Preparation of façade panels based on alkali-activated waste mineral wool,their characterization,and durability aspects

Mineral wool is a widely used insulation material and one of the largest components of construction and demolition waste, yet it mainly ends up in landfills. In this work, we explored the potential recycling of waste stone wool in the pilot production of alkali-activated façade panels. The current work shows mechanical properties, SEM-EDS, and mercury intrusion porosimetry analyses for three different mix designs used for the preparation of façade panels. They are all composed of waste stone wool and differ in the amount of co-binders (local slag, lime, metakaolin, and/or fly ash) selected by the preliminary studies. In this study, co-binders were added to increase early strength and improve the mechanical properties and freeze–thaw resistance. The mechanical properties of each were measured up to 256 days, different durability tests were executed, and, by evaluating the mechanical properties, microstructure, and workability of the mortar, the most suitable mix was selected to be used for the pilot production. In addition, the leaching test of the selected mixture showed no exceeded toxic trace elements and therefore got classified as non-hazardous waste after its use.     

The effect of chitosan on the properties of emulsions stabilized by whey proteins

The influence of the cationic amino polysaccharide chitosan content (0–0.5%) on particle size distribution, creaming stability, apparent viscosity, and microstructure of oil-in-water emulsions (40% of rapeseed oil) containing whey protein isolate (WPI) (4%) at pH 3 was investigated. The emulsifying properties, apparent viscosity and phase separation behaviour of aqueous WPI/chitosan mixture at pH 3 were also studied. The interface tension data showed that WPI/chitosan mixture had a slightly higher emulsifying activity than had whey protein alone. An increase in chitosan content resulted in a decreased average particle size, higher viscosity and increased creaming stability of emulsions. The microstructure analysis indicated that increasing concentration of chitosan resulted in the formation of a flocculated droplet network. This behaviour of acidic model emulsions containing WPI and chitosan was explained by a flocculation phenomenon.     

Urban aesthetics and national identity: the refashioning of Eastern Mediterranean cities between 1900 and 1940

The ideas of urban aesthetics and the demand for new city forms appeared in the Eastern Mediterranean between 1900 and 1940 as a result of the coalescence of various events: the consolidation of European‐type nation‐states in the Balkans, the emergence of the Republican Turkey, the establishment of the Anglo‐French mandate in the Near East and the British influence in Egypt. The refashioning of traditional cities was undertaken by French, British, Italian and German experts, architects and planners, together with local professionals trained in Western Europe. The important number of projects produced at the time show evidence of the diffusion of urban aesthetics ideas emanating from West European centres and their implementation in the Eastern Mediterranean cities. Although this transfer of town planning concepts from the ‘centre’ to the ‘periphery’ was occasioned by different factors in each city, those projects are to be understood as reflecting wider strategies needed for regenerating socio‐economic and cultural life, and were linked to the broader debate between tradition and modernity, and to the construction of a nationally meaningful urban identity.     

Depth profile analyses of nc-TiC/a-C:H coating prepared by balanced magnetron sputtering

Nanocrystalline titanium carbide embedded in an hydrogenated amorphous carbon matrix (nc-TiC/a-C:H) shows high hardness and Young's modulus together with low wear and low friction coefficient. In this paper, we report on the preparation of well adherent nc-TiC/a-C:H coatings ~ 5 μm thick on stainless steel substrates using a well balanced magnetic field configuration and only very low power RF bias on the substrate. Hardness and Young's modulus of these coatings are 43 GPa and 380 GPa, respectively. The mechanical properties – hardness and Young's modulus – measured from the coating's top reach the values obtained at optimized experiments where the unbalanced magnetic field configuration was used. A simple method of depth profiling suitable for evaluation of mechanical properties of several micrometers thick coatings is developed and employed. The paper reports on the depth profile analyses of the coating hardness, Young's modulus, composition and morphology.     

