bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Nexus between government agricultural expenditures and agricultural credit: The role of sustainable agricultural growth and sustainable agricultural income
Authors: Latief Rashid , Zhang Lei
Published: December 2023

This study aims to analyze the effects of fiscal expenditures by the government on agricultural credit by considering the mediating role of sustainable agricultural growth and sustainable agricultural income. This study uses panel data from 31 Chinese provinces for the period 2009–2021. For in‐depth analysis, the sample is divided into different regions ‐ eastern, central, and western. For the empirical estimations, the ordinary least squares (OL), fixed effect (FE), random effect (RE), two‐way fixed effect (FE), and two‐stage least‐squares (2SLS) methods are employed. The results of the study demonstrate a significantly positive connection between governmental agricultural expenditures (GAEs) and agricultural credit (AC). The findings of the mediation analysis highlight a significantly positive mediating role of sustainable agricultural income in the association between GAEs and AC. The results of the regional analysis reveal a positive connection between GAEs and AC in all regions. It is recommended that government should increase its investment in the agriculture sector through both direct and indirect means of fiscal support, it can improve the agricultural income of farmers at a sustainable level and the repayment ability of farmers and rural households, and it can make their easy access to AC from banks and other financial institutions.
Crystallographic, Electric and Optical Analysis of Cs1+ Doped H3PW12O40 Nanocrystalline Thin Films Deposited by Microwave Assisted Chemical Bath Deposition Method
Authors: Patil Prashant B. , Patil Bajarang B. , Shinde Tukaram J. , Mane Sambhaji R.
Published: December 2023

The polyoxometalates like phosphotungstic acid (PTA) (H3PW12O40) and Cesium (Cs+) doped phosphotungstic acid (Cs‐PTA) (Cs3‐PW12O40) nanocrystalline thin films were effectively deposited by microwave assisted chemical bath deposition (MA‐CBD) technique. The structural characterization of microwave aided H3PW12O40 and Cs3‐PW12O40 thin films were done by Thermo gravimetric (TG) and Differential thermal analysis (DTA) techniques, X‐ray diffractometry (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Energy dispersive X‐ray analysis (EDAX). The TGDTA analysis revealed that the complete decomposition process of Cs‐PTA compound is carried out at 600 °C and which is comparatively lower than that of other chemical method. The X‐ray diffractogram confirms the polycrystalline nature of the synthesized H3PW12O40 and Cs3‐PW12O40 thin films having spinel cubic crystal structure. The lattice parameter of H3PW12O40 and Cs3‐PW12O40 compound found to be in the range of 11.34 Å to 11.46 Å. The main absorption peaks observed nearly 800, 1000 and 1100 cm−1 confirms the formation of H3PW12O40 and Cs3‐PW12O40 materials. The porous structure of nanocrystalline spherical grains morphology of H3PW12O40 and Cs3‐PW12O40 films were confirmed from SEM analysis. An appropriate peaks of metal ions like P, W, O and Cs observed in EDAX spectra shows the stoichiometric formation of H3PW12O40 and Cs3‐PW12O40 thin films.
Low‐cost porous carbon materials prepared from peanut red peels for novel zinc‐ion hybrid capacitors
Authors: Sun Zhichao , Jiao Xinyu , Chu Siyu , Li Zijiong
Published: December 2023

Zinc‐ion hybrid capacitors combine the advantages of supercapacitors and batteries and are a promising electrochemical energy storage device. In order to meet the demand for materials with higher energy density and longer cycle time, there is an urgent need to find a zinc‐ion supercapacitor cathode material with lower cost and better electrochemical performance. In this experiment, low‐cost agricultural peanut red skin waste was converted into biomass‐derived carbon material (PSR‐X) with high specific surface area, larger pore volume, and more homogeneous pore size distribution through carbonisation and KOH activation. Due to the interaction of these properties, PSR‐X as the cathode material has higher specific capacity and better multiplicity performance than the zinc‐ion capacitor prepared from the initial carbonised PSR as the cathode material. In addition, the PSR‐4‐based zinc‐ion capacitor has an excellent specific capacity of 86 mAh g−1 at a current density of 0.1 A g−1, a high capacity retention of 55 % even at a high current density of 30 A g−1, and a high energy density of 66.16 Wh kg−1 at a power density of 218.1 W kg−1. What is more gratifying is that the capacitor exhibits an ultra‐long cycle life, with a high capacity retention rate of 85 % after 8,000 charge/discharge cycles at a current density of 1 A g−1.
Supply‐side inducements and resource redeployment in multiunit firms
Authors: Chauvin Jasmina , Poliquin Christopher
Published: December 2023

Research Summary

We examine to what extent and when multiunit firms internally redeploy managers between units. While theory has emphasized how changes in demand conditions affect redeployment, we argue that optimal internal resource allocation involves consideration of both demand and each unit's resource supply. We formalize this argument, showing how redeployment arises from “supply‐side inducements”—return advantages in new over existing resource uses resulting from changes in resource supply. Empirical tests using manager deaths as an exogenous, supply‐side shock to firms' resource stocks support our arguments, showing that firms frequently redeploy resources away from better‐endowed and toward negatively affected units. Incorporating supply‐side inducements into redeployment theory implies additional value‐creation opportunities from redeployment and carries novel predictions for the direction of intra‐firm resource flows.

