Non-conventional Options Research Articles

Applications of Super Critical Technology in Biodiesel Production

Because of the scarcity of fossil fuels, it’s crucial to look into non-conventional options. In this context, “biofuel” refers to any fuel, liquid, gaseous, or solid, that is primarily derived from biomass. Many different types of biofuels exist, including ethanol, methanol, diesel, and hydrogen. Biodiesel, is a promising alternative fuel. It’s eco-friendly and manufactured from edible or nonedible oils. Transesterification, non-catalytic supercritical fluid technique, micro emulsion, pyrolysis, and other methods have all been recorded for producing biodiesel from vegetable oil and lipids. This article compares and contrasts the advantages of using conventional catalytic processes to produce biodiesel with those of using supercritical fluids (SCF). Concerns have been raised regarding the substantial amount of energy that must be expended in order to carry out supercritical reactions under conditions of high pressure and temperature. This is despite the fact that the catalyst-free SCF method clearly offers a number of benefits that are hard to ignore. Because of this, the SCF process has significant difficulties that need fixing before it can become a long-term viable technology.

Non-conventional options of managing municipal solid waste towards sustainable solid waste management in Makassar City

The traditional approach of handling municipal solid waste in many cities in Indonesia has led to the failure in certain degree of the solid waste management (SWM). On the other hand, the non-conventional options are the approaches to transform this business-as-usual approach to sustainable SWM that aims at accomplishing the appropriate proportion of the elements in waste hierarchy towards sustainable solid waste management. This study aims at assessing the present non-conventional approaches in municipal solid waste management undertaken by waste authorities in Makassar City. We conducted an in-depth investigation and interview with the actors/members, users, citizens and authorities on current status of non-conventional options of SWM. Four hundred and two respondents have been acquired their opinion and perception. Analysis on their perceptions was done by using 5-point Likert scale, by expecting to represent the respondents’ voices in carrying out the SWM activities. From the study, we confirmed that activities towards sustainable solid waste management are not always cost-intensive activities, a socially-bounded engagement, as reflected in by community in the study area, would also workable. We affirm that a livable city will not be accomplished without sustainable solid waste management.

A flexible framework for assessing the sustainability of alternative water supply options

Increased water scarcity is driving water utilities to consider alternative water supply options (WSOs). Identifying the most sustainable WSOs that meet environmental, economic, and social objectives is challenging due to the overwhelming number of both assessment criteria and treatment configurations, including a growing number of potable reuse options. Conventional approaches using process-based life cycle assessments are data-intensive and site-specific, and therefore not suitable for the early stages of assessing WSOs. To address this gap, we have combined hybrid multi-regional input-output-based life cycle assessment (MRIO-LCA), social impact analysis, and multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) to develop a novel, flexible framework with unit process level resolution for the comprehensive evaluation of WSOs. Here we describe the formulation of the framework along with an application to two US utilities considering alternative WSOs. In both cases, given sufficient levels of community acceptance and optimum system design, the results favoured potable reuse WSOs due to their climatic resilience, cost effectiveness and lower environmental impacts (compared to other non-conventional options such as desalination). The generalised and globally applicable framework developed for this study can be used to assess sustainability trade-offs between diverse WSO configurations, providing valuable insights for decision-making processes at the early planning stage, as a complement to existing urban water supply scenario and optimisation models.

Nonconventional Options for Tumor Localization in Breast and Axillary Lymph Nodes: A Pictorial How-To.

Preoperative localization of breast malignancies using traditional ultrasound and digital techniques can be challenging, particularly after neoadjuvant chemotherapy when the target is not conspicuous. The purpose of this paper is to pictorially present nontraditional techniques that have been helpful in preoperative localization before surgery. We will discuss techniques for breast lesion localization using computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as well as axillary lymph node localization using tomosynthesis, CT, and MRI.

Use of Integrative Medicine in the United States Military Health System.

Integrative medicine (IM) is a model of care which uses both conventional and nonconventional therapies in a “whole person” approach to achieve optimum mental, physical, emotional, spiritual, and environmental health, and is increasingly popular among patients and providers seeking to relieve chronic or multifactorial conditions. The US Department of Defense (DoD) shows particular interest in and usage of IM for managing chronic conditions including the signature “polytrauma triad” of chronic pain, traumatic brain injury (TBI), and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among its beneficiaries in the Military Health System (MHS). These modalities range from conventional nondrug, nonsurgical options such as cognitive-behavioral therapy to nonconventional options such as acupuncture, chiropractic, and mind-body techniques. These are of particular interest for their potential to relieve symptoms without relying on opiates, which impair performance and show high potential for abuse while often failing to provide full relief. This review describes the use of IM in the MHS, including definitions of the model, common therapies and potential for use, and controversy surrounding the practice. More research is needed to build a comprehensive usage analysis, which in turn will inform sound clinical and financial practice for the MHS and its beneficiaries.

