Performance Characterization of Broad Band Sustainable Sound Absorbers Made of Almond Skins

In order to limit the environmental impact caused by the use of non-renewable resources, a growing research interest is currently being shown in the reuse of agricultural by-products as new raw materials for green building panels. Moreover, the European directives impose the goal of sustainability supporting the investigation of passive solutions for the reduction of energy consumption. Thus, the promotion of innovative building materials for the enhancement of acoustic and thermal insulation of the buildings is an important issue. The aim of the present research was to evaluate the physical, acoustical, and thermal performances of building panels produced by almond skin residues, derived from the industrial processing of almonds. In this paper different mix designs were investigated using polyvinyl acetate glue and gum Arabic solution as binders. Air-flow resistivity σ and normal incidence sound absorption coefficient α were measured by means of a standing wave tube. Thermal conductivity λ, thermal diffusivity α, volumetric heat capacity ρc were measured using a transient plane source device. Finally, water vapor permeability δ_p was experimentally determined using the dry cup method. Furthermore, a physical characterization of the specimens in terms of bulk density ρ_b and porosity η allowed to study the correlation existing between the binder and the aggregates and the consequent acoustical and hygrothermal behavior occurring on the different mix designs. The achieved results suggested the investigated materials comparable to the main products currently existing on the market.     

Overload,and Cutbacks,and Freezes,Oh My! The Relative Effects of the Recession‐Related Stressors on Employee Strain and Job Satisfaction

Across the globe, economic fluctuations have taken their toll on both organizations and employees, particularly during sustained recessions. Surprisingly, little research, however, has directly investigated the effects of recessions on employees. As such, the goal of the current study was to investigate the effects of specific recession‐related stressors on employee outcomes (strain and satisfaction). We investigated an archival data set of 7666 individuals collected as part of the Workplace Employment Relations Study for relations among recession‐related stressors with strain and job satisfaction variables. We found that recession‐related stressors were significantly related to both strain and satisfaction. More specifically, certain recession‐related stressors (e.g. increased workload and reorganization of work) were more strongly related to strain and satisfaction than others. These results imply the need for greater attention to stress management strategies aimed at helping both employees and their organizations cope with the human costs of economic recessions. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

“Sometimes it’s a bit too much Disney”: exploring Norwegian parents and their ambiguous domestication of Disney

Parents are often ambivalent about their children’s engagement with popular culture, where popular culture is seen as trivial and potentially harmful. In this article, I explore how Norwegian parents of girls experienced the Disney tween shows, and tied in merchandise of Hannah Montana and High School Musical. As the parents interviewed reported feeling ambivalent and conflicted about the Disney shows, the article makes use of Bakhtin’s dialogism and domestication theory to explore this ambivalence. Employing the concept of voice from Bakhtin, the interview data suggest five voices the parents drew on – the educational voice, the voice of children’s autonomy, Disney as innocent and safe, the voice of caring consumption and the culture critical voice. The analysis focuses on how these voices operated, how they were expressed in the interviews, and what these different voices produced in terms of how Disney was included in the everyday home life.     

药师在诊断相关组支付方式改革中的作用探索

目的：介绍国外药师在诊断相关组（diagnosis related groups,DRGs）支付方式改革中参与的工作及起到的作用,探讨我国药师在DRGs改革中的角色。方法：采用文献研究法,通过PubMed数据库,系统检索及提取国外相关研究的信息;并结合国内文献,从3个方面阐述我国药师在DRGs支付方式改革中的作用设想。结果：国内药师可通过DRGs疾病分类体现药师服务的经济性和安全性价值、优化每一个DRGs的用药方案,直接控制不合理的药品费用、结合药品分类/限定日剂量系统进行医院药品目录遴选,更好地发挥药师的作用。结论：在DRGs支付方式改革过程中,国外药师在节省医疗资源和药费,保障患者用药安全方面起到了重要作用。     

Effects of social and spatial contexts on young latinas’ methamphetamine use initiation

ABSTRACT

In this article, we examine methamphetamine (meth) use initiation as influenced by Latinas’ social positions within institutions (e.g., family and economy). We conducted ethnographic fieldwork in five women’s residential substance use treatment facilities in Los Angeles County with women who considered meth to be their primary drug of choice. Using an urban ethnographic framing, we demonstrate the effects of low-income young Latinas’ spatial- and social-context rendered vulnerability to abuse and neglect, and the resulting emotional distress, on meth use initiation. When considering pathways to substance use intervention for vulnerable Latina girls and women, clinicians, researchers, and policy makers need to understand substance use pathways as dynamic processes to cope with psychosocial stress while living in communities with easy access to illicit substances such as methamphetamine.     

