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We examine the relationship between investments in animal breeding and productivity growth on Wisconsin dairy farms using a control function approach. We incorporate farm‐level annual investment in breeding and genetics into the law of motion of productivity as in De Loecker (2013) to test the relationship between these investments and realized productivity. Our unique dataset also allows us to look at the effect of choosing bulls with high milk yield potential on productivity. Our results indicate that breeding investments made 3 years prior are associated with higher productivity of the current cohort. However, the farms with the highest level of productivity reap the lowest benefits from breeding investments, suggesting that there are diminishing returns to investing in genetics. When milk output is not quality adjusted, the contribution of breeding to productivity is undetectable, suggesting that breeding and investments in milk quality are related. We conclude that investments in breeding and genetics significantly contribute to dairy farm productivity, especially in terms of milk quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to solve the collaborative optimization scheduling of multi‐microgrid under the high penetration rate of new energy, this paper considered the energy interaction between micro‐grids in multi‐microgrid and the relationship between new energy consumption and electricity cost, constructed a collaborative scheduling model considering both micro‐grid load and main grid wind and optical energy storage, proposed objective function based on economic cost, and improved Genetic Algorithm (GA). The elite thought and catastrophe thought are used to optimize the selection operation, and the particle swarm optimization algorithm is used to optimize the mutation operation. Furthermore, three scenarios were selected to verify the effectiveness of the proposed model and the improved GA. The results show that the proposed model can ensure the stable operation of the multi‐microgrid system with a high proportion of new energy access and reduce the operation cost. In addition. the improved algorithm solves the problems of easy to fall into local optimum and slow iteration speed, and has better performance in solving the model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a reliability evaluation method for distribution network with distributed generations considering feeder fault recovery and network reconfiguration, and mainly addresses issues: 1) insufficient consideration of the characteristics for the components and distributed generations (DGs) of distribution network such as time sequences, randomness and intermittency; 2) changes in the feeder area of the distribution network after the access of DGs; and 3) multi‐dimensional reliability index for distribution network with DGs has not been formed perfectly. Firstly, Markov reliability model for distribution network components/DGs is established in our study. Then, considering the fault recovery and network reconfiguration of the feeder area, island partitioning method of distribution network with DGs is also proposed. Moreover, a reliability evaluation model is presented for distribution network with DGs based on sequential Monte Carlo method. Case study is performed on the improved IEEE RBTS BUS6 F4 feeder system, and the research results indicate the validity and effectiveness of the proposed method. In addition, the system reliability indicators, such as system average interruption frequency index (SAIFI), system average interruption duration index (SAIDI), customer average interruption duration index (CAIDI), and average system availability index (ASAI), are studied and discussed in detail from three dimensions: the access of DGs, the types of DGs, and the capacity of DGs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biomineralization‐controlled exo‐/endoskeleton growth contributes to body growth and body size diversity. Molluscan shells undergo ectopic biomineralization to form the exoskeleton and biocalcified "pearl" involved in invading defence. Notably, exo‐/endoskeletons have a common ancestral origin, but their regulation and body growth are largely unknown. This study employed the pearl oyster, Pinctada fucata marntensii, a widely used experimental model for biomineralization in invertebrates, to perform whole‐genome resequencing of 878 individuals from wild and breeding populations. This study characterized the genetic architecture of biomineralization‐controlled growth and ectopic biomineralization. The insulin‐like growth factor (IGF) endocrine signal interacted with ancient single‐copy transcription factors to form the regulatory network. Moreover, the "cross‐phylum" regulation of key long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) in bivalves and mammals indicated the conserved genetic and epigenetic regulation in exo‐/endoskeleton growth. Thyroid hormone signal and apoptosis regulation in pearl oysters affected ectopic biomineralization in pearl oyster. These findings provide insights into