Investigate the auditory function of the elderly using the middle latency potentials.Group 1 (G1): 20 healthy individuals of both genders, older than 60 years, without hearing loss. Group 2 (G2): 20 healthy individuals of both sexes, older than 60 years, with hearing loss in frequencies from 4 to 8 kHz. Potential recording was performed with unilateral and bilateral stimulation and the Binaural Interaction Component was calculated.st negative peak was more negative in G1 and the 2nd positive peak showed greater amplitude in C4A2 in both groups.Na latency in C3A1 was greater in the stimulation of the right ear in G2 and the amplitude of Na-Pa was greater in the stimulation of the right ear and recording in C3A1 in G1. The latency of the Pa component was higher in the stimulation of the right ear recorded in C4A2. The Pb component in G2 by bilateral stimulation and recorded in C4A2 had higher latency. The first and second negative and positive peaks presented greater amplitude in G1. In C3A1, the 1The transmission of auditory information to the primary auditory cortex is impaired with aging, especially in unilateral stimulation, reinforced by losses in elderly people with peripheral hearing loss, such as in the binaural interaction at the cortical and subcortical levels. Thus, the AMLR has shown to be a sensitive examination to investigate neuroauditory disorders in the elderly, especially related to high-frequency hearing loss and primary auditory cortex dysfunctions caused by the aging process. Currently, the number of elderly people in Brazil is increasing due to the reduction in the birth rate and the increase in life expectancy.It is noted that with aging, there may be difficulty in locating the sound source, in perceiving and understanding speech in noise, which are some of the binaural abilities. They demonstrate the importance of binaural integration, essential for communication and which may be compromised even in the absence of peripheral hearing loss.The Auditory Middle Latency Responses (AMLR) have been used in Audiology scientific research as a complementary method for assessing auditory function and binaural processing. Since this measure sensitizes the hearing assessment and brings more accurate information regarding the processing of the auditory information and provides critical information for audiologic rehabilitation strategies.Because the binaural processing presents greater activity after the brainstem, performing AMLR is appropriate as it is generated by structures at higher levels from the brainstem to the primary auditory cortex aged.Cortical auditory potentials examinations showed age-related changes in auditory evoked responses, with increased P1 and P2 latencies when diagnosed in young adults, which may be related to the synchrony of the cortex in the sensory prefrontal region, and a longer processing of sensory information.Due to the maturation process of the structures responsible for generating the AMLR, the amplitude of the components is highly related to age.According to some studies, there is a worsening in the AMLR response in older individuals, and there is a strong correlation between the quality of the response and increasing age.In this sense, this study seeks the response to the following questions: “Is there a change in the AMLR in the elderly?”; “Is there a difference in the AMLR when comparing the records of the two cerebral hemispheres in the elderly without hearing loss at high frequencies?”; “Are monaural and/or binaural abilities compromised regardless of the auditory threshold at high frequencies?”; “Is the process of binaural interaction impaired in the two groups of elderly?”.Hearing and understanding speech require processing spoken words at the cortical level. Thus, the AMLR can be an important tool in the management of the specific demands of the elderly in relation to their communication difficulties, and in the establishment of more efficient auditory rehabilitation strategies.In this context, the aim of the study was to investigate the auditory function of the elderly using the middle latency potentials, to analyze and compare the unilateral and bilateral stimulation in the elderly.•Group 1 (G1): 20 individuals of both sexes , older than 60 years right-handedness and tone audibility threshold in the frequencies of 0.25, 0.50, 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 and 8 kHz ≤ 25 dBHL  and Speech Reception Threshold (SRT) ≤ 25 dBHL, according to Lloyd and Kaplan's classification (1978);•Group 2 (G2): 20 individuals of both sexes , older than 60 years of right-handedness and who had symmetric bilateral sensorineural hearing loss  with tonal audibility thresholds ranging from 30 at 70 dBNA, considering frequencies from 3 to 8 kHz, and frequencies from 0.25, 0.50, 1, 2 ≤ 25 dBNA, according to the classification by Lloyd and Kaplan (1978). The configuration of the audiometric curve was symmetrical in both ears, with a difference between the interaural audibility thresholds for the assessed frequency ≤ 15 dBHL and air-bone gap of up to 10 dB and Speech Reception Threshold (SRT) ≤ 25 dBHL.The study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the institution under number 1.905.689. A descriptive and analytical cross-sectional study that followed compliance according to the STROBE Declaration, included 40 subjects, sampled by convenience, divided into two groups:The study did not include individuals outside the age range of the studied group, individuals who had any cognitive impairment diagnosed by a neurologist, and who did not present preserved functionality for activities of daily living, used ototoxic drugs, had a history of exposure to noise, smoking and changes in middle ear and/or hearing loss in the frequencies of 500 Hz, 1 kHz and 2 kHz and/or thresholds ≥ 71 dB HL in frequencies from 4 to 8 kHz.The two-channel auditory evoked potential equipment Bio-logic Evoked Potential System (EP)  and ERA-39 intra-aural earphones were used. The ASC II software  was used to extract data from each record obtained for the calculation of the Binaural Interaction Component (BIC), which corresponds to the sum of the responses obtained with the unilateral stimulation subtracted from the response obtained with the bilateral stimulation through the grand-average of the recorded waves with unilateral and bilateral stimulation.As a pre-collection procedure, the authors performed: audiological anamnesis, an inspection of the external acoustic meatus, and Mini-Mental State Examination to characterize the sample, with 30 as the cut-off score, according to the median scores proposed by Brucki et al., 2003 tympanometry, audiometry tonal threshold for characterization of samples and groups and Speech Reception Threshold (SRL).For AMLR recording, the subjects were accommodated in an acoustically treated room and temperature of 24°C, positioned in a reclining chair and they all received the same guidelines for keeping relaxed, but alert, their eyes open trying to stare at a fixed spot somewhere in the room to avoid moving the head. This way, the records  did not present more than 10% of artifacts from the total of 1000 stimuli.The electrodes were fixed with microporous adhesive tape after the skin was cleaned with abrasive paste and positioned at C3 and C4  with reference to A1 and A2 (left and right ear lobe), and ground on the Forehead (F4). This arrangement assures the observation of the ipsi and contralateral measures and optimizes the recording of cortical activity. The impedance of each electrode did not exceed 5 Kohms and did not exceed 2 Kohms between the electrode impedances.For the AMLR recording, unilateral click-stimuli were used in the right ear and left, and then bilateral stimuli (simultaneously in both ears), rarefaction polarity at 30 dB NS, with a presentation rate of 11 stimuli/second, time of analysis (window) of 100 ms, acoustic filter of 10 to 100 Hz, amplification of 75.000 × .After recording the responses performed with unilateral and bilateral stimulation, the binaural interaction component could be calculated. In order to obtain the sum of the waves obtained by the right (D) and the left (L) ear stimulation followed by the subtraction of the obtained wave by bilateral stimulation (BI): BIC = ((D + E) - BIN), a second software was used (ASC II) for extracting the waves, which extracted the 256 amplitude points of each wave allowing to achieve grand-average of the records of each group and then the sum and subtraction to obtain the BIC.AMRL components are generated via the inferior colliculus, medial geniculate body, formation reticularis and primary auditory area along with associated areas and the corpus callosum. The waves were identified based on the consistency of the latency and amplitude values of their components. Thus, the Na component is among the first highest negative peak and lies between 12 and 27 milliseconds (ms); Pa o peak highest positive after the Na wave, between 25 and 40 ms; Nb is the positive peak immediately after Pa, between 30 and 50 ms and Pb, the subsequent higher positive peak, immediately after Nb, between 45 and 65 ms.st negative peak, 1st positive peak, and 2nd negative peak. To control possible biases, the analysis of records, identification, and marking of each AMLR component was carried out by two judges.Regarding Na-Pa latency and interamplitude, unilateral and bilateral stimulation was in both groups. The peaks in the BIC waveform were labeled as 1The distribution of normality was verified by the Shapiro-Wilk test with Liliefors correction. An analysis of Repeated Measures Mixed-Design Ancova was performed to observe the group effect, condition, and interaction (group vs. condition) controlling the effect of covariate age. Box's M Test was used to verify if the covariance matrices of the dependent variables were the same for the two groups and the Mauchly's Test was used to test the sphericity hypothesis. In the case of rejection of the sphericity hypothesis, the analyzes were based on the Greenhouse-Geisser multivariate test. The main effect within the group and/or condition was analyzed by the Bonferroni multiple comparison test. The adopted confidence level was 5%.The mean age in G1 was 65.75 years, and 67.4 years in G2. The participants' schooling level ranged from incomplete elementary school to complete higher education; the average of the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) was 26.81 points.There was a difference between the elderly with hearing loss in the latency of the Na component when compared to the stimulation of the right and left ears of the record in C3A1 (left hemisphere) with a significant effect for the covariate age so that older elderly people with hearing loss had worse performance.A difference was also observed between the groups of elderly people with and without loss of Na-Pa amplitude in C3A1 (left hemisphere) when stimulated in the right ear, and the amplitude was lower in elderly people with hearing loss.There was a significant difference between the latency of Pa component obtained with right ear stimulation and recorded at C4A2.It is also observed that the Pb component obtained through bilateral stimulation and recorded at C4A2 presents a higher latency than that recorded at C3A1, with age as a significant factor influencing the increase in latency.st negative peak and 1st positive peak inter-amplitude in C3A1 is observed, whereas Na amplitude is more negative than when compared in the elderly with hearing loss.In the elderly without hearing loss, a more prominent 1st negative peak, 1st positive peak, 2nd negative peak and 2nd positive peak present a higher amplitude in G1. Moreover, the 2nd positive peak presents a higher amplitude in C4A2 in both groups.In addition, it is observed that binaural interaction at C4A2 in the elderly without hearing loss also presents a better wave morphology when compared to the elderly with hearing loss, and the 1The present study aimed to investigate the auditory function of elderly people through middle latency potentials, and to compare unilateral and bilateral stimulation in elderly people with and without hearing loss. The authors demonstrated that the average latency values of components Na, Pa, Nb and Pb were within the normal range according to the age group, as well as the Na-Pa interamplitude, which was lower in the elderly with and without high-frequency hearing loss.Few studies address the measurement of the AMLR in the elderly. The paper by MoosaviWhen checking the ear effect , it is oThese findings can be confirmed in the comparison of the Na-Pa amplitude values . At C3A1,As reported by Fonseca and Costa-FerreiraIn the hemisphere comparison, electrode effect, According to Jerger et al.Na component is generated from the thalamo-cortical connections, and Pa in the medial portion of Heschl's gyrus, responsible for acoustic recognition and discrimination abilities of the auditory cortex.Therefore, as the latency of the described components was higher at C4A2 than at C3A1 in the elderly with normal hearing, it is possible to observe auditory CNS degradation at the cortical level, even in the absence of hearing loss.nd positive peak higher at C4A2 in the elderly with and without hearing loss when compared to C3A1. As the 2nd positive peak is generated from the thalamic nuclei, entry of the reticular activation system.In relation to BIC when comparing C3A1 and C4A2, it occurs at the cortical level in both groups, and it is possible to visualize the 2nd positive peak in the elderly,,However, in this study, there was an increase in the amplitude of the 2It was possible to conclude that the AMLR in the ear effect observed in the elderly group with hearing loss shows a slower unilateral auditory information transmission, resulting in losses in the thalamic-cortical transmission and poor quality in the central auditory pathway response with aging in the elderly with hearing loss at high frequencies. When the electrode effect was observed in the elderly without hearing loss, the differences in the responses between the hemispheres can indicate damages to the cortical level even in the absence of hearing loss at high frequencies. Finally, binaural interaction in the cortical and subcortical regions is impaired with aging, with greater impairment in elderly individuals with hearing loss at high frequencies.Thus, the AMLR showed to be a sensitive examination to investigate neuroauditory disorders in the elderly, especially related to high-frequency hearing loss and primary auditory cortex dysfunctions caused by the aging process. In addition, the BIC from the AMLR reflected damages in the binaural auditory pathways at the cortical level in the elderly, ensuring the integral assessment of the central auditory system and allowing them to choose a more effective form of auditory rehabilitation, especially in this population.However, conducting behavioral tests that assess central auditory processing associated with electrophysiological measures would broaden the analysis of the central auditory system in the elderly, a methodological point that should be considered in future studies.The authors declare no conflicts of interest.


