Survey of the Demands of End Users in Europe for Organic Market Data

Few European countries produce complete coverage of important market data, standardization is missing, and data are seldom comparable within one country over time and between countries. Furthermore, detailed information on specific commodities is missing. Many different data collection methods are currently used and the variety of agencies collecting data in the various European countries mean that gaining a European level overview of the quality of existing data is difficult. As part of the EU research project “OrganicDataNetwork”, a survey was carried out in 2012 to identify the needs and demands of end users of organic market data, and to find areas of information asymmetry. A further goal of the survey was to undertake an appraisal of the quality of the existing available data that is used. This contribution presents some of the highlights of the results, which will be published in full during 2013

Report on the demand for data by end users of organic market data (= Deliverable 1.1 of the OrganicDataNetwork project. Survey of the organic market data needs of end users)

High quality organic market data is desirable and important for both economic and societal reasons. Currently, important market data do not exist in most European countries, standardization is missing and data are seldom comparable within one country over time and between countries. Furthermore, detailed information on specific commodities is missing. The goals of this report are to identify the needs and demands of end users of organic market data, and to find areas of information asymmetry, which involves undertaking an appraisal of the quality of the existing available data that is used. However, many different data collection methods are currently used and the variety of agencies collecting data in the various European countries mean that gaining a European level overview of the quality of existing data is difficult. Despite these difficulties, this report presents an overview of end users demands for different data types at a European level, and offers an overview of the end users demand for various data types in five European countries: France, Germany, Italy, and Spain. An online survey was conducted in which demand and use was assessed for 15 data types. Furthermore, the quality of each of these data types was rated against a set of quality criteria. It was found that relevance of data is the fundamental quality criteria, and relevant data will be used; even if it considered as being of poor quality against other quality criteria. Many respondents report using data that is considered by experts to not exist, which suggests that data users make use of whatever data they can find if it considered relevant. Many respondents report that existing data does not exist, which suggests that the users cannot find the data and therefore points to dissemination problems

Unifying classical and quantum key distillation

Assume that two distant parties, Alice and Bob, as well as an adversary, Eve, have access to (quantum) systems prepared jointly according to a tripartite state. In addition, Alice and Bob can use local operations and authenticated public classical communication. Their goal is to establish a key which is unknown to Eve. We initiate the study of this scenario as a unification of two standard scenarios: (i) key distillation (agreement) from classical correlations and (ii) key distillation from pure tripartite quantum states. Firstly, we obtain generalisations of fundamental results related to scenarios (i) and (ii), including upper bounds on the key rate. Moreover, based on an embedding of classical distributions into quantum states, we are able to find new connections between protocols and quantities in the standard scenarios (i) and (ii). Secondly, we study specific properties of key distillation protocols. In particular, we show that every protocol that makes use of pre-shared key can be transformed into an equally efficient protocol which needs no pre-shared key. This result is of practical significance as it applies to quantum key distribution (QKD) protocols, but it also implies that the key rate cannot be locked with information on Eve's side. Finally, we exhibit an arbitrarily large separation between the key rate in the standard setting where Eve is equipped with quantum memory and the key rate in a setting where Eve is only given classical memory. This shows that assumptions on the nature of Eve's memory are important in order to determine the correct security threshold in QKD.Comment: full versio

Intercomparison of pyranometers for distributed measurement system

Irradiance is one of the most important parameter measured by PV monitoring systems. Its value is needed to estimate reference yield (YR) and after then performance ratio index (PR). Uncertainty convolved with irradiance measurements has a strong influence on final monitoring quality. This paper presents intercomparison test of ten CMP11 pyranometers which will then be used for the measurement of PV systems distributed across two continents and four countries. Measurements were taken under different installation conditions (horizontal, inplane). Ten CV2 ventilation units were used as a part of system improvements. Finally pyranometers data were combined with EKO MS700 spectral measurements to evaluate spectral variations

Is that me in the mirror? Depersonalisation modulates tactile mirroring mechanisms

