Search

Plant-based cellulosic materials are intriguing building blocks for functional materials, and sustainable nanocellulose production strategies have been intensively explored. Most of the existing strategies, however, suffer from the fact that highly energy-intensive fiber fibrillation yields a nanocellulose gel containing more than 95% water. We showcase a high throughput production method for nanocellulose, which primarily exploits the efficiency of enzymatic actions to disintegrate pulp fibers at a notable high solid content (25 wt %) without the need for high shear disintegration. The main enzyme activity exploited was cellobiohydrolase with the aid of endoglucanase. A pastelike fibril network is postulated to be formed through a peeling-type of reaction induced by the combined action of the enzymes used and fiber-fiber friction, with a yield of approximately 85%. Based on scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy analyses, the formed nanocellulose can be classified as microfibrillated cellulose (i.e., cellulose microfibrils). Solid-state NMR and X-ray diffraction investigations revealed that the fibril morphology remained mostly intact. Our intriguing finding of a fraction with nanosized rodlike cellulose particles shows the power of enzymes in nanocellulose production. Our approach to producing nanocellulose at a high solid content in a much less energy-intensive manner puts forward the sustainable production of nanocellulose.

The objective of this study was to evaluate some mechanical properties of OSB/3 after one to ten cycles of soaking and oven/drying (accelerated aging). The modulus of rupture (MOR), modulus of elas...

The Antarctic ecosystem is progressively exposed to anthropogenic contaminants, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). So far, it is largely unknown if PAHs leave a mark in the physiology of high-Antarctic fish. We approached this issue via two avenues: first, we examined the functional response of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (Ahr), which is a molecular initiating event of many toxic effects of PAHs in biota. Chionodraco hamatus and Trematomus loennbergii served as representatives for high-Antarctic Notothenioids, and Atlantic cod, Gadus morhua as non-polar reference species. We sequenced and cloned the Ahr ligand binding domain (LBD) of the Notothenioids and deployed a GAL4-based luciferase reporter gene assay expressing the Ahr LBD. Benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), beta-naphthoflavone and chrysene were used as ligands for the reporter gene assay. Second, we investigated the energetic costs of Ahr activation in isolated liver cells of the Notothenioids during acute, non-cytotoxic BaP exposure. In the reporter assay, the Ahr LBD of Atlantic cod and the Antarctic Notothenioids were activated by the ligands tested herein. In the in vitro assays with isolated liver cells of high-Antarctic Notothenioids, BaP exposure had no effect on overall respiration, but caused shifts in the respiration dedicated to protein synthesis. Thus, our study demonstrated that high-Antarctic fish possess a functional Ahr that can be ligand-activated in a concentration-dependent manner by environmental contaminants. This is associated with altered cost for cellular protein synthesis. Future studies have to show if the toxicant-induced activation of the Ahr pathway may lead to altered organism performance of Antarctic fish.

In this study we determined average residual stresses in hard nitride PVD AlCrN, TiAlN and TiCN coatings through simultaneous measurement of length variation in thin-walled tubular substrates and of the curvature of plate substrates. A device for measurement of the length of the tube was developed. Inside the depositing chamber the tube and the plate were fixed parallel in the relation to the axis of the rotating cathode. One batch of plate samples was produced by deposition on front surface (facing the cathode) and the other batch, by deposition on back surface (with back to the cathode). The cross-sectional microstructure and thickness of the coatings were investigated by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The thicknesses of the coatings deposited on front and back surfaces of the plates and on the tube were significantly different. The values of average compressive residual stresses, determined by both methods, were very high irrespective of coating thickness. It was found that the values of compressive residual stresses in the coating were dependent on the shape of the substrate and on its position in the relation to the axis of the rotating cathode.

Resistive switching devices, important for emerging memory and neuromorphic applications, face significant challenges related to control of delicate filamentary states in the oxide material. As a device switches, its rapid conductivity change is involved in a positive feedback process that would lead to runaway destruction of the cell without current, voltage, or energy limitation. Typically, cells are directly patterned on MOS transistors to limit the current, but this approach is very restrictive as the necessary integration limits the materials available as well as the fabrication cycle time. In this article we propose an external circuit to cycle resistive memory cells, capturing the full transfer curves while driving the cells in such a way to suppress runaway transitions. Using this circuit, we demonstrate the acquisition of $10^5$ I-V loops per second without the use of on-wafer current limiting transistors. This setup brings voltage sweeping measurements to a relevant timescale for applications, and enables many new experimental possibilities for device evaluation in a statistical context.

This study addressed the potential of 3D printing as a processing technology for delivering personalized healthy eating solutions to consumers. Extrusion-based 3D printing was studied as a tool to produce protein- and dietary fibre-rich snack products from whole milk powder and wholegrain rye flour. Aqueous pastes were prepared from the raw materials at various ratios, grid-like samples printed from the pastes at ambient temperature and the printed samples post-processed by oven baking at 150 &deg, C. Printing pastes were characterized by rheological measurements and the baked samples by X-ray micro tomography, texture measurements and sensory analysis. All formulations showed good printability and shape stability after printing. During baking, the milk powder-based samples expanded to a level that caused a total collapse of the printed multiple-layer samples. Shape retention during baking was greatly improved by adding rye flour to the milk formulation. Sensory evaluation revealed that the volume, glossiness, sweetness and saltiness of the baked samples increased with an increasing level of milk powder in the printing paste. A mixture of milk powder and rye flour shows great potential as a formulation for healthy snack products produced by extrusion-based 3D printing.

This study reports the transcriptional activity of fin (Balaenoptera physalus) and blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus) peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARG), glucocorticoid receptor (GR), and thyroid hormone receptor β (THRB), when exposed to 14 persistent organic pollutants (so-called "legacy" persistent organic pollutants (POPs)) and a synthetic mixture of POPs, using GAL4-UAS-based in vitro luciferase reporter gene assays. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) had both agonistic and antagonistic effects on PPARG and GR, and mainly antagonistic, except for PCB153, effects on THRB. 1,1,1-Trichloro-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)ethane (DDT) and its metabolites had mainly antagonistic effects on all of the receptors, except for o,p'-DDT. Given that the ligand-binding domain (LBD) of PPARG is the same in killer whales, white whales, polar bears, and humans, and that GR-LBD is identical in killer whales and minke whales and that the LBD of THRB is the same in killer whales, white whales, and humans, it is likely that the results of this study are representative for these other species as well. It is important to note that several environmental pollutants modulated the transcriptional activity of tested nuclear receptors at environmentally relevant concentrations for whales.

