Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Développement d’un procédé innovant d’épuration du biogaz par mise en oeuvre de contacteurs à membranes

L’epuration est une solution attractive pour la valorisation du biogaz. Neanmoins, les couts associes a ces procedes constituent un frein au developpement, en particulier pour l’epuration du biogaz d’origine agricole.Ces travaux ont evalue le contacteur a membranes, technologie issue du poumon artificiel, pour le developpement d’un procede d’absorption physique, robuste et repondant aux exigences de la filiere. Un pilote experimental modulaire (150-880 NL/h biogaz) a permis d’investiguer les performances du procede en termes de rendement methane R_CH4 et de qualite methane y_CH4,out.Le contacteur a membranes permet de produire un biomethane repondant aux specifications de l’injection reseau. Les parametres operatoires cles ont ete mis en evidence par un plan d’experience. Parmi les limites connues du procede, l’effet de l’humidification de la membrane sur le debit d’absorption du CO2 reste limite (< 10.5%) : une nouvelle description de l’humidification des pores a ete proposee. La composition du gaz est plus limitante : le coefficient de transfert du CO2 est divise par un facteur 2-3 lorsque celui-ci est present en melange plutot qu’en gaz pur. Plusieurs configurations et solvants ont ete testes pour ameliorer les performances. L’integration d’une boucle de recyclage et le remplacement de l’eau par une solution de sels (KCl) ont permis de deployer un procede brevete atteignant les performances visees (R_CH4=98.7%, y_CH4,out=97.5%) : le flux membranaire est de 42 NL/m2/h CO2.En vue d’un dimensionnement industriel, un modele original de transfert a ete developpe pour integrer la geometrie interne specifique du module membranaire. Optimise et valide pour l’absorption de CO2 pur, cet outil numerique a necessite l’optimisation d’une correction additionnelle inspiree des lois de diffusion pour decrire la limite observee en presence d’un melange de gaz.Une mise a l’echelle est proposee pour 3 unites industrielles (100, 250 et 500 Nm3/h biogaz) sur la base des equipements disponibles. Les dimensionnements obtenus par analyse dimensionnelle ou par modelisation numerique different de 25 a 40 % et doivent encore etre valides.
Electronically coarse grained molecular model of water

Electronic coarse graining is a technique improving the predictive power of molecular dynamics simulations by representing electrons via a quantum harmonic oscillator. This construction, known as a Quantum Drude Oscillator, provides all molecular long-range responses by uniting many-body dispersion, polarisation and cross interactions to all orders. To demonstrate the predictive power of electronic coarse graining and provide insights into the physics of water, a molecular model of water based on Quantum Drude Oscillators is developed. The model is parametrised to the properties of an isolated molecule and a single cut through the dimer energy surface. Such a parametrisation makes the condensed phase properties of the model a prediction rather than a fitting target. These properties are studied in four environments via two-temperature adiabatic path integral molecular dynamics: a proton ordered ice, the liquid–vapour interface, supercritical and supercooled water. In all these environments, the model predicts a condensed phase in excellent agreement with experiment, showing impressive transferability. It predicts correct densities and pressures in liquid water from 220 K to 647 K, and a correct temperature of maximum density. Furthermore, it predicts the surface tension, the liquid-vapour critical point, density of ice II, and radial distribution functions across all conditions studied. The model also provides insight into the relationship between the molecular structure of water and its condensed phase properties. An asymmetry between donor and acceptor hydrogen bonds is identified as the molecular scale mechanism responsible for the surface orientation of water molecules. The dipole moment is identified as a molecular scale signature of liquid-like and gas-like regions in supercritical water. Finally, a link between the coordination number and the anomalous thermal expansion of the second coordination shell is also presented.
Friction of (110) Diamond in the Presence of Small Hydrocarbon Molecule

