Tips and traps for reapplying used process plants

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Conder, M.W.

1999-07-01

Many gas processing projects are based on reapplying used gas processing plants and equipment. There has been little information or advice in the literature which provides practical advice for this type of project. GPA's Technical Section A Committee has been developing a monograph on experiences in reapplying used plants and equipment. This paper includes excerpts from that monograph and presents advice illustrated by recent experiences with used plants.

Uptake, metabolism, and volatilization of selenium by terrestrial plants

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The green technology of phytoremediation has being developed for the management of metal(loid)-contaminated soils and waters via the processes of phytoextraction, and phytovolatilization. Based upon these processes a plant management remediation strategy for selenium (Se) has been developed for the ...

Plant breeding and genetics

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The ultimate goal of plant breeding is to develop improved crops. Improvements can be made in crop productivity, crop processing and marketing, and/or consumer quality. The process of developing an improved cultivar begins with intercrossing lines with high performance for the traits of interest, th...

Technology and development requirements for advanced coal conversion systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1981-01-01

A compendium of coal conversion process descriptions is presented. The SRS and MC data bases were utilized to provide information paticularly in the areas of existing process designs and process evaluations. Additional information requirements were established and arrangements were made to visit process developers, pilot plants, and process development units to obtain information that was not otherwise available. Plant designs, process descriptions and operating conditions, and performance characteristics were analyzed and requirements for further development identified and evaluated to determine the impact of these requirements on the process commercialization potential from the standpoint of economics and technical feasibility. A preliminary methodology was established for the comparative technical and economic assessment of advanced processes.

Plant Science View on Biohybrid Development

PubMed Central

Skrzypczak, Tomasz; Krela, Rafał; Kwiatkowski, Wojciech; Wadurkar, Shraddha; Smoczyńska, Aleksandra; Wojtaszek, Przemysław

2017-01-01

Biohybrid consists of a living organism or cell and at least one engineered component. Designing robot–plant biohybrids is a great challenge: it requires interdisciplinary reconsideration of capabilities intimate specific to the biology of plants. Envisioned advances should improve agricultural/horticultural/social practice and could open new directions in utilization of plants by humans. Proper biohybrid cooperation depends upon effective communication. During evolution, plants developed many ways to communicate with each other, with animals, and with microorganisms. The most notable examples are: the use of phytohormones, rapid long-distance signaling, gravity, and light perception. These processes can now be intentionally re-shaped to establish plant–robot communication. In this article, we focus on plants physiological and molecular processes that could be used in bio-hybrids. We show phototropism and biomechanics as promising ways of effective communication, resulting in an alteration in plant architecture, and discuss the specifics of plants anatomy, physiology and development with regards to the bio-hybrids. Moreover, we discuss ways how robots could influence plants growth and development and present aims, ideas, and realized projects of plant–robot biohybrids. PMID:28856135

The dynamic relationship between plant architecture and competition

PubMed Central

Ford, E. David

2014-01-01

In this review, structural and functional changes are described in single-species, even-aged, stands undergoing competition for light. Theories of the competition process as interactions between whole plants have been advanced but have not been successful in explaining these changes and how they vary between species or growing conditions. This task now falls to researchers in plant architecture. Research in plant architecture has defined three important functions of individual plants that determine the process of canopy development and competition: (i) resource acquisition plasticity; (ii) morphogenetic plasticity; (iii) architectural variation in efficiency of interception and utilization of light. In this review, this research is synthesized into a theory for competition based on five groups of postulates about the functioning of plants in stands. Group 1: competition for light takes place at the level of component foliage and branches. Group 2: the outcome of competition is determined by the dynamic interaction between processes that exert dominance and processes that react to suppression. Group 3: species differences may affect both exertion of dominance and reaction to suppression. Group 4: individual plants may simultaneously exhibit, in different component parts, resource acquisition and morphogenetic plasticity. Group 5: mortality is a time-delayed response to suppression. Development of architectural models when combined with field investigations is identifying research needed to develop a theory of architectural influences on the competition process. These include analyses of the integration of foliage and branch components into whole-plant growth and precise definitions of environmental control of morphogenetic plasticity and its interaction with acquisition of carbon for plant growth. PMID:24987396

The dynamic relationship between plant architecture and competition.

PubMed

Ford, E David

2014-01-01

In this review, structural and functional changes are described in single-species, even-aged, stands undergoing competition for light. Theories of the competition process as interactions between whole plants have been advanced but have not been successful in explaining these changes and how they vary between species or growing conditions. This task now falls to researchers in plant architecture. Research in plant architecture has defined three important functions of individual plants that determine the process of canopy development and competition: (i) resource acquisition plasticity; (ii) morphogenetic plasticity; (iii) architectural variation in efficiency of interception and utilization of light. In this review, this research is synthesized into a theory for competition based on five groups of postulates about the functioning of plants in stands. Group 1: competition for light takes place at the level of component foliage and branches. Group 2: the outcome of competition is determined by the dynamic interaction between processes that exert dominance and processes that react to suppression. Group 3: species differences may affect both exertion of dominance and reaction to suppression. Group 4: individual plants may simultaneously exhibit, in different component parts, resource acquisition and morphogenetic plasticity. Group 5: mortality is a time-delayed response to suppression. Development of architectural models when combined with field investigations is identifying research needed to develop a theory of architectural influences on the competition process. These include analyses of the integration of foliage and branch components into whole-plant growth and precise definitions of environmental control of morphogenetic plasticity and its interaction with acquisition of carbon for plant growth.

Modeling plant growth and development.

PubMed

Prusinkiewicz, Przemyslaw

2004-02-01

Computational plant models or 'virtual plants' are increasingly seen as a useful tool for comprehending complex relationships between gene function, plant physiology, plant development, and the resulting plant form. The theory of L-systems, which was introduced by Lindemayer in 1968, has led to a well-established methodology for simulating the branching architecture of plants. Many current architectural models provide insights into the mechanisms of plant development by incorporating physiological processes, such as the transport and allocation of carbon. Other models aim at elucidating the geometry of plant organs, including flower petals and apical meristems, and are beginning to address the relationship between patterns of gene expression and the resulting plant form.

Integration and scaling of UV-B radiation effects on plants: from molecular interactions to whole plant responses.

PubMed

Suchar, Vasile Alexandru; Robberecht, Ronald

2016-07-01

A process based model integrating the effects of UV-B radiation to molecular level processes and their consequences to whole plant growth and development was developed from key parameters in the published literature. Model simulations showed that UV-B radiation induced changes in plant metabolic and/or photosynthesis rates can result in plant growth inhibitions. The costs of effective epidermal UV-B radiation absorptive compounds did not result in any significant changes in plant growth, but any associated metabolic costs effectively reduced the potential plant biomass. The model showed significant interactions between UV-B radiation effects and temperature and any factor leading to inhibition of photosynthetic production or plant growth during the midday, but the effects were not cumulative for all factors. Vegetative growth were significantly delayed in species that do not exhibit reproductive cycles during a growing season, but vegetative growth and reproductive yield in species completing their life cycle in one growing season did not appear to be delayed more than 2-5 days, probably within the natural variability of the life cycles for many species. This is the first model to integrate the effects of increased UV-B radiation through molecular level processes and their consequences to whole plant growth and development.

Modeling of fugitive dust emission for construction sand and gravel processing plant.

PubMed

Lee, C H; Tang, L W; Chang, C T

2001-05-15

Due to rapid economic development in Taiwan, a large quantity of construction sand and gravel is needed to support domestic civil construction projects. However, a construction sand and gravel processing plant is often a major source of air pollution, due to its associated fugitive dust emission. To predict the amount of fugitive dust emitted from this kind of processing plant, a semiempirical model was developed in this study. This model was developed on the basis of the actual dust emission data (i.e., total suspended particulate, TSP) and four on-site operating parameters (i.e., wind speed (u), soil moisture (M), soil silt content (s), and number (N) of trucks) measured at a construction sand and gravel processing plant. On the basis of the on-site measured data and an SAS nonlinear regression program, the expression of this model is E = 0.011.u2.653.M-1.875.s0.060.N0.896, where E is the amount (kg/ton) of dust emitted during the production of each ton of gravel and sand. This model can serve as a facile tool for predicting the fugitive dust emission from a construction sand and gravel processing plant.

Production of orthophosphate suspension fertilizers from wet-process acid

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jones, T.M.; Burnell, J.R.

1984-01-01

For many years, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) has worked toward development of suspension fertilizers. TVA has two plants for production of base suspension fertilizers from wet-process orthophosphoric acid. One is a demonstration-scale plant where a 13-38-0 grade base suspension is produced by a three-stage ammoniation process. The other is a new batch-type pilot plant which is capable of producing high-grade base suspensions of various ratios and grades from wet-process acid. In this batch plant, suspensions and solutions can also be produced from solid intermediates.

Electronic data processing codes for California wildland plants

Treesearch

Merton J. Reed; W. Robert Powell; Bur S. Bal

1963-01-01

Systematized codes for plant names are helpful to a wide variety of workers who must record the identity of plants in the field. We have developed such codes for a majority of the vascular plants encountered on California wildlands and have published the codes in pocket size, using photo-reductions of the output from data processing machines. A limited number of the...

An automated, high-throughput plant phenotyping system using machine learning-based plant segmentation and image analysis.

PubMed

Lee, Unseok; Chang, Sungyul; Putra, Gian Anantrio; Kim, Hyoungseok; Kim, Dong Hwan

2018-01-01

A high-throughput plant phenotyping system automatically observes and grows many plant samples. Many plant sample images are acquired by the system to determine the characteristics of the plants (populations). Stable image acquisition and processing is very important to accurately determine the characteristics. However, hardware for acquiring plant images rapidly and stably, while minimizing plant stress, is lacking. Moreover, most software cannot adequately handle large-scale plant imaging. To address these problems, we developed a new, automated, high-throughput plant phenotyping system using simple and robust hardware, and an automated plant-imaging-analysis pipeline consisting of machine-learning-based plant segmentation. Our hardware acquires images reliably and quickly and minimizes plant stress. Furthermore, the images are processed automatically. In particular, large-scale plant-image datasets can be segmented precisely using a classifier developed using a superpixel-based machine-learning algorithm (Random Forest), and variations in plant parameters (such as area) over time can be assessed using the segmented images. We performed comparative evaluations to identify an appropriate learning algorithm for our proposed system, and tested three robust learning algorithms. We developed not only an automatic analysis pipeline but also a convenient means of plant-growth analysis that provides a learning data interface and visualization of plant growth trends. Thus, our system allows end-users such as plant biologists to analyze plant growth via large-scale plant image data easily.

Enzymes in bast fibrous plant processing.

PubMed

Kozlowski, Ryszard; Batog, Jolanta; Konczewicz, Wanda; Mackiewicz-Talarczyk, Maria; Muzyczek, Malgorzata; Sedelnik, Natalia; Tanska, Bogumila

2006-05-01

The program COST Action 847 Textile Quality and Biotechnology (2000-2005) has given an excellent chance to review the possibilities of the research, aiming at development of the industrial application of enzymes for bast fibrous plant degumming and primary processing. The recent advancements in enzymatic processing of bast fibrous plants (flax, hemp, jute, ramie and alike plants) and related textiles are given. The performance of enzymes in degumming, modification of bast fibres, roving, yarn, related fabrics as well as enzymatic bonding of lignocellulosic composites is provided.

Modeling, simulation, and control of an extraterrestrial oxygen production plant

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schooley, L.; Cellier, F.; Zeigler, B.; Doser, A.; Farrenkopf, G.

1991-01-01

The immediate objective is the development of a new methodology for simulation of process plants used to produce oxygen and/or other useful materials from local planetary resources. Computer communication, artificial intelligence, smart sensors, and distributed control algorithms are being developed and implemented so that the simulation or an actual plant can be controlled from a remote location. The ultimate result of this research will provide the capability for teleoperation of such process plants which may be located on Mars, Luna, an asteroid, or other objects in space. A very useful near-term result will be the creation of an interactive design tool, which can be used to create and optimize the process/plant design and the control strategy. This will also provide a vivid, graphic demonstration mechanism to convey the results of other researchers to the sponsor.

Process Security in Chemical Engineering Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Piluso, Cristina; Uygun, Korkut; Huang, Yinlun; Lou, Helen H.

2005-01-01

The threats of terrorism have greatly alerted the chemical process industries to assure plant security at all levels: infrastructure-improvement-focused physical security, information-protection-focused cyber security, and design-and-operation-improvement-focused process security. While developing effective plant security methods and technologies…

Keeping Control: The Role of Senescence and Development in Plant Pathogenesis and Defense

PubMed Central

Häffner, Eva; Konietzki, Sandra; Diederichsen, Elke

2015-01-01

Many plant pathogens show interactions with host development. Pathogens may modify plant development according to their nutritional demands. Conversely, plant development influences pathogen growth. Biotrophic pathogens often delay senescence to keep host cells alive, and resistance is achieved by senescence-like processes in the host. Necrotrophic pathogens promote senescence in the host, and preventing early senescence is a resistance strategy of plants. For hemibiotrophic pathogens both patterns may apply. Most signaling pathways are involved in both developmental and defense reactions. Increasing knowledge about the molecular components allows to distinguish signaling branches, cross-talk and regulatory nodes that may influence the outcome of an infection. In this review, recent reports on major molecular players and their role in senescence and in pathogen response are reviewed. Examples of pathosystems with strong developmental implications illustrate the molecular basis of selected control strategies. A study of gene expression in the interaction between the hemibiotrophic vascular pathogen Verticillium longisporum and its cruciferous hosts shows processes that are fine-tuned to counteract early senescence and to achieve resistance. The complexity of the processes involved reflects the complex genetic control of quantitative disease resistance, and understanding the relationship between disease, development and resistance will support resistance breeding. PMID:27135337

Development and demonstration of a lignite-pelletizing process. Phase II report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1980-01-01

The current work began with scale-up of laboratory equipment to commercial size equipment. For this purpose, BCI used an existing pilot plant that had been assembled to pelletize and indurate taconite ore. BCI determined therewith that lignite pellets can be produced continuously on a pilot scale using the basic process developed in the laboratory. The resulting pellets were found to be similar to the laboratory pellets at equivalent binder compositions. Tests of product made during a 5-ton test run are reported. A 50-ton demonstration test run was made with the pilot plant. Pellet production was sustained for a two-week period.more » The lignite pelletizing process has, therefore, been developed to the point of demonstration in a 50-ton test. BCI has completed and cost estimated a conceptually designed 4000 TPD facility. BCI believes it has demonstrated a technically feasible process to agglomerate lignite by using an asphalt emulsion binder. Product quality is promising. Capital and operating costs appear acceptable to justify continuing support and development. The next step should focus on three areas: production development, process refinement, and cost reduction. For further development, BCI recommends consideration of a 5 to 10 ton/h pilot plant or a 20 to 40 ton/h module of a full sized plant, the lower first cost of the former being offset by the ability to incorporate the latter into a future production unit. Other specific recommendations are made for future study that could lead to process and cost improvements: Binder Formulation, disc Sizing, Drier Bed Depth, and Mixing Approach. Pellet use other than power plant fuel is considered.« less

Simulating bimodal tall fescue growth with a degree-day-based process-oriented plant model

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Plant growth simulation models have a temperature response function driving development, with a base temperature and an optimum temperature defined. Such growth simulation models often function well when plant development rate shows a continuous change throughout the growing season. This approach ...

Abscisic acid and abiotic stress tolerance in crop plants

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

biotic stress is a primary threat to fulfill the demand of agricultural production to feed the world in coming decades. Plants reduce growth and development process during stress conditions, which ultimately affect the yield. In stress conditions, plants develop various stress mechanism to face the ...

On the problem of zinc extraction from the slags of lead heat

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kozyrev, V. V.; Besser, A. D.; Paretskii, V. M.

2013-12-01

The possibilities of zinc extraction from the slags of lead heat are studied as applied to the ZAO Karat-TsM lead plant to be built for processing ore lead concentrates. The process of zinc extraction into commercial fumes using the technology of slag fuming by natural gas developed in Gintsvetmet is recommended for this purpose. Technological rules are developed for designing a commercial fuming plant, as applied to the conditions of the ZAO Karat-TsM plant.

Advanced in-duct sorbent injection for SO{sub 2} control. Final technical report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Stouffer, M.R.; Withium, J.A.; Rosenhoover, W.A.

1994-12-01

The objective of this research project was to develop a second generation duct sorbent injection technology as a cost-effective compliance option for the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments. Research and development work was focused on the Advanced Coolside process, which showed the potential for exceeding the original performance targets of 90% SO{sub 2} removal and 60% sorbent utilization. Process development was conducted in a 1000 acfm pilot plant. The pilot plant testing showed that the Advanced Coolside process can achieve 90% SO{sub 2} removal at sorbent utilizations up to 75%. The testing also showed that the process has the potentialmore » to achieve very high removal efficiency (90 to >99%). By conducting conceptual process design and economic evaluations periodically during the project, development work was focused on process design improvements which substantially lowered process capital and operating costs, A final process economic study projects capital costs less than one half of those for limestone forced oxidation wet FGD. Projected total SO{sub 2} control cost is about 25% lower than wet FGD for a 260 MWe plant burning a 2.5% sulfur coal. A waste management study showed the acceptability of landfill disposal; it also identified a potential avenue for by-product utilization which should be further investigated. Based on the pilot plant performance and on the above economic projections, future work to scale up the Advanced Coolside process is recommended.« less

Development and technical implementation of the separation nozzle process for enrichment of uranium-235

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Becker, E.W.; Bier, W.; Bley, P.

In the separation nozzle process, enrichment is achieved by extremely high centrifugal forces in a curved flow of UF/sub 6/ diluted by a light gas. The first commercial application is in Brasil, where a so-called First Cascade consisting of 24 separation nozzle stages is under construction. In two steps, this installation will be expanded into a 300,000 SWU/a demonstration plant. The development of components for commercial plants is well under way. The paper describes developments and technical implementation of the separation nozzle process. Remarkable progress has been made in the process economy.

Enzymatic degradation of cell wall and related plant polysaccharides.

PubMed

Ward, O P; Moo-Young, M

1989-01-01

Polysaccharides such as starch, cellulose and other glucans, pectins, xylans, mannans, and fructans are present as major structural and storage materials in plants. These constituents may be degraded and modified by endogenous enzymes during plant growth and development. In plant pathogenesis by microorganisms, extracellular enzymes secreted by infected strains play a major role in plant tissue degradation and invasion of the host. Many of these polysaccharide-degrading enzymes are also produced by microorganisms widely used in industrial enzyme production. Most commerical enzyme preparations contain an array of secondary activities in addition to the one or two principal components which have standardized activities. In the processing of unpurified carbohydrate materials such as cereals, fruits, and tubers, these secondary enzyme activities offer major potential for improving process efficiency. Use of more defined combinations of industrial polysaccharases should allow final control of existing enzyme processes and should also lead to the development of novel enzymatic applications.

Multispectral Image Processing for Plants

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miles, Gaines E.

1991-01-01

The development of a machine vision system to monitor plant growth and health is one of three essential steps towards establishing an intelligent system capable of accurately assessing the state of a controlled ecological life support system for long-term space travel. Besides a network of sensors, simulators are needed to predict plant features, and artificial intelligence algorithms are needed to determine the state of a plant based life support system. Multispectral machine vision and image processing can be used to sense plant features, including health and nutritional status.

Situation awareness acquired from monitoring process plants - the Process Overview concept and measure.

PubMed

Lau, Nathan; Jamieson, Greg A; Skraaning, Gyrd

2016-07-01

We introduce Process Overview, a situation awareness characterisation of the knowledge derived from monitoring process plants. Process Overview is based on observational studies of process control work in the literature. The characterisation is applied to develop a query-based measure called the Process Overview Measure. The goal of the measure is to improve coupling between situation and awareness according to process plant properties and operator cognitive work. A companion article presents the empirical evaluation of the Process Overview Measure in a realistic process control setting. The Process Overview Measure demonstrated sensitivity and validity by revealing significant effects of experimental manipulations that corroborated with other empirical results. The measure also demonstrated adequate inter-rater reliability and practicality for measuring SA based on data collected by process experts. Practitioner Summary: The Process Overview Measure is a query-based measure for assessing operator situation awareness from monitoring process plants in representative settings.

Cholesterol-lowering activity of plant sterol-egg yolk lipoprotein complex in rats.

PubMed

Matsuoka, Ryosuke; Muto, Ayano; Kimura, Mamoru; Hoshina, Ryosuke; Wakamatsu, Toshio; Masuda, Yasunobu

2008-01-01

Free plant sterols cannot be dissolved in oil or water. Using free plant sterols and egg yolks, we developed a plant sterol-egg yolk lipoprotein complex (PSY) that can be dispersed in water and considered suitable for use in processed foods. The cholesterol-lowering activity of PSY was equal to that of free plant sterols and plant sterol esters. Consumption of a freeze-dried PSY-containing omelet reduced serum and hepatic cholesterol concentrations. The results suggest that PSY has cholesterol-lowering activity equivalent to that of free plant sterols and plant sterol esters. Moreover, the cholesterol-lowering activity of PSY was maintained in processed foods.

A prototype knowledge-based decision support system for industrial waste management. Part 2: Application to a Trinidadian industrial estate case study

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Boyle, C.A.; Baetz, B.W.

1998-09-01

A knowledge-based decision support system (KBDSS) has been developed to examine the potentials for reuse, co-treatment, recycling and disposal of wastes from different industrial facilities. Four plants on the Point Lisas Industrial Estate in Trinidad were selected to test this KBDSS; a gas processing plant, a methanol plant, a fertilizer/ammonia plant and a steel processing plant. A total of 77 wastes were produced by the plants (51,481,500 t year{sup {minus}1}) with the majority being released into the ocean or emitted into the air. Seventeen wastes were already being recycled off-site so were not included in the database. Using a knowledgemore » base of 25 possible treatment processes, the KBDSS generated over 4,600 treatment train options for managing the plant wastes. The developed system was able to determine treatment options for the wastes which would minimize the number of treatments and the amount of secondary wastes produced and maximize the potential for reuse, recycling and co-treatment of wastes.« less

The Plant Phenology Ontology: A New Informatics Resource for Large-Scale Integration of Plant Phenology Data.

PubMed

Stucky, Brian J; Guralnick, Rob; Deck, John; Denny, Ellen G; Bolmgren, Kjell; Walls, Ramona

2018-01-01

Plant phenology - the timing of plant life-cycle events, such as flowering or leafing out - plays a fundamental role in the functioning of terrestrial ecosystems, including human agricultural systems. Because plant phenology is often linked with climatic variables, there is widespread interest in developing a deeper understanding of global plant phenology patterns and trends. Although phenology data from around the world are currently available, truly global analyses of plant phenology have so far been difficult because the organizations producing large-scale phenology data are using non-standardized terminologies and metrics during data collection and data processing. To address this problem, we have developed the Plant Phenology Ontology (PPO). The PPO provides the standardized vocabulary and semantic framework that is needed for large-scale integration of heterogeneous plant phenology data. Here, we describe the PPO, and we also report preliminary results of using the PPO and a new data processing pipeline to build a large dataset of phenology information from North America and Europe.

Regulatory mechanisms for specification and patterning of plant vascular tissues.

PubMed

Caño-Delgado, Ana; Lee, Ji-Young; Demura, Taku

2010-01-01

Plant vascular tissues, the conduits of water, nutrients, and small molecules, play important roles in plant growth and development. Vascular tissues have allowed plants to successfully adapt to various environmental conditions since they evolved 450 Mya. The majority of plant biomass, an important source of renewable energy, comes from the xylem of the vascular tissues. Efforts have been made to identify the underlying mechanisms of cell specification and patterning of plant vascular tissues and their proliferation. The formation of the plant vascular system is a complex process that integrates signaling and gene regulation at transcriptional and posttranscriptional levels. Recently, a wealth of molecular genetic studies and the advent of cell biology and genomic tools have enabled important progress toward understanding its underlying mechanisms. Here, we provide a comprehensive review of the cell and developmental processes of plant vascular tissue and resources recently available for studying them that will enable the discovery of new ways to develop sustainable energy using plant biomass.

Life in the dark: Roots and how they regulate plant-soil interactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Y.; Chou, C.; Peruzzo, L.; Riley, W. J.; Hao, Z.; Petrov, P.; Newman, G. A.; Versteeg, R.; Blancaflor, E.; Ma, X.; Dafflon, B.; Brodie, E.; Hubbard, S. S.

2017-12-01

Roots play a key role in regulating interactions between soil and plants, an important biosphere process critical for soil development and health, global food security, carbon sequestration, and the cycling of elements (water, carbon, nutrients, and environmental contaminants). However, their underground location has hindered studies of plant roots and the role they play in regulating plant-soil interactions. Technological limitations for root phenotyping and the lack of an integrated approach capable of linking root development, its environmental adaptation/modification with subsequent impact on plant health and productivity are major challenges faced by scientists as they seek to understand the plant's hidden half. To overcome these challenges, we combine novel experimental methods with numerical simulations, and conduct controlled studies to explore the dynamic growth of crop roots. We ask how roots adapt to and change the soil environment and their subsequent impacts on plant health and productivity. Specifically, our efforts are focused on (1) developing novel geophysical approaches for non-invasive plant root and rhizosphere characterization; (2) correlating root developments with key canopy traits indicative of plant health and productivity; (3) developing numerical algorithms for novel geophysical root signal processing; (4) establishing plant growth models to explore root-soil interactions and above and below ground traits co-variabilities; and (5) exploring how root development modifies rhizosphere physical, hydrological, and geochemical environments for adaptation and survival. Our preliminary results highlight the potential of using electro-geophysical methods to quantifying key rhizosphere traits, the capability of the ecosys model for mechanistic plant growth simulation and traits correlation exploration, and the combination of multi-physics and numerical approach for a systematic understanding of root growth dynamics, impacts on soil physicochemical environments, and plant health and productivity.

AmapSim: a structural whole-plant simulator based on botanical knowledge and designed to host external functional models.

PubMed

Barczi, Jean-François; Rey, Hervé; Caraglio, Yves; de Reffye, Philippe; Barthélémy, Daniel; Dong, Qiao Xue; Fourcaud, Thierry

2008-05-01

AmapSim is a tool that implements a structural plant growth model based on a botanical theory and simulates plant morphogenesis to produce accurate, complex and detailed plant architectures. This software is the result of more than a decade of research and development devoted to plant architecture. New advances in the software development have yielded plug-in external functions that open up the simulator to functional processes. The simulation of plant topology is based on the growth of a set of virtual buds whose activity is modelled using stochastic processes. The geometry of the resulting axes is modelled by simple descriptive functions. The potential growth of each bud is represented by means of a numerical value called physiological age, which controls the value for each parameter in the model. The set of possible values for physiological ages is called the reference axis. In order to mimic morphological and architectural metamorphosis, the value allocated for the physiological age of buds evolves along this reference axis according to an oriented finite state automaton whose occupation and transition law follows a semi-Markovian function. Simulations were performed on tomato plants to demonstrate how the AmapSim simulator can interface external modules, e.g. a GREENLAB growth model and a radiosity model. The algorithmic ability provided by AmapSim, e.g. the reference axis, enables unified control to be exercised over plant development parameter values, depending on the biological process target: how to affect the local pertinent process, i.e. the pertinent parameter(s), while keeping the rest unchanged. This opening up to external functions also offers a broadened field of applications and thus allows feedback between plant growth and the physical environment.

AmapSim: A Structural Whole-plant Simulator Based on Botanical Knowledge and Designed to Host External Functional Models

PubMed Central

Barczi, Jean-François; Rey, Hervé; Caraglio, Yves; de Reffye, Philippe; Barthélémy, Daniel; Dong, Qiao Xue; Fourcaud, Thierry

2008-01-01

Background and Aims AmapSim is a tool that implements a structural plant growth model based on a botanical theory and simulates plant morphogenesis to produce accurate, complex and detailed plant architectures. This software is the result of more than a decade of research and development devoted to plant architecture. New advances in the software development have yielded plug-in external functions that open up the simulator to functional processes. Methods The simulation of plant topology is based on the growth of a set of virtual buds whose activity is modelled using stochastic processes. The geometry of the resulting axes is modelled by simple descriptive functions. The potential growth of each bud is represented by means of a numerical value called physiological age, which controls the value for each parameter in the model. The set of possible values for physiological ages is called the reference axis. In order to mimic morphological and architectural metamorphosis, the value allocated for the physiological age of buds evolves along this reference axis according to an oriented finite state automaton whose occupation and transition law follows a semi-Markovian function. Key Results Simulations were performed on tomato plants to demostrate how the AmapSim simulator can interface external modules, e.g. a GREENLAB growth model and a radiosity model. Conclusions The algorithmic ability provided by AmapSim, e.g. the reference axis, enables unified control to be exercised over plant development parameter values, depending on the biological process target: how to affect the local pertinent process, i.e. the pertinent parameter(s), while keeping the rest unchanged. This opening up to external functions also offers a broadened field of applications and thus allows feedback between plant growth and the physical environment. PMID:17766310

Auxin-BR Interaction Regulates Plant Growth and Development

PubMed Central

Tian, Huiyu; Lv, Bingsheng; Ding, Tingting; Bai, Mingyi; Ding, Zhaojun

2018-01-01

Plants develop a high flexibility to alter growth, development, and metabolism to adapt to the ever-changing environments. Multiple signaling pathways are involved in these processes and the molecular pathways to transduce various developmental signals are not linear but are interconnected by a complex network and even feedback mutually to achieve the final outcome. This review will focus on two important plant hormones, auxin and brassinosteroid (BR), based on the most recent progresses about these two hormone regulated plant growth and development in Arabidopsis, and highlight the cross-talks between these two phytohormones. PMID:29403511

Experience in feeding coal into a liquefaction process development unit

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Akhtar, S.; Friedman, S.; Mazzocco, N. J.; Yavorsky, P. M.

1977-01-01

A system for preparing coal slurry and feeding it into a high pressure liquefaction plant is described. The system was developed to provide supporting research and development for the Bureau of Mines coal liquefaction pilot plant. Operating experiences are included.

Development and Validation of a Two-Tier Instrument to Examine Understanding of Internal Transport in Plants and the Human Circulatory System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Jing-Ru

2004-01-01

This study is intended to develop an assessment instrument to investigate students' understandings about internal transport in plants and human circulatory system. A refined process of a two-tier diagnostic test was used to develop the instrument. Finally, three versions of the Internal Transport in Plants and the Human Circulatory System test…

Ergonomic development work: co-education as a support for user participation at a car assembly plant. A case study.

PubMed

Garmer, K; Dahlman, S; Sperling, L

1995-12-01

This study deals with the design, trials and evaluation of a co-education programme at the Volvo Uddevalla plant in Sweden. Involving operators, manufacturing engineers and managers, the programme served as a support for the creation of a participatory ergonomics process, intended for continuous use at the plant. It consisted of a basic ergonomics knowledge package, and a dialogue model defining the roles and relations of actors involved. As a practical part of the programme, trial development projects were also carried out by the participants. The main and long term objective of the project was to start the participants cooperating in a continuous change and development process on the shop-floor. The outcome of the co-education programme was evaluated immediately after the first two regular courses, and, as a longterm follow-up, after seven subsequent courses shortly after the closing of the Uddevalla plant. The co-education programme was shown to be successful. Later on, the expertize of both operators and manufacturing engineers became obvious to everyone at the plant, and the cooperation between operators and manufacturing engineers increased steadily. The main conclusion drawn was that the co-education programme is a good starting point for a process of participation and industrial change work. However, in order to get a permanent impact, the whole organization must nurse and nourish the further development, and implementation of the process.

Design and operation of a pilot-plant for the processing of sugarcane juice into sugar at the Southern Regional Research Center in Louisiana

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

A pilot-plant facility to process sugarcane juice into sugar and molasses has been developed under a limited budget at the Southern Regional Research Center of the United States Department of Agriculture in New Orleans, Louisiana. The batch plant (27.9 m2) includes juice heating, clarification, eva...

Breckinridge Project, initial effort

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

None

1982-01-01

Report V, Volume 4 provides descriptions, data, and drawings pertaining to Instrument and Plant Air Systems (Plant 36), Telecommunication Systems (Plant 37), Inert Gas Systems (Plant 38), Purge and Flush Oil Systems (Plant 39), Site Development and Roads (Plant 40), Buildings (Plant 41), Solid Waste Management (Plant 42), and Landfill (Plant 44). Instrument and Plant Air Systems (Plant 36) includes all equipment and piping necessary to supply instrument and utility air to the process plants and offsite facilities. Telecommunication Systems (Plant 37) includes the equipment and wiring for: communication throughout the facility; communication between plant data processing systems and offsitemore » computing facilities; and communication with transportation carriers. Inert Gas Systems (Plant 38) provides high purity and low purity nitrogen streams for plant startup and normal operation. Purge and Flush Oil Systems (Plant 39) provides purge and flush oils to various plants. Site Development and Roads (Plant 40) provides site leveling, the addition of roads, fencing, and drainage, and the placement of fills, pilings, footings, and foundations for plants. Buildings (Plant 41) provides buildings for equipment and for personnel, including utilities, lighting, sanitary facilities, heating, air conditioning, and ventilation. Solid Waste Management (Plant 42) identifies, characterizes, segregates, and transports the various types of solid wastes to either Landfill (Plant 44) or outside disposal sites. Landfill (Plant 44) provides disposal of both nonhazardous and hazardous solid wastes. Information is included (as applicable) for each of the eight plants described.« less

A Largely Unsatisfied Need: Continuing Professional Development for Process and Process Plant Industries. A Summary. FEU/PICKUP Project Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Geldhart, D.; Brown, A. S.

This summary report outlines the aims of a project that focused on provision of short courses for technical professionals in the chemical and allied process industry and the process plant industry. Continuing education needs of both companies and individuals, as well as corporate policies and attitudes toward continuing education and constraints…

IMPROVING TACONITE PROCESSING PLANT EFFICIENCY BY COMPUTER SIMULATION, Final Report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

William M. Bond; Salih Ersayin

2007-03-30

This project involved industrial scale testing of a mineral processing simulator to improve the efficiency of a taconite processing plant, namely the Minorca mine. The Concentrator Modeling Center at the Coleraine Minerals Research Laboratory, University of Minnesota Duluth, enhanced the capabilities of available software, Usim Pac, by developing mathematical models needed for accurate simulation of taconite plants. This project provided funding for this technology to prove itself in the industrial environment. As the first step, data representing existing plant conditions were collected by sampling and sample analysis. Data were then balanced and provided a basis for assessing the efficiency ofmore » individual devices and the plant, and also for performing simulations aimed at improving plant efficiency. Performance evaluation served as a guide in developing alternative process strategies for more efficient production. A large number of computer simulations were then performed to quantify the benefits and effects of implementing these alternative schemes. Modification of makeup ball size was selected as the most feasible option for the target performance improvement. This was combined with replacement of existing hydrocyclones with more efficient ones. After plant implementation of these modifications, plant sampling surveys were carried out to validate findings of the simulation-based study. Plant data showed very good agreement with the simulated data, confirming results of simulation. After the implementation of modifications in the plant, several upstream bottlenecks became visible. Despite these bottlenecks limiting full capacity, concentrator energy improvement of 7% was obtained. Further improvements in energy efficiency are expected in the near future. The success of this project demonstrated the feasibility of a simulation-based approach. Currently, the Center provides simulation-based service to all the iron ore mining companies operating in northern Minnesota, and future proposals are pending with non-taconite mineral processing applications.« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zitney, S.E.; McCorkle, D.; Yang, C.

Process modeling and simulation tools are widely used for the design and operation of advanced power generation systems. These tools enable engineers to solve the critical process systems engineering problems that arise throughout the lifecycle of a power plant, such as designing a new process, troubleshooting a process unit or optimizing operations of the full process. To analyze the impact of complex thermal and fluid flow phenomena on overall power plant performance, the Department of Energy’s (DOE) National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) has developed the Advanced Process Engineering Co-Simulator (APECS). The APECS system is an integrated software suite that combinesmore » process simulation (e.g., Aspen Plus) and high-fidelity equipment simulations such as those based on computational fluid dynamics (CFD), together with advanced analysis capabilities including case studies, sensitivity analysis, stochastic simulation for risk/uncertainty analysis, and multi-objective optimization. In this paper we discuss the initial phases of the integration of the APECS system with the immersive and interactive virtual engineering software, VE-Suite, developed at Iowa State University and Ames Laboratory. VE-Suite uses the ActiveX (OLE Automation) controls in the Aspen Plus process simulator wrapped by the CASI library developed by Reaction Engineering International to run process/CFD co-simulations and query for results. This integration represents a necessary step in the development of virtual power plant co-simulations that will ultimately reduce the time, cost, and technical risk of developing advanced power generation systems.« less

Towards development of new ornamental plants: status and progress in wide hybridization.

PubMed

Kuligowska, Katarzyna; Lütken, Henrik; Müller, Renate

2016-07-01

The present review provides insights into the key findings of the hybridization process, crucial factors affecting the adaptation of new technologies within wide hybridization of ornamental plants and presents perspectives of further development of this strategy. Wide hybridization is one of the oldest breeding techniques that contributed enormously to the development of modern plant cultivars. Within ornamental breeding, it represents the main source of genetic variation. During the long history of wide hybridization, a number of methods were implemented allowing the evolution from a conventional breeding tool into a modern methodology. Nowadays, the research on model plants and crop species increases our understanding of reproductive isolation among distant species and partly explains the background of the traditional approaches previously used for overcoming hybridization barriers. Characterization of parental plants and hybrids is performed using molecular and cytological techniques that strongly facilitate breeding processes. Molecular markers and sequencing technologies are used for the assessment of genetic relationships among plants, as the genetic distance is typically depicted as one of the most important factors influencing cross-compatibility in hybridization processes. Furthermore, molecular marker systems are frequently applied for verification of hybrid state of the progeny. The flow cytometry and genomic in situ hybridization are used in the assessment of hybridization partners and characterization of hybrid progeny in relation to genome stabilization as well as genome recombination and introgression. In the future, new research and technologies are likely to provide more detailed information about genes and pathways responsible for interspecific reproductive isolation. Ultimately, this knowledge will enable development of strategies for obtaining compatible lines for hybrid production. Recent development in sequencing technologies and availability of sequence data will also facilitate creation of new molecular markers that will advance marker-assisted selection in hybridization process.

W-waves Explain Gravitropism, Phototropism, Sap Flow, Plant Structure, and other Plant Processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wagner, Raymond E.; Wagner, Orvin E.

1996-11-01

Eight years of research here confirm that plants act as wave guides for W-waves: The wavelengths of these longitudinal plant waves depend on the angle with which they are traveling with respect to the gravitational field. A structure grows tuned to a particular angle under the influence of genetics. If a structure is displaced from this angle plant action produces a correction. (2) Light waves produce certain W-wave modes in the W-wave medium and a plant's response to light results. (3) Wave action produces forces in the plant (that cancel gravity in the vertical case), combined with other affects, and sap flow results. (4) Plant structures are determined by genetics and environment from a set of quantized wavelengths available to all plants. The quantized values available to plants and all life provide templates for life to develop. Compare with quantum mechanics as a template for the structure of matter. Life processes suggest that templates also influence the development and stability of all structures in the universe (see www.chatlink.com/ oedphd/ for references).

Vacuolar processing enzyme: an executor of plant cell death.

PubMed

Hara-Nishimura, Ikuko; Hatsugai, Noriyuki; Nakaune, Satoru; Kuroyanagi, Miwa; Nishimura, Mikio

2005-08-01

Apoptotic cell death in animals is regulated by cysteine proteinases called caspases. Recently, vacuolar processing enzyme (VPE) was identified as a plant caspase. VPE deficiency prevents cell death during hypersensitive response and cell death of limited cell layers at the early stage of embryogenesis. Because plants do not have macrophages, dying cells must degrade their materials by themselves. VPE plays an essential role in the regulation of the lytic system of plants during the processes of defense and development. VPE is localized in the vacuoles, unlike animal caspases, which are localized in the cytosol. Thus, plants might have evolved a regulated cellular suicide strategy that, unlike animal apoptosis, is mediated by VPE and the vacuoles.

Magnetic fluids effect upon growth processes in plants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sala, F.

1999-07-01

The metabolic processes of plants growth and development take place according to some organic rules which are specific to their genetic potential. These processes may exhibit modifications of intensity, rhythm, sense, under the influence of the environmental conditions of agricultural systems, through certain factors and bioregulators artificially introduced by man. The results of some investigations regarding effects of biocompatible magnetic fluids (LMW 100 G) on the vegetal organism's (growth, development, fructifying, the level and quality of the yield precocity) are presented.

Use of space for development of commercial plant natural products

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Draeger, Norman A.

1997-01-01

Plant experiments conducted in environments where conditions are carefully controlled reveal fundamental information about physiological processes. An important environmental parameter is gravity, the effects of which may be better understood in part through experiments conducted in space. New insights gained can be used to develop commercial plant natural products in industries such as pharmaceuticals and biocontrol.

Plastid ribosomal protein S5 plays a critical role in photosynthesis, plant development, and cold stress tolerance in arabidopsis

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Plastid ribosomal proteins (RPs) are essential components for protein synthesis machinery and exert diverse roles in plant growth and development. Mutations in plastid RPs lead to a range of developmental phenotypes in plants. However, how they regulate these processes is not fully understood and th...

78 FR 47012 - Developing Software Life Cycle Processes Used in Safety Systems of Nuclear Power Plants

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-08-02

... NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION [NRC-2012-0195] Developing Software Life Cycle Processes Used in... revised regulatory guide (RG), revision 1 of RG 1.173, ``Developing Software Life Cycle Processes for... Developing a Software Project Life Cycle Process,'' issued 2006, with the clarifications and exceptions as...

The study of integrated coal-gasifier molten carbonate fuel cell systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1983-01-01

A novel integration concept for a coal-fueled coal gasifier-molten carbonate fuel cell power plant was studied. Effort focused on determining the efficiency potential of the concept, design, and development requirements of the processes in order to achieve the efficiency. The concept incorporates a methane producing catalytic gasifier of the type previously under development by Exxon Research and Development Corp., a reforming molten carbonate fuel cell power section of the type currently under development by United Technologies Corp., and a gasifier-fuel cell recycle loop. The concept utilizes the fuel cell waste heat, in the form of hydrogen and carbon monoxide, to generate additional fuel in the coal gasifier, thereby eliminating the use of both an O2 plant and a stream bottoming cycle from the power plant. The concept has the potential for achieving coal-pile-to-busbar efficiencies of 50-59%, depending on the process configuration and degree of process configuration and degree of process development requirements. This is significantly higher than any previously reported gasifier-molten carbonate fuel cell system.

Recovering and recycling Hg from chlor-alkali plant wastewater sludge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Twidwell, L. G.; Thompson, R. J.

2001-01-01

Montana Tech of the University of Montana and Universal Dynamics of British Columbia have developed a hydrometallurgical process for recovering and recycling mercury from chlorine plant wastewater sludge materials (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency [EPA]hazardous-waste classification K106). The hydrometallurgical process is also applicable for the treatment of mercury-contaminated soils (EPA hazardous waste classification D009) and other mercury-bearing waste materials. The process, which is capable of lowering the mercury content in the K106 solids from 10% to <50 mg/kg Hg, has been commercialized and utilized at three U.S. plants. This paper describes the fundamental chemistry of the process, the flowsheet being used, and operating plant case histories.

Analysis of Cryogenic Cycle with Process Modeling Tool: Aspen HYSYS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Joshi, D. M.; Patel, H. K.

2015-10-01

Cryogenic engineering deals with the development and improvement of low temperature techniques, processes and equipment. A process simulator such as Aspen HYSYS, for the design, analysis, and optimization of process plants, has features that accommodate the special requirements and therefore can be used to simulate most cryogenic liquefaction and refrigeration processes. Liquefaction is the process of cooling or refrigerating a gas to a temperature below its critical temperature so that liquid can be formed at some suitable pressure which is below the critical pressure. Cryogenic processes require special attention in terms of the integration of various components like heat exchangers, Joule-Thompson Valve, Turbo expander and Compressor. Here, Aspen HYSYS, a process modeling tool, is used to understand the behavior of the complete plant. This paper presents the analysis of an air liquefaction plant based on the Linde cryogenic cycle, performed using the Aspen HYSYS process modeling tool. It covers the technique used to find the optimum values for getting the maximum liquefaction of the plant considering different constraints of other parameters. The analysis result so obtained gives clear idea in deciding various parameter values before implementation of the actual plant in the field. It also gives an idea about the productivity and profitability of the given configuration plant which leads to the design of an efficient productive plant.

Indicator methods to evaluate the hygienic performance of industrial scale operating Biowaste Composting Plants.

PubMed

Martens, Jürgen

2005-01-01

The hygienic performance of biowaste composting plants to ensure the quality of compost is of high importance. Existing compost quality assurance systems reflect this importance through intensive testing of hygienic parameters. In many countries, compost quality assurance systems are under construction and it is necessary to check and to optimize the methods to state the hygienic performance of composting plants. A set of indicator methods to evaluate the hygienic performance of normal operating biowaste composting plants was developed. The indicator methods were developed by investigating temperature measurements from indirect process tests from 23 composting plants belonging to 11 design types of the Hygiene Design Type Testing System of the German Compost Quality Association (BGK e.V.). The presented indicator methods are the grade of hygienization, the basic curve shape, and the hygienic risk area. The temperature courses of single plants are not distributed normally, but they were grouped by cluster analysis in normal distributed subgroups. That was a precondition to develop the mentioned indicator methods. For each plant the grade of hygienization was calculated through transformation into the standard normal distribution. It shows the part in percent of the entire data set which meet the legal temperature requirements. The hygienization grade differs widely within the design types and falls below 50% for about one fourth of the plants. The subgroups are divided visually into basic curve shapes which stand for different process courses. For each plant the composition of the entire data set out of the various basic curve shapes can be used as an indicator for the basic process conditions. Some basic curve shapes indicate abnormal process courses which can be emended through process optimization. A hygienic risk area concept using the 90% range of variation of the normal temperature courses was introduced. Comparing the design type range of variation with the legal temperature defaults showed hygienic risk areas over the temperature courses which could be minimized through process optimization. The hygienic risk area of four design types shows a suboptimal hygienic performance.

Final Report for Regulation of Embryonic Development in Higher Plants

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Harada, John J.

2013-10-22

The overall goal of the project was to define the cellular processes that underlie embryo development in plants at a mechanistic level. Our studies focused on a critical transcriptional regulator, Arabidopsis LEAFY COTYLEDON (LEC1), that is necessary and sufficient to induce processes required for embryo development. Because LEC1 regulates lipid accumulation during the maturation phase of embryo development, information about LEC1 may be useful in designing approaches to enhance biofuel production in plants. During the tenure of this project, we determined the molecular mechanisms by which LEC1 acts as a transcription factor in embryos. We also identified genes directly regulatedmore » by LEC1 and showed that many of these genes are involved in maturation processes. This information has been useful in dissecting the gene regulatory networks controlling embryo development. Finally, LEC1 is a novel isoform of a transcription factor that is conserved among eukaryotes, and LEC1 is active primarily in seeds. Therefore, we determined that the LEC1-type transcription factors first appeared in lycophytes during land plant evolution. Together, this study provides basic information that has implications for biofuel production.« less

Carotenoid metabolism in plants

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Carotenoids are mostly C40 terpenoids, a class of hydrocarbons that participate in various biological processes in plants, such as photosynthesis, photomorphogenesis, photoprotection, and development. Carotenoids also serve as precursors for two plant hormones and a diverse set of apocarotenoids. Th...

Review: role of carbon sources for in vitro plant growth and development.

PubMed

Yaseen, Mehwish; Ahmad, Touqeer; Sablok, Gaurav; Standardi, Alvaro; Hafiz, Ishfaq Ahmad

2013-04-01

In vitro plant cells, tissues and organ cultures are not fully autotrophic establishing a need for carbohydrates in culture media to maintain the osmotic potential, as well as to serve as energy and carbon sources for developmental processes including shoot proliferation, root induction as well as emission, embryogenesis and organogenesis, which are highly energy demanding developmental processes in plant biology. A variety of carbon sources (both reducing and non-reducing) are used in culture media depending upon genotypes and specific stages of growth. However, sucrose is most widely used as a major transport-sugar in the phloem sap of many plants. In micropropagation systems, morphogenetic potential of plant tissues can greatly be manipulated by varying type and concentration of carbon sources. The present article reviews the past and current findings on carbon sources and their sustainable utilization for in vitro plant tissue culture to achieve better growth rate and development.

Diverging temperature responses of CO2 assimilation and plant development explain the overall effect of temperature on biomass accumulation in wheat leaves and grains.

PubMed

Collins, Nicholas C; Parent, Boris

2017-01-09

There is a growing consensus in the literature that rising temperatures influence the rate of biomass accumulation by shortening the development of plant organs and the whole plant and by altering rates of respiration and photosynthesis. A model describing the net effects of these processes on biomass would be useful, but would need to reconcile reported differences in the effects of night and day temperature on plant productivity. In this study, the working hypothesis was that the temperature responses of CO 2 assimilation and plant development rates were divergent, and that their net effects could explain observed differences in biomass accumulation. In wheat (Triticum aestivum) plants, we followed the temperature responses of photosynthesis, respiration and leaf elongation, and confirmed that their responses diverged. We measured the amount of carbon assimilated per "unit of plant development" in each scenario and compared it to the biomass that accumulated in growing leaves and grains. Our results suggested that, up to a temperature optimum, the rate of any developmental process increased with temperature more rapidly than that of CO 2 assimilation and that this discrepancy, summarised by the CO 2 assimilation rate per unit of plant development, could explain the observed reductions in biomass accumulation in plant organs under high temperatures. The model described the effects of night and day temperature equally well, and offers a simple framework for describing the effects of temperature on plant growth. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Annals of Botany Company.

77 FR 50724 - Developing Software Life Cycle Processes for Digital Computer Software Used in Safety Systems of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-08-22

... NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION [NRC-2012-0195] Developing Software Life Cycle Processes for Digital... Software Life Cycle Processes for Digital Computer Software used in Safety Systems of Nuclear Power Plants... clarifications, the enhanced consensus practices for developing software life-cycle processes for digital...

The role of microbial signals in plant growth and development

PubMed Central

Ortíz-Castro, Randy; Contreras-Cornejo, Hexon Angel; Macías-Rodríguez, Lourdes

2009-01-01

Plant growth and development involves a tight coordination of the spatial and temporal organization of cell division, cell expansion and cell differentiation. Orchestration of these events requires the exchange of signaling molecules between the root and shoot, which can be affected by both biotic and abiotic factors. The interactions that occur between plants and their associated microorganisms have long been of interest, as knowledge of these processes could lead to the development of novel agricultural applications. Plants produce a wide range of organic compounds including sugars, organic acids and vitamins, which can be used as nutrients or signals by microbial populations. On the other hand, microorganisms release phytohormones, small molecules or volatile compounds, which may act directly or indirectly to activate plant immunity or regulate plant growth and morphogenesis. In this review, we focus on recent developments in the identification of signals from free-living bacteria and fungi that interact with plants in a beneficial way. Evidence has accumulated indicating that classic plant signals such as auxins and cytokinins can be produced by microorganisms to efficiently colonize the root and modulate root system architecture. Other classes of signals, including N-acyl-L-homoserine lactones, which are used by bacteria for cell-to-cell communication, can be perceived by plants to modulate gene expression, metabolism and growth. Finally, we discuss the role played by volatile organic compounds released by certain plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria in plant immunity and developmental processes. The picture that emerges is one in which plants and microbes communicate themselves through transkingdom signaling systems involving classic and novel signals. PMID:19820333

Natural fiber production, harvesting, and preliminary processing: options and opportunities

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The utilization of natural fibers and plant oils in bio-products introduces numerous logistical challenges not typically encountered with non-agricultural resources. Once it has been determined that a plant material is suitable for commercial development, the production, harvesting, and processing s...

