Untersuchungen zum System Holz-Zement

After it had been shown in a previous study that cements poor in alkali should be preferred when manufacturing wood-cement materials, this article outlines the investigations on the influence of wood (felling period, wood species, storage period) on the setting of cement. Detrimental impacts of the wood on the cement settings could be largely compensated by adding magnesium chloride or amorphous silicic acid (SiO₂-fume).     

Reproduction in dairy cows following progesterone insert presynchronization and resynchronization protocols

The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effects of an intravaginal insert containing progesterone (CIDR, controlled internal drug releasing) administered in presynchronization and resynchronization protocols on cyclicity, detection of estrus, pregnancy rate, and pregnancy loss to first AI; reinsemination patterns; and pregnancy rates to second postpartum AI before and after the time of first-service pregnancy diagnosis in dairy cows. Holstein cows (n = 1,052) were blocked by parity and BCS at 3 ± 3 d in milk (study d 0 = day of calving) and assigned randomly to 1 of 3 presynchronization treatments. During the presynchronization programs, all cows received 2 injections of PGF_2α, on study d 35 and 49. Cows enrolled in the control presynchronization treatment received AI after detected estrus from study d 49 to 62. Cows enrolled in the CIDR estrus-detection (CED) presynchronization treatment received a CIDR insert from study d 42 to 49 and AI on detection of estrus from d 49 to 62. Cows enrolled in the CIDR timed AI (CTAI) presynchronization treatment received the same treatment as CED, but were subjected to timed AI on study d 72 after the Ovsynch (GnRH, 7 d PGF_2α, 2 d GnRH, 24 h timed AI) protocol. The control and CED cows not inseminated by study d 62 were enrolled in the Ovsynch protocol on the same day and received timed AI on study d 72. After first AI, cows were assigned to no resynchronization (RCON) or resynchronization with a CIDR insert (RCIDR) between 14 and 21 d after AI. Blood samples collected on study d 35, 49, and 62 were analyzed for concentrations of progesterone and cows were classified as anestrous when progesterone was <1.0 ng/mL in the first 2 samples. On study d 62, anestrous cows with progesterone ≥ 1.0 ng/mL were classified as having resumed cyclicity. Pregnancy was diagnosed at 31 and 60 d after first AI and at 42 d after second AI. A greater proportion of anestrous cows in CED and CTAI became cyclic by d 62 postpartum than control cows. Resynchronization with the CIDR insert increased the pregnancy rate at 31 d after first AI in CED and CTAI, and at 60 d after AI in all cows because of reduced pregnancy loss. These results indicate that presynchronization with the CIDR insert increased induction of cyclicity in anestrous cows and that resynchronization with the CIDR insert did not affect the reinsemination rate but did reduce pregnancy loss and increased the pregnancy rate at 60 d after first AI.     

Use of volatile compound metabolic signatures in poultry liver to back-trace dietary exposure to rapidly metabolized xenobiotics

The study investigated the feasibility of using volatile compound signatures of liver tissues in poultry to detect previous dietary exposure to different types of xenobiotic. Six groups of broiler chickens were fed a similar diet either noncontaminated or contaminated with polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins/-furans (PCDD/Fs; 3.14 pg WHO-TEQ/g feed, 12% moisture), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs; 0.08 pg WHO-TEQ/g feed, 12% moisture), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs; 1.63 ng/g feed, 12% moisture), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs; 0.72 μg/g fresh matter), or coccidiostats (0.5 mg/g feed, fresh matter). Each chicken liver was analyzed by solid-phase microextraction - mass spectrometry (SPME-MS) for volatile compound metabolic signature and by gas chromatography - high resolution mass spectrometry (GC-HRMS), gas chromatography - tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS), and liquid chromatography - tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) to quantify xenobiotic residues. Volatile compound signature evidenced a liver metabolic response to PAH although these rapidly metabolized xenobiotics are undetectable in this organ by the reference methods. Similarly, the volatile compound metabolic signature enabled to differentiate the noncontaminated chickens from those contaminated with PBDEs or coccidiostats. In contrast, no clear signature was pointed out for slowly metabolized compounds such as PCDD/Fs and PCBs although their residues were found in liver at 50.93 (±6.71) and 0.67 (±0.1) pg WHO-TEQ/g fat, respectively.     