The widespread use of geopolymer cement (GPC) has been hindered by a lack of scientific knowledge that still exists regarding its synthesis process. Key points, such as the release of aluminosilicate species from the raw materials and its link to the properties of GPC, have still not been completely studied. As a result, most of the GPC formulations covered in the literature are based on precursors’ elemental analysis using XRF (X-ray Fluorescence), or other equivalent analysis methods, and consider that the total aluminosilicate content of the precursors is available for participating in the geopolymerization process, which seems very unlikely. In this study, the amounts of aluminate and silicate species released from metakaolin (MK), electric arc furnace slag (EAFS), and biomass fly ash (BFA) in alkaline dissolution tests were determined by simple spectrophotometric methods. It was found that MK yields the highest aluminosilicate dissolution amount, about 2.1 mmol of silicate + aluminate per gram of MK, while EAFS and BFA yield about 0.53 and 0.32 mmol/g precursor, respectively. These results were used to estimate the total amounts of dissolved aluminosilicates in a series of GPC mortars prepared from these raw materials, which were thereafter subjected to mechanical tests. It was shown that the mortars’ compressive strength (which ranged from 1 to 63 MPa) is linearly correlated with their estimated total amount of dissolved aluminosilicates, with the best linear fit yielding a coefficient of determination above 0.99. It was concluded that by using the results of the dissolution tests, the estimation of compressive strength is greatly improved when compared to using the elemental analysis obtained by XRF, which yields a coefficient of determination of 0.88 and a larger dispersion of data points. The results reveal the usefulness of this simple method for evaluating the potential of inorganic industrial waste streams as precursors for GPC. The intense global consumption of raw materials is expected to continue and is estimated to double over the next four decades, resulting in an astonishing 70% increase in annual waste generation by 2050 . InorganIn this context, the geopolymerization synthesis process has shown the potential to incorporate a significant proportion of inorganic byproducts or waste streams into the formulation of new and added-value materials, such as geopolymer cement (GPC). GPC can be described as a synthetic aluminosilicate cement and is produced by reacting a solid source of aluminosilicates in powder form with an aqueous alkaline solution, typically a hydroxide or silicate solution. GPC is comparable to ordinary Portland cement binders, namely in terms of the mechanical performance that can be obtained, and has the added environmental advantage of being able to recycle a wide variety of inorganic byproducts or waste streams as its main constituents , resulting in a significantly lower carbon footprint ,4,5,6,7.Despite the potential of GPC as an eco-friendly binder, the understanding of its synthesis process and technology is far from being complete, hindering its widespread use as an alternative to more conventional binders associated with a larger environmental footprint. In fact, the complex physico-chemical mechanisms on the basis of the geopolymerization process are still under study ,8,12, bu2 and Al2O3 present in the precursors [Aluminate and silicate species, which are recognized as the most important chemical species in the GPC synthesis process ,25, willecursors . Howeverecursors ,34,35,36ecursors ,38.In this study, the alkaline dissolution process of metakaolin (MK), biomass fly ash (BFA), and electric arc furnace slag (EAFS) is investigated. MK is a powdered material obtained by the calcination of kaolin clay. It is estimated that the production of kaolin in Portugal is currently around 320 kton/year  and thatPrecursor mix, comprised of one or more of the three aluminosilicate-containing raw materials MK, BFA, and EAFS.;Sand, used as fine aggregates;Alkalination or activation mix, comprised of a combination of sodium silicate (SS) and SH solutions, adjusted with additional water or SH pellets.The general formulation of GPC mortars used in this study was:In the present study, MK, BFA, and EAFS were used as the main aluminosilicate-containing raw materials; i.e., the precursors of the geopolymerization process .MK used in this research was supplied by Mota Ceramic Solutions , while the used BFA originates from a plant of Greenvolt , where it was separated from the gaseous stream by bag filters. Both MK and BFA are originally powdered materials and were used as received. As for EAFS, the material was supplied by Harsco Environmental  and was composed of large granules  that are not suited for use in the geopolymerization process. For this reason, the original material was ground in a laboratory mill  to produce the fine powder needed for the GPC preparation. The specific gravity of MK, BFA, and EAFS, provided by the suppliers, is 2.4, 2.3, and 3.5, respectively. The particle size distribution (PSD) curves and the main PSD parameters for each used precursor, determined in a Masterziser 3000 laser diffraction particle size analyzer , are shown in D10, D50, and D90 correspond to the particle size, below which 10%, 50%, and 90% of the sample volume is found, respectively.The chemical composition of the precursors was determined by X-ray Fluorescence. For the case of MK, the composition was given by the supplier, whereas for BFA and EAFS, a Zetium XRF spectrometer , equipped with a 4 kW Rhodium X-ray tube, was used for the measurements. The main oxide proportions are reported in The amount of dissolved aluminate and silicate species from the precursors in alkaline medium or, in other words, their potential reactivity towards the geopolymerization process was assessed by an alkaline dissolution test carried out as follows. A 10 M SH solution was prepared, dissolving SH pellets  in deionized water, and used as the alkaline medium or alkalination solution at a ratio of 200 mL/g of precursor. The resulting suspension was allowed to react for 120 min under controlled agitation, at room temperature .Nano spectrophotometer from BMG LABTECH . Sodium metasilicate (Sigma-Aldrich) and hydrated aluminum nitrate  were used for preparing the aqueous solutions for the calibration of the SMA and ERC methods, respectively.Thereafter, the suspension was centrifuged and the liquid phase  was decanted and neutralized to a pH ≈ 7 with hydrochloric acid . The concentration of silicate and aluminate species in the resulting solutions was then determined by visible spectrophotometric methods—the silicomolybdic acid method (SMA)  and the 2 + Al2O3) per unit weight of raw material.Using this method, the total silicate and aluminate dissolved from the solid precursor into an alkalination solution—that, thus, becomes available for the geopolymerization process—could be estimated in terms of mol , was used as fine aggregate. The PSD cumulative curve and the main PSD parameters of sand, determined in a Mastersizer 3000, are presented in The alkalination mix solution was comprised of varying proportions of SS solution ), SH solution (32% (38º BE), supplied by Ângelo Coimbra, S.A. ), water, and solid SH .GPC mortars were prepared with the abovementioned precursors, sand, and alkalination mix in six different formulations, and so that the performance of the different mortars could be compared, some of the most important geopolymerization parameters were fixed, as shown in 2/Al2O3 is the ratio between silica and alumina in precursors and will affect the resulting GPC structure. To obtain a geopolymer material suited for cement-like applications, a reference value of SiO2/Al2O3 between 3.3 and 4.5 in the actual geopolymer structure should be respected [SiOespected . Therefo2O/Na2O is the ratio between total water and total sodium oxide in solution and represents a measure of the pH used in the process. The pH of the alkalination solution will affect the dissolution process of aluminosilicates from precursors—generally, the higher the pH (lower H2O/Na2O), the higher the extent of dissolution of aluminosilicates [Hilicates  that wilWater to solids (W/S) is the ratio between total water and total solids in the mortar . It will affect the consistency and workability of the GPC mortar and its ability to cure fast, as well as the final achieved mechanical strength . Since tAggregates to precursors (Agg/P) is the ratio between aggregates and precursors used in the mortar formulation. Since aggregates are assumed to be essentially inert, this ratio will determine the proportion of solid material available for taking part in the geopolymerization reaction. The higher the ratio, the lower the expected mechanical performance of the mortar, since there will be less binding material. In the present study, the fixed value of Agg/P = 2.0 was selected based on the typical range reported in the literature (between 1.0 and 3.0) for GPC mortars cured in room conditions ,51,52,53The mortar mixing procedure was carried out in a  by first adding the weighted precursors and alkalination solution into the mixer and mixing for 120 s at 140 rpm, with a pause at 60 s for scraping off the mixer bowl walls. Thereafter, the weighted amount of sand was added, and mixing was continued at 140 rpm for 120 s, and then, after scraping off the mixer bowl walls again, for another 120 s at 285 rpm.After mixing, the produced mortars were cast and allowed to cure inside 160 mm × 40 mm × 40 mm molds at room conditions. During the mixing and casting processes, it was observed that the mortars sustained a level of workability and fluidity suitable for their use in construction applications. The specimens were demolded after at least one day or as soon as sufficient mechanical strength was achieved to withstand the demolding process. Thereafter, the specimens were allowed to continue curing at room conditions until the end of the seventh day after casting.After 7 days of curing, the GPC mortar specimens were tested for unconfined compressive strength (CS) in a Instron 4505 universal mechanical testing machine . A total of six specimens from each formulation were measured.The composition of the six GPC mortar formulations, in terms of mass fractions (wt%) of each used material, is reported in 2 and Al2O3 per unit weight of precursor, are presented in The potential reactivity of precursors towards the geopolymerization process was assessed by measuring the amount of dissolved aluminate and silicate species in a 10 M sodium hydroxide solution, as explained in 2 