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Laser-induced incandescence (LII) was used to quantify the soot volume fraction in five piloted turbulent non-premixed C 2 H 4 -N 2 jet flames at elevated pressures. In one series of flames, the bulk jet velocity was held constant as the pressure was increased from 1 bar (Re = 10,000) to 3 bar (Re = 30,000), and then 5 bar (Re = 50,000). In the other series, a Reynolds number of 10,000 was held constant at 1 bar, 3 bar, and 5 bar. LII measurements were calibrated with laminar diffusion flames at each pressure using 2D diffuse line-of-sight attenuation. Mean and RMS soot volume fractions along the flame centerline exhibit Gaussian profiles for all of the flames. The magnitude of soot volume fraction and the spatial soot distribution are enhanced by increases in pressure. In both series of flames, the peak mean soot volume fraction scales with the pressure as p 2.2 . In the constant velocity series, the scaling drops to p 1.5 if the volume-integrated mean soot volume fraction on a per fuel mass basis is considered instead. At 3 bar, a threefold increase in Re leads to a decrease in the mean soot volume fraction despite the decrease in soot intermittency. At 5 bar, a fivefold increase in Re results in soot intermittency near zero at the flame’s center and a slight increase in the mean soot volume fraction.

Elucidating the chemical evolution of various functional groups in polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and soot aids in understanding soot formation chemistry. In this work, the chemical evolution of various functional groups, including aromatic C H, aliphatic C H, C=O, C OH and C O C bonds, was experimentally investigated online, rather than with offline diagnostics. Oxidation was performed in a jet-stirred reactor (JSR), fueled with benzene/C2H2/air/N2 and benzene/phenol/C2H2/N2 for a temperature range of 600-1400 K. Kinetic modelling, including ab initio quantum chemistry calculations, reaction rate coefficient calculations and JSR simulations, were conducted to interpret the experimental data and the evolutionary chemistry of the various functional groups. Results show that the formation of functional groups on PAH and oxygenated PAH (OPAH) are highly sensitive to temperature. Aliphatic C H bonds survive mainly in the form of C CH2 C, C CH2 CH2 C or C CH functional groups above 1200 K, and exist in the CH CH2 functional group below 1000 K. For the OPAH, the C O C functional group presents stronger thermal stability than C OH and C=O functional groups. Simulation results indicate that HACA-like pathway (hydrogen abstraction carbon addition), in which C2H2 attacks the O atom, followed by cyclization and H-atom elimination reactions, qualitatively describe the formation of OPAH with the C O-C functional group at different temperatures. The addition reaction involving PAH radical and C2H4 / C2H3 captures the evolution of PAH with the CH CH2 functional group, but fails to explain the formation of C CH2 C and C CH2 CH2 C functional groups.

An experimental work is carried out to investigate the influence of pressure on morphological parameters of soot in counterflow flames of N2-diluted methane and air. Flames are stabilized at 3, 5, 7 and 10 atm in a pressure vessel and a global strain rate of 30 s−1 is maintained at all pressures by adjusting the inlet mass flux. The mole fraction of methane is maintained at 0.7. The entire soot zone of the counterflow flames are sampled using a thermophoretic sampling device attached to the pressure vessel. Our sampling method minimizes the flow disturbances to a level that they are visually negligible during the sampling process. Collected samples are analyzed under a transmission electron microscope and information about mean primary particle diameter, fractal dimension (Df), fractal prefactor (kf) and aggregate size distribution is inferred at different pressures. To investigate the effects of carbon flux on primary particle size, fuel mole fraction is decreased to 0.5 and primary particle size is investigated at 5, 7 and 10 atm. Mean primary particle size increases by 70% when pressure is changed from 5 to 10 atm and remains independent of fuel mole fractions. Geometric mean and geometric width of aggregate size distributions also increase by increasing the pressure. Fractal properties of soot aggregates are found to be insensitive to the pressure. Fractal dimension varies between 1.56 and 1.65 while fractal prefactor values range between 1.96 and 2.1.

There is growing recognition of the importance of addressing the mental health needs of young people attending university. Anonymous, scalable, and evidence-based online interventions can help to r...

