Exposing a single leaf of tobacco plants to ultraviolet (UV) radiation, we detected eustress-like pigment and antioxidant responses not only in the directly treated leaf itself but also in the leaf above it (the systemic leaf), which was not directly exposed to UV radiation. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to investigate the systemic UV responses in plants. The experiments used low-dose, supplemental UV irradiation indoors (two hours daily, for two days), which had no significant effect on photosynthesis in the directly exposed leaves but influenced their antioxidant status. Systemic leaves showed increased H2O2 levels, indicating the involvement of reactive oxygen species in the underlying complex signalling cascade. Metabolic changes in systemic leaves are driven by increased carbon dioxide assimilation, supported by more open stomata. Compared with the leaves of untreated plants of the same age, systemic leaves exhibited higher adaxial flavonoid levels and more efficient H2O2 housekeeping (higher peroxidase and catalase activities and lower superoxide dismutase activities). The role of H2O2 in the systemic UV effect was supported by another experiment, showing that direct H2O2 treatment increased the H2O2 levels in a systemic manner in the leaves above the treated ones. Notably, unlike its direct effects, the systemic effects of UV radiation did not enhance hydroxyl radical scavenging activity, indicating the unique nature of direct UV-driven responses. The possibility presented here to induce eustress-like antioxidant responses in distal leaves without direct UV exposure could be relevant to indoor plant growth systems as a potential biofortification tool.

The study deals with the new wave in the life cycle of foresight activities. It is associated with the new info-communicational technologies (ICT) and the artificial intelligence (AI) applied in wider and wider range of every field in social life. It makes difference between digitization and informatization. It highlights the ways and main characteristics of foresight activity during which the informatization of the whole process is carried out and it becomes an online real-time and interactive activity. This process will be underpinned by the analysis on the measure of informatization of examples from foresight research and practice.

Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) plants were grown outdoors (N°46.07, E°18.18) under either natural or UV-deprived sunlight for 25 days in the summer. High PAR resulted in high polyphenol content, which was selectively affected by solar UV-A and UV-B irradiation. Solar UV-A irradiation increased anthocyanins, but not flavonoids, in the epidermis, and this additional protection resulted in higher photochemical yields and lower NPQ. The simultaneous presence of UV-B overrode the effects of UV-A, increased epidermal flavonoids, and decreased anthocyanins. Leaves grown in full sunlight had the same photochemical yields of NPQ as those grown under a UV-excluding filter. A combination of these effects can falsely dismiss the effects of UV-B on outdoor photosynthesis. Phenolic acid content, corresponding to approximately 80% of phenolic compounds, did not depend on solar UV, and total flavonoids increased under full solar UV irradiation, but not under UV-A only. The polyphenol content in outdoor leaves also served as a reference point for an indoor experiment, which showed that even a short, 4-day exposure of low PAR grown plants to UV from an artificial source increased the amount of some, although not all, components close to or even above outdoor levels. In indoor leaves, a selective increase in quercetin glycosides (to 62-85% of outdoor levels) supports both enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant functions, and the increase in crypto- and neochlorogenic acids (to 76% and 117% of outdoor levels, respectively) suggests a redistribution among biosynthesis pathways. These results demonstrate the potential and efficiency of cultivation systems without sunlight.

To interpret the final steps of chlorophyll biosynthesis, detailed knowledge of etiolation symptoms is necessary. Most of our knowledge originates from studies on plant materials grown in complete darkness. Hardly any information is available about the plastid development in internal parenchyma cells of fleshy fruits in which the food supply is almost unlimited. In this work, etiolation symptoms were studied in pericarp layers of purple eggplant (Solanum melongena L.). Tissue layers of fruits developed under open-air conditions and of etiolated fruits were dissected in a dark room. Transmission and 77 K fluorescence spectroscopy and ultrastructural studies were performed. Photosynthetic activities were measured and pigment contents were determined in light-grown fruits. The purple exocarp and a 1-1.5 cm wide green mesocarp layer of large fruits fully shade the internal pericarp layers, thus protochloropyll (ide) accumulated, flash-photoactive 644 and 655 nm emitting protochlorophyllide complexes, and only small amounts of chlorophylls were found. Photosynthetic activity was detected only in the external, green layer, which had fully developed chloroplasts, and showed 77 K fluorescence emission spectra characteristic for green leaves. The innermost endocarp regions and the etiolated fruits contained mainly protochlorophyll (ide), proplastids, and etioplasts, i.e. they showed etiolation symptoms. These symptoms correspond to those of leaves of dark-grown seedlings but are stable for long periods due to the almost unlimited nourishment supply from storage parenchyma cells. These results prove that the laboratory works with artificially dark-developed plant materials are good models of natural chlorophyll biosynthesis and plastid development.

