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Summary: Plant pathogens destroy crops and cause severe yield losses, leading to an insufficient food supply to sustain the human population. Apart from relying on natural plant immune systems to combat biological agents or waiting for the appropriate evolutionary steps to occur over time, researchers are currently seeking new breakthrough methods to boost disease resistance in plants through genetic engineering. Here, we summarize the past two decades of research in disease resistance engineering against an assortment of pathogens through modifying the plant immune components (internal and external) with several biotechnological techniques. We also discuss potential strategies and provide perspectives on engineering plant immune systems for enhanced pathogen resistance and plant fitness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Automatisierungstechnik is the property of De Gruyter and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Plants produce energy-dense lipids from carbohydrates using energy acquired via photosynthesis, making plant oils an economically and sustainably attractive feedstock for conversion to biofuels and value-added bioproducts. A growing number of strategies have been developed and optimized in model plants, oilseed crops and high-biomass crops to enhance the accumulation of storage lipids (mostly triacylglycerols, TAGs) for bioenergy applications and to produce specialty lipids with increased uses and value for chemical feedstock and nutritional applications. Most successful metabolic engineering strategies involve heterologous expression of lipogenic factors that outperform those from other sources or exhibit specialized functionality. In this review, we summarize recent progress in engineering the accumulation of triacylglycerols containing - specialized fatty acids in various plant species and tissues. We also provide an inventory of specific lipogenic factors (including accession numbers) derived from a wide variety of organisms, along with their reported efficacy in supporting the accumulation of desired lipids. A review of previously obtained results serves as a foundation to guide future efforts to optimize combinations of factors to achieve further enhancements to the production and accumulation of desired lipids in a variety of plant tissues and species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wheat represents one of the most important staple food crops worldwide and its genetic improvement is fundamental to meeting the global demand of the growing population. However, the environmental stresses, worsened by climate change, and the increasing deterioration of arable land make it very difficult to fulfil this demand. In light of this, the tolerance of wheat to abiotic stresses has become a key objective of genetic improvement, as an effective strategy to ensure high yields without increasing the cultivated land. Genetic erosion related to modern agriculture, whereby elite, high-yielding wheat varieties are the product of high selection pressure, has reduced the overall genetic diversity, including the allelic diversity of genes that could be advantageous for adaptation to adverse environmental conditions. This makes traditional breeding a less effective or slower approach to generating new stress-tolerant wheat varieties. Either mining for the diversity of not-adapted large germplasm pools, or generating new diversity, are the mainstream approaches to be pursued. The advent of genetic engineering has opened the possibility to create new plant variability and its application has provided a strong complement to traditional breeding. Genetic engineering strategies such as transgenesis and genome editing have then provided the opportunity to improve environmental tolerance traits of agronomic importance in cultivated species. As for wheat, several laboratories worldwide have successfully produced transgenic wheat lines with enhanced tolerance to abiotic stresses, and, more recently, significant improvements in the CRISPR/Cas9 tools available for targeted variations within the wheat genome have been achieved. In light of this, the present review aims to provide successful examples of genetic engineering applications for the improvement of wheat adaptation to drought, salinity and extreme temperatures, which represent the most frequent and most severe events causing the greatest losses in wheat production worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Automatisierungstechnik is the property of De Gruyter and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Transient gene expression is an important technique in gene functional analysis, protein production and in plants. However, traditional transient expression methods using Agrobacterium are time-consuming with low efficiency. In this study, we demonstrated the use of a single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) to deliver 35S:mCherry:pCXSN plasmid into rice calli. This transient expression protocol used a plastic medical syringe to create the physical pressure to help the delivery of plasmid DNA into plant cells. This protocol is relatively easy to perform and low cost. The transient expression was observed under fluorescence microscopy, and the mCherry fluorescence signal was quantified. The plasmid DNA was delivered into the rice cell using a 3:1 ratio (plasmid: carbon nanotube). The result showed that the mCherry signal of carbon nanotube + plasmid DNA treatment was the highest signal at 3 days post-transformation