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the performance of a domestic wastewater treatment system based on hybrid constructed wetlands (CWs) under tropical climate. Moreover, the effect of different recirculation strategies particularly on nitrogen removal was also evaluated, including an analysis of nitrogen balance. The system was composed of a septic tank (pre-treatment), a horizontal subsurface flow and a vertical subsurface flow CWs. Three systems were analyzed: with the ornamental species Sagittaria lancifolia, the cattail Typha dominguensis and without vegetation as control. Evapotranspiration in the CWs was monitored during the warmest period of the year. First, the three systems were operated in serial mode evaluating two contact times of 2 d and 4 d. The three hybrid CWs were able to remove more than 92% of organic matter (COD, BOD5 and TOC), 88% of TSS and 99% (equivalent to 4.5 log10 units) of pathogens (Total Coliforms and Escherichia coli), regardless of plant selection and contact time. However, applying a contact time of 4 d resulted in higher removal of pathogens. Concerning nutrients removal, the combination of a contact time of 4 d and vegetation was required to achieve removal efficiencies over 66% for nitrogen and 90% for phosphorus. Finally, two recirculation strategies (RS) using a contact time of 4 d were evaluated in order to enhance nitrogen removal: RS1 (to the horizontal units) and RS2 (to the septic tank). The results yielded removal efficiencies similar to those obtained during serial operation in the case of organic matter (COD and BOD5) and phosphorus regardless of the RS applied. However, the removal of TSS decreased with RS2 as expected, due to the new load of solids coming from the septic tank. Nevertheless, nitrogen removal was increased over 85% in the hybrid CWs with vegetation, satisfactorily achieving system optimization. The highest nitrogen removal efficiency (≈ 97%) was obtained with the combination of RS2 and the plant species T. dominguensis. However, the use of the ornamental species S. lancifolia was not discarded since it provides an additional aesthetic benefit.

The aim of the study was to determine macroscopic residual stresses in Physical Vapor Deposits (PVD) coatings through measurement of the length variation of the strip substrates coated on both sides. The length change of the strip was reduced to the deflection of the middle cross-section of the elastic element and was recorded by four strain gauges. For validating the obtained results, the conventional curvature method was used. As an application, residual stresses in hard AlCrN PVD coatings were investigated. The coatings were nanolayered to achieve better coating toughness for blanking and punching applications. The steel strips and steel plates with two thicknesses were used as the substrate. The values of the compressive residual stresses, determined by both methods for the investigated coatings, were very high (3.3 -3.6 GPa) independent of coating thickness and practically equal within the measurement uncertainty of the method. Good agreement between the experimental results obtained with both methods suggests that the presented method, strip length variation, is applicable for determination of residual stresses in coatings. Compressive stresses in coatings are desirable as they strengthen the coating.

The aim of the present study was to investigate effects of defined mixtures of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), at low, environmentally relevant (1× = L), or high (20× = H) doses, on biological responses in Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua). To this end, farmed juvenile cod were exposed at day 0 and day 7 via intraperitoneal (i.p.) injections, in a two-week in vivo experiment. In total, there were 10 groups of fish (n = 21-22): two control groups, four separate exposure groups of PAH and PFAS mixtures (L, H), and four groups combining PAH and PFAS mixtures (L/L, H/L, L/H, H/H). Body burden analyses confirmed a dose-dependent accumulation of PFASs in cod liver and PAH metabolites in bile. The hepatosomatic index (HSI) was significantly reduced for three of the combined PAH/PFAS exposure groups (L-PAH/H-PFAS, H-PAH/L-PFAS, H-PAH/H-PFAS). Analysis of the hepatic proteome identified that pathways related to lipid degradation were significantly affected by PFAS exposure, including upregulation of enzymes in fatty acid degradation pathways, such as fatty acid β-oxidation. The increased abundances of enzymes in lipid catabolic pathways paralleled with decreasing levels of triacylglycerols (TGs) in the H-PFAS exposure group, suggest that PFAS increase lipid catabolism in Atlantic cod. Markers of oxidative stress, including catalase and glutathione S-transferase activities were also induced by PFAS exposure. Only minor and non-significant differences between exposure groups and control were found for cyp1a and acox1 gene expressions, vitellogenin concentrations in plasma, Cyp1a protein synthesis and DNA fragmentation. In summary, our combined proteomics and lipidomics analyses indicate that PFAS may disrupt lipid homeostasis in Atlantic cod., This study was funded by Research Council of Norway through the dCod 1.0: decoding the systems toxicology of Atlantic cod project (Center for Digital Life Norway project no. 248840) and the iCod 2.0: Integrative environmental genomics of Atlantic cod project(project no. 244564). The authors wish to thank Frederike Keitel-Gröner for contributing to sampling, and Essa Ashan Khan for contributing to sampling and manuscript information. We also thank Hui-Shan Tung and Pål Olsvik for contributing to liver RT-qPCR preparation and analysis at the Institute of Marine Research (IMR). We further thank Inge Jonassen and Ketil Hylland for valuable input proteomics analysis, and on experiment and manuscript design, respectively.

Design educators and industry partners are critical knowledge managers and co-drivers of change, and design graduate and post-graduate students can act as catalysts for new ideas, energy, and perspectives. In this article, we will explore how design advances industry development through the lens of a longitudinal inquiry into activities carried out as part of a Dutch design faculty-industry collaboration. We analyze seventy-five (75) Master of Science (MSc) thesis outcomes and seven (7) Doctorate (PhD) thesis outcomes (five in progress) to identify ways that design activities have influenced advances in the Dutch aviation industry over time. Based on these findings, we then introduce an Industry Design Framework, which organizes the industry/design relationship as a three-layered system. This novel approach to engaging industry in design research and design education has immediate practical value and theoretical significance, both in the present and for future research. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sheji.2019.07.003 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christine-de-lille-8039372/

