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Thermophotovoltaic (TPV) systems represent an indirect, and potentially highly efficient, means to convert primary energy into electricity. These technologies can be designed as portable devices, which are able to provide high power density using a variety of heat sources, such as hydrocarbon fuel, solar, nuclear and waste heat. Moreover, efficiencies over 60% can (theoretically) be achieved in the case of high emitter temperatures, which makes this technology quite attractive for military, space, or any stationary/protable electrical generation applications [1]. The working principle of TPV technology is shown in Fig. 1. The concept is based on using an energy source to heat up an absorber/emitter material which then re-emits the energy towards the photovoltaic (PV) cells. With clever design it is possible to tune of the re-emitted spectrum to match with the PV cell's bandgap [2], i.e. releasing photons with energies higher than the bandgap energy level illuminate the PV cell. One of the major challenges of TPV systems is reducing the waste heat. A large portion of the input energy is typically wasted by convection in the flue gases. One potential way to create these temperatures involves usingporous media combustion (PMC), due to the intense heat exchange from the combustion zone throughout the solid, enabling higher temperatures at outer (non-convective) surface of the solid matrix. To reduce un-useful radiative emission, the porous media matrix surface can be coated with afilm to produce an emitter that matches to the spectral response to a GaSb PV cell, which has a bandgap energy at λ_gap=1700 [nm]. In this work, we explore key low cost selective coating formulations over alumina (Al2O3) and silicon carbide (SiC) porous foam samples for thisapplication. As such, different powders with selective emitter properties, such as erbia (Er2O3), ytterbia (Yb2O3), magnesium oxide (MgO) and nickel oxide (NiO) are spray and dip coated onto the porous mediums. Since these rare earth materials have a narrow emission bands at different excited state energy levels which are shown in Table 1 [3], it is hypothesised that they will serve as suitable selective emitters. In addition, a 2 wt.% NiO-doped MgO emitter at 1404 [°C] have shown a peak at 1400 [nm] [4]. Using an integrating sphere spectrophotometer, this study will measure total hemispherical reflectance to determine the emissivity of different combinations of these materials over the porous foams in order to have a coating with a high and broad emissivity in the range above the bandgap energy, but low emissivity beyond the bandgap. Finally, the findings of this research will inform and help the development of porous media-based TPV.REFERENCES[1] D. L. Chubb, Fundamentals of thermophotovoltaic energy conversion. Amsterdam, Netherlands; Boston; Oxford, UK: Elsevier, 2007.[2] A. Luque and S. Hegedus, Eds., Handbook of photovoltaic science and engineering, 2. ed., [Fully And updated]. Chichester: Wiley, 2011.[3] C. Ferrari, F. Melino, M. Pinelli, and P. R. Spina, "Thermophotovoltaic energy conversion: Analytical aspects, prototypes and experiences," Appl. Energy, vol. 113, pp. 1717–1730, Jan. 2014.[4] L. G. Ferguson and F. Dogan, "A highly efficient NiO-Doped MgO matched emitter for thermophotovoltaic energy conversion," Mater. Sci. Eng. B, vol. 83, no. 1–3, pp. 35–41, Jun. 2001.

