Implementing the Sustainable Development Goals with a digital platform: Experiences from the vitivinicultural sector

none5noEmerging technologies, such as Digital Platforms, Internet of Things, remote sensing and Big Data, are going to significantly influence the achievement of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) targets, pursued by all United Nations Member States starting from 2015. As the whole agricultural sector is transforming in a more knowledge-intensive system, precision agriculture could play a significant role to achieve the SDGs, by reducing environmental impacts of agriculture and farming practices, increasing the profitability of the farm and thus improving the quality of life for farmers Based on these premises, the aim of this article is to present VITIS, a digital platform, for the management of vineyard water and nitrogen stress, developed by the Operational Group SMART VITIS and tested in 4 pilots located in Marche Region. All the functions and modules of the platform were built by following a Design Thinking approach. This approach started from the analysis of the needs of the winegrowers, the end-user of the solution. While a focus group, made of agri-experts was conducted to receive feedback from the test phase of the platform. This study illustrates how this approach can be a useful tool to develop targeted digital solutions for farmers with low digital skills.openBucci G.; Bentivoglio D.; Belletti M.; Finco A.; Anceschi E.Bucci, G.; Bentivoglio, D.; Belletti, M.; Finco, A.; Anceschi, E

Metadata quality issues in learning repositories

Metadata lies at the heart of every digital repository project in the sense that it defines and drives the description of digital content stored in the repositories. Metadata allows content to be successfully stored, managed and retrieved but also preserved in the long-term. Despite the enormous importance of metadata in digital repositories, one that is widely recognized, studies indicate that what is defined as metadata quality, is relatively low in most cases of digital repositories. Metadata quality is loosely defined as "fitness for purpose" meaning that low quality of metadata means that metadata cannot fulfill its purpose which is to allow for the successful storage, management and retrieval of resources. In practice, low metadata quality leads to ineffective searches for content, ones that recall the wrong resources or even worse, no resources which makes them invisible to the intended user, that is the "client" of each digital repository. The present dissertation approaches this problem by proposing a comprehensive metadata quality assurance method, namely the Metadata Quality Assurance Certification Process (MQACP). The basic idea of this dissertation is to propose a set of methods that can be deployed throughout the lifecycle of a repository to ensure that metadata generated from content providers are of high quality. These methods have to be straightforward, simple to apply with measurable results. They also have to be adaptable with minimum effort so that they can be used in different contexts easily. This set of methods was described analytically, taking into account the actors needed to apply them, describing the tools needed and defining the anticipated outcomes. In order to test our proposal, we applied it on a Learning Federation of repositories, from day 1 of its existence until it reached its maturity and regular operation. We supported the metadata creation process throughout the different phases of the repositories involved by setting up specific experiments using the methods and tools of the MQACP. Throughout each phase, we measured the resulting metadata quality to certify that the anticipated improvement in metadata quality actually took place. Lastly, through these different phases, the cost of the MQACP application was measured to provide a comparison basis for future applications. Based on the success of this first application, we decided to validate the MQACP approach by applying it on another two cases of a Cultural and a Research Federation of repositories. This would allow us to prove the transferability of the approach to other cases the present some similarities with the initial one but mainly significant differences. The results showed that the MQACP was successfully adapted to the new contexts, with minimum adaptations needed, with similar results produced and also with comparable costs. In addition, looking closer at the common experiments carried out in each phase of each use case, we were able to identify interesting patterns in the behavior of content providers that can be further researched. The dissertation is completed with a set of future research directions that came out of the cases examined. These research directions can be explored in order to support the next version of the MQACP in terms of the methods deployed, the tools used to assess metadata quality as well as the cost analysis of the MQACP methods

Metadata quality issues in learning repositories

Metadata lies at the heart of every digital repository project in the sense that it defines and drives the description of digital content stored in the repositories. Metadata allows content to be successfully stored, managed and retrieved but also preserved in the long-term. Despite the enormous importance of metadata in digital repositories, one that is widely recognized, studies indicate that what is defined as metadata quality, is relatively low in most cases of digital repositories. Metadata quality is loosely defined as "fitness for purpose" meaning that low quality of metadata means that metadata cannot fulfill its purpose which is to allow for the successful storage, management and retrieval of resources. In practice, low metadata quality leads to ineffective searches for content, ones that recall the wrong resources or even worse, no resources which makes them invisible to the intended user, that is the "client" of each digital repository. The present dissertation approaches this problem by proposing a comprehensive metadata quality assurance method, namely the Metadata Quality Assurance Certification Process (MQACP). The basic idea of this dissertation is to propose a set of methods that can be deployed throughout the lifecycle of a repository to ensure that metadata generated from content providers are of high quality. These methods have to be straightforward, simple to apply with measurable results. They also have to be adaptable with minimum effort so that they can be used in different contexts easily. This set of methods was described analytically, taking into account the actors needed to apply them, describing the tools needed and defining the anticipated outcomes. In order to test our proposal, we applied it on a Learning Federation of repositories, from day 1 of its existence until it reached its maturity and regular operation. We supported the metadata creation process throughout the different phases of the repositories involved by setting up specific experiments using the methods and tools of the MQACP. Throughout each phase, we measured the resulting metadata quality to certify that the anticipated improvement in metadata quality actually took place. Lastly, through these different phases, the cost of the MQACP application was measured to provide a comparison basis for future applications. Based on the success of this first application, we decided to validate the MQACP approach by applying it on another two cases of a Cultural and a Research Federation of repositories. This would allow us to prove the transferability of the approach to other cases the present some similarities with the initial one but mainly significant differences. The results showed that the MQACP was successfully adapted to the new contexts, with minimum adaptations needed, with similar results produced and also with comparable costs. In addition, looking closer at the common experiments carried out in each phase of each use case, we were able to identify interesting patterns in the behavior of content providers that can be further researched. The dissertation is completed with a set of future research directions that came out of the cases examined. These research directions can be explored in order to support the next version of the MQACP in terms of the methods deployed, the tools used to assess metadata quality as well as the cost analysis of the MQACP methods

