Academic literature on the topic 'New Leaf (Game)'
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Journal articles on the topic "New Leaf (Game)"
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Straznickas, Gracie Lu. "Not Just a Slice: Animal Crossing and a Life Ongoing." Animal Crossing Special Issue 13, no. 22 (February 16, 2021): 72–88. http://dx.doi.org/10.7202/1075264ar.
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This paper defines and examines a genre of videogames I call slice of life and reflects upon the use and appeal of the genre for different audiences. I develop an account of the slice of life genre by defining three critical traits: the mundane activities comprising most of the game time, the normativity of social interactions within the world, and the ongoingness of the game world in the absence of the player. Utilizing a journal and experience-based methodology, I present my own experience with chronic pain and pain management to assess how Animal Crossing: New Leaf, a game that falls into this slice of life category, was useful to me as a disabled player. My analysis not only reveals a connection between my experience in Animal Crossing: New Leaf and pain management, but also offers insight into how the slice of life genre involves different metagames for different audiences. Future work may address more case studies in further development of the slice of life genre as well as how it impacts different audiences.
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Scully-Blaker, Rainforest. "Buying Time: Capitalist Temporalities in Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp." Loading 12, no. 20 (November 20, 2019): 90–106. http://dx.doi.org/10.7202/1065899ar.
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In November 2017, Nintendo released Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp (Nintendo 2017) for iOS and Android devices. At first blush, the game is much like previous instalments in the series. The player character finds themselves as a new denizen of a rural space populated by sentient animals that all have wants and offer rewards for those that satisfy those wants. However, the conversion of Animal Crossing from console game to mobile game was not without its major changes. A free-to-play game par excellence, Pocket Camp introduces Leaf Tokens, a separate currency from bells which can be bought with real money. Leaf Tokens can be used to buy certain in-game objects but, for the most part, are used to eliminate instances of waiting in the game, which stands in direct opposition to the series’ apparent valorization of slower, simpler living. Through a discussion of this translation of Animal Crossing’s mechanics and values into the mobile game genre, Pocket Camp is shown to gamify the capitalist monetization of time. In the face of this reality, the paper concludes examining the role of the player as a critical actor within this system and suggests that, far from being a passive victim of the game’s capitalist logics, one might engage with the game in subversive ways that articulate a virtual refusal of virtual labour and an instance of what the author has taken to calling radical slowness.
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Hansen, Jared. "An Abundance of Fruit Trees." Animal Crossing Special Issue 13, no. 22 (February 16, 2021): 23–38. http://dx.doi.org/10.7202/1075261ar.
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The game series of Animal Crossing is founded on materialism and consumerism, and its mechanics emphasize the economic principles of production, trade, and consumption. And as a social simulator, its gameplay focuses on inventory management, with items and artifacts as rewards for behaviors. Players are urged to customize their town and avatar, by buying and selling clothing, accessories, furniture, and other items. The method of garbology concludes that trash is a valuable resource in revealing the attitudes and motivations of a culture. This article uses garbology to examine the trash left behind by players in ten random towns of Animal Crossing: New Leaf to create a taxonomy of what players valued and disposed of. This study found patterns of production (non-native and “perfect” fruit trees) to maximize monetary gains, and signs of customization through consumption (such as creating a gothic-themed town). The author concludes based on the findings that players of New Leaf are engaged in a culture of economy and thrift, as opposed to conspicuous consumption, per Rathje’s (1984) hypothesis of garbage.
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Cesar, Miguel. "Fear Thy Neighbour: Socialisation and Isolation in Animal Crossing." Animal Crossing Special Issue 13, no. 22 (February 16, 2021): 89–108. http://dx.doi.org/10.7202/1075265ar.
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In the last three decades Japan has experienced a steady process of social disconnection, the vanishing of interpersonal links, and the decline of the making of new bonds. As an increasingly popular saying, Japan has been labelled as a “muen shakai”, a relationless society. Then, while some neoliberal discourses have praised the disappearance of social relationships lionising individualism and self-responsibility, other voices have advocated for the active participation in the making of new communities. This article argues that,Animal Crossing has engaged this debate, exploring the complexities of the process of socialisation, interpersonal relationships, and the making of communitarian bonds. The article further argues that Animal Crossing: New Leaf proposes a socialisation simulation that presents such process as an uncontrollable, unpredictable, and demanding endeavour. To support this argument, the article examines Animal Crossing: New Leaf’s main mechanics focusing on its affective design, and how it modulates players’ attention through manipulating their agency over the game.
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Mbhele, Zoliswa, Godfrey E. Zharare, Clemence Zimudzi, and Nontuthuko R. Ntuli. "Morphological Variation of Strychnos spinosa Lam. Morphotypes: A Case Study at Bonamanzi Game Reserve, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa." Diversity 14, no. 12 (December 9, 2022): 1094. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/d14121094.
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Strychnos spinosa Lam. of the Loganiaceae family is associated with versatility, poverty eradication, and rural economic development. However, the morphological diversity of S. spinosa is not well documented. This limits efforts toward its improvement and commercial exploitation. This study aimed to characterize the variability, vegetative and reproductive traits, and heritability of S. spinosa morphotypes at Bonamanzi Game Reserve. The majority of the morphotypes had green, rough, round immature fruits with dark green, elongated, open fully developed leaves. Fruits varied between roundish and pyriform shape as well as green and purple colour. Positive correlation was mainly seen between fruit and seed traits. Principal component analysis indicated fruit and seed traits as major discriminating factors for morphotypes, followed by leaf size and seed thickness. A dendrogram primarily grouped morphotypes according to fruit texture. Genotypic variance and genotypic coefficient of variation were higher than environmental variance and environmental coefficient variation in reproductive traits of S. spinosa. A rough pericarp texture and purple tinge on the immature leaves of some morphotypes was recorded for the first time. Differences in morphological features across S. spinosa morphotypes indicate a high level of diversity that could be utilized by breeders to generate new cultivars. This first report on variability and heritability among S. spinosa morphotypes forms the basis of available germplasm essential for future breeding programs.
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Prebble, Matthew, Atholl J. Anderson, Paul Augustinus, Joshua Emmitt, Stewart J. Fallon, Louise L. Furey, Simon J. Holdaway, et al. "Early tropical crop production in marginal subtropical and temperate Polynesia." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 116, no. 18 (April 8, 2019): 8824–33. http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1821732116.
