A Dynamic Route Planning Prototype for Cognitive Cities

A software prototype for dynamic route planning in the travel industry for cognitive cities is presented in this paper. In contrast to existing tools, the prototype enhances the travel experience (i.e., sightseeing) by allowing additional flexibility to the user. The theoretical background of the paper strengthens the understanding of the introduced concepts (e.g., cognitive cities, fuzzy logic, graph databases) to comprehend the presented prototype. The prototype applies an instantiation and enhancement of the graph database Neo4j . For didactical reasons and to strengthen the understanding of this prototype a scenario, applied to route planning in the city of Bern (Switzerland) is shown in the paper.

Strategies to advance translational research into brain barriers

There is a paucity of therapies for most neurological disorders--from rare lysosomal storage diseases to major public health concerns such as stroke and Alzheimer's disease. Advances in the targeting of drugs to the CNS are essential for the future success of neurotherapeutics; however, the delivery of many potentially therapeutic and diagnostic compounds to specific areas of the brain is restricted by the blood-brain barrier, the blood-CSF barrier, or other specialised CNS barriers. These brain barriers are now recognised as a major obstacle to the treatment of most brain disorders. The challenge to deliver therapies to the CNS is formidable, and the solution will require concerted international efforts among academia, government, and industry. At a recent meeting of expert panels, essential and high-priority recommendations to propel brain barrier research forward in six topical areas were developed and these recommendations are presented here.

Economic efficiency analysis of different strategies to control post-weaning multi-systemic wasting syndrome and porcine circovirus type 2 subclinical infection in 3-weekly batch system farms.

The study assessed the economic efficiency of different strategies for the control of post-weaning multi-systemic wasting syndrome (PMWS) and porcine circovirus type 2 subclinical infection (PCV2SI), which have a major economic impact on the pig farming industry worldwide. The control strategies investigated consisted on the combination of up to 5 different control measures. The control measures considered were: (1) PCV2 vaccination of piglets (vac); (2) ensuring age adjusted diet for growers (diets); (3) reduction of stocking density (stock); (4) improvement of biosecurity measures (bios); and (5) total depopulation and repopulation of the farm for the elimination of other major pathogens (DPRP). A model was developed to simulate 5 years production of a pig farm with a 3-weekly batch system and with 100 sows. A PMWS/PCV2SI disease and economic model, based on PMWS severity scores, was linked to the production model in order to assess disease losses. This PMWS severity scores depends on the combination post-weaning mortality, PMWS morbidity in younger pigs and proportion of PCV2 infected pigs observed on farms. The economic analysis investigated eleven different farm scenarios, depending on the number of risk factors present before the intervention. For each strategy, an investment appraisal assessed the extra costs and benefits of reducing a given PMWS severity score to the average score of a slightly affected farm. The net present value obtained for each strategy was then multiplied by the corresponding probability of success to obtain an expected value. A stochastic simulation was performed to account for uncertainty and variability. For moderately affected farms PCV2 vaccination alone was the most cost-efficient strategy, but for highly affected farms it was either PCV2 vaccination alone or in combination with biosecurity measures, with the marginal profitability between 'vac' and 'vac+bios' being small. Other strategies such as 'diets', 'vac+diets' and 'bios+diets' were frequently identified as the second or third best strategy. The mean expected values of the best strategy for a moderately and a highly affected farm were £14,739 and £57,648 after 5 years, respectively. This is the first study to compare economic efficiency of control strategies for PMWS and PCV2SI. The results demonstrate the economic value of PCV2 vaccination, and highlight that on highly affected farms biosecurity measures are required to achieve optimal profitability. The model developed has potential as a farm-level decision support tool for the control of this economically important syndrome.

Potentials and constraints of modeling for transdisciplinary co-producing strategies for sustainable water governance

Both climate change and socio-economic development will significantly modify the supply and consumption of water in future. Consequently, regional development has to face aggravation of existing or emergence of new conflicts of interest. In this context, transdisciplinary co-production of knowledge is considered as an important means for coping with these challenges. Accordingly, the MontanAqua project aims at developing strategies for more sustainable water management in the study area Crans-Montana-Sierre (Switzerland) in a transdisciplinary way. It strives for co-producing system, target and transformation knowledge among researchers, policy makers, public administration and civil society organizations. The research process basically consisted of the following steps: First, the current water situation in the study region was investigated. How much water is available? How much water is being used? How are decisions on water distribution and use taken? Second, participatory scenario workshops were conducted in order to identify the stakeholders’ visions of regional development. Third, the water situation in 2050 was simulated by modeling the evolution of water resources and water use and by reflecting on the institutional aspects. These steps laid ground for jointly assessing the consequences of the stakeholders’ visions of development in view of scientific data regarding governance, availability and use of water in the region as well as developing necessary transformation knowledge. During all of these steps researchers have collaborated with stakeholders in the support group RegiEau. The RegiEau group consists of key representatives of owners, managers, users, and pressure groups related to water and landscape: representatives of the communes (mostly the presidents), the canton (administration and parliament), water management associations, agriculture, viticulture, hydropower, tourism, and landscape protection. The aim of the talk is to explore potentials and constraints of scientific modeling of water availability and use within the process of transdisciplinary co-producing strategies for more sustainable water governance.

