Fabrication of Ceramic Monoliths from Diatomaceous Earth: Effects of Calcination Temperature on Silica Phase Transformation

The raw diatomaceous earth from the vicinity of Bitola (North Macedonia) showed low bulk density (0.61–0.69 g/cm3), high-water absorption (75–81%) and porosity (66–72%). The chemical composition was determined with ICP-MS, revealing the following results for the diatomaceous earth: SiO2 (63.69 wt%), Al2O3 (11.79 wt%), Fe2O3 (5.95 wt%), MnO (0.15 wt%), TiO2 (0.65 wt%), CaO (1.51 wt%), MgO (2.24 wt%), P2O5 (0.13 wt%), K2O (1.64 wt%), Na2O (0.93 wt%), LOI (11.21 wt%). XRPD data of the examined sample of clayey diatomite mainly depicted crystalline behavior with a small presence of amorphous phase. The crystalline mineral phases mainly comprise: silica (quartz), feldspars (plagioclase), mica (muscovite), chlorites and dolomite. SEM and TEM results show cased presence of micro- and nanostructures with pores ranging from 250 to 600 nm. The clayey diatomite was sintered at three temperatures (900, 1000 and 1100ºC) for a period of 1 h. XRPD of the sintered samples at 1100ºC showed certain thermal stability and formation of new phases (mullite and tridymite) that makes the analyzed diatomaceous earth suitable for production of various types of ceramic, construction and thermal insulating materials

Report on SHAFE policies, strategies and funding

The objective of Working Group (WG) 4 of the COST Action NET4Age-Friendly is to examine existing policies, advocacy, and funding opportunities and to build up relations with policy makers and funding organisations. Also, to synthesize and improve existing knowledge and models to develop from effective business and evaluation models, as well as to guarantee quality and education, proper dissemination and ensure the future of the Action. The Working Group further aims to enable capacity building to improve interdisciplinary participation, to promote knowledge exchange and to foster a cross-European interdisciplinary research capacity, to improve cooperation and co-creation with cross-sectors stakeholders and to introduce and educate students SHAFE implementation and sustainability (CB01, CB03, CB04, CB05). To enable the achievement of the objectives of Working Group 4, the Leader of the Working Group, the Chair and Vice-Chair, in close cooperation with the Science Communication Coordinator, developed a template (see annex 1) to map the current state of SHAFE policies, funding opportunities and networking in the COST member countries of the Action. On invitation, the Working Group lead received contributions from 37 countries, in a total of 85 Action members. The contributions provide an overview of the diversity of SHAFE policies and opportunities in Europe and beyond. These were not edited or revised and are a result of the main areas of expertise and knowledge of the contributors; thus, gaps in areas or content are possible and these shall be further explored in the following works and reports of this WG. But this preliminary mapping is of huge importance to proceed with the WG activities. In the following chapters, an introduction on the need of SHAFE policies is presented, followed by a summary of the main approaches to be pursued for the next period of work. The deliverable finishes with the opportunities of capacity building, networking and funding that will be relevant to undertake within the frame of Working Group 4 and the total COST Action. The total of country contributions is presented in the annex of this deliverable

Of the importance of a leaf: the ethnobotany of sarma in Turkey and the Balkans

BACKGROUND: Sarma - cooked leaves rolled around a filling made from rice and/or minced meat, possibly vegetables and seasoning plants - represents one of the most widespread feasting dishes of the Middle Eastern and South-Eastern European cuisines. Although cabbage and grape vine sarma is well-known worldwide, the use of alternative plant leaves remains largely unexplored. The aim of this research was to document all of the botanical taxa whose leaves are used for preparing sarma in the folk cuisines of Turkey and the Balkans. Methods: Field studies were conducted during broader ethnobotanical surveys, as well as during ad-hoc investigations between the years 2011 and 2014 that included diverse rural communities in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Kosovo, Albania, Macedonia, Bulgaria, Romania, and Turkey. Primary ethnobotanical and folkloric literatures in each country were also considered. Results: Eighty-seven botanical taxa, mainly wild, belonging to 50 genera and 27 families, were found to represent the bio-cultural heritage of sarma in Turkey and the Balkans. The greatest plant biodiversity in sarma was found in Turkey and, to less extent, in Bulgaria and Romania. The most commonly used leaves for preparing sarma were those of cabbage (both fresh and lacto-fermented), grape vine, beet, dock, sorrel, horseradish, lime tree, bean, and spinach. In a few cases, the leaves of endemic species (Centaurea haradjianii, Rumex gracilescens, and R. olympicus in Turkey) were recorded. Other uncommon sarma preparations were based on lightly toxic taxa, such as potato leaves in NE Albania, leaves of Arum, Convolvulus, and Smilax species in Turkey, of Phytolacca americana in Macedonia, and of Tussilago farfara in diverse countries. Moreover, the use of leaves of the introduced species Reynoutria japonica in Romania, Colocasia esculenta in Turkey, and Phytolacca americana in Macedonia shows the dynamic nature of folk cuisines. Conclusion: The rich ethnobotanical diversity of sarma confirms the urgent need to record folk culinary plant knowledge. The results presented here can be implemented into initiatives aimed at re-evaluating folk cuisines and niche food markets based on local neglected ingredients, and possibly also to foster trajectories of the avant-garde cuisines inspired by ethnobotanical knowledge

CONGENITAL OSTEOCHONDRODYSPLASIA – A CASE REPORT

Congenital osteochondrodysplasia is a rare inborn disorder of the development and growth of bone and cartilage. Its incidence in children is 2–3/10,000. We present the case of a female patient, born in 1952 from an unplanned pregnancy as the fourth child in the family. At her birth the mother was 42 and the father 53 years old. At examination her body height was 152 cm and body weight 87 kg. She was hospitalized at our clinic because of pain in the spinal and peripheral joints from which she had been suff ering since young age. Her father and uncle had similar problems. On physical examination the patient was obese with a large scaphoid calvaria, a very high forehead, a nose with wide base, short trunk and extremities, especially the arms with semi-contractures of the elbow joints and fi ngers of equal length. Th ere was a contracture of the right hip, the feet were in disproportion with the rest of the body, while Lasegue’s test was positive on both sides at 30°. Th e patient’s karyotype was 46 xx. Radiography of the hip joints showed varus deformations and pronounced sclerosis of the femoral head. Th e knee radiographs were characterized by congenital deformities, and there were clinical and radiographic signs of osteoarthritis. Radiographs of the lumbosacral spine and pelvis showed osteoporosis, hyperlordosis, and a compression fracture of the L5 vertebral body. Total T-score of the hip on DEXA scan was –3.7. Based on data from the history, physical examination, as well as clinical and laboratory fi ndings, we established the diagnosis of congenital osteochondrodysplasia, a condition which should be considered and diagnosed as soon as possible. Treatment of the disease is multidisciplinary and mainly symptomatic