A Competency-Based Instructional Program for Plant Process Operations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McDaniel, Joy; Mills, Steven

This program guide provides materials to prepare learners for employment as Process Plant Operators through classroom instruction and practical shop experience. Contents include instructional goal and subgoals, an instructional analysis that describes development of the materials and instructional equipment and supplies and facilities…

Diverging temperature responses of CO2 assimilation and plant development explain the overall effect of temperature on biomass accumulation in wheat leaves and grains

PubMed Central

Lohraseb, Iman; Collins, Nicholas C.

2017-01-01

Abstract There is a growing consensus in the literature that rising temperatures influence the rates of biomass accumulation by shortening the development of plant organs and the whole plant and by altering the rates of respiration and photosynthesis. A model describing the net effects of these processes on biomass would be useful, but would need to reconcile reported differences in the effects of night and day temperature on plant productivity. In this study, the working hypothesis was that the temperature responses of CO2 assimilation and plant development rates were divergent, and that their net effects could explain observed differences in biomass accumulation. In wheat (Triticum aestivum) plants, we followed the temperature responses of photosynthesis, respiration and leaf elongation, and confirmed that their responses diverged. We measured the amount of carbon assimilated per ‘unit of plant development’ in each scenario and compared it to the biomass that accumulated in growing leaves and grains. Our results suggested that, up to a temperature optimum, the rate of any developmental process increased with temperature more rapidly than that of CO2 assimilation and that this discrepancy, summarised by the CO2 assimilation rate per unit of plant development, could explain the observed reductions in biomass accumulation in plant organs under high temperatures. The model described the effects of night and day temperature equally well, and offers a simple framework for describing the effects of temperature on plant growth. PMID:28069595

Automated production of plant-based vaccines and pharmaceuticals.

PubMed

Wirz, Holger; Sauer-Budge, Alexis F; Briggs, John; Sharpe, Aaron; Shu, Sudong; Sharon, Andre

2012-12-01

A fully automated "factory" was developed that uses tobacco plants to produce large quantities of vaccines and other therapeutic biologics within weeks. This first-of-a-kind factory takes advantage of a plant viral vector technology to produce specific proteins within the leaves of rapidly growing plant biomass. The factory's custom-designed robotic machines plant seeds, nurture the growing plants, introduce a viral vector that directs the plant to produce a target protein, and harvest the biomass once the target protein has accumulated in the plants-all in compliance with Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidelines (e.g., current Good Manufacturing Practices). The factory was designed to be time, cost, and space efficient. The plants are grown in custom multiplant trays. Robots ride up and down a track, servicing the plants and delivering the trays from the lighted, irrigated growth modules to each processing station as needed. Using preprogrammed robots and processing equipment eliminates the need for human contact, preventing potential contamination of the process and economizing the operation. To quickly produce large quantities of protein-based medicines, we transformed a laboratory-based biological process and scaled it into an industrial process. This enables quick, safe, and cost-effective vaccine production that would be required in case of a pandemic.

Generic process design and control strategies used to develop a dynamic model and training software for an IGCC plant with CO2 sequestration

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Provost, G.; Stone, H.; McClintock, M.

2008-01-01

To meet the growing demand for education and experience with the analysis, operation, and control of commercial-scale Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) plants, the Department of Energy’s (DOE) National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) is leading a collaborative R&D project with participants from government, academia, and industry. One of the goals of this project is to develop a generic, full-scope, real-time generic IGCC dynamic plant simulator for use in establishing a world-class research and training center, as well as to promote and demonstrate the technology to power industry personnel. The NETL IGCC dynamic plant simulator will combine for the first timemore » a process/gasification simulator and a power/combined-cycle simulator together in a single dynamic simulation framework for use in training applications as well as engineering studies. As envisioned, the simulator will have the following features and capabilities: A high-fidelity, real-time, dynamic model of process-side (gasification and gas cleaning with CO2 capture) and power-block-side (combined cycle) for a generic IGCC plant fueled by coal and/or petroleum coke Full-scope training simulator capabilities including startup, shutdown, load following and shedding, response to fuel and ambient condition variations, control strategy analysis (turbine vs. gasifier lead, etc.), representative malfunctions/trips, alarms, scenarios, trending, snapshots, data historian, and trainee performance monitoring The ability to enhance and modify the plant model to facilitate studies of changes in plant configuration and equipment and to support future R&D efforts To support this effort, process descriptions and control strategies were developed for key sections of the plant as part of the detailed functional specification, which will form the basis of the simulator development. These plant sections include: Slurry Preparation Air Separation Unit Gasifiers Syngas Scrubbers Shift Reactors Gas Cooling, Medium Pressure (MP) and Low Pressure (LP) Steam Generation, and Knockout Sour Water Stripper Mercury Removal Selexol™ Acid Gas Removal System CO2 Compression Syngas Reheat and Expansion Claus Plant Hydrogenation Reactor and Gas Cooler Combustion Turbine (CT)-Generator Assemblies Heat Recovery Steam Generators (HRSGs) and Steam Turbine (ST)-Generator In this paper, process descriptions, control strategies, and Process & Instrumentation Diagram (P&ID) drawings for key sections of the generic IGCC plant are presented, along with discussions of some of the operating procedures and representative faults that the simulator will cover. Some of the intended future applications for the simulator are discussed, including plant operation and control demonstrations as well as education and training services such as IGCC familiarization courses.« less

Autophagy in plant pathogenic fungi.

PubMed

Liu, Xiao-Hong; Xu, Fei; Snyder, John Hugh; Shi, Huan-Bin; Lu, Jian-Ping; Lin, Fu-Cheng

2016-09-01

Autophagy is a conserved cellular process that degrades cytoplasmic constituents in vacuoles. Plant pathogenic fungi develop special infection structures and/or secrete a range of enzymes to invade their plant hosts. It has been demonstrated that monitoring autophagy processes can be extremely useful in visualizing the sequence of events leading to pathogenicity of plant pathogenic fungi. In this review, we introduce the molecular mechanisms involved in autophagy. In addition, we explore the relationship between autophagy and pathogenicity in plant pathogenic fungi. Finally, we discuss the various experimental strategies available for use in the study of autophagy in plant pathogenic fungi. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A spatially explicit whole-system model of the lignocellulosic bioethanol supply chain: an assessment of decentralised processing potential

PubMed Central

Dunnett, Alex J; Adjiman, Claire S; Shah, Nilay

2008-01-01

Background Lignocellulosic bioethanol technologies exhibit significant capacity for performance improvement across the supply chain through the development of high-yielding energy crops, integrated pretreatment, hydrolysis and fermentation technologies and the application of dedicated ethanol pipelines. The impact of such developments on cost-optimal plant location, scale and process composition within multiple plant infrastructures is poorly understood. A combined production and logistics model has been developed to investigate cost-optimal system configurations for a range of technological, system scale, biomass supply and ethanol demand distribution scenarios specific to European agricultural land and population densities. Results Ethanol production costs for current technologies decrease significantly from $0.71 to $0.58 per litre with increasing economies of scale, up to a maximum single-plant capacity of 550 × 106 l year-1. The development of high-yielding energy crops and consolidated bio-processing realises significant cost reductions, with production costs ranging from $0.33 to $0.36 per litre. Increased feedstock yields result in systems of eight fully integrated plants operating within a 500 × 500 km2 region, each producing between 1.24 and 2.38 × 109 l year-1 of pure ethanol. A limited potential for distributed processing and centralised purification systems is identified, requiring developments in modular, ambient pretreatment and fermentation technologies and the pipeline transport of pure ethanol. Conclusion The conceptual and mathematical modelling framework developed provides a valuable tool for the assessment and optimisation of the lignocellulosic bioethanol supply chain. In particular, it can provide insight into the optimal configuration of multiple plant systems. This information is invaluable in ensuring (near-)cost-optimal strategic development within the sector at the regional and national scale. The framework is flexible and can thus accommodate a range of processing tasks, logistical modes, by-product markets and impacting policy constraints. Significant scope for application to real-world case studies through dynamic extensions of the formulation has been identified. PMID:18662392

Derived heuristics-based consistent optimization of material flow in a gold processing plant

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Myburgh, Christie; Deb, Kalyanmoy

2018-01-01

Material flow in a chemical processing plant often follows complicated control laws and involves plant capacity constraints. Importantly, the process involves discrete scenarios which when modelled in a programming format involves if-then-else statements. Therefore, a formulation of an optimization problem of such processes becomes complicated with nonlinear and non-differentiable objective and constraint functions. In handling such problems using classical point-based approaches, users often have to resort to modifications and indirect ways of representing the problem to suit the restrictions associated with classical methods. In a particular gold processing plant optimization problem, these facts are demonstrated by showing results from MATLAB®'s well-known fmincon routine. Thereafter, a customized evolutionary optimization procedure which is capable of handling all complexities offered by the problem is developed. Although the evolutionary approach produced results with comparatively less variance over multiple runs, the performance has been enhanced by introducing derived heuristics associated with the problem. In this article, the development and usage of derived heuristics in a practical problem are presented and their importance in a quick convergence of the overall algorithm is demonstrated.

High-pressure processing as emergent technology for the extraction of bioactive ingredients from plant materials.

PubMed

Jun, Xi

2013-01-01

High-pressure processing is a food processing technique that has shown great potentials in the food industry. Recently, it was developed to extract bioactive ingredients from plant materials, known as ultrahigh pressure extraction (UPE), taking advantages of time saving, higher extraction yields, fewer impurities in the extraction solution, minimal heat and can avoid thermal degradation on the activity and structure of bioactive components, and so on. This review provides an overview of the developments in the UPE of bioactive ingredients from plant material. Apart from a brief presentation of the theories of UPE and extraction equipment systems, the principal parameters that influence the extraction efficiency to be optimized in the UPE (e.g., solvent, pressure, temperature, extraction time, and the number of cycle) were discussed in detail, and finally the more recent applications of UPE for the extraction of active compounds from plant materials were summarized.

Polypetide signaling molecules in plant development

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Intercellular communication mediated by small signaling molecules is a key mechanism for coordinating plant growth and development. In the past few years, polypeptide signals have been shown to play prominent roles in processes as diverse as shoot and root meristem maintenance, vascular differentiat...

Organogenesis in plants: initiation and elaboration of leaves

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Plant organs initiate from meristems and grow into diverse forms. After initiation, organs enter a morphological phase where they develop their shape, followed by differentiation into mature tissue. Investigations into these processes have revealed numerous factors necessary for proper development, ...

Virtual Plant Tissue: Building Blocks for Next-Generation Plant Growth Simulation

PubMed Central

De Vos, Dirk; Dzhurakhalov, Abdiravuf; Stijven, Sean; Klosiewicz, Przemyslaw; Beemster, Gerrit T. S.; Broeckhove, Jan

2017-01-01

Motivation: Computational modeling of plant developmental processes is becoming increasingly important. Cellular resolution plant tissue simulators have been developed, yet they are typically describing physiological processes in an isolated way, strongly delimited in space and time. Results: With plant systems biology moving toward an integrative perspective on development we have built the Virtual Plant Tissue (VPTissue) package to couple functional modules or models in the same framework and across different frameworks. Multiple levels of model integration and coordination enable combining existing and new models from different sources, with diverse options in terms of input/output. Besides the core simulator the toolset also comprises a tissue editor for manipulating tissue geometry and cell, wall, and node attributes in an interactive manner. A parameter exploration tool is available to study parameter dependence of simulation results by distributing calculations over multiple systems. Availability: Virtual Plant Tissue is available as open source (EUPL license) on Bitbucket (https://bitbucket.org/vptissue/vptissue). The project has a website https://vptissue.bitbucket.io. PMID:28523006

Detecting Plant Stress

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2001-01-01

Through an exclusive patent license from NASA Stennis Space Center, Spectrum Technologies, Inc., has developed a hand-held tool that helps farmers, foresters and other growers detect unhealthy crops before the human eye can see the damage. Developed by two NASA researchers, the Observer,TM shows the viewer which plants are under stress through multispectral imaging, a process that uses specific wavelengths of the light spectrum to obtain information about objects-in this case, plants. With this device, several wavelengths of light collect information about the plant and results are immediately processed and displayed. NASA research found that previsible signs of stress, such as such as a lack of nutrients, insufficient water, disease, or insect damage, can be detected by measuring the chlorophyll content based on light energy reflected from the plant. The Observer detects stress up to 16 days before deterioration is visible to the eye. Early detection provides an opportunity to reverse stress and save the plant. The hand-held, easily operated unit works in both natural and artificial light, making it suitable for outdoor or indoor planting.

The roles of a process development group in biopharmaceutical process startup.

PubMed

Goochee, Charles F

2002-01-01

The transfer of processes for biotherapeutic products into finalmanufacturing facilities was frequently problematic during the 1980's and early 1990's, resulting in costly delays to licensure(Pisano 1997). While plant startups for this class of products can become chaotic affairs, this is not an inherent or intrinsic feature. Major classes of process startup problems have been identified andmechanisms have been developed to reduce their likelihood of occurrence. These classes of process startup problems and resolution mechanisms are the major topic of this article. With proper planning and sufficient staffing, the probably of a smooth process startup for a biopharmaceutical product can be very high - i.e., successful process performance will often beachieved within the first two full-scale process lots in the plant. The primary focus of this article is the role of the Process Development Group in helping to assure this high probability of success.

Benchmark simulation Model no 2 in Matlab-simulink: towards plant-wide WWTP control strategy evaluation.

PubMed

Vreck, D; Gernaey, K V; Rosen, C; Jeppsson, U

2006-01-01

In this paper, implementation of the Benchmark Simulation Model No 2 (BSM2) within Matlab-Simulink is presented. The BSM2 is developed for plant-wide WWTP control strategy evaluation on a long-term basis. It consists of a pre-treatment process, an activated sludge process and sludge treatment processes. Extended evaluation criteria are proposed for plant-wide control strategy assessment. Default open-loop and closed-loop strategies are also proposed to be used as references with which to compare other control strategies. Simulations indicate that the BM2 is an appropriate tool for plant-wide control strategy evaluation.

Ameliioration and Conversion of Excessive Se to New Resources from a Plant-based System

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The green technology of phytoremediation has being developed for the management of metal(loid)-contaminated soils and waters via the processes of phytoextraction, phytovolatilization, and phytostabilization. Based upon these processes a plant management remediation strategy for selenium (Se) has be...

Involvement of Small RNAs in Phosphorus and Sulfur Sensing, Signaling and Stress: Current Update

PubMed Central

Kumar, Smita; Verma, Saurabh; Trivedi, Prabodh K.

2017-01-01

Plants require several essential mineral nutrients for their growth and development. These nutrients are required to maintain physiological processes and structural integrity in plants. The root architecture has evolved to absorb nutrients from soil and transport them to other parts of the plant. Nutrient deficiency affects several physiological and biological processes in plants and leads to reduction in crop productivity and yield. To compensate this adversity, plants have developed adaptive mechanisms to enhance the acquisition, conservation, and mobilization of these nutrients under deficient or adverse conditions. In addition, plants have evolved an intricate nexus of complex signaling cascades, which help in nutrient sensing and uptake as well as to maintain nutrient homeostasis. In recent years, small non-coding RNAs such as micro RNAs (miRNAs) and endogenous small interfering RNAs have emerged as important component in regulating plant stress responses. A set of these small RNAs (sRNAs) have been implicated in regulating various processes involved in nutrient uptake, assimilation, and deficiency. In response to phosphorus (P) and sulphur (S) deficiencies, role of sRNAs, miR395 and miR399, have been identified to be instrumental; however, many more miRNAs might be involved in regulating the plant response to these nutrient stresses. These sRNAs modulate expression of target genes in response to P and S deficiencies and regulate their uptake and utilization for proper growth and development of the plant. This review summarizes the current understanding of uptake, sensing, and signaling of P and S and highlights the regulatory role of sRNAs in adaptive responses to these nutrient stresses in plants. PMID:28344582

Third international congress of plant molecular biology: Molecular biology of plant growth and development

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hallick, R.B.

The Congress was held October 6-11, 1991 in Tucson with approximately 3000 scientists attending and over 300 oral presentations and 1800 posters. Plant molecular biology is one of the most rapidly developing areas of the biological sciences. Recent advances in the ability to isolate genes, to study their expression, and to create transgenic plants have had a major impact on our understanding of the many fundamental plant processes. In addition, new approaches have been created to improve plants for agricultural purposes. This is a book of presentation and posters from the conference.

Effects of Planting and Processing Modes on the Degradation of Dithianon and Pyraclostrobin in Chinese Yam (Dioscorea spp.).

PubMed

Shi, Kaiwei; Wu, Xujin; Ma, Jingwei; Zhang, Junfeng; Zhou, Ling; Wang, Hong; Li, Li

2017-12-06

The yam (Dioscorea spp.) is widely cultivated in China. The degradation of dithianon and pyraclostrobin in yams with different planting and processing treatments was investigated in this article. An analytical method for two pesticides in yam and yam plant was developed, and recoveries were between 77% and 93%, with relative standard deviations from 0.8% to 7.4%, respectively. On the basis of this method, half-lives for plants grown on stakes versus plants grown without stakes were compared. The results indicated that the half-life for pesticide residues for plants grown on stakes versus plants grown without stakes differed as 6.7 versus 3.1 days for dithianon and 5.4 versus 5.2 days for pyraclostrobin. Dithianon was significantly influenced by planting mode because of its low stability under sunlight. The processing factors of various processing treatments (hot air-drying, vacuum freeze-drying, microwave vacuum-drying, infrared-drying, steaming, and boiling) were all <1, indicating that those processes can reduce residues of two pesticides at different levels. Significant amounts of residues were removed during the boiling treatment, whereas the others showed less effect.

The Methanisation of Coal Gas Information Obtained from Dr. Martin of Ruhrchemie A.G. and from Dr. Traenckner of Rhurgas A.G.

DTIC Science & Technology

1945-07-04

A process has been developed for effecting the catalytic methanisation of coal gas, and plants for operating this process on the scale of 6,200 cu...plant were elicited, and some items of the equipment inspected. The locations of six methanisation plants are given in the report. None of these was visited. jg p.4

The development of plant food processing in the Levant: insights from use-wear analysis of Early Epipalaeolithic ground stone tools

PubMed Central

Dubreuil, Laure; Nadel, Dani

2015-01-01

In recent years, the study of percussive, pounding and grinding tools has provided new insights into human evolution, more particularly regarding the development of technology enabling the processing and exploitation of plant resources. Some of these studies focus on early evidence for flour production, an activity frequently perceived as an important step in the evolution of plant exploitation. The present paper investigates plant food preparation in mobile hunter-gatherer societies from the Southern Levant. The analysis consists of a use-wear study of 18 tools recovered from Ohalo II, a 23 000-year-old site in Israel showing an exceptional level of preservation. Our sample includes a slab previously interpreted as a lower implement used for producing flour, based on the presence of cereal starch residues. The use-wear data we have obtained provide crucial information about the function of this and other percussive tools at Ohalo II, as well as on investment in tool manufacture, discard strategies and evidence for plant processing in the Late Pleistocene. The use-wear analysis indicates that the production of flour was a sporadic activity at Ohalo II, predating by thousands of years the onset of routine processing of plant foods. PMID:26483535

The development of plant food processing in the Levant: insights from use-wear analysis of Early Epipalaeolithic ground stone tools.

PubMed

Dubreuil, Laure; Nadel, Dani

2015-11-19

In recent years, the study of percussive, pounding and grinding tools has provided new insights into human evolution, more particularly regarding the development of technology enabling the processing and exploitation of plant resources. Some of these studies focus on early evidence for flour production, an activity frequently perceived as an important step in the evolution of plant exploitation. The present paper investigates plant food preparation in mobile hunter-gatherer societies from the Southern Levant. The analysis consists of a use-wear study of 18 tools recovered from Ohalo II, a 23 000-year-old site in Israel showing an exceptional level of preservation. Our sample includes a slab previously interpreted as a lower implement used for producing flour, based on the presence of cereal starch residues. The use-wear data we have obtained provide crucial information about the function of this and other percussive tools at Ohalo II, as well as on investment in tool manufacture, discard strategies and evidence for plant processing in the Late Pleistocene. The use-wear analysis indicates that the production of flour was a sporadic activity at Ohalo II, predating by thousands of years the onset of routine processing of plant foods. © 2015 The Author(s).

CELSS research and development program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bubenheim, David

1990-01-01

Research in Controlled Ecological Life Support Systems (CELSS) conducted by NASA indicate that plant based systems are feasible candidates for human support in space. Ames has responsibility for research and development, systems integration and control, and space flight experiment portions of the CELSS program. Important areas for development of new methods and technologies are biomass production, waste processing, water purification, air revitalization, and food processing. For the plant system, the approach was to identify the flexibility and response time for the food, water, and oxygen production, and carbon dioxide consumption processes. Tremendous increases in productivity, compared with terrestrial agriculture, were realized. Waste processing research emphasizes recycle (transformation) of human wastes, trash, and inedible biomass to forms usable as inputs to the plant production system. Efforts to improve efficiency of the plant system, select new CELSS crops for a balanced diet, and initiate closed system research with the Crop Growth Research Chambers continue. The System Control and Integration program goal is to insure orchestrated system operation of the biological, physical, and chemical operation of the biological, physical, and chemical component processors of the CELSS. Space flight studies are planned to verify adequate operation of the system in reduced gravity or microgravity environments.

Hydrogen Peroxide Signaling in Plant Development and Abiotic Responses: Crosstalk with Nitric Oxide and Calcium

PubMed Central

Niu, Lijuan; Liao, Weibiao

2016-01-01

Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), as a reactive oxygen species, is widely generated in many biological systems. It has been considered as an important signaling molecule that mediates various physiological and biochemical processes in plants. Normal metabolism in plant cells results in H2O2 generation, from a variety of sources. Also, it is now clear that nitric oxide (NO) and calcium (Ca2+) function as signaling molecules in plants. Both H2O2 and NO are involved in plant development and abiotic responses. A wide range of evidences suggest that NO could be generated under similar stress conditions and with similar kinetics as H2O2. The interplay between H2O2 and NO has important functional implications to modulate transduction processes in plants. Moreover, close interaction also exists between H2O2 and Ca2+ in response to development and abiotic stresses in plants. Cellular responses to H2O2 and Ca2+ signaling systems are complex. There is quite a bit of interaction between H2O2 and Ca2+ signaling in responses to several stimuli. This review aims to introduce these evidences in our understanding of the crosstalk among H2O2, NO, and Ca2+ signaling which regulates plant growth and development, and other cellular and physiological responses to abiotic stresses. PMID:26973673

Bockron as a Medium of Learning in The Process of Inquiry based Learning to Improve Science Process Skills of Junior High School Students in Growth and Development Concept

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mayasari, D.

2017-02-01

Investigative research on Influence of bockron as a medium of learning in process of inquiry-based learning to the development of science process skills on the concept of growth and development. This research was done in an effort to follow up underdeveloped skills of observing, communicating andconclude on students. This research was conducted using classroom action research (PTK), which consisted of 3 cycles. Cycle 1 students observe differences in growth and development, cycle 2 students measure the growth rate, cycle 3 students observe factors that influence growth and development, In these three cycles is used as a planting medium bocron (bottles and dacron). It involves 8th grade junior high-school students of 14-15 years old as research subjects in six meetings. Indicators of process skill include observation, communication, interpretation and inference. Data is collected through students’ work sheets, written tests and observation. Processing of the data to see N-Gain used Microsoft Excel 2007, and the results showed that an increase in science process skills with a value of medium N-Gain (0,63). Bokron learning medium easily and cheaply obtainable around the students, particularly those in urban areas is quite difficult to get land to be used as aplanting medium. In addition to observation of growth and development, bokron media can also be used to observe the motion in plants. The use bokron as a learning medium can train and develop science process skills, attitude and scientific method also gives students concrete experience of the process of growth and development in plants.

PhEXPA1, a Petunia hybrida expansin, is involved in cell wall metabolism and in plant architecture specification.

PubMed

Dal Santo, Silvia; Fasoli, Marianna; Cavallini, Erika; Tornielli, Giovanni Battista; Pezzotti, Mario; Zenoni, Sara

2011-12-01

Expansins are wall-loosening proteins that induce wall stress relaxation and irreversible wall extension in a pH-dependent manner. Despite a substantial body of work has been performed on the characterization of many expansins genes in different plant species, the knowledge about their precise biological roles during plant development remains scarce. To yield insights into the expansion process in Petunia hybrida, PhEXPA1, an expansin gene preferentially expressed in petal limb, has been characterized. The constitutive overexpression of PhEXPA1 significantly increased expansin activity, cells size and organ dimensions. Moreover, 35S::PhEXPA1 transgenic plants exhibited an altered cell wall polymer composition and a precocious timing of axillary meristem development compared with wild-type plants. These findings supported a previous hypothesis that expansins are not merely structural proteins involved in plant cell wall metabolism but they also take part in many plant development processes. Here, to support this expansins dual role, we discuss about differential cell wall-related genes expressed in PhEXPA1 expression mutants and gradients of altered petunia branching pattern. © 2011 Landes Bioscience

Only in dying, life: programmed cell death during plant development.

PubMed

Van Hautegem, Tom; Waters, Andrew J; Goodrich, Justin; Nowack, Moritz K

2015-02-01

Programmed cell death (PCD) is a fundamental process of life. During the evolution of multicellular organisms, the actively controlled demise of cells has been recruited to fulfil a multitude of functions in development, differentiation, tissue homeostasis, and immune systems. In this review we discuss some of the multiple cases of PCD that occur as integral parts of plant development in a remarkable variety of cell types, tissues, and organs. Although research in the last decade has discovered a number of PCD regulators, mediators, and executers, we are still only beginning to understand the mechanistic complexity that tightly controls preparation, initiation, and execution of PCD as a process that is indispensable for successful vegetative and reproductive development of plants. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Autosomal origin of sex chromosome in a polyploid plant

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

While theory on sex chromosome evolution is well developed, evidence of the early stages of this process remains elusive, in part because this process unfolded in many animals so long ago. The relatively recent and repeated evolution of separate sexes (dioecy) and sex chromosomes in plants, however,...

Risk-based design of process plants with regard to domino effects and land use planning.

PubMed

Khakzad, Nima; Reniers, Genserik

2015-12-15

Land use planning (LUP) as an effective and crucial safety measure has widely been employed by safety experts and decision makers to mitigate off-site risks posed by major accidents. Accordingly, the concept of LUP in chemical plants has traditionally been considered from two perspectives: (i) land developments around existing chemical plants considering potential off-site risks posed by major accidents and (ii) development of existing chemical plants considering nearby land developments and the level of additional off-site risks the land developments would be exposed to. However, the attempts made to design chemical plants with regard to LUP requirements have been few, most of which have neglected the role of domino effects in risk analysis of major accidents. To overcome the limitations of previous work, first, we developed a Bayesian network methodology to calculate both on-site and off-site risks of major accidents while taking domino effects into account. Second, we combined the results of risk analysis with Analytic Hierarchical Process to design an optimal layout for which the levels of on-site and off-site risks would be minimum. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Diagnosing plant problems

Treesearch

Cheryl A. Smith

2008-01-01

Diagnosing Christmas tree problems can be a challenge, requiring a basic knowledge of plant culture and physiology, the effect of environmental influences on plant health, and the ability to identify the possible causes of plant problems. Developing a solution or remedy to the problem depends on a proper diagnosis, a process that requires recognition of a problem and...

Ecdysteroid and chitinase fluctuations in the western tarnished plant bug (Lygus hesperus) prior to molt indicate roles in development

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Vital physiological processes that drive the insect molt represent areas of interest for the development of alternative control strategies. The western tarnished plant bug (Lygus hesperus Knight) is a pest of numerous agronomic and horticultural crops but the development of novel control approaches ...

Advanced space design program to the Universities Space Research Association and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nevill, Gale E., Jr.

1988-01-01

The goal of the Fall 1987 class of EGM 4000 was the investigation of engineering aspects contributing to the development of NASA's Controlled Ecological Life Support System (CELSS). The areas investigated were the geometry of plant growth chambers, automated seeding of plants, remote sensing of plant health, and processing of grain into edible forms. The group investigating variable spacing of individual soybean plants designed growth trays consisting of three dimensional trapezoids arranged in a compact circular configuration. The automated seed manipulation and planting group investigated the electrical and mechanical properties of wheat seeds and developed three seeding concepts based upon these properties. The plant health and disease sensing group developed a list of reliable plant health indicators and investigated potential detection technologies.

High-autonomy control of space resource processing plants

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schooley, Larry C.; Zeigler, Bernard P.; Cellier, Francois E.; Wang, Fei-Yue

1993-01-01

A highly autonomous intelligent command/control architecture has been developed for planetary surface base industrial process plants and Space Station Freedom experimental facilities. The architecture makes use of a high-level task-oriented mode with supervisory control from one or several remote sites, and integrates advanced network communications concepts and state-of-the-art man/machine interfaces with the most advanced autonomous intelligent control. Attention is given to the full-dynamics model of a Martian oxygen-production plant, event-based/fuzzy-logic process control, and fault management practices.

Effective Processing of the Iron Ores

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuskov, Vadim; Kuskova, Yana; Udovitsky, Vladimir

2017-11-01

Effective technology for a complex wasteless processing of the iron ores has been designed and includes three main components (plats): comminution plant, briquette plant, pigment plant. The comminution is done per energy effective technology. Using of briquetting for ores clotting enables the costs cut and brings to a higher level of environmental safety of the process. Briquette formation can be done as a regular pressing, as an extrusion. Developed technology allows to produce high quality competitively products for metallurgy industry and red iron oxide pigments. The whole production line impacts the environment in a minimal manner.

Low-cost Solar Array Project. Feasibility of the Silane Process for Producing Semiconductor-grade Silicon

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1979-01-01

The feasibility of Union Carbide's silane process for commercial application was established. An integrated process design for an experimental process system development unit and a commercial facility were developed. The corresponding commercial plant economic performance was then estimated.

Ethylene and 1-Aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC) in Plant–Bacterial Interactions

PubMed Central

Nascimento, Francisco X.; Rossi, Márcio J.; Glick, Bernard R.

2018-01-01

Ethylene and its precursor 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC) actively participate in plant developmental, defense and symbiotic programs. In this sense, ethylene and ACC play a central role in the regulation of bacterial colonization (rhizospheric, endophytic, and phyllospheric) by the modulation of plant immune responses and symbiotic programs, as well as by modulating several developmental processes, such as root elongation. Plant-associated bacterial communities impact plant growth and development, both negatively (pathogens) and positively (plant-growth promoting and symbiotic bacteria). Some members of the plant-associated bacterial community possess the ability to modulate plant ACC and ethylene levels and, subsequently, modify plant defense responses, symbiotic programs and overall plant development. In this work, we review and discuss the role of ethylene and ACC in several aspects of plant-bacterial interactions. Understanding the impact of ethylene and ACC in both the plant host and its associated bacterial community is key to the development of new strategies aimed at increased plant growth and protection. PMID:29520283

TRANSURANIC STUDIES STATUS AND PROBLEM STATEMENT

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Leuze, R E

1959-04-29

The purpose of the Transuranics Program is to develop separation processes for the transuranic elements, primarily those produced by long-term neutron irradiation of Pu/sup 239/. The program includes laboratory process development, pilot-plant process testing, processing of 10 kg of Pu/sup 239/ irradiated to greater than 99% burn-up for plutonium and americium-curium recovery, and processing the reirradiated plutonium and americium-curium fractions. The proposed method for processing highly irradiated plutonium is: (1) plutonium-aluminum alloy dissolution in HNO/sub 3/; (2) plutonium recovery by TBP extraction; (3) americium, curium, and rare-earth extraction by TBP from neutral nitrate solution; (4) partial rare-earth removal (primarily lanthanum)more » by americium-curium extraction into 100% TBP from 15M HNO/sub 3/; (5) additional rare-earth removal by extraction in 0.48M mono-2-ethylhexylphosphoric acid from 12M HCl; and (6) americium-curium purification by chloride anion exchange. Processing through the 100% TBP, 15M HNO/sub 3/ cycle can be carried out in the Power Reactor Fuel Reprocessing Pilot Plant. New facilities are proposed 15M HNO/ sub 3/ cycle can be carried out in the Power Reactor Fuel Reprocessing Pilot Plant. New facilities are proposed for laboratory process development studies and the final processing of the transplutonic elements. (auth)« less

Use of space for development of commercial plant natural products

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Draeger, N.A.

1997-01-01

Plant experiments conducted in environments where conditions are carefully controlled reveal fundamental information about physiological processes. An important environmental parameter is gravity, the effects of which may be better understood in part through experiments conducted in space. New insights gained can be used to develop commercial plant natural products in industries such as pharmaceuticals and biocontrol. {copyright} {ital 1997 American Institute of Physics.}

Symmetric development: transcriptional regulation of symmetry transition in plants.

PubMed

Dolan, Liam

2014-12-15

Symmetry breaking and re-establishment is an important developmental process that occurs during the development of multicellular organisms. A new report determines that transcription factors regulate a symmetry transition event in plants by modifying the direction of auxin transport. This provides one of the first mechanistic descriptions of a transition from bilateral to radial symmetry in plants. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Regulation and functional diversification of root hairs.

PubMed

Cui, Songkui; Suzaki, Takuya; Tominaga-Wada, Rumi; Yoshida, Satoko

2017-10-13

Root hairs result from the polar outgrowth of root epidermis cells in vascular plants. Root hair development processes are regulated by intrinsic genetic programs, which are flexibly modulated by environmental conditions, such as nutrient availability. Basic programs for root hair development were present in early land plants. Subsequently, some plants developed the ability to utilize root hairs for specific functions, in particular, for interactions with other organisms, such as legume-rhizobia and host plants-parasites interactions. In this review, we summarize the molecular regulation of root hair development and the modulation of root hairs under limited nutrient supply and during interactions with other organisms. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Intercellular and systemic spread of RNA and RNAi in plants.

PubMed

Nazim Uddin, Mohammad; Kim, Jae-Yean

2013-01-01

Plants possess dynamic networks of intercellular communication that are crucial for plant development and physiology. In plants, intercellular communication involves a combination of ligand-receptor-based apoplasmic signaling, and plasmodesmata and phloem-mediated symplasmic signaling. The intercellular trafficking of macromolecules, including RNAs and proteins, has emerged as a novel mechanism of intercellular communication in plants. Various forms of regulatory RNAs move over distinct cellular boundaries through plasmodesmata and phloem. This plant-specific, non-cell-autonomous RNA trafficking network is also involved in development, nutrient homeostasis, gene silencing, pathogen defense, and many other physiological processes. However, the mechanism underlying macromolecular trafficking in plants remains poorly understood. Current progress made in RNA trafficking research and its biological relevance to plant development will be summarized. Diverse plant regulatory mechanisms of cell-to-cell and systemic long-distance transport of RNAs, including mRNAs, viral RNAs, and small RNAs, will also be discussed. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Knowledge-based and model-based hybrid methodology for comprehensive waste minimization in electroplating plants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luo, Keqin

1999-11-01

The electroplating industry of over 10,000 planting plants nationwide is one of the major waste generators in the industry. Large quantities of wastewater, spent solvents, spent process solutions, and sludge are the major wastes generated daily in plants, which costs the industry tremendously for waste treatment and disposal and hinders the further development of the industry. It becomes, therefore, an urgent need for the industry to identify technically most effective and economically most attractive methodologies and technologies to minimize the waste, while the production competitiveness can be still maintained. This dissertation aims at developing a novel WM methodology using artificial intelligence, fuzzy logic, and fundamental knowledge in chemical engineering, and an intelligent decision support tool. The WM methodology consists of two parts: the heuristic knowledge-based qualitative WM decision analysis and support methodology and fundamental knowledge-based quantitative process analysis methodology for waste reduction. In the former, a large number of WM strategies are represented as fuzzy rules. This becomes the main part of the knowledge base in the decision support tool, WMEP-Advisor. In the latter, various first-principles-based process dynamic models are developed. These models can characterize all three major types of operations in an electroplating plant, i.e., cleaning, rinsing, and plating. This development allows us to perform a thorough process analysis on bath efficiency, chemical consumption, wastewater generation, sludge generation, etc. Additional models are developed for quantifying drag-out and evaporation that are critical for waste reduction. The models are validated through numerous industrial experiments in a typical plating line of an industrial partner. The unique contribution of this research is that it is the first time for the electroplating industry to (i) use systematically available WM strategies, (ii) know quantitatively and accurately what is going on in each tank, and (iii) identify all WM opportunities through process improvement. This work has formed a solid foundation for the further development of powerful WM technologies for comprehensive WM in the following decade.

RNA-Based Amplicon Sequencing Reveals Microbiota Development during Ripening of Artisanal versus Industrial Lard d'Arnad.

PubMed

Ferrocino, Ilario; Bellio, Alberto; Romano, Angelo; Macori, Guerrino; Rantsiou, Kalliopi; Decastelli, Lucia; Cocolin, Luca

2017-08-15

Valle d'Aosta Lard d'Arnad is a protected designation of origin (PDO) product produced from fat of the shoulder and back of heavy pigs. Its manufacturing process can be very diverse, especially regarding the maturation temperature and the NaCl concentration used for the brine; thereby, the main goal of this study was to investigate the impact of those parameters on the microbiota developed during curing and ripening. Three farms producing Lard d'Arnad were selected. Two plants, reflecting the industrial process characterized either by low maturation temperature (plant A [10% NaCl, 2°C]) or by using a low NaCl concentration (plant B [2.5% NaCl, 4°C]), were selected, while the third was characterized by an artisanal process (plant C [30% NaCl, 8°C]). Lard samples were obtained at time 0 and after 7, 15, 30, 60, and 90 days of maturation. From each plant, 3 independent lots were analyzed. The diversity of live microbiota was evaluated by using classical plate counts and amplicon target sequencing of small subunit (SSU) rRNA. The main taxa identified by sequencing were Acinetobacter johnsonii , Psychrobacter , Staphylococcus equorum , Staphylococcus sciuri , Pseudomonas fragi , Brochothrix , Halomonas , and Vibrio , and differences in their relative abundances distinguished samples from the individual plants. The composition of the microbiota was more similar among plants A and B, and it was characterized by the higher presence of taxa recognized as undesired bacteria in food-processing environments. Oligotype analysis of Halomonas and Acinetobacter revealed the presence of several characteristic oligotypes associated with A and B samples. IMPORTANCE Changes in the food production process can drastically affect the microbial community structure, with a possible impact on the final characteristics of the products. The industrial processes of Lard d'Arnad production are characterized by a reduction in the salt concentration in the brines to address a consumer demand for less salty products; this can negatively affect the dynamics and development of the live microbiota and, as a consequence, can negatively impact the quality of the final product due to the higher abundance of spoilage bacteria. This study is an overview of the live microbiota that develop during lard manufacturing, and it highlights the importance of the use of traditional process to produce PDO from a spoilage perspective. Copyright © 2017 American Society for Microbiology.

Brassica napus seed endosperm - metabolism and signaling in a dead end tissue.

PubMed

Lorenz, Christin; Rolletschek, Hardy; Sunderhaus, Stephanie; Braun, Hans-Peter

2014-08-28

Oilseeds are an important element of human nutrition and of increasing significance for the production of industrial materials. The development of the seeds is based on a coordinated interplay of the embryo and its surrounding tissue, the endosperm. This study aims to give insights into the physiological role of endosperm for seed development in the oilseed crop Brassica napus. Using protein separation by two-dimensional (2D) isoelectric focusing (IEF)/SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) and protein identification by mass spectrometry three proteome projects were carried out: (i) establishment of an endosperm proteome reference map, (ii) proteomic characterization of endosperm development and (iii) comparison of endosperm and embryo proteomes. The endosperm proteome reference map comprises 930 distinct proteins, including enzymes involved in genetic information processing, carbohydrate metabolism, environmental information processing, energy metabolism, cellular processes and amino acid metabolism. To investigate dynamic changes in protein abundance during seed development, total soluble proteins were extracted from embryo and endosperm fractions at defined time points. Proteins involved in sugar converting and recycling processes, ascorbate metabolism, amino acid biosynthesis and redox balancing were found to be of special importance for seed development in B. napus. Implications for the seed filling process and the function of the endosperm for seed development are discussed. The endosperm is of key importance for embryo development during seed formation in plants. We present a broad study for characterizing endosperm proteins in the oilseed plant B. napus. Furthermore, a project on the biochemical interplay between the embryo and the endosperm during seed development is presented. We provide evidence that the endosperm includes a complete set of enzymes necessary for plant primary metabolism. Combination of our results with metabolome data will further improve systems-level understanding of the seed filling process and provide rational strategies for plant bioengineering. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Higher Plants in life support systems: design of a model and plant experimental compartment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hezard, Pauline; Farges, Berangere; Sasidharan L, Swathy; Dussap, Claude-Gilles

The development of closed ecological life support systems (CELSS) requires full control and efficient engineering for fulfilling the common objectives of water and oxygen regeneration, CO2 elimination and food production. Most of the proposed CELSS contain higher plants, for which a growth chamber and a control system are needed. Inside the compartment the development of higher plants must be understood and modeled in order to be able to design and control the compartment as a function of operating variables. The plant behavior must be analyzed at different sub-process scales : (i) architecture and morphology describe the plant shape and lead to calculate the morphological parameters (leaf area, stem length, number of meristems. . . ) characteristic of life cycle stages; (ii) physiology and metabolism of the different organs permit to assess the plant composition depending on the plant input and output rates (oxygen, carbon dioxide, water and nutrients); (iii) finally, the physical processes are light interception, gas exchange, sap conduction and root uptake: they control the available energy from photosynthesis and the input and output rates. These three different sub-processes are modeled as a system of equations using environmental and plant parameters such as light intensity, temperature, pressure, humidity, CO2 and oxygen partial pressures, nutrient solution composition, total leaf surface and leaf area index, chlorophyll content, stomatal conductance, water potential, organ biomass distribution and composition, etc. The most challenging issue is to develop a comprehensive and operative mathematical model that assembles these different sub-processes in a unique framework. In order to assess the parameters for testing a model, a polyvalent growth chamber is necessary. It should permit a controlled environment in order to test and understand the physiological response and determine the control strategy. The final aim of this model is to have an envi-ronmental control of plant behavior: this requires an extended knowledge of plant response to environment variations. This needs a large number of experiments, which would be easier to perform in a high-throughput system.

Throughput Optimization of Continuous Biopharmaceutical Manufacturing Facilities.

PubMed

Garcia, Fernando A; Vandiver, Michael W

2017-01-01

In order to operate profitably under different product demand scenarios, biopharmaceutical companies must design their facilities with mass output flexibility in mind. Traditional biologics manufacturing technologies pose operational challenges in this regard due to their high costs and slow equipment turnaround times, restricting the types of products and mass quantities that can be processed. Modern plant design, however, has facilitated the development of lean and efficient bioprocessing facilities through footprint reduction and adoption of disposable and continuous manufacturing technologies. These development efforts have proven to be crucial in seeking to drastically reduce the high costs typically associated with the manufacturing of recombinant proteins. In this work, mathematical modeling is used to optimize annual production schedules for a single-product commercial facility operating with a continuous upstream and discrete batch downstream platform. Utilizing cell culture duration and volumetric productivity as process variables in the model, and annual plant throughput as the optimization objective, 3-D surface plots are created to understand the effect of process and facility design on expected mass output. The model shows that once a plant has been fully debottlenecked it is capable of processing well over a metric ton of product per year. Moreover, the analysis helped to uncover a major limiting constraint on plant performance, the stability of the neutralized viral inactivated pool, which may indicate that this should be a focus of attention during future process development efforts. LAY ABSTRACT: Biopharmaceutical process modeling can be used to design and optimize manufacturing facilities and help companies achieve a predetermined set of goals. One way to perform optimization is by making the most efficient use of process equipment in order to minimize the expenditure of capital, labor and plant resources. To that end, this paper introduces a novel mathematical algorithm used to determine the most optimal equipment scheduling configuration that maximizes the mass output for a facility producing a single product. The paper also illustrates how different scheduling arrangements can have a profound impact on the availability of plant resources, and identifies limiting constraints on the plant design. In addition, simulation data is presented using visualization techniques that aid in the interpretation of the scientific concepts discussed. © PDA, Inc. 2017.

Disposable Bioreactors for Plant Micropropagation and Mass Plant Cell Culture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ducos, Jean-Paul; Terrier, Bénédicte; Courtois, Didier

Different types of bioreactors are used at Nestlé R&D Centre - Tours for mass propagation of selected plant varieties by somatic embryogenesis and for large scale culture of plants cells to produce metabolites or recombinant proteins. Recent studies have been directed to cut down the production costs of these two processes by developing disposable cell culture systems. Vegetative propagation of elite plant varieties is achieved through somatic embryogenesis in liquid medium. A pilot scale process has recently been set up for the industrial propagation of Coffea canephora (Robusta coffee). The current production capacity is 3.0 million embryos per year. The pre-germination of the embryos was previously conducted by temporary immersion in liquid medium in 10-L glass bioreactors. An improved process has been developed using a 10-L disposable bioreactor consisting of a bag containing a rigid plastic box ('Box-in-Bag' bioreactor), insuring, amongst other advantages, a higher light transmittance to the biomass due to its horizontal design. For large scale cell culture, two novel flexible plastic-based disposable bioreactors have been developed from 10 to 100 L working volumes, validated with several plant species ('Wave and Undertow' and 'Slug Bubble' bioreactors). The advantages and the limits of these new types of bioreactor are discussed, based mainly on our own experience on coffee somatic embryogenesis and mass cell culture of soya and tobacco.

Hydroponic potato production on nutrients derived from anaerobically-processed potato plant residues

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mackowiak, C. L.; Stutte, G. W.; Garland, J. L.; Finger, B. W.; Ruffe, L. M.

1997-01-01

Bioregenerative methods are being developed for recycling plant minerals from harvested inedible biomass as part of NASA's Advanced Life Support (ALS) research. Anaerobic processing produces secondary metabolites, a food source for yeast production, while providing a source of water soluble nutrients for plant growth. Since NH_4-N is the nitrogen product, processing the effluent through a nitrification reactor was used to convert this to NO_3-N, a more acceptable form for plants. Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) cv. Norland plants were used to test the effects of anaerobically-produced effluent after processing through a yeast reactor or nitrification reactor. These treatments were compared to a mixed-N treatment (75:25, NO_3:NH_4) or a NO_3-N control, both containing only reagent-grade salts. Plant growth and tuber yields were greatest in the NO_3-N control and yeast reactor effluent treatments, which is noteworthy, considering the yeast reactor treatment had high organic loading in the nutrient solution and concomitant microbial activity.

Fossil Energy Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McNeese, L. E.

1981-01-01

Increased utilization of coal and other fossil fuel alternatives as sources of clean energy is reported. The following topics are discussed: coal conversion development, chemical research and development, materials technology, component development and process evaluation studies, technical support to major liquefaction projects, process analysis and engineering evaluations, fossil energy environmental analysis, flue gas desulfurization, solid waste disposal, coal preparation waste utilization, plant control development, atmospheric fluidized bed coal combustor for cogeneration, TVA FBC demonstration plant program technical support, PFBC systems analysis, fossil fuel applications assessments, performance assurance system support for fossil energy projects, international energy technology assessment, and general equilibrium models of liquid and gaseous fuel supplies.

Epigenetic processes in flowering plant reproduction.

PubMed

Wang, Guifeng; Köhler, Claudia

2017-02-01

Seeds provide up to 70% of the energy intake of the human population, emphasizing the relevance of understanding the genetic and epigenetic mechanisms controlling seed formation. In flowering plants, seeds are the product of a double fertilization event, leading to the formation of the embryo and the endosperm surrounded by maternal tissues. Analogous to mammals, plants undergo extensive epigenetic reprogramming during both gamete formation and early seed development, a process that is supposed to be required to enforce silencing of transposable elements and thus to maintain genome stability. Global changes of DNA methylation, histone modifications, and small RNAs are closely associated with epigenome programming during plant reproduction. Here, we review current knowledge on chromatin changes occurring during sporogenesis and gametogenesis, as well as early seed development in major flowering plant models. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Experimental Biology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Plant Functional Traits: Soil and Ecosystem Services.

PubMed

Faucon, Michel-Pierre; Houben, David; Lambers, Hans

2017-05-01

Decline of ecosystem services has triggered numerous studies aiming at developing more sustainable agricultural management practices. Some agricultural practices may improve soil properties by expanding plant biodiversity. However, sustainable management of agroecosystems should be performed from a functional plant trait perspective. Advances in functional ecology, especially plant functional trait effects on ecosystem processes and services, provide pivotal knowledge for ecological intensification of agriculture; this approach acknowledges that a crop field is an agroecosystem whose ecological processes influence soil properties. We highlight the links between plant functional traits and soil properties in relation to four major ecosystem processes involved in vital ecosystem services: food production, crop protection, climate change mitigation, and soil and water conservation, aiming towards ecological intensification of sustainable agricultural and soil management. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Extraction and purification methods in downstream processing of plant-based recombinant proteins.

PubMed

Łojewska, Ewelina; Kowalczyk, Tomasz; Olejniczak, Szymon; Sakowicz, Tomasz

2016-04-01

During the last two decades, the production of recombinant proteins in plant systems has been receiving increased attention. Currently, proteins are considered as the most important biopharmaceuticals. However, high costs and problems with scaling up the purification and isolation processes make the production of plant-based recombinant proteins a challenging task. This paper presents a summary of the information regarding the downstream processing in plant systems and provides a comprehensible overview of its key steps, such as extraction and purification. To highlight the recent progress, mainly new developments in the downstream technology have been chosen. Furthermore, besides most popular techniques, alternative methods have been described. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Polyamines in plants: biosynthesis from arginine, and metabolic, physiological, and stress-response roles

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Biogenic amines in all organisms including plants affect a myriad of growth and developmental processes. Therefore, there is continued interest in understanding their (here polyamines) biosynthesis and functional roles in regulating plant metabolism, physiology and development. The role of polyamine...

Editorial: Plant organ abscission: from models to crops

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The shedding of plant organs is a highly coordinated process essential for both vegetative and reproductive development (Addicott, 1982; Sexton and Roberts, 1982; Roberts et al., 2002; Leslie et al., 2007; Roberts and Gonzalez-Carranza, 2007; Estornell et al., 2013). Research with model plants, name...

Putting the Spotlight Back on Plant Suspension Cultures

PubMed Central

Santos, Rita B.; Abranches, Rita; Fischer, Rainer; Sack, Markus; Holland, Tanja

2016-01-01

Plant cell suspension cultures have several advantages that make them suitable for the production of recombinant proteins. They can be cultivated under aseptic conditions using classical fermentation technology, they are easy to scale-up for manufacturing, and the regulatory requirements are similar to those established for well-characterized production systems based on microbial and mammalian cells. It is therefore no surprise that taliglucerase alfa (Elelyso®)—the first licensed recombinant pharmaceutical protein derived from plants—is produced in plant cell suspension cultures. But despite this breakthrough, plant cells are still largely neglected compared to transgenic plants and the more recent plant-based transient expression systems. Here, we revisit plant cell suspension cultures and highlight recent developments in the field that show how the rise of plant cells parallels that of Chinese hamster ovary cells, currently the most widespread and successful manufacturing platform for biologics. These developments include medium optimization, process engineering, statistical experimental designs, scale-up/scale-down models, and process analytical technologies. Significant yield increases for diverse target proteins will encourage a gold rush to adopt plant cells as a platform technology, and the first indications of this breakthrough are already on the horizon. PMID:27014320

Safety of plant-made pharmaceuticals: product development and regulatory considerations based on case studies of two autologous human cancer vaccines.

PubMed

Tusé, Daniel

2011-03-01

Guidelines issued by regulatory agencies for the development of plant-made pharmaceutical (PMP) products provide criteria for product manufacturing and characterization, safety determination, containment and mitigation of environmental risks. Features of plant-made products do not always enable an easy fit within the criteria subscribed to by regulators. The unconventional nature of plant-based manufacturing processes and peculiarities of plant biology relative to that of traditional biological production systems have led to special considerations in the regulatory scrutiny of PMP. Presented in this review are case studies of two plant-made autologous (patient-specific) cancer vaccines, the nature of which introduced challenges to conventional and standardized development and preclinical evaluation routes. The rationale presented to FDA by the sponsors of each vaccine to build consensus and obtain variances to existing guidelines is discussed. While development of many plant-made biologics can be accomplished within the existing regulatory framework, the development of specialized products can be defended with rational arguments based on strong science.