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Polynesians introduced the tropical crop taro (Colocasia esculenta) to temperate New Zealand after 1280 CE, but evidence for its cultivation is limited. This contrasts with the abundant evidence for big game hunting, raising longstanding questions of the initial economic and ecological importance of crop production. Here we compare fossil data from wetland sedimentary deposits indicative of taro and leaf vegetable (includingSonchusandRorippaspp.) cultivation from Ahuahu, a northern New Zealand offshore island, with Raivavae and Rapa, both subtropical islands in French Polynesia. Preservation of taro pollen on all islands between 1300 CE and 1550 CE indicates perennial cultivation over multiple growing seasons, as plants rarely flower when frequently harvested. The pollen cooccurs with previously undetected fossil remains of extinct trees, as well as many weeds and commensal invertebrates common to tropical Polynesian gardens. Sedimentary charcoal and charred plant remains show that fire use rapidly reduced forest cover, particularly on Ahuahu. Fires were less frequent by 1500 CE on all islands as forest cover diminished, and short-lived plants increased, indicating higher-intensity production. The northern offshore islands of New Zealand were likely preferred sites for early gardens where taro production was briefly attempted, before being supplanted by sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas), a more temperate climate-adapted crop, which was later established in large-scale cultivation systems on the mainland after 1500 CE.
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Warrich, Haseeb Ur Rehman, Muhammad Rehman, and Sahrish Jamil. "World Domination Games and its Impact on the 21st Century." Global Mass Communication Review II, no. 1 (December 30, 2017): 44–56. http://dx.doi.org/10.31703/gmcr.2017(ii-i).03.
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No other element impacted the historical conditions of the preceding 100 years to such an extent as the war to secure and control the world's reserves of petroleum. Sustainable economic growth after 1873, that discouraged British Empire, arose mechanical economies in Europe. Central Asia remained the object of rivalries and machination by the giant countries of the Europe. World Domination Games started from Pillage Games that lead towards many “Games” such as Great Game, New Great Game, Game Changer and New Game Changer. All prefect countries desire to have a control over the world for the last two centuries. Their efforts turn into numerous clashes and clashes led towards wars. In the twentieth century wars transformed not only their names but also their genetics that has profound impact on the 21st Century. This laid foundation of the emerging new superpowers in every century.
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Roepke, Rene, Vincent Drury, Ulrike Meyer, and Ulrik Schroeder. "Exploring and Evaluating Different Game Mechanics for Anti-Phishing Learning Games." International Journal of Serious Games 9, no. 3 (September 9, 2022): 23–41. http://dx.doi.org/10.17083/ijsg.v9i3.501.
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Anti-phishing learning games are a promising approach to teach end-users about phishing, as they offer a scalable and engaging environment for active learning. Existing games have been criticized for their limited game mechanics that do not allow for detailed assessment of the players' acquired knowledge, instead focusing mostly on factual and conceptual knowledge to remember or understand. To extend the research field, this paper presents the design and evaluation of two new anti-phishing learning games: The first game implements an extended classification mechanic to better assess the player's decision process, while the second game implements a different game mechanic, which requires players to combine URL parts to construct their own phishing URLs. We compare the games with each other and with a baseline implementation that uses binary decisions similar to existing games in a user study with 133 participants. The study shows, that while all three games lead to performance increases, none of the new games offer significant improvements over the baseline. Furthermore, results of a longitudinal test three months after playing the games show that knowledge can be retained as participants still perform significantly better than before playing either one of the games.
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Tăucean, Ilie, Matei Tămășilă, Larisa Ivascu, Șerban Miclea, and Mircea Negruț. "Integrating Sustainability and Lean: SLIM Method and Enterprise Game Proposed." Sustainability 11, no. 7 (April 9, 2019): 2103. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su11072103.
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Sustainability and leanness are organizational approach concepts for more efficient activities and increased competitiveness. This paper presents a study and an application of the concepts of sustainability and lean, with the purpose to capitalize on the benefits of the two concepts’ tools when used together in an industry and education activity. A literature review was carried out to evaluate qualitatively and empirically the concepts of sustainability, lean, and enterprise games, and the possibility to integrate the first two concepts into a new tool applied into an enterprise game. An online survey was done to identify which tools are used within companies in the region, how and what training methods they used, and what the reported benefits are. The survey results were used to design a new tool integrated in a new enterprise game (SLIM) developed by the authors. The game was tested and validated in educational laboratory with students and actual employees from companies. The game follows the frame of an enterprise game, considering the simulation of enterprise classical functions. The game’s purpose is to improve the activity in successive rounds. A scorecard is used to fill in and compute the key performance indicators (KPIs), and a new indicator is proposed (SLIMx). Applications of the instrument/game include: students’ training in an educational laboratory; lifelong learning; professional training in companies; and professional perfection/reconversion of potential employees and the unemployed. The SLIM game was simulated in a team of 15 players over three rounds, with teachers playing the role of the supervisor. A number of possible improvements have been identified. The next step is testing it in enterprises with various fields of activity. SLIM has proven to be an effective solution to improve organizational efficiency and motivate players to gain new knowledge.
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Alidini, Stefan. "To be or not to be: Shakespeare and video games." Kultura, no. 168 (2020): 281–302. http://dx.doi.org/10.5937/kultura2068281a.
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The paper analyses video games in the context of new media and considers their artistic potential from the perspective of Game Studies. Using to Be or Not to Be, an adaptation of Shakespeare's Hamlet as an example, the paper presents a theoretical examination of the game's structural, textual and narrative features and ludic elements, so as to elucidate the principles of adaptation and transformation of a literary text into a new digital form, as well as the advantages and the disadvantages of such processes. Trust in the narrative, along with adequate game mechanics and the player's perception have proven to be crucial for accomplishing intention of the game. At the same time, the analysis serves as a basis for interpretive framework that would lead to affirming the aesthetic potential of video games and thus give rise to uncovering the artistic potential of other algorithmic structures.
Dissertations / Theses on the topic "New Leaf (Game)"
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Czarnota, Jedrzej. "Co-creation, innovation and new service development : the case of the videogames industry." Thesis, University of Manchester, 2016. https://www.research.manchester.ac.uk/portal/en/theses/cocreation-innovation-and-new-service-development-the-case-of-the-videogames-industry(7f5ce406-cf93-41d0-9798-0f2c2ad3e315).html.
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Co-creation is a new approach to the development of videogames, films, television, music and other creative services. It is a manifestation of open innovation paradigm where the firm collaborates with customers in new service development (NSD) activities. Firm can either co-create with individual customers, or with customer communities. Customers may substantially contribute to ideation, design, production, testing, marketing or distribution of a new or existing service. Customer networks, because of their intrinsic and extrinsic motivations, contribute to the development of services. They have a potential to innovate, as their ideas come from the outside of the organization and reflect their need-related knowledge. Via co-creation a firm can also learn about unarticulated or future customer needs, and what kind of service features they would pay the most for. Co-creation has also benefits for marketing. By inviting customers to participate in their activities, firms can capitalize on positive word of mouth and increased value ascribed to their services. They can also engage in new models of raising finance, i.e. crowdfunding. We studied thirteen videogames firms in North America and in Western Europe. Our goal was to gain insight into their NSD activities when customers were also involved. We observed those studios’ co-creation practices, tracked their communications with customers, and spoke to employees in all levels and functions of those firms. We also participated in various related events. We identified three ideal types of co-creation practice: structured, semi-structured, and loose, and ordered the firms into three cases according to these types. We investigate the main factors that determine co-creation’s practice in firms, as well as firms’ ability co-create. This includes a firm’s propensity for and style of co-creation. We identify four relevant co-creation competences which, together with funding arrangements and organizational culture, influence co-creation. We find that co-creation can occur via formal, as well as informal channels. Informal co-creation takes place on the level of individual interactions between employees and customers (and is linked to hidden innovation), while formal relies on the strategic use of contests, volunteer programs, as well as other legally-regulated exchanges. Firms can use co-creation in NSD to source ideas from the customers, as well as to enhance their marketing by redefining customer relationship. Still, co-creation also has a profound transformative effect on the organization itself. We identify the sites within a firm that are affected by co-creation. Those sites go beyond just the content of the service, and include functions of the firm that normally are hidden from customers (back-end and service design functions). The new service development is also affected. Similarly, the way that firm interacts with its customers is transformed, too.
