Preparatory Procedure Research Articles

Megjegyzések a nyomozás körüli „időutazás” régi és újabb állomásaihoz

Aim: This study compares the centuries old domestic lessons of the regulations of investigation with the goals and implementation of the current rulings. It examines to what extent the initial experiences of the new rulings have met the expectations. Methodology: The preparatory character of the investigation, that often determines the subsequent procedure, requires a new approach both to legislation and to jurisprudence to strengthen the concord of practicality, effectiveness and legality. Findings: Legislation of the preparatory procedure establishing the investigation, as well as the differentiation between the detection and examination phase were carried out with this purpose. The distinctions were made on consistent theoretical basis, with clear delineation of responsibilities, nevertheless it did not result a problem-free operation in practice. This had an impact on the tools, methods and intensity of the prosecution’s supervisory and control powers. Value: The study concludes that strengthening the independence of detection phase shall not exclude, but indeed justify a more active role of the prosecution service already in this phase of the proceedings. At the same time, creating a less rigid boundary between these two phases of the investigation could facilitate the possibility for a more differentiated prosecution of the offenders, and a more realistic need thereof.

THE INFLUENCE OF OBSERVATIONAL ERRORS IN GAIA DR3 ON THE RECONSTRUCTION OF GLOBULAR CLUSTER ORBITS ON A COSMOLOGICAL TIMESCALE

In recent years, the emerging field of astronomy focused on the history of galaxy formation, known as Galactic Archaeology, has been gaining popularity. Globular clusters have been involved in many key processes occurring in the Milky Way, making their study, particularly the reconstruction of their orbits, significantly important. The Gaia DR3 catalog provides parameters for 165 globular clusters, such as proper motions, radial velocity, and heliocentric distance, with certain accuracy. Therefore, it is important to examine the influence of measurement errors in these parameters on the initial data when converting to the Galactocentric coordinate system and, consequently, on the shape of the orbits. We integrated the orbits of globular clusters 10 billion years lookback. For physical justification during the integration, we used the external dynamic potential with the individual number 411321 from the cosmological simulation database IllustrisTNG-100, which best reproduces the potential of the Milky Way. The integration was performed using the parallel N-body code φ-GPU, based on a fourth-order Hermite scheme with hierarchical individual block timesteps. A total of 1,000 randomizations of the initial data were created considering a normal distribution of errors, and the influence of errors on the scatter of initial velocities and on the shape of the orbits was examined. The parameters with the largest relative errors are proper motions and radial velocity, while the smallest errors are in heliocentric distance. It was found that 85% of the globular clusters have relative errors in all parameters of no more than 10%, and 5.4% have errors of no more than 1%. Investigating the influence of measurement errors for clusters with different magnitudes of relative errors, we concluded that for most globular clusters, the influence of measurement errors on the shape of the orbits is not significant. Consequently, it is possible to reconstruct the orbits with high accuracy for these clusters. Since the reconstruction of globular cluster orbits involves cosmological timescales, accounting for measurement errors is an important aspect of the preparatory procedure before the main integration.

A modified dual preparatory method for improved isolation of nucleic acids from laser microdissected fresh-frozen human cancer tissue specimens.

A central theme in cancer research is to increase our understanding of the cancer tissue microenvironment, which is comprised of a complex and spatially heterogeneous ecosystem of malignant and non-malignant cells, both of which actively contribute to an intervening extracellular matrix. Laser microdissection (LMD) enables histology selective harvest of cellular subpopulations from the tissue microenvironment for their independent molecular investigation, such as by high-throughput DNA and RNA sequencing. Although enabling, LMD often requires a labor-intensive investment to harvest enough cells to achieve the necessary DNA and/or RNA input requirements for conventional next-generation sequencing workflows. To increase efficiencies, we sought to use a commonplace dual preparatory (DP) procedure to isolate DNA and RNA from the same LMD harvested tissue samples. While the yield of DNA from the DP protocol was satisfactory, the RNA yield from the LMD harvested tissue samples was significantly poorer compared to a dedicated RNA preparation procedure. We determined that this low yield of RNA was due to incomplete partitioning of RNA in this widely used DP protocol. Here, we describe a modified DP protocol that more equally partitions nucleic acids and results in significantly improved RNA yields from LMD-harvested cells.