Biological Solutions to 3-Isobutyl-2-Methoxypyrazine Remediation in Wine

3-Isobutyl-2-methoxypyrazine (IBMP) is a naturally occurring volatile compound with a potent aroma reminiscent of green capsicum. It occurs in a diverse range of organisms, including wine grapes. It is present at trace levels (ng/L) and contributes varietal characters and aroma complexity to grape cultivars such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc, but can mask wine aroma bouquet and even reduce wine quality at elevated concentrations. IBMP concentrations evolve during grape development such that less IBMP is found in fully ripe grapes, whereas early harvested grapes (e.g. picked to produce lower alcohol wines) or grapes from cool climate regions may contain higher levels of IBMP, which may indicate poor quality and are undesirable. IBMP managements in grapes and wines are therefore crucial for quality improvement. Vineyard solutions have been investigated extensively and include canopy management and irrigation control. However, options for postharvest remediation are so far limited in their effectiveness and/or specificity. A solution is needed. The aim of this project is to discover/develop biological methods for remediation of undesirably high levels of IBMP in grapes or wines. Specifically, this project focused on microbiological and enzymatic approaches. Based on the fact that little is known about the biological degradation of IBMP by any organisms or enzymes, this project took an exploratory approach to seeking potential IBMP remediation solutions. From a microbiological perspective, 11 wine-related non- Saccharomyces yeast strains were trialled in sequential inoculation with a commercial Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain (EC1118, Lallemand) in Sauvignon Blanc fermentation spiked with IBMP. According to the instrumental and sensorial analysis of the final wine, IBMP levels did not significantly alter, neither among the various yeast treatments nor during alcoholic fermentation for any single treatment. Nevertheless, sensory studies suggested otherwise, with wines fermented with several strains being evaluated as more pronounced in fruity rather than green characters. This implies a masking of IBMP characters and may prove to be a feasible approach in Sauvignon Blanc winemaking to produce wines with organoleptically less greenness. It should be acknowledged that this result is variety-dependent, and yeasts perform differently in different grape juices (likely with different aroma precursors). Therefore, more trials are required to map the complete profile of yeast and variety interactions for masking green character. A large-scale microbial screen was performed with IBMP provided as a putative sole or key nutrient with the aim of identifying IBMP-degrading microbes. Alternative substrates with similar structures with IBMP were also used for screening due to the fact that rapid and inexpensive determination of IBMP consumption was not available to this project. Results indicated that, unfortunately, no microbes appeared able to significantly degrade IBMP under the screening conditions. Nevertheless, two fungal strains, Rhodotorula mucilaginosa and Rhodotorula glutinis, were shown to degrade one of the alternative substrates, methyl violet. Further investigation of these two strains are needed to study their metabolic abilities against other wine-related compounds. Enzyme engineering was also explored as a potential method for enzymatic remediation. VvOMT3, the O-methyltransferase catalysing the synthesis of IBMP in grapes was selected as the target protein for enzyme engineering due to its presumed structural specificity for substrate binding and catalytic activity. Random mutation was applied on this enzyme with error-prone PCR in the hope that the reaction may be reversed. Heterologous expression of mutant genes in E. coli BL21 was achieved and crude protein extracts were used for enzymatic assay. Unfortunately, no positive mutants were obtained from random mutation process. Nevertheless, some experimental findings and computational analysis, lead to predictions of key structural features relating to enzymatic functions. This data may support vine modification or selective breeding programs to reduce synthesis of IBMP. As part of a commencement of a new line of investigation, a review of recent literature pertaining to demethylases was completed. New strategies and candidate enzymes and organism are being considered for work that could follow on from this PhD. While this project did not yield a definitive IBMP modulation strategy, the findings provided important fundamental knowledge, as well as guidance for future work. Opportunities to utilise novel yeasts to, at least, mask the sensory impacts of IBMP may prove to be particularly fruitful.Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Adelaide, School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, 202

Sonic Interactions in Virtual Environments

This open access book tackles the design of 3D spatial interactions in an audio-centered and audio-first perspective, providing the fundamental notions related to the creation and evaluation of immersive sonic experiences. The key elements that enhance the sensation of place in a virtual environment (VE) are: Immersive audio: the computational aspects of the acoustical-space properties of Virutal Reality (VR) technologies Sonic interaction: the human-computer interplay through auditory feedback in VE VR systems: naturally support multimodal integration, impacting different application domains Sonic Interactions in Virtual Environments will feature state-of-the-art research on real-time auralization, sonic interaction design in VR, quality of the experience in multimodal scenarios, and applications. Contributors and editors include interdisciplinary experts from the fields of computer science, engineering, acoustics, psychology, design, humanities, and beyond. Their mission is to shape an emerging new field of study at the intersection of sonic interaction design and immersive media, embracing an archipelago of existing research spread in different audio communities and to increase among the VR communities, researchers, and practitioners, the awareness of the importance of sonic elements when designing immersive environments