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Owing to their high luminous efficiency and tunable emission in both red light and far-red light regions, Mn4+ ion-activated phosphors have appealed significant interest in photoelectric and energy conversion devices such as white light emitting diode (W-LED), plant cultivation LED, and temperature thermometer. Up to now, Mn4+ has been widely introduced into the lattices of various inorganic hosts for brightly red-emitting phosphors. However, how to correlate the structure-activity relationship between host framework, luminescence property, and photoelectric device is urgently demanded. In this review, we thoroughly summarize the recent advances of Mn4+ doped phosphors. Meanwhile, several strategies like co-doping and defect passivation for improving Mn4+ emission are also discussed. Most importantly, the relationship between the protocols for tailoring the structures of Mn4+ doped phosphors, increased luminescence performance, and the targeted devices with efficient photoelectric and energy conversion efficiency is deeply correlated. Finally, the challenges and perspectives of Mn4+ doped phosphors for practical applications are anticipated. We cordially anticipate that this review can deliver a deep comprehension of not only Mn4+ luminescence mechanism but also the crystal structure tailoring strategy of phosphors, so as to spur innovative thoughts in designing advanced phosphors and deepening the applications.

The climatic, energetic and political context promotes the development of bioenergies. However we have a lack of knowledge to find out the best energy crops, depending on the soil, the climate and the end­use. This work aimed at studying the adaptation and the biomass and biofuel yield, of several energy crops grown in France in different soil and climate conditions. The biomass yields were very variable between the different experimental sites and no differences were observed on the median biomass yield between crops. Moreover, there was no evidence of a highly productive crop in all the conditions of soil and climate. Because of little differences of the lower heating value between crops, no differences were observed on the primary energy yield. The ethanol yield per hectare was higher for miscanthus, switchgrass and fiber sorghum because of higher cellulose content in these crops. The nitrogen removed at harvest by miscanthus and switchgrass were significantly lower than the other crops witch could lead to reduced fertilizer­N requirements. Further research are needed to clarify the effect of limiting factors on the biomass yield of the different energy crops and to consider other parameters such as the environmental impacts to give rules to choose the most suitable crop in a given region. Proceedings of the 18th European Biomass Conference and Exhibition, 3-7 May 2010, Lyon, France, pp. 269-272

Lignite-fired power plants in Northern Greece produce about 50% of the electricity and account for nearly 60% of the allocated CO2 emissions. The implementation of biomass co-firing is considered a cost effective and efficient method for minimizing GHG emissions. However, despite a favorable legislative framework, co-firing in Greece has not progressed since low lignite costs and distance of power plants from harbor facilities limit access to internationally traded solid biomass. The improvement and optimization of local biomass supply chains is thus a strategic priority in the national context. The purpose of the present work is to present preliminary investigations of a wheat straw supply chain for a Greek lignite-fired power plant to be converted into biomass co-firing operation. On¬field demonstration data are analyzed in order to estimate costs for supply chains involving either pelletized straw or straw bales. Information of energy consumption is also presented for different cases and GHG emissions calculated according to the methodology of (COM 2010)11. Results indicate that the cost of straw delivered at the power plant varies depending on whether pelletization is included as a supply chain step. Overall, over short distances, transfer of baled biomass is more economic and results in lower GHG emissions, however the increase in the cost of the supply chain suggest that a pelletization step should be considered for longer distances. The transport cost of the supply chain also depends on whether the vehicles are assumed to return empty at their starting point or loaded. Also, compared to imported or domestic wood pellets, straw pellets have lower prices and could be more attractive to plant operators. Long-term fuel contracts are essential in order to ensure the financial viability of co-firing, especially if a reduction in the feed-in tariff is expected. Proceedings of the 20th European Biomass Conference and Exhibition, 18-22 June 2012, Milan, Italy, pp. 136-142

