Use of Steel Industry Wastes for the Preparation of Self-Cleaning Mortars

An important problem, which must be solved, is the accumulation of industrial waste in landfills. Science has an obligation to transform this waste into new products and, if possible, with high added value. In this sense, we propose the valorization of the waste which is generated in the steel lamination process (HSL) through its conversion into a new material with photocatalytic activity which is suitable for use as an additive to obtain a self-cleaning construction material. The valorization of steel husk lamination waste is achieved through a grinding process, which allows the sample to be homogenized, in size, without altering its phase composition, and a thermal treatment that turns it into iron oxide, which acts as a photocatalyst. These residues, before and after treatment, were characterized by different techniques such as PXRD (Powder X-Ray Diffraction), TGA (Thermogravimetric Analysis), SBET (Specific surface area, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller), SEM (Scanning Electron Microscopy) and Diffuse reflectance (DR). MB and RhB tests show that this material is capable of self-cleaning, both of the material itself and when it is incorporated into a construction material (mortar). In addition, the NOx gas elimination test shows that it is also capable of acting on greenhouse gases such as NOx

La propiedad intelectual, una necesidad impostergable en el sistema de salud de nuestro municipio

La respuesta es sencilla: los derechos de propiedad intelectual se asemejan a cualquier otro derecho de propiedad (permiten al creador o al titular de una patente, marca o derecho de autor, beneficiarse de su obra o inversión).  Estos derechos figuran en el Artículo 27 de la Declaración Universal de Derechos Humanos, donde se establece el derecho a beneficiarse de la protección de los intereses morales y materiales resultantes de la autoría de toda producción científica, literaria o artística.La importancia de la propiedad intelectual empezó por ser reconocida en el Convenio de París para la Protección de la Propiedad Industrial de 1883 y en el Convenio de Berna para la Protección de las Obras Literarias y Artísticas de 1886. La Organización Mundial de la Propiedad Intelectual (OMPI) administra ambos tratados

Soybean as supplement of growing cattle on tropical pasture: effects on intake, digestibility and animal performance

An indoor trial was conducted with weaning heif­ers (experiment 1). Raw whole soybean (RSB), whole soybean heated with steam (SHSB) and extruded whole soybean (EXSB) were given as supplements at 0.7% of live weight (LW). One group was the control, with no supplement. All supplements increased total dry matter (DM) intake and did not affect hay intake. RSB was the most degradable crude protein (CP) source. Total digestive tract digestibility was not affected by treatments, except for apparent CP digestibility. Because total DM intake increased in supplemented animals, all supple­ments increased intake of digestible DM, organic matter (OM) and CP over the control. In another assay (experiment 2) a performance trial was conducted with forty weaned heifers. The same supplements used in experiment 1 were used. Heifers supplemented with EXSB gained the highest and had better apparent feed efficiency. Apparent feed efficiency was similar to those observed in protein supplementation, suggesting that some increase in DM intake from pasture may have occurred. RSB had the poorest apparent feed efficiency which agreed with the numerical lower OM intake observed in experiment 1. All supplemented heifers had higher gain, hip height change, thoracic perimeter and body condition score change than the control group

Kudoa unicapsula n. sp. (Myxosporea: Kudoidae) a parasite of the Mediterranean mullets Liza ramada and L. aurata (Teleostei: Mugilidae)

A new multivalvulid myxozoan parasite, Kudoa unicapsula n. sp., is described from the intestinal mesentery, intestine and pyloric caeca of the thin-lipped grey mullet Liza ramada (Risso 1826) and the golden grey mullet L. aurata (Risso, 1810) from the Mediterranean coastal waters of Spain. It is characterized by the presence of elongated, rice corn-like white cysts of 0.47–0.56×0.18–0.38 mm, filled with tetracapsulate, slightly asymmetric spores, rectangular in apical view and tear-shaped in lateral view with four polar capsules of considerably different size and slightly unequal spore valves with rounded edges, overlapping each other on the apex of the spore. One large polar capsule includes a polar filament coiled in two to three turns, and the other three polar capsules, which are very small, posses only a rudimental filament. Both light and electron microscopy data showed that this species differs from all previously described Kudoa spp. with unequal polar capsules. The molecular analysis based on 18S and 28S ribosomal deoxyribonucleic acid DNA sequence data of K. unicapsula n. sp. indicates a close relationship and thus phylogenetic clustering together with K. trifolia, a myxozoan from the same host and the same geographical location

