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Chinese hacking group targeting governments across Asia: Report

The group has been very active during the last five years, especially in 2019-20.




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Value-driven Indian firms to sustain as pandemic impact to last till early 2021

As Indian firms realign their focus on revenue growth, they need to leverage customer and market behaviour to place their bets on long-term, sustainable growth, a new report said.




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Covid-19 Impact: Demand for data centers surge as remote working catches up

The emergence of new business environment in the wake of Covid-19 is expected to boost cloud services and digitisation as companies overhaul their digital infrastructure to deal with new ways of working, they said.




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Accenture says Unacademy hack has no impact on its data

"Accenture has no professional relationship with Unacademy, and any implication or assertion otherwise is erroneous. Accenture has suffered no data breach or loss of any records or client information as a result of this incident," Accenture said in a statement.




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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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Pune labour commissioner asks Wipro to respond to complaint on employee salary cuts

NITES, said that this went against the government guidelines of not firing people or cutting salaries during the pandemic.




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Amazon beefs up cloud business, data centre infrastructure in India

Amazon is beefing up its data centre infrastructure and cloud services business in India as the clamour around data localisation grows louder everyday.




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Covid-19 Impact: Demand for data centers surge as remote working catches up

The emergence of new business environment in the wake of Covid-19 is expected to boost cloud services and digitisation as companies overhaul their digital infrastructure to deal with new ways of working, they said.




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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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ML finds use cases at IDBI Bank

Inderpal Singh Kalra, ED-IT and Digital Banking & Emerging Payments at IDBI Bank throws light on three crucial solutions that leverage ML to manage risk.




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Tech trends which are transforming the fashion retail sector

India has tried its hands out in 4.0 technologies to pace up with the rapidly changing retail landscape. The use of AI, ML and data analytics has increased which are being used in functions like BOPIS, Click & Collect and Self-Kiosk.




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The tech behind Titan’s 99% accurate sales forecasting

In an interaction with ETCIO, Krishnan Venkateswaran, Chief Digital & Information Officer, Titan, explains how augmented intelligence and machine learning are being leveraged for innovating design & creativity in the company.




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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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World's largest digital biodiversity database

The world's most comprehensive digital biodiversity database has been developed, enabling access to over 177 million records. However, over two-thirds of the records are from just three countries: the USA, Sweden and the UK, and focus on certain groups such as birds. Changes in policy and funding could help widen the scope of the data.




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Coastal structures change marine ecosystems

The urbanisation of coastal areas and introduction of man-made structures, such as jetties and seawalls, are changing marine environments. A new analysis highlights the impacts of these changes on marine plants and animals and suggests options to manage the detrimental effects.




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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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The importance of social and political context for classifying ecosystem services

It is important to have a single definition of 'ecosystem services', but a single classification scheme for services is not appropriate, according to researchers. There are many contexts in which ecosystem services can be used and the context should help to determine which classification scheme is the most appropriate for decision making.




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New method assesses vulnerability of amphibians to climate change

New research has identified the areas in the Western hemisphere where climate change may have the greatest impacts on amphibians. Alongside traditional methods to predict shifts in geographical ranges, it mapped species with particularly restricted ranges and identified areas most likely to receive less precipitation in the future.




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BioScore tool assesses biodiversity impacts of biofuel plantations

Researchers have developed a new cost-effective tool to assess the impact of policy on biodiversity at a European scale. The study used it to assess the policy of expanding woody biofuel plantations in the EU, which indicated that 28 per cent of wild species would be negatively affected and 10 per cent would experience beneficial effects.




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Keeping historical records of protected areas

A new internet-based tool for tracking the changing boundaries of nature protected areas has been developed for Catalonia, which the researchers say could be used to help evaluate conservation in the Natura 2000 network.




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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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Hunting and fishing quotas should be used with care

Quotas on the hunting or fishing of wildlife may be worsening the problem they seek to address. A new study has predicted cycles in wildlife population sizes over time and indicates that quota systems, introduced in response to declining numbers of wildlife, do not respond quickly or accurately enough to changes in population size and may put wildlife at greater risk.




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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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Environmental diagnosis for Natura 2000 forest areas

A recent study has developed a method of diagnosing the environmental condition of wildlife habitats in forest areas. This allows biodiversity conservation to be integrated into the planning and management of the European-wide Natura 2000 nature protection areas.




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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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A Census of Marine Life: measuring and understanding biodiversity

A global team of marine biologists have recently completed a Census of Marine Life, which contributes to our basic understanding of marine ecosystems. Among its findings - marine biodiversity in the Baltic and Mediterranean are among the most threatened globally.




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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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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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Monitoring the restoration of coastal and estuarine ecosystems

Restoring ecosystems in estuaries and along coasts is an important part of European environmental policy. A new analysis of degraded ecosystems has indicated that, although some restoration can take less than five years, when there has been a century of degradation, it can take a minimum of 15-25 years.




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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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Little Bustard: case study for modelling conservation costs

A new model, named OUTOPIE could help design more effective agri-environmental schemes. The model links the farm, field and landscape levels to allow a more accurate assessment of the costs of enrolling specific fields in conservation schemes. Using the model, the researchers were able to assess the cost-effectiveness of different policies for the conservation of the Little Bustard bird (Tetrax tetrax) in France.




