Photoactive titanium dioxide nanoparticles modify heterotrophic microbial functioning

Nanoparticulate titanium dioxide (nTiO2) is frequently applied, raising concerns about potential side effects on the environment. While various studies have assessed structural effects in aquatic model ecosystems, its impact on ecosystem functions provided by microbial communities (biofilms) is not well understood. This is all the more the case when considering additional stressors, such as UV irradiation — a factor known to amplify nTiO2-induced toxicity. Using pairwise comparisons, we assessed the impact of UV (UV-A = 1.6 W/m2; UV-B = 0.7 W/m2) at 0, 20 or 2000 μg nTiO2/L on two ecosystem functions provided by leaf-associated biofilms: while leaf litter conditioning, important for detritivorous invertebrate nutrition, seems unaffected, microbial leaf decomposition was stimulated (up to 25%) by UV, with effect sizes being higher in the presence of nTiO2. Although stoichiometric and microbial analyses did not allow for uncovering the underlying mechanism, it seems plausible that the combination of a shift in biofilm community composition and activity together with photodegradation as well as the formation of reactive oxygen species triggered changes in leaf litter decomposition. The present study implies that the multiple functions a microbial community performs are not equally sensitive. Consequently, relying on one of the many functions realized by the same microbial community may be misleading for environmental management.

The Green Multi Business Model Innovation Brain

Advanced Green technologies integrated in Business Models and Green Multi Business Model Innovation processes introduce a new leadership and management agenda of Green Business Models. Fast innovation of sensing, persuasive and virtual Business Modelling that can operate autonomously and dynamically primarily lead by machines. Green Multi Business Model Innovation Brains will soon be the state of the art in Business that want to become Green – but also for businesses that want to do circular and/or sustainable business modelling. Businesses will build Green Multi Business Model Innovation competence and advanced Green Multi Business Models Innovation Brains capable to innovated and operate Green Business Models to all kinds of Business Model Ecosystems. This will open up to new Green Multi Business Model Innovation potential and create a new generation or archetypes of Business Models, new practice of Multi Business Model Innovation. The paper is a second articles and extension of a conceptual paper on Multi Business Model Brains. First paper was presented at the BIT Sindri IEEE Conference 2020 conceptualizing on how a Multi Business Model Brain could be constructed and would operate supported by advance sensor technologies, artificial intelligence technologies, deep learning, persuasive technologies, Multi Business Model Innovation pattern analysis and libraries of BM archetypes. In combination they will all be important supporting tools to the Multi Business Model Innovation Brain – but now also to the Green Multi Business Model Innovation Brain. 8 case examples shows how Green Multi Business Model Innovation Brains can work in different contexts – in physical, digital, virtual and combined Business Model ecosystems.

Single- and multi-species toxicity testing with nematodes.

This chapter discusses the utility of nematodes in experimental ecotoxicology, and specifically in the study of freshwaters. Drawing on reports in which nematodes were used as test organisms in single-species tests as well as studies investigating nematode communities in model ecosystems (i.e. microcosms), the suitability of nematode-based experimental approaches in prospective and retrospective risk assessments of chemicals in freshwater sediments is examined. Several examples are presented of the use of Caenorhabditis elegans as a test organism in single-species bioassays, in order to demonstrate the versatility of this nematode for ecotoxicological investigations.

Towards standardized experimentation in soil research – a synthetic ecology approach

<p>Soils contain a vast diversity of microorganisms including millions of cells and thousands of species. Many of those species encode for similar functions which is known as functional redundancy. From an ecosystem perspective, it remains unknown how many of such species are contributing to processes and are actually necessary to perform functions. Not knowing about the number and type of taxa of a soil sample a priori, let alone of the interaction between those taxa or the chemical environment of their habitats, hampers the reproducibility of soil ecological research and renders a targeted experimentation virtually impossible. This is one of the most important reasons why linking microbial identity to processes at the soil scale has proven to be everything but easy.</p><p>A promising avenue to overcome these limitations are model ecosystems that allow to identify principles of community functioning via standardised experimentation. Here, we will present a synthetic ecology approach using artificial soil mimicking the structural and chemical complexity of a soil and a synthetic microbial community to investigate microbial functioning in soil. Our approach includes genome-guided <em>in silico</em> design of synthetic communities to reproduce the functionality of soil heterotrophic bacteria and fungi, while largely decreasing the number of individual taxa for laboratory experimentation.</p><p>Initial experiments suggested that our synthetic community was able to establish in artificial soil and sterilized natural soil and to perform a range of simple soil processes, as evident through potential enzymatic activities, heterotrophic respiration, and changes in organic and inorganic soil components. Molecular analysis of the community composition over time demonstrated high similarities of the established community among replicates, indicating low effects of stochasticity on community assembly, a major requirement for reproducible experimentation. These promising preliminary data indicate that our model system could indeed represent the experimental platform for targeted experimentation in soil ecological research in the future.</p>

Connected Stores, Connected Brands, Connected Consumers, Connected Goods: On Business Model Ecosystems in Internet of Packaging

This paper investigates and discusses roles, initiatives, and potentials for the business model ecosystem to enter business model innovation triggered by digital wireless technologies and capabilities of the Internet of Packagingenabled smart interactive packaging. This paper develops an overview of the Internet of Packaging technology, wireless digital capabilities, business model innovation, and business model ecosystem in connection to the investigated phenomenon. In this paper, the digital transformation from passive to network-connected enhanced packaging is considered as an accelerator for business model innovation that creates and delivers the value proposition to a wide-ranging business model ecosystem including internal and external participants. Therefore, the governance of the overall business model ecosystem should efficiently reinforce each separate business model, as well as ensure safe and reliable data mobility in the IoP digital infrastructure regarding unique secure digital identifiers.