and decreased to a lower signal at 6 days post-transformation. Moreover, the quantitative analysis of mCherry mean intensity revealed that the signal intensity of carbon nanotube + plasmid DNA treatment was the highest level, and significantly higher than the control treatments at 3 days post-transformation. Plasmid DNA can be transported easily into plant calli using this carbon nanotube transient expression protocol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Incorporating C4 photosynthetic traits into C3 crops is a rational approach for sustaining future demands for crop productivity. Using classical plant breeding, engineering this complex trait is unlikely to achieve its target. Therefore, it is critical and timely to implement novel biotechnological crop improvement strategies to accomplish this goal. However, a fundamental understanding of C3, C4, and C3–C4 intermediate metabolism is crucial for the targeted use of biotechnological tools. This review assesses recent progress towards engineering C4 photosynthetic traits in C3 crops. We also discuss lessons learned from successes and failures of recent genetic engineering attempts in C3 crops, highlighting the pros and cons of using rice as a model plant for short‐, medium‐ and long‐term goals of genetic engineering. This review provides an integrated approach towards engineering improved photosynthetic efficiency in C3 crops for sustaining food, fibre and fuel production around the globe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This investigation was conducted to determine the ability of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) to elicit growth of rice plants (var. CO51) in soil incubated with Blue-R textile dye. Two commercial strains of PGPR, nitrogen-fixing Azospirillum lipoferum Az204 and phosphorus-solubilizing Bacillus megaterium var phosphaticum PSB1, were used to prepare a carrier and liquid-based formulations. Seed biotization of carrier-based PGPR consortium followed by a foliar spray substantially resulted in a higher plant biomass, germination percent, and vigor index as compared to non-inoculated plants in Blue-R-amended soil. The photosynthetic efficiency is also higher, which is evident by the total chlorophyll content in PGPR-treated seedlings. Similarly, the carrier-based PGPR inoculated plants revealed higher nutrient uptake as well as N, P, and K content in shoots as compared to the non-inoculated plants. PGPR inoculation through seeds showed better survival and colonization of A. lipoferum Az204 and B. megaterium PSB1 in the rhizosphere. A. liopferum Az204 remarked good colonization in inner tissues of roots, stems, and leaves. It was concluded that PGPR application through seeds enhances crop fitness, modulates rhizosphere services, and alleviates oxidative stress caused by Blue-R in rice plants. Therefore, rhizosphere engineering by PGPR through seeds followed by subsequent foliar sprays can be used as a sustainable strategy for textile wastewater-irrigated soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pathogens are important threats to many plants throughout their lifetimes. Plants have developed different strategies to overcome them. In the plant immunity system, nucleotide-binding domain and leucine-rich repeat-containing proteins (NLRs) are the most common components. And recent studies have greatly expanded our understanding of how NLRs function in plants. In this review, we summarize the studies on the mechanism of NLRs in the processes of effector recognition, resistosome formation, and defense activation. Typical NLRs are divided into three groups according to the different domains at their N termini and function in interrelated ways in immunity. Atypical NLRs contain additional integrated domains (IDs), some of which directly interact with pathogen effectors. Plant NLRs evolve with pathogen effectors and exhibit specific recognition. Meanwhile, some NLRs have been successfully engineered to confer resistance to new pathogens based on accumulated studies. In summary, some pioneering processes have been obtained in NLR researches, though more questions arise as a result of the huge number of NLRs. However, with a broadened understanding of the mechanism, NLRs will be important components for engineering in plant resistance improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant extracts are rich in a wide variety of molecules with diverse biological activities. Chemical engineering of plant extracts has provided a straightforward and simultaneous synthetic route for artificial molecules derived from plant products. This study achieved the synthesis of 13 natural product-like molecules by the Ugi multicomponent reaction using plant extracts as substrates. In particular, the engineering of a mixture of plant extracts demonstrated a unique synthetic route to a series of natural product hybrids, whereby otherwise unencountered naturally occurring molecules of different origins were chemically hybridized in complex media. Even though these reactions took place in complex media containing plant extracts, the well-designed process achieved a good conversion efficiency (~ 60%), chemoselectivity, and reproducibility. Additionally, some of the Ugi adducts exhibited promising inhibitory activity toward protease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant natural products (PNPs) are active substances indispensable to human health with a wide range of medical and commercial applications. However, excessive population growth, overexploitation of natural resources, and expensive