and Al2O3. This means that, in absolute terms, MK should be a better choice as a precursor for geopolymerization, when compared to BFA and EAFS, since it contributes with a higher amount of aluminosilicates to the formation of the GPC matrix.From On the other hand, we can also analyze the fraction of dissolved silicate and aluminate from each material shown in , assuminFrom this point of view, it can be concluded that the aluminate dissolution extent is in the same range for all three precursors, between 20 and 30% of the total content of this chemical species in the precursors, and the silicate dissolution extent is very similar in the case of MK and EAFS, about 12% to 13.5%. This means that the reactivity  of the aluminate phase present in the solid material is very similar for all three precursors, and the same applies to the silicate phase in the case of MK and EAFS. Therefore, it seems that the significantly higher amount of dissolved silicates and aluminates from MK  mainly a2 and Al2O3 per unit weight of fresh mortar and is shown in Based on the results of the dissolution tests with each precursor, the total amount of dissolved silicates and aluminates for each of the six GPC mortar formulations was estimated in terms of mmol SiOi2, and Al2Oi3, are the amounts of dissolved silicates and aluminates as determined by the alkaline dissolution test for precursor i , %iP and %SS are the mass fractions of precursor i and sodium silicate solution in the mortar, respectively (reported in 2 in the SS solution (in mmol SiO2/g SS solution).For this estimation, the results of the dissolution tests were combined with the content of the respective precursor in the mortar formulation. In addition, the mass of the sodium silicate solution was also considered as it directly contributes to the total amount of dissolved silicates. The estimates in From the data shown in 2 and Al2O3 presented in After 7 days of curing, six specimens from each GPC mortar formulation were tested for unconfined CS. From the obtained results shown in , it can Furthermore, if the obtained CS is explicitly correlated with the estimated total amount of dissolved aluminosilicates in each formulation, the relationship becomes evident, as can be seen in 2 and Al2O3 corresponds to a higher CS of the mortar. The red dotted line is the best linear fit to the complete data set, obtained by the least squares fitting method, and, although it represents the general trend, some significant deviations are evident. On the other hand, if we only consider the GPC mortar formulations that include MK (excluding the M2 and M3 formulations), the linear fit (obtained by the same method) is very good (blue dotted line) and represents the data almost perfectly. From these results, it seems that, for estimated low amounts of dissolved SiO2 and Al2O3 (below about 0.6 mmol/g mortar) or CS below about 14 MPa, the influence of dissolved aluminosilicates in the development of strength is less significant. A possible explanation for this is that, for low CS , other variables, such as the level of compacity of the materials and the mechanical strength of individual constituents of the mortar (disregarding the binding mechanism) become more important for the overall CS.Considering all six formulations, it is clear that a higher estimated amount of dissolved SiO2 and Al3O2 content, as measured by XRF, was used instead of the dissolved amounts from the alkaline dissolution test. For this case, the correlation with CS is shown in It is also worth comparing the correlation in 2 and Al2O3 present in the precursors (as measured by XRF). Therefore, the potential of different raw materials for the formulation of GPC mortars seems to be better evaluated if the dissolution tests  are used, instead of simply relying on the precursors’ chemical composition normally obtained by XRF.As can be stated, although the data variation is still generally captured by a linear trend, there are significant deviations of experimental points from the best linear fit obtained by the least squares method. This fact makes this correlation much less valuable in predicting the CS of new formulations than the one using the estimated amounts of dissolved aluminosilicates in the fresh mortars based on the dissolution tests shown in . This is2 + Al2O3 (2.1 mmol/g) when compared to BFA and EAFS, which yielded 0.32 and 0.53 mmol/g, respectively. This was attributed to a higher content of silica and alumina in the composition of MK when compared to BFA and EAFS rather than to higher reactivity of these phases.In the alkaline dissolution tests, MK produced a higher amount of dissolved SiO2 of 0.96.The 7-day CS of the six GPC mortars prepared was shown to follow a linear correlation with the total dissolved aluminosilicates in the mortars, estimated by the results of the dissolution tests of precursors—the higher the amount of total dissolved aluminosilicates in the fresh mortar, the higher the CS achieved. The correlation based on the complete set of six different GPC mortars was found to yield an R2 > 0.99) is obtained that explains the CS data in the range of around 15 MPa to 60 MPa.Furthermore, if we consider only the four GPC mortar formulations with a total estimated amount of dissolved aluminosilicates above 0.6 mmol/g mortar, a very accurate linear correlation (R2 ≈ 0.88). This is in line with the assumption that the amount of dissolved silicate and aluminate species has a stronger influence on the formation of the GPC matrix than the total content of SiO2 and Al2O3 in the source materials.The same correlation based on the total silica and alumina content in precursors measured by XRF was shown to be much less accurate in explaining the CS variation (RThese results support the usefulness of a simple method for screening and evaluating the relative potential of aluminosilicate-containing materials, in the present case inorganic industrial waste, in the geopolymerization process.The importance of studying the dissolution process of aluminosilicates from GPC precursors lies in the fact that it represents the basis for the formation of the GPC matrix, which will act as the binder that will enable the setting and hardening of the final material. In the present work, the alkaline dissolution process of MK, EAFS, and BFA was studied and correlated with the precursors’ composition and with the mechanical strength achieved by GPC mortar specimens prepared from these materials. The main conclusions are as follows:2 and Al2O3, the effect of the content of CaO in the precursors will also be studied since it is known to also contribute to the hardened properties of geopolymer materials.Further work will focus on assessing the applicability of the obtained correlation in the case of GPC mortars produced with different precursors and under similar conditions, so that a straightforward estimation of the CS of a generic GPC mortar could be achieved based on the reactivity of its constituent in a simple alkaline dissolution test. Additionally, along with the influence of SiO


For the early detection of avian influenza virus (AIV), molecular diagnostic methods such as real-time RT-PCR (rRT-PCR) are the first choice in terms of accuracy and speed in many countries. A laboratory’s capability to perform this diagnostic method needs to be measured through external and independent assessment to ensure that the method is validated within the laboratory and in interlaboratory comparison. The Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency of Korea has implemented five rounds of proficiency testing (PT) for rRT-PCR targeting local veterinary service laboratories involved in the AIV national surveillance program from 2020 to 2022. In each round, a portion composed of six or more samples was selected from the entire PT panel consisting of H5, H7, and H9 viruses isolated in Korea and distributed to each participant, and at least one pair of samples was commonly included in each panel for interlaboratory comparison. During the five rounds of PT, a few incorrect and outlying results were detected that required immediate inspection or corrective actions. However, in the quantitative measurement of Ct values, the average standard deviation or coefficient of variation decreased as multiple PT rounds progressed, and a positive correlation between consecutive rounds of PT was observed since 2021. The better consistency or stability in the experimental performance appeared to contribute to the more harmonized results in the latest PTs, and it is assumed that the positive reaction of participants to the challenges of quantitative assessment reports showing their status intuitively might work. We need to continue operating the PT program for local laboratories because they play crucial roles at the front line of the national avian influenza surveillance program, and frequent changes in the human resources or environment for diagnosis in those laboratories are inevitable. Avian influenza A virus (AIV) is a highly contagious zoonotic pathogen that affects wild waterfowl and poultry. It is divided into high-pathogenicity avian influenza virus (HPAIV) and low-pathogenicity avian influenza virus (LPAIV) based on the disease severity . Wild waIn Korea, H5 HPAIV has been continually introduced by migratory birds in the winter season, and H9N2 LPAIV of the Y280 lineage was detected for the first time in the live bird market (LBM) in 2020 ,12,13,14National or international PT programs have been developed or organized by many reference laboratories domestically or internationally. Depending on the purpose of the PT program or the role of the participating laboratories, the panel of samples may be prepared differently ,16,17,18In this study, we summarized and analyzed the results of the five consecutive rounds of the PT program that the APQA conducted for all VSLs working together for national AIV surveillance from 2020 to 2022.The panel viruses for the PT program were selected from the H5, H7, and H9 LPAIVs that were isolated or constructed by the APQA. The panel included two A/Puerto Rico/8/1934(H1N1) (PR8)-derived recombinant viruses, rgBuan2 and rgHD1, which contained the hemagglutinin (HA) genes of HPAIVs of two different clades, A/broiler duck/Korea/Buan2/2014(H5N8) and A/duck/Korea/HD1/2017 (H5N6), respectively [−1 to 10−5 with normal allantoic fluids from ECEs, and their Ct values for the M, H5, and H7 genes in rRT-PCR were compared to determine the proper dilution factor for constructing the PT panel. In relation to this, we compared the range of Ct values formed from different combinations of equipment or commercial kits for RNA extraction and rRT-PCR. The appropriate dilution factors for the final panel viruses were decided to be detectable with the different combinations of the equipment and reagents. The final panels were then aliquoted and stored at −80 °C until use.The panel viruses were inactivated via heat treatment , and viral inactivation was confirmed via the twice consecutive inoculation of ECEs. The inactivated viruses were serially diluted 10-fold from 10® NX-48  and Maxwell® RSC , were chosen for panel testing in viral RNA extraction with the NX-48 Viral NA kit  and the Maxwell® RSC simplyRNA Tissue kit , respectively. For the ready-to-use rRT-PCR kits for the M, H5, and H7 genes, the VDx® AIV qRT-PCR kit  and the PowerCheck™ Influenza real-time PCR kit , used by the majority of VSLs, and the two most popular thermocyclers, CFX96  and QuantStudio 5 , were also employed and tested for the panel viruses.Specifically, in 2022 for the fifth PT round, three different protocols listed in The homogeneity and rates of deterioration of the aliquoted panel samples were evaluated under shipping conditions in 2022. The homogeneity of the aliquoted samples was tested with randomly selected samples. To assess the stability of the panel samples under shipping conditions, randomly selected panel samples stored at −80 °C were thawed and left at 4 °C for 48 h. The Ct values of the samples were determined at different time points  to ensure that the difference in the Ct values measured after thawing and after incubation was negligible or endurable during the course of real proficiency testing by the participants. For this, in the three different protocols with the combinations of a thermocycler, reagents, and an RNA extraction method, the results are acquired and compared in The proficiency tests were conducted five times over a three-year period from 2020 to 2022. In 2020 and 2021, two proficiency tests were conducted per year, while a single proficiency test was conducted in 2022. Thirty-five laboratories participated in all of the PT programs, while three other laboratories participated partly. All participating VSLs received a sample panel consisting of six samples, including two commonly distributed samples (CDSs). In 2020 and 2021, split (undiluted and 10-fold diluted) H5 strain samples were used as CDSs, and the composition of the other four samples varied depending on the sample panel, which was randomly allocated to each laboratory. In 2022, however, the sample panels distributed to participants were nearly identical, including the H5 strains used as CDSs. Each laboratory was supposed to submit diagnostic results for its sample panel, including the Ct values for the M, H5, and H7 genes with rRT-PCR, as well as information about the instruments and diagnostic kits used for the test.The diagnostic accuracy of all panel samples was initially evaluated by comparing the submitted results with the assigned values. The quantitative analysis of the Ct values of the CDSs was then compared both within each PT round and among the five rounds. The Grubbs’ test was used to find the presence of outliers in the data, which are defined as values that deviate significantly from the mean of the sample. The test was performed at a significance level of 95% ,24. OutlThe interlaboratory variability in the diagnostic results was evaluated by calculating the Z-score between the laboratories for the CDSs. The Z-score was calculated using two statistical methods: the classical statistical method that utilizes the average and standard deviation, and the robust statistical method that employs the median and normalized interquartile range (NIQR) . In the The Youden plot was used to visually evaluate the performance of each laboratory by plotting the Ct values of the paired CDSs on a graph with one CDS value on the X-axis and the other on the Y-axis. The Manhattan median, which is the point at which the median of the Ct values of the paired CDSs intersect, was calculated, and a 95% confidence ellipse and 45° reference line was drawn to identify outliers in the Youden plot. The distances of the points from the Manhattan median along the reference line or perpendicular to it were used to estimate the source of error. The analysis results of each proficiency test, including the Ct values and Z-scores, were shared with all the participants in a blind manner after each test. After the third PT round, informative graphs were also provided to each group of participants; they were customized at the province or city level. The M and H5 Ct values of a couple of CDSs from all participants were displayed, highlighting the points of the participants who received the graph. This graph provided a visual representation of the results, allowing participants to compare their results with others and identify any deviations or outliers.To assess the performance among the successive PT rounds comparatively, pairwise scatter plots of the M and H5 Ct values obtained for a CDS between PT rounds were drawn, and histograms, locally smoothed regression, and Pearson correlation coefficients were also generated using the “pairs.panels” function in the psych package (version 2.2.9) in R-4.2.1 software.p-value of less than 0.05 was considered a significant difference. ANOVA was used to compare the Ct values between different experimental components adopted by each laboratory, such as the diagnostic kit or device.The significance of the difference in Ct values was evaluated using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) with SPSS statistical software , where a The APQA conducted five rounds of PT programs between 2020 and 2022 to assess the diagnostic ability of laboratories using rRT-PCR for the M, H5, and H7 genes for national AI surveillance, and most VSLs participated. The panel samples for these PT programs were chosen to reflect the representative strains of the H5, H7, and H9 subtypes isolated in Korea  and the When we compared the Ct values with three different diagnostic protocols in 2022, there were no significant differences among the different sample storage conditions for subtypes H5 and H7 . Other sIn the first PT round, approximately 30% of the participants used the manual RNA extraction method, but in 2022, the use of automated RNA extraction machines became prevalent, with only one of the participants (two percent) continuing to use the manual protocol for RNA extraction. Regarding thermocyclers, CFX96 (Bio-Rad) or QuantStudio lines (ThermoFisher) were used by most participants, and the ready-to-use rRT-PCR kit made by a commercial company was adopted by approximately 70% of the participants consistently over the 3 years .In the five rounds of PT, only five laboratories submitted incorrect answers at the first result submission. Two laboratories (no. 12 and 17) failed to identify the sample of the H5 subtype in the first PT round, while one laboratory (no. 11) and two laboratories (no. 7 and 37) falsely reported AIV-negative samples as positive in the first and fourth PT rounds, respectively . When weThere were VSLs with Z-scores in the upper questionable range: one (no. 20) in the second PT round and one (no. 15) in the fifth PT round and one (no. 8) in the second PT round (with the robust method only). One laboratory (no. 1) in the fifth PT round was in the lower questionable range . InteresFor the five rounds of PT, Youden plots, drawn with the Ct values of the paired CDSs for the M and H5 genes, showed that most of the points were dispersed along the reference line . The sizAfter each round of PT, all participating laboratories received feedback that included their results and those of all other participants. Laboratories whose results were outliers or fell within the questionable range in the Z-score analysis for the CDSs underwent a thorough inspection of their experimental procedures to identify the cause of their results. In such cases, an additional sample panel was provided for retesting if necessary. In particular, laboratory no. 34, which was the sole outlier during all the PT rounds in the Z-score analysis, was known to have left the PT samples at room temperature for several days with negligence, so the VSL was retested with a new panel of samples. After the third PT round, feedback was provided to each participant with a customized and more intuitive graph visualizing all the Ct values for the M and H5 genes of the paired CDSs highlighting the values of the VSLs at the same upper-level local autonomies; the graph was shared with all participants in the same upper-level local autonomies to encourage their coordinated efforts to increase diagnostic capabilities and standardize the instruments or reagents for the harmonization of their data .The correlation between the Ct values for the M and H5 genes of a CDS was analyzed along the VSLs among the five rounds of PT. The results show a moderate positive correlation between the third and fourth rounds and between the fourth and fifth rounds of PT, with Pearson correlation coefficient values exceeding 0.3 for both the M and H5 genes . This inThe data analysis of the PT results indicates a marked improvement in the diagnostic capabilities of the participants in the fourth PT round in 2021. The reductions in SD and CV values and in the sizes of the 95% confidence ellipses of the Ct values of the CDSs in the fourth PT, as well as the positive correlation in the Ct values of the CDSs between the third and the fourth PT, suggest, collectively, that more harmonized and reproducible laboratory test results were produced. We think that the increased uniformity via the use of instruments and more intuitive feedback on the PT results given to the participants might play an important role in this improvement, in which the deviated results and associated variables became more distinguishable. Additionally, it is considered that the revision of the national diagnostic manual for avian influenza, which contained the analysis report of the third PT round results and was reviewed by all the VSLs prior to the fourth PT program, also contributed to these changes. However, these favorable changes may be temporary without continued training for novices and without PT programs tightly coupled with informative feedback, as some local officials responsible for AI diagnosis are subject to annual replacement. In the future, it would be necessary to address any association between all the major variables defined in the test protocol and the test results, and this may enable us to provide VSLs with more valuable information and recommendations to enhance the harmonization of the diagnostic results in the national level as a virtuous circle.