We introduce a new mobile, simultaneous terrestrial and aerial, geodata collection and post-processing method: mapKITE. By combining two mapping technologies such as terrestrial mobile mapping and unmanned aircraft aerial mapping, geodata are simultaneously acquired from air and ground. More in detail, a mapKITE geodata acquisition system consists on an unmanned aircraft and a terrestrial vehicle, which hosts the ground control station. By means of a real-time navigation system on the terrestrial vehicle, real-time waypoints are sent to the aircraft from the ground. By doing so, the aircraft is linked to the terrestrial vehicle through a "virtual tether," acting as a "mapping kite." In the article, we entail the concept of mapKITE as well as the various technologies and techniques involved, from aircraft guidance and navigation based on IMU and GNSS, optical cameras for mapping and tracking, sensor orientation and calibration, etc. Moreover, we report of a new measurement introduced in mapKITE, that is, point-and-scale photogrammetric measurements [of image coordinates and scale] for optical targets of known size installed on the ground vehicle roof. By means of accurate posteriori trajectory determination of the terrestrial vehicle, mapKITE benefits then from kinematic ground control points which are photogrametrically observed by point-and-scale measures. Initial results for simulated configurations show that these measurements added to the usual Integrated Sensor Orientation ones reduce or even eliminate the need of conventional ground control points –therefore, lowering mission costs– and enable selfcalibration of the unmanned aircraft interior orientation parameters in corridor configurations, in contrast to the situation of traditional corridor configurations. Finally, we report about current developments of the first mapKITE prototype, developed under the European Union Research and Innovation programme Horizon 2020. The first mapKITE mission will be held at the BCN Drone Center (Collsuspina, Moià, Spain) in mid 2016.

We introduce a new mobile, simultaneous terrestrial and aerial, geodata collection and post-processing method: mapKITE. By combining two mapping technologies such as terrestrial mobile mapping and unmanned aircraft aerial mapping, geodata are simultaneously acquired from air and ground. More in detail, a mapKITE geodata acquisition system consists on an unmanned aircraft and a terrestrial vehicle, which hosts the ground control station. By means of a real-time navigation system on the terrestrial vehicle, real-time waypoints are sent to the aircraft from the ground. By doing so, the aircraft is linked to the terrestrial vehicle through a "virtual tether," acting as a "mapping kite." In the article, we entail the concept of mapKITE as well as the various technologies and techniques involved, from aircraft guidance and navigation based on IMU and GNSS, optical cameras for mapping and tracking, sensor orientation and calibration, etc. Moreover, we report of a new measurement introduced in mapKITE, that is, point-and-scale photogrammetric measurements [of image coordinates and scale] for optical targets of known size installed on the ground vehicle roof. By means of accurate posteriori trajectory determination of the terrestrial vehicle, mapKITE benefits then from kinematic ground control points which are photogrametrically observed by point-and-scale measures. Initial results for simulated configurations show that these measurements added to the usual Integrated Sensor Orientation ones reduce or even eliminate the need of conventional ground control points –therefore, lowering mission costs– and enable selfcalibration of the unmanned aircraft interior orientation parameters in corridor configurations, in contrast to the situation of traditional corridor configurations. Finally, we report about current developments of the first mapKITE prototype, developed under the European Union Research and Innovation programme Horizon 2020. The first mapKITE mission will be held at the BCN Drone Center (Collsuspina, Moià, Spain) in mid 2016.

Thermophotovoltaic (TPV) systems represent an indirect, and potentially highly efficient means to convert primary energy into electricity. TPV devices can be designed to be portable since they are able to provide high power density using a variety of heat sources, such as hydrocarbon fuel, solar, nuclear and waste heat. Moreover, efficiencies over 60% can (theoretically) be achieved, which makes this technology quite attractive for military, space, and other remote electrical generation applications. Since TPV systems require high driving temperatures, one of the major technical challenges is reducing waste heat. For hydrocarbon fuel-drive TPV systems, a large portion of the input energy (primarily the chemical energy of the fuel) is typically lost through convection in the flue gases. This can be overcome, to some extent, by using porous media combustion (PMC) which is characterized by intense heat exchange from the combustion gases to the solid media, enabling higher temperatures at outer (actively radiating) surface of the solid matrix. If designed well, the porous media matrix surface can be effectively used as the emitter for the TPV system. In this study, a systematic analysis of this type of innovative system is presented, which includes the full, coupled governing equations of a PMC-TPV system. To help identify feasible systems for future development, this study investigates, in detail, how the porosity, the emitter and (or) filter optical performance and the PV cell type affect the performance of both the PMC and the TPV. The PMC-TPV system is modelled by solving the heat transfer governing equations using finite difference programmed in Fortran90, and by using the ideal two-band-model for TPV. The results indicate that using porous media increases the temperature of the solid media and hence (ultimately) delivers a higher fraction of the primary energy to the PV cells, leading to higher overall efficiency. In combination with re-cycling and use of the heat carried by the combustion gases, this innovative PMC-TPV concept could significantly increase the overall performance as compared to previously reported TPV studies.

