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Engineering a cell's regulatory networks to dynamically control gene expression has been considered a new frontier in biological engineering. In cyanobacteria, the lack of well-characterized, modular gene regulatory elements makes regulatory network engineering challenging. Here, we suggest potential tools to modify various gene expression steps in cyanobacterial regulatory networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Insights from novel mechanistic paradigms in gene expression control have led to the development of new gene expression systems for bioproduction, control, and sensing applications. Coupled with a greater understanding of synthetic burden and modern creative biodesign approaches, contemporary bacterial gene expression tools and systems are emerging that permit fine-tuning of expression, enabling greater predictability and maximisation of specific productivity, while minimising deleterious effects upon cell viability. These advances have been achieved by using a plethora of regulatory tools, operating at all levels of the so-called 'central dogma' of molecular biology. In this review, we discuss these gene regulation tools in the context of their design, prototyping, integration into expression systems, and biotechnological application. A huge array of genetic regulatory tools are now available that permit gene expression control at all layers of the central dogma. Matching production demand with cellular capacity can reduce burden and allow stable production over longer timescales. Modern in silico design tools allow rapid design and optimisation of complex genetic circuitry. Cell-free prototyping of genetic parts and devices is an emerging, yet powerful tool to improve the design–build–test–learn cycle. The use of feedback loops to facilitate dynamic regulation of gene expression allows researchers to construct responsive pathways to minimise cellular metabolic burden. Stress-linked expression regulation enables coupling of heterologous production with endogenous stress response pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lately, sustainability in eco-cities had been such an urgent topic. Development forces acts as a threat to eco-lands. This study aims to evaluate the use of different tools through out a comparative analysis of various case studies in order to guarantee their sustainability. A community vision based on sustainability will help align and motivate communities, governments and others and will provide a basis for developing a strategy to achieve this vision. This paper discusses the application of one of the regulatory tools for achieving sustainability in eco-cities which is TDR ‘Transfer of Developing Rights’ as an alternative method that has been applied in other cities, as a new promising solution and the possibilities of its application in future projects could be applied to maintain sustainability of eco-lands within the cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: From kudzu to zebra mussels, invasive species have wreaked environmental and economic havoc by modifying ecosystems, damaging crops, threatening native species, and serving as hosts to pests and viruses. Invasive species are a clearly a problem—but are they a land use problem? This study establishes a potential nexus between land use planning and biological invasions, or bioinvasions. The study also identifies the types of regulatory and non-regulatory tools used by local governments to address invasive species, including bans and ordinances, planning and policies, permit requirements, partnerships and projects, education, and other strategies. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• There is a substitution relationship between regulatory and payment tools in agricultural land preservation of China. • A theoretical framework from the perspective of nonmarket value is established to evaluate policy tools. • We empirically verify that payment tools can partly substitute for regulatory tools. • The payment-regulation substitution may provide inspiration for policy innovation. As policies of agricultural land preservation, regulatory tools and payment ones usually operate independently or complementarily. However, under the policy of the dynamic balance of total cultivated land and taxes/fees of agricultural land conversion in China, there is a substitution relationship between the regulatory and payment tools. This article reviews this substitution mechanism, theoretically evaluates the policy system of Chinese agricultural land preservation from the perspective of nonmarket value and then estimates the public preference for those policy tools and agricultural land types using the choice experiment method. The results show that first, the effects of the regulatory and payment tools are different. While the regulatory tools preserve current agricultural land, the payment ones tend to improve cultivated land for the function of food security. Second, in the choice experiment, respondents support the hybrid tools combing the regulatory and payment tools, regulatory ones and payment ones from high to low, which means that the substitution relationship is reasonable to some extent. These suggest that the interaction of policies needs to be identified in the policy system of agricultural land preservation, and the theory of nonmarket value and choice experiment can be effectively used to evaluate the policy and provide references for the improvement of the policy system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]