Obstructive colitis induced by laxatives during colonoscopy preparation after ischemic enteritis and improved by endoscopic fecal removal: a case report

An 84-year-old male patient who was diagnosed with melena was admitted to the hospital with ischemic colitis. During the preparatory procedure for colonoscopy, he reported severe abdominal pain and exhibited decreased blood pressure. Obstructive colitis was suspected, and a colonoscopy was performed. A large amount of hard stool was found in the sigmoid colon, with ulcers and erosions exposing the submucosal layer observed on the proximal side. The endoscope was able to pass through the ileocecal region, and the patient's symptoms subsequently improved. The decline in intestinal function following ischemic enteritis may have contributed to the passage obstruction. Although fecal obstructive enterocolitis is extremely rare, caution is warranted during colonoscopy preparation.

A machine learning oracle for parameter estimation

AbstractCompeting procedures, involving data smoothing, weighting, imputation, outlier removal, etc., may be available to prepare data for parametric model estimation. Often, however, little is known about the best choice of preparatory procedure for the planned estimation and the observed data. A machine learning‐based decision rule, an “oracle,” can be constructed in such cases to decide the best procedure from a set of available preparatory procedures. The oracle learns the decision regions associated with based on training data synthesized solely from the given data using model parameters with high posterior probability. An estimator in combination with an oracle to guide data preparation is called an oracle estimator. Oracle estimator performance is studied in two estimation problems: slope estimation in simple linear regression (SLR) and changepoint estimation in continuous two‐linear‐segments regression (CTLSR). In both examples, the regression response is given to be increasing, and the oracle must decide whether to isotonically smooth the response data preparatory to fitting the regression model. A measure of performance called headroom is proposed to assess the oracle's potential for reducing estimation error. Experiments with SLR and CTLSR find for important ranges of problem configurations that the headroom is high, the oracle's empirical performance is near the headroom, and the oracle estimator offers clear benefit.

Homogenizer-intensified amidation of free fatty acids in waste cooking oil for biodiesel production

Biodiesel production from waste cooking oil is a viable alternative both to satisfy renewable energy demand and utilize a low-cost feedstock. However, a preparatory procedure is required to reduce free fatty acid contained in waste cooking oil to a specific value which is time- and energy-extensive. Herein, a fast and non-catalytic amidation reaction performs at room temperature is established as an alternative method to reduce the free fatty acid level. The effect of the molar ratio of waste cooking oil to monoethanolamine, reaction time and rotational speed of homogenizer were investigated on the conversion of free fatty acid to alkanolamide compounds. The highest conversion of 95.9 ± 0.02% was achieved in presence of a molar ratio of 1:1.5, reaction time of 0.5 min and rotational speed of 5000 rpm. Further, a homogenizer was used to facilitate the transesterification reaction using an alkaline catalyst at room temperature. The conversion of waste cooking oil to biodiesel of 91.4 ± 0.2% was achieved after 5 min of reaction time. In terms of processing parameters, the non-catalytic amidation and alkaline base catalytic transesterification reaction assisted by a homogenizer device is a time-saved process as it could save 92% and 94% of reaction time compared to one- and two-steps method and was performed in ambient condition.