The Use of High-resolution Infrared Thermography (HRIT) for the Study of Ice Nucleation and Ice Propagation in Plants

PubMed Central

Wisniewski, Michael; Neuner, Gilbert; Gusta, Lawrence V.

2015-01-01

Freezing events that occur when plants are actively growing can be a lethal event, particularly if the plant has no freezing tolerance. Such frost events often have devastating effects on agricultural production and can also play an important role in shaping community structure in natural populations of plants, especially in alpine, sub-arctic, and arctic ecosystems. Therefore, a better understanding of the freezing process in plants can play an important role in the development of methods of frost protection and understanding mechanisms of freeze avoidance. Here, we describe a protocol to visualize the freezing process in plants using high-resolution infrared thermography (HRIT). The use of this technology allows one to determine the primary sites of ice formation in plants, how ice propagates, and the presence of ice barriers. Furthermore, it allows one to examine the role of extrinsic and intrinsic nucleators in determining the temperature at which plants freeze and evaluate the ability of various compounds to either affect the freezing process or increase freezing tolerance. The use of HRIT allows one to visualize the many adaptations that have evolved in plants, which directly or indirectly impact the freezing process and ultimately enables plants to survive frost events. PMID:25992743

The use of high-resolution infrared thermography (HRIT) for the study of ice nucleation and ice propagation in plants.

PubMed

Wisniewski, Michael; Neuner, Gilbert; Gusta, Lawrence V

2015-05-08

Freezing events that occur when plants are actively growing can be a lethal event, particularly if the plant has no freezing tolerance. Such frost events often have devastating effects on agricultural production and can also play an important role in shaping community structure in natural populations of plants, especially in alpine, sub-arctic, and arctic ecosystems. Therefore, a better understanding of the freezing process in plants can play an important role in the development of methods of frost protection and understanding mechanisms of freeze avoidance. Here, we describe a protocol to visualize the freezing process in plants using high-resolution infrared thermography (HRIT). The use of this technology allows one to determine the primary sites of ice formation in plants, how ice propagates, and the presence of ice barriers. Furthermore, it allows one to examine the role of extrinsic and intrinsic nucleators in determining the temperature at which plants freeze and evaluate the ability of various compounds to either affect the freezing process or increase freezing tolerance. The use of HRIT allows one to visualize the many adaptations that have evolved in plants, which directly or indirectly impact the freezing process and ultimately enables plants to survive frost events.

Simulation of Plant Physiological Process Using Fuzzy Variables

Treesearch

Daniel L. Schmoldt

1991-01-01

Qualitative modelling can help us understand and project effects of multiple stresses on trees. It is not practical to collect and correlate empirical data for all combinations of plant/environments and human/climate stresses, especially for mature trees in natural settings. Therefore, a mechanistic model was developed to describe ecophysiological processes. This model...

Investigating New Paths in the Teaching of Plant Processes in Elementary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nanni, Eftychia; Plakitsi, Katerina

2013-01-01

The purpose of this researching study was to develop a teaching proposal and investigate the conceptualizations that children make about the processes of plants (photosynthesis, respiration, transpiration). We undertook an innovative implementation on teaching living things to students of 10 to 11 years old (5th grade). The theoretical framework…

Driver development of IFE power plant in Japan Collaborative process with industry and industrial applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nakai, S.; Yamanaka, M.; Kitagawa, Y.; Fujita, K.; Heya, M.; Mima, K.; Izawa, Y.; Nakatsuka, M.; Murakami, M.; Ueda, K.; Sasaki, T.; Mori, Y.; Kanabe, T.; Hiruma, T.; Kan, H.; Kawashima, T.

2006-06-01

The typical specifications of the laser driver for a commercial IFE power plant are (1) total energy (MJ/pulse) with a tailored 20-40 ns pulse, (2) repetition operation (˜ 10 Hz), (3) efficiency (˜ 10%) with enough robustness and low cost. The key elements of the DPSSL driver technology are under development with HALNA. The HALNA 10 (High Average-power Laser for Nuclear-fusion Application) demonstrated 10 J × 10 Hz operation and the HALNA 100 (100 J × 10 Hz) is now under construction. By using the high average power and high intensity lasers, new industrial applications are being proceeded. The collaborative process for the development of high power laser with industry and for the industrial applications is effective and essential in the development of the laser driver for IFE power plant.

Synthetic mimicking of plant oils and comparison with naturally grown products in polyurethane synthesis.

PubMed

Coles, Stuart R; Barker, Guy; Clark, Andrew J; Kirwan, Kerry; Jacobs, Daniel; Makenji, Kylash; Pink, David

2008-06-11

The use of plant oils as industrial feedstocks can often be hampered by their lack of optimization towards a particular process, as well as their development being risky; growing suitable volumes of crops to test can take up to five years. To circumvent this, we aimed to discover a method that would mimic plant oil profiles in the laboratory, and show that they exhibited similar properties to the naturally grown plant oils in a given process. Using the synthesis of polyurethanes as an example, we have synthesized six different polymers and demonstrated that plant oils will produce polymers with similar physical properties to those oils mimicked in the laboratory. The use of this mimicking process can be extended to other types of polymers to obtain a method for predicting the properties of a given material based on the plant oil composition of a crop before it is grown in bulk.

Modelling the development and arrangement of the primary vascular structure in plants.

PubMed

Cartenì, Fabrizio; Giannino, Francesco; Schweingruber, Fritz Hans; Mazzoleni, Stefano

2014-09-01

The process of vascular development in plants results in the formation of a specific array of bundles that run throughout the plant in a characteristic spatial arrangement. Although much is known about the genes involved in the specification of procambium, phloem and xylem, the dynamic processes and interactions that define the development of the radial arrangement of such tissues remain elusive. This study presents a spatially explicit reaction-diffusion model defining a set of logical and functional rules to simulate the differentiation of procambium, phloem and xylem and their spatial patterns, starting from a homogeneous group of undifferentiated cells. Simulation results showed that the model is capable of reproducing most vascular patterns observed in plants, from primitive and simple structures made up of a single strand of vascular bundles (protostele), to more complex and evolved structures, with separated vascular bundles arranged in an ordered pattern within the plant section (e.g. eustele). The results presented demonstrate, as a proof of concept, that a common genetic-molecular machinery can be the basis of different spatial patterns of plant vascular development. Moreover, the model has the potential to become a useful tool to test different hypotheses of genetic and molecular interactions involved in the specification of vascular tissues.

Hypersensitivity pneumonitis in a hardwood processing plant related to heavy mold exposure.

PubMed

Veillette, Marc; Cormier, Yvon; Israël-Assayaq, Evelyne; Meriaux, Anne; Duchaine, Caroline

2006-06-01

Two workers employed in a hardwood floor plant presented symptoms suggestive of hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP). At that plant, kiln-dried wood often shows moldy growth and is subsequently brought inside for processing. This study evaluated the environment in attempt to identify the causative antigen and verify whether other workers of this and similar plants had or were at risk of developing HP. Dust from dust-removing systems and molds on the surface of wood planks were collected and air samples taken from a sister plant. Blood samples, spirometry, and symptoms' questionnaires were obtained from 11 co-workers. Dense Paecilomyces growth was observed on the surface of the dried processed wood in the index plant. This fungal genus was not detected in the sister plant. An additional worker had symptoms suggestive of HP, and his bronchoalveolar lavage revealed a lymphocytic alveolitis. The 3 confirmed cases of HP and the other 10 workers had positive specific IgG antibodies to Paecilomyces. We report 3 cases of HP out of 13 workers and a 100% sensitization to molds in workers of a hardwood processing plant. This rate is much higher than what is commonly seen in other environments associated with HP. The drying process is suspected of being responsible for the massive Paecilomyces contamination likely responsible for the HP.

Plant Perception and Short-Term Responses to Phytophagous Insects and Mites.

PubMed

Santamaria, M Estrella; Arnaiz, Ana; Gonzalez-Melendi, Pablo; Martinez, Manuel; Diaz, Isabel

2018-05-03

Plant⁻pest relationships involve complex processes encompassing a network of molecules, signals, and regulators for overcoming defenses they develop against each other. Phytophagous arthropods identify plants mainly as a source of food. In turn, plants develop a variety of strategies to avoid damage and survive. The success of plant defenses depends on rapid and specific recognition of the phytophagous threat. Subsequently, plants trigger a cascade of short-term responses that eventually result in the production of a wide range of compounds with defense properties. This review deals with the main features involved in the interaction between plants and phytophagous insects and acari, focusing on early responses from the plant side. A general landscape of the diverse strategies employed by plants within the first hours after pest perception to block the capability of phytophagous insects to develop mechanisms of resistance is presented, with the potential of providing alternatives for pest control.

An Overview of Signaling Regulons During Cold Stress Tolerance in Plants

PubMed Central

Pareek, Amit; Khurana, Ashima; Sharma, Arun K.; Kumar, Rahul

2017-01-01

Plants, being sessile organisms, constantly withstand environmental fluctuations, including low-temperature, also referred as cold stress. Whereas cold poses serious challenges at both physiological and developmental levels to plants growing in tropical or sub-tropical regions, plants from temperate climatic regions can withstand chilling or freezing temperatures. Several cold inducible genes have already been isolated and used in transgenic approach to generate cold tolerant plants. The conventional breeding methods and marker assisted selection have helped in developing plant with improved cold tolerance, however, the development of freezing tolerant plants through cold acclimation remains an unaccomplished task. Therefore, it is essential to have a clear understanding of how low temperature sensing strategies and corresponding signal transduction act during cold acclimation process. Herein, we synthesize the available information on the molecular mechanisms underlying cold sensing and signaling with an aim that the summarized literature will help develop efficient strategies to obtain cold tolerant plants. PMID:29204079

Preservation and Faithful Expression of Transgene via Artificial Seeds in Alfalfa

PubMed Central

Liu, Wenting; Liang, Zongsuo; Wang, Xinhua; Sibbald, Susan; Hunter, David; Tian, Lining

2013-01-01

Proper preservation of transgenes and transgenic materials is important for wider use of transgenic technology in plants. Here, we report stable preservation and faithful expression of a transgene via artificial seed technology in alfalfa. DNA constructs containing the uid reporter gene coding for β-glucuronidase (GUS) driven by a 35S promoter or a tCUP promoter were introduced into alfalfa via Agrobacterium-mediated genetic transformation. Somatic embryos were subsequently induced from transgenic alfalfa plants via in vitro technology. These embryos were treated with abscisic acid to induce desiccation tolerance and were subjected to a water loss process. After the desiccation procedure, the water content in dried embryos, or called artificial seeds, was about 12–15% which was equivalent to that in true seeds. Upon water rehydration, the dried somatic embryos showed high degrees of viability and exhibited normal germination. Full plants were subsequently developed and recovered in a greenhouse. The progeny plants developed from artificial seeds showed GUS enzyme activity and the GUS expression level was comparable to that of plants developed from somatic embryos without the desiccation process. Polymerase chain reaction analysis indicated that the transgene was well retained in the plants and Southern blot analysis showed that the transgene was stably integrated in plant genome. The research showed that the transgene and the new trait can be well preserved in artificial seeds and the progeny developed. The research provides a new method for transgenic germplasm preservation in different plant species. PMID:23690914

Energy Efficiency of Low-Temperature Deaeration of Makeup Water for a District Heating System

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sharapov, V. I., E-mail: vlad-sharapov2008@yandex.ru; Kudryavtseva, E. V.

2016-07-15

It is shown that the temperature of makeup water in district heating systems has a strong effect on the energy efficiency of turbines of thermal power plants. A low-temperature deaeration process that considerably improves the energy efficiency of thermal power plants is developed. The desorbing agent is the gas supplied to the burners of the boiler. The energy efficiency of the process for a typical unit of thermal power plant is assessed.

Pervasive and strong effects of plants on soil chemistry: a meta-analysis of individual plant 'Zinke' effects.

PubMed

Waring, Bonnie G; Álvarez-Cansino, Leonor; Barry, Kathryn E; Becklund, Kristen K; Dale, Sarah; Gei, Maria G; Keller, Adrienne B; Lopez, Omar R; Markesteijn, Lars; Mangan, Scott; Riggs, Charlotte E; Rodríguez-Ronderos, María Elizabeth; Segnitz, R Max; Schnitzer, Stefan A; Powers, Jennifer S

2015-08-07

Plant species leave a chemical signature in the soils below them, generating fine-scale spatial variation that drives ecological processes. Since the publication of a seminal paper on plant-mediated soil heterogeneity by Paul Zinke in 1962, a robust literature has developed examining effects of individual plants on their local environments (individual plant effects). Here, we synthesize this work using meta-analysis to show that plant effects are strong and pervasive across ecosystems on six continents. Overall, soil properties beneath individual plants differ from those of neighbours by an average of 41%. Although the magnitudes of individual plant effects exhibit weak relationships with climate and latitude, they are significantly stronger in deserts and tundra than forests, and weaker in intensively managed ecosystems. The ubiquitous effects of plant individuals and species on local soil properties imply that individual plant effects have a role in plant-soil feedbacks, linking individual plants with biogeochemical processes at the ecosystem scale. © 2015 The Author(s).

Distillate fuel-oil processing for phosphoric acid fuel cell power plants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1980-02-01

Efforts to develop distillate oil steam reforming processes are reviewed, and the applicability of these processes for integration with the fuel cell are discussed. The development efforts can be grouped into the following processing approaches: high temperature steam reforming; autothermal reforming; autothermal gasification; and ultra desulfurization followed by steam reforming. Sulfur in the feed is a problem in the process development.

Salicylic acid beyond defence: its role in plant growth and development.

PubMed

Rivas-San Vicente, Mariana; Plasencia, Javier

2011-06-01

In recent years salicylic acid (SA) has been the focus of intensive research due to its function as an endogenous signal mediating local and systemic plant defence responses against pathogens. It has also been found that SA plays a role during the plant response to abiotic stresses such as drought, chilling, heavy metal toxicity, heat, and osmotic stress. In this sense, SA appears to be, just like in mammals, an 'effective therapeutic agent' for plants. Besides this function during biotic and abiotic stress, SA plays a crucial role in the regulation of physiological and biochemical processes during the entire lifespan of the plant. The discovery of its targets and the understanding of its molecular modes of action in physiological processes could help in the dissection of the complex SA signalling network, confirming its important role in both plant health and disease. Here, the evidence that supports the role of SA during plant growth and development is reviewed by comparing experiments performed by exogenous application of SA with analysis of genotypes affected by SA levels and/or perception.

Plant MetGenMAP: an integrative analysis system for plant systems biology

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

We have developed a web-based system, Plant MetGenMAP, which can identify significantly altered biochemical pathways and highly affected biological processes, predict functional roles of pathway genes, and potential pathway-related regulatory motifs from transcript and metabolite profile datasets. P...

Development of a Scale-up Tool for Pervaporation Processes

PubMed Central

Thiess, Holger; Strube, Jochen

2018-01-01

In this study, an engineering tool for the design and optimization of pervaporation processes is developed based on physico-chemical modelling coupled with laboratory/mini-plant experiments. The model incorporates the solution-diffusion-mechanism, polarization effects (concentration and temperature), axial dispersion, pressure drop and the temperature drop in the feed channel due to vaporization of the permeating components. The permeance, being the key model parameter, was determined via dehydration experiments on a mini-plant scale for the binary mixtures ethanol/water and ethyl acetate/water. A second set of experimental data was utilized for the validation of the model for two chemical systems. The industrially relevant ternary mixture, ethanol/ethyl acetate/water, was investigated close to its azeotropic point and compared to a simulation conducted with the determined binary permeance data. Experimental and simulation data proved to agree very well for the investigated process conditions. In order to test the scalability of the developed engineering tool, large-scale data from an industrial pervaporation plant used for the dehydration of ethanol was compared to a process simulation conducted with the validated physico-chemical model. Since the membranes employed in both mini-plant and industrial scale were of the same type, the permeance data could be transferred. The comparison of the measured and simulated data proved the scalability of the derived model. PMID:29342956

Essential Roles of Local Auxin Biosynthesis in Plant Development and in Adaptation to Environmental Changes.

PubMed

Zhao, Yunde

2018-04-29

It has been a dominant dogma in plant biology that the self-organizing polar auxin transport system is necessary and sufficient to generate auxin maxima and minima that are essential for almost all aspects of plant growth and development. However, in the past few years, it has become clear that local auxin biosynthesis is required for a suite of developmental processes, including embryogenesis, endosperm development, root development, and floral initiation and patterning. Moreover, it was discovered that local auxin biosynthesis maintains optimal plant growth in response to environmental signals, including light, temperature, pathogens, and toxic metals. In this article, I discuss the recent progress in auxin biosynthesis research and the paradigm shift in recognizing the important roles of local auxin biosynthesis in plant biology.

Improvement of nuclear power plants within the perspective of applications of lean manufacturing practices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Malek, A. K.; Muhammad, H. I.; Rosmaini, A.; Alaa, A. S.; Falah, A. M.

2017-09-01

Development and improvement process are essential to the companies and factories of various kinds and this necessity is related aspects of cost, time and risk that can be avoided, these aspects are available at the nuclear power stations essential demands cannot be ignored. The lean management technique is one of the recent trends in the management system. Where the lean management is stated as the system increases the customer value and reduces the wastage process in an industry or in a power plants. Therefore, there is an urgent necessity to ensure the development and improvement in nuclear power plants in the pre-established in process of being established and stage of the management and production. All of these stages according to the study are closely related to the necessity operationalize and apply lean manufacturing practices that these applications are ineffective and clear contribution to reduce costs and control of production processes and the process of reducing future risks that could be exposed to the station.

Electrotechnologies to process foods

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Electrical energy is being used to process foods. In conventional food processing plants, electricity drives mechanical devices and controls the degree of process. In recent years, several processing technologies are being developed to process foods directly with electricity. Electrotechnologies use...

Mechanisms and kinetics of cellulose fermentation for protein production

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dunlap, C. A.

1971-01-01

The development of a process (and ancillary processing and analytical techniques) to produce bacterial single-cell protein of good nutritional quality from waste cellulose is discussed. A fermentation pilot plant and laboratory were developed and have been in operation for about two years. Single-cell protein (SCP) can be produced from sugarcane bagasse--a typical agricultural cellulosic waste. The optimization and understanding of this process and its controlling variables are examined. Both batch and continuous fermentation runs have been made under controlled conditions in the 535 liter pilot plant vessel and in the laboratory 14-liter fermenters.

Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS): Beneficial Companions of Plants’ Developmental Processes

PubMed Central

Singh, Rachana; Singh, Samiksha; Parihar, Parul; Mishra, Rohit K.; Tripathi, Durgesh K.; Singh, Vijay P.; Chauhan, Devendra K.; Prasad, Sheo M.

2016-01-01

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are generated inevitably in the redox reactions of plants, including respiration and photosynthesis. In earlier studies, ROS were considered as toxic by-products of aerobic pathways of the metabolism. But in recent years, concept about ROS has changed because they also participate in developmental processes of plants by acting as signaling molecules. In plants, ROS regulate many developmental processes such as cell proliferation and differentiation, programmed cell death, seed germination, gravitropism, root hair growth and pollen tube development, senescence, etc. Despite much progress, a comprehensive update of advances in the understanding of the mechanisms evoked by ROS that mediate in cell proliferation and development are fragmentry and the matter of ROS perception and the signaling cascade remains open. Therefore, keeping in view the above facts, an attempt has been made in this article to summarize the recent findings regarding updates made in the regulatory action of ROS at various plant developmental stages, which are still not well-known. PMID:27729914

Assessment of the degradation efficiency of full-scale biogas plants: A comparative study of degradation indicators.

PubMed

Li, Chao; Nges, Ivo Achu; Lu, Wenjing; Wang, Haoyu

2017-11-01

Increasing popularity and applications of the anaerobic digestion (AD) process has necessitated the development and identification of tools for obtaining reliable indicators of organic matter degradation rate and hence evaluate the process efficiency especially in full-scale, commercial biogas plants. In this study, four biogas plants (A1, A2, B and C) based on different feedstock, process configuration, scale and operational performance were selected and investigated. Results showed that the biochemical methane potential (BMP) based degradation rate could be use in incisively gauging process efficiency in lieu of the traditional degradation rate indicators. The BMP degradation rates ranged from 70 to 90% wherein plants A2 and C showed the highest throughput. This study, therefore, corroborates the feasibility of using the BMP degradation rate as a practical tool for evaluating process performance in full-scale biogas processes and spots light on the microbial diversity in full-scale biogas processes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of engineering foods for Controlled Ecological Life Support Systems (CELSS)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Karel, M.

1982-01-01

The feasibility of developing acceptable and reliable engineered foods for use in controlled ecological support systems (CELSS) was evaluated. Food resupply and regeneration are calculated, flow charts of food processes in a multipurpose food pilot plant are presented, and equipment for a multipurpose food pilot plant and potential simplification of processes are discussed. Food-waste treatment and water usage in food processing and preparation are also considered.

Plant sphingolipids: Their importance in cellular organization and adaption.

PubMed

Michaelson, Louise V; Napier, Johnathan A; Molino, Diana; Faure, Jean-Denis

2016-09-01

Sphingolipids and their phosphorylated derivatives are ubiquitous bio-active components of cells. They are structural elements in the lipid bilayer and contribute to the dynamic nature of the membrane. They have been implicated in many cellular processes in yeast and animal cells, including aspects of signaling, apoptosis, and senescence. Although sphingolipids have a better defined role in animal systems, they have been shown to be central to many essential processes in plants including but not limited to, pollen development, signal transduction and in the response to biotic and abiotic stress. A fuller understanding of the roles of sphingolipids within plants has been facilitated by classical biochemical studies and the identification of mutants of model species. Recently the development of powerful mass spectrometry techniques hailed the advent of the emerging field of lipidomics enabling more accurate sphingolipid detection and quantitation. This review will consider plant sphingolipid biosynthesis and function in the context of these new developments. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Plant Lipid Biology edited by Kent D. Chapman and Ivo Feussner. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Plant Architecture: A Dynamic, Multilevel and Comprehensive Approach to Plant Form, Structure and Ontogeny

PubMed Central

Barthélémy, Daniel; Caraglio, Yves

2007-01-01

Background and Aims The architecture of a plant depends on the nature and relative arrangement of each of its parts; it is, at any given time, the expression of an equilibrium between endogenous growth processes and exogenous constraints exerted by the environment. The aim of architectural analysis is, by means of observation and sometimes experimentation, to identify and understand these endogenous processes and to separate them from the plasticity of their expression resulting from external influences. Scope Using the identification of several morphological criteria and considering the plant as a whole, from germination to death, architectural analysis is essentially a detailed, multilevel, comprehensive and dynamic approach to plant development. Despite their recent origin, architectural concepts and analysis methods provide a powerful tool for studying plant form and ontogeny. Completed by precise morphological observations and appropriated quantitative methods of analysis, recent researches in this field have greatly increased our understanding of plant structure and development and have led to the establishment of a real conceptual and methodological framework for plant form and structure analysis and representation. This paper is a summarized update of current knowledge on plant architecture and morphology; its implication and possible role in various aspects of modern plant biology is also discussed. PMID:17218346

Roles of mitochondrial energy dissipation systems in plant development and acclimation to stress.

PubMed

Pu, Xiaojun; Lv, Xin; Tan, Tinghong; Fu, Faqiong; Qin, Gongwei; Lin, Honghui

2015-09-01

Plants are sessile organisms that have the ability to integrate external cues into metabolic and developmental signals. The cues initiate specific signal cascades that can enhance the tolerance of plants to stress, and these mechanisms are crucial to the survival and fitness of plants. The adaption of plants to stresses is a complex process that involves decoding stress inputs as energy-deficiency signals. The process functions through vast metabolic and/or transcriptional reprogramming to re-establish the cellular energy balance. Members of the mitochondrial energy dissipation pathway (MEDP), alternative oxidases (AOXs) and uncoupling proteins (UCPs), act as energy mediators and might play crucial roles in the adaption of plants to stresses. However, their roles in plant growth and development have been relatively less explored. This review summarizes current knowledge about the role of members of the MEDP in plant development as well as recent advances in identifying molecular components that regulate the expression of AOXs and UCPs. Highlighted in particular is a comparative analysis of the expression, regulation and stress responses between AOXs and UCPs when plants are exposed to stresses, and a possible signal cross-talk that orchestrates the MEDP, reactive oxygen species (ROS), calcium signalling and hormone signalling. The MEDP might act as a cellular energy/metabolic mediator that integrates ROS signalling, energy signalling and hormone signalling with plant development and stress accumulation. However, the regulation of MEDP members is complex and occurs at transcriptional, translational, post-translational and metabolic levels. How this regulation is linked to actual fluxes through the AOX/UCP in vivo remains elusive. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Annals of Botany Company. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Division of Energy Biosciences annual report and summaries of FY 1996 activities

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

1997-04-01

The mission of the Division of Energy Biosciences is to support research that advances the fundamental knowledge necessary for the future development of biotechnologies related to the Department of Energy`s mission. The departmental civilian objectives include effective and efficient energy production, energy conservation, environmental restoration, and waste management. The Energy Biosciences program emphasizes research in the microbiological and plant sciences, as these understudied areas offer numerous scientific opportunities to dramatically influence environmentally sensible energy production and conservation. The research supported is focused on the basic mechanism affecting plant productivity, conversion of biomass and other organic materials into fuels and chemicalsmore » by microbial systems, and the ability of biological systems to replace energy-intensive or pollutant-producing processes. The Division also addresses the increasing number of new opportunities arising at the interface of biology with other basic energy-related sciences such as biosynthesis of novel materials and the influence of soil organisms on geological processes. This report gives summaries on 225 projects on photosynthesis, membrane or ion transport, plant metabolism and biosynthesis, carbohydrate metabolism lipid metabolism, plant growth and development, plant genetic regulation and genetic mechanisms, plant cell wall development, lignin-polysaccharide breakdown, nitrogen fixation and plant-microbial symbiosis, mechanism for plant adaptation, fermentative microbial metabolism, one and two carbon microbial metabolism, extremophilic microbes, microbial respiration, nutrition and metal metabolism, and materials biosynthesis.« less

Major Transcriptome Reprogramming Underlies Floral Mimicry Induced by the Rust Fungus Puccinia monoica in Boechera stricta

PubMed Central

Haugen, Riston H.; Saunders, Diane G. O.; Leonelli, Lauriebeth; MacLean, Dan; Hogenhout, Saskia A.; Kamoun, Sophien

2013-01-01

Pucciniamonoica is a spectacular plant parasitic rust fungus that triggers the formation of flower-like structures (pseudoflowers) in its Brassicaceae host plant Boechera stricta . Pseudoflowers mimic in shape, color, nectar and scent co-occurring and unrelated flowers such as buttercups. They act to attract insects thereby aiding spore dispersal and sexual reproduction of the rust fungus. Although much ecological research has been performed on P . monoica -induced pseudoflowers, this system has yet to be investigated at the molecular or genomic level. To date, the molecular alterations underlying the development of pseudoflowers and the genes involved have not been described. To address this, we performed gene expression profiling to reveal 256 plant biological processes that are significantly altered in pseudoflowers. Among these biological processes, plant genes involved in cell fate specification, regulation of transcription, reproduction, floral organ development, anthocyanin (major floral pigments) and terpenoid biosynthesis (major floral volatile compounds) were down-regulated in pseudoflowers. In contrast, plant genes involved in shoot, cotyledon and leaf development, carbohydrate transport, wax biosynthesis, cutin transport and L-phenylalanine metabolism (pathway that results in phenylethanol and phenylacetaldehyde volatile production) were up-regulated. These findings point to an extensive reprogramming of host genes by the rust pathogen to induce floral mimicry. We also highlight 31 differentially regulated plant genes that are enriched in the biological processes mentioned above, and are potentially involved in the formation of pseudoflowers. This work illustrates the complex perturbations induced by rust pathogens in their host plants, and provides a starting point for understanding the molecular mechanisms of pathogen-induced floral mimicry. PMID:24069397

Major transcriptome reprogramming underlies floral mimicry induced by the rust fungus Puccinia monoica in Boechera stricta.

PubMed

Cano, Liliana M; Raffaele, Sylvain; Haugen, Riston H; Saunders, Diane G O; Leonelli, Lauriebeth; MacLean, Dan; Hogenhout, Saskia A; Kamoun, Sophien

2013-01-01

Pucciniamonoica is a spectacular plant parasitic rust fungus that triggers the formation of flower-like structures (pseudoflowers) in its Brassicaceae host plant Boecherastricta. Pseudoflowers mimic in shape, color, nectar and scent co-occurring and unrelated flowers such as buttercups. They act to attract insects thereby aiding spore dispersal and sexual reproduction of the rust fungus. Although much ecological research has been performed on P. monoica-induced pseudoflowers, this system has yet to be investigated at the molecular or genomic level. To date, the molecular alterations underlying the development of pseudoflowers and the genes involved have not been described. To address this, we performed gene expression profiling to reveal 256 plant biological processes that are significantly altered in pseudoflowers. Among these biological processes, plant genes involved in cell fate specification, regulation of transcription, reproduction, floral organ development, anthocyanin (major floral pigments) and terpenoid biosynthesis (major floral volatile compounds) were down-regulated in pseudoflowers. In contrast, plant genes involved in shoot, cotyledon and leaf development, carbohydrate transport, wax biosynthesis, cutin transport and L-phenylalanine metabolism (pathway that results in phenylethanol and phenylacetaldehyde volatile production) were up-regulated. These findings point to an extensive reprogramming of host genes by the rust pathogen to induce floral mimicry. We also highlight 31 differentially regulated plant genes that are enriched in the biological processes mentioned above, and are potentially involved in the formation of pseudoflowers. This work illustrates the complex perturbations induced by rust pathogens in their host plants, and provides a starting point for understanding the molecular mechanisms of pathogen-induced floral mimicry.

PLANNING THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PLANT. SCHOOL PLANT PLANNING SERIES.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Utah State Board of Education, Salt Lake City.

CAREFUL PLANNING FOR THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL MAXIMIZES THE USE OF SPACE TO PROVIDE CHILDREN WITH FREQUENT CHANGES IN ACTIVITY AND A WIDE VARIETY OF EXPERIENCES. IN THE PLANNING PROCESS, SPECIAL CONSIDERATION IS GIVEN TO LONG RANGE DEVELOPMENT THUS PREVENTING OVERBUILDING AND UNDERBUILDING. THE PLANT SHOULD FIT, THROUGH INCREASING UTILITY BY…

Rock-colonizing plants: abundance of the endemic cactus Mammillaria fraileana related to rock type in the southern Sonoran Desert

Treesearch

Blanca R. Lopez; Yoav Bashan; Macario Bacilio; Gustavo De la Cruz-Aguero

2009-01-01

Establishment, colonization, and permanence of plants affect biogenic and physical processes leading to development of soil. Rockiness, temperature, and humidity are accepted explanations to the influence and the presence of rock-dwelling plants, but the relationship between mineral and chemical composition of rocks with plant abundance is unknown in some regions. This...

Benchmarking of municipal waste water treatment plants (an Austrian project).

PubMed

Lindtner, S; Kroiss, H; Nowak, O

2004-01-01

An Austrian research project focused on the development of process indicators for treatment plants with different process and operation modes. The whole treatment scheme was subdivided into four processes, i.e. mechanical pretreatment (Process 1), mechanical-biological waste water treatment (Process 2), sludge thickening and stabilisation (Process 3) and further sludge treatment and disposal (Process 4). In order to get comparable process indicators it was necessary to subdivide the sample of 76 individual treatment plants all over Austria into five groups according to their mean organic load (COD) in the influent. The specific total yearly costs, the yearly operating costs and the yearly capital costs of the four processes have been related to the yearly average of the measured organic load expressed in COD (110 g COD/pe/d). The specific investment costs for the whole treatment plant and for Process 2 have been related to a calculated standard design capacity of the mechanical-biological part of the treatment plant expressed in COD. The capital costs of processes 1, 3 and 4 have been related to the design capacity of the treatment plant. For each group (related to the size of the plant) a benchmark band has been defined for the total yearly costs, the total yearly operational costs and the total yearly capital costs. For the operational costs of the Processes 1 to 4 one benchmark ([see symbol in text] per pe/year) has been defined for each group. In addition a theoretical cost reduction potential has been calculated. The cost efficiency in regard to water protection and some special sub-processes such as aeration and sludge dewatering has been analysed.

A novel mesh processing based technique for 3D plant analysis

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background In recent years, imaging based, automated, non-invasive, and non-destructive high-throughput plant phenotyping platforms have become popular tools for plant biology, underpinning the field of plant phenomics. Such platforms acquire and record large amounts of raw data that must be accurately and robustly calibrated, reconstructed, and analysed, requiring the development of sophisticated image understanding and quantification algorithms. The raw data can be processed in different ways, and the past few years have seen the emergence of two main approaches: 2D image processing and 3D mesh processing algorithms. Direct image quantification methods (usually 2D) dominate the current literature due to comparative simplicity. However, 3D mesh analysis provides the tremendous potential to accurately estimate specific morphological features cross-sectionally and monitor them over-time. Result In this paper, we present a novel 3D mesh based technique developed for temporal high-throughput plant phenomics and perform initial tests for the analysis of Gossypium hirsutum vegetative growth. Based on plant meshes previously reconstructed from multi-view images, the methodology involves several stages, including morphological mesh segmentation, phenotypic parameters estimation, and plant organs tracking over time. The initial study focuses on presenting and validating the accuracy of the methodology on dicotyledons such as cotton but we believe the approach will be more broadly applicable. This study involved applying our technique to a set of six Gossypium hirsutum (cotton) plants studied over four time-points. Manual measurements, performed for each plant at every time-point, were used to assess the accuracy of our pipeline and quantify the error on the morphological parameters estimated. Conclusion By directly comparing our automated mesh based quantitative data with manual measurements of individual stem height, leaf width and leaf length, we obtained the mean absolute errors of 9.34%, 5.75%, 8.78%, and correlation coefficients 0.88, 0.96, and 0.95 respectively. The temporal matching of leaves was accurate in 95% of the cases and the average execution time required to analyse a plant over four time-points was 4.9 minutes. The mesh processing based methodology is thus considered suitable for quantitative 4D monitoring of plant phenotypic features. PMID:22553969

Alternative utilization of wheat starch, Grafton, North Dakota

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1981-02-01

In 1978, North Dakota State University (NDSU), in cooperation with the Economic Development Administration, completed a study of the feasibility of a vital wheat gluten starch processing plant in North Dakota. The overall objective of this study is to determine the most feasible alternatives for utilizing the by-product starch slurry from a vital wheat gluten processing plant.

A Simple and Useful Method to Apply Exogenous NO Gas to Plant Systems: Bell Pepper Fruits as a Model.

PubMed

Palma, José M; Ruiz, Carmelo; Corpas, Francisco J

2018-01-01

Nitric oxide (NO) is involved many physiological plant processes, including germination, growth and development of roots, flower setting and development, senescence, and fruit ripening. In the latter physiological process, NO has been reported to play an opposite role to ethylene. Thus, treatment of fruits with NO may lead to delay ripening independently of whether they are climacteric or nonclimacteric. In many cases different methods have been reported to apply NO to plant systems involving sodium nitroprusside, NONOates, DETANO, or GSNO to investigate physiological and molecular consequences. In this chapter a method to treat plant materials with NO is provided using bell pepper fruits as a model. This method is cheap, free of side effects, and easy to apply since it only requires common chemicals and tools available in any biology laboratory.

A Perspective on the Development of Plant-Made Vaccines in the Fight against Ebola Virus

PubMed Central

Rosales-Mendoza, Sergio; Nieto-Gómez, Ricardo; Angulo, Carlos

2017-01-01

The Ebola virus (EBOV) epidemic indicated a great need for prophylactic and therapeutic strategies. The use of plants for the production of biopharmaceuticals is a concept being adopted by the pharmaceutical industry, with an enzyme for human use currently commercialized since 2012 and some plant-based vaccines close to being commercialized. Although plant-based antibodies against EBOV are under clinical evaluation, the development of plant-based vaccines against EBOV essentially remains an unexplored area. The current technologies for the production of plant-based vaccines include stable nuclear expression, transient expression mediated by viral vectors, and chloroplast expression. Specific perspectives on how these technologies can be applied for developing anti-EBOV vaccines are provided, including possibilities for the design of immunogens as well as the potential of the distinct expression modalities to produce the most relevant EBOV antigens in plants considering yields, posttranslational modifications, production time, and downstream processing. PMID:28344580

Auxin and the integration of environmental signals into plant root development

PubMed Central

Kazan, Kemal

2013-01-01

Background Auxin is a versatile plant hormone with important roles in many essential physiological processes. In recent years, significant progress has been made towards understanding the roles of this hormone in plant growth and development. Recent evidence also points to a less well-known but equally important role for auxin as a mediator of environmental adaptation in plants. Scope This review briefly discusses recent findings on how plants utilize auxin signalling and transport to modify their root system architecture when responding to diverse biotic and abiotic rhizosphere signals, including macro- and micro-nutrient starvation, cold and water stress, soil acidity, pathogenic and beneficial microbes, nematodes and neighbouring plants. Stress-responsive transcription factors and microRNAs that modulate auxin- and environment-mediated root development are also briefly highlighted. Conclusions The auxin pathway constitutes an essential component of the plant's biotic and abiotic stress tolerance mechanisms. Further understanding of the specific roles that auxin plays in environmental adaptation can ultimately lead to the development of crops better adapted to stressful environments. PMID:24136877

Auxin and the integration of environmental signals into plant root development.

PubMed

Kazan, Kemal

2013-12-01

Auxin is a versatile plant hormone with important roles in many essential physiological processes. In recent years, significant progress has been made towards understanding the roles of this hormone in plant growth and development. Recent evidence also points to a less well-known but equally important role for auxin as a mediator of environmental adaptation in plants. This review briefly discusses recent findings on how plants utilize auxin signalling and transport to modify their root system architecture when responding to diverse biotic and abiotic rhizosphere signals, including macro- and micro-nutrient starvation, cold and water stress, soil acidity, pathogenic and beneficial microbes, nematodes and neighbouring plants. Stress-responsive transcription factors and microRNAs that modulate auxin- and environment-mediated root development are also briefly highlighted. The auxin pathway constitutes an essential component of the plant's biotic and abiotic stress tolerance mechanisms. Further understanding of the specific roles that auxin plays in environmental adaptation can ultimately lead to the development of crops better adapted to stressful environments.

A functional-structural model of rice linking quantitative genetic information with morphological development and physiological processes.

PubMed

Xu, Lifeng; Henke, Michael; Zhu, Jun; Kurth, Winfried; Buck-Sorlin, Gerhard

2011-04-01

Although quantitative trait loci (QTL) analysis of yield-related traits for rice has developed rapidly, crop models using genotype information have been proposed only relatively recently. As a first step towards a generic genotype-phenotype model, we present here a three-dimensional functional-structural plant model (FSPM) of rice, in which some model parameters are controlled by functions describing the effect of main-effect and epistatic QTLs. The model simulates the growth and development of rice based on selected ecophysiological processes, such as photosynthesis (source process) and organ formation, growth and extension (sink processes). It was devised using GroIMP, an interactive modelling platform based on the Relational Growth Grammar formalism (RGG). RGG rules describe the course of organ initiation and extension resulting in final morphology. The link between the phenotype (as represented by the simulated rice plant) and the QTL genotype was implemented via a data interface between the rice FSPM and the QTLNetwork software, which computes predictions of QTLs from map data and measured trait data. Using plant height and grain yield, it is shown how QTL information for a given trait can be used in an FSPM, computing and visualizing the phenotypes of different lines of a mapping population. Furthermore, we demonstrate how modification of a particular trait feeds back on the entire plant phenotype via the physiological processes considered. We linked a rice FSPM to a quantitative genetic model, thereby employing QTL information to refine model parameters and visualizing the dynamics of development of the entire phenotype as a result of ecophysiological processes, including the trait(s) for which genetic information is available. Possibilities for further extension of the model, for example for the purposes of ideotype breeding, are discussed.

A functional–structural model of rice linking quantitative genetic information with morphological development and physiological processes

PubMed Central

Xu, Lifeng; Henke, Michael; Zhu, Jun; Kurth, Winfried; Buck-Sorlin, Gerhard

2011-01-01

Background and Aims Although quantitative trait loci (QTL) analysis of yield-related traits for rice has developed rapidly, crop models using genotype information have been proposed only relatively recently. As a first step towards a generic genotype–phenotype model, we present here a three-dimensional functional–structural plant model (FSPM) of rice, in which some model parameters are controlled by functions describing the effect of main-effect and epistatic QTLs. Methods The model simulates the growth and development of rice based on selected ecophysiological processes, such as photosynthesis (source process) and organ formation, growth and extension (sink processes). It was devised using GroIMP, an interactive modelling platform based on the Relational Growth Grammar formalism (RGG). RGG rules describe the course of organ initiation and extension resulting in final morphology. The link between the phenotype (as represented by the simulated rice plant) and the QTL genotype was implemented via a data interface between the rice FSPM and the QTLNetwork software, which computes predictions of QTLs from map data and measured trait data. Key Results Using plant height and grain yield, it is shown how QTL information for a given trait can be used in an FSPM, computing and visualizing the phenotypes of different lines of a mapping population. Furthermore, we demonstrate how modification of a particular trait feeds back on the entire plant phenotype via the physiological processes considered. Conclusions We linked a rice FSPM to a quantitative genetic model, thereby employing QTL information to refine model parameters and visualizing the dynamics of development of the entire phenotype as a result of ecophysiological processes, including the trait(s) for which genetic information is available. Possibilities for further extension of the model, for example for the purposes of ideotype breeding, are discussed. PMID:21247905

DNA Topoisomerase 1 Prevents R-loop Accumulation to Modulate Auxin-Regulated Root Development in Rice.

PubMed

Shafiq, Sarfraz; Chen, Chunli; Yang, Jing; Cheng, Lingling; Ma, Fei; Widemann, Emilie; Sun, Qianwen

2017-06-05

R-loop structures (RNA:DNA hybrids) have important functions in many biological processes, including transcriptional regulation and genome instability among diverse organisms. DNA topoisomerase 1 (TOP1), an essential manipulator of DNA topology during RNA transcription and DNA replication processes, can prevent R-loop accumulation by removing the positive and negative DNA supercoiling that is made by RNA polymerases during transcription. TOP1 is required for plant development, but little is known about its function in preventing co-transcriptional R-loop accumulation in various biological processes in plants. Here we show that knockdown of OsTOP1 strongly affects rice development, causing defects in root architecture and gravitropism, which are the consequences of misregulation of auxin signaling and transporter genes. We found that R-loops are naturally formed at rice auxin-related gene loci, and overaccumulate when OsTOP1 is knocked down or OsTOP1 protein activity is inhibited. OsTOP1 therefore sets the accurate expression levels of auxin-related genes by preventing the overaccumulation of inherent R-loops. Our data reveal R-loops as important factors in polar auxin transport and plant root development, and highlight that OsTOP1 functions as a key to link transcriptional R-loops with plant hormone signaling, provide new insights into transcriptional regulation of hormone signaling in plants. Copyright © 2017 The Author. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

BIIDXI, the At4g32460 DUF642 gene, is involved in pectin methyl esterase regulation during Arabidopsis thaliana seed germination and plant development.

PubMed

Zúñiga-Sánchez, Esther; Soriano, Diana; Martínez-Barajas, Eleazar; Orozco-Segovia, Alma; Gamboa-deBuen, Alicia

2014-12-02

DUF642 proteins constitute a highly conserved family of proteins that are associated with the cell wall and are specific to spermatophytes. Transcriptome studies have suggested that members of this family are involved in seed development and germination processes. Previous in vitro studies have revealed that At4g32460- and At5g11420-encoded proteins interact with the catalytic domain of pectin methyl esterase 3 (AtPME3, which is encoded by At3g14310). PMEs play an important role in plant development, including seed germination. The aim of this study was to evaluate the function of the DUF642 gene At4g32460 during seed germination and plant development and to determine its relation to PME activity regulation. Our results indicated that the DUF642 proteins encoded by At4g32460 and At5g11420 could be positive regulators of PME activity during several developmental processes. Transgenic lines overexpressing these proteins showed increased PME activity during seed germination, and improved seed germination performance. In plants expressing At4g32460 antisense RNA, PME activity was decreased in the leaves, and the siliques were very short and contained no seeds. This phenotype was also present in the SALK_142260 and SALK_054867 lines for At4g32460. Our results suggested that the DUF642 family contributes to the complexity of the methylesterification process by participating in the fine regulation of pectin status during plant development.

Qualitative Exploration of the Potential Causes of Serious Reduction in Availability of Medicinal Plants in the Qinghai-Tibetan High Plateau

PubMed Central

Cuomu, Mingji

2014-01-01

In the last ten years, there has been a dramatic reduction in medicinal plants in Tibet. This situation has attracted the attention of many researchers from different professional backgrounds, yet very few documents have been published on the general theoretical context and the actual process of herb collection as it occurs at different levels in clinics in Tibet. This article begins with a systematic review of the general principles of medicinal plant collection methods as set out in the ancient traditional medical system. Because the demand for plants is generated by the need to make Tibetan medicines, it is necessary to consider the original context of Tibetan medicine to understand pharmacological needs and the principles behind collecting medicinal plants to develop a strategy that might guarantee sustainable development of the plant supply. After considering the wider context of this study, the article presents research mainly based on case studies with the intention of understanding different stakeholders’ experiences and social relationships in the contemporary herb collection process in order to discover behavioral patterns within the dynamic social roles involved in this process as these inform policy formation and to seek to promote appropriate methods in the future. PMID:25478035

Volatilisation and competing processes computed for a pesticide applied to plants in a wind tunnel system.

PubMed

Leistra, Minze; Wolters, André; van den Berg, Frederik

2008-06-01

Volatilisation of pesticides from crop canopies can be an important emission pathway. In addition to pesticide properties, competing processes in the canopy and environmental conditions play a part. A computation model is being developed to simulate the processes, but only some of the input data can be obtained directly from the literature. Three well-defined experiments on the volatilisation of radiolabelled parathion-methyl (as example compound) from plants in a wind tunnel system were simulated with the computation model. Missing parameter values were estimated by calibration against the experimental results. The resulting thickness of the air boundary layer, rate of plant penetation and rate of phototransformation were compared with a diversity of literature data. The sequence of importance of the canopy processes was: volatilisation > plant penetration > phototransformation. Computer simulation of wind tunnel experiments, with radiolabelled pesticide sprayed on plants, yields values for the rate coefficients of processes at the plant surface. As some input data for simulations are not required in the framework of registration procedures, attempts to estimate missing parameter values on the basis of divergent experimental results have to be continued. Copyright (c) 2008 Society of Chemical Industry.

Linking Soil Moisture Variation and Abundance of Plants to Geomorphic Processes: A Generalized Model for Erosion-Uplifting Landscapes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ding, Junyan; Johnson, Edward A.; Martin, Yvonne E.

2018-03-01

The diffusive and advective erosion-created landscapes have similar structure (hillslopes and channels) across different scales regardless of variations in drivers and controls. The relative magnitude of diffusive erosion to advective erosion (D/K ratio) in a landscape development model controls hillslope length, shape, and drainage density, which regulate soil moisture variation, one of the critical resources of plants, through the contributing area (A) and local slope (S) represented by a topographic index (TI). Here we explore the theoretical relation between geomorphic processes, TI, and the abundance and distribution of plants. We derived an analytical model that expresses the TI with D, K, and A. This gives us the relation between soil moisture variation and geomorphic processes. Plant tolerance curves are used to link plant performance to soil moisture. Using the hypothetical tolerance curves of three plants, we show that the abundance and distribution of xeric, mesic, and hydric plants on the landscape are regulated by the D/K ratio. Where diffusive erosion is the major erosion process (large D/K ratio), mesic plants have higher abundance relative to xeric and hydric plants and the landscape has longer and convex-upward hillslope and low channel density. Increasing the dominance of advective erosion increases relative abundance of xeric and hydric plants dominance, and the landscape has short and concave hillslope and high channel density.

Recent advances towards development and commercialization of plant cell culture processes for synthesis of biomolecules

PubMed Central

Wilson, Sarah A.; Roberts, Susan C.

2011-01-01

(1) Summary Plant cell culture systems were initially explored for use in commercial synthesis of several high value secondary metabolites, allowing for sustainable production that was not limited by the low yields associated with natural harvest or the high cost associated with complex chemical synthesis. Although there have been some commercial successes, most notably paclitaxel production from Taxus sp., process limitations exist with regards to low product yields and inherent production variability. A variety of strategies are being developed to overcome these limitations including elicitation strategies, in situ product removal and metabolic engineering with single genes and transcription factors. Recently, the plant cell culture production platform has been extended to pharmaceutically active heterologous proteins. Plant systems are beneficial because they are able to produce complex proteins that are properly glycosylated, folded and assembled without the risk of contamination by toxins that are associated with mammalian or microbial production systems. Additionally, plant cell culture isolates transgenic material from the environment, allows for more controllable conditions over field grown crops and promotes secretion of proteins to the medium, reducing downstream purification costs. Despite these benefits, the increase in cost of heterologous protein synthesis in plant cell culture as opposed to field grown crops is significant and therefore processes must be optimized with regards to maximizing secretion and enhancing protein stability in the cell culture media. This review discusses recent advancements in plant cell culture processing technology, focusing on progress towards overcoming the problems associated with commercialization of these production systems and highlighting recent commercial successes. PMID:22059985

Detailed partial load investigation of a thermal energy storage concept for solar thermal power plants with direct steam generation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seitz, M.; Hübner, S.; Johnson, M.

2016-05-01

Direct steam generation enables the implementation of a higher steam temperature for parabolic trough concentrated solar power plants. This leads to much better cycle efficiencies and lower electricity generating costs. For a flexible and more economic operation of such a power plant, it is necessary to develop thermal energy storage systems for the extension of the production time of the power plant. In the case of steam as the heat transfer fluid, it is important to use a storage material that uses latent heat for the storage process. This leads to a minimum of exergy losses during the storage process. In the case of a concentrating solar power plant, superheated steam is needed during the discharging process. This steam cannot be superheated by the latent heat storage system. Therefore, a sensible molten salt storage system is used for this task. In contrast to the state-of-the-art thermal energy storages within the concentrating solar power area of application, a storage system for a direct steam generation plant consists of a latent and a sensible storage part. Thus far, no partial load behaviors of sensible and latent heat storage systems have been analyzed in detail. In this work, an optimized fin structure was developed in order to minimize the costs of the latent heat storage. A complete system simulation of the power plant process, including the solar field, power block and sensible and latent heat energy storage calculates the interaction between the solar field, the power block and the thermal energy storage system.

Terrestrial ecosystem process model Biome-BGCMuSo v4.0: summary of improvements and new modeling possibilities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hidy, Dóra; Barcza, Zoltán; Marjanović, Hrvoje; Zorana Ostrogović Sever, Maša; Dobor, Laura; Gelybó, Györgyi; Fodor, Nándor; Pintér, Krisztina; Churkina, Galina; Running, Steven; Thornton, Peter; Bellocchi, Gianni; Haszpra, László; Horváth, Ferenc; Suyker, Andrew; Nagy, Zoltán

2016-12-01

The process-based biogeochemical model Biome-BGC was enhanced to improve its ability to simulate carbon, nitrogen, and water cycles of various terrestrial ecosystems under contrasting management activities. Biome-BGC version 4.1.1 was used as a base model. Improvements included addition of new modules such as the multilayer soil module, implementation of processes related to soil moisture and nitrogen balance, soil-moisture-related plant senescence, and phenological development. Vegetation management modules with annually varying options were also implemented to simulate management practices of grasslands (mowing, grazing), croplands (ploughing, fertilizer application, planting, harvesting), and forests (thinning). New carbon and nitrogen pools have been defined to simulate yield and soft stem development of herbaceous ecosystems. The model version containing all developments is referred to as Biome-BGCMuSo (Biome-BGC with multilayer soil module; in this paper, Biome-BGCMuSo v4.0 is documented). Case studies on a managed forest, cropland, and grassland are presented to demonstrate the effect of model developments on the simulation of plant growth as well as on carbon and water balance.