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Sewe, Maquins Odhiambo. "Towards Climate Based Early Warning and Response Systems for Malaria." Doctoral thesis, Umeå universitet, Epidemiologi och global hälsa, 2017. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-130169.
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Background: Great strides have been made in combating malaria, however, the indicators in sub Saharan Africa still do not show promise for elimination in the near future as malaria infections still result in high morbidity and mortality among children. The abundance of the malaria-transmitting mosquito vectors in these regions are driven by climate suitability. In order to achieve malaria elimination by 2030, strengthening of surveillance systems have been advocated. Based on malaria surveillance and climate monitoring, forecasting models may be developed for early warnings. Therefore, in this thesis, we strived to illustrate the use malaria surveillance and climate data for policy and decision making by assessing the association between weather variability (from ground and remote sensing sources) and malaria mortality, and by building malaria admission forecasting models. We further propose an economic framework for integrating forecasts into operational surveillance system for evidence based decisionmaking and resource allocation. Methods: The studies were based in Asembo, Gem and Karemo areas of the KEMRI/CDC Health and Demographic Surveillance System in Western Kenya. Lagged association of rainfall and temperature with malaria mortality was modeled using general additive models, while distributed lag non-linear models were used to explore relationship between remote sensing variables, land surface temperature(LST), normalized difference vegetation index(NDVI) and rainfall on weekly malaria mortality. General additive models, with and without boosting, were used to develop malaria admissions forecasting models for lead times one to three months. We developed a framework for incorporating forecast output into economic evaluation of response strategies at different lead times including uncertainties. The forecast output could either be an alert based on a threshold, or absolute predicted cases. In both situations, interventions at each lead time could be evaluated by the derived net benefit function and uncertainty incorporated by simulation. Results: We found that the environmental factors correlated with malaria mortality with varying latencies. In the first paper, where we used ground weather data, the effect of mean temperature was significant from lag of 9 weeks, with risks higher for mean temperatures above 250C. The effect of cumulative precipitation was delayed and began from 5 weeks. Weekly total rainfall of more than 120 mm resulted in increased risk for mortality. In the second paper, using remotely sensed data, the effect of precipitation was consistent in the three areas, with increasing effect with weekly total rainfall of over 40 mm, and then declined at 80 mm of weekly rainfall. NDVI below 0.4 increased the risk of malaria mortality, while day LST above 350C increased the risk of malaria mortality with shorter lags for high LST weeks. The lag effect of precipitation was more delayed for precipitation values below 20 mm starting at week 5 while shorter lag effect for higher precipitation weeks. The effect of higher NDVI values above 0.4 were more delayed and protective while shorter lag effect for NDVI below 0.4. For all the lead times, in the malaria admissions forecasting modelling in the third paper, the boosted regression models provided better prediction accuracy. The economic framework in the fourth paper presented a probability function of the net benefit of response measures, where the best response at particular lead time corresponded to the one with the highest probability, and absolute value, of a net benefit surplus. Conclusion: We have shown that lagged relationship between environmental variables and malaria health outcomes follow the expected biological mechanism, where presentation of cases follow the onset of specific weather conditions and climate variability. This relationship guided the development of predictive models showcased with the malaria admissions model. Further, we developed an economic framework connecting the forecasts to response measures in situations with considerable uncertainties. Thus, the thesis work has contributed to several important components of early warning systems including risk assessment; utilizing surveillance data for prediction; and a method to identifying cost-effective response strategies. We recommend economic evaluation becomes standard in implementation of early warning system to guide long-term sustainability of such health protection programs.
Books on the topic "New Leaf (Game)"
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Animal Crossing : New Leaf: Prima Official Game Guide. Random House Information Group, 2013.
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Hidenori, Kusaka. Pokémon adventures: Fire red & leaf green. 2014.
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Games, Prima. Nintendo 3DS Player's Guide Pack : Prima Official Game Guide : Animal Crossing : New Leaf - Mario Kart 7 - New Super Mario Bros. 2 - The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds. Prima Games, 2014.
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Horst, Jorn Lier. Katharina Code: A Cold Case, a New Lead, Fresh Hope or a Killer's Twisted Game? Penguin Books, Limited, 2018.
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Katharina Code: A Cold Case, a New Lead, Fresh Hope or a Killer's Twisted Game? Penguin Books, Limited, 2018.
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Forshaw, Barry. The Silence of the Lambs. Liverpool University Press, 2013. http://dx.doi.org/10.3828/liverpool/9781906733650.001.0001.
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The 1991 film The Silence of the Lambs, based on Thomas Harris's bestseller, was a game-changer in the fields of both horror and crime cinema. FBI trainee Clarice Starling was a new kind of heroine, vulnerable, intuitive, and in a deeply unhealthy relationship with her monstrous helper/opponent, the serial killer Hannibal Lecter. Jonathan Demme's film skillfully appropriated the tropes of police procedural, gothic melodrama and contemporary horror to produce something entirely new. The resulting film was both critically acclaimed and massively popular, and went on to have an enormous influence on 1990s genre cinema. This book closely examines the factors that contributed to the film's impact, including the revelatory performances of Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins in the lead roles.
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Douglas, Gabrielle, and Michelle Burford. Grace, Gold, and Glory My Leap of Faith. Zonderkidz, 2012.
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Grace, Gold and Glory: My Leap of Faith. Zondervan, 2012.
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Reeve, Justine. Dance Improvisations. Human Kinetics, 2011. http://dx.doi.org/10.5040/9781718212824.
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Dance Improvisations: Warm-Ups, Games and Choreographic Tasks will provide assistance with any doubts that dancers and teachers might have with improvisation. This practical book promotes creativity that can lead to innovative breakthroughs among students from middle school age through college. With Dance Improvisations: Warm-Ups, Games and Choreographic Tasks, you will find new ways to help your dancers create original movements through both individual and group activities. Your students will hone their creative responses, and the innovation and energy in your dance classes will fill your studio or classroom. Students will blossom and gain inspiration using these improvisations as they learn how to develop movement and choreograph studies.