Oxygenated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (OPAH) have received increasing attention due to their toxic effect on human health. This study comprehensively investigates the evolution of OPAH chemistry at flame temperatures. Jet-stirred reactor (JSR) experiments with benzene/phenol/C2H2/N2 and benzene/C2H2/O2/N2 revealed that OPAH with oxygenated heterocycle can be formed by the addition of C2H2 at 1400 K. To further clarify the evolution of OPAH chemistry in soot systems, OPAH formation and decomposition reaction pathways and kinetic parameters have been theoretically investigated. The potential energy surfaces of 1-naphtholate and 2-naphtholate growth, and thermal decomposition reactions, were calculated by combining the density functional theory B3LYP/6–311+G(d,p) and CCSD(T)/cc-pvdz methods. The reaction rate coefficients in the temperature range of 800–2500 K and pressure range of 0.1–100 atm were calculated using RRKM theory by solving the master equations. The potential energy surface of C2H2+1-naphtholate and C2H2+2-naphtholate growth reactions showed that the O atom could be locked in a naphthofuran molecule with the formation of a C O C oxygenated heterocycle; and the reaction rates were determined by adding the C2H2 elementary step with the energy barrier of 26.0 and 19.9 kcal/mol, respectively. Thermal decomposition reactions of 1-naphtholate and 2-naphtholate yielded an indenyl radical and CO. The thermal decomposition reaction rates were significantly sensitive to the zig-zag site structure next to the C O bond. The decomposition rate of 1-naphtholate at 1500 K, with a zig-zag site near the C O bond, was 14.8 times lower than that of 2-naphtholate with no zig-zag site near the C O bond. Rate comparison results indicate that the C O functional group rapidly converts to a C O C functional group with the addition of C2H2. The formation, growth and thermal decomposition reactions of 1-naphtholate and 2-naphtholate were added to a detailed PAH mechanism to check the effect of OPAH reactions on PAH formation chemistry. The concentration profile of naphthalene predicted by the updated PAH mechanism was lower than current PAH mechanism predictions by 29%, indicating that the OPAH reactions had a significant effect on PAH formation chemistry, and should be included in the PAH mechanism. However, due to the relatively low concentration of OPAH compared to PAH, it is possible to ignore the correlation between OPAH and soot nucleation at flame temperatures; therefore an OPAH evolution pathway (PAH → incipient soot → OPAH formation on soot particle → selective thermal decomposition of OPAH), is proposed to explain the high content of OPAH molecules (e.g., 9,10-anthraquinone, benz(a)anthracene-7,12-dione, and benzanthrone) adsorbed on the soot particle.

The growth of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) can proceed via multiple chemical mechanisms. The mechanism of naphthyl radical and vinylacetylene (C4H4) addition reaction has been systematically investigated in this computational study. A combination of DFT/B3LYP/6-311+G(d,p), CCSD/6-311+G(d,p) and CBS-QB3 methods were performed to calculate the potential energy surfaces. It revealed that the products, including phenanthrene, anthracene, a PAH with a five-membered ring structure, and PAH with a C4H3 radical substitution, can be formed in A2-1 (1-naphthyl)+C4H4 and A2-2 (2-naphthyl) +C4H4 reaction networks. The reaction rate constants at 0.1-100 atm were evaluated by RRKM theory by solving the master equation in the temperature range of 800–2500 K, which showed that the rate constants of reactions A2-1 (A2-2)+C4H4→product+H are highly temperature-dependent but nearly pressure-independent. The distribution of products was investigated in a 0-D batch reactor, wherein the initial reactant concentrations were taken from experimental measurements. The results showed that adduct intermediates were the main products at low temperature (T 1000 K). It was observed that a significant amount of phenanthrene is formed from PAH with a C4H3 radical substitution with the assistance of H atom. Reaction pathway sensitivity analysis for the PAH radical+C4H4 reaction system was performed and showed that the new benzene rings are more likely to be generated near the zig-zag edge surface site instead of the free edge. For the development of a PAH mechanism, the analogous treatment of rate constants for larger PAH radical + C4H4 reaction system are discussed. The formation rate of naphthalene from the reaction of phenyl+C4H4 was found to be very close to that of phenanthrene from the reaction of naphthyl+C4H4, suggesting that the analogous treatment of the rates is reasonable in PAH mechanisms.