Plants in silico: why, why now and what?--an integrative platform for plant systems biology research.

PubMed

Zhu, Xin-Guang; Lynch, Jonathan P; LeBauer, David S; Millar, Andrew J; Stitt, Mark; Long, Stephen P

2016-05-01

A paradigm shift is needed and timely in moving plant modelling from largely isolated efforts to a connected community endeavour that can take full advantage of advances in computer science and in mechanistic understanding of plant processes. Plants in silico (Psi) envisions a digital representation of layered dynamic modules, linking from gene networks and metabolic pathways through to cellular organization, tissue, organ and whole plant development, together with resource capture and use efficiency in dynamic competitive environments, ultimately allowing a mechanistically rich simulation of the plant or of a community of plants in silico. The concept is to integrate models or modules from different layers of organization spanning from genome to phenome to ecosystem in a modular framework allowing the use of modules of varying mechanistic detail representing the same biological process. Developments in high-performance computing, functional knowledge of plants, the internet and open-source version controlled software make achieving the concept realistic. Open source will enhance collaboration and move towards testing and consensus on quantitative theoretical frameworks. Importantly, Psi provides a quantitative knowledge framework where the implications of a discovery at one level, for example, single gene function or developmental response, can be examined at the whole plant or even crop and natural ecosystem levels. © 2015 The Authors Plant, Cell & Environment Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Optimization of scheduling system for plant watering using electric cars in agro techno park

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oktavia Adiwijaya, Nelly; Herlambang, Yudha; Slamin

2018-04-01

Agro Techno Park in University of Jember is a special area used for the development of agriculture, livestock and fishery. In this plantation, the process of watering the plants is according to the frequency of each plant needs. This research develops the optimization of plant watering scheduling system using edge coloring of graph. This research was conducted in 3 stages, namely, data collection phase, analysis phase, and system development stage. The collected data was analyzed and then converted into a graph by using bipartite adjacency matrix representation. The development phase is conducted to build a web-based watering schedule optimization system. The result of this research showed that the schedule system is optimal because it can maximize the use of all electric cars to water the plants and minimize the number of idle cars.

Design of components for growing higher plants in space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1988-01-01

The overall goal of this project is to design unique systems and components for growing higher plants in microgravity during long-term space missions (Mars and beyond). Specific design tasks were chosen to contribute to and supplement NASA's Controlled Ecological Life Support System (CELSS) project. Selected tasks were automated seeding of plants, plant health sensing, and food processing. Prototype systems for planting both germinated and nongerminated seeds were fabricated and tested. Water and air pressure differences and electrostatic fields were used to trap seeds for separation and transport for planting. An absorption spectrometer was developed to measure chlorophyll levels in plants as an early warning of plant health problems. In the area of food processing, a milling system was created using high-speed rotating blades which were aerodynamically configured to produce circulation and retractable to prevent leakage. The project produced significant results having substantial benefit to NASA. It also provided an outstanding learning experience for the students involved.

The miR156-SPL9-DFR pathway coordinates the relationship between development and abiotic stress tolerance in plants.

PubMed

Cui, Long-Gang; Shan, Jun-Xiang; Shi, Min; Gao, Ji-Ping; Lin, Hong-Xuan

2014-12-01

Young organisms have relatively strong resistance to diseases and adverse conditions. When confronted with adversity, the process of development is delayed in plants. This phenomenon is thought to result from the rebalancing of energy, which helps plants to coordinate the relationship between development and stress tolerance; however, the molecular mechanism underlying this phenomenon remains mysterious. In this study, we found that miR156 integrates environmental signals to ensure timely flowering, thus enabling the completion of breeding. Under stress conditions, miR156 is induced to maintain the plant in the juvenile state for a relatively long period of time, whereas under favorable conditions, miR156 is suppressed to accelerate the developmental transition. Blocking the miR156 signaling pathway in Arabidopsis thaliana with 35S::MIM156 (via target mimicry) increased the sensitivity of the plant to stress treatment, whereas overexpression of miR156 increased stress tolerance. In fact, this mechanism is also conserved in Oryza sativa (rice). We also identified downstream genes of miR156, i.e. SQUAMOSA PROMOTER BINDING PROTEIN-LIKE 9 (SPL9) and DIHYDROFLAVONOL-4-REDUCTASE (DFR), which take part in this process by influencing the metabolism of anthocyanin. Our results uncover a molecular mechanism for plant adaptation to the environment through the miR156-SPLs-DFR pathway, which coordinates development and abiotic stress tolerance. © 2014 The Authors The Plant Journal © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

[Application prospect and expectation of fungistatic agents of plants in preservation of Chinese herbal medicines].

PubMed

Li, Yan-jun; Kong, Wei-jun; Hu, Yi-chen; Zhao, Lian-hua; Yang, Shi-hai; Yang, Mei-hua

2015-10-01

During the process of growth, harvesting, transportation, processing and storage, Chinese herbal medicines (CHMs) can be easily contaminated by fungi and their metabolites like mycotoxins, which not only express negative effects on the quality and safety of CHMs and their processed products, but also pose great threats to human health. Now, some chemical synthetic fungicides have been frequently used to control the growth of fungi and accumulation of mycotoxins in the preservation of CHMs. However, the concentration and type of chemical fungicides allowed for postharvest application are restricted due to the disadvantages of their high residual toxicity, long degradation period and pollution to the environment and so on. Therefore, it is critical to research and develop some highly effective, safe and non-toxic, natural, environment-friendly fungistatic agents from plants to prevent CHMs from being contaminated by fungi and mycotoxins. The paper reviews mycotoxins and their harmfulness, the effective compounds of fungistatic plants as well as the antifungal mechanism to provide scientific evidences for developing novel and effective fungistatic agents plants. Then, the application prospect of fungistatic agents from plants in the preservation of CHMs was discussed.

Latrunculin B-induced plant dwarfism: Plant cell elongation is F-actin-dependent.

PubMed

Baluska, F; Jasik, J; Edelmann, H G; Salajová, T; Volkmann, D

2001-03-01

Marine macrolides latrunculins are highly specific toxins which effectively depolymerize actin filaments (generally F-actin) in all eukaryotic cells. We show that latrunculin B is effective on diverse cell types in higher plants and describe the use of this drug in probing F-actin-dependent growth and in plant development-related processes. In contrast to other eukaryotic organisms, cell divisions occurs in plant cells devoid of all actin filaments. However, the alignment of the division planes is often distorted. In addition to cell division, postembryonic development and morphogenesis also continue in the absence of F-actin. These experimental data suggest that F-actin is of little importance in the morphogenesis of higher plants, and that plants can develop more or less normally without F-actin. In contrast, F-actin turns out to be essential for cell elongation. When latrunculin B was added during germination, morphologically normal Arabidopsis and rye seedlings developed but, as a result of the absence of cell elongation, these were stunted, resembling either genetic dwarfs or environmental bonsai plants. In conclusion, F-actin is essential for the plant cell elongation, while this F-actin-dependent cell elongation is not an essential feature of plant-specific developmental programs.

Effects of the Extraterrestrial Environment on Plants: Recommendations for Future Space Experiments for the MELiSSA Higher Plant Compartment.

PubMed

Wolff, Silje A; Coelho, Liz H; Karoliussen, Irene; Jost, Ann-Iren Kittang

2014-05-05

Due to logistical challenges, long-term human space exploration missions require a life support system capable of regenerating all the essentials for survival. Higher plants can be utilized to provide a continuous supply of fresh food, atmosphere revitalization, and clean water for humans. Plants can adapt to extreme environments on Earth, and model plants have been shown to grow and develop through a full life cycle in microgravity. However, more knowledge about the long term effects of the extraterrestrial environment on plant growth and development is necessary. The European Space Agency (ESA) has developed the Micro-Ecological Life Support System Alternative (MELiSSA) program to develop a closed regenerative life support system, based on micro-organisms and higher plant processes, with continuous recycling of resources. In this context, a literature review to analyze the impact of the space environments on higher plants, with focus on gravity levels, magnetic fields and radiation, has been performed. This communication presents a roadmap giving directions for future scientific activities within space plant cultivation. The roadmap aims to identify the research activities required before higher plants can be included in regenerative life support systems in space.

Effects of the Extraterrestrial Environment on Plants: Recommendations for Future Space Experiments for the MELiSSA Higher Plant Compartment

PubMed Central

Wolff, Silje A.; Coelho, Liz H.; Karoliussen, Irene; Jost, Ann-Iren Kittang

2014-01-01

Due to logistical challenges, long-term human space exploration missions require a life support system capable of regenerating all the essentials for survival. Higher plants can be utilized to provide a continuous supply of fresh food, atmosphere revitalization, and clean water for humans. Plants can adapt to extreme environments on Earth, and model plants have been shown to grow and develop through a full life cycle in microgravity. However, more knowledge about the long term effects of the extraterrestrial environment on plant growth and development is necessary. The European Space Agency (ESA) has developed the Micro-Ecological Life Support System Alternative (MELiSSA) program to develop a closed regenerative life support system, based on micro-organisms and higher plant processes, with continuous recycling of resources. In this context, a literature review to analyze the impact of the space environments on higher plants, with focus on gravity levels, magnetic fields and radiation, has been performed. This communication presents a roadmap giving directions for future scientific activities within space plant cultivation. The roadmap aims to identify the research activities required before higher plants can be included in regenerative life support systems in space. PMID:25370192

A model framework to represent plant-physiology and rhizosphere processes in soil profile simulation models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vanderborght, J.; Javaux, M.; Couvreur, V.; Schröder, N.; Huber, K.; Abesha, B.; Schnepf, A.; Vereecken, H.

2013-12-01

Plant roots play a crucial role in several key processes in soils. Besides their impact on biogeochemical cycles and processes, they also have an important influence on physical processes such as water flow and transport of dissolved substances in soils. Interaction between plant roots and soil processes takes place at different scales and ranges from the scale of an individual root and its directly surrounding soil or rhizosphere over the scale of a root system of an individual plant in a soil profile to the scale of vegetation patterns in landscapes. Simulation models that are used to predict water flow and solute transport in soil-plant systems mainly focus on the individual plant root system scale, parameterize single-root scale phenomena, and aggregate the root system scale to the vegetation scale. In this presentation, we will focus on the transition from the single root to the root system scale. Using high resolution non-invasive imaging techniques and methods, gradients in soil properties and states around roots and their difference from the bulk soil properties could be demonstrated. Recent developments in plant sciences provide new insights in the mechanisms that control water fluxes in plants and in the adaptation of root properties or root plasticity to changing soil conditions. However, since currently used approaches to simulate root water uptake neither resolve these small scale processes nor represent processes and controls within the root system, transferring this information to the whole soil-plant system scale is a challenge. Using a simulation model that describes flow and transport processes in the soil, resolves flow and transport towards individual roots, and describes flow and transport within the root system, such a transfer could be achieved. We present a few examples that illustrate: (i) the impact of changed rhizosphere hydraulic properties, (ii) the effect of root hydraulic properties and root system architecture, (iii) the regulation of plant transpiration by root-zone produced plant hormones, and (iv) the impact of salt accumulation at the soil-root interface on root water uptake. We further propose a framework how this process knowledge could be implemented in root zone simulation models that do not resolve small scale processes.

Developmental Pathways Are Blueprints for Designing Successful Crops

PubMed Central

Trevaskis, Ben

2018-01-01

Genes controlling plant development have been studied in multiple plant systems. This has provided deep insights into conserved genetic pathways controlling core developmental processes including meristem identity, phase transitions, determinacy, stem elongation, and branching. These pathways control plant growth patterns and are fundamentally important to crop biology and agriculture. This review describes the conserved pathways that control plant development, using Arabidopsis as a model. Historical examples of how plant development has been altered through selection to improve crop performance are then presented. These examples, drawn from diverse crops, show how the genetic pathways controlling development have been modified to increase yield or tailor growth patterns to suit local growing environments or specialized crop management practices. Strategies to apply current progress in genomics and developmental biology to future crop improvement are then discussed within the broader context of emerging trends in plant breeding. The ways that knowledge of developmental processes and understanding of gene function can contribute to crop improvement, beyond what can be achieved by selection alone, are emphasized. These include using genome re-sequencing, mutagenesis, and gene editing to identify or generate novel variation in developmental genes. The expanding scope for comparative genomics, the possibility to engineer new developmental traits and new approaches to resolve gene–gene or gene–environment interactions are also discussed. Finally, opportunities to integrate fundamental research and crop breeding are highlighted. PMID:29922318

Developmental Pathways Are Blueprints for Designing Successful Crops.

PubMed

Trevaskis, Ben

2018-01-01

Genes controlling plant development have been studied in multiple plant systems. This has provided deep insights into conserved genetic pathways controlling core developmental processes including meristem identity, phase transitions, determinacy, stem elongation, and branching. These pathways control plant growth patterns and are fundamentally important to crop biology and agriculture. This review describes the conserved pathways that control plant development, using Arabidopsis as a model. Historical examples of how plant development has been altered through selection to improve crop performance are then presented. These examples, drawn from diverse crops, show how the genetic pathways controlling development have been modified to increase yield or tailor growth patterns to suit local growing environments or specialized crop management practices. Strategies to apply current progress in genomics and developmental biology to future crop improvement are then discussed within the broader context of emerging trends in plant breeding. The ways that knowledge of developmental processes and understanding of gene function can contribute to crop improvement, beyond what can be achieved by selection alone, are emphasized. These include using genome re-sequencing, mutagenesis, and gene editing to identify or generate novel variation in developmental genes. The expanding scope for comparative genomics, the possibility to engineer new developmental traits and new approaches to resolve gene-gene or gene-environment interactions are also discussed. Finally, opportunities to integrate fundamental research and crop breeding are highlighted.

Modulation of host cell biology by plant pathogenic microbes.

PubMed

Le Fevre, Ruth; Evangelisti, Edouard; Rey, Thomas; Schornack, Sebastian

2015-01-01

Plant-pathogen interactions can result in dramatic visual changes in the host, such as galls, phyllody, pseudoflowers, and altered root-system architecture, indicating that the invading microbe has perturbed normal plant growth and development. These effects occur on a cellular level but range up to the organ scale, and they commonly involve attenuation of hormone homeostasis and deployment of effector proteins with varying activities to modify host cell processes. This review focuses on the cellular-reprogramming mechanisms of filamentous and bacterial plant pathogens that exhibit a biotrophic lifestyle for part, if not all, of their lifecycle in association with the host. We also highlight strategies for exploiting our growing knowledge of microbial host reprogramming to study plant processes other than immunity and to explore alternative strategies for durable plant resistance.

Heterologous Expression of Plant Cell Wall Degrading Enzymes for Effective Production of Cellulosic Biofuels

PubMed Central

Jung, Sang-Kyu; Parisutham, Vinuselvi; Jeong, Seong Hun; Lee, Sung Kuk

2012-01-01

A major technical challenge in the cost-effective production of cellulosic biofuel is the need to lower the cost of plant cell wall degrading enzymes (PCDE), which is required for the production of sugars from biomass. Several competitive, low-cost technologies have been developed to produce PCDE in different host organisms such as Escherichia coli, Zymomonas mobilis, and plant. Selection of an ideal host organism is very important, because each host organism has its own unique features. Synthetic biology-aided tools enable heterologous expression of PCDE in recombinant E. coli or Z. mobilis and allow successful consolidated bioprocessing (CBP) in these microorganisms. In-planta expression provides an opportunity to simplify the process of enzyme production and plant biomass processing and leads to self-deconstruction of plant cell walls. Although the future of currently available technologies is difficult to predict, a complete and viable platform will most likely be available through the integration of the existing approaches with the development of breakthrough technologies. PMID:22911272

Somatic embryogenesis and polyamines in woody plants

Treesearch

Rakesh Minocha; Subhash C. Minocha; Liisa Kaarina Simola

1995-01-01

The formation of whole plants from cultured cells is interesting not only because of its applications for mass propagation but also as a prime example of the process of controlled development and differentiation in plants. Cultures capable of producing somatic embryos with high frequency provide ideal experimental systems to study and understand the biochemical basis...

Low doses of glyphosate enhance growth, CO2 assimilation, stomatal conductance and transpiration in sugarcane and eucalyptus

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Sublethal doses of herbicides can enhance plant growth and stimulate other process, an effect known as hormesis. The magnitude of hormesis is dependent on the plant species, the herbicide and its dose, plant development stage, and environmental parameters. Glyphosate hormesis is well established, bu...

Approaches for geospatial processing of field-based high-throughput plant phenomics data from ground vehicle platforms

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Understanding the genetic basis of complex plant traits requires connecting genotype to phenotype information, known as the “G2P question.” In the last three decades, genotyping methods have become highly developed. Much less innovation has occurred for measuring plant traits (phenotyping), particul...

Multiscale Models in the Biomechanics of Plant Growth

PubMed Central

Fozard, John A.

2015-01-01

Plant growth occurs through the coordinated expansion of tightly adherent cells, driven by regulated softening of cell walls. It is an intrinsically multiscale process, with the integrated properties of multiple cell walls shaping the whole tissue. Multiscale models encode physical relationships to bring new understanding to plant physiology and development. PMID:25729061

AMMONIA ABSORPTION/AMMONIUM BISULFATE REGENERATION PILOT PLANT FOR FLUE GAS DESULFURIZATION

EPA Science Inventory

The report gives results of a pilot-plant study of the ammonia absorption/ammonium bisulfate regeneration process for removing SO2 from the stack gas of coal-fired power plants. Data were developed on the effects of such operating variable in the absorption of SO2 by ammoniacal l...

Development and characterization of 13 polymorphic microsatellite loci for Cryptolepsis sanguinolenta, an African antimalarial plant

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Cryptolepsis sanguinolenta is an herbaceous perennial plant indigenous to West and Central Africa. The roots are harvested and widely used in the preparation of herbal decoctions to treat malaria. The process of harvesting wild grown roots is unsustainable, and the plant is becoming more difficult t...

Computational Identification of MicroRNAs and Their Targets from Finger Millet (Eleusine coracana).

PubMed

Usha, S; Jyothi, M N; Suchithra, B; Dixit, Rekha; Rai, D V; Nagesh Babu, R

2017-03-01

MicroRNAs are endogenous small RNAs regulating intrinsic normal growth and development of plant. Discovering miRNAs, their targets and further inferring their functions had become routine process to comprehend the normal biological processes of miRNAs and their roles in plant development. In this study, we used homology-based analysis with available expressed sequence tag of finger millet (Eleusine coracana) to predict conserved miRNAs. Three potent miRNAs targeting 88 genes were identified. The newly identified miRNAs were found to be homologous with miR166 and miR1310. The targets recognized were transcription factors and enzymes, and GO analysis showed these miRNAs played varied roles in gene regulation. The identification of miRNAs and their targets is anticipated to hasten the pace of key epigenetic regulators in plant development.

DNA damage and repair in plants – from models to crops

PubMed Central

Manova, Vasilissa; Gruszka, Damian

2015-01-01

The genomic integrity of every organism is constantly challenged by endogenous and exogenous DNA-damaging factors. Mutagenic agents cause reduced stability of plant genome and have a deleterious effect on development, and in the case of crop species lead to yield reduction. It is crucial for all organisms, including plants, to develop efficient mechanisms for maintenance of the genome integrity. DNA repair processes have been characterized in bacterial, fungal, and mammalian model systems. The description of these processes in plants, in contrast, was initiated relatively recently and has been focused largely on the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. Consequently, our knowledge about DNA repair in plant genomes - particularly in the genomes of crop plants - is by far more limited. However, the relatively small size of the Arabidopsis genome, its rapid life cycle and availability of various transformation methods make this species an attractive model for the study of eukaryotic DNA repair mechanisms and mutagenesis. Moreover, abnormalities in DNA repair which proved to be lethal for animal models are tolerated in plant genomes, although sensitivity to DNA damaging agents is retained. Due to the high conservation of DNA repair processes and factors mediating them among eukaryotes, genes and proteins that have been identified in model species may serve to identify homologous sequences in other species, including crop plants, in which these mechanisms are poorly understood. Crop breeding programs have provided remarkable advances in food quality and yield over the last century. Although the human population is predicted to “peak” by 2050, further advances in yield will be required to feed this population. Breeding requires genetic diversity. The biological impact of any mutagenic agent used for the creation of genetic diversity depends on the chemical nature of the induced lesions and on the efficiency and accuracy of their repair. More recent targeted mutagenesis procedures also depend on host repair processes, with different pathways yielding different products. Enhanced understanding of DNA repair processes in plants will inform and accelerate the engineering of crop genomes via both traditional and targeted approaches. PMID:26557130

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fitzpatrick, Stephen W.

This project involved a three-year program managed by BioMetics, Inc. (Waltham, MA) to demonstrate the commercial feasibility of Biofine thermochemical process technology for conversion of cellulose-containing wastes or renewable materials into levulinic acid, a versatile platform chemical. The program, commencing in October 1995, involved the design, procurement, construction and operation of a plant utilizing the Biofine process to convert 1 dry ton per day of paper sludge waste. The plant was successfully designed, constructed, and commissioned in 1997. It was operated for a period of one year on paper sludge from a variety of source paper mills to collect datamore » to verify the design for a commercial scale plant. Operational results were obtained for four different feedstock varieties. Stable, continuous operation was achieved for two of the feedstocks. Continuous operation of the plant at demonstration scale provided the opportunity for process optimization, development of operational protocols, operator training and identification of suitable materials of construction for scale up to commercial operation . Separated fiber from municipal waster was also successfully processed. The project team consisted of BioMetics Inc., Great Lakes Chemical Corporation (West Lafayette, IN), and New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (Albany, NY).« less

Plant-Scale Concentration Column Designs for SHINE Target Solution Utilizing AG 1 Anion Exchange Resin

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Stepinski, Dominique C.; Vandegrift, G. F.

2015-09-30

Argonne is assisting SHINE Medical Technologies (SHINE) in their efforts to develop SHINE, an accelerator-driven process that will utilize a uranyl-sulfate solution for the production of fission product Mo-99. An integral part of the process is the development of a column for the separation and recovery of Mo-99, followed by a concentration column to reduce the product volume from 15-25 L to <1 L. Argonne has collected data from batch studies and breakthrough column experiments to utilize the VERSE (Versatile Reaction Separation) simulation program (Purdue University) to design plant-scale product recovery and concentration processes.

Cogeneration technology alternatives study. Volume 6: Computer data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1980-01-01

The potential technical capabilities of energy conversion systems in the 1985 - 2000 time period were defined with emphasis on systems using coal, coal-derived fuels or alternate fuels. Industrial process data developed for the large energy consuming industries serve as a framework for the cogeneration applications. Ground rules for the study were established and other necessary equipment (balance-of-plant) was defined. This combination of technical information, energy conversion system data ground rules, industrial process information and balance-of-plant characteristics was analyzed to evaluate energy consumption, capital and operating costs and emissions. Data in the form of computer printouts developed for 3000 energy conversion system-industrial process combinations are presented.

Smart Parasitic Nematodes Use Multifaceted Strategies to Parasitize Plants

PubMed Central

Ali, Muhammad A.; Azeem, Farrukh; Li, Hongjie; Bohlmann, Holger

2017-01-01

Nematodes are omnipresent in nature including many species which are parasitic to plants and cause enormous economic losses in various crops. During the process of parasitism, sedentary phytonematodes use their stylet to secrete effector proteins into the plant cells to induce the development of specialized feeding structures. These effectors are used by the nematodes to develop compatible interactions with plants, partly by mimicking the expression of host genes. Intensive research is going on to investigate the molecular function of these effector proteins in the plants. In this review, we have summarized which physiological and molecular changes occur when endoparasitic nematodes invade the plant roots and how they develop a successful interaction with plants using the effector proteins. We have also mentioned the host genes which are induced by the nematodes for a compatible interaction. Additionally, we discuss how nematodes modulate the reactive oxygen species (ROS) and RNA silencing pathways in addition to post-translational modifications in their own favor for successful parasitism in plants. PMID:29046680

Smart Parasitic Nematodes Use Multifaceted Strategies to Parasitize Plants.

PubMed

Ali, Muhammad A; Azeem, Farrukh; Li, Hongjie; Bohlmann, Holger

2017-01-01

Nematodes are omnipresent in nature including many species which are parasitic to plants and cause enormous economic losses in various crops. During the process of parasitism, sedentary phytonematodes use their stylet to secrete effector proteins into the plant cells to induce the development of specialized feeding structures. These effectors are used by the nematodes to develop compatible interactions with plants, partly by mimicking the expression of host genes. Intensive research is going on to investigate the molecular function of these effector proteins in the plants. In this review, we have summarized which physiological and molecular changes occur when endoparasitic nematodes invade the plant roots and how they develop a successful interaction with plants using the effector proteins. We have also mentioned the host genes which are induced by the nematodes for a compatible interaction. Additionally, we discuss how nematodes modulate the reactive oxygen species (ROS) and RNA silencing pathways in addition to post-translational modifications in their own favor for successful parasitism in plants.

Methodological aspects of fuel performance system analysis at raw hydrocarbon processing plants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kulbjakina, A. V.; Dolotovskij, I. V.

2018-01-01

The article discusses the methodological aspects of fuel performance system analysis at raw hydrocarbon (RH) processing plants. Modern RH processing facilities are the major consumers of energy resources (ER) for their own needs. To reduce ER, including fuel consumption, and to develop rational fuel system structure are complex and relevant scientific tasks that can only be done using system analysis and complex system synthesis. In accordance with the principles of system analysis, the hierarchical structure of the fuel system, the block scheme for the synthesis of the most efficient alternative of the fuel system using mathematical models and the set of performance criteria have been developed on the main stages of the study. The results from the introduction of specific engineering solutions to develop their own energy supply sources for RH processing facilities have been provided.

Simulation and optimization of an experimental membrane wastewater treatment plant using computational intelligence methods.

PubMed

Ludwig, T; Kern, P; Bongards, M; Wolf, C

2011-01-01

The optimization of relaxation and filtration times of submerged microfiltration flat modules in membrane bioreactors used for municipal wastewater treatment is essential for efficient plant operation. However, the optimization and control of such plants and their filtration processes is a challenging problem due to the underlying highly nonlinear and complex processes. This paper presents the use of genetic algorithms for this optimization problem in conjunction with a fully calibrated simulation model, as computational intelligence methods are perfectly suited to the nonconvex multi-objective nature of the optimization problems posed by these complex systems. The simulation model is developed and calibrated using membrane modules from the wastewater simulation software GPS-X based on the Activated Sludge Model No.1 (ASM1). Simulation results have been validated at a technical reference plant. They clearly show that filtration process costs for cleaning and energy can be reduced significantly by intelligent process optimization.

New insights into the cellular mechanisms of plant growth at elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide.

PubMed

Gamage, Dananjali; Thompson, Michael; Sutherland, Mark; Hirotsu, Naoki; Makino, Amane; Seneweera, Saman

2018-04-02

Rising atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration ([CO 2 ]) significantly influences plant growth, development and biomass. Increased photosynthesis rate, together with lower stomatal conductance, have been identified as the key factors that stimulate plant growth at elevated [CO 2 ] (e[CO 2 ]). However, variations in photosynthesis and stomatal conductance alone cannot fully explain the dynamic changes in plant growth. Stimulation of photosynthesis at e[CO 2 ] is always associated with post-photosynthetic secondary metabolic processes that include carbon and nitrogen metabolism, cell cycle functions and hormonal regulation. Most studies have focused on photosynthesis and stomatal conductance in response to e[CO 2 ], despite the emerging evidence of e[CO 2 ]'s role in moderating secondary metabolism in plants. In this review, we briefly discuss the effects of e[CO 2 ] on photosynthesis and stomatal conductance and then focus on the changes in other cellular mechanisms and growth processes at e[CO 2 ] in relation to plant growth and development. Finally, knowledge gaps in understanding plant growth responses to e[CO 2 ] have been identified with the aim of improving crop productivity under a CO 2 rich atmosphere. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

DSC: software tool for simulation-based design of control strategies applied to wastewater treatment plants.

PubMed

Ruano, M V; Ribes, J; Seco, A; Ferrer, J

2011-01-01

This paper presents a computer tool called DSC (Simulation based Controllers Design) that enables an easy design of control systems and strategies applied to wastewater treatment plants. Although the control systems are developed and evaluated by simulation, this tool aims to facilitate the direct implementation of the designed control system to the PC of the full-scale WWTP (wastewater treatment plants). The designed control system can be programmed in a dedicated control application and can be connected to either the simulation software or the SCADA of the plant. To this end, the developed DSC incorporates an OPC server (OLE for process control) which facilitates an open-standard communication protocol for different industrial process applications. The potential capabilities of the DSC tool are illustrated through the example of a full-scale application. An aeration control system applied to a nutrient removing WWTP was designed, tuned and evaluated with the DSC tool before its implementation in the full scale plant. The control parameters obtained by simulation were suitable for the full scale plant with only few modifications to improve the control performance. With the DSC tool, the control systems performance can be easily evaluated by simulation. Once developed and tuned by simulation, the control systems can be directly applied to the full-scale WWTP.

MIMO model of an interacting series process for Robust MPC via System Identification.

PubMed

Wibowo, Tri Chandra S; Saad, Nordin

2010-07-01

This paper discusses the empirical modeling using system identification technique with a focus on an interacting series process. The study is carried out experimentally using a gaseous pilot plant as the process, in which the dynamic of such a plant exhibits the typical dynamic of an interacting series process. Three practical approaches are investigated and their performances are evaluated. The models developed are also examined in real-time implementation of a linear model predictive control. The selected model is able to reproduce the main dynamic characteristics of the plant in open-loop and produces zero steady-state errors in closed-loop control system. Several issues concerning the identification process and the construction of a MIMO state space model for a series interacting process are deliberated. 2010 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A study of poultry processing plant noise characteristics and potential noise control techniques

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wyvill, J. C.; Jape, A. D.; Moriarity, L. J.; Atkins, R. D.

1980-01-01

The noise environment in a typical poultry processing plant was characterized by developing noise contours for two representative plants: Central Soya of Athens, Inc., Athens, Georgia, and Tip Top Poultry, Inc., Marietta, Georgia. Contour information was restricted to the evisceration are of both plants because nearly 60 percent of all process employees are stationed in this area during a normal work shift. Both plant evisceration areas were composed of tile walls, sheet metal ceilings, and concrete floors. Processing was performed in an assembly-line fashion in which the birds travel through the area on overhead shackles while personnel remain at fixed stations. Processing machinery was present throughout the area. In general, the poultry processing noise problem is the result of loud sources and reflective surfaces. Within the evisceration area, it can be concluded that only a few major sources (lung guns, a chiller component, and hock cutters) are responsible for essentially all direct and reverberant sound pressure levels currently observed during normal operations. Consequently, any effort to reduce the noise problem must first address the sound power output of these sources and/or the absorptive qualitities of the room.

Software Verification of Orion Cockpit Displays

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Biswas, M. A. Rafe; Garcia, Samuel; Prado, Matthew; Hossain, Sadad; Souris, Matthew; Morin, Lee

2017-01-01

NASA's latest spacecraft Orion is in the development process of taking humans deeper into space. Orion is equipped with three main displays to monitor and control the spacecraft. To ensure the software behind the glass displays operates without faults, rigorous testing is needed. To conduct such testing, the Rapid Prototyping Lab at NASA's Johnson Space Center along with the University of Texas at Tyler employed a software verification tool, EggPlant Functional by TestPlant. It is an image based test automation tool that allows users to create scripts to verify the functionality within a program. A set of edge key framework and Common EggPlant Functions were developed to enable creation of scripts in an efficient fashion. This framework standardized the way to code and to simulate user inputs in the verification process. Moreover, the Common EggPlant Functions can be used repeatedly in verification of different displays.

Mechanics of plant fruit hooks

PubMed Central

Chen, Qiang; Gorb, Stanislav N.; Gorb, Elena; Pugno, Nicola

2013-01-01

Hook-like surface structures, observed in some plant species, play an important role in the process of plant growth and seed dispersal. In this study, we developed an elastic model and further used it to investigate the mechanical behaviour of fruit hooks in four plant species, previously measured in an experimental study. Based on Euler–Bernoulli beam theory, the force–displacement relationship is derived, and its Young's modulus is obtained. The result agrees well with the experimental data. The model aids in understanding the mechanics of hooks, and could be used in the development of new bioinspired Velcro-like materials. PMID:23365190

Partial automation of database processing of simulation outputs from L-systems models of plant morphogenesis.

PubMed

Chen, Yi- Ping Phoebe; Hanan, Jim

2002-01-01

Models of plant architecture allow us to explore how genotype environment interactions effect the development of plant phenotypes. Such models generate masses of data organised in complex hierarchies. This paper presents a generic system for creating and automatically populating a relational database from data generated by the widely used L-system approach to modelling plant morphogenesis. Techniques from compiler technology are applied to generate attributes (new fields) in the database, to simplify query development for the recursively-structured branching relationship. Use of biological terminology in an interactive query builder contributes towards making the system biologist-friendly.

Effects of short-term grazing exclusion on plant phenology and reproductive succession in a Tibetan alpine meadow.

PubMed

Zhu, Juntao; Zhang, Yangjian; Liu, Yaojie

2016-06-15

Grazing exclusion (GE) has been widely considered as an effective avenue for restoring degraded grasslands throughout the world. GE, via modifying abiotic and biotic environments, inevitably affects phenological development. A five-year manipulative experiment was conducted in a Tibetan alpine meadow to examine the effects of GE on phenological processes and reproductive success. The study indicated that GE strongly affected phenological development of alpine plant species. Specifically, the low-growing, shallow-rooted species (LSS), such as Kobresia pygmaea, are more sensitive to GE-caused changes on upper-soil moisture and light. GE advanced each phonological process of K. pygmaea, except in the case of the treatment of fencing for 5 years (F5), which postponed the reproductive stage and lowered the reproductive success of K. pygmaea. Increased soil moisture triggered by GE, especially in the upper soil, may stimulate growth of LSS. However, the thick litter layer under the F5 treatment can influence the photoperiod of LSS, resulting in suppression of its reproductive development. These findings indicate that plant traits associated with resource acquisition, such as rooting depth and plant height, mediate plant phenology and reproductive responses to grazing exclusion treatments.

Sustainable development in agriculture, food and nutrition--a patent analysis.

PubMed

Vani, Kohila P; Doble, Mukesh

2011-05-01

The paper discusses the patents that have been filed in the areas of sustainable development in agriculture, food and nutrition and use of natural resources in achieving this goal. A large number of patents deal with the production of fertilizers from animal manure, plant sources and other organic wastes, which are more sustainable that the chemical fertilizers that are being currently used. Sustainability in agriculture is achieved in developing processes for the manufacture of biopesticides/insecticides and bioactive agricultural products. Development of novel sustainable agricultural processes has also been the focus of researchers and technologists. Plant derived nutritious food products are sustainable and can cater for the growing population burden. This has been the focus of several patents. Processes for enhancing the nutrition in food also serve the purpose of catering for the under nourished population.

WRKY transcription factors

PubMed Central

Bakshi, Madhunita; Oelmüller, Ralf

2014-01-01

WRKY transcription factors are one of the largest families of transcriptional regulators found exclusively in plants. They have diverse biological functions in plant disease resistance, abiotic stress responses, nutrient deprivation, senescence, seed and trichome development, embryogenesis, as well as additional developmental and hormone-controlled processes. WRKYs can act as transcriptional activators or repressors, in various homo- and heterodimer combinations. Here we review recent progress on the function of WRKY transcription factors in Arabidopsis and other plant species such as rice, potato, and parsley, with a special focus on abiotic, developmental, and hormone-regulated processes. PMID:24492469

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Suresh, Niraj; Stephens, Sean A.; Adams, Lexor

Plant roots play a critical role in plant-soil-microbe interactions that occur in the rhizosphere, as well as processes with important implications to climate change and forest management. Quantitative size information on roots in their native environment is invaluable for studying root growth and environmental processes involving the plant. X ray computed tomography (XCT) has been demonstrated to be an effective tool for in situ root scanning and analysis. Our group at the Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory (EMSL) has developed an XCT-based tool to image and quantitatively analyze plant root structures in their native soil environment. XCT data collected on amore » Prairie dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepis) specimen was used to visualize its root structure. A combination of open-source software RooTrak and DDV were employed to segment the root from the soil, and calculate its isosurface, respectively. Our own computer script named 3DRoot-SV was developed and used to calculate root volume and surface area from a triangular mesh. The process utilizing a unique combination of tools, from imaging to quantitative root analysis, including the 3DRoot-SV computer script, is described.« less

Self-organizing periodicity in development: organ positioning in plants.

PubMed

Bhatia, Neha; Heisler, Marcus G

2018-02-08

Periodic patterns during development often occur spontaneously through a process of self-organization. While reaction-diffusion mechanisms are often invoked, other types of mechanisms that involve cell-cell interactions and mechanical buckling have also been identified. Phyllotaxis, or the positioning of plant organs, has emerged as an excellent model system to study the self-organization of periodic patterns. At the macro scale, the regular spacing of organs on the growing plant shoot gives rise to the typical spiral and whorled arrangements of plant organs found in nature. In turn, this spacing relies on complex patterns of cell polarity that involve feedback between a signaling molecule - the plant hormone auxin - and its polar, cell-to-cell transport. Here, we review recent progress in understanding phyllotaxis and plant cell polarity and highlight the development of new tools that can help address the remaining gaps in our understanding. © 2018. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Technologies for Extracting Valuable Metals and Compounds from Geothermal Fluids

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Harrison, Stephen

2014-04-30

Executive Summary Simbol Materials studied various methods of extracting valuable minerals from geothermal brines in the Imperial Valley of California, focusing on the extraction of lithium, manganese, zinc and potassium. New methods were explored for managing the potential impact of silica fouling on mineral extraction equipment, and for converting silica management by-products into commercial products.` Studies at the laboratory and bench scale focused on manganese, zinc and potassium extraction and the conversion of silica management by-products into valuable commercial products. The processes for extracting lithium and producing lithium carbonate and lithium hydroxide products were developed at the laboratory scale andmore » scaled up to pilot-scale. Several sorbents designed to extract lithium as lithium chloride from geothermal brine were developed at the laboratory scale and subsequently scaled-up for testing in the lithium extraction pilot plant. Lithium The results of the lithium studies generated the confidence for Simbol to scale its process to commercial operation. The key steps of the process were demonstrated during its development at pilot scale: 1. Silica management. 2. Lithium extraction. 3. Purification. 4. Concentration. 5. Conversion into lithium hydroxide and lithium carbonate products. Results show that greater than 95% of the lithium can be extracted from geothermal brine as lithium chloride, and that the chemical yield in converting lithium chloride to lithium hydroxide and lithium carbonate products is greater than 90%. The product purity produced from the process is consistent with battery grade lithium carbonate and lithium hydroxide. Manganese and zinc Processes for the extraction of zinc and manganese from geothermal brine were developed. It was shown that they could be converted into zinc metal and electrolytic manganese dioxide after purification. These processes were evaluated for their economic potential, and at the present time Simbol Materials is evaluating other products with greater commercial value. Potassium Silicotitanates, zeolites and other sorbents were evaluated as potential reagents for the extraction of potassium from geothermal brines and production of potassium chloride (potash). It was found that zeolites were effective at removing potassium but the capacity of the zeolites and the form that the potassium is in does not have economic potential. Iron-silica by-product The conversion of iron-silica by-product produced during silica management operations into more valuable materials was studied at the laboratory scale. Results indicate that it is technically feasible to convert the iron-silica by-product into ferric chloride and ferric sulfate solutions which are precursors to a ferric phosphate product. However, additional work to purify the solutions is required to determine the commercial viability of this process. Conclusion Simbol Materials is in the process of designing its first commercial plant based on the technology developed to the pilot scale during this project. The investment in the commercial plant is hundreds of millions of dollars, and construction of the commercial plant will generate hundreds of jobs. Plant construction will be completed in 2016 and the first lithium products will be shipped in 2017. The plant will have a lithium carbonate equivalent production capacity of 15,000 tonnes per year. The gross revenues from the project are expected to be approximately $ 80 to 100 million annually. During this development program Simbol grew from a company of about 10 people to over 60 people today. Simbol is expected to employ more than 100 people once the plant is constructed. Simbol Materials’ business is scalable in the Imperial Valley region because there are eleven geothermal power plants already in operation, which allows Simbol to expand its business from one plant to multiple plants. Additionally, the scope of the resource is vast in terms of potential products such as lithium, manganese and zinc and potentially potassium.« less

The optimization air separation plants for combined cycle MHD-power plant applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Juhasz, A. J.; Springmann, H.; Greenberg, R.

1980-01-01

Some of the design approaches being employed during a current supported study directed at developing an improved air separation process for the production of oxygen enriched air for magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) combustion are outlined. The ultimate objective is to arrive at conceptual designs of air separation plants, optimized for minimum specific power consumption and capital investment costs, for integration with MHD combined cycle power plants.

Developing an Interactive Augmented Reality System as a Complement to Plant Education and Comparing Its Effectiveness with Video Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chang, Rong-Chi; Chung, Liang-Yi; Huang, Yong-Ming

2016-01-01

The learning of plants has garnered considerable attention in recent years, but students often lack the motivation to learn about the process of plant growth. Also, students are not able to apply what they have learned in class in the form of observation, since plant growth takes a long time. In this study, we use augmented reality (AR) technology…

Typical calculation and analysis of carbon emissions in thermal power plants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gai, Zhi-jie; Zhao, Jian-gang; Zhang, Gang

2018-03-01

On December 19, 2017, the national development and reform commission issued the national carbon emissions trading market construction plan (power generation industry), which officially launched the construction process of the carbon emissions trading market. The plan promotes a phased advance in carbon market construction, taking the power industry with a large carbon footprint as a breakthrough, so it is extremely urgent for power generation plants to master their carbon emissions. Taking a coal power plant as an example, the paper introduces the calculation process of carbon emissions, and comes to the fuel activity level, fuel emissions factor and carbon emissions data of the power plant. Power plants can master their carbon emissions according to this paper, increase knowledge in the field of carbon reserves, and make the plant be familiar with calculation method based on the power industry carbon emissions data, which can help power plants positioning accurately in the upcoming carbon emissions trading market.

Short-Term Planning of Hybrid Power System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knežević, Goran; Baus, Zoran; Nikolovski, Srete

2016-07-01

In this paper short-term planning algorithm for hybrid power system consist of different types of cascade hydropower plants (run-of-the river, pumped storage, conventional), thermal power plants (coal-fired power plants, combined cycle gas-fired power plants) and wind farms is presented. The optimization process provides a joint bid of the hybrid system, and thus making the operation schedule of hydro and thermal power plants, the operation condition of pumped-storage hydropower plants with the aim of maximizing profits on day ahead market, according to expected hourly electricity prices, the expected local water inflow in certain hydropower plants, and the expected production of electrical energy from the wind farm, taking into account previously contracted bilateral agreement for electricity generation. Optimization process is formulated as hourly-discretized mixed integer linear optimization problem. Optimization model is applied on the case study in order to show general features of the developed model.

Plant features measurements for robotics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miles, Gaines E.

1989-01-01

Initial studies of the technical feasibility of using machine vision and color image processing to measure plant health were performed. Wheat plants were grown in nutrient solutions deficient in nitrogen, potassium, and iron. An additional treatment imposed water stress on wheat plants which received a full complement of nutrients. The results for juvenile (less than 2 weeks old) wheat plants show that imaging technology can be used to detect nutrient deficiencies. The relative amount of green color in a leaf declined with increased water stress. The absolute amount of green was higher for nitrogen deficient leaves compared to the control plants. Relative greenness was lower for iron deficient leaves, but the absolute green values were higher. The data showed patterns across the leaf consistent with visual symptons. The development of additional color image processing routines to recognize these patterns would improve the performance of this sensor of plant health.

Salt Marsh development studies at Waquoit Bay, Massachusetts: Influence of geomorphology on long-term plant community structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Orson, Richard A.; Howes, Brian L.

1992-11-01

Stochastic events relating to beach formation and inlet dynamics have been the major factors influencing the development of the Waquoit Bay tidal marshes. This results from the physical structure of the Waquoit Bay system where tidal exchange is limited to one or two small inlets and is in contrast to marsh development in nearby Barnstable Marsh where direct unrestricted exchange with Cape Cod Bay has smoothed the effects of stochastic events on vegetation development. We contend that vegetation development in salt marshes where connections to adjacent waters are restricted will be dominated by abiotic factors (e.g. storms, sedimentation rates, etc.) while those marshes directly linked to open bodies of water and where alterations to hydrodynamic factors are gradual, autecological processes (e.g. interspecific competition) will dominate long-term plant community development. The results from the five marsh systems within the Waquoit Bay complex suggest that once a vegetation change occurs the new community tended to persist for long periods of time (100's-1000's years). Stability of the 'new' community appeared to depend upon the stability of the physical structure of the system and/or time between perturbations necessary to allow the slower autecological processes to have a discernable effect. In order for the plant community to persist as long as observed, the vegetation must also be exerting an influence on the processes of development. Increased production of roots and rhizomes and growth characteristics (density of culms) are some of the factors which help to maintain long-term species dominance. It is clear from this investigation that the structure of the plant community at any one point in time is dependent upon numerous factors including historical developmental influences. To properly assess changes to the present plant community or determine recent rates of accretion, historic developmental trends must be considered. The factors that have influenced the development of marsh in the past will be important in understanding and formulating predictive models in the future.

Reciprocal Effects of Litter from Exotic and Congeneric Native Plant Species via Soil Nutrients

PubMed Central

Meisner, Annelein; de Boer, Wietse; Cornelissen, Johannes H. C.; van der Putten, Wim H.

2012-01-01

Invasive exotic plant species are often expected to benefit exclusively from legacy effects of their litter inputs on soil processes and nutrient availability. However, there are relatively few experimental tests determining how litter of exotic plants affects their own growth conditions compared to congeneric native plant species. Here, we test how the legacy of litter from three exotic plant species affects their own performance in comparison to their congeneric natives that co-occur in the invaded habitat. We also analyzed litter effects on soil processes. In all three comparisons, soil with litter from exotic plant species had the highest respiration rates. In two out of the three exotic-native species comparisons, soil with litter from exotic plant species had higher inorganic nitrogen concentrations than their native congener, which was likely due to higher initial litter quality of the exotics. When litter from an exotic plant species had a positive effect on itself, it also had a positive effect on its native congener. We conclude that exotic plant species develop a legacy effect in soil from the invaded range through their litter inputs. This litter legacy effect results in altered soil processes that can promote both the exotic plant species and their native congener. PMID:22359604

Highly efficient conversion of plant oil to bio-aviation fuel and valuable chemicals by combination of enzymatic transesterification, olefin cross-metathesis, and hydrotreating.

PubMed

Wang, Meng; Chen, Mojin; Fang, Yunming; Tan, Tianwei

2018-01-01

The production of fuels and chemicals from renewable resources is increasingly important due to the environmental concern and depletion of fossil fuel. Despite the fast technical development in the production of aviation fuels, there are still several shortcomings such as a high cost of raw materials, a low yield of aviation fuels, and poor process techno-economic consideration. In recent years, olefin metathesis has become a powerful and versatile tool for generating new carbon-carbon bonds. The cross-metathesis reaction, one kind of metathesis reaction, has a high potential to efficiently convert plant oil into valuable chemicals, such as α-olefin and bio-aviation fuel by combining with a hydrotreatment process. In this research, an efficient, four-step conversion of plant oil into bio-aviation fuel and valuable chemicals was developed by the combination of enzymatic transesterification, olefin cross-metathesis, and hydrotreating. Firstly, plant oil including oil with poor properties was esterified to fatty acid methyl esters by an enzyme-catalyzed process. Secondly, the fatty acid methyl esters were partially hydrotreated catalytically to transform poly-unsaturated fatty acid such as linoleic acid into oleic acid. The olefin cross-metathesis then transformed the oleic acid methyl ester (OAME) into 1-decene and 1-decenoic acid methyl ester (DAME). The catalysts used in this process were prepared/selected in function of the catalytic reaction and the reaction conditions were optimized. The carbon efficiency analysis of the new process illustrated that it was more economically feasible than the traditional hydrotreatment process. A highly efficient conversion process of plant oil into bio-aviation fuel and valuable chemicals by the combination of enzymatic transesterification, olefin cross-metathesis, and hydrotreatment with prepared and selected catalysts was designed. The reaction conditions were optimized. Plant oil was transformed into bio-aviation fuel and a high value α-olefin product with high carbon utilization.

Developing tools for investigating the multiple roles of ethylene: Identification and mapping genes for ethylene biosynthesis and reception in barley

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The plant hormone ethylene is important to many plant processes from germination through senescence, including responses to in vitro growth and plant regeneration. Knowledge of the number of genes, and of their function, that are involved in ethylene biosynthesis and reception is necessary to determ...

Phenolic acids as bioindicators of fly ash deposit revegetation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

L. Djurdjevic; M. Mitrovic; P. Pavlovic

The floristic composition, the abundance, and the cover of pioneer plant species of spontaneously formed plant communities and the content of total phenolics and phenolic acids, as humus constituents, of an ash deposit after 7 years of recultivation were studied. The restoration of both the soil and the vegetation on the ash deposits of the 'Nikola Tesla-A' thermoelectric power plant in Obrenovac (Serbia) is an extremely slow process. Unfavorable physical and chemical characteristics, the toxicity of fly ash, and extreme microclimatic conditions prevented the development of compact plant cover. The abundance and cover of plants increased from the central partmore » of the deposit towards its edges. Festuca rubra L., Crepis setosa Hall., Erigeron canadensis L., Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop., Calamagrostis epigeios (L.) Roth., and Tamarix gallica L. were the most abundant species, thus giving the highest cover. Humus generated during the decomposition process of plant remains represents a completely new product absent in the ash as the starting material. The amount of total phenolics and phenolic acids in fly ash increased from the center of the deposit towards its edges in correlation with the increase in plant abundance and cover. The presence of phenolic acids indicates the ongoing process of humus formation in the ash, in which the most abundant pioneer plants of spontaneously formed plant communities play the main role. Phenolic compounds can serve as reliable bioindicators in an assessment of the success of the recultivation process of thermoelectric power plants' ash deposits.« less

Ground Water Issue: Phytoremediation of Contaminated Soil and Ground Water at Hazardous Waste Sites

DTIC Science & Technology

2001-02-01

Development Ground Water Issue Phytoremediation of Contaminated Soil and Ground Water at Hazardous Waste Sites National Risk Management Research... Phytoremediation , the use of plants in remediation, is one such technology. This issue paper focuses on the processes and applications of phytoremediation ...of phytoremediation as a cleanup or containment technique for remediation of hazardous waste sites. Introductory material on plant processes is

Harnessing Biomedical Natural Language Processing Tools to Identify Medicinal Plant Knowledge from Historical Texts.

PubMed

Sharma, Vivekanand; Law, Wayne; Balick, Michael J; Sarkar, Indra Neil

2017-01-01

The growing amount of data describing historical medicinal uses of plants from digitization efforts provides the opportunity to develop systematic approaches for identifying potential plant-based therapies. However, the task of cataloguing plant use information from natural language text is a challenging task for ethnobotanists. To date, there have been only limited adoption of informatics approaches used for supporting the identification of ethnobotanical information associated with medicinal uses. This study explored the feasibility of using biomedical terminologies and natural language processing approaches for extracting relevant plant-associated therapeutic use information from historical biodiversity literature collection available from the Biodiversity Heritage Library. The results from this preliminary study suggest that there is potential utility of informatics methods to identify medicinal plant knowledge from digitized resources as well as highlight opportunities for improvement.