the mechanism underlying the evolution and regulation of biomineralization in exo‐/endoskeleton animals and ectopic biomineralization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agricultural mechanization services (AMS) have emerged as a viable and effective solution for helping farmers gain access to machinery equipment in developing countries. This study investigates the simultaneous decision‐making regarding multiple mechanization services and the causal impacts of the AMS on land productivity among Chinese smallholders. We find that: (i) The ratio of off‐farm wage to AMS price, or the wage‐rent ratio, has a significant positive effect on AMS adoption; the sequential adoption of AMS starts with power‐intensive followed by control‐intensive production tasks, (ii) Switching to AMS in plowing, transplanting, and harvesting increases rice yield by 48.0 kg, 23.7 kg, and 7.9 kg, respectively, and (iii) The AMS of pesticide spraying significantly decreases yield but the negative effect can be mitigated with professional service providers and effective labor monitoring, highlighting potential moral hazards associated with AMS when monitoring is costly. Simulation illustrates that increased AMS adoption can significantly enhance food security in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 2009 land reform in China marks a move toward a more flexible land tenure system in rural areas. This study evaluates the effect of this reform on rental market participation and household welfare in rural China. Using a four‐period nationally representative household‐level panel data during 2010–2016, we find that the 2009 land reform increased rental market participation by 6.6 to 7.0 percentage points on average. The effect varies significantly with village and household characteristics. The welfare impact of rental market participation on rural households depends on the type of participation. Specifically, the households renting in land witness an increase in their aggregated income by 10.7% on average through the expansion of farm production, which is accompanied by an increase in aggregated expenditure by approximately 11.2%. Those leasing out their land lose the portion of income on the farm but the aggregated household income is on average statistically unchanged, possibly due to a higher off‐farm income and the inflow of land rental income. Along with the statistically unchanged aggregated expenditure, the households leasing out land experience no significant welfare changes after the 2009 land reform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this research, four specimens of hypo‐eutectic Al–7Si–0.35Mg–0.2Ti–xZr (x = 0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3 wt%) cast alloys were fabricated via a traditional casting method. The effect of different concentrations of Zr on the microstructure and mechanical properties of cast alloys was investigated through metallographic observation, SEM analysis, TEM observations, tensile strength testing, and Vickers hardness test. The results show that the plate‐like shape eutectic Si phase is gradually transformed into fine fibrous eutectic Si phase, and is more evenly distributed as the content of Zr increased. The α‐Al matrix grains are transformed from dendrites to isometric grains, of which the grains sizes became smaller. The results of the tensile test show that with the addition of 0.2% Zr, Al–7Si–0.35Mg–0.2Ti alloys obtain the best tensile properties. The ultimate tensile strength and elongation values are 221 MPa and 11%, the number of which is increased by 14.5 and 71.9% than base alloy, respectively. Additionally, the alloy's yield strength, Vickers hardness, and other comprehensive mechanical properties have also improved significantly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pearl oysters are found in the marine ecosystem. Due to their frequent exposure to microbial pathogens and environmental perturbations, they have developed a multifaceted innate immune system with differentially expressed immune‐related genes in response to a range of stress via vast coordinated immune reactions, such as immune recognition, signal transduction, synthesis of antimicrobial peptides, encapsulation and phagocytosis of the circulating haemocytes. The species are farmed to produce pearls. With the increasing adoption of aquaculture techniques in pearl production, there is the need to understand their culture environment and their immune response mechanisms. Multi‐omic studies have documented responses to nuclei insertion operation, diseases and various environmental conditions in Pinctada fucata martensii (Dunker, 1880), Pinctada maxima (Jameson, 1901), Pinctada margaritifera and Pteria penguin (Roding, 1798). Among the various stressors, nuclei insertion operation has been identified as a prevailing factor modifying gene expression. Other factors include life stage, air exposure, temperature, salinity, metals and organic contaminants. This manuscript details the response mechanism of these pearl oysters to the various stressors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When