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The effect that climatic changes can exert on parasitic interactions represents a multifactor problem whose results are difficult to predict. The actual impact of changes will depend on their magnitude and the physiological tolerance of affected organisms. When the change is considered extreme (i.e. unusual weather events that are at the extremes of the historical distribution for a given area), the probability of an alteration in an organisms’ homeostasis increases dramatically. However, factors determining the altered dynamics of host-parasite interactions due to an extreme change are the same as those acting in response to changes of lower magnitude. Only a deep knowledge of these factors will help to produce more accurate predictive models for the effects of extreme changes on parasitic interactions. Extreme environmental conditions may affect pathogens directly when they include free-living stages in their life-cycles and indirectly through reduced resource availability for hosts and thus reduced ability to produce efficient anti-parasite defenses, or by effects on host density affecting transmission dynamics of diseases or the frequency of intraspecific contact. What are the consequences for host-parasite interactions? Here we summarize the present knowledge on three principal factors in determining host-parasite associations; biodiversity, population density and immunocompetence. In addition, we analyzed examples of the effects of environmental alteration of anthropogenic origin on parasitic systems because the effects are analogous to that exerted by an extreme climatic change [Current Zoology 57 (3): 390–405, 2011].

The aim of this report is to demonstrate and evaluate the potential of tall wheatgrass (Elytrigia elongata) to avoid GHG emissions and obtain lower economic costs in marginal areas of Spain. Our research built scenarios based on experimental plots (2 and 3 years growth) in 3 locations of Spain with completely different climate conditions (provinces of Girona, Soria and Palencia). In our experiences, we achieved an adequate establishment and biomass production, and assumed a rank of biomass yields until the end of the life cycle that is usually accepted to be about 15 years in many other studies in United States, Argentina and Eastern Europe where tall wheatgrass is extensively cultivated in marginal areas for sheep livestock production. Using our experimental plots and statistical information for economic inputs costs, we built 5 different scenarios per region considering a large range of biomass yields of tall wheatgrass. The analysis included a comparison with annual grasses economic costs calculated for a wide range of biomass yields of a previous study. We estimated GHG emissions savings for tall wheatgrasses and used our previous study (which had GHG emissions savings as well). Savings were calculated replacing natural gas electricity with electricity from biomass combustion in real power plants in Spain. In a wide range of yields, the results suggest that marginal areas might present a better performance with tall wheatgrass compared to annual winter grasses (cereals whole plant cuttings), thus producing biomass yields with higher GHG savings and lower economic costs at the farm level. Proceedings of the 20th European Biomass Conference and Exhibition, 18-22 June 2012, Milan, Italy, pp. 217-229

The INTENSSS PA project, funded by Horizon 2020, the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation of the European Union, aims to support the local authorities involved and their stakeholders to develop an innovative integrated sustainable energy planning concept through a participatory, interdisciplinary and multilevel process. By building individual and institutional capacity of the actors involved, using the Regional Living Lab approach, the concept will be applied in order to develop seven sustainable integrated energy plans. In this first article the project activities and the results achieved so far are preliminary described, anticipating a more extensive and detailed publication on the project planned for the December edition of UPLand – Journal of Urban Planning Landscape & Environmental Design. UPLanD - Journal of Urban Planning, Landscape & environmental Design, GREEN 2.0

2nd generation biofuels gained more importance in recent years since they enable greenhouse gas emission reductions in the transport sector on a larger scale. One promising way to produce alternative fuels is the Biomass-to-Liquid (BtL) process with the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis which produces synthetic hydrocarbons that could directly be used as liquid fuels in an existing infrastructure. One major issue of this process is the production cost. Within the European COMSYN project (Compact Gasification and Synthesis process for Transport Fuels), a new BtL process concept is developed that aims to reduce biofuel production cost up to 35 % compared to alternative routes.

Shifts in the ecosystems distribution as the result of climate change are of interest for decision-makers in biodiversity conservation at local and European level. This paper presents the use of modeling technique, Maxent (Maximum entropy modeling) and BIOCLIM (environmental envelope model), to estimate the impact of climate change on the Alpine bioregion of Continental Europe for improving the management policy in support of stopping biodiversity loss. The European Union priority habitat 6230 occurring in mountain areas and sub-mountain areas of the Carpathians was selected for modeling being of high priority conservation status in the Natura 2000 network of protected area. Maxent and BIOCLIM were used to create spatial distribution models for Mesophilous oligotrophic mountain pasture and Subalpine oligotrophic pastures. Models were run with 1950–2000 averaged bioclimatic data and double atmospheric CO2 concentration scenario in perspective of the year 2050. In our analyses we have included once all 6320 mapped habitat with Nardus grasslands. Under 1950–2000 climate scenario, both models exhibited high AUC values (> 0.9). The predicted geographical distribution of Mesophilous oligotrophic mountain pasture and Subalpine oligotrophic pastures coded as VNG and PON habitat modeled by Maxent and BIOCLIM shows differences between the modeling approaches, with Maxent predicting smaller areas (12% less) of suitable habitat than BIOCLIM. For the future climate scenario (double CO2) the surface with PON+VNG decreases by 31% for Maxent and 26% for BIOCLIM. However both models show significant shifts of the Nardus habitat due to climate change. The distribution maps obtained indicate vulnerability areas to biodiversity loss and of interest to be monitored. The output of models will contribute to the Black Sea Catchment Observation Systems to be further accessible to scientists, decision-makers and the general public.

