Mechanical characterization for mortar for masonry

The Eurocode 6 defines classes of mortars resistance which are based on the minimum compressive strength of mortar at 28 days after casting and suggests reference compositions for obtaining such classes. To incorporate in the National Annex of Eurocode 6, we have studied different mortar compositions usually adopted in Portugal. The mortars composition was based on the Bolomey’s formula. The mechanical characteristics of the mortar, were evaluated by laboratory tests: consistence and air content (fresh mortars); compressive and flexural tensile strength, Young’s modulus, shrinkage and fracture energy (hardened mortars). In the first phase of the study were considered six different sands: three artificial (AE - left to the limit - very fine sand, A - within the limits and AD - right to the limit - very coarse sand) and three natural (NE - left the limit - very fine sand, N - within the limits and ND - the right to limit - very coarse sand). The second phase of the study was only with the artificial and natural sand within the limits, A (artificial sand) and N (natural sand). For the same classes of resistance, the natural mortar of sand has almost better results than mortars of artificial sands; the mortars whose binder was only the cement, showed quite reasonable resistance, as well as the mortar in which was used the hydraulic lime; the mortar of cement and hydrated lime were the ones who presented lower resistance. The mortar of artificial sand has higher values of fracture energy compared to mortar with natural sand.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT

International Nosocomial Infection Control Consortium report, data summary of 50 countries for 2010-2015: Device-associated module

•We report INICC device-associated module data of 50 countries from 2010-2015.•We collected prospective data from 861,284 patients in 703 ICUs for 3,506,562 days.•DA-HAI rates and bacterial resistance were higher in the INICC ICUs than in CDC-NHSN's.•Device utilization ratio in the INICC ICUs was similar to CDC-NHSN's. Background: We report the results of International Nosocomial Infection Control Consortium (INICC) surveillance study from January 2010-December 2015 in 703 intensive care units (ICUs) in Latin America, Europe, Eastern Mediterranean, Southeast Asia, and Western Pacific. Methods: During the 6-year study period, using Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Healthcare Safety Network (CDC-NHSN) definitions for device-associated health care-associated infection (DA-HAI), we collected prospective data from 861,284 patients hospitalized in INICC hospital ICUs for an aggregate of 3,506,562 days. Results: Although device use in INICC ICUs was similar to that reported from CDC-NHSN ICUs, DA-HAI rates were higher in the INICC ICUs: in the INICC medical-surgical ICUs, the pooled rate of central line-associated bloodstream infection, 4.1 per 1,000 central line-days, was nearly 5-fold higher than the 0.8 per 1,000 central line-days reported from comparable US ICUs, the overall rate of ventilator-associated pneumonia was also higher, 13.1 versus 0.9 per 1,000 ventilator-days, as was the rate of catheter-associated urinary tract infection, 5.07 versus 1.7 per 1,000 catheter-days. From blood cultures samples, frequencies of resistance of Pseudomonas isolates to amikacin (29.87% vs 10%) and to imipenem (44.3% vs 26.1%), and of Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates to ceftazidime (73.2% vs 28.8%) and to imipenem (43.27% vs 12.8%) were also higher in the INICC ICUs compared with CDC-NHSN ICUs. Conclusions: Although DA-HAIs in INICC ICU patients continue to be higher than the rates reported in CDC-NSHN ICUs representing the developed world, we have observed a significant trend toward the reduction of DA-HAI rates in INICC ICUs as shown in each international report. It is INICC's main goal to continue facilitating education, training, and basic and cost-effective tools and resources, such as standardized forms and an online platform, to tackle this problem effectively and systematically