Planting a new cherry orchard system: evaluation of economic efficiency

Cherry growing is going through an intense phase of renewal. Innovation’s economic and financial analysis is crucial for their success and diffusion. The study evaluates three types of planting at different densities considered, with no covers and three different kinds of shields: a traditional anti-rain net; a multitasking anti-rain and anti-insect net; a multitasking net with high automation of opening and closing operations. The best performing plant in economic terms seems the high-density plant (HDP), followed by the medium density plant (MDP) and then the very high-density plant (VHDP). Higher density plants reach a shorter payback period. Despite the high investment cost, the quicker breaking even makes high-density plants less risky. Plants with cover structures determine more secure and stable production yields, with benefits at the farm level and the whole production chain. Nonetheless, the shielding structures display a significant quantity of waste during the plant’s life and at the time of disassembling. It is crucial to progressively increase their environmentally friendly characteristics, which to date is still poor. The supports and canopies may have a significant salvage value in the shorter-cycle cherry orchards. Since it is inappropriate to replant the cherry tree in the same plot, it is essential to study structures that can move from plot to plot. Thus, considerably would improve the environmental performance and, accordingly, the economic performance of high-density, shorter-cycle plants

Value sharing and food system dynamics for milk, tomato, and cereals food chains

The aim of the paper is to analyse value sharing and food system dynamics of milk, tomato, and cereals food chains, so to explore the agro-food enterprises capacity to be competitive and sustainable. The paper is based on the functionalist approach of Malassis and the notion of the system of the General Systems Theory. The methodology is aimed at creating a consolidated financial statement for each food chain so to re-create the chain value and identify how this is shared among the different food chain stages. The analysis is carried out on primary and secondary data: around 2400 financial statements concerning 480 enterprises from 2003 to 2007 and stakeholders\u2019 interviews. Results show that value is usually created in the processing and distribution stages, to the detriment of the primary sector, and that the retail managing practices tend to impose damaging structural changes on farms whose profitability is at times becoming sustainable only thanks to European subsidies. To conclude, there is evidence of inadequate definition of strategic and network alliance along the chain. Competitiveness is still a concept achieved by single food chain stages against others and food chain internal competition entails a declining sustainability of small farms and enterprises

2/3D imaging based on photonics-enabled multi-band MIMO radar system

Photonics-enabled coherent MIMO radars have been numerically investigated to evaluate the benefits of coherence and multi-band operation in 2/3D imaging

Multipurpose silicon photonics signal processor core

[EN] Integrated photonics changes the scaling laws of information and communication systems offering architectural choices that combine photonics with electronics to optimize performance, power, footprint, and cost. Application-specific photonic integrated circuits, where particular circuits/chips are designed to optimally perform particular functionalities, require a considerable number of design and fabrication iterations leading to long development times. A different approach inspired by electronic Field Programmable Gate Arrays is the programmable photonic processor, where a common hardware implemented by a two-dimensional photonic waveguide mesh realizes different functionalities through programming. Here, we report the demonstration of such reconfigurable waveguide mesh in silicon. We demonstrate over 20 different functionalities with a simple seven hexagonal cell structure, which can be applied to different fields including communications, chemical and biomedical sensing, signal processing, multiprocessor networks, and quantum information systems. Our work is an important step toward this paradigm.J.C. acknowledges funding from the ERC Advanced Grant ERC-ADG-2016-741415 UMWP-Chip, I.G. acknowledges the funding through the Spanish MINECO Ramon y Cajal program. D.P. acknowledges financial support from the UPV through the FPI predoctoral funding scheme. D.J.T. acknowledges funding from the Royal Society for his University Research Fellowship.Pérez-López, D.; Gasulla Mestre, I.; Crudgington, L.; Thomson, DJ.; Khokhar, AZ.; Li, K.; Cao, W.... (2017). Multipurpose silicon photonics signal processor core. Nature Communications. 8(1925):1-9. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-017-00714-1S1981925Doerr, C. R. & Okamoto, K. Advances in silica planar lightwave circuits. J. 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Acute effects of fine particulate air pollution on ST segment height: A longitudinal study