The Role of the Public Prosecutor in the Investigation

The study describes the prosecutor’s role in the initiation phase of the criminal procedure: in the preparatory procedure, the powers, tasks, management and supervision activities authorised by the Criminal Procedure Act are presented in detail. In the investigative stages following the preparatory procedure, the study includes an overview and precise delimitation of the conditions under which we can speak separately about the preliminary investigation and the inspection stage. This section emphasises the differences concerning the relationship between the investigating authority and the prosecutor’s office, depending on whether it is a preliminary investigation or an inspection phase. At the end of the study, the prosecutor’s guidance typical of the inspection phase will be described. Precisely fixing the specific powers of the Criminal Procedure Act, determined for the prosecutor to carry out the management tasks of the investigation effectively.

Standardization of process for development of instant chickpea using Desi and Kabuli variety

Chickpea is considered among the most important leguminous crops in the world but is not a regular meal pulse due to their long cooking time and lengthy preparatory procedure. This gives rise to the need of converting raw chickpea into convenient food. For the preparation of instant chickpea from Desi and Kabuli variety, Central Composite Rotatable Design (CCRD) under Response Surface Methodology (RSM) was employed which consisted of four variables i.e. sodium chloride (NaCl), sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3), ammonium carbonate (NH4)2CO3 and temperature for soaking treatments. This design was used to develop models for the soaking time, change in colour, split %, alkalinity and cooking time for prepared instant chickpea samples. High-temperature hydration (60 °C) required lesser time to achieve the maximum hydration, whereas low-temperature hydration (30 °C) enhanced the hydration time and reduced the cooking time of instant chickpea significantly (P≤ 0.01) but this condition was inverse for the splitting/butterfly defects. Increasing the concentration of sodium bicarbonate and ammonium bicarbonate from 0.5 to 1.5 % during soaking treatments increased the splitting and alkalinity and produced undesirable colours in treated samples of chickpea. RSM optimized values concerning concentrations of different salts i.e. NaCl, NaHCO3, and (NH4)2CO3 in soaking solution were 0.59, 0.85 % and 0.82 %, respectively at 49.81 °C temperature for Desi instant chickpea having 11 minutes of cooking time whereas corresponding values for Kabuli chickpea were 1.07 % NaCl, 0.79 % NaHCO3, and 0.70 % (NH4)2CO3 at 46.53 °C temperature with 13 min cooking time.
 Keywords: Central Composite Rotatable Design, Chickpea, Soaking, Cooking time, Instant

Novel Use of Excimer Laser Coronary Angioplasty for the Preparation of the Reverse Wire Technique

Guidewire insertion into the side branches during percutaneous coronary intervention may be difficult, depending on the angle of the side branch and plaque localization. The reverse wire technique (RWT) is an effective wiring method for markedly angulated bifurcated side branches. Nonetheless, continuing the procedure may be difficult if the RWT system cannot be inserted because of severe main trunk stenosis or if the insertion of the system causes a decrease in the peripheral blood flow. In these cases, balloon pre-dilation is sometimes performed; however, this is unreliable due to the risk of side branch occlusion caused by plaque shift. By performing excimer laser coronary angioplasty (ELCA) as a preparatory procedure before RWT, it is possible to eliminate the main trunk plaque without inducing insufficiency in the side branches. We herein report three acute coronary syndrome (ACS) cases in which ELCA pretreatment was effective after failure of an attempted RWT. This method is considered a novel use of ELCA in ACS.

Improved Adhesion Strength for Electrodeposited Nickel Onto Titanium Alloys Via the Brush Plating Method

