[Denormalizing smoking, a public health issue for society and hospitals alike]. / Dénormaliser le tabagisme, un enjeu de santé publique dans la société mais aussi à l'hôpital.

Since the industrialization of tobacco production in the last century, tobacco has been a popular product in all walks of life. Its harmful effects, now well recognized, have led to the implementation of increasingly active health policies. Its place in public life is increasingly controlled. This approach aims to prevent the continuation of risky behaviours associated with its use. Hospitals are becoming a model for the denormalization of smoking.

Physical and Chemical Properties of Waste Foundry Exhaust Sand for Use in Self-Compacting Concrete.

The reuse of waste in civil construction brings environmental and economic benefits. However, for these to be used in concrete, it is necessary a previous evaluation of their physical and chemical characteristics. Thus, this study aimed to characterize and analyze the waste foundry exhaust sand (WFES) for use in self-compacting concrete (SCC). Foundry exhaust sand originates from the manufacturing process of sand molds and during demolding of metal parts. It is a fine sand rich in silica in the form of quartz collected by baghouse filter. Characterization of WFES was conducted through laser granulometry, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) in the energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) mode, X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetry (TG) and derivative thermogravimetry (DTG) techniques. The waste was classified as non-hazardous and non-inert, with physical and chemical properties suitable for use in SCC composition, as fine aggregate or mineral addition. Five mixtures of SCC were developed, in order to determine the waste influence in both fresh and hardened concrete. The properties in the fresh state were reached. There was an increase in compressive strength and sulfate resistance, a decrease in water absorption of self-compacting concrete by incorporating WFES as 30% replacement.

Site count: is a high-pressure quenched-flow reactor suitable for kinetic studies of molecular catalysts in ethylene polymerization?

Understanding the kinetics of olefin polymerization with Ziegler-Natta and related catalysts means identifying the main kinetic parameters such as k(p) and concentration of active sites. The high-pressure quenched-flow technique could be an absolute method for counting active sites and for activation studies of molecular catalysts. A kinetic study of metallocene catalysts and a phenoxy-imine titanium catalyst in the first instants of polymerization is presented in this paper.