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Simple re-seeding projects can triple grassland biodiversity

Researchers have recommended new, improved ways of increasing the ecological value of European grasslands. Plant diversity ??? or species richness ??? can be increased by a factor of three through sowing grass and wildflower seed mixtures, together with a carefully controlled plan for animal grazing.




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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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Set-aside land improves farmland biodiversity in Hungary

Setting aside agricultural land remains an important method of promoting biodiversity in Central Europe, according to new Hungarian research. Results have indicated that, compared to winter cereal fields, set-aside land has greater plant and insect diversity. This supports the continuing use of set-aside policy in Central and Eastern Europe.




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Increasing green infrastructure ecosystem services in urban areas

A new model has been developed that could help metropolitan areas adapt to climate change by increasing ecosystem services provided by green spaces and farmland through calculating the percentage of evapotranspiring surface for different types of land use and the degree of fragmentation between ecosystems. To demonstrate how it works, researchers have applied this 'land use suitability strategy' model to an Italian municipality.




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More rigorous studies needed to evaluate impact of invasive birds

Conservation researchers have warned against acting on the findings of a previous study that argued for the eradication of several invasive birds, including the Canada goose and sacred ibis, in Europe. They suggest the results are based on anecdotal rather than scientific evidence, and that detailed feasibility studies are needed before such management decisions are made.




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More than protected areas needed to stop biodiversity loss

One strategy to halt the loss of biodiversity has been to create protected areas in the sea and on land. However, a new study suggests that unless additional measures are taken, particularly those that tackle human population growth and the increased use of natural resources, even the development of new protected areas will be unable to reverse the trend of global biodiversity loss.




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Seeded ryegrass feeds farmland birds throughout winter

A recent study has found one means of complementing agricultural production with biodiversity protection by growing seeded ryegrass for silage. The seeds effectively feed many birds, such as the yellowhammer and reed bunting, throughout the winter, and the grass can still be cost-effectively used for silage if it is harvested at the right time.




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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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Fragmented forests and grasslands: plant sensitivity to habitat loss

A new study exploring the sensitivity of grassland and forest plants to decreasing habitat size and isolation in north-central Europe concludes that an irreversible shift in the most dominant plant species may already be underway in forests and grassland, where forests are more vulnerable than grasslands.




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Fracking: a serious concern for surface water as well as groundwater

While the ecological impact of shale gas exploration and extraction on groundwater has received considerable attention, the implications for surface water and terrestrial ecosystems is often overlooked, according to a new US study. Although more data are needed, preliminary results suggest that regulations based on proximity to surface water could be necessary to protect valuable ecosystems.




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Invasive alien plants threaten Antarctic biodiversity

According to new research, several areas of the Antarctic are at considerable risk from the establishment of 'alien' plants accidentally carried by visitors to the region. The findings demonstrate that invasive species pose risks even in remote areas and that these risks are likely to increase as the climate changes.




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Lyme disease ticks more prevalent in deciduous forests

Ticks that are able to transmit Lyme disease are more abundant in deciduous oak forests than pine forests, according to a study conducted in Belgium, which provides an example of how landscape can influence human health. To help prevent tick attacks and the incidence of Lyme disease, the researchers suggest increased efforts are needed to raise public awareness of control measures, such as protective clothing and repellants.




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Environmentally-harmful fungal diseases on the rise

Scientists have called for tighter biosecurity measures to reduce the growing threat to biodiversity, food security and ecosystems from fungal infections. Their study reveals that fungal disease outbreaks are on the rise around the world, and will cause further damage unless urgent steps are taken to restrict their unintentional spread through international trade and transport.




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Areas surrounding tropical forest nature reserves also need protection

To preserve rich biodiversity in protected areas of tropical forests, safeguarding the surrounding area can be just as important as safeguarding the park or reserve itself. This is according to a new study, which assessed the ecological health of 60 protected areas across the tropics.




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Rewilding as an option for abandoned farmland

Leaving land to return to its wild state could be beneficial for abandoned farmland, according to a new study. The researchers argue that 'rewilding' provides valuable ecosystem benefits and in certain cases could be a more achievable goal than maintaining traditional agriculture in areas of Europe where rural populations are declining.




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Invasive alien slug could spread further with climate change

A recent study sheds light on why some alien species are more likely to become invasive than others. The research in Switzerland found that the alien Spanish slug is better able to survive under changing environmental conditions than the native Black slug, thanks to its robust 'Jack-of-all-trades' nature.




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Choice of tree species and site can increase plant diversity in plantation forest

Careful choice of tree species and sites could transform plantations into refuges for woodland plant diversity, new research from Ireland suggests. Plantations of native species on or near historic woodland and those with adequate light levels below the tree canopy were found to support more plant species.




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Ecosystem-based adaptation provides promising approach

The advantages of soft ecosystem-based climate change adaptation over hard infrastructure-based approaches are becoming increasingly recognised. A new analysis highlights these advantages and calls for more effort to improve our understanding of ecosystem-based adaptation's (EbA) effectiveness.




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Increased biodiversity decreases the spread

Decreasing biodiversity in an ecosystem can increase the spread of disease, research suggests. Researchers studying amphibian communities in natural wetland ecosystems as well as controlled experiments have shown that as diversity increased, infection rates dropped.