Energy Dissipation in Stilling Basins with Side Jets from Highly Convergent Chutes

Spillways with Highly Converging Chutes (HCCs) are a non-conventional alternative that can be applied to achieve a higher outflow capacity when the weir length exceeds the width of the valley at the toe of gravity or arch dams. This kind of spillway has been used in the past, but no general studies have yet been published. This article summarizes experimental research work aiming to increase the knowledge of the effect of some design parameters of HCCs on the energy dissipation in the stilling basin at the toe of the dam. As a comparison reference, we use the Type I stilling basins, widely known by the technical dam engineering community. The obtained results show that spillways with HCCs are a promising alternative to traditional designs, combining the ability to increase the weir length with a high capacity to dissipate energy through the impingement effect of the frontal and the side jets inside the stilling basin.

The Arrangements of Online Dispute Resolution as an Alternative Resolution of the Electronic Commerce Transactions in Indonesia

The article is motivated by the practical preference from conventional alternative dispute resolution to online dispute resolution as information and communication technology progresses, especially in electronic commerce. It aims to provide a concept about the fore on regulations of online dispute resolution as an alternative dispute resolution applicable to electronic commerce in Indonesia. This normative legal research which uses statute and comparative approach provides an explanation on the importance of regulating online dispute resolution so as to give legal certainty and legal protection to consumers of electronic commerce.

Dynamics of Convention

Interpersonal comparisons of utility can be conventional. Alternative conventions are possible. The (conventional) aggregate utility can be used for equilibrium selection. This solves the old Utilitarian problem of conflict between maximizing individual and group utility. Conditions on an equilibration dynamics leading to such a convention are given.

Defluoridation Potential of Rice Husk, Groundnut Shell as a Conventional Alternative for Fluoride Removal – A Review

Fluoride occurs naturally in our environment but we consume it in small amounts. Exposure can occur through dietary intake, respiration and fluoride supplements. The most important factor for fluoride presence in alimentation is fluoridated water. Fluoride content in groundwater has become a national issue affecting the entire India. When the recommended limit of fluoride by WHO is 1.5 mg/L, in some particular parts of India fluoride levels are as high as 35 mg/l. Increased fluoride intake causes dental fluorosis, skeletal fluorosis and neurological problems. Major problems associated with fluoride remediation are lack of cheap adsorbent to remove fluoride content in water for poor communities of India. Hence, development of community-based defluoridation unit is needed with a technique which is cost-effective, technologically simple in operation while being able to keep the fluoride level in permissible limits. On the basis of extensive investigations, different researchers have developed simple and economical domestic defluoridation processes. The present review gives a brief account of prevalence, sources of fluoride toxicity and cost effective defluoridation method carried out on effects of fluoride in the last few decades. Thus cost effective absorbent which has high efficacy in fluoride removal from water can be provided to poor communities thereby preventing fluorosis.

PHARMACOLOGICAL NEUROPROTECTIVE EFFICACY OF ESSENTIAL OILS (EO) BASED AROMATHERAPY: AN INSIGHT

Aromatherapy or Essential oil therapy is attributed towards the field of conventional, alternative or complementary therapies which requires essential oils and other aromatic plant compounds. Essential oils (EOs) belong to the class of highly volatile compounds which, due to their higher concentrated natural constituents acquire unique properties and hence, are being used for its wide range of therapeutic health benefits. Their benefits widely range from being a potential antimicrobial, antidepressant, antiviral and antiseptic agents to the elevator of many CNS related behaviours like - anxiety, stress, wisdom, memory, attention, relaxation, sedation, and sleep. Furthermore, the effects on mood, pain, and perception too are being influenced by the use of essential oils. It also helps in the treatment of epilepsy, stress, dementia by giving calming and soothing effects to the nerve cells and is also effective against dementia and on the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.

