Impact of sown fallows on the Xiphinema index populations in different soil types

The nematode Xiphinema index is, economically, the major virus vector in viticulture, transmitting specifically the Grapevine Fanleaf Virus (GFLV), the most severe grapevine virus disease worldwide. The management of this disease has long been to use soil fumigation, harmful for both the applicator and the environment. The objective of this study was to evaluate an alternative approach using plants to reduce vector nematode populations between uprooting and replanting. Of thirty botanical species, tested in previous greenhouse trials, the seven best performing plants were evaluated for their capacity to reduce X. index populations in soil compared to bare soil in 5 field trials on different soil types in Bordeaux and Burgundy. In most trials, sown fallows reduced the number of X. index nematodes more efficiently than bare soil. All plants tested in field, except Trifolium pratense, showed their efficacy in field on survival of nematodes X. index but this efficiency varied according to species and site. The best results were obtained with Medicago hybride, Tagetes minuta, Avena sativa and Vicia villosa. Over the following years we will be evaluating if a decrease of the populations of the nematode vector does lead to a significant drop or delay of GFLV contamination for the newly planted vines

Current State of Sustainability of Urban Water Cycle Services

TRUST released a first sustainability assessment of current UWCS's of its pilot cities which gives a general insight into how TRUST cities and regions score on different dimensions of sustainability at the moment. The whole report aims to contribute to a more sustainable urban water cycle system and to provide a basis on which TRUST city/region stakeholders can discuss their vision and strategies into a more sustainable future.Van Leeuwen, K.; Marques, RC. (2014). Current State of Sustainability of Urban Water Cycle Services. http://hdl.handle.net/10251/3572

Dividing the Pie

We examine the consequences of transparency in an experimental multiple-dealer market with asymmetrically informed dealers. Five professional securities traders make a market for a single security. In each trading round, one of the dealers (the "insider") is told the security's true value. We vary both pre-trade and post-trade transparency by changing the way quote and trade information is published. The insider's profits are greatest when price efficiency is lowest. Price efficiency, in turn, is reduced by pre-trade transparency and increased by posttrade transparency. Market liquidity, measured by dealers' bid-ask spreads, is improved by pre-trade transparency and reduced by post-trade transparency

Deep data compression for approximate ultrasonic image formation

In many ultrasonic imaging systems, data acquisition and image formation are performed on separate computing devices. Data transmission is becoming a bottleneck, thus, efficient data compression is essential. Compression rates can be improved by considering the fact that many image formation methods rely on approximations of wave-matter interactions, and only use the corresponding part of the data. Tailored data compression could exploit this, but extracting the useful part of the data efficiently is not always trivial. In this work, we tackle this problem using deep neural networks, optimized to preserve the image quality of a particular image formation method. The Delay-And-Sum (DAS) algorithm is examined which is used in reflectivity-based ultrasonic imaging. We propose a novel encoder-decoder architecture with vector quantization and formulate image formation as a network layer for end-to-end training. Experiments demonstrate that our proposed data compression tailored for a specific image formation method obtains significantly better results as opposed to compression agnostic to subsequent imaging. We maintain high image quality at much higher compression rates than the theoretical lossless compression rate derived from the rank of the linear imaging operator. This demonstrates the great potential of deep ultrasonic data compression tailored for a specific image formation method.Comment: IEEE International Ultrasonics Symposium 202

Integrating water, waste, energy, transport and ICT aspects into the smart city concept

Open Access articleThe paper presents the partial results of the EU BlueSCities project [1]. The project is developing the methodology for the integration of the water and waste sectors within the ’Smart Cities and Communities’ concept to compliment other priority areas such as energy, transport and Information and mmunication Technologies (ICT). The project has developed the City Blueprint Framework or water and waste and the City Amberprint Framework for energy, transport and ICT

