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Under the increasing global energy demand, the new European Union Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 encourages combinations of energy production systems compatible with biodiversity conservation; however, in photovoltaic parks, panels shadowing the effects on soil health and biodiversity are still unknown. This study (location: Northern Italy) aimed to evaluate the effect of ground-mounted photovoltaic (GMPV) systems on soil arthropod biodiversity, considering two parks with different vegetation management: site 1—grassland mowed with tractor; site 2—grassland managed with sheep and donkeys. Three conditions were identified in each park: under photovoltaic panel (row), between the panel rows (inter-row), and around the photovoltaic plant (control). The soil pH and organic matter (SOM), soil arthropod community, biodiversity, and soil quality index (e.g., QBS-ar index) were characterised. Differences between the two GMPVs were mainly driven by the SOM content (higher values where grazing animals were present). No differences were observed in site 1, even if a high heterogeneity of results was observed for the soil biodiversity parameters under the panels. In site 2, SOM and pH, as well as arthropods biodiversity and QBS-ar, showed low values in the row. Soil fauna assemblages were also affected by ground-mounted panels, where Acarina, Collembola, Hymenoptera, and Hemiptera showed the lowest density in the row. This study suggests that ground-mounted solar panels had significant effects on below-ground soil fauna, and was more marked depending on the system management. Furthermore, the results obtained for the inter-row were similar to the control, suggesting that the area between the panel rows could be considered a good hotspot for soil biodiversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This is the problem of the 8th International Experimental Physics Olympiad (EPO8). The task of the EPO8 is to determine Planck constant ħ = h/2p using the given set-up with LED. If you have an idea how to do it, do it and send us the result; skip the reading of the detailed step by step instructions with increasing difficulties. We expect the participants to follow the suggested items – they are instructive for physics education in general. Only the reading of historical remarks given in the first section can be omitted during the Olympiad without loss of generality. Participants should try solving as much tasks as they can without paying attention to the age categories: give your best. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Byline: Andrea Rangone, Raffaello Balocco, Paolo Bassani, Matteo Conforti Andreoni The belief that the internet may have a deep impact on the competitiveness of traditional enterprises (incumbents) and may cause major changes from several points of view (processes, market relations, collaboration, etc.) has created the need for an integrated and coordinated approach to e-business projects the internet strategy. The aim of this paper is therefore to propose a reference framework to support managers in traditional enterprises in the different stages of internet strategy definition. The framework is divided into logical, non-sequential, but closely inter-linked steps typical of the strategic decision-making process, i.e. external analysis, internal analysis, e-strategic intent definition and e-business project selection. The proposed framework is applied to a case study (Electric Corporation) to help the reader comprehend and appreciate the deep impact that e-business choices may have on company competitiveness.

We developed "Family Pathology", a Web-based system that allows recording and evaluating the clinical data of a patient and his/her relatives. The goal is to enable a physician to identify not only an occurred disease and the prescribed medications, but also its possible recurrence within the patients family in order to highlight possible genealogical pathologies and risk factors.