Airborne soot is a product of incomplete combustion from engines and industrial processes. Unburnt soot is carcinogenic, a major contributor to climate change, and detrimental to combustor lifespan and efficiency. An understanding of how high-pressure combustion affects the oxidation properties of soot is crucial for the design of clean-burning, high-pressure engines and downstream soot filtration technologies. This paper presents the first real-time look at the oxidation of soot particles formed at high pressure and demonstrates that the oxidation pathway changes as combustor pressures increase. Soot particles were formed in an ethylene-fueled diffusion flame, with pressures ranging from 1 to 25 bar, and were subsequently sampled and oxidized inside an ETEM allowing for the nanoscale, real-time observation of oxidation pathways. The high-pressure generated soot grew larger in diameter, formed larger aggregates, and developed graphitic outer shells, protecting the reactive amorphous carbon core. The graph...

Hydrogen-abstraction/acetylene-addition (HACA) pathway has long been postulated as the dominant pathway for the formation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and the surface growth of soot. In this study, the site effect on PAH formation following HACA pathway is systematically investigated using density functional theory, transition state theory and premixed flame kinetic modeling. The entire reaction network includes 186 elementary reactions, starting from benzene to pyrene. Analysis of the potential energy surface and kinetic parameters show that H abstraction and C 2 H 2 addition reactions are greatly sensitive to the site position (ortho-, meta- and para-position) relative to the existing C 2 H chain and surface site type (zig-zag, free-edge and armchair). Specifically, H abstraction and C 2 H 2 addition reactions on the ortho-position and armchair surface site are kinetically unsupported due to the relatively high energy barrier and orientation hindrance effect compared with other site options. Therefore, the formation of a new benzene ring by the addition of the second C 2 H 2 molecule on the ortho-position (e.g., 1-ethynylnaphthalene + C 2 H 2 →phenanthrene) or the first C 2 H 2 molecule on the armchair surface site (e.g., phenanthrene + C 2 H 2 →pyrene) is unlikely, as demonstrated by PAH simulations in a premixed C 2 H 4 /O 2 /N 2 sooting flame. The yield distribution of various reaction products has been investigated using a 0-D reactor, where the combustion conditions are taken from experimental data. The results show that the dominant products are di-substituted PAHs in benzene-naphthalene reaction system and PAHs with 5-membered ring structures in larger PAHs reaction systems. The existence of abundant PAHs with 5-membered rings contributes to clarifying the PAHs signal detected using laser induced fluorescence technology. Additionally, the observed sequence of mass peaks at intervals of mass number 26 in C 2 H 2 /C 2 H 4 pyrolysis is reasonably explained by the HACA pathway with considering site effect.

Experimental investigations of soot morphology are performed in counterflow flames of N2-diluted ethylene and air, up to 10 atm. A thermophoretic sampling device is attached to a pressure vessel containing a counterflow burner where flames with an ethylene mole fraction of 0.3 are stabilized at 3, 5, and 6 atm. To allow measurements at higher pressures, the fuel mole fraction is lowered to 0.2 to reduce the soot loading and flames are studied at 5, 7, and 10 atm. Thermophoretic sampling of the soot zone is performed using TEM grids. The sampling process causes minimal flame disturbances. Soot collected on TEM grids is analyzed under transmission electron microscope (TEM). Primary particle size distributions are inferred at each pressure by manually analyzing the primary particles from TEM images. Fractal properties of soot at each pressure are also obtained by analyzing the TEM images at comparatively low magnifications. Mean primary particle diameter increases from 17.5 to 47.1 nm as the pressure is increased from 3 to 10 atm, whereas the fractal dimension and prefactor do not change with pressure up to 10 atm. For the flames studied here, fractal dimension lies between 1.61 and 1.67 whereas fractal prefactor varies between 1.68 and 1.86 without following any apparent trend with pressure.

Background Despite the success of gold standard cognitive-behavioral therapy for problem and disordered gambling, the majority of individuals with gambling problems do not seek or receive professional treatment. Thus, the development of less intrusive self-directed interventions has been encouraged. Bibliotherapy for problem gambling has shown promise, both alone and in combination with motivational interviews, but there is still a lack of online self-directed intervention research. The current randomized controlled trial proposes to assess the additive benefit of a single digital motivational interview delivered in conjunction with an online self-directed treatment program for problem gambling and gambling disorder. Methods A two-arm randomized controlled trial will be conducted, wherein eligible participants (N=270) will be recruited across Canada via internet advertisements posted to several platforms. All participants will receive access to an online self-directed gambling intervention program. Participants will be randomly assigned to either complete the online program alone or receive a digital motivational interview, conducted through an online audioconferencing platform (i.e., Microsoft Teams) to supplement the online program. The primary outcomes of gambling severity, frequency, and expenditures will be tracked along with secondary outcomes (i.e., depression, anxiety, general distress, alcohol use, and online program user data) over a 24-month period. It is expected that participants in both groups will experience a reduction in symptoms across the board, but more substantial improvements will be observed in the group that receives a supplemental motivational interview. Discussion The results of this trial will expand upon prior gambling intervention research by informing best practices for the provision of online self-help for problem gambling. Trial registration ISRCTN ISRCTN13009468. Registered on 7 July 2020.