actuarially fair insurance for a major risk is available then standard economic theory posits that those subject to the risk should insure. In agriculture, it is common for producers to decline contract offers where presubsidy premiums just cover average losses and subsidies are substantial. This paper seeks to shed light on why demand is curtailed. In a mail survey of U.S. corn and soybean producers we solicited Willingness to Pay (WTP) for actuarially fair insurance at different coverage levels. We find demand to be so low that median WTP is no larger than fair premium when adjusted down by current subsidy rates, which pay for one half or more of most premium charges. WTP as a share of the fair rate is especially low when risk of loss is high. There is limited evidence that respondents appreciate the convex relationship between coverage level and expected indemnity payoff. Third generation Prospect Theory is shown to be consistent with observed findings. In particular, a strong distaste for paying premium can be rationalized by loss aversion. Furthermore, when high revenue outcomes are more likely than not, that is, negative skewness, then higher loss aversion, greater decision weight distortions and greater risk aversion will decrease WTP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, Au/Fe3O4 nanoparticles (Au/Fe3O4 NPs) were prepared and a method for detecting malathion was constructed based on fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) between Au/Fe3O4 NPs and Rhodamine B (RhB). RhB could be electrostatically adsorbed to the surface of Au/Fe3O4 NPs resulting in a low fluorescent background. The malathion hydrolysate with ‐SH can compete with RhB to form a stronger Au─S bond, thereby promoting the desorption of RhB from the surface of Au/Fe3O4 NPs. This process causes the fluorescence emission to recover. The result demonstrated that fluorescence quenching efficiency of Au/Fe3O4 could reach 50% at 579 nm and the fluorescence recovery efficiency of malathion hydrolysate could reach 61% at 579 nm. The limit of detection (LOD) of malathion was as low as 0.59 μM. The linear range of detection was 27.24–99.89 μM. Au/Fe3O4 NPs could be reused by a magnetic concentration‐washing process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heterosis improves growth and survival of shellfish species. Although breeders have widely exploited heterosis, its underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, a 2 × 2 complete diallel cross was facilitated between two full‐sib families to produce two inbred families (A and D) and their reciprocal hybrid families (B and C) of pearl oyster Pinctada fucata martensii. Growth traits of the four families were compared at the adult stages. Transcriptome analysis was conducted on the four families using an Illumina sequencing platform. The results revealed that the growth traits of the four families significantly varied (P < 0.05). The mid‐parent heterosis values of shell length, shell height, shell width, shell weight, and total weight were 12.9%, 14.9%, 18.2%, 17.2%, and 33.2%, respectively. The B‐ and C‐inbred (A and D) triads had 79 and 68 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), respectively, which were dominantly nonadditive, including overdominance, underdominance, and low‐parent dominance. Gene ontology term analysis showed that the DEGs in the B‐ and C‐inbred triads were enriched for metabolic process, cellular process cell part, binding, and catalytic activity. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analysis indicated that the DEGs in the B‐ and C‐inbred triads were involved in focal adhesion, the P13K‐Akt signaling pathway, the mRNA surveillance pathway, and the focal adhesion pathway. The reliability of the sequencing data was confirmed by real‐time polymerase chain reaction analysis of six growth‐related genes. The findings of this study provide new insights into heterosis for growth traits and the design of genetic breeding programs for this species. Two inbred families (A and D) and their reciprocal hybrid families (B and C) were developed with breeders from two full‐sib families. The mid‐parent heterosis values of growth traits at adult stages ranged from 12.9% to 33.2%. The differentially expressed genes in the B‐ and C‐inbred triads were 79 and 68, respectively, which were dominantly nonadditive, including overdominance, underdominance, and low‐parent dominance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective The purposes of this study were to verify the effectiveness of the narrow band imaging (NBI) system in diagnosing nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC) as compared with white light endoscopy. Data Sources PubMed, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, CNKI, and Wan Fang databases. Review Methods Data analyses were performed with Meta-Disc. The updated Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies-2 tool was used to assess study quality and potential bias. Publication bias was assessed with a Deeks asymmetry test. The registry number of the protocol published on PROSPERO is