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Limited data regarding the resources and methods used by organic fruit growers to learn about production practices are available, even though this information is crucial to improving the efficacy of knowledge transfer. Therefore, a survey to gain information from knowledge networks dealing with organic fruit production about their structural organisation, tasks and methods of communication was carried out in twenty-one countries from Europe and the Mediterranean basin. A total of 56 networks representing about 42,500 professionals were identified as a result of the survey. The vast majority of them were only active at the regional or national level and were composed of farmers, advisors and researchers. About 3/4 of the networks were developing improved strategies for agronomic practices and about half of them were also involved in different knowledge-transfer activities between their members. Personal contact was the most used method to exchange and disseminate information within the networks as well as to elaborate improved strategies. The findings were analysed in view of the methods and practices commonly used to share both explicit (scientific) and implicit (practical) knowledge among practitioners. It was concluded that knowledge networks play an important role in the development of more resilient organic cropping systems, frequently making organic fruit growers the drivers of innovation. Networking for knowledge exchange was considered a process that encourages the active involvement of farmers in experimentation and innovation applying a method of knowledge sharing that is rooted in the very foundation of organic philosophy. Some recommendations and future research were suggested to further foster the development and functioning of networks for knowledge exchange.

Limited data regarding the resources and methods used by organic fruit growers to learn about production practices are available, even though this information is crucial to improving the efficacy of knowledge transfer. Therefore, a survey to gain information from knowledge networks dealing with organic fruit production about their structural organisation, tasks and methods of communication was carried out in twenty-one countries from Europe and the Mediterranean basin. A total of 56 networks representing about 42,500 professionals were identified as a result of the survey. The vast majority of them were only active at the regional or national level and were composed of farmers, advisors and researchers. About 3/4 of the networks were developing improved strategies for agronomic practices and about half of them were also involved in different knowledge-transfer activities between their members. Personal contact was the most used method to exchange and disseminate information within the networks as well as to elaborate improved strategies. The findings were analysed in view of the methods and practices commonly used to share both explicit (scientific) and implicit (practical) knowledge among practitioners. It was concluded that knowledge networks play an important role in the development of more resilient organic cropping systems, frequently making organic fruit growers the drivers of innovation. Networking for knowledge exchange was considered a process that encourages the active involvement of farmers in experimentation and innovation applying a method of knowledge sharing that is rooted in the very foundation of organic philosophy. Some recommendations and future research were suggested to further foster the development and functioning of networks for knowledge exchange.

© 2021 The Authors The impact of climate change has resulted in several long-term events including extreme temperatures. Besides, the occurrence of climate events impedes economic progress––affecting economic readiness of climate mitigation. However, the effect of climatic factors on economic productivity has not been extensively covered in existing literature, especially among climate regimes. Here, we use sophisticated panel and time series techniques to examine the heterogeneous effects of temperature and emissions on income from 1960 to 2014. Our empirical results indicate a 1% rise in temperature declines income by 0.39% whereas 1% increase in emission levels stimulates income by 0.22%. This implies a mutual relationship between income and emissions––where environmental pollution supports wealth creation and vice versa. We find that a shift from optimal temperature levels to extreme patterns hamper economic productivity. Extreme temperatures affect heating and cooling degree days due to increased energy requirements, hence, escalating energy demand and emissions. With the agenda towards emission reduction, this study emphasizes economic structural change through transition from brown to green growth.

© 2021 The Authors The impact of climate change has resulted in several long-term events including extreme temperatures. Besides, the occurrence of climate events impedes economic progress––affecting economic readiness of climate mitigation. However, the effect of climatic factors on economic productivity has not been extensively covered in existing literature, especially among climate regimes. Here, we use sophisticated panel and time series techniques to examine the heterogeneous effects of temperature and emissions on income from 1960 to 2014. Our empirical results indicate a 1% rise in temperature declines income by 0.39% whereas 1% increase in emission levels stimulates income by 0.22%. This implies a mutual relationship between income and emissions––where environmental pollution supports wealth creation and vice versa. We find that a shift from optimal temperature levels to extreme patterns hamper economic productivity. Extreme temperatures affect heating and cooling degree days due to increased energy requirements, hence, escalating energy demand and emissions. With the agenda towards emission reduction, this study emphasizes economic structural change through transition from brown to green growth.

We report on upconverting luminescent nanoparticles (UCLNPs) that are spectrally tuned such that their emission matches the absorption bands of the two most important species associated with enzymatic redox reactions. The core-shell UCLNPs consist of a β-NaYF4 core doped with Yb(3+)/Tm(3+) ions and a shell of pure β-NaYF4. Upon 980 nm excitation, they display emission bands peaking at 360 and 475 nm, which is a perfect match to the absorption bands of the enzyme cosubstrate NADH and the coenzyme FAD, respectively. By exploiting these spectral overlaps, we have designed fluorescent detection schemes for NADH and FAD that are based on the modulation of the emission intensities of UCLNPs by FAD and NADH via an inner filter effect.