The Determinants of On-Farm Renewable Energy Adoption

Agribusiness, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

Use of near infrared reflectance spectroscopy to predict nitrogen uptake by winter wheat within fields with high variability in organic matter

In this study, the ability to predict N-uptake in winter wheat crops using NIR-spectroscopy on soil samples was evaluated. Soil samples were taken in unfertilized plots in one winter wheat field during three years (1997-1999) and in another winter wheat field nearby in one year (2000). Soil samples were analyzed for organic C content and their NIR-spectra. N-uptake was measured as total N-content in aboveground plant materials at harvest. Models calibrated to predict N-uptake were internally cross validated and validated across years and across fields. Cross-validated calibrations predicted N-uptake with an average error of 12.1 to 15.4 kg N ha-1. The standard deviation divided by this error (RPD) ranged between 1.9 and 2.5. In comparison, the corresponding calibrations based on organic C alone had an error from 11.7 to 28.2 kg N ha-1 and RPDs from 1.3 to 2.5. In three of four annual calibrations within a field, the NIR-based calibrations worked better than the organic C based calibrations. The prediction of N-uptake across years, but within a field, worked slightly better with an organic C based calibration than with a NIR based one, RPD = 1.9 and 1.7 respectively. Across fields, the corresponding difference was large in favour of the NIR-calibration, RPD = 2.5 for the NIR-calibration and 1.5 for the organic C calibration. It was concluded that NIR-spectroscopy integrates information about organic C with other relevant soil components and therefore has a good potential to predict complex functions of soils such as N-mineralization. A relatively good agreement of spectral relationships to parameters related to the N-mineralization of datasets across the world suggests that more general models can be calibrated

Semi-Markov reward models for disability insurance

A semi-Markov model for disability insurance is described. Statistical evidences of relevance semi-Markov setting are given. High order semi-Markov backward reward models are invented. Applications of these models to profit-risk analysis of disability insurance contracts are considered

Convergence of option rewards for Markov type price processes

A general price process represented by a two-component Markov process is considered. Its first component is interpreted as a price process and the second one as an index process controlling the price component. American type options with pay-off functions, which admit power type upper bounds, are studied. Both the transition characteristics of the price processes and the pay-off functions are assumed to depend on a perturbation parameter δ ≥ 0 and to converge to the corresponding limit characteristics as δ → 0. Results about the convergence of reward functionals for American type options for perturbed processes are presented for models with continuous and discrete time as well as asymptotically uniform skeleton approximations connecting reward functionals for continuous and discrete time models

Numerical Computations with H(div)-Finite Elements for the Brinkman Problem

The H(div)-conforming approach for the Brinkman equation is studied numerically, verifying the theoretical a priori and a posteriori analysis in previous work of the authors. Furthermore, the results are extended to cover a non-constant permeability. A hybridization technique for the problem is presented, complete with a convergence analysis and numerical verification. Finally, the numerical convergence studies are complemented with numerical examples of applications to domain decomposition and adaptive mesh refinement.Comment: Minor clarifications, added references. Reordering of some figures. To appear in Computational Geosciences, final article available at http://www.springerlink.co

Microservice Transition and its Granularity Problem: A Systematic Mapping Study

Microservices have gained wide recognition and acceptance in software industries as an emerging architectural style for autonomic, scalable, and more reliable computing. The transition to microservices has been highly motivated by the need for better alignment of technical design decisions with improving value potentials of architectures. Despite microservices' popularity, research still lacks disciplined understanding of transition and consensus on the principles and activities underlying "micro-ing" architectures. In this paper, we report on a systematic mapping study that consolidates various views, approaches and activities that commonly assist in the transition to microservices. The study aims to provide a better understanding of the transition; it also contributes a working definition of the transition and technical activities underlying it. We term the transition and technical activities leading to microservice architectures as microservitization. We then shed light on a fundamental problem of microservitization: microservice granularity and reasoning about its adaptation as first-class entities. This study reviews state-of-the-art and -practice related to reasoning about microservice granularity; it reviews modelling approaches, aspects considered, guidelines and processes used to reason about microservice granularity. This study identifies opportunities for future research and development related to reasoning about microservice granularity.Comment: 36 pages including references, 6 figures, and 3 table

Genomic and transcriptomic analysis of Candida intermedia reveals the genetic determinants for its xylose-converting capacity