This study determines the functional role of the plant ultraviolet-B radiation (UV-B) photoreceptor, UV RESISTANCE LOCUS 8 (UVR8) under natural conditions using a large-scale 'synchronized-genetic-perturbation-field-experiment'. Laboratory experiments have demonstrated a role for UVR8 in UV-B responses but do not reflect the complexity of outdoor conditions where 'genotype × environment' interactions can mask laboratory-observed responses. Arabidopsis thaliana knockout mutant, uvr8-7, and the corresponding Wassilewskija wild type, were sown outdoors on the same date at 21 locations across Europe, ranging from 39°N to 67°N latitude. Growth and climatic data were monitored until bolting. At the onset of bolting, rosette size, dry weight, and phenolics and glucosinolates were quantified. The uvr8-7 mutant developed a larger rosette and contained less kaempferol glycosides, quercetin glycosides and hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives than the wild type across all locations, demonstrating a role for UVR8 under field conditions. UV effects on rosette size and kaempferol glycoside content were UVR8 dependent, but independent of latitude. In contrast, differences between wild type and uvr8-7 in total quercetin glycosides, and the quercetin-to-kaempferol ratio decreased with increasing latitude, that is, a more variable UV response. Thus, the large-scale synchronized approach applied demonstrates a location-dependent functional role of UVR8 under natural conditions.

PurposeThe paper evaluates trends shaping the post-pandemic reality. The framework adopted is a case study of the V4 region (Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary) that illustrates broader trends, their direction of change and their influence on the entire region. This paper aims to identify key trends and analyse how they can facilitate or hinder sustainable development. Design/methodology/approachThe paper is based on a multidisciplinary literature review and an online real-time Delphi study carried out across four European countries. FindingsThe results indicate that the influence of negative trends on sustainability is much stronger than that of positive ones. Concerning the trends' driving factors, the blockers of negative trends have a much higher influence on sustainability than the blockers of positive ones. The study shows that the most significant trends affecting sustainability are distributed throughout various fields of human activity, including geopolitics, social issues, education, the environment, technology and health. Practical implicationsThe findings presented below can be used primarily by decision makers from the V4 region, who are responsible for crafting strategies regarding post-COVID recovery. The study illustrates trends that V4 countries and other European Union member states might be facing in the future and analyses how they relate to sustainability. The conclusions indicate that the most effective path to the desired level of sustainability is one that incorporates policies built around the blockers of negative trends. Originality/valueThe importance of this study lies in its focus on countries that had previously received little attention in scientific analyses. The paper shows their possible developmental pathways and sheds light on the framework of integrated foresight and its applications in sustainability-related areas.

The special metabolites of bell pepper ( Capsicum annuum L . ) leaves can protect the plant under possibly damaging circumstances, such as high light, UV, unfavorable temperatures, or other environmental effects. In this study, we examined the cold stress tolerance of three different Hungarian pepper varieties (Darina, Édesalma, Rekord), focusing on the antioxidant and photosynthetic responses. The plants were developed in growth chambers under optimal temperature conditions (day/night 25 °C/20 °C) until the leaves on the fourth node became fully developed, then half of the plants received a cold treatment (day/night 15 °C/10 °C). Via a detailed pigment analysis, the PS II chlorophyll fluorescence responses, gas exchange parameters and total antioxidant capacities, leaf acclimation to low temperatures has been characterized. Our results display some of the developing physiological and antioxidant properties, which are among the main factors in monitoring the damaging effects of cold temperatures. Nevertheless, despite their differences, the tested pepper varieties did not show different cold responses.

