Novel applications for paper sludge ash

The disposal of paper sludge ash (PSA) generated by the UK paper industry has caused environmental concerns and there is a need to provide more sustainable management options as an alternative to landfill. This study investigated and developed viable technologies for the production of waste-derived lightweight filler (LWF) particles with high strength-to-density ratios and hydrophobic materials. Two types of PSA, supplied by Aylesford Newsprint and UPM-Shotton recycled paper mills, were processed into LWFs and hydrophobic powders. They were both composed of gehlenite (Ca2Al2SiO7), calcite (CaCO3), calcium silicate (a’– Ca2SiO4), lime (CaO) and quartz (SiO2). Given that PSA exhibited low sintering reactivity at temperatures up to 1200 °C, recycled soda-lime glass was used to promote sintering while minimising the energy intensity of the proposed thermal treatment. Wet-milling of glass with PSA addition up to 20 wt. % produced foamed lightweight materials (~1 g˙cm-3) after rapid sintering at 800 °C. This was shown to be because of extensive growth of pores caused by gas evolution from the decomposition of, primarily, calcium carbonate present in PSA. Thermodynamic considerations for the 80/20 glass/PSA system also showed that the amount of gas evolved and entrapped within the sintered body determined the extent of closed-cell porosity for mixes of given viscosity and particle size characteristics. This was found to be a time-sensitive mechanism on a minutes scale. Incorporation of such low water permeability LWFs in cement mortars corroborated their use as structural, thermal-insulating materials. Dry milling of PSA particles with stearic acid led to unexpected surface functionalization inducing super-hydrophobicity. Both PSA samples exhibited water contact angles in the region of 150° when treated with 4 wt. % of stearic acid under optimised process conditions. This was due to the formation of calcium stearate self-assembling layers physically and chemically adsorbed on fracture PSA surfaces. PSA particles exhibited higher hydrophobicity when treated with stearic acid compared to other inorganic substrates and organic acids investigated. Research findings indicate that manufacturing of glass/PSA LWFs and PSA-based hydrophobic materials was technically feasible at laboratory scale. Economic and environmental benefits could drive commercial exploitation of research outputs.Open Acces

The Terracottas from the Sanctuary of Artemis Limnatis at Messene

This work-in-progress focuses on the terracottas from the sanctuary of Artemis Limnatis on Μount Ithome in ancient Messene. The assemblage includes mostly Artemis figurines of a type similar to the iconography of Artemis Bendis in Attica, but also of Hekate and Enodia in Thessaly. Apart from the terracotta figurines from the sanctuary, terracottas from the other sanctuaries in the city, such as the sanctuary of Artemis Orthia, also are briefly discussed

Discriminación y violencia : el caso de "Vals capricho" de Rosario Castellanos y "Teresa" de Onelio Jorge Cardoso

En la narrativa de Rosario Castellanos encontramos conflictos raciales que caracterizan el ambiente de la provincia del México en la época postrevolucionaria y determinan la forma de vida socioeconómica de los individuos. En Vals capricho, la protagonista conoce en carne propia la marginación social solo por llevar la sangre india. Así que ella nunca será aceptada por una sociedad implacable que la conducirá a la locura y la amarga soledad. Por otra parte, Onelio Jorge Cardoso, a través de sus cuentos presenta a personajes que viven en condiciones de exclusión y discriminación y sufren las consecuencias de la crisis política, social y moral de Cuba, debido a las estructuras sociales de su época que siembran en el individuo miedos y prejuicios. Específicamente en Teresa, una mujer de las capas bajas, siente vergüenza de su origen, por eso, trata con actitud racista a dos personas de color, considerándolas inferiores cultural y mentalmente, sometiéndolas a la marginación y privándolas de la plenitud. El objetivo de este trabajo es a través de un estudio histórico-cultural destacar motivos predominantes como la violencia y la discriminación social entre otros latentes en los cuentos anteriormente mencionados.In Rosario Castellanos' narrative we find racial conflicts that characterize the environment of the province of Mexico in the post-revolutionary era and determine the socioeconomic way of life of individuals. In Wals Capricho, the protagonist knows in her own flesh the social marginalization only by carrying Indian blood. So she will never be accepted by a relentless society that will lead her to madness and bitter loneliness. On the other hand, Onelio Jorge Cardoso, through his stories, presents characters that live in conditions of exclusion and discrimination and suffer the consequences of the political, social and moral crisis of Cuba, due to the social structures of their time that they sow in the individual fears and prejudices. Specifically, in Teresa, a woman of the lower social layers, feeling ashamed of her origin, treats two people of color with a racist attitude, considering them culturally and mentally inferior; thus, subjects them to marginalization and deprives them of happiness. The objective of this work is through a historical-cultural study to highlight predominant reasons such as violence and social discrimination among others latent in the aforementioned stories