Molecular dynamic simulations have been used to explore the friction between two ( 110) diamond surfaces in sliding contact. In general, when a third-body hydrocarbon molecule is placed between two computer generated diamond surfaces in sliding contact, the result is a reduction of friction as the load iH increa. 'ied compared to the same surfaces in the absence of third-body molecules. The size, shape, and alignment of the third-body hydrocarbon molecules play an essrntial role in the reduction of friction. Results for a system with ethane presented as a third-body molecule will be compared to previous theoretical studies as well as existing experimental data.
LEVANTAMENTO DE AGROTÓXICOS E UTILIZAÇÃO DE EQUIPAMENTO DE PROTEÇÃO INDIVIDUAL ENTRE OS AGRICULTORES DA REGIÃO DE ARARAS

RESUMO Esse trabalho teve como objetivo fazer o levantamento dos principais agrotoxicos e os procedimentos de seguranca do trabalho adotados entre os pequenos e medios agricultores da regiao de Araras. Para coleta de dados, 60 produtores rurais da regiao foram entrevistados. O questionario, composto por 25 questoes distribuidas em tres blocos basicos, tratou de aspectos gerais das principais culturas cultivadas na regiao, manejo de agrotoxicos, uso de equipamento de protecao individual (EPI) e ocorrencia de intoxicacoes. Os resultados obtidos mostraram que ocorre falta de cuidados com a seguranca do trabalho, uma vez que apenas 63% dos entrevistados utilizam o EPI padrao completo (bone, mascara, macacao, luvas e botas) e 22,2% nao utilizam nenhum tipo de EPI. Em relacao ao uso de agrotoxicos, verificou-se, que 51,9% dos entrevistados utilizam galpao nao exclusivo para armazenamento desses produtos, possibilitando o contato desses defensivos agricolas com outros produtos agricolas. No que se refere as intoxicacoes, 3,7% dos entrevistados ja sofreram intoxicacao por agrotoxicos. Esses resultados mostram a falta de treinamento para o uso de defensivos agricolas, evidenciando a necessidade de melhoria do nivel de informacao entre os agricultores em relacao a importância do uso de EPI e medidas que visem reduzir os riscos de intoxicacao.
Surface Characterisation of Bioactive Titanium Formed Via Anodic Oxidation

Anodic oxidation (AO) is one of surface modification method that able to produce specific topographies and enhance bone growth of the titanium (Ti). Modifying the oxide layer of titanium from smooth (bioinert) to rough/porous (bioactive) surface makes this material able to be used as artificial implant for biomedical application. In this study, the effect of AO on the characteristics of titanium in different electrolytes is evaluated. Anodised Ti was prepared using AO method in two different electrolytes (acetic and sulphuric acid) with same concentration (0.3 M). The applied voltage were varied range 50 – 200 V, with constant 75 mA.cm-2 of current density for 10 min of oxidation process at room temperature. The anodised titanium films were characterised using X-ray Diffractometer (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). From this study, it is proven that the strong acid (sulphuric acid) is more effective to be used as electrolyte in order to produce rougher surface (formation of anatase and rutile) compared to weak acid (acetic acid) which able to produce small amount of anatase only
User’s Guide for Biodegradation Reactions in TMVOCBio:

TMVOCBio is an extended version of the TMVOC numerical reservoir simulator, with the capability of simulating multiple biodegradation reactions mediated by different microbial populations or based on different redox reactions, thus involving different electron acceptors. This modeling feature is implemented within the existing TMVOC module in iTOUGH2. TMVOCBio, originally developed by Battistelli (2003; 2004), uses a general modified form of the Monod kinetic rate equation to simulate biodegradation reactions, which effectively simulates the uptake of a substrate while accounting for various limiting factors (i.e., the limitation by substrate, electron acceptor, or nutrients). Two approaches are included: 1) a multiple Monod kinetic rate equation, which assumes all the limiting factors simultaneously affect the substrate uptake rate, and 2) a minimum Monod model, which assumes that the substrate uptake rate is controlled by the most limiting factor among those acting for the specific substrate. As the limiting factors, biomass growth inhibition, toxicity effects, as well as competitive and non-competitive inhibition effects are included. The temperature and moisture dependence of biodegradation reactions is also considered. This report provides mathematical formulations and assumptions used for modeling the biodegradation reactions, and describes additional modeling capabilities. Detailed description of input format for biodegradation reactions is presented along with sample problems.
Are earnings or cash flows a better predictor of future firm performance in European firms after IFRS implementation