Preheating technology is widely used to improve the emission or efficiency of combustors, such as diesel engines and gasifiers operating at high pressures. Soot is an unwanted by-product, but its formation is unavoidable in high-pressure diffusion combustion. In this study, the effect of preheating temperature on polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) and soot formation in methane/air co-flow flames was comprehensively investigated in the pressure range of 1–5 bar. The temperature of inlet gas ranges from 295 K to 573 K. The soot, PAH, and OH* concentrations were obtained using planar laser-induced incandescence, planar laser induced fluorescence, and chemiluminescence techniques, respectively. The experimental results reveal that soot and PAH formation is greatly enhanced at higher pressure or with a higher preheating temperature of inlet gas. At a fixed preheating temperature, the peak/integrated soot volume fraction follows a power law with pressure. As pressure increases, the enhancement of soot formation by preheating temperature is suppressed. As the preheating temperature is raised from 295 K to 573 K, the integrated soot volume fraction is increased by 33.7 times at 1.5 bar, but the difference narrows to 2.3 times at 5 bar. OH* signal increases with preheating temperature at 1 bar, but the difference becomes indistinguishable at higher pressure. Further, the experimental results were utilized to evaluate the soot modeling, PAH and soot formation under experimental conditions are examined using four different kinetic mechanisms. While the soot trend along different pressure and preheating temperature is qualitatively captured, the quantitative predictions vary depending on the mechanisms. Specifically, KAUST and Narayanaswamy-Blanquart-Pitsch (NBP) mechanisms overpredict the soot volume fraction while DRL and Appel-Bockhorn-Frenklach (ABF) mechanisms underpredicts the soot volume fraction. In terms of the PAH spatial distribution, only DRL and ABF mechanisms show the ability to capture the experimental observations, that is the peak PAH appears in the flame centerline. The reaction pathway analysis indicates both fuel-pyrolysis chemistry and PAH growth chemistry should be accounted for the discrepancy.

Objective This pilot study examined the feasibility, safety, and effectiveness of using an online computerized cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for treating Chinese patients with depression. Methods Seventy-five Chinese patients with depression in outpatient clinics were randomized into a 5-week intervention. The intervention group received the Chinese translated version of MoodGYM in addition to usual treatment, and the control group continued with usual treatment. Participants completed the 20-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) pre- and post-intervention. Results We conducted multivariate linear regression analyses to compare the change in CES-D scores for completers after the intervention. Seventy-eight percent (n = 29) of participants in the intervention group and 84% (n = 32) of patients in the control group completed the post-treatment assessments, and no serious adverse events were reported. Results indicated that while both groups significantly improved at post test, the intervention group improved significantly more than the control group (t(59) = 2.37, p = 0.02). Conclusion Computerized CBT can be a cost-effective adjunct to medication treatment, particularly in areas with limited access to mental health services. The use of online computerized CBT has been found to be effective in many studies in Western countries, but has not been studied among Chinese outpatients. This study suggests that online computerized CBT is acceptable, and that MoodGYM is a feasible and efficacious augmentative treatment, specifically when used within an outpatient clinic population. With this small sample size we were able to demonstrate that the addition of MoodGYM to usual care improved treatment outcomes for outpatients with depression in China.

The soot formation process has been investigated at pressures up to 16 bar using a non-premixed laminar coflow flame with nitrogen-diluted ethylene. 2D diffuse line-of-sight attenuation (2D LOSA) and planar laser-induced incandescence (PLII) were used to measure soot volume fraction (SVF). The peak SVF increased exponentially with increasing pressure, and the spatial distribution of soot volume fraction changed substantially. At pressures below 6 bar, the two techniques agreed well. At pressures above 6 bar, the techniques began to disagree, with 2D LOSA showing higher peak SVF values at a location lower in the wings of the flame compared to PLII. Errors in the LOSA measurements due to the molecular absorption of PAHs were assessed by performing measurements with bandpass filters centered at 435 nm and at 647 nm. Furthermore, the evolution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in the flame was studied using planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF) with the excitation laser set at 282.85 nm and compare...