Ruminal degradability of dry matter Spartina argentinensis hay in cattle

Con el objetivo de evaluar la cinética ruminal de la degradabilidad de la materia seca en henos de espartillo (Spartina argentinensis Parodi, Poaceae: Chloridaeae), se tomaron muestras de dicho material en San Bernardo, Pozo Borrado, Departamento 9 de Julio, Provincia de Santa Fe. En la Estación Experimental Colonia Benítez del Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria-INTA (Chaco, Argentina), este material vegetal fue deshidratado y luego, según la técnica de "suspensión in situ", se introdujo en el rumen de cuatro novillos cruza cebú de 3,5 años de edad y 420 kg de peso vivo, a través de una cánula ruminal implantada en el ijar izquierdo. Para la estimación de la cinética de digestión de la materia seca (MS), se utilizó el modelo propuesto por Orskov y McDonald (1980). La degradabilidad efectiva se calculó de acuerdo a la ecuación de los mismos autores. La cinética de la degradación de S. argentinensis mostró ser diferente entre el corte de 15 días y los correspondientes a 30 y 45 días de edad, diferencia observada desde las 24 hasta las 72 hs de incubación. El análisis de la varianza arrojó diferencias estadísticas significativas para las edades de corte (p= 0,011), y no para las distintas horas de incubación (p= 0,175). Se concluye que la degradabilidad ruminal de la MS del heno de S. argentinensis fue mayor en el rebrote.In order to evaluate the ruminal kinetics of the degradability dry matter of Spartina argentinensis hay in Parodi (Poaceae: Chloridaeae), samples of this material were taken in San Bernardo, Pozo Borrado, 9 de Julio Department, Santa Fe. At the Experimental Station INTA (Colonia Benítez, Chaco, Argentina), this plant material was dehydrated and then, according to the "in situ suspension" technique, it was introduced into the rumen of four steers zebu (3.5 years old, 420 kg weight), through ruminal cannula in the left flank. To estimate the digestion kinetics of dry matter (DM), the model proposed by Orskov and McDonald (1980) was used. The effective degradability was calculated according to the equation of the same authors. The degradation kinetics showed to be different between the cut of 15 days and those corresponding to 30 and 45 days of age, the observed difference from 24 to 72 hours of incubation. Analysis of variance showed significant statistic difference in the age cut (p= 0.011), but not for incubation differents hours (p= 0.175). It was concluded that rumen degradability of S. argentinensis hay dry matter, was greater in regrowth.EEA Colonia BenitezFil: Slanac, Alcides L. Universidad Nacional del Nordeste. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Cátedra de Fisiología; ArgentinaFil: Defagot, E. Universidad Nacional del Nordeste. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Cátedra de Nutrición y Alimentación Animal; ArgentinaFil: Balbuena, Osvaldo. INTA. Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Colonia Benítez; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Nordeste. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Cátedra de Nutrición y Alimentación Animal; Argentin

Compressive strength and microstructure of alkali-activated mortars with high ceramic waste content

[EN] The present work investigated alkali-activated mortars with high ceramic waste contents. Tile ceramic waste (TCW) was used as both a recycled aggregate (TCWA) and a precursor (TCWP) to obtain a binding matrix by the alkali-activation process. Mortars with natural siliceous (quartz) and calcareous (limestone) aggregates, and with other ceramic waste materials (red clay brick RCB and ceramic sanitaryware CSW waste), were also prepared for comparison purposes. Given the lower density and higher water absorption values of the ceramic aggregates, compared to the natural ones, it was necessary to adapt the preparation process of the recycled mortars by presaturating the aggregate with water before mixing with the TCWP alkali-activated paste. Aggregate type considerably determined the mechanical behaviour of the samples cured at 65 °C for 3 days. The mortars prepared with the siliceous aggregate presented poor mechanical properties, even when cured at 65 °C. The behaviour of the limestone aggregate mortars depended heavily on the applied curing temperature and, although they presented the best mechanical properties of all those cured at room temperature, their compressive strength reached a maximum when cured at 65 °C, and then decreased. The mechanical properties of the mortars prepared with TCWA progressively increased with curing time (53 MPa at 65 °C for 28 days). An optimum 50 wt% proportion was observed for the limestone/TCWA mortars (¿43 MPa, 3 days at 65 °C), whereas the mechanical properties of that prepared with siliceous particles (10 MPa) progressively increased with the TCWA content, up to 100 wt% substitution (23 MPa). Limestone particles interacted with the binding matrix, and played an interesting beneficial role at the 20 °C curing temperature, with a slight reduction when cured long term (28 days) at 65 °C. The results demonstrated a potential added value for these ceramic waste materials.The authors would like to thank the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation and the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness for supporting this study through Projects GEOCEDEM BIA 2011-26947 and BIA2015 70107-R, respectively. They also thank FEDER funding.Reig, L.; Sanz, M.; Borrachero Rosado, MV.; Monzó Balbuena, JM.; Soriano Martínez, L.; Paya Bernabeu, JJ. (2017). Compressive strength and microstructure of alkali-activated mortars with high ceramic waste content. Ceramics International. 43(16):16322-16334. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ceramint.2017.07.072S1632216334431