Mechanical properties of geopolymer concretes reinforced with waste steel fibers

The article presents the research that try to determinate the possibilities of utilization the waste came from used tires to create the composites based on geopolymer matrix. The tire is multicomponent construction. It mainly consists of elastomer (rubber), metal and textile fibres such called textile cord. A lot of components causes difficulties in the tire recycling process. The main aim of the research was determinate the possibilities of recycling the waste steel from used tires in geopolymer composites and develop the eco-friendly material for construction industry. The matrix based on fly ash from power station located in city named Skawina (Poland) and fine sand at a ratio of 1:1. The process of activation was made by 10M sodium hydroxide solution combined with the sodium silicate solution. In order to manufacture these composites the addition of 2% and 3.5% of waste steel fibres by mass was applied. Also specimen without steel fiber reinforcement were made to get reference specimens. The waste steel fibres came from recycling company from Argentina - 'Regomax'. The specimens were prepared according to the methodology described in the standard EN 12390-1. The research methods used were: microstructure research, tensile strength and compressive strength tests as well as analysis of breakthroughs.Fil: Gailitis, R. Riga Technical University; LetoniaFil: Korniejenko, K. Cracow University Of Technology; PoloniaFil: Lach, M. Riga Technical University; LetoniaFil: Sliseris, J. Riga Technical University; LetoniaFil: Moran, Juan Ignacio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencia y Tecnología de Materiales. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ingeniería. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencia y Tecnología de Materiales; ArgentinaFil: Rodriguez, Exequiel Santos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencia y Tecnología de Materiales. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ingeniería. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencia y Tecnología de Materiales; ArgentinaFil: Mikula, J. Cracow University Of Technology; Poloni

The Effects of Small Metal Additions (Co,Cu,Ga,Mn,Al,Bi,Sn) on the Magnetocaloric Properties of the Gd5Ge2Si2 Alloy

The structural and magnetic properties of arc-melted and homogenized (1300 °C, 1 h) alloys of Gd5Ge1.9Si2X0.1 (X = Cu, Co, Ga, Mn, Al, Bi, or Sn) were investigated by powder x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, and magnetometry. The addition of Cu, Ga, Mn, and Al completely eliminated the large hysteresis losses present in the undoped Gd5Ge2Si2 alloy between 270 and 330 K, broadened the magnetic entropy change ΔSm peak, and shifted its peak value from 275 to 305 K similar to that observed earlier for Gd5Ge1.9Si2Fe0.1. The addition of Bi or Sn had a negligible effect on either the alloy hysteresis losses or the characteristics of the ΔSm vs T peak. The microstructure of the alloy doped with Cu, Co, Ga, Mn, or Al consisted of a majority phase (depleted of silicon) and a minor intergranular phase (rich in silicon and of the corresponding metal additive). For Bi or Sn doping, the microstructure consisted of only the Gd5Ge2Si2 phase. Low temperature x-ray diffraction data on an Fe-doped sample showed the same spectra at 245 and 300 K, consistent with the majority phase possessing an orthorhombic structure. Refrigeration capacity calculations show that Gd5Ge1.9Si2X0.1 (X = Fe,Cu,Co,Ga,Mn, or Al) alloys are superior magnetic refrigerants compared to the undoped Gd5Ge2Si2 alloy

Effects of Metazachlor on Vitellogenin Induction in Zebrafish (Danio rerio)

The influence of metazachlor on vitellogenesis in juvenile (20 days old) zebrafish (Danio rerio) was investigated after ambient water exposure to concentrations of 0.1, 1.0 and 5.0 mg l-1 of the chloroacetanilide herbicide Butisan 400 SC containing approximately 35.6% (w/w) metazachlor. After 20 days of exposure, vitellogenin concentrations in whole-body homogenates of the fish were measured by direct sandwich ELISA. The results were compared to vitellogenin concentrations in fish from both negative (no exposure) and positive (exposed to natural oestrogen 17β-oestradiol) control groups. Exposure to Butisan 400 SC at a concentration of 5.0 mg l-1 induced vitellogenin synthesis significantly compared to the control fish (p < 0.05). The oestrogenic effect of 17β-oestradiol was confirmed

Measuring the health impact of human rights violations related to Australian asylum policies and practices: A mixed methods study

