Freeze/thaw durability of concrete with recycled demolition aggregate compared to virgin aggregate concrete

An increasing trend towards the use of sustainable processes has led to recycled materials being incorporated into concrete. It is generally recognised that crushed recycled construction aggregate material produces concrete of a lower compressive strength, when used as an aggregate replacement due to deleterious materials within the aggregate.It is generally accepted that in the UK, freeze/thaw attack is, after chloride-induced corrosion, the most common cause of concrete deterioration. This paper addresses the freeze/thaw durability of recycled aggregate concrete using a paired comparison test based upon weight loss and final compressive strength.Recycled aggregate concrete was found to be of at least equal durability to concrete manufactured with virgin aggregates. This was due to careful selection of the replacement aggregate and treatment prior to batching.Durability is an important material property and recycled aggregates need to be widely tested to gain confidence for use within the industry and this work shows future possibilities.     

Short femur length associated with severe intrauterine growth retardation

Four fetuses with a femur measuring greater than two standard deviations below the mean compared with the biparietal diameter are presented. These four fetuses were subsequently determined to have severe intrauterine growth retardation and no evidence of skeletal dysplasias.     

Humerus and femur length in fetuses with down syndrome

The aim of the study was to assess the value of sonographic measurement of fetal humerus and femur lengths in the second trimester as a screening tool for Down syndrome (DS). We reviewed retrospectively fetal sonographic biometry made at the time of amniocentesis between 15 and 19 weeks. The study group consisted of 27 DS fetuses. The control group comprised 500 normal fetuses chosen randomly. The expected humeral and femoral lengths for a given biparietal diameter were estimated by linear regression equations from the 500 normal fetuses. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was performed to evaluate both the detection rate and the false-positive rate of different cut-off values of measured to expected lengths ratios. The median femur and humeral lengths in DS fetuses were 0·91 times the expected values. No significant differences in the detection rate and false-positive rate were found between the humerus and femur lengths. When the humeral and femoral lengths were combined, we observed a remarkable reduction in the false-positive rate. A measured to expected length ratio of 0·91 detected 44·4 per cent of DS fetuses with 7·6 per cent false positives. These results suggest that the combination of femoral and humeral lengths may permit a more efficient use of ultrasound in screening for Down syndrome than the use of either alone.     

Promiscuity in mice is associated with increased vaginal bacterial diversity

Differences in the number of sexual partners (i.e., mating system) have the potential to exert a strong influence on the bacterial communities present in reproductive structures like the vagina. Because this structure serves as a conduit for gametes, bacteria present there may have a pronounced, direct effect on host reproductive success. As a first step towards the identification of the relationship between sexual behavior and potentially pathogenic bacterial communities inhabiting vital reproductive structures, as well as their potential effects on fitness, I sought to quantify differences in bacterial diversity in a promiscuous and monogamous mammal species. To accomplish this, I used two sympatric species of Peromyscus rodents—Peromyscus californicus and Peromyscus maniculatus that differ with regard to the number of sexual partners per individual to test the hypothesis that bacterial diversity should be greater in the promiscuous P. maniculatus relative to the monogamous P. californicus. As predicted, phylogenetically controlled and operational taxonomic unit-based indices of bacterial diversity indicated that diversity is greater in the promiscuous species. These results provide important new insights into the effects of mating system on bacterial diversity in free-living vertebrates, and may suggest a potential cost of promiscuity.     

Tricrystalline TiO2 with enhanced photocatalytic activity and durability for removing volatile organic compounds from indoor air

