Towards achieving Zero Liquid Discharge in process industry

Fresh water is invaluable in supporting life on Earth. It is scarce, cheap, and exploited. A number of initiatives have been taken to reduce the consumption of fresh water, particularly in agricultural and residential situations. In industry, much focus has been placed on pollution control and wastewater minimisation, however attention to source protection and water minimisation is nominal. The ultimate goal of any water management program is achieving Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD). This research argues that with a current focus on pollution control and wastewater minimisation, ZLD is not attainable. Protection of water sources has recently been identified as the most critical issue preventing sustainability of industrial water management. It is also given the least attention. This thesis argues that incorporating water auditing and water conservation programs into industrial water management programs is a crucial step towards achieving water source protection and ultimately in achieving zero liquid discharge. A water audit of key water using operations at the BP Refinery in Kwinana has been undertaken to test this hypothesis. The BP Oil Refinery in Kwinana is an example of an industry which has received much attention for its excellent practice in water management. BP has almost halved its total water consumption from 7ML/day in 1996 to 4ML/day in 2007. It has developed employee awareness-raising programs, on-site recycling and reuse of wastewater and is now in the final stages of using recycled domestic wastewater as a key water source, expected to minimise fresh water consumption even further. Despite this, detailed analysis of the major water uses at the refinery show a number of poor management practices and severe wastages of water. In assessing the whole of refinery water use in Chapter 2, we see that poor record keeping and meter reading is commonplace. Major leaks are left unattended and information about major water-loss incidents is often unavailable. In Chapters 3-5 we look more closely at specific water using operations within the refinery. The refinery steam system is one of the largest fresh water users on site and has been commended for its steam trap survey program and the development of condensate return infrastructure, increasing the percentage of condensate returned from 32% in 1998 to a condensate return target of 50% in 2007. Despite this, major losses still occur in the steam system and turnaround time for fixing major leaks can take years. Simple measures can improve the condensate return rate from 50%-75% quite easily, but there are few incentives for the refinery to invest in such a program which offers diminishing returns. The use of water in process units is enormous, particularly the use of scheme water in the Residue Cracking Unit. A number of available tools and techniques, particularly water pinch and water optimisation tools, are widely recognised to reduce water use on such units but have not been investigated at BP. Many water losses on process units occur because of poor operator management and a focus on increasing efficiency of feed throughput which offers the refinery the greatest financial return. Another inefficient water user in the process category is the Waste Management Area Land Farm. The land farm is irrigated to keep the moisture content of waste high. The exceptionally large volumes of water used in this area can be easily reduced, however costs are considered too high. Finally we assess other uses of water at the refinery. Other uses include commercial and domestic uses, safety showers and the staff carwash. Because of the extraordinary volumes of water used in the refining process, these other uses are considered comparatively insignificant. Practically no water efficiency measures have been taken at this level, and enormous wastages of high quality water are witnessed through our case study of the staff carwash. The carwash is an enormous water waste which uses scheme water once before it is discharged to the sewer. Each of these case studies shows major inefficiencies in current water management at a number of levels at the BP Refinery in Kwinana. It is important not to forget that this refinery has been recognised for its excellence as a leader in water management not only in the Kwinana Industrial Area but also in the global oil refining industry. This reflects the inherent flaws in water management throughout industry. Chapter 6 assesses management implications associated with reducing water use on site and applies these principles and concepts to industry in general. The most significant barriers to closing industrial water loops were found to be neglect of protection of water sources and larger focus on pollution prevention and wastewater minimisation; misconceptions about the true value of water; and poor regulatory drivers to reduce water use. A paradigm shift in industrial water management to incorporate a more holistic approach is required if water scarcity is to be seriously addressed by industry

Exploring High Aspect Ratio Gold Nanotubes as Cytosolic Agents: Structural Engineering and Uptake into Mesothelioma Cells.

