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Bosch opens Internet of Things garage in Bengaluru

Robert Bosch Engineering and Business Solutions (RBEI) launched Internet of Things (IoT) garage in Electronic City, Bengaluru, to offer enterprises a full stack IoT implementation capability.




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Covid-19: Cloud native enterprises see an edge over competitors

While the cloud was seen as a good technology to adopt until some time ago, it has now become a must in order to navigate through these challenging times. Companies that are 100 percent on the cloud have been able to transition far more rapidly than others, making them more agile than their peers.




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Indian IT leans on govt spends, managed services as deals slow

IT advisory IDC estimates that domestic IT spending will decline 4.5% to $55.5 billion this fiscal




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How AI and ML is transforming the fintech landscape

We have already crossed the AI Rubicon, and the future lies in the symbiosis of machine and human intelligence.




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India witnesses 40% increase in peak Internet traffic: Report

There was significant spike in downloads and uploads per user, owing to the high volume of work and streaming content across India.




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Finance Specialist

Are you a payroll or accounting professional, with outstanding customer services skills, looking to work in a team oriented, customer-focused environment?  Catawba County is seeking a full-time Finance Specialist to process all payroll functions, implement PeopleSoft Tax updates, quarterly reports, annual W-2, monthly retirement reports and bi-weekly payments to vendors.  




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Eligibility Specialist II (IMC II) - FNS

Are you a self- directed, organized individual who would thrive multi-tasking in a fast paced office environment?  Do you desire to help others who cannot afford the cost of food?   Catawba County Social Services is recruiting for an Eligibility Specialist II to determine eligibility for public assistance/economic services programs, specifically for Food and Nutrition Services (FNS).
 




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Modular data centres eliminate the need for specialised support skillsets: Opinion

Modular data centres are attractive options to power next-gen applications such as Internet of Things (IoT), industrial process control and smart cities. Radical edge computing possibilities are on offer.




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Indian companies operating data centres ramp up capacity

The data centre market, currently pegged at around $4 billion, is likely to grow to $7 billion by 2020 or 2022, say industry players.




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STT GDC India opens 15th data centre facility

This expansion adds up to 15 data centres under STT GDC India’s ownership and management, and increases the power capacity to more than 90 megawatt of critical IT load across eight cities, further strengthening its market-leading position, said the company.




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How DBS Bank India impacts various aspects of banking through technology

DBS Bank is leveraging technology to reduce man hours, enhance the customer journey, automate processes and open new revenue streams.




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Hyper-personalization to emerge a true winner in AI in 2020

As more businesses yield the benefits of NLP-powered analytics and conversational interfaces, demand for single-vendor solutions will increase.




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Enabling business outcomes at the speed of innovation

To help IT leaders find the right balance between IT infrastructure and right workload, ETCIO.com, in association with Dell Technologies and AMD, organised two-city panel discussions for top CIOs.




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Successful re-introduction of waterfowl depends on month of release

New EU-funded research has provided useful guidelines for re-introducing threatened species, using a waterfowl case study. The Spanish researchers developed a method for deciding the best time of year to release the species into their original habitat.




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Irrigation threatening steppe birds in Mediterranean wetlands

Intensive irrigation of agricultural land in a Mediterranean water basin is altering the habitats of associated wetlands and changing the balance of the bird population living there, according to a recent study.




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Bioshields - coastal protection or harmful alien species?

Planting vegetation to protect coasts from natural disasters, such as tsunamis and cyclones, may damage native ecosystems, according to a new study. As there is also questionable evidence on the effectiveness of these 'bioshields', the study suggested a re-think on coastal vegetation policy and research.




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Dispelling myths around ecosystem service projects

A new study has compared conservation projects that focus on promoting only biodiversity with projects that focus on promoting both biodiversity and ecosystem services. The results dispel several myths surrounding ecosystem service projects and indicate they are as effective at addressing threats to biodiversity as their biodiversity counterparts.




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Mapping Europe's potential to provide ecosystem goods and services

New Europe-wide maps show the potential of landscapes to provide ecosystem goods and services over the next 20-30 years.




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Biodiversity model includes indirect impact of harvesting wild species

Researchers have developed a new model to estimate the impact of harvesting wild species and land use change on biodiversity. Unlike previous models, it considers the indirect effect of harvesting or pest control on landscape structure through reducing the variety of species.




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How effective are tradable permits for biodiversity conservation?

Tradable permits have been proposed as a flexible instrument to integrate biodiversity conservation and economic development. New research indicates that permits are not a universal solution, but do have potential in certain economic and ecological situations.