Earnings and cash flows are important pieces of information in financial statements that investors examine closely to assess the future performance of firms and to maximize the returns on their investments. Although there are several studies that claim that either cash flows or earnings can better explain the future performance of a company and, therefore, can provide more useful information to investors and accounting regulators, there is still a dearth of research on the comparative analysis of earnings and cash flows in explaining future performance. The question as to which measure is superior in predicting future returns is also particularly relevant from an academic perspective because it examines the usefulness of financial reporting figures. The purpose of my study is to extend the current literature on the relative impact of earnings and cash flows on future performance, by examining data after the IFRS implementation in Europe. This event has brought about several changes, such as a decline in earnings management, that could, alter the relationship between earnings or cash flows and the future performance of firms. In order to assess the amount of information that earnings and cash flows provide, I regresses earnings and cash flows with future cash flows, which I have chosen as a metric for the future performance of firms. The statistical tests were made with data from Compustat for European firms in the period 2005–2016, that is, after the IFRS was introduced. The tests were made in order to ascertain the respective abilities of earnings and cash flows from operation in predicting future firm performance. The results of my study imply that cash flows from operation, rather than earnings, are more accurate in predicting the future performance of a firm.
and interactions and the charged charmonium-like state Z(4430)

The and interactions are studied in a one-boson-exchange model. Isovector bound state solutions with spin parity JP = 1+ are found from the interaction, which may be related to the observed charged charmonium-like state Z(4430). There is no bound state solution found from the interaction.
Testing Marx. Income Inequality, Concentration, and Socialism in Late 19th Century Germany

We study the dynamics of income inequality, capital concentration, and voting outcomes before 1914. Based on new panel data for Prussian counties and districts we re-evaluate the key economic debate between Marxists and their critics before 1914. We show that the increase in inequality was strongly correlated with a rising capital share, as predicted by Marxists at the time. In contrast, rising capital concentration was not associated with increasing income inequality. Relying on new sector×county data, we show that increasing strike activity worked as an offsetting factor. Similarly, the socialists did not directly benefit from rising inequality at the polls, but from the activity of trade unions. Overall, we find evidence for a rise in the bargaining power of workers, which limited the increase in inequality before 1914. (Stone Center on Socio-Economic Inequality Working Paper Series)
Dynamique spatio-temporelle de la mangrove de Kafountine dans l'estuaire de la Basse-Casamance des années 1972 à nos jours : Approche par télédétection

This article analyzes the spatial and temporal dynamics of the mangrove in the Commune of Kafountine located in the southwest of Senegal in the Ziguinchor region. This through a comparative study using Landsat satellite images from the years 1972, 1986, 2000 and 2018. The methodology used is based on the exploitation of geospatial data by remote sensing, rainfall data from (1960 to 2015) and data socioeconomic. The results obtained show three main phases of mangrove development between 1972 and 2018. The first dynamic, between 1972 and 1986, was marked by a decline of 13,450 ha in mangrove areas due mainly to the drought that raged in the Sahelo-Sudanian zone during the decades 1970 and 1980. This phase is followed, between 1986 and 2000, by a regeneration of 4586 ha and an increase of 5897 ha of mangrove areas between 2000 and 2018 thanks to the return of rainfall and to awareness of the population on the need to protect their resources sustainably with the establishment of reforestation activities, the development of economic activities around the mangrove (oysters and fishing) and the establishment of management rules to try to greatly reduce the overexploitation of mangroves. Rising sea levels with the return to increasingly humid conditions on the Casamance scale also play a crucial role with the entry of increased volumes of relatively less salty seawater into estuaries. KEYS-WORDS: dynamic, mangrove, estuary, remote sensing, Lower Casamance, Kafountine
Recovery of soil macronutrients following shifting cultivation and ethnopedology of the Adi community in the Eastern Himalaya