Discriminación y violencia

In Rosario Castellanos' narrative we find racial conflicts that characterize the environment of the province of Mexico in the post-revolutionary period and determine the socioeconomic way of life of individuals. In "Vals capricho", the protagonist knows firsthand the social marginalization only for carrying Indian blood. So she will never be accepted by a ruthless society that will lead her to madness and bitter loneliness. On the other hand, Onelio Jorge Cardoso, through his stories presents characters who live in conditions of exclusion and discrimination and suffer the consequences of the political, social and moral crisis in Cuba, due to the social structures of his time that they sow in the individual fears and prejudices. Specifically in “Teresa”, a woman from the lower classes, she is ashamed of her origin, therefore, she treats two people of color with a racist attitude, considering them culturally and mentally inferior, subjecting them to marginalization and depriving them of happiness. The objective of this work is through a historical-cultural study to highlight predominant motives such as violence and social discrimination, among other latent in the stories mentioned above.En la narrativa de Rosario Castellanos encontramos conflictos raciales que caracterizan el ambiente de la provincia del México en la época postrevolucionaria y determinan la forma de vida socioeconómica de los individuos. En “Vals capricho”, la protagonista conoce en carne propia la marginación social solo por llevar la sangre india. Así que ella nunca será aceptada por una sociedad implacable que la conducirá a la locura y la amarga soledad. Por otra parte, Onelio Jorge Cardoso, a través de sus cuentos presenta a personajes que viven en condiciones de exclusión y discriminación y sufren las consecuencias de la crisis política, social y moral de Cuba, debido a las estructuras sociales de su época que siembran en el individuo miedos y prejuicios. Específicamente en “Teresa”, una mujer de las capas bajas, siente vergüenza de su origen, por eso, trata con actitud racista a dos personas de color, considerándolas inferiores cultural y mentalmente, sometiéndolas a la marginación y privándolas de la plenitud. El objetivo de este trabajo es a través de un estudio histórico-cultural destacar motivos predominantes como la violencia y la discriminación social  entre otros latentes en los cuentos anteriormente mencionados

El padre en los cuentos de Emilia Pardo Bazán y Onelio Jorge Cardoso

Ejemplos representativos constituyen los cuentos de Emilia Pardo Bazán, “En el nombre del Padre” y “Las medias rojas”, y los de Onelio Jorge Cardoso, “Leonela” y “Por el río”. En esta investigación, mediante un análisis histórico cultural, se estudian dichos cuentos, con el objetivo de resaltar la relación padre-hija y su efecto en el desarrollo de la personalidad femenina

Representations of Masked Figures: A Comparative Study and an Interpretative Approach to their Cult-Use and Meaning

This note is a condensed version of a forthcoming study to appear in Popular religion and ritual in Prehistoric and ancient Greece and the east Mediterranean, edited by G. Vavouranakis, K. Kopanias, K. Kanellopoulos and Y. Papadatos, Oxbow, 2017. It focuses on handmade figurines of the Classical period with mold-made, mask-like faces that were brought to light at the Cave of the Nymphs in Lechova, Corinthia. An examination of their iconographic characteristics in relation to other representations of similar iconography, as well as literary sources mentioning the use of masks in ritual, shed light on their use in initiation rites

The female characters in the short stories of Inés Arredondo and Onelio Jorge Cardoso

