Performance and Stability of Corundum-type InO Catalyst for Carbon Dioxide Hydrogenation to Methanol.

Carbon dioxide hydrogenation to methanol is a key chemical reaction to store energy in chemical bonds, using carbon dioxide as an energy sink. Indium oxide is amongst the most promising candidates for replacing the copper and zinc oxide catalyst, which is industrially applied for syngas mixtures but less idoneous for educts with carbon dioxide due to instability reasons. The polymorph of indium oxide and the operating conditions remain to be optimized for optimal and stable performance.

Pure Hydrogen and Methane Permeation in Carbon-Based Nanoporous Membranes: Adsorption Isotherms and Permeation Experiments.

This paper presents the results of adsorption and permeation experiments of hydrogen and methane at elevated temperatures on a carbon-based nanoporous membrane material provided by Fraunhofer IKTS. The adsorption of pure components was measured between 90 °C and 120°C and pressures up to 45 bar. The Langmuir adsorption isotherm shows the best fit for all data points.

Raman Spectroscopy of Disperse Systems with Varying Particle Sizes and Correction of Signal Losses.

In this paper, a dispersion of glass beads of different sizes in an ammonium nitrate solution is investigated with the aid of Raman spectroscopy. The signal losses caused by the dispersion are quantified by an additional scattered light measurement and used to correct the measured ammonium nitrate concentration. Each individual glass bead represents an interface at which the excitation laser is deflected from its direction causing distortion in the received Raman signal.

Raman Spectroscopy of Glass Beads in Ammonium Nitrate Solution and Compensation of Signal Losses.

In the present study, the influence of disperse systems on Raman scattering was investigated. How an increasing particle concentration weakens the quantitative signal of the Raman spectrum is shown. Furthermore, the change in the position of the optimal measurement point in the fluid was considered in detail.

Is Micellar Catalysis Green Chemistry?

Many years ago, twelve principles were defined for carrying out chemical reactions and processes from a green chemistry perspective. It is everyone's endeavor to take these points into account as far as possible when developing new processes or improving existing ones. Especially in the field of organic synthesis, a new area of research has thus been established: micellar catalysis.

In-Line Analysis of Diffusion Processes in Micro Channels by Long Distance Raman Photometric Measurement Technology-A Proof of Concept Study.

This work presents a novel method for the non-invasive, in-line monitoring of mixing processes in microchannels using the Raman photometric technique. The measuring set-up distinguishes itself from other works in this field by utilizing recent state-of-the-art customized photon multiplier (CPM) detectors, bypassing the use of a spectrometer. This addresses the limiting factor of integration times by achieving measuring rates of 10 ms.

The effect of various pre-treatment methods of chromium leather shavings in continuous biogas production.

During leather manufacture, high amounts of chromium shavings, wet by-products of the leather industry, are produced worldwide. They are stable towards temperatures of up to 110°C and enzymatic degradation, preventing anaerobic digestion in a biogas plant. Hitherto, chromium shavings are not utilized industrially to produce biogas.

Optimal Control of Droplets on a Solid Surface Using Distributed Contact Angles.

Controlling the shape and position of moving and pinned droplets on a solid surface is an important feature often found in microfluidic applications. However, automating them, e.g.

Association Between Mode of First Delivery and Subsequent Fecundity and Fertility.

Importance: More than 20% of births globally are by cesarean delivery, including more than 30% in the US. Prior studies have reported lower rates of childbearing after cesarean delivery, but it is not clear if this is due to maternal choice or lower conception rates.

Objective: To investigate the association between mode of first delivery and subsequent conceptions and live births.

Mode of Delivery Preference Among Pregnant Nulliparous Women.

Nearly a third of women in the United States deliver by cesarean at first childbirth. The extent to which women's prenatal mode of delivery preference contributes to the cesarean decision is not clear. Little research has measured pregnant nulliparous women's prelabor mode of delivery preference in relation to actual mode of delivery in the United States.

Early maternal-newborn contact and positive birth experience.

Background: In recent years, there has been increasing recognition of the importance of early maternal-newborn contact for the health and well-being of the newborn and promotion of breastfeeding. However, little research has investigated the association between early maternal-newborn contact and the mother's birth experience.

Methods: As part of a large-scale prospective, cohort study (the First Baby Study [FBS]), nearly 3000 women who delivered in Pennsylvania (2009-2011) reported how soon after delivery they first saw, held, and fed their newborns.

Dextrose intravenous fluid therapy in labor reduces the length of the first stage of labor.

The aim of this systematic review with meta-analysis was to evaluate the effect on length of labor when patients receive IVF with or without dextrose. Searches were performed in electronic databases from inception of each database to May 2018. Trials comparing intrapartum IVF containing dextrose (i.