Shifting cultivation involves a cycle of forest clearing, cultivation and a fallow phase. As the practice involves clearing forest, it is considered unsustainable and leads to soil fertility loss and erosion. While several variations of the practice exist, traditional communities undertake the practice systematically with relatively long fallow periods and are often knowledgeable about their landscape in terms of soil and its management. To better understand one such system, we quantified soil recovery following cultivation in terms of macronutrients and documented the traditional knowledge of the Adi community in a remote site in the Eastern Himalaya. We collected soil samples from three replicates, each from currently cultivated sites, uncut forest sites and successional sites 3, 12 and 25 yr following cultivation. Available nitrogen and phosphorus significantly increased, and there was an increasing trend in soil organic matter following cultivation. The Adi differentiated nine types of soil and preferred specific soil types for shifting and settled cultivation. We documented soil management and methods of soil fertility retention practised by the Adi. Their location of different crops in the field was based on the effect of the crop on soil fertility. Our research indicated that soil nutrient recovery was considerable following cultivation and that traditional shifting cultivators in the landscape were knowledgeable about their landscape in terms of soil diversity, undertaking practices to manage soil erosion and fertility. Future policies that will affect shifting cultivation in the region should acknowledge such systematic use of a landscape by traditional farming communities.
Personality Factors as Predictors of Social Capital

Two hundred students as respondents randomly selected from semi-urban based degree colleges of Vaishali district of Bihar (India) participated in a study that identified a number of factors i.e., bonding with friends, acceptance of system, support & cooperation, selfishness and harmony of social capital. The findings revealed that factors of social capital such as bonding with friends, acceptance of system, support & cooperation, selfishness and harmony were significantly predicted by friendliness, emotional stability, responsibility and extraversion dimensions of personality. However, social capital factors such as selfishness and harmony were negatively predicted by the factors of personality, namely emotional stability and neuroticism.
Work-in-Progress: Emotion and Intuition in Engineering Students’ Ethical Decision Making and Implications for Engineering Ethics Education

Recent research in moral psychology suggests that people often rely on emotion and intuition to make moral judgments, rather than reasoning, which engineering ethics education has mainly focused on. In parallel with such findings, studies in the scholarship of engineering ethics have emphasized the importance of emotional capacities of engineers and considered how to incorporate emotional factors into the ethics education of engineering students. Despite growing interest in the importance of emotional aspects of engineering ethics education, however, there has been lack of empirical research addressing the relationship between ethics and emotion. In particular, it is not known how emotion and intuition actually influence ethical decision-making of engineering students. In this work-in-progress paper, we present preliminary results of our exploratory investigation about how emotion and intuition permeate engineering students’ experiences with ethics. We analyzed 11 interview transcripts, which had been collected as part of a larger longitudinal, mixed-method research project with engineering students. We conducted an inductive thematic analysis and found that students experienced a wide range of moral emotions from positive to negative depending on the situation. We also found evidence of students’ use of intuition when they made ethical decisions. We anticipate the findings of this study will help engineering educators and researchers design better engineering ethics courses by considering the emotions and intuitions of engineering students, which have previously been ignored but may influence ethical decision-making.
The Consequences of Collagen Degradation on Bone Mechanical Properties

The mechanisms underlying the effect of alterations in Type I collagen on bone mechanical properties are not well defined. Clinical tools for evaluating fracture risk, such as dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and quantitative ultrasound (QUS) focus on bone mineral and cannot detect changes in the collagen matrix. The mechanical response tissue analyzer (MRTA) is a potential tool for evaluating fracture risk. Thus, the focus of this work was to investigate the effects of collagen degradation on bone mechanical properties and examine whether clinical tools can detect these changes. Female and male emu tibiae were endocortically treated with 1 M potassium hydroxide (KOH) solution for 1-14 days and then either mechanically tested in three-point bending, fatigued to failure or fatigued to induce stiffness loss. Computed Tomography scans, DXA, QUS, MRTA and three-point bend testing in the elastic region were performed on emu tibiae
Cultivation of Pleurotus ostreatus, a potential candidate for biogas residues degradation