Nutritional and medicinal properties of underexploited legume trees from West Africa

Abstract

This review concerns three legume trees (family Fabaceae, subfamily Caesalpinioideae) from West Africa, namely Detarium microcarpum, Parkia biglobosa and Dialium guineense, and illustrates their nutritional value and therapeutic properties. These species are an important source of nutrition for West African populations, but their agricultural exploitation is still incomplete. The survey was conducted on Scopus, Web of Science, and Medline, using scientific and common English names of the species as keywords and then selecting papers related to nutritional and medicinal properties. Main food products are fruit pulp and seeds, though leaves can also be used. Most relevant dietary features are high protein, vitamin, and micronutrient contents. Various therapeutic and nutritional benefits of these plants have been documented by ethnobotanical and experimental studies, stimulating an interest for their possible use as functional food or drug sources. Most studied medicinal properties include antidiabetic and antimicrobial activities of D. microcarpum, cardiovascular protective and antidiabetic activities of P. biglobosa, and bilharzia-preventing molluscicidal activity of D. guineense. Phytochemical characterizations have revealed potential sources of active drugs, such as D. guineense saponins and D. microcarpum diterpenes. Scientific results support popular uses of these legume trees, indicating a prominent nutritional and health value.     

Detection of 4-aminocarminic acid in beverages and cake glaze from the German market: a food additive not approved in the EU

In the European Union, carminic acid and its ammonium, calcium, potassium or sodium salts and its aluminium lakes are approved as food additive E120. In beverages obtained from the German market 4-aminocarminic acid (“acid-stable carmine”) was detected by HPLC–PDA and LC–MS/MS. Isolation of the colorant from a liquid dye preparation used for the production of a beverage sample and subsequent NMR analysis confirmed the presence of 4-aminocarminic acid. Synthesis of ¹⁵N-4-aminocarminic acid clearly demonstrated that “acid-stable carmine” is not the ammonium salt of carminic acid, which is approved as food additive in the European Union. In fact, nitrogen in “acid-stable carmine” is covalently bound. The molecular structure of carminic acid is chemically modified and 4-aminocarminic acid does not comply with the specifications laid down for E120 in Commission Regulation (EU) No 231/2012. 4-Aminocarminic acid was also detected in the red-colored glaze of a raspberry cake and in the liquid dye preparation used for coloring this glaze.     

Heat-treated wood as chromium adsorption material

Heavy metals adsorption with lignocellulosic materials has been heavily researched in the last years. Since heat activation has been used with good results to increase the adsorption capacity of some materials, heat-treated wood might be a better adsorbent. This hypothesis is the basis of the present study. The adsorption tests were made with powdered pine wood, heat-treated at 190–210?°C. All the heat-treated samples showed a significantly higher adsorption compared to untreated wood. The maximum adsorption was obtained at pH 3 for heat-treated wood at 210?°C. The kinetics of the adsorption process fitted a pseudo-second-order reaction (R² 0.990–0.996). Adsorption fitted well both the Langmuir and the Freundlich model, but the Freundlich model presented higher R² (0.988–0.998). The q_max values estimated by the Langmuir plotting were in the range 15.6–19.4 mg/g and the n values from Freundlich isotherms between 1.87 and 2.39. Heat-treated wood was a better adsorption material than untreated wood for chromium adsorption. This can be a good application for the sawdust produced by the processing of heat-treated wood at primary and secondary wood processing mills or for the recycling of heat-treated wood at the end of product life.     

Poly(arylene ether sulfones) and poly(arylene ether ketones) derived from dibenzofuran

Summary New polyarylene ether ketones and polyarylene ether sulfones were prepared by polycondensation of various bisphenols with two new dihalide monomers including dibenzofuran structure, respectively 3,6 bis (4-fluorophenylcarbonyl) dibenzofuran and 3,6 bis (4-fluorophenylsulfonyl) dibenzofuran. Most of these thermoplastic polyethers are soluble in NMP and in chlorinated soluents. They exhibit Tgs up to 234°C for the polyetherketones and up to 262°C for the polysulfones, so over 50°C higher than the Tgs of classical available polyethers.     

Fourier transform infra-red study of uniaxially-oriented isotactic polystyrene

Fourier transform infra-red measurements have been made of the orientation in isotactic polystyrene as a function of draw ratio. Based on these results, new band assignments are made and orientation functions calculated.     

Cover Image,Volume 141, Issue 17

The cover image by Lizandra Viana Maurat da Rocha highlights one of our innovative biodegradable films, which incorporated molybdenum trioxide and zinc oxide into the poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) matrix through casting. The photo emphasizes its partial transparency and homogeneity. Some analytical results reported as FTIR, TD-NMR, XRD and TGA validates nanomaterial's exceptional mechanical and chemical properties. Icons below underscore its potential as an eco-friendly food packaging,with bacteriostatic features and no formation of microplastics after disposal. DOI: 10.1002/app.55294