Harnessing Biomedical Natural Language Processing Tools to Identify Medicinal Plant Knowledge from Historical Texts

PubMed Central

Sharma, Vivekanand; Law, Wayne; Balick, Michael J.; Sarkar, Indra Neil

2017-01-01

The growing amount of data describing historical medicinal uses of plants from digitization efforts provides the opportunity to develop systematic approaches for identifying potential plant-based therapies. However, the task of cataloguing plant use information from natural language text is a challenging task for ethnobotanists. To date, there have been only limited adoption of informatics approaches used for supporting the identification of ethnobotanical information associated with medicinal uses. This study explored the feasibility of using biomedical terminologies and natural language processing approaches for extracting relevant plant-associated therapeutic use information from historical biodiversity literature collection available from the Biodiversity Heritage Library. The results from this preliminary study suggest that there is potential utility of informatics methods to identify medicinal plant knowledge from digitized resources as well as highlight opportunities for improvement. PMID:29854223

Application of Somatic Embryogenesis in Woody Plants.

PubMed Central

Guan, Yuan; Li, Shui-Gen; Fan, Xiao-Fen; Su, Zhen-Hong

2016-01-01

Somatic embryogenesis is a developmental process where a plant somatic cell can dedifferentiate to a totipotent embryonic stem cell that has the ability to give rise to an embryo under appropriate conditions. This new embryo can further develop into a whole plant. In woody plants, somatic embryogenesis plays a critical role in clonal propagation and is a powerful tool for synthetic seed production, germplasm conservation, and cryopreservation. A key step in somatic embryogenesis is the transition of cell fate from a somatic cell to embryo cell. Although somatic embryogenesis has already been widely used in a number of woody species, propagating adult woody plants remains difficult. In this review, we focus on molecular mechanisms of somatic embryogenesis and its practical applications in economic woody plants. Furthermore, we propose a strategy to improve the process of somatic embryogenesis using molecular means. PMID:27446166

Development of process control capability through the Browns Ferry Integrated Computer System using Reactor Water Clanup System as an example. Final report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Smith, J.; Mowrey, J.

1995-12-01

This report describes the design, development and testing of process controls for selected system operations in the Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant (BFNP) Reactor Water Cleanup System (RWCU) using a Computer Simulation Platform which simulates the RWCU System and the BFNP Integrated Computer System (ICS). This system was designed to demonstrate the feasibility of the soft control (video touch screen) of nuclear plant systems through an operator console. The BFNP Integrated Computer System, which has recently. been installed at BFNP Unit 2, was simulated to allow for operator control functions of the modeled RWCU system. The BFNP Unit 2 RWCU systemmore » was simulated using the RELAP5 Thermal/Hydraulic Simulation Model, which provided the steady-state and transient RWCU process variables and simulated the response of the system to control system inputs. Descriptions of the hardware and software developed are also included in this report. The testing and acceptance program and results are also detailed in this report. A discussion of potential installation of an actual RWCU process control system in BFNP Unit 2 is included. Finally, this report contains a section on industry issues associated with installation of process control systems in nuclear power plants.« less

Advanced Plant Habitat (APH)

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-03-16

A test unit, or prototype, of NASA's Advanced Plant Habitat (APH) with its first initial grow test in the Space Station Processing Facility at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The taller plants pictured are dwarf wheat and the smaller plants are Arabidopsis. Developed by NASA and ORBITEC of Madison, Wisconsin, the APH is the largest plant chamber built for the agency. It is a fully automated plant growth facility that will be used to conduct bioscience research on the International Space Station. The APH will be delivered to the space station aboard future Commercial Resupply Services missions.

Utilization potential evaluation of plant resources in the dry-hot valley of Jinsha River

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xi, Rong; Xu, Naizhong; Liu, Shengxiang; Ren, Tingyan

2017-08-01

Plant resources in the dry-hot valley of Jinsha River are endemic to a class of district. The article adopts the analytic hierarchy process method to evaluate the exploitation and utilization potential of plant resources of thirty typical plant resources on the basis of their characteristics in the dry-hot valley of Jinsha River, which provide scientific evidence for quantitative evaluation of regional plant resources, and we also suggest pathways offering protection and development.

Simulation model for plant growth in controlled environment systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Raper, C. D., Jr.; Wann, M.

1986-01-01

The role of the mathematical model is to relate the individual processes to environmental conditions and the behavior of the whole plant. Using the controlled-environment facilities of the phytotron at North Carolina State University for experimentation at the whole-plant level and methods for handling complex models, researchers developed a plant growth model to describe the relationships between hierarchial levels of the crop production system. The fundamental processes that are considered are: (1) interception of photosynthetically active radiation by leaves, (2) absorption of photosynthetically active radiation, (3) photosynthetic transformation of absorbed radiation into chemical energy of carbon bonding in solube carbohydrates in the leaves, (4) translocation between carbohydrate pools in leaves, stems, and roots, (5) flow of energy from carbohydrate pools for respiration, (6) flow from carbohydrate pools for growth, and (7) aging of tissues. These processes are described at the level of organ structure and of elementary function processes. The driving variables of incident photosynthetically active radiation and ambient temperature as inputs pertain to characterization at the whole-plant level. The output of the model is accumulated dry matter partitioned among leaves, stems, and roots; thus, the elementary processes clearly operate under the constraints of the plant structure which is itself the output of the model.

Analysing growth and development of plants jointly using developmental growth stages

PubMed Central

Dambreville, Anaëlle; Lauri, Pierre-Éric; Normand, Frédéric; Guédon, Yann

2015-01-01

Background and Aims Plant growth, the increase of organ dimensions over time, and development, the change in plant structure, are often studied as two separate processes. However, there is structural and functional evidence that these two processes are strongly related. The aim of this study was to investigate the co-ordination between growth and development using mango trees, which have well-defined developmental stages. Methods Developmental stages, determined in an expert way, and organ sizes, determined from objective measurements, were collected during the vegetative growth and flowering phases of two cultivars of mango, Mangifera indica. For a given cultivar and growth unit type (either vegetative or flowering), a multistage model based on absolute growth rate sequences deduced from the measurements was first built, and then growth stages deduced from the model were compared with developmental stages. Key Results Strong matches were obtained between growth stages and developmental stages, leading to a consistent definition of integrative developmental growth stages. The growth stages highlighted growth asynchronisms between two topologically connected organs, namely the vegetative axis and its leaves. Conclusions Integrative developmental growth stages emphasize that developmental stages are closely related to organ growth rates. The results are discussed in terms of the possible physiological processes underlying these stages, including plant hydraulics, biomechanics and carbohydrate partitioning. PMID:25452250

Transcriptome landscape of a bacterial pathogen under plant immunity.

PubMed

Nobori, Tatsuya; Velásquez, André C; Wu, Jingni; Kvitko, Brian H; Kremer, James M; Wang, Yiming; He, Sheng Yang; Tsuda, Kenichi

2018-03-27

Plant pathogens can cause serious diseases that impact global agriculture. The plant innate immunity, when fully activated, can halt pathogen growth in plants. Despite extensive studies into the molecular and genetic bases of plant immunity against pathogens, the influence of plant immunity in global pathogen metabolism to restrict pathogen growth is poorly understood. Here, we developed RNA sequencing pipelines for analyzing bacterial transcriptomes in planta and determined high-resolution transcriptome patterns of the foliar bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas syringae in Arabidopsis thaliana with a total of 27 combinations of plant immunity mutants and bacterial strains. Bacterial transcriptomes were analyzed at 6 h post infection to capture early effects of plant immunity on bacterial processes and to avoid secondary effects caused by different bacterial population densities in planta We identified specific "immune-responsive" bacterial genes and processes, including those that are activated in susceptible plants and suppressed by plant immune activation. Expression patterns of immune-responsive bacterial genes at the early time point were tightly linked to later bacterial growth levels in different host genotypes. Moreover, we found that a bacterial iron acquisition pathway is commonly suppressed by multiple plant immune-signaling pathways. Overexpression of a P. syringae sigma factor gene involved in iron regulation and other processes partially countered bacterial growth restriction during the plant immune response triggered by AvrRpt2. Collectively, this study defines the effects of plant immunity on the transcriptome of a bacterial pathogen and sheds light on the enigmatic mechanisms of bacterial growth inhibition during the plant immune response.

Molecular locks and keys: the role of small molecules in phytohormone research

PubMed Central

Fonseca, Sandra; Rosado, Abel; Vaughan-Hirsch, John; Bishopp, Anthony; Chini, Andrea

2014-01-01

Plant adaptation, growth and development rely on the integration of many environmental and endogenous signals that collectively determine the overall plant phenotypic plasticity. Plant signaling molecules, also known as phytohormones, are fundamental to this process. These molecules act at low concentrations and regulate multiple aspects of plant fitness and development via complex signaling networks. By its nature, phytohormone research lies at the interface between chemistry and biology. Classically, the scientific community has always used synthetic phytohormones and analogs to study hormone functions and responses. However, recent advances in synthetic and combinational chemistry, have allowed a new field, plant chemical biology, to emerge and this has provided a powerful tool with which to study phytohormone function. Plant chemical biology is helping to address some of the most enduring questions in phytohormone research such as: Are there still undiscovered plant hormones? How can we identify novel signaling molecules? How can plants activate specific hormone responses in a tissue-specific manner? How can we modulate hormone responses in one developmental context without inducing detrimental effects on other processes? The chemical genomics approaches rely on the identification of small molecules modulating different biological processes and have recently identified active forms of plant hormones and molecules regulating many aspects of hormone synthesis, transport and response. We envision that the field of chemical genomics will continue to provide novel molecules able to elucidate specific aspects of hormone-mediated mechanisms. In addition, compounds blocking specific responses could uncover how complex biological responses are regulated. As we gain information about such compounds we can design small alterations to the chemical structure to further alter specificity, enhance affinity or modulate the activity of these compounds. PMID:25566283

Getty Oil Company Diatomite project

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zuber, I.L.

1984-09-01

The feasibility of using Diatomite as a synthetic fuels feedstock is discussed. The asphaltic outcropping near McKittrick, California are evidence of oil bearing deposits. Two different processes have been taken to the pilot plant stage to evaluate the viability of recovering oil from the Diatomite ore. One approach was the retorting process which was developed by Lurgi. The other process is based on a totally different concept of solvent extracting the oil from the ore. The operation and performance of the pilot plants are described.

Modeling Elevation and Aspect Controls on Emerging Ecohydrologic Processes and Ecosystem Patterns Using the Component-based Landlab Framework

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nudurupati, S. S.; Istanbulluoglu, E.; Adams, J. M.; Hobley, D. E. J.; Gasparini, N. M.; Tucker, G. E.; Hutton, E. W. H.

2014-12-01

Topography plays a commanding role on the organization of ecohydrologic processes and resulting vegetation patterns. In southwestern United States, climate conditions lead to terrain aspect- and elevation-controlled ecosystems, with mesic north-facing and xeric south-facing vegetation types; and changes in biodiversity as a function of elevation from shrublands in low desert elevations, to mixed grass/shrublands in mid elevations, and forests at high elevations and ridge tops. These observed patterns have been attributed to differences in topography-mediated local soil moisture availability, micro-climatology, and life history processes of plants that control chances of plant establishment and survival. While ecohydrologic models represent local vegetation dynamics in sufficient detail up to sub-hourly time scales, plant life history and competition for space and resources has not been adequately represented in models. In this study we develop an ecohydrologic cellular automata model within the Landlab component-based modeling framework. This model couples local vegetation dynamics (biomass production, death) and plant establishment and competition processes for resources and space. This model is used to study the vegetation organization in a semiarid New Mexico catchment where elevation and hillslope aspect play a defining role on plant types. Processes that lead to observed plant types across the landscape are examined by initializing the domain with randomly assigned plant types and systematically changing model parameters that couple plant response with soil moisture dynamics. Climate perturbation experiments are conducted to examine the plant response in space and time. Understanding the inherently transient ecohydrologic systems is critical to improve predictions of climate change impacts on ecosystems.

Process development and exergy cost sensitivity analysis of a hybrid molten carbonate fuel cell power plant and carbon dioxide capturing process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mehrpooya, Mehdi; Ansarinasab, Hojat; Moftakhari Sharifzadeh, Mohammad Mehdi; Rosen, Marc A.

2017-10-01

An integrated power plant with a net electrical power output of 3.71 × 105 kW is developed and investigated. The electrical efficiency of the process is found to be 60.1%. The process includes three main sub-systems: molten carbonate fuel cell system, heat recovery section and cryogenic carbon dioxide capturing process. Conventional and advanced exergoeconomic methods are used for analyzing the process. Advanced exergoeconomic analysis is a comprehensive evaluation tool which combines an exergetic approach with economic analysis procedures. With this method, investment and exergy destruction costs of the process components are divided into endogenous/exogenous and avoidable/unavoidable parts. Results of the conventional exergoeconomic analyses demonstrate that the combustion chamber has the largest exergy destruction rate (182 MW) and cost rate (13,100 /h). Also, the total process cost rate can be decreased by reducing the cost rate of the fuel cell and improving the efficiency of the combustion chamber and heat recovery steam generator. Based on the total avoidable endogenous cost rate, the priority for modification is the heat recovery steam generator, a compressor and a turbine of the power plant, in rank order. A sensitivity analysis is done to investigate the exergoeconomic factor parameters through changing the effective parameter variations.

Image Harvest: an open-source platform for high-throughput plant image processing and analysis

PubMed Central

Knecht, Avi C.; Campbell, Malachy T.; Caprez, Adam; Swanson, David R.; Walia, Harkamal

2016-01-01

High-throughput plant phenotyping is an effective approach to bridge the genotype-to-phenotype gap in crops. Phenomics experiments typically result in large-scale image datasets, which are not amenable for processing on desktop computers, thus creating a bottleneck in the image-analysis pipeline. Here, we present an open-source, flexible image-analysis framework, called Image Harvest (IH), for processing images originating from high-throughput plant phenotyping platforms. Image Harvest is developed to perform parallel processing on computing grids and provides an integrated feature for metadata extraction from large-scale file organization. Moreover, the integration of IH with the Open Science Grid provides academic researchers with the computational resources required for processing large image datasets at no cost. Image Harvest also offers functionalities to extract digital traits from images to interpret plant architecture-related characteristics. To demonstrate the applications of these digital traits, a rice (Oryza sativa) diversity panel was phenotyped and genome-wide association mapping was performed using digital traits that are used to describe different plant ideotypes. Three major quantitative trait loci were identified on rice chromosomes 4 and 6, which co-localize with quantitative trait loci known to regulate agronomically important traits in rice. Image Harvest is an open-source software for high-throughput image processing that requires a minimal learning curve for plant biologists to analyzephenomics datasets. PMID:27141917

Plant phenology and composition controls of carbon fluxes in a boreal peatland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peichl, Matthias; Gažovič, Michal; Vermeij, Ilse; De Goede, Eefje; Sonnentag, Oliver; Limpens, Juul; Nilsson, Mats B.

2016-04-01

Vegetation drives the peatland carbon (C) cycle via the processes of photosynthesis, plant respiration and decomposition as well as by providing substrate for methane (CH4) and dissolved organic carbon production. However, due to the lack of comprehensive vegetation data, variations in the peatland C fluxes are commonly related to temperature and other more easily measured abiotic (i.e. weather and soil) variables. Due to the temporal co-linearity between plant development and abiotic variables, these relationships may describe the variations in C fluxes reasonably well, however, without representing the true mechanistic processes driving the peatland C cycle. As a consequence, current process-based models are poorly parameterized and unable to adequately predict the responses of the peatland C cycle to climate change, extreme events and anthropogenic impacts. To fill this knowledge gap, we explored vegetation phenology and composition effects on the peatland C cycle at the Degerö peatland located in northern Sweden. We used a greenness index derived from digital repeat photography to quantitatively describe plant canopy development with high temporal (i.e. daily) and spatial (plot to ecosystem) resolution. In addition, eddy covariance and static chamber measurements of carbon dioxide (CO2) and CH4 fluxes over an array of vegetation manipulation plots were conducted over multiple years. Our results suggest that vascular plant phenology controls the onset and pattern of eddy covariance-derived gross primary production (GPP) during the spring period, while abiotic conditions modify GPP during the summer period when plant canopy cover is fully developed. Inter-annual variations in the spring onset and patterns of plant canopy development were best explained by differences in the preceding growing degree day sum. We also observed strong correlations of canopy greenness with the net ecosystem CO2 exchange and ecosystem respiration. On average, vascular plant and moss production accounted for ~60 and 40% of GPP, respectively. However, while the seasonal variation of vascular plant productivity was driven by plant phenology, water table level was the strongest control of moss productivity. Across vegetation manipulation plots, highest chamber-derived GPP and net CO2 uptake occurred when both vascular and moss species were present. Furthermore, CH4 fluxes increased with the amount of sedge species leaf area; however, their seasonal flux patterns were more closely related to water table level than to plant phenology. Overall these findings highlight the need for better understanding the separate controls of biotic and abiotic drivers of the peatland C fluxes to improve predictions of ecosystem processes and the peatland C sink strength in response to future climate change and management impacts.

Precursor processing for plant peptide hormone maturation by subtilisin-like serine proteinases.

PubMed

Schardon, Katharina; Hohl, Mathias; Graff, Lucile; Pfannstiel, Jens; Schulze, Waltraud; Stintzi, Annick; Schaller, Andreas

2016-12-23

Peptide hormones that regulate plant growth and development are derived from larger precursor proteins by proteolytic processing. Our study addressed the role of subtilisin-like proteinases (SBTs) in this process. Using tissue-specific expression of proteinase inhibitors as a tool to overcome functional redundancy, we found that SBT activity was required for the maturation of IDA (INFLORESCENCE DEFICIENT IN ABSCISSION), a peptide signal for the abscission of floral organs in Arabidopsis We identified three SBTs that process the IDA precursor in vitro, and this processing was shown to be required for the formation of mIDA (the mature and bioactive form of IDA) as the endogenous signaling peptide in vivo. Hence, SBTs act as prohormone convertases in plants, and several functionally redundant SBTs contribute to signal biogenesis. Copyright © 2016, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Cytochemical localization of reserves during seed development in Arabidopsis thaliana under spaceflight conditions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kuang, A.; Xiao, Y.; Musgrave, M. E.

1996-01-01

Successful development of seeds under spaceflight conditions has been an elusive goal of numerous long-duration experiments with plants on orbital spacecraft. Because carbohydrate metabolism undergoes changes when plants are grown in microgravity, developing seed storage reserves might be detrimentally affected during spaceflight. Seed development in Arabidopsis thaliana plants that flowered during 11 d in space on shuttle mission STS-68 has been investigated in this study. Plants were grown to the rosette stage (13 d) on a nutrient agar medium on the ground and loaded into the Plant Growth Unit flight hardware 18 h prior to lift-off. Plants were retrieved 3 h after landing and siliques were immediately removed from plants. Young seeds were fixed and processed for microscopic observation. Seeds in both the ground control and flight plants are similar in their morphology and size. The oldest seeds from these plants contain completely developed embryos and seed coats. These embryos developed radicle, hypocotyl, meristematic apical tissue, and differentiated cotyledons. Protoderm, procambium, and primary ground tissue had differentiated. Reserves such as starch and protein were deposited in the embryos during tissue differentiation. The aleurone layer contains a large quantity of storage protein and starch grains. A seed coat developed from integuments of the ovule with gradual change in cell composition and cell material deposition. Carbohydrates were deposited in outer integument cells especially in the outside cell walls. Starch grains decreased in number per cell in the integument during seed coat development. All these characteristics during seed development represent normal features in the ground control plants and show that the spaceflight environment does not prevent normal development of seeds in Arabidopsis.

Trends and problems in development of the power plants electrical part

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gusev, Yu. P.

2015-03-01

The article discusses some problems relating to development of the electrical part of modern nuclear and thermal power plants, which are stemming from the use of new process and electrical equipment, such as gas turbine units, power converters, and intellectual microprocessor devices in relay protection and automated control systems. It is pointed out that the failure rates of electrical equipment at Russian and foreign power plants tend to increase. The ongoing power plant technical refitting and innovative development processes generate the need to significantly widen the scope of research works on the electrical part of power plants and rendering scientific support to works on putting in use innovative equipment. It is indicated that one of main factors causing the growth of electrical equipment failures is that some of components of this equipment have insufficiently compatible dynamic characteristics. This, in turn may be due to lack or obsolescence of regulatory documents specifying the requirements for design solutions and operation of electric power equipment that incorporates electronic and microprocessor control and protection devices. It is proposed to restore the system of developing new and updating existing departmental regulatory technical documents that existed in the 1970s, one of the fundamental principles of which was placing long-term responsibility on higher schools and leading design institutions for rendering scientific-technical support to innovative development of components and systems forming the electrical part of power plants. This will make it possible to achieve lower failure rates of electrical equipment and to steadily improve the competitiveness of the Russian electric power industry and energy efficiency of generating companies.

[Comparison of the botanic morphology and blooming characteristics of four cultivars of rose].

PubMed

Wang, Kang-cai; Tang, Xiao-qing; Sheng, Min-li; Xu, Xiao-lan; Fang, Zhen

2004-05-01

To establish identifying method for further development and utilization by studying botanic morphology and blooming characteristics of four varieties of roses in Jiangsu province. Flower-bud and flower-form were observed by dissection and plant modality and blooming process were investigated. The flower form and plant modality was obviously different among the 4 varieties of roses. The process of differentiation of flower-bud could be divided into five stages: the transformation of nutritive growth cone, the occurrence and development of sepal, formation of petal primordium, formation of pistil and stamen. The blooming process was made up of flower-bud period, display-petal period, initiating blooming period, blooming period, withering period and corresponding biological marks.

Nuclear driven water decomposition plant for hydrogen production

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parker, G. H.; Brecher, L. E.; Farbman, G. H.

1976-01-01

The conceptual design of a hydrogen production plant using a very-high-temperature nuclear reactor (VHTR) to energize a hybrid electrolytic-thermochemical system for water decomposition has been prepared. A graphite-moderated helium-cooled VHTR is used to produce 1850 F gas for electric power generation and 1600 F process heat for the water-decomposition process which uses sulfur compounds and promises performance superior to normal water electrolysis or other published thermochemical processes. The combined cycle operates at an overall thermal efficiency in excess of 45%, and the overall economics of hydrogen production by this plant have been evaluated predicated on a consistent set of economic ground rules. The conceptual design and evaluation efforts have indicated that development of this type of nuclear-driven water-decomposition plant will permit large-scale economic generation of hydrogen in the 1990s.

Ferns: the missing link in shoot evolution and development.

PubMed

Plackett, Andrew R G; Di Stilio, Verónica S; Langdale, Jane A

2015-01-01

Shoot development in land plants is a remarkably complex process that gives rise to an extreme diversity of forms. Our current understanding of shoot developmental mechanisms comes almost entirely from studies of angiosperms (flowering plants), the most recently diverged plant lineage. Shoot development in angiosperms is based around a layered multicellular apical meristem that produces lateral organs and/or secondary meristems from populations of founder cells at its periphery. In contrast, non-seed plant shoots develop from either single apical initials or from a small population of morphologically distinct apical cells. Although developmental and molecular information is becoming available for non-flowering plants, such as the model moss Physcomitrella patens, making valid comparisons between highly divergent lineages is extremely challenging. As sister group to the seed plants, the monilophytes (ferns and relatives) represent an excellent phylogenetic midpoint of comparison for unlocking the evolution of shoot developmental mechanisms, and recent technical advances have finally made transgenic analysis possible in the emerging model fern Ceratopteris richardii. This review compares and contrasts our current understanding of shoot development in different land plant lineages with the aim of highlighting the potential role that the fern C. richardii could play in shedding light on the evolution of underlying genetic regulatory mechanisms.

Regulation of Plant Cellular and Organismal Development by SUMO.

PubMed

Elrouby, Nabil

2017-01-01

This chapter clearly demonstrates the breadth and spectrum of the processes that SUMO regulates during plant development. The gross phenotypes observed in mutants of the SUMO conjugation and deconjugation enzymes reflect these essential roles, and detailed analyses of these mutants under different growth conditions revealed roles in biotic and abiotic stress responses, phosphate starvation, nitrate and sulphur metabolism, freezing and drought tolerance and response to excess copper. SUMO functions also intersect with those regulated by several hormones such as salicylic acid , abscisic acid , gibberellins and auxin, and detailed studies provide mechanistic clues of how sumoylation may regulate these processes. The regulation of COP1 and PhyB functions by sumoylation provides very strong evidence that SUMO is heavily involved in the regulation of light signaling in plants. At the cellular and subcellular levels, SUMO regulates meristem architecture, the switch from the mitotic cycle into the endocycle, meiosis, centromere decondensation and exit from mitosis, transcriptional control, and release from transcriptional silencing. Most of these advances in our understanding of SUMO functions during plant development emerged over the past 6-7 years, and they may only predict a prominent rise of SUMO as a major regulator of eukaryotic cellular and organismal growth and development.

Protein Tyrosine Nitration during Development and Abiotic Stress Response in Plants

PubMed Central

Mata-Pérez, Capilla; Begara-Morales, Juan C.; Chaki, Mounira; Sánchez-Calvo, Beatriz; Valderrama, Raquel; Padilla, María N.; Corpas, Francisco J.; Barroso, Juan B.

2016-01-01

In recent years, the study of nitric oxide (NO) in plant systems has attracted the attention of many researchers. A growing number of investigations have shown the significance of NO as a signal molecule or as a molecule involved in the response against (a)biotic processes. NO can be responsible of the post-translational modifications (NO-PTM) of target proteins by mechanisms such as the nitration of tyrosine residues. The study of protein tyrosine nitration during development and under biotic and adverse environmental conditions has increased in the last decade; nevertheless, there is also an endogenous nitration which seems to have regulatory functions. Moreover, the advance in proteome techniques has enabled the identification of new nitrated proteins, showing the high variability among plant organs, development stage and species. Finally, it may be important to discern between a widespread protein nitration because of greater RNS content, and the specific nitration of key targets which could affect cell-signaling processes. In view of the above point, we present a mini-review that offers an update about the endogenous protein tyrosine nitration, during plant development and under several abiotic stress conditions. PMID:27895655

Working toward integrated models of alpine plant distribution.

PubMed

Carlson, Bradley Z; Randin, Christophe F; Boulangeat, Isabelle; Lavergne, Sébastien; Thuiller, Wilfried; Choler, Philippe

2013-10-01

Species distribution models (SDMs) have been frequently employed to forecast the response of alpine plants to global changes. Efforts to model alpine plant distribution have thus far been primarily based on a correlative approach, in which ecological processes are implicitly addressed through a statistical relationship between observed species occurrences and environmental predictors. Recent evidence, however, highlights the shortcomings of correlative SDMs, especially in alpine landscapes where plant species tend to be decoupled from atmospheric conditions in micro-topographic habitats and are particularly exposed to geomorphic disturbances. While alpine plants respond to the same limiting factors as plants found at lower elevations, alpine environments impose a particular set of scale-dependent and hierarchical drivers that shape the realized niche of species and that require explicit consideration in a modelling context. Several recent studies in the European Alps have successfully integrated both correlative and process-based elements into distribution models of alpine plants, but for the time being a single integrative modelling framework that includes all key drivers remains elusive. As a first step in working toward a comprehensive integrated model applicable to alpine plant communities, we propose a conceptual framework that structures the primary mechanisms affecting alpine plant distributions. We group processes into four categories, including multi-scalar abiotic drivers, gradient dependent species interactions, dispersal and spatial-temporal plant responses to disturbance. Finally, we propose a methodological framework aimed at developing an integrated model to better predict alpine plant distribution.

Outside-in control -Does plant cell wall integrity regulate cell cycle progression?

PubMed

Gigli-Bisceglia, Nora; Hamann, Thorsten

2018-04-13

During recent years it has become accepted that plant cell walls are not inert objects surrounding all plant cells but are instead highly dynamic, plastic structures. They are involved in a large number of cell biological processes and contribute actively to plant growth, development and interaction with environment. Therefore, it is not surprising that cellular processes can control plant cell wall integrity while, simultaneously, cell wall integrity can influence cellular processes. In yeast and animal cells such a bi-directional relationship also exists between the yeast/animal extra-cellular matrices and the cell cycle. In yeast, the cell wall integrity maintenance mechanism and a dedicated plasmamembrane integrity checkpoint are mediating this relationship. Recent research has yielded insights into the mechanism controlling plant cell wall metabolism during cytokinesis. However, knowledge regarding putative regulatory pathways controlling adaptive modifications in plant cell cycle activity in response to changes in the state of the plant cell wall are not yet identified. In this review, we summarize similarities and differences in regulatory mechanisms coordinating extra cellular matrices and cell cycle activity in animal and yeast cells, discuss the available evidence supporting the existence of such a mechanism in plants and suggest that the plant cell wall integrity maintenance mechanism might also control cell cycle activity in plant cells. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

The carbon-nitrogen balance of the nodule and its regulation under elevated carbon dioxide concentration.

PubMed

Libault, Marc

2014-01-01

Legumes have developed a unique way to interact with bacteria: in addition to preventing infection from pathogenic bacteria like any other plant, legumes also developed a mutualistic symbiotic relationship with one gender of soil bacteria: rhizobium. This interaction leads to the development of a new root organ, the nodule, where the differentiated bacteria fix for the plant the atmospheric dinitrogen (atmN2). In exchange, the symbiont will benefit from a permanent source of carbon compounds, products of the photosynthesis. The substantial amounts of fixed carbon dioxide dedicated to the symbiont imposed to the plant a tight regulation of the nodulation process to balance carbon and nitrogen incomes and outcomes. Climate change including the increase of the concentration of the atmospheric carbon dioxide is going to modify the rates of plant photosynthesis, the balance between nitrogen and carbon, and, as a consequence, the regulatory mechanisms of the nodulation process. This review focuses on the regulatory mechanisms controlling carbon/nitrogen balances in the context of legume nodulation and discusses how the change in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration could affect nodulation efficiency.

The Carbon-Nitrogen Balance of the Nodule and Its Regulation under Elevated Carbon Dioxide Concentration

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Legumes have developed a unique way to interact with bacteria: in addition to preventing infection from pathogenic bacteria like any other plant, legumes also developed a mutualistic symbiotic relationship with one gender of soil bacteria: rhizobium. This interaction leads to the development of a new root organ, the nodule, where the differentiated bacteria fix for the plant the atmospheric dinitrogen (atmN2). In exchange, the symbiont will benefit from a permanent source of carbon compounds, products of the photosynthesis. The substantial amounts of fixed carbon dioxide dedicated to the symbiont imposed to the plant a tight regulation of the nodulation process to balance carbon and nitrogen incomes and outcomes. Climate change including the increase of the concentration of the atmospheric carbon dioxide is going to modify the rates of plant photosynthesis, the balance between nitrogen and carbon, and, as a consequence, the regulatory mechanisms of the nodulation process. This review focuses on the regulatory mechanisms controlling carbon/nitrogen balances in the context of legume nodulation and discusses how the change in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration could affect nodulation efficiency. PMID:24987690

Transcriptomic Analysis of Flower Blooming in Jasminum sambac through De Novo RNA Sequencing.

PubMed

Li, Yong-Hua; Zhang, Wei; Li, Yong

2015-06-10

Flower blooming is a critical and complicated plant developmental process in flowering plants. However, insufficient information is available about the complex network that regulates flower blooming in Jasminum sambac. In this study, we used the RNA-Seq platform to analyze the molecular regulation of flower blooming in J. sambac by comparing the transcript profiles at two flower developmental stages: budding and blooming. A total of 4577 differentially-expressed genes (DEGs) were identified between the two floral stages. The Gene Ontology and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analyses revealed that the DEGs in the "oxidation-reduction process", "extracellular region", "steroid biosynthesis", "glycosphingolipid biosynthesis", "plant hormone signal transduction" and "pentose and glucuronate interconversions" might be associated with flower development. A total of 103 and 92 unigenes exhibited sequence similarities to the known flower development and floral scent genes from other plants. Among these unigenes, five flower development and 19 floral scent unigenes exhibited at least four-fold differences in expression between the two stages. Our results provide abundant genetic resources for studying the flower blooming mechanisms and molecular breeding of J. sambac.

Redox control of plant growth and development.

PubMed

Kocsy, Gábor; Tari, Irma; Vanková, Radomíra; Zechmann, Bernd; Gulyás, Zsolt; Poór, Péter; Galiba, Gábor

2013-10-01

Redox changes determined by genetic and environmental factors display well-organized interactions in the control of plant growth and development. Diurnal and seasonal changes in the environmental conditions are important for the normal course of these physiological processes and, similarly to their mild irregular alterations, for stress adaptation. However, fast or large-scale environmental changes may lead to damage or death of sensitive plants. The spatial and temporal redox changes influence growth and development due to the reprogramming of metabolism. In this process reactive oxygen and nitrogen species and antioxidants are involved as components of signalling networks. The control of growth, development and flowering by reactive oxygen and nitrogen species and antioxidants in interaction with hormones at organ, tissue, cellular and subcellular level will be discussed in the present review. Unsolved problems of the field, among others the need for identification of new components and interactions in the redox regulatory network at various organization levels using systems biology approaches will be also indicated. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Receptor-mediated signalling in plants: molecular patterns and programmes

PubMed Central

Tör, Mahmut; Lotze, Michael T.; Holton, Nicholas

2009-01-01

A highly evolved surveillance system in plants is able to detect a broad range of signals originating from pathogens, damaged tissues, or altered developmental processes, initiating sophisticated molecular mechanisms that result in defence, wound healing, and development. Microbe-associated molecular pattern molecules (MAMPs), damage-associated molecular pattern molecules (DAMPs), virulence factors, secreted proteins, and processed peptides can be recognized directly or indirectly by this surveillance system. Nucleotide binding-leucine rich repeat proteins (NB-LRR) are intracellular receptors and have been targeted by breeders for decades to elicit resistance to crop pathogens in the field. Receptor-like kinases (RLKs) or receptor like proteins (RLPs) are membrane bound signalling molecules with an extracellular receptor domain. They provide an early warning system for the presence of potential pathogens and activate protective immune signalling in plants. In addition, they act as a signal amplifier in the case of tissue damage, establishing symbiotic relationships and effecting developmental processes. The identification of several important ligands for the RLK-type receptors provided an opportunity to understand how plants differentiate, how they distinguish beneficial and detrimental stimuli, and how they co-ordinate the role of various types of receptors under varying environmental conditions. The diverse roles of extra-and intracellular plant receptors are examined here and the recent findings on how they promote defence and development is reviewed. PMID:19628572

27 CFR 21.40 - Formula No. 12-A.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... products, vitamins, hormones, and yeasts. 343.Processing antibiotics and vaccines. 344.Processing medicinal... medicinal chemicals. 579.Other chemicals. (3) Miscellaneous uses: 812.Product development and pilot plant...

27 CFR 21.40 - Formula No. 12-A.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... products, vitamins, hormones, and yeasts. 343.Processing antibiotics and vaccines. 344.Processing medicinal... medicinal chemicals. 579.Other chemicals. (3) Miscellaneous uses: 812.Product development and pilot plant...

27 CFR 21.40 - Formula No. 12-A.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... products, vitamins, hormones, and yeasts. 343.Processing antibiotics and vaccines. 344.Processing medicinal... medicinal chemicals. 579.Other chemicals. (3) Miscellaneous uses: 812.Product development and pilot plant...

27 CFR 21.33 - Formula No. 2-B.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... crude drugs. 342.Processing glandular products, vitamins, hormones, and yeasts. 343.Processing.... (3) Miscellaneous uses: 812.Product development and pilot plant uses (own use only). (c) Conditions...

27 CFR 21.33 - Formula No. 2-B.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... crude drugs. 342.Processing glandular products, vitamins, hormones, and yeasts. 343.Processing.... (3) Miscellaneous uses: 812.Product development and pilot plant uses (own use only). (c) Conditions...

27 CFR 21.33 - Formula No. 2-B.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... crude drugs. 342.Processing glandular products, vitamins, hormones, and yeasts. 343.Processing.... (3) Miscellaneous uses: 812.Product development and pilot plant uses (own use only). (c) Conditions...

27 CFR 21.33 - Formula No. 2-B.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... crude drugs. 342.Processing glandular products, vitamins, hormones, and yeasts. 343.Processing.... (3) Miscellaneous uses: 812.Product development and pilot plant uses (own use only). (c) Conditions...

Archaeogenomic insights into the adaptation of plants to the human environment: pushing plant-hominin co-evolution back to the Pliocene.

PubMed

Allaby, Robin G; Kistler, Logan; Gutaker, Rafal M; Ware, Roselyn; Kitchen, James L; Smith, Oliver; Clarke, Andrew C

2015-02-01

The colonization of the human environment by plants, and the consequent evolution of domesticated forms is increasingly being viewed as a co-evolutionary plant-human process that occurred over a long time period, with evidence for the co-evolutionary relationship between plants and humans reaching ever deeper into the hominin past. This developing view is characterized by a change in emphasis on the drivers of evolution in the case of plants. Rather than individual species being passive recipients of artificial selection pressures and ultimately becoming domesticates, entire plant communities adapted to the human environment. This evolutionary scenario leads to systems level genetic expectations from models that can be explored through ancient DNA and Next Generation Sequencing approaches. Emerging evidence suggests that domesticated genomes fit well with these expectations, with periods of stable complex evolution characterized by large amounts of change associated with relatively small selective value, punctuated by periods in which changes in one-half of the plant-hominin relationship cause rapid, low-complexity adaptation in the other. A corollary of a single plant-hominin co-evolutionary process is that clues about the initiation of the domestication process may well lie deep within the hominin lineage. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Status of H-Coal commercial activities. [Kentucky

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hicks, H.N. Jr.

1981-01-01

The H-Coal process is a development of Hydrocarbon Research, Inc. (HRI). It converts coal by catalytic hydrogenation to substitutes for petroleum ranging from a low sulfur fuel oil to an all distillate synthetic crude, the latter representing a potential source of raw material for the petrochemical industry. The process is a related application to HRI's H-Oil process which is used commercially for the desulfurization of residual oils from crude oil refining. A large scale pilot plant was constructed at Catlettsburg, Kentucky that is designed to process 200 to 600 TPD of coal. The paper includes an update on the keymore » activities associated with the Breckinridge Project: Pilot Plant H-Coal at Catlettsburg, Kentucky; commercial design activities in Houston; and permit and EIS activities for the Addison, Kentucky plant site.« less

Advanced imaging techniques for the study of plant growth and development.

PubMed

Sozzani, Rosangela; Busch, Wolfgang; Spalding, Edgar P; Benfey, Philip N

2014-05-01

A variety of imaging methodologies are being used to collect data for quantitative studies of plant growth and development from living plants. Multi-level data, from macroscopic to molecular, and from weeks to seconds, can be acquired. Furthermore, advances in parallelized and automated image acquisition enable the throughput to capture images from large populations of plants under specific growth conditions. Image-processing capabilities allow for 3D or 4D reconstruction of image data and automated quantification of biological features. These advances facilitate the integration of imaging data with genome-wide molecular data to enable systems-level modeling. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Development of Plant Control Diagnosis Technology and Increasing Its Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kugemoto, Hidekazu; Yoshimura, Satoshi; Hashizume, Satoru; Kageyama, Takashi; Yamamoto, Toru

A plant control diagnosis technology was developed to improve the performance of plant-wide control and maintain high productivity of plants. The control performance diagnosis system containing this technology picks out the poor performance loop, analyzes the cause, and outputs the result on the Web page. Meanwhile, the PID tuning tool is used to tune extracted loops from the control performance diagnosis system. It has an advantage of tuning safely without process changes. These systems are powerful tools to do Kaizen (continuous improvement efforts) step by step, coordinating with the operator. This paper describes a practical technique regarding the diagnosis system and its industrial applications.

Process development for scum to biodiesel conversion.

PubMed

Bi, Chong-hao; Min, Min; Nie, Yong; Xie, Qing-long; Lu, Qian; Deng, Xiang-yuan; Anderson, Erik; Li, Dong; Chen, Paul; Ruan, Roger

2015-06-01

A novel process was developed for converting scum, a waste material from wastewater treatment facilities, to biodiesel. Scum is an oily waste that was skimmed from the surface of primary and secondary settling tanks in wastewater treatment plants. Currently scum is treated either by anaerobic digestion or landfilling which raised several environmental issues. The newly developed process used a six-step method to convert scum to biodiesel, a higher value product. A combination of acid washing and acid catalyzed esterification was developed to remove soap and impurities while converting free fatty acids to methyl esters. A glycerol washing was used to facilitate the separation of biodiesel and glycerin after base catalyzed transesterification. As a result, 70% of dried and filtered scum was converted to biodiesel which is equivalent to about 134,000 gallon biodiesel per year for the Saint Paul waste water treatment plant in Minnesota. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

TOOKUIL: A case study in user interface development for safety code application

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gray, D.L.; Harkins, C.K.; Hoole, J.G.

1997-07-01

Traditionally, there has been a very high learning curve associated with using nuclear power plant (NPP) analysis codes. Even for seasoned plant analysts and engineers, the process of building or modifying an input model for present day NPP analysis codes is tedious, error prone, and time consuming. Current cost constraints and performance demands place an additional burden on today`s safety analysis community. Advances in graphical user interface (GUI) technology have been applied to obtain significant productivity and quality assurance improvements for the Transient Reactor Analysis Code (TRAC) input model development. KAPL Inc. has developed an X Windows-based graphical user interfacemore » named TOOKUIL which supports the design and analysis process, acting as a preprocessor, runtime editor, help system, and post processor for TRAC. This paper summarizes the objectives of the project, the GUI development process and experiences, and the resulting end product, TOOKUIL.« less

Source-sink-storage relationships of conifers

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Luxmoore, R.J.; Oren, R.; Sheriff, D.W.

1995-07-01

Irradiance, air temperature, saturation vapor pressure deficit, and soil temperature vary in association with Earth`s daily rotation, inducing significant hourly changes in the rates of plant physiological processes. These processes include carbon fixation in photosynthesis, sucrose translocation, and carbon utilization in growth, storage, and respiration. The sensitivity of these physiological processes to environmental factors such as temperature, soil water availability, and nutrient supply reveals differences that must be viewed as an interactive whole in order to comprehend whole-plant responses to the environment. Integrative frameworks for relationships between plant physiological processes are needed to provide syntheses of plant growth and development.more » Source-sink-storage relationships, addressed in this chapter, provide one framework for synthesis of whole-plant responses to external environmental variables. To address this issue, some examples of carbon assimilation and utilization responses of five conifer species to environmental factors from a range of field environments are first summarized. Next, the interactions between sources, sinks, and storages of carbon are examined at the leaf and tree scales, and finally, the review evaluates the proposition that processes involved with carbon utilization (sink activity) are more sensitive to the supply of water and nutrients (particularly nitrogen) than are the processes of carbon gain (source activity) and carbon storage. The terms {open_quotes}sink{close_quotes} and {open_quotes}source{close_quotes} refer to carbon utilization and carbon gain, respectively. The relative roles of stored carbon reserves and of current photosynthate in meeting sink demand are addressed. Discussions focus on source-sink-storage relationships within the diurnal, wetting-drying, and annual cycles of conifer growth and development, and some discussion of life cycle aspects is also presented.« less

Role of microRNAs involved in plant response to nitrogen and phosphorous limiting conditions

PubMed Central

Nguyen, Giao N.; Rothstein, Steven J.; Spangenberg, German; Kant, Surya

2015-01-01

Plant microRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small non-coding RNAs which target and regulate the expression of genes involved in several growth, development, and metabolism processes. Recent researches have shown involvement of miRNAs in the regulation of uptake and utilization of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) and more importantly for plant adaptation to N and P limitation conditions by modifications in plant growth, phenology, and architecture and production of secondary metabolites. Developing strategies that allow for the higher efficiency of using both N and P fertilizers in crop production is important for economic and environmental benefits. Improved crop varieties with better adaptation to N and P limiting conditions could be a key approach to achieve this effectively. Furthermore, understanding on the interactions between N and P uptake and use and their regulation is important for the maintenance of nutrient homeostasis in plants. This review describes the possible functions of different miRNAs and their cross-talk relevant to the plant adaptive responses to N and P limiting conditions. In addition, a comprehensive understanding of these processes at molecular level and importance of biological adaptation for improved N and P use efficiency is discussed. PMID:26322069

Role of microRNAs involved in plant response to nitrogen and phosphorous limiting conditions.

PubMed

Nguyen, Giao N; Rothstein, Steven J; Spangenberg, German; Kant, Surya

2015-01-01

Plant microRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small non-coding RNAs which target and regulate the expression of genes involved in several growth, development, and metabolism processes. Recent researches have shown involvement of miRNAs in the regulation of uptake and utilization of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) and more importantly for plant adaptation to N and P limitation conditions by modifications in plant growth, phenology, and architecture and production of secondary metabolites. Developing strategies that allow for the higher efficiency of using both N and P fertilizers in crop production is important for economic and environmental benefits. Improved crop varieties with better adaptation to N and P limiting conditions could be a key approach to achieve this effectively. Furthermore, understanding on the interactions between N and P uptake and use and their regulation is important for the maintenance of nutrient homeostasis in plants. This review describes the possible functions of different miRNAs and their cross-talk relevant to the plant adaptive responses to N and P limiting conditions. In addition, a comprehensive understanding of these processes at molecular level and importance of biological adaptation for improved N and P use efficiency is discussed.

Correlations between Circadian Rhythms and Growth in Challenging Environments.

PubMed

Dakhiya, Yuri; Hussien, Duaa; Fridman, Eyal; Kiflawi, Moshe; Green, Rachel

2017-03-01

In plants, the circadian system controls a plethora of processes, many with agronomic importance, such as photosynthesis, photoprotection, stomatal opening, and photoperiodic development, as well as molecular processes, such as gene expression. It has been suggested that modifying circadian rhythms may be a means to manipulate crops to develop improved plants for agriculture. However, there is very little information on how the clock influences the performance of crop plants. We used a noninvasive, high-throughput technique, based on prompt chlorophyll fluorescence, to measure circadian rhythms and demonstrated that the technique works in a range of plants. Using fluorescence, we analyzed circadian rhythms in populations of wild barley ( Hordeum vulgare ssp. spontaneum ) from widely different ecogeographical locations in the Southern Levant part of the Fertile Crescent, an area with a high proportion of the total genetic variation of wild barley. Our results show that there is variability for circadian traits in the wild barley lines. We observed that circadian period lengths were correlated with temperature and aspect at the sites of origin of the plants, while the amplitudes of the rhythms were correlated with soil composition. Thus, different environmental parameters may exert selection on circadian rhythms. © 2017 American Society of Plant Biologists. All Rights Reserved.

Persulfidation proteome reveals the regulation of protein function by hydrogen sulfide in diverse biological processes in Arabidopsis.

PubMed

Aroca, Angeles; Benito, Juan M; Gotor, Cecilia; Romero, Luis C

2017-10-13

Hydrogen sulfide-mediated signaling pathways regulate many physiological and pathophysiological processes in mammalian and plant systems. The molecular mechanism by which hydrogen sulfide exerts its action involves the post-translational modification of cysteine residues to form a persulfidated thiol motif, a process called protein persulfidation. We have developed a comparative and quantitative proteomic analysis approach for the detection of endogenous persulfidated proteins in wild-type Arabidopsis and L-CYSTEINE DESULFHYDRASE 1 mutant leaves using the tag-switch method. The 2015 identified persulfidated proteins were isolated from plants grown under controlled conditions, and therefore, at least 5% of the entire Arabidopsis proteome may undergo persulfidation under baseline conditions. Bioinformatic analysis revealed that persulfidated cysteines participate in a wide range of biological functions, regulating important processes such as carbon metabolism, plant responses to abiotic and biotic stresses, plant growth and development, and RNA translation. Quantitative analysis in both genetic backgrounds reveals that protein persulfidation is mainly involved in primary metabolic pathways such as the tricarboxylic acid cycle, glycolysis, and the Calvin cycle, suggesting that this protein modification is a new regulatory component in these pathways. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Experimental Biology.

Programmed cell death in C. elegans, mammals and plants.

PubMed

Lord, Christina E N; Gunawardena, Arunika H L A N

2012-08-01

Programmed cell death (PCD) is the regulated removal of cells within an organism and plays a fundamental role in growth and development in nearly all eukaryotes. In animals, the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) has aided in elucidating many of the pathways involved in the cell death process. Various analogous PCD processes can also be found within mammalian PCD systems, including vertebrate limb development. Plants and animals also appear to share hallmarks of PCD, both on the cellular and molecular level. Cellular events visualized during plant PCD resemble those seen in animals including: nuclear condensation, DNA fragmentation, cytoplasmic condensation, and plasma membrane shrinkage. Recently the molecular mechanisms involved in plant PCD have begun to be elucidated. Although few regulatory proteins have been identified as conserved across all eukaryotes, molecular features such as the participation of caspase-like proteases, Bcl-2-like family members and mitochondrial proteins appear to be conserved between plant and animal systems. Transgenic expression of mammalian and C. elegans pro- and anti-apoptotic genes in plants has been observed to dramatically influence the regulatory pathways of plant PCD. Although these genes often show little to no sequence similarity they can frequently act as functional substitutes for one another, thus suggesting that action may be more important than sequence resemblance. Here we present a summary of these findings, focusing on the similarities, between mammals, C. elegans, and plants. An emphasis will be placed on the mitochondria and its role in the cell death pathway within each organism. Through the comparison of these systems on both a cellular and molecular level we can begin to better understand PCD in plant systems, and perhaps shed light on the pathways, which are controlling the process. This manuscript adds to the field of PCD in plant systems by profiling apoptotic factors, to scale on a protein level, and also by filling in gaps detailing plant apoptotic factors not yet amalgamated within the literature. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Abscisic Acid and Abiotic Stress Tolerance in Crop Plants

PubMed Central

Sah, Saroj K.; Reddy, Kambham R.; Li, Jiaxu

2016-01-01

Abiotic stress is a primary threat to fulfill the demand of agricultural production to feed the world in coming decades. Plants reduce growth and development process during stress conditions, which ultimately affect the yield. In stress conditions, plants develop various stress mechanism to face the magnitude of stress challenges, although that is not enough to protect them. Therefore, many strategies have been used to produce abiotic stress tolerance crop plants, among them, abscisic acid (ABA) phytohormone engineering could be one of the methods of choice. ABA is an isoprenoid phytohormone, which regulates various physiological processes ranging from stomatal opening to protein storage and provides adaptation to many stresses like drought, salt, and cold stresses. ABA is also called an important messenger that acts as the signaling mediator for regulating the adaptive response of plants to different environmental stress conditions. In this review, we will discuss the role of ABA in response to abiotic stress at the molecular level and ABA signaling. The review also deals with the effect of ABA in respect to gene expression. PMID:27200044

Development of a multisensor-based bio-botanic robot and its implementation using a self-designed embedded board.

PubMed

Chang, Chung-Liang; Sie, Ming-Fong; Shie, Jin-Long

2011-01-01

This paper presents the design concept of a bio-botanic robot which demonstrates its behavior based on plant growth. Besides, it can reflect the different phases of plant growth depending on the proportional amounts of light, temperature and water. The mechanism design is made up of a processed aluminum base, spring, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and actuator to constitute the plant base and plant body. The control system consists of two micro-controllers and a self-designed embedded development board where the main controller transmits the values of the environmental sensing module within the embedded board to a sub-controller. The sub-controller determines the growth stage, growth height, and time and transmits its decision value to the main controller. Finally, based on the data transmitted by the sub-controller, the main controller controls the growth phase of the bio-botanic robot using a servo motor and leaf actuator. The research result not only helps children realize the variation of plant growth but also is entertainment-educational through its demonstration of the growth process of the bio-botanic robot in a short time.