Recycled Fibers for Sustainable Hybrid Fiber Cement Based Material: A Review

Reinforcing fibers have been widely used to improve physical and mechanical properties of cement-based materials. Most fiber reinforced composites (FRC) involve the use of a single type of fiber to improve cement properties, such as strength or ductility. To additionally improve other parameters, hybridization is required. Another key challenge, in the construction industry, is the implementation of green and sustainable strategies based on reducing raw materials consumption, designing novel structures with enhanced properties and low weight, and developing low environmental impact processes. Different recycled fibers have been used as raw materials to promote circular economy processes and new business opportunities in the cement-based sector. The valuable use of recycled fibers in hybrid FRC has already been proven and they improve both product quality and sustainability, but the generated knowledge is fragmented. This is the first review analyzing the use of recycled fibers in hybrid FRC and the hybridization effect on mechanical properties and workability of FRC. The paper compiles the best results and the optimal combinations of recycled fibers for hybrid FRC to identify key insights and gaps that may define future research to open new application fields for recycled hybrid FRC.     

Hardening Slurries with Fluidized-Bed Combustion By-Products and Their Potential Significance in Terms of Circular Economy

Hardening slurries (water-bentonite-binder mixtures) constitute a well-established material used broadly, i.a., for cut-off walls in civil and water engineering. Although they usually contain Portland cement, similar to common concrete, their properties differ greatly, mostly due to a much higher water content. This characteristic of hardening slurries creates unique opportunities for the utilization of significant quantities of industrial by-products that are deemed problematic in the concrete industry. This article investigates the effect of the addition of by-products of fluidized-bed combustion of hard, brown coal and municipal sewage sludge, as well as ground granulated blast furnace slag, on the properties of slurries. Unconfined compressive strength tests, as well as mercury porosimetry, scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction analyses were performed. The results suggest that it is possible to design hardening slurry mixes of desired properties, both in liquid and solid state, containing at least 100–300 kg/m³ of industrial waste. This includes cement-free slurries based entirely on industrial by-products as binders. In addition, the analyzed slurries exhibited good chemical resistance to landfill eluates, at the same time effectively immobilizing heavy metals. It was concluded that hardening slurry technology can ensure the safe deposition of significant amounts of waste that would be otherwise difficult to manage, thus contributing to the circular economy concept.     

Durability of Blended Cements Made with Reactive Aggregates

Featured Application In this paper, blended cements are proposed as an effective means of meeting the needs of mitigating climatic change. This proposal is a two-pronged strategy, i.e., durable and sustainable. The pozzolanic reaction of four binders is assessed, which is related to an alkali–silica reaction (ASR). Thanks to the findings made here, mix-design optimization can be performed. AbstractAlkali–silica reaction (ASR) is a swelling reaction that occurs in concrete structures over time between the reactive amorphous siliceous aggregate particles and the hydroxyl ions of the hardened concrete pore solution. The aim of this paper is to assess the effect of pozzolanic Portland cements on the alkali–silica reaction (ASR) evaluated from two different points of view: (i) alkali-silica reaction (ASR) abatement and (ii) climatic change mitigation by clinker reduction, i.e., by depleting its emissions. Open porosity, SEM microscopy, compressive strength and ASR-expansion measurements were performed in mortars made with silica fume, siliceous coal fly ash, natural pozzolan and blast-furnace slag. The main contributions are as follows: (i) the higher the content of reactive silica in the pozzolanic material, the greater the ASR inhibition level; (ii) silica fume and coal fly ash are the best Portland cement constituents for ASR mitigation.     

Behaviour and Properties of Eco-Cement Pastes Elaborated with Recycled Concrete Powder from Construction and Demolition Wastes

This work analyses the influence of fine concrete fractions (<5 mm) of different natures —calcareous (HcG) and siliceous (HsT)—obtained from construction and demolition waste (C&DW) on the behaviour of blended cement pastes with partial replacements between 5 and 10%. The two C&DW fractions were characterised by different instrumental techniques. Subsequently, their lime-fixing capacity and the physico-mechanical properties of the blended cement pastes were analysed. Lastly, the environmental benefits of reusing these fine wastes in the manufacture of future eco-efficient cement pastes were examined. The results show that HsT and HcG exhibit weak pozzolanic activity, owing to their low reactive silica and alumina content. Despite this, the new cement pastes meet the physical and mechanical requirements of the existing regulations for common cements. It should be highlighted that the blended cement pastes initially showed a coarser pore network, but then they underwent a refinement process between 2 and 28 days, along with a gain in compressive strength, possibly due to the double pozzolanic and filler effect of the wastes. The environmental viability of the blended cements was evaluated in a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) concluding that the overall environmental impact could be reduced in the same proportion of the replacement rate. This is in line with the Circular Economy goals and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.