Soot particles alter global climate and dominate the origin and evolution of carbonaceous interstellar material. Convincing experimental evidence has linked polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) to soot inception under low-temperature astrochemistry and high-temperature combustion conditions. However, significant gaps still remain in the knowledge of PAH and soot formation mechanisms. Here, we report theoretical and experimental evidence for a soot inception and growth pathway driven by peri-condensed aromatic hydrocarbons (PCAH) with an alkynyl substitution. Initially, free radicals attack the α-alkynyl substitution of PCAHs to form covalently bound compounds yielding resonantly stabilized radicals (RSRs), which promote further clustering through repeated addition reactions with negligible energy barriers. The proposed pathway is shown to be competitive at temperatures relevant to astrochemistry, engine exhaust manifold and flames because it does not require H-abstraction reactions, the requisite reaction precursors are in abundance, and the reaction rate is high. Such addition reactions of PCAHs with α-alkyne substituents create covalently bound clusters from moderate-size PAHs that may otherwise be too small to coagulate.

The claim that Paul is an ‘apocalyptic’ theologian is often made and often criticised. The most common critique, however, has been terminological in nature, since ‘apocalyptic’ is taken to imply a relationship to Jewish apocalypses. Yet advocates of the apocalyptic Paul use the term to signal a connection to an interpretive genealogy—primarily descended from Ernst Käsemann and J. Louis Martyn—and to affirm a set of theological convictions in relation to Paul’s gospel. This invites a different engagement with the apocalyptic reading of Paul, leaving aside questions of nomenclature to explore those genealogical claims, and to examine how well those theological convictions are grounded in Paul’s letters. Consequently, the aims of this thesis are twofold. First, to provide a more accurate account of the developments and disagreements within the contemporary apocalyptic reading which are often obscured by appeals to the same past interpreters and by a common subscription to the ‘apocalyptic’ label. This is accomplished in Part 1 by detailed examination of the works of William Wrede, Albert Schweitzer, Ernst Käsemann, J. Christiaan Beker, Martinus de Boer, J. Louis Martyn, Beverly Roberts Gaventa and Douglas A. Campbell. Part 2 analyses these findings and provides a detailed portrait of the contemporary apocalyptic reading of Paul. Second, making use of that portrait, this thesis provides the first detailed exegetical critique of the contemporary apocalyptic reading of Paul. This critique, constituting Part 3, is calibrated to the different reading strategies deployed by apocalyptic readers of Paul, and explores the unity of Rom 1-8, the textual evidence for motifs of cosmic conflict, and the significance of Paul’s personifications of sin, death and flesh. A number of apocalyptic emphases can be defended from those chapters, but the apocalyptic reading is also shown to be hampered by a number of false antitheses and from too selective a reading of Paul.

The International Desalination Association (IDA) is predicting that within a year, 93% of all new power generation plants will be based on membrane technology using reverse osmosis. This article investigates both the use of desalination technology and filtration and separation technology on power generation sites.