Titanium and titanium alloys are attractive materials in a variety of industries such as aerospace due to a high strength to weight ratio and a surface which is naturally resistance to many forms of corrosion. However, tribological properties such as poor abrasion resistance and high friction during metal-to-metal contact have proven difficult to handle without additional treatments. Application of coatings onto the material’s surface is one means of protecting it from those poor tribological properties.Electroplated nickel coatings retain much of the corrosion resistance desired of titanium alloys while also exhibiting better abrasion and wear resistance. Electroplating onto titanium and its alloys is prohibitively difficult due to the propensity of the material to form a tenacious oxide coating on any fresh surface instantaneously after its exposure. The oxide surface acts as a barrier between the solution and the titanium surface reducing the adhesion strength of the resulting deposit. The oxide layer is most commonly removed and the surface modified by hydrofluoric acid (HF) based treatments. HF is considered highly dangerous to workers and to the environment and work is being done to heavily limit its use.For this work, a proprietary chloride-based solution was used during the preparatory steps. Brush or selective plating was chosen as the application technique due to its ability to perform the entire operation with the substrate exposed to solution and under potential control. In most applications of electroplating, the surface/part to be plated must be transferred between multiple tanks containing each preparatory solution used to etch and activate the surface which would involve exposure to air at several points. In addition, the brushing action inherent in brush or selective plating creates a surface environment which can be optimized to promote strong adhesion at the nickel/titanium interface.This presentation will discuss how SIFCO’s brush plating process technology and automation capabilities were used to achieve strong adhesion to the titanium surface without the use of HF. Focus was specifically placed on achieving strong adhesion of a nickel pre-plate onto the titanium surface which allows for a multitude of other coatings to be applied thereafter. The method was performed using a single anode through which the solutions for each step flowed. The samples were under applied potential and immersed in solution throughout the entire process. Applied potential and solution delivery were automated to maximize process consistency.Samples were measured for tensile adhesion strength via the specification ASTM C633. Several variables related to the preparatory procedure were optimized during the study including the flow rate of the solution, the voltage/current conditions, and the evaluation of preparatory steps taken before the electrochemical procedure.

A method to obtain purified free light chain monomers and dimers from urine samples of patients with multiple myeloma

Antibody light chains are synthesized in excess by plasma cells, and this excess can be secreted into biological fluids as dimers or monomers in various proportions. Structural differences between monomers or dimers of free light chains (FLC) can affect their biological functions and possibly their pathogenicity. They also may exhibit differential immune reactivity, perhaps explaining discrepant quantifications when measured by different immunoreagents. Having purified FLC monomers and dimers available can be useful for studying their properties. Here we propose a simple preparatory procedure to purify FLC monomers and dimers from urine samples of patients with plasma cell disorders. Two representative urine samples containing lambda or kappa FLC were loaded into a nonreducing sodium dodecyl sulfate–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). The gel strips containing separate monomers and dimers were excised, electroeluted, and the FLC recovered. The FLC were recovered from SDS-PAGE gel in sufficient amounts to be quantified by UV and two automated nephelometric assays immunochemical. The procedure was found to be simple, reproducible, and with a high yield, thus offering the opportunity to compare different assays. Not all urine samples are suitable for this procedure, but this approach allows for the purification of FLC monomers and dimers from many selected urine samples which maintain their oligomeric organization.

P153 The impact of seton use on clinical and patient-reported outcomes in Crohn’s disease perianal fistulas: findings from a systematic literature review

