Exploring Consumer Preference towards the On-Farm Slaughtering of Beef in Germany: A Discrete Choice Experiment.

Current production standards and communication campaigns about animal welfare in relation to beef strongly emphasise the "humane" rearing of cattle. Aspects such as transport and slaughtering conditions are often overlooked in both production standards and communications with consumers. Long transport routes and conventional slaughtering can cause significant stress to animals and have negative impacts on their welfare and on meat quality.

Quantitative imaging of the sub-organ distributions of nanomaterials in biological tissues laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry.

Nanomaterials have been employed in many biomedical applications, and their distributions in biological systems can provide an understanding of their behavior . Laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) can be used to determine the distributions of metal-based NMs in biological systems. However, LA-ICP-MS has not commonly been used to quantitatively measure the cell-specific or sub-organ distributions of nanomaterials in tissues.

Exposing and understanding synergistic effects in co-pyrolysis of biomass and plastic waste via machine learning.

During co-pyrolysis of biomass with plastic waste, bio-oil yields (BOY) could be either induced or reduced significantly via synergistic effects (SE). However, investigating/ interpreting the SE and BOY in multidimensional domains is complicated and limited. This work applied XGBoost machine-learning and Shapley additive explanation (SHAP) to develop interpretable/ explainable models for predicting BOY and SE from co-pyrolysis of biomass and plastic waste using 26 input features.

A Metal-Organic Framework (MOF)-Based Multifunctional Cargo Vehicle for Reactive-Gas Delivery and Catalysis.

The efficient delivery of reactive and toxic gaseous reagents to organic reactions was studied using metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). The simultaneous cargo vehicle and catalytic capabilities of several MOFs were probed for the first time using the examples of aromatization, aminocarbonylation, and carbonylative Suzuki-Miyaura coupling reactions. These reactions highlight that MOFs can serve a dual role as a gas cargo vehicle and a catalyst, leading to product formation with yields similar to reactions employing pure gases.

Efficacy and safety of fumaric acid esters in young patients aged 10-17 years with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis: a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial.

Background: Apart from biologics, no systemic drugs are approved in Europe for children with moderate-to-severe psoriasis. Retrospective observational studies have shown promising results for fumaric acid esters (FAE) in this setting.

Objectives: To show superiority of FAE over placebo in terms of treatment response after 20 weeks in children and adolescents aged 10-17 years.

Bio-oils from vacuum ablative pyrolysis of torrefied tobacco residues.

Fast pyrolysis, in combination with torrefaction pretreatment, was used to convert tobacco residues to value-added bio-fuels and chemicals. Tobacco plant residues were torrefied at 220, 260, and 300 °C, before being pyrolyzed at 450, 500, 550, and 600 °C in a rotating blade ablative reactor under vacuum conditions to test the effects on product yields. With torrefaction, tobacco residues thermally decomposed 20-25% w/w at low temperatures.

High-throughput experimentation meets artificial intelligence: a new pathway to catalyst discovery.

High throughput experimentation in heterogeneous catalysis provides an efficient solution to the generation of large datasets under reproducible conditions. Knowledge extraction from these datasets has mostly been performed using statistical methods, targeting the optimization of catalyst formulations. The combination of advanced machine learning methodologies with high-throughput experimentation has enormous potential to accelerate the predictive discovery of novel catalyst formulations that do not exist with current statistical design of experiments.

Material Discovery and High Throughput Exploration of Ru Based Catalysts for Low Temperature Ammonia Decomposition.

High throughput experimentation has the capability to generate massive, multidimensional datasets, allowing for the discovery of novel catalytic materials. Here, we show the synthesis and catalytic screening of over 100 unique Ru-Metal-K based bimetallic catalysts for low temperature ammonia decomposition, with a Ru loading between 1-3 wt% Ru and a fixed K loading of 12 wt% K, supported on γ-AlO. Bimetallic catalysts containing Sc, Sr, Hf, Y, Mg, Zr, Ta, or Ca in addition to Ru were found to have excellent ammonia decomposition activity when compared to state-of-the-art catalysts in literature.

A new interpretation of the √7×√7 R19.1° structure for P adsorbed on a Ni(111) surface.

We have studied P adsorption on Ni(111), a system which shows complex adsorbate structures. We determined the phase diagram of the surface P adsorbed on Ni(111). At low coverage, amorphous P was observed.

Torrefaction of pelletized corn residues with wet flue gas.

Corn residue pellets were torrefied with wet flue gas, simulated by steam (0-21% v/v), CO (12% v/v), and O (4% v/v), balanced with N as reactive gas, in a fixed bed reactor at 260 °C of temperature and at 10-40 min of residence time. The distribution and yields of torrefied pellets, liquid, and gas products were examined. The microstructural changes of torrefied pellets were evaluated by Raman spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy, while the components of gas products were analyzed by mass spectrometry.

Synthesis-Structure-Activity Relationships in CoO Catalyzed CO Oxidation.

In this work, a statistical design and analysis platform was used to develop cobalt oxide based oxidation catalysts prepared via one pot metal salt reduction. An emphasis was placed upon understanding the effects of synthesis conditions, such as heating regimen and Co concentration on the metal salt reduction mechanism, the resultant nanomaterial properties (i.e.

L-citrulline supplementation in the treatment of pulmonary hypertension associated with bronchopulmonary dysplasia in preterm infant: A case report.

Introduction: the aim of this case report is to present that oral L-citrulline supplementation may attenuate chronic pulmonary hypertension and reduce oxygen requirement in infants with severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia.

