Effect of oxidized wood flour as functional filler on the mechanical, thermal and flame-retardant properties of polylactide biocomposites

Based on the biodegradable material-polyethylene glycol (PEG)-as the plasticizer, oxidized wood flour (OWF) as the charring agent for polylactide (PLA), a series flame-retardant PLA biocomposites were prepared via melt-compounding and hot-compression. The effect of OWF on the thermal, mechanical and flame retardant properties of biocomposites was investigated systemically. We have found that after the incorporation of PEG and OWF with 10¿wt% into PLA, the biocomposite showed higher tensile elongation than pure PLA. Furthermore, the presence of OWF and ammonium polyphosphate (APP) imparted the biocomposite good flame-retardant performance, shown a remarkable reduction on the peak of heat release rate (PHRR), improved LOI value and passed UL94 V-0 rating. Moreover, Scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive spectra (SEM/EDS) and thermogravimetric analysis coupled with infrared spectrometer (TG-FTIR) were also performed to understand the flame retardant mechanism. These results proved that OWF could be as new functional filler for polymer composites to further improve their flame retardancy.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

International Society of Human and Animal Mycology (ISHAM)-ITS reference DNA barcoding database - the quality controlled standard tool for routine identification of human and animal pathogenic fungi

Human and animal fungal pathogens are a growing threat worldwide leading to emerging infections and creating new risks for established ones. There is a growing need for a rapid and accurate identification of pathogens to enable early diagnosis and targeted antifungal therapy. Morphological and biochemical identification methods are time-consuming and require trained experts. Alternatively, molecular methods, such as DNA barcoding, a powerful and easy tool for rapid monophasic identification, offer a practical approach for species identification and less demanding in terms of taxonomical expertise. However, its wide-spread use is still limited by a lack of quality-controlled reference databases and the evolving recognition and definition of new fungal species/complexes. An international consortium of medical mycology laboratories was formed aiming to establish a quality controlled ITS database under the umbrella of the ISHAM working group on "DNA barcoding of human and animal pathogenic fungi." A new database, containing 2800 ITS sequences representing 421 fungal species, providing the medical community with a freely accessible tool at http://www.isham.org and http://its.mycologylab.org/ to rapidly and reliably identify most agents of mycoses, was established. The generated sequences included in the new database were used to evaluate the variation and overall utility of the ITS region for the identification of pathogenic fungi at intra-and interspecies level. The average intraspecies variation ranged from 0 to 2.25%. This highlighted selected pathogenic fungal species, such as the dermatophytes and emerging yeast, for which additional molecular methods/genetic markers are required for their reliable identification from clinical and veterinary specimens.This study was supported by an National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia (NH&MRC) grant [#APP1031952] to W Meyer, S Chen, V Robert, and D Ellis; CNPq [350338/2000-0] and FAPERJ [E-26/103.157/2011] grants to RM Zancope-Oliveira; CNPq [308011/2010-4] and FAPESP [2007/08575-1] Fundacao de Amparo Pesquisa do Estado de So Paulo (FAPESP) grants to AL Colombo; PEst-OE/BIA/UI4050/2014 from Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia (FCT) to C Pais; the Belgian Science Policy Office (Belspo) to BCCM/IHEM; the MEXBOL program of CONACyT-Mexico, [ref. number: 1228961 to ML Taylor and [122481] to C Toriello; the Institut Pasteur and Institut de Veil le Sanitaire to F Dromer and D Garcia-Hermoso; and the grants from the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientifico e Tecnologico (CNPq) and the Fundacao de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Goias (FAPEG) to CM de Almeida Soares and JA Parente Rocha. I Arthur would like to thank G Cherian, A Higgins and the staff of the Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory, Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Path West, QEII Medial Centre. Dromer would like to thank for the technical help of the sequencing facility and specifically that of I, Diancourt, A-S Delannoy-Vieillard, J-M Thiberge (Genotyping of Pathogens and Public Health, Institut Pasteur). RM Zancope-Oliveira would like to thank the Genomic/DNA Sequencing Platform at Fundacao Oswaldo Cruz-PDTIS/FIOCRUZ [RPT01A], Brazil for the sequencing. B Robbertse and CL Schoch acknowledge support from the Intramural Research Program of the NIH, National Library of Medicine. T Sorrell's work is funded by the NH&MRC of Australia; she is a Sydney Medical School Foundation Fellow.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Application of grouted connections to marine structures

It is standard practice to connect offshore steel structures (oil, gas, or wind structures) to their foundation piles using cylindrical shaped grouted connections, sometimes with welded shear keys, providing thus convenient constructing process. The aim of the master thesis is to understand the mechanical behavior of such connections, and to study to what extent they could be used for breasting or mooring structures, submitted to higher horizontal forces and bending moments

Application of grouted connections to marine structures

It is standard practice to connect offshore steel structures (oil, gas, or wind structures) to their foundation piles using cylindrical shaped grouted connections, sometimes with welded shear keys, providing thus convenient constructing process. The aim of the master thesis is to understand the mechanical behavior of such connections, and to study to what extent they could be used for breasting or mooring structures, submitted to higher horizontal forces and bending moments