Scheduling in service systems: an application in the event-tourism industry

This paper deals with an event-bus tour booked by Bollywood film fans. During the tour, the participants visit selected locations of famous Bollywood films at various sites in Switzerland. Moreover, the tour includes stops for lunch and shopping. Each day, up to five buses operate the tour; for organizational reasons, two or more buses cannot stay at the same location simultaneously. The planning problem is how to compute a feasible schedule for each bus such that the total waiting time (primary objective) and the total travel time (secondary objective) are minimized. We formulate this problem as a mixed-integer linear program, and we report on computational results obtained with the Gurobi solver.

Guidelines for WB3 Part III: Stakeholder workshop 2: Selection and decision on prevention and mitigation strategies to be implemented

These guidelines were developed in the context of working block 3 of the DESIRE project. They address the facilitators in the 18 DESIRE study sites and support them in conducting stakeholder workshops aiming at the selection and decision on mitigation strategies to be implemented in the study site context. The decision-making process is supported by a multi-objective decision support system (MODSS) Software called 'Facilitator'.

A methodology for appraising and selecting strategies to mitigate desertification based on stakeholder participation and global best practices

The main aim of the methodology presented in this paper is to provide a framework for a participatory process for the appraisal and selection of options to mitigate desertification and land degradation. This methodology is being developed within the EU project DESIRE (www.desire-project.eu/) in collaboration with WOCAT (www.wocat.org). It is used to select promising conservation strategies for test-implementation in each of the 16 degradation and desertification hotspot sites in the Mediterranean and around the world. The methodology consists of three main parts: In a first step, prevention and mitigation strategies already applied at the respective DESIRE study site are identified and listed during a workshop with representatives of different stakeholders groups (land users, policy makers, researchers). The participatory and process-oriented approach initiates a mutual learning process among the different stakeholders by sharing knowledge and jointly reflecting on current problems and solutions related to land degradation and desertification. In the second step these identified, locally applied solutions (technologies and approaches) are assessed with the help of the WOCAT methodology. Comprehensive questionnaires and a database system have been developed to document and evaluate all relevant aspects of technical measures as well as implementation approaches by teams of researchers and specialists, together with land users. This research process ensures systematic assessing and piecing together of local information, together with specific details about the environmental and socio-economic setting. The third part consists of another stakeholder workshop where promising strategies for sustainable land management in the given context are selected, based on the best practices database of WOCAT, including the evaluated locally applied strategies at the DESIRE sites. These promising strategies will be assessed with the help of a selection and decision support tool and adapted for test-implementation at the study site.

Guidelines for WB3 Part I: Desertification and land degradation: Identification of existing and potential prevention and mitigation strategies

These guidelines are a working instrument for conducting and moderating stakeholder workshops with a participatory approach to initiate a mutual learning process among local and external stakeholders. The overall aim of the workshop is to identify promising (existing and potential) strategies for land and water conservation for the selected study site. DESIRE (Desertification Mitigation and Remediation of Land) is a European Integrated Project. The DESIRE WB 3 methodology was developed by CDE and is based on experiences from Learning for Sustainability (LforS) and WOCAT.

Guidelines for WB3 Part II: Assessment of conservation strategies

These guidelines are a working instrument for the assessment and documentation of existing and potential strategies for land and water conservation (prevention and mitigation strategies) in DESIRE study sites. DESIRE (Desertification Mitigation and Remediation of Land) is a European Integrated Project. The DESIRE WB 3 methodology was developed by CDE and is based on experiences from Learning for Sustainability (LforS) and WOCAT.

Linking soil properties and pre-Columbian agricultural strategies in the Bolivian lowlands: The case of raised fields in Exaltación

This paper aims to further our understanding of pre-Columbian agricultural systems in the Llanos de Moxos, Bolivia. Three different types of raised fields co-existing in the same site near the community of Exaltación, in north-western Beni, were studied. The morphology, texture and geochemistry of the soils of these fields and the surrounding area were analysed. Differences in field design have often been associated with the diversity of cultural practices. Our results suggest that in the study area differences in field shape, height and layout are primarily the result of an adaptation to the local edaphology. By using the technology of raised fields, pre-Columbian people were able to drain and cultivate soils with very different characteristics, making the land suitable for agriculture and possibly different crops. This study also shows that some fields in the Llanos de Moxos were built to prolong the presence of water, allowing an additional cultivation period in the dry season and/or in times of drought. Nevertheless, the nature of the highly weathered soils suggests that raised fields were not able to support large populations and their management required long fallow periods.