total chemical synthesis have led to recurrent supply shortages. Despite the fact that the microbial production platform solved these challenges, the platform still has drawbacks such as environmental pollution, high costs, and non-green production. In this study, an efficient platform for the production of PNPs based on the transient expression system of Nicotiana benthamiana L. combined with synthetic biology strategies was developed. Subsequently, the feasibility of the platform was verified by a simple "test unit." This platform was used to synthesize two high-value PNPs: genistein (5.51 nmol g􀀀1 FW) and scutellarin (11.35 nmol g􀀀1 FW). Importantly, this is the first report on the synthesis of scutellarin in heterologous plants. The platform presented here will possibly be adopted for the heterologous production of genistein and scutellarin in tobacco plants as a novel and sustainable production strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Terpenoids are synthesized naturally by plants as secondary metabolites, and are diverse and complex in structure with multiple applications in bioenergy, food, cosmetics, and medicine. This makes the production of terpenoids such as isoprene, β-phellandrene, farnesene, amorphadiene, and squalene valuable, owing to which their industrial demand cannot be fulfilled exclusively by plant sources. They are synthesized via the Methylerythritol phosphate pathway (MEP) and the Mevalonate pathway (MVA), both existing in plants. The advent of genetic engineering and the latest accomplishments in synthetic biology and metabolic engineering allow microbial synthesis of terpenoids. Cyanobacteria manifest to be the promising hosts for this, utilizing sunlight and CO2. Cyanobacteria possess MEP pathway to generate precursors for terpenoid synthesis. The terpenoid synthesis can be amplified by overexpressing the MEP pathway and engineering MVA pathway genes. According to the desired terpenoid, terpene synthases unique to the plant kingdom must be incorporated in cyanobacteria. Engineering an organism to be used as a cell factory comes with drawbacks such as hampered cell growth and disturbance in metabolic flux. This review set forth a comparison between MEP and MVA pathways, strategies to overexpress these pathways with their challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emerging applications of biotechnology such as new genomic techniques may give rise to new uncertainties and uncertain risks. Particularly the increased complexity and limited knowledge of possible risks associated with these new techniques, make it currently impossible to perform an adequate environmental risk assessment. As a result, there is a risk that such techniques don’t get beyond experiments demonstrating the proof of principle, stifling their further development and implementation. To break free from this deadlock, we must be able to learn what such uncertainties and uncertain risks entail, and how they should be assessed to ensure safe further development. To shape a responsible learning environment to explore uncertainties and uncertain risks, we have organized five stakeholder workshops. By means of a case about the genetic engineering of plants’ rhizosphere–an application abundant with uncertain risks–we identified tensions between different stakeholder groups and their different estimates of uncertainties and uncertain risks. Based upon derived insights, we developed a tool–a script for researchers to organize a stakeholder workshop–that enables a constructive discussion about emerging risks with a broad range of stakeholders. Thereby, the script provides a step-by-step approach to identify uncertainties, develop anticipatory strategies and adaptations in (experimental) research designs to lower or mitigate the earlier identified uncertainties, and helps to identify knowledge gaps for which (additional) risk research should be set up.

Humans are at the heart of crucial processes in warehouses. Besides the common economic goal of minimising cycle times, we therefore add in this paper the human well-being goal of minimising workers' discomfort in the context of order picking. We propose amethodology for identifying the most suitable storage location solutions with respect to both goals. The first step in our methodology is to build data-driven empirical models for estimating cycle times and workers' discomfort. The second step of the methodology entails the use of these empirically grounded models to formulate a bi-objective assignment problem for assigning products to storage locations. The developedmethodology is subsequently tested on two actual warehouses. The results of these practical tests show that clear trade-offs exist and that optimising only for discomfort can be costly in terms of cycle time. Based on the results, we provide practical guidelines for taking storage assignment decisions that simultaneously address discomfort and travel distance considerations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent advancements in plant bioprinting and optogenetic tools have unlocked new avenues to revolutionize plant tissue engineering. Bioprinting of plant cells has the potential to craft intricate 3D structures incorporating multiple cell types, replicating the complex microenvironments found in plants. Concurrently, optogenetic tools enable the control of biological events with spatial, temporal, and quantitative precision. Originally developed for human and microbial systems, these two cutting-edge methodologies are now being adapted for plant research. Although