Animal detection and species classification on Swiss camera trap images using AI

Motion-triggered camera traps are essential for the monitoring and management of wildlife. As per today in Switzerland, a high number of pictures is manually processed (annotated and classified). We study the utilization of available detection and classification models to (semi-)automatize this process. Two main aspects were investigated: 1) evaluate the feasibility of a non-expert local application (with Microsoft's MegaDetector model), and 2) quantify model performance using several labelled datasets of varying quality and content. Our results show a highly accurate (sensitive and specific), and reliable, fast inference which efficiently allows the automatic pre-discarding of all non-animal images. Further, the MegaDetector turns out to be both, user-friendly and highly performant and thus, an ideal tool for Swiss wildlife experts and stakeholders. Incentives (educational and financial) are required to promote knowledge transfer to this field

Rapid thermal processing of CuInSe2 electroplated precursors for CuIn(S,Se)2-based thin film solar cells

International audienceDuring the elaboration of standard CISEL™cells, electroplated CuInSe2 precursors undergo a rapid thermal processing (RTP) in a sulfur-containing atmosphere to promote grain growth and enable sulfurization of the precursor. The aim of this work is to show how structural and morphological properties of the CuIn(S,Se)2-based solar cells can be modified with RTP parameters, namely temperature, heating rate, and sulfur addition. X-ray diffractograms show that the preferential (112) orientation of the electrodeposited CuInSe2 precursor is maintained after annealing but the coefficient of crystallographic texture can be modified with specific RTP parameters. It is also shown that the quantity of sulfur incorporated in the chalcopyrite lattice can be controlled and reaches almost pure CuInS2 according to the sulfur quantity used during the RTP. Another effect of the RTP annealing is to form a Mo(S,Se)2 layer which can lead to a quasi-ohmic contact between the molybdenum and the absorber. The properties of the Mo(S,Se)2 buffer layer are also studied according to the process parameters and an increase of the annealing temperature or of the sulfur concentration tends to increase the thickness of this laye

Biosurfactants: Promising Molecules for Petroleum Biotechnology Advances

The growing global demand for sustainable technologies that improves the efficiency of petrochemical processes in the oil industry has driven advances in petroleum biotechnology in recent years. Petroleum industry uses substantial amounts of petrochemical-based synthetic surfactants in its activities as mobilizing agents to increase the availability or recovery of hydrocarbons as well as many other applications related to extraction, treatment, cleaning and transportation. However, biosurfactants have several potential applications for use across the oil processing chain and in the formulations of petrochemical products such as emulsifying/demulsifying agents, anticorrosive, biocides for sulphate-reducing bacteria, fuel formulation, extraction of bitumen from tar sands and many other innovative applications. Due to their versatility and proven efficiency, biosurfactants are often presented as valuable versatile tools that can transform and modernise petroleum biotechnology in an attempt to provide a true picture of state of the art and directions or use in the oil industry. We believe that biosurfactants are going to have a significant role in many future applications in the oil industries and in this review therefore, we highlight recent important relevant applications, patents disclosures and potential future applications for biosurfactants in petroleum and related industries

Discutindo a educação ambiental no cotidiano escolar: desenvolvimento de projetos na escola formação inicial e continuada de professores

A presente pesquisa buscou discutir como a Educação Ambiental (EA) vem sendo trabalhada, no Ensino Fundamental e como os docentes desta escola compreendem e vem inserindo a EA no cotidiano escolar., em uma escola estadual do município de Tangará da Serra/MT, Brasil. Para tanto, realizou-se entrevistas com os professores que fazem parte de um projeto interdisciplinar de EA na escola pesquisada. Verificou-se que o projeto da escola não vem conseguindo alcançar os objetivos propostos por: desconhecimento do mesmo, pelos professores; formação deficiente dos professores, não entendimento da EA como processo de ensino-aprendizagem, falta de recursos didáticos, planejamento inadequado das atividades. A partir dessa constatação, procurou-se debater a impossibilidade de tratar do tema fora do trabalho interdisciplinar, bem como, e principalmente, a importância de um estudo mais aprofundado de EA, vinculando teoria e prática, tanto na formação docente, como em projetos escolares, a fim de fugir do tradicional vínculo “EA e ecologia, lixo e horta”.Facultad de Humanidades y Ciencias de la Educació

Interlaboratory study of a Supercritical Fluid Chromatography method for the determination of pharmaceutical impurities: evaluation of multi-systems reproducibility

Modern Supercritical Fluid Chromatography (SFC) is now a well-established technique, especially in the field of pharmaceutical analysis. We recently demonstrated the transferability and the reproducibility of a SFC method for pharmaceutical impurities by means of an inter-laboratory study. However, as this study involved only one brand of SFC instrumentation, the present study extends the purpose to multi-instrumentations evaluation. In this context, three instrument types, namely Agilent®, Shimadzu®, Waters®, were included through 21 laboratories (n = 7 for each instrument). Firstly, method transfer was performed to assess the separation quality using these instruments and to set up the specific instrument parameters of Agilent® and Shimadzu® instruments. Secondly, the inter-laboratory study was performed following the protocol defined by the sending lab. Analytical results were deeply examined regarding consistencies within- and between-laboratories criteria. Afterwards, the method reproducibility was estimated taking into account variances in replicates, between-days and between-laboratories. Obviously, reproducibility variance was larger than that observed during the first study involving only one single type of instrumentation. Indeed, we clearly observed an ‘instrument type’ effect. Moreover, general speaking, the reproducibility variance was larger when considering all instruments than each type separately. The configuration of each modern SFC instrument easily explained the variability induced by the instrument. Nevertheless, repeatability and reproducibility variances were found to be similar than those described for LC methods (i.e. reproducibility RSD around 15%). These results highlighted the robustness and the interest of SFC to provide accurate results for pharmaceutical quality control analysis

Characterization of the local-field enhancement around metallic nanostructures using a photosensitive azopolymer

International audienc