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Thoreau, Henry David. Walden. Edited by Stephen Allen Fender. Oxford University Press, 2008. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/owc/9780199538065.001.0001.
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‘The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation.’ In 1845 Henry David Thoreau left his home town of Concord, Massachusetts to begin a new life alone, in a rough hut he built himself a mile and a half away on the north-west shore of Walden Pond. Walden is Thoreau’s classic autobiographical account of this experiment in solitary living, his refusal to play by the rules of hard work and the accumulation of wealth and above all the freedom it gave him to adapt his living to the natural world around him. This new edition of Walden traces the sources of Thoreau’s reading and thinking and considers the author in the context of his birthplace and his sense of its history - social, economic and natural. In addition, an ecological appendix provides modern identifications of the myriad plants and animals to which Thoreau gave increasingly close attention as he became acclimatized to his life in the woods by Walden Pond.
Book chapters on the topic "New Leaf (Game)"
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Dixon, Alex, Ranko Lazić, Andrzej S. Murawski, and Igor Walukiewicz. "Leafy automata for higher-order concurrency." In Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 184–204. Cham: Springer International Publishing, 2021. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-71995-1_10.
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AbstractFinitary Idealized Concurrent Algol ($$\mathsf {FICA}$$ FICA ) is a prototypical programming language combining functional, imperative, and concurrent computation. There exists a fully abstract game model of $$\mathsf {FICA}$$ FICA , which in principle can be used to prove equivalence and safety of $$\mathsf {FICA}$$ FICA programs. Unfortunately, the problems are undecidable for the whole language, and only very rudimentary decidable sub-languages are known.We propose leafy automata as a dedicated automata-theoretic formalism for representing the game semantics of $$\mathsf {FICA}$$ FICA . The automata use an infinite alphabet with a tree structure. We show that the game semantics of any $$\mathsf {FICA}$$ FICA term can be represented by traces of a leafy automaton. Conversely, the traces of any leafy automaton can be represented by a $$\mathsf {FICA}$$ FICA term. Because of the close match with $$\mathsf {FICA}$$ FICA , we view leafy automata as a promising starting point for finding decidable subclasses of the language and, more generally, to provide a new perspective on models of higher-order concurrent computation.Moreover, we identify a fragment of $$\mathsf {FICA}$$ FICA that is amenable to verification by translation into a particular class of leafy automata. Using a locality property of the latter class, where communication between levels is restricted and every other level is bounded, we show that their emptiness problem is decidable by reduction to Petri net reachability.
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Louwerse, Max, Marie Postma, Maarten Horden, and Anton Sluijtman. "Rethinking Education in a Crisis: How New Is a New Common Really?" In The New Common, 137–43. Cham: Springer International Publishing, 2021. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-65355-2_20.
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AbstractThe COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the status quo in many areas of society, including education. At all educational levels, on-site lecturing had to switch instantaneously to an online mode of instruction. This transition was so straightforward, that the argument could be made for online education to become a permanent fixture, particularly if it is more efficient, cheaper, and more effective than traditional education. Extensive meta-analyses, however, show that most online teaching practices do not lead to better educational outcomes than the on-site alternatives. Worse yet, the traditional face-to-face mode of lecturing is ineffective in the absence of personalized interactions. The proposed solutions are offered by artificial intelligence research, including virtual reality, intelligent tutoring systems, and serious games—solutions that have so far not been extensively implemented in practice. The current health crisis provides our educational professionals with an opportunity to rethink their teaching practices and focus on applying these promising new alternatives.
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Johnson, Benjamin. "The Scientific Breakthrough (1903–1908)." In Making Ammonia, 55–57. Cham: Springer International Publishing, 2012. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-85532-1_6.
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AbstractSo far, we have discussed a confluence of factors leading to the ability to understand and solve the practical problem of ammonia synthesis. Research in agricultural science led to an awareness of the need for a synthetic source of fixed nitrogen, while developments in organic chemistry helped lead to the infrastructure, capital, and expertise of the German chemical industry. Further conceptual steps in the natural sciences gave rise to the discipline of physical chemistry and a new theoretical framework for chemical reactions. The possibility of synthesizing ammonia from the elements was now plausible, meaning a solution was on the horizon. In 1898, William Crookes’ message to the world on the importance of ammonia synthesis for the production of foodstuffs not only framed the looming humanitarian crisis but also made its economic potential clear. All that was left to determine were the conditions under which ammonia could be synthesized.
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Choudhary, Shashi Bhushan, Anjay Kumar Jambhulkar, Hariom Kumar Sharma, A. Anil Kumar, Neetu Kumari, and Dileep Kumar. "Gamma-ray induced pedigreed mutant population of tossa jute (Corchorus olitorius L.): a key resource for forward and reverse genetics." In Mutation breeding, genetic diversity and crop adaptation to climate change, 469–77. Wallingford: CABI, 2021. http://dx.doi.org/10.1079/9781789249095.0048.
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Abstract Narrow genetic diversity in available germplasm is a serious limiting factor for academic progress and agronomic improvement of crops like Corchorus olitorius, an economically important bast fibre crop. Mutation breeding, with its proven ability to improve qualitative as well as quantitative traits, can be employed to augment germplasm diversity. In the present study, gamma-rays were used to treat the seeds of two promising varieties, JRO 204 and JRO 8432; LD50 doses for gamma-rays were 200 Gy and 300 Gy for JRO 204 and JRO 8432, respectively. Irradiation of two varieties has resulted in the development of a large number of macro-mutants, such as twisted bark, extreme dwarf, non-abscission leaf, soft stem, hard stem and round pod mutants. Morphological and anatomical studies of these mutants gave new light on secondary growth in the species. In addition to the academic utility, these mutants will prove of immense importance to plant breeders aiming to improve fibre quality. Moreover, novel mutants will help to develop new plant architecture suitable for diversified applications of the genus.
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Lukurugu, Gerald Alex, Omari Kalanje Mponda, Essegbemon Akpo, Emmanuel S. Monyo, Joseph Nzunda, Happy Daudi, Athanas Joseph, Hamphfrey George Mlimbila, David Ndolelwa, and Charles Mkandawile. "Groundnut Seed Production and Distribution Through Multi-Stakeholder Platforms in Southern Region of Tanzania." In Enhancing Smallholder Farmers' Access to Seed of Improved Legume Varieties Through Multi-stakeholder Platforms, 9–30. Singapore: Springer Singapore, 2021. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-8014-7_2.
