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The study tested the use of a trommel screen originally designed for compost materials to reject oversize particles from hog fuel, processed from several sources and by two different comminution devices. The experiment consisted in screening material previously comminuted by a convertible crusher, designed to use both hammers and knives. Three different feedstock types were used, and namely: discarded pallets, logs and branches from park maintenance. Each feedstock type came in two different qualities, depending on the tool used for comminution, i.e. hammers or knives. Trommel screen productivity varied between 4.2 t h-1, and 5.2 t h-1 of oven dry material. Screening hog fuel derived from pallets was 30% and 40% less productive than screening fuel derived from logs and branches, respectively. Screening cost varied from 16.2 EUR t-1 dry material in the case of branches, to 19.9 EUR t-1 oven dry material for pallets. Screening allowed an increase of fuel quality only when applied to pallet-derived hog fuel.

The BELIEF Project is a Coordination Action funded by the European Commission in the context of the FP6 and FP7 Programmes. It aims to create a platform where e-Infrastructures providers and users can collaborate and exchange knowledge, ensuring that e-Infrastructures are developed and effectively used worldwide, filling the gap separating the e-Infrastructures providers from the users, and thus contribute to the emergence of a competitive knowledge-based economy. To create this synergy among multi-disciplinary communities, BELIEF created a one-stop-shop providing a Portal and a Digital Library with a huge number of e-Infrastructures open access publications. The Digital Library offers uniform access to multimedia documentation providing continuously updated information on e-Infrastructures-related projects, initiatives and events. The contents are harvested from different sources, such as projects web sites, repositories and databases. The DL - implemented on top of the OpenDLib Digital Library Management System - provides services to support the submission, description, searching, browsing, retrieval, access, preservation and visualization of multimedia documents. Although designed to meet the needs of the e-Infrastructures community, the technology adopted by BELIEF can be easily adapted to meet the information and collaborative needs of other scientific communities.

AbstractASnX3 perovskite solar cells (Sn‐PSC) have the potential to deliver the most efficient solar cell technology with safe materials. In this review, a comprehensive introduction of the field is given, that is suitable for nonexperts, gradually leading the reader to a narrower and detailed analysis of the most recent and significant advances. A brief description is given of the leading alternatives for lead‐free PSC and the reasons for ASnX3 compounds' status as one of the most promising candidates are presented. The last part of the review focuses on the stabilization of ASnX3, which is the most compelling challenge to achieve the highest efficiency PSCs. The most promising approaches toward stable and efficient ASnX3 PSCs are identified and discussed.

It is recognised that several constraints such as the lack of knowledge and expertise of farmers, land users and policy makers concerning agroforestry systems establishment and management hamper the adoption of agroforestry systems (Camilli et al. 2017). AFINET project acts at EU level in order to direct research results into practice and promote innovative ideas to face challenges and solve practitioners' problems. AFINET proposes an innovative methodology based on the creation of a European Interregional Network, linking different Regional Agroforestry Innovation Networks (RAINs). RAINs represent different climatic, geographical, social and cultural conditions and enclose a balanced representation of the key actors with complementary types of expertise (farmers, policy makers, advisory services, extension services, etc.). The Italian RAIN is focused on the Extra-Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) value chain, with the main aim to promote agroforestry management of local olive orchards. Olive trees are still managed traditionally, often in marginal sites, with minimal mechanization and relatively low external inputs such as chemical treatments in comparison to other crops. The presence of permanent crops (olive trees) guarantees a partially tree cover reducing hydrogeological risk. Soil management usually keeps natural grassing reducing soil carbon emission and increasing soil fertility (Bateni et al. 2017). Intercropping with cereals and/or fodder legumes and livestock can also be practiced in olive orchards, increasing the complexity of the olive tree multifunctional system. Moreover, olive orchards can be managed as agroforestry systems since they can be intercropped with arable crops (cereals, legumes) and/or combined with livestock (sheep, poultry). The RAIN process, involving local stakeholders, highlighted the main bottlenecks of the EVOO value chain related to communication and dissemination of knowledge, technical and management aspects, market and policy. In order to contrast bottlenecks and exploit opportunities of the olive oil supply chain, the identified innovations are: i) adoption of best practices: testing and experimenting innovative agroforestry systems introducing different crop/animals species and varieties; ii) improve the management of the olive orchards: encouraging and increasing the organic production; iii) valorisation of olive processing residues: identifying and testing innovative products (bio-materials, olive paste as example); iv) arise the awareness among consumers: educating people about the benefits of olive oil consumption, creating networks among stakeholders, improving marketing and commercialization. Creating a Bio-district, defined as a geographical area where farmers, citizens, tourist operators, associations and public authorities enter into an agreement for the sustainable management of local resources, emerged a powerful tool to implement the innovation in the local EVOO value chain.

This century has been considered the age of Complexity, and therefore that of nonlinear circuits and systems [...]

Under arid conditions, where water availability is the limiting factor for plant survival, water balance models can be used to explain vegetation dynamics. [...]

Escaping from a complex maze, by exploring different paths with several decision-making branches in order to reach the exit, has always been a very challenging and fascinating task. Wave field and quantum objects may explore a complex structure in parallel by interference effects, but without necessarily leading to more efficient transport. Here, inspired by recent observations in biological energy transport phenomena, we demonstrate how a quantum walker can efficiently reach the output of a maze by partially suppressing the presence of interference. In particular, we show theoretically an unprecedented improvement in transport efficiency for increasing maze size with respect to purely quantum and classical approaches. In addition, we investigate experimentally these hybrid transport phenomena, by mapping the maze problem in an integrated waveguide array, probed by coherent light, hence successfully testing our theoretical results. These achievements may lead towards future bio-inspired photonics technologies for more efficient transport and computation. 13 pages, 10 figures

The growing interest in energy storage devices, both batteries and capacitors, could lead to the improvement of electrochemical properties such as extended charge/discharge cycles, high specific capacitance, and power density. Furthermore, the use of easily available raw materials for the production of carbon electrodes has attracted interest due to the criticality of the resources related to the current technologies of high-performance capacitors. The present article reviews carbon-based materials for supercapacitors derived from affordable coal deposits or crop waste with appropriate characteristics in terms of specific surface area, electrical conductivity, and charge/discharge stability. In addition, the substitution of organic liquids electrolytes with less dangerous solutions, such as aqueous electrolytes containing high concentrations of salt, is a valuable strategy for the design of green devices that is discussed in this review. Finally, the present article reviews the electrochemical performance of supercapacitors based on carbon electrodes obtained from various natural resources and their compatibility with safer and cheaper electrolytes.

As the human population and demand for food grow1, the ocean will be called on to provide increasing amounts of seafood. Although fisheries reforms and advances in offshore aquaculture (hereafter 'mariculture') could increase production2, the true future of seafood depends on human responses to climate change3. Here we investigated whether coordinated reforms in fisheries and mariculture could increase seafood production per capita under climate change. We find that climate-adaptive fisheries reforms will be necessary but insufficient to maintain global seafood production per capita, even with aggressive reductions in greenhouse-gas emissions. However, the potential for sustainable mariculture to increase seafood per capita is vast and could increase seafood production per capita under all but the most severe emissions scenario. These increases are contingent on fisheries reforms, continued advances in feed technology and the establishment of effective mariculture governance and best practices. Furthermore, dramatically curbing emissions is essential for reducing inequities, increasing reform efficacy and mitigating risks unaccounted for in our analysis. Although climate change will challenge the ocean's ability to meet growing food demands, the ocean could produce more food than it does currently through swift and ambitious action to reduce emissions, reform capture fisheries and expand sustainable mariculture operations.