Experimental study of water retention properties of a high performance concrete with small sliced samples

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Impact of carbonation on unsaturated water transport properties of cement-based materials

International audienceIn unsaturated conditions, the durability of concrete structures is strongly dependent on the evolution of the amount of free water within concrete porosity. Reliable durability assessment of concrete structures in relation to their environment thus requires accurate unsaturated water transport description as well as reliable input data. The effect of carbonation on water transport remains poorly studied and data are lacking. It was then the purpose of this article to acquire all the data needed to describe unsaturated water transport in carbonated cementitious materials (porosity, water retention and unsaturated permeability). Four hardened pastes made with four different binders were carbonated at 3% CO2 to ensure representativeness with natural carbonation. Beyond the modification of the water retention curve and porosity clogging, significant microcracking due to carbonation shrinkage was observed. The consequence on permeability highlighted a competition between porosity clogging and microcracking that was dependent on the initial mineralogical composition

Experimental study of corrosion-induced degradation of reinforced concrete elements

Corrosion of steel reinforcement is the main cause of damage for reinforced concrete structures. Iron oxides produced during the corrosion process can induce concrete cracking, loss of adhesion at the steel-concrete interface, loss of reinforcing bar cross-section and even spalling of the concrete cover. In the presented research, the durability problems related to the corrosion of the reinforcement are investigated by combining experimental and numerical studies. However, this paper particularly focuses on the experimental methodology used for the time evolution of damages (steel corrosion products formation and crack patterns) induced by the accelerated corrosion test. The accelerated corrosion tests were carried out by applying a constant current between reinforcement used as an anode and a counter electrode. To control the corrosion process, electrochemical parameters (such as free corrosion potential, polarization resistance, electrical concrete resistance) were measured. The purpose of this paper is to determine the width and length of the cracks and their orientation according to the current density and time

In vitro digestion and stability assessment of b-lactoglobulin/riboflavin nanostructures

B-Lactoglobulin (b-Lg) is the major protein fraction of bovine whey serum and a primary gelling agent. b-Lg has a high nutritional value, is stable at low pH being highly resistant to proteolytic degradation in the stomach, besides, it has the ability of acting as an encapsulating agent. This study aims at assessing the ability of b-Lg nanostructures to associate a nutraceutical - i.e. riboflavin - and release it in a controlled manner throughout an in vitro gastrointestinal (GI) system. For this reason b-Lg nanostructures loaded with riboflavin were critically characterized in terms of their morphology (i.e. size, polydispersity, -potential and shape) by dynamic light scattering (DLS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and efficiency to associate to riboflavin through spectrofluorimetry. Furthermore, these nanocomplexes were evaluated in an in vitro GI model, simulating the physiological conditions. Stable b-Lg nanostructures were obtained at pH 6, of spherical shape, characterized by particle size of 172±1 nm, low polydispersity (i.e. PDI of 0.06±0.02), -potential of -32±3 mV and association efficiency (AE) of 26±1 %. b-Lg nanostructures showed to be stable upon their passage throughout stomach (i.e. particle size, PDI and potential of 248±10 nm, 0.18±0.03 and 18±3 mV, respectively). Concerning their passage throughout the intestine, such nanostructures were mostly degraded in the duodenum. Regarding riboflavin, a release of about 11 % was observed after their passage through stomach, while 35 %, 38 % and 5 % were the released percentages of the total riboflavin associated observed after passage through duodenum, jejunum and ileum, respectively. Hence,b-Lg nanostructures showed to be suitable carriers for riboflavin until the intestine, where their degradation occurs. b-Lg also showed to be structurally stable, under food simulant conditions (yoghurt simulant, composed of 3 % acetic acid), over 14 days, with a protective effect upon riboflavin activity, releasing it in a 7 day period.Oscar L. Ramos, Ricardo N. Pereira and Ana C. Pinheiro gratefully acknowledge their Post-Doctoral grants (SFRH/BPD/80766/2011, SFRH/BPD/81887/2011 and SFRH/BPD/101181/2014, respectively) and Ana I. Bourbon gratefully acknowledge her Doctoral grant (SFRH/BD/73178/2010) to Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia (FCT). The authors would like to acknowledge to Francisco Figueiredo from the Institute for Molecular and Cell Biology (IBMC), University of Porto, for assistance in taking the TEM pictures. The authors thank the FCT Strategic Project of UID/BIO/04469/2013 unit, COMPETE 2020 (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-006684), the project RECI/BBB-EBI/0179/2012 (FCOMP-01-0124-FEDER-027462), and the project "BioInd e Biotechnology and Bioengineering for improved Industrial and Agro-Food processes", REF. NORTE-07-0124-FEDER-000028, co-funded by the Programa Operacional Regional do Norte (ON. 2 - O Novo Norte), QREN, FEDER

