An experimental study was performed to investigate the effect of subcritical carbon dioxide (CO2) adsorption on mechanical properties of shales with different coring directions. Uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) tests were conducted on shale samples with different CO2 adsorption time at a pressure of 7 MPa and a temperature of 40 ̋C. The crack propagation and the failure mechanism of shale sa...

Samples of Late Devonian/Early Mississippian New Albany Shale from the Illinois Basin, having maturities ranging from early mature to postmature, were analysed using micro-Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, ImageJ processing software and scanning electron microscopic X-ray spectroscopy to explore the distribution, connectivity and chemical composition of organic matter, clay minera...

The effect of temporary straw bedding for a period of 6, 4, or 2 weeks before slaughter was studied on pigs’ performance, behaviour, cortisol concentration, intermediary metabolism, and meat quality. Pigs were barren housed on slatted concrete floors during growth and allocated to one of following four treatments (T): straw bedding during 6 weeks (6wk), 4 weeks (4wk), 2 weeks (2wk) before slaug...

Osteochondrosis (OC) is a degenerative joint condition developing in a short time frame in young growing gilts that may cause lameness at an older age, affecting welfare and leading to premature culling of breeding sows. Causes of OC are multifactorial including both genetic and environmental factors. Floor type has been suggested to affect OC prevalence and effects might be age dependent durin...

This research’s objectives were to assess the risk factors associated with ovarian disorders in dairy cattle Hanoi Capital, Ha Nam Province, Vinh Phuc and Moc Chau District Son La Province. The diseases evaluated by rectal palpation combined information collected based on questionnaire surveys. Records of feeding management comprising persistent corpus luteum (PCL), cystic disease (COD), inacti...

An Internet-based questionnaire among horse owners was carried out to identify factors affecting the incidence of insect bite hypersensitivity (IBHI) among horses in the Netherlands. Information was obtained for 794 horses of various breeds, but the breed distribution was not representative for the Dutch horse population. Of the horses for which information was available, 56% suffered from IBH ...

Flume experiments simulating a 12.5 hour tidal cycle were performed to test the hypothesis that flaser and wavy bedding can be produced in shallow subtidal areas by tidal activity. The effects of clay composition, sand size, total amount of sediment deposited, compaction time, and peak current velocity were investigated. It was found that the resistance of a recently-deposited mud bed to subseq...

Asthma prevalence has increased progressively over the past three decades in the UK. Numerous theories have been promulgated including the hygiene hypothesis, additional exposure to house dust mite etc., none of which have been substantiated on detailed study. An association with fungal exposure is less well studied. It is often assumed that such exposures generally occur outside, apart from mo...