Studies on the persistence of estradiol benzoate and nortestosterone decanoate in hair of cattle following treatment with growth promoters, determined by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

Measurement of steroid esters in bovine hair samples, using sensitive liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), provides a powerful tool for identifying animals treated illicitly with growth promoters. The successful application of such testing requires appropriate sampling of hair from treated animals. This paper describes the results of hair analysis by LC-MS/MS for two animal studies in which animals were treated with estradiol-3-benzoate and nortestosterone decanoate. The results from the first animal study indicate that animals treated with these anabolic steroids may not always be identified from analysis of hair samples; positive test results occur sporadically and only for some of the treated animals. The results from the second animal study identify conditions attaching to positive hair samples, such as, that concentrations of steroid esters in hair are related to distance of sampling from point of injection and to time post-treatment, that concentrations of steroid esters in hair are related to dose given to the animal but that this relationship may vary over time post-treatment, and that steroid esters may be measured in regrowth hair taken some weeks after treatment. Steroid esters are determined along the length of the hair, confirming that accumulation of steroid esters into hair occurs from various sources, including blood, sweat and sebum. The reported research provides some useful insights into the mechanisms governing the persistence of steroid esters in bovine hair following illicit treatment with growth promoters. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

State-of the art in electric vehicles charging infrastructure

The international introduction of electric vehicles (EVs) will see a change in private passenger car usage, operation and management. There are many stakeholders, but currently it appears that the automotive industry is focused on EV manufacture, governments and policy makers have highlighted the potential environmental and job creation opportunities while the electricity sector is preparing for an additional electrical load on the grid system. If the deployment of EVs is to be successful the introduction of international EV standards, universal charging hardware infrastructure, associated universal peripherals and user-friendly software on public and private property is necessary. The focus of this paper is to establish the state-of-the-art in EV charging infrastructure, which includes a review of existing and proposed international standards, best practice and guidelines under consideration or recommendation.