Edible bio-based nanostructures: delivery, absorption and potential toxicity

The development of bio-based nanostructures as nanocarriers of bioactive compounds to specific body sites has been presented as a hot topic in food, pharmaceutical and nanotechnology fields. Food and pharmaceutical industries seek to explore the huge potential of these nanostructures, once they can be entirely composed of biocompatible and non-toxic materials. At the same time, they allow the incorporation of lipophilic and hydrophilic bioactive compounds protecting them against degradation, maintaining its active and functional performance. Nevertheless, the physicochemical properties of such structures (e.g., size and charge) could change significantly their behavior in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. The main challenges in the development of these nanostructures are the proper characterization and understanding of the processes occurring at their surface, when in contact with living systems. This is crucial to understand their delivery and absorption behavior as well as to recognize potential toxicological effects. This review will provide an insight into the recent innovations and challenges in the field of delivery via GI tract using bio-based nanostructures. Also, an overview of the approaches followed to ensure an effective deliver (e.g., avoiding physiological barriers) and to enhance stability and absorptive intestinal uptake of bioactive compounds will be provided. Information about nanostructures potential toxicity and a concise description of the in vitro and in vivo toxicity studies will also be given.Joana T. Martins, Oscar L. Ramos, Ana C. Pinheiro, Ana I. Bourbon, Helder D. Silva and Miguel A. Cerqueira (SFRH/BPD/89992/2012, SFRH/BPD/80766/2011, SFRH/BPD/101181/2014, SFRH/BD/73178/2010, SFRH/BD/81288/2011, and SFRH/BPD/72753/2010, respectively) are the recipients of a fellowship from the Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia (FCT, POPH-QREN and FSE, Portugal). The authors thank the FCT Strategic Project PEst-OE/EQB/LA0023/2013 and the project "BioInd-Biotechnology and Bioengineering for improved Industrial and Agro-Food processes," REF.NORTE-07-0124-FEDER-000028, co-funded by the Programa Operacional Regional do Norte (ON.2-O Novo Norte), QREN, FEDER. We also thank to the European Commission: BIOCAPS (316265, FP7/REGPOT-2012-2013.1) and Xunta de Galicia: Agrupamento INBIOMED (2012/273) and Grupo con potencial de crecimiento. The support of EU Cost Action FA1001 is gratefully acknowledged

Familial hypercholesterolaemia in children and adolescents from 48 countries: a cross-sectional study