Abstract Background Complex perianal fistulas are a common complication of Crohn’s disease, and are treated with both surgical and medical intervention. Irrespective of treatment strategy, seton placement is used to facilitate fistula drainage and prevent recurrent abscess formation. The aim of this systematic literature review was to summarize available evidence on clinical outcomes associated with seton use for symptomatic relief and treatment of complex Crohn’s perianal fistula (complex CPF). Methods Electronic databases (MEDLINE, Embase, EBM Reviews and Econlit) were searched for articles (1980–present) reporting data on the use of seton in patients with complex CPF. Seton use as a preparatory procedure for surgery was excluded. Articles were screened for relevance using pre-defined PICOS-T criteria and data on outcomes of interest including clinical remission, fistula recurrence, adverse events, and patient-reported outcomes (PROs) were extracted. Data were summarized qualitatively and analysed using descriptive statistics. Results Overall, 56 articles underwent data extraction (43 full texts, 13 congress abstracts; 50 observational studies, 6 clinical trials). Duration of seton use was reported in 23 studies (range: 4–277 weeks). Clinical response and/or remission following seton use or seton use + biologics were defined by 35 articles. Definitions were variable, with most relating to fistula closure, symptom improvement or cessation of fistula drainage. Remission rates in patients treated with seton only and seton + infliximab were 13–75% (9 articles) and 23–100% (14 articles), respectively (Figure). Definitions of recurrence (e.g. fistula discharge or reopening) were reported in 16 observational studies and varied. Most articles defined clinical outcomes (e.g. prior removal of seton, closure or healing of the fistula tract, or response) before recurrence was measured. Overall, recurrence rates in patients treated with seton only and seton + infliximab were 4–68% (9 articles) and 0–50% (12 articles), respectively (Figure). The rate of recurring abscesses (3 articles) or local sepsis (2 articles) and the frequency of new abscess (7 articles) or fistula development (3 articles) was 7–43%, 31–61%, 10–47% and 9–26%, respectively. Rates of adverse events or complications after seton use (14 articles) ranged from 0–77%. PROs measuring functional outcomes, faecal incontinence and quality of life were reported by 6 articles. Conclusion Owing to a lack of standardized definitions for clinical outcomes following seton use in complex CPF, comparison of study results was not possible. Standard clinical outcome definitions are needed to permit data comparability, and are vital to guide treatment plans to improve outcomes for patients with complex CPF.

Dispersion of watermelon rinds as secondary raw materials in technologies of pectin-containing extracts and film structures

The development of protective coatings based on pectin substances that serve as natural structure-forming agents developed from a secondary resource base is focused on removing a complex problem in the production of finished products by deep processing of basic raw materials and developing an original film material. At the same time, the technical result of obtaining pectin-containing film structures is their ability to protect food products from microbiological spoilage, natural losses during storage and the preservation of quality and safety indicators. An important preparatory procedure that determines the efficiency and intensity of extraction processes can be attributed to the operation of dispersing the feedstock, since it directly affects the size of the contact surface area of the phases involved in mass transfer. However, it is clear that the greater the degree of grinding, the higher the efficiency of the process, but an excessive increase can lead to additional unjustified energy costs and, as a result, to an increase in the cost of the finished products sold. In this regard, the purpose of the research is to analyze existing technologies for producing pectin-containing extracts, in which watermelon rinds can be used as secondary resources and to intensify the extraction process by conducting a rational preparatory procedure for grinding the raw materials. The object of the research are watermelon rinds as non-recyclable waste from processing watermelon raw materials. According to the obtained graphs, and taking into account the high rates of gelatinization of the obtained pectin extracts, it is possible to recommend a complex treatment of watermelon rinds, including, in addition to the operations of preliminary preparation of raw materials, ultrasonic exposure and acid hydrolysis, and it is desirable to use food acids, for example, acetic or citric, instead of aggressive sulfuric and hydrochloric acids. As a result of the study of the dispersed composition, it has been concluded that the average equivalent particle size of the dispersed raw materials does not exceed the recommended limits, that is, the result obtained can be considered acceptable.

A clinical study on shodhananga snehapana with special reference to Samyak Snigdha Lakshana

Snehana (internal oleation) is the major preparatory procedure to be performed before Shodhana (Biopurification).The entire procedure of Shodhana depends upon the proper mobilization of humors (Dosha) from peripheral circulation (Shakha) to intestinal circulation (Koshtha),which is achieved with the help of Snehana and Svedana. Oleation leads and decides total outcome of The Bio purification therapy; Hence in this study standard guidelines are applied for performing internal oleation in an effective manner to avoid Ayoga (insufficient use) and Atiyoga (excessive use) of Snehana. For that we start and increased dose of lipids in an appropriate manner considering Agni (power of digestion) and Koshtha (nature of bowels) of patients. The study was carried out on total 30 healthy volunteers undergoing Vasantik Vamana. Shodhananga Snehapana with Shuddha Ghrita was administered according to Agni and Koshtha of patients. Samyak snigdha Lakshanas were assessed using special scoring pattern. Statistical analysis using paired‘t’ test were done. Onset of samyak snigdha lakshana occurs in sequence. Vatanuloman, Agnidipti, Gatra Mruduta, Klama, Snehodvega, Adhastat Sneha Darshana was seen in all patients; whereas, glani, Anga Laghava, Twak Snighdata were noted in less percentage of patients.

