Gross output and livestock sales modelling in Spanish extensive farms using PLSR

The aim of this paper is to model some production variables in extensive livestock farms located in the dehesa ecosystem. We intend to use not only purely economic variables in the construction of the model, but also structural variables in order to identify the characteristics of the farms that have the higher influence. Another objective is to be able to predict these variables at the farm level, using structural variables that are easy to measure. The data used in this work were obtained from a questionnaire survey to the holders/managers of a sample of 69 dehesa farms in Extremadura (SW Spain). The statistical methodology used for the construction of the model was Partial Least Square Regression (PLSR). It can be concluded that the variables relative to farm intensification, to labour and especially to Iberian pig breeding, are those that take part mainly in the model.dehesa, livestock farming systems, partial least square regression, gross output, Crop Production/Industries, Livestock Production/Industries, Research Methods/ Statistical Methods,

Medicinal and Aromatic Plants collecting missions in Portugal

Abstract: Medicinal and aromatic plants (MAP) are used in all civilizations and cultures and have always played a key role in health care systems worldwide. These plants constitute a major part of the flora, which provide raw materials that are primarily used for therapeutic, aromatic and/or culinary purposes, as components of medicinal and cosmetics products and other natural health products. They are also the starting materials for value-added processed natural ingredients such as essential oils, dry and liquid extracts and oleoresins. Portugal has given rise to very diverse environmental habitats, is cradle to a rich flora, comprising 3,995 described taxa, 500 of which are of aromatic and/or medicinal potential. Some of these species are endemic, sometimes with very vulnerable ecological niches. Plant genetic resources’ collecting is a fundamental activity, widely used in ex situ conservation. Between 1990 and 2014, the Banco Português de Germoplasma Vegetal (BPGV), carried out national and international MAP collecting missions, which resulted in the ex situ conservation of 1,606 accessions.  The main focus of this communication is to demonstrate the valuable contribution of those collecting missions in MAP genetic diversity conservation and evaluation.

Quality of life and well-being of adolescents in portuguese schools

The quality of the school environment is associated with greater school involvement and academic success and improved levels of well-being/quality of life. In this sense, this study intends to explore the relationship between the quality of life of Portuguese adolescents and school. 8215 adolescents participated in this study, 52.7% of which were female, aged between 10 and 22 years and an average age of 14.36 years (SD=2.28). The sample was collected as part of the Health Behavior in School-aged Children (HBSC) study. The results show that girls like school, teachers, school breaks (between classes) and classes more than boys and present less concerns/difficulties with school. Compared to boys, they report more pressure with the schoolwork and a better perception of safety at school. On the other hand, boys have a better relationship with their peers and teachers, miss more classes on purpose and report a higher perception of quality of life. An above-average QoL is statistically and significantly related with liking school, peers, teachers, school breaks (between classes) and classes. It is also related with feeling less pressure with the schoolwork, a better perception of school success and of safety in the school environment. Additionally, having an above-average QoL is statistically significantly associated with having a better relationship with peers and teachers and less concerns/difficulties with school. This is an important message for the reorganization of schools in terms of their practices and curricula. The need to develop strategies to promote greater identification of students with school is reinforced.Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia - FCTinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Process of servitization in the publishing industry: the role of new business models