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More long-term ecosystem research needed in parts of Europe

Europe needs long-term ecosystem research (LTER) to support environmental management and fulfil its commitments to international policy. A new study has assessed the distribution of European LTER activities and indicated that urban and disturbed areas are consistently under-represented, as are Mediterranean zones.




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European river restoration projects need to widen their scope

A new study of European river restoration projects has indicated that their impact on the physical characteristics of rivers depends on the region, river type and restoration approach. However, regardless of the river, region or approach, impacts on the biodiversity of riverbed species is limited. Larger scale projects could be more effective.




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Restoring European grasslands takes more than just sowing seeds

Using commercial seed mixtures to replant European grasslands tends to produce a smaller range of species than originally grew on the land. New research has identified several methods that successfully reproduce the original range of species, such as transferring of fresh hay or soil that contains seeds.




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Wealthier European regions have more alien species

Wealthier, more populated regions of Europe are more likely to have greater numbers of invasive alien species, according to researchers. A new study has indicated that human factors are more influential in encouraging alien invasions than the climate or whether the species are introduced to an island or a mainland region.




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Best agri-environmental measures for four endangered bird species

New research has found a consensus amongst experts on which environmentally friendly agricultural practices are most effective at protecting four endangered birds in Spain. Experts agreed that maintaining fallow land, preventing the use of agrochemicals and stopping agricultural practices that disrupted nesting were the most valuable measures.




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Temperate ponds will have more species as the climate warms

Ponds are considered to be ideal early warning systems that can be used to assess the effects of climate change at the local level. A recent study suggests warmer temperatures are likely to significantly increase the number of species found in ponds in temperate areas, especially at high altitudes. However, despite an overall increase, some species would also become extinct.




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Biodiversity benefits of organic farming could depend on context

Organic farming has often been found to have benefits for biodiversity, but the benefits can depend on the individual species and landscape in question. Research on vine farming in Italy suggests that the impact of organic methods on the number or diversity of pollinating insects may depend on local context. For example, the lack of connectivity between organic vine farms may limit benefits in some circumstances.




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Mosquito pesticide causes knock on problems for birds

Pesticides that kill mosquitoes could have indirect effects on other species, according to researchers. The study indicated that a well-known mosquito insecticide led to reduced numbers of eggs and chick survival for house martin birds.




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National lists of endangered species need better global coverage

National lists of threatened species contribute to the monitoring of biodiversity, but new research has discovered a lack of these lists in certain countries, such as Pacific Island states, and for certain groups of wildlife, such as invertebrates. Targeted financial support, better knowledge sharing and standard systems of data collection could help bridge these gaps.




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New method estimates time lag in spread of invasive species

Researchers have developed a new scientific method to estimate the time lag between the introduction of an alien species and its extensive spread. For New Zealand weed species, the study estimated that the average lag was around 20-30 years. Although this may seem to be a long time, seemingly rare but fast-spreading species could become tomorrow's harmful weeds.




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Implementing Natura 2000: Dutch and Italian experiences

A study of how the Natura 2000 network was implemented in the Netherlands and in Italy has been conducted. From this analysis, recommendations have been made to help other EU Member States implement and manage the network, which include providing local authorities with better information on and understanding of Natura 2000 and how to balance ecological, social and economic needs.




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Humans are increasingly dependent on nature

Humans are more dependent upon ecosystem services and biodiversity than ever before, according to researchers. A new study has demonstrated that human well-being derived from three major ecosystem services has been increasing in 152 countries, particularly in countries considered to be biodiversity hotspots.




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Current economic activity leaves an alien species 'invasion debt'

Past economic activity is more likely to explain the current pattern of biological invasions across Europe than recent human activities, according to a new study. It can take several decades before a newly introduced species becomes established and spreads, which may mean that recent invasions caused by current economic activities could create an 'invasion debt' for future generations.




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Organic farming can benefit birds in agricultural landscapes

A recent study has examined the effects of different farming practices on bird numbers and species found on farmland during the winter in six European countries. Overall, the greatest number of birds and species were on organic farms, especially when the farms were in landscapes where 80-99 per cent of the land was used for agriculture.




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The trade-offs of tradable permits to protect biodiversity

Tradable permits can be used to conserve biodiversity by allowing habitat destruction only when a permit has been acquired through the restoration of another habitat. New research has indicated that the costs of conservation, amount of habitat turnover and time lags in restoration all influence the efficiency of the permit market.




