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Adaptive laboratory evolution (ALE) is a technique for the selection of strains with better phenotypes by long-term culture under a specific selection pressure or growth environment. Because ALE does not require detailed knowledge of a variety of complex and interactive metabolic networks, and only needs to simulate natural environmental conditions in the laboratory to design a selection pressure, it has the advantages of broad adaptability, strong practicability, and more convenient transformation of strains. In addition, ALE provides a powerful method for studying the evolutionary forces that change the phenotype, performance, and stability of strains, resulting in more productive industrial strains with beneficial mutations. In recent years, ALE has been widely used in the activation of specific microbial metabolic pathways and phenotypic optimization, the efficient utilization of specific substrates, the optimization of tolerance to toxic substance, and the biosynthesis of target products, which is more conducive to the production of industrial strains with excellent phenotypic characteristics. In this paper, typical examples of ALE applications in the development of industrial strains and the research progress of this technology are reviewed, followed by a discussion of its development prospects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here, Davies notes, for two decades a combination of mistaken policies and rent-seeking management had created a crisis which would only be accentuated by the "state capture" of the Zuma era. Davies' academic doctorate and his Mozambican experience prompted his recruitment to the African National Congress's (ANC's) economic policy committee that he joined in 1987. This is probably the first and is likely to be the best account by an insider about the workings of Jacob Zuma's administration. [Extracted from the article]

In both Britain and France, pollution from emergent chemical manufacturing during the early industrial era presented a choice between two regulatory approaches. One option, consistent with longstanding restrictions in both countries on the location of malodorous trades, insisted on the separation of chemical plants from (upper-class) residences. The alternative approach allowed polluting firms to operate near residences, subject to incremental technologybased mitigation. By 1810, France issued a decree that conferred on most chemical manufacturers the right to operate inside cities, subject to permitting requirements. For residents of working-class industrial neighborhoods, who never stood a realistic chance of removing polluters, a regulatory regime geared at incremental mitigation held the potential for modest environmental improvement. For wealthy landowners, however, partial technological mitigation was far inferior to the complete relief obtainable through the removal of pollution sources. France's example loomed large over chemical pollution debates in nineteenth-century Britain. Manufacturers hoped the courts would remove locational restrictions on chemical plants, while the near absence of pollution mitigation within working-class areas alarmed liberal reformers. The road to a compromise solution patterned after France's was impeded in Britain, however, by a deep-seated aversion to uniform, centralized pollution control. This reticence was rooted in common-law-inspired understandings of nuisance law as the sole and inviolable constitutional means for the regulation of land use. By the 1860s, through the combined impact of St. Helens v. Tipping (1865) and the Alkali Act of 1863, Britain moved towards the French approach. Nevertheless, compared with France, British law remained more protective of landowners, more reactive in its implementation, and more willing to vary required mitigation based on sociodemographic factors. Beyond its contribution to comparative environmental history, in revealing the legal-ideological underpinnings of the Franco-British divide over the regulation of early chemical pollution, this Article also seeks to shine a light on the lingering role of legal ideology within contemporary cross-national divisions over the efficacy and legitimacy of centralized technology-based regulatory instruments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Motivation Bioproduction of value-added compounds is frequently achieved by utilizing enzymes from other species. However, expression of such heterologous enzymes can be detrimental due to unexpected interactions within the host cell. Recently, an alternative strategy emerged, which relies on recruiting side activities of host enzymes to establish new biosynthetic pathways. Although such low-level 'underground' enzyme activities are prevalent, it remains poorly explored whether they may serve as an important reservoir for pathway engineering. Results Here, we use genome-scale modeling to estimate the theoretical potential of underground reactions for engineering novel biosynthetic pathways in Escherichia coli. We found that biochemical reactions contributed by underground enzyme activities often enhance the in silico production of compounds with industrial importance, including several cases where underground activities are indispensable for production. Most of these new capabilities can be achieved by the addition of one or two underground reactions to the native network, suggesting that only a few side activities need to be enhanced during implementation. Remarkably, we find that the contribution of underground reactions to the production of value-added compounds is comparable to that of heterologous reactions, underscoring their biotechnological potential. Taken together, our genome-wide study demonstrates that exploiting underground enzyme activities could be a promising addition to the toolbox of industrial strain development. Availability and implementation The data and scripts underlying this article are available on GitHub at https://github.com/pappb/Kovacs-et-al-Underground-metabolism. Supplementary information Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to analyze the network of interactions of Brazilian medical research groups, identifying key actors and their roles in generating and diffusing knowledge. Social network analysis was applied, with data from the Research Groups Directory Census of the National Council of Scientific and Technological Development, from 2016. The main results show (1) the central role of