Objeto: El propósito de este artículo es analizar la orientación de las empresas editoriales hacia la incorporación de servicios y el nivel de integración de los mismos en la estructura de la empresa, así como el papel que desempeñan los nuevos modelos de negocio en este proceso. Para ello, en la presente investigación se propone la validación de las escalas de dos variables del modelo planteado: Orientación hacia la incorporación de servicios en el sector editorial y la medición de los nuevos modelos de negocio. Diseño/metodología: Este artículo primero discute la relación entre servitización y sistemas de producto-servicio. En segundo lugar, la relación entre servitización y nuevos modelos de negocio. Y posteriormente se realiza un estudio empírico a 204 editoriales españolas con respecto a estas variables, recogiendo la muestra a través de la Federación del Gremio de Editores de España (FGEE), utilizando como canal de recogida de datos a la plataforma Distribuidor de Información del Libro Español en Venta (DILVE). Aportaciones y resultados: Con el modelo que se plantea en el artículo se consigue establecer el mayor conjunto de determinantes de la servitización, analizando detenidamente el papel que desarrollan en este proceso los nuevos modelos de negocio en la industria editorial. De las diferentes variables analizadas -orientación de la empresa editorial hacia la incorporación de servicios, utilidad de los nuevos modelos de negocio y nivel de integración de servicios- nuestro estudio concluye con la validación de las escalas de las dos primeras variables. El tercer constructo no requiere de validación porque ya había sido previamente realizada en anteriores investigaciones. Al quedar validada la escala orientación hacia la incorporación de servicios para el sector editorial damos por cumplido una de las finalidades de la investigación, pudiendo concluir que esta escala se convierte en idónea como herramienta de medida propia que va a permitir valorar la transformación que está sufriendo el sector editorial. En lo referente a la escala utilidad de los nuevos modelos de negocio, podemos concluir que la utilización de los modelos de negocio es consecuencia directa del rediseño de la estructura empresarial que tiene que implantar la entidad si quiere disponer de una adecuada oferta de producto y servicio. Limitaciones: El estudio no se adentra en el análisis de los datos para obtener conclusiones sobre cuál es el nivel de integración de dichos servicios en las 204 empresas editoriales de la muestra. Este aspecto deberá ser incorporado en posteriores investigaciones. Valor añadido: El artículo sienta las bases de los determinantes de la servitización y de los nuevos modelos de negocio gracias al estudio teórico y a la justificación de las escalas que se han utilizado para su medición. Este modelo puede entenderse como punto de inicio para el desarrollo de numerosos modelos que relacionen la servitización y los nuevos modelos de negocio del sector editorial.Purpose: The purpose of this article is to analyze the orientation of the publishers to incorporate services and the level of their integration into the company structure. Additionally, the role of new business models in the process is analysed. To this end, this research aims to validate two scales of important variables related to the servitization process: Orientation towards services incorporation in the firm, and Importance of new business models in servitization processes. Design/methodology/approach: This article discusses the relationship between servitización and product-service systems. Besides, the relationship between servitización and new business models is studied. Finally, an empirical study using 204 Spanish publishers firms is carried out to validate two variables related to servitization in the publisher sector. Findings and Originality/value: The model proposed sheds light about the set of determinants of servitización, carefully analyzing the role played in this process by new business models in the publishing industry. With regards the variables analyzed -orientation towards incorporating services, use of new business models and service integration-, our study concludes with the scales validation of the first two variables. The third variable does not require validation because it had been previously done in precedent investigations. With the validation of the scale about the orientation towards incorporating services, one of the aims of the investigation is fulfilled. This scale becomes suitable as a measurement tool to better analyse the transformation that is suffering the publishing sector. With regards the utility of the scale about new business models, we can conclude that the use of business models is a direct consequence of redesigning corporate structures that has to implement if firms want to have an adequate supply of products and services. Research limitations/implications: The study does not obtain conclusions about the level of integration of these services in the 204 publishers analysed in the sample. This aspect should be incorporated in future research. Originality/value: The article establishes the determinants of the context of servitización associated to the incorporation of new business models. Besides, it provides novel scales to measure the variables analysed.Peer Reviewe

Good appearance and shape descriptors for object category recognition

In the problem of object category recognition, we have studied different families of descriptors exploiting RGB and 3D information. Furthermore, we have proven practically that 3D shape-based descriptors are more suitable for this type of recognition due to low shape intra-class variance, as opposed to image texture-based. In addition, we have also shown how an efficient Naive Bayes Nearest Neighbor (NBNN) classifier can scale to a large hierarchical RGB-D Object Dataset [2] and achieve, with a single descriptor type, an accuracy close to state-of-art learning based approaches using combined descriptors

The contribution of the major planet search surveys to EChO target selection

The EChO core science will be based on a three tier survey, each with increasing sensitivity, in order to study the population of exo-planets from super-Earths to Jupiter-like planets, in the very hot to temperate zones (temperatures of 300 K - 3000 K) of F to M-type host stars. To achieve a meaningful outcome an accurate selection of the target sample is needed. In this paper we analyse the targets, suitable for EChO observations, expected to result from a sample of present and forthcoming detection surveys. Exoplanets currently known are already sufficient to provide a large and diverse sample. However we expect the results from these surveys to increase the sample of smaller planets that will allow us to optimize the EChO sample selection.Comment: Submitted to Experimental Astronom

