Algae and Biodiesel: Patenting Energized as Green Goes Commercial

In the twenty-first century, predominant dependence on fossil fuels as energy resources will not be sustainable. Developing and commercializing green energy innovations will be an essential component of the transition to a more diversified energy economy. Algal biodiesel is one of the most promising green fuels because of its potential as a renewable and sustainable fuel source without displacing food crops. Algal biodiesel research and development are necessary early steps towards a transition to a green energy economy. The strategic use of strong patent portfolios will drive this by attracting investment, incentivizing innovation and accelerating commercialization. Whereas algal biodiesel research and development is largely still early stage, this will rapidly change as aggressive investments and government subsidies facilitate economically competitive algal biodiesel to enter the energy market. Algal domestication, improvement and industrial utilization for biodiesel production will therefore inevitably create value, leading to increased assertion of property rights, of which intellectual property rights in the form of patents are fundamental. This article provides a summary of representative patents and patent applications in the algal biodiesel technology space and their commercial applications

Keon-Sang An, An Ethiopian Reading of the Bible. Biblical Interpretation of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church

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Mitigating Herbicide Impacts to Soybean

The rapidity in evolution of herbicide-resistant weeds and the resulting cost to U.S. farmers demonstrate the need to responsibly steward the limited number of herbicides available in agricultural systems. To reduce weed emergence and likewise added selection pressures placed on herbicides, early-season crop canopy formation has been promoted. However, impacts to soybean following a potentially injurious herbicide application have not been thoroughly evaluated. Therefore, field experiments were conducted to determine whether: 1) soybean injury from metribuzin or flumioxazin delayed canopy formation or changed the incidence of pathogen colonization; 2) residual herbicides applied preplant reduced the potential for soybean injury and achieved the same longevity of weed control as herbicides applied at planting; 3) POST-applied acetolactate synthase (ALS)- and protoporphyrinogen oxidase (PPO)-inhibiting herbicides alone and in combination with glufosinate delayed canopy formation or impacted grain yield. Few interactions between herbicides and soil-borne pathogens were observed. Results from various experiments showed that soybean canopy formation was delayed after an application of preemergence (PRE)-residual herbicides and postemergence (POST)-foliar-active herbicides. However, delays in crop canopy formation caused by a PRE application of metribuzin and flumioxazin were only observed in varieties with sensitivity to the herbicide. Soybean injury caused by PRE applications were mitigated by applying herbicides 14 days prior to planting. Treatments that were applied 14 days prior to planting and contained an effective herbicide with a half-life greater than 70 days suffered no reduction in longevity of Palmer amaranth control when compared to the same herbicide applied at planting. POST-applied herbicides delayed soybean canopy formation relative to the amount of injury present following application. Delays in canopy formation can result in a lengthened period of weed emergence, subsequently increasing the need for additional weed control and increasing selection pressure on sequentially applied herbicides. Nomenclature: Flumioxazin, glufosinate, metribuzin, Palmer amaranth, Amaranthus palmeri (S.) Wats., soybean Glycine max (L.) Merr. Key words: Acetolactate synthase (ALS)-inhibiting herbicides, canopy formation, half-life, herbicide-resistance weeds, POST foliar-active herbicide, preplant, protoporphyrinogen oxidase (PPO)-inhibiting herbicides, PRE-residual herbicide, soil-borne pathogen, soybean injur

Synchronous hybrid learning in times of social distancing A report and case study on benefits, trainer\u27s challenges, and guidelines

Higher education institutions (HEI) use different learning formats such as onsite lectures or online seminars to support their students learning. In the last decades, higher education actively supported an increase of online offerings to foster flexibility and freedom. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic learning circumstances in higher education transformed dramatically, and many HEIs were forced to shift all their courses to online learning formats. Some institutions implemented synchronous hybrid learning (SHL) as a solution between extremes that balances different needs in times of social distancing. This article outlines the benefits, trainer\u27s challenges, and guidelines that can be ascribed to SHL under the circumstances of the current pandemic. The results show that SHL strengthens communication and supports learning. On the one hand, SHL is an innovative, inclusive format, which supports social competencies, multiple perspectives, dynamic interactions, and immediate student-student as well as trainer-student feedback. On the other hand, SHL relies on students\u27 equipment and depends on student as well as trainer adaption and reliable technology. Nevertheless, this report shows that SHL is a promising format, which can close one part of the digital divide between students. Future SHL endeavours should thus be carefully prepared and supported by the hosting HEI. Specifically, trainers and students should be trained on how to use the required technology, and trainers should learn about the pedagogical benefits and implementations of SHL by using protocols and chat trackers

