Modelling crop rotations of organic farms

With the described holistic model approach it is possible to generate agronomically-suitable and detailed 3-8 year crop rotations for diluvial sites in north-eastern Germany under the special demands of organic farming systems with and without livestock production. The stand-alone version can be used for crop rotation planning at the farm level. In addition, this model version may be applied for studying the influence of the parameter and estimation algorithm ranges within the model on the complex interactions between site condition, cropping methods and the rotational cropping systems. Sensitivity analyses show those model parameters and estimation algorithms which have to be managed with special care and those for which further research is needed

Modell zur Unterstützung strategischer und taktischer Fruchtfolgeplanung im Ökologischen Landbau

Im Ökologischen Landbau gewinnt die Fruchtfolgegestaltung als wesentlicher Aspekt der strategischen und taktischen Planungsebene im Ackerbau durch den Verzicht auf externe Steuermechanismen gegenüber der operativen Planungsebene (z.B. Pflanzenschutzmitteleinsatz nach Prognosemodellen) an relativer Bedeutung. Deshalb ist die Entwicklung eines Entscheidungsunterstützungsmodells zur Fruchtfolge-Planung (für die Bereiche N-Versorgung, Beikrautregulierung, Berücksichtigung phytosanitärer Restriktionen) gerade zur Optimierung des ökologischen Landbaus sinnvoll

Noisy quantum Monty Hall game

The influence of spontaneous emission channel and generalized Pauli channel on quantum Monty Hall Game is analysed. The scheme of Flittney and Abbott is reformulated using the formalism of density matrices. Optimal classical strategies for given quantum strategies are found. The whole presented scheme illustrates how quantum noise may change the odds of a zero-sum game.Comment: 10 pages, 3 figure

Appropriation in the development of information systems for voluntary organisations

This paper describes two action research projects in co-located voluntary organizations, where both projects could be characterized as process failures. Our main focus is on the mechanisms of appropriation. The analytic framework as well as the basis for the action research projects, have been informed by activity theory. In particular we describe how ICT-based systems enforce structural discipline, how designers may misconceive the design task when designing for voluntary organisations, how the tension between use value and exchange value influences the use and thus appropriation of ICT in voluntary organisations, and finally what the possible impact of a lacking common conceptual basis may be. It is concluded that voluntary organisations exhibit unique features that should be taken into account in the design of ICT based support

Diversity, distribution and dynamics of Larval Cephalopods off Northern California

Cephalopods are the fastest growing invertebrate, often putting on 3- 5 % of their body weight each day. Due to the nature of their diet, their body mass can be up to 80% protein, offering humans an easy and fast source of protein. This offers fisheries a new option to explore. The main problem behind wild-catching Cephalopods, is the issue of where they are. This study examined retrospective larval Cephalopod samples collected from 2009-2017 to examine trends in the diversity and distribution of the larvae. Notably, some of the collected data was taken during the warm water event that started in mid 2014 and persisted through 2016, the native species Octopus rubescens exploded in number during this event, as well as members of the Family Gonatidae. Future studies should expand the distance from the continental shelf sampled, as well as the depth sampled to get a wider diversity of larval size classes

Regionalisierung von Anbausystemen des ökologischen Landbaus [Regionalisation of cropping systems in organic agriculture]

Problemstellung/ Ziele: Der Ökologische Landbau wird - im Gegensatz zum konventionellen Landbau - in seinen ökonomisch und ökologisch Leistungen deutlich stärker von den natürlichen Standortbedingungen (Bodenqualität, Witterung) beeinflusst. Dies ist bei der regionalen Abbildung und Bewertung von Anbausystemen bzw. -verfahren des Ökologischen Landbaus zu berücksichtigen. Bisher findet dies aber aus Mangel an regionalisierenden Abschätzungs- und Bewertungsalgorithmen in Wissenschaft und Beratung nur ungenügend statt. Neben Fruchtfolgen sind Anbauverfahren der verschiedener Fruchtarten das wesentliche Element zur Charakterisierung von Anbausystemen in Abhängigkeit der Betriebstrukturen. Eine prinzipielle Methodik zur Generierung und Bewertung von anbauverfahren und daraus generierten Fruchtfolgen für den Ökologischen Landbau wurde bereits an anderer Stelle vorgestellt. Im bisherigen Ansatz werden regionale Unterschiede jedoch nur unbefriedigend berücksichtigt. Ein möglicher Regionalisierungsansatz soll im Folgenden dargestellt werden. Sowohl für die regionale Bewertung des Ökologischen landbaus in Hinblick auf dessen ökonomische wie auch ökologischen Leistungen, als auch für die einzelbetriebliche, strategische Planung, ist eine möglichst detaillierte Abschätzung des Einflusses der Bodenqualität in Kombination mit regionalen Witterungsverhältnissen, sowohl auf die Gestaltung von Fruchtfolgen, als auch die Gestaltung bzw. Auswahl von Anbauverfahren einzelner Fruchtarten mit ihren zeitlichen Abläufen notwendig

Dynamics of the IP time to live field in internet traffic flows

The Time To Live (TTL) field present in the IP protocol header is used to limit the lifetime of packets in the network. Previous research has measured TTL for studying path lengths and dynamics in IP networks, and for detecting route changes. How the TTL varies over short timescales of subsequent packets of traffic flows has not yet been analysed. Such knowledge is needed for passively detecting route changes based on existing traffic in the network or traffic traces, and for designing mechanisms that modulate the TTL field such as IP traceback techniques and covert channels. In this paper we analyse small time scale TTL variation in Internet traffic flows based on a number of packet traces captured at different locations in the Internet

A survey on the cyber security of Small-to-Medium businesses: Challenges, research focus and recommendations

Small-to-medium sized businesses (SMBs) constitute a large fraction of many countries’ economies but according to the literature SMBs are not adequately implementing cyber security which leaves them susceptible to cyber-attacks. Furthermore, research in cyber security is rarely focused on SMBs, despite them representing a large proportion of businesses. In this paper we review recent research on the cyber security of SMBs, with a focus on the alignment of this research to the popular NIST Cyber Security Framework (CSF). From the literature we also summarise the key challenges SMBs face in implementing good cyber security and conclude with key recommendations on how to implement good cyber security. We find that research in SMB cyber security is mainly qualitative analysis and narrowly focused on the Identify and Protect functions of the NIST CSF with very little work on the other existing functions. SMBs should have the ability to detect, respond and recover from cyber-attacks, and if research lacks in those areas, then SMBs may have little guidance on how to act. Future research in SMB cyber security should be more balanced and researchers should adopt well-established powerful quantitative research approaches to refine and test research whilst governments and academia are urged to invest in incentivising researchers to expand their research focus