Four in vitro oxidative-stress models were used to study the antioxidant/antipollution effects of all-trans-astaxanthin and crocin compared to synthetic antioxidants. DPPH-scavenging activity of astaxanthin (5 mu M) was 2.4, 1.3, 1.4, 1.1 and 0.9-fold higher than that of alpha-tocopherol (AT), butylhydroxytoluene, butylhydroxyanisole, gallic acid and Trolox, respectively. Crocin scavenged the same radicals amount as butylhydroxytoluene and butylhydroxyanisole. Both carotenoids were more effective at reducing ferric ions than synthetic antioxidants and had a protective effect on the viability of stressed epidermal cells. Reactive oxygen species induced by hydrogen peroxide or cigarette smoke on a skin were quenched with astaxanthin and crocin to approximately the same extent as with AT. ASX was 3.8, 2.3 and 14-fold better singlet oxygen scavenger than Trolox, AT and gallic acid, respectively. The polyunsaturated fatty acids in the astaxanthin' emulsion were 6.5 and 2.5-fold more resistant to oxidation than in the control emulsion and the AT' emulsion, respectively.

Összefoglalás. A tanulmány a világmodellezés 50 évéről ad áttekintést a legismertebb és módszertanilag újítást hozó világmodellek rövid ismertetésén keresztül. A világmodellezés fogalmának meghatározása után sorra veszi a Római Klub és az ENSZ szervezeteiben folyó világmodellezést és a jelentős modelleket, majd pedig az online világmodellezés néhány műhelyében folyó munkákat. A bemutatott világmodellek összehasonlító elemzésével rámutat azokra az új modellezési módszertanokra és fordulópontokra, amelyek új utakat nyitottak a világmodellek készítésében és hasznosításában. A folyamatos megújulás jellemzőit a világmodellezők felfogásában és képzettségében, a világmodellezés eljárásaiban, valamint a világmodelleket ismerők és használók körében bekövetkezett változások vonatkozásában fogalmazza meg. Summary. The aim of paper is to introduce the last 50 years of world modelling through short presentation of world models that have got reputation of wide range in the world and have represented methodological innovation in the history of world modelling. For this purpose after giving definition of world modelling the paper takes one by one the world modelling activities carried out in the frame of the Club of Rome and of different organizations of UN and their most important products and the works running by some organizations of online and interactive world model building as well. Forrester-Meadows’s system dynamics model recognizing the natural resources and Ervin Laszlo’s verbal world model considering the inner human limits, and GEO models and IPCC reports that were initiated by the UN organizations and that define the sustainability and place it in the centre of world model building and the organizations of online world model building as Millennium project, JAVA Climate Model, Pardee Center for International Futures and Futures Platform are payed special attention. These world models have defined the characteristics of complex world problems rooting in both natural and human/social limits. They show how the world is running into the catastrophe in the future if the humanity does not reflect to these limits at both the individual and community levels and finally they have got to give definition of requirements concerning sustainability and tasks needed to materialize them, and to the necessity of shift in world views and social values. The study draws attention to the methodological issues of world modelling came to the front of research topics at the beginning of 21st century especially to the fact why and in what ways the idea concerning the paradigm shift in the world modelling have become the main methodological problem. In what ways the online and interactive world modelling can stimulate that every person and community to be able to explore and/or construct their own world model and recognize that everybody has to do something and to change its behaviour for survival of the human civilization. The paper emphasizes methodological solutions and turning points that has opened new ways in the process of world modelling and the application of their outcomes by the way of comparative analysis of world models and changing ideas focusing on paradigm shift. In the end the main characteristics of continuous renewal are shaped by the emphasis of the changes happened in the ideas of world views and qualification of world modellers, in the methodology of word model building and in the circle of users and participants and people who becomes acquainted with world models or world model building.

One of the main goals of the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 is to avoid further loss of biodiversity and to restore ecosystems. These efforts can be facilitated by compiling the main research topics related to conservation biology to provide new evidence for the most urgent knowledge gaps, and publicise it to researchers, research funders and policy makers. We used the possible future statements from the Hungarian Environmental Foresight Report for 2050 which identified region-specific problems. To highlight likely future environmental and conservation questions, in this study we asked researchers from the fields of ecology and conservation to define research questions addressing these future statements in line with international research trends and challenges. The study resulted in fourteen priority research topics, split into seven clusters relevant to biological conservation that should be targeted by stakeholders, primarily policy makers and funders to focus research capacity to these topics. The main overarching themes identified here include a wide range of approaches and solutions such as innovative technologies, involvement of local stakeholders and citizen scientists, legislation, and issues related to human health. These indicate that solutions to conservation challenges require a multidisciplinary approach in design and a multi-actor approach in implementation. Although the identified research priorities were listed for Hungary, they are in line with European and global biodiversity strategies, and can be tailored to suit other Central and Eastern European countries as well. We believe that our prioritisation can help science–policy discussion, and will eventually contribute to healthy and well-functioning ecosystems.

