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The use of bio-plastic-based packaging as an alternative to conventional plastic packaging is increasing. Among the plethora of different bio-based plastics, the most relevant ones are those that, at the end of their life, can be treated with the organic fraction of municipal solid waste. Even in these cases, their impact on the waste processing and recycling is not always positive. This study aim to assess on a laboratory scale the influence on combined anaerobic digestion and composting industrial processes of a bio-based plastic film, namely cellulose acetate (CA), in pure and modified (additions of additive) forms. CA films were mixed with organic waste and subjected to: (i) anaerobic digestion; (ii) active composting and (iii) two stages of curing composting. Anaerobic digestion and composting were monitored through methane yield and oxygen uptake respectively; additionally, the bio-plastics degree of disintegration was assessed during all the processes. The final disintegration of pure and modified CA was 73.82% and 54.66%, respectively. Anaerobic digestion contributes to the disintegration of the material, while aerobic treatment appears to be nearly ineffective, especially for modified CA. The presence of cellulose acetate during anaerobic digestion of food waste increased the methane yield by about 4.5%. Bioassay confirmed the absence of possible toxic effects on the final compost from the bio-plastic treatment. Although bio-based materials are not the only solution to plastic pollution, the findings confirm the need to upgrade the organic waste treatment plants and the necessity to revise the requirements for the use of compost in agriculture.

Active Magnetic Regeneration (AMR) is a configuration that allows magnetic refrigeration to be suitable also for room temperature applications. This work is intended to detect, by means of a 1-D numerical model, the influence on the regenerator performances of the working condition ambient temperature (T(CURIE) +/- 20 K) and of the operating parameters fluid mass flow rate (utilization factor 0.5 divided by 3.5) and cycle frequency (0.1 divided by 0.6 Hz). Simulations show that, tuning the fluid mass flow rate, a gadolinium AMR (395 g, f = 0.25 Hz, Delta B = 1.7 T) can reach a maximum cooling capacity of 130 W and a 40 W cooling power over a temperature span of 30 K. A COP of 5 can also be achieved with a temperature span of 30 K and a cooling power of 35 W. Frequency has a weak influence on the AMR's COP, while the ambient temperature is crucial. The system loses the 60% of cooling capacity if the ambient temperature is 20 K away from the material Curie temperature.

Shipping is one of the most efficient transportation modes for moving freight globally. International regulations concerning decarbonization and emission reduction goals drive rapid innovations to meet the 2030 and 2050 greenhouse gas reduction targets. The internal combustion engines used for marine vessels are among the most efficient energy conversion systems. Internal combustion engines dominate the propulsion system architectures for marine shipping, and current marine engines will continue to serve for several decades. However, to meet the aggressive goals of low-carbon-intensity shipping, there is an impetus for further efficiency improvement and achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions. These factors drive the advancements in engine technologies, low-carbon fuels and fueling infrastructure, and emissions control systems. This editorial presents a perspective on the future of ship engines and the role of low-life cycle-carbon-fuels in decarbonizing the marine shipping sector. A selection of zero-carbon, net-zero carbon, and low-lifecycle-carbon-fuels are reviewed. This work focuses on the opportunities and challenges of displacing distillate fossil fuels for decarbonizing marine shipping. Enabling technologies such as next-generation air handling, fuel injection systems, and advanced combustion modes are discussed in the context of their role in the future of low-CO2 intensity shipping.

Understanding the structure and dynamics of plant communities in water-limited systems often calls for the identification of ecosystem engineers--key species that modify the landscape, redistribute resources and facilitate the growth of other species. Shrubs are excellent examples; they self-organize to form patterns of mesic patches which provide habitats for herbaceous species. In this paper we present a mathematical model for studying ecosystem engineering by woody plant species in drylands. The model captures various feedbacks between biomass and water including water uptake by plants' roots and increased water infiltration at vegetation patches. Both the uptake and the infiltration feedbacks act as mechanisms for vegetation pattern formation, but have opposite effects on the water resource; the former depletes the soil-water content under a vegetation patch, whereas the latter acts to increase it. Varying the relative strength of the two feedbacks we find a trade-off between the engineering capacity of a plant species and its resilience to disturbances. We further identify two basic soil-water distributions associated with engineering at the single patch level, hump-shaped and ring-shaped, and discuss the niches they form for herbaceous species. Finally, we study how pattern transitions at the landscape level feedback to the single patch level by affecting engineering strength.

Reverse electrodialysis (RED) is one of the most promising membrane-based processes for renewable energy generation from mixing two solutions of different salinity. However, the presence of Mg2+ in natural water has been shown to drastically reduce open circuit voltage (OCV) and output power of RED. To alleviate this challenge, commercial cation exchange membranes (CEM) supplied by Fujifilm Manufacturing Europe B.V. (The Netherlands) were chemically modified by polypyrrole (PPy)/chitosan (CS) composites under controlled Pyrrole (Py) concentration (0.025-1 M) and polymerization time (0-8 h). The modified membranes were physically characterized by FTIR, SEM and EDX along with the determination of key electrochemical properties like ion exchange capacity, ionic conductivity, monovalent selectivity and swelling degree. The monovalent selectivity (Na+ vs Mg2+) of the modified membranes, evaluated based on flux of ions by diffusion dialysis, indicated up to 3-fold improvement compared to pristine membranes inline with the enhanced OCV (up to 20%) during RED test in mull-ion solution. This was obtained without significant change in membrane and interface resistances as depicted by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The modified membranes displayed power densities in the range of 0.6-1.5 W/m(2) MP (MP: membrane pair) with more than 42% improvement compared to pristine membranes during RED test with mull-ion solutions. Although there is a gap for further improvement, these findings highlight a promising use of conducing polymers to design a highly selective and conducive membrane for RED.

Abstract 70SiO 2 -30HfO 2 glass ceramic planar waveguides co-activated by Tb 3+ /Yb 3+ ions were fabricated by sol gel route using a top-down approach. The energy transfer from Tb 3+ to Yb 3+ ions was investigated as a function of the Tb 3+ /Yb 3+ molar ratio as well as of the total amount of rare earth ions. In particular, the conversion of absorbed photons at 476 nm into photons at 980 nm is considered, looking for potential application in photovoltaic systems.

Abstractis studied in a SO3‐SO2‐O2 mixed atmosphere at 600‐800 °C. A layer of Na2SO4 is deposited on the iron sample prior to the corrosion test.