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AbstractSouthern Groundnut Platform (SGP) was established in 2016 to enhance seed access and adoption of improved groundnut varieties by farmers. The platform serves all districts in Lindi and Mtwara regions and Tunduru district in Ruvuma region. The platform has 53 members of which 22 are females and 31 are males. Since its establishment, there has been a marked increase in farm advisory services using government extension officers, community extension services and lead farmers. Groundnut seed production and distribution networks have increased to include more actors such as NGOs, seed companies, farmers groups and individual seed entrepreneurs. The increased seed access to farmers in the southern zone has contributed to 11% increase in area under cultivation resulting in 15% increase in groundnut production in Nanyumbu district between 2012 and 2018. New market linkages formed helped improve farm gate prices by 80% (from Tshs. 1000 to 1800). The platform also introduced 29 new labour saving technologies reducing women drudgery and increasing farmer improved varieties choice from 3 to 11 new varieties released between 2009 and 2018.
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Lewis, Melissa L., and René Weber. "Character Attachment in Games as Moderator for Learning." In Handbook of Research on Effective Electronic Gaming in Education, 593–605. IGI Global, 2009. http://dx.doi.org/10.4018/978-1-59904-808-6.ch034.
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The Entertainment Education Paradigm (EEP) offers a new way to think about education by blending entertainment with educational experiences. Video games provide an excellent format for entertainment education because of both the prevalence and enjoyment of playing video games and the ways in which individuals of today learn. Role-playing games are one of the better game genres for entertainment education. They provide both high levels of entertainment and a strong connection between player and game characters (models) which lead to an increase in learning. Based on the theories of parasocial interaction, identification, and social learning, this chapter offers a measurement for character attachment and introduces this new construct as a moderator for learning in role-playing video games.
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Browning, Heather. "Guidelines for Designing Effective Games as Clinical Interventions." In Advances in Medical Technologies and Clinical Practice, 105–30. IGI Global, 2016. http://dx.doi.org/10.4018/978-1-4666-9522-1.ch006.
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Games are a successful pedagogical tool to change attitudes and behaviors. This chapter will examine how games facilitate change, discuss common pitfalls, and outline best practices for making serious games for clinical practice. Sustained engagement and motivation are key to lasting clinical interventions. When developing a game for clinical practice, the designer should avoid “punishing by rewards” (Kohn, 1993), damaging motivation towards the desired goal. Understanding game design principles is crucial to creating intrinsically engaging experiences that lead to lasting motivation. The Mechanics, Dynamics, and Aesthetics (MDA) framework is widely accepted by game designers as a framework to make compelling games. Using MDA as a base for understanding how to create engaging experiences, this chapter proposes a new framework for serious games called Mechanics, Dynamics, Aesthetics, and Outcomes. MDAO describes how to design a game that is intrinsically motivating and effective by focusing on the interplay between outcomes and other vectors of design.
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Thompson, Ryan. "Video Games, Performance, and Algorithmic Processing of Music." In The Oxford Handbook of Public Music Theory. Oxford University Press, 2022. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780197551554.013.30.
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Abstract Video games for which the gameplay interacts with game audio as part of the core gameplay loop often invite players to consider music in new ways. Occasionally, this can lead to using games themselves as analytical tools that emphasize different parts of music than many traditional analytical frameworks. Discussions of rhythm and meter, and comparing multiple performances of the same work to one another, are all facilitated by video games in interesting ways. This chapter discusses Crypt of the Necrodancer, Guitar Hero, and Audiosurf as both musically-engaged video games and as spaces inviting conversations surrounding music theory approachable by an engaged, amateur public.
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Consalvo, Mia, Greg Costikyan, Drew Davidson, Nick Fortugno, David Shaenfield, Pete Vigeant, Christopher Weaver, and Karen Schrier. "Quick Takes on Ethics and Games Voices from Industry and Academia." In Designing Games for Ethics, 1–18. IGI Global, 2011. http://dx.doi.org/10.4018/978-1-60960-120-1.ch001.
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In this chapter, seven experts from the games industry and from academia discuss late-breaking and big picture trends in ethics and games. Rather than deep analyses of the issues, these brief perspectives introduce main ideas related to current problems in ethics and games. These quick takes open up discourse on timely topics and ask questions that will lead to new research streams. A microcosm of the entire book, these quick reflections telegraph the themes that will emerge in the rest of the book. First, Mia Consalvo will discusses decision making in Dragon Age; next Greg Costikyan talks about Diplomacy and how game mechanics support ethical behavior. Drew Davidson then provides a meditation on the value of games, Nick Fortugno talks about ethics and Farmville, and educator David Shaenfield looks at new ways to support citizenship skills through gaming. Finally, designer Pete Vigeant gives his personal take on Red Dead Redemption and Bethesda Softworks founder and MIT professor Christopher Weaver unpacks controversies surrounding games.
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Pournelle, Jerry. "Ten Great Computer Games You Should (or Maybe Shouldn’t) Know." In 1001 Computer Words You Need to Know. Oxford University Press, 2004. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780195167757.003.0018.
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Computers aren’t just for writing letters, calculating how much money you’ve lost in the stock market, or e-mailing the entire family about the cancer-stricken boy who is collecting business cards (or is it get-well cards?). No, computers also have a more useful purpose—gaming. Here are ten games that you can waste many hours of your life playing. Tetris (http://www.tetris.com)—Polygons fall from the sky. Make rows of bricks out of the polygons. Repeat. Simple. . .until the polygons are dropping so fast you have less than second to find a place for the current piece and the incomplete rows start building up. . .game over. So you play again. . .you’re addicted. Simple enough for a three year old to play, yet so baffling that the kid will probably outscore you. University students have turned high-rise buildings into giant Tetris games, the record holder being a 15 story academic tower in the Netherlands. Solitaire (probably on your computer right now)—Along with Minesweeper and Hearts, this is how we wasted time at work in the days before we had Internet access at our desks and could check scores on ESPN’s Web site all day. Civilization I/II/III (http://www.civ3.com/)—A sandbox for your Napoleon complex. Start from the Iron Age and lead your people into the nuclear age by investing in scientific research and exploring new terrain. Make friends with other civilizations, or roll your tanks right up to their doorsteps. Deus Ex (http://www.deusex.com/)—Like other first-person shooter games (such as Doom and Quake), this game is gory and not for kids. Unlike Doom and Quake, you don’t have to shoot everything that moves to win. Stealth, non-lethal methods of neutralizing the enemy, and an open mind will get you through this game of near-future intrigue. Everquest (http://everquest.station.sony.com/)—The most well known MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game). Dungeons and Dragons players no longer have to leave their house and interact with real people. This is probably the only game on this list given as a reason for divorce.
Conference papers on the topic "New Leaf (Game)"
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Kamel, Michael, and Roger Miller. "The Evolution of Games of Innovation in Regulated Complex Industries: The Case of Aviation Training." In ASME 2004 International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition. ASMEDC, 2004. http://dx.doi.org/10.1115/imece2004-60541.