Poplar is largely utilized in Short Rotation Forestry (SRF) plantations for energy purposes. Its cultivation can produce environmental benefits but requires the availability of water and nutrients. Because of environmental and energetic implications of production and use of water and fertilizers, it’s important to test the efficiency of yield also without these costly cultivation practices. Within SUSCACE Project (funded by MiPAAF) in 2009 a trial was established near Casale Monferrato, Italy, with Populus ×canadensis ‘Imola’, to compare SRC models and treatments: 2-year rotation, very high density (8333 trees·ha-1) - vSRC, and 5-year rotation, high density (1111 trees·ha-1) - SRC. Fertilization(F) and irrigation(I) effects were applied with two levels, fertilized – not fertilized, irrigated-not irrigated. Data of five years of growth are available. SRC is the model most productive during this period. Within treatments the difference in yield is due to irrigation, that increases the productions about of 120%; fertilization had no effect. The water availability remains the key factor for a good production. However, to reduce the costs of cultivation ensuring the availability of water, other studies are ongoing to improve the application of wastewater that combines the purification of water and the production of biomass. Proceedings of the 23rd European Biomass Conference and Exhibition, 1-4 June 2015, Vienna, Austria, pp. 214-218

In July 2009, 238 ha were rented and planted with Paulownia in Villamartín, Cadiz, Spain by RWE. In the context of guaranteeing the supply of Lebrija Biomass Power Plant (to be built in Lebrija, Sevilla). The strategic approach of planting before the construction of the biomass power plant is starting to produce relevant results after two years of plantation. The size of this plantation makes it one of the most relevant plantations of Short Rotation Coppices (SRC) for biomass world wide and it is an important milestone in Spanish energy crops development. Proceedings of the 19th European Biomass Conference and Exhibition, 6-10 June 2011, Berlin, Germany, pp. 49-51

A short overview of different piezoelectric structures and devices for generating renewable electricity under mechanical actions is presented. A vibrating piezoelectric device differs from a typical electrical power source in that it has capacitive rather than inductive source impedance, and may be driven by mechanical vibrations of varying amplitude. Several techniques have been developed to extract energy from the environment. Generally, “vibration energy” could be converted into electrical energy by three techniques: electrostatic charge, magnetic fields and piezoelectric. Mechanical resonance frequency of piezoelectric bimorph transducers depends on geometric size (length, width, and thickness of each layer), and the piezoelectric coefficients of the piezoelectric material. Manufacturing processes and intended applications of several energy harvesting devices are presented.

{"references": ["L. Hassini, S. Azzouz, A. Belghith, \"Estimation of the moisture\ndiffusion coefficient of potato during hot-air drying\", Drying 2004 -\nProceedings of the 14th International Drying Symposium (IDS 2004),\nS\u251c\u00fao Paulo, Brazil, 22-25 August 2004, vol. B, pp. 1488-1495.", "I. Doymaz, M. Pala, \"The effects of dipping pretreatment on air-drying\nrates of seedless grapes\", Journal of Food Engineering, vol. 52, 2002,\npp. 413-427.", "E. Akpinar, A. Midilli, Y. Bicer, \"Single layer drying behavior of\npotato slices in a convective cyclone and mathematical modeling\",\nEnergy Conversion and Management, 2003, vol. 44, pp. 1689-1705.", "E. Mirzaee1, S. Rafiee, A. Keyhani, Z. Emam-Djomeh, \"Determining of\nmoisture diffusivity and activation energy in drying of apricots\", Res.\nAgr. Eng., 2009, vol. 55, no. 3, pp. 114-120.", "H. Pahlavanzadeh, A. Basiri, M. Zarrabi, \"Determination of parameters\nand pretreatment solution for grape drying\", Drying Technology, 2001,\nvol. 19, pp. 217-226.", "P. Singhanat, S. Saentaweesuk, \"Effect of two stage, tray and heat pump\nassisted-dehumidified drying on drying characteristics and qualities of\ndried ginger\", Food and Bioproducts Processing, 2011, vol. 89, pp.\n429-437.", "ID. Thorat, D. Mohapatra, RF. Sutar, SS. Kapdi, DD. Jagtap,\n\"Mathematical modeling and experimental study on thin-layer vacuum\ndrying of ginger (Zingiber Officinale R.) slices\", Food Bioprocess\nTechnol, DOI 10.1007/s11947-010-0429-y, 2010.", "J. Crank, The Mathematics of Diffusion, Clarendon press, Oxford,1975.", "EK. Akpinar, \"The development of a cyclone type dryer for agricultural\nproducts\", PhD Thesis, Firat University, Elazig, Turkey, 2002.\n[10] I. Doymaz, \"Evaluation of some thin-layer drying models of persimmon\nslices (Diospyros kaki L.)\", Energy Conversion and Management,\n2012, vol. 56, pp. 199-205,.\n[11] I. Doymaz, O. Ismail, \"Drying characteristics of sweet cherry\", Food\nand Bioproducts Processing, 2011, vol. 89, pp. 31-38.\n[12] S. Simal, A. Femenia, J.A. Carcel, and C. Rossello, \"Mathematical\nmodeling of the drying curves of kiwi fruits: influence of the ripening\nstage\", Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, 2005, vol. 85,\npp. 425-432."]} In the present work, the effective moisture diffusivity and activation energy were calculated using an infinite series solution of Fick-s diffusion equation. The results showed that increasing drying temperature accelerated the drying process. All drying experiments had only falling rate period. The average effective moisture diffusivity values varied from 2.807x10-10 to 6.977x10-10m2 s_1 over the temperature and velocity range. The temperature dependence of the effective moisture diffusivity for the thin layer drying of the ginger slices was satisfactorily described by an Arrhenius-type relationship with activation energy values of 19.313- 22.722 kJ.mol-1 within 40–70 °C and 0.8-3 ms-1 temperature range.