Managerial Summary

Firms continuously decide how to allocate valuable resources—such as their most productive workers, unique inputs, or machinery—among different units. We argue that to optimally allocate such resources, managers must respond to changes in both the demand environment and in the resource stock of different units. When some units successfully accumulate resources while others suffer adverse shocks, opportunity exists to improve efficiency by internally redeploying resources. Counterintuitively, optimal redeployment frequently involves shifting resources away from successful, well‐endowed units. New business units, being resource‐poor, are often the most important recipients of resources. Empirical analyses studying how firms allocate managers in a large sample of Brazilian firms offer support for these arguments.
A Dynamically Stable Sulfide Electrolyte Architecture for High‐Performance All‐Solid‐State Lithium Metal Batteries
Authors: Wang Xinyang , Jiang Wei , Zhu Xinxin , Li Siyuan , Zhang Shichao , Wu Qian , Zhang Jiahui , Zhong Wei , Zhao Shu , Cheng Hao , Tan Yuanzhong , Ling Min , Lu Yingying
Published: December 2023

All‐solid‐state batteries employing sulfide solid electrolyte and Li metal anode are promising because of their high safety and energy densities. However, the interface between Li metal and sulfides suffers from catastrophic instability which stems the practical use. Here, a dynamically stable sulfide electrolyte architecture to construct the hierarchy of interface stability is reported. By rationally designing the multilayer structures of sulfide electrolytes, the dynamic decomposing‐alloying process from MS4 (M = Ge or Sn) unit in sulfide interlayer can significantly prohibit Li dendrite penetration is revealed. The abundance of highly electronic insulating decompositions, such as Li2S, at the sulfide interlayer interface helps to well constrain the dynamic decomposition process and preserve the long‐term polarization stability is also highlighted. By using Li6PS5Cl||Li10SnP2S12||Li6PS5Cl electrolyte architecture, Li metal anode shows an unprecedented critical current density over 3 mA cm−2 and achieves the steady over‐potential for ≈900 hours. Based upon the merits, the Li||LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2 battery delivers a remarkable 75.3% retention even after 600 cycles at 1 C (1C–0.95 mA cm−2) under a low stack pressure of 15 MPa.
Photothermal Ferrotherapy – Induced Immunogenic Cell Death via Iron‐Based Ternary Chalcogenide Nanoparticles Against Triple‐Negative Breast Cancer
Authors: Wu Qiang , Li Zhuoyuan , Zhou Xin , Wei Zhewei , Ramadan Sami , Xu Yunsheng , Xu Lizhou , Li Danyang
Published: December 2023

Triple‐negative breast cancer (TNBC) is highly malignant and prone to recurrence and metastasis. Patients with TNBC have limited therapeutic options, often resulting in poor prognosis. Some new treatments for TNBC have been considered in the past decade, such as immunotherapy, photothermal therapy (PTT), and ferroptosis therapy, that allow the rapid and minimally invasive ablation of cancer. However, a multifunctional nanodrug system with more potent efficacy for TNBC is still needed. The use of iron‐based ternary chalcogenide nanoparticles (NPs), namely AgFeS2, is reported, which synergistically combines photothermal therapy, ferrotherapy, and immunotherapy in one system for the treatment of TNBC. AgFeS2 possesses excellent photothermal conversion performance for tumor near‐infrared (NIR) phototherapy. Upon photoirradiation, these NPs generate heat, accelerate the release of iron ions, and effectively catalyze the Fenton reaction, resulting in cell apoptosis and ferroptosis. Additionally, AgFeS2 promotes the release of tumor‐specific antigens and triggers an immune response via immunogenic cell death (ICD), thereby providing unique synergistic mechanisms for cancer therapy. The present study demonstrates the great potential of iron‐based ternary chalcogenide as a new therapeutic platform for a combination of photothermal therapy, ferrotherapy, and immunotherapy for the suppression of TNBC.
In‐Induced Electronic Structure Modulations of Bi─O Active Sites for Selective Carbon Dioxide Electroreduction to Liquid Fuel in Strong Acid
Authors: Chen Wei , Chen Rongzhen , Jiang Yuhang , Wang Yating , Zhu Yihua , Li Yuhang , Li Chunzhong
Published: December 2023

The formation of carbonate in neutral/alkaline solutions leads to carbonate crossover, severely reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) single pass conversion efficiency (SPCE). Thus, CO2 electrolysis is a prospective route to achieve high CO2 utilization under acidic environment. Bimetallic Bi‐based catalysts obtained utilizing metal doping strategies exhibit enhanced CO2‐to‐formic acid (HCOOH) selectivity in alkaline/neutral media. However, achieving high HCOOH selectivity remains challenging in acidic media. To this end, Indium (In) doped Bi2O2CO3 via hydrothermal method is prepared for in‐situ electroreduction to In‐Bi/BiOx nanosheets for acidic CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR). In doping strategy regulates the electronic structure of Bi, promoting the fast derivatization of Bi2O2CO3 into Bi‐O active sites to enhance CO2RR catalytic activity. The optimized Bi2O2CO3‐derived catalyst achieves the maximum HCOOH faradaic efficiency (FE) of 96% at 200 mA cm−2. The SPCE for HCOOH production in acid is up to 36.6%, 2.2‐fold higher than the best reported catalysts in alkaline environment. Furthermore, in situ Raman and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy demonstrate that In‐induced electronic structure modulation promotes a rapid structural evolution from nanobulks to Bi/BiOx nanosheets with more active species under acidic CO2RR, which is a major factor in performance improvement.
Dual Interface Compatibility Enabled via Composite Solid Electrolyte with High Transference Number for Long‐Life All‐Solid‐State Lithium Metal Batteries
Authors: Cui Mengyang , Fu Shiyang , Yuan Shisheng , Jin Bo , Liu Hui , Li Yiyang , Gao Nan , Jiang Qing
Published: December 2023

