A Statistical Comparison of a Direct Filtration and a Conventional Water Treatment Facility in the Intermountain Region

Interest in low-cost direct filtration facilities and their effectiveness in treating the potable water sources of the Intermountain Region is increasing as the need for treated water supplies increase. Direct filtration is a water treatment scheme which does not include sedimentation and in some cases flocculation. Compared to conventional treatment, direct filtration has lowered capital costs, reduced space requirement, and decreased sludge quantities. Moreover, the direct filtration process may offer large reductions in coagulant dosages and costs. Currently information comparing a direct filtration system to a conventional water treatment system in the Intermountain area is not readily available. The specific objective of the research was to compare by statistical methods the direct filtration, Utah Valley Water Purification Plant (Orem, Utah) and the conventional Little Cottonwood Metropolitan Water Treatment Plant (Salt Lake City, Utah). These treatment plants were chosen for comparison on the basis that they are the two most compatible treatment plants having the highest correlation of source water. The Little Cottonwood Plant receives approximately 65% of its source water from Deer Creek Reservoir whereas the Utah Valley Plant receives all of its source water from Deer Creek Reservoir. The parameters, most common to both treatment facilities chosen for comparison were total daily flow, raw water turbidity, effluent pH, finished water temperature, and alum dosing concentrations. Data from August 1, 1980 through August 31, 1983 were obtained from the daily water quality and plant operation logs of the two treatment plants. Utilizing the computer, these parameters were compared statistically in several fashions. The most beneficial results were obtained from a randomized block design analysis of variance using an F-ratio as the reference for significance. The data from each treatment plant were blocked into seasonal means and compared with a degree of significance of = 0.01. The parameter under investigation of most importance in the comparison of the conventional and direct filtration water treatment plants is the finished water turbidity has typically been the main criterion for determining the quality of water of operating and pilot-scale direct filtration plants. The F-ratio for this parameter at the degree of significance alpha = 0.01 proved not significant. Further the mean finished water turbidities for the Utah Valley and Little Cottonwood treatment plants were well below the EPA Primary Drinking Water Regulation of a maximum contaminant level of 1 TU. The overall statistical analysis exhibits that the Utah Valley Purification plant produces not only an acceptable quality of water but one that is also comparable in quality to that of the conventional processes of the Little Cottonwood Metropolitan Treatment Plant

Direct Filtration Versus Conventional Water Treatment in the Intermountain Region

The direct filtration water treatment scheme does not include sedimentation and in some cases flocculation. Compared to conventional treatment, direct filtration has lowered capital costs, reduced space requirements, decreased sludge quantities, and reduced coagulant dosages. One objective of this research was the statistical comparison of the direct filtration, Utah Valley Water Purification Plant (Orem, Utah) and the conventional Little Cottonwood Water Treatment Plant (Salt Lake City, Utah). These treatment plants are the two most compatible treatment plants having the highest correlation of source water in the local area. The Little Cottonwood plant receives approximately 65 percent of its sources water from Deer Creek Reservoir whereas the Utah Valley plant receives all of its source water from Deer Creek Reservoir. Data from August 1, 1980, through August 31, 1983, were obtained from the daily water quality and plant operation logs of the two treatment plants. Utilizing the computer, the data were clocked into season means and compared staistically in several fashions. The water quality parameter of most importance in the comparison is the finished water turbidities. The most benficial results were obtained from a two-way analysis of variance using an F-ratio as the reference for signifiicance. The F-ratio for the finished water turbidity at the degree of significance, alpha = 0.01, proved not significant. The overall statistical analysis exhibits that the Utah Valley plant produces not only acceptable finished water turbinities well below EPA\u27s maximum contaminant level of 1 TU, but one that is also comparable in quality to that of the conventional processes of the Little Cottonwood Treatment Plant. Another objective of this research was the operation of two pilot-scale direct filtration systems at the Utah Valley treatment plant. The pilot plant treated the same source water and used the same dual-filter media as the Utah Valley treatment plant. The pilot plant flow processes consisted of a rapid mix basin, a flocculation basin, and the filter column. Filters were evaluated by the filter performance index (F.P.I.), which is based on the quantity of turbidity removed, the volume of water produced during a filter run, and effluent quality. The highest F.P.I. values were achieves during the filter runs using alum as the primary coagulant and a cationic polymer as a coagulant aid. These filter runs produced a product water with finished water rubidities considerably below the EPA maximum contaminant level of 1 TU. The most successful filter runs were characterized with filter loading rates ranging from 3 to 5 gpm/ft^2, and alum and polymer dosages ranging from 2.1 to 8.1 mg/l and 0.70 to 2.2 mg/l, respectively. These filter runs treated raw water with average turbidities from 13.6 to 22.8 NTU

Quality of life among caregivers of people with end-stage kidney disease managed with dialysis or comprehensive conservative care