CRD42015026244. Results This meta-analysis included 10 studies of 1337 lesions. For NBI diagnosis of NPC, the pooled values were as follows: sensitivity, 0.83 (95% CI, 0.80-0.86); specificity, 0.91 (95% CI, 0.89-0.93); positive likelihood ratio, 8.82 (95% CI, 5.12-15.21); negative likelihood ratio, 0.18 (95% CI, 0.12-0.27); and diagnostic odds ratio, 65.73 (95% CI, 36.74-117.60). The area under the curve was 0.9549. For white light endoscopy in diagnosing NPC, the pooled values were as follows: sensitivity, 0.79 (95% CI, 0.75-0.83); specificity, 0.87 (95% CI, 0.84-0.90); positive likelihood ratio, 5.02 (95% CI, 1.99-12.65); negative likelihood ratio, 0.34 (95% CI, 0.24-0.49); and diagnostic odds ratio, 16.89 (95% CI, 5.98-47.66). The area under the curve was 0.8627. The evaluation of heterogeneity, calculated per the diagnostic odds ratio, gave an I2 of 0.326. No marked publication bias ( P = .68) existed in this meta-analysis. Conclusion The sensitivity and specificity of NBI for the diagnosis of NPC are similar to those of white light endoscopy, and the potential value of NBI for the diagnosis of NPC needs to be validated further. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose and empirically test a simple model to shed light on the nature of interactions between weather, land quality, and yield. The conceptual model posits substitution relations between water stress metrics and soil quality, as well as a soil-conditioned threshold water stress level beyond which soil cannot buffer crop yields. The model implies that yield-yield dependence should vary as growing conditions vary. In comparison with intermediate growing conditions, yield-yield dependence should strengthen when growing conditions are either very good or very poor. County yield data strongly support substitution between soil and benign water availability levels, but complementarity between soil and beneficial heat variables. Our estimated model provides qualified support for the hypothesis that better land is more resilient to water stress. We estimate a pseudo-copula that nests the Gaussian copula, finding strong evidence of left tail dependence among yields. Our formal model and empirical findings corroborate others' concerns about the appropriateness of current USDA rate-setting methodologies, which posit constant state-conditional rank correlations, implicitly assumed by use of the Gaussian copula. An application to aggregate crop yield rate setting suggests that current methods underprice area yield and whole farm premiums. Applying our empirical model to medium-range weather projections under a climate change scenario for the Northern Great Plains, we infer that systemic yield correlations will increase in future years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To evaluate the performance of narrow band imaging (NBI) for the diagnosis of laryngeal cancer and to compare the diagnostic value of NBI with that of white light endoscopy. Data Sources PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and CNKI databases. Review Methods Data analyses were performed with Meta-DiSc. The updated Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies-2 tool was used to assess study quality and potential bias. Publication bias was assessed with the Deeks's asymmetry test. The protocol used in this article has been published on PROSPERO and is in accordance with the PRISMA checklist. The registry number for this study is CRD42015025866. Results Six studies including 716 lesions were included in this meta-analysis. The pooled sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic odds ratio for the NBI diagnosis of laryngeal cancer were 0.94 (95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 0.91-0.96), 0.89 (95% CI: 0.85-0.92), and 142.12 (95% CI: 46.42-435.15), respectively, and the area under receiver operating characteristics curve was 0.97. Among the 6 studies, 3 evaluated the diagnostic value of white light endoscopy, with a sensitivity of 0.81 (95% CI: 0.76-0.86), a specificity of 0.92 (95% CI: 0.88-0.95), and a diagnostic odds ratio of 33.82 (95% CI: 14.76-77.49). The evaluation of heterogeneity, calculated per the diagnostic odds ratio, gave an I2 of 66%. No marked publication bias ( P = .84) was detected in this meta-analysis. Conclusion The sensitivity of NBI is superior to white light endoscopy, and the potential value of NBI needs to be validated in future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Structure-forming processes leading to biominerals are well worth learning in pursuit of new synthetic techniques. Strategies that attempt to mimic nature in vitro cannot replace an entire complex natural organism, requiring ingenuity beyond chemists′ hands. A 'bioprocess-inspired synthesis' is demonstrated for fabrication of N-doped TiO2 materials at ambient temperature by direct implantation of precursor into living mussels. The amorphous precursor transforms into N-doped anatase TiO2 with a hierarchical nanostructure. Synthetic TiO2 exhibits high phase stability and enhanced visible-light photocatalytic activity as a result of modifications to its band gap