Influence of meteorological conditions and topography on the active space of mountain birds assessed by a wave-based sound propagation model

International audienceThe active space is a central bioacoustic concept to understand communication networks and animal behavior. Propagation of biological acoustic signals has often been studied in homogeneous environments using an idealized circular active space representation, but few studies have assessed the variations of the active space due to environment heterogeneities and transmitter position. To study these variations for mountain birds like the rock ptarmigan, we developed a sound propagation model based on the parabolic equation method that accounts for the topography, the ground effects, and the meteorological conditions. The comparison of numerical simulations with measurements performed during an experimental campaign in the French Alps confirms the capacity of the model to accurately predict sound levels. We then use this model to show how mountain conditions affect surface and shape of active spaces, with topography being the most significant factor. Our data reveal that singing during display flights is a good strategy to adopt for a transmitter to expand its active space in such an environment. Overall, our study brings new perspectives to investigate the spatiotemporal dynamics of communication networks

Propagation acoustique en milieu hétérogène et variabilité de l’espace actif de la communication chez le lagopède alpin

Les réseaux de communication acoustique chez les oiseaux sont largement étudiés dans des habitats considérés comme homogènes tels que la forêt tropicale ou la prairie. Or, la propagation d'un signal acoustique est fortement influencée par la topographie, les conditions météorologiques et les effets du sol, surtout à longue distance. Pour les espèces d'oiseaux vivant en haute montagne, ces effets peuvent avoir un impact important sur la propagation du chant. Ils contribuent donc à contraindre spatialement le réseau de communication. Afin d'étudier l'espace actif des oiseaux de montagne, et en particulier du lagopède alpin, nous avons développé un code de propagation basé sur la méthode Equation Parabolique. Ce modèle prend en compte la stratification de l’atmosphère (profils de vent et de température), ainsi que la topographie et l’impédance de la neige au sol. Il permet l’étude de l’influence des conditions montagneuses typiques sur les espaces actifs de la communication. La capacité de prédiction du code a été évaluée par comparaison avec des mesures in situ. La simulation numérique de la propagation acoustique montre que les effets cumulés des conditions météorologiques et de la topographie ont effectivement un impact significatif sur l'aire et la forme des espaces actifs par rapport à un cas homogène, et que la stratégie observée de chanter principalement lors de vols en cloche permet au lagopède alpin d'étendre efficacement son espace actif dans ce milieu

Analysis of propagation constraints on acoustic communication networks of rock ptarmigan

International audienceCommunication networks among birds are widely studied. However, it?s questionable how propagation constraints influence the organization of these interactions, especially at great distances. Indeed, in an outdoor environment, the propagation of an acoustic signal is strongly modified by topography, meteorological and ground effects. For bird species living in high mountains, these different effects will have a prominent impact on how their vocalization spreads. Thus, modelling the propagation of acoustic signals is likely to provide important cues to understand these communication networks. In this study, we focus on the rock ptarmigan that lives in particularly complex mountain areas. A cross-sectional approach that combines physical modeling of sound propagation with biological data on the spatial and temporal structure of acoustic networks is considered. To this end, a simplified sound propagation code dedicated to bioacoustic studies and based on the ray tracing method is developed. Test-cases of sound propagation over a flat ground and over a rugged topography, taking into account a sound speed gradient, are carried out to validate the code. Using this model, we will study how the environment in mountainous areas affects acoustic propagation and, as a consequence, how it influences the information exchange among rock ptarmigan. In addition, the construction of a spatial representation of information and communication networks will allow to improve population census methods for wildlife management and conservation

Évaluation des aides à la décarbonation du plan France Relance

Ce projet documente et analyse l’impact des aides à la décarbonation sur trois volets : le ciblage et le recours aux aides du plan France Relance, les effets économiques et environnementaux des précédentes vagues d’aides à la décarbonation et en particulier du Fonds Chaleur administré par l’Ademe, et les premiers effets rétrospectifs des impacts économiques des aides à la décarbonation du plan France Relance

Évaluation des aides à la décarbonation du plan France Relance

Ce projet documente et analyse l’impact des aides à la décarbonation sur trois volets : le ciblage et le recours aux aides du plan France Relance, les effets économiques et environnementaux des précédentes vagues d’aides à la décarbonation et en particulier du Fonds Chaleur administré par l’Ademe, et les premiers effets rétrospectifs des impacts économiques des aides à la décarbonation du plan France Relance

Grazing affects animal health: an examination of survey data collected by accredited veterinarians during visits to dairy farms

We developed a grazing index that objectively defines livestock operations based on the proportion of grass in the annual diet of the dairy cow herds. Data were collected from 102 cattle farms, and the results show that, in general, levels of grazing were higher in less intensive farming systems. Simultaneously, higher levels of grazing were associated with a decrease in the number of veterinary visits (notably to treat digestive and metabolic issues), the overall consumption of medications (notably those involved in curative treatments), and the frequency of severe hoof-related lameness. Animal lifespan and perinatal mortality were, respectively, positively and negatively correlated with higher levels of grazing. Some of the limits to interpreting these data are discussed