Background Depression and anxiety interfere with an individual's quality of life and result in substantial economic costs to the workplace through lost productivity. The internet offers an unparalleled opportunity for the large scale, cost-effective delivery of mental health awareness and destigmatisation programs in the workplace. However, to date high quality assessments of the effectiveness of such workplace programs have been confined to health professional settings. The current study reports the effectiveness of Mental Health Guru (MH-Guru), a two-module online mental health workplace induction program. Methods A total of 507 employees from a large multi-departmental government workplace were randomised to a 2-week online depression and anxiety educational program (Mental Health Guru; MH-Guru), or a Wait List Control condition. Participants completed online surveys at baseline, 1 week post-intervention and at 6-month follow-up. Primary outcome measures included depression and anxiety literacy, personal stigma about depression and anxiety, and help seeking intentions for anxiety and depression at post-test. Secondary measures included help-seeking attitudes and self-reported help seeking behaviour. Satisfaction measures were also collected. Results Dropout at post intervention was 26.7% and 21.0% for the MH-Guru and Control conditions respectively. Relative to Control, MH-Guru participants showed significantly greater improvements in depression and anxiety literacy at post intervention. Between group standardized effect sizes at post-test and 6-months were 0.78 and 0.81 for depression literacy and 0.80 and 0.79 for anxiety literacy. Compared to the Control participants, the MH-Guru group also showed significantly greater reductions in depression and anxiety personal stigma. Between group effect sizes in stigma for depression were − 0.56 and − 0.47 at post-test and 6-months respectively and − 0.42 at both time points for anxiety. The MH-Guru intervention was not associated with a differentially greater increase in anxiety or depression help-seeking intentions or improvement in help seeking attitudes compared to the Control group. However, self-reported help-seeking behaviour was significantly greater in the MH-Guru group at post-test. In addition, the MH-Guru group showed greater intentions to seek help for depression from the Internet at 6-month follow-up. Satisfaction items suggested that the program was acceptable to employees. Conclusions Brief online programs such as MH-Guru have the potential to play an important role in increasing mental health awareness and decreasing stigmatizing attitudes in the workplace, and by extension the general community., Highlights • First RCT in the workplace to demonstrate the effectiveness of an online intervention for anxiety and depression in staff without health credentials. • The intervention (MH-Guru) was associated with reductions in stigma and improvements in literacy for depression and anxiety, sustained over 6 months. • Intentions to seek help from the Internet were greater at 6 months among those receiving the workplace intervention.

Background The majority of content in an Internet Support Group (ISG) is contributed by 1 % of the users (‘super users’). Computational methods, such as topic modelling, can provide a large-scale quantitative objective description of this content. Such methods may provide a new perspective on the nature of engagement on ISGs including the role of super users and their possible effect on other users. Methods A topic model was computed for all posts (N = 131,004) in the ISG BlueBoard using Latent Dirichlet Allocation. A model containing 25 topics was selected on the basis of intelligibility as determined by diagnostic metrics and qualitative investigation. This model yielded 21 substantive topics for further analysis. Two chi-square tests were conducted separately for each topic to ascertain: (i) if the odds of super users’ and other users’ posting differed for each topic; and (ii) if for super users the odds of posting differed depending on whether the response was to a super user or to another user. Results The 21 substantive topics covered a range of issues related to mental health and peer-support. There were significantly higher odds that super users wrote content on 13 topics, with the greatest effects being for Parenting Role (OR [95%CI] = 7.97 [7.85–8.10]), Co-created Fiction (4.22 [4.17–4.27]), Mental Illness (3.13 [3.11–3.16]) and Positive Change (2.82 [2.79–2.84]). There were significantly lower odds for super users on 7 topics, with the greatest effects being for the topics Depression (OR = 0.27 [0.27–0.28]), Medication (0.36 [0.36–0.37]), Therapy (0.55 [0.54–0.55]) and Anxiety (0.55 [0.55–0.55]). However, super users were significantly more likely to write content on 5 out of these 7 topics when responding to other users than when responding to fellow super users. Conclusions The findings suggest that super users serve the role of emotionally supportive companions with a focus on topics broadly resembling the consumer/carer model of recovery. Other users engage in topics with a greater focus on experiential knowledge, disclosure and informational support, a pattern resembling the clinical symptom-focussed approach to recovery. However, super users modify their content in response to other users in a manner consistent with being ‘active help providers’.

Reducing energy consumption continues to be a major focus for filtration media manufacturers and system design engineers. This article presents a round-up of recent developments in air and gas filtration technologies for industrial applications and looks at some of the new process technologies in the sector.

Anthony Bennett talks to Amrit Barmi about the critical landfill leachate issues facing the waste management industry in the UK. Having worked for companies such as Cleanaway, Biffa, WYG and Wehrle, Amrit provides expert insights into potential solutions to the growing problem of landfill leachate disposal and treatment.

Several decades of developing laser induced incandescence (LII) as a combustion diagnostic have led to great advances in understanding soot formation. The bulk of diagnostic development has focused on time-resolved LII (TiRe-LII) where heating of soot particles using a laser, and the subsequent particle cooling, can be measured and matched to a model to determine soot primary particle size. These models vary significantly in both complexity and accuracy. This work focuses on the effect of local gas heating during the soot cooling process. Multi-color pyrometry is performed 5 μs following laser heating on flames ranging in soot volume fraction (SVF) of 10 ppm up to 43 ppm with laser fluences of 0.09 J/cm2, 0.07 J/cm2, and 0.05 J/cm2. Both laser fluence and SVF had significant effects on the local gas heating as measured by the soot temperature. Simulations were performed implementing local gas heating and showed prediction errors depend on pressure and soot volume fraction. As SVF increases, the errors in primary particle size predictions show a nearly linear rate of increase that can become significant at higher SVF values.

