bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Improving the poultry shackle line
Authors: Lines JA , Berry P , Cook P , Schofield CP , Knowles TG 
Published: May 2012

AbstractThe most significant welfare problems associated with the current design of the shackle lines and water-bath stunners are the pain caused by compression of the birds’ legs in the shackles, the stress caused by being inverted and suspended by the legs, poor or inadequate stunning caused by the commercial need to minimise carcase damage, and poor water-bath entry. Research is described in which some practical solutions to these problems were investigated. The aim is to identify solutions that individually, or jointly, could be retro-fitted to existing plants, or incorporated into the design of new, small processing plants to improve poultry welfare. The development and commercial availability of such systems would enable small, local and niche market poultry processing lines to continue operating following the implementation of EC Council Regulation No 1099/2009.
Complications during shechita and halal slaughter without stunning in cattle
Authors: Gregory NG , von Wenzlawowicz M , von Holleben K , Fielding HR , Gibson TJ , Mirabito L , Kolesar R 
Published: May 2012

AbstractThis paper summarises the findings from five studies in eight countries on over 1,500 cattle slaughtered commercially by the halal or shechita methods without stunning. It reports the number of cuts applied to the neck, the cutting methods and the frequency of complications during the bleeding period. Complications during the bleeding period that occurred in some cattle included: (i) delay in the time to collapse, which was interpreted as late loss of consciousness; (ii) premature arrest of bleeding from the carotid arteries due to false aneurysm formation; and (iii) blood entering the respiratory tract during bleeding. These features are important as they determine or reflect the duration of consciousness following the cut and the potential for protracted suffering from wound nociception or blood irritating the respiratory tract. When cattle were not restrained following the halal cut, they took on average 20 s to collapse. Fourteen percent stood up again after an initial collapse, and 1.5% took more than 4 min before their final collapse. Eight percent took 60 s or longer to collapse, and those animals were more likely to have false aneurysms in the severed ends of the carotid arteries. False aneurysms, which were at least 3 cm in diameter, formed in the severed cardiac ends of the carotid arteries in 10% of cattle slaughtered by halal or shechita. Some false aneurysms formed in the severed ends of the carotid arteries within 7 s of the halal cut, and in 10% of the cattle bloodflow came to a halt in one of the arteries within 10 s. On average, the false aneurysms developed within 21 s. Nineteen percent of cattle slaughtered by shechita and 58% of cattle slaughtered by halal had blood lining the mucosa of the trachea. All animals had blood lining the glottis. In both situations there could be a sense of respiratory tract irritation from the blood. It is proposed that severing the carotids at the position in the neck which corresponds to C1 will reduce the frequency of false aneurysm formation and subsequent arrested bloodflow from the severed arteries, and it will deafferent the respiratory tract reducing the transmission of potentially unpleasant sensory signals associated with blood contaminating the upper and lower parts of the tract. Most cattle subjected to halal and shechita have the neck cut at a position which corresponds to C2 to C4, and changing to a cut at C1 could partly reduce the potential for suffering during slaughter without stunning.
Pain perception at slaughter
Authors: Johnson CB , Gibson TJ , Stafford KJ , Mellor DJ 
Published: May 2012

AbstractRecent developments related to quantitative analysis of the electroencephalogram (EEG) have allowed the experience of pain to be assessed more directly than has hitherto been possible. Variables derived from the EEG of animals anaesthetised using our minimal anaesthesia model respond to noxious stimulation in a manner similar to those from conscious animals. This methodology has been used in a variety of applications including the evaluation of analgesic options for painful husbandry procedures and investigation of developmental aspects of the perception of pain. We have now applied the minimal anaesthesia model to the question of the slaughter of calves by ventral-neck incision. A series of studies evaluated the magnitude of EEG response to the noxious stimulus of ventral-neck incision and the physiological mechanisms that underlie this response. We also investigated the EEG effects of stunning by non-penetrating captive bolt and the ability of such stunning to ameliorate the response to ventral-neck incision. The results demonstrate clearly, for the first time, that the act of slaughter by ventral-neck incision is associated with noxious stimulation that would be expected to be painful in the period between the incision and subsequent loss of consciousness. These data provide further support for the value of stunning in preventing pain and distress in animals subjected to this procedure. We discuss the development of the minimal anaesthesia model and its adaptation for use in the investigation of slaughter by ventral-neck incision as well as considering the contributions of these studies to the ongoing development of international policy concerning the slaughter of animals.
The use of a single empirical outcome measure to assess welfare in slaughter plants: between- and within-sector comparisons of the supply base for a major retail multiple
Authors: Roberts F , Lucas A , Johnson S 
Published: May 2012