during in vivo mineralization. Intracellular proteins were found to be involved in TiO2 mineralization. Our findings may inspire material production by new synthetic techniques, especially under environmentally benign conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Structure-forming processes leading to biominerals are well worth learning in pursuit of new synthetic techniques. Strategies that attempt to mimic nature in vitro cannot replace an entire complex natural organism, requiring ingenuity beyond chemists′ hands. A 'bioprocess-inspired synthesis' is demonstrated for fabrication of N-doped TiO2 materials at ambient temperature by direct implantation of precursor into living mussels. The amorphous precursor transforms into N-doped anatase TiO2 with a hierarchical nanostructure. Synthetic TiO2 exhibits high phase stability and enhanced visible-light photocatalytic activity as a result of modifications to its band gap during in vivo mineralization. Intracellular proteins were found to be involved in TiO2 mineralization. Our findings may inspire material production by new synthetic techniques, especially under environmentally benign conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analysis of crop yield distributions provides insights into better understanding how natural resources shape agricultural productivity. This study seeks to provide a rigorous theoretical and empirical understanding of the effects of exogenous geographic and climatic factors on the first three moments of crop yields with focus on the third moment. We hypothesize that exogenous factors having beneficial effects on crop production should make crop yield distributions less positively or more negatively skewed. We employ a large crop insurance data set for corn, soybean, and wheat to find general support for our natural-resources-determines-skewness hypothesis. The proposed statistical method optimally uses correlations between the first three moments. It significantly improves estimation performance over existing methods, including the linear moment model which has been commonly applied in the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A large variety of subsidized crop insurance products are available to U.S. crop growers. Distinct and perhaps puzzling patterns in the choices of insurance products and coverage levels can be discerned. Where production conditions are better and yields are less risky then (a) higher insurance coverage levels are chosen; and (b) revenue insurance is preferred over yield insurance. Also, (c) the extent of preference for revenue insurance is stronger in more productive areas. Assuming, as many do, that growers seek to maximize subsidy transfers, point (a) can be explained by the interaction between yield technology and natural resource endowments. Points (b) and (c) can be explained by location in conjunction with the “natural hedge” and a contract design bias in how revenue insurance guarantees are computed. Empirical study of Risk Management Agency data on corn, soybean, and wheat yields, and insurance contract choices lend support to our model inferences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While controversy surrounds skewness attributes of typical yield distributions, a better understanding is important for agricultural policy assessment and for crop-insurance rate setting. Day (1965) conjectured that crop yield skewness declines with an increase in nitrogen use at low levels but not at higher levels. Employing four corn yield experimental plot datasets, we investigate the conjecture by introducing (a) a flexible Bayesian extension of the Just–Pope technology to incorporate skewness and (b) a quantile-based measure of skewness shift. Bayesian estimation provides strong evidence in favor of negative skewness at commercial nitrogen rates and for Day’s conjecture. There was weaker evidence in favor of positively skewed cotton yield and little evidence in favor of the conjecture. The results are confirmed by the quantile-based measure. We also find evidence that skewness becomes more negative upon moving from corn-after-corn to corn-after-soybean. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An agricultural projection and greenhouse gas model are used to assess the impact of global cropland expansion on carbon emissions and the sensitivity of those estimates to modifications in assumptions concerning idle cropland, the degree of refinement in carbon coefficients, market responses, and yield increase. The results indicate that the impact of cropland expansion on carbon emissions is extremely sensitive to model assumptions. This is particularly true with respect to the price-induced yield response. Given the available knowledge, it is very difficult to narrow the range of reasonable parameter values to tighten the set of results to a level that would allow robust policy conclusions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Corn markets are important for many industries, including the seed, fertilizer, meat production/processing, and agricultural machinery sectors, all of which are highly