ranger stations and trails, decreased stream density, and broadleaved evergreen/semi-deciduous forest and relatively rare rain-fed cropland habitat occurrence positively influenced prey habitat occupancy; conversely, shorter Euclidean distances to villages, roads, and streams, higher elevations, and occurrence of mixed broadleaved and needle-leaved forest habitat 10 negatively influenced occupancy. In addition, Euclidean distance to ranger stations, trails, and roads positively affections species detections, whereas shorter Euclidean distance to villages and streams, high elevations, and high precipitation negatively affected detections. Results indicate that all four prey species were relatively well-distributed through the Sanctuary Core area. However, comparisons with tiger and prey indices of abundance elsewhere suggest that prey density is low and would not likely support many tigers

Early warning characteristics of monitoring and evaluation systems on the "functionality" of municipal service delivery processes

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of the Witwatersrand, Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, Wits School of Governance, 2017Since 1994, the new democratically elected government has embarked on a series of massive initiatives, policies and programmes to improve municipal service delivery performance. Municipalities are, however, still incapable of fulfilling their designated service delivery mandate. The preliminary study of this research discovered that the current municipal monitoring and evaluation (M&E) systems, although they are legislated to serve as an early warning system (EWS), do not have essential components of an EWS and, as a result, cannot alert key players and stakeholders of developing problematic trends in municipal service delivery processes. The research examined the extent to which the current M&E system of the City of Johannesburg contains the components of an EWS. The purpose is to design and propose a model of M&E system that can serve as an EWS and enable municipalities to receive advance information about potential problems, and then to implement the necessary corrective interventions. Using a qualitative and a casestudy methodology, data were collected through observation, interviews, focus-group discussions (FGDs) and documentary study. Root cause, thematic analysis and data categorisation were used to analyse data. The findings indicate that early warning signals exist and are noticed by some officials and staff, but no mechanism or budget exists to enable them to use the knowledge (i.e., no EWS exists). An important original finding this study makes is that one of the root causes of municipal problems is the state of alienation municipal workers and managers across race and class experience, which results in silo mentality of workers, departments and sectors, and fragmentation throughout planning, functionalities, information and knowledge, as the effects of alienation on municipal performance have not been in the local government discourse. Conceptually, it argues that the M&E concept and framework need to be re-designed to encompass and build-in the concept of EWS, and, in turn, proposes a model of proactive M&E (pM&E), i.e., an M&E system integrated with EWS components, and therefore serves as an EWS. Moreover, it also suggests that concept and approach of the Weak Signals Theory (WST) is applicable in an M&E framework, but would be hard to use in “municipal” M&E systems, for three reasons: capacity constraint, political, and the multi-sectorial nature of the municipal system. ■ ii KEY WORDS Local government, Municipal service delivery processes, Municipal service delivery challenges, Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E), pM&E (proactive M&E), eM&E (M&E system integrated with EWS components and therefore serves as an EWS), Early Warning System (EWS), Weak Signal Theory, Alienation, Alienation in local government contextGR201

Cost effectiveness analysis of using different monitoring modalities in treating severe traumatic brain injury (CESTBI) in neuro-ICU, HUSM, Kelantan

Introduction: There are two schools of thought in practicing neurotrauma monitoring for patients with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI); the application of the baseline neuro-monitoring (BNM) and the use of multiple modalities neurotrauma monitoring (M3) which is very expensive. The answer of which of the two monitoring systems is more eflicient and worth doing should be sought. Objective: To determine the cost effectiveness analysis between BNM and M3 monitoring modalities in the management of severe TBI. Methodology: Sixty-two patients with severe TBI admitted to Neuro-ICU, USM who fulfilled the predetermined criteria were selected using systematic random sampling. The macro and micro costing were performed on each of patient. Barthel Index was used to measure physical performance as an outcome six months after discharge. The analyses used were the Independent t- test, ANCOVA, and Repeated Measure ANOVA. Results: The mean total equipment cost of M3 was significantly higher at p = 0.049 (mean difference of RM23.74) after controlling other variables. The mean difference in Barthel Index after six months was significance between the two groups (p = 0.031), patients that were treated with M3 had higher score 163.7 (SD 30.03)J compared to those who were treated with BNM 146.83 (SD 30.36)]. However, the cost-effectiveness ratio of using M3 was significantly lowered (p=O.031) with a mean of RM476.29 was needed to increase a unit improvement in mean Barthel Index compared to RM629.12 if we used BNM. Conclusion: Although M3 is more costly, the outcome of patients treated with M3 was better than that of BNM. Therefore we can conclude that the used of multiple neuro-monitoring was more cost effective than the use of only baseline neuro-monitoring in treating severe traumatic brain injury

Differentiating pre-capillary and post-capillary pulmonary hypertension by Doppler echocardiography in a large realworld database

Background: Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is common, dangerous and has multiple causes. Vasodilator therapy has significantly improved the prognosis of patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), but the diagnosis can be challenging, requiring right heart catheterisation (RHC). Differentiating pre-capillary PH (prePH) and postcapillary PH (postPH) and measuring pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) are key steps for diagnosing PAH. A novel echocardiographic parameter, the pulmonary to left atrial ratio (ePLAR), which is derived from the tricuspid regurgitation velocity (TRV) divided by the ratio between the early diastolic filling velocity and the early mitral annulus velocity (E/e’), i.e., ePLAR=TRV/E/e’, has been described as a surrogate for RHC. This retrospective cohort study tests the ability of ePLAR to differentiate prePH and postPH, in a large real world database. Methods: The data from all RHC performed within a 5-year period (January 2010 to February 2015) were extracted from the hospital database. The closest corresponding echocardiograms (echos) were searched in the national echo database Australia (NEDA) using the identifiers from RHC data. The performance of ePLAR in differentiating two PH physiologies was compared against the gold standard RHC using various statistical methods. Results: 887 pairs of echos and RHCs were merged and analysed in our study. The median time difference between RHC and echocardiography was 7 (IQR 1-62) days. The ePLAR was calculable in 184 cases (21%). Median (IQR) ePLAR values were significantly different between prePH and postPH groups: 0.35 (0.13-0.50) m/s vs 0.17 (0.12-0.23) m/s (P=0.003), despite both groups having similar mean pulmonary artery pressures. The optimal ePLAR cut-off of 0.28m/s had a positive predictive value of 94% for postPH, with sensitivity of 83% and specificity of 67%. Conclusions: ePLAR helps to discriminate postPH from prePH and may be useful in evaluating these patients