AbstractThe objective of the present retrospective analysis was to review between- and within-sector variations in an outcome-based measure of animal welfare throughout slaughterhouses that currently supply to Tesco Stores Ltd, UK. Non-conformances in relation to individual scheme standards were designated a specific level in terms of severity and frequency and from this a single outcome status, based on a ‘traffic-light’ system is assigned to the site (which informs both subsequent corrective action and future inspection frequency). Sector-specific, country and time differences were found and underlying contributory factors and associated commercial implications are reviewed.
Fatigue and static performances of butterfly joints under hygrothermal exposure conditions
Authors: Altan Gürkan , Topçu Muzaffer 
Published: May 2012

AbstractIn this study, the static and dynamic behaviors under different environmental conditions of mechanical insert butt joints with butterfly joint locks that could be used instead of adhesively bonded butt joints in composite plate joints were investigated. The experimental specimens and butterfly‐shaped joining components with the same material configuration were cut from a [(0/90)8]s laminated composite plate with a water jet in harmony with the geometric parameters. The fatigue experiments were carried out at a constant load ratio of 0.1 and at different maximum fatigue loads. To compare the joints with each other, the experiments were conducted under a 10‐Hz fatigue frequency and under a tension–tension load with constant amplitude of a sinus curve shape. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013
Oxidation of styrene over polymer‐ and nonpolymer‐anchored Cu(II) and Mn(II) complex catalysts
Authors: Sharma Sweta , Sinha Shishir , Biswas Prakash , Maurya Mannar R. , Chand Shri 
Published: May 2012

AbstractCatalytic oxidation of styrene was investigated over polymer‐ and nonpolymer‐anchored Cu(II) and Mn(II) complex catalysts prepared by schiff base tridentate ligands. The effect of temperature, styrene to H2O2 mole ratio and catalyst amount on the catalytic activity and product selectivity was investigated. Further, the catalysts were characterized by various techniques, such as elemental analysis, atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS), FTIR, FE‐SEM, EDAX, TGA, and UV–vis spectrophotometer. The elemental analysis, EDAX and AAS results confirmed the formation of Cu(II) and Mn(II) complexes, and it was found that the metal loading in the polymer‐anchored complex catalysts were in the range of 0.53–3.74 %. FTIR results showed the co‐ordination bond formation between the polymer ligands and metal ion. The catalytic data showed that, over all the catalysts, the main reaction products were benzaldehyde, styrene oxide, and benzoic acid. The polymer‐anchored complex catalysts were found to be much more active when compared with nonpolymer‐anchored catalysts. The maximum conversion of styrene (92.3%) was obtained over PS‐[Cu(Hfsal‐aepy)Cl] catalyst with benzaldehyde selectivity to 69% at the styrene to H2O2 mole ratio of 1 : 4 at 75°C. Although the PS‐[Mn(Hfsal‐aepy)Cl] catalyst was less active, it was highly selective to benzaldehyde. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013
The effect of wool surface and interior modification on subsequent photostability
Authors: Zhang Hu , Deb‐Choudhury Santanu , Plowman Jeffrey , Dyer Jolon 
Published: May 2012