The dopaminergic effect of PAH and PFAS mixtures, prepared according to environmentally relevant concentrations, has been studied in juvenile female Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua). Benzo[a]pyrene, dibenzothiophene, fluorene, naphthalene, phenanthrene, and pyrene were used to prepare a PAH mixture, while PFNA, PFOA, PFOS, and PFTrA were used to prepare a PFAS mixture. Cod were injected intraperitoneally twice, with either a low (1×) or high (20×) dose of each compound mixture or their combinations. After 2 weeks of exposure, levels of plasma 17β-estradiol (E2) were significantly elevated in high PAH/high PFAS treated group. Brain dopamine/metabolite ratios (DOPAC/dopamine and HVA+DOPAC/dopamine) changed with E2 plasma levels, except for high PAH/low PFAS and low PAH/high PFAS treated groups. On the transcript levels, th mRNA inversely correlated with dopamine/metabolite ratios and gnrh2 mRNA levels. Respective decreases and increases of drd1 and drd2a after exposure to the high PAH dose were observed. Specifically, high PFAS exposure decreased both drds, leading to high plasma E2 concentrations. Other studied end points suggest that these compounds, at different doses and combinations, have different toxicity threshold and modes of action. These effects indicate potential alterations in the feedback signaling processes within the dopaminergic pathway by these contaminant mixtures. acceptedVersion

We studied interactions between polar bear peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (pbPPARG) and selected compounds using a luciferase reporter assay and predictions through molecular docking. Furthermore, we studied adipogenesis by liver and adipose tissue extracts from a polar bear and three synthetic mixtures of contaminants in murine 3T3-L1 preadipocytes and polar bear adipose tissue-derived stem cells (pbASCs). PCB153 and p,p'-DDE antagonized pbPPARG, although their predicted receptor-ligand affinity was weak. PBDEs, tetrabromobisphenol A, and PCB170 had a weak agonistic effect on pbPPARG, while hexabromocyclododecane, bisphenol A, oxychlordane, and endosulfan were weak antagonists. pbPPARG-mediated luciferase activity was suppressed by synthetic contaminant mixtures reflecting levels measured in polar bear adipose tissue, as were transcript levels of PPARG and the PPARG target gene fatty acid binding protein 4 (FABP4) in pbASCs. Contaminant extracts from polar bear tissues enhanced triglyceride accumulation in murine 3T3-L1 cells and pbASCs, whereas triglyceride accumulation was not affected by the synthetic mixtures. Chemical characterization of extracts using nontarget methods revealed presence of exogenous compounds that have previously been reported to induce adipogenesis. These compounds included phthalates, tonalide, and nonylphenol. In conclusion, major legacy contaminants in polar bear adipose tissue exert antagonistic effects on PPARG, but adipogenesis by a mixture containing emerging compounds may be enhanced through PPARG or other pathways.

The formation and evolution of nanoscale γ″ (Ni3(Nb, Ti, Al)) precipitates formed during thermal aging in the nickel superalloy Inconel 625 has been characterized using Atom Probe Tomography. The onset of γ″ precipitation has been found to occur after only one hour, markedly shorter than the aging time reported in the current literature. Evolution of precipitate composition and morphology during aging has been analyzed, and the potential onset of the γ″ → δ (Ni3(Nb, Mo, Cr, Fe, Ti)) transformation after long aging times is discussed.

In this study, the applicability of extrusion-based 3D printing technology for food pastes made of protein, starch and fiber-rich materials was assessed, as a starting point in the development of healthy, customized snack products. The printability of starch-, cellulose nanofiber-, milk powder-, oat- and faba bean protein-based materials and their mixtures was evaluated by examining the ease and uniformity of extrusion as well as the precision and stability of the printed pattern. The best printing precision and shape stability was obtained with a semi-skimmed milk powder-based paste. Rheological measurements revealed that the shape stability after printing was linked with the yield stress of the paste. Post-processing by oven drying was most successful at high initial solids contents (

A battery of cell-based bioassays, including PLHC-1 cells, zebrafish-Pxr-transfected COS-7 cells and estrogen receptor-recombinant yeast assay (ER-RYA), were applied to detect the presence of bioactive pollutants in sediments collected from Kaštela Bay and Brač Channel (Croatia). Exposure of PLHC-1 cells to the sediment extracts evidenced significant cytotoxicity and presence of CYP1A inducers in sediments collected in Kaštela Bay, near the industrial zone and cargo port of Split. Sediments from this area, which is highly contaminated with PCBs, HCB, DDTs and γ-HCH, also activated the zebrafish Pxr (zfPxr) reporter system. No evidence of estrogenicity was detected for any of the sediments extracts in the ER-RYA assay. Importantly, the battery of in vitro assays identified Kaštela Bay as the area with the higher anthropogenic impact, where sediment-bound pollutants could pose a risk to aquatic organisms. In contrast, sediments from the Brač Channel showed rather low response in the different bioassays.

The oxidation response and microstructural evolution of an Inconel 625 alloy exhaust manifold exposed to an automobile racing environment has been examined using a range of advanced electron microscopy-based techniques, atom probe tomography and high-sensitivity laser ablation mass spectrometry. The dynamic, corrosive gas conditions result in accelerated oxidation, with the inner exhaust surface also heavily contaminated by multiple species including Zn, P, K and Na. Nb carbides and Ti nitrides identified in stock control samples evolve into mixed (Ti, Nb)N species during exposure, decorated by smaller Mo, Si-rich precipitates. The exposed alloy component therefore reveals unique surface and subsurface features following in-service use.

There is growing evidence from experimental and human epidemiological studies that many pollutants can disrupt lipid metabolism. In Arctic wildlife, the occurrence of such compounds could have serious consequences for seasonal feeders. We set out to study whether organohalogenated compounds (OHCs) could cause disruption of energy metabolism in female polar bears (Ursus maritimus) from Svalbard, Norway (n=112). We analyzed biomarkers of energy metabolism including the abundance profles of nine lipid-related genes, fatty acid (FA) synthesis and elongation indices in adipose tissue, and concentrations of lipid-related variables in plasma (cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein, triglycerides). Furthermore, the plasma metabolome and lipidome were characterized by low molecular weight metabolites and lipid fngerprinting, respectively. Polychlorinated biphenyls, chlordanes, brominated diphenyl ethers and perfuoroalkyl substances were signifcantly related to biomarkers involved in lipid accumulation, FA metabolism, insulin utilization, and cholesterol homeostasis. Moreover, the efects of pollutants were measurable at the metabolome and lipidome levels. Our results indicate that several OHCs afect lipid biosynthesis and catabolism in female polar bears. Furthermore, these efects were more pronounced when combined with reduced sea ice extent and thickness, suggesting that climatedriven sea ice decline and OHCs have synergistic negative efects on polar bears. © The Author(s) 2017. Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons license, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons license and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.