universities, public institutes, and university hospital research groups; (2) the importance of scientific infrastructure and research capability of scientists in knowledge production; (3) the minor role of the industry, denoting the fragility of university–industry interactions; (4) spatial concentration of network actors, mostly located in the south and southeast of Brazil; and (5) a great opportunity to expand flows and cooperation. Regarding these results, the recent budgetary cuts in science and technology resources since 2016 seem to be a misguided and detrimental strategy as these resources are essential for future technological and industrial development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microneedle array patch (MAP) is a patch of sharp but painless microstructure needles ranging from only a few microneedles to several hundred, attached to an adhesive patch. The arrays penetrate the outer layer of the skin on application and then are given time to dissolve to deliver a local dose of medication intradermally (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6jPA9liUMc). MAP enable alternative and easier delivery scenarios for physicians as they require less training to apply and not as hazardous as traditional needles. MAP also improve adherence to drug regimens as it makes the administration of drugs to patients safer and less painful. Additionally, microneedles offer suitability for self-administration, no biohazardous sharps waste, and no risk of needle-stick injuries. The work that supported the preliminary research/development have been patented/published (Patent WO 2020/250210). The key opinion leaders KOLs and industry stakeholder feedback confirmed an unmet market need for the MN technology, particularly in support of many topical applications. The in-vivo data showed that the MAP delivers a superior localized drug dose compared current standard of care, which should translate to a reduced treatment-time. Also, the comparative plasma bioavailability of the MAP translates to less side effects. It was also observed that after one week, there was no sign of inflammation or irritation at the site of application. We are seeking potential clinical partners for whom collaboration and MAP technology is advantageous. Such collaboration would ensure rapid product development and industrial production to allow clinical assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the discussion on rural policy measures launched by European Commission supporting from senior policy figures and practitioners as LEADER. Topics include policy based on rural industrialization, branch plant developments, and agricultural modernization; and LAGs demonstrating innovation or interaction between different sectors in the strategies or projects.

Cieszyn Silesia is a region which was divided between Czechoslovakia and Poland in 1920. Czechoslovakia obtained the industrially developed and strategically important part, which had a large Polish and German population. The purpose of this paper is to analyse the minority policy of the Czechoslovak state administration by focusing on the examples of state-run railway employees and workers in large, mostly private, industrial establishments. It discusses the mechanisms of an ethnic policy that functioned in a particular, distinctive region at the crossroads of three cultures—German, Polish and Czech. Policies towards minorities in Czechoslovakia in the period before the Munich Agreement of 1938 have often been regarded as democratic and tolerant. Nonetheless, the integration of Cieszyn Silesia was a significant challenge for Czechoslovak authorities and their actions were often in contradiction with liberal principles. This paper focuses not on the legislation, but on the practical approaches that contributed to the enhancement of the position of the Czech nation. In the case of both railwaymen and industrial workers, the state authorities took action that had a common goal—the Czechification of the region. The main difference in methods used against both groups depended on the direct dependence of the former (railwaymen) on the state as their employer. In the case of industrial workers, state policies had a less direct impact, but nonetheless created conditions conducive to discriminatory and assimilationist pressures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With its high concentration of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) in heavy industry, Manchuria (Northeast China) functioned as a symbol of the "socialist industrialization" in the early years of the People's Republic of China (PRC, 1949–). Many Manchurian SOEs nevertheless originated as Japanese colonial enterprises founded before 1945. Drawing on archives and interviews in Chinese, Japanese, English, and Russian, I trace industrial Manchuria's transformation before and after the Communist Revolution with a particular focus on Anshan Iron and Steel Works (Angang). I argue that the industrial legacies of imperial Japan and Nationalist China in Manchuria facilitated China's transition to a Soviet-style socialist planned economy under Mao Zedong's leadership (1949–76). The early PRC developed a new system of socialist industrialization by simultaneously learning from Soviet economic planning and deploying physical assets, human resources, and economic institutions left by the Japanese and the Nationalists. My findings expand on recent scholarship on the pre-Communist origins of the early PRC by elucidating the significance of the Japanese influence. More broadly, I also argue that China's socialist industrialization was decisively influenced by the global spread of state-directed developmental visions during the interwar period, thereby demonstrating the fundamental interconnectedness between capitalism and socialism in the twentieth century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent literature has called attention to the significance of mission-oriented policies (MOPs) in setting the directions of change, market creation, and economic development. The aim of this article is to analyze and discuss the main challenges of setting MOPs in the context of developing countries. We do so by looking at the recent development of the Brazilian shipbuilding sector where an entire institutional setting was put in place to boost technological and industrial development. We investigate the policies set for the sector to create a market, stimulate the industry, and promote innovation. Results show that, while