It is important to develop efficient and economic techniques for removing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in indoor air. Heterogeneous TiO₂-based semiconductors are a promising technology for achieving this goal. Anatase/brookite/rutile tricrystalline TiO₂ with mesoporous structure was synthesized by a low-temperature hydrothermal route in the presence of HNO₃. The obtained samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction and N₂ adsorption–desorption isotherm. The photocatalytic activity was evaluated by photocatalytic decomposition of toluene in air under UV light illumination. The results show that tricrystalline TiO₂ exhibited higher photocatalytic activity and durability toward gaseous toluene than bicrystalline TiO₂, due to the synergistic effects of high surface area, uniform mesoporous structure and junctions among mixed phases. The tricrystalline TiO₂ prepared at R_HNO3 = 0.8, containing 80.7% anatase, 15.6% brookite and 3.7% rutile, exhibited the highest photocatalytic activity, about 3.85-fold higher than that of P25. The high activity did not significantly degrade even after five reuse cycles. In conclusion, it is expected that our study regarding gas-phase degradation of toluene over tricrystalline TiO₂ will enrich the chemistry of the TiO₂-based materials as photocatalysts for environmental remediation and stimulate further research interest on this intriguing topic.     

Coordination geometry of Zn~(2+) on hexagonal turbostratic birnessites with different Mn average oxidation states and its stability under acid dissolution

Hexagonal turbostratic birnessite,with the characteristics of high contents of vacancies,varying amounts of structural and adsorbed Mn~(3+),and small particle size,undergoes strong adsorption reactions with trace metal(TM)contaminants.While the interactions of TM,i.e.,Zn~(2+),with birnessite are well understood,the effect of birnessite structural characteristics on the coordination and stability of Zn~(2+)on the mineral surfaces under proton attack is as yet unclear.In the present study,the effects of a series of synthesized hexagonal turbostratic birnessites with different Mn average oxide states(AOSs)on the coordination geometry of adsorbed Zn~(2+)and its stability under acidic conditions were investigated.With decreasing Mn AOS,birnessite exhibits smaller particle sizes and thus larger specific surface area,higher amounts of layer Mn~(3+)and thus longer distances for the first Mn\O and Mn\Mn shells,but a low quantity of available vacancies and thus low adsorption capacity for Zn~(2+).Zn K-edge EXAFS spectroscopy demonstrates that birnessite with low Mn AOS has smaller adsorption capacity but more tetrahedral Zn(~(IV)Zn)complexes on vacancies than octahedral(~(VI)Zn)complexes,and Zn~(2+)is more unstable under acidic conditions than that adsorbed on birnessite with high Mn AOS.High Zn~(2+)loading favors the formation of~(VI)Zn complexes over~(IV)Zn complexes,and the release of Zn~(2+)is faster than at low loading.These results will deepen our understanding of the interaction mechanisms of various TMs with natural birnessites,and the stability and thus the potential toxicity of heavy metal pollutants sequestered by engineered nano-sized metal oxide materials.     

Relation of lead adsorption on birnessites with different average oxidation states of manganese and release of Mn^2＋/H^＋/K^＋

The characteristics of Pb2+ adsorption on the surface of birnessites with different average oxidation states (AOS) of Mn, synthesized under acidic and alkali conditions, were investigated. The results indicated that the amount of adsorbed Pb2+ increased with the increase of Mn AOS in birnessites. The amount of Pb2+ adsorbed positively correlated with the amount of released Mn2+, H+, and K+ (r = 0.9962 > 0.6614, n = 14, α = 0.01). The released Mn2+, H+, and K+ were derived mostly from the corresponding catio...     

Prenatal diagnosis in a family with mitochondrial acetoacetyl-coenzyme a thiolase deficiency with the use of the polymerase chain reaction followed by the heteroduplex detection method

Mitochondrial acetoacetyl-coenzyme A (CoA) thiolase deficiency is an organic aciduria which affects isoleucine and ketone body catabolism. GK16 (the index patient) was affected with this disorder and previous studies had revealed that GK16 was a compound heterozygote with IVS8(+1) gt to tt and A301P mutations. In a subsequent pregnancy, prenatal diagnosis was performed and the fetus's amniocytes were analysed by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) followed by the heteroduplex detection method on a Mutation Detection Enhancement gel. The fetus was identified as a carrier of the IVS8(+1) mutation. We confirmed the diagnosis by immunoblot analysis of extracted amniocytes and gene analysis with blood filter paper after delivery. This is the first report of prenatal diagnosis of this disorder at the gene level.