Assessment of Alkali-Silica Reaction Potential in Aggregates from Iran and Australia Using Thin-Section Petrography and Expansion Testing.

The alkali-silica reaction can shorten concrete life due to expansive pressure build-up caused by reaction by-products, resulting in cracking. Understanding the role of the aggregate, as the main reactive component, is essential for understanding the underlying mechanisms of the alkali-silica reaction and thereby reducing, or even preventing, any potential damage. The present study aims to investigate the role of petrographic studies along with accelerated tests in predicting and determining the potential reactivity of aggregates, including granite, rhyodacite, limestone, and dolomite, with different geological characteristics in concrete.

Evaluating the literature of therapeutic landscapes with an emphasis on the search for the dimensions of health: A systematic review.

Health geography emphasizes landscape capacity as a perspective for examining health dimensions. Much of this emphasis is on the concept of therapeutic landscapes. In the last two decades, changes in the therapeutic landscapes concerning health, as well as why and how the development of the emphasis on the dimensions of the health in the landscape in proportion to the temporal-spatial course of literature in this field can be considered.

Characterizing concrete corrosion below sewer tidal levels at chemically dosed locations.

Unexplainable concrete softening below the water line has been observed by Sydney Water in their gravity sewer network, some of which is subjected to corrosion control methods using chemical ferrous chloride (FeCl) dosing of the wastewater. We applied a combination of physical and chemical tools to determine the properties of the top 20 mm of concrete cores recovered from sewer pipes. These techniques consist of neutron tomographic imaging, scanning electron microscopy, hardness mapping, and pH profiling.

Silver nanoparticle based coatings enhance adipogenesis compared to osteogenesis in human mesenchymal stem cells through oxidative stress.

Silver nanoparticle (AgNP) based antibacterial surfaces were fabricated using plasma polymerization technology and their effects on differentiation of human bone-marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) were investigated in this study. The results showed that AgNP coated surfaces do not affect the initial adhesion, spreading and proliferation of hMSCs. Furthermore, the silver coated surface promoted adipogenic differentiation of hMSCs as demonstrated by more accumulation of lipid droplets and upregulation of adipogenesis-related genes such as peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma (PPARγ), adipocyte determination and differentiation factor (ADD1) and CCAAT/enhancer binding protein alpha (C/EBPα).

Antibacterial Plasma Polymer Films Conjugated with Phospholipid Encapsulated Silver Nanoparticles.

Medical device associated infections are a persistent medical problem which has not found a comprehensive solution yet. Over the last decades, there have been intense research efforts toward developing antibacterial coatings that could potentially improve medical outcomes. Silver nanoparticles have attracted a great deal of attention as a potent alternative to conventional antibiotics.

Synthesis and surface immobilization of antibacterial hybrid silver-poly(l-lactide) nanoparticles.

Infections associated with medical devices are a substantial healthcare problem. Consequently, there has been increasing research and technological efforts directed toward the development of coatings that are capable of preventing bacterial colonization of the device surface. Herein, we report on novel hybrid silver loaded poly(L-lactic acid) nanoparticles (PLLA-AgNPs) with narrowly distributed sizes (17 ± 3 nm) prepared using a combination of solvent evaporation and mini-emulsion technology.

Responsive and "smart" antibacterial surfaces: common approaches and new developments (Review).

Bacterial infections are continuing to pose a significant threat to human health. Coatings with inherent antibacterial properties are becoming increasingly common as an infection preventative measure. The aim of this review is to highlight recent progress in development of "smart" and responsive antibacterial surfaces.

Synthesis and antibacterial properties of a hybrid of silver-potato starch nanocapsules by miniemulsion/polyaddition polymerization.

Controlled synthesis of hollow polymeric nanocapsules has attracted significant attention in a wide range of applications. This paper reports a facile method for the synthesis of hybrid starch nanocapsules decorated with silver nanoparticles using the inverse miniemulsion polyaddition technique. Silver nanoparticles are formed and embedded in the shell of the nanocapsules during the polyaddition process without using any additional reducing agents.

Substrate independent silver nanoparticle based antibacterial coatings.

Infections arising from bacterial adhesion and colonization on medical device surfaces are a significant healthcare problem. Silver based antibacterial coatings have attracted a great deal of attention as a potential solution. This paper reports on the development of a silver nanoparticles based antibacterial surface that can be applied to any type of material surface.

Transformation of four silver/silver chloride nanoparticles during anaerobic treatment of wastewater and post-processing of sewage sludge.

The increasing use of silver (Ag) nanoparticles [containing either elemental Ag (Ag-NPs) or AgCl (AgCl-NPs)] in commercial products such as textiles will most likely result in these materials reaching wastewater treatment plants. Previous studies indicate that a conversion of Ag-NPs to Ag2S is to be expected during wastewater transport/treatment. However, the influence of surface functionality, the nature of the core structure and the effect of post-processing on Ag speciation in sewage sludge/biosolids has not been investigated.