Cholera epidemics have a recorded history in eastern Congo dating to 1971. A study was conducted to find out the linkage between climate variability/change and cholera outbreak and to assess the related economic cost in the management of cholera in Congo.This study integrates historical data (20 years) on temperature and rainfall with the burden of disease from cholera in South-Kivu province, eastern Congo.Analyses of precipitation and temperatures characteristics in South-Kivu provinces showed that cholera epidemics are closely associated with climatic factors variability. Peaks in Cholera new cases were in synchrony with peaks in rainfalls. Cholera infection cases declined significantly (P<0.05) with the rise in the average temperature. The monthly number of new Cholera cases oscillated between 5 and 450. For every rise of the average temperature by 0.35 °C to 0.75 °C degree Celsius, and for every change in the rainfall variability by 10-19%, it is likely cholera infection risks will increase by 17 to 25%. The medical cost of treatment of Cholera case infection was found to be of US$50 to 250 per capita. The total costs of Cholera attributable to climate change were found to fall in the range of 4 to 8% of the per capita in annual income in Bukavu town.It is likely that high rainfall favor multiplication of the bacteria and contamination of water sources by the bacteria (Vibrio cholerae). The consumption of polluted water, promiscuity, population density and lack of hygiene are determinants favoring spread and infection of the bacteria among human beings living in over-crowded environments.

The importance of emission control has increased sharply due to increased need of energy from combustion. However, biomass utilization in energy production is not free from problems because of physical and chemical characteristics which are substantially different from conventional energy sources. In this situation, the quantity and quality of emissions as well as used renewable source as wood or corn grain are often unknown. To assess this problem the paper addresses the objectives to quantify the amount of greenhouse gases during the combustion of corn as compared to the emissions in fossil combustion (natural gas, LPG and diesel boiler). The test was carried out in Friuli Venezia Giulia in 2006-2008 to determine the air pollution (CO, NO, NO2, NOx, SO2 and CO2) from fuel combustion in the family boilers with power between 20-30 kWt. The flue gas emission was measured with a professional semi-continuous multi-gas analyzer, (Vario plus industrial, MRU air Neckarsulm-Obereisesheim). Data showed a lower emission of fossil fuel compared to corn in family boilers in reference to pollutants in the flue gas (NOx, SO2 and CO). In particular way the biomass combustion make a higher concentration of carbon monoxide (for a incomplete combustion because there aren’t a good mixing between fuel and air) and nitrogen oxides (in relation at higher content of nitrogen in herbaceous biomass in comparison of another fuel). Proceedings of the 19th European Biomass Conference and Exhibition, 6-10 June 2011, Berlin, Germany, pp. 1296-1304