the set of policies emplaced was able to give an initial boost in the sector, coordination uncertainties and high capability-building costs precipitated the failure of the industry to catchup with international competitors. We argue that there is a fuzzy boundary between policy expectations for market creation and the actual possibilities of building an industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The biomanufacturing industry has now the opportunity to upgrade its production processes to be in harmony with the latest industrial revolution. Technology creates capabilities that enable smart manufacturing while still complying with unfolding regulations. However, many biomanufacturing companies, especially in the biopharma sector, still have a long way to go to fully benefit from smart manufacturing as they first need to transition their current operations to an information-driven future. One of the most significant obstacles towards the implementation of smart biomanufacturing is the collection of large sets of relevant data. Therefore, in this work, we both summarize the advances that have been made to date with regards to the monitoring and control of bioprocesses, and highlight some of the key technologies that have the potential to contribute to gathering big data. Empowering the current biomanufacturing industry to transition to Industry 4.0 operations allows for improved productivity through information-driven automation, not only by developing infrastructure, but also by introducing more advanced monitoring and control strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores economic and political issues influencing relations between Russia and Turkey. Topics discussed include the revival of trade relations between the two nations following the industrialization of the Soviet Union under the administration of then Soviet Premier Alexei Kosygin, the economic assistance extended by the Soviet government to Turkey, the way both nations pursued technological and industrial innovations, brief details about Soviet-Turkish relations from the First World War to the Cold War, and a comparison of the economic growth policies of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The global wild capture fishery expanded rapidly over the 20th century as fishing technology improved, peaking in the 1990s as most fisheries transitioned to fully- or over-exploited status. Historical records for individual large marine ecosystems (LMEs) tend to echo this same progression, but with local variations in the timing and abruptness of catch peaks. Here, we provide objective descriptions of these catch peaks, which generally progressed from high- to low-latitude LMEs, and attribute the temporal progression to a combination of economic and ecological factors. We show that the ecological factors can be remarkably strong by using a spatially resolved, observationally-constrained, coupled macroecological-economic model to which we impose an idealized, globally homogeneous increase in catchability. The globally-uniform technology creep produces a spatial progression of fishing from high-to-low latitudes that is similar to observations, primarily due to the impact of temperature on ecosystem metabolism. In colder LMEs, low respiration rates allow the build-up of larger pristine standing stocks, so that high-latitude fisheries are profitable earlier, at lower levels of fishing technology. We suggest that these bioenergetic characteristics contributed significantly to the historical progression of this human-ecological system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Political leaders, policy-makers and academics routinely refer to development as an objective process of social change through the use of technical, value-free terms. Images of poverty and inequality are regularly presented as evidence of a world that exists 'out there' where development unfolds. This way of seeing reflects the value of scientific forms of knowledge but also sits in tension with the normative foundations of development that take European modernization and industrialization as the benchmark for comparison. The role images play in this process is often overlooked. This article argues that a dominant mode of visuality based on a Cartesian separation between subject and object, underpinning the ascendance of European hegemony and colonialism, aligns with the core premises of orthodox development discourse. An example of how visual representations of development matter is presented through images of Africa–China relations in western media sources. Using widely circulated images depicting China's impact on African development in western news media sources as an example of why visual politics matters for policy-making, the article examines how images play a role in legitimizing development planning by rendering associated forms of epistemological and structural violence 'invisible to the viewer'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are limitations in the explanatory power of prevailing theories on the political economy of Africa's growth without industrialization that emphasize the resource-curse, ethnicity, neopatrimonialism, and the developmental state. This article uses a political settlements approach to explain the institutional underpinnings of Nigeria's economic transition. It shows how external constraints on ruling elites interact with the distribution of power and institutions to stimulate episodic reforms in an 'intermediate' Nigerian state. Rather than a 'developmental' state presiding over industrial upgrading or a 'predatory' state operating solely on neopatrimonial basis, this intermediate state presides over selective reforms and bursts of economic growth and diversification. Thus, specific constraints in Nigeria's post-military political settlement from 1999 generated the initial impetus for successful telecoms liberalization, while inhibiting growth in the oil sector. This article contributes to advancing the political settlements framework in applying it to resource-rich countries, by outlining the four dimensions of the distribution of power and the constraints for institutional persistence or change, and their varying economic implications. It also reclaims the concept of 'elite bargains' as a defining feature of the horizontal distribution of power and demonstrates its centrality to the durability or fragility of institutions, especially at critical junctures of resource booms and busts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are