Background The mechanisms for the relationship between particulate air pollution and cardiac disease are not fully understood. Air pollution-induced myocardial ischemia is one of the potentially important mechanisms. Methods We investigate the acute effects and the time course of fine particulate pollution (PM2.5) on myocardium ischemic injury as assessed by ST-segment height in a community-based sample of 106 healthy non-smokers. Twenty-four hour beat-to-beat electrocardiogram (ECG) data were obtained using a high resolution 12-lead Holter ECG system. After visually identifying and removing all the artifacts and arrhythmic beats, we calculated beat-to-beat ST-height from ten leads (inferior leads II, III, and aVF; anterior leads V3 and V4; septal leads V1 and V2; lateral leads I, V5, and V6,). Individual-level 24-hour real-time PM2.5 concentration was obtained by a continuous personal PM2.5 monitor. We then calculated, on a 30-minute basis, the corresponding time-of-the-day specific average exposure to PM2.5 for each participant. Distributed lag models under a linear mixed-effects models framework were used to assess the regression coefficients between 30-minute PM2.5 and ST-height measures from each lead; i.e., one lag indicates a 30-minute separation between the exposure and outcome. Results The mean (SD) age was 56 (7.6) years, with 41% male and 74% white. The mean (SD) PM2.5 exposure was 14 (22) μg/m3. All inferior leads (II, III, and aVF) and two out of three lateral leads (I and V6), showed a significant association between higher PM2.5 levels and higher ST-height. Most of the adverse effects occurred within two hours after PM2.5 exposure. The multivariable adjusted regression coefficients β (95% CI) of the cumulative effect due to a 10 μg/m3 increase in Lag 0-4 PM2.5 on ST-I, II, III, aVF and ST-V6 were 0.29 (0.01-0.56) μV, 0.79 (0.20-1.39) μV, 0.52 (0.01-1.05) μV, 0.65 (0.11-1.19) μV, and 0.58 (0.07-1.09) μV, respectively, with all p < 0.05. Conclusions Increased PM2.5 concentration is associated with immediate increase in ST-segment height in inferior and lateral leads, generally within two hours. Such an acute effect of PM2.5 may contribute to increased potential for regional myocardial ischemic injury among healthy individuals

Adherence to antibiotic treatment guidelines and outcomes in the hospitalized elderly with different types of pneumonia

Background: Few studies evaluated the clinical outcomes of Community Acquired Pneumonia (CAP), Hospital-Acquired Pneumonia (HAP) and Health Care-Associated Pneumonia (HCAP) in relation to the adherence of antibiotic treatment to the guidelines of the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) and the American Thoracic Society (ATS) in hospitalized elderly people (65 years or older). Methods: Data were obtained from REPOSI, a prospective registry held in 87 Italian internal medicine and geriatric wards. Patients with a diagnosis of pneumonia (ICD-9 480-487) or prescribed with an antibiotic for pneumonia as indication were selected. The empirical antibiotic regimen was defined to be adherent to guidelines if concordant with the treatment regimens recommended by IDSA/ATS for CAP, HAP, and HCAP. Outcomes were assessed by logistic regression models. Results: A diagnosis of pneumonia was made in 317 patients. Only 38.8% of them received an empirical antibiotic regimen that was adherent to guidelines. However, no significant association was found between adherence to guidelines and outcomes. Having HAP, older age, and higher CIRS severity index were the main factors associated with in-hospital mortality. Conclusions: The adherence to antibiotic treatment guidelines was poor, particularly for HAP and HCAP, suggesting the need for more adherence to the optimal management of antibiotics in the elderly with pneumonia

High statistics measurement of the positron fraction in primary cosmic rays of 0.5-500 GeV with the alpha magnetic spectrometer on the international space station

A precision measurement by AMS of the positron fraction in primary cosmic rays in the energy range from 0.5 to 500 GeV based on 10.9 million positron and electron events is presented. This measurement extends the energy range of our previous observation and increases its precision. The new results show, for the first time, that above &sim;200GeV the positron fraction no longer exhibits an increase with energy.</p