The development of solid‐state electrolytes (SSEs) effectively solves the safety problem derived from dendrite growth and volume change of lithium during cycling. In the meantime, the SSEs possess non‐flammability compared to conventional organic liquid electrolytes. Replacing liquid electrolytes with SSEs to assemble all‐solid‐state lithium metal batteries (ASSLMBs) has garnered significant attention as a promising energy storage/conversion technology for the future. Herein, a composite solid electrolyte containing two inorganic components (Li6.25Al0.25La3Zr2O12, Al2O3) and an organic polyvinylidene difluoride matrix is designed rationally. X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy and density functional theory calculation results demonstrate the synergistic effect among the components, which results in enhanced ionic conductivity, high lithium‐ion transference number, extended electrochemical window, and outstanding dual interface compatibility. As a result, Li||Li symmetric battery maintains a stable cycle for over 2500 h. Moreover, all‐solid‐state lithium metal battery assembled with LiNi0.6Co0.2Mn0.2O2 cathode delivers a high discharge capacity of 168 mAh g−1 after 360 cycles at 0.1 C at 25 °C, and all‐solid‐state lithium–sulfur battery also exhibits a high initial discharge capacity of 912 mAh g−1 at 0.1 C. This work demonstrates a long‐life flexible composite solid electrolyte with excellent interface compatibility, providing an innovative way for the rational construction of next‐generation high‐energy‐density ASSLMBs.
Chimeric Peptide‐Engineered Self‐Delivery Nanomedicine for Photodynamic‐Triggered Breast Cancer Immunotherapy by Macrophage Polarization
Authors: Liu Yi‐Bin , Chen Xia‐Yun , Yu Bai‐Xue , Cen Yi , Huang Chu‐Yu , Yan Meng‐Yi , Liu Qian‐Qian , Zhang Wei , Li Shi‐Ying , Tang You‐Zhi
Published: December 2023

A systemic treatment strategy is urgently demanded to suppress the rapid growth and easy metastasis characteristics of breast cancer. In this work, a chimeric peptide‐engineered self‐delivery nanomedicine (designated as ChiP‐CeR) for photodynamic‐triggered breast cancer immunotherapy by macrophage polarization. Among these, ChiP‐CeR is composed of the photosensitizer of chlorine e6 (Ce6) and the TLR7/8 agonist of lmiquimod (R837), which is further modified with tumor matrix targeting peptide (Fmoc‐K(Fmoc)‐PEG8‐CREKA. ChiP‐CeR is preferred to actively accumulate at the tumor site via specific recognition of fibronectin, which can eradicate primary tumor growth through photodynamic therapy (PDT). Meanwhile, the destruction of primary tumors would trigger immunogenic cell death (ICD) effects to release high‐mobility group box‐1(HMGB1) and expose calreticulin (CRT). Moreover, ChiP‐CeR can also polarize M2‐type tumor‐associated macrophages (TAMs) into M1‐type TAMs, which can activate T cell antitumor immunity in combination with ICD. Overall, ChiP‐CeR possesses superior antitumor effects against primary and lung metastatic tumors, which provide an applicable nanomedicine and a feasible strategy for the systemic management of metastatic breast cancer.
A unique Late Cretaceous fossil wood assemblage from Chilean Patagonia provides clues to a high‐latitude continental environment
Authors: Martínez Leandro C. A. , Leppe Marcelo , Manríquez Leslie M. E. , Pino Juan Pablo , Trevisan Cristine , Manfroi Joseline , Mansilla Héctor
Published: December 2023

Fossil plants, including large trunks, stems, some branches, and twigs, were collected from the Maastrichtian (68.9 Ma), upper Dorotea Formation in the Magallanes–Austral Basin, 16 km north of the Cerro Guido–Las Chinas complex in the southern Chilean Magallanes region. These fossil trunks range from 0.2 to 2.2 m in length. Petrographic slides were made in three sections (transverse, radial and tangential) and analysed under a light microscope to study the permineralized fossils. The woods and stems belong to Austroginkgoxylon gen. et sp. nov., Agathoxylon antarcticum, Podocarpoxylon paradoxi sp. nov., Podocarpoxylon mazzonii, Palmoxylon subantarcticae and Notomalvaceoxylon magallanense gen. et sp. nov. The growth rings of gymnosperms and anatomical characters of angiosperms were analysed to obtain palaeoecological data. Interactions between gymnosperm roots growing into the secondary xylem of an angiosperm (nurse logs) are recorded. The data obtained from the fossil woods suggest warm and humid conditions in this southern South American locality during the Late Cretaceous, providing a unique opportunity to study continental environments at high southern latitudes, which are poorly represented on a global scale.
A Hybrid Short‐Term Wind Power Forecasting Model Considering Significant Data Loss
Authors: Goh Hui Hwang , Ding Chunyang , Dai Wei , Xie Daiyu , Wen Fangjun , Li Keqiang , Xia Wenjiao
Published: December 2023