In Vitro Fecal Fermentation of High Pressure-Treated Fruit Peels Used as Dietary Fiber Sources

Fruit by-products are being investigated as non-conventional alternative sources of dietary fiber (DF). High hydrostatic pressure (HHP) treatments have been used to modify DF content as well as its technological and physiological functionality. Orange, mango and prickly pear peels untreated (OU, MU and PPU) and HHP-treated at 600 MPa (OP/55 °C and 20 min, MP/22 °C and 10 min, PPP/55 °C and 10 min) were evaluated. Untreated and treated fruit peels were subjected to fecal in vitro fermentations. The neutral sugar composition and linkage glycosidic positions were related to the production of short chain fatty acids (SCFA) resulting from the fermentation of the materials. After HHP-treatments, changes from multibranched sugars to linear sugars were observed. After 24 h of fermentation, OP yielded the highest amount of SCFA followed by PPU and MP (389.4, 282.0 and 204.6 μmol/10 mg DF, respectively). HHP treatment increased the SCFA concentration of orange and mango peel by 7 and 10.3% respectively, compared with the untreated samples after 24 h of fermentation. The results presented herein suggest that fruit peels could be used as good fermentable fiber sources, because they yielded high amounts of SCFA during in vitro fermentations.

Multiply adjusted comparisons: A meta-analysis method to compare single-arm clinical-trial data to literature results regarding a competitor

Prospective randomized controlled trials are difficult to obtain if a promising new therapy has to be tested against seemingly obsolete alternatives. One method to address this problem is to compare the results of (multicentre) trials to literature results. However, previous treatment-era changes and population-dependent results complicate objective comparisons. The presented approach describes a method to objectify such comparisons in cases in which individual raw data regarding a new therapy have to be compared to summary results regarding a conventional alternative published in the literature. The chosen example is the introduction of bovine neck veins as a substitute for dysfunctional human pulmonary valves, and the conventional therapeutic alternative is pulmonary-artery homografts. Literature research, subgroup identification, filtering, endpoint remodelling, weighting and, if necessary, confidence-limit calculation yield adjusted comparisons. These individual comparisons are then aggregated, first by article and then over several articles (similar to meta-analyses), resulting in a differentiated panel of answers (Multiply Adjusted Comparisons). In situations in which extensive raw data regarding a new therapeutic alternative but no randomized controlled trials and no raw data from previous studies using the conventional therapeutic alternative are available, the proposed method identifies the best evidence and is by far superior to unadjusted direct comparisons or gut feelings.

Understanding the Sustainability of Eco-Labeled Products When Compared to Conventional Alternatives

Sustainability considerations are becoming an intrinsic part of product design and manufacturing. Today’s consumers rely on package labeling to relay useful information about the environmental impact of a given product. As such, eco-labeling has become an important influence on how consumers interpret the sustainability of products. Three categories of eco-labels are theorized: Type I focuses on the use of labels that are certified by a reputable third party. Type II are eco-labels that are self-declared, potentially lacking scientific merit. Type III eco-labeling indicates the public availability of product LCA data. However, regardless of the type of eco-label used, it is uncertain if eco-labeling directly reflects improved product sustainability. This research focuses on exploring if eco-labeling reflects improved product sustainability by comparing eco-labeled products to conventional alternatives. To do this, we perform a comparative study of eco-labelled and comparable conventional products using a triple bottom line sustainability analysis, including environmental, economic, and social impacts. Here we show that for a selected set of products, eco-labeling does, in fact, have a positive correlation with improved sustainability. However, Type II eco-labeling shows a slight negative correlation with product sustainability. We found only one eco-labeled product (with Type II labeling) that had reduced environmental impact over the conventional alternative. Additionally, the majority of the eco-labeled products in the study are cheaper for the consumer in both initial cost and costs incurred throughout the product’s lifetime. In general, the results confirm that most eco-labels are indicative of improved sustainability. Future research can work towards improving Type II eco-labels, and promote policies that protect against false sustainability claims.