International audience; The paper deals with the place of French investments in Ukraine in the XXIst Century. It wishes to determinate how far France has been taking part in the relative opening of the economy from 2004, and to analyse the sectorial and the geographical distribution of its enterprises in the urban network and in the regions of Ukraine.; Cet article s’intéresse à la place de la France en tant qu’investisseur en Ukraine au XXIème siècle. Il s’agit de déterminer dans quelles mesures la France a participé à la relative ouverture économique à partir de 2004 tout en analysant la ventilation sectorielle et la répartition géographique de ces entreprises, dans le réseau urbain et dans les régions ukrainiennes.

The IWA Anaerobic Digestion Model No. 1 (ADM1) was chosen to simulate a two-stage anaerobic digestion lab-scale plant treating domestic wastewater. Initially, the model was preliminary tested using synthetic wastewater. The simulation results were satisfactorily compared to NH4+ and chemical oxygen demand (COD) data for the first and second stages, respectively. A transformation method was then applied to estimate from the domestic wastewater composition the input variables to the ADM1. After proper calibration and further validation, the model was able to successfully predict the COD degradation from a varying influent, showing its practical applicability. Finally, a standalone application based on the validated model was developed to be used for monitoring purposes at the treatment plant. The developed application is suitable for direct implementation at a full-scale plant without the need of additional software or specialized assistance.

The environmental quality of marine sediments collected in the area of influence of the Po and Danube Rivers was assessed by using a battery of bioassays based on the use of PLHC-1 cells, zebrafish-Pxr-transfected COS-7 cells, and sea bass ovarian subcellular fractions. This allowed the determination of multiple endpoints, namely, cytotoxicity, oxidative stress, induction of CYP1A, activation of zebrafish Pxr and inhibition of ovarian aromatase. Organic extracts of sediments influenced by the Danube River and collected near harbors and urban discharges showed significant cytotoxicity, CYP1A induction and inhibition of aromatase activity. An analogous response of CYP1A induction and zfPxr activation was observed, which suggests the existence of common ligands of AhR and PXR in the sediment extracts. The study highlights the usefulness of the selected bioassays to identify those sediments that could pose a risk to aquatic organisms and that require further action in order to improve their environmental quality.

Potentialities of 2.5D dielectric photonic crystals for subwavelength imaging or in- visibility cloaking operation at optical wavelengths are studied numerically and experimentally. First, a negative refraction based ∞at lens is designed, fabricated and characterized. Using scan- ning near-fleld optical microscopy, subwavelength imaging (0.8‚) for a deduced refractive index of i1 is obtained at 1.55"m. Second, an original design aimed to operate as a cloaking device is proposed by combining photonic lattices operating under difierent regimes, exploiting both pass- and stop-band properties.

Based on an across-the-board survey conducted among residents of Stockholm, Helsinki and Lyon, we explore the opinions on three policy measures to combat road congestion: congestion charging, free public transport and building more roads. The support for the two latter policies is substantially higher than the support for congestion charging, which is only supported by a majority in Stockholm. Self-interest is important for the formation of the opinion to all three policies. However, fundamental values and general political views, indicated by four attitudinal factors, are even more important in forming opinions towards the three transport policies. Of all attitudinal factors, the one indicating environmental concern most influences the support for all policies. Equity concerns, however, increase the support for free public transport and opposition to taxation increases the support for building more roads. Our results further suggest that the opinions towards free public transport and building more roads can be mapped along the leftÐright political axis, where Environment and Equity are to the left and Pricing and Taxation are to the right. However, the opinion towards congestion charging cuts right through the political spectrum. The impact of the fundamental values and self-interest variables are similar for Stockholm and Helsinki, indicating that even if experience increases the overall support for charging, it does not change the relative strength of different political arguments to any major extent.; Sur la base d'un sondage mené auprès des habitants de Stockholm, Helsinki et Lyon, nous explorons les opinions sur trois mesures politiques pour lutter contre la congestion routière : la tarification de la congestion, la gratuité des transports publics et la construction de plus de routes. Le soutien à ces deux dernières politiques est sensiblement plus élevé que le soutien à la tarification de la congestion, qui n'est soutenu que par une majorité à Stockholm. L'intérêt personnel est important pour la formation de l'opinion aux trois politiques. Cependant, les valeurs fondamentales et les opinions politiques générales, tracées par quatre facteurs attitudinaux, sont encore plus importantes en formant des opinions sur les trois politiques de transport. De tous les facteurs attitudinaux, celui qui indique une préoccupation environnementale est celui qui influence le plus le soutien pour toutes les politiques. Les préoccupations d'équité, cependant, augmentent le soutien aux transports publics gratuits et l'opposition à la fiscalité augmente le soutien à la construction de plus de routes. Nos résultats suggèrent en outre que les opinions concernant la gratuité des transports publics et la construction de plus de routes peuvent être cartographiées le long de l'axe politique de gauche, où l'environnement et l'équité sont à gauche et les prix et la fiscalité sont à droite. Cependant, l'opinion concernant la tarification de la congestion traverse le spectre politique. L'impact des valeurs fondamentales et des variables d'intérêt personnel est similaire pour Stockholm et Helsinki, Indiquant que même si l'expérience augmente le soutien global à la tarification, elle ne modifie en rien la force relative des différents arguments politiques.

9 páginas, 8 figuras, 2 tablas -- PAGS nros. 303-311, The modification and generation of new biomolecules intended to give higher molecular-mass species for biotechnological purposes, can be achieved by enzymatic cross-linking. The versatile peroxidase (VP) from Pleurotus eryngii is a high redox-potential enzyme with oxidative activity on a wide variety of substrates. In this study, VP was successfully used to catalyze the polymerization of low molecular mass compounds, such as lignans and peptides, as well as larger macromolecules, such as protein and complex polysaccharides. Different analytical, spectroscopic, and rheological techniques were used to determine structural changes and/or variations of the physicochemical properties of the reaction products. The lignans secoisolariciresinol and hydroxymatairesinol were condensed by VP forming up to 8 unit polymers in the presence of organic co-solvents and Mn2+. Moreover, 11 unit of the peptides YIGSR and VYV were homogeneously cross-linked. The heterogeneous cross-linking of one unit of the peptide YIGSR and several lignan units was also achieved. VP could also induce gelation of feruloylated arabinoxylan and the polymerization of β-casein. These results demonstrate the efficacy of VP to catalyze homo- and hetero-condensation reactions, and reveal its potential exploitation for polymerizing different types of compounds, This work has been carried out with funding from the EU FP7 project “Peroxicats” (KBBE-2010-4-265397), the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (BIO2009-08446, PRI-PIBAR-2011-1402), and the project “Lignin Fibre” financed by the Academy of Finland (Grant number 133091)