Accurate wind power forecasting (WPF) is pivotal for the power system dominated by high penetration of renewable energy. Most forecasting techniques require sufficient data samples as a premise for achieving accurate prediction. Due to equipment faults during data collection, complete data is not always available, resulting that the forecasting accuracy is greatly diminished. To address this issue, this paper proposes a novel two‐stage hybrid forecasting approach including data restoration stage and forecasting stage. For the data restoration stage, the bidirectional long short‐term memory (Bi‐LSTM) is integrated into generative adversarial network (GAN) to recover the missing data with consideration of the complex time dynamics and correlations among heterogeneous data. To improve the prediction accuracy, the complete generated wind power sequence is decomposed into multiple time sequences with low volatility based on the enhanced variational mode decomposition (VMD). For the forecasting stage, a hybrid forecasting algorithm that combines convolutional neural network (CNN) and bidirectional gated recurrent unit (BiGRU) with an improved attention mechanism is proposed, strengthening the forecasting performance by assigning optimal weights to key features. The proposed hybrid forecasting method outperforms traditional methods based on real wind farm data with different shares of data loss from Guangxi province in China. © 2023 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.
Resveratrol alleviates imidacloprid‐induced mitochondrial apoptosis, necroptosis, and immune dysfunction in chicken lymphocyte lines by inhibiting the ROS/MAPK signaling pathway
Authors: Wang Xiaodan , Sun Jiatong , Xu Tong , Lei Yutian , Gao Meichen , Lin Hongjin
Published: December 2023

Imidacloprid (IMI) is a neonicotinoid insecticide with the highest global market share, and IMI exposure in the environment can negatively affect many nontarget organisms (a general term for organisms affected by drugs other than target organisms). Resveratrol (RSV), a non‐flavonoid polyphenolic organic compound derived from peanuts, grapes, and other plants, has anti‐inflammatory and antioxidant effects. It is currently unclear how RSV protects against cell damage caused by IMI. Therefore, we established an experimental model of chicken lymphocyte lines exposed to 110 μg/mL IMI and/or 0.5 μM RSV for 24 h. According to the experimental results, IMI markedly raised intracellular reactive oxygen species levels and diminished the activity of the cellular antioxidant enzymes (CAT, SOD, and GPx), leading to MDA accumulation and decreased T‐AOC. JNK, ERK, and P38, the essential components of the mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway, were also expressed more when IMI was present. Additionally, IMI resulted in upregulation of mitochondrial apoptosis (Caspase 3, Caspase 9, Bax, and Cyt‐c) and necroptosis (Caspase 8, RIPK1, RIPK3, and MLKL) related factors expression, downregulation of Bcl‐2 expression, induction of upregulation of cytokine IL‐6 and TNF‐α expression, and downregulation of IFN‐γ expression. The combined treatment of RSV and IMI significantly reduced cellular oxidative stress levels, inhibited the MAPK signaling pathway, and alleviated IMI‐induced mitochondrial apoptosis, necroptosis, and immune dysfunction. To summarize, RSV antagonized IMI‐induced mitochondrial apoptosis, necroptosis, and immune dysfunction in chicken lymphocyte lines by inhibiting the ROS/MAPK signaling pathway.
Intervening in the Present Through Fictions of the Future
Authors: Loftsdóttir Kristín
Published: December 2023

This chapter focuses on how diverse speculative fiction has intervened in discourses of the so-called refugee crisis by posing key questions regarding social justice and categorization of being human and thus who is entitled to certain rights. Some recent fiction can be positioned as examples ofconcurrenceswhere the goal is to intervene in the present by talking about the future, while other older speculative fiction’s concerns with large questions of what it means to be human can be used in the present to critically think about treatment of refugees and their dehumanization. The android has in this regard been particularly useful to “think with.” The discussion is based on the author’s research on racism and irregular migrants from West Africa to Europe.
Building a Kinship Society (Short Story)
Authors: Belden David
Published: December 2023

The final chapter of this volume is an original science fiction short story that addresses the collection’s main themes.

A mysterious young woman, claiming to be from the future, visits a strident left-liberal academic and media personality. She wants him and his grandson to learn a new mode of doing conflict with conservatives, one that she hopes will help humanity survive climate chaos.
Concurrent Whiteness: Science Fiction Film’s Close Encounters in Apartheid South Africa
Authors: Harris Ashleigh
Published: December 2023

This chapter brings the theoretical term “concurrences” to bear on a reading of how US popular filmic depictions of whiteness flowed seamlessly into white South African life during the time of apartheid. I wager that we might productively use the term to consider the ways in which dominant signs and identities, in this case whiteness, might be sustained across different political and ideological terrains through the media of popular culture. Focusing on Steven Spielberg’s 1977 film,Close Encounters of the Third Kind,which premiered in South Africa in 1979, I investigate how science fiction film of this era became a site of white disassociation from apartheid’s realities and association with the global North. The chapter thereby raises a series of questions that challenge received understandings of South Africa’s cultural isolation during apartheid and prompt us to understand apartheid’s global dimensions and contexts.
Finnish, the Most Difficult Language to Learn? Four German-Speaking Migrants’ Ways of Getting Access to the Finnish Language in the North of Finland
Authors: Grasz Sabine
Published: December 2023