A Distributed Control System Prototyping Environment to Support Control Room Modernization

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lew, Roger Thomas; Boring, Ronald Laurids; Ulrich, Thomas Anthony

Operators of critical processes, such as nuclear power production, must contend with highly complex systems, procedures, and regulations. Developing human-machine interfaces (HMIs) that better support operators is a high priority for ensuring the safe and reliable operation of critical processes. Human factors engineering (HFE) provides a rich and mature set of tools for evaluating the performance of HMIs, however the set of tools for developing and designing HMIs is still in its infancy. Here we propose a rapid prototyping approach for integrating proposed HMIs into their native environments before a design is finalized. This approach allows researchers and developers tomore » test design ideas and eliminate design flaws prior to fully developing the new system. We illustrate this approach with four prototype designs developed using Microsoft’s Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF). One example is integrated into a microworld environment to test the functionality of the design and identify the optimal level of automation for a new system in a nuclear power plant. The other three examples are integrated into a full-scale, glasstop digital simulator of a nuclear power plant. One example demonstrates the capabilities of next generation control concepts; another aims to expand the current state of the art; lastly, an HMI prototype was developed as a test platform for a new control system currently in development at U.S. nuclear power plants. WPF possesses several characteristics that make it well suited to HMI design. It provides a tremendous amount of flexibility, agility, robustness, and extensibility. Distributed control system (DCS) specific environments tend to focus on the safety and reliability requirements for real-world interfaces and consequently have less emphasis on providing functionality to support novel interaction paradigms. Because of WPF’s large user-base, Microsoft can provide an extremely mature tool. Within process control applications,WPF is platform independent and can communicate with popular full-scope process control simulator vendor plant models and DCS platforms.« less

Gibberellins regulate the stem elongation rate without affecting the mature plant height of a quick development mutant of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.).

PubMed

Zhang, Ning; Xie, Yong-Dun; Guo, Hui-Jun; Zhao, Lin-Shu; Xiong, Hong-Chun; Gu, Jia-Yu; Li, Jun-Hui; Kong, Fu-Quan; Sui, Li; Zhao, Zi-Wei; Zhao, Shi-Rong; Liu, Lu-Xiang

2016-10-01

Gibberellin (GA) is essential for determining plant height. Alteration of GA content or GA signaling results in a dwarf or slender phenotype. Here, we characterized a novel wheat mutant, quick development (qd), in which GA regulates stem elongation but does not affect mature plant height. qd and wild-type plants did not exhibit phenotypic differences at the seedling stage. From jointing to heading stage, qd plants were taller than wild-type plants due to elongated cells. However, wild-type and qd plants were the same height at heading. Unlike wild-type plants, qd plants were sensitive to exogenous GA due to mutation of Rht-B1. With continuous GA stimulation, qd seedlings and adult plants were taller than wild-type. Thus, the GA content of qd plants might differ from that of wild-type during the growth process. Analysis of GA biosynthetic gene expression verified this hypothesis and showed that TaKAO, which is involved in catalyzing the early steps of GA biosynthesis, was differentially expressed in qd plants compared with wild-type. The bioactive GA associated gene TaGA20ox was downregulated in qd plants during the late growth stages. Measurements of endogenous GA content were consistent with the gene-expression analysis results. Consistent with the GA content variation, the first three basal internodes were longer and the last two internodes were shorter in qd than in wild-type plants. The qd mutant might be useful in dissecting the mechanism by which GA regulates stem-growing process, and it may be serve as a GA responsive semi-dwarf germplasm in breeding programs. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

The impact of Polycomb group (PcG) and Trithorax group (TrxG) epigenetic factors in plant plasticity.

PubMed

de la Paz Sanchez, Maria; Aceves-García, Pamela; Petrone, Emilio; Steckenborn, Stefan; Vega-León, Rosario; Álvarez-Buylla, Elena R; Garay-Arroyo, Adriana; García-Ponce, Berenice

2015-11-01

Current advances indicate that epigenetic mechanisms play important roles in the regulatory networks involved in plant developmental responses to environmental conditions. Hence, understanding the role of such components becomes crucial to understanding the mechanisms underlying the plasticity and variability of plant traits, and thus the ecology and evolution of plant development. We now know that important components of phenotypic variation may result from heritable and reversible epigenetic mechanisms without genetic alterations. The epigenetic factors Polycomb group (PcG) and Trithorax group (TrxG) are involved in developmental processes that respond to environmental signals, playing important roles in plant plasticity. In this review, we discuss current knowledge of TrxG and PcG functions in different developmental processes in response to internal and environmental cues and we also integrate the emerging evidence concerning their function in plant plasticity. Many such plastic responses rely on meristematic cell behavior, including stem cell niche maintenance, cellular reprogramming, flowering and dormancy as well as stress memory. This information will help to determine how to integrate the role of epigenetic regulation into models of gene regulatory networks, which have mostly included transcriptional interactions underlying various aspects of plant development and its plastic response to environmental conditions. © 2015 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2015 New Phytologist Trust.

COMMERCIALIZATION OF AN ATMOSPHERIC IRON-BASED CDCL PROCESS FOR POWER PRODUCTION. PHASE I: TECHNOECONOMIC ANALYSIS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Vargas, Luis

Coal Direct Chemical Looping (CDCL) is an advanced oxy-combustion technology that has potential to enable substantial reductions in the cost and energy penalty associated with carbon dioxide (CO2) capture from coal-fired power plants. Through collaborative efforts, the Babcock & Wilcox Power Generation Group (B&W) and The Ohio State University (OSU) developed a conceptual design for a 550 MWe (net) supercritical CDCL power plant with greater than 90% CO2 capture and compression. Process simulations were completed to enable an initial assessment of its technical performance. A cost estimate was developed following DOE’s guidelines as outlined in NETL’s report “Quality Guidelines formore » Energy System Studies: Cost Estimation Methodology for NETL Assessments of Power Plant Performance”, (2011/1455). The cost of electricity for the CDCL plant without CO2 Transportation and Storage cost resulted in $ $102.67 per MWh, which corresponds to a 26.8 % increase in cost of electricity (COE) when compared to an air-fired pulverized-coal supercritical power plant. The cost of electricity is strongly depending on the total plant cost and cost of the oxygen carrier particles. The CDCL process could capture further potential savings by increasing the performance of the particles and reducing the plant size. During the techno-economic analysis, the team identified technology and engineering gaps that need to be closed to bring the technology to commercialization. The technology gaps were focused in five critical areas: (i) moving bed reducer reactor, (ii) fluidized bed combustor, (iii) particle riser, (iv) oxygen-carrier particle properties, and (v) process operation. The key technology gaps are related to particle performance, particle manufacturing cost, and the operation of the reducer reactor. These technology gaps are to be addressed during Phase II of project. The project team is proposing additional lab testing to be completed on the particle and a 3MWth pilot facility be built to evaluate the reducer reactor performance among other aspects of the technology. A Phase II proposal was prepared and submitted to DOE. The project team proposed a three year program in Phase II. Year 1 includes lab testing and particle development work aimed at improving the chemical and mechanical properties of the oxygen carrier particle. In parallel, B&W will design the 3MWt pilot plant. Any improvements to the particle performance discovered in year 1 that would impact the design of the pilot will be incorporated into the final design. Year 2 will focus on procurement of materials and equipment, and construction of the pilot plant. Year 3 will include, commissioning, start-up, and testing in the pilot. Phase I work was successfully completed and a design and operating philosophy for a 550 MWe commercial scale coal-direct chemical looping power plant was developed. Based on the results of the techno-economic evaluation, B&W projects that the CDCL process can achieve 96.5% CO2 capture with a« less

Light-Mediated Hormonal Regulation of Plant Growth and Development.

PubMed

de Wit, Mieke; Galvão, Vinicius Costa; Fankhauser, Christian

2016-04-29

Light is crucial for plant life, and perception of the light environment dictates plant growth, morphology, and developmental changes. Such adjustments in growth and development in response to light conditions are often established through changes in hormone levels and signaling. This review discusses examples of light-regulated processes throughout a plant's life cycle for which it is known how light signals lead to hormonal regulation. Light acts as an important developmental switch in germination, photomorphogenesis, and transition to flowering, and light cues are essential to ensure light capture through architectural changes during phototropism and the shade avoidance response. In describing well-established links between light perception and hormonal changes, we aim to give insight into the mechanisms that enable plants to thrive in variable light environments.

Approaches in the determination of plant nutrient uptake and distribution in space flight conditions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Heyenga, A. G.; Forsman, A.; Stodieck, L. S.; Hoehn, A.; Kliss, M.

2000-01-01

The effective growth and development of vascular plants rely on the adequate availability of water and nutrients. Inefficiency in either the initial absorption, transportation, or distribution of these elements are factors which impinge on plant structure and metabolic integrity. The potential effect of space flight and microgravity conditions on the efficiency of these processes is unclear. Limitations in the available quantity of space-grown plant material and the sensitivity of routine analytical techniques have made an evaluation of these processes impractical. However, the recent introduction of new plant cultivating methodologies supporting the application of radionuclide elements and subsequent autoradiography techniques provides a highly sensitive investigative approach amenable to space flight studies. Experiments involving the use of gel based 'nutrient packs' and the radionuclides calcium-45 and iron-59 were conducted on the Shuttle mission STS-94. Uptake rates of the radionuclides between ground and flight plant material appeared comparable.

Approaches in the Determination of Plant Nutrient Uptake and Distribution in Space Flight Conditions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Heyenga, A. G.; Forsman, A.; Stodieck, L. S.; Hoehn, A.; Kliss, Mark

1998-01-01

The effective growth and development of vascular plants rely on the adequate availability of water and nutrients. Inefficiency in either the initial absorption, transportation, or distribution of these elements are factors which may impinge on plant structure and metabolic integrity. The potential effect of space flight and microgravity conditions on the efficiency of these processes is unclear. Limitations in the available quantity of space-grown plant material and the sensitivity of routine analytical techniques have made an evaluation of these processes impractical. However, the recent introduction of new plant cultivating methodologies supporting the application of radionuclide elements and subsequent autoradiography techniques provides a highly sensitive investigative approach amenable to space flight studies. Experiments involving the use of gel based 'nutrient packs' and the nuclides Ca45 and Fe59 were conducted on the Shuttle mission STS-94. Uptake rates of the radionuclides between ground and flight plant material appeared comparable.

Operation reliability analysis of independent power plants of gas-transmission system distant production facilities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Piskunov, Maksim V.; Voytkov, Ivan S.; Vysokomornaya, Olga V.; Vysokomorny, Vladimir S.

2015-01-01

The new approach was developed to analyze the failure causes in operation of linear facilities independent power supply sources (mini-CHP-plants) of gas-transmission system in Eastern part of Russia. Triggering conditions of ceiling operation substance temperature at condenser output were determined with mathematical simulation use of unsteady heat and mass transfer processes in condenser of mini-CHP-plants. Under these conditions the failure probability in operation of independent power supply sources is increased. Influence of environmental factors (in particular, ambient temperature) as well as output electric capability values of power plant on mini-CHP-plant operation reliability was analyzed. Values of mean time to failure and power plant failure density during operation in different regions of Eastern Siberia and Far East of Russia were received with use of numerical simulation results of heat and mass transfer processes at operation substance condensation.

A versatile scalable PET processing system

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

H. Dong, A. Weisenberger, J. McKisson, Xi Wenze, C. Cuevas, J. Wilson, L. Zukerman

2011-06-01

Positron Emission Tomography (PET) historically has major clinical and preclinical applications in cancerous oncology, neurology, and cardiovascular diseases. Recently, in a new direction, an application specific PET system is being developed at Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (Jefferson Lab) in collaboration with Duke University, University of Maryland at Baltimore (UMAB), and West Virginia University (WVU) targeted for plant eco-physiology research. The new plant imaging PET system is versatile and scalable such that it could adapt to several plant imaging needs - imaging many important plant organs including leaves, roots, and stems. The mechanical arrangement of the detectors is designed tomore » accommodate the unpredictable and random distribution in space of the plant organs without requiring the plant be disturbed. Prototyping such a system requires a new data acquisition system (DAQ) and data processing system which are adaptable to the requirements of these unique and versatile detectors.« less

Nitric oxide signalling via cytoskeleton in plants.

PubMed

Yemets, Alla I; Krasylenko, Yuliya A; Lytvyn, Dmytro I; Sheremet, Yarina A; Blume, Yaroslav B

2011-11-01

Nitric oxide (NO) in plant cell mediates processes of growth and development starting from seed germination to pollination, as well as biotic and abiotic stress tolerance. However, proper understanding of the molecular mechanisms of NO signalling in plants has just begun to emerge. Accumulated evidence suggests that in eukaryotic cells NO regulates functions of proteins by their post-translational modifications, namely tyrosine nitration and S-nitrosylation. Among the candidates for NO-downstream effectors are cytoskeletal proteins because of their involvement in many processes regulated by NO. This review discusses new insights in plant NO signalling focused mainly on the involvement of cytoskeleton components into NO-cascades. Herein, examples of NO-related post-translational modifications of cytoskeletal proteins, and also indirect NO impact, are discussed. Special attention is paid to plant α-tubulin tyrosine nitration as an emerging topic in plant NO research. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Anticipatory control: A software retrofit for current plant controllers

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Parthasarathy, S.; Parlos, A.G.; Atiya, A.F.

1993-01-01

The design and simulated testing of an artificial neural network (ANN)-based self-adapting controller for complex process systems are presented in this paper. The proposed controller employs concepts based on anticipatory systems, which have been widely used in the petroleum and chemical industries, and they are slowly finding their way into the power industry. In particular, model predictive control (MPC) is used for the systematic adaptation of the controller parameters to achieve desirable plant performance over the entire operating envelope. The versatile anticipatory control algorithm developed in this study is projected to enhance plant performance and lend robustness to drifts inmore » plant parameters and to modeling uncertainties. This novel technique of integrating recurrent ANNs with a conventional controller structure appears capable of controlling complex, nonlinear, and nonminimum phase process systems. The direct, on-line adaptive control algorithm presented in this paper considers the plant response over a finite time horizon, diminishing the need for manual control or process interruption for controller gain tuning.« less

Plastid ribosomal protein S5 is involved in photosynthesis, plant development, and cold stress tolerance in Arabidopsis

PubMed Central

Zhang, Junxiang; Yuan, Hui; Yang, Yong; Fish, Tara; Lyi, Sangbom M.; Thannhauser, Theodore W; Zhang, Lugang; Li, Li

2016-01-01

Plastid ribosomal proteins are essential components of protein synthesis machinery and have diverse roles in plant growth and development. Mutations in plastid ribosomal proteins lead to a range of developmental phenotypes in plants. However, how they regulate these processes is not fully understood, and the functions of some individual plastid ribosomal proteins remain unknown. To identify genes responsible for chloroplast development, we isolated and characterized a mutant that exhibited pale yellow inner leaves with a reduced growth rate in Arabidopsis. The mutant (rps5) contained a missense mutation of plastid ribosomal protein S5 (RPS5), which caused a dramatically reduced abundance of chloroplast 16S rRNA and seriously impaired 16S rRNA processing to affect ribosome function and plastid translation. Comparative proteomic analysis revealed that the rps5 mutation suppressed the expression of a large number of core components involved in photosystems I and II as well as many plastid ribosomal proteins. Unexpectedly, a number of proteins associated with cold stress responses were greatly decreased in rps5, and overexpression of the plastid RPS5 improved plant cold stress tolerance. Our results indicate that RPS5 is an important constituent of the plastid 30S subunit and affects proteins involved in photosynthesis and cold stress responses to mediate plant growth and development. PMID:27006483

Why cellular communication during plant reproduction is particularly mediated by CRP signalling.

PubMed

Bircheneder, Susanne; Dresselhaus, Thomas

2016-08-01

Secreted cysteine-rich peptides (CRPs) represent one of the main classes of signalling peptides in plants. Whereas post-translationally modified small non-CRP peptides (psNCRPs) are mostly involved in signalling events during vegetative development and interactions with the environment, CRPs are overrepresented in reproductive processes including pollen germination and growth, self-incompatibility, gamete activation and fusion as well as seed development. In this opinion paper we compare the involvement of both types of peptides in vegetative and reproductive phases of the plant lifecycle. Besides their conserved cysteine pattern defining structural features, CRPs exhibit hypervariable primary sequences and a rapid evolution rate. As a result, CRPs represent a pool of highly polymorphic signalling peptides involved in species-specific functions during reproduction and thus likely represent key players to trigger speciation in plants by supporting reproductive isolation. In contrast, precursers of psNCRPs are proteolytically processed into small functional domains with high sequence conservation and act in more general processes. We discuss parallels in downstream processes of CRP signalling in both reproduction and defence against pathogenic fungi and alien pollen tubes, with special emphasis on the role of ROS and ion channels. In conclusion we suggest that CRP signalling during reproduction in plants has evolved from ancient defence mechanisms. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Experimental Biology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Nancy Dowe | NREL

Science.gov Websites

Center Bioprocess Development Group. The group is largely made up of fermentation scientists and engineers whose focus is on fermentation process development and pilot plant scale-up. Dowe has nearly 30 years of experience working with a wide variety of fermentation processes and microorganisms for the

Development of an agricultural biotechnology crop product: testing from discovery to commercialization.

PubMed

Privalle, Laura S; Chen, Jingwen; Clapper, Gina; Hunst, Penny; Spiegelhalter, Frank; Zhong, Cathy X

2012-10-17

"Genetically modified" (GM) or "biotech" crops have been the most rapidly adopted agricultural technology in recent years. The development of a GM crop encompasses trait identification, gene isolation, plant cell transformation, plant regeneration, efficacy evaluation, commercial event identification, safety evaluation, and finally commercial authorization. This is a lengthy, complex, and resource-intensive process. Crops produced through biotechnology are the most highly studied food or food component consumed. Before commercialization, these products are shown to be as safe as conventional crops with respect to feed, food, and the environment. This paper describes this global process and the various analytical tests that must accompany the product during the course of development, throughout its market life, and beyond.

27 CFR 21.42 - Formula No. 17.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

...: 344.Processing medicinal chemicals (including alkaloids). 358.Processing other chemicals. 359.Processing miscellaneous products. (2) As a raw material: 575.Drugs and medicinal chemicals. 579.Other chemicals. (3) Miscellaneous uses: 812.Product development and pilot plant uses (own use only). ...

27 CFR 21.42 - Formula No. 17.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

...: 344.Processing medicinal chemicals (including alkaloids). 358.Processing other chemicals. 359.Processing miscellaneous products. (2) As a raw material: 575.Drugs and medicinal chemicals. 579.Other chemicals. (3) Miscellaneous uses: 812.Product development and pilot plant uses (own use only). ...

27 CFR 21.42 - Formula No. 17.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

...: 344.Processing medicinal chemicals (including alkaloids). 358.Processing other chemicals. 359.Processing miscellaneous products. (2) As a raw material: 575.Drugs and medicinal chemicals. 579.Other chemicals. (3) Miscellaneous uses: 812.Product development and pilot plant uses (own use only). ...

Physical analyses of compost from composting plants in Brazil.

PubMed

Barreira, L P; Philippi Junior, A; Rodrigues, M S; Tenório, J A S

2008-01-01

Nowadays the composting process has shown itself to be an alternative in the treatment of municipal solid wastes by composting plants. However, although more than 50% of the waste generated by the Brazilian population is composed of matter susceptible to organic composting, this process is, still today, insufficiently developed in Brazil, due to low compost quality and lack of investments in the sector. The objective of this work was to use physical analyses to evaluate the quality of the compost produced at 14 operative composting plants in the Sao Paulo State in Brazil. For this purpose, size distribution and total inert content tests were done. The results were analyzed by grouping the plants according to their productive processes: plants with a rotating drum, plants with shredders or mills, and plants without treatment after the sorting conveyor belt. Compost quality was analyzed considering the limits imposed by the Brazilian Legislation and the European standards for inert contents. The size distribution tests showed the influence of the machinery after the sorting conveyer on the granule sizes as well as the inert content, which contributes to the presence of materials that reduce the quality of the final product.

Protocol for Large-Scale Collection, Processing, and Storage of Seeds of Two Mesohaline Submerged Aquatic Plant Species

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-08-01

and the regulation of the timing of initial seedling growth. The evolution of flowering plants extended the potential for regu- lating growth and...improved the efficiency of gamete transfer via pollination (Willis and Figure 1. A one-gram plant sample of R. maritima seeds Report Documentation...uniformity of plant growth and development is contrary to the goals of ecological restoration where the objective is the successful establishment of

RNA-stabilization factors in chloroplasts of vascular plants.

PubMed

Manavski, Nikolay; Schmid, Lisa-Marie; Meurer, Jörg

2018-04-13

In contrast to the cyanobacterial ancestor, chloroplast gene expression is predominantly governed on the post-transcriptional level such as modifications of the RNA sequence, decay rates, exo- and endonucleolytic processing as well as translational events. The concerted function of numerous chloroplast RNA-binding proteins plays a fundamental and often essential role in all these processes but our understanding of their impact in regulation of RNA degradation is only at the beginning. Moreover, metabolic processes and post-translational modifications are thought to affect the function of RNA protectors. These protectors contain a variety of different RNA-recognition motifs, which often appear as multiple repeats. They are required for normal plant growth and development as well as diverse stress responses and acclimation processes. Interestingly, most of the protectors are plant specific which reflects a fast-evolving RNA metabolism in chloroplasts congruent with the diverging RNA targets. Here, we mainly focused on the characteristics of known chloroplast RNA-binding proteins that protect exonuclease-sensitive sites in chloroplasts of vascular plants. © 2018 The Author(s).

The β-cyanoalanine synthase pathway: beyond cyanide detoxification.

PubMed

Machingura, Marylou; Salomon, Eitan; Jez, Joseph M; Ebbs, Stephen D

2016-10-01

Production of cyanide through biological and environmental processes requires the detoxification of this metabolic poison. In the 1960s, discovery of the β-cyanoalanine synthase (β-CAS) pathway in cyanogenic plants provided the first insight on cyanide detoxification in nature. Fifty years of investigations firmly established the protective role of the β-CAS pathway in cyanogenic plants and its role in the removal of cyanide produced from ethylene synthesis in plants, but also revealed the importance of this pathway for plant growth and development and the integration of nitrogen and sulfur metabolism. This review describes the β-CAS pathway, its distribution across and within higher plants, and the diverse biological functions of the pathway in cyanide assimilation, plant growth and development, stress tolerance, regulation of cyanide and sulfide signalling, and nitrogen and sulfur metabolism. The collective roles of the β-CAS pathway highlight its potential evolutionary and ecological importance in plants. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Evolution of the Plant Reproduction Master Regulators LFY and the MADS Transcription Factors: The Role of Protein Structure in the Evolutionary Development of the Flower.

PubMed

Silva, Catarina S; Puranik, Sriharsha; Round, Adam; Brennich, Martha; Jourdain, Agnès; Parcy, François; Hugouvieux, Veronique; Zubieta, Chloe

2015-01-01

Understanding the evolutionary leap from non-flowering (gymnosperms) to flowering (angiosperms) plants and the origin and vast diversification of the floral form has been one of the focuses of plant evolutionary developmental biology. The evolving diversity and increasing complexity of organisms is often due to relatively small changes in genes that direct development. These "developmental control genes" and the transcription factors (TFs) they encode, are at the origin of most morphological changes. TFs such as LEAFY (LFY) and the MADS-domain TFs act as central regulators in key developmental processes of plant reproduction including the floral transition in angiosperms and the specification of the male and female organs in both gymnosperms and angiosperms. In addition to advances in genome wide profiling and forward and reverse genetic screening, structural techniques are becoming important tools in unraveling TF function by providing atomic and molecular level information that was lacking in purely genetic approaches. Here, we summarize previous structural work and present additional biophysical and biochemical studies of the key master regulators of plant reproduction - LEAFY and the MADS-domain TFs SEPALLATA3 and AGAMOUS. We discuss the impact of structural biology on our understanding of the complex evolutionary process leading to the development of the bisexual flower.

SAUR Proteins as Effectors of Hormonal and Environmental Signals in Plant Growth

PubMed Central

Ren, Hong; Gray, William M.

2016-01-01

The plant hormone auxin regulates numerous aspects of plant growth and development. Early auxin response genes mediate its genomic effects on plant growth and development. Discovered in 1987, SMALL AUXIN UP RNAs (SAURs) are the largest family of early auxin response genes. SAUR functions have remained elusive, however, presumably due to extensive genetic redundancy. However, recent molecular, genetic, biochemical, and genomic studies have implicated SAURs in the regulation of a wide range of cellular, physiological, and developmental processes. Recently, crucial mechanistic insight into SAUR function was provided by the demonstration that SAURs inhibit PP2C.D phosphatases to activate plasma membrane (PM) H+-ATPases and promote cell expansion. In addition to auxin, several other hormones and environmental factors also regulate SAUR gene expression. We propose that SAURs are key effector outputs of hormonal and environmental signals that regulate plant growth and development. PMID:25983207

Advanced Plant Habitat - Packing and Planting Seeds

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-02-15

Dr. Oscar Monje, a research scientist, packs a growing substrate called arcillite in the science carrier, or base, of the Advanced Plant Habitat (APH) inside a laboratory at the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Developed by NASA and ORBITEC of Madison, Wisconsin, the APH is the largest plant chamber built for the agency. It is a fully automated plant growth facility that will be used to conduct bioscience research on the International Space Station. The APH will be delivered to the space station aboard future Commercial Resupply Services missions.

Advanced Plant Habitat - Packing and Planting Seeds

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-02-15

Dr. Oscar Monje, a research scientist, pours a growing substrate called arcillite in the science carrier, or base, of the Advanced Plant Habitat (APH) inside a laboratory at the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Developed by NASA and ORBITEC of Madison, Wisconsin, the APH is the largest plant chamber built for the agency. It is a fully automated plant growth facility that will be used to conduct bioscience research on the International Space Station. The APH will be delivered to the space station aboard future Commercial Resupply Services missions.

Biogeomorphological influence of slope processes and sedimentology on vascular talus vegetation in the southern Cascades, California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pérez, Francisco L.

2012-02-01

The vascular vegetation of alpine talus slopes between 2035 and 3095 m altitude was studied at Lassen Volcanic National Park (California) in the Cascade Range. Taluses show a diverse flora, with 79 plant species; growth forms include coniferous trees, shrubs, suffrutices, herbs, graminoids, and ferns. Spatial patterns of plant distribution were studied along 40 point-intercept transects. Plant cover was low (0-32.7%) on all slopes, spatially variable, and showed no consistent trends. Sedimentological characteristics were determined by photosieving next to 1500 plants; this census indicated preferential plant growth on blocks and cobbles, with 43.2% and 23.3% of the plants growing on these stones, respectively; fewer specimens were rooted on pebbles (13%) or on stone-free gravel areas (20.5%). Growth forms displayed different substrate preferences: 92.5% of the shrubs and 83% of the suffrutices colonized blocks or cobbles, but only 57.2% of the herbs and 59.8% of the graminoids grew on large stones. Plants are associated with large clasts because (1) coarse talus is more stable than fine sediment areas, which are more frequently disturbed by various geomorphic processes, and (2) large stones help conserve substrate water beneath them while moisture quickly evaporates from fine debris. Root patterns were studied for 30 plant species; 10 specimens for each species were excavated and inspected, and several root growth ratios calculated. All species exhibited pronounced root asymmetry, as roots for most plants grew upslope from their shoot base. For 23 species, all specimens had 100% of their roots growing upslope; for the other 7 species, 92.2-99.3% of below-ground biomass extended uphill. This uneven root distribution is ascribed to continual substrate instability and resulting talus shift; as cascading debris progressively buries roots and stems, plants are gradually pushed and/or stretched downhill. Various disturbance events affect root development. Slope erosion following rubble removal often exposes plant roots. Debris deposition can completely bury plants; some may survive sedimentation, producing new shoots that grow through accumulated debris. Shrubs may propagate by layering, as adventitious roots develop along buried stems; or produce new clones along their roots. Slope processes may damage and transport plant pieces downhill; some species can sprout from severed, displaced root or stem fragments. Vegetation interacts with several geomorphic processes, including debris flows, grain flows, rockfall, snow avalanches, frost creep, and runoff. Larger plants may alter local patterns of debris movement and deposition, damming cascading debris on their upslope side and deflecting sediments laterally to plant margins, where they form narrow elongated stone stripes.

Regenerative life support system research

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1988-01-01

Sections on modeling, experimental activities during the grant period, and topics under consideration for the future are contained. The sessions contain discussions of: four concurrent modeling approaches that were being integrated near the end of the period (knowledge-based modeling support infrastructure and data base management, object-oriented steady state simulations for three concepts, steady state mass-balance engineering tradeoff studies, and object-oriented time-step, quasidynamic simulations of generic concepts); interdisciplinary research activities, beginning with a discussion of RECON lab development and use, and followed with discussions of waste processing research, algae studies and subsystem modeling, low pressure growth testing of plants, subsystem modeling of plants, control of plant growth using lighting and CO2 supply as variables, search for and development of lunar soil simulants, preliminary design parameters for a lunar base life support system, and research considerations for food processing in space; and appendix materials, including a discussion of the CELSS Conference, detailed analytical equations for mass-balance modeling, plant modeling equations, and parametric data on existing life support systems for use in modeling.

The BBX subfamily IV: additional cogs and sprockets to fine-tune light-dependent development.

PubMed

Sarmiento, Felipe

2013-04-01

Plants depend on light during all phases of its life cycle, and have evolved a complex signaling network to constantly monitor its surroundings. Photomorphogenesis, a process during which the plant reprograms itself in order to dwell life in presence of light is one of the most studied phenomena in plants. Recent mutant analyses using model plant Arabidopsis thaliana and protein interaction assays have unraveled a new set of players, an 8-member subfamily of B-box proteins, known as BBX subfamily IV. For the members of this subfamily, positive (BBX21, BBX22) as well as negative (BBX24) functions have been described for its members, showing a strong association to two major players of the photomorphogenic cascade, HY5 and COP1. The roles of these new BBX regulators are not restricted to photomorphogenesis, but also have functions in other facets of light-dependent development. Therefore this newly identified set of regulators has opened up new insights into the understanding of the fine-tuning of this complex process.

Jasmonate signaling in plant stress responses and development - active and inactive compounds.

PubMed

Wasternack, Claus; Strnad, Miroslav

2016-09-25

Jasmonates (JAs) are lipid-derived signals mediating plant responses to biotic and abiotic stresses and in plant development. Following the elucidation of each step in their biosynthesis and the important components of perception and signaling, several activators, repressors and co-repressors have been identified which contribute to fine-tuning the regulation of JA-induced gene expression. Many of the metabolic reactions in which JA participates, such as conjugation with amino acids, glucosylation, hydroxylation, carboxylation, sulfation and methylation, lead to numerous compounds with different biological activities. These metabolites may be highly active, partially active in specific processes or inactive. Hydroxylation, carboxylation and sulfation inactivate JA signaling. The precursor of JA biosynthesis, 12-oxo-phytodienoic acid (OPDA), has been identified as a JA-independent signaling compound. An increasing number of OPDA-specific processes is being identified. To conclude, the numerous JA compounds and their different modes of action allow plants to respond specifically and flexibly to alterations in the environment. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Plant stem cells in cosmetics: current trends and future directions

PubMed Central

Trehan, Sonia; Michniak-Kohn, Bozena; Beri, Kavita

2017-01-01

Plant regeneration at the cellular and tissue level is a unique process. Similar to animals, the stem cells in plants have properties that help stimulate and regenerate plants after injury. The unique properties of plant stem cells have been a recent area of interest and focus both in developing new cosmetics and studying how these extracts/phytohormones will influence animal skin. This special report focuses on the current evidence-based trends in plant stem cell-based cosmetics and sheds light on the challenges that we need to overcome in order to see meaningful changes in human skin using topical cosmetics derived from plant stem cells. PMID:29134115

ORAM-SENTINEL{trademark} demonstration at Fitzpatrick. Final report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lee, L.K.; Anderson, V.M.; Mohammadi, K.

1998-06-01

New York Power Authority, in cooperation with EPRI, installed the ORAM-SENTINEL{trademark} software at James A. Fitzpatrick (JAF) Nuclear Power Plant. This software incorporates models of safety systems and support systems that are used for defense-in-depth in the plant during outage and on-line periods. A secondary goal was to include some pre-analyzed risk results to validate the methodology for quantitative assessment of the plant risks during proposed on-line maintenance. During the past year, New York Power Authority personnel have become familiar with the formal computerized Safety Assessment process associated with on-line and outage maintenance. The report describes techniques and lessons learnedmore » during development of the ORAM-SENTINEL model at JAF. It overviews the systems important to the Safety Function Assessment Process and provides details on development of the Plant Transient Assessment process using the station emergency operating procedures. The assessment results are displayed by color (green, yellow, orange, red) to show decreasing safety conditions. The report describes use of the JAF Probabilistic Safety Assessment within the ORAM-SENTINEL code to calculate an instantaneous core damage frequency and the criteria by which this frequency is translated to a color indicator.« less

Diverse Applications of Electronic-Nose Technologies in Agriculture and Forestry

PubMed Central

Wilson, Alphus D.

2013-01-01

Electronic-nose (e-nose) instruments, derived from numerous types of aroma-sensor technologies, have been developed for a diversity of applications in the broad fields of agriculture and forestry. Recent advances in e-nose technologies within the plant sciences, including improvements in gas-sensor designs, innovations in data analysis and pattern-recognition algorithms, and progress in material science and systems integration methods, have led to significant benefits to both industries. Electronic noses have been used in a variety of commercial agricultural-related industries, including the agricultural sectors of agronomy, biochemical processing, botany, cell culture, plant cultivar selections, environmental monitoring, horticulture, pesticide detection, plant physiology and pathology. Applications in forestry include uses in chemotaxonomy, log tracking, wood and paper processing, forest management, forest health protection, and waste management. These aroma-detection applications have improved plant-based product attributes, quality, uniformity, and consistency in ways that have increased the efficiency and effectiveness of production and manufacturing processes. This paper provides a comprehensive review and summary of a broad range of electronic-nose technologies and applications, developed specifically for the agriculture and forestry industries over the past thirty years, which have offered solutions that have greatly improved worldwide agricultural and agroforestry production systems. PMID:23396191

Diverse applications of electronic-nose technologies in agriculture and forestry.

PubMed

Wilson, Alphus D

2013-02-08

Electronic-nose (e-nose) instruments, derived from numerous types of aroma-sensor technologies, have been developed for a diversity of applications in the broad fields of agriculture and forestry. Recent advances in e-nose technologies within the plant sciences, including improvements in gas-sensor designs, innovations in data analysis and pattern-recognition algorithms, and progress in material science and systems integration methods, have led to significant benefits to both industries. Electronic noses have been used in a variety of commercial agricultural-related industries, including the agricultural sectors of agronomy, biochemical processing, botany, cell culture, plant cultivar selections, environmental monitoring, horticulture, pesticide detection, plant physiology and pathology. Applications in forestry include uses in chemotaxonomy, log tracking, wood and paper processing, forest management, forest health protection, and waste management. These aroma-detection applications have improved plant-based product attributes, quality, uniformity, and consistency in ways that have increased the efficiency and effectiveness of production and manufacturing processes. This paper provides a comprehensive review and summary of a broad range of electronic-nose technologies and applications, developed specifically for the agriculture and forestry industries over the past thirty years, which have offered solutions that have greatly improved worldwide agricultural and agroforestry production systems.

A Non-sulfided flower-like Ni-PTA Catalyst that Enhances the Hydrotreatment Efficiency of Plant Oil to Produce Green Diesel

PubMed Central

Liu, Jing; Chen, Pan; Deng, Lihong; He, Jing; Wang, Luying; Rong, Long; Lei, Jiandu

2015-01-01

The development of a novel non-sulfided catalyst with high activity for the hydrotreatment processing of plant oils, is of high interest as a way to improve the efficient production of renewable diesel. To attempt to develop such a catalyst, we first synthesized a high activity flower-like Ni-PTA catalyst used in the hydrotreatment processes of plant oils. The obtained catalyst was characterized with SEM, EDX, HRTEM, BET, XRD, H2-TPR, XPS and TGA. A probable formation mechanism of flower-like Ni(OH)2 is proposed on the basis of a range of contrasting experiments. The results of GC showed that the conversion yield of Jatropha oil was 98.95%, and the selectivity of C11-C18 alkanes was 70.93% at 360 °C, 3 MPa, and 15 h−1. The activity of this flower-like Ni-PTA catalyst was more than 15 times higher than those of the conventional Ni-PTA/Al2O3 catalysts. Additionally, the flower-like Ni-PTA catalyst exhibited good stability during the process of plant oil hydrotreatment. PMID:26503896

[Metabolomics research of medicinal plants].

PubMed

Duan, Li-Xin; Dai, Yun-Tao; Sun, Chao; Chen, Shi-Lin

2016-11-01

Metabolomics is the comprehensively study of chemical processes involving small molecule metabolites. It is an important part of systems biology, and is widely applied in complex traditional Chinese medicine（TCM）system. Metabolites biosynthesized by medicinal plants are the effective basis for TCM. Metabolomics studies of medicinal plants will usher in a new period of vigorous development with the implementation of Herb Genome Program and the development of TCM synthetic biology. This manuscript introduces the recent research progresses of metabolomics technology and the main research contents of metabolomics studies for medicinal plants, including identification and quality evaluation for medicinal plants, cultivars breeding, stress resistance, metabolic pathways, metabolic network, metabolic engineering and synthetic biology researches. The integration of genomics, transcriptomics and metabolomics approaches will finally lay foundation for breeding of medicinal plants, R&D, quality and safety evaluation of innovative drug. Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.

Transgenic plants and associated bacteria for phytoremediation of chlorinated compounds.

PubMed

Van Aken, Benoit; Doty, Sharon Lafferty

2010-01-01

Phytoremediation is the use of plants for the treatment of environmental pollution, including chlorinated organics. Although conceptually very attractive, removal and biodegradation of chlorinated pollutants by plants is a rather slow and inefficient process resulting in incomplete treatment and potential release of toxic metabolites into the environment. In order to overcome inherent limitations of plant metabolic capabilities, plants have been genetically modified, following a strategy similar to the development of transgenic crops: genes from bacteria, fungi, and mammals involved in the metabolism of organic contaminants, such as cytochrome P-450 and glutathione S-transferase, have been introduced into higher plants, resulting in significant improvement of tolerance, removal, and degradation of pollutants. Recently, plant-associated bacteria have been recognized playing a significant role in phytoremediation, leading to the development of genetically modified rhizospheric and endophytic bacteria with improved biodegradation capabilities. Transgenic plants and associated bacteria constitute a new generation of genetically modified organisms for efficient and environmental-friendly treatment of polluted soil and water. This review focuses on recent advances in the development of transgenic plants and bacteria for the treatment of chlorinated pollutants, including chlorinated solvents, polychlorinated phenols, and chlorinated herbicides.

Simulation and experimental studies of operators` decision styles and crew composition while using an ecological and traditional user interface for the control room of a nuclear power plant

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Meshkati, N.; Buller, B.J.; Azadeh, M.A.

1995-04-01

The goal of this research is threefold: (1) use of the Skill-, Rule-, and Knowledge-based levels of cognitive control -- the SRK framework -- to develop an integrated information processing conceptual framework (for integration of workstation, job, and team design); (2) to evaluate the user interface component of this framework -- the Ecological display; and (3) to analyze the effect of operators` individual information processing behavior and decision styles on handling plant disturbances plus their performance on, and preference for, Traditional and Ecological user interfaces. A series of studies were conducted. In Part I, a computer simulation model and amore » mathematical model were developed. In Part II, an experiment was designed and conducted at the EBR-II plant of the Argonne National Laboratory-West in Idaho Falls, Idaho. It is concluded that: the integrated SRK-based information processing model for control room operations is superior to the conventional rule-based model; operators` individual decision styles and the combination of their styles play a significant role in effective handling of nuclear power plant disturbances; use of the Ecological interface results in significantly more accurate event diagnosis and recall of various plant parameters, faster response to plant transients, and higher ratings of subject preference; and operators` decision styles affect on both their performance and preference for the Ecological interface.« less

Strategies for engineering plant natural products: the iridoid-derived monoterpene indole alkaloids of Catharanthus roseus.

PubMed

O'Connor, Sarah E

2012-01-01

The manipulation of pathways to make unnatural variants of natural compounds, a process often termed combinatorial biosynthesis, has been robustly successful in prokaryotic systems. The development of approaches to generate new-to-nature compounds from plant-based pathways is, in comparison, much less advanced. Success will depend on the specific chemistry of the pathway, as well as on the suitability of the plant system for transformation and genetic manipulation. As plant pathways are elucidated, and can be heterologously expressed in hosts that are more amenable to genetic manipulation, biosynthetic production of new-to-nature compounds from plant pathways will become more widespread. In this chapter, some of the key strategies that have been developed for metabolic engineering of plant pathways, namely directed biosynthesis, mutasynthesis, and pathway incorporation of engineered enzymes are highlighted. The iridoid-derived monoterpene indole alkaloids from C. roseus, which are the focus of this chapter, provide an excellent system for developing these strategies. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Message in a bottle: small signalling peptide outputs during growth and development.

PubMed

Czyzewicz, Nathan; Yue, Kun; Beeckman, Tom; De Smet, Ive

2013-12-01

Classical and recently found phytohormones play an important role in plant growth and development, but plants additionally control these processes through small signalling peptides. Over 1000 potential small signalling peptide sequences are present in the Arabidopsis genome. However, to date, a mere handful of small signalling peptides have been functionally characterized and few have been linked to a receptor. Here, we assess the potential small signalling peptide outputs, namely the molecular, biochemical, and morphological changes they trigger in Arabidopsis. However, we also include some notable studies in other plant species, in order to illustrate the varied effects that can be induced by small signalling peptides. In addition, we touch on some evolutionary aspects of small signalling peptides, as studying their signalling outputs in single-cell green algae and early land plants will assist in our understanding of more complex land plants. Our overview illustrates the growing interest in the small signalling peptide research area and its importance in deepening our understanding of plant growth and development.

Plant TOR signaling components

PubMed Central

John, Florian; Roffler, Stefan; Wicker, Thomas; Ringli, Christoph

2011-01-01

Cell growth is a process that needs to be tightly regulated. Cells must be able to sense environmental factors like nutrient abundance, the energy level or stress signals and coordinate growth accordingly. The Target Of Rapamycin (TOR) pathway is a major controller of growth-related processes in all eukaryotes. If environmental conditions are favorable, the TOR pathway promotes cell and organ growth and restrains catabolic processes like autophagy. Rapamycin is a specific inhibitor of the TOR kinase and acts as a potent inhibitor of TOR signaling. As a consequence, interfering with TOR signaling has a strong impact on plant development. This review summarizes the progress in the understanding of the biological significance and the functional analysis of the TOR pathway in plants. PMID:22057328

Methods of reducing energy consumption of the oxidant supply system for MHD/steam power plants

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Juhasz, A. J.

1983-01-01

An in-depth study was conducted to identify possible improvements to the oxidant supply system for combined cycle MHD power plants which would lead to higher thermal efficiency and reduction in the cost of electricity, COE. Results showed that the oxidant system energy consumption could be minimized when the process was designed to deliver a product O2 concentration of 70 mole percent. The study also led to the development of a new air separation process, referred to as liquid pumping and internal compression. MHD system performance calculations show that the new process would permit an increase in plant thermal efficiency of 0.6 percent while allowing more favorable tradeoffs between magnetic energy and oxidant system capacity requirements.

Methods of reducing energy consumption of the oxidant supply system for MHD/steam power plants

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Juhasz, A. J.

1983-01-01

An in-depth study was conducted to identify possible improvements to the oxidant supply system for combined cycle MHD power plants which would lead to higher thermal efficiency and reduction in the cost of electricity, COE. Results showed that the oxidant system energy consumption could be minimized when the process was designed to deliver a product O2 concentration of 70 mole percent. The study also led to the development of a new air separation process, referred to as 'liquid pumping and internal compression'. MHD system performance calculations show that the new process would permit an increase in plant thermal efficiency of 0.6 percent while allowing more favorable tradeoffs between magnetic energy and oxidant system capacity requirements.

Overexpression of Mitochondrial Phosphate Transporter 3 Severely Hampers Plant Development through Regulating Mitochondrial Function in Arabidopsis.

PubMed

Jia, Fengjuan; Wan, Xiaomin; Zhu, Wei; Sun, Dan; Zheng, Chengchao; Liu, Pei; Huang, Jinguang

2015-01-01

Mitochondria are abundant and important organelles present in nearly all eukaryotic cells, which maintain metabolic communication with the cytosol through mitochondrial carriers. The mitochondrial membrane localized phosphate transporter (MPT) plays vital roles in diverse development and signaling processes, especially the ATP biosynthesis. Among the three MPT genes in Arabidopsis genome, AtMPT3 was proven to be a major member, and its overexpression gave rise to multiple developmental defects including curly leaves with deep color, dwarfed stature, and reduced fertility. Transcript profiles revealed that genes involved in plant metabolism, cellular redox homeostasis, alternative respiration pathway, and leaf and flower development were obviously altered in AtMPT3 overexpression (OEMPT3) plants. Moreover, OEMPT3 plants also accumulated higher ATP content, faster respiration rate and more reactive oxygen species (ROS) than wild type plants. Overall, our studies showed that AtMPT3 was indispensable for Arabidopsis normal growth and development, and provided new sights to investigate its possible regulation mechanisms.

Overexpression of Mitochondrial Phosphate Transporter 3 Severely Hampers Plant Development through Regulating Mitochondrial Function in Arabidopsis

PubMed Central

Jia, Fengjuan; Wan, Xiaomin; Zhu, Wei; Sun, Dan; Zheng, Chengchao; Liu, Pei; Huang, Jinguang

2015-01-01

Mitochondria are abundant and important organelles present in nearly all eukaryotic cells, which maintain metabolic communication with the cytosol through mitochondrial carriers. The mitochondrial membrane localized phosphate transporter (MPT) plays vital roles in diverse development and signaling processes, especially the ATP biosynthesis. Among the three MPT genes in Arabidopsis genome, AtMPT3 was proven to be a major member, and its overexpression gave rise to multiple developmental defects including curly leaves with deep color, dwarfed stature, and reduced fertility. Transcript profiles revealed that genes involved in plant metabolism, cellular redox homeostasis, alternative respiration pathway, and leaf and flower development were obviously altered in AtMPT3 overexpression (OEMPT3) plants. Moreover, OEMPT3 plants also accumulated higher ATP content, faster respiration rate and more reactive oxygen species (ROS) than wild type plants. Overall, our studies showed that AtMPT3 was indispensable for Arabidopsis normal growth and development, and provided new sights to investigate its possible regulation mechanisms. PMID:26076137

Application of Spatial Models in Making Location Decisions of Wind Power Plant in Poland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Płuciennik, Monika; Hełdak, Maria; Szczepański, Jakub; Patrzałek, Ciechosław

2017-10-01

In this paper,we explore the process of making decisions on the location of wind power plants in Poland in connection with a gradually increasing consumption of energy from renewable sources and the increase of impact problems of such facilities. The location of new wind power plants attracts much attention, and both positive and negative publicity. Visualisations can be of assistance when choosing the most advantageous location for a plant, as three-dimensional variants of the facility to be constructed can be prepared. This work involves terrestrial laser scanning of an existing wind power plant and 3D modelling followed by. The model could be subsequently used in visualisation of real terrain, with special purpose in local land development plan. This paper shows a spatial model of a wind power plant as a new element of a capital investment process in Poland. Next, we incorporate the model into an undeveloped site, intended for building a wind farm, subject to the requirements for location of power plants.

Plant hormones: a fungal point of view.

PubMed

Chanclud, Emilie; Morel, Jean-Benoit

2016-10-01

Most classical plant hormones are also produced by pathogenic and symbiotic fungi. The way in which these molecules favour the invasion of plant tissues and the development of fungi inside plant tissues is still largely unknown. In this review, we examine the different roles of such hormone production by pathogenic fungi. Converging evidence suggests that these fungal-derived molecules have potentially two modes of action: (i) they may perturb plant processes, either positively or negatively, to favour invasion and nutrient uptake; and (ii) they may also act as signals for the fungi themselves to engage appropriate developmental and physiological processes adapted to their environment. Indirect evidence suggests that abscisic acid, gibberellic acid and ethylene produced by fungi participate in pathogenicity. There is now evidence that auxin and cytokinins could be positive regulators required for virulence. Further research should establish whether or not fungal-derived hormones act like other fungal effectors. © 2016 The Authors. Molecular Plant Pathology Published by British Society for Plant Pathology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Widespread mechanosensing controls the structure behind the architecture in plants.

PubMed

Hamant, Olivier

2013-10-01

Mechanical forces play an instructing role for many aspects of animal cell biology, such as division, polarity and fate. Although the associated mechanoperception pathways still remain largely elusive in plants, physical cues have long been thought to guide development in parallel to biochemical factors. With the development of new imaging techniques, micromechanics tools and modeling approaches, the role of mechanical signals in plant development is now re-examined and fully integrated with modern cell biology. Using recent examples from the literature, I propose to use a multiscale perspective, from the whole plant down to the cell wall, to fully appreciate the diversity of developmental processes that depend on mechanical signals. Incidentally, this also illustrates how conceptually rich this field is. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Digital control for the condensate system in a combined cycle power plant

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sanchez Parra, M.; Fuentes Gutierrez, J.E.; Castelo Cuevas, L.

1994-12-31

This paper presents the highlights by means of which development, installation and start up of the digital control system (DCS)for the condenser and hotwell (condensate system) were performed. This system belongs to the distributed control system installed by the Instituto de Investigaciones Electricas (IIE) at the Combined Cycle Power Plant in Gomez Palacio (GP), Durango, Mexico, during the February-March period, in 1993. The main steps for development of the condenser and hotwell control system include: process modeling, definition of control strategies, algorithms, design and software development, PC simulation tests, laboratory tests with an equipment similar to the one installed atmore » the GP Power Plant, installation, and finally, start up, which was a joint effort with the GP Power Plant engineering staff.« less

Salicylic acid-induced abiotic stress tolerance and underlying mechanisms in plants

PubMed Central

Khan, M. Iqbal R.; Fatma, Mehar; Per, Tasir S.; Anjum, Naser A.; Khan, Nafees A.

2015-01-01

Abiotic stresses (such as metals/metalloids, salinity, ozone, UV-B radiation, extreme temperatures, and drought) are among the most challenging threats to agricultural system and economic yield of crop plants. These stresses (in isolation and/or combination) induce numerous adverse effects in plants, impair biochemical/physiological and molecular processes, and eventually cause severe reductions in plant growth, development and overall productivity. Phytohormones have been recognized as a strong tool for sustainably alleviating adverse effects of abiotic stresses in crop plants. In particular, the significance of salicylic acid (SA) has been increasingly recognized in improved plant abiotic stress-tolerance via SA-mediated control of major plant-metabolic processes. However, the basic biochemical/physiological and molecular mechanisms that potentially underpin SA-induced plant-tolerance to major abiotic stresses remain least discussed. Based on recent reports, this paper: (a) overviews historical background and biosynthesis of SA under both optimal and stressful environments in plants; (b) critically appraises the role of SA in plants exposed to major abiotic stresses; (c) cross-talks potential mechanisms potentially governing SA-induced plant abiotic stress-tolerance; and finally (d) briefly highlights major aspects so far unexplored in the current context. PMID:26175738

JPRS Report, Science & Technology, Europe & Latin America

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-04-14

can be applied everywhere that monitoring of gaseous atmospheres is required, for example in air pollution control, monitor- ing of furnace plants ...invest a further DM50 million in develop- ing the materials and construction of a pilot plant . 2.6 Spray Process To Produce Sheet Metal Today, semi...opportunities for building small production plants that can operate economically. Initial results from this project, in which two industrial

Being fruitful: genetics of reproduction in Arabidopsis.

PubMed

Preuss, D

1995-04-01

Reproduction in flowering plants requires a series of interactions between the haploid and diploid phases of the life cycle of the plant. Mutations that affect these interactions have been identified in Arabidopsis, thus giving insight into the processes of gamete development and pollination. These studies promise to yield new information on diverse topics in plant biology, from cell-cell recognition to the evolution of mating interactions.