still in the early stages of development, we here review the latest progress in plant bioprinting and optogenetics and discuss compelling opportunities for plant biotechnology and research arising from the combination of the two technologies. [Display omitted] • Synergistic applications of bioprinting and optogenetics in plant biotechnology. • Advanced methods to generate tailor-made plant-derived tissues and organs. • Review of the potential and the challenges of bioprinting in plant research. • Summary of optogenetic technologies applied in plant research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lignin valorization faces persistent biomanufacturing challenges due to the heterogeneous and toxic carbon substrates derived from lignin depolymerization. To address the heterogeneous nature of aromatic feedstocks, plant cell wall engineering and 'lignin first' pretreatment methods have recently emerged. Next, to convert the resulting aromatic substrates into value-added chemicals, diverse microbial host systems also continue to be developed. This includes microbes that (1) lack aromatic metabolism, (2) metabolize aromatics but not sugars, and (3) co-metabolize both aromatics and sugars, each system presenting unique pros and cons. Considering the intrinsic complexity of lignin-derived substrate mixtures, emerging and non-model microbes with native metabolism for aromatics appear poised to provide the greatest impacts on lignin valorization via biomanufacturing. • Plant engineering can selectively release specific aromatic monomers. • Engineered model microbes have shown their versatility in lignin valorization. • Aromatic degraders can valorize various mixtures of aromatic substrates. • Microbes co- utilizing sugars and aromatics show higher production metrics. • Future studies should advance synthetic and system biology for lignin valorization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We aimed to effciently enhance plant Hg(II) tolerance by the transgenic approach utilizing a bacterial mercury transporter MerC, an Arabidopsis mesophyll specific promoter pRBCS1A, and a vacuolar membrane targeting syntaxin AtVAM3/SYP22. We generated two independent homozygous Arabidopsis pRBCS1A-TCV lines expressing mT-Sapphire-MerC-AtVAM3 under the control of pRBCS1A. Quantitative RT-PCR showed that the transgene was expressed specifically in shoots of pRBCS1A-TCV lines. Confocal analyses further demonstrated the leaf mesophyll specific expression of mT-Sapphire-MerC-AtVAM3. Confocal observation of the protoplast derived from the F1 plants of the pRBCS1A-TCV line and the tonoplast marker line p35S-GFP-dTIP showed the tonoplast colocalization of mT-Sapphire-MerC-AtVAM3 and GFP-dTIP. These results clearly demonstrated thatmT-Sapphire-MerC-AtVAM3 expression in Arabidopsis is spatially regulated as designed at the transcript and the membrane traffcking levels. We then examined the Hg(II) tolerance of the pRBCS1A-TCV lines as well as the p35S-driven MerC-AtVAM3 expressing line p35S-CV under the various Hg(II) stress conditions. Short-term (12 d) Hg(II) treatment indicated the enhanced Hg(II) tolerance of both pRBCS1A-TCV and p35S-CV lines. The longer (3 weeks) Hg(II) treatment highlighted the better shoot growth of the transgenic plants compared to the wild-type Col-0 and the pRBCS1A-TCV lines were more tolerant to Hg(II) stress than the p35S-CV line. These results suggest that mesophyll-specific expression of MerC-AtVAM3 is suffcient or even better to enhance the Arabidopsis Hg(II) tolerance. The Hg accumulation in roots and shoots did not di􀀀er between the wild-type Col-0 and the MerC-AtVAM3 expressing plants, suggesting that the boosted Hg(II) tolerance of the transgenic lines would be attributed to vacuolar Hg-sequestration by the tonoplast-localized MerC. Further perspectives of the MerC-based plant engineering are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The modularization of production plants and their automation in the pharmaceutical and (bio‐)chemical industry is currently gaining attention and is subject of standardization efforts. The combination of modular and monolithic (bio‐)chemical plants and related engineering processes, i.e., hybrid process plants and hybrid engineering, respectively, offers advantages in production flexibility and time to operation. However, combining the different approaches is full of hurdles and unsolved issues. In this paper, hybrid process plants are defined and characterized in a process systems framework. Modeling and simulation requirements are elaborated for the engineering workflow of hybrid process plants. The contribution concludes with summarizing current research topics and pointing to a future research agenda. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current production systems that respond to market demands with high rates of production change and customization use complex systems. These systems are machines with a high capacity for communication, sensing and self-diagnosis, although they are susceptible to failures, breakdowns and a loss of reliability. The amount of data they provide as a productive system and, individually, as a machine can be treated to improve customized maintenance plans. The objective of this work, with an operational scope, is to collect and exploit the knowledge acquired in the industrial plant on failures and breakdowns based on its historical data. The acquisition of the aforementioned data is channeled through the human intellectual capital of the work groups formed for this purpose. Once this