concentrated. Oligopoly theory suggests that corn input and field equipment suppliers likely benefit from policies that support corn markets, such as U.S. biofuels policy, whereas meat companies likely lose. This study investigates the impact of biofuels policy on U.S. agribusiness stock prices. Corn futures prices are found to have had a structural change in November 2006, consistent with the expansion of U.S. biofuels policy support. A linear two-factor (S&P 500 and corn prices) equilibrium asset pricing model is estimated on two subsamples, one before and one after the estimated change point. Conditional heteroskedasticity in stock returns is accounted for using a GARCH(1,1) model. In the more recent period, corn price increases are found to have positive effects on excess stock returns for seed, fertilizer, and machinery companies, while the impact on meat companies is negative. The results may be interpreted as evidence that crop input suppliers gain from U.S. biofuels policies while meat processors lose. [EconLit citations: D43; L13; Q14]. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the dynamic behavior of stock prices in the biofuel industry. It says that stock prices have shown volatility and bubble-like patterns while the renewable energy sector had a market capitalization of approximately 170 billion dollars by 2007. It states that stock prices fell in the presence of high volatility after an initial surge in May 2006. Moreover, a Bayesian Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) method concerning biofuels stock prices is discussed.

The article presents a study which investigates the implications of the border carbon adjustments (BCAs) to the bilateral trade flow of the U.S. to China and India. It says that the economic and the environmental impacts of the imposed trade policies are simulated using the Global Trade Analysis Project (GTAP)-E model. Furthermore, it mentions that the exploration of the impacts of the border adjustments is applicable to the climate change policy in all countries.

A two‐step gas nitriding treatment (280 °C for 2 h plus 550 °C for 6 h) is designed for pure iron with a nanostructured surface layer induced by surface mechanical attrition treatment (SMAT). The microstructure and surface properties of the SMAT sample after two‐step nitriding treatment are investigated in comparison with those of the SMAT sample after single‐step nitriding treatment (550 °C for 6 h). Experimental results show that a much thicker compound layer (up to 25 μm in thickness) is generated on the surface of the SMAT sample after two‐step nitriding treatment, in which the mean grain size of the Fe2‐3N phase is below 25 nm. The enhanced nitriding kinetic may be attributed to the formation of a large number of Fe(N) solid solutions and a small amount of dispersed Fe2‐3N particles on the SMAT sample after first low‐temperature nitriding, which enhances the thermal stability of nanostructured iron grains. Due to the enhanced nitriding kinetic and refined nitride structure, the SMAT sample after two‐step nitriding treatment displays higher surface hardness and improved wear resistance relative to its single‐step nitrided counterpart. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Structure-forming processes leading to biominerals are well worth learning in pursuit of new synthetic techniques. Strategies that attempt to mimic nature in vitro cannot replace an entire complex natural organism, requiring ingenuity beyond chemists′ hands. A 'bioprocess-inspired synthesis' is demonstrated for fabrication of N-doped TiO2 materials at ambient temperature by direct implantation of precursor into living mussels. The amorphous precursor transforms into N-doped anatase TiO2 with a hierarchical nanostructure. Synthetic TiO2 exhibits high phase stability and enhanced visible-light photocatalytic activity as a result of modifications to its band gap during in vivo mineralization. Intracellular proteins were found to be involved in TiO2 mineralization. Our findings may inspire material production by new synthetic techniques, especially under environmentally benign conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Structure-forming processes leading to biominerals are well worth learning in pursuit of new synthetic techniques. Strategies that attempt to mimic nature in vitro cannot replace an entire complex natural organism, requiring ingenuity beyond chemists′ hands. A 'bioprocess-inspired synthesis' is demonstrated for fabrication of N-doped TiO2 materials at ambient temperature by direct implantation of precursor into living mussels. The amorphous precursor transforms into N-doped anatase TiO2 with a hierarchical nanostructure. Synthetic TiO2 exhibits high phase stability and enhanced visible-light photocatalytic activity as a result of modifications to its band gap during in vivo mineralization. Intracellular proteins were found to be involved in TiO2 mineralization. Our findings may inspire material production by new synthetic techniques, especially under environmentally benign conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]