This chapter explores the experiences and views on getting access to the Finnish language of four German-speaking migrants living in northern Finland, two of them in internationally orientated university towns and two in small villages. All informants consider learning Finnish as difficult but important because it offers access to the labour market and a sense of belonging. Age, time of migration, occupation, and place of residence have a strong impact in this process, for example, on the availability of formal language training and the status of English. While English still plays a minor role among elderly people in rural areas, it is the main means of communication for the younger migrants in the university towns. However, attitudes towards the dominance of English are ambivalent. English is empowering by giving one easier access to initial life in Finland, but at the same time it prevents one from gaining faster access to the Finnish language.
Relationship Between Translingual Practices and Identity Performance and Positioning on the Swedish-Finnish Border
Authors: Kolu Jaana
Published: December 2023

In this chapter, the four bilingual (Finnish/Swedish) adolescents’ translingual practices, and identity performance and positioning are explored in informal pair conversations and semi-structured individual interviews with the researcher on the Swedish-Finnish border in Tornedalen. The aim is to investigate whether there is a link between the adolescents’ language use and identity performance and positioning. The data revealed that the four young people brought different performances of language use and identity positionings to the interactions during a period of five years. The study provides examples of dramatic changes in the case of one pair of participants’ mutual language use from using predominantly Finnish resources to using exclusively Swedish. As the pair’s language use changed, so did their identity positioning: They went from positioning themselves as Finnish-speaking and bilinguals to positioning themselves more and more as Swedish-speaking.
Genome Editing in Horticultural Plants: Present Applications and Future Perspective
Authors: Mahna Nasser , Nayeri Shahnoush
Published: December 2023

This chapter considers the genome editing technologies that have been utilized for breeding horticultural plants. Many examples of the successful application of genome editing technologies including ZFN, TALEN, and especially CRISPR/Cas systems in improving diverse characteristics of horticultural plants are mentioned and discussed. Based on the literature review, CRISPR/Cas technology has proved its potential in altering many genes of interest in horticultural plants including fruits, vegetables, and ornamental plants for improving agronomically important traits and attributes such as growth rate, seed size, flowering time, flower color, storage time, resistance to biotic stresses, tolerance to abiotic stresses, herbicide tolerance, metabolism, fruit color, fruit ripening, and so forth. This advanced technology paves the way for more favorable and precise manipulation of plant genomes to improve crop performance.
Genetic Improvement in Leguminous Crops Through Genome Editing
Authors: Dervishi Aida , Choudry Muhammad Waqas , Riaz Rabia , Bakhsh Allah
Published: December 2023

Leguminous crops belong to the Fabaceae family, known for their high nutritional properties and use for human and livestock consumption and for their ability to symbiotically fixing nitrogen which plays an important role in soil enrichment and sustainable agriculture. Over the years the genetic improvement of legumes has been carried out using conventional techniques of breeding based on the QTL and MAS selection mainly to increase the yield. Genome editing techniques have been successfully used in different legume crops, mainly on model crops and grain legumes such as chickpea, soybean and cowpea. The recent advancement in gene editing tools such as CRISPR-Cas technology contributed to the improvement of important agronomic traits in legume species and provide a great potential for studies of the traits such as tolerance to biotic and abiotic stress, increased yield and improvement of seed content chave recently been introduced in legumes utilizing genome editing tools. This chapter provides an overview of the main developments in genetic improvement methods applied and the achievements so far achieved in leguminous crops. Further studies aiming at the genetic improvement of minor or underutilized legumes are pivotal and a challenge in the future.
Engineering Phytonutrient Content in Tomato by Genome Editing Technologies
Authors: Scarano Aurelia , Santino Angelo
Published: December 2023

The application of precise genome editing represents an important step-forward in plant functional genomics research and crop improvement by generating tailored modifications within a target genome sequence. Among the genome editing technologies, the CRISPR/Cas9 system has been the most largely one applied in many crop species, thanks to its high customizable specificity. Tomato is one of the most cultivated and consumed horticultural crops worldwide and an ideal model plant for studying different physiological processes (e.g., plant development, response to biotic/abiotic stresses, fruit quality) by using different approaches, such as conventional breeding, classical transgenesis and genome editing technologies. In recent years, the number of studies on the genome editing application in tomato has increasingly grown, particularly for the improvement of fruit quality and nutritional value. In this chapter, we report about the main achievements provided by such technologies for engineering the content of nutritionally relevant compounds, such as polyphenols, carotenoids, vitamins, and other important phytonutrients in tomato fruit.
The Citizens’ Awareness and Concerns During the Transition from Genetically Modified to Genome Edited Plants in Europe About Their Use in Agriculture and Food Production
Authors: Ichim Mihael Cristin
Published: December 2023

