Determination of energy loss coefficient of rainwater and sewer manholes with CFD

Overflowing and flooding in rainwater and sewer system manholes have become very common incidents in recent years. It is a well-known fact that floods spread out to large areas and cause loss of life and property. Consequently, using recent modelling approaches in the design of manholes has gained more importance than ever. The manhole geometry used today is given by national standards. Although the flood of a manhole is typically considered as a result of insufficient capacity of the system, the manhole geometry has distinctive role on the energy loss coefficients of manhole and water level in it. Nowadays, Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) programs and large computer capacity present opportunities in accurately modeling water flows in the manholes whose loss coefficients are calculated from the CFD modelling. In this study, water flow is modelled with CFD in a typical half bench manhole given by the Turkish Standards TS EN1917/AC. Moreover, three alternative manholes geometries are generated and water flow in these manholes are modelled with CFD. The energy loos coefficients of all manhole models are calculated and compared. © by PSP

Evaluation of the Bactec 9240 system for blood cultures

Purpose: This study was carried out in order to determine species of bacteria causing sepsis and the rate of false positives and negatives in the results obtained in the evaluation of blood cultures by the Bactec 9240 system. Method: For a period of one year, from September 1994 to September 1995, 8022 blood cultures which were taken by various clinics from patients with fever or sepsis were evaluated using the Bactec 9240 system. For this purpose, Bactec plus Aerobic/F and Bactec Peds plus/F vials were examined for 7 days. Identification of the bacteria was made using the Sceptor system. Results: Out of the 8022 blood cultures, 1763 were positive with the Bactec 9240 system and of these, 1727 grew in the subcultures (2.05% false positives). As a result of subculturing of the 6259 blood cultures negative in the Bactec system, various bacteria and fungi were isoleted in 11 cultures (0.18% false negatives). The majority of the bacteria isolated were Staphylococcus species. Besides this, out of the 1763 cultures that were positive with Bactec 9240, 19 (1.08%) were positive after the 5th day. Conclusion: The time involved in the evaluation of blood cultures is shortened when the Bactec 9240 system is used. Also, there is less contamination of the blood cultures since subculturing is done only once

Computer program for the analysis of reinforced concrete frames with cracked beam elements

An iterative procedure for the analysis of reinforced concrete frames with beams in cracked state is presented. ACI and CEB model equations are used for the effective moment of inertia of the cracked members. In the analysis, shear deformations are taken into account and reduced shear stiffness is considered by using effective shear modulus models available in the literature. Based on the aforementioned procedure, a computer program has been developed. The results of the computer program have been compared with the experimental results available in the literature and found to be in good agreement. Finally, a parametric study is carried out on a two story reinforced concrete frame

Optimum design of prestressed concrete beams by a modified grid search method

A computer program has been developed for the optimum design of prestressed concrete beams under flexure. Optimum values of prestressing force, tendon configuration, and cross-sectional dimensions are determined subject to constraints on the design variables and stresses. 28 constraints have been used including flexural stresses, cover requirement, the aspect ratios for top and bottom flanges and web part of a beam and ultimate moment. The objective function contains cost of concrete, prestressing force and formwork. Using this function, it is possible to obtain minimum cost design, minimum weight or cross-sectional area of concrete design and minimum prestressing force design. Besides the idealized I-shaped cross-section, which is widely used in literature, a general I-shaped cross-section with eight geometrical design variables are used here. Four examples, one of which is available in the literature and the others are modified form of it, have been solved for minimum cost and minimum cross-sectional area designs and the results are compared. The computer program, which employs modified grid search optimization method, can assist a designer in producing efficient designs rapidly and easily. Considerable savings in computational work are thus made possible

Comparison of the Bactec system and Lowenstein-Jensen medium for the isolation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and determination of drug sensitivity with Bactec

A total of 2058 different specimens (sputum, cerebrospinal fluid, pleural fluid, gastric aspirate, urine, bronchial lavage, lung aspirate) sent to the central laboratory from clinics and but-clinics of Balcali Hospital of Cukurova University, Faculty of Medicine, Adana, were evaluated for Mycobacterium tuberculosis using Bactec system and Lowenstein-Jensen (L.J.) media. Out of a total of 112 cultures positive for M. tuberculosis, 100 (89.28%) were positive in the Bactec system and 76 (67.85%) with L.J. media. The average day on which the culture was found to be positive was 11.59 for the Bactec system and 22.41 with L.J. medium. The rate of sensitivity to drugs was as follows; Ethambutol (EMB) 97.32%, Rifampin (RFP) 87.5%, Streptomycin (SM) 85.71% and Izoniazid (INAH) 83.09%. The rate of primary contamination was 120 (5.89%) with the Bactec system and 94 (4.56%) with L.J. medium. However using the decontamination method of the Bactec system, the results of 72 cultures were evaluated whereas it was impossible to decontaminate the L.J. cultures. Thus, the final rate of contamination with the Bactec system was found to be 2.33 percent

