Flume Experiment on the Sediment-Retaining Effect of Submerged Breakwaters under the Combined Action of Waves and Currents

This research was initiated as design guidance for the extension works of a submerged trapezoidal riprap breakwater protecting the channel towards Huanghua Port in China. Based on flume experiments, the sediment-retaining effect of the breakwater was investigated in two sections under the combined action of currents and waves. We also discussed differences due to two kinds of facing layer—Accropodes and mold bag concrete. Three main observations are provided herein. First, the suspended sediments in front of breakwaters are mainly concentrated in the near-bottom 30% water depth scope and the interface can be seen clearly between the high concentration suspension and the upper clear water. Second, the sediment-retaining ratio of breakwater at −5.7 m isobath position is about 37%–49% and that at −7.3 m isobath position is about 61%–65%. Last, when there are wave breakings in the vicinity of submerged breakwater crest, the facing layers cause some differences of sediment-retaining performances.

An In Vivo Evaluation of the Mycobacterial Filtration Efficacy of Three Breathing Filters Used in Anesthesia

Background The use of breathing filters (BFs) has been recommended to protect the anesthesia apparatus in proven or suspected cases of tuberculosis. Some investigators have also suggested the use of BF to alleviate the need to change anesthesia breathing circuits after each case. This study evaluated the filtration efficacy of three different BFs to prevent mycobacterial contamination of breathing circuits in a model that uses a test animal. Methods Ten Pall BB25A (pleated hydrophobic) (Pall Canada Ltd., Mississauga, Ontario, Canada), six DAR Barrierbac S (felted electrostatic; Mallinckrodt DAR, Mirandola, Italy), and six Baxter Airlife (felted electrostatic; Baxter Canada, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada) BFs were studied. For each BF tested, 20 ml of a high concentration suspension of Mycobacterium chelonae (range, 2.0 x 10 to 9.0 x 10 colony-forming units/ml) was nebulized during 2 h at the proximal end of the endotracheal tube of anesthetized pigs. At the end of the nebulization period, the BFs were sampled for culture. The titer reduction value (number of microorganisms challenging the BF divided by the number of microorganisms recovered downstream of the BF) and the removal efficiency (difference between the number of microorganisms challenging the BF and the number of microorganisms recovered downstream of the BF, divided by the number of microorganisms challenging the BF) were calculated. Results The median titer reduction values were 5.6 x 10, 6.0 x 10, and 8.0 x 10 (P < 0.0005), and the median removal efficiencies were greater than 99.999%, greater than 99.999%, and 100% (P = not significant) for the DAR Barrierbac S, the Baxter Airlife, and the Pall BB25A, respectively. Conclusions Among the three BFs studied, only the Pall BB25A completely prevented the passage of M. chelonae, thus protecting the anesthesia breathing circuit from mycobacterial contamination.