The Role of Endogenous Strigolactones and Their Interaction with ABA during the Infection Process of the Parasitic Weed Phelipanche ramosa in Tomato Plants

PubMed Central

Cheng, Xi; Floková, Kristýna; Bouwmeester, Harro; Ruyter-Spira, Carolien

2017-01-01

The root parasitic plant species Phelipanche ramosa, branched broomrape, causes severe damage to economically important crops such as tomato. Its seed germination is triggered by host-derived signals upon which it invades the host root. In tomato, strigolactones (SLs) are the main germination stimulants for P. ramosa. Therefore, the development of low SL-producing lines may be an approach to combat the parasitic weed problem. However, since SLs are also a plant hormone controlling many aspects of plant development, SL deficiency may also have an effect on post-germination stages of the infection process, during the parasite-host interaction. In this study, we show that SL-deficient tomato plants (Solanum lycopersicum; SlCCD8 RNAi lines), infected with pre-germinated P. ramosa seeds, display an increased infection level and faster development of the parasite, which suggests a positive role for SLs in the host defense against parasitic plant invasion. Furthermore, we show that SL-deficient tomato plants lose their characteristic SL-deficient phenotype during an infection with P. ramosa through a reduction in the number of internodes and the number and length of secondary branches. Infection with P. ramosa resulted in increased levels of abscisic acid (ABA) in the leaves and roots of both wild type and SL-deficient lines. Upon parasite infection, the level of the conjugate ABA-glucose ester (ABA-GE) also increased in leaves of both wild type and SL-deficient lines and in roots of one SL-deficient line. The uninfected SL-deficient lines had a higher leaf ABA-GE level than the wild type. Despite the high levels of ABA, stomatal aperture and water loss rate were not affected by parasite infection in the SL-deficient line, while in wild type tomato stomatal aperture and water loss increased upon infection. Future studies are needed to further underpin the role that SLs play in the interaction of hosts with parasitic plants and which other plant hormones interact with the SLs during this process. PMID:28392795

The Role of Endogenous Strigolactones and Their Interaction with ABA during the Infection Process of the Parasitic Weed Phelipanche ramosa in Tomato Plants.

PubMed

Cheng, Xi; Floková, Kristýna; Bouwmeester, Harro; Ruyter-Spira, Carolien

2017-01-01

The root parasitic plant species Phelipanche ramosa , branched broomrape, causes severe damage to economically important crops such as tomato. Its seed germination is triggered by host-derived signals upon which it invades the host root. In tomato, strigolactones (SLs) are the main germination stimulants for P. ramosa . Therefore, the development of low SL-producing lines may be an approach to combat the parasitic weed problem. However, since SLs are also a plant hormone controlling many aspects of plant development, SL deficiency may also have an effect on post-germination stages of the infection process, during the parasite-host interaction. In this study, we show that SL-deficient tomato plants ( Solanum lycopersicum; SlCCD8 RNAi lines), infected with pre-germinated P. ramosa seeds, display an increased infection level and faster development of the parasite, which suggests a positive role for SLs in the host defense against parasitic plant invasion. Furthermore, we show that SL-deficient tomato plants lose their characteristic SL-deficient phenotype during an infection with P. ramosa through a reduction in the number of internodes and the number and length of secondary branches. Infection with P. ramosa resulted in increased levels of abscisic acid (ABA) in the leaves and roots of both wild type and SL-deficient lines. Upon parasite infection, the level of the conjugate ABA-glucose ester (ABA-GE) also increased in leaves of both wild type and SL-deficient lines and in roots of one SL-deficient line. The uninfected SL-deficient lines had a higher leaf ABA-GE level than the wild type. Despite the high levels of ABA, stomatal aperture and water loss rate were not affected by parasite infection in the SL-deficient line, while in wild type tomato stomatal aperture and water loss increased upon infection. Future studies are needed to further underpin the role that SLs play in the interaction of hosts with parasitic plants and which other plant hormones interact with the SLs during this process.

Evaluating the impact of a wide range of vegetation densities on river channel pattern

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pattison, Ian; Roucou, Ron

2016-04-01

Braided rivers are very dynamic systems which have complex controls over their planform and flow dynamics. Vegetation is one variable which influences channel geometry and pattern, through its effect on local flow hydraulics and the process continuum of sediment erosion-transport-deposition. Furthermore, where in the braided floodplain stable vegetation develops depends on the temporal sequencing of the river discharge i.e. floods. Understanding the effect of vegetation in these highly dynamic systems has multiple consequences for human activity and floodplain management. This paper focusses on the specific role of vegetation density in controlling braided river form and processes. Previous research in this field has been contradictory; with Gran and Paola (2001) finding that increasing vegetation density decreased the number of active channels. In contrast, Coulthard (2005] observed that as vegetation become denser there was an increase in the number of channels. This was hypothesized to be caused by flow separation around vegetation and the development of bars immediately downstream of the plant. This paper reports the results from a set of experiments in a 4m by 1m flume, where discharge, slope and sediment size were kept constant. Artificial grass was used to represent vegetation with a density ranging from 50 plants/m2 to 400 plants/m2. Digital photographs, using a GoPro camera with a fish eye lens, were taken from ~1m above the flume at an interval of 30 seconds during the 3 hour experiment. The experiments showed that as the vegetation density increased from 50 to 150 plants/m2, the number of channel bars developing doubled from 12 to 24. At vegetation densities greater than 150 plants/m2 there was a decline in the number of bars created to a minimum of 8 bars for a density of 400 plants/m2. We attribute these patterns to the effect that the vegetation has on flow hydraulics, sediment transport processes and the spatial patterns of erosion and deposition. We develop a simple conceptual model to explain the observations along the wide range of vegetation densities investigated. At low plant densities, each plant acted independently and caused flow separation and convergence around each plant, similar to in the Coulthard (2005] experiment. At medium densities, individual plants start to interact together with narrow channels developing longitudinally between vegetative bars. Finally at very high densities, there was both lateral and longitudinal interaction between plants meaning that flow was diverted around them forming wandering, meandering channels. In summary, the relationship between vegetation density and channel braiding is more complex than previous thought, taking a parabolic shape, with maximum braiding occurring at medium vegetation densities.

Evaluation of engineering foods for closed Ecological Life Support System (CELSS)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Karel, M.

1982-01-01

A nutritionally adequate and acceptable diet was evaluated and developed. A design for a multipurpose food plant is discussed. The types and amounts of foods needed to be regenerated in a partially closed ecological life support system (PCELSS) were proposed. All steps of food processes to be utilized in the multipurpose food plant of PCELSS were also considered. Equipment specifications, simplification of the proposed processes, and food waste treatment were analyzed.

VirtualPlant: A Software Platform to Support Systems Biology Research1[W][OA

PubMed Central

Katari, Manpreet S.; Nowicki, Steve D.; Aceituno, Felipe F.; Nero, Damion; Kelfer, Jonathan; Thompson, Lee Parnell; Cabello, Juan M.; Davidson, Rebecca S.; Goldberg, Arthur P.; Shasha, Dennis E.; Coruzzi, Gloria M.; Gutiérrez, Rodrigo A.

2010-01-01

Data generation is no longer the limiting factor in advancing biological research. In addition, data integration, analysis, and interpretation have become key bottlenecks and challenges that biologists conducting genomic research face daily. To enable biologists to derive testable hypotheses from the increasing amount of genomic data, we have developed the VirtualPlant software platform. VirtualPlant enables scientists to visualize, integrate, and analyze genomic data from a systems biology perspective. VirtualPlant integrates genome-wide data concerning the known and predicted relationships among genes, proteins, and molecules, as well as genome-scale experimental measurements. VirtualPlant also provides visualization techniques that render multivariate information in visual formats that facilitate the extraction of biological concepts. Importantly, VirtualPlant helps biologists who are not trained in computer science to mine lists of genes, microarray experiments, and gene networks to address questions in plant biology, such as: What are the molecular mechanisms by which internal or external perturbations affect processes controlling growth and development? We illustrate the use of VirtualPlant with three case studies, ranging from querying a gene of interest to the identification of gene networks and regulatory hubs that control seed development. Whereas the VirtualPlant software was developed to mine Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) genomic data, its data structures, algorithms, and visualization tools are designed in a species-independent way. VirtualPlant is freely available at www.virtualplant.org. PMID:20007449

Understanding nitrate uptake, signaling and remobilisation for improving plant nitrogen use efficiency.

PubMed

Kant, Surya

2018-02-01

The majority of terrestrial plants use nitrate as their main source of nitrogen. Nitrate also acts as an important signalling molecule in vital physiological processes required for optimum plant growth and development. Improving nitrate uptake and transport, through activation by nitrate sensing, signalling and regulatory processes, would enhance plant growth, resulting in improved crop yields. The increased remobilisation of nitrate, and assimilated nitrogenous compounds, from source to sink tissues further ensures higher yields and quality. An updated knowledge of various transporters, genes, activators, and microRNAs, involved in nitrate uptake, transport, remobilisation, and nitrate-mediated root growth, is presented. An enhanced understanding of these components will allow for their orchestrated fine tuning in efforts to improving nitrogen use efficiency in plants. Crown Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Image Harvest: an open-source platform for high-throughput plant image processing and analysis.

PubMed

Knecht, Avi C; Campbell, Malachy T; Caprez, Adam; Swanson, David R; Walia, Harkamal

2016-05-01

High-throughput plant phenotyping is an effective approach to bridge the genotype-to-phenotype gap in crops. Phenomics experiments typically result in large-scale image datasets, which are not amenable for processing on desktop computers, thus creating a bottleneck in the image-analysis pipeline. Here, we present an open-source, flexible image-analysis framework, called Image Harvest (IH), for processing images originating from high-throughput plant phenotyping platforms. Image Harvest is developed to perform parallel processing on computing grids and provides an integrated feature for metadata extraction from large-scale file organization. Moreover, the integration of IH with the Open Science Grid provides academic researchers with the computational resources required for processing large image datasets at no cost. Image Harvest also offers functionalities to extract digital traits from images to interpret plant architecture-related characteristics. To demonstrate the applications of these digital traits, a rice (Oryza sativa) diversity panel was phenotyped and genome-wide association mapping was performed using digital traits that are used to describe different plant ideotypes. Three major quantitative trait loci were identified on rice chromosomes 4 and 6, which co-localize with quantitative trait loci known to regulate agronomically important traits in rice. Image Harvest is an open-source software for high-throughput image processing that requires a minimal learning curve for plant biologists to analyzephenomics datasets. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Experimental Biology.

Development of clean coal and clean soil technologies using advanced agglomeration techniques

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ignasiak, B.; Ignasiak, T.; Szymocha, K.

1990-01-01

Three major topics are discussed in this report: (1) Upgrading of Low Rank Coals by the Agflotherm Process. Test data, procedures, equipment, etc., are described for co-upgrading of subbituminous coals and heavy oil; (2) Upgrading of Bituminous Coals by the Agflotherm Process. Experimental procedures and data, bench and pilot scale equipments, etc., for beneficiating bituminous coals are described; (3) Soil Clean-up and Hydrocarbon Waste Treatment Process. Batch and pilot plant tests are described for soil contaminated by tar refuse from manufactured gas plant sites. (VC)

27 CFR 21.40 - Formula No. 12-A.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... chemicals. 359.Processing miscellaneous products. 430.Sterilizing and preserving solutions. (2) As a raw... chemicals (including alkaloids). 345.Processing blood and blood products. 351.Processing dyes and... medicinal chemicals. 579.Other chemicals. (3) Miscellaneous uses: 812.Product development and pilot plant...

27 CFR 21.40 - Formula No. 12-A.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... chemicals. 359.Processing miscellaneous products. 430.Sterilizing and preserving solutions. (2) As a raw... chemicals (including alkaloids). 345.Processing blood and blood products. 351.Processing dyes and... medicinal chemicals. 579.Other chemicals. (3) Miscellaneous uses: 812.Product development and pilot plant...

The Tiger Team Process in the Rebaselining of the Plutonium Finishing Plant (PFP)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

BAILEY, R.W.

2000-02-01

This paper will describe the integrated, teaming approach and planning process utilized by the Tiger Team in the development of the IPMP. This paper will also serve to document the benefits derived from this implementation process.

27 CFR 21.41 - Formula No. 13-A.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

.... 579.Other chemicals. (3) Miscellaneous uses: 812.Product development and pilot plant uses (own use... medicinal chemicals (including alkaloids). 345.Processing blood and blood products. 349.Miscellaneous drug... photographic chemicals. 358.Processing other chemicals. 359.Processing miscellaneous products. 430.Sterilizing...

Is rhizosphere remediation sufficient for sustainable revegetation of mine tailings?

PubMed

Huang, Longbin; Baumgartl, Thomas; Mulligan, David

2012-07-01

Revegetation of mine tailings (fine-grained waste material) starts with the reconstruction of root zones, consisting of a rhizosphere horizon (mostly topsoil and/or amended tailings) and the support horizon beneath (i.e. equivalent to subsoil - mostly tailings), which must be physically and hydro-geochemically stable. This review aims to discuss key processes involved in the development of functional root zones within the context of direct revegetation of tailings and introduces a conceptual process of rehabilitating structure and function in the root zones based on a state transition model. Field studies on the revegetation of tailings (from processing base metal ore and bauxite residues) are reviewed. Particular focus is given to tailings' properties that limit remediation effectiveness. Aspects of root zone reconstruction and vegetation responses are also discussed. When reconstructing a root zone system, it is critical to restore physical structure and hydraulic functions across the whole root zone system. Only effective and holistically restored systems can control hydro-geochemical mobility of acutely and chronically toxic factors from the underlying horizon and maintain hydro-geochemical stability in the rhizosphere. Thereafter, soil biological capacity and ecological linkages (i.e. carbon and nutrient cycling) may be rehabilitated to integrate the root zones with revegetated plant communities into sustainable plant ecosystems. A conceptual framework of system transitions between the critical states of root zone development has been proposed. This will illustrate the rehabilitation process in root zone reconstruction and development for direct revegetation with sustainable plant communities. Sustainable phytostabilization of tailings requires the systematic consideration of hydro-geochemical interactions between the rhizosphere and the underlying supporting horizon. It further requires effective remediation strategies to develop hydro-geochemically stable and biologically functional root zones, which can facilitate the recovery of the microbial community and ecological linkages with revegetated plant communities.

Predictive Models for Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus Spread Dynamics, Considering Frankliniella occidentalis Specific Life Processes as Influenced by the Virus

PubMed Central

Ogada, Pamella Akoth; Moualeu, Dany Pascal; Poehling, Hans-Michael

2016-01-01

Several models have been studied on predictive epidemics of arthropod vectored plant viruses in an attempt to bring understanding to the complex but specific relationship between the three cornered pathosystem (virus, vector and host plant), as well as their interactions with the environment. A large body of studies mainly focuses on weather based models as management tool for monitoring pests and diseases, with very few incorporating the contribution of vector’s life processes in the disease dynamics, which is an essential aspect when mitigating virus incidences in a crop stand. In this study, we hypothesized that the multiplication and spread of tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) in a crop stand is strongly related to its influences on Frankliniella occidentalis preferential behavior and life expectancy. Model dynamics of important aspects in disease development within TSWV-F. occidentalis-host plant interactions were developed, focusing on F. occidentalis’ life processes as influenced by TSWV. The results show that the influence of TSWV on F. occidentalis preferential behaviour leads to an estimated increase in relative acquisition rate of the virus, and up to 33% increase in transmission rate to healthy plants. Also, increased life expectancy; which relates to improved fitness, is dependent on the virus induced preferential behaviour, consequently promoting multiplication and spread of the virus in a crop stand. The development of vector–based models could further help in elucidating the role of tri-trophic interactions in agricultural disease systems. Use of the model to examine the components of the disease process could also boost our understanding on how specific epidemiological characteristics interact to cause diseases in crops. With this level of understanding we can efficiently develop more precise control strategies for the virus and the vector. PMID:27159134

Predictive Models for Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus Spread Dynamics, Considering Frankliniella occidentalis Specific Life Processes as Influenced by the Virus.

PubMed

Ogada, Pamella Akoth; Moualeu, Dany Pascal; Poehling, Hans-Michael

2016-01-01

Several models have been studied on predictive epidemics of arthropod vectored plant viruses in an attempt to bring understanding to the complex but specific relationship between the three cornered pathosystem (virus, vector and host plant), as well as their interactions with the environment. A large body of studies mainly focuses on weather based models as management tool for monitoring pests and diseases, with very few incorporating the contribution of vector's life processes in the disease dynamics, which is an essential aspect when mitigating virus incidences in a crop stand. In this study, we hypothesized that the multiplication and spread of tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) in a crop stand is strongly related to its influences on Frankliniella occidentalis preferential behavior and life expectancy. Model dynamics of important aspects in disease development within TSWV-F. occidentalis-host plant interactions were developed, focusing on F. occidentalis' life processes as influenced by TSWV. The results show that the influence of TSWV on F. occidentalis preferential behaviour leads to an estimated increase in relative acquisition rate of the virus, and up to 33% increase in transmission rate to healthy plants. Also, increased life expectancy; which relates to improved fitness, is dependent on the virus induced preferential behaviour, consequently promoting multiplication and spread of the virus in a crop stand. The development of vector-based models could further help in elucidating the role of tri-trophic interactions in agricultural disease systems. Use of the model to examine the components of the disease process could also boost our understanding on how specific epidemiological characteristics interact to cause diseases in crops. With this level of understanding we can efficiently develop more precise control strategies for the virus and the vector.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rotman, D.

After nearly a decade of work and $150 million in development costs. Exxon Research and Engineering (ER&E; Florham Park, NJ) says its natural gas conversion process based on Fischer-Tropsch technology is ready for full-scale commercialization. ER&E is looking to entice one of Exxon`s other business units into building a plant based on the process. The Exxon technology makes refinery or petrochemical feedstocks from natural gas in an integrated three-step process, including fluid-bed reactor to make synthesis gas and a hydrocarbon synthesis step using a proprietary Fischer-Tropsch catalyst. Exxon has successfully demonstrated the process at a pilot plant in Baton Rouge,more » LA but says no commercialization decision has been made. ER&E estimates that to commercialize the technology economically will require a large gas conversion plant-with a price tag of about $2 billion.« less

Working toward integrated models of alpine plant distribution

PubMed Central

Carlson, Bradley Z.; Randin, Christophe F.; Boulangeat, Isabelle; Lavergne, Sébastien; Thuiller, Wilfried; Choler, Philippe

2014-01-01

Species distribution models (SDMs) have been frequently employed to forecast the response of alpine plants to global changes. Efforts to model alpine plant distribution have thus far been primarily based on a correlative approach, in which ecological processes are implicitly addressed through a statistical relationship between observed species occurrences and environmental predictors. Recent evidence, however, highlights the shortcomings of correlative SDMs, especially in alpine landscapes where plant species tend to be decoupled from atmospheric conditions in micro-topographic habitats and are particularly exposed to geomorphic disturbances. While alpine plants respond to the same limiting factors as plants found at lower elevations, alpine environments impose a particular set of scale-dependent and hierarchical drivers that shape the realized niche of species and that require explicit consideration in a modelling context. Several recent studies in the European Alps have successfully integrated both correlative and process-based elements into distribution models of alpine plants, but for the time being a single integrative modelling framework that includes all key drivers remains elusive. As a first step in working toward a comprehensive integrated model applicable to alpine plant communities, we propose a conceptual framework that structures the primary mechanisms affecting alpine plant distributions. We group processes into four categories, including multi-scalar abiotic drivers, gradient dependent species interactions, dispersal and spatial–temporal plant responses to disturbance. Finally, we propose a methodological framework aimed at developing an integrated model to better predict alpine plant distribution. PMID:24790594

Analysing growth and development of plants jointly using developmental growth stages.

PubMed

Dambreville, Anaëlle; Lauri, Pierre-Éric; Normand, Frédéric; Guédon, Yann

2015-01-01

Plant growth, the increase of organ dimensions over time, and development, the change in plant structure, are often studied as two separate processes. However, there is structural and functional evidence that these two processes are strongly related. The aim of this study was to investigate the co-ordination between growth and development using mango trees, which have well-defined developmental stages. Developmental stages, determined in an expert way, and organ sizes, determined from objective measurements, were collected during the vegetative growth and flowering phases of two cultivars of mango, Mangifera indica. For a given cultivar and growth unit type (either vegetative or flowering), a multistage model based on absolute growth rate sequences deduced from the measurements was first built, and then growth stages deduced from the model were compared with developmental stages. Strong matches were obtained between growth stages and developmental stages, leading to a consistent definition of integrative developmental growth stages. The growth stages highlighted growth asynchronisms between two topologically connected organs, namely the vegetative axis and its leaves. Integrative developmental growth stages emphasize that developmental stages are closely related to organ growth rates. The results are discussed in terms of the possible physiological processes underlying these stages, including plant hydraulics, biomechanics and carbohydrate partitioning. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Annals of Botany Company. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Ferns: the missing link in shoot evolution and development

PubMed Central

Plackett, Andrew R. G.; Di Stilio, Verónica S.; Langdale, Jane A.

2015-01-01

Shoot development in land plants is a remarkably complex process that gives rise to an extreme diversity of forms. Our current understanding of shoot developmental mechanisms comes almost entirely from studies of angiosperms (flowering plants), the most recently diverged plant lineage. Shoot development in angiosperms is based around a layered multicellular apical meristem that produces lateral organs and/or secondary meristems from populations of founder cells at its periphery. In contrast, non-seed plant shoots develop from either single apical initials or from a small population of morphologically distinct apical cells. Although developmental and molecular information is becoming available for non-flowering plants, such as the model moss Physcomitrella patens, making valid comparisons between highly divergent lineages is extremely challenging. As sister group to the seed plants, the monilophytes (ferns and relatives) represent an excellent phylogenetic midpoint of comparison for unlocking the evolution of shoot developmental mechanisms, and recent technical advances have finally made transgenic analysis possible in the emerging model fern Ceratopteris richardii. This review compares and contrasts our current understanding of shoot development in different land plant lineages with the aim of highlighting the potential role that the fern C. richardii could play in shedding light on the evolution of underlying genetic regulatory mechanisms. PMID:26594222

Regulatory functions of SnRK1 in stress-responsive gene expression and in plant growth and development.

PubMed

Cho, Young-Hee; Hong, Jung-Woo; Kim, Eun-Chul; Yoo, Sang-Dong

2012-04-01

Sucrose-nonfermentation1-related protein kinase1 (SnRK1) is an evolutionarily conserved energy sensor protein that regulates gene expression in response to energy depletion in plants. Efforts to elucidate the functions and mechanisms of this protein kinase are hampered, however, by inherent growth defects of snrk1-null mutant plants. To overcome these limitations and study SnRK1 functions in vivo, we applied a method combining transient expression in leaf mesophyll protoplasts and stable expression in transgenic plants. We found that both rice (Oryza sativa) and Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) SnRK1 activities critically influence stress-inducible gene expression and the induction of stress tolerance. Genetic, molecular, and chromatin immunoprecipitation analyses further revealed that the nuclear SnRK1 modulated target gene transcription in a submergence-dependent manner. From early seedling development through late senescence, SnRK1 activities appeared to modulate developmental processes in the plants. Our findings offer insight into the regulatory functions of plant SnRK1 in stress-responsive gene regulation and in plant growth and development throughout the life cycle.

Hyperspectral imaging technique for detection of poultry fecal residues on food processing equipments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cho, Byoung-Kwan; Kim, Moon S.; Chen, Yud-Ren

2005-11-01

Emerging concerns about safety and security in current mass production of food products necessitate rapid and reliable inspection for contaminant-free products. Diluted fecal residues on poultry processing plant equipment surface, not easily discernable from water by human eye, are contamination sources for poultry carcasses. Development of sensitive detection methods for fecal residues is essential to ensure safe production of poultry carcasses. Hyperspectral imaging techniques have shown good potential for detecting of the presence of fecal and other biological substances on food and processing equipment surfaces. In this study, use of high spatial resolution hyperspectral reflectance and fluorescence imaging (with UV-A excitation) is presented as a tool for selecting a few multispectral bands to detect diluted fecal and ingesta residues on materials used for manufacturing processing equipment. Reflectance and fluorescence imaging methods were compared for potential detection of a range of diluted fecal residues on the surfaces of processing plant equipment. Results showed that low concentrations of poultry feces and ingesta, diluted up to 1:100 by weight with double distilled water, could be detected using hyperspectral fluorescence images with an accuracy of 97.2%. Spectral bands determined in this study could be used for developing a real-time multispectral inspection device for detection of harmful organic residues on processing plant equipment.

TETRASPANINs in Plants

PubMed Central

Reimann, Ronny; Kost, Benedikt; Dettmer, Jan

2017-01-01

Tetraspanins are small transmembrane proteins that laterally associate with each other and cluster with numerous partner proteins as well as lipids. These interactions result in the formation of a distinct class of membrane domains, the tetraspanin-enriched microdomains (TEMs), which influence numerous cellular processes such as cell adhesion and fusion, intracellular membrane trafficking, signaling, morphogenesis, motility as well as interaction with pathogens and cancer development. The majority of information available about tetraspanins is based on studies using animal models or cell lines, but tetraspanins are also present in fungi and plants. Recent studies indicate that tetraspanins have important functions in plant development, reproduction and stress responses. Here we provide a brief summary of the current state of tetraspanin research in plants. PMID:28458676

Advanced Plant Habitat

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-11-17

A test unit, or prototype, of NASA's Advanced Plant Habitat (APH) was delivered to the Space Station Processing Facility at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The APH is the largest plant chamber built for the agency. The unit is being prepared for engineering development tests to see how the science will integrate with the various systems of the plant habitat. It will have 180 sensors and four times the light output of Veggie. The APH will be delivered to the International Space Station in March 2017.

Advanced Plant Habitat

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-11-17

A test unit, or prototype, of NASA's Advanced Plant Habitat (APH) was delivered to the Space Station Processing Facility at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The APH is the largest plant chamber built for the agency. The base of the APH is being prepared for engineering development tests to see how the science will integrate with the various systems of the plant habitat. It will have 180 sensors and four times the light output of Veggie. The APH will be delivered to the International Space Station in March 2017.

Towards uncovering the roles of switchgrass peroxidases in plant processes

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Herbaceous perennial plants selected as potential biofuel feedstocks had been understudied at the genomic and functional genomic levels. Recent investments, primarily by the U.S. Department of Energy, have led to the development of a number of molecular resources for bioenergy grasses and related di...

Efficiency enhancement for natural gas liquefaction with CO2 capture and sequestration through cycles innovation and process optimization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alabdulkarem, Abdullah

Liquefied natural gas (LNG) plants are energy intensive. As a result, the power plants operating these LNG plants emit high amounts of CO2 . To mitigate global warming that is caused by the increase in atmospheric CO2, CO2 capture and sequestration (CCS) using amine absorption is proposed. However, the major challenge of implementing this CCS system is the associated power requirement, increasing power consumption by about 15--25%. Therefore, the main scope of this work is to tackle this challenge by minimizing CCS power consumption as well as that of the entire LNG plant though system integration and rigorous optimization. The power consumption of the LNG plant was reduced through improving the process of liquefaction itself. In this work, a genetic algorithm (GA) was used to optimize a propane pre-cooled mixed-refrigerant (C3-MR) LNG plant modeled using HYSYS software. An optimization platform coupling Matlab with HYSYS was developed. New refrigerant mixtures were found, with savings in power consumption as high as 13%. LNG plants optimization with variable natural gas feed compositions was addressed and the solution was proposed through applying robust optimization techniques, resulting in a robust refrigerant which can liquefy a range of natural gas feeds. The second approach for reducing the power consumption is through process integration and waste heat utilization in the integrated CCS system. Four waste heat sources and six potential uses were uncovered and evaluated using HYSYS software. The developed models were verified against experimental data from the literature with good agreement. Net available power enhancement in one of the proposed CCS configuration is 16% more than the conventional CCS configuration. To reduce the CO2 pressurization power into a well for enhanced oil recovery (EOR) applications, five CO2 pressurization methods were explored. New CO2 liquefaction cycles were developed and modeled using HYSYS software. One of the developed liquefaction cycles using NH3 as a refrigerant resulted in 5% less power consumption than the conventional multi-stage compression cycle. Finally, a new concept of providing the CO2 regeneration heat is proposed. The proposed concept is using a heat pump to provide the regeneration heat as well as process heat and CO2 liquefaction heat. Seven configurations of heat pumps integrated with CCS were developed. One of the heat pumps consumes 24% less power than the conventional system or 59% less total equivalent power demand than the conventional system with steam extraction and CO2 compression.

Carbonate fuel cells: Milliwatts to megawatts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Farooque, M.; Maru, H. C.

The carbonate fuel cell power plant is an emerging high efficiency, ultra-clean power generator utilizing a variety of gaseous, liquid, and solid carbonaceous fuels for commercial and industrial applications. The primary mover of this generator is a carbonate fuel cell. The fuel cell uses alkali metal carbonate mixtures as electrolyte and operates at ∼650 °C. Corrosion of the cell hardware and stability of the ceramic components have been important design considerations in the early stages of development. The material and electrolyte choices are founded on extensive fundamental research carried out around the world in the 60s and early 70s. The cell components were developed in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The present day carbonate fuel cell construction employs commonly available stainless steels. The electrodes are based on nickel and well-established manufacturing processes. Manufacturing process development, scale-up, stack tests, and pilot system tests dominated throughout the 1990s. Commercial product development efforts began in late 1990s leading to prototype field tests beginning in the current decade leading to commercial customer applications. Cost reduction has been an integral part of the product effort. Cost-competitive product designs have evolved as a result. Approximately half a dozen teams around the world are pursuing carbonate fuel cell product development. The power plant development efforts to date have mainly focused on several hundred kW (submegawatt) to megawatt-class plants. Almost 40 submegawatt units have been operating at customer sites in the US, Europe, and Asia. Several of these units are operating on renewable bio-fuels. A 1 MW unit is operating on the digester gas from a municipal wastewater treatment plant in Seattle, Washington (US). Presently, there are a total of approximately 10 MW capacity carbonate fuel cell power plants installed around the world. Carbonate fuel cell products are also being developed to operate on coal-derived gases, diesel, and other logistic fuels. Innovative carbonate fuel cell/turbine hybrid power plant designs promising record energy conversion efficiencies approaching 75% have also emerged. This paper will review the historical development of this unique technology from milliwatt-scale laboratory cells to present megawatt-scale commercial power plants.

Chapter 4. New model systems for the study of developmental evolution in plants.

PubMed

Kramer, Elena M

2009-01-01

The number of genetically tractable plant model systems is rapidly increasing, thanks to the decreasing cost of sequencing and the wide amenability of plants to stable transformation and other functional approaches. In this chapter, I discuss emerging model systems from throughout the land plant phylogeny and consider how their unique attributes are contributing to our understanding of development, evolution, and ecology. These new models are being developed using two distinct strategies: in some cases, they are selected because of their close relationship to the established models, while in others, they are chosen with the explicit intention of exploring distantly related plant lineages. Such complementary approaches are yielding exciting new results that shed light on both micro- and macroevolutionary processes in the context of developmental evolution.

Control of root growth and development by reactive oxygen species.

PubMed

Tsukagoshi, Hironaka

2016-02-01

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are relatively simple molecules that exist within cells growing in aerobic conditions. ROS were originally associated with oxidative stress and seen as highly reactive molecules that are injurious to many cell components. More recently, however, the function of ROS as signal molecules in many plant cellular processes has become more evident. One of the most important functions of ROS is their role as a plant growth regulator. For example, ROS are key molecules in regulating plant root development, and as such, are comparable to plant hormones. In this review, the molecular mechanisms of ROS that are mainly associated with plant root growth are discussed. The molecular links between root growth regulation by ROS and other signals will also be briefly discussed. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cis- and trans-zeatin differentially modulate plant immunity.

PubMed

Großkinsky, Dominik K; Edelsbrunner, Kerstin; Pfeifhofer, Hartwig; van der Graaff, Eric; Roitsch, Thomas

2013-07-01

Phytohormones are essential regulators of various processes in plant growth and development. Several phytohormones are also known to regulate plant responses to environmental stress and pathogens. Only recently, cytokinins have been demonstrated to play an important role in plant immunity. Increased levels of cytokinins such as trans-zeatin, which are considered highly active, induced resistance against mainly (hemi)biotrophic pathogens in different plant species. In contrast, cis-zeatin is commonly regarded as a cytokinin exhibiting low or no activity. Here we comparatively study the impact of both zeatin isomers on the infection of Nicotiana tabacum by the (hemi)biotrophic microbial pathogen Pseudomonas syringae. We demonstrate a biological effect of cis-zeatin and a differential effect of the two zeatin isomers on symptom development, defense responses and bacterial multiplication.

The responding relationship between plants and environment is the essential principle for agricultural sustainable development on the globe.

PubMed

Zhou, Yi; Shao, Hong-Bo

2008-04-01

The mutual-responding relationship between plants and environment is involved in all life processes, which are the essential bases for different types of sustainable development on the globe, particularly the critical basis for agricultural sustainable development. How to regulate the above relationship between plants and the corresponding environment (in particular soil environment) is the key problem to modern sustainable agriculture development under global climate change, which is one of the hot topics in the field of plant biology. Detailed dissection of this responding relationship is also important for conducting global eco-environmental restoration and construction. Although powerful methodology and dataset related to genomics, post-genomics, and metabolomics have provided some insights into this relationship, crop physiological measures are also critical for crop full performance in field. With the increase of tested plants (including model plants) and development of integrated molecular biology, a complete understanding of the relationship at different scales under biotic and abiotic stresses will be accelerated. In the current paper, we will cover some important aspects in combination with the recent work from our laboratory and related advances reflected by international academic journals, as follows: plant physiological function performance under natural condition, plant gene regulatory network system under abiotic stresses, gene regulatory network system and drought resistance improvement, summary of the related work from our laboratory, conclusions, and acknowledgement.

Enzymatic corn wet milling: engineering process and cost model

PubMed Central

Ramírez, Edna C; Johnston, David B; McAloon, Andrew J; Singh, Vijay

2009-01-01

Background Enzymatic corn wet milling (E-milling) is a process derived from conventional wet milling for the recovery and purification of starch and co-products using proteases to eliminate the need for sulfites and decrease the steeping time. In 2006, the total starch production in USA by conventional wet milling equaled 23 billion kilograms, including modified starches and starches used for sweeteners and ethanol production [1]. Process engineering and cost models for an E-milling process have been developed for a processing plant with a capacity of 2.54 million kg of corn per day (100,000 bu/day). These models are based on the previously published models for a traditional wet milling plant with the same capacity. The E-milling process includes grain cleaning, pretreatment, enzymatic treatment, germ separation and recovery, fiber separation and recovery, gluten separation and recovery and starch separation. Information for the development of the conventional models was obtained from a variety of technical sources including commercial wet milling companies, industry experts and equipment suppliers. Additional information for the present models was obtained from our own experience with the development of the E-milling process and trials in the laboratory and at the pilot plant scale. The models were developed using process and cost simulation software (SuperPro Designer®) and include processing information such as composition and flow rates of the various process streams, descriptions of the various unit operations and detailed breakdowns of the operating and capital cost of the facility. Results Based on the information from the model, we can estimate the cost of production per kilogram of starch using the input prices for corn, enzyme and other wet milling co-products. The work presented here describes the E-milling process and compares the process, the operation and costs with the conventional process. Conclusion The E-milling process was found to be cost competitive with the conventional process during periods of high corn feedstock costs since the enzymatic process enhances the yields of the products in a corn wet milling process. This model is available upon request from the authors for educational, research and non-commercial uses. PMID:19154623

Leaf proteomic analysis in cassava (Manihot esculenta, Crantz) during plant development, from planting of stem cutting to storage root formation.

PubMed

Mitprasat, Mashamon; Roytrakul, Sittiruk; Jiemsup, Surasak; Boonseng, Opas; Yokthongwattana, Kittisak

2011-06-01

Tuberization in cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) occurs simultaneously with plant development, suggesting competition of photoassimilate partitioning between the shoot and the root organs. In potato, which is the most widely studied tuber crop, there is ample evidence suggesting that metabolism and regulatory processes in leaf may have an impact on tuber formation. To search for leaf proteins putatively involved in regulating tuber generation and/or development in cassava, comparative proteomic approaches have been applied to monitor differentially expressed leaf proteins during root transition from fibrous to tuberous. Stringent cross comparison and statistical analysis between two groups with different plant ages using Student's t test with 95% significance level revealed a number of protein spots whose abundance were significantly altered (P < 0.05) during week 4 to week 8 of growth. Of these, 39 spots were successfully identified by ion trap LC-MS/MS. The proteins span various functional categories from antioxidant and defense, carbohydrate metabolism, cyanogenesis, energy metabolism, miscellaneous and unknown proteins. Results suggested possible metabolic switches in the leaf that may trigger/regulate storage root initiation and growth. This study provides a basis for further functional characterization of differentially expressed leaf proteins, which can help understand how biochemical processes in cassava leaves may be involved in storage root development.

Development of a CSP plant energy yield calculation tool applying predictive models to analyze plant performance sensitivities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haack, Lukas; Peniche, Ricardo; Sommer, Lutz; Kather, Alfons

2017-06-01

At early project stages, the main CSP plant design parameters such as turbine capacity, solar field size, and thermal storage capacity are varied during the techno-economic optimization to determine most suitable plant configurations. In general, a typical meteorological year with at least hourly time resolution is used to analyze each plant configuration. Different software tools are available to simulate the annual energy yield. Software tools offering a thermodynamic modeling approach of the power block and the CSP thermal cycle, such as EBSILONProfessional®, allow a flexible definition of plant topologies. In EBSILON, the thermodynamic equilibrium for each time step is calculated iteratively (quasi steady state), which requires approximately 45 minutes to process one year with hourly time resolution. For better presentation of gradients, 10 min time resolution is recommended, which increases processing time by a factor of 5. Therefore, analyzing a large number of plant sensitivities, as required during the techno-economic optimization procedure, the detailed thermodynamic simulation approach becomes impracticable. Suntrace has developed an in-house CSP-Simulation tool (CSPsim), based on EBSILON and applying predictive models, to approximate the CSP plant performance for central receiver and parabolic trough technology. CSPsim significantly increases the speed of energy yield calculations by factor ≥ 35 and has automated the simulation run of all predefined design configurations in sequential order during the optimization procedure. To develop the predictive models, multiple linear regression techniques and Design of Experiment methods are applied. The annual energy yield and derived LCOE calculated by the predictive model deviates less than ±1.5 % from the thermodynamic simulation in EBSILON and effectively identifies the optimal range of main design parameters for further, more specific analysis.

An engineering and economic evaluation of quick germ-quick fiber process for dry-grind ethanol facilities: analysis.

PubMed

Rodríguez, Luis F; Li, Changying; Khanna, Madhu; Spaulding, Aslihan D; Lin, Tao; Eckhoff, Steven R

2010-07-01

An engineering economic model, which is mass balanced and compositionally driven, was developed to compare the conventional corn dry-grind process and the pre-fractionation process called quick germ-quick fiber (QQ). In this model, documented in a companion article, the distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) price was linked with its protein and fiber content as well as with the long-term average relationship with the corn price. The detailed economic analysis showed that the QQ plant retrofitted from conventional dry-grind ethanol plant reduces the manufacturing cost of ethanol by 13.5 cent/gallon and has net present value of nearly $4 million greater than the conventional dry-grind plant at an interest rate of 4% in 15years. Ethanol and feedstock price sensitivity analysis showed that the QQ plant gains more profits when ethanol price increases than conventional dry-grind ethanol plant. An optimistic analysis of the QQ process suggests that the greater value of the modified DDGS would provide greater resistance to fluctuations in corn price for QQ facilities. This model can be used to provide decision support for ethanol producers. Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Machine vision guided sensor positioning system for leaf temperature assessment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kim, Y.; Ling, P. P.; Janes, H. W. (Principal Investigator)

2001-01-01

A sensor positioning system was developed for monitoring plants' well-being using a non-contact sensor. Image processing algorithms were developed to identify a target region on a plant leaf. A novel algorithm to recover view depth was developed by using a camera equipped with a computer-controlled zoom lens. The methodology has improved depth recovery resolution over a conventional monocular imaging technique. An algorithm was also developed to find a maximum enclosed circle on a leaf surface so the conical field-of-view of an infrared temperature sensor could be filled by the target without peripheral noise. The center of the enclosed circle and the estimated depth were used to define the sensor 3-D location for accurate plant temperature measurement.

Status on the Component Models Developed in the Modelica Framework: High-Temperature Steam Electrolysis Plant & Gas Turbine Power Plant

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Suk Kim, Jong; McKellar, Michael; Bragg-Sitton, Shannon M.

This report has been prepared as part of an effort to design and build a modeling and simulation (M&S) framework to assess the economic viability of a nuclear-renewable hybrid energy system (N-R HES). In order to facilitate dynamic M&S of such an integrated system, research groups in multiple national laboratories have been developing various subsystems as dynamic physics-based components using the Modelica programming language. In fiscal year (FY) 2015, Idaho National Laboratory (INL) performed a dynamic analysis of two region-specific N-R HES configurations, including the gas-to-liquid (natural gas to Fischer-Tropsch synthetic fuel) and brackish water reverse osmosis desalination plants asmore » industrial processes. In FY 2016, INL has developed two additional subsystems in the Modelica framework: a high-temperature steam electrolysis (HTSE) plant and a gas turbine power plant (GTPP). HTSE has been proposed as a high priority industrial process to be integrated with a light water reactor (LWR) in an N-R HES. This integrated energy system would be capable of dynamically apportioning thermal and electrical energy (1) to provide responsive generation to the power grid and (2) to produce alternative industrial products (i.e., hydrogen and oxygen) without generating any greenhouse gases. A dynamic performance analysis of the LWR/HTSE integration case was carried out to evaluate the technical feasibility (load-following capability) and safety of such a system operating under highly variable conditions requiring flexible output. To support the dynamic analysis, the detailed dynamic model and control design of the HTSE process, which employs solid oxide electrolysis cells, have been developed to predict the process behavior over a large range of operating conditions. As first-generation N-R HES technology will be based on LWRs, which provide thermal energy at a relatively low temperature, complementary temperature-boosting technology was suggested for integration with the HTSE process that requires higher temperature input. Simulation results involving several case studies show that the suggested control scheme could maintain the controlled variables (including the steam utilization factor, cathode stream inlet composition, and temperatures of the process streams at various locations) within desired limits under various plant operating conditions. The results also indicate that the proposed HTSE plant could provide operational flexibility to participate in energy management at the utility scale by dynamically optimizing the use of excess plant capacity within an N-R HES. A natural-gas fired GTPP has been proposed as a secondary energy supply to be included in an N-R HES. This auxiliary generator could be used to cover rapid dynamics in grid demand that cannot be met by the remainder of the N-R HES. To evaluate the operability and controllability of the proposed process during transients between load (demand) levels, the dynamic model and control design were developed. Special attention was given to the design of feedback controllers to regulate the power frequency, and exhaust gas and turbine firing temperatures. Several case studies were performed to investigate the system responses to the major disturbance (power load demand) in such a control system. The simulation results show that the performance of the proposed control strategies was satisfactory under each test when the GTPP experienced high rapid variations in the load.« less

TCP Transcription Factors at the Interface between Environmental Challenges and the Plant's Growth Responses.

PubMed

Danisman, Selahattin

2016-01-01

Plants are sessile and as such their reactions to environmental challenges differ from those of mobile organisms. Many adaptions involve growth responses and hence, growth regulation is one of the most crucial biological processes for plant survival and fitness. The plant-specific TEOSINTE BRANCHED 1, CYCLOIDEA, PCF1 (TCP) transcription factor family is involved in plant development from cradle to grave, i.e., from seed germination throughout vegetative development until the formation of flowers and fruits. TCP transcription factors have an evolutionary conserved role as regulators in a variety of plant species, including orchids, tomatoes, peas, poplar, cotton, rice and the model plant Arabidopsis. Early TCP research focused on the regulatory functions of TCPs in the development of diverse organs via the cell cycle. Later research uncovered that TCP transcription factors are not static developmental regulators but crucial growth regulators that translate diverse endogenous and environmental signals into growth responses best fitted to ensure plant fitness and health. I will recapitulate the research on TCPs in this review focusing on two topics: the discovery of TCPs and the elucidation of their evolutionarily conserved roles across the plant kingdom, and the variety of signals, both endogenous (circadian clock, plant hormones) and environmental (pathogens, light, nutrients), TCPs respond to in the course of their developmental roles.

Genetic engineering of cytokinin metabolism: prospective way to improve agricultural traits of crop plants.

PubMed

Zalabák, David; Pospíšilová, Hana; Šmehilová, Mária; Mrízová, Katarína; Frébort, Ivo; Galuszka, Petr

2013-01-01

Cytokinins (CKs) are ubiquitous phytohormones that participate in development, morphogenesis and many physiological processes throughout plant kingdom. In higher plants, mutants and transgenic cells and tissues with altered activity of CK metabolic enzymes or perception machinery, have highlighted their crucial involvement in different agriculturally important traits, such as productivity, increased tolerance to various stresses and overall plant morphology. Furthermore, recent precise metabolomic analyses have elucidated the specific occurrence and distinct functions of different CK types in various plant species. Thus, smooth manipulation of active CK levels in a spatial and temporal way could be a very potent tool for plant biotechnology in the future. This review summarises recent advances in cytokinin research ranging from transgenic alteration of CK biosynthetic, degradation and glucosylation activities and CK perception to detailed elucidation of molecular processes, in which CKs work as a trigger in model plants. The first attempts to improve the quality of crop plants, focused on cereals are discussed, together with proposed mechanism of action of the responses involved. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Hemoglobins, programmed cell death and somatic embryogenesis.

PubMed

Hill, Robert D; Huang, Shuanglong; Stasolla, Claudio

2013-10-01

Programmed cell death (PCD) is a universal process in all multicellular organisms. It is a critical component in a diverse number of processes ranging from growth and differentiation to response to stress. Somatic embryogenesis is one such process where PCD is significantly involved. Nitric oxide is increasingly being recognized as playing a significant role in regulating PCD in both mammalian and plant systems. Plant hemoglobins scavenge NO, and evidence is accumulating that events that modify NO levels in plants also affect hemoglobin expression. Here, we review the process of PCD, describing the involvement of NO and plant hemoglobins in the process. NO is an effector of cell death in both plants and vertebrates, triggering the cascade of events leading to targeted cell death that is a part of an organism's response to stress or to tissue differentiation and development. Expression of specific hemoglobins can alter this response in plants by scavenging the NO, thus, interrupting the death process. Somatic embryogenesis is used as a model system to demonstrate how cell-specific expression of different classes of hemoglobins can alter the embryogenic process, affecting hormone synthesis, cell metabolite levels and genes associated with PCD and embryogenic competence. We propose that plant hemoglobins influence somatic embryogenesis and PCD through cell-specific expression of a distinct plant hemoglobin. It is based on the premise that both embryogenic competence and PCD are strongly influenced by cellular NO levels. Increases in cellular NO levels result in elevated Zn(2+) and reactive-oxygen species associated with PCD, but they also result in decreased expression of MYC2, a transcription factor that is a negative effector of indoleacetic acid synthesis, a hormone that positively influences embryogenic competence. Cell-specific hemoglobin expression reduces NO levels as a result of NO scavenging, resulting in cell survival. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Process wastewater treatability study for Westinghouse fluidized-bed coal gasification

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Winton, S.L.; Buvinger, B.J.; Evans, J.M.

1983-11-01

In the development of a synthetic fuels facility, water usage and wastewater treatment are major areas of concern. Coal gasification processes generally produce relatively large volumes of gas condensates. These wastewaters are typically composed of a variety of suspended and dissolved organic and inorganic solids and dissolved gaseous contaminants. Fluidized-bed coal gasification (FBG) processes are no exception to this rule. The Department of Energy's Morgantown Energy Technology Center (METC), the Gas Research Institute (GRI), and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA/IERLRTP) recognized the need for a FBG treatment program to provide process design data for FBG wastewaters during the environmental, health,more » and safety characterization of the Westinghouse Process Development Unit (PDU). In response to this need, METC developed conceptual designs and a program plan to obtain process design and performance data for treating wastewater from commercial-scale Westinghouse-based synfuels plants. As a result of this plan, METC, GRI, and EPA entered into a joint program to develop performance data, design parameters, conceptual designs, and cost estimates for treating wastewaters from a FBG plant. Wastewater from the Westinghouse PDU consists of process quench and gas cooling condensates which are similar to those produced by other FBG processes such as U-Gas, and entrained-bed gasification processes such as Texaco. Therefore, wastewater from this facility was selected as the basis for this study. This paper outlines the current program for developing process design and cost data for the treatment of these wastewaters.« less

Grand Rounds: An Outbreak of Toxic Hepatitis among Industrial Waste Disposal Workers

PubMed Central

Cheong, Hae-Kwan; Kim, Eun A; Choi, Jung-Keun; Choi, Sung-Bong; Suh, Jeong-Ill; Choi, Dae Seob; Kim, Jung Ran

2007-01-01

Context Industrial waste (which is composed of various toxic chemicals), changes to the disposal process, and addition of chemicals should all be monitored and controlled carefully in the industrial waste industry to reduce the health hazard to workers. Case presentation Five workers in an industrial waste plant developed acute toxic hepatitis, one of whom died after 3 months due to fulminant hepatitis. In the plant, we detected several chemicals with hepatotoxic potential, including pyridine, dimethylformamide, dimethylacetamide, and methylenedianiline. The workers had been working in the high-vapor-generating area of the plant, and the findings of pathologic examination showed typical features of acute toxic hepatitis. Discussion Infectious hepatitis and drug-induced hepatitis were excluded by laboratory findings, as well as the clinical course of hepatitis. All cases of toxic hepatitis in this plant developed after the change of the disposal process to thermochemical reaction–type treatment using unslaked lime reacted with industrial wastes. During this chemical reaction, vapor containing several toxic materials was generated. Although we could not confirm the definitive causative chemical, we suspect that these cases of hepatitis were caused by one of the hepatotoxic agents or by a synergistic interaction among several of them. Relevance to clinical or professional practice In the industrial waste treatment process, the danger of developing toxic hepatitis should be kept in mind, because any subtle change of the treatment process can generate various toxic materials and threaten the workers’ health. A mixture of hepatotoxic chemicals can induce clinical manifestations that are quite different from those predicted by the toxic property of a single agent. PMID:17366828

Grand rounds: an outbreak of toxic hepatitis among industrial waste disposal workers.

PubMed

Cheong, Hae-Kwan; Kim, Eun A; Choi, Jung-Keun; Choi, Sung-Bong; Suh, Jeong-Ill; Choi, Dae Seob; Kim, Jung Ran

2007-01-01

Industrial waste (which is composed of various toxic chemicals), changes to the disposal process, and addition of chemicals should all be monitored and controlled carefully in the industrial waste industry to reduce the health hazard to workers. Five workers in an industrial waste plant developed acute toxic hepatitis, one of whom died after 3 months due to fulminant hepatitis. In the plant, we detected several chemicals with hepatotoxic potential, including pyridine, dimethylformamide, dimethylacetamide, and methylenedianiline. The workers had been working in the high-vapor-generating area of the plant, and the findings of pathologic examination showed typical features of acute toxic hepatitis. Infectious hepatitis and drug-induced hepatitis were excluded by laboratory findings, as well as the clinical course of hepatitis. All cases of toxic hepatitis in this plant developed after the change of the disposal process to thermochemical reaction-type treatment using unslaked lime reacted with industrial wastes. During this chemical reaction, vapor containing several toxic materials was generated. Although we could not confirm the definitive causative chemical, we suspect that these cases of hepatitis were caused by one of the hepatotoxic agents or by a synergistic interaction among several of them. In the industrial waste treatment process, the danger of developing toxic hepatitis should be kept in mind, because any subtle change of the treatment process can generate various toxic materials and threaten the workers' health. A mixture of hepatotoxic chemicals can induce clinical manifestations that are quite different from those predicted by the toxic property of a single agent.

Phenolic acids as bioindicators of fly ash deposit revegetation.