The results show that the addition of the MgO@ZnO@BC composite results in higher adsorption properties for Cu2+ and Pb2+, with a molar ratio of 5% 0.1 g, and maximum adsorption capacity (50.63 mg/g for Cu2+ and 61.46 mg/g for Pb2+). The Langmuir adsorption isotherm of the adsorption complex and the kinetics of adsorption are secondary kinetics. The adsorption of Cu2+ and Pb2+ was mainly chemisorption, accompanied by physical adsorption. This adsorption method fully conforms to the concepts of clean production and efficient waste utilization, providing a reference for the removal of heavy metal ions from wastewater and waste recycling using ternary composite materials.The ternary composite MgO@ZnO@BC was synthesized and characterized for the adsorption of Cu Over the years, large-scale industrialization has produced a large amount of heavy metals such as copper and lead wastewater discharged directly into water bodies causing water pollution . Copper Banana is a tropical fruit that is eaten in large amounts, but its skin is discarded in large quantities without being fully used . By makiIn recent years, metal oxides have gained the attention of researchers because of their green, low-cost, and excellent adsorption properties. This particular magnesium oxide is characterized by its abundant natural reserves, many active surface sites, environmental friendliness, and strong adsorption capacity ,30; therFor instance, ZnO is a semiconductor that is active in the ultraviolet region and has a large energy band . Zinc ox2+ and Pb2+) in wastewater was explored for the first time. Therefore, in this work, ternary compounds of MgO@ZnO@BC were prepared by hydrothermal synthesis, characterized by SEM-EDX, XPS, FT-IR, and XRD. In addition, the morphology and adsorption mechanism of the materials were analyzed. The DQSE (Demand Question Strategy Extension) framework was proposed to provide an outlook on the prospects of application of ternary composites and to find a new direction for the development of adsorbent materials for efficient adsorption of heavy metals [In summary, the main objective of this study was to test the feasibility of using MgO@ZnO@BC as an adsorbent to adsorb heavy metal ions from wastewater. The effect of ternary compounds on heavy metal ions  and Pb(II) concentrations ranged from 5 mg·L−1 to 50 mg·L−1 and were adsorbed under static conditions. The performance data are shown in 2+ and Pb2+ increased with increasing concentrations of Cu2+ and Pb2+. The removal of Cu(II) and Pb(II) by MgO@ZnO@BC was highest when the initial concentration was 5 mg·L−1, and the removal rate gradually decreased with increasing concentrations of Cu(II) and Pb(II) in the solution. In addition, the adsorption tended to equilibrate with increasing Cu(II) and Pb(II) concentrations, which was because the active sites of MgO@ZnO@BC exceeded the adsorbable Cu and Pb amounts (II) at low concentrations of Cu(II) and Pb(II) wastewater, resulting in lower adsorption efficiency. When the concentration of Cu(II) and Pb(II) increased, the active sites for adsorption were insufficient, leading to an earlier adsorption equilibrium [The adsorption performance of Cuilibrium .2+ and Pb2+ was 0.1 g/L, as shown in The effect of the addition of the adsorbent on the adsorption effect is shown in 2+ and Pb2+, so it was chosen as the addition amount of MgO@ZnO@BC in the experiment.The removal rate was used as an index to examine the amount of adsorbent. Combined with the effect of 2+ and Pb2+ was slightly enhanced when the temperature increased from 20 °C to 30 °C. However, with a further increase in temperature, the adsorption tends to the equilibrium state. Under normal conditions, metal–ion adsorption is heat-absorbing, and the increase in temperature promotes adsorption. The ability of MgO@ZnO@BC to release a large amount of H+ at high temperatures is due to the temperature-responsive property of MgO@ZnO@BC at high temperatures. This structural transition is caused by the thermal deprotonation of the carboxyl group in MgO@ZnO@BC. By calculating the changes in the thermodynamic parameters ΔG and ΔH, it can be found that the adsorption is thermally absorbing and spontaneous below 40 °C [The effect of temperature on the adsorption capacity is shown in ow 40 °C . The ads2+ and Pb2+ ions in MgO@ZnO@BC are shown in e and Ce is better, indicating that the Langmuir isotherm model can better explain the adsorption of Cu2+ and Pb2+ ions. The Langmuir isotherm model has the highest linear correlation coefficient (R2 = 0.99465 and 0.99329). To further confirm that the Langmuir adsorption model is the Cu2+ and Pb2+ adsorption on MgO@ZnO@BC, the removal of Cu2+ and Pb2+ was assumed to be in a homogeneous monomolecular layer with equal active sites and adsorption energies and no interaction between the adsorbates [2+, 61.46 mg/g for the maximum adsorption of Pb2+ with a maximum adsorption of 61.46 mg/g. The maximum adsorption capacity and the actual adsorption capacity are multiply related, indicating that the process is unimolecular layer adsorption and the adsorption surface is not completely covered [The adsorption isotherms of Cusorbates . The max2+) and (Pb2+)), and the metal removal rate did not change much with an additional further increase in time. This may be because the surface of the adsorbent was filled after reaching the equilibrium of adsorption and heavy metal ions were hardly adsorbed by the pores of the adsorbent. The results of fitting the parameters of the proposed primary kinetic models and the proposed secondary kinetic models were obtained. It can be seen that the correlation coefficient R2 obtained by fitting the equations of the proposed secondary kinetic model is larger than that obtained by fitting the equations of the proposed primary kinetics, which is close to one; the amount of adsorption q calculated from the equations of the proposed secondary kinetics agrees well with the experimental value q [2+ and Pb2+ adsorption process is chemisorbed by monomolecular layer MgO@ZnO@BC, and the adsorption process may also consist of valence forces between the metal ions and MgO@ZnO@BC through shared electrons.The general results of the adsorption effect, the primary kinetics, and the secondary kinetics model fitting results for the adsorption process of Cu(II) and Pb(II) by MgO@ZnO@BC are shown in  . This suThe MgO@ZnO@BC adsorption mechanism is shown in (1)2+ and Zn2+ are released from the MgO and ZnO groups loaded on the surface of biomass carbon to exchange ions with Pb2+ and Cu2+ in solution, resulting in PbO, CuO and Pb(OH)2, Cu(OH)2, etc., which are adsorbed on the surface of biomass carbon and participate in further precipitation reactions. This process is also one of the reactions for precipitation generation. Therefore, the role of ion exchange in the adsorption process needs to be further verified.Ion exchange: Mg(2)2, Cu(OH)2 and other components have a certain solubility in aqueous solution, and then react with CO2 to produce further precipitation of alkaline lead carbonate based on Pb3(CO3)2(OH)2 and Cu2(OH)2CO3 and alkaline copper carbonate, greatly increasing the removal rate of Pb and Cu. At the same time, the pH of the system increases due to the action of MgO/Mg(OH)2 and CuO/Cu(OH)2, which reached favorable conditions for precipitation formation, especially on the surface of the adsorbent, thus allowing formation of lead and copper-containing precipitates in large quantities and adherence to the surface of the biochar, as well as binding to the adsorbent, thus allowing their removal from the solution through the filter membrane. Precipitation plays a major role in the adsorption of Pb(II) and Cu(II) by MgO/Mg(OH)2 and CuO/Cu(OH)2-loaded materials.Precipitation: Pb(OH)(3)The role of surface functional groups: C-containing functional groups such as C-O/C-N, C=O, and O=C-O, as well as some groups which share electrons with Pb(II) and Cu(II) during adsorption, combine with Pb(II) and Cu(II) to achieve removal. The addition of functional groups containing metal oxides by loading metal oxide also plays a role in the adsorption process.+ [+ is produced in the solution. This material without chemical production is promising for environmental applications.In addition, there are a large number of carboxyl groups in the MgO@ZnO@BC composites that chelate metal ions as a driving effect for adsorption. The electrostatic interaction between the surface of the composite and the metal ions also plays a role in adsorption. Inspired by the adsorption–desorption of HCl, it is perfectly reasonable to synthesize an adsorbent that can generate H+ . TemperaTraditional experimental methods make it difficult to determine the strength and mechanism of interfacial molecular interactions. With the development of computers and algorithms, molecular simulations have shown great potential in dealing with interfacial interactions and revealing microscopic mechanisms. Compared with other computational simulation software such as NAMD, GROMACS, and LAMMPS, Materials Studio provides a friendly simulation environment for an in-depth study of the properties and processes of various nanoclusters, small molecules, crystalline and amorphous states, and polymeric materials. In this simulation, we constructed MgO@ZnO@BC by Materials Studio 2019, software and calculated the adsorption conformation, energy band structure, and projected density of states of the adsorbent through theoretical calculations to better understand the interaction mechanism of the adsorbent with heavy metal molecules . First, Second, a laminar model of the composite interaction was also constructed. In constructing the laminate structure, the initial configuration of the simulation was obtained by geometrical optimization of the model due to periodic boundary conditions.F = 0.0 eV). From the figure, we can see that the GGA potentials of the composites all give rise to semi-metallic states and there is little difference in the structure of the spin states when it comes to EF. The energy band follows the spin-up direction through the EF, and all the spin bands pass through the EF to produce an energy gap. As the number of electrons in the energy band increases, the space for spin splitting in the spin band is at the upper plate. The additional electrons create a repulsive effect that moves the electrons in the crystal away from the EF and open the gap in the spin–spin band direction. The energy band structure spin-up and the spin–spin optical band are less affected by GGA and are mainly influenced by the rare earth dot position. Both the valence electrons of the surface active oxygen atoms and their interacting atoms show a significant overlap near the Fermi energy level. It is further confirmed that the adsorption of heavy metals by the composites is dominated by chemisorption.The energy band structure of the entire simulated process is shown in F = 0.0 eV), while the spin-dn TDOSs are zero, indicating the HM nature of the composite. The potential of the highest peak of the spin of the TDOS of the composite reaches a maximum at EF (20 states/eV). Mg, Zn, and C contribute the largest amount of TDOS in the composite, with a small fraction obtained by sharing O atoms. The same can also be seen in the valence band with a part of a small number of peaks further away from the EF.The density of states of an electron is a