A comparison of telepaediatric activity at two regional hospitals in Queensland

We conducted a 15-month feasibility study of telepaediatrics. A novel service was offered to two hospitals in Queensland (Mackay and Hervey Bay). We used data from all other hospitals throughout the state as the control group. Although both intervention hospitals were provided with the same service, the telepaediatric activity generated and the effect on admissions and outpatient activity were markedly different. There was a significant decrease in the number of patient admissions to Brisbane from the Mackay region. In addition, there was an increase in the number of Mackay patients treated locally (as outpatients). In contrast, little change was observed in Hervey Bay. We assessed whether the observed differences between the two hospitals were due to various factors which influenced the use of the telepaediatric service. These factors included the method of screening patients before transfer to the tertiary centre and the physical distance between each facility and the tertiary centre. We believe that the screening method used for patient referrals was the most important determinant of the use of the telepaediatric service.

Air Entrainment Processes in a Full-Scale Rectangular Dropshaft at Large Flows

Rectangular dropshafts, commonly used in sewers and storm water systems, are characterised by significant flow aeration. New detailed air-water flow measurements were conducted in a near-full-scale dropshaft at large discharges. In the shaft pool and outflow channel, the results demonstrated the complexity of different competitive air entrainment mechanisms. Bubble size measurements showed a broad range of entrained bubble sizes. Analysis of streamwise distributions of bubbles suggested further some clustering process in the bubbly flow although, in the outflow channel, bubble chords were in average smaller than in the shaft pool. A robust hydrophone was tested to measure bubble acoustic spectra and to assess its field application potential. The acoustic results characterised accurately the order of magnitude of entrained bubble sizes, but the transformation from acoustic frequencies to bubble radii did not predict correctly the probability distribution functions of bubble sizes.

Free-Surface Aeration and Momentum Exchange at a Bottom Outlet

This study aims to provide some new understanding of the air-water flow properties in high-velocity water jets discharging past an abrupt drop. Such a setup has been little studied to date despite the relevance to bottom outlets. Downstream of the step brink, the free-jet entrains air at both upper and lower air-water interfaces, as well as along the sides. An air-water shear layer develops at the lower nappe interface. At the lower nappe, the velocity redistribution was successfully modelled and the velocity field was found to be similar to that in two-dimensional wake flow. The results highlighted further two distinct flow regions. Close to the brink (Wex < 5000), the flow was dominated by momentum transfer. Further downstream (Wex > 5000), a strong competition between air bubble diffusion and momentum exchanges took place.

Research Quality, Publications and Impact in Hydraulic Engineering into the 21st Century. Publish or Perish, Commercial versus Open Access, Internet versus Libraries

One of the main objectives of the first International Junior Researcher and Engineer Workshop on Hydraulic Structures is to provide an opportunity for young researchers and engineers to present their research. But a research project is only completed when it has been published and shared with the community. Referees and peer experts play an important role to control the research quality. While some new electronic tools provide further means to disseminate some research information, the quality and impact of the works remain linked with some thorough expert-review process and the publications in international scientific journals and books. Importantly unethical publishing standards are not acceptable and cheating is despicable.

Bubbly Flow Structure in Hydraulic Jump

In an open channel, a hydraulic jump is the rapid transition from super- to sub-critical flow associated with strong turbulence and air bubble entrainment in the mixing layer. New experiments were performed at relatively large Reynolds numbers using phase-detection probes. Some new signal analysis provided characteristic air-water time and length scales of the vortical structures advecting the air bubbles in the developing shear flow. An analysis of the longitudinal air-water flow structure suggested little bubble clustering in the mixing layer, although an interparticle arrival time analysis showed some preferential bubble clustering for small bubbles with chord times below 3 ms. Correlation analyses yielded longitudinal air-water time scales Txx*V1/d1 of about 0.8 in average. The transverse integral length scale Z/d1 of the eddies advecting entrained bubbles was typically between 0.25 and 0.4, irrespective of the inflow conditions within the range of the investigations. Overall the findings highlighted the complicated nature of the air-water flow

Sillon de Talbert, Pleubian, Bretagne, France

Coastal photograph of Sillon du Talbert, L'Armor, Pleubian on 16 April 2004 low tide. End of the Sillon, looking N-N-E at the Archipel d'Ollone. The Sillon du Talbert is a natural thin 3-km long tongue made of "galets" (pebbles about 5 to 20 cm) and sand. It is located at the tip of a peninsula between the estuaries of the rivers Jaudy (Le Jaudy) and Trieux (Le Trieux) next to Ile de Bre´hat. At the end of the Sillon, there is an archipel of small islands and rocks called "Archipel d'Ollone" (Ollone archipel), also called the Talbert islands (Iles de Talbert) by the locals. The Sillon du Talbert (or Sillon de Talbert) is an important reserve of flora and fauna. The Sillon was damaged by locals using stones for construction until 1928, and by the Germans, who used stones for the Ile Blanche bunker system construction in 1943 as part of the WWII Atlantic wall. (Coastal Photograph by Hubert Chanson, Department of Civil Engineering, the University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia.)

Molecular phylogeny of Wolbachia endosymbionts in southeast asian mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) based on wsp gene sequences

Wolbachia are maternally inherited intracellular bacteria that infect a wide range of arthropods and nematodes and are associated with various reproductive abnormalities in their hosts. Insect-associated Wolbachia form a monophyletic clade in the α-Proteobacteria and recently have been separated into two supergroups (A and B) and 19 groups. Our recent polymerase chain reaction (PCR) survey using wsp specific primers indicated that various strains of Wolbachia were present in mosquitoes collected from Southeast Asia. Here, we report the phylogenetic relationship of the Wolbachia strains found in these mosquitoes using wsp gene sequences. Our phylogenetic analysis revealed eight new Wolbachia strains, five in the A supergroup and three in the B supergroup. Most of the Wolbachia strains present in Southeast Asian mosquitoes belong to the established Mors, Con, and Pip groups.

Hydraulic Design of Stepped Spillways and Downstream Energy Dissipators for Embankment Dams

In recent years, the design flows of many dams were re-evaluated, often resulting in discharges larger than the original design. In many cases, the occurrence of the revised flows could result in dam overtopping because of insufficient storage and spillway capacity. An experimental study was conducted herein to gain a better understanding of the flow properties in stepped chutes with slopes typical of embankment dams. The work was based upon a Froude similitude in large-size experimental facilities. A total of 10 configurations were tested including smooth steps, steps equipped with devices to enhance energy dissipation and rough steps. The present results yield a new design procedure. The design method includes some key issues not foreseen in prior studies : e.g., gradually varied flow, type of flow regime, flow resistance. It is believed that the outcomes are valid for a wide range of chute geometry and flow conditions typical of embankment chutes.

Coastal photograph: Aber Wrac'h, Pays du Léon, Bretagne

Aber Wrac’h, Pays du Léon, Bretagne. Aber Wrac’h, Bretagne, France, on 10 March 2004 at 13:30 (low tide) looking North (downstream) towards the Aber mouth and open sea between Lannilis and Plougerneau, Pays des Abers, Pays du Le´on. The word "Aber" is Britton (Breton) for a "fjord"-like estuary. Located on the Channel, the region "Pays des Abers" includes several deep incisions in the coastlines. The best known ‘‘Abers’’ are the Aber Wrac’h and Aber Benoit in the Pays du Léon, Finistere Nord.