Nanofibrillated cellulose, NFC, is an interesting wood fibre-based material that could be utilized in coatings, foams, composites, packages, dispersions, and emulsions, due to its high tensile strength and barrier properties, light weight, and stabilizing features. To improve applicability and properties of NFC, modification of its surface properties is often needed. In this study, the applicability of laccase-aided surface modification with hydrophobic dodecyl gallate (DOGA) on unbleached NFC was investigated. Also, laccase-catalyzed polymerization of DOGA and other phenolic compounds with lignin moieties was investigated by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectroscopy (MALDI-TOF MS). NFC modified with T. hirsuta-based laccase and DOGA showed decreased hydrophilicity, as compared with the native NFC, when coated on a paper surface. When dried as free-standing films, the surface properties of chemo-enzymatically modified NFC resembled those of the native NFC. The effect of modification was thus greatly influenced by different surface formation in differently prepared samples. Also, changing of the dispersion properties of DOGA by enzymatic polymerization affected the surface properties of the dried NFC samples. Covalent bonding between DOGA and NFC was not the main factor affecting the surface properties of the NFC in free-standing films or coatings.

International audience; Over the recent years, various materials have been introduced as potential 3D cell culture scaffolds. These include protein extracts, peptide amphiphiles, and synthetic polymers. Hydrogel scaffolds without human or animal borne components or added bioactive components are preferred from the immunological point of view. Here we demonstrate that native nanofibrillar cellulose (NFC) hydrogels derived from the abundant plant sources provide the desired functionalities. We show 1) rheological properties that allow formation of a 3D scaffold in-situ after facile injection, 2) cellular biocompatibility without added growth factors, 3) cellular polarization, and 4) differentiation of human hepatic cell lines HepaRG and HepG2. At high shear stress, the aqueous NFC has small viscosity that supports injectability, whereas at low shear stress conditions the material is converted to an elastic gel. Due to the inherent biocompatibility without any additives, we conclude that NFC generates a feasible and sustained microenvironment for 3D cell culture for potential applications, such as drug and chemical testing, tissue engineering, and cell therapy.

The article explores the spatial dimensions of the brand image building of the cities / regional metropolises, with an application on Iaşi as a study case. The starting point is represented by the results of the researches in FP7 project EuroBroadMap. Visions of the Europe in the World, which shows that the city of Iaşi has an unfavorable position among the preferences of the Romanian student's questioned, which raises some questions about its role as a regional metropolis. In order to improve its position, the city could appeal to the territorial marketing strategies. In this direction, using the results of some field surveys, the article studies the opportunities for structuring a brand image depending on the spatial structure of the symbolic characteristics of Iaşi., L'article analyse la construction de l'image de marque des villes/aires métropolitaines sur l'exemple de Iasi. Le point de départ repose sur des recherches menées dans le cadre du projet EuroBroadMap (7ème PCRD)- Visions of the Europe in the World, qui montre que Iasi a une image négative auprès des étudiants roumains interrogés, ce qui pose question quant à son rôle comme capitale régionale. Afin d'améliorer sa position, la ville pourrait faire appel à des stratégies de marketing territorial. L'article étudie les opportunité par lesquelles la ville pourrait créer une image de marque appuyée sur la structure dpatial de ses attributs symboliques.

International audience; Rational design and synthesis of low-cost trifunctional electrocatalysts with improved stability and superior electrocatalytic activity for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), oxygen evolution reaction (OER), and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) are highly desirable but remain as the bottlenecks at the current state of technology. In this paper, the cobalt-iron (Co–Fe) composite supported on nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes (CoFe composite/NCNTs) is synthesized. The intrinsic OER and HER catalytic activities of this CoFe composite/NCNTs composite are significantly improved with palladium (Pd) nanocluster decoration [Pd-coated (CoFe composite/NCNTs)]. The as-prepared Pd-coated (CoFe composite/NCNTs) catalyst exhibits excellent trifunctional electrocatalytic activity and stability due to the interfacial coupling between Pd and (CoFe composite/NCNTs). This catalyst is successfully employed in the water electrolysis cell as both OER and HER electrode catalysts, flexible rechargeable Zn-air battery as the bifunctional ORR and OER electrode catalyst. The cell voltage of this catalyst-coated electrodes requires only 1.60 V to achieve 10 mA cm−2 current density for water electrolysis cell, which is comparable to and even better than that of Pt/C and Ir/C based cell. The primary Zn-air battery using this catalyst shows a constant high open-circuit voltage (OCV) of 1.47 V and a maximum power density of 261 mW cm−2 in the flooded mode configuration. Most importantly, a flexible Zn-air battery with this catalyst runs very smoothly without a change in voltage gap during flat, bending, and twisting positions.

International audience; In order to understand the nature of the dust that accreted onto chondrules in the nebula and to unravel the conditions of formation of fine grained rims (FGRs), we studied three of the least altered chondrites from different chondrite groups (LL3.00 Semarkona, CO3.0 DOM 08006, CR2.8 QUE 99177) and compared the results with our previous work on the Paris CM chondrite (Zanetta et al., 2021). For each sample, we selected representative rimmed chondrules showing minimal traces of aqueous alteration. We performed high-resolution SEM X-ray chemical mapping to obtain relevant phase abundances and grain size distributions. Four FIB sections were then extracted from each meteorite, two in the rims and two in their adjacent matrix for quantitative TEM analysis. At the microscale, texture, modal abundances and grain size differ depending on the chondrite but also between FGRs and their adjacent matrix. At the nanoscale (i.e. TEM observations), matrices of the four chondrites consist mostly of domains of amorphous silicate associated with Fe-sulfides, Fe-Ni metal, Mg-rich anhydrous silicates and an abundant porosity. The related FGRs in Semarkona (LL) and DOM 08006 (CO) exhibit more compact textures with a lower porosity while FGRs in QUE99177 (CR) are similar to the matrix in terms of porosity. In the three chondrites, FGRs are made of smooth and chemically homogeneous amorphous (or nanocrystalline) silicate with no porosity that encloses domains of porous amorphous silicate bearing Mg-rich anhydrous silicates, Fe-sulfides, Fe-oxides and sometimes metal and Fe-rich olivines. The average compositions in major elements of the amorphous regions are similar for the FGRs and the matrix within a given chondrite (but differ between chondrites). The texture and the chemical homogeneity of the smooth silicate and the fact that it encloses domains of porous amorphous silicate bearing other mineral phases similar to matrix-like material suggests a formation by condensation. Areas that are enclosed in this smooth silicate exhibit Fe-rich olivine formed through Fe interdiffusion that also suggest a thermal modification of the dust accreted to form FGRs. These characteristics indicate a transformation process for the modification of the FGR material similar to the one proposed in our previous work on Paris. We conclude that matrix and FGRs accreted a similar type of dust but FGR material was affected by thermal modification and compaction contemporary with their accretion. For each chondrite, dust accreted onto chondrules under different conditions (dust density, temperature) which led to diverse degrees of compaction/thermal modification of the sub-domains and explain the textural differences observed in FGRs. They accreted on chondrules in a warm environment related to the chondrule formation episode, whereas matrix accreted later in a cooler environment.