function that counts the number of different states through which an electron passes by units of volume and per unit of energy at a given energy level. Therefore, to explain the main electronic properties of MgO@ZnO@BC at equilibrium, the total density of states and the partial fractional density of states in the spin-up direction are calculated using the model as shown in In addition, we also calculated the fractional density of PDOS states for the main electronic hybridization of the composites at different energy levels. The use of adsorbents should be considered not only in terms of secondary pollution but also in terms of renewability . To bettThe magnesium ore was obtained from the Liaodong area, Liaoning Province. Precursors using raw bananas were purchased from a local supermarket . Zinc acetate, sodium hydroxide, concentrated hydrochloric acid, ammonium carbonate, and anhydrous ethanol were purchased from Sinopharm Co. . The deionized water was made in the Hefei university laboratory. The stock solution of Cu(II) and Pb(II) was prepared and diluted with deionized water to the desired concentration.First, unlike the traditional grinding process, a special chemical method is used to treat the biomass carbon with HCl impregnation as the pore forming agent . The advA certain amount of magnesium ore is poured into the muffle furnace at 650 °C calcination for 30 min, cooled to room temperature, and ground into powder using a 200-mesh sieve to obtain magnesium oxide products. The synthesis of ZnO powder by hydrothermal synthesis is conducted as reported in the literature . The preThe banana MgO@ZnO@BC ternary composite was improved in a previous work ,53. The The phase analysis of the samples was carried out using a SmartLab powder X-ray diffractometer . IRAffinity-1S Fourier transform infrared spectrometer was used for analysis of functional surface groups. SEM-EDX analyzed the surface morphology and elements of the composites. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis of the surface chemical structure of composite materials was conducted. The thermal stability of the MgO@ZnO@BC adsorbent was analyzed by TGA.2+ and Pb2+ was prepared to test the adsorption performance of the MgO@ZnO@BC adsorbent. Adsorption studies were carried out under static conditions and 250 mL conical flasks were used for the experiments. Experimental parameters such as the adsorbent dosage, different concentrations of the solution, adsorption time, and different temperatures were discussed to investigate the optimal conditions for adsorption. The supernatant of the solution was taken throughout the adsorption process, and the equilibrium concentrations of Cu2+ and Pb2+ were measured by principle absorption spectrophotometry.A mixture of Cu2+ and Pb2+ were calculated according to Equations (1) and (2).After adsorption was complete, the equilibrium amounts of adsorption and the adsorption efficiencies of Cu0, Ce, V and m represented in the formula denote the initial and equilibrium concentrations of Cu2+ and Pb2+, respectively, the solution volumes of Cu2+, Pb2+ and the amount of the MgO@ZnO@BC added adsorbent.Cp < 0.05.Adsorption experiments were performed in three replicate cycles. Data on adsorption volume from the adsorption experiments were subjected to one-way ANOVA for statistical analysis and were statistically significant when 2+ and Pb2+, with a molar ratio of 5% 0.1 g, and maximum adsorption capacity (50.63 mg/g for Cu2+ and 61.46 mg/g for Pb2+) at 273 K. The Langmuir isotherm model and the pseudo-secondary kinetic model fit best and can be used to describe the adsorption mechanism. The adsorption mechanism mainly includes ion exchange, functional group complexation, precipitation, etc. It was shown that MgO@ZnO@BC is effective and feasible for the removal of heavy metals from industrial wastewater. MD simulations allow the study of the interaction between different elements, and it was further confirmed that the adsorption is mainly chemisorption.In summary, the first MgO@ZnO@BC ternary composite adsorbent was synthesized for the adsorption of heavy metals in wastewater by hydrothermal synthesis. The results show that the addition of the MgO@ZnO@BC composite has higher adsorption properties for Cu


Molecular dynamics of the dye in the presence of glycerol and sucrose revealed that the cosolvents preferentially interact with fluorescein monoanion and dianion, displacing water molecules from the local environment which in turn reduces the average number of the hydrogen bonds between xanthene ring of the dye and water molecules. The ratiometric signal demonstrates linear growth with the temperature in the range of 10–80 °C regardless of the presence of viscogenic agents. A linear correlation between the temperature sensitivity of the ratiometric signal and the change in the molar enthalpy of the proton dissociation reaction in buffer and viscous media was determined.In this work, we considered the influence of viscogenic agents  as well as the temperature on the fluorescent characteristics of fluorescein at pH 6.5 in order to describe the acid-base status of local environment in terms of a spectrally detectable dianion-anion equilibrium. The protolytic equilibrium of fluorescein was found to depend on the solvent viscosity in a complex way. Whereas in the presence of sucrose the ratiometric signal of fluorescein (I Small-molecular fluorescent probes find various applications at comprehensive investigation of physical-chemical characteristics of inhomogeneous media providing both spatial and temporal resolution . Thus, aaK 6.43  and [M] are the concentrations of dianion and monoanion respectively. The decomposition of the absorption spectra of fluorescein at pH 6.5 into D and M components  was ≥0.998.The equilibrium constant was calculated using the formula:mponents a was perM and D were calculated as a half-sum of wavenumbers for the maxima of absorption and fluorescence spectra at pH 5.0 (for M) and 11.0 (for D).The wavenumbers of 0-0 transitions of w/w)/sucrose (30 % w/w) was performed using GROMACS 2020.4 [1 of the dianion using Chimera 1.15 [Classical molecular dynamics (MD) of monoanion and dianion of the fluorescein surrounded by water molecules or a mixture of water with glycerol (40% S 2020.4 . The thrS 2020.4 . The strera 1.15 . OPLSA-Aera 1.15 . The topera 1.15 . Moleculera 1.15  and 29]w/w)/sucrMD simulations were conducted for 100 ns in each explicit solvent with three independent runs. H-bonds between oxygens of the xanthene ring and solvent molecules were estimated by GROMACS gmx hbond plugin. The number of hydrogen bonds at each MD frame was defined as the number of donor-acceptor pairs satisfying the following geometric criteria: the acceptor-donor-hydrogen triplet angle ≤ 30° and the acceptor-donor distance ≤ 0.35 nm .The spatial organization of water and cosolvents molecules in hydration layers of fluorescein were estimated by a minimum-distance distribution functions (MDDF) using the ComplexMixtures module in the Julia 1.8.2 software. The preferential interaction coefficients Γ for water, glycerol, and sucrose molecules were calculated based on MDDF .We measured the absorption and fluorescence spectra of fluorescein in solutions with different viscosities (up to 4.2 cP with sucrose and to 5.4 cP with glycerol) and at varying temperatures (10–80 °C). Due to high cross-sensitivity of fluorescein dyes equilibrium to ionic strength ,31, specIt was found that in viscous media the absorption spectra retained their shape and shifted bathochromically: by 4 nm in media with the addition of glycerol (50%), and by 1 nm in media with the addition of sucrose (37%) a. Under The effect of viscogenic agents on fluorescence spectra obtained at excitation wavelengths of 435 and 488 nm was manifested in a bathochromic shift and a decrease in intensity b. The prThe increase in the temperature of the fluorescein solution at pH 6.5 led to the bathochromic shift of absorption spectra and the apparent increase of peak absorption a. HoweveThe change of the absorption and fluorescence properties of the fluorescein In solutions with various viscosity and temperature could change the ratiometric signal of this probe, which is used as indicator of the medium pH. The analysis confirms that it is true in most of the cases under consideration .The viscosity dependencies revealed that in the presence of glycerol ratiometric signal increased non-linearly (with a maximum change of 19%), while in the presence of sucrose it remained the same as in the absence of the cosolvents a. The heH  a and det(1/T) (H . For bufkJ·mol–1 ) probablincrease . Interesolutions .The observed distinction in the parameters of protolytic equilibrium for buffer and viscous media is attributed with a change of the microenvironment and hydration shell of the dianion and monoanion of the fluorescein. The correlation between the temperature sensitivity of the ratiometric signal and the change in the enthalpy of reaction in the presence of viscogenic agents was revealed b.488/I435 even without any change of monoanion-dianion equilibrium. Addition of glycerol and sucrose to the buffer (water) solution do decrease the polarity of the medium. In this part of study, we aimed to estimate the influence of such decreasing trend observed in spectral properties of fluorescein.Ratiometric signal of the fluorescein depends on the absorption of the ionic forms at wavelengths 435 and 488 nm, at which the excitation of the fluorescence is carried out. Thus, the shift of the absorption spectra due to a change in the polarity of the medium or other reasons could lead to the disturbance of the Iabsm of the fluorescein in viscous media at pH 11, 6.5 and 5 were analyzed. The solvent polarity function or reaction field factor of the viscous media Δf was calculated according to the Lippert-Mataga equation [The wavenumbers of the maximum of absorption spectra νequation .absm decreased for all of the samples: fluorescein monoanion (at pH 5), fluorescein dianion (at pH 11) and their mixture (at pH 6.5) (We found that in the presence of the cosolvents (in media with lower polarity) the ν pH 6.5) a. At pH  pH 6.5) a could babsm also demonstrates bathochromic shift under heating 1 and O3) form bonds with water or/and cosolvents during 95–100% of the simulation time; the cosolvents partially replace the water molecules in hydrogen bonding with O1 and O3, but without a change in the total occupancy (sets (a), (c), (d), (f));Oxygens of the hydroxyl and carbonyl groups (O(ii)2 is less available for hydrogen bonding (sets (b), (e)), and in the presence of cosolvents the total occupancy of its H-bonds decreases;Heteroatom O(iii)The cosolvents are more likely to form H-bonds with the dianion than the monoanion (compare contributions of the cosolvents in (a) and (d), (b) and (e), (c) and (f)).The following patterns were revealed :(i)Oxyge1 and O3 of the fluorescein dianion are supposed to have similar properties, they showed different capability to form hydrogen bonds with cosolvent molecules , ± 0.09), . Thus, t488/I435. A significant impact of both cosolvents and the temperature on the value of the measured ratiometric signal was revealed. Here, we discuss different mechanisms responsible for the observed variation of I488/I435 of the fluorescein at pH 6.5.The application of the fluorescein in various pH-sensing techniques