Background The current randomized controlled trial seeks to evaluate whether providing access to an Internet intervention for problem drinking in addition to an Internet intervention for problem gambling is beneficial for participants with gambling problems who do or do not have co-occurring problem drinking. Methods Potential participants will be recruited online via a comprehensive advertisement strategy, if they meet the criteria for problem gambling. As part of the baseline measures, problem drinking will also be assessed. Eligible participants (N = 280) who agree to partake in the study and to be followed up for 6 months will be randomized into one of two versions of an Internet intervention for gamblers: an intervention that targets only gambling issues (G-only) and one that combines a gambling intervention with an intervention for problem drinking (G + A). For problem gamblers who exhibit co-occurring problem drinking, it is predicted that participants who are provided access to the G + A intervention will demonstrate a significantly greater level of reduction in gambling outcomes at 6 months compared to those provided access to the G-only intervention. Discussion This trial will expand upon the current research on Internet interventions for addictions and inform the development of treatments for those with co-occurring problem drinking and gambling. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03323606. Registered on 24 October 2017. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13063-018-2672-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Cell-free protein synthesis is a promising tool to take biotechnology outside of the cell. A cell-free approach provides distinct advantages over in vivo systems including open access to the reaction environment and direct control over all chemical components for facile optimization and synthetic biology integration. Promising applications of cell-free systems include portable diagnostics, biotherapeutics expression, rational protein engineering, and biocatalyst production. The highest yielding and most economical cell-free systems use an extract composed of the soluble component of lysed Escherichia coli. Although E. coli lysis can be highly efficient (>99.999%), one persistent challenge is that the extract remains contaminated with up to millions of cells per mL. In this work, we examine the potential of multiple decontamination strategies to further reduce or eliminate bacteria in cell-free systems. Two strategies, sterile filtration and lyophilization, effectively eliminate contaminating cells while maintaining the systems' protein synthesis capabilities. Lyophilization provides the additional benefit of long-term stability at storage above freezing. Technologies for personalized, portable medicine and diagnostics can be expanded based on these foundational sterilized and completely "cell-free" systems.

In this article Anthony Bennett looks at recent advances in desalination processes and the increasing use of energy recovery technologies. He also looks at the current market for desalination equipment, the types of desalination technology available and associated pumping requirements and the types of energy recovery devices currently available.

In this article Anthony Bennett provides a review of innovations in desalination and water reuse technology following conversations with Abdullah Al-Alshaikh, Leon Awerbuch, and Corrado Sommariva, from the International Desalination Association (IDA).

In this article, Anthony Bennett reviews innovations in chemical transfer technology by profiling three manufacturers – Netzsch, Polyflx and Vogelsang and their work across a wide range of industries often involving gruelling applications. He also provides some thoughts on current developments and future trends in the industry with the focus being on efficiency and the environment.

In this article, Anthony Bennett looks at synergies between water treatment and power production systems, demonstrating how they can be operated to improve the overall efficiency of drinking water production and power generation. He examines alternative sources, such as seawater, and explains how they can be treated and re-used by advanced filtration and separation technologies to reduce pressure on drinking water sources.

In this article, Anthony Bennett provides a review of recent innovations in the application of filtration and separation technology in the food and beverage industry. Looking at emerging markets, he profiles a series of case studies from leading manufacturers and provides some thoughts on current developments in the industry, looking at both the economic developments and future trends.

Anthony Bennett provides a brief review of the increasing use of desalination technology. He then looks at the opportunities available for training and development in the industry provided by the International Desalination Association's Desalination Academy, following discussions with its Dean, Leon Awerbuch.

Domestic violence is a key workplace gender equality issue. Although domestic violence affects everyone, it is predominantly women who are the victims and who suffer from the most severe abuse. This chapter focuses on female employees in the United Kingdom. While rarely acknowledged in UK literature or practice, domestic violence can also affect women at work. It can hamper their performance, attendance and career development. Furthermore, perpetrators can continue the abuse at the workplace. Conversely the workplace can be a haven from domestic violence, offering support and resources. Yet far too often employers lack the capacity and capability to handle domestic violence, resulting in many victims losing their job. Our research explored the role played by trade unions in domestic violence cases, and found that representatives were a source of support for both victims and organizations in helping them better handle domestic violence in the workplace.