Our sense of self is thought to develop through sensory-motor contingencies provided, not only by observing one's own body, but also by mirroring interactions with others. This suggests that there is a strong link between mirroring mechanisms and the bodily self. The present study tested whether this link is expressed at early, implicit stages of the mirroring process or at later, more cognitive stages. We also provide, to the best of our knowledge, the first demonstration of how inter-individual differences in our sense of bodily self may affect mirroring mechanisms. We used somatosensory event-related potentials (SEPs) to investigate the temporal dynamics of mirroring highly self-related information (viewed touch on one's own face) compared to other-related information (viewed touch on a stranger's face), in individuals with low and high levels of depersonalisation, a mental condition characterised by feeling detached or estranged from one's self and body. For the low-depersonalisation group, mirroring for self-related events (P45) preceded mirroring for other-related events (N80). At later stages (P200), mirroring was stronger for other-related than self-related events. This shows that early, implicit and later, more cognitive processes play different relative roles in mirroring self- and other-related bodily events. Critically, mirroring differed in the high-depersonalisation group, specifically for self-related events. An absence of early, implicit mirroring for self-related events over P45 suggests that the associated processes may be the neural correlates of the disembodiment experienced in depersonalisation. A lack of differential mirroring for self- and other-related events over P200 may reflect compensatory mechanisms that redress deficiencies in mirroring at earlier stages, which may break down to give rise to symptoms of depersonalisation. Alternatively, or in addition, they may represent an attenuation of processes related to self-other distinction. Our study thus shows that mirroring, especially for events on one's own face, can be strongly affected by how connected the observer feels to their own bodily self

Spectral irradiance measurements for photovoltaic systems in maritime climates

Variety of materials used to manufacture photovoltaic cells rises the question about methods of accurate reference irradiance measurements, which could be applied on a level of photovoltaic plant deployment. Mismatch between spectral sensitivity of the photovoltaic module and reference sensor used for irradiance measurements increases uncertainty of available energy rating. Significance of spectral mismatch for overall energy production rating depends also on spectral variations of the solar radiation and circumstances of their appearance. Western Europe stays under the influence of maritime climate which is characterized by reliable cloud cover and high humidity. Carried campaign provides analysis of the spectral radiation in maritime climate and discusses its impact in term of PV systems applications

Spectral influences on estimations of useful irradiance for different PV technologies

Reference solar irradiance is the most influential parameters for accuracy of PV systems monitoring. Due to new cells technologies a magnitude of spectral effects is widely discussed nowadays. No comprehensive measurements are taken to resolve this debate. This paper discuss utilization of the spectral measurements in a PV system monitoring. Analysed data come from dedicated monitoring systems and include broadband and spectral irradiance, module short circuit current, module temperature, ambient temperature humidity and wind-speed. It has been shown what are the variations in the solar spectrum over the different types of overcast and how does the different module technologies react on those changes. Investigating distribution of the solar spectral irradiance is a complex task. Conclusions discuss usability of the spectroradiometers as the reference sensors and problems that still stays unsolved in the field of spectroradiometry

Alternative Conformations of HIV-1 V3 Loops Mimic β Hairpins in Chemokines, Suggesting a Mechanism for Coreceptor Selectivity

AbstractThe V3 loop of the HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein gp120 is involved in binding to the CCR5 and CXCR4 coreceptors. The structure of an HIV-1MN V3 peptide bound to the Fv of the broadly neutralizing human monoclonal antibody 447-52D was solved by NMR and found to be a β hairpin. This structure of V3MN was found to have conformation and sequence similarities to β hairpins in CD8 and CCR5 ligands MIP-1α, MIP-1β, and RANTES and differed from the β hairpin of a V3IIIB peptide bound to the strain-specific murine anti-gp120IIIB antibody 0.5β. In contrast to the structure of the bound V3MN peptide, the V3IIIB peptide resembles a β hairpin in SDF-1, a CXCR4 ligand. These data suggest that the 447-52D-bound V3MN and the 0.5β-bound V3IIIB structures represent alternative V3 conformations responsible for selective interactions with CCR5 and CXCR4, respectively