PubMed

Djurdjević, L; Mitrović, M; Pavlović, P; Gajić, G; Kostić, O

2006-05-01

The floristic composition, the abundance, and the cover of pioneer plant species of spontaneously formed plant communities and the content of total phenolics and phenolic acids, as humus constituents, of an ash deposit after 7 years of recultivation were studied. The restoration of both the soil and the vegetation on the ash deposits of the "Nikola Tesla-A" thermoelectric power plant in Obrenovac (Serbia) is an extremely slow process. Unfavorable physical and chemical characteristics, the toxicity of fly ash, and extreme microclimatic conditions prevented the development of compact plant cover. The abundance and cover of plants increased from the central part of the deposit towards its edges (ranging from 1-80%). Festuca rubra L., Crepis setosa Hall., Erigeron canadensis L., Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop., Calamagrostis epigeios (L.) Roth., and Tamarix gallica L. were the most abundant species, thus giving the highest cover. Humus generated during the decomposition process of plant remains represents a completely new product absent in the ash as the starting material. The amount of total phenolics and phenolic acids (38.07-185.16 microg/g of total phenolics and 4.12-27.28 microg/g of phenolic acids) in fly ash increased from the center of the deposit towards its edges in correlation with the increase in plant abundance and cover. Ash samples contained high amounts of ferulic, vanillic, and p-coumaric acid, while the content of both p-hydroxybenzoic and syringic acid was relatively low. The presence of phenolic acids indicates the ongoing process of humus formation in the ash, in which the most abundant pioneer plants of spontaneously formed plant communities play the main role. Phenolic compounds can serve as reliable bioindicators in an assessment of the success of the recultivation process of thermoelectric power plants' ash deposits.

Optimization of controlled processes in combined-cycle plant (new developments and researches)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tverskoy, Yu S.; Muravev, I. K.

2017-11-01

All modern complex technical systems, including power units of TPP and nuclear power plants, work in the system-forming structure of multifunctional APCS. The development of the modern APCS mathematical support allows bringing the automation degree to the solution of complex optimization problems of equipment heat-mass-exchange processes in real time. The difficulty of efficient management of a binary power unit is related to the need to solve jointly at least three problems. The first problem is related to the physical issues of combined-cycle technologies. The second problem is determined by the criticality of the CCGT operation to changes in the regime and climatic factors. The third problem is related to a precise description of a vector of controlled coordinates of a complex technological object. To obtain a joint solution of this complex of interconnected problems, the methodology of generalized thermodynamic analysis, methods of the theory of automatic control and mathematical modeling are used. In the present report, results of new developments and studies are shown. These results allow improving the principles of process control and the automatic control systems structural synthesis of power units with combined-cycle plants that provide attainable technical and economic efficiency and operational reliability of equipment.

Membrane Lipid Oscillation: An Emerging System of Molecular Dynamics in the Plant Membrane.

PubMed

Nakamura, Yuki

2018-03-01

Biological rhythm represents a major biological process of living organisms. However, rhythmic oscillation of membrane lipid content is poorly described in plants. The development of lipidomic technology has led to the illustration of precise molecular profiles of membrane lipids under various growth conditions. Compared with conventional lipid signaling, which produces unpredictable lipid changes in response to ever-changing environmental conditions, lipid oscillation generates a fairly predictable lipid profile, adding a new layer of biological function to the membrane system and possible cross-talk with the other chronobiological processes. This mini review covers recent studies elucidating membrane lipid oscillation in plants.

Potential application of glycerol in the production of plant beneficial microorganisms.

PubMed

Vassilev, Nikolay; Malusa, Eligio; Requena, Antonia Reyes; Martos, Vanessa; López, Ana; Maksimovic, Ivana; Vassileva, Maria

2017-05-01

This review highlights the importance of research for development of biofertilizer and biocontrol products based on the use of glycerol for further process scale-up to industrial microbiology. Glycerol can be used successfully in all stages of production of plant beneficial microorganisms. It serves as an excellent substrate in both submerged and solid-state fermentation processes with free and immobilized microbial cells. Glycerol is also one of the most attractive formulation agents that ensures high cell density and viability including in harsh environmental conditions. Future research is discussed to make this inexpensive material a base for industrial production of plant beneficial microorganisms.

Embedded mobile farm robot for identification of diseased plants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sadistap, S. S.; Botre, B. A.; Pandit, Harshavardhan; Chandrasekhar; Rao, Adesh

2013-07-01

This paper presents the development of a mobile robot used in farms for identification of diseased plants. It puts forth two of the major aspects of robotics namely automated navigation and image processing. The robot navigates on the basis of the GPS (Global Positioning System) location and data obtained from IR (Infrared) sensors to avoid any obstacles in its path. It uses an image processing algorithm to differentiate between diseased and non-diseased plants. A robotic platform consisting of an ARM9 processor, motor drivers, robot mechanical assembly, camera and infrared sensors has been used. Mini2440 microcontroller has been used wherein Embedded linux OS (Operating System) is implemented.

Plant reproduction in spaceflight environments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Musgrave, M. E.; Kuang, A.; Porterfield, D. M.

1997-01-01

Because plant reproduction is a complex developmental process there are many possible sites of perturbation by the unusual environments of orbital spacecraft. Previous long-duration experiments on Soviet platforms shared features of slowed development through the vegetative stage of plant growth and aborted reproductive function. Our goal has been to understand how special features of the spaceflight environment impact physiological function and reproductive development. In a series of short-duration experiments in the Shuttle mid-deck we studied early reproductive development in Arabidopsis thaliana. Pollen and ovule development aborted at an early stage in the first experiment on STS-54 which utilized closed plant growth chambers. Post-flight analysis suggested that the plants may have been carbon dioxide limited. Subsequent experiments utilized carbon dioxide enrichment (on STS-51) and cabin air flow-through with an air exchange system (on STS-68). Both modifications allowed pollen and ovule development to occur normally on orbit, and full reproductive development up to the stage of an immature seed occurred on STS-68. However, analysis of plant roots from these experiments demonstrated a limitation in rootzone aeration in the spaceflight material that was not mitigated by these procedures. In the future, additional resources (crew time, upgraded flight hardware, and special platforms) will invite more elaborate, long-duration experimentation. On the ISS, a variable speed centrifuge and upgraded plant habitats will permit detailed experiments on the role of gravity in shaping the plant micro-environment, and what influence this plays during reproduction.

National Needs for Critically Evaluated Physical and Chemical Data.

DTIC Science & Technology

1978-01-01

poorly conceived experimencs, ineffective or inefficient manufacturing plants , and a waste of both effort and resources. To those studying basic...aspects of research and development and in the design of most products, industrial plants , and processes. They are also needed to assess the need for...designs can be made more precise, tolerances reduced, and R&D options narrowed. The wasteful practice of overdesigning industrial plants to allow for

Sustainable harvest: managing plasticity for resilient crops

PubMed Central

Bloomfield, Justin A; Rose, Terry J; King, Graham J

2014-01-01

Maintaining crop production to feed a growing world population is a major challenge for this period of rapid global climate change. No consistent conceptual or experimental framework for crop plants integrates information at the levels of genome regulation, metabolism, physiology and response to growing environment. An important role for plasticity in plants is assisting in homeostasis in response to variable environmental conditions. Here, we outline how plant plasticity is facilitated by epigenetic processes that modulate chromatin through dynamic changes in DNA methylation, histone variants, small RNAs and transposable elements. We present examples of plant plasticity in the context of epigenetic regulation of developmental phases and transitions and map these onto the key stages of crop establishment, growth, floral initiation, pollination, seed set and maturation of harvestable product. In particular, we consider how feedback loops of environmental signals and plant nutrition affect plant ontogeny. Recent advances in understanding epigenetic processes enable us to take a fresh look at the crosstalk between regulatory systems that confer plasticity in the context of crop development. We propose that these insights into genotype × environment (G × E) interaction should underpin development of new crop management strategies, both in terms of information-led agronomy and in recognizing the role of epigenetic variation in crop breeding. PMID:24891039

Arabidopsis Hormone Database: a comprehensive genetic and phenotypic information database for plant hormone research in Arabidopsis

PubMed Central

Peng, Zhi-yu; Zhou, Xin; Li, Linchuan; Yu, Xiangchun; Li, Hongjiang; Jiang, Zhiqiang; Cao, Guangyu; Bai, Mingyi; Wang, Xingchun; Jiang, Caifu; Lu, Haibin; Hou, Xianhui; Qu, Lijia; Wang, Zhiyong; Zuo, Jianru; Fu, Xiangdong; Su, Zhen; Li, Songgang; Guo, Hongwei

2009-01-01

Plant hormones are small organic molecules that influence almost every aspect of plant growth and development. Genetic and molecular studies have revealed a large number of genes that are involved in responses to numerous plant hormones, including auxin, gibberellin, cytokinin, abscisic acid, ethylene, jasmonic acid, salicylic acid, and brassinosteroid. Here, we develop an Arabidopsis hormone database, which aims to provide a systematic and comprehensive view of genes participating in plant hormonal regulation, as well as morphological phenotypes controlled by plant hormones. Based on data from mutant studies, transgenic analysis and gene ontology (GO) annotation, we have identified a total of 1026 genes in the Arabidopsis genome that participate in plant hormone functions. Meanwhile, a phenotype ontology is developed to precisely describe myriad hormone-regulated morphological processes with standardized vocabularies. A web interface (http://ahd.cbi.pku.edu.cn) would allow users to quickly get access to information about these hormone-related genes, including sequences, functional category, mutant information, phenotypic description, microarray data and linked publications. Several applications of this database in studying plant hormonal regulation and hormone cross-talk will be presented and discussed. PMID:19015126

Arabidopsis Hormone Database: a comprehensive genetic and phenotypic information database for plant hormone research in Arabidopsis.

PubMed

Peng, Zhi-yu; Zhou, Xin; Li, Linchuan; Yu, Xiangchun; Li, Hongjiang; Jiang, Zhiqiang; Cao, Guangyu; Bai, Mingyi; Wang, Xingchun; Jiang, Caifu; Lu, Haibin; Hou, Xianhui; Qu, Lijia; Wang, Zhiyong; Zuo, Jianru; Fu, Xiangdong; Su, Zhen; Li, Songgang; Guo, Hongwei

2009-01-01

Plant hormones are small organic molecules that influence almost every aspect of plant growth and development. Genetic and molecular studies have revealed a large number of genes that are involved in responses to numerous plant hormones, including auxin, gibberellin, cytokinin, abscisic acid, ethylene, jasmonic acid, salicylic acid, and brassinosteroid. Here, we develop an Arabidopsis hormone database, which aims to provide a systematic and comprehensive view of genes participating in plant hormonal regulation, as well as morphological phenotypes controlled by plant hormones. Based on data from mutant studies, transgenic analysis and gene ontology (GO) annotation, we have identified a total of 1026 genes in the Arabidopsis genome that participate in plant hormone functions. Meanwhile, a phenotype ontology is developed to precisely describe myriad hormone-regulated morphological processes with standardized vocabularies. A web interface (http://ahd.cbi.pku.edu.cn) would allow users to quickly get access to information about these hormone-related genes, including sequences, functional category, mutant information, phenotypic description, microarray data and linked publications. Several applications of this database in studying plant hormonal regulation and hormone cross-talk will be presented and discussed.

SOURCE-SINK BALANCE AND CARBON ALLOCATION BELOW GROUND IN PLANTS EXPOSED TO OZONE

EPA Science Inventory

The role of tropospheric ozone in altering plant growth and development has been the subject of thousands of publications and dozens of reviews over the last several decades. There is still limited understanding, however, regarding the possible effects of ozone on soil processes...

SOURCE-SINK BALANCE AND CARBON ALLOCATION BELOW GROUND IN PLANTS EXPOSED TO OZONE

EPA Science Inventory

The role of tropospheric ozone in altering plant growth and development has been the subject of thousands of publications over the last several decades. Still, there is limited understanding regarding the possible effects of ozone on soil processes. In this review, the effects ...

Housing is positively associated with invasive exotic plant species richness in New England, USA

Treesearch

Gregorio I. Gavier-Pizarro; Volker C. Radeloff; Susan I. Stewart; Cynthia D. Huebner; Nicholas S. Keuler

2010-01-01

Understanding the factors related to invasive exotic species distributions at broad spatial scales has important theoretical and management implications, because biological invasions are detrimental to many ecosystem functions and processes. Housing development facilitates invasions by disturbing land cover, introducing nonnative landscaping plants, and facilitating...

Polyamine spermidine is an upstream negator of ethylene-regulated pathogenesis of botrytis cinerea in tomato leaf

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Polyamines are biogenic polycationic compounds implicated in a number of processes including plant cell division, cell elongation, flowering, fruit set and development, fruit ripening, senescence and responses to abiotic stresses. Comparatively, little is known about their role in plant-microbe int...

Shoot circumnutation and winding movements require gravisensing cells-mediated graviresponse

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kitazawa, D.; Miyazawa, Y.; Fujii, N.; Nitasaka, E.; Takahashi, H.

The stationary nature of plants distinguishes them from other organisms Because of this unique nature higher plants have evolved various mechanisms for responding to environmental cues enabling them to utilize limited resources or to escape from environmental stresses One of the most important mechanisms that plants have acquired is the ability to sense gravity and to use it as a basis for governing their growth orientation a process known as gravitropism In addition to gravitropism oscillatory movement termed circumnutation and winding movement of climbing plants are also important mechanisms that allow plants to elevate their apical meristems to higher positions and these movements are hypothesized to be gravity-related However the relationship between the graviresponse and these movements has not been clarified To verify the necessity of the graviresponse in these movements we used a climbing plant namely Japanese morning glory as a model plant for it has winding growth that allow us to approach the above-mentioned issues We analyzed two distinct mutant lines of morning glory weeping1 and weeping2 both of which have loss of shoot gravitropism Histological characterization revealed that weeping1 has defect in development of gravisensing cells i e endodermis whereas weeping2 has normally developed endodermis with their amyloplasts sediment in response to gravity These observations suggest that these mutants have defect at a different point in the process of the graviresponse cascade Moreover

Light and gravity signals synergize in modulating plant development

PubMed Central

Vandenbrink, Joshua P.; Kiss, John Z.; Herranz, Raul; Medina, F. Javier

2014-01-01

Tropisms are growth-mediated plant movements that help plants to respond to changes in environmental stimuli. The availability of water and light, as well as the presence of a constant gravity vector, are all environmental stimuli that plants sense and respond to via directed growth movements (tropisms). The plant response to gravity (gravitropism) and the response to unidirectional light (phototropism) have long been shown to be interconnected growth phenomena. Here, we discuss the similarities in these two processes, as well as the known molecular mechanisms behind the tropistic responses. We also highlight research done in a microgravity environment in order to decouple two tropisms through experiments carried out in the absence of a significant unilateral gravity vector. In addition, alteration of gravity, especially the microgravity environment, and light irradiation produce important effects on meristematic cells, the undifferentiated, highly proliferating, totipotent cells which sustain plant development. Microgravity produces the disruption of meristematic competence, i.e., the decoupling of cell proliferation and cell growth, affecting the regulation of the cell cycle and ribosome biogenesis. Light irradiation, especially red light, mediated by phytochromes, has an activating effect on these processes. Phytohormones, particularly auxin, also are key mediators in these alterations. Upcoming experiments on the International Space Station will clarify some of the mechanisms and molecular players of the plant responses to these environmental signals involved in tropisms and the cell cycle. PMID:25389428

Plant growth modelling and applications: the increasing importance of plant architecture in growth models.

PubMed

Fourcaud, Thierry; Zhang, Xiaopeng; Stokes, Alexia; Lambers, Hans; Körner, Christian

2008-05-01

Modelling plant growth allows us to test hypotheses and carry out virtual experiments concerning plant growth processes that could otherwise take years in field conditions. The visualization of growth simulations allows us to see directly and vividly the outcome of a given model and provides us with an instructive tool useful for agronomists and foresters, as well as for teaching. Functional-structural (FS) plant growth models are nowadays particularly important for integrating biological processes with environmental conditions in 3-D virtual plants, and provide the basis for more advanced research in plant sciences. In this viewpoint paper, we ask the following questions. Are we modelling the correct processes that drive plant growth, and is growth driven mostly by sink or source activity? In current models, is the importance of soil resources (nutrients, water, temperature and their interaction with meristematic activity) considered adequately? Do classic models account for architectural adjustment as well as integrating the fundamental principles of development? Whilst answering these questions with the available data in the literature, we put forward the opinion that plant architecture and sink activity must be pushed to the centre of plant growth models. In natural conditions, sinks will more often drive growth than source activity, because sink activity is often controlled by finite soil resources or developmental constraints. PMA06: This viewpoint paper also serves as an introduction to this Special Issue devoted to plant growth modelling, which includes new research covering areas stretching from cell growth to biomechanics. All papers were presented at the Second International Symposium on Plant Growth Modeling, Simulation, Visualization and Applications (PMA06), held in Beijing, China, from 13-17 November, 2006. Although a large number of papers are devoted to FS models of agricultural and forest crop species, physiological and genetic processes have recently been included and point the way to a new direction in plant modelling research.

Automatic micropropagation of plants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Otte, Clemens; Schwanke, Joerg; Jensch, Peter F.

1996-12-01

Micropropagation is a sophisticated technique for the rapid multiplication of plants. It has a great commercial potential due to the speed of propagation, the high plant quality, and the ability to produce disease-free plants. However, micropropagation is usually done by hand which makes the process cost-intensive and tedious for the workers especially because it requires a sterile work-place. Therefore, we have developed a prototype automation system for the micropropagation of a grass species (miscanthus sinensis gigantheus). The objective of this paper is to describe the robotic system in an overview and to discuss the vision system more closely including the implemented morphological operations recognizing the cutting and gripping points of miscanthus plants. Fuzzy controllers are used to adapt the parameters of image operations on-line to each individual plant. Finally, we discuss our experiences with the developed prototype an give a preview of a possible real production line system.

Citrus Waste Biomass Program

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Karel Grohman; Scott Stevenson

Renewable Spirits is developing an innovative pilot plant bio-refinery to establish the commercial viability of ehtanol production utilizing a processing waste from citrus juice production. A novel process based on enzymatic hydrolysis of citrus processing waste and fermentation of resulting sugars to ethanol by yeasts was successfully developed in collaboration with a CRADA partner, USDA/ARS Citrus and Subtropical Products Laboratory. The process was also successfully scaled up from laboratory scale to 10,000 gal fermentor level.

The plant perceptron connects environment to development.

PubMed

Scheres, Ben; van der Putten, Wim H

2017-03-15

Plants cope with the environment in a variety of ways, and ecological analyses attempt to capture this through life-history strategies or trait-based categorization. These approaches are limited because they treat the trade-off mechanisms that underlie plant responses as a black box. Approaches that involve the molecular or physiological analysis of plant responses to the environment have elucidated intricate connections between developmental and environmental signals, but in only a few well-studied model species. By considering diversity in the plant response to the environment as the adaptation of an information-processing network, new directions can be found for the study of life-history strategies, trade-offs and evolution in plants.

The design of an irradiator for the continuous processing of liquid latex

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reuter, O.; Langley, R.; Zn, Wan Manshol Bin W.

1998-06-01

This paper presents anew design concept for a gamma irradiation plant for the continuous processing of pumpable liquids. Typical applications of such a plant include ∗ the irradiation vulcanisation of natural latex rubber ∗ disinfection of municipal sewage sludge for agricultural use ∗ sterilisation of liquids in the pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries ∗ industrial processing of bulk liquids The authors describe the design and operation of the latex irradiator now operating on a small production scale in Malaysia and proposed developments. The design allows irradiation processing to be carried out under an inert or other gaseous environment. State-of-the-art computer control system ensures the fully automatic processing operation needed by industrial computers.

Botanochemicals and chemurgy in the petroleum drought ahead

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bagby, M.O.; Buchanan, R.A.; Duke, J.A.

1979-01-01

Green plants, collectively, are still a major under-exploited resource. However, new crops and agricultural systems are being developed for the production of fuels and materials in addition to foods and fibers. Whole-plant oils and botanochemicals are being evaluated as annually renewable replacements for petroleum crude and petrochemicals, respectively. Plant derived fuel alcohols are becoming a viable supplement to gasoline and fuel oils. Polyisoprenes, terpenes, oils, waxes, alcohols, phenols, furfural, methane, and producer gas from plant sources can potentially displace petroleum derived feedstocks for the synthetic chemical industry. Moreover, new botanochemical processing methods offer prospects for reducing US dependence on importsmore » for many specialty plant-products traditionally produced by labor-intensive methods. Extraction of essential oils, pharmaceutical intermediates, tannins, and vegetable dyes may be integrated with botanochemical processing to allow exploitation of the varied US climate for domestic production of nearly every botanical now imported.« less

Strigolactones, a novel carotenoid-derived plant hormone.

PubMed

Al-Babili, Salim; Bouwmeester, Harro J

2015-01-01

Strigolactones (SLs) are carotenoid-derived plant hormones and signaling molecules. When released into the soil, SLs indicate the presence of a host to symbiotic fungi and root parasitic plants. In planta, they regulate several developmental processes that adapt plant architecture to nutrient availability. Highly branched/tillered mutants in Arabidopsis, pea, and rice have enabled the identification of four SL biosynthetic enzymes: a cis/trans-carotene isomerase, two carotenoid cleavage dioxygenases, and a cytochrome P450 (MAX1). In vitro and in vivo enzyme assays and analysis of mutants have shown that the pathway involves a combination of new reactions leading to carlactone, which is converted by a rice MAX1 homolog into an SL parent molecule with a tricyclic lactone moiety. In this review, we focus on SL biosynthesis, describe the hormonal and environmental factors that determine this process, and discuss SL transport and downstream signaling as well as the role of SLs in regulating plant development.

SCE&G Cope Station simulator training program development

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Stottlemire, J.L.; Fabry, R.

1996-11-01

South Carolina Electric and Gas Company made a significant investment into meeting the needs of their customers in designing and building the new fossil Generating Station near Cope, South Carolina. Cope Station is a state-of-the-art, 385 MW plant, with equipment and design features that will provide the plant with the capabilities of achieving optimum availability and capability. SCE&G has also implemented a team concept approach to plant organization at Cope Station. The modern plant design, operating philosophy, and introduction of a large percentage of new operations personnel presented a tremendous challenge in preparing for plant commissioning and commercial operation. SCE&G`smore » answer to this challenge was to hire an experienced operations trainer, and implement a comprehensive training program. An important part of the training investment was the procurement of a plant specific control room simulator. SCE&G, through tailored collaboration with the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), developed a specification for a simulator with the features necessary for training the initial plant staff as well as advanced operator training. The high-fidelity CRT based training simulator is a stimulated system that completely and accurately simulates the various plant systems, process startups, shutdowns, normal operating scenarios, and malfunctions. The process model stimulates a Foxboro Distributed Control System consisting of twelve control processors, five WP51 work stations, and one AW51 file server. The workstations, file server and support hardware and software necessary to interface with ESSCOR`s FSIM4 software was provided by Foxoboro.« less

IAEA programme in the field of radiation technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chmielewski, Andrzej G.; Haji-Saeid, Mohammad

2005-07-01

Radiation technologies applying gamma sources and electron accelerators for material modification are well-established processes. There are over 160 gamma industrial irradiators and 1300 electron industrial accelerators in operation worldwide. A new advancement in the field of radiation sources engineering is the development of high power direct e-/X conversion sources based on electron accelerators. Technologies to be developed beside environmental applications could be nanomaterials, structure engineered materials (sorbents, composites, ordered polymers, etc.) and natural polymers' processing. New products based on radiation-processed polysaccharides have already been commercialised in many countries of the East Asia and Pacific Region, especially in those being rich in natural polymers. Very important and promising applications concern environmental protection-radiation technology, being a clean and environment friendly process, helps to curb pollutants' emission as well. Industrial plants for flue gas treatment have been constructed in Poland and China. The pilot plant in Bulgaria using this technology has just started its operation. The Polish plant is equipped with accelerators of over 1 MW power, a breakthrough in radiation technology application. The industrial plant for wastewater treatment is under development in Korea and a pilot plant for sewage sludge irradiation has been in operation in India for many years. Due to recent developments, the Agency has restructured its programme and organized a Technical Meeting (TM) on "Emerging Applications of Radiation Technology for the 21st Century" at its Headquarters in Vienna, Austria, in April 2003, to review the present situation and possible developments of radiation technology to contribute to a sustainable development. This meeting provided the basic input to launch others in the most important fields of radiation technology applications: "Advances in Radiation Chemistry of Polymers" (Notre Dame, USA, September 2003), "Status of Industrial Scale Radiation Treatment of Wastewater" (Taejon, Republic of Korea, October 2003), "Radiation Processing of Polysaccharides" (Takasaki, Japan, November 2003), "Emerging Applications of Radiation in Nanotechnology" (Bologna, Italy, March 2004) and "Radiation Processing of Gaseous and Liquid Effluents" (Sofia, Bulgaria, September 2004). The Agency is presently supervising three Coordinated Research Projects on radiation wastewater treatment, radiation synthesis stimuli-responsive hydrogels for separation purposes and degradation effects of polymers. The role of this technology for a sustainable development is well illustrated by the fact that over 30 technical cooperation projects (including three regional ones) were accomplished in the years 2003-2004 and several new projects are being expected for the new cycle 2005-2006. Detailed analyses of the results of both, regular and TC programmes, laid the foundation for formulation of the new programme for the years 2006-2007. The emphasis will be put on nanotechnology, natural polymers, environment and health protection, including combat with hazardous bioagents.

Development of Nested PCR-Based Specific Markers for Detection of Peach Rosette Mosaic Virus in Plant Quarantine.

PubMed

Lee, S; Kim, C S; Shin, Y G; Kim, J H; Kim, Y S; Jheong, W H

2016-03-01

The Peach rosette mosaic virus (PRMV) is a plant pathogen of the genus Nepovirus, and has been designated as a controlled quarantine virus in Korea. In this study, a specific reverse transcription (RT)-PCR marker set, nested PCR marker set, and modified-plasmid positive control were developed to promptly and accurately diagnose PRMV at plant-quarantine sites. The final selected PRMV-specific RT-PCR marker was PRMV-N10/C70 (967 bp), and the nested PCR product of 419 bp was finally amplified. The modified-plasmid positive control, in which the SalI restriction-enzyme region (GTCGAC) was inserted, verified PRMV contamination in a comparison with the control, enabling a more accurate diagnosis. It is expected that the developed method will continuously contribute to the plant-quarantine process in Korea.

Ecosystem engineering and manipulation of host plant tissues by the insect borer Oncideres albomarginata chamela.

PubMed

Calderón-Cortés, Nancy; Uribe-Mú, Claudia A; Martínez-Méndez, A Karen; Escalera-Vázquez, Luis H; Cristobal-Pérez, E Jacob; García-Oliva, Felipe; Quesada, Mauricio

2016-01-01

Ecosystem engineering by insect herbivores occurs as the result of structural modification of plants manipulated by insects. However, only few studies have evaluated the effect of these modifications on the plant responses induced by stem-borers that act as ecosystem engineers. In this study, we evaluated the responses induced by the herbivory of the twig-girdler beetle Oncideres albomarginata chamela (Cerambycidae: Lamiinae) on its host plant Spondias purpurea (Anacardiaceae), and its relationship with the ecosystem engineering process carried out by this stem-borer. Our results demonstrated that O. albomarginata chamela branch removal induced the development of lateral branches increasing the resources needed for the development of future insect generations, of its own offspring and of many other insect species. Detached branches represent habitats with high content of nitrogen and phosphorous, which eventually can be incorporated into the ecosystem, increasing nutrient cycling efficiency. Consequently, branch removal and the subsequent plant tissue regeneration induced by O. albomarginata chamela represent key mechanisms underlying the ecosystem engineering process carried out by this stem-borer, which enhances arthropod diversity in the ecosystem. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Development of a Multisensor-Based Bio-Botanic Robot and Its Implementation Using a Self-Designed Embedded Board

PubMed Central

Chang, Chung-Liang; Sie, Ming-Fong; Shie, Jin-Long

2011-01-01

This paper presents the design concept of a bio-botanic robot which demonstrates its behavior based on plant growth. Besides, it can reflect the different phases of plant growth depending on the proportional amounts of light, temperature and water. The mechanism design is made up of a processed aluminum base, spring, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and actuator to constitute the plant base and plant body. The control system consists of two micro-controllers and a self-designed embedded development board where the main controller transmits the values of the environmental sensing module within the embedded board to a sub-controller. The sub-controller determines the growth stage, growth height, and time and transmits its decision value to the main controller. Finally, based on the data transmitted by the sub-controller, the main controller controls the growth phase of the bio-botanic robot using a servo motor and leaf actuator. The research result not only helps children realize the variation of plant growth but also is entertainment-educational through its demonstration of the growth process of the bio-botanic robot in a short time. PMID:22247684

The effect of drought and heat stress on reproductive processes in cereals.

PubMed

Barnabás, Beáta; Jäger, Katalin; Fehér, Attila

2008-01-01

As the result of intensive research and breeding efforts over the last 20 years, the yield potential and yield quality of cereals have been greatly improved. Nowadays, yield safety has gained more importance because of the forecasted climatic changes. Drought and high temperature are especially considered as key stress factors with high potential impact on crop yield. Yield safety can only be improved if future breeding attempts will be based on the valuable new knowledge acquired on the processes determining plant development and its responses to stress. Plant stress responses are very complex. Interactions between plant structure, function and the environment need to be investigated at various phases of plant development at the organismal, cellular as well as molecular levels in order to obtain a full picture. The results achieved so far in this field indicate that various plant organs, in a definite hierarchy and in interaction with each other, are involved in determining crop yield under stress. Here we attempt to summarize the currently available information on cereal reproduction under drought and heat stress and to give an outlook towards potential strategies to improve yield safety in cereals.

Advanced Plant Habitat - Packing and Planting Seeds

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-02-15

Inside a laboratory at the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, scientists prepared the science carrier, or base, of the Advanced Plant Habitat (APH). A growing substrate called arcillite was packed down in the base and coverings were secured on top of the base. Developed by NASA and ORBITEC of Madison, Wisconsin, the APH is the largest plant chamber built for the agency. It is a fully automated plant growth facility that will be used to conduct bioscience research on the International Space Station. The APH will be delivered to the space station aboard future Commercial Resupply Services missions.

Insights from Proteomic Studies into Plant Somatic Embryogenesis.

PubMed

Heringer, Angelo Schuabb; Santa-Catarina, Claudete; Silveira, Vanildo

2018-03-01

Somatic embryogenesis is a biotechnological approach mainly used for the clonal propagation of different plants worldwide. In somatic embryogenesis, embryos arise from somatic cells under appropriate culture conditions. This plasticity in plants is a demonstration of true cellular totipotency and is the best approach among the genetic transformation protocols used for plant regeneration. Despite the importance of somatic embryogenesis, knowledge regarding the control of the somatic embryogenesis process is limited. Therefore, the elucidation of both the biochemical and molecular processes is important for understanding the mechanisms by which a single somatic cell becomes a whole plant. Modern proteomic techniques rely on an alternative method for the identification and quantification of proteins with different abundances in embryogenic cell cultures or somatic embryos and enable the identification of specific proteins related to somatic embryogenesis development. This review focuses on somatic embryogenesis studies that use gel-free shotgun proteomic analyses to categorize proteins that could enhance our understanding of particular aspects of the somatic embryogenesis process and identify possible targets for future studies. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Green technology innovation in a developing country

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Treesubsuntorn, Chairat; Dolphen, Rujira; Dhurakit, Prapai; Siswanto, Dian; Thiravetyan, Paitip

2017-11-01

Developing countries rapidly grow when green technology, which is referred to as eco-friendly processes or methods, is developed in parallel. Here, some examples of green technology research and development in Thailand will be overviewed. A huge amount of agricultural waste is generated during agricultural processes. Applying these agricultural wastes in order to maximize the benefits for environmental cleanups of water, soil and air has been studied and commercialized. For example: 1) Application of agricultural waste and/or biochar developed from agricultural waste as biological adsorbents for wastewater treatment in some industries, such as textile/dye industries, and printing industries. In addition, this agricultural waste can also be applied in decolorization of sugar syrup from sugar industries; 2) The research on modified biomaterials as adsorbents and packing materials in biofilters would also be presented, and now, pilot scale biofilters have been developed and applied to solve air pollution problems in the field for future commercialization; 3) Some agricultural waste and/or biochar developed from agricultural waste in our laboratory can promote rice growth and improve rice quality via the reduction of Cd uptake and translocation in rice. Phytoremediation technology, in which plants are used to improve the environmental quality in water and air, has also been studied and would be presented. 1) Some species of native Thai plants can effectively remove heavy metals and dye from wastewater. For this research, a constructed wetland for wastewater treatment was developed and applied in a real contaminated site. 2) In air phytoremediation, some plant species harbor highly volatile organic compound (VOC) removal efficiency. In addition, plants do not only absorb organic pollutants, but also they have the innate ability to degrade organic compounds and use them as carbon sources for their growth. In addition, plant growth-promoting (PGP) bacteria inoculation into plants can enhance airborne pollutant removal. From this research, an indoor air phytoremediation system was developed in order to reduce CO2 emissions with high VOC removal efficiency. The high cost of technology transfer is a major problem, especially in developing countries, and green technology research and innovation can overcome this problem along with efficient allocation of resources and technologies.

Emissions model of waste treatment operations at the Idaho Chemical Processing Plant

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Schindler, R.E.

1995-03-01

An integrated model of the waste treatment systems at the Idaho Chemical Processing Plant (ICPP) was developed using a commercially-available process simulation software (ASPEN Plus) to calculate atmospheric emissions of hazardous chemicals for use in an application for an environmental permit to operate (PTO). The processes covered by the model are the Process Equipment Waste evaporator, High Level Liquid Waste evaporator, New Waste Calcining Facility and Liquid Effluent Treatment and Disposal facility. The processes are described along with the model and its assumptions. The model calculates emissions of NO{sub x}, CO, volatile acids, hazardous metals, and organic chemicals. Some calculatedmore » relative emissions are summarized and insights on building simulations are discussed.« less

Test Report for Permanganate and Cold Strontium Strike for Tank 241-AN-102

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Duncan, James B.; Huber, Heinz J.; Smalley, Colleen S.

Tanks 241-AN-102 and 241-AN-107 supernatants contain soluble Sr-90 and transuranic elements that require removal prior to vitrification to comply with the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant immobilized low-activity waste specification (WTP Contract, DE-AC27-01RV 14136, Specification 2.2.2.8, "Radionuclide Concentration Limitations") and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission provisional agreement on waste incidental to reprocessing (letter, Paperiello, C. J., "Classification of Hanford Low-Activity Tank Waste Fraction"). These two tanks have high concentrations of organics and organic complexants and are referred to as complexant concentrate tanks. A precipitation process using sodium permanganate (NaMnO{sub 4}) and strontium nitrate (Sr(NO{sub 3}){sub 2}) was developed and testedmore » with tank waste samples to precipitate Sr-90 and transuranic elements from the supernate (PNWD-3141, Optimization of Sr/TRU Removal Conditions with Samples of AN-102 Tank Waste). Testing documented in this report was conducted to further evaluate the use of the strontium nitrate/sodium permanganate process in tank farms with a retention time of up to 12 months. Previous testing was focused on developing a process for deployment in the ultrafiltration vessels in the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant. This environment is different from tank farms in two important ways: the waste is diluted in the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant to ~5.5 M sodium, whereas the supernate in the tank farms is ~9 M Na. Secondly, while the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant allows for a maximum treatment time of hours to days, the in-tank farms treatment of tanks 241-AN102 and 241-AN-107 will result in a retention time of months (perhaps up to12 months) before processing. A comparative compilation of separation processes for Sr/transuranics has been published as RPP-RPT-48340, Evaluation of Alternative Strontium and Transuranic Separation Processes. This report also listed the testing needs for the permanganate precipitation process to be field-deployable. A more comprehensive listing of future testing needs to allow the process to be field deployable are contained in RPP-PLAN-51288, Development Test Plan for Sr/TRU Precipitation Process.« less

From structure to function - a family portrait of plant subtilases.

PubMed

Schaller, Andreas; Stintzi, Annick; Rivas, Susana; Serrano, Irene; Chichkova, Nina V; Vartapetian, Andrey B; Martínez, Dana; Guiamét, Juan J; Sueldo, Daniela J; van der Hoorn, Renier A L; Ramírez, Vicente; Vera, Pablo

2018-05-01

Contents Summary 901 I. Introduction 901 II. Biochemistry and structure of plant SBTs 902 III. Phylogeny of plant SBTs and family organization 903 IV. Physiological roles of plant SBTs 905 V. Conclusions and outlook 911 Acknowledgements 912 References 912 SUMMARY: Subtilases (SBTs) are serine peptidases that are found in all three domains of life. As compared with homologs in other Eucarya, plant SBTs are more closely related to archaeal and bacterial SBTs, with which they share many biochemical and structural features. However, in the course of evolution, functional diversification led to the acquisition of novel, plant-specific functions, resulting in the present-day complexity of the plant SBT family. SBTs are much more numerous in plants than in any other organism, and include enzymes involved in general proteolysis as well as highly specific processing proteases. Most SBTs are targeted to the cell wall, where they contribute to the control of growth and development by regulating the properties of the cell wall and the activity of extracellular signaling molecules. Plant SBTs affect all stages of the life cycle as they contribute to embryogenesis, seed development and germination, cuticle formation and epidermal patterning, vascular development, programmed cell death, organ abscission, senescence, and plant responses to their biotic and abiotic environments. In this article we provide a comprehensive picture of SBT structure and function in plants. © 2017 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2017 New Phytologist Trust.

Signaling Network of Environmental Sensing and Adaptation in Plants:. Key Roles of Calcium Ion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kurusu, Takamitsu; Kuchitsu, Kazuyuki

2011-01-01

Considering the important issues concerning food, environment, and energy that humans are facing in the 21st century, humans mostly depend on plants. Unlike animals which move from an inappropriate environment, plants do not move, but rapidly sense diverse environmental changes or invasion by other organisms such as pathogens and insects in the place they root, and adapt themselves by changing their own bodies, through which they developed adaptability. Whole genetic information corresponding to the blueprints of many biological systems has recently been analyzed, and comparative genomic studies facilitated tracing strategies of each organism in their evolutional processes. Comparison of factors involved in intracellular signal transduction between animals and plants indicated diversification of different gene sets. Reversible binding of Ca2+ to sensor proteins play key roles as a molecular switch both in animals and plants. Molecular mechanisms for signaling network of environmental sensing and adaptation in plants will be discussed with special reference to Ca2+ as a key element in information processing.

Process design and economics of a flexible ethanol-butanol plant annexed to a eucalyptus kraft pulp mill.

PubMed

Pereira, Guilherme C Q; Braz, Danilo S; Hamaguchi, Marcelo; Ezeji, Thaddeus C; Maciel Filho, Rubens; Mariano, Adriano P

2018-02-01

This work proposes a strategy, from a process design standpoint, for pulp companies to enter the Brazilian ethanol market. The flexible plant converts eucalyptus-derived glucose to either ethanol or butanol (according to market conditions) and xylose only to butanol production. Depending on the biomass pretreatment technology, Monte Carlo simulations showed that the Net Present Value (NPV) of the flexible plant increases by 20-28% in relation to an ethanol-dedicated plant. Whereas the lower costs of the steam explosion technology turns the investment more attractive (NPV = 184 MMUSD; IRR = 29%), the organosolv technology provides better flexibility to the plant. This work also shows that excessive power consumption is a hurdle in the development of flash fermentation technology chosen for the flexible plant. These results indicate that conventional batch fermentation is preferable if the enzymatic hydrolysis step operates with solids loading up to 20 wt%. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Beyond cellular detoxification: a plethora of physiological roles for MDR transporter homologs in plants

PubMed Central

Remy, Estelle; Duque, Paula

2014-01-01

Higher plants possess a multitude of Multiple Drug Resistance (MDR) transporter homologs that group into three distinct and ubiquitous families—the ATP-Binding Cassette (ABC) superfamily, the Major Facilitator Superfamily (MFS), and the Multidrug And Toxic compound Extrusion (MATE) family. As in other organisms, such as fungi, mammals, and bacteria, MDR transporters make a primary contribution to cellular detoxification processes in plants, mainly through the extrusion of toxic compounds from the cell or their sequestration in the central vacuole. This review aims at summarizing the currently available information on the in vivo roles of MDR transporters in plant systems. Taken together, these data clearly indicate that the biological functions of ABC, MFS, and MATE carriers are not restricted to xenobiotic and metal detoxification. Importantly, the activity of plant MDR transporters also mediates biotic stress resistance and is instrumental in numerous physiological processes essential for optimal plant growth and development, including the regulation of ion homeostasis and polar transport of the phytohormone auxin. PMID:24910617

Increased gibberellin contents contribute to accelerated growth and development of transgenic tobacco overexpressing a wheat ubiquitin gene.

PubMed

Wang, Guo-Kun; Zhang, Meng; Gong, Jiang-Feng; Guo, Qi-Fang; Feng, Ya-Nan; Wang, Wei

2012-12-01

Overexpressing TaUb2 promoted stem growth and resulted in early flowering in transgenic tobacco plants. Ubiquitin are involved in the production, metabolism and proper function of gibberellin. The ubiquitin-26S proteasome system (UPS), in which ubiquitin (Ub) functions as a marker, is a post-translational regulatory system that plays a prominent role in various biological processes. To investigate the impact of different Ub levels on plant growth and development, transgenic tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) plants were engineered to express an Ub gene (TaUb2) from wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) under the control of cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter. Transgenic tobacco plants overexpressing TaUb2 demonstrated an accelerated growth rate at early stage and an early flowering phenotype in development. The preceding expression of MADS-box genes also corresponded to the accelerated developmental phenotypes of the transgenic tobacco plants compared to that of wild-type (WT). Total gibberellin (GA) and active GA contents in transgenic tobacco plants were higher than those in WT at the corresponding developmental stages, and some GA metabolism genes were upregulated. Treatment with GA(3) conferred a similarly accelerated grown rate in WT plants to that of transgenic tobacco plants, while growth was inhibited when transgenic tobacco plants were treated with a GA biosynthesis inhibitor. Thus, the results suggest that Ub are involved in the production, metabolism and proper function of GA, which is important in the regulation of plant growth and development.

Flat-plate solar array project: Experimental process system development unit for producing semiconductor-grade silicon using the silane-to-silicon process

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1983-01-01

The process technology for the manufacture of semiconductor-grade silicon in a large commercial plant by 1986, at a price less than $14 per kilogram of silicon based on 1975 dollars is discussed. The engineering design, installation, checkout, and operation of an Experimental Process System Development unit was discussed. Quality control of scaling-up the process and an economic analysis of product and production costs are discussed.

Proteome Analysis of Peroxisomes from Etiolated Arabidopsis Seedlings Identifies a Peroxisomal Protease Involved in β-Oxidation and Development1[C][W][OPEN

PubMed Central

Quan, Sheng; Yang, Pingfang; Cassin-Ross, Gaëlle; Kaur, Navneet; Switzenberg, Robert; Aung, Kyaw; Li, Jiying; Hu, Jianping

2013-01-01

Plant peroxisomes are highly dynamic organelles that mediate a suite of metabolic processes crucial to development. Peroxisomes in seeds/dark-grown seedlings and in photosynthetic tissues constitute two major subtypes of plant peroxisomes, which had been postulated to contain distinct primary biochemical properties. Multiple in-depth proteomic analyses had been performed on leaf peroxisomes, yet the major makeup of peroxisomes in seeds or dark-grown seedlings remained unclear. To compare the metabolic pathways of the two dominant plant peroxisomal subtypes and discover new peroxisomal proteins that function specifically during seed germination, we performed proteomic analysis of peroxisomes from etiolated Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) seedlings. The detection of 77 peroxisomal proteins allowed us to perform comparative analysis with the peroxisomal proteome of green leaves, which revealed a large overlap between these two primary peroxisomal variants. Subcellular targeting analysis by fluorescence microscopy validated around 10 new peroxisomal proteins in Arabidopsis. Mutant analysis suggested the role of the cysteine protease RESPONSE TO DROUGHT21A-LIKE1 in β-oxidation, seed germination, and growth. This work provides a much-needed road map of a major type of plant peroxisome and has established a basis for future investigations of peroxisomal proteolytic processes to understand their roles in development and in plant interaction with the environment. PMID:24130194

Evolution of the Plant Reproduction Master Regulators LFY and the MADS Transcription Factors: The Role of Protein Structure in the Evolutionary Development of the Flower

PubMed Central

Silva, Catarina S.; Puranik, Sriharsha; Round, Adam; Brennich, Martha; Jourdain, Agnès; Parcy, François; Hugouvieux, Veronique; Zubieta, Chloe

2016-01-01

Understanding the evolutionary leap from non-flowering (gymnosperms) to flowering (angiosperms) plants and the origin and vast diversification of the floral form has been one of the focuses of plant evolutionary developmental biology. The evolving diversity and increasing complexity of organisms is often due to relatively small changes in genes that direct development. These “developmental control genes” and the transcription factors (TFs) they encode, are at the origin of most morphological changes. TFs such as LEAFY (LFY) and the MADS-domain TFs act as central regulators in key developmental processes of plant reproduction including the floral transition in angiosperms and the specification of the male and female organs in both gymnosperms and angiosperms. In addition to advances in genome wide profiling and forward and reverse genetic screening, structural techniques are becoming important tools in unraveling TF function by providing atomic and molecular level information that was lacking in purely genetic approaches. Here, we summarize previous structural work and present additional biophysical and biochemical studies of the key master regulators of plant reproduction – LEAFY and the MADS-domain TFs SEPALLATA3 and AGAMOUS. We discuss the impact of structural biology on our understanding of the complex evolutionary process leading to the development of the bisexual flower. PMID:26779227

Endoreduplication and fruit growth in tomato: evidence in favour of the karyoplasmic ratio theory.

PubMed

Chevalier, Christian; Bourdon, Matthieu; Pirrello, Julien; Cheniclet, Catherine; Gévaudant, Frédéric; Frangne, Nathalie

2014-06-01

The growth of a plant organ depends upon the developmental processes of cell division and cell expansion. The activity of cell divisions sets the number of cells that will make up the organ; the cell expansion activity then determines its final size. Among the various mechanisms that may influence the determination of cell size, endopolyploidy by means of endoreduplication appears to be of great importance in plants. Endoreduplication is widespread in plants and supports the process of differentiation of cells and organs. Its functional role in plant cells is not fully understood, although it is commonly associated with ploidy-dependent cell expansion. During the development of tomato fruit, cells from the (fleshy) pericarp tissue become highly polyploid, reaching a DNA content barely encountered in other plant species (between 2C and 512C). Recent investigations using tomato fruit development as a model provided new data in favour of the long-standing karyoplasmic ratio theory, stating that cells tend to adjust their cytoplasmic volume to the nuclear DNA content. By establishing a highly structured cellular system where multiple physiological functions are integrated, endoreduplication does act as a morphogenetic factor supporting cell growth during tomato fruit development. © The Author 2013. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Experimental Biology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

TCP Transcription Factors at the Interface between Environmental Challenges and the Plant’s Growth Responses

PubMed Central

Danisman, Selahattin

2016-01-01

Plants are sessile and as such their reactions to environmental challenges differ from those of mobile organisms. Many adaptions involve growth responses and hence, growth regulation is one of the most crucial biological processes for plant survival and fitness. The plant-specific TEOSINTE BRANCHED 1, CYCLOIDEA, PCF1 (TCP) transcription factor family is involved in plant development from cradle to grave, i.e., from seed germination throughout vegetative development until the formation of flowers and fruits. TCP transcription factors have an evolutionary conserved role as regulators in a variety of plant species, including orchids, tomatoes, peas, poplar, cotton, rice and the model plant Arabidopsis. Early TCP research focused on the regulatory functions of TCPs in the development of diverse organs via the cell cycle. Later research uncovered that TCP transcription factors are not static developmental regulators but crucial growth regulators that translate diverse endogenous and environmental signals into growth responses best fitted to ensure plant fitness and health. I will recapitulate the research on TCPs in this review focusing on two topics: the discovery of TCPs and the elucidation of their evolutionarily conserved roles across the plant kingdom, and the variety of signals, both endogenous (circadian clock, plant hormones) and environmental (pathogens, light, nutrients), TCPs respond to in the course of their developmental roles. PMID:28066483

Comparative safety assessment of plant-derived foods.

PubMed

Kok, E J; Keijer, J; Kleter, G A; Kuiper, H A

2008-02-01

The second generation of genetically modified (GM) plants that are moving towards the market are characterized by modifications that may be more complex and traits that more often are to the benefit of the consumer. These developments will have implications for the safety assessment of the resulting plant products. In part of the cases the same crop plant can, however, also be obtained by 'conventional' breeding strategies. The breeder will decide on a case-by-case basis what will be the best strategy to reach the set target and whether genetic modification will form part of this strategy. This article discusses important aspects of the safety assessment of complex products derived from newly bred plant varieties obtained by different breeding strategies. On the basis of this overview, we conclude that the current process of the safety evaluation of GM versus conventionally bred plants is not well balanced. GM varieties are elaborately assessed, yet at the same time other crop plants resulting from conventional breeding strategies may warrant further food safety assessment for the benefit of the consumer. We propose to develop a general screening frame for all newly developed plant varieties to select varieties that cannot, on the basis of scientific criteria, be considered as safe as plant varieties that are already on the market.

Global analysis of gene expression profiles in developing physic nut (Jatropha curcas L.) seeds.

PubMed

Jiang, Huawu; Wu, Pingzhi; Zhang, Sheng; Song, Chi; Chen, Yaping; Li, Meiru; Jia, Yongxia; Fang, Xiaohua; Chen, Fan; Wu, Guojiang

2012-01-01

Physic nut (Jatropha curcas L.) is an oilseed plant species with high potential utility as a biofuel. Furthermore, following recent sequencing of its genome and the availability of expressed sequence tag (EST) libraries, it is a valuable model plant for studying carbon assimilation in endosperms of oilseed plants. There have been several transcriptomic analyses of developing physic nut seeds using ESTs, but they have provided limited information on the accumulation of stored resources in the seeds. We applied next-generation Illumina sequencing technology to analyze global gene expression profiles of developing physic nut seeds 14, 19, 25, 29, 35, 41, and 45 days after pollination (DAP). The acquired profiles reveal the key genes, and their expression timeframes, involved in major metabolic processes including: carbon flow, starch metabolism, and synthesis of storage lipids and proteins in the developing seeds. The main period of storage reserves synthesis in the seeds appears to be 29-41 DAP, and the fatty acid composition of the developing seeds is consistent with relative expression levels of different isoforms of acyl-ACP thioesterase and fatty acid desaturase genes. Several transcription factor genes whose expression coincides with storage reserve deposition correspond to those known to regulate the process in Arabidopsis. The results will facilitate searches for genes that influence de novo lipid synthesis, accumulation and their regulatory networks in developing physic nut seeds, and other oil seeds. Thus, they will be helpful in attempts to modify these plants for efficient biofuel production.

Microscopic processes ruling the bioavailability of Zn to roots of Euphorbia pithyusa L. pioneer plant.

PubMed

Medas, Daniela; De Giudici, Giovanni; Casu, Maria Antonietta; Musu, Elodia; Gianoncelli, Alessandra; Iadecola, Antonella; Meneghini, Carlo; Tamburini, Elena; Sprocati, Anna Rosa; Turnau, Katarzyna; Lattanzi, Pierfranco

2015-02-03

Euphorbia pithyusa L. was used in a plant growth-promoting assisted field trial experiment. To unravel the microscopic processes at the interface, thin slices of E. pithyusa roots were investigated by micro-X-ray fluorescence mapping. Roots and rhizosphere materials were examined by X-ray absorption spectroscopy at the Zn K-edge, X-ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscopy. Results indicate some features common to all the investigated samples. (i) In the rhizosphere of E. pithyusa, Zn was found to exist in different phases. (ii) Si and Al are mainly concentrated in a rim at the epidermis of the roots. (iii) Zn is mostly stored in root epidermis and does not appear to be coordinated to organic molecules but mainly occurs in mineral phases such as Zn silicates. We interpreted that roots of E. pithyusa significantly promote mineral evolution in the rhizosphere. Concomitantly, the plant uses Si and Al extracted by soil minerals to build a biomineralization rim, which can capture Zn. This Zn silicate biomineralization has relevant implications for phytoremediation techniques and for further biotechnology development, which can be better designed and developed after specific knowledge of molecular processes ruling mineral evolution and biomineralization processes has been gained.

Innovative vitrification for soil remediation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jetta, N.W.; Patten, J.S.; Hart, J.G.

1995-12-01

The objective of this DOE demonstration program is to validate the performance and operation of the Vortec Cyclone Melting System (CMS{trademark}) for the processing of LLW contaminated soils found at DOE sