Determining acceptance and rejection of nano-enabled agriculture: A case study of the New Zealand wine industry.

This paper gathers gatekeeper views and perceptions on nano-enabled viticulture in Aotearoa New Zealand. While the science of nanotechnology is indicated to offer improvements to conventional vineyard inputs and operations, its acceptability by potential users and consumers has an impact on the governance of nano-enabled agriculture. This governance takes place not just at the state level through regulation and policy, but also through corporate, and community sectors' use of branding and narratives about nanotechnology and nano-based agrichemicals, and the (non)consumption of nano-enabled products. This paper investigates the technical and market acceptability, or governance, of nanotechnology by elucidating the attitudes of industry gatekeepers towards wines grown with nanotechnology. This necessarily informs the 'market permissibility' of such technologies, and illuminates sensitivities, concerns, and consumer-based barriers to adoption. We conducted 15 semi-structured, key informant interviews and a thematic data analysis. Our results suggest a high level of technical acceptability, particularly if environmental sustainability benefits are made clear. Wine producers are interested in nano-solutions to labour, pest and disease, and cost of production issues. However, key actors in the production-consumption network of New Zealand wine have concerns about nano-enabled approaches. Regulatory approval and safety assurances are expected prior to adoption in food or wine. Respondents argue that consumer acceptability is less clear, and that thought leaders like wine writers, intermediaries and 'influencers' will be critical in shaping public opinion. This research highlights the potential risks of nanotechnology development and adoption.

Sequence analysis of the equid herpesvirus 2 chemokine receptor homologues E1, ORF74 and E6 demonstrates high sequence divergence between field isolates.

Equid herpesvirus 2 (EHV-2), in common with other members of the subfamily Gammaherpesvirinae, encodes homologues of cellular seven-transmembrane receptors (7TMR), namely open reading frames (ORFs) E1, 74 and E6, which each show some similarity to cellular chemokine receptors. Whereas ORF74 and E6 are members of gammaherpesvirus-conserved 7TMR gene families, E1 is currently unique to EHV-2. To investigate their genetic variability, EHV-2 7TMRs from a panel of equine gammaherpesvirus isolates were sequenced. A region of gB was sequenced to provide comparative sequence data. Phylogenetic analysis revealed six 'genogroups' for E1 and four for ORF74, which exhibited approximately 10-38 and 11-27 % amino acid difference between groups, respectively. In contrast, E6 was highly conserved, with two genogroups identified. The greatest variation was observed within the N-terminal domains and other extracellular regions. Nevertheless, analysis of the number of non-synonymous (d(N)) and synonymous (d(S)) substitutions per site generally supported the hypothesis that the 7TMRs are under negative selective pressure to retain functionally important residues, although some site-specific positive selection (d(N)>d(S)) was also observed. Collectively, these data are consistent with transmembrane and cytoplasmic domains being less tolerant of mutations with adverse effects upon function. Finally, there was no evidence for genetic linkage between the different gB, E1, ORF74 and E6 genotypes, suggesting frequent intergenic recombination between different EHV-2 strains.

Communication in platinum ethynylchalcogenophenes.

A series of alkynylchalcogenophene platinum(II) complexes have been synthesized and characterized by multinuclear NMR and UV-visible absorption spectroscopies; the NMR spectra show unprecedented long-range heteronuclear coupling, and clear correlations emerge between spectroscopic data and theoretical analysis of their electronic structures.

The impact of zeta potential on the physical properties of ferric--NOM flocs.

The physical properties of natural organic matter (NOM) flocs, such as size, growth rate, and strength, were investigated using a laser diffraction particle sizing device. Conditions were set such that varying carbon coagulant ratio and zeta potential could both be investigated. Results demonstrated a link between zeta potential and coagulation and flocculation performance, with the production of strong flocs and low residual concentrations when the zeta potential was minimized. The overall strength of the connection points within the floc were determined by a combination of steric interactions, polymer bridging, van der Waals forces, and electrostatic forces. Hence, both dose ratio and zeta potential are important in understanding floc properties. Floc growth was dominated by dose ratio, whereas the response to elevated shear was strongly related to zeta potential. The steady-state floc size was a combination of both factors. This allowed the continued development of a qualitative model in order to engineer optimal floc properties when coagulating NOM.

The impact of seasonal variations in DOC arising from a moorland peat catchment on coagulation with iron and aluminium salts.

Natural organic matter (NOM) is one of the main sources of environmental pollution to drinking water supplies in much of the UK and the US. Whilst traditional treatment with trivalent coagulants has proven a successful strategy in the past, operational problems are now being reported during periods of elevated organic levels in the water. Characterisation of the pollutants in terms of polarity, molecular weight and charge, provides a method to understand the impact of the observed temporal and spatial variations in terms of a mechanistic parameter relevant to the treatment processes. Results from this study demonstrate that it is not simply the increased organic concentration, but also the change in NOM composition and character, which influences the impact on the treatment processes. Consequently, monitoring of these parameters provides an insight into how to manage the impact caused by environmental changes to the catchments.

Seasonal variations in natural organic matter and its impact on coagulation in water treatment.

In the past decade, a number of UK and US water utilities have been experiencing operational difficulties connected with the increased dissolved organic carbon (DOC) levels during the autumn and winter periods. This has been observed as an increase in the production of disinfection-by-products (DBP), and a greater coagulant demand. Resin adsorption techniques were used to fractionate raw water and investigate the variation in surface charge and coagulant-humic interactions over a 36-month period. A change in the natural organic matter (NOM) composition throughout the year was observed, with the fulvic acid fraction (FAF) increasing from 36% in September to 61% in November. However, a reduction in treatment performance is not simply due to an increase in DOC concentrations (from 4.3 to 14.5 mg L-1), but also a change in the charge density of the NOM. It was found that hydrophilic NOM fractions possess negligible charge density (<0.06 meq g-1DOC), and it is the hydrophobic NOM fractions, FAF in particular, that exert the greater dominance on coagulation control. The hydrophilic NOM fractions are less amenable to removal through conventional coagulation with metal salts, and are therefore likely to indicate the DOC residual remaining after treatment. Understanding the seasonal changes in NOM composition and character and their reactivity with coagulants should lead to a better optimisation of the coagulation process and a more consistent water quality.

Polymer-bound 1-aryl-3-alkyltriazenes as modular ligands for catalysis. Part 1: synthesis and metal coordination.

A range of di- and tri-substituted triazenes have been synthesized from a polymer-supported diazonium salt and various primary and secondary amines. The triazenes obtained were treated with transition metal salts to form polymer-supported metal complexes in firstly a general screen and then in a specific manner.

Polymer-bound 1-aryl-3-alkyltriazenes as modular ligands for catalysis. Part 2: screening immobilized metal complexes for catalytic activity.

A range of polymer-supported triazenes and their metal-bound analogues were screened for use in catalysis. Fe, Cu and Zr complexes were, together with the polymer-supported triazene ligand alone, screened in the addition of Et(2)Zn to benzaldehyde. A supported Pd triazene complex was screened for activity in Suzuki and Sonogashira reactions and a supported Ru triazene complex screened for transfer hydrogenation.