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The study of industrial games of innovation is often associated with dominant theories representing various generic forms of organizational design and dynamics. The dominant theories in this area were traditionally Schumpeter’s destructive innovation, Porter’s five-force competitive analysis and Nalebuff’s value net. Other frameworks for analyzing industrial behavior include game theory and its derivative innovation games theory. For regulated high-technology industries, theoretical frameworks that do not account for interfirm coordination are often insufficient to understand or predict the industry behavior. Innovation in the aviation simulation and training industry will be presented in this paper as typical of the regulated high-technology industries. The aviation simulation and training industry emerged at the turn of the twentieth century and it was mostly demand-driven at its onset. The increase in the volume and importance of aviation resulted in government regulation of the industry in the late 1960’s. This has radically changed the industry’s game of innovation into a regulation-based coordination game. Literature described the regulation-centered innovation coordination as “an internally-coherent system of innovation.” The new game had the regulatory frameworks at the core of the innovation process as they defined the market’s acceptance and value capturing from innovative technologies. The evolution of these regulatory frameworks was almost entirely reactive to accidents and catastrophic failures that highlighted existing deficiencies in training methodologies or technologies. This ex-ante regulator-driven system of innovation exhibited recent evolutionary changes towards being a pedagogy-centered service-based system of innovation. The reason behind this transformation was a combination of endogenous and exogenous forces. Technological opportunities, economic pressures and strategic transformation by industry leaders were the three main categories of these forces. The resulting mode of innovation coordination in the industry was a service-oriented pedagogical platform, lead by supplier-user partnerships and monitored by regulation authorities. Compliance to equipment regulatory guidelines is not the principal means of value creation anymore. Rather, the pedagogic value of the training curriculum, encompassing the training devices, is the main source of value creation. A new stable equilibrium of innovation coordination is being reached by the industry, driven by its downstream-most service provision component.
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Yousefi, Bahram Hooshyar, and Hana Mirkhezri. "Lean Gamification Canvas : A New Tool for Innovative Gamification Design Process." In 2020 International Serious Games Symposium (ISGS). IEEE, 2020. http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/isgs51981.2020.9375297.
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Gao, Chao, Martin Müller, and Ryan Hayward. "Three-Head Neural Network Architecture for Monte Carlo Tree Search." In Twenty-Seventh International Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence {IJCAI-18}. California: International Joint Conferences on Artificial Intelligence Organization, 2018. http://dx.doi.org/10.24963/ijcai.2018/523.
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AlphaGo Zero pioneered the concept of two-head neural networks in Monte Carlo Tree Search (MCTS), where the policy output is used for prior action probability and the state-value estimate is used for leaf node evaluation. We propose a three-head neural net architecture with policy, state- and action-value outputs, which could lead to more efficient MCTS since neural leaf estimate can still be back-propagated in tree with delayed node expansion and evaluation. To effectively train the newly introduced action-value head on the same game dataset as for two-head nets, we exploit the optimal relations between parent and children nodes for data augmentation and regularization. In our experiments for the game of Hex, the action-value head learning achieves similar error as the state-value prediction of a two-head architecture. The resulting neural net models are then combined with the same Policy Value MCTS (PV-MCTS) implementation. We show that, due to more efficient use of neural net evaluations, PV-MCTS with three-head neural nets consistently performs better than the two-head ones, significantly outplaying the state-of-the-art player MoHex-CNN.
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Koleva, Zdravka. "OPPORTUNITIES OF GAMEWORKING IN INTERACTIVE ONLINE COMMUNICATIONS BETWEEN AGRICULTURAL PRODUCERS AND CONSUMERS OF THEIR PRODUCTS." In AGRIBUSINESS AND RURAL AREAS - ECONOMY, INNOVATION AND GROWTH 2021. University publishing house "Science and Economics", University of Economics - Varna, 2021. http://dx.doi.org/10.36997/ara2021.192.
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The elements and mechanics introduced by the games are accepted for the gameplay, in a context different from the game one. Researchers find great potential in its implementation, but also take into account the need for training and building a code of ethics in its planning and implementation. Extremely vulnerable are the groups of vegetable growers, producers of fruits, herbs, spices, etc., who face new challenges related to the need to reach quickly and in a very short period of time to a large number of consumers in order to maintain a competitive price. This requires the use of new approaches to communication and motivation of desired behaviour by consumers. By playing games, some of the difficulties can be overcome, but without state support it is possible to deepen other problems, which will lead to the bankruptcy of young unfortified businesses. The purpose of the report is to indicate the possibilities of gamification to increase the commitment to the activities of domestic producers, solidarity with their efforts through awareness of the importance of consuming food products produced with minimal or no harmful preparations, encouraging the frequency of buying from a manufacturer or site, and other. Gaming can be an extremely powerful tool that should be used to motivate behaviour that joins a common cause - maintaining and restoring small and medium-sized businesses engaged in the agricultural sector.
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Schulz, Christiane, and Frank Goodwin. "Improving Corrosion Performance of Thermal Sprayed Coatings with a Zn-Mg-Al Alloy." In IABSE Congress, New York, New York 2019: The Evolving Metropolis. Zurich, Switzerland: International Association for Bridge and Structural Engineering (IABSE), 2019. http://dx.doi.org/10.2749/newyork.2019.0914.
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<p>Thermal sprayed zinc and aluminum alloy coatings provide corrosion protection to steel structures. A new thermal sprayed coating with 1-2% of each Al and Mg shows up to 3 times the corrosion resistance of the conventional Zn and ZnAl alloy coatings. Arc sprayed Zn-Mg-Al alloy wire and three reference materials, Zn, Zn-15%Al and Al-5%Mg, gave coatings 100 - 150 µm thick, using either compressed air or nitrogen as an atomizing gas. Formation of splats in the arc wire spray process is dependent on wire chemistry, temperature and size of the particle prior to impact on the substrate. Splat appearance can be correlations with deposition efficiency of the different materials. Corrosion testing was carried out using electrochemical polarization in artificial sea water and by long-term exposure for two years on Heligoland Island in the North Sea. Of the investigated Zn-based materials, ZnMgAl forms the most stable corrosion product layer which delays the anodic corrosion reaction. At the same time ZnMgAl provides sacrificial protection of damaged, uncoated areas of up to 5 mm. Although Al-based coatings, like AlMg5, provide cathodic protection to steel, they suffer from pitting corrosion which can lead - when undiscovered - to sudden catastrophic failure of the structure.</p>
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Lan, Li-Cheng, Wei Li, Ting-Han Wei, and I.-Chen Wu. "Multiple Policy Value Monte Carlo Tree Search." In Twenty-Eighth International Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence {IJCAI-19}. California: International Joint Conferences on Artificial Intelligence Organization, 2019. http://dx.doi.org/10.24963/ijcai.2019/653.
