Removal of Hydrophobic Contaminants from the Soil by Adsorption onto Carbon Materials and Microbial Degradation

The pollution of soil is a worldwide concern as it has harmful consequences on the environment and human health. With the continuous expansion of industry and agriculture, the content of hydrophobic organic pollutants in the soil has been increasing, which has caused serious pollution to the soil. The removal of hydrophobic organic contaminants from soil, aiming to recover environmental safety, is an urgent matter to guarantee sufficient food and water for populations. Adsorption has proven to be an effective and economically practicable method for removing organic contaminants. This paper summarizes the use of low-cost adsorbents, such as biochar and activated carbon, for removing hydrophobic organic contaminants from soil. Biochar is usually appropriate for the adsorption of organic contaminants via the adsorption mechanisms of electrostatic interaction, precipitation, and ion exchange. Biochar also has numerous benefits, such as being obtained from several kinds of raw materials, having low costs, recyclability, and potential for environmental treatment. This paper illustrates biochar’s adsorption mechanism for organic contaminants and discusses the microbial degradation of hydrophobic organic contaminants.

Virtue Ethics and Action Guidance

Theological ethicists rarely allow the virtues to perform the heavyweight work of guiding action. This article contests this tradition and argues that, and demonstrates how, virtue ethics provides a practicable method of normative action guidance. The article contends that there are five interrelated but distinct modes of virtue action guidance. The first three modes—dialogue, emulation, and substituted judgment—invite the agent to take counsel with moral exemplars. The interrogative and discovery modes direct agents to morally deliberate using thick accounts of the virtues.

Covariances in Pólya urn schemes

By now there is a solid theory for Polya urns. Finding the covariances is somewhat laborious. While these papers are “structural,” our purpose here is “computational.” We propose a practicable method for building the asymptotic covariance matrix in tenable balanced urn schemes, whereupon the asymptotic covariance matrix is obtained by solving a linear system of equations. We demonstrate the use of the method in growing tenable balanced irreducible schemes with a small index and in critical urns. In the critical case, the solution to the linear system of equations is explicit in terms of an eigenvector of the scheme.

Current State and Perspectives on Transesterification of Triglycerides for Biodiesel Production

Triglycerides are the main constituents of lipids, which are the fatty acids of glycerol. Natural organic triglycerides (viz. virgin vegetable oils, recycled cooking oils, and animal fats) are the main sources for biodiesel production. Biodiesel (mono alkyl esters) is the most attractive alternative fuel to diesel, with numerous environmental advantages over petroleum-based fuel. The most practicable method for converting triglycerides to biodiesel with viscosities comparable to diesel fuel is transesterification. Previous research has proven that biodiesel–diesel blends can operate the compression ignition engine without the need for significant modifications. However, the commercialization of biodiesel is still limited due to the high cost of production. In this sense, the transesterification route is a crucial factor in determining the total cost of biodiesel production. Homogenous base-catalyzed transesterification, industrially, is the conventional method to produce biodiesel. However, this method suffers from limitations both environmentally and economically. Although there are review articles on transesterification, most of them focus on a specific type of transesterification process and hence do not provide a comprehensive picture. This paper reviews the latest progress in research on all facets of transesterification technology from reports published by highly-rated scientific journals in the last two decades. The review focuses on the suggested modifications to the conventional method and the most promising innovative technologies. The potentiality of each technology to produce biodiesel from low-quality feedstock is also discussed.

Safe Removal of a Centipede From the Ear By Using an Innovative Practicable Method: A Case Report

Arthropods may become lodged inside the ear and cause considerable emotional and physical trauma. Cases of centipedes being lodged in the external auditory canal have rarely been reported. In this article, we present the case of woman who had a centipede lodged inside her right external auditory canal. Removal using a topical local anesthetic can lead to vigorous activity of the centipede, which can cause harm to the patient and clinicians. Therefore, we developed and successfully applied a practicable method that involved using a modified plastic bottle for safe centipede removal. In conclusion, centipedes can express distinct and threatening behavior, and clinicians should pay attention to the activity of the lodged centipede and possibly use the proposed method to safely remove it.

Transcranial Doppler: The Fifth Decade

In 1981, the Norwegian physiologist, Rune Aaslid, developed a device that made it possible to apply the transcranial Doppler (TCD) sonographic technique to the human brain. In 1983, Albrecht Harders, a German neurosurgeon, worked out a clinically practicable method that would allow for bedside, atraumatic measurements to be made of the blood flow velocity in the large arteries in the Circle of Willis. This simple test is based on a single-element transducer technology but requires a knowledge of anatomy, physiology, and pathology that transcends any single discipline.

Election and Removal

This chapter points out how the delegates spent far more time debating how the president would be chosen, the length of his term, and the method of removal than they did debating presidential powers. It emphasizes that the mode of selection of the president was one of the thorniest issues the delegates faced during the period. It also illustrates how the delegates repeatedly argued over how to choose the president as some favored selection by the legislature, while some favored popular election. The chapter recounts the eventual adoption of the electoral college in the Convention as the closest practicable method to popular election. It talks about Wilson and John Rutledge, who urged that the president must be elected by the people at large, by the freeholders of the country.