is usually based on the changes of its spectra associated with the monoanion-dianion equilibrium both in ground and in electronically excited states. The use of the two excitation wavelengths of 435 and 488 nm providing sufficient preferential absorption efficiency of mono- and dianionic forms of fluorescein respectively allows to register the ratiometric fluorescence signal IWe found that cosolvents (glycerol and sucrose) preferentially interact with mono- and dianions of the fluorescein that leads to the partial displacement of water molecules from the local environment. Thus, the average number of the hydrogen bond between the dye ions and water reduces . However488/I435 suggests the consideration of some additional mechanisms. Both the presence of the cosolvents (glycerol and sucrose) and heating were found to shift the absorption spectra of the dianion and monoanion of the fluorescein bathochromically . This reAn additional factor, which can influence the ratiometric signal, is a change of the fluorescence quantum yield of the ionic forms due to lower polarity. The small deviation (by 2%) of quantum yield of the dianion in solutions of less polarity than water  was reported . Our dataK* remains biased toward dianion formation by about 0.7 as compared to the paK in the ground state indicating that the mechanisms involving the charge redistribution in the excited state do not contribute to the dependence of the ratiometric signal on medium viscosity.Hypothetically we could expect a viscosity-controlled rate of proton transfer in the excited state of the fluorescein in viscous media due to the impact of the reorientational mobility of water , presencIt should be emphasized that the ratiometric signal demonstrates a high linearity of the temperature dependency in the range of 10–80 °C regardless to the presence of viscogenic agents. A linear correlation of the temperature sensitivity of the ratiometric signal with the change in the molar enthalpy of the dissociation reaction reflects the independence of the latter parameter on the temperature b.The mechanisms responsible for the sensitivity of the fluorescein ratiometric signal to the viscosity and temperature of the aqueous media under physiologically relevant pH (6.5) were investigated. Our findings indicate that specific effects of the sucrose and glycerol are mainly caused by their hydrophobic interactions with fluorescein ions reflecting in different shifts of the absorption spectra of the ionic forms of the dye. These shifts can be explained by changes in the polarity and/or hydrogen bonding status revealing a significant impact on the ratiometric signal. Thus, the effects of viscous media on the probe response were controlled rather by the nature of the viscogenic agents than by the value of the viscosity per se. Additionally, it was found that the presence of the viscogenic additives influences the thermal sensitivity of the ratiometric signal. Thus, the temperature-related shift of


This paper presents an MIMO antenna for vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, which adopts two ways of combline filters and absorption wall decoupling. A combline filter and an absorption wall are used, respectively, for internal and external decoupling. The combline filter is incorporated between the ground of the two adjacent antennas, which reduces the mutual coupling between them. Additionally, the mutual coupling of radiation between adjacent antennas is significantly reduced by the absorber wall. These combline filters and absorber walls use the method of electromagnetic field distribution to explain the reduction in the mutual coupling between the adjacent antennas. The transmission coefficient and surface current distribution explain the effectiveness of the decoupling structure. When the frequency is between 3.8 and 4.8 GHz, the simulation and measurement results show that  The fifth generation of mobile communications 5G) will meet the growing demand for high-speed data transmission, large capacity and ubiquitous connectivity, as the global positioning system (GPS) ,2, satelG will meTo improve the isolation of MIMO antennas, an absorbing metamaterial is proposed as a new platform to reduce the coupling of antenna elements. Currently, there are two ways to isolate MIMO unit antennas. One method uses planar isolation to reduce the coupling of surface currents and thus reduce the coupling between antennas ,23. The In this paper, the absorption unit size of the absorber wall is only 13 × 13 We analyze the effect of the combline filter to reduce the coupling of the MIMO antenna from three aspects. First, the decoupling and bandwidth of the original MIMO unit are compared with those after combline filtering. Second, a theoretical model and equivalent circuit are used to calculate the specific parameter values of the MIMO antenna of the cofilter. Finally, an electromagnetic simulation verifies the decoupling capability of the combline filter.As shown in The microstrip line is composed of an LC circuit and a J converter, and the gap is replaced by a = −25 dB and the dielectric constant as n as approximately 7 by calculation.1) According to Equation .(2) The electrical length of open-ended microstrip stubs Equation  to obtaii = 0, 1, 2, 3) and the microstrip coupled capacitance i = 0, 1, 2, 3) in the equivalent circuit are calculated by Equations (4)–(6).(3) The microstrip capacitance i = 1, 2, 3, 4) and the coupling distance between microstrip lines i = 1, 2, 3, 4) are calculated by the microstrip capacitance n is the filtering order (number of microstrip), (4) According to Equations (7) and (8), the width of the microstrip ip lines ,28.First, the absorption function of the absorption unit is analyzed, then the relationship between the absorption function of the absorption array and the isolation degree is analyzed and the arrangement distance of the absorption unit is optimized. Finally, the effect of the absorption array is verified by simulation. As shown in To further improve the absorption bandwidth, the absorption wall is designed as a To verify the validity of our design concept, a prototype of the proposed MIMO antenna was fabricated and measured. As shown in The effect of array absorption on the antenna performance is analyzed from three perspectives: gain, radiation efficiency and polarization radiation. As shown in i≠j and i, j = 1, 2, 3) represents the complex S-parameters for Port i and/or Port j and the symbol “*” denotes the Hermitian product [The envelope correlation coefficient (ECC) is calculated for validating the diversity performance of the antenna, which can be expressed based on the radiation patterns of the antenna in an isotropic propagation environment. The method of ECC calculation is based on the scattering parameters, which can be expressed as product . Figure In summary, a two-port multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) antenna from 3.8 to 4.8 GHz is presented for 5G vehicle communication. As shown in


The requirements related to reducing the carbon footprint of cement production have directed the attention of researchers to the use of waste materials such as blast-furnace slag or fly ashes, either as a partial replacement for cement clinker or in the form of new alternative binders. This paper presents alkali-activated materials (AAMs) based on blast-furnace slag partially replaced with fly ash, metakaolin, or zeolite, activated with water glass or water glass with a small amount of water, and doped with zinc oxide. The mortars were tested for flow, hydration heat, mechanical strength, microstructure, and antimicrobial activity. The obtained test results indicate the benefits of adding water, affecting the fluidity and generating a less porous microstructure; however, the tested hydration heat, strength, and antibacterial properties are related to more favorable properties in AAMs produced on water glass alone. Alkali-activated materials are an alternative to concrete made of Portland cement, and they have undergone dynamic developments in recent years. To obtain AAMs, an aluminosilicate precursor is needed; when activated with an alkali, it undergoes a polymerization reaction and gains mechanical properties in a much shorter time than a cementitious binder. The most commonly used precursors of aluminosilicates include metakaolin (MK), fly ashes (FAs), and ground-granulated blast-furnace slags (GGBFS) . Aside f2SiO3 have a four-step mechanism. Among these four stages, the following can be distinguished: (i) dissolution, (ii) Si layer formation, (iii) CASH  gel formation, and (iv) shell formation. Soluble in the structure, Si is introduced into the system through the water glass. In the initial stage, a high degree of saturation of such ions as Ca or Al and low Si can be observed. Ions present in large amounts quickly dissolve in the solution, releasing a large amount of heat. Si remains on the surface, the layer of which gradually builds up on the blast-furnace slag (BFS) surface in the second stage. The Si layer hinders the release of Ca and Al ions, slowing down the reaction and initiating the induction period, which proceeds to the third stage of the reaction. In the next, third stage, Ca and Al released earlier in the system react with Si to form a layer of CASH gel. As soon as the degree of undersaturation and the associated energy are higher than the activation energy, the Si layer dissolves, accelerating the formation of reaction products. In the last, fourth stage, the reaction products accumulate both on the surface of the BFS and in the solution. Creating shells on the BFS particles limits BFS dissolution [The mechanism of the reactions formed largely depends on the composition of the binder and the activator itself. Slag-based AAMs activated with sodium hydroxide have a three-step mechanism, while those activated with Na2 [2 [2O3 [2), reducing the permeability of samples (SiO2), or shortening the setting time (SiO2 and Al2O3) [2 may also have antibacterial properties. A similar beneficial antimicrobial effect was indicated for the ZnO–SiO2 combination introduced into low-calcium AAMs based on fly ash. The beneficial antimicrobial effect is made possible by the free radicals produced, which eliminate unwanted microorganisms. An additional advantage of introducing nanoparticles into the composite matrix is their ability to propagate the hydration process via increasing the number of active centers affecting the growth of hydration products [Researchers are currently working on appropriate admixtures for AAMs to improve their physical and mechanical properties. The ongoing work on admixtures concerns water reducers and shrinkage-reducing admixtures . Work is2 ,6,7,8, S2 [2 ,10, Al2O [2 [2O3 , or ZnO  [2 [2O3 . The intd Al2O3) ,12. A feIn search of antimicrobial properties, Kang and Ye  used alkThere are few studies in the literature on the use of zinc oxide in AAMs. Taking the above factors into account, in this work, an attempt was made to introduce zinc oxide into a matrix containing combinations of binders of blast-furnace slag, fly ashes, zeolite, and metakaolin. Mortars were produced in two series: (i) containing only water glass and (ii) containing water glass and a small amount of water. The obtained mortars were characterized in terms of flowability, mechanical properties, microstructural properties, and hydration