A new vobasine–tryptamine-based monoterpene indole alkaloid pseudodimer was isolated from the stem bark of Voacanga africana. As a minor constituent occurring in a thoroughly investigated plant, this molecule was targeted based on a molecular networking strategy and a rational MS2-guided phytochemical investigation led to its isolation. Its structure was formally established based on HRMS, 1D/2D NMR data, and the application of the tool Small Molecule Accurate Recognition Technology (SMART 2.0). Its absolute configuration was assigned by the exciton chirality method and TD-DFT ECD calculations. Besides featuring an unprecedented intermonomeric linkage in the small group of vobasine/tryptamine hybrids, pyrrovobasine also represents the first pyrraline-containing representative in the whole monoterpene indole alkaloids group. Biosynthetic hypotheses possibly underpinning these structural oddities are proposed here.

International audience

International audience

Introduction Since the outbreak began in January 2020, Covid-19 has affected more than 161 million people worldwide and resulted in about 3.3 million deaths. Despite efforts to detect human infection with the virus as early as possible, the confirmatory test still requires the analysis of sputum or blood with estimated results available within approximately 30 minutes; this may potentially be followed by clinical referral if the patient shows signs of aggravated pneumonia. This work aims to implement a soft collar as a sound device dedicated to the objective evaluation of the pathophysiological state resulting from dysphonia of laryngeal origin or respiratory failure of inflammatory origin, in particular caused by Covid-19. Methods In this study, we exploit the vibrations of waves generated by the vocal and respiratory system of 30 people. A biocompatible acoustic sensor embedded in a soft collar around the neck collects these waves. The collar is also equipped with thermal sensors and a cross-data analysis module in both the temporal and frequency domains (STFT). The optimal coupling conditions and the electrical and dimensional characteristics of the sensors were defined based on a mathematical approach using a matrix formalism. Results The characteristics of the signals in the time domain combined with the quantities obtained from the STFT offer multidimensional information and a decision support tool for determining a pathophysiological state representative of the symptoms explored. The device, tested on 30 people, was able to differentiate patients with mild symptoms from those who had developed acute signs of respiratory failure on a severity scale of 1 to 10. Conclusion With the health constraints imposed by the effects of Covid-19, the heavy organization to be implemented resulting from the flow of diagnostics, tests and clinical management, it was urgent to develop innovative and safe biomedical technologies. This passive listening technique will contribute to the non-invasive assessment and dynamic observation of lesions. Moreover, it merits further examination to provide support for medical operators to improve clinical management. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12195-021-00712-w.

Although materials and processes are different from biological cells’, brain mimicries led to tremendous achievements in parallel information processing via neuromorphic engineering. Inexistent in electronics, we emulate dendritic morphogenesis by electropolymerization in water, aiming in operando material modification for hardware learning. Systematic study of applied voltage-pulse parameters details on tuning independently morphological aspects of micrometric dendrites’: fractal number, branching degree, asymmetry, density or length. Growths time-lapse image processing shows spatial features to be dynamically dependent, and expand distinctively before and after conductive bridging with two electro-generated dendrites. Circuit-element analysis and impedance spectroscopy confirms their morphological control in temporal windows where growth kinetics is finely perturbed by the input frequency and duty cycle. By the emulation of one’s most preponderant mechanisms for brain’s long-term memory, its implementation in vicinity of sensing arrays, neural probes or biochips shall greatly optimize computational costs and recognition required to classify high-dimensional patterns from complex environments., Despite advances in brain-inspired computing, existing electronics use top-down processes that do not compare with neural connections in the brain. Here, the authors report an electrically-tunable electropolymerization process that emulates and controls neural dendritic morphogenesis.

International audience; High-quality microwave amplifiers and notch-filters can be made from microwave optomechanical systems in which a mechanical resonator is coupled to a microwave cavity by radiation pressure. These amplifiers and filters rely on optomechanically induced transparency (OMIT) and absorption (OMIA), respectively. Such devices can amplify microwave signals with large, controllable gain, high dynamic range and very low noise. Furthermore, extremely narrowband filters can be constructed with this technique. We briefly review previous measurements of microwave OMIT and OMIA before reporting our own measurements of these phenomena, which cover a larger parameter space than has been explored in previous works. In particular, we vary probe frequency, pump frequency, pumping scheme (red or blue), probe power, pump power and temperature. We find excellent agreement between our measurements and the predictions of input/output theory, thereby guiding further development of microwave devices based on nanomechanics.

We report on electronic transport in dual-gate, artificially stacked bilayer graphene field effect transistors (BiGFETs) fabricated from large-area chemical vapor deposited (CVD) graphene. The devices show enhanced tendency to current saturation, which leads to reduced minimum output conductance values. This results in improved intrinsic voltage gain of the devices when compared to monolayer graphene FETs. We employ a physics based compact model originally developed for Bernal stacked bilayer graphene FETs (BSBGFETs) to explore the observed phenomenon. The improvement in current saturation may be attributed to increased charge carrier density in the channel and thus reduced saturation velocity due to carrier-carrier scattering.