knowledge is acquired and available in a worksheet format according to the Reliability-Centered Maintenance (RCM) methodology, it is implemented using Case-Based Reasoning algorithms in a Java application developed for this purpose to carry out the process of RCM, accessing a base of similar cases that can be adapted. This operational definition allows for the control of the maintenance function of an industrial plant in the short term, with a weekly horizon, to design a maintenance plan adjusted to the reality of the plant in its current operating context, which may differ greatly from the originally projected plan or from any other plan caused by new production requirements. This new plan designed as such will apply changes to the equipment, which make up the production system, as a consequence of the adaptation to the changing market demand. As a result, a computer application has been designed, implemented and validated that allows, through the incorporation of RCM cases already successfully carried out on the productive system of the plant, for the development of a customized maintenance plan through an assistant, which, in a conductive way, guides the plant maintenance engineer through their design process, minimizing human error and design time and leveraging existing intellectual capital. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: CONSTITUTIVELY PHOTOMORPHOGENIC 1 (COP1) mediates various cellular and physiological processes in plants by targeting a large number of substrates for ubiquitination and degradation.In this study, we reveal that a substitution of Pro for Leu at amino acid position 409 in WRKY32 largely suppresses the short hypocotyls and expanded cotyledon phenotypes of cop1‐6. WRKY32P409L promotes hypocotyl growth and inhibits the opening of cotyledons in Arabidopsis.Loss of WRKY32 function mutant seedlings display elongated hypocotyls, whereas overexpression of WRKY32 leads to shortened hypocotyls. WRKY32 directly associates with the promoter regions of HY5 to activate its transcription. COP1 interacts with and targets WRKY32 for ubiquitination and degradation in darkness. WRKY32P409L exhibits enhanced DNA binding ability and affects the expression of more genes compared with WRKY32 in Arabidopsis.Our results not only reveal the basic role for WRKY32 in promoting photomorphogenesis, but also provide insights into manipulating plant growth by engineering key components of light signaling. See also the Commentary on this article by Demarsy, 235: 5–7. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The seepage blocking characteristics analyses of molten salt in tank foundations under different operating conditions were studied. • A method for blocking molten salt seepage based on the presetting metal mesh was proposed. • Parametric analysis and optimization were conducted to the proposed seepage blocking method. Leakage of molten salt storage tanks in concentrated solar power plants poses a major threat to operating safety. This paper focuses on arranging metal mesh in the storage tank foundation to control the seepage and migration range of molten salt in the thermal-steady foundation materials after leakage occurs. The influences of different conditions, including the metal mesh aperture, metal mesh position, operating temperature, and the mass of leaked molten salt, on the blocking effect were investigated through a custom-built experimental system that modeled the actual leaking process. The results showed that the metal mesh can effectively block seepage of molten salt. When the metal mesh aperture is made smaller or the mesh is placed further toward the bottom of the tank, the metal mesh has a significant blocking effect on molten salt seepage. Especially when the metal mesh aperture is 0.15 mm and the depth of placement is 325 mm, seepage of molten salt can be completely blocked. Nevertheless, it has been found that the depth of molten salt seepage distinctly increases with higher operating temperature or larger leaked molten salt mass. These experimental results will provide references for pollution control and disposition of molten salt leakage accidents and help power plant engineers re-examine tank foundation designs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Covering: up to March 2022 Plants are a unique source of complex specialized metabolites, many of which play significant roles in human society. In many cases, however, the availability of these metabolites from naturally occurring sources fails to meet current demands. Thus, there is much interest in expanding the production capacity of target plant molecules. Traditionally, plant breeding, chemical synthesis, and microbial fermentation are considered the primary routes towards large scale production of natural products. Here, we explore the advances, challenges, and future of plant engineering as a complementary path. Although plants are an integral part of our food and agricultural systems and sustain an extensive array of chemical constituents, their complex genetics and physiology have prevented the optimal exploitation of plants as a production chassis. We highlight emerging engineering tools and scientific advances developed in recent years that have improved the prospects of using plants as a sustainable and scalable production platform. We also discuss technological limitations and overall economic outlook of plant-based production of natural products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the implementation of a detailed model pharmaceutical production facility in an undergraduate