Optimization and Resistance Mitigation of Dicamba and Glufosinate in XtendFlex® Crops

The commercial launch of XtendFlex® crops enabled the use of dicamba, glufosinate, and glyphosate in-season. Utilizing herbicides that target different sites of action within troublesome weeds has been a tactic proposed to mitigate the likelihood of target-site resistance evolving; however, if interactions of the herbicides are detrimental to control of weedy species the likelihood of metabolic resistance increases. The objective of this research was to: 1) optimize efficacy and economic benefits of dicamba, glufosinate, and glyphosate; 2) characterize any interactions that were observed; 3) understand the mechanisms responsible for the reductions in weed control; 4) attempt to overcome interactions that were detrimental to weed control; 5) identify if any Palmer amaranth populations were resistant to dicamba or glufosinate in Arkansas and identify alternative control methods. Label restrictions do not allow for mixtures of dicamba and glufosinate to be applied; therefore, evaluation of sequential application intervals and sequences were evaluated. When glufosinate was applied prior to dicamba from 6 hours to 7 days often a reduction in control was observed when compared to dicamba followed by (fb) dicamba or dicamba fb glufosinate at the 14-day interval. Utilizing 14C-herbicides a reduction in dicamba translocation occurred when a prior glufosinate application was made and thus a reduction in dicamba translocation was attributed to reduction in Palmer amaranth control. When dicamba was applied prior to glufosinate a reduction in control was often observed when applications were made at intervals less than 7 days. The reduction in control was attributed to rapid reduction of Palmer amaranth groundcover following a dicamba application, thus allowing for less surface area for the later applied glufosinate to come in contact with. Generally, from field experiments, the use of dicamba fb dicamba at a 14- to 21-day interval or dicamba fb glufosinate at the 14-day interval provided the highest level of Palmer amaranth control and highest net benefit to producers. Palmer amaranth populations in Arkansas were also found to harbor resistance to glufosinate and auxin herbicides. Alternative integrated weed management strategies (e.g. crop rotation, harvest weed seed control, cover crops, etc.) should be implemented to mitigate the spread of these biotypes as well to mitigate resistance evolving in other geographies

Hardy type derivations on fields of exponential logarithmic series

We consider the valued field \mathds{K}:=\mathbb{R}((\Gamma)) of formal series (with real coefficients and monomials in a totally ordered multiplicative group $\Gamma>$). We investigate how to endow \mathds{K} with a logarithm $l$, which satisfies some natural properties such as commuting with infinite products of monomials. In the article "Hardy type derivations on generalized series fields", we study derivations on \mathds{K}. Here, we investigate compatibility conditions between the logarithm and the derivation, i.e. when the logarithmic derivative is the derivative of the logarithm. We analyse sufficient conditions on a given derivation to construct a compatible logarithm via integration of logarithmic derivatives. In her monograph "Ordered exponential fields", the first author described the exponential closure \mathds{K}^{\rm{EL}} of (\mathds{K},l). Here we show how to extend such a log-compatible derivation on \mathds{K} to \mathds{K}^{\rm{EL}}.Comment: 25 page

Inhibition of Return after Color Singletons

Inhibition of return (IOR) is the faster selection of hitherto unattended than previously attended positions. Some previous studies failed to find evidence for IOR after attention capture by color singletons. Others, however, did report IOR effects after color singletons. The current study examines the role of cue relevance for obtaining IOR effects. By using a potentially more sensitive method – saccadic IOR – we tested and found IOR after relevant color singleton cues that required an attention shift (Experiment 1). In contrast, irrelevant color singletons failed to produce reliable IOR effects in Experiment 2. Also, Experiment 2 rules out an alternative explanation of our IOR findings in terms of masking. We discuss our results in light of pertaining theories of IOR

pop-1 Encodes an HMG box protein required for the specification of a mesoderm precursor in Early C. elegans embryos

AbstractIn C. elegans embryogenesis, the MS blastomere produces predominantly mesodermal cell types, while its sister E generates only endodermal tissue. We show that a maternal gene, pop-1, is essential for the specification of MS fate and that a mutation in pop-1 results in MS adopting an E fate. Previous studies have shown that the maternal gene skn-1 is required for both MS and E development and that skn-1 encodes a transcription factor. We show here that the pop-1 gene encodes a protein with an HMG box similar to the HMG boxes in the vertebrate lymphoid-specifictranscriptional regulators TCF-1 and LEF-1. We propose that POP-1 and SKN-1 function together in the early embryo to allow MS-specific differentiation