BACKGROUND: To measure health-related and care-related quality of life among informal caregivers of older people with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD), and to determine the association between caregiver quality of life and care recipient's treatment type. METHODS: A prospective cross-sectional study was conducted. Three renal units in the UK and Australia were included. Informal caregivers of people aged ≥75 years with ESKD managed with dialysis or comprehensive conservative non-dialytic care (estimated glomerular filtration (eGFR) ≤10 mL/min/1.73m2) participated. Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) was assessed using Short-Form six dimensions (SF-6D, 0-1 scale) and care-related quality of life was assessed using the Carer Experience Scale (CES, 0-100 scale). Linear regression assessed associations between care-recipient treatment type, caregiver characteristics and the SF-6D utility index and CES scores. RESULTS: Of 63 caregivers, 49 (78%) were from Australia, 26 (41%) cared for an older person managed with dialysis, and 37 (59%) cared for an older person managed with comprehensive conservative care. Overall, 73% were females, and the median age of the entire cohort was 76 years [IQR 68-81]. When adjusted for caregiver sociodemographic characteristics, caregivers reported significantly worse carer experience (CES score 15.73, 95% CI 5.78 to 25.68) for those managing an older person on dialysis compared with conservative care. However, no significant difference observed for carer HRQoL (SF-6D utility index - 0.08, 95% CI - 0.18 to 0.01) for those managing an older person on dialysis compared with conservative care. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest informal caregivers of older people on dialysis have significantly worse care-related quality of life (and therefore greater need for support) than those managed with comprehensive conservative care. It is important to consider the impact on caregivers' quality of life when considering treatment choices for their care recipients

Flexural fatigue behavior of rocking bioreactor films

The fields of biopharmaceutical processing and cell therapy are adopting single-use, closed systems throughout their workflows to enhance sterility, minimize waste wash effluent and enable manufacturing flexibility compared to traditional stainless steel bioreactors. One of the key single-use technologies in use is the rocking bioreactor, comprising a polymer film bag (outfitted with ports and sensors) mounted to a tray capable of mixing the contents of the bag and a control system (controlling temperature, agitation, and potentially media perfusion). One of the challenges encountered in rocking bioreactor bags is the fact that upon inflation/filling with media, the originally flat bioreactor bags often develop folds and dimples due to their inflated geometry. These deformations tend to be inconsequential at small volumes and low agitation rates/times, but can lead to flex fatigue failures such as whitening, delamination and through-cracking under more extreme conditions. In practice, these failures are dependent on a number of factors including bag material and volume, mounting geometry, rocking angle and rate, and the duration of culture, making a systematic study of the material properties controlling this behavior difficult and time-consuming. Several flex fatigue testing systems exist in the literature, including Gelbo and Sonntag-Universal, but none of these effectively model the unique geometry and stresses of the rocking bioreactor geometry. To this end, we have developed accelerated test methods to analyze the flexural fatigue behavior of multilayer rocking bioreactor films. These methods enable quality control testing of film lots, and have the potential to compare different film compositions with a rapid and reproducible test, thereby facilitating development of new films. Our test method models the local geometry surrounding the fold/dimple in a rocking bioreactor in a small sample of film, and cycles the sample to accelerate flexural fatigue at the dimple site. Initial results indicate the ability to accelerate film failure from tens of days on a rocking bioreactor platform (using a full bioreactor bag) to tens of hours using less than ten square inches of film. We will discuss the effects of various experimental parameters on film failure, optimization of test procedures and correlation with rocking bioreactor testing in the field

The design and development of a community based multisensory room

This case study describes the design and development of a multisensory environment for use by a local community, in response to local needs. Multisensory environments allow users to control the sensory inputs they experience from the environment. This autonomy may be especially impactful for those living with autism or dementia. The evidence base supporting the design, development and implementation of multisensory environments has been limited to date. This case study explores the evolution of the interdisciplinary team from a request for collaboration to the creation of a functioning multisensory room. It describes the experiences of the group of researchers finding shared understandings and evolving to a transdisciplinary approach

A Randomized, Controlled Trial of In-Home Drinking Water Intervention to Reduce Gastrointestinal Illness

Trials have provided conflicting estimates of the risk of gastrointestinal illness attributable to tap water. To estimate this risk in an Iowa community with a well-run water utility with microbiologically challenged source water, the authors of this 2000-2002 study randomly assigned blinded volunteers to use externally identical devices (active device: 227 households with 646 persons; sham device: 229 households with 650 persons) for 6 months (cycle A). Each group then switched to the opposite device for 6 months (cycle B). The active device contained a 1-microm absolute ceramic filter and used ultraviolet light. Episodes of highly credible gastrointestinal illness, a published measure of diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal cramps, were recorded. Water usage was recorded with personal diaries and an electronic totalizer. The numbers of episodes in cycle A among the active and sham device groups were 707 and 672, respectively; in cycle B, the numbers of episodes were 516 and 476, respectively. In a log-linear generalized estimating equations model using intention-to-treat analysis, the relative rate of highly credible gastrointestinal illness (sham vs. active) for the entire trial was 0.98 (95% confidence interval: 0.86, 1.10). No reduction in gastrointestinal illness was detected after in-home use of a device designed to be highly effective in removing microorganisms from water