Simply because it works better: Exploring motives for the use of medical herbalism in contemporary U.K. health care

To clarify the reasons underlying people's use of medical herbalism in the context of contemporary U.K. health care. This qualitative, interpretative study recruited 19 adults who were consulting with registered medical herbalists in a region of southern England. Participants were interviewed about their experiences and the data were analysed thematically. Study methodology was informed by Gadamerian hermeneutic phenomenology. Few of the participants had initially set out to try herbalism, most looking for 'an alternative' to conventional health care. The main reason for exploring non-conventional options was to seek out health care that would more effectively meet their self-perceived needs in the treatment of a chronic condition. As a result of favourable outcomes from their initial treatment, participants subsequently continued to use herbalism for the management of more general, everyday health problems. Lay and professional ideas about what constitutes health care 'effectiveness' do not necessarily correspond. Participants reported that, in comparison to conventional medicine, medical herbalism satisfied their expectations of health care because it more readily met their own criteria for effectiveness and because it had greater consistency with their own understanding about health, illness and health care. Central to achieving this was the collaborative nature of the herbalist's approach, as well as the therapeutic effect and enduring history of the herbal therapy itself. Participants were in favour of a future integrative health care system provided this did not interfere with the unique attributes of herbalism that make it distinct from conventional medicine.

Desalination of brackish groundwater in Zahedan city in Iran

Zahedan city lies in one of the most arid areas in southeastern Iran. As the capital of Sistan and Baluchestan province it has grown and urbanized rapidly with a population of over 600,000. All water consumption needs are met by groundwater. In recent years, groundwater has been abstracted from the aquifer at a faster rate than the recharge because of extremely low rainfall, rapid development of the city and high population growth rate, resulting in gradual depletion of storage. The result is a continuous decline in the groundwater levels and deterioration in quality. Consequently, Zahedan is the only city in Iran with two separate pipeline systems for drinking and household requirements due to the increasing salinity of the groundwater aquifer. About 50% of fresh water is imported by tanker from Ladiz village about 100 km southeast of the city and then pumped into the pipeline system that provides drinking water at 13 public stations. Shortage of drinking water has caused interest in developing non-conventional options, including desalination of brackish groundwater and a water import project. From the beginning of 2003, three small reverse osmosis desalination units have gone into operation for desalination of brackish groundwater to provide a part of the drinking water requirements.

Non-Conventional Options for Water Supply Augmentation in the Middle East: A Case Study

Middle Eastern countries (ME) are expected to face severe water shortages in the near future. As most conventional water resources are already developed or over exploited, there is a need to develop non-conventional options to bridge water shortages. These options include brackish and sea-water desalination and fresh water imports from outside the region either by sea or land. Technically, non-conventional options are possible and feasible, however, depending on many factors, these options are available at a high capital investment with different costs and are associated with some environmental and ecological impacts and political considerations. Water and other conflicts in the region along with funding problems are the main obstacles to the implementation of such options in the ME. Integrating conventional and non-conventional water development options are found to be a more viable combination on the long term. Cooperation between ME countries is found to be a key factor to overcoming water shortage using non-conventional options. Therefore, it is concluded that non-conventional water options should be encouraged in the region and should be utilized to overcome not only water shortages but also to resolve conflicts and restore economic growth, peace, and stability among regional parties and people.

Sustainable water demand management versus developing new and additional water in the Middle East: a critical review

The scarcity of available water resources in the Middle East (ME) along with the occurrence of severe drought during the last two years has stimulated interest in minimizing regional water shortages by developing new and additional water using non-conventional options including large scale brackish and sea water desalination and water import projects. After a regional review is conducted of available water resources and uses, water demand projections, potential water development options, sustainable water demand management, and non-conventional water development options, it was concluded that (1) although most low-cost conventional resources in the region have already been developed, further potential exists, but marginal costs will increase rapidly, (2) the least cost solution for short and medium term water development for the ME is water conservation through water demand management practices, and (3) regional cooperation is required on the long-term to meet the future water needs through the development of new and additional water using non-conventional options.

Garbage: exploring non-conventional options in Asian cities

Garbage: exploring non-conventional options in Asian cities describes community based waste management projects in Bangalore, Manila, Madras, Jakarta and Kathmandu and assesses their potential as alternatives to the increasingly ineffective conventional organization of residential solid waste services in Asian cities. Two case studies are attached: the first on street pickers in Calcutta slums, the second on a programme to support the renovation and sale of second-hand shoes in Delhi.

4728222 Arrangement for collecting seepage water from depositories : Klaus Wiemer, Kronberg, Federal Republic Of Germany assigned to ED Zublin Aktiengesellschaft

The scarcity of available water resources in the Middle East (ME) along with the occurrence of severe drought during the last two years has stimulated interest in minimizing regional water shortages by developing new and additional water using non-conventional options including large scale brackish and sea water desalination and water import projects. After a regional review is conducted of available water resources and uses, water demand projections, potential water development options, sustainable water demand management, and non-conventional water development options, it was concluded that (1) although most low-cost conventional resources in the region have already been developed, further potential exists, but marginal costs will increase rapidly, (2) the least cost solution for short and medium term water development for the ME is water conservation through water demand management practices, and (3) regional cooperation is required on the long-term to meet the future water needs through the development of new and additional water using non-conventional options.

Diversifying learning opportunities: A response to the problems of mass education

The large lecture section is often perceived as a homogeneous mass of students who can be taught satisfactorily by a single teaching method — usually lectures, textbooks, and objective exams. An attempt to improve the quality of teaching and learning was made by offering three distinct options to 695 students enrolled in two large classes: (1) conventional lecture/objective exam format; (2) small groups of five to eight students; (3) independent study. The students responded with 86% selecting the conventional method, 11% choosing small groups, and 3% deciding upon independent study. Students in the conventional classes tended to have high scores on Rotter's External Control Scale and high scores on personality need scales (Personality Research Form) for harm avoidance, order, social recognition, and succorence; they also tended to be less intellectually inclined and more vocationally oriented. The students in nonconventional options tended to have high personality need scores for cognitive structure, achievement, autonomy, and understanding.