The genome edited crops and foods are commercially cultivated and marketed already at global level, rapidly expanding towards new applications and plant species, and successfully complementing the genetically modified ones. In the European Union, the genome edited plants have to follow the two-decade-old regulatory framework for genetically modified organisms. The decrease of both, number of notifications for field trials, and hectarage and countries commercially cultivating genetically modified plants, registered in the last decade in the European Union, has been closely followed by lower levels of awareness and concerns expressed by the European Union citizens about their use in farming and food production, as recorded by a long time series of Eurobarometers surveys. In contrast, in the four recent years only, the awareness about genome editing among the European Union citizens has significantly increased, reaching more than the half of the one about genetically modified products, along with the number of concerned European Union citizens about genome editing which also has doubled. The public opinion about genome edited crops and food products needs to be monitored further as it decisively influences the new regulatory framework to be proposed by the European Commission and therefore the extent to which the European consumer will benefit from the new biotechnologies.
NGT Plant Products in the EU. The Postulates, The Outlooks, and Possible Consequences of a Regulatory System Reform in the Context of Legislative Reforms in Third Countries and Detection Requirements
Authors: Zimny Tomasz
Published: December 2023

This chapter presents potential consequences of the adoption of strict detection, identification or traceability requirements in the EU legislation regarding NGT products featuring single nucleotide variants. The context considered encompasses changes in the biosafety legislations not only in countries which were traditionally accepting of modern biotechnology products, but also in countries which were reluctant to use classic GMOs. Due to shifts in the approach to the regulation of NGT products not featuring stable inserts of foreign DNA, the EU risks becoming an isolated market with provisions not harmonized with those of its various trade partners or falling into a situation where regulated products officially not present on the market will enter due to a lack of efficient detection and identification methods and enforcement systems. Recent changes in the laws of such countries as Nigeria, Kenya or Japan are presented, as well as the recent jurisprudence of the Court of Justice of the EU.
Balancing Trait Improvement with Tradeoff Side-Effects Using Genome Editing Technology
Authors: Wind Julia Johanna
Published: December 2023

Improving traits by breeding involves compromising between desired traits and possible undesired side effects. Often encountered examples include pathogen resistance versus yield, shelf life time versus fruit quality, and seed number versus seed weight. Genome editing can be used to reduce the effect of some of these tradeoffs. Different genetic reasons underlying a tradeoff require different approaches: important to note is whether a detrimental effect is caused by a unique gene, or several analogs/ homologs, because the strategy needs to be adopted accordingly. Unique genes, for example, can be substituted by analogs, and homologs have the advantage that, amongst the available options, the gene causing the fewest pleiotropic effects can be altered in its activity. When the detrimental effect of a tradeoff is caused by two genetically linked genes, this can lead to linkage drag. To break this type of tradeoff genome editing can be used to force a crossover event. Overcoming a tradeoff can generate a new one, but can nevertheless result in an improved crop variety.
Methods and Techniques to Select Efficient Guides for CRISPR-Mediated Genome Editing in Plants
Authors: D’Orso Fabio , Forte Valentina , Baima Simona , Possenti Marco , Palma Daniela , Morelli Giorgio
Published: December 2023

CRISPR technology is revolutionizing genomic engineering by enabling scientists to precisely modify plant DNA, thus representing a powerful tool for plant breeding.

This chapter provides a summary of the approaches and constraints of CRISPR-mediated genome editing in plants, with a focus on the critical prerequisite of efficient CRISPR reagents for successful gene editing in plants.

While computational tools have tremendously improved our ability to design specific guides, their limitations make guide effectiveness prediction unreliable, especially for plants. Therefore, it is strongly recommended to validate CRISPR reagents before investing time and resources in the challenging process of plant transformation.

A number of in vitro and in planta assays coupled with analytical methods have been proposed to assess the editing performances. Each approach has its own strengths and weaknesses, so the choice of the most suitable system depends on the specific plant species and the type and depth of the genotypic data required.

In many cases, the hairy root assay can provide a good compromise between rapidity, reliability and cost-effectiveness for assessing editing performance in numerous plant species.
A Short Review of Advances in Plant-Based Antigen Production Strategies and the Production of Viral Vaccine Antigens Derived from CRISPR/Cas9 Genome Edited N. benthamiana Plants for Enhanced Vaccine Efficacy
Authors: Evju Espen , Opsahl-Sorteberg Hilde-Gunn
Published: December 2023

Plant-based antigen manufacturing procedures have transformed vaccine research and industry by offering a cost-effective, scalable, and safe alternative to traditional protein production systems. This chapter discusses genome editing applications for plant-based protein production systems, antigen, and antibody manufacturing, as well as their future and current developments. The chapter briefly summarizes the several advantages of plant-based protein manufacturing platforms, including lower production costs, faster response to developing risks, and the absence of animal-derived components, which contributes to a lower risk of contamination and allergic responses. The chapter provides a basic overview of recent advances in plant-based antigen production, with a focus on vaccine antigens generated from CRISPR/Cas9 genome edited Nicotiana benthamiana to improve immunogenicity by altering plant glycosylation patterns to be more compatible with human glycosylation. Solving this could revolutionize existing vaccine production from plants to meet sustainable production objectives while also benefiting human health. These applications of genome editing demonstrate how versatile the approaches may be, from basic science to improving human health.
Precise Gene Editing of Cereals Using CRISPR/Cas Technology
Authors: Pouramini Pouneh , Hensel Goetz
Published: December 2023

