Environmental Impact of Phosphogypsum-Derived Building Materials

The aim of the present work was to characterize the products obtained from the treatment of phosphogypsum residue by means of two recovery routes, and also to evaluate the concentrations of heavy metals and radionuclides in the materials obtained and their leachates. In this way, it is possible to determine how the most hazardous components of phosphogypsum behave during procedures until their stabilization through CO(2)fixation. This study provides an initial estimate of the possibilities of reusing the resulting products from a health and safety risk standpoint and their potential polluting capacity. The phases resulting from the transformations were controlled, and the behaviour of standard mortars manufactured from the resulting paste lime was studied. In all cases, an additional control of the leachate products was performed

Phosphogypsum waste lime as a promising substitute of commercial limes : a rheological approach

This paper presents the rheological properties of three types of lime putty, specifying the influence of their origin. The study aims to compare a special lime putty prepared from phosphogypsum with a commercial lime powder and an aged lime putty. The results obtained in terms of chemical composition, crystalline structure, grain size and rheological characterization, (linear viscoelasticity, shear rate and time-dependent flow behaviour) are presented in the study. Putties studied present a similar rheological response, which mainly depends on the particle size and water content. Lower values of the linear viscoelastic functions and viscosity were found for the phosphogypsum lime putty, in agreement with the higher particle size. Transient flow tests reveal a predominant elastic response with no significant shear-induced structural perturbations. However, either a thickening phenomenon over time, i.e. rheopexy, favoured at low shear rates, or a viscosity decrease, i.e. thixotropy, favoured at high shear rates, was observed.The authors would like to thank the aid of CITIUS at the University of Seville for the use of their laboratories for the characterization analyses. A.M.B.-L. has received a Ph.D. Research Grant from the Ministerio de Education, Cultura y Deporte (FPU16/03697)

Characterization and Analysis of the Carbonation Process of a Lime Mortar Obtained from Phosphogypsum Waste

This work addresses the reuse of waste products as a raw material for lime putties, which are one of the components of mortar. 1:3 Lime/sand mortars very similar to conventional construction mortars were prepared using a lime putty obtained from the treatment of phosphogypsum with sodium hydroxide. The physical, rheological and mechanical properties of this phosphogypsum-derived mortar have been studied, as well as the mineralogical composition, microstructure by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and curing process by monitoring carbonation and ultrasonic propagation velocity. Considering the negative influence of sulphates on the hardened material, the behaviour of the material after sulphates precipitation by adding barium sulphate was additionally tested. Carbonation progressed from the outside to the inside of the specimen through the porous system by Liesegang rings patterns for mortars with soluble sulphates, while the carbonation with precipitated sulphates was controlled by diffusion-precipitation. Overall, the negative influence of low-sulphate contents on the mechanical properties of mortars was verified. It must be highlighted the importance of their precipitation to obtain adequate performance.This research was funded by Programa Estatal I+D+i Retos de la Sociedad of the Ministry of Science and Innovation (Spain), which supported this research (MAT2017-84228-R research project)

Creació d'un SIG per la gestió de la xarxa de reg municipal d'Olesa de Montserrat