Prevention of fragility fractures in older people has become a public health priority, although the most appropriate and cost-effective strategy remains unclear. In the present statement, the Interest Group on Falls and Fracture Prevention of the European Union Geriatric Medicine Society (EUGMS), in collaboration with the International Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics for the European Region (IAGG-ER), the European Union of Medical Specialists (EUMS), the International Osteoporosis Foundation - European Society for Clinical and Economic Aspects of Osteoporosis and Osteoarthritis, outlines its views on the main points in the current debate in relation to the primary and secondary prevention of falls, the diagnosis and treatment of bone fragility, and the place of combined falls and fracture liaison services for fracture prevention in older people.

Prevention of fragility fractures in older people has become a public health priority, although the most appropriate and cost-effective strategy remains unclear. In the present statement, the Interest Group on Falls and Fracture Prevention of the European Union Geriatric Medicine Society (EUGMS), in collaboration with the International Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics for the European Region (IAGG-ER), the European Union of Medical Specialists (EUMS), the International Osteoporosis Foundation - European Society for Clinical and Economic Aspects of Osteoporosis and Osteoarthritis, outlines its views on the main points in the current debate in relation to the primary and secondary prevention of falls, the diagnosis and treatment of bone fragility, and the place of combined falls and fracture liaison services for fracture prevention in older people.

Prevention of fragility fractures in older people has become a public health priority, although the most appropriate and cost-effective strategy remains unclear. In the present statement, the Interest Group on Falls and Fracture Prevention of the European Union Geriatric Medicine Society, in collaboration with the International Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics for the European Region, the European Union of Medical Specialists, and the International Osteoporosis Foundation-European Society for Clinical and Economic Aspects of Osteoporosis and Osteoarthritis, outlines its views on the main points in the current debate in relation to the primary and secondary prevention of falls, the diagnosis and treatment of bone fragility, and the place of combined falls and fracture liaison services for fracture prevention in older people. ; Non peer reviewed

Published also in Aging Clinical and Experimental Research, Vol.28, No.4, WOS: 000379034800030 ; Prevention of fragility fractures in older people has become a public health priority, although the most appropriate and cost-effective strategy remains unclear. In the present statement, the Interest Group on Falls and Fracture Prevention of the European Union Geriatric Medicine Society (EUGMS), in collaboration with the International Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics for the European Region (IAGG-ER), the European Union of Medical Specialists (EUMS), the International Osteoporosis Foundation - European Society for Clinical and Economic Aspects of Osteoporosis and Osteoarthritis, outlines its views on the main points in the current debate in relation to the primary and secondary prevention of falls, the diagnosis and treatment of bone fragility, and the place of combined falls and fracture liaison services for fracture prevention in older people. ; Peer reviewed

Published also in Aging Clinical and Experimental Research, Vol.28, No.4, WOS: 000379034800030 ; Prevention of fragility fractures in older people has become a public health priority, although the most appropriate and cost-effective strategy remains unclear. In the present statement, the Interest group on falls and fracture prevention of the European union geriatric medicine society (EUGMS), in collaboration with the International association of gerontology and geriatrics for the European region (IAGG-ER), the European union of medical specialists (EUMS), the Fragility fracture network (FFN), the International osteoporosis foundation (IOF) - European society for clinical and economic aspects of osteoporosis and osteoarthritis (ECCEO), outlines its views on the main points in the current debate in relation to the primary and secondary prevention of falls, the diagnosis and treatment of bone fragility, and the place of combined falls and fracture liaison services for fracture prevention in older people. (C) 2016 Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. ; Peer reviewed