The functioning of food value chains entails a complex organisation from farm to fork which is characterised by various governance forms and externalities which have shaped the overall food system. VALUMICS food value chain case studies: wheat to bread, dairy cows to milk, beef cattle to steak, farmed salmon to fillets and tomato to processed tomato were selected to enable explorative and empirical analysis to better understand the functioning of the food system and, to identify the main challenges that need to be addressed to improve sustainability, integrity, resilience, and fairness of European food chains. The VALUMICS system analysis was executed through four operational phases starting with Groundwork & analysis including mapping specific attributes and impacts of food value chains and their externalities. This was followed by Case study baseline analysis, which provided input to the third phase on Modelling and exploration of future scenarios and finally Policy and synthesis of the overall work. This report is an overall synthesis of the VALUMICS results as follows: • Key findings from the VALUMICS project on the functioning of European food value chains and their impacts on more sustainable, resilient, fairer, and transparent food system are summarised through a compilation of 25 Research Findings and Policy Briefs. • By highlighting the major contributions from the research activities throughout the four phases of the VALUMICS project, this report delivers an assessment of various factors influencing sustainability, resilience, efficiency and fairness and effective chain relationships of different food value chains, and their determinants. • The synthesis of the outcome allows the identification of opportunities and challenges characterising the functioning of food supply chains, and thus, the prospects and potentials for strengthening the EU food sector. Citation: Olafsdottir, G., Bogason, S., Aubert, P.M., Barling, D., Thakur, M., Duric, I., Nicolau, M., McGarraghy, S., Sigurdardottir; H., Samoggia, A., Holden N.M., Čechura, L., Jaghdani, T.J., Svanidze, M., Esposito., G., Monticone, F., Fedato, C., Xhelili, A., Huber, E., Hargaden, V., Saviolidis, N M., Gorton, M., Hubbard, C., Kahiluoto, H., Hoang, V.(2021). Scenario analysis report with policy recommendations: An assessment of sustainability, resilience, efficiency and fairness and effective chain relationships in VALUMICS case studies. The VALUMICS project funded by EU Horizon 2020 G.A. No 727243. Deliverable: D8.4, University of Iceland, Reykjavík, 130 pages DOI:10.5281/zenodo.6534011

Proceedings of the 12th International Symposium on Ecohydraulics

The aim of this study was to determine the costs and benefits of energy biomass logistics when using a real-time web-based tracking system. By means of the asset management system RECO (Resource Control), it was possible to track the trucks moving in the supply chain via the Internet portal in which all tracking data were stored on a virtual cloud server. Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) and GPS position functions were built into the RECO system. Both smart phones and gate readers equipped with a wireless Internet connection were used for data transfer into the message-based RECO system. The experiments were carried out along the supply chain from the forest roadside storages to the power plant by using traditional solid-frame trucks and a truck with interchangeable containers mounted with RFID tags. The productivity data of all work phases in the transportation chain were collected automatically, and the energy content of the truck loads was measured separately. Afterwards the cost structures of the truck vehicles were analysed to get exact information of the unit costs and benefits. Additionally, the efficiency of the deliveries was analysed and the functionality and the reliability of the real-time monitoring system were examined as part of the roadside chipping chain. Proceedings of the 22nd European Biomass Conference and Exhibition, 23-26 June 2014, Hamburg, Germany, pp. 1515-1521

A measurement of the production of three isolated photons in proton–proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy $\sqrt{s}$ = 8 TeV is reported. The results are based on an integrated luminosity of 20.2 fb$^{−1}$ collected with the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The differential cross sections are measured as functions of the transverse energy of each photon, the difference in azimuthal angle and in pseudorapidity between pairs of photons, the invariant mass of pairs of photons, and the invariant mass of the triphoton system. A measurement of the inclusive fiducial cross section is also reported. Next-to-leading-order perturbative QCD predictions are compared to the cross-section measurements. The predictions underestimate the measurement of the inclusive fiducial cross section and the differential measurements at low photon transverse energies and invariant masses. They provide adequate descriptions of the measurements at high values of the photon transverse energies, invariant mass of pairs of photons, and invariant mass of the triphoton system. Physics letters / B 781, 55 - 76 (2018). doi:10.1016/j.physletb.2018.03.057 Published by North-Holland Publ., Amsterdam