Background: Approximately 450 000 children are born with familial hypercholesterolaemia worldwide every year, yet only 2·1% of adults with familial hypercholesterolaemia were diagnosed before age 18 years via current diagnostic approaches, which are derived from observations in adults. We aimed to characterise children and adolescents with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolaemia (HeFH) and understand current approaches to the identification and management of familial hypercholesterolaemia to inform future public health strategies. Methods: For this cross-sectional study, we assessed children and adolescents younger than 18 years with a clinical or genetic diagnosis of HeFH at the time of entry into the Familial Hypercholesterolaemia Studies Collaboration (FHSC) registry between Oct 1, 2015, and Jan 31, 2021. Data in the registry were collected from 55 regional or national registries in 48 countries. Diagnoses relying on self-reported history of familial hypercholesterolaemia and suspected secondary hypercholesterolaemia were excluded from the registry; people with untreated LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) of at least 13·0 mmol/L were excluded from this study. Data were assessed overall and by WHO region, World Bank country income status, age, diagnostic criteria, and index-case status. The main outcome of this study was to assess current identification and management of children and adolescents with familial hypercholesterolaemia. Findings: Of 63 093 individuals in the FHSC registry, 11 848 (18·8%) were children or adolescents younger than 18 years with HeFH and were included in this study; 5756 (50·2%) of 11 476 included individuals were female and 5720 (49·8%) were male. Sex data were missing for 372 (3·1%) of 11 848 individuals. Median age at registry entry was 9·6 years (IQR 5·8-13·2). 10 099 (89·9%) of 11 235 included individuals had a final genetically confirmed diagnosis of familial hypercholesterolaemia and 1136 (10·1%) had a clinical diagnosis. Genetically confirmed diagnosis data or clinical diagnosis data were missing for 613 (5·2%) of 11 848 individuals. Genetic diagnosis was more common in children and adolescents from high-income countries (9427 [92·4%] of 10 202) than in children and adolescents from non-high-income countries (199 [48·0%] of 415). 3414 (31·6%) of 10 804 children or adolescents were index cases. Familial-hypercholesterolaemia-related physical signs, cardiovascular risk factors, and cardiovascular disease were uncommon, but were more common in non-high-income countries. 7557 (72·4%) of 10 428 included children or adolescents were not taking lipid-lowering medication (LLM) and had a median LDL-C of 5·00 mmol/L (IQR 4·05-6·08). Compared with genetic diagnosis, the use of unadapted clinical criteria intended for use in adults and reliant on more extreme phenotypes could result in 50-75% of children and adolescents with familial hypercholesterolaemia not being identified. Interpretation: Clinical characteristics observed in adults with familial hypercholesterolaemia are uncommon in children and adolescents with familial hypercholesterolaemia, hence detection in this age group relies on measurement of LDL-C and genetic confirmation. Where genetic testing is unavailable, increased availability and use of LDL-C measurements in the first few years of life could help reduce the current gap between prevalence and detection, enabling increased use of combination LLM to reach recommended LDL-C targets early in life

Experimental Investigation of Concrete Packages for Radioactive Waste Management: Permeability and Influence of Junctions

International audienceWe studied the feasibility of a concrete package for radioactive waste management in a joint program involving Andra (the French agency for radioactive waste management) and CEA (the French atomic energy commission). The package's long-term durability and radionuclides' containment were the major concerns. The presence of junctions between the prefabricated body and the poured-in-place lids was identified as a major weakness. The first objective of this study was to characterize the permeability of the selected concrete and of the package itself (that is to say accounting for the junctions influence). We used special specimens including a junction, and tested three different surface preparation methods. The second objective was to assess the influence of the manufacturing conditions (laboratory and industrial) on permeability

Ionic aqueous diffusion through unsaturated cementitious materials - A comparative study

WOS:000330815100001International audienceThe diffusion coefficient is a highly important parameter either as a durability indicator in the field of civil engineering or as an assessment criterion in the domain of nuclear waste disposal. In this paper we address the fundamental issue of the diffusion coefficient evolution with the water saturation level of cement-based materials. The study is comparing concretes and cement pastes cast with either blended cement or Portland cement. The analysis emphasizes the impact of the pore size distribution on the diffusivity as a function of the saturation degree. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

The Diffusion Coefficient of Ionic Species Through Unsaturated Materials

WOS:000313654300003International audienceThis paper documents the measurement of the chloride diffusion coefficient through partially saturated porous materials. The method was electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and it was validated by comparison to migration tests in fully saturated samples. A microstructure-based electrical equivalent circuit was developed to obtain the main features of the sample including the material electrical resistance for any water saturation degree. It is shown that the chloride diffusion coefficient varies over four orders of magnitude when the material is almost dry to fully saturated

Numerical simulation of sorption-desorption isotherm for cement-based materials

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