Design and objective This paper describes the protocol for a large-scale pragmatic, randomised controlled trial and economic evaluation to investigate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of the self-directed E-Couch social anxiety module versus a waiting list control condition, for reducing sub-clinical social anxiety symptoms in the general population. Study population Community-based adults (aged 18þ) with social anxiety symptoms that do not meet the criteria for social anxiety disorder recruited via a direct-to-consumer advertisement on national websites. Intervention and control Intervention is the self-guided E-Couch social anxiety module. Control group participants are placed on a waiting list to receive the intervention at the end of the trial. Both groups receive email and text message reminders. Outcome measures The primary outcome will be change in self-reported social anxiety score using the Social Phobia Inventory (SPIN). Secondary outcomes will be the changes in the following self-report measures: Brief Fear of Negative Evaluation scale (BFNE-S); depression (CES-D); mental wellbeing (SWEMWEBS); health status (SF36); use of health services; safety events; and adherence, retention, and attrition rates. All measures will be administered at baseline, 6 weeks, and 3, 6 and 12 months. Analysis A mixed effects model will be used to analyse the effect of the intervention on the primary and secondary outcomes (intention to treat analysis). Secondary analyses will explore moderators and mediators of effect. A prospective economic evaluation, conducted from a NHS and social care perspective, will provide estimates of cost utility and costeffectiveness. An interview study will be conducted with 20 participants to explore issues including acceptability, adherence, retention and attrition.

Ground support schemes consist of surface support systems that contact the excavation boundary and a reinforcement system embedded into the rock mass. Under static conditions, these systems can work relatively independently, as the requirement for them to work together is minimal, as demonstrated by practices such as shotcreting over reinforcement bolts, preventing significant interaction. However, the compatibility of these components with each other determines the overall effectiveness and capacity of the overall ground support scheme under quasi-static and dynamic conditions. Under loading from a seismic event, the support scheme installed to prevent a rockfall, is only as good as the weakest link. As the load transfer from the rock mass to the surface support occurs, engaging the reinforcement, it is critical that the connections are given special attention to prevent premature failure of the scheme. Traditionally, the connection, or the plate, is designed to be stronger than the reinforcement element as a plate failure usually renders the entire support scheme inoperable. There is, however, a difference between yielding and failing, and this is crucial in dynamic conditions. The individual elements each have unique characteristics in terms of load/displacement but when combined in a scheme they react differently. A well designed connection bearing or face plate between the surface support and the reinforcement acts as a system load indicator allowing for exclusion or rehabilitation to occur prior to a complete support system failure and resultant fall of ground. During dynamic testing, it has been shown that plates designed to deform in the yielding zone of a rockbolt can increase the total deformation and energy capacity of the bolt by 3–5 kJ compared to other plates. A plate should begin to deform in the yielding zone of the bolt and ultimately fail after the reinforcement element fails. This plate failure is a controlled release of energy (dissipation) as opposed to a reinforcement failure creating a projectile nut (thread) or a fall of ground.

Desalination processes, with their increasing requirements for advanced efficient pumping and energy recovery solutions, are developing as a result of meeting the requirements of accelerated fresh water demand coupled with the effects of global climate change. In this article Anthony Bennett looks at the various desalination processes, thermal, membrane and hybrid, and how they have evolved, what the current challenges are for increasing energy efficiency, and what the future might hold for the desalination industry.

The engineering of and mastery over biological parts has catalyzed the emergence of synthetic biology. This field has grown exponentially in the past decade. As increasingly more applications of synthetic biology are pursued, more challenges are encountered, such as delivering genetic material into cells and optimizing genetic circuits in vivo. An in vitro or cell-free approach to synthetic biology simplifies and avoids many of the pitfalls of in vivo synthetic biology. In this review, we describe some of the innate features that make cell-free systems compelling platforms for synthetic biology and discuss emerging improvements of cell-free technologies. We also select and highlight recent and emerging applications of cell-free synthetic biology.

With ever increasing water costs to, and pressures on, food and drinks production, and tightening water extraction, discharge limitations and developments in treatment technology, water recycling has become a high priority subject. This article examines technologies for feed water treatment and effluent treatment and shows how implementing those processes can lead to cost savings and environmental benefits.