limitations in the explanatory power of prevailing theories on the political economy of Africa's growth without industrialization that emphasize the resource-curse, ethnicity, neopatrimonialism, and the developmental state. This article uses a political settlements approach to explain the institutional underpinnings of Nigeria's economic transition. It shows how external constraints on ruling elites interact with the distribution of power and institutions to stimulate episodic reforms in an 'intermediate' Nigerian state. Rather than a 'developmental' state presiding over industrial upgrading or a 'predatory' state operating solely on neopatrimonial basis, this intermediate state presides over selective reforms and bursts of economic growth and diversification. Thus, specific constraints in Nigeria's post-military political settlement from 1999 generated the initial impetus for successful telecoms liberalization, while inhibiting growth in the oil sector. This article contributes to advancing the political settlements framework in applying it to resource-rich countries, by outlining the four dimensions of the distribution of power and the constraints for institutional persistence or change, and their varying economic implications. It also reclaims the concept of 'elite bargains' as a defining feature of the horizontal distribution of power and demonstrates its centrality to the durability or fragility of institutions, especially at critical junctures of resource booms and busts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pentose sugars are increasingly being used in industrial applications of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Although l-arabinose is a highlighted pentose that has been identified as next-generation biomass, arabinose fermentation has not yet undergone extensive development for industrial utilization. In this study, we integrated a heterologous fungal arabinose pathway with a deletion of PHO13 phosphatase gene. PHO13 deletion increased arabinose consumption rate and specific ethanol productivity under aerobic conditions and consequently depleted sedoheptulose by activation of the TAL1 gene. Global metabolite profiling indicated upregulation of the pentose phosphate pathway and downstream effects such as trehalose accumulation and downregulation of the TCA cycle. Our results suggest that engineering of PHO13 has ample potential for arabinose conversion to ethanol as an industrial source for biofuels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A state-led industrialization push inspired by the East Asian 'developmental state' model is at the centre of Ethiopia's recent economic success. This model has historically proved potent for achieving rapid industrialization, but the business-state alliance at the heart of the model generally aimed to curb the power of labour. Focusing on textile and leather manufacturing in Ethiopia, this article addresses two questions: are workers capable of extracting gains from the process of industrialization, and have the actions of workers affected global value chain integration in the two industries? Our data show that opportunities for collective voice among workers are limited. However, workers have expressed their discontent by leaving employers when working conditions fail to meet their expectations. The resulting turnover has generated significant obstacles for local and foreign firms attempting to participate in global value chains. In response, the Ethiopian state and employers implemented a number of measures, including restrictions on emigration and more generous non-wage benefits. Recent research on global value chains and labour highlights how workers are able to influence work practices through individual action. The present article builds on these ideas, but shows that firms and governments have the ability to respond and limit this power. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article comments on the novel "Tono-Bungay" by H. G. Wells and the romance of modern commerce. Topics include "Tono-Bungay" published in 1909 at a time that witnessed the rapid growth of urbanization, imperial expansion, and industrialization, and with dwindling resources at home, the expropriation of raw materials from abroad spurred the impetus to capitalist accumulation, along with the creation of a market for goods manufactured from raw materials.

China's ties with Africa are evolving into a multi-faceted relationship of increasing complexity. After nearly two decades of debt-financed infrastructure development, Beijing's exposure to African debt is reaching disquieting proportions with an estimated US$132 billion owed to China in 2016. Managing this new role as Africa's creditor poses uncomfortable questions for creditor and debtor alike. Concurrently, the quiet surge of Chinese investment in manufacturing in Africa is transforming local economies in ways that are beginning to alter the continent's position within the global economy. Finally, the proliferation of Chinese businesses and migrants across Africa is inspiring greater Chinese involvement in UN peacekeeping and private security initiatives. This article examines how these structural changes are challenging core practices and principles which guided China–Africa relations in its formative decades. For instance, under the banner of an alternative to western policies China promoted the absence of conditionalities attached to its concessional loans and grants. Equally, promotion of industrialization of African economies marks a key shift away from China's resource-centric engagement with the continent. And, in the case of security, Beijing's commitment to avoid intervention in domestic affairs is being set aside with implications for its principles, and ultimately status, in Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sub-Saharan Africa's recent economic boom has raised hopes and expectations to lift the regions' 'bottom millions' out of poverty by 2030. How realistic is that goal? We approach this question by comparing the experiences of three front-runners of region-specific development trajectories – Britain's capital-intensive, Japan's labour-intensive, and Ghana's land-extensive growth path, highlighting some historical analogies that are relevant for Africa, but often overlooked in the current 'Africa rising' debate. We draw particular attention to Africa's demographic boom and the possibilities for a quick transition to labour-intensive export-led industrialization. Although our exercise in diachronic comparative history offers little hope for poverty eradication by 2030, we do see broadened opportunities for sustained African economic growth in the longer term. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article seeks to explain what policy approaches and policy measures are best suited for promoting new regional industrial path development and what needs and possibilities there are for such policy to change and adapt to new conditions in order to remain efficient. The article departs from the notion of Smart Specialization and discusses how regional strategies that are inspired by this approach influence path renewal and new path creation and how they are related to and aligned with policy strategies implemented at other scales (local, regional, national, supranational). Our main argument is that new regional industrial growth paths require both continuity and change within the support structure of the innovation system. Unless smart specialization strategies are able to combine such adaptation and continuity, they fail to promote path renewal and new path creation. Our arguments are illustrated with empirical findings from the regional innovation system of Scania, South Sweden. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Financialization is a process often viewed askance, not least on the left of British politics. Yet in the 1970s elements of the left wing of the Labour Party developed the idea that financialization, in the form of growing middle- and working-class contributions to life insurance and occupational pensions, also offered an opportunity. With deindustrialization setting in, the Labour Left argued for the nationalization of banks and insurance companies, and the channelling of the funds flowing through insurance schemes and pension funds, into a new drive to boost manufacturing investment. The article examines the rise of these proposals and the reasons for their rejection using documents from the Labour Party archives. As such it makes contributions to the debates on deindustrialization in Britain and on the emergence of financialization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the economic impact of earthquake and tsunami to the energy industry in Japan on March 11, 2011. It highlights the shutdown of the nuclear reactors for inspection, maintenance and repairs at the Fukushima Daiichi power station following the tsunami event. It stresses the efforts of the Japanese government to deal with the sudden loss of nuclear power associated with the decline of energy supply. It also cites the threat of blackouts to the energy supply for the households, industries and buildings across the country.

Sustainable economic and industrial growth is the need of the hour and it requires renewable energy resources having better performance and compatibility with existing fuel infrastructure from biological routes. Isoprenoids (C ≥ 5) can be a potential alternative due to their diverse nature and physiochemical properties similar to that of petroleum based fuels. In the past decade, extensive research has been done to utilize metabolic engineering strategies in micro-organisms primarily, (i) to overcome the limitations associated with their natural and non-natural production and (ii) to develop commercially competent microbial strain for isoprenoid-based biofuel production. This review briefly describes the engineered isoprenoid biosynthetic pathways in well-characterized microbial systems for the production of several isoprenoid-based biofuels and fuel precursors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An essay is presented concerning the development of the press clipping trade as a commodity network between 1880 and 1925. According to the article, press clipping services presaged the concept of data mining and such services were related to the consolidation of corporate capitalism and strengthened connections among commercial centers during industrialization. The article discusses the emphasis on business information processing and the careers of press clipping services entrepreneurs Robert Luce, Frank Burrelle, and William F.G. Shanks.

The frequent pairing of electrical machines and Native American spirits in nineteenth-century Spiritualism was a topic first addressed by Werner Sollors in a 1983 article for American Quarterly. Building on Sollors’ observations, this article suggests that the juxtaposition of machines and Indian spirits reflects an alchemical worldview, one that framed Spiritualist conceptions of materiality and spiritual progression. As an industrializing America transformed nature into a modern infrastructure, Andrew Jackson Davis and John Murray Spear spiritualized technology, likening electricity and electrical machines to the rarefied matter of the spirit world. By the same alchemical logic, the rarefication of an Indian-inscribed nature was thought to yield Native American spirits, who circulated in and through the nation's new machines. This narrative has continued to shape the metaphysical imaginary, even as the popularity of Spiritualism has declined, reflecting a sustained meditation on the ultimate meaning of industrialization in America. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Chartism has generated one of the liveliest historiographies of the twentieth century, with the development of new linguistic and cultural approaches in the 1980s proving to be a particularly innovative line of enquiry. Yet the shift towards language and meaning has not been without a price. In particular, the tendency to frame Chartism as an intellectual force has led scholars to overlook the fact that Chartism was also a social movement, constituted, quite literally, of millions of working men and women, who had traditionally been excluded from the political sphere.This article uses working-class autobiography to restore a social-history dimension to our understanding of Chartism. It asks how a body of men with no experience of bourgeois forms of civic engagement orchestrated such a large-scale and sophisticated political campaign. How had a working-class ‘public’, with the capacity for effective political action, been created? And how, if at all, was the emergence of the world’s first workers’ movement related to the broader socio-economic context—in particular, to the processes of industrialisation and urbanisation with all the social flux they entailed? [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]