Internet of Things for Environmental Sustainability and Climate Change

Our world is vulnerable to climate change risks such as glacier retreat, rising temperatures, more variable and intense weather events (e.g., floods, droughts, and frosts), deteriorating mountain ecosystems, soil degradation, and increasing water scarcity. However, there are big gaps in our understanding of changes in regional climate and how these changes will impact human and natural systems, making it difficult to anticipate, plan, and adapt to the coming changes. The IoT paradigm in this area can enhance our understanding of regional climate by using technology solutions, while providing the dynamic climate elements based on integrated environmental sensing and communications that is necessary to support climate change impacts assessments in each of the related areas (e.g., environmental quality and monitoring, sustainable energy, agricultural systems, cultural preservation, and sustainable mining). In the IoT in Environmental Sustainability and Climate Change chapter, a framework for informed creation, interpretation and use of climate change projections and for continued innovations in climate and environmental science driven by key societal and economic stakeholders is presented. In addition, the IoT cyberinfrastructure to support the development of continued innovations in climate and environmental science is discussed

Internet of Things in Agricultural Innovation and Security

The agricultural Internet of Things (Ag-IoT) paradigm has tremendous potential in transparent integration of underground soil sensing, farm machinery, and sensor-guided irrigation systems with the complex social network of growers, agronomists, crop consultants, and advisors. The aim of the IoT in agricultural innovation and security chapter is to present agricultural IoT research and paradigm to promote sustainable production of safe, healthy, and profitable crop and animal agricultural products. This chapter covers the IoT platform to test optimized management strategies, engage farmer and industry groups, and investigate new and traditional technology drivers that will enhance resilience of the farmers to the socio-environmental changes. A review of state-of-the-art communication architectures and underlying sensing technologies and communication mechanisms is presented with coverage of recent advances in the theory and applications of wireless underground communications. Major challenges in Ag-IoT design and implementation are also discussed

Substrate inhibition in the heterogeneous catalyzed aldol condensation: A mechanistic study of supported organocatalysts

In this study, we demonstrate how materials science can be combined with the established methods of organic chemistry to find mechanistic bottlenecks and redesign heterogeneous catalysts for improved performance. By using solid-state NMR, infrared spectroscopy, surface and kinetic analysis, we prove the existence of a substrate inhibition in the aldol condensation catalyzed by heterogeneous amines. We show that modifying the structure of the supported amines according to the proposed mechanism dramatically enhances the activity of the heterogeneous catalyst. We also provide evidence that the reaction benefits significantly from the surface chemistry of the silica support, which plays the role of a co-catalyst, giving activities up to two orders of magnitude larger than those of homogeneous amines. This study confirms that the optimization of a heterogeneous catalyst depends as much on obtaining organic mechanistic information as it does on controlling the structure of the support

Proteomics analysis suggests broad functional changes in potato leaves triggered by phosphites and a complex indirect mode of action against Phytophthora infestans

Phosphite (salts of phosphorous acid; Phi)-based fungicides are increasingly used in controlling oomycete pathogens, such as the late blight agent Phytophthora infestans. In plants, low amounts of Phi induce pathogen resistance through an indirect mode of action. We used iTRAQ-based quantitative proteomics to investigate the effects of phosphite on potato plants before and after infection with P. infestans. Ninety-three (62 up-regulated and 31 down-regulated) differentially regulated proteins, from a total of 1172 reproducibly identified proteins, were identified in the leaf proteome of Phi-treated potato plants. Four days post-inoculation with P. infestans, 16 of the 31 down-regulated proteins remained down-regulated and 42 of the 62 up-regulated proteins remained up-regulated, including 90% of the defense proteins. This group includes pathogenesis-related, stress-responsive, and detoxification-related proteins. Callose deposition and ultrastructural analyses of leaf tissues after infection were used to complement the proteomics approach. This study represents the first comprehensive proteomics analysis of the indirect mode of action of Phi, demonstrating broad effects on plant defense and plant metabolism. The proteomics data and the microscopy study suggest that Phi triggers a hypersensitive response that is responsible for induced resistance of potato leaves against P. infestans. Biological significance: Phosphie triggers complex functional changes in potato leaves that are responsible for the induced resistance against Phytophthora infestans.This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Translational Plant Proteomics. \ua9 2013 Elsevier B.V.Peer reviewed: YesNRC publication: Ye

Identification of genes and gene markers by genomics, genome mapping and comparative proteomics and their relationship to potato tuber qualities

The potato crop is one of the four most important food crops. Since it is a cross-fertilizing, highly heterozygous, and vegetatively-propagated tetraploid species, genetic improvements through traditional breeding are slow, expensive and relatively imprecise. Also, the genetic base in existing cultivars is narrow, making them difficult to use for genetic and genomic analyses. After-cooking darkening (ACD) and enzymatic browning are the major tuber quality defects for both tablestock and processing. This study examined two candidate genes encoding cinnamic acid 4-hydroxylase (C4H) and polyphenol oxidase (PPO), and their functions in relation to ACD. The gene encoding C4H was first cloned from the processing cultivar 'Russet Burbank'. Its gene expression level was shown to be positively related to ACD in a variety of diploid and tetraploid samples tested. Through QTL mapping analysis, we confirmed that the c4h gene, located on chromosome 6, was in one of four QTL regions identified for ACD. PPO is well-known for its involvement in enzymatic browning. This protein was identified through our comparative proteomics study, based on its significant correlation to ACD in a diploid population. This relationship was further examined by real-time qRT-PCR in a larger genetic mapping population. A SNP marker was designed in the coding region of the ppo gene and the association mapping was successfully completed. We believe these two genes are effective candidate markers for breeding for both low ACD and enzymatic browning varieties in potatoes.Peer reviewed: YesNRC publication: Ye

Burkholderia phytofirmans sp. nov., a novel plant-associated bacterium with plant-beneficial properties

A Gram-negative, non-sporulating, rod-shaped, motile bacterium, with a single polar flagellum, designated strain PsJNT, was isolated from surface-sterilized onion roots. This isolate proved to be a highly effective plant-beneficial bacterium, and was able to establish rhizosphere and endophytic populations associated with various plants. Seven related strains were recovered from Dutch soils. Based on 16S rRNA gene sequence data, strain PsJNT and the Dutch strains were identified as representing a member of the genus Burkholderia, as they were closely related to Burkholderia fungorum (98·7 %) and Burkholderia phenazinium (98·5 %). Analysis of whole-cell protein profiles and DNA–DNA hybridization experiments confirmed that all eight strains belonged to a single species. Strain PsJNT had a DNA G+C content of 61·0 mol%. Only low levels of DNA–DNA hybridization to closely related species were found. Qualitative and quantitative differences in fatty acid composition between strain PsJNT and closely related species were identified. The predominant fatty acids in strain PsJNT were 16 : 0, 18 : 17c and summed feature 3 (comprising 16 : 17c and/or iso-15 : 0 2-OH). Isolate PsJNT showed high 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate deaminase activity and is therefore able to lower the ethylene level in a developing or stressed plant. Production of the quorum-sensing signal compound 3-hydroxy-C8-homoserine lactone was detected. Based on the results of this polyphasic taxonomic study, strain PsJNT and the seven Dutch isolates are considered to represent a single, novel species, for which the name Burkholderia phytofirmans sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is strain PsJNT (=LMG 22146T=CCUG 49060T).