engineering class. Xandar Pharmaceuticals (XP), a fictitious manufacturer, was created and presented to undergraduate engineering students during a current good manufacturing practices (cGMP 1 1 current Good Manufacturing Practices.) course in two forms: (1) 3D virtual model and (2) 3D printed model. Data was collected from three separate cohorts over three years with a total of 197 participants. Surveys would gauge student's sentiments and collect feedback, while quizzes assessed technical understanding. Statistical analysis and effect size calculations would evaluate the differences among the three cohorts. Survey results indicate the 3D printed model has small positive effects on study vs control (groups) regarding understanding of general industry related functions and practices. The 3D printed model also improved students' interest in critical thinking and investigation. Qualitative feedback and sentiment analysis indicate the model was well received by students and received positive feedback related to visualization, industrial relevance, and student engagement. Use of the 3D printed model (but not the 3D virtual model) has had positive quantitative effects on student quiz scores and feedback. Qualitative improvements to student attitudes and interest are encouraging and suggest further use of 3D printed models in other courses may be beneficial. • A detailed 3D virtual and 3D printed "pharmaceutical plant" model was constructed • Both models were implemented separately in an undergraduate course • 3D printed model improved student technical skills and self-assessment ratings • Sentiment analysis showed mixed responses, due to the difficulty of the project [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Babylon Center for Humanities Studies is the property of Republic of Iraq Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research (MOHESR) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Increasing the efficiency of coal preparation is the key link of mine production. This study proposed a framework of coal preparation for life cycle based on Building Information Modeling (BIM), in which the data resources can be retransmitted, and the integration of BIM application links has a high level. In this paper, the kappa big data processing architecture is used to realize the integration and unification of stream data and batch data processing process. By using deep learning method and multimodal data fusion method, the multimodal data association fusion is realized, and Bentley software is adopted for verification and integration. Taking a coal preparation plant as an engineering case study, the proposed framework is applied to build a big data subplatform of three-dimensional visual management. The following is suggested: (1) the three-dimensional visual review of the coal preparation online is realized, and the efficiency of the design results is improved; (2) the production and operation management of the coal preparation are carried out through the established platform, which indicated that the proportion of clean coal increased by 1.97%, and the average increase percentage for the total output is about 5.6%. Results from the case study show that the framework proposed in this study can provide efficient reference for coal washing in the coal preparation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To account for the increasing volatility and uncertainty of external requirements, mechanical and plant engineering companies are facing growing demands for increased flexibility and adaptability within product development. The wind turbine industry in particular, which is characterized by low unit numbers, long development time and high development costs, is especially affected by this trend. Companies are forced to implement processes that allow for short-term adaptation to changing requirements. Plan-driven approaches typically presume that requirements are defined in the early stages of product development and remain static throughout the process. Companies are increasingly resorting to agile approaches, which rely on an incremental and highly iterative development process divided into short sprints. However, the main challenge for them is moving from plan-driven to agile due to the lack of a comprehensive method of incorporating and transforming their current development activities into an agile approach. This allows for the configuration of agile sprints on a short-term, results-oriented basis from process modules identified in the current development. A five step method for this purpose is being presented. The five steps are as follows: (1) Process analysis to record the status as-is; (2) Identification of recurring process modules throughout the development process; (3) Identification of development objects that are used or generated by the process modules; (4) Bottom-up classification and consolidation of these development objects; (5) Configuration of development sprints as a sequence of process modules linked via development objects. The respective steps were validated in cooperation with a company from the wind turbine industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genetic modification allows engineering of important traits in crops through expensive and tedious procedures to alter their genetic background. Recently, Thagun et al. developed a nanocarrier-based foliar spray method to translocate bioactive molecules of interest into plant cells to engineer important traits without introducing a transgene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]