Determination of Uranium Isotopic Ratio by ICP-OES Using Optimal Sensitivity Position Analysis.

Isotopic composition analysis of natural and depleted uranium by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) requires the use of a high-resolution instrument due to the very slight isotopic shifts between the atomic emission spectra of the 238U and 235U isotopes. In this work, we show that conventional ICP-OES (without high-resolution optics) can be used for highly accurate uranium isotopic analysis, on par with the results obtained by ICP-MS. Such accurate measurements are achieved by applying a preparatory mathematical procedure termed the optimal sensitivity position (OSP) procedure. In the OSP procedure, a theoretical spectrum for 238U is constructed and subtracted from the measured spectra of calibration solutions encompassing various isotopic ratios. The resultant spectra are used to locate the optimal measurement positions for both major uranium isotopes (238U and 235U) and the background measurement position. Herein, the optimal measurement positions are revealed to be located not at each isotope's peak maximum but at 424.427, 424.409, and 424.390 nm for 238U, 235U, and the background position, respectively. These locations remained stationary during the period of this work, implying that the use of a routine mathematical procedure is not required before every analysis. The OSP procedure offers a direct and highly accurate approach for determining the isotopic ratio of uranium in a relatively cheap and simple fashion. Furthermore, this work also demonstrates the possibility of greatly enhancing ICP-OES capabilities using mathematical analysis of spectra.

High yield room temperature conversion of carbon dioxide into cyclic carbonates catalyzed by mixed metal oxide (CuO‐ZnO) nano‐flakes/micro‐flakes (Cozi‐nmf)

Capturing and converting carbon dioxide (CO2) into useful organic molecules and polymers is the best way of alleviating excessive release of it from industrial sources to the environment. Cyclic carbonate synthesis by cycloaddition from CO2 and epoxides through a catalytic process is a 100% atom economic reaction established five decades ago. Despite the availability of many efficient catalytic systems, there are shortcomings in either tedious preparatory procedure of catalyst, separation problem associated with homogeneous catalysis, or the requirement of pure CO2. In this work, we report the catalytic system based on copper and zinc mixed metal oxides (CuO‐ZnO) nano‐flakes/micro‐flakes (Cozi‐nmf) for cycloaddition of CO2 with various epoxides at room temperature under solvent‐free conditions. The novel recyclable heterogeneous catalyst was prepared via a simple procedure successfully at room temperature by grinding process. The synthesis of both catalyst and cyclic carbonates described here is greener and used inexpensive source materials to produce them. The yields of the synthesized cyclic carbonates were more than 95%, except for many reactions. The high efficiency of Cozi‐nmf as a catalyst is explained based on the availability of the bare catalyst surface, which promoted the hindrance free movement of electrons and adsorption of substrate effectively.

Pre-habilitation Before Vestibular Schwannoma Surgery-Impact of Intratympanal Gentamicin Application on the Vestibulo-Ocular Reflex.