The Role and Relevance of Experimentation in Informatics

Informatics is a relatively young eld within sci- ence and engineering. Its research and develop- ment methodologies build on the scientic and de- sign methodologies in the classical areas, often with new elements to it. We take an in-depth look at one of the less well-understood methodologies in infor- matics, namely experimentation. What does it mean to do experiments in in- formatics? Does it make sense to `import' tradi- tional principles of experimentation from classical disciplines into the eld of computing and informa- tion processing? How should experiments be docu- mented? These are some of the questions that are treated. The report argues for the key role of empiri- cal research and experimentation in contemporary Informatics. Many IT systems, large and small, can only be designed sensibly with the help of experiments. We recommend that professionals and students alike are well-educated in the prin- ciples of sound experimentation in Informatics. We also recommend that experimentation protocols are used and standardized as part of the experimental method in Informatic

Viticulture in a changing climate: solutions exist

Grape growers have always cultivated vineyards in challenging environments, adapting their practices to sometimes very difficult local conditions. Climate change, as a new player, is modifying the terroirs’ characteristics rapidly and irremediably, giving viticulturalists major new challenges to face

R&D and productivity growth: evidence from firm-level data for the Netherlands

This article presents evidence on the links between R&D and productivity for manufacturing firms in the Netherlands. The study provides estimates of the output elasticity of the R&D stock and of the private rate of return to R&D. The article applies the methodology used by Hall and Mairesse (1995) to a panel dataset of R&D performing firms in the Netherlands, with some minor modifications. First, a correction for sample selection bias is used in an attempt to adjust the results for possible bias arising when the basic methodology is applied to the R&D survey for the Netherlands. Next, more complete adjustment is made to the resource input data to correct for the ’double counting’ of R&D inputs. Lastly, an attempt is made to correct for heteroskedasticity in the error term of the basic model. The study makes use of linked files of the R&D surveys and the annual production statistics collected by Statistics Netherlands for the years 1985, 1989, and 1993

R&D and productivity growth: evidence from firm-level data for the Netherlands

This article presents evidence on the links between R&D and productivity for manufacturing firms in the Netherlands. The study provides estimates of the output elasticity of the R&D stock and of the private rate of return to R&D. The article applies the methodology used by Hall and Mairesse (1995) to a panel dataset of R&D performing firms in the Netherlands, with some minor modifications. First, a correction for sample selection bias is used in an attempt to adjust the results for possible bias arising when the basic methodology is applied to the R&D survey for the Netherlands. Next, more complete adjustment is made to the resource input data to correct for the ’double counting’ of R&D inputs. Lastly, an attempt is made to correct for heteroskedasticity in the error term of the basic model. The study makes use of linked files of the R&D surveys and the annual production statistics collected by Statistics Netherlands for the years 1985, 1989, and 1993

Varietal responses to soil water deficit: first results from a common-garden vineyard near Bordeaux France

In wine producing regions around the world, climate change has the potential to decrease the frequency and amount of precipitation and increase average and extreme temperatures. This will both lower soil water availability and increase evaporative demand in vineyards, thereby increasing soil water deficits and associated vine stress. Grapevines control their water status by regulating stomatal closure and other changes to internal plant hydraulics. These responses are complex and have not been clearly characterized across a wide range of different Vitis vinifera varieties. Understanding how vine water status responds to changes in soil water deficits and other variables will help growers modify vineyard design and management practices to meet their quality and yield objectives. Carbon isotope discrimination measurements of certain plant tissues have been shown to provide effective characterization of stomatal closure, while water potential measurements provide a well-proven measure of overall vine water status. Using replicated data collected from an experimental common-garden vineyard at the Institut des Sciences de la Vigne et du Vin (ISVV) near Bordeaux, France, this project will analyze the effects on carbon isotope discrimination across 39 varieties and water potential across eight varieties against estimates of soil water deficits made using a water balance model running on local meteorology and considering the phenology of each variety. Similar to the literature, preliminary analysis finds as soil water deficit increases, carbon isotope data suggests greater stomatal closure and water potential measurements indicate greater vine stress. For both parameters, analysis will be performed to distinguish any difference in these responses between varieties