Infrared tracking system for immersive virtual environments

In this paper, we describe the theoretical foundations and engineering approach of an infrared-optical tracking system specially design for large scale immersive virtual environments (VE) or augmented reality (AR) settings. The system described is capable of tracking independent retro-reflective markers arranged in a 3D structure (ar-tefact) in real time (25Hz), recovering all possible 6 Degrees of Freedom (DOF). These artefacts can be ad-justed to the user’s stereo glasses to track his/her pose while immersed in the VE or AR, or can be used as a 3D input device. The hardware configuration consists in 4 shutter-synchronized cameras attached with band-pass infrared filters and the artefacts are illuminated by infrared array-emitters. The system was specially designed to fit a room with sizes of 5.7m x 2.7m x 3.4 m, which match the dimensions of the CAVE-Hollowspace of Lousal where the system will be deployed. Pilot lab results have shown a latency of 40ms in tracking the pose of two ar-tefacts with 4 infrared markers, achieving a frame-rate of 24.80 fps and showing a mean accuracy of 0.93mm/0.52º and a mean precision of 0.08mm/0.04º, respectively, in overall translation/rotation DOFs, fulfill-ing the system requirements initially defined.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

User-centred design of a digital advisory service: enhancing public agricultural extension for sustainable intensification in Tanzania

Sustainable intensification (SI) is promoted as a rural development paradigm for sub-Saharan Africa. Achieving SI requires smallholder farmers to have access to information that is context-specific, increases their decision-making capacities, and adapts to changing environments. Current extension services often struggle to address these needs. New mobile phone-based services can help. In order to enhance the public extension service in Tanzania, we created a digital service that addresses smallholder farmers’ different information needs for implementing SI. Using a co-design methodology – User-Centered Design – we elicited feedback from farmers and extension agents in Tanzania to create a new digital information service, called Ushauri. This automated hotline gives farmers access to a set of pre-recorded messages. Additionally, farmers can ask questions in a mailbox. Extension agents then listen to these questions through an online platform, where they record and send replies via automated push-calls. A test with 97 farmers in Tanzania showed that farmers actively engaged with the service to access agricultural advice. Extension agents were able to answer questions with reduced workload compared to conventional communication channels. This study illustrates how User-Centered Design can be used to develop information services for complex and resource-restricted smallholder farming contexts

Beberapa Aspek Biologi Ikan Beronang (Siganus Vermiculatus) Di Perairan Arakan Kecamatan Tatapaan Kabupaten Minahasa Selatan

BEBERAPA ASPEK BIOLOGI IKAN BERONANG (Siganus vermiculatus) DI PERAIRAN ARAKAN KECAMATAN TATAPAAN KABUPATEN MINAHASA SELATAN1 Suleiman Tuegeh2, Ferdinand F Tilaar3, Gaspar D Manu3 ABSTRACT One of the goals in the development of fisheries and marine biological resources is the formation of water conservation. Marine biological resources are considered to have significant economic value is rabbitfish. Availability of rabbitfish throughout Indonesia is still relatively large, this is possible because the Rabbitfish is a part of the coral reef ecosystem. The existence of rabbitfish (Siganus vermiculatus) in the waters of Arakan is a source of considerable revenue to help the fishermen in the village of Arakan. Market demand for these fish make the fishermen increasing the catch of rabbitfish in the waters of Arakan. As an initial action on the prevention of exploitation of this resource, one of the main things is the availability of biological information. This study is implemented with the aim to find out some biological aspects of Rabbitfish (Siganus vermiculatus), the L-W relationship, the pattern of growth, condition factor, gonad maturity index, gonado index and the sex ratio. Keywords: Biological aspect, rabbitfish ABSTRAK Salah satu tujuan dalam pembangunan perikanan dan kelautan adalah pembinaan kelestarian sumberdaya hayati perairan. Sumberdaya hayati laut yang tergolong mempunyai nilai ekonomis penting adalah ikan beronang. Ketersediaan dari ikan ini di seluruh Indonesia masih relatif besar, hal ini dimungkinkan karena ikan beronang merupakan bagian dari ekosistem terumbu karang. Keberadaan ikan beronang (Siganus vermiculatus) di perairan Arakan merupakan sumber pendapatan yang cukup membantu para nelayan di Desa Arakan. Permintaan pasar akan ikan beronang ini membuat para nelayan semakin giat dalam menangkap ikan beronang yang ada di perairan Arakan. Sebagai tindakan awal pencegahan eksploitasi pada sumberdaya ini salah satu hal utama ialah tersedianya informasi aspek biologi. Penelitian ini dilaksanakan dengan tujuan untuk mengetahui beberapa aspek biologi ikan beronang (Siganus vermiculatus) yaitu hubungan panjang berat, pola pertumbuhan, faktor kondisi, indeks kematangan gonad (IKG), indeks gonad (IG) dan perbandingan jenis kelamin