Ultraviolet-B (UV-B; 280–315 nm) radiation induces the biosynthesis of secondary plant metabolites such as flavonoids. Flavonoids could also be enhanced by blue (420–490 nm) or green (490–585 nm) light. Flavonoids act as antioxidants and shielding components in the plant’s response to UV-B exposure. They are shown to quench singlet oxygen and to be reactive to hydroxyl radical. The aim was to determine whether treatment with blue or green light can alter flavonoid profiles after pre-exposure to UV-B and whether they cause corresponding biological effects in Brassicaceae sprouts. Based on their different flavonoid profiles, three vegetables from the Brassicaceae were selected. Sprouts were treated with five subsequent doses (equals 5 days) of moderate UV-B (0.23 kJ m –2 day –1 UV-B BE ), which was followed with two subsequent (equals 2 days) doses of either blue (99 μmol m –2 s –1 ) or green (119 μmol m –2 s –1 ) light. In sprouts of kale, kohlrabi, and rocket salad, flavonoid glycosides were identified by HPLC-DAD-ESI-MS n . Both Brassica oleracea species, kale and kohlrabi, showed mainly acylated quercetin and kaempferol glycosides. In contrast, in rocket salad, the main flavonol glycosides were quercetin glycosides. Blue light treatment after the UV-B treatment showed that quercetin and kaempferol glycosides were increased in the B. oleracea species kale and kohlrabi while—contrary to this—in rocket salad, there were only quercetin glycosides increased. Blue light treatment in general stabilized the enhanced concentrations of flavonoid glycosides while green treatment did not have this effect. Blue light treatment following the UV-B exposure resulted in a trend of increased singlet oxygen scavenging for kale and rocket. The hydroxyl radical scavenging capacity was independent from the light quality except for kale where an exposure with UV-B followed by a blue light treatment led to a higher hydroxyl radical scavenging capacity. These results underline the importance of different light qualities for the biosynthesis of reactive oxygen species that intercept secondary plant metabolites, but also show a pronounced species-dependent reaction, which is of special interest for growers.

Supplemental narrow-band 311 nm UV-B radiation was applied in order to study the effect of this specific wavelength on tobacco as a model plant. UV-B at photon fluxes varying between 2.9 and 9.9 μmol m−2 s−1 was applied to supplement 150 μmol m−2 s−1 photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) for four hours in the middle of the light period for four days. Narrow-band UV-B increased leaf flavonoid and phenolic acid contents. In leaves exposed to 311 nm radiation, superoxide dismutase activity increased, but phenolic peroxidase activity decreased, and the changes were proportional to the UV flux. Ascorbate peroxidase activities were not significantly affected. Narrow-band UV-B caused a dose-dependent linear decrease in the quantum efficiency of photosystem II, up to approximately 10% loss. A parallel decrease in non-regulated non-photochemical quenching indicates potential electron transfer to oxygen in UV-treated leaves. In addition to a flux-dependent increase in the imbalance between enzymatic H2O2 production and neutralization, this resulted in an approximately 50% increase in leaf H2O2 content under 2.9–6 μmol m−2 s−1 UV-B. Leaf H2O2 decreased to control levels under higher UV-B fluxes due to the onset of increased non-enzymatic H2O2- and superoxide-neutralizing capacities, which were not observed under lower fluxes. These antioxidant responses to 311 nm UV-B were different from our previous findings in plants exposed to broad-band UV-B. The results suggest that signaling pathways activated by 311 nm radiation are distinct from those stimulated by other wavelengths and support the heterogeneous regulation of plant UV responses.