Targeted mutagenesis using CRISPR/Cas technology has become routine in elucidating biological processes or their application in breeding and agriculture. This means that the change to be achieved can be accurately predicted. However, knockout of a gene function is not always desirable, as reducing activity or affecting a protein domain can influence its properties and, thus, the phenotype. This chapter will therefore focus on precise genome modification in temperate cereals. The methods used, including some representative examples, are summarised here.
Schlüsselbereich Digitalisierung
Authors: Gebetsroither Michaela , Honic Meliha , Kovacic Iva , Löffler Christoph , Marx Klemens , Pamminger Rainer , Robbi Steffen , Sustr Christian , Schützenhofer Stefan , Weber Gundula
Published: December 2023

Die Transition einer linearen Bauwirtschaft mit Ressourcenverbrauch zu einem zirkulären System der Ressourcennutzung und -Wiederverwendung erfordert neue Strategien, Regulatorien, Prozesse, Produktdesigns und Geschäftsmodelle. Es fordert ein Zusammenwirken aller am Bauprozess beteiligten Stakeholder vom Hersteller, Planer und Errichter bis zum Betreiber, inkl. Rückbau. Zur Förderung der Kreislaufwirtschaft im Bauwesen wurden vom Umweltbundesamt zehn Schlüsselbereiche identifiziert (UBA 2021, S. 5).
Graded cellular structures for enhanced performance of additively manufactured orthopaedic implants
Authors: Thomas James , Alsaleh Naser A. , Ahmadein Mahmoud , Elfar Abdullah A. , Farouk Hala A. , Essa Khamis
Published: December 2023

Hip implants face a significant challenge due to their limited lifespan, a concern amplified by the rising human life expectancy. Lattice structures have demonstrated the ability to provide precise control over geometry, thereby significantly enhancing implant performance. This paper introduces the development of graded additively manufactured Ti6Al4V lattice structures for orthopaedic implants. The objective focuses on developing a graded lattice unit cell design mirroring human bone properties, emphasising high surface curvature and design versatility to improve mechanical and biomedical properties, specifically osseointegration and stress shielding. The study involves modelling and grading simple cubic (SC) and body-centred cubic (BCC) lattice structures with various geometries and graded conditions and conducting compressive tests to identify the optimal configuration. The results showed that filleting was found to be the mechanical strength. On the other hand, BCC lattice structures demonstrated superior performance compared to SC structures. The optimised structure with a pore size of 400 µm provided an elastic modulus of 15.7 GPa, yield strength of 296 MPa and compressive strength of 530 MPa. This graded lattice design approach provides a promising technique for enhancing hip implant performance, offering potential improvements.
Universal and ecological design in media accessibility: finding common ground
Authors: Hermosa-Ramírez Irene
Published: December 2023

This article cross-checks universal design and ecological design in the context of media accessibility (with an emphasis on audio description, captions, audio subtitling, sign language interpreting, touch tours), aiming to identify practices that adhere to both design approaches. Following a literature review, a theoretical commentary is presented. Therein, each of the seven universal design principles (Connell et al. in The principles of universal design, 1997. https://projects.ncsu.edu/design/cud/about_ud/udprinciplestext.htm) is assessed in the light of ecological design. Three different outcomes are found when connecting universal design and ecological design principles: (1) certain universal design principles overlap with ecological design principles; (2) others are divergent with ecological design principles and (3) some are complementary, that is, they are unrelated but may be reconcilable. Universal design principles one and two (equitable use and flexibility in use) are harmonious with principles of ecological design in several ways. Principles three (simple and intuitive use), four (perceptible information) and seven (appropriate size and space) remain seemingly unrelated to ecological design principles, though they could be reconciled if certain changes were undertaken. Principles five (low physical effort) and six (appropriate size and space for approach and use) of universal design could be antagonistic with ecological design in some regards.
Non-integrally closed Kronecker function rings and integral domains with a unique minimal overring
Authors: Guerrieri Lorenzo , Loper K. Alan
Published: December 2023

It is well-known that an integrally closed domain D can be expressed as the intersection of its valuation overrings but, if D is not a Prüfer domain, most of the valuation overrings of D cannot be seen as localizations of D. The Kronecker function ring of D is a classical construction of a Prüfer domain which is an overring of D[t], and its localizations at prime ideals are of the form V(t) where V runs through the valuation overrings of D. This fact can be generalized to arbitrary integral domains by expressing them as intersections of overrings which admit a unique minimal overring. In this article we first continue the study of rings admitting a unique minimal overring extending known results obtained in the 1970s and constructing examples where the integral closure is very far from being a valuation domain. Then we extend the definition of Kronecker function ring to the non-integrally closed setting by studying intersections of Nagata rings of the form A(t) for A an integral domain admitting a unique minimal overring.
Ferroptosis and cuproptposis in kidney Diseases: dysfunction of cell metabolism
Authors: Chen Tingting , Liang Lifei , Wang Yuzhu , Li Xiaoyu , Yang Cheng
Published: December 2023

