Concrete with supplementary cementitious materials

This volume contains the proceedings of the MSSCE 2016 conference segment on “Concrete with Supplementary Cementitious Materials” (SCM). The conference segment is organized by the RILEM technical committee TC 238-SCM: Hydration and microstructure of concrete with supplementary cementitious materials. TC 238-SCM started activities in 2011 and has about 50 members from all over the world. The main objective of the committee is to support the increasing utilisation of hydraulic and pozzolanic industrial by-products, natural resources and societal waste to obtain more sustainable, less CO2-intensive binders for the construction industry. The TC serves as a knowledge platform where fundamental science and practical expertise are gathered to create a horizontal overview of the research area and to implement and promote the dissemination of more integrated generic approaches into the scientific community. One of the main challenges of the TC is to deal with SCM variability and binder diversification. The present conference segment deals with theory, modeling, and results from experimental investigations with relation to the use of SCMs in concrete. The topics covered include characterization of SCMs, SCM reactivity in blended cements, cement-SCM interaction, SCM-admixture interaction, hydration products, pore solution composition, effect of SCM on fresh concrete, hardened concrete with SCM, SCM influence on microstructure and durability of concrete with SCM. All these topics have relation to the aforementioned RILEM technical committee 238-SCM. The conference segment is attended by more than 40 presenters from university, industry and practice representing 30 different countries. Hopefully, it will contribute to synthesis of research on concrete with SCMs and promote knowledge transfer from academia to practice. All contributions have been peer reviewed

An optically pumped magnetic gradiometer for the detection of human biomagnetism

We realise an intrinsic optically pumped magnetic gradiometer based on non-linear magneto-optical rotation. We show that our sensor can reach a gradiometric sensitivity of 18 fT cm−1√Hz−1 and can reject common mode homogeneous magnetic field noise with up to 30 dB attenuation. We demonstrate that our magnetic field gradiometer is sufficiently sensitive and resilient to be employed in biomagnetic applications. In particular, we are able to record the auditory evoked response of the human brain, and to perform real-time magnetocardiography in the presence of external magnetic field disturbances. Our gradiometer provides complementary capabilities in human biomagnetic sensing to optically pumped magnetometers, and opens new avenues in the detection of human biomagnetism

The association between newborn regional body composition and cord blood concentrations of C-peptide and insulin-like growth factor I

Third trimester fetal growth is partially regulated by C-peptide and insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I). Prenatal exposures including maternal obesity and high gestational weight gain as well as high birth weight have been linked to subsequent metabolic disease. We evaluated the associations between newborn regional body composition and cord blood levels of C-peptide and IGF-I.We prospectively included obese and normal-weight mothers and their newborns; cord blood was collected and frozen. Analyses of C-peptide and IGF-I were performed simultaneously, after recruitment was completed. Newborn regional body composition was assessed with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scanning (DXA) within 48 hours of birth.Three hundred thirty-six term infants were eligible to participate in the study; of whom 174 (52%) infants had cord blood taken. Total, abdominal and arm and leg fat mass were positively associated with C-peptide (p < 0.001). Arm and leg fat mass was associated with IGF-I concentration: 28 g [95% confidence interval: 4, 53] per doubling of IGF-I. There was no association between total or abdominal fat mass and IGF-I. Fat-free mass was positively associated with both C-peptide (p < 0.001) and IGF-I (p = 0.004).Peripheral fat tissue accumulation was associated with cord blood C-peptide and IGF-I. Total and abdominal fat masses were related to C-peptide but not to IGF-I. Thus, newborn adiposity is partially mediated through C-peptide and early linear growth is associated with IGF-I

problems, policies and prospects

Over the last 25 years the Danish economy has had difficulties in growing as fast as other EU countries and the United States. While the average growth difference is small, it signals that if this trend persists into the next century, Denmark will not be able to maintain its high position in the world income hierarchy. Moreover, during these years, the number of individuals living on transfer incomes have increased dramatically. Although we interpret both tendencies as signals of structural weaknesses, we are also aware that these developments may reflect that other goals in economic policy have been pursued, such as protecting the environment and/or achieving certain redistributive objectives. This paper analyzes this and other broad policy issues of importance for Denmark