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Climate change will alter the structure of Europe's tree of life

Climate change will cause widespread biodiversity loss in Europe, but is unlikely to wipe out entire groups of closely related species, according to a new study. The researchers made their predictions using cutting edge modelling techniques to assess the impact of climate change on the "tree of life".




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Public priorities for conservation revealed in European survey

Conservation efforts should focus on species that have recently declined in number, are harmless or are perceived as high value, according to a European public survey. Participants also felt that disappearing habitats should be targeted for protection. The results suggest that, by choosing different criteria that more closely match the public's values and criteria, conservationists could improve public support for their work.




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Citizens encouraged to help monitor wild bird species

The public can help assess the human impact on wild birds through amateur 'citizen science' networks, according to new research. Scientists evaluated the suitability of data collected by amateur bird-watchers for long-term monitoring of European bird populations. Their findings suggest that citizen data may significantly improve the accuracy of existing official survey methods, as well as help increase public awareness of wild bird conservation.




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Biofuel crops compete with wildflowers for bees

Pollination of intensively farmed, flowering crops could affect the pollination of wild plants in neighbouring fields, according to a study by German researchers. In their one-year study, they found fewer bees visited wild plants that are close to oilseed rape fields, although the longer-term picture is less clear. The researchers warn that increasing cultivation of biofuel crops could possibly reduce wild flower populations.




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Biodiversity loss: prevention is cheaper than cure

A proactive approach to biodiversity loss ??? where conservation of a species starts before it becomes endangered ??? could save millions of euros compared to the cost of recovering a population already in serious decline, according to new research.




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Predicting the spread of the tiger mosquito in Europe

Researchers have identified areas of Italy that have a climate capable of sustaining a population of tiger mosquitoes, an invasive mosquito species that can carry several human diseases. The findings also indicate how these areas will expand as the climate changes in future.




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Are threatened European plant species conserved in seed banks?

A new European study has assessed whether seed banks are successfully conserving European plant species threatened by extinction. The findings indicate that threatened species are only partly conserved by seed banks, and that these facilities need to focus their future efforts on filling gaps in their collections.




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New holistic method for assessing Natura 2000 landscapes

High quality landscape assessments of areas protected under the Natura 2000 network are critical for effective long-term management plans. In a recent study, scientists have presented a integrated assessment of a Natura 2000 site in Sicily, Italy, which not only considers preservation of environmental features, as required by Natura 2000, but also human features, such as places of historical interest or industrial activity.




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Intensive farming methods affect birds and plants in Europe

Intensive farming methods have simplified landscapes across Europe, leading to a loss of biodiversity. A recent study has investigated the effects of intensive farming on plants, beetles and birds in Western European regions and found that plants and birds are particularly affected.




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'Effective mesh density': a useful measure of landscape fragmentation

Transport infrastructure and urban sprawl are increasingly dividing up landscapes in Europe, threatening wildlife. A new report has quantified landscape fragmentation across 28 European countries. To prevent further negative environmental impacts, it recommends protecting unfragmented areas, monitoring fragmentation and applying fragmentation analysis in planning.




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Habitat quality is better than quantity for species survival

A new study suggests that improving the quality of existing wildlife habitat is more important than creating new habitat, when attempting to counteract the negative effects of climate change on species survival. This suggests that resources would be better directed towards habitat rehabilitation and reforestation than building new habitat features.




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Data on alien species in need of standardisation

A new study has identified several differences between two major European databases on alien species, which could be communicating mixed messages for biodiversity policymakers. Researchers recommend creating a single pan-European database to address these differences.




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Gardens benefit bees and biodiversity in agricultural landscapes

Gardens are good for biodiversity, according to a study of intensively managed farmland in Sweden. The study has found that abundance and species richness of pollinating bees is higher near domestic gardens, with the pollination of a native plant also greater at these sites. Domestic gardens play a role in complementing 'natural' habitats for pollinators in impoverished environments.




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Birds and butterflies fail to follow climate change temperature rise

As the climate changes, animal species are predicted to adapt by moving northwards so they can remain within their preferred temperature range. Now, researchers have found that bird and butterfly populations are not keeping up with changing temperatures and, on average, European bird and butterfly species lag around 212km and 135km, respectively, behind climate changes.




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How to attract PES investment from businesses?

A new study has looked at why and how much private sector companies are prepared to invest in Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) schemes for tropical forests. Understanding companies' motivations and expectations can help develop new sources of funding for PES schemes from the private sector, increasing the area of tropical forest conserved worldwide.