Metal ions play an important role in living organisms and are involved in essential physiological activities. However, the overload state of ions can cause excess free radicals, cell damage, and even cell death. Ferroptosis and cuproptosis are specific forms of cell death that are distinct from apoptosis, necroptosis, and other regulated cell death. These unique modalities of cell death, dependent on iron and copper, are regulated by multiple cellular metabolic pathways, including steady-state metal redox treatment mitochondrial activity of lipid, amino acid and glucose metabolism, and various signaling pathways associated with disease. Although the mechanisms of ferroptosis and cuproptosis are not yet fully understood, there is no doubt that ion overload plays a crucial act in these metal-dependent cell deaths. In this review, we discussed the core roles of ion overload in ferroptosis and cuproptosis, the association between metabolism imbalance and ferroptosis and cuproptosis, the extract the diseases caused by ion overload and current treatment modalities.
Insights on the Theory of Robust Games
Authors: Crespi G. P. , Radi D. , Rocca M.
Published: December 2023

A robust game is a distribution-free model to handle ambiguity generated by a bounded set of possible realizations of the values of players’ payoff functions. The players are worst-case optimizers and a solution, called robust-optimization equilibrium, is guaranteed by standard regularity conditions. The paper investigates the sensitivity to the level of uncertainty of this equilibrium focusing on robust games with no private information. Specifically, we prove that a robust-optimization equilibrium is an

$$\epsilon $$

ϵ

-Nash equilibrium of the nominal counterpart game, where

$$\epsilon $$

ϵ

measures the extra profit that a player would obtain by reducing his level of uncertainty. Moreover, given an

$$\epsilon $$

ϵ

-Nash equilibrium of a nominal game, we prove that it is always possible to introduce uncertainty such that the

$$\epsilon $$

ϵ

-Nash equilibrium is a robust-optimization equilibrium. These theoretical insights increase our understanding on how uncertainty impacts on the solutions of a robust game. Solutions that can be extremely sensitive to the level of uncertainty as the worst-case approach introduces non-linearity in the payoff functions. An example shows that a robust Cournot duopoly model can admit multiple and asymmetric robust-optimization equilibria despite only a symmetric Nash equilibrium exists for the nominal counterpart game.
A model for enhancing creativity, collaboration and pre-professional identities in technology-supported cross-organizational communities of practice
Authors: Mavri Aekaterini , Ioannou Andri , Loizides Fernando
Published: December 2023

This research proposes that technology-supported cross-organizational (university-industry) Communities of Practice (CoPs), which are integrated into the Design Studies curriculum in Higher Education, can foster robust university-industry collaborations. These can help bridge the reported gap between the actual versus the expected soft skills and personae of young graduates transitioning to the creative industries today. CoPs are groups of people who share a common interest in an area of ‘endeavor’ and connect to co-create competence in that area through their practice.

This paper makes two overarching research contributions. First, it informs about the design, enactment, and evaluation of a student CoP in an undergraduate Design course which was expanded to include members from the industry as clients, alumni mentors, and expert evaluators. Drawing from rich empirical data, the paper explains the designed and emergent learning phenomena of CoP participation and its effects on the students’ creative and socio-epistemic outcomes, as well as their pre-professional identities. Second, it presents a governance model with three sets of actionable guidelines, namely theSet(technology), theSocial(collaborative), and theEpistemic(learning) components. The entire body of work validates the critical interlocking of these components to form a robust social learning model that appropriates the complex practices of cross-organizational CoPs in Higher Education Design studies.
Mechanistic exploration of charge transport and photosensitivity of metal/polymer/semiconductor (MPS) junction for sensitive light detection applications
Authors: El-Mahalawy Ahmed M. , Abdrabou Mahmoud M. , Mansour S. A. , Ali Fayez M.
Published: December 2023

Herein, PVA: PVP@Ni(OAc)2 nanocomposite spin-coated thin films have been fabricated as a barrier modifier interlayer in a metal/polymer/semiconductor configuration for light detection applications. The nanostructure, as well as the surface roughness profile of the deposited thin films, have been inspected using a high-resolution transmission electron microscope (HR-TEM) and field emission scan electron microscope (FE-SEM). The obtained results showed nanoplatelet architecture films with smooth surfaces of average roughness of ~ 7.08 nm. The optical absorption, reflection, and transmission spectra have been analyzed and the value of the fabricated film’s energy gap has been confirmed with several analytical approaches. Furthermore, the DC electrical properties of Ag/Si (n-type and p-type), as well as Ag/polymer nanocomposite/Si (n-type and p-type), have been investigated under dark conditions. The microelectronic properties have been estimated using thermionic emission, Norde’s, and Cheung-Cheung’s models. Besides, the mechanistic details of charge transport have been explored under forward and reverse bias conditions. The photoresponsive features of the designed Ag/ PVA/PVP@Ni(OAc)2 /p-Si junction have been evaluated under different illumination intensities. The current device achieved superior photodetection capability with high responsivity, detectivity, and fast switching behavior.
Global optimization of mixed-integer nonlinear programs with SCIP 8
Authors: Bestuzheva Ksenia , Chmiela Antonia , Müller Benjamin , Serrano Felipe , Vigerske Stefan , Wegscheider Fabian
Published: December 2023

For over 10 years, the constraint integer programming framework SCIP has been extended by capabilities for the solution of convex and nonconvex mixed-integer nonlinear programs (MINLPs). With the recently published version 8.0, these capabilities have been largely reworked and extended. This paper discusses the motivations for recent changes and provides an overview of features that are particular to MINLP solving in SCIP. Further, difficulties in benchmarking global MINLP solvers are discussed and a comparison with several state-of-the-art global MINLP solvers is provided.