Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs, prion diseases) are a class of fatal neurodegenerative diseases affecting a variety of mammalian species including humans. A misfolded form of the prion protein (PrP(TSE)) is the major, if not sole, component of the infectious agent RecentTSE outbreaks in domesticated and wild animal populations have created the need for safe and effective dispos...

The pig industry is the most crucial animal industry in Taiwan; 10.7 million pigs were reared for consumption in 1996. A foot and mouth disease (FMD) epidemic broke out on 19 March 1997, and 3,850,536 pigs were culled before July in the same year. The major disposal method of pig carcasses from the FMD outbreak was burial, followed by burning and incineration. To investigate groundwater quality...

It is important for lake management and policy to estimate the timescale of recovery from long-term P release sediment after a reduction in external load. To provide scientific basis this, condensed model was elaborated, applied evaluated four lakes. The based on first order kinetics, with an overall rate constant composed diagenesis labile (kd,2) burial (kb) below active layer. Using variation...

Uraniferous bitumens found in black shales from the Permian rocks at Vrchlabí Krkonoše Piedmont Basin (Czech Republic) were described and characterized petrologically mineralogically. The sediments originated weathering products metasediments granitoids of Krkonoše–Jizera Orlice–Sněžník crystalline complexes. organic matter contained up to 4.8 wt.% uranium, as uraninite grains. Elements associa...

The Lower Cretaceous reservoir core samples from the upper part of Qamchuqa Formation, Baba Dome, Kirkuk Oil Company, show evidence for multistage episodes dolomitization and a complex diagenetic history. Optical microscope reveals muti-phase diagenesis: an early stage diagenesis its alteration, later, by evaporated seawater under near-surface setting conditions, followed different event dolomi...

Since 1994, 200 'green' or natural burial sites have been developed in the UK and Eire, attracting regulatory attention because of perceived risks to groundwater. Here, a survey of natural burial practice in England and Wales (n=49 of 141 elicited) is presented, providing data on operational trends and supporting the design of a groundwater vulnerability assessment tool. Natural burial grounds ...

This project was undertaken to study the biodegradability of PLA-KF biocomposite in different conditions; soil burial and immersion in water. The samples were buried in soil for 40 days to investigate the degradability of biocomposites. As for water absorption tests, the samples were immersed in three different types of water which were river water (pH 6), tap water (pH 7) and sea water (pH 7.5...

A controlled laboratory experiment was conducted in order to investigate the effect of the method of burial (i.e. the presence of coffin and clothing) on the formation of adipocere. This study follows previous studies by the authors who have investigated the effect of physical conditions on the formation of adipocere present in a controlled burial environment. The study utilises infrared spectr...

Trachypogon spicatus, formerly known as Trachypogon plumosus, is a dominant grass in some savannas of Northern South America. Its dispersal unit, like many other species of the Andropogoneae tribe, bears a hygroscopic awn which facilitates its establishment in favorable microsites. Some authors have previously proposed that there is a positive correlation between awn length and dispersal unit b...