VISTA Deficiency Attenuates Antibody-induced Arthritis and Alters Macrophage Gene Expression in Response to Simulated Immune Complexes

In addition to activated T cells, the immune checkpoint inhibitor “V domain-containing Ig suppressor of T-cell activation” (VISTA) is expressed by myeloid cell types, including macrophages and neutrophils. The importance of VISTA expression by myeloid cells to antibody-induced arthritis and its potential for relevance in human disease was evaluated. Methods: VISTA was immunolocalized in normal and arthritic human synovial tissue sections and synovial tissue lysates were subjected to western blot analysis. The collagen antibody-induced arthritis model (CAIA) was performed with DBA/1 J mice treated with antibodies against VISTA and with VISTA-deficient mice (V-KO). Total mRNA from arthritic joints, spleens, and cultured macrophages was analyzed with NanoString arrays. Cytokines secreted by splenic inflammatory macrophages were determined. In-vitro chemotaxis and signal transduction assays were performed with cultured macrophages. Results: VISTA protein was localized to synovial membrane cells, neutrophils, and scattered cells in lymphocyte-rich foci and was detected by western blot analysis in normal synovium and synovium from rheumatoid arthritis patients. Deficiency of VISTA or treatment of mice with anti-VISTA monoclonal antibodies attenuated CAIA. Joint damage and MMP-3 expression were significantly reduced in V-KO mice. Surface expression of C5a receptor was reduced on monocytes, neutrophils, and cultured macrophages from V-KO. Upon Fc receptor engagement in vitro, gene expression by V-KO macrophages was altered profoundly compared to WT, including a significant induction of IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL1rn). Conclusions: VISTA expression supports immune-complex inflammation in CAIA and VISTA is expressed in human synovium. VISTA supports optimal responses to C5a and modulates macrophage responses to immune complexes

VISTA Deficiency Attenuates Antibody-induced Arthritis and Alters Macrophage Gene Expression in Response to Simulated Immune Complexes

In addition to activated T cells, the immune checkpoint inhibitor “V domain-containing Ig suppressor of T-cell activation” (VISTA) is expressed by myeloid cell types, including macrophages and neutrophils. The importance of VISTA expression by myeloid cells to antibody-induced arthritis and its potential for relevance in human disease was evaluated. Methods: VISTA was immunolocalized in normal and arthritic human synovial tissue sections and synovial tissue lysates were subjected to western blot analysis. The collagen antibody-induced arthritis model (CAIA) was performed with DBA/1 J mice treated with antibodies against VISTA and with VISTA-deficient mice (V-KO). Total mRNA from arthritic joints, spleens, and cultured macrophages was analyzed with NanoString arrays. Cytokines secreted by splenic inflammatory macrophages were determined. In-vitro chemotaxis and signal transduction assays were performed with cultured macrophages. Results: VISTA protein was localized to synovial membrane cells, neutrophils, and scattered cells in lymphocyte-rich foci and was detected by western blot analysis in normal synovium and synovium from rheumatoid arthritis patients. Deficiency of VISTA or treatment of mice with anti-VISTA monoclonal antibodies attenuated CAIA. Joint damage and MMP-3 expression were significantly reduced in V-KO mice. Surface expression of C5a receptor was reduced on monocytes, neutrophils, and cultured macrophages from V-KO. Upon Fc receptor engagement in vitro, gene expression by V-KO macrophages was altered profoundly compared to WT, including a significant induction of IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL1rn). Conclusions: VISTA expression supports immune-complex inflammation in CAIA and VISTA is expressed in human synovium. VISTA supports optimal responses to C5a and modulates macrophage responses to immune complexes

Advanced Glycation End Product Interventions Reduce Diabetes-Accelerated Atherosclerosis

Advanced glycation end product (AGE) formation may contribute to the progression of atherosclerosis, particularly in diabetes. The present study explored atherosclerosis in streptozotocin-induced diabetic apolipoprotein E–deficient (apoE�/�) mice that were randomized (n � 20) to receive for 20 weeks no treatment, the AGE cross-link breaker ALT-711, or the inhibitor of AGE formation aminoguanidine (AG). A sixfold increase in plaque area with diabetes was attenuated by 30 % with ALT-711 and by 40 % in AG-treated mice. Regional distribution of plaque demonstrated no reduction in plaque area or complexity within the aortic arch with treatment, in contrast to the thoracic and abdominal aortas, where significant attenuation was seen. Diabetes-associated accumulation of AGEs in aorta