Ecolab (France)

The development of low-carbon binders requires optimized formulations that balance mechanical performance, durability, and environmental impact. This study investigates the multi-criteria optimization of slag-based geopolymer mortars incorporating ground granulated blast furnace slag (GBFS), cement kiln dust (CKD), and glass powder (GP) as ternary precursors. A multifactorial Central Composite Design (CCD) coupled with Response Surface Methodology (RSM) was employed to evaluate the individual and interactive effects of CKD and GP (0–30%) on fresh, mechanical, dimensional, microstructural, and environmental properties. Nine formulations were produced and tested for flow spread, compressive strength (7 and 28 days), open porosity, drying shrinkage (56 days), mass loss, and carbon footprint. The developed statistical models showed high reliability (R² = 0.94–0.97; p < 0.01). Incorporation of 15% GP reduced open porosity from 14.23% to 11.1% and increased 28-day compressive strength by 20.3%. In contrast, 30% CKD increased porosity to 17.85% and drying shrinkage above 1.10‰. GP at 30% minimized shrinkage to 0.82‰ and reduced mass loss to 3.2%. Multi-response optimization identified an optimal composition of 17.91% CKD and 25.34% GP, achieving 47.67 MPa at 28 days, 185.26 mm flow spread, 13.86% porosity, 962 µm/m shrinkage, and a carbon footprint of 143.8 kg CO 2 /m 3 . Microstructural analyses (XRD, DTG, SEM–EDX) confirmed the formation of hybrid C-(N)-A-S-H gels responsible for matrix densification. The novelty of this work lies in the integrated mechanical–microstructural–dimensional–environmental optimization of a ternary geopolymer system through a statistically validated multi-response framework, providing a comprehensive methodology for sustainable construction materials design. • Ternary geopolymer mortars based on GBFS, CKD, and GP were optimized using CCD. • Synergistic CKD–GP interactions improved strength and matrix densification. • ∼15% GP increased compressive strength and reduced porosity and shrinkage. • Alkaline activators dominated the environmental footprint.

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&lt;p&gt;This deliverable enumerates each software component in the eTryOn&nbsp; systems, describing the location of running component examples, source&nbsp; code and API documentation. To understand how these fit together, please refer to the architecture diagrams on that site:&nbsp;&lt;a href="https://etryon.gitlab.io/techdocs/arch-diags/"&gt;https://etryon.gitlab.io/techdocs/arch-diags/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

Abstract In addition to global warming, aquatic ecosystems are currently facing multiple global changes among which include changes in nitrogen (N) loads. While several studies have investigated both temperature and N impacts on aquatic ecosystems independently, knowledge on their interactive effects remains scarce.In forested headwater streams, decomposition of leaf litter represents the main process ensuring the transfer of nutrients and energy to higher trophic levels, followed by autochthonous primary production, mainly ensured by phototrophic biofilms. The main aim of this study was to disentangle the independent and combined effects of temperature increase and nutrient availability on the relative importance of brown and green processes involved in stream functioning. We hypothesised that water temperature and nutrients would lead to a general increase in leaf‐litter decomposition and primary production, but that the intensity of these effects would be largely modulated by competitive interactions arising between microorganisms as well as by the top‐down control of microorganisms by macro‐invertebrates. Macro‐invertebrates would, in turn, be bottom‐up controlled by microbial resources quality.To test these hypotheses, we conducted a 56‐day experiment in artificial streams containing leaf litter, microbial decomposers and biofilm inoculum, and an assemblage of macro‐invertebrates. Two water inorganic N:phosphorus (P) ratios (33 and 100, molar ratios) and two temperatures (ambient, +2°C) were manipulated, each treatment being replicated three times. Fungal and biofilm growth as well as leaf‐litter decomposition and primary production were quantified. Top‐down impacts of invertebrate primary consumers on brown and green compartments were evaluated using exclosures while bottom‐up control was evaluated through the measurement of resource stoichiometry and fatty acid profiles, as well as quantification of macro‐invertebrate growth and survival.Contrary to expectations, microbial decomposition was not significantly stimulated by nutrient or temperature manipulations, while primary production was only improved under ambient temperature. In the + 2°C treatment with high N:P, greater biofilm biomass was associated with lower fungal development, which indicates competition for nutrients in these conditions. Temperature increased macro‐invertebrate growth and leaf‐litter consumption, but this effect was independent of any improvement of basal resource quality, suggesting that temperature mediated changes in consumer metabolism and activity was the main mechanism involved.Most of our hypotheses that were based on simplified laboratory observations have been rejected in our semi‐controlled mesocosms. Our study suggests that the complexity of biological communities might greatly affect the response of ecosystems to multiple stressors, and that interactions between organisms must be explicitly taken into account when investigating the impacts of global change on ecosystem functioning.

Two-party communication is the most-studied model to support interaction between two cognitive agents, whereas that is only one case of what an agent should be able to do. Multi-party communications enhance this model, by taking into account all the roles an agent can have in a communication. Nevertheless, there are no generic models and infrastructures that enable to apply multi-party communication in a standardized way. We emphasize that the environment, in the sense of a common medium for the agents, is a suitable paradigm to support multi-party communication. We propose a general and operational model called Environment as Active Support of Interaction (EASI), that enables each agent to actively modify the environment according to its communication needs. Algorithms are proposed and assessed with an example stemming from the ambient intelligence domain.

We designed and analyzed a piezo-lens to focus flexural waves in thin plates. The piezo-lens comprises a host plate and piezoelectric patches bonded on the surfaces of the plate. The piezoelectric patches are shunted with negative capacitance circuits. The effective refractive indexes inside the piezo-lens are designed to fit a hyperbolic secant distribution by tuning the negative capacitance values. A homogenized model of piezo-mechanical system is adopted in the designing process of the piezo-lens. The wave focusing effect is studied by the finite element method. Numerical results show that the piezo-lens can focus flexural waves by bending their trajectories, and is effective in a large frequency band. The piezo-lens has the ability to focus flexural waves at different locations by tuning the shunting negative capacitance values. Potential applications of the piezo-lens include energy harvesting, SHM, etc.

ABSTRACTThe classical approach in ecotoxicological evaluation of chemical substances consists of conducting standardized bioassays on organism models. In this work, the potential impact of industrial multi-walled carbon nanotubes was investigated by ecotoxicological standardized procedures using aquatic organisms of different trophic levels, namely bacteria, green algae, invertebrates, fish, and amphibians. The results indicated (1) inhibition of growth in amphibians at 50 mg L−1 and higher, and (2) no effects on daphnia and fish up to 100 mg L−1. With the exception of algae (for which Fe deficiency is measured), it seems that the observed toxicity may be due to physiological effects in relation to the ingestion of carbon nanotubes not necessarily related to their intrinsic effects.