AbstractWool surface and interior modification can impart favorable properties, such as felting/shrink resistance, settability, or improved affinity for dyes. However, in principle such modification may have an either beneficial or adverse effect on the subsequent photostability of the modified wool. In this study, a range of representative physical and chemical modification approaches including the use of helium gas plasma, papain, acylation with acid anhydride, and permanganate oxidation were applied to wool fabrics, and the subsequent effects characterized using scanning electron microscopy, FTIR‐ATR, contact angle goniometry, fluorescence spectrophotometry, and tensile strength test. The relative photostability of control and treated wool were evaluated in terms of coloration changes under UVA, UVB, and blue light irradiation. We have shown that the subsequent photostability of modified wool fabrics is highly dependent on the modification type, and this factor should be carefully considered in the design and application of wool treatments. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013
Prediction of mechanical properties of poly(ethylene terephthalate) using infrared spectroscopy and multivariate calibration
Authors: Caetano Viviane Fonseca , Vinhas Glória Maria , Pimentel Maria Fernanda , Simões Simone da Silva , de Araújo Mário César Ugulino 
Published: May 2012

AbstractThis work describes a method to determine mechanical properties (tensile strength at break and tensile modulus) of poly(ethylene terephthalate) using median infrared spectroscopy and multivariate calibration. Infrared spectroscopy is very promising for polymer process control and final product analysis because it is rapid and nondestructive. The spectra of the films were obtained using two techniques: attenuated total reflection and direct transmission. The spectra were subjected to various preprocessing procedures, such as smoothing and derivative using the algorithm Savitzy‐Golay, standard normal variate, multiplicative scatter correction and, as well, combinations of some of these preprocessing techniques. The predictive ability of the regression models were evaluated using an external validation set. The regression techniques used, partial least square and multiple linear regression, showed, in general, comparable results with root mean square error of prediction similar to the repeatability of the conventional method used to determine these mechanical properties (1.3 kgf/mm2 for tensile strength at break and 29.6 kgf/mm2 for tensile modulus). © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013
The effect of primary structural parameters of poly(methacrylic acid) xerogels on the kinetics of swelling
Authors: Jovanovic Jelena , Adnadjevic Borivoj 
Published: May 2012

AbstractXerogels of poly(methacrylic acid) (MAXG) with different primary structural parameters (PSP) [number average molar mass between the network crosslinks (Mc), the crosslink degree (ρc), and the distance between the macromolecular chains (d)] are successfully synthesized by crosslinking free‐radical polymerization. The isothermal swelling curves of synthesized MAXG are measured in distilled water in the temperature range of 25–40°C. The swelling conversion curves of all the MAXG may be described with kinetics model of phase boundary controlled reaction, i.e., contracting area (R2). The values of swelling kinetics parameters (Ea and lnA) linearly increase with the increase in Mc. This work presented a novel and quantum model of the mechanism of xerogel's swelling activation process based on resonant coupling of vibration oscillation of water molecules and vibration modes of xerogel. A quantum nature of Ea of swelling process is proved and explained the effects of PSP on the values of swelling kinetics parameters. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013
Synthesis of nanosized ethylene–propylene rubber latex via polyisoprene hydrogenation
Authors: Kongsinlark Anong , Rempel Garry L. , Prasassarakich Pattarapan 
Published: May 2012

AbstractNanosized ethylene–propylene rubber (EPM) latex with a particle size of 47 nm was synthesized via an alternative route consisting of isoprene (IP) polymerization followed by hydrogenation. First, the IP monomer was polymerized by differential microemulsion polymerization to obtain polyisoprene (PIP) rubber latex with a particle size of 42 nm. The structure of synthetic PIP was hydrogenated at the carbon–carbon double bonds to produce an ethylene–propylene copolymer by diimide reduction in the presence of hydrazine and hydrogen peroxide using boric acid as promotor. The degree of hydrogenation was determined by proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H‐NMR) spectroscopy and the structure of the ethylene–propylene copolymer was identified by 13C‐NMR spectroscopy. In nanosized PIP hydrogenation, the hydrogenation level was found to be increased by boric acid addition. An EPM yield of 94% was achieved using a hydrogen peroxide : hydrazine ratio of 1.5 : 1. The EPM produced from PIP has high thermal stability with the maximum decomposition temperature of 510°C and a glass transition temperature of ‐42.4°C close to commercial ethylene–propylene diene rubber. Dynamic mechanical analysis indicated that EPM had a maximum storage modulus due to the saturated carbons domains of the ethylene segments in the polymer chains. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013
Microcapsules prepared from a polycondensate‐based cement dispersant via layer‐by‐layer self‐assembly on melamine‐formaldehyde core templates
Authors: Pavlitschek Thomas , Gretz Markus , Plank Johann 
Published: May 2012