Inés Arredondo (1928-1989) and Onelio Jorge Cardoso (1914-1986) are two of the greatest novelists of the 20th century in Mexico and Cuba respectively. Their preoccupation with the inferior social status of women stands out among their themes. The theoretical framework of this study is based on a historical and cultural approach. Specifically, we analyze the female characters through the internal and external conflicts which cause their constant suffering, in order to decode their complexity and explore the reasons that prevent their happiness. The first part of the dissertation refers to the literary work of Inés Arredondo which analyzes the historical-cultural frame in which the author lived and grew up (authoritarian regimes, social inequality, political instability etc.). There is also a brief reference to her work and the influence of the philosophical movements of existentialism and surrealism on her writing. At the same time we examine her relationship with the literary Generation of Medio Siglo. Then we study the development of the female character in her short stories, while we analyze the different thematic axes (maternity, incest, couples in relationship failure, delinquency, grotesco) through which the author presents the worldview and the existential concerns of her main characters. The second part is dedicated to the work of Onelio Jorge Cardoso. First we present the author’s life and work in the historical-cultural context of his time (economic crisis, violation of human and civil rights, etc.), while we emphasize the literary movements that influenced him, we explore the concept of criollismo and we analyze the evolution of the female character in his short stories . Finally, we study some of his characteristic short stories, on the basis of different thematic axes (maternity, failure in marriage, female exploitation, superstition, the independent woman), focusing on the tragic position of women.Η Inés Arredondo (1928-1989) και ο Onelio Jorge Cardoso (1914-1986) είναι δυο από τους μεγαλύτερους διηγηματογράφους του 20ου αιώνα, στο Μεξικό και στην Κούβα αντιστοίχως. Ανάμεσα στα θέματα τους ξεχωρίζει η ιδιαίτερη ενασχόλησή τους με την κατώτερη κοινωνική θέση της γυναίκας. Η προσέγγισή μας στην παρούσα μελέτη είναι η ιστορικοπολιτιστική. Eιδικότερα, αναλύουμε τα γυναικεία πρόσωπα μέσα από τις εσωτερικές και εξωτερικές τους συγκρούσεις, με σκοπό να αποκωδικοποιήσουμε την πολυπλοκότητα τους και να διερευνήσουμε τους λόγους που εμποδίζουν την ευτυχία τους. Το πρώτο μέρος της διατριβής αναφέρεται στο λογοτεχνικό έργο της Inés Arredondo όπου αναλύεται το ιστορικό-πολιτιστικό πλαίσιο εντός του οποίου έζησε και μεγάλωσε η συγγραφέας (απολυταρχικά καθεστώτα, κοινωνική ανισότητα, πολιτική αστάθεια, κ.τ.λ.), πραγματοποιείται μια σύντομη αναφορά στο έργο της και στις επιδράσεις που δέχτηκε από τα φιλοσοφικά ρεύματα του υπαρξισμού και σουρεαλισμού, ενώ παράλληλα εξετάζεται η σχέση της με τη λογοτεχνική γενιά του Medio Siglo. Στη συνέχεια μελετάται η εξέλιξη του γυναικείου προσώπου στα διηγήματα της και αναλύονται οι διαφορετικοί θεματικοί άξονες αντιπροσωπευτικών διηγημάτων της (μητρότητα, αιμομιξία, αποτυχία στην σχέση των ζευγαριών, παραβατικότητα, grotesco), μέσω των οποίων παρουσιάζονται η κοσμοθεωρία και οι υπαρξιακές ανησυχίες των πρωταγωνιστριών της.Το δεύτερο μέρος είναι αφιερωμένο στο έργο του Onelio Jorge Cardoso. Εδώ παρουσιάζεται η ζωή και το έργο του συγγραφέα στο ιστορικό-πολιτιστικό περιβάλλον της εποχής του (οικονομική κρίση, παραβίαση ανθρωπίνων και πολιτικών δικαιωμάτων, κ.τ.λ.), ενώ συγχρόνως δίνεται έμφαση στα λογοτεχνικά ρεύματα τα οποία τον επηρέασαν, διερευνάται η έννοια του criollismo στο έργο του και αναλύεται η εξέλιξη του γυναικείου προσώπου στα διηγήματα του. Τέλος, μελετώνται οι διαφορετικοί θεματικοί άξονες χαρακτηριστικών διηγημάτων του (μητρότητα, αποτυχία στο γάμο, γυναικεία εκμετάλλευση, δεισιδαιμονία, ανεξάρτητη γυναίκα) στα οποία υπογραμμίζεται η τραγική θέση της γυναίκας