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Many of the strongest game playing programs use a combination of Monte Carlo tree search (MCTS) and deep neural networks (DNN), where the DNNs are used as policy or value evaluators. Given a limited budget, such as online playing or during the self-play phase of AlphaZero (AZ) training, a balance needs to be reached between accurate state estimation and more MCTS simulations, both of which are critical for a strong game playing agent. Typically, larger DNNs are better at generalization and accurate evaluation, while smaller DNNs are less costly, and therefore can lead to more MCTS simulations and bigger search trees with the same budget. This paper introduces a new method called the multiple policy value MCTS (MPV-MCTS), which combines multiple policy value neural networks (PV-NNs) of various sizes to retain advantages of each network, where two PV-NNs f_S and f_L are used in this paper. We show through experiments on the game NoGo that a combined f_S and f_L MPV-MCTS outperforms single PV-NN with policy value MCTS, called PV-MCTS. Additionally, MPV-MCTS also outperforms PV-MCTS for AZ training.
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Brans, Sophia, Philip Bronkhorst, Nicole Charisi, Laurentiu Lupoae, Casper van Lynden, I.-Ting Kao, Joan le Poole, and Jesper Zwaginga. "Development and Lessons Learned of New Modular Ship Design Activities for Graduate Education During COVID." In SNAME 14th International Marine Design Conference. SNAME, 2022. http://dx.doi.org/10.5957/imdc-2022-225.
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This paper describes changes that have been implemented to an obligatory MSc course on advanced ship design techniques at Delft University of Technology. These changes have been brought about due to three separate causes: 1) COVID and virtual learning, 2) the desire to introduce gamification into active teaching and learning of ship design, and 3) changing market needs. These three very different drivers meant that a new design activity had to be developed, which included a new case study, and new teaching methods incorporating both gamification and virtual learning. Two case studies will be discussed. First, a smaller case study will discuss the introduction of a new hybrid format (in-person and virtual participation) game designed to teach students modular design for offshore support vessels (OSVs). This hybrid game was developed by an MSc student and co-author, Laurentiu Lupoae, during an independent research assignment under the supervision of lead author Assistant Professor Austin Kana and ran during the original submarine design project for the fall of 2020. To support this game, a modular design Excel tool was developed and the details will be discussed in the paper. Second, after implementing lessons learned from the first case study, the course design project for the fall of 2021 was redeveloped to cover the design of a small fleet of modular offshore service vessels (OSVs) for offshore wind. The growth of the offshore wind market and industry push towards developing service vessels to support the energy transition, especially in North Sea, were some of the key reasons behind selecting this as a case study for the design project. The structure of the new design project and the bespoke educational design tools developed for the project will be discussed. Both developments were supported heavily by PhD researchers and MSc students working on either an independent research assignment or their MSc thesis. In this sense, both the development of these activities and the execution of them during the course were learning opportunities for the researchers and MSc students. The paper will conclude with lessons learned focused on improving graduate education for masters students studying ship design.
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Chen, Yuan-Shih, and Jeng-Han Lee. "Defect Isolation and Characterization in Contacts by Using Primary Voltage Adjustment." In ISTFA 2003. ASM International, 2003. http://dx.doi.org/10.31399/asm.cp.istfa2003p0317.
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Abstract Voltage contrast(VC) is a popular method for failure site isolation[1]. After study we find some weakness on tradition voltage contrast. This paper presents a new voltage contrast procedure that can conquer the weakness. For a CMOS technology, there are four kinds of contact node were used. They are N+/PW node, P+/NW node , poly gate node and well node. Traditional voltage contrast condition uses constant SEM primary energy like 1KV can not distinguish these four kinds of node well. For example a contact lead to P+/NW will be bright in tradition VC[2], but a contact connected to well will also be bright. It means tradition VC can not distinguish difference between contact lead to P+/NW and contact lead to well. To improve the weakness of the traditional VC, we will present a new Voltage Contrast technique, which could distinguish all contact types in CMOS technology.
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Yaw, Foong Zeng, Kah Ming Cheok, Kai Zhuan Ng, Jian Xiang Teo, Tin Tin Ting, and Siew Mooi Lim. "E-Entertainment: Factors to Online Game Addiction among TAR UC Students in KL." In International Conference on Digital Transformation and Applications (ICDXA 2021). Tunku Abdul Rahman University College, 2021. http://dx.doi.org/10.56453/icdxa.2021.1020.
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Online gaming is now a well-known electronic entertainment for people all around the world, especially university students. However, the increasing popularity of online gaming may lead to addiction, a problem that has received significant attention. This study aims to identify the factors relating to online gaming addiction. Based on 118 responses collected from online questionnaires, the bivariate correlation test was employed to examine the relationship between depression, loneliness, motivation for escapism and motivation for achievement with online game addiction. Cohen’s effect size f2 for each path is calculated. The findings show that depression, loneliness, motivation for achievement and motivation for escapism have a high positive correlation with online game addiction with large effect size. Keywords: Online Music Streaming Service, Perceived Value, Tangibility Preference, Music Affinity, Online Music Piracy
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Yao, Houpu (Hope), and Max Yi Ren. "Impressionist: A 3D Peekaboo Game for Crowdsourcing Shape Saliency." In ASME 2016 International Design Engineering Technical Conferences and Computers and Information in Engineering Conference. American Society of Mechanical Engineers, 2016. http://dx.doi.org/10.1115/detc2016-60081.
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Designers often express their intents (e.g., on product functionalities and semantics) through shape features. Therefore, collecting such “salient” features from existing shapes and learning their associations with design intents will enable efficient design of new shapes. However, the acquisition of saliency knowledge from a large shape collection has not been accomplished. This paper investigates a gamification approach to this end. In addition, we propose to validate a derived saliency map by its corresponding shape recognition accuracy through crowd-sourcing. This allows a comparison across existing and the proposed saliency acquistion and computation methods. Currentl results show that the proposed method achieves statistically similar recognition accuracy to existing saliency data on a standard shape database, indicating that various saliency maps are equally valid according to the proposed saliency definition. Nonetheless, the saliency data obtained through the proposed game consistently produces reasonable viewpoints across shapes, outperforming existing curvature-based and crowdsourcing approaches. The findings from this study could lead to developments of game mechanisms that are more scalable and cost effective at saliency elicitation than existing paid crowdsourcing approaches.
Reports on the topic "New Leaf (Game)"
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Benton, Tim, Antony Froggatt, Laura Wellesley, Owen Grafham, Richard King, Neil Morisetti, James Nixey, and Patrick Schröder. The Ukraine war and threats to food and energy security: Cascading risks from rising prices and supply disruptions. Royal Institute of International Affairs, April 2022. http://dx.doi.org/10.55317/9781784135225.
