Towards the Evolution of Novel Vertical-Axis Wind Turbines

Renewable and sustainable energy is one of the most important challenges currently facing mankind. Wind has made an increasing contribution to the world's energy supply mix, but still remains a long way from reaching its full potential. In this paper, we investigate the use of artificial evolution to design vertical-axis wind turbine prototypes that are physically instantiated and evaluated under approximated wind tunnel conditions. An artificial neural network is used as a surrogate model to assist learning and found to reduce the number of fabrications required to reach a higher aerodynamic efficiency, resulting in an important cost reduction. Unlike in other approaches, such as computational fluid dynamics simulations, no mathematical formulations are used and no model assumptions are made.Comment: 14 pages, 11 figure

Chlamydia trachomatis and the risk of spontaneous preterm birth, babies who are born small for gestational age, and stillbirth: A population-based cohort study

Background: Chlamydia trachomatis is one of the most commonly diagnosed sexually transmitted infections worldwide, but reports in the medical literature of an association between genital chlamydia infection and adverse obstetric outcomes are inconsistent. Methods: The Western Australia Data Linkage Branch created a cohort of women of reproductive age by linking records of birth registrations with the electoral roll for women in Western Australia who were born from 1974 to 1995. The cohort was then linked to both chlamydia testing records and the state perinatal registry for data on preterm births and other adverse obstetric outcomes. We determined associations between chlamydia testing, test positivity, and adverse obstetric outcomes using multivariate logistic regression analyses. Findings: From 2001 to 2012, 101558 women aged 15 to 38 years had a singleton birth. Of these women, 3921 (3·9%) had a spontaneous preterm birth, 9762 (9·6% of 101371 women with available data) had a baby who was small for gestational age, and 682 (0·7%) had a stillbirth. During their pregnancy, 21267 (20·9%) of these women had at least one chlamydia test record, and 1365 (6·4%) of those tested were positive. Before pregnancy, 19157 (18·9%) of these women were tested for chlamydia, of whom 1595 (8·3%) tested positive for chlamydia. Among all women with a test record, after adjusting for age, ethnicity, maternal smoking, and history of other infections, we found no significant association between a positive test for chlamydia and spontaneous preterm birth (adjusted odds ratio 1·08 [95% CI 0·91–1·28]; p=0·37), a baby who was small for gestational age (0·95 [0·85–1·07]; p=0·39), or stillbirth (0·93 [0·61–1·42]; p=0·74). Interpretation: A genital chlamydia infection that is diagnosed and, presumably, treated either during or before pregnancy does not substantially increase a woman’s risk of having a spontaneous preterm birth, having a baby who is small for gestational age, or having a stillbirth. Funding: Australian National Health and Medical Research Counci

Optimizing patient risk stratification for colonoscopy screening and surveillance of colorectal cancer: The role for linked data

No abstract available for this article

The status of the dugong in the southern Great Barrier Reef Marine Park

Australia has international responsibilities for the management of dugongs in the Great Barrier Reef Region. One of the World Heritage values of the Region is that it "provides major feeding grounds for large populations of the endangered species Dugong dugon" (Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) 1981, p. 7). In addition, the dugong has high biodiversity value as the only species in the Family Dugongidiae and one of only four species in the Order Sirenia. AlI four extant species of Sirenian are listed as vulnerable to extinction by the IUCN (IUCN 1990). In 1986 and 1987, Marsh and Saalfeld (1990 a) counted dugongs, dolphins and sea t1\l11es during an aerial survey over an area of some 39,000 km' in the inshore waters of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park south of Cape Bedford. Survey-and-taxon specific correction factors were used to correct for perception bias (the proportion of animals visible in the transect which are missed by observers) and to standardise for availability bias (the prop0l1ion of animals that are invisible due to water turbidity)

Early primary care physician contact and health service utilisation in a large sample of recently released ex-prisoners in Australia: prospective cohort study

Objective To describe the association between ex-prisoner primary care physician contact within 1 month of prison release and health service utilisation in the 6 months following release. Design A cohort from the Passports study with a mean follow-up of 219 (±44) days post release. Associations were assessed using a multivariate Andersen-Gill model, controlling for a range of other factors. Setting Face-to-face, baseline interviews were conducted in a sample of prisoners within 6 weeks of expected release from seven prisons in Queensland, Australia, from 2008 to 2010, with telephone follow-up interviews 1, 3 and 6 months post release. Participants From an original population-based sample of 1325 sentenced adult (≥18 years) prisoners, 478 participants were excluded due to not being released from prison during follow-up (n=7, 0.5%), loss to follow-up (n=257, 19.4%), or lacking exposure data (n=214, 16.2%). A total of 847 (63.9%) participants were included in the analyses. Exposure Primary care physician contact within 1 month of follow-up as a dichotomous measure. Main outcome measures Adjusted time-to-event hazard rates for hospital, mental health, alcohol and other drug and subsequent primary care physician service utilisations assessed as multiple failure time-interval data. Results Primary care physician contact prevalence within 1 month of follow-up was 46.5%. One-month primary care physician contact was positively associated with hospital (adjusted HR (AHR)=2.07; 95% CI 1.39 to 3.09), mental health (AHR=1.65; 95% CI 1.24 to 2.19), alcohol and other drug (AHR=1.48; 95% CI 1.15 to 1.90) and subsequent primary care physician service utilisation (AHR=1.47; 95% CI 1.26 to 1.72) over 6 months of follow-up. Conclusions Engagement with primary care physician services soon after prison release increases health service utilisation during the critical community transition period for ex-prisoners. Trial registration number Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN12608000232336)

Student preferences towards law becoming a tertiary entrance score subject

In Western Australian schools, student subject selection during Year 10 determines the future career path to which students aspire. Subjects offered in Year 11 and Year 12 Upper School studies are classified as Tertiary Entrance score Subjects or certificate of Secondary Education subjects, and students are given the opportunity to select six subjects which may comprise all Tertiary Entrance score Subjects, all Certificate of Secondary Education Subjects, or a combination of both. Law is classified as a Certificate of Secondary Education subject. It is the student\u27s intention to study Law that is the focus of this research project. The major objective is to examine the influence of the factor Law as a Tertiary Entrance Score subject on student selection of Law, and to assess the extent of influence other subjective norms may exert on student subject selection of Law. The project required the establishment of a pilot study group in School A to develop and refine an instrument based upon Likert\u27s Summated Ratings Scale. The questionnaire was formulated through student/research interview trialled within the pilot school. Results of the instrument were examined, further interviews conducted and changes to the questionnaire made in preparation for the major study in School B. The major study involved 275 respondents and utilised the SAS computer programme for analysis. The questionnaire instrument has been evaluated for validity and reliability The results of the study indicate students support a change to the subject classification of Law from Certificate of Secondary Education Subject to Tertiary Entrance Score Subject. The subjective norms elicited and displayed in the subject selection behaviours of students in this study have special significance for school administrators. The data collected was prior to the introduction of the Andrich Report ( 1989). In 1991 this report will ensure those students seeking tertiary entrance select a minimum of 4 Tertiary Entrance Score Subjects out of a maximum of 6 subjects. The tertiary entrance requirement during this study was 3 Tertiary Entrance Score Subjects. The impact of students selecting subjects for tertiary entrance is evident in this study in relation to selecting the subject Law. The full impact of ·the effect of student subject selections on Law and other Certificate of Secondary Education subjects in the future as a consequence of new requirements is yet to be evaluated