Background: Patients with vestibular schwannoma that show residual peripheral-vestibular function before surgery may experience sudden and substantial vestibular loss of function after surgical resection. To alleviate the sudden loss of peripheral-vestibular function after vestibular-schwannoma (VS) resection, pre-surgical intratympanic gentamicin application was proposed.Objective: We hypothesized that this approach allows for a controlled reduction of peripheral-vestibular function before surgery but that resulting peripheral-vestibular deficits may be canal-specific with anterior-canal sparing as observed previously in systemic gentamicin application.Methods: Thirty-four patients (age-range = 27–70 y) with unilateral VS (size = 2–50 mm) were included in this retrospective single-center trial. The angular vestibulo-ocular reflex (aVOR) was quantified before and after (29.7 ± 18.7 d, mean ± 1SD) a single or two sequential intratympanic gentamicin applications by use of video-head-impulse testing. Both aVOR gains, cumulative saccadic amplitudes, and overall aVOR function were retrieved. Statistical analysis was done using a generalized linear model.Results: At baseline, loss of function of the horizontal (20/34) and posterior (21/34) canal was significantly (p < 0.001) more frequent than that of the anterior canal (5/34). After gentamicin application, loss of function of the horizontal (32/34) or posterior (31/34) canal remained significantly (p ≤ 0.003) more frequent than that of the anterior canal (18/34). For all ipsilesional canals, significant aVOR-gain reductions and cumulative-saccadic-amplitude increases were noted after gentamicin. For the horizontal canal, loss of function was significantly larger (increase in cumulative-saccadic-amplitude: 1.6 ± 2.0 vs. 0.8 ± 1.2, p = 0.007) or showed a trend to larger changes (decrease in aVOR-gain: 0.24 ± 0.22 vs. 0.13 ± 0.29, p = 0.069) than for the anterior canal.Conclusions: Intratympanic gentamicin application resulted in a substantial reduction in peripheral-vestibular function in all three ipsilesional canals. Relative sparing of anterior-canal function noted at baseline was preserved after gentamicin treatment. Thus, pre-surgical intratympanic gentamicin is a suitable preparatory procedure for reducing the drop in peripheral-vestibular function after VS-resection. The reasons for relative sparing of the anterior canal remain unclear.

Methods for simultaneous determination of legacy and insensitive munition (IM) constituents in aqueous, soil/sediment, and tissue matrices

Currently, no standard method exists for analyzing insensitive munition (IM) compounds in environmental matrices, with or without concurrent legacy munition compounds, resulting in potentially inaccurate determinations. The primary objective of this work was to develop new methods of extraction, pre-concentration, and analytical separation/quantitation of 17 legacy munition compounds along with several additional IM compounds, IM breakdown products, and other munition compounds that are not currently included in U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Method 8330B. The eight additional compounds included were nitroguanidine, 3-nitro-1,2,4-triazol-5-one, picric acid, 2,4-dinitroanisole, 2,4-dinitrophenol, 2-nitrophenol, 4-nitrophenol, and new surrogate ortho-nitrobenzoic acid (o-NBA). Analytical methods were developed to enable sensitive, simultaneous detection and quantitation of the 24 IM and legacy compounds, including two orthogonal high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) column separations with either ultraviolet (UV) or mass spectrometric (MS) detection. Procedures were developed for simultaneous extraction of all 24 analytes and two surrogates (1,2-dinitrobenzene, 1,2-DNB; o-NBA) from high- and low-level aqueous matrices and solid matrices, using acidification, solid phase extraction (SPE), or solvent extraction (SE), respectively. For low-level aqueous samples extracted by SPE, all compounds were recovered within current Department of Defense Quality Systems Manual (DoD QSM) Ver5.3 accepted limits for aqueous samples analyzed by EPA Method 8330B (57–135%), except NQ, which was consistently recovered at approximately 50%. Likewise, all compounds were recovered from six geographically/geochemically unique soil types within current QSM accepted limits for solid samples analyzed by EPA Method 8330B (64–135%). Further, the majority of compounds were recovered from four tissue types within current limits for solids, with generally low recovery only for Tetryl (from 4 to 62%). A preparatory chromatographic interference removal procedure was adapted for tissue extracts, as various analytical interferences were observed for all studied tissue types.