heat released during polymerization, comparing not only the effect of the components used but also the introduced water. The final aspect of this research comprised an assessment of the antimicrobial properties of the produced AAMs.In the present study, blast-furnace slag (BFS), fly ash (FA), metakaolin (MK), and zeolite (Zeo) were used as low-emission alkali-activated binders. Quartz sand was used as aggregate, and zinc oxide (ZnO) was used as an admixture. The blast-furnace slag came from Lafarge Cement S.A. , the fly ashes were a by-product of hard coal combustion , and the MK and Zeo are MK-40 and Z-50, respectively, products of ASTRA . The binders used were subjected to an assessment of the oxide composition , presented in The AAM composites were produced in two research groups, “A” and “B”, the detailed ingredients of which are presented in In order to assess the effect of the type of binder on the heat of hydration of the designed low-emission AAM mixtures, a 72 h test of the heat of hydration was carried out using the semi-adiabatic method, following the PN-EN 196-9 standard, using a semi-adiabatic calorimeter . The test consisted of recording temperature differences between the test sample and the reference sample based on the amount of released heat that was determined. Each of the produced mixtures was subjected to a flow test using a flow table following the PN-EN 1015-3 standard. This test measured two perpendicular diameters of the fresh spread produced after 15 shocks of the shaking table. In the next stage, the mechanical properties of the obtained composites after 7 and 28 days of curing were determined. Flexural and compressive strength were tested using a MATEST ServoPlus Evolution testing machine , Italy). For each flexural strength test, six bars were used, from which 12 samples were obtained for testing the compressive strength. The microstructure was assessed on mature samples using a VEGA3 scanning electron microscope (SEM) .The final aspect of the research comprised an evaluation of antibacterial properties. Microbiological purity was evaluated using the contact plate and by measuring the change in the optical density of the medium using methods analogous to those described in .E. coli Cell Culture Concentration from OD600 Calculator” [The method used to measure the change in the optical density (OD600) consisted of placing an analyzed sample (approximately 500 mg) into a sterile conical flask and adding 50 mL of sterile liquid tryptic soy broth (TSB). The samples were incubated for 24 h at 30 °C with constant shaking at a speed of 110 rpm; after this, the optical density measurements were taken at 600 nm using a spectrophotometer SYNERGY HTX multi-mode reader . Next, the microbial cell counts were calculated using the online calculator “culator” .The next method employed, the growth method, involved placing cement samples measuring 5 mm × 5 mm × 2 mm in Petri dishes filled with sterile tryptic soy agar (TSA). The plates were closed and incubated at 30 °C for 24 h. After this time, the plate was analyzed for grown colonies of microorganisms.All tests were performed in three series of three repetitions.The semi-adiabatic heat of hydration study was carried out to determine the amount of heat released during the polymerization of the AAMs. The results of the 72 h test for series A composites are presented in The presented curves showing the increase in the hydration heat over time for samples without the addition of ZnO see a indicatIn the case of composites obtained according to the “B” recipe, higher values were recorded for the heat of hydration, both for the reference and ZnO-doped mixtures. The most significant increase related to introducing 50 g of water, replaced with water glass, was observed for the BASE mixture made of slag and MK, where the slag was partially replaced with metakaolinite. The introduction of water and ZnO did not affect the heat of hydration of the mortars based on fly ash and zeolite.In order to assess the consistency of the alkali-activated mortars, a study of the spread on the flow table was carried out. The test results for both the A and B samples are summarized in Analyzing the obtained diameters for mixtures of the A series, it can be observed that the base sample containing 100% of the slag achieved a spread of 17.5 cm in the composites without the admixture of zinc oxide. The introduction of binder modifications resulted in a decrease (Zeo sample—16.5 cm) or a significant increase in the flow size obtained (MK sample—21.0 cm and FA sample—23.0 cm). The introduction of zinc oxide to the mortars resulted in an increase in the spreads obtained in the 3–34% range, depending on the binder’s configuration. Comparing the same configurations of binders in the samples obtained using method B (water glass + distilled water), a significant increase in the size of the spreads can be noticed, which, for the BASE sample alone, is 24.5 cm, an increase of 40%. The increases for the remaining MK, FA, and Zeo samples obtained using method B are 26, 20, and 18%, respectively. Additionally, in mixtures of the B series, an increase in the diameter of the obtained spread after adding ZnO can be observed. Depending on the configuration of the binders, changes are visible in the range of 4–23%.The results of the mechanical strength tests after 7 and 28 days of curing are presented in The results of the average flexural strength of series A see a indicatThe average flexural strength results for alkali-activated series B materials containing 400 g of water glass and 50 g of distilled water are shown in Comparing the series A and B samples, we observed that, in the case of flexural strength, the addition of distilled water had little effect on the increase in flexural strength of the BASE or Zeo and ZnO-FA composites. The compressive strength of the A series composites is higher than that of the B series for MK- and ZnO-doped systems: ZnO-BASE and ZnO-MK. The addition of water had no significant effect on the mechanical properties of AAMs with a combination of slag and zeolite (with and without ZnO) and slag and fly ash with an admixture of ZnO. The longer maturation time increased the strength in both the A and B series mixtures.The microstructure analysis was carried out based on the SEM images presented in The microstructure of undoped ZnO composites is compact, homogeneous, and devoid of clear air bubbles. Mortars made of water glass alone are more porous than the material obtained in the B series. In the case of samples containing fly ashes, single, unreacted ash grains are visible in both series.In the case of materials doped with ZnO, the structure is densified. The presence of oxide particles increases the number of active centers, which favor the cross-linking of the structure. Comparing the SEM photos of composites without ZnO and those with an admixture, an additional layer surrounding the aggregate grains related to the “gelling” of the matrix can be seen.The antimicrobial properties were assessed using two methods; the results obtained for the optical density change are presented in 6 for FA_A and 6.51 × 107 for Zeo_B) or their absence in the plate method. Unfortunately, doping with ZnO causes an increase in the tendency of microorganisms to grow. However, it should be noted that, for these samples  compared to reference samples consisting of slag and water glass alone (BASE_B—3.97 × 108), microorganisms developed nearly three times less than in the control sample. A significantly lower number of microorganism colonies was observed compared to the reference samples consisting of slag and water glass alone.The most favorable systems regarding microbial purity were obtained by introducing zeolites, fly ashes, and metakaolin. The trend was observed in both methods—the smallest increase in microbial colonies  showed lower microbiological purity.2 emissions and thus reducing the carbon footprint of the materials produced [The presented research results concern AAMs without and with an admixture of ZnO produced entirely on water glass (the “A” series) or water glass with the addition of distilled water (the “B” series). Blast-furnace slag, fly ash, zeolite, and metakaolin in various proportions were used as binders. The use of this type of waste material is in line with the requirements of waste management, reducing COproduced .Mohamed et al. compiled the values of the heat of hydration for various alkali-activated systems. They indicated that the water glass-activated material containing fly ash and granulated blast-furnace slag achieves heat of hydration values in the range of 118.0–140.0 J/g , which iThe flow test values for the produced composites indicate that the addition of both water and zinc oxide increases the fluidity of the mixtures, which was also confirmed by the research of Zhang et al. , who stuThe mechanical properties were more favorable for AAMs activated only with water glass. Considering the effect of metakaolin on the strength of the AAM composites, an improvement in the strength parameters was found, which is associated with a denser composite structure resulting from the presence of two interpenetrating networks of sodium and calcium aluminosilicates . The int(i).AAMs made using the A method have a lower heat of hydration than those made using the B method. The introduction of zinc oxide leads to a slight increase in the heat of hydration of about 5% (ZnO-FA) or 10% (ZnO-Zeo and ZnO-MK), respectively;(ii).The replacement of slag with zeolite reduces the diameters of the obtained spreads (from 17.5 cm to 16.5 cm), while metakaolin and fly ash contribute to increasing the diameter of the AAM spreads . The introduction of water and oxide admixtures to all of the analyzed configurations results in a larger spread diameter. The zinc oxide admixture can increase the flow size diameter of AAM mixtures of the A series in a range of 3–34% and 4–23% of the B series, respectively;(iii).More favorable mechanical parameters were achieved via AAMs on water glass, and the highest strength (61.7 MPa) was achieved via the ZnO-BASE_A composite;(iv).Materials with added water are characterized by a less porous structure; in all cases, the introduction of ZnO resulted in densification of the structure;(v).The presented results for antibacterial properties are promising, and the modifications of the matrix with fly ash, metakaolin, and zeolite, as well as the introduction of the zinc oxide admixture, have a positive effect on inhibiting the growth of microorganisms.The presented research results concern AAMs activated with water glass or water glass with a small addition of water based on blast-furnace slag. Materials with partial slag replacement by fly ash, metakaolin, and zeolite are also presented. Zinc oxide was introduced into all of the tested configurations, the purpose of which was to strengthen and impart antimicrobial properties to mortars. The analysis of the produced materials allowed the following conclusions to be drawn:The designed materials are a promising alternative to cement-based materials, enabling the use of low-emission binders in widely used civil engineering. The research presented in this paper confirms the proper selection of mixtures. In the future, the authors will focus on the durability of the designed mixtures, e.g., in freeze/thaw or carbonation tests and others.