Immigrants in Athens: social and urban transformations

111 σ.Η Ελλάδα ανέκαθεν διατηρούσε μία ιδιόμορφη σχέση με το φαινόμενο της μετανάστευσης. Σημαντική είναι η εξοικείωση των Ελλήνων με αυτή, κυρίως λόγω του γεγονότος ότι η χώρα έχει τόσο αποστείλει, όσο και υποδεχθεί μεγάλο αριθμό μεταναστών. Ο πολυεπίπεδος αποκλεισμός των μεταναστών αποτελεί βασικό αίτιο για τη δημιουργία μισαλλόδοξων απόψεων, ενώ το κράτος μοιάζει απρόθυμο να αντιμετωπίσει το θέμα με σοβαρούς όρους. Ακόμη, η ραγδαία αύξηση της ρατσιστικής βίας επιβεβαιώνει την επικαιρότητα του ζητήματος. Στη διάλεξη αυτή, θα επικεντρωθούμε στην περίπτωση των εισροών δίνοντας ιδιαίτερη έμφαση στην τελευταία περίοδο που εξελίσσεται από το 1990 έως σήμερα. Σο πρώτο μέρος αναφέρεται σε πιο γενικευμένες θεωρήσεις επάνω σε έννοιες, ορολογίες, νομοθεσίες και γενικότερα η προσέγγισή του είναι περισσότερο κοινωνιολογική. Η δεύτερη ενότητα στοχεύει στη χωρική αποτύπωσή της μετανάστευσης στην Αθήνα, ερευνώντας τον τρόπο με τον οποίο εισχωρούν τα μεταναστευτικά ρεύματα στην ελληνική κοινωνία. Αξιοσημείωτη είναι η σταδιακή αλλαγή στη φυσιογνωμία ορισμένων κεντρικών γειτονιών ή και ολόκληρων περιοχών, όπως συμβαίνει με την Κυψέλη, μία μέση συμβατική περιοχή της Αθήνας, η οποία επιλέχθηκε ως τόπος διεξαγωγής της έρευνάς μας. Η έρευνα πεδίου που πραγματοποιήθηκε συνέβαλε εν τέλει στην ισχυροποίηση των υποθέσεων και συμπερασμάτων. Σα σημαντικότερα εξ αυτών συνοψίζονται στην σταδιακή επικράτηση των μεταναστών στην Κυψέλη και στην σταδιακή εξάλειψη του κατακόρυφου κοινωνικού διαχωρισμού που χαρακτήριζε για δεκαετίες την ελληνική πολυκατοικία.The objective of this theses is the creation, the evolution and the cultural contribution of the royal gardens at Kew in London. Through this presentation of the Kew Gardens, which include its formation in the course of history, we attempt to highlight the way in which western civilization transformed its opinions about its relationship with nature and its relationship with the landscape. In our study we have focused on those significant personalities who engaged in the creation and continuous mutation of those gardens, as well as those who influenced through their work and contributed to the historical path of landscape architecture during the 17th and 18th century. In short, we followed the efforts made, which resulted in what is commonly referred to as “English gardening and English landscape architecture”. To gain a better understanding of this course, we referred to the evolution of gardening and landscape architecture, beginning from the earliest manifestations of theories concerning the landscape in other European countries such as Italy, France and the Netherlands to reach England, correlating those with important political and historical events which changed the structure of English society and resulted in the development, maturation and broadening of the English culture during the 17th and 18th century

Methods for reducing contrast use and avoiding acute kidney injury during endovascular procedures

Iodinated Contrast Media (CM) has a plethora of applications in routine non-invasive or percutaneous invasive imaging examinations and therapeutic interventions. Unfortunately, the use of CM is not without complications, with contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CI-AKI) being among the most severe. CI-AKI is a syndrome defined as a rapid development of renal impairment after a few days of CM endovascular injection, without the presence of any other underlying related pathologies. Although mostly transient and reversible, for a subgroup of patients with comorbidities related to renal failure, CI-AKI is directly leading to longer hospitalization, elevated rates of morbidity and mortality, as well as the increased cost of funding. Thus, a need for classification in accordance with clinical and peri-procedural criteria is emerged. This would be very useful for CI-AKI patients in order to predict the ones who would have the greatest advantage from the application of preventive strategies. This article provides a practical review of the recent evidence concerning CI-AKI incidence, diagnosis, and sheds light on prevention methods for reducing contrast use and avoiding AKI during endovascular procedures. In conclusion, despite the lack of a specific treatment protocol, cautious screening, assessment, identification of the high-risk patients, and thus the application of simple interventions-concerning modifiable risk factors-can significantly reduce CI-AKI risk. © 2019 Bentham Science Publishers