The interdisciplinary research group consists of professional futurists and ecologists carried out horizon scanning (HS) studies with the involvement of academic experts and practitioners under the umbrella of the Centre for Ecological Research of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (MTA). Its purpose was (1) to map the possible changes in natural and social systems until 2050 in the country in a complex manner and (2) to show possible interactions between the changes to enable formulation of research tasks useful for practice. For this purpose, the Horizon Scanning process had to be specified and our research team has decided to improve the HS methodology in two relations: (1) beside futures practitioners and ecologists, young business developers were also invited in the evaluation process because of their ability to help the realization of new research lines and the application of research results in business environment; (2) applying the Osgood's semantic differential scale (i.e. to assess for each future statement its strength and type, like trend or hype, etc.) in questioning focus groups of three stakeholder groups to categorise the future statements, thus make the evaluation more complex. This paper gives an overview on these two lines of methodological changes and their results.

Harvested mature berry clusters of two white table grape cultivars were used to study the effects of postharvest UV irradiation. One cultivar, 'Queen of Vineyard' (QV), had higher light-acclimated PSII quantum yield, higher phenolic contents, and stronger total antioxidant capacities than the other, 'White Sultana' (WS). These differences were maintained throughout the experiment. Responses of the two cultivars to a 30-min UV irradiation were also different. Antioxidant capacities and flavonol, especially quercetin-3-O-glucuronide, contents were lower 2 h after the UV treatment in both cultivars and recovered in QV but not in WS berry skins later on. Our data demonstrate that mature grapevine berries have photosynthetically active tissues capable of dynamic changes even several hours after harvest and suggest that changes in photochemistry may contribute to postharvest metabolic responses of berry skins. Results also support the potential of postharvest manipulation of fruit qualities with UV irradiation.

To discuss how participatory futures methods can contribute to the development of skills and competences of students, this paper introduces three examples of different participatory futures/foresight methods used in education: (1) horizon scanning in a 'Futures Studies' course; (2) forward looking thinking for decision making in a so-called 'Decision techniques' course; and (3) backcasting in the 'Sustainable future of sport' course. The courses are meant to raise awareness and induce the feeling of responsibility for the future by offering the students concepts, and methods to become active and reflective citizens.

EDITORIAL article Front. Plant Sci., 25 February 2020 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2020.00184

Tobacco plants were grown in plant chambers for four weeks, then exposed to one of the following treatments for 4 days: (1) daily supplementary UV-B radiation corresponding to 6.9 kJ m−2 d−1 biologically effective dose (UV-B), (2) daily irrigation with 0.1 mM hydrogen peroxide, or (3) a parallel application of the two treatments (UV-B + H2O2). Neither the H2O2 nor the UV-B treatments were found to be damaging to leaf photosynthesis. Both single factor treatments increased leaf H2O2 contents but had distinct effects on various H2O2 neutralising mechanisms. Non-enzymatic H2O2 antioxidant capacities were increased by direct H2O2 treatment only, but not by UV-B. In contrast, enzymatic H2O2 neutralisation was mostly increased by UV-B, the responses showing an interesting diversity. When class-III peroxidase (POD) activity was assayed using an artificial substrate (ABTS, 2,2′-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid)), both treatments appeared to have a positive effect. However, only UV-B-treated leaves showed higher POD activities when phenolic compounds naturally occurring in tobacco leaves (chlorogenic acid or quercetin) were used as substrates. These results demonstrate a substrate-dependent, functional heterogeneity in POD and further suggest that the selective activation of specific isoforms in UV-B acclimated leaves is not triggered by excess H2O2 in these leaves.

A tanulmany celja, hogy betekintest nyujtson egy kozos jovőalkotasi folyamatba, illetve annak eredmenyeibe, ahol a visegradi orszagok kepviselői – jovőkutatok es gyakorlo vallalatvezetők – műkodtek egyutt. A kutatasi projekt kereteben a resztvevők alternativ gazdasagi forgatokonyveket dolgoztak ki az erintett orszagok vallalatai szamara, hangsulyozva azt, hogy a forgatokonyviras tanulhato es hasznosithato a vallalati strategiaalkotasaban, valamint elősegitheti a vallalati előretekintes szeles korű elterjedeset e tersegben. A kozos munka soran szuletett eredmenyek egy reszeről szamol be ez a tanulmany, amely betekintest nyujt egy jovőalkoto technika tanulasi folyamataba a gyakorlatban, illetve a nemzetkozi egyuttműkodes soran letrejott relevans es előremutato gazdasagi forgatokonyvek tartalmaba.