Use of RSM for the multivariate, simultaneous multiobjective optimization of the operating conditions of aliphatic carboxylic acids ion-exclusion chromatography column: Quantitative study of hydrodynamic, isotherm, and thermodynamic behavior.

The present study evaluates the capability of ion exclusion chromatography (IEC) of short chain aliphatic carboxylic acids using a cation exchange column (8% sulfonated cross-linked styrene-divinylbenzene copolymer) in different experimental conditions. Since one of the prerequisites to the development of an efficient carboxylic acid separation process is to obtain the optimum operational conditions, response surface methodology (RSM) was used to develop an approach to evaluate carboxylic acids separation process in IEC columns. The effect of the operating conditions such as column temperature, sulfuric acid concentration as the mobile phase, and the flow rate was studied using Central Composite Face (CCF) design.

Comparison of healthcare utilization and outcomes by gestational diabetes diagnostic criteria.

Objective: To compare healthcare utilization and outcomes using the Carpenter-Coustan (CC) criteria vs. the National Diabetes Data Group (NDDG) criteria for gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).

Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study.

Labor induction and cesarean delivery: A prospective cohort study of first births in Pennsylvania, USA.

Background: Mode of delivery at first childbirth largely determines mode of delivery at subsequent births, so it is particularly important to understand risk factors for cesarean delivery at first childbirth. In this study, we investigated risk factors for cesarean delivery among nulliparous women, with focus on the association between labor induction and cesarean delivery.

Methods: A prospective cohort study of 2851 nulliparous women with singleton pregnancies who attempted vaginal delivery at hospitals in Pennsylvania, 2009-2011, was conducted.

Pitfalls With the New American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Task Force on Hypertension in Pregnancy.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Task Force on Hypertension in Pregnancy was created to evaluate the existing literature, develop practice guidelines, and identify areas for future research focus. Several issues were identified that may not have been initially obvious during the process of developing this document, including limited practical use, a lack of high quality literature, conflicting recommendations, a potential for high resource utilization, need for continually updated information, and little headway in research that is clinically useful. The purpose of this review was to make suggestions to improving these guidelines' overall usefulness and consistency for the busy clinician.

Risk Factors for Dyspareunia After First Childbirth.

Objective: To investigate risk factors for dyspareunia among primiparous women.

Methods: This was a planned secondary analysis using data from the 1- and 6-month postpartum interviews of a prospective study of women who delivered their first neonate in Pennsylvania, 2009-2011. Participants who had resumed sexual intercourse by the 6-month interview (N=2,748) constituted the analytic sample.

Reduction in the Cesarean Delivery Rate After Obstetric Care Consensus Guideline Implementation.

Objective: To evaluate the rate of primary cesarean delivery after adopting labor management guidelines.

Methods: This is a before-after retrospective cohort study at a single academic center. This center adopted guidelines from the Consensus for the Prevention of the Primary Cesarean Delivery.

Identification of small for gestational age by population-based and customized growth charts in newborns of obese and normal-weight primiparous women.

Objective: Our hypothesis was that newborns of obese mothers would be more likely to be classified as small for gestational age (SGA) by their customized growth curves than by the standard growth curves when compared to newborns of normal-weight mothers.

Methods: This is a retrospective cohort of primiparous patients delivering between 1 July 2008 and 30 June 2012. Normal-weight was defined as BMI ≤25 kg/m(2) and obese as BMI ≥ 30 kg/m(2).

Preeclampsia: Short-term and Long-term Implications.

Preeclampsia is a hypertensive disorder that affects 4% of pregnancies and has a high risk of maternal, fetal, and neonatal morbidity and mortality, as well as long-term cardiovascular risk. Recent updates in the definition, diagnosis, and management guidelines for preeclampsia warrant review by general obstetrician-gynecologists. Screening and prevention algorithms for preeclampsia are available, but ultimately the cure remains delivery of the fetus and placenta.

A multi-center randomized trial of two different intravenous fluids during labor.

Objective: To determine if the intrapartum use of a 5% glucose-containing intravenous solution decreases the chance of a cesarean delivery for women presenting in active labor.

Methods: This was a multi-center, prospective, single (patient) blind, randomized study design implemented at four obstetric residency programs in Pennsylvania. Singleton, term, consenting women presenting in active spontaneous labor with a cervical dilation of <6 cm were randomized to lactated Ringer's with or without 5% glucose (LR versus D5LR) as their maintenance intravenous fluid.

What is new in labor management? Best articles from the past year.

This month we focus on current research in labor management. Dr. Repke discusses five recent publications, and each is concluded with a "bottom line" that is the take-home message.

What is new in preeclampsia?: best articles from the past year.

This month, the focus is on preeclampsia and specifically emphasizes three areas: prediction, clinical management, and long-term sequelae. The current reviews serve to highlight the increasing importance of this disease across the health care continuum. The complete reference for each article reviewed can be found in on this page, along with direct links to the abstracts.