Case Management in Asia

It is true that recently, the main objective of the case management concept has been to mainly realize the ideology of speed and cost. Also, the most inconvenient aspect of a civil lawsuit experienced by civilian is that it is time consuming and high in litigation cost; while courts are being put in a difficult position, facing the drastically increased number of cases. Undoubtedly, the necessity for case management has come into the limelight. It is true that recently, the main objective of the case management concept has been to mainly realize the ideology of speed and cost. Also, the most inconvenient aspect of a civil lawsuit experienced by civilian is that it is time consuming and high in litigation cost; while courts are being put in a difficult position, facing the drastically increased number of cases. Undoubtedly, the necessity for case management has come into the limelight. But the objective of case management cannot be solely put on the expeditious and inexpensive disposition of cases. Therefore, judges as the case managers should endeavor to manage their case by securing the actual justice of both plaintiff and defendant, and then render a judgement that corresponds with the substantial facts. Particularly, in Asian countries where the number of unrepresented litigations (litigants not represented by lawyers) is high, actual equality between parties should be guaranteed for substantively correct decisions. Therefore, it is necessary for the courts to properly exercise their power to request explanations to make clear of the material aspects of the case and to secure the streamline flow of the proceeding. So, the details mentioned below should be considered in regard to the preparatory procedure. First, not every case needs to go under a preparatory procedure. Hence, the judge assigned to the case should be able to confirm the nature of the case promptly and meticulously, and decide whether the case requires a preparatory procedure or it can enter into a trial instantly. Second, the preparatory procedure is non-disclosure. Hence, the problem of wrongful exercise of a judge’s authority might happen during the preparatory procedure. Moreover, we shall not overlook the issue that the exercise of a judge’s discretion during the preparatory proceeding and whether the judge has exercised his authority properly is unreviewable. Third, if the authority granted to the presiding judge of the preparatory procedure is excessive, the handling of a case is entirely relying on the respective judge’s a professional conscience, assiduousness, and personal capability, and might then incur the distrust in judicial system itself among the people. It is impossible to resolve all cases with one ordinary set of civil procedure. Trying to resolve all cases with one set of procedure will lead to a situation such as the application of a Cadillac procedure to Chevy case; or the opposite, sole reliance on the capability of respective judges. Therefore, having differentiated rules for different cases, regulating a judge’s specific role and authority as a case manager is also a good way to realize the ideal implementation of civil procedure. It is necessary to improve the system engrafting highly advanced IT technology into the litigation system. The questions, whether electronic litigation can substitute paper litigation altogether or whether the complete digitalization of litigation is desirable still leave room for further discussion. Nevertheless, the use of IT technology can certainly simplify and expedite the procedure itself and can mitigate the case load of the court.

Improving Biodiesel Conversions from Blends of High- and Low-Acid-Value Waste Cooking Oils Using Sodium Methoxide as a Catalyst Based on a High Speed Homogenizer

Biodiesel is an environmentally friendly and sustainable fuel. However, the high price of the biodiesel produced from pure vegetable oil contributes to making it uncompetitive in the market. If we can make low cost oils such as waste cooking oil and high-acid-value oil available as resources, the cost of biodiesel production will be reduced significantly. However, these low cost oils cannot be used to produce biodiesel directly because they usually contain a large amount of free fatty acids. They have to undergo a preparatory procedure to lower the acid value to a specific value. The purpose of this study was to lower the amount of free fatty acids in waste cooking oils by blending high- and low-value oils at different ratios and to reduce the transesterification reaction time using a high speed homogenizer, which has the potential to easily enlarge the capacity scale. We used a high-acid-value oil to low-acid-value oil volume ratio of 4:6 as a control. A high conversion rate (97.1%) was achieved under the optimal reaction conditions: methanol-to-oil molar ratio, 9:1; amount of catalyst (CH3ONa) used, 0.75 wt %; reaction temperature, 65 °C; rotation speed, 8000 rpm; and reaction time, 8 min.