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Global resource markets are still reeling from the impacts of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine; the two countries are major suppliers of energy, food and fertilizers. Supply disruption and the sudden imposition, in response to the crisis, of unprecedented economic sanctions, trade restrictions and policy interventions have caused prices of commodities to skyrocket. Before the conflict, demand for global resources already exceeded supply and drove up prices as economies rebounded after the COVID-19 pandemic. This gave rise to a global cost-of-living crisis, characterized by increasing levels of energy and food poverty. This situation is likely to become much worse as a consequence of the war in Ukraine, and poses a threat to human security, particularly among low-income and vulnerable populations. Governments must invest now to build resilient societies and economies to meet these long-term challenges. Mitigating the most immediate harms to populations is a top priority for policymakers, but failure to keep long-term objectives in mind – climate change mitigation, in particular – can lead to bad decisions that further embed existing fragilities in economic and social systems.
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Sharon, Amir, and Maor Bar-Peled. Identification of new glycan metabolic pathways in the fungal pathogen Botrytis cinerea and their role in fungus-plant interactions. United States Department of Agriculture, 2012. http://dx.doi.org/10.32747/2012.7597916.bard.
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The involvement of glycans in microbial adherence, recognition and signaling is often a critical determinant of pathogenesis. Although the major glycan components of fungal cell walls have been identified there is limited information available on its ‘minor sugar components’ and how these change during different stages of fungal development. Our aim was to define the role of Rhacontaining-glycans in the gray mold disease caused by the necrotrophic fungus B. cinerea. The research was built on the discovery of two genes, Bcdhand bcer, that are involved in formation of UDP-KDG and UDP-Rha, two UDP- sugars that may serve as donors for the synthesis of cell surface glycans. Objectives of the proposed research included: 1) To determine the function of B. cinereaBcDh and BcEr in glycan biosynthesis and in pathogenesis, 2) To determine the expression pattern of BcDH and BcERand cellular localization of their encoded proteins, 3) Characterize the structure and distribution of Rha- containing glycans, 4) Characterization of the UDP-sugar enzymes and potential of GTs involved in glycanrhamnosylation. To address these objectives we generated a series of B. cinereamutants with modifications in the bchdhand bcergenes and the phenotype and sugar metabolism in the resulting strains were characterized. Analysis of sugar metabolites showed that changes in the genes caused changes in primary and secondary sugars, including abolishment of rhamnose, however abolishment of rhamnose synthesis did not cause changes in the fungal phenotype. In contrast, we found that deletion of the second gene, bcer, leads to accumulation of the intermediate sugar – UDP- KDG, and that such mutants suffer from a range of defects including reduced virulence. Further analyses confirmed that UDP-KDG is toxic to the fungus. Studies on mode of action suggested that UDP-KDG might affect integrity of the fungal cell wall, possibly by inhibiting UDP-sugars metabolic enzymes. Our results confirm that bcdhand bcerrepresent a single pathway of rhamnose synthesis in B. cinerea, that rhamnose does not affect in vitro development or virulence of the fungus. We also concluded that UDP-KDG is toxic to B. cinereaand hence UDP-KDG or compounds that inhibit Er enzymes and lead to accumulation of UDP-KDG might have antifungal activity. This toxicity is likely the case with other fungi, this became apparent in a collaborative work with Prof. Bart Thomma of Wageningen University, NETHERLANDS . We have shown the deletion of ER mutant in Verticillium dahlia gave plants resistance to the fungal infection.
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Ginzberg, Idit, Richard E. Veilleux, and James G. Tokuhisa. Identification and Allelic Variation of Genes Involved in the Potato Glycoalkaloid Biosynthetic Pathway. United States Department of Agriculture, August 2012. http://dx.doi.org/10.32747/2012.7593386.bard.
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Steroidal glycoalkaloids (SGAs) are secondary metabolites being part of the plant defense response. The two major SGAs in cultivated potato (Solanum tuberosum) are α-chaconine and α-solanine, which exhibit strong cellular lytic properties and inhibit acetylcholinesterase activity, and are poisonous at high concentrations for humans. As SGAs are not destroyed during cooking and frying commercial cultivars have been bred to contain low levels, and their content in tubers should not exceed 20 mg/100 g fresh weight. However, environmental factors can increase tuber SGA content above the safe level. The focus of the proposed research was to apply genomic approaches to identify candidate genes that control potato SGA content in order to develop tools for potato improvement by marker-assisted selection and/or transgenic approaches. To this end, the objectives of the proposal included identification of genes, metabolic intermediates and allelic variations in the potato SGAbiosynthetic pathway. The SGAs are biosynthesized by the sterol branch of the mevalonic acid/isoprenoid pathway. Transgenic potato plants that overexpress 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase 1 (HMG1) or squalene synthase 1 (SQS1), key enzymes of the mevalonic acid/isoprenoid pathway, exhibited elevated levels of solanine and chaconine as well as induced expression of genes downstream the pathway. These results suggest of coordinated regulation of isoprenoid (primary) metabolism and SGA secondary metabolism. The transgenic plants were further used to identify new SGA-related candidate genes by cDNA-AFLP approach and a novel glycosyltransferase was isolated. In addition, genes involved in phytosterol biosynthesis may have dual role and synthesize defense-related steroidal metabolites, such as SGAs, via lanosterol pathway. Potato lanosterol synthase sequence (LAS) was isolated and used to prepare transgenic plants with overexpressing and silencing constructs. Plants are currently being analyzed for SGA content. The dynamics of SGA accumulation in the various organs of a potato species with high SGA content gave insights into the general regulation of SGA abundance. Leaf SGA levels in S. chacoense were 10 to 20-fold greater than those of S. tuberosum. The leptines, SGAs with strong antifeedant properties against Colorado potato beetles, were present in all aerial tissues except for early and mid-developmental stages of above ground stolons, and accounted for the high SGA content of S. chacoense. These results indicate the presence of regulatory mechanisms in most tissues except in stolons that limit the levels of α-solanine and α-chaconine and confine leptine accumulation to the aerial tissues. The genomes of cultivated and wild potato contain a 4-member gene family coding for SQS. Three orthologs were cloned as cDNAs from S. chacoense and heterologously expressed in E. coli. Squalene accumulated in all E. coli lines transformed with each of the three gene constructs. Differential transcript abundance in various organs and amino acid sequence differences in the conserved domains of three isoenzymes indicate subfunctionalization of SQS activity and triterpene/sterol metabolism. Because S. chacoense and S. phureja differ so greatly for presence and accumulation of SGAs, we selected four candidate genes from different points along the biosynthetic pathway to determine if chcor phuspecific alleles were associated with SGA expression in a segregating interspecific diploid population. For two of the four genes (HMG2 and SGT2) F2 plants with chcalleles expressed significantly greater total SGAs compared with heterozygotes and those with phualleles. Although there are other determinants of SGA biosynthesis and composition in potato, the ability of allelic states at two genes to affect SGA levels confirms some of the above transgenic work where chcalleles at two other loci altered SGA expression in Desiree. Present results reveal new opportunities to manipulate triterpene/sterol biosynthesis in more targeted ways with the objective of altering SGA content for both human health concerns and natural pesticide content without disrupting the essential metabolism and function of the phytosterol component of the membranes and the growth regulating brassinosteroids.