Background An economically viable production of biofuels and biochemicals from lignocellulose requires microorganisms that can readily convert both the cellulosic and hemicellulosic fractions into product. The yeast Candida intermedia displays a high capacity for uptake and conversion of several lignocellulosic sugars including the abundant pentose d-xylose, an underutilized carbon source since most industrially relevant microorganisms cannot naturally ferment it. Thus, C. intermedia constitutes an important source of knowledge and genetic information that could be transferred to industrial microorganisms such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae to improve their capacity to ferment lignocellulose-derived xylose. Results To understand the genetic determinants that underlie the metabolic properties of C. intermedia, we sequenced the genomes of both the in-house-isolated strain CBS 141442 and the reference strain PYCC 4715. De novo genome assembly and subsequent analysis revealed C. intermedia to be a haploid species belonging to the CTG clade of ascomycetous yeasts. The two strains have highly similar genome sizes and number of protein-encoding genes, but they differ on the chromosomal level due to numerous translocations of large and small genomic segments. The transcriptional profiles for CBS 141442 grown in medium with either high or low concentrations of glucose and xylose were determined through RNA-sequencing analysis, revealing distinct clusters of co-regulated genes in response to different specific growth rates, carbon sources and osmotic stress. Analysis of the genomic and transcriptomic data also identified multiple xylose reductases, one of which displayed dual NADH/NADPH co-factor specificity that likely plays an important role for co-factor recycling during xylose fermentation. Conclusions In the present study, we performed the first genomic and transcriptomic analysis of C. intermedia and identified several novel genes for conversion of xylose. Together the results provide insights into the mechanisms underlying saccharide utilization in C. intermedia and reveal potential target genes to aid in xylose fermentation in S. cerevisiae

Odling av smultron

Odling av smultron är ett Partnerskapsprojekt som utförts under 2016 och 2017 på Solnäs Gård, Kiviks musteri, Bjärred. Två sorter, ’Rödluvan’ och ’Regina’ har odlats i torvsäckar vid två näringsnivåer, låg och hög. Tillväxt och utveckling, avkastning samt förekomst av skadegörare och sjukdomar har registrerats under båda växtsäsongerna. Resultaten visar att plantstorlek och avkastning år 1 inte påverkades av näringsnivån medan det däremot är stor skillnad på sorterna. ’Regina’ ger dubbelt så hög avkastning som ’Rödluvan’ under första odlingsåret. ’Rödluvan’ producerar mycket revor vilket knappt förekommer hos ’Regina’. Under andra odlingsåret är det stor skillnad på plantutvecklingen och plantor med hög näring är mer än dubbelt så stora som de med låg näring. Sorten ’Regina’ som fått den höga näringsnivån ger då den högsta avkastningen. För att vidareutveckla en konkurrenskraftig produktion av smultron bör försöksodling ske på enklare bord och i tunnlar för högre rationalitet och avkastning

Solar wind interaction with comet 67P: impacts of corotating interaction regions

International audienceWe present observations from the Rosetta Plasma Consortium of the effects of stormy solar wind on comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. Four corotating interaction regions (CIRs), where the first event has possibly merged with a coronal mass ejection, are traced from Earth via Mars (using Mars Express and Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN mission) to comet 67P from October to December 2014. When the comet is 3.1–2.7 AU from the Sun and the neutral outgassing rate ∼1025–1026 s−1, the CIRs significantly influence the cometary plasma environment at altitudes down to 10–30 km. The ionospheric low-energy (∼5 eV) plasma density increases significantly in all events, by a factor of >2 in events 1 and 2 but less in events 3 and 4. The spacecraft potential drops below −20 V upon impact when the flux of electrons increases. The increased density is likely caused by compression of the plasma environment, increased particle impact ionization, and possibly charge exchange processes and acceleration of mass-loaded plasma back to the comet ionosphere. During all events, the fluxes of suprathermal (∼10–100 eV) electrons increase significantly, suggesting that the heating mechanism of these electrons is coupled to the solar wind energy input. At impact the magnetic field strength in the coma increases by a factor of 2–5 as more interplanetary magnetic field piles up around the comet. During two CIR impact events, we observe possible plasma boundaries forming, or moving past Rosetta, as the strong solar wind compresses the cometary plasma environment. We also discuss the possibility of seeing some signatures of the ionospheric response to tail disconnection events

Effect of environmental factors on wild strawberry primary metabolic profile

Climate factors such as temperature and precipitation vary significantly over continental scales, strongly structuring biomes along latitudinal gradients, and resulting in species differently adapted either genetically or plastically to cope with their local climate. However, climate change will likely alter these biomes. Thus, it is expected that Nordic regions, historically colder and rainier, will tend to have higher temperatures and less rainfall, which might lead to changes in the distribution of plants leading to novel patterns of local adaptation and maladaptation. In this study we aim to study how plant traits vary with latitude and in response to different temperature and drought conditions in order to find genetic determinants of climate adaptation. Our group is focused in determining the role of the metabolic profiling to that adaptation. For that purpose, we use the woodland strawberry (Fragaria vesca) as the model organism. In particular, we have analyzed 16 different genotypes that have been grown in five common gardens located in Belgium, Sweden, Finland, and Spain, in which drought treatments were also performed. Here, we present the chemical analysis (primary metabolism) in leaves of these genotypes in order to better understand how environmental factors can alter the primary metabolic profiles of F. vesca accessions grown in different locations.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech. BiodivERsA project PlantCline -(PCI2020-120719-2) from “Programación Conjunta Internacional” program, Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación