DataSheet1_The influence of curing temperature on the strength and phase assemblage of hybrid cements based on GGBFS/FA blends.PDF

Hybrid cements are composites made of Portland cement or Portland clinker and one or more supplementary cementitious materials like slag, fly ash or metakaolin, activated with an alkali salt. To date, their hydration mechanism and the phase formation at various temperatures is insufficiently understood, partly due to the large variability of the raw materials used. In the present study, three hybrid cements based on ground granulated blast furnace slag, fly ash, Portland clinker and sodium sulfate, and an alkali-activated slag/fly ash blend were cured at 10 and 21.5°C, and subsequently analyzed by XRD, 27Al MAS NMR, and TGA. The compressive strength of the hybrid cements was higher by up to 27% after 91-day curing at 10°C, compared to curing at 21.5°C. The experimental results as well as thermodynamic modeling indicate that the differences in compressive strength were related to a different phase assemblage, mainly differing amounts of strätlingite and C-N-A-S-H, and the associated differences of the volume of hydration products. While the strätlingite was amorphous to X-rays, it could be identified by 27Al MAS NMR spectroscopy, TGA and thermodynamic modeling. The microstructural properties of the hybrid cements and the alkali-activated slag/fly ash blend as well as the compatibility between thermodynamic modeling results and experimental data as a function of curing temperature and time are discussed.</p

Additional file 3: of Reduced rate of intensive care unit acquired gram-negative bacilli after removal of sinks and introduction of ‘water-free’ patient care

Colonization with Gram-negative bacilli. (DOCX 28 kb

CSF characteristics according to causative pathogen.

<p>CSF cell count (A), protein concentration (B) and CSF∶blood glucose ratio (C) for cases with confirmed toxoplasmosis (•), crypotoccococis (▪), and tuberculosis (<b>▴</b>). Toxo = toxoplasmosis; crypto = cryptococcosis; TB = TB meningitis.</p

Kaplan Meier survival estimates.

<p>Patients with available long term follow up data: Toxoplasmosis (n = 14), Cryptococcosis (n = 13), TB meningitis (n = 14), no diagnosis (n = 13).</p

Characteristics of patients according to microbiological diagnosis.

<p>Patients with combined TB-toxoplasmosis (n = 5), combined TB-Cryptococcus (n = 2), and no definite diagnosis (n = 14) were excluded from the table. Data are presented as no. of patients/no. evaluated (%) unless stated otherwise.</p><p>GCS = Glasgow Coma Scale.</p>*<p>significantly different: TB vs. toxoplasmosis (p = .01); cryptococcosis vs. toxoplasmosis (p = .02).</p>**<p>significantly different: TB vs. toxoplasmosis (p = .03), cryptococcosis vs. toxoplasmosis (p = .02).</p>***<p>CD4 cell counts were only available for 16 patients with definite diagnoses.</p

Line list of all patients.

<p>M = male; F = female; pos = positive; neg = negative; n/a = not available.</p>*<p>cell numbers are in cells/mL; protein in mg/dL; glucose ratio = CSF glucose∶blood glucose.</p>**<p>TB-toxo = tuberculosis and toxoplasmosis, TB-crypto = tuberculosis and cryptococcosis.</p>φ<p>toxoplasmosis, based on toxoplasma PCR;</p>ε<p>TB meningitis, based on either culture or real time PCR;</p>ν<p>cryptococcosis based on either direct staing, culture, or antigen testing.</p