La situació actual de sequera serà cada vegada més habitual a causa del canvi climàtic. És per això que, a més de lluitar per revertirho, cal adoptar diferents mesures que permetin pal·liar els seus efectes. La principal conseqüència de la sequera és la manca d'aigua, sent aquest un recurs clau pel nostre dia a dia. Gràcies a plans d'acció com l'Agenda 2030 aprovada el 2015, on es troben els Objectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible, fan que, entre altres accions, les ciutats tinguin més espais verds. Això comporta que aquestes zones tinguin un manteniment i reg constant. A la majoria dels municipis, l'aigua utilitzada és potable. Les xarxes de reg acostumen a tenir moltes pèrdues d'aigua degut al seu difícil accés i manteniment, ja que és complicat conèixer quan està tenint pèrdues un circuit i en quin punt exacte per poder-ho reparar. A Olesa de Montserrat aposten per millorar la xarxa de reg i, per tant, estalviar i optimitzar els recursos que queden. És per això que es duu a terme aquest projecte de creació d'un SIG municipal que permeti la gestió de la xarxa de reg i un punt clau per al pas cap a la telegestió.The current drought situation will become increasingly common due to climate change. That is why, in addition to fighting to reverse it, various measures need to be taken to alleviate its effects. The main consequence of drought is the lack of water, which is a key resource for our everyday lives. Thanks to action plans such as the 2030 Agenda adopted in 2015, where the Sustainable Development Goals are located, cities have more green spaces, among other actions. This means that these areas have constant maintenance and irrigation. In most municipalities, the water used is potable. Irrigation networks typically have many water losses due to their difficult access and maintenance, as it is difficult to know when a circuit is having losses and at what exact point to repair it. Olesa de Montserrat is aiming to improve the irrigation network and thus save and optimize the remaining resources. That is why this project to create a municipal GIS is being carried out to allow the management of the irrigation network and a key point for the move towards remote management

Empowerment, stress vulnerability and burnout among portuguese nursing staff

The work environment in Portuguese hospitals, characterized by economic cutbacks, can lead to higher levels of burnout experienced by nursing staff. Furthermore, vulnerability to stress can negatively affect the perception of burnout in the workplace. However, structural empowerment is an organizational process that can prevent and decrease burnout among nurses. Consequently, the aim of the study was to examine to what extent structural empowerment and vulnerability to stress can play a predictive role in core burnout in a sample of Portuguese nurses. A convenience sample of 297 nursing staff members from Portuguese hospitals was used in this study. Core burnout was negatively and significantly related to all the dimensions of structural empowerment, and it was positively and significantly related to vulnerability to stress. Regression models showed that core burnout was significantly predicted by access to funds, access to opportunities and vulnerability to stress. Organizational administrations must make every effort in designing interventions focused on structural empowerment, as well as interventions focused on individual interventions that enhance skills for coping with stress.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Preventive treatments for breast cancer: recent developments

Breast cancer is a burden for western societies, and an increasing one in emerging economies, because of its high incidence and enormous psychological, social, sanitary and economic costs. However, breast cancer is a preventable disease in a significant proportion. Recent developments in the armamentarium of effective drugs for breast cancer prevention (namely exemestane and anastrozole), the new recommendation from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence to use preventative drugs in women at high risk as well as updated Guidelines from the US Preventive Services Task Force and the American Society of Clinical Oncology should give renewed momentum to the pharmacological prevention of breast cancer. In this article we review recent major developments in the field and examine their ongoing repercussion for breast cancer prevention. As a practical example, the potential impact of preventive measures in Spain is evaluated and a course of practical actions is delineated

Occupancy, colonization and extinction patterns of rabbit populations: implications for Iberian lynx conservation

In Mediterranean ecosystems, rabbits are a key prey species for many predators, such as the Iberian lynx, which is threatened with extinction and has gone extinct locally in several regions of its historical distribution range. One of these regions is Serra da Malcata Nature Reserve, Portugal, which is also currently proposed as a potential site for reintroduction. We intended to investigate annual variation, potential time trends and the effects of management practices on the rabbit population in Serra da Malcata as a model for future potential reintroduction areas. The rabbit population was monitored over 12 years (from 1997 to 2009) by counting latrines along linear transects. These data were used to estimate rabbit occupancy, colonization and extinction patterns using a likelihood-basedmethodincluding habitat, population and topographic covariate effects. Our results suggest that initial occupancy, when management practices were absent, was driven by the presence of Erica spp. and Cistus ladanifer shrubs and by distance to summits. Site colonization was positively influenced by the presence of edges between shrubs and pastureland and by patterns of rabbit distribution in the previous sampling season. On the other hand, local extinction was negatively influenced by edges. We conclude that the increase in rabbit occupancy and local colonization patterns was clearly associated with management actions (particularly, the creation of pasturelands), although the recovery of the species was noticeably limited by previous patterns of spatial distribution.publishe