International audience; A novel method is described to extract crude oil surface active species. It is based on the formation of balanced three-phase microemulsions (optimum Winsor III systems) with a well-defined temperature-sensitive nonionic surfactant. The crude oil surface-active species are concentrated in the middle-phase microemulsion, which is separated. The interfacial material is then recovered in the surfactant-rich aqueous phase after cooling. This method was applied to five crude oils and the interfacial materials were then analyzed by Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectroscopy (FT-ICR MS). This novel extraction method compares well with the established “wet-silica” method, as evidenced by the analysis in the negative electrospray ESI(−) mode of the interfacial materials of the same crude extracted by the two methods. The analytical data have been related to the interfacial activity of the crude oils, namely, their tendency to form stable emulsions with water or viscous phases in surfactant/oil/water systems at equilibrium, and to their equivalent alkane carbon numbers (EACN). The interfacial materials are confirmed to be responsible for the increased stability of water-in-oil emulsions.

This study centers on the use of smart technology to improve the lifecycle management of underground facilities. It presents a comprehensive digital solution that addresses the challenges of underground facilities, particularly those related to the extensive use of underground space, as well as the requirements for safety, sustainability, and quality of services. The proposed solution emerged from discussions with experts, companies, and cities involved in the design, construction, and management of underground facilities. In this paper, we first discuss the major challenges of underground facilities, then, we present the development of a smart solution to address these challenges. This study demonstrates a promising perspective for the use of smart technology in the optimal management of underground facilities, and paves the way for its implementation.

International audience; Oxidative desulfurization (ODS) was applied to three marine fuels with viscosities between 380 and 700 cSt (centistokes) and sulfur contents between 0.79 and 3.27 wt.%, using a MoO3/Al2O3 catalyst. H2O2 was chosen as oxidizing agent with a low oxidant to sulfur ratio of 3, for economic and environmental reasons. Global sulfur removal was obtained after extraction of sulfones by dimethylformamide. Oxidation efficiency was evaluated by monitoring the conversion of alkyl-benzothiophenes and dibenzothiophene molecule by gas chromatography (GC) with a sulfur specific detector. Applying ultrasounds prior to oxidation was found to significantly enhance conversions and sulfur removal, the effect being more pronounced when initial efficiency was low, that is for more refractory molecules and heavier fuels. Ultrasound assisted ODS (UAOD) was effective on raw fuels with initial viscosity below 700 cSt. Indeed, dilution decreased the viscosity of the fuels, allowing reaction to be effective even on initially very heavy fuels. The presence of asphaltenes dissolved or precipitated in the feed did not affect the conversion of Cx-BTs and DBT significantly, with only slight variations of global sulfur removal rates. Global desulfurization rates between 60 and 80 % were obtained, clearly showing the efficiency of UAOD applied to complex matrices such as marine fuels.

International audience; Motivation crowding theory examines how external intervention may undermine intrinsic motivation. Earlier research has shown that intrinsic motivation plays a decisive role in fostering environmental performance of households and consumers, but that external pressures may “crowd out” the intrinsic motivations. Similar patterns could be expected in business organizations. However, only a few studies consider crowding effects of financial incentives on businesses’ intrinsic motivation to environmental responsibility, whereas none addresses the impact of external pressures from non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and media, despite their prominent role. This study aims to address this gap by offering a mediation framework explaining how pressures from NGOs and media affect intrinsic motivation. Empirically, the paper adds to the scant empirical research by estimating a model on a sample of 4,364 enterprises from twelve European countries. We find that NGOs and media pressures increase financial benefits from environmental responsibility, which in turn crowd in intrinsic motivation in enterprises.

International audience; Multi-anvil and laser-heated diamond anvil methods areused to subject Ge and Si mixtures to pressures and temperaturesof between 12 and 17 GPa and 1500 – 1800 K, respectively.Synchrotron angle dispersive X-ray diffraction, precession electrondiffraction and chemical analysis using electron microscopy, revealrecovery at ambient pressure of hexagonal Ge-Si solid solutions(P63/mmc). Taken together, the multi-anvil and diamond anvil resultsreveal that hexagonal solid solutions can be prepared for all Ge-Sicompositions. This hexagonal class of solid solutions constitutes asignificant expansion of the bulk Ge-Si solid solution family, and is ofactive interest for optoelectronic applications.

International audience; Cooperative machine learning has many applications, such as data annotation, where an initial model trained with partially labeled data is used to predict labels for unseen data continuously. Predicted labels with a low confidence value are manually revised to allow the model to be retrained with the predicted and revised data. In this paper, we propose an alternative to this approach: an initial training process called Deep Unsupervised Active Learning. Using the proposed training scheme, a classification model can incrementally acquire new knowledge during the testing phase without manual guidance or correction of decision making. The training process consists of two stages: the first stage of supervised training using a classification model, and an unsupervised active learning stage during the test phase. The labels predicted during the test phase, with high confidence, are continuously used to extend the knowledge base of the model. To optimize the proposed method, the model must have a high initial recognition rate. To this end, we exploited the Visual Geometric Group (VGG16) pre-trained model applied to three datasets: Mathematical Image Analysis (AMI), University of Science and Technology Beijing (USTB2), and Annotated Web Ears (AWE). This approach achieved impressive performance that shows a significant improvement in the recognition rate of the USTB2 dataset by coloring its images using a Generative Adversarial Network (GAN). The obtained performances are interesting compared to the current methods: the recognition rates are 100.00%, 98.33%, and 51.25% for the USTB2, AMI, and AWE datasets, respectively.

International audience; Due to the multi-path propagation and extreme sensitivity to minor changes in the propagation medium, the coda waves open new fascinating possibilities in the non-destructive evaluation and acoustic imaging. However, their noise-like structure and high spurious sensitivity for ambient conditions (temperature, humidity, and others) make it challenging to perform localized inspection in the overall coda wave evolution. While existing deterministic solutions reach their limit in handling complex data, emerging techniques such as deep learning-based algorithms have shown a promising potential to overcome these limitations. This paper proposes a deep neural network that paves the way to make the complex features of coda waves more handleable to reliably exploit coda waves in several applications even in a changing or unstable environment. Specifically, designed a Coda-Convolutional Neural Network that is able to identify coda waves with 95.65% precision in a silicon chaotic cavity including 5 emitters and 16 receivers using ultra high frequency ultrasonic coda waves.