Penicillin resistance in Streptococcus pneumoniae isolated in the Balcali Hospital in Adana, Turkey

Purpose: There is a continuing increase in resistance to penicillin which is commonly used in treatment of Streptococcus pneumoniae infections. This study was carried out in order to determine the rate of resistance to penicillin in S. pneumoniae isoleted in our hospital. Methods: Colonies on blood agar which resembled pneumonoccoccal colonies were tested with optochin disks. Identification of the bacteria was made using Sceptor system panels each of which contain 24 biochemical test including bile solubility and bile esculin as well as antibiotic susceptibility tests. Results: Between October 1993 and June 1995, 231 Streptococcus pneumoniae strains were isolated from various specimens from hospitalized patients and outpatients. Forty five (19%) of these strains were found to be resistant to penicillin (MIC > 1 µg/ml); 68 (29%), moderately resistant (MIC 0.1-1 µg/ml); and 118 (51%), susceptible (MIC < 0.06 µg/ml). The highest rates of penicillin resistance were detected in S.pneumoniae isolated from wound infections, spinal fluid, and blood (31%, 26%, 23%, respectively). There was no resistance to vancomycin. Conclusion: The results of this study indicated that S.pneumoniae infections should not be treated with penicillin or other antibiotics without confirmation of sensitivity with susceptibility tests

Penicillin resistance in Streptococcus pneomoniae isolated in the Balcali hospital in Adana, Turkey [1]

PubMedID: 9661955[No abstract available

A study on load-deflection behavior of two-span continuous concrete beams reinforced with GFRP and steel bars

Continuous concrete beams are commonly used as structural members in the reinforced concrete constructions. The use of fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) bars provide attractive solutions for these structures particularly for gaining corrosion resistance. This paper presents experimental results of eight two-span continuous concrete beams; two of them reinforced with pure glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) bars and six of them reinforced with combinations of GFRP and steel bars. The continuous beams were tested under monotonically applied loading condition. The experimental load-deflection behavior and failure mode of the continuous beams were examined. In addition, the continuous beams were analyzed with a numerical method to predict the load-deflection curves and to compare them with the experimental results. Results show that there is a good agreement between the experimental and the theoretical load-deflection curves of continuous beams reinforced with pure GFRP bars and combinations of GFRP and steel bars. Copyright © 2017 Techno-Press, Ltd.Firat University Scientific Research Projects Management UnitThe presented research study was financially supported by Cukurova University Scientific Research Projects Directorate (Project No. FDK-2015-4924). The experimental work was assisted by Cukurova University laboratory staffs. The authors would like to thank for these contributions

Fibronectin, platelet factor 4 and beta-thromboglobulin levels in preeclampsia

Platelet activation was tested in hospitalized third-trimester pregnants with preeclampsia (n = 20) and in healthy outpatient pregnant controls (n = 20) by measuring plasma fibronectin, platelet factor 4 (PF-4), ß- thromboglobulin (ßTG), and the platelet count, both during the obstetric period, and 24 to 48 hours after delivery. Predelivery fibronectin, PF-4 and ßTG levels were found to be elevated significantly in the preeclampsia group when compared to levels in normal pregnants, the mean (± SD) and p values being 8.8 ± 1.4 and 3.7 ± 1.48 ng/ml, p &lt; 0.0001 for fibronectin; 6.2 ± 1.2 and 4.6 ± 2.75 IU/ml, p &lt; 0.05 for PF-4, and 12.8 ± 4.2 and 5.0 ± 1.17 IU/ml, p &lt; 0.0001 for ßTG, respectively. We couldn't identify apparent relationships between mean arterial blood pressure and fibronectin, PF-4, or ßTG levels in either group. Mean platelet count was increased nonsignificantly in preeclamptic pregnants when compared to levels in healthy pregnants, the predelivery values (mean ± SD) being 111850 ± 47965/mm3 and 94050 ± 47494/mm3, respectively. We conclude that 1) vascular endothelial injury plays a central role in platelet activation associated with preeclampsia, 2) fibronectin, PF-4 or ßTG may not be indicators of high blood pressure in the prediction of preeclampsia, and 3) accelerated platelet production in preeclampsia is a widespread compensatory mechanism, and it therefore may mask increased consumption, leading to normal or even slightly increased platelet counts in this hypertensive disorder when compared to values in healthy pregnancies