The generation of effective and safe nanoagents for biological applications requires their physicochemical characteristics to be tunable, and their cellular interactions to be well characterized. Here, the controlled synthesis is developed for preparing high-aspect ratio gold nanotubes (AuNTs) with tailorable wall thickness, microstructure, composition, and optical characteristics. The modulation of optical properties generates AuNTs with strong near infrared absorption. Surface modification enhances dispersibility of AuNTs in aqueous media and results in low cytotoxicity. The uptake and trafficking of these AuNTs by primary mesothelioma cells demonstrate their accumulation in a perinuclear distribution where they are confined initially in membrane-bound vesicles from which they ultimately escape to the cytosol. This represents the first study of the cellular interactions of high-aspect ratio 1D metal nanomaterials and will facilitate the rational design of plasmonic nanoconstructs as cytosolic nanoagents for potential diagnosis and therapeutic applications.BLF-Papworth Fellowship from the British Lung Foundation and the Victor Dahdaleh Foundation

Measure of Activity Performance in the Hand (MAP-Hand) questionnaire

Background: Developed in the Norway, the Measure of Activity Performance of the Hand (MAP-Hand) assesses 18 activities performed using the hands. It was developed for people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) using patient generated items, which are scored on a 0-3 scale and summarised into a total score range (0 to 54). This study reports the development and psychometric testing of the British English MAP-Hand in a UK population of people with RA. Methods: Recruitment took place in the National Health Service (NHS) through 17 Rheumatology outpatient clinics. Phase 1 (cross-cultural adaptation) involved: forward translation to British English; synthesis; expert panel review and cognitive debriefing interviews with people with RA. Phase 2 (psychometric testing) involved postal completion of the MAP-Hand, Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ), Upper Limb HAQ (ULHAQ), Short-Form 36 (SF-36v2) and Disabilities of the Arm Shoulder Hand (DASH) to measure internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha); concurrent validity (Spearman’s correlations) and Minimal Detectable Difference (MDC95). The MAP-Hand was repeated three-weeks later to assess test-retest reliability (linear weighted kappa and Intra-Class Correlations (ICC (2,1)). Unidimensionality (internal construct validity) was assessed using (i) Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) (ii) Mokken scaling and (iii) Rasch model. The RUMM2030 software was used, applying the Rasch partial credit model. Results: In Phase 1, 31 participants considered all items relevant. In Phase 2, 340 people completed Test-1 and 273 (80%) completed Test-2 questionnaires. Internal consistency was excellent (α=0.96). Test-retest reliability was good (ICC (2,1) = 0.96 (95% CI 0.94, 0.97)). The MAP-Hand correlated strongly with HAQ20 (rs=.88), ULHAQ (rs=.91), SF-36v2 Physical Functioning (PF) Score (rs=-.80) and DASH (rs=.93), indicating strong concurrent validity. CFA failed to support unidimensionality (Chi-Square 236.0 (df 120; p <0.001)). However, Mokken scaling suggested a probabilistic ordering. There was differential item functioning (DIF) for gender. Four testlets were formed, resulting in much improved fit and unidimensionality. Following this, testlets were further merged in pairs where opposite bias existed. This resulted in perfect fit to the model. Conclusions: The British English version of the MAP-Hand has good validity and reliability in people with RA and can be used in both research and clinical practice. Keywords: PROMS; Patient Reported Outcome Measures; hand activity performance; hand function; hand pain; psychometric testing; Rasch analysis; validity; reliabilit

The psychometric properties of the Evaluation of Daily Activity Questionnaire in seven musculoskeletal conditions

Purpose: To psychometrically test the Evaluation of Daily Activity Questionnaire in seven musculoskeletal conditions. Materials and Methods: 1200 people with: ankylosing spondylitis; osteoarthritis; systemic lupus erythematosus; systemic sclerosis; chronic pain; chronic upper limb disorders; or Primary Sjögren’s syndrome completed the Evaluation of Daily Activity Questionnaire, Health Assessment Questionnaire and Short-Form Health Survey v2. We examined internal construct validity using Rasch analysis, internal consistency, concurrent validity with the Health Assessment Questionnaire and Short-Form Health Survey v2. Participants repeated the Evaluation of Daily Activity Questionnaire to assess test-retest reliability. Results: The 12 domains satisfied Rasch model expectations for fit, local dependency, unidimensionality and invariance by age and gender, in each musculoskeletal condition. Internal consistency was consistent with individual use (Cronbach’s alpha >0.90); concurrent validity was strong (Health Assessment Questionnaire: rs =0.60 to 0.92; Short- Form Health Survey v2 Physical Function: rs = -0.61 to -0.91) and test-retest reliability excellent (Intra-Class Correlation Coefficient(2,1) = 0.77 to 0.96). Conclusion: The Evaluation of Daily Activity Questionnaire satisfied Rasch model requirements for construct validity and has good reliability and validity in each MSC. The Evaluation of Daily Activity Questionnaire can be used as a measure of everyday activity in practice and research with people with musculoskeletal conditions