This article has been made available through the Brunel Open Access Publishing Fund - Copyright @ 2009 Johnston et al.BACKGROUND: Human rights violations have adverse consequences for health. However, to date, there remains little empirical evidence documenting this association, beyond the obvious physical and psychological effects of torture. The primary aim of this study was to investigate whether Australian asylum policies and practices, which arguably violate human rights, are associated with adverse health outcomes. METHODS: We designed a mixed methods study to address the study aim. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 71 Iraqi Temporary Protection Visa (TPV) refugees and 60 Iraqi Permanent Humanitarian Visa (PHV) refugees, residing in Melbourne, Australia. Prior to a recent policy amendment, TPV refugees were only given temporary residency status and had restricted access to a range of government funded benefits and services that permanent refugees are automatically entitled to. The quantitative results were triangulated with semi-structured interviews with TPV refugees and service providers. The main outcome measures were self-reported physical and psychological health. Standardised self-report instruments, validated in an Arabic population, were used to measure health and wellbeing outcomes. RESULTS: Forty-six percent of TPV refugees compared with 25% of PHV refugees reported symptoms consistent with a diagnosis of clinical depression (p = 0.003). After controlling for the effects of age, gender and marital status, TPV status made a statistically significant contribution to psychological distress (B = 0.5, 95% CI 0.3 to 0.71, p </= 0.001) amongst Iraqi refugees. Qualitative data revealed that TPV refugees generally felt socially isolated and lacking in control over their life circumstances, because of their experiences in detention and on a temporary visa. This sense of powerlessness and, for some, an implicit awareness they were being denied basic human rights, culminated in a strong sense of injustice. CONCLUSION: Government asylum policies and practices violating human rights norms are associated with demonstrable psychological health impacts. This link between policy, rights violations and health outcomes offers a framework for addressing the impact of socio-political structures on health.This research was supported by an Australian National and Medical Research Council PhD Scholarship (N. 251782) and a Victorian Health Promotion Foundation research grant (No. 2002-0280)

Justice and feelings: Toward a new era in justice research

In this special issue, the relationship between feelings and justice and its consequences are highlighted. Five articles discuss the role that affect, feelings, and emotions play in justice processes across a variety of social settings. In the present introductory article, the position of past and present justice research in relationship to these topics is briefly reviewed. In addition, reasons are outlined to show why a focus on these issues may be pivotal for a better understanding of social justice and how this may pave the way for a new, more process-oriented era in social justice research, focusing more on “hot” cognitive aspects as they pertain to social justice concerns

A proposal for a coordinated effort for the determination of brainwide neuroanatomical connectivity in model organisms at a mesoscopic scale

In this era of complete genomes, our knowledge of neuroanatomical circuitry remains surprisingly sparse. Such knowledge is however critical both for basic and clinical research into brain function. Here we advocate for a concerted effort to fill this gap, through systematic, experimental mapping of neural circuits at a mesoscopic scale of resolution suitable for comprehensive, brain-wide coverage, using injections of tracers or viral vectors. We detail the scientific and medical rationale and briefly review existing knowledge and experimental techniques. We define a set of desiderata, including brain-wide coverage; validated and extensible experimental techniques suitable for standardization and automation; centralized, open access data repository; compatibility with existing resources, and tractability with current informatics technology. We discuss a hypothetical but tractable plan for mouse, additional efforts for the macaque, and technique development for human. We estimate that the mouse connectivity project could be completed within five years with a comparatively modest budget.Comment: 41 page

HOX transcription factors are potential therapeutic targets in non-small-cell lung cancer (targeting HOX genes in lung cancer)

The HOX genes are a family of homeodomain-containing transcription factors that determine the identity of cells and tissues during embryonic development. They are also known to behave as oncogenes in some haematological malignancies. In this study, we show that the expression of many of the HOX genes is highly elevated in primary non-small-cell lung cancers (NSCLCs) and in the derived cell lines A549 and H23. Furthermore, blocking the activity of HOX proteins by interfering with their binding to the PBX co-factor causes these cells to undergo apoptosis in vitro and reduces the growth of A549 tumours in vivo. These findings suggest that the interaction between HOX and PBX proteins is a potential therapeutic target in NSCLC

Targeting HOX transcription factors in prostate cancer

YesBackground: The HOX genes are a family of transcription factors that help to determine cell and tissue identity during early development, and which are also over-expressed in a number of malignancies where they have been shown to promote cell proliferation and survival. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the expression of HOX genes in prostate cancer and to establish whether prostate cancer cells are sensitive to killing by HXR9, an inhibitor of HOX function. Methods: HOX function was inhibited using the HXR9 peptide. HOX gene expression was assessed by RNA extraction from cells or tissues followed by quantitative PCR, and siRNA was used to block the expression of the HOX target gene, cFos. In vivo modelling involved a mouse flank tumour induced by inoculation with LNCaP cells. Results: In this study we show that the expression of HOX genes in prostate tumours is greatly increased with respect to normal prostate tissue. Targeting the interaction between HOX proteins and their PBX cofactor induces apoptosis in the prostate cancer derived cell lines PC3, DU145 and LNCaP, through a mechanism that involves a rapid increase in the expression of cFos, an oncogenic transcription factor. Furthermore, disrupting HOX/PBX binding using the HXR9 antagonist blocks the growth of LNCaP tumours in a xenograft model over an extended period. Conclusion: Many HOX genes are highly over-expressed in prostate cancer, and prostate cancer cells are sensitive to killing by HXR9 both in vitro and in vivo. The HOX genes are therefore a potential therapeutic target in prostate cancer.The authors gratefully acknowledge the support of the Prostate Project charity (UK)