Blockchain, a most common synonym for distributed ledger (Tschorsch and Scheuermann in IEEE Commun Surv Tutor 18:2084–2123, 2016), is an emerging platform. Blockchain is used to support transactional services within a multi-party business network. The aim is to enable a significant reduction in cost and risk for all involved parties through the creation of novel and enhanced business models. Data maintained within the distributed ledger can only be accessed through the execution of a smart contract (Seijas, Scripting smart contracts for distributed ledger technology, International Association for Cryptologic Research, 1156, 2016) that governs a transaction with rules. The core driving idea for designing the architecture of a blockchain platform is to guarantee that no single business party can append, modify or delete any record residing within the ledger without going through the necessary consensus from other business parties within the network. This empowers the system and ensures the data is immutable. Examples of such data include but are not limited to legal and financial trails. Given the aforementioned important features, blockchain technology is a revolutionary trending technology with the ability to offer tremendous disrupting changes to different industries. Gartner’s 2016 research report (Gartner, Gartner’s 2016 hype cycle for emerging technologies special report, 2016) identified blockchain as one of the key platform-enabling technologies to track. While there is currently a lack of widely identified and accepted standards for blockchain technology, there is a rising agreement that blockchain is currently entering its height of extravagant expectations. The report anticipated that it would take 5 to 10 years for blockchain technology to be easily and widely adopted. Nowadays, almost five years later most blockchain efforts, especially the ones applied to business environments, are still in the early stages not reaching the widely adoption stage also not realizing a widely accepted standard so far. In this book chapter, an attempt will be made to cover the main concepts of blockchain, its underlying technologies, Smart Contracts, and Decentralized Applications (DApps).

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Extremophiles are a group of organisms growing in a wide range of extreme environmental conditions. The extremophilic microorganisms are diverse and are classified into psychrophiles (− 2°C to 20°C), thermophiles (55–121°C), piezophiles (> 500atm), halophiles (2–5M NaCl or KCl), metallophiles (high concentrations of metals, e.g., copper, zinc, lead, cadmium, and arsenic), alkaliphiles (pH>8), and acidophiles (pH<4) according to the extreme environmental conditions in which they grow and can tolerate. The aims of this chapter are to characterize the extremophilic microorganisms and their physiological and molecular efficiencies in bioremediation processes. Interestingly, the remarkable adaptative abilities of extremophilic microorganisms make them an attractive source of biocatalysts for bioremediation. Bioremediation is an important technology for the cleanup of environmental contaminants. Further attention has also been directed to isolation, identification, and characterization of biocatalysts from extremophilic microorganisms, most of them enzymes named extremozymes, which are well adapted to be active also at extreme conditions. Extremozymes are expected to fill the gap between biological and chemical industrial processes because of the remarkable properties of these enzymes. Even though more than 3000 different enzymes have been identified till now, and many of these were used in industrial and biotechnological applications, the enzyme toolbox at the present is still not enough to present demands. A major cause for this is the fact that many available enzymes do not withstand industrial reaction conditions.

Powerful antioxidants can delay progression of diabetes and protect vital organs for tissue damage caused by high concentration of free radicals and reactive oxygen species generated by a sustained state of hyperglycemia. Preliminary studies point to the positive effect of the alcoholic extract of Bauhinia vahlii leaves, a plant traditionally used for treatment of diabetes, in controlling oxidative stress associated with diabetes. Evidence indicates that B. vahlii exerts its effect through moderate antihyperglycemic effect and strong antioxidant activity. B. vahlii extract when given to diabetic Wister rats for 4 weeks was able to reduce fasting blood glucose and glycated hemoglobin by up to 43% and 37%, respectively, indicating moderate antihyperglycemic effect, which may be mediated by strong inhibition of α-glucosidase enzyme (IC50=30.7µg/mL). On the other hand, the antioxidant activity of B. vahlii allowed a full restoration of serum total antioxidant capacity, hepatic malonyldialdehyde, and reduced glutathione to their basal levels in normal nondiabetic animals after treatment with a daily dose of 300mg/kg b.w. Moreover, normal histological features and liver functions were observed in diabetic animals receiving the same dose of B. vahlii extract but not with the standard antidiabetic metformin.

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To meet the critical demand of LTR-RTs data-driven research, we updated the CicerSpTEdb database to version 2.0, which includes more accurate intact LTR-RT elements with annotation of internal domains. We also added the ability to BLAST against TEs of Cicer species. As a result, 3701 intact LTR-RTs were detected in the studied genomes, including 2840 Copia and 861 Gypsy elements. Of the 3701 intact LTR-RTs, 588 were in C. arietinum, including 475 Copia and 113 Gypsy. While 1373 were detected in C. reticulatum, including 1041 Copia and 332 Gypsy. Furthermore, 1740 were found in C. echinospermum, including 1324 Copia and 416 Gypsy. Based on LTR-RT clades, the analysis classified the 3701 identified intact LTR-RTs in the studied genomes as Ale (850), SIRE (740), unknown (455), Ikeros (323), Reina (290), Tork (290), Ivana (282), Tekay (197), Athila (128), TAR (99), CRM (31), and Ogre (16) elements. The newly updated CicerSpTEdb2.0 will be a valuable resource for TEs of Cicer species and their comparative genomics.

Cities face many challenges to meet sustainability. This chapter presents a conceptual vision for creating a livable centre for the communities in the city of Conegliano with a special focus on sustainability, not only from an urban farm viewpoint but also as a new social aspect to achieve social sustainability. The design strategy integrates new smart architectural and urban agricultural solutions. Various technologies are incorporated in the building including aquaponic tray farming system, vertical axis wind turbine modules and cable trellis ivy facades as well as multi-spectrum LED-censored lights and double-glazed glass to reduce energy consumption. Such technologies create a self-sustained building with minimal waste and CO2 emissions and livable environments. The social innovation also includes various social spaces (local gym, Treviso cafeteria, educational farm and a research lab), all of which were redesigned to maintain the current existing structure, minimize embodied energy and maximize the social interaction with the users yet encourage communal interaction between the citizens and enhance connectivity. For economic sustainability, a business model including strategy, marketing, operations and SWOT analysis was carried out to predict the project’s operation cost and labour management. Results show that retrofitting this factory will turn such vacant site into a vibrant and multifunctional spot. Also, results indicate that enhancing the site would make the city a livable and an economic hub that serves people, raises awareness and is self-sustained for years to come by addressing sustainable development and SGDs, mainly SDG 7, 8, 11, 12 and 13.

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