We developed a new hybrid material resulting from an innovative supramolecular tripartite association between an ionic liquid covalently immobilized on primary β-cyclodextrins rim and an anionic water-soluble polymer. Two hydrophilic ternary complexes based on native and permethylated β-cyclodextrins substituted with an ionic liquid and immobilized on poly(styrene sulfonate) (CD-IL+PSS− and CD(OMe)IL+PSS−) were obtained by simple dialysis with a cyclodextrin maximal grafting rate of 25% and 20% on the polymer, respectively. These polyelectrolytes are based on electrostatic interactions between the opposite charges of the imidazolium cation of the ionic liquid and the poly(styrene sulfonate) anion. The inclusion properties of the free cavities of the cyclodextrins and the synergic effect of the polymeric matrix were studied with three reference guests such as phenolphthalein, p-nitrophenol, and 2-anilinonaphthalene-6-sulfonic acid using UV-visible, fluorescent, and NMR spectroscopies. The support has been applied successfully in dialysis device to extract and concentrated aromatic model molecule. This simple and flexible synthetic strategy opens the way to new hybrid materials useful for fast and low-cost ecofriendly extraction techniques relevant for green analytical chemistry.

International audience; The present study aims at investigating the low cycle fatigue behavior of two fully AISI 1080 pearlitic steels which differed intheir interlamellar spacing (72 ± 15 and 143 ± 32 nm). Low cycle fatigue tests were performed under positive strain control atdifferent total strain variations (0.6% ≤ Δεt ≤ 1.6%). It is shown that both alloys presented an asymmetric stress response anda cyclic softening during the first fatigue life fractions. The tension stress peaks were higher for the fine pearlitic steel thanfor the coarse one but the compression stress peaks were less different. The extrusion–intrusion pairs formed at the externalsurface were more developed for the coarse pearlitic steel. The results suggest that the critical short crack size to propagatein the bulk is much smaller in the fine pearlitic steel which explains the shorter fatigue lives. For both steels, the entire fracturesurface comprised a fatigue propagation zone, a final fully brittle zone separated by a narrow ductile transition zone.

We study the complexity of various fundamental counting problems that arise in the context of incomplete databases, i.e., relational databases that can contain unknown values in the form of labeled nulls. Specifically, we assume that the domains of these unknown values are finite and, for a Boolean query $q$, we consider the following two problems: given as input an incomplete database $D$, (a) return the number of completions of $D$ that satisfy $q$; or (b) return the number of valuations of the nulls of $D$ yielding a completion that satisfies $q$. We obtain dichotomies between \#P-hardness and polynomial-time computability for these problems when $q$ is a self-join-free conjunctive query, and study the impact on the complexity of the following two restrictions: (1) every null occurs at most once in $D$ (what is called Codd tables); and (2) the domain of each null is the same. Roughly speaking, we show that counting completions is much harder than counting valuations: for instance, while the latter is always in \#P, we prove that the former is not in \#P under some widely believed theoretical complexity assumption. Moreover, we find that both (1) and (2) can reduce the complexity of our problems. We also study the approximability of these problems and show that, while counting valuations always has a fully polynomial-time randomized approximation scheme (FPRAS), in most cases counting completions does not. Finally, we consider more expressive query languages and situate our problems with respect to known complexity classes., Comment: 51 pages, including 43 pages of main text. Extended version of arXiv:1912.11064. Up to the stylesheet, page/environment numbering, minor formatting, and publisher-induced changes, this is the exact content of the paper in ACM Transactions on Computational Logic

International audience; Cyanosilylation, aldol coupling and asymmetric Henry reactions were carried out with L- and D-valmet ligands in different configurations: i) coordinated to sodium ions, as organocatalysts, with week base properties, ii) complexes with copper(II), as homogeneous catalysts, and iii) immobilized copper(II) complexes onto graphene oxide (GO) as heterogeneous catalysts. For the reaction of benzaldehyde and nitromethane in water these afforded an asymmetric Henry reaction, with a spectacular increase of the conversion and ee (92.5 and 95.8 %, respectively) after the deposition on GO. Ligand complexed copper was also effective for cyanosilylation and Aldol coupling reaction.

Oceanic crust formed at slow-spreading ridges is currently subducted in only a few places on Earth and the tectonic and seismogenic imprint of the slow-spreading process is poorly understood. Here we present seismic and bathymetric data from the Northeastern Lesser Antilles Subduction Zone where thick sediments enable seismic imaging to greater depths than in the ocean basins. This dataset highlights a pervasive tectonic fabric characterized by closely spaced sequences of convex-up Ridgeward-Dipping Reflectors, which extend down to about 15 km depth with a 15-to-40° angle. We interpret these reflectors as discrete shear planes formed during the early stages of exhumation of magma-poor mantle rocks at an inside corner of a Mid-Atlantic Ridge fracture zone. Closer to the trench, plate bending could have reactivated this tectonic fabric and enabled deep fluid circulation and serpentinization of the basement rocks. This weak serpentinized basement likely explains the very low interplate seismic activity associated with the Barbuda-Anegada margin segment above.

International audience; The effect of the process atmosphere composition on the foam formation of cathode-ray tube (CRT) glass containing graphite and MnO2 was studied using in situ environmental scanning electron microscopy at high temperature (HT-ESEM). When compared to He+4% H2, O2 or air, water steam facilitates glass grain sintering. This is probably due to the formation of hydroxyl groups at the glass grain surface that locally decrease the glass viscosity. We have shown that increasing the steam pressure from 50 Pa to 750 Pa decreases both sintering and foaming onset temperatures by approximately 100 degrees C, favouring the formation of closed pores in viscous glass. At high temperature, the presence of water steam or oxygen promotes foam formation, while the presence of a reducing atmosphere (He+4%H2) limits glass melt foaming. A synergetic effect of O2 and H2O on the onset temperature of glass sintering and foam formation is evidenced.

Cold spraying (CS), or cold gas dynamic spray (CGDS), is an emerging solid-state powder deposition process, allowing fast and mass production and restoration of metallic components. CS of metal matrix composites (MMCs) has attracted increasing attention from academia and industry over the last decades, especially in the area of Al matrix composites (AMCs), which have demonstrated a high potential for applications in aerospace, automotive, and electronics industries. This article aims to summarize the recent development of CS-processed AMCs in terms of composite powder preparation, deposition processing, microstructure evolution, mechanical and corrosion properties. Furthermore, this review also reports the relevant research progress with the focus on post-treatments of the AMCs for CS additive manufacturing applications including heat treatment, hot rolling, and friction stir processing. Finally, the challenges and perspectives on the fabrication of advanced AMCs by CS are addressed.