Linguistic validation, validity and reliability of the British English versions of the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) questionnaire and QuickDASH in people with rheumatoid arthritis

Background: Although the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) questionnaire is widely used in the UK, no British English version is available. The aim of this study was to linguistically validate the DASH into British English and then test the reliability and validity of the British English DASH, (including the Work and Sport/Music DASH) and QuickDASH, in people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods: The DASH was forward translated, reviewed by an expert panel and cognitive debriefing interviews undertaken with 31 people with RA. Content validity was evaluated using the ICF Core Set for RA. Participants with RA (n=340) then completed the DASH, Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ), Short Form Health Survey v2 (SF36v2) and Measure of Activity Performance of the Hand (MAPHAND). We examined internal consistency and concurrent validity for the DASH, Work and Sport/Music DASH modules and QuickDASH. Participants repeated the DASH to assess test-retest reliability. Results: Minor wording changes were made as required. The DASH addresses a quarter of Body Function and half of Activities and Participation codes in the ICF RA Core Set. Internal consistency for DASH scales were consistent with individual use (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.94-0.98). Concurrent validity was strong with the HAQ (rs = 0.69-0.91), SF36v2 Physical Function (rs = -0.71 - -0.85), Bodily Pain (rs = -0.71 - -0.74) scales and MAPHAND (rs =0.71-0.93). Test-retest reliability was good (rs = 0.74-0.95). Conclusions: British English versions of the DASH, QuickDASH and Work and Sport/Music modules are now available to evaluate upper limb disabilities in the UK. The DASH, QuickDASH, Work and Sport/Music modules are reliable and valid to use in clinical practice and research with British people with RA

Time, the Written Record, and Professional Practice: The Case of Contemporary Social Work

Drawing on a three year ethnographically-oriented study exploring contemporary professional social work writing, this paper focuses on a key concern: the amount of time taken up with writing, or ‘paperwork’. We explore the relationship between time and professional social work writing in three key ways. Firstly, as a discrete, measurable phenomenon - how much time is spent on writing? Secondly, as a textual dimension to social work writing – how do institutional documents drive particular entextualisations of time and how do social worker texts entextualise time? Thirdly, as a particular timespace configuration of lived experience - how is time experienced by professional social workers? Findings indicate that a dominant institutional chronotope is governing social work textual practice underpinned by an ideology of writing which is at odds with social workers’ desired practice and professional goals. Methodologically, the paper illustrates the value of combining a range of data and analytic tools, using textual and contextual data, as well as qualitative and quantitative frames of analysis

New genetic loci link adipose and insulin biology to body fat distribution.

Body fat distribution is a heritable trait and a well-established predictor of adverse metabolic outcomes, independent of overall adiposity. To increase our understanding of the genetic basis of body fat distribution and its molecular links to cardiometabolic traits, here we conduct genome-wide association meta-analyses of traits related to waist and hip circumferences in up to 224,459 individuals. We identify 49 loci (33 new) associated with waist-to-hip ratio adjusted for body mass index (BMI), and an additional 19 loci newly associated with related waist and hip circumference measures (P < 5 × 10(-8)). In total, 20 of the 49 waist-to-hip ratio adjusted for BMI loci show significant sexual dimorphism, 19 of which display a stronger effect in women. The identified loci were enriched for genes expressed in adipose tissue and for putative regulatory elements in adipocytes. Pathway analyses implicated adipogenesis, angiogenesis, transcriptional regulation and insulin resistance as processes affecting fat distribution, providing insight into potential pathophysiological mechanisms