Determination of the photocatalytic efficiency of TiO2 coatings on ceramic tiles by monitoring the photodegradation of organic dyes

A method for the evaluation of the photocatalytic effectiveness of nanotitania coatings on ceramic substrate was established. Decolourization of three organic dyes, including methylene blue (MB), rhodamine B (RB) and crystal violet (CV), was investigated under different experimental conditions. The results showed that the UV light spectrum and light intensity are important parameters when establishing this method.The effect of TiO₂ on the percentage degradation of the dyes was examined by varying its concentration in the suspensions between 0.1% and 4.5 wt%, which resulted in different thicknesses of the TiO₂ layers, and as expected higher percentages of nanotitania resulted in higher photocatalytic efficiencies. However higher amounts of titania lead to the formation of cracks on the surface, which might detrimentally affect adhesion and thus also long-term durability. The applicability of all the dyes used in the present study was proved, and there is good correlation between MB, RB and CV in the evaluation of self-cleaning efficiency.     

Alcohol-related traffic accidents with fatal outcomes in the city of Sao Paulo

Aims

The aims of the present study were to characterize fatal traffic accident victims in a major urban center in Brazil and their association with alcohol consumption.

Methods

Cross-sectional study of 907 fatal traffic accident victims in Sao Paulo, in 2005.

Results

Adult males between the ages of 25 and 54 represented the majority of cases with positive blood alcohol concentrations (BAC). Overall, males had a higher proportion of BAC and mean BAC than females. Pedestrians, particularly those with no detectable BAC, were typically older than other victims. Most accidents (total and BAC-positive) happened on weekends between midnight and 6 a.m. Considering all victims, 39.4% were positive (BAC over 0.1 g/l). When only drivers (automobile, motorcycle and bicycle) were evaluated, 42.3% had BAC over the legal limit (0.6 g/l).

Conclusions

Alcohol is associated with nearly half of all traffic accident deaths in the city of Sao Paulo, especially for days and times associated with parties and bars (weekends between 12 a.m. and 6 a.m.).     

Combination of synchrotron ellipsometry and table-top optical measurements for determination of band structure of DLC films

Model of the DLC band structure that took into account valence to conduction band transitions, π → π? and σ → σ?, and valence to extended states transitions σ → ξ? was confirmed by using the synchrotron ellipsometry at BESSY II in the range 5-30 eV combined with table-top ellipsometry and spectrophotometry in UV-IR range. The range up to 30 eV covered all the transitions from valence to conduction bands because the maximum energy transition of π → π? and σ → σ? were 9.03 and 28.1 eV, respectively. The band gaps of these transitions were 0.75 and 4.74 eV, respectively.     

Impact of human aging and modern lifestyle on gut microbiota

Human evolution and lifestyle changes caused by the agricultural and industrial revolutions have led to great advances in medicine and increased life expectancy, whilst also profoundly altering the ecological relationships and disease patterns of populations. Studies involving populations that still enjoy a rural way of life and with traits similar to the Paleolithic period reveal them to present a more robust, resistant and diverse gut microbiota, in comparison to highly industrialized civilizations. The human diet has expanded and broadened to include the consumption of high-calorie foods, particularly from animal sources such as game meat and eggs. For some time, authors have been alert to the fact that a modern lifestyle leads to reduced intake of beneficial bacteria, suggesting that nonpathogenic bacteria are being eradicated. Furthermore, therapeutic procedures, including the use of probiotics and prebiotics, have been proposed to lead to recovery of this microbiota, which is altered due to both the ageing process and lifestyle related aspects. Accordingly, this article aims to review the impact of human aging and modern lifestyle on gut microbiota, within an evolutionary, ecological, epidemiological and therapeutic context.     

Isolation and selection of yeasts from wine grape ecosystem secreting cold-active pectinolytic activity

The present study was undertaken with the purpose of selecting yeasts from wine grapes that are able to produce extracellular cold-active pectinases. After two consecutive selections yeast isolates were identified by pheno- and genotyping, and pectinolytic activity was preliminarily characterised at proximate winemaking conditions. Out of 1023 indigenous microorganisms isolated from grape skins of D.O. San Rafael (Mendoza, Argentina) viticulture region, 565 (55%) showed pectinolytic activity on plates and, among them, 96 (17%) were chosen in a primary selection. Ten isolates were finally selected for exhibiting the greatest activity at low temperature (12 °C) and identified as Aureobasidium pullulans. GM-R-22 strain demonstrated the highest pectinolytic activity (0.751 U/mL) at pH 3.5 and 12 °C. Yeast pectinases were constitutively produced. This study is the first report about strains of A. pullulans producing pectinases which are able to show good activity at low temperature. These pectinolytic strains could be of interest in wine production.