AbstractNovel microcapsules were prepared from colloidal core–shell particles by acid dissolution of the organic core. Weakly crosslinked, monodisperse and spherical melamine‐formaldehyde polycondensate particles (diameter ∼ 1 μm) were synthesized as core template and coated with multilayers of an anionic polyelectrolyte via layer‐by‐layer deposition technique. As polyelectrolytes, an anionic naphthalenesulfonate formaldehyde polycondensate that is a common concrete superplasticizer and thus industrially available, and cationic poly(allylamine hydrochloride) were used. Core removal was achieved by soaking the core–shell particles in aqueous hydrochloric acid at pH 1.6, resulting in hollow microcapsules consisting of the polyelectrolytes. Characterization of the template, the core–shell particles, and the microcapsules plus tracking of the layer‐by‐layer polyelectrolyte deposition was performed by means of zeta potential measurement and scanning electron microscopy. The microcapsules might be useful as microcontainers for cement additives. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013
Photodegradation of poly(ethyleneoxide)/montmorillonite composite films
Authors: Lombardo Patrícia C. , Poli Alessandra L. , Neumann Miguel G. , Machado Douglas S. , Schmitt Carla C. 
Published: May 2012

AbstractPoly(ethyleneoxide) (PEO) composites with SWy‐1 montmorillonite were prepared by mixing the polymer and the clay in aqueous colloidal solutions. Thin films of the composites were obtained by solvent evaporation and exposed to 254‐nm UV‐irradiation. The photodegradation was monitored by FTIR and the chain scission reaction was confirmed by measurement of average molecular weights using size exclusion chromatography. The rate of oxidation of pure PEO was much faster than that of the composites (SWy‐1/PEO). The SWy‐1 clay stabilizes the polymer against UV irradiation. This stabilization is due to two factors: on one side, the absorption of UV radiation by the clay, and on the other the scattering of the incident radiation by the particles; both contributing to minimize the degradation rate of the PEO present in the composites. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013
Optoelectronic Properties of Dicyanofluorene‐Based n‐Type Polymers
Authors: Vijayakumar Chakkooth , Saeki Akinori , Seki Shu 
Published: May 2012

AbstractThree new donor–acceptor‐type copolymers (P1, P2, P3) consisting of dicyanofluorene as acceptor and various donor moieties were designed and synthesized. Optoelectronic properties were studied in detail by means of UV‐visible absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry, space‐charge‐limited current (SCLC), flash‐photolysis time‐resolved microwave conductivity (FP‐TRMC), and density functional theory (DFT). All polymers showed strong absorption in the UV‐visible region and the absorption maximum undergoes redshift with an increasing number of thiophene units in the polymer backbone. SCLC analysis showed that the electron mobilities of the polymers in the bulk state were 1 to 2 orders higher than that of the corresponding hole mobilities, which indicated the n‐type nature of the materials. By using FP‐TRMC, the intrapolymer charge‐carrier mobility was assessed and compared with the interpolymer mobility obtained by SCLC. The polymers exhibited good electron‐accepting properties sufficiently high enough to oxidize the excited states of regioregular poly(3‐hexylthiophene) (P3HT (donor)), as evident from the FP‐TRMC analysis. The P3 polymer exhibited the highest FP‐TRMC transients in the pristine form as well as when blended with P3HT. Use of these polymers as n‐type materials in all‐polymer organic solar cells was also explored in combination with P3HT. In accordance with the TRMC results, P3 exhibited superior electron‐transport and photovoltaic properties to the other two polymers, which is explained by the distribution of the energy levels of the polymers by using DFT calculations.
Systematic review of haemorrhage and rupture of hepatocellular adenomas
Authors: van Aalten S M , de Man R A , IJzermans J N M , Terkivatan T 
Published: May 2012

