Variation of the Pore Morphology during the Early Age in Plain and Fiber-Reinforced High-Performance Concrete under Moisture-Saturated Curing.

In this paper, two concrete mixtures of plain concrete (PC) and steel fiber-reinforced high-performance concrete (SFRC) have been scanned in order to analyze the variation of the pore morphology during the first curing week. Six cylinders of 45.2-mm diameter 50-mm height were performed.

Recent advances in the use of computed tomography in concrete technology and other engineering fields.

Over the past two decades, immense research efforts at a global level have extended CT-Scan technology across several engineering fields. The state-of-the-art of the most relevant research related to the use of CT-Scanning is presented in this paper, which explores microstructural studies of materials used in various fields of engineering, with especial emphasis on concrete technology. Its main aim is to present the range of new applications, in addition to the conventional uses of CT-Scan technology.

A Novel Laser and Video-Based Displacement Transducer to Monitor Bridge Deflections.

The measurement of static vertical deflections on bridges continues to be a first-level technological challenge. These data are of great interest, especially for the case of long-term bridge monitoring; in fact, they are perhaps more valuable than any other measurable parameter. This is because material degradation processes and changes of the mechanical properties of the structure due to aging (for example creep and shrinkage in concrete bridges) have a direct impact on the exhibited static vertical deflections.

Electron microscopy and electron energy-loss spectroscopy study of Nd 1-x Sr x CoO 3-δ (0 ≤ x ≤ 1) system.

A solid solution of Nd 1-x Sr x CoO 3-δ (with x=0, 1/3, 2/3, and 1) has been prepared and characterized by a combination of X-ray diffraction, electron microscopy, and electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS). The structural characterization indicates that Nd-doped materials present an orthorhombic symmetry with a=√2xa p, b=√2xa p, and c=2xa p (a p refers to lattice parameter of simple cubic perovskite), while SrCoO2.5 has an orthorhombic symmetry with a=√2xa p, b=4xa p, and c=√2xa p.

Rat primary hepatocytes show enhanced performance and sensitivity to acetaminophen during three-dimensional culture on a polystyrene scaffold designed for routine use.

The in vitro evaluation of hepatotoxicity is an essential stage in the research and development of new pharmaceuticals as the liver is one of the most commonly impacted organs during preclinical toxicity studies. Fresh primary hepatocytes in monolayer culture are the most commonly used in vitro model of the liver but often exhibit limited viability and/or reduction or loss of important liver-specific functions. These limitations could potentially be overcome using three-dimensional (3D) culture systems, but their experimental nature and limited use in liver toxicity screening and drug metabolism has impaired their uptake into commercial screening programs.

Validation of reference gene stability for APAP hepatotoxicity studies in different in vitro systems and identification of novel potential toxicity biomarkers.

Liver cell lines and primary hepatocytes are becoming increasingly valuable for in vitro toxicogenomic studies, with RT-qPCR enabling the analysis of gene expression profiles following exposure to potential hepatotoxicants. Supporting the accurate normalisation of RT-qPCR data requires the identification of reference genes which have stable expression during in vitro toxicology studies. Therefore, we performed a comprehensive analysis of reference gene stability in two routinely used cell types, (HepG2 cells and primary rat hepatocytes), and two in vitro culture systems, (2D monolayer and 3D scaffolds).