Important Clinical Findings: a boy, with a birth weight of 700 g, born by cesarean section after 25 weeks of pregnancy complicated with preeclampsia, was admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit. He was ventilatory dependent for the next 3 months with significantly increased oxygen requirements.

Ethylene Epoxidation Catalyzed by Ag Nanoparticles on Ag-LSX Zeolites formed by Pressure- and Temperature-Induced Auto-Reduction.

Ag -Exchanged LSX (Ag-LSX: Ag Al Si O ⋅n H O), a large pore low silica analogue (Si/Al=1.0) of faujasite, was prepared and post-synthetically modified using pressure and temperature in the presence of various pore-penetrating fluids. Using high-resolution synchrotron X-ray powder and single crystal diffraction we derive structural models of the as-prepared and post-synthetically modified Ag-LSX materials.

[Lactoferrin - a glycoprotein of great therapeutic potentials].

Lactoferrin is an iron-binding glycoprotein, which is present in most biological fluids with particularly high levels in colostrum and in mammalian milk. Bovine lactoferrin is more than 70% homologous with human lactoferrin. Most of the clinical trials have used bovine lactoferrin for supplementation.

Self-healing catalysts: Co(3)O(4) nanorods for Fischer-Tropsch synthesis.

We combine kinetic and spectroscopic data to demonstrate the concept of a self-healing catalyst, which effectively eliminates the need for catalyst regeneration. The observed self-healing is triggered by controlling the crystallographic orientation at the catalyst surface.

One-step production of long-chain hydrocarbons from waste-biomass-derived chemicals using bi-functional heterogeneous catalysts.

In this study, we demonstrate the production of long-chain hydrocarbons (C8+) from 2-methylfuran (2MF) and butanal in a single step reactive process by utilizing a bi-functional catalyst with both acid and metallic sites. Our approach utilizes a solid acid for the hydroalkylation function and as a support as well as a transition metal as hydrodeoxygenation catalyst. A series of solid acids was screened, among which MCM-41 demonstrated the best combination of activity and stability.

High-throughput investigation of catalysts for JP-8 fuel cracking to liquefied petroleum gas.

Portable power technologies for military applications necessitate the production of fuels similar to LPG from existing feedstocks. Catalytic cracking of military jet fuel to form a mixture of C₂-C₄ hydrocarbons was investigated using high-throughput experimentation. Cracking experiments were performed in a gas-phase, 16-sample high-throughput reactor.

Development of a high-throughput methodology for screening coking resistance of modified thin-film catalysts.

A high-throughput optical technique has been developed for the rapid screening of coking resistant composition-spread promoted-catalyst libraries during hydrocarbon cracking, in particular for Jet Propellant 8(JP-8) cracking. The libraries are screened by measuring changes in the catalyst's surface color due to the accumulation and burnoff of coke from the surface during JP-8 exposure and catalyst regeneration via oxygen burnoff. This rapid screening method was validated through a comparison of the coking properties of high-surface area powder cracking catalysts, and sputter deposited samples.

Mutagenic, cytotoxic, and genotoxic properties of tobacco smoke produced by cigarillos available on the Canadian market.

Cigarillos (aka little cigars) have been increasing in popularity unlike cigarettes; but relatively little is known about the toxicology of the mainstream smoke (MSS) from such products. Therefore, the objective of this work was to compare the toxicological properties of the MSS (Health Canada Intensive smoking conditions) from a range of cigarillo products with the toxicological properties of MSS of cigarettes. Three in vitro assays were used to evaluate the toxicities of the MSS total particulate matter (TPM): (1) mutagenicity using Ames assay with Salmonella strains TA98 and TA100 with S9 metabolic activation (+S9); (2) cytotoxicity using the Neutral Red Uptake (NRU) assay with CHO (Chinese Hamster Ovary) cells; and (3) genotoxicity using the micronucleus assay with CHO cells and short-term exposures (3-h ± S9).

Free-base nicotine in tobacco products. Part II. Determination of free-base nicotine in the aqueous extracts of smokeless tobacco products and the relevance of these findings to product design parameters.

Reports in the peer-reviewed literature and popular press have alleged that smokeless tobacco product (STP) manufacturers increase the addictiveness of their products by adjusting formulae to increase the relative percentage of nicotine in STP that is not protonated. Such nicotine is more popularly, but incorrectly, known as free-base nicotine ("FBN") as it is a calculated amount as opposed to a real chemical species in the STP. Some regulators have mandated reporting of FBN as estimated by Henderson-Hasselbalch equation ("HHE") using the pH-value of an aqueous suspension (or extract) of STP.

Free-base nicotine in tobacco products. Part I. Determination of free-base nicotine in the particulate phase of mainstream cigarette smoke and the relevance of these findings to product design parameters.

The free-base nicotine (FBN) content of mainstream cigarette smoke (MSS) has been discussed in the peer-reviewed literature and popular press. It has been alleged that manufacturers adjust product design features to increase the percentage of total nicotine (TN) in the MSS gas-vapor phase that is unprotonated [P(g)(,nic)(%)] and/or the fraction of nicotine in the MSS total particulate matter (TPM) that is unprotonated (FBN/TN). Our research showed the Health Canada Intensive smoking conditions negated the effects of blend and cigarette design features reported to raise the pH of TPM collected under ISO or US FTC conditions.

An improved headspace solid-phase microextraction method for the analysis of free-base nicotine in particulate phase of mainstream cigarette smoke.

The content of free-base nicotine in cigarette smoke is a controversial subject, partly due to methodological issues. In this investigation, an improved method to measure free-base nicotine in cigarette smoke using headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) combined with GC/MS analysis, was developed and validated for this purpose. Cigarette smoke particulate phase (PP) was collected onto a 44mm glass fiber filter pad.