AbstractBackgroundAlthough benign in itself, hepatocellular adenoma (HCA) can be complicated by hormone-induced growth, and subsequent haemorrhage and rupture. The exact risk of haemorrhage and rupture is not known. This systematic review of the literature was carried out with the aim of estimating the risk of haemorrhage and rupture in HCA.MethodsA systematic literature search of the PubMed and Embase databases was performed for all articles relevant to haemorrhage and/or rupture of HCA, published between 1969 and March 2011.ResultsTwenty-eight articles met the selection criteria, containing a total of 1176 patients. Haemorrhage was reported with an overall frequency of 27·2 per cent among patients, and in 15·8 per cent of all HCA lesions. Rupture and intraperitoneal bleeding were reported in 17·5 per cent of patients. Bleeding was the first symptom in 68·5 per cent of patients with a bleeding HCA. Six of 13 articles reporting the size of HCA lesions in which bleeding occurred mentioned haemorrhage in HCAs smaller than 5 cm.ConclusionHaemorrhage and rupture are common in patients with HCA.
Hypothalamic expression ofPeg3gene is associated with maternal care differences between SM/J and LG/J mouse strains
Authors: Chiavegatto Silvana , Sauce Bruno , Ambar Guilherme , Cheverud James M. , Peripato Andrea C. 
Published: May 2012

AbstractMaternal care is essential in mammals, and variations in the environment provided by mothers may directly influence the viability of newborns and emotional behavior later in life. A previous study investigated genetic variations associated with maternal care in an intercross of LG/J and SM/J inbred mouse strains and identified two single‐locus QTLs (quantitative trait loci). Here, we selected three candidate genes located within these QTLs intervals;Oxton chromosome 2, andFosBandPeg3on chromosome 7 and tested their association with maternal care. LG/J females showed impaired postpartum nest building and pup retrieval, a one‐day delay in milk ejection, reduced exploratory activity, and higher anxiety‐like behavior when compared to SM/J females. The nucleotide sequences ofOxtandFosBwere similar between strains, as were their hypothalamic expression levels. Conversely,Peg3nucleotide sequences showed four nonsynonymous replacement substitutions on LG/J dams, T11062G, G13744A, A13808G, and G13813A, and a 30 base pair (10 aa) in tandem repeat in the coding region with three copies in SM/J and five copies in LG/J. Maternal care impaired LG/J mothers express 37% lowerPeg3mRNA levels in the hypothalamus on the second postpartum day. We also found an association of the Peg3 repeat‐variant and poor maternal care in F2heterozygote females derived from a LG/J × SM/J intercross. These results may suggest that the maternally imprintedPeg3gene is responsible for the single‐locus QTL on chromosome 7 that has been shown to influence maternal care in these strains. Furthermore, these data provide additional support for an epigenetic regulation of maternal behavior.
Use of cranial CT to identify a new infarct in patients with a transient ischemic attack
Authors: Al‐Khaled Mohamed , Matthis Christine , Münte Thomas F. , Eggers Jürgen 
Published: May 2012

AbstractResearch on infarct detection by noncontrast cranial computed tomography (CCT) in patients with transient ischemic attack (TIA) is sparse. However, the aims of this study are to determine the frequency of new infarcts in patients with TIA, to evaluate the independent predictors of infarct detection, and to investigate the association between a new infarct and early short‐term risk of stroke during hospitalization. We prospectively evaluated 1533 consecutive patients (mean age, 75.3 ± 11 years; 54% female; mean National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale [NIHSS] score, 1.7 ± 2.9) with TIA who were admitted to hospital within 48 h of symptom onset. A new infarct was detected by CCT in 47 (3.1%) of the 1533 patients. During hospitalization, 17 patients suffered a stroke. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed the following independent predictors for infarct detection: NIHSS score ≥10 (odds ratio [OR], 4.8), time to CCT assessment >6 h (OR 2.2), and diabetes (OR 2.3). The evidence of a new infarct was not associated with the risk of stroke after TIA. The frequency of a new infarct in patients with TIA using CCT is low. The use of the CCT tool to predict the stroke risk during hospitalization in patients with TIA is found to be inappropriate. The estimated clinical predictors are easy to use and may help clinicians in the TIA work up.