Biogas projects are rapidly expanding in China, but there is insufficient cropland to degrade these biogas residues. Mushroom cultivation has been used to degrade various agricultural wastes. In this study, to screen the feasibility of utilizing biogas residues as potential substrates for the cultivation of Pleurotus ostreatus, seven different concentrations (0 to 60%) of biogas residue mixed with cottonseed hull, wheat bran, and lime were used to cultivate P. ostreatus. The mycelial growth rate, mycelial colonization time, yield, biological efficiency, chemical compositions, and content of four heavy metals, Cd (cadmium), Pb (lead), Hg (mercury), and As (arsenic), were analyzed. The results showed that 10 to 30% of biogas residue mixed in the substrates induced the growth of P. ostreatus mycelia faster than the others. A lower percentage (10 to 20%) of biogas residue added to the substrates is beneficial to the production and nutrient components of P. ostreatus, and the fruiting bodies produced on biogas residue-containing substrates conform to the safety standards for edible mushrooms. Although the total harvest is not significantly increased when biogas residue is added, the utilization of cheap biogas residues can conceivably reduce the practical cost and benefit the environment.
A kinetic study of xylose recovery from a hemicellulose-rich biomass for xylitol fermentative production

Abstract Hemicellulose in the complex structure of lignocellulosic substances is mainly composed of xylan which is a polymer based on monosaccharide xylose. Using acidic or enzymatic hydrolysis, hemicellulose can be depolymerized into its constituent monomer. The kinetics of hemicellulose depolymerization and decomposition in oat hull was investigated under moderate pressures with catalyst (H2SO4) concentration up to 0.55 N and temperatures of up to 130 °C for a total residence time of 150 min. Different trends of recovery or generation and kinetic mechanisms obtained for the components in the hydrolysate which could be described by different kinetic models, that is, a single-phase kinetic mechanism with product decomposition (two-step sequential reaction) could describe xylose generation. However, generation of arabinose, furfural, and acetic acid followed a single-phase mechanism with no decomposition (one-step reaction). Generation of glucose in the hydrolysate followed a biphasic mechanism due to the fast- and slow-releasing fractions into the liquid phase which was apparently with no decomposition. A pentose recovery of almost 80% was achieved under optimal conditions. Parameters of xylitol bioproduction indicated that a xylitol/xylose conversion yield of 0.80 g/g is achievable from the concentrated hydrolysate with no complementary treatment proving its low toxicity compared to other hemicellulose resources.
An in situ kinetic investigation of the selective dissolution mechanism of Cu alloys

The selective dissolution mechanisms of Cu alloys in tap water and perspiration solution were investigated. Atomic emission spectroelectrochemistry (AESEC) was used to obtain the elemental dissolution kinetics. The first part of the thesis focused on the dissolution mechanism of Cu. Most Cu(II) species are soluble and are released into tap water, leaving behind a Cu2O film on the surface. A kinetic analysis suggests that the dissolution mechanism involves simultaneous Cu dissolution and film formation. The second part investigated the dissolution behavior of Cu-42Zn and Cu-21Zn-3Si-P. A two-stage dissolution process of dezincification was proposed: a first stage of a rapid growth of the dezincified layer and a second stage where the growth of dezincified layer was much slower. The third part concentrated on the effect of Zn content on the dissolution of Cu-Zn alloys, by investigating the dissolution behavior of alloys with various Zn content (0-45 wt%). The two-stage dissolution mechanism was further clarified. For α phase: an initial stage in which Cu and Zn are oxidized congruently, but only Zn2+ was released into water, Cu forming a Cu2O film, and a second stage where Cu was released into water in the form of Cu2+. For β' phase, the second stage is the same to the initial stage. The increase of Zn content in the alloy results in a time extension of the initial stage and retard Cu2+ release. The final part focused on the effect of Sn on Cu release from Cu-Sn alloys. The enhanced effect of Sn on Cu release was identified. However, the increase of Sn content didn’t monotonically increase the Cu release efficacy of Cu-Sn alloys, which was due to the passivity of Sn.