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Daniel Ricard et Raymond Woessner (dirs.), Les espaces ruraux en France. coll. « Clefs concours », Neuilly-sur-Seine, Atlande

Groundwater is an important source of drinking water in Belgium. In some regions, locally produced groundwater is the source of 100% of the drinking water supply. One of the most important aquifers in the eastern part of Belgium is the Chalk Aquifer. This aquifer is phreatic in the northern part of Wallonia, but dips down towards the north, in Flanders, where it quickly reaches large depths. This largely confined aquifer is of strategic societal importance because it is well protected against negative influences from the surface (nitrates, pesticides) on the water quality. However, geological and hydrogeological information is scarce leading to important uncertainties regarding sustainable yields. Due to the large depth of the aquifer in its confined part, relatively little borehole information is available. Furthermore, the Chalk Aquifer is characterized by a double porosity system which results in a strong heterogeneity and spatial variability of the hydrogeological properties. The goal of the CHARM projectis to analyse the capacity of the Chalk Aquifer on a regional scale, and to deliver a management instrument that can be used for decision-making with regards to the quantitative use of this strategic aquifer for drinking water purposes. Special attention will be given to the characterization of all sources of uncertainty and its incorporation in a groundwater flow model. In a first step, the geology and hydrogeological parameters of the Chalk aquifer are characterized in detail. Based on gamma-ray logs, flow measurements, pumping tests and literature data, the horizontal and vertical variability of the hydrogeological parameters are identified. Exploitation results are linked to geological and hydrogeological data providing insights why some exploitations have a higher yield than others. Next, a regional groundwater model (MODFLOW) is set-up. The integrated Bayesian multi-model approach of Mustafa et al. (2018) is adapted, so that input, parameter and conceptual model uncertainty can be quantified. This is done by coupling the MODFLOW model with the DiffeRential Evolution Adaptive Metropolis (DREAM) algorithm (Vrugt, 2016) and by applying Bayesian Model Averaging (BMA). Based on the results of this approach, well-founded decisions can be made regarding the quantitative use of this aquifer considering all different sources of uncertainty, which is of strategic importance for long-term drinking water purposes.

Liquid forms of pharmaceuticals (ionic liquids and deep eutectic solvents) offer a number of potential advantages over solid-state drugs; a key question is the role of intermolecular hydrogen bonding interactions in enabling membrane transport. Characterisation is challenging since high sample viscosities, typical of liquid pharmaceutical formulations, hamper the use of conventional solution NMR at ambient temperature. Here, we report the application of magic-angle spinning (MAS) NMR spectroscopy to the deep eutectic pharmaceutical, lidocaine ibuprofen. Using variable temperature MAS NMR, the neat system, at a fixed molar ratio, can be studied over a wide range of temperatures, characterized by changing mobility, using a single experimental setup. Specific intermolecular hydrogen bonding interactions are identified by two-dimensional 1H-1H NOESY and ROESY MAS NMR experiments. Hydrogen-bonding dynamics are quantitatively determined by following the chemical exchange process between the labile protons by means of line-width analysis of variable temperature 1H MAS NMR spectra.

Guanyadora del 1r accèssit de la modalitat de sèrie fotogràfica del Premi Sant Jordi de la UPF 2018 Estudiant de Comunicació Audiovisual de la UPF

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Velike količine bukovine, ki ostajajo po sečnji ali kot ostanek lesnopredelovalne industrije, predstavljajo pomemben surovinski potencial. Predstavljene so možnosti učinkovite kemične predelave biomase v tržno zanimive produkte in opisani tehnološki postopki, ki to omogočajo. Iz bukovine lahko pridobivamo platformne kemikalije ter napredna goriva kot sta etanol in butanol. Novejši postopki delignifikacije omogočajo energetsko učinkovito in ekološko sprejemljivo proizvodnjo celuloznih vlaken, iz katerih lahko izdelujemo papir, tekstil ter nanofibrilirano in nanokristalinično celulozo. Lesna vlakna so primerna za pripravo lesno-plastičnih kompozitov, ki imajo širok spekter uporabnosti. Uporabni sta tudi hemicelulozna in ligninska frakcija. Predelava biomase poteka v skladu s konceptom biorafinerije Abundant quantities of beechwood forest residues and industrial residues represent a potentially valuable raw material. Different options for the chemical processing of biomass to marketable products, as well as relevant technologies, are presented in this paper. Beechwood can be efficiently converted to platform chemicals and fuels, such as ethanol and butanol. Sophisticated delignification procedures enable energy efficient and environmentally friendly production of cellulose fibers to be used for paper and textiles, as well as to manufacture nanofibrillated and nanocrystalline cellulose. Wood fibers are suitable for the preparation of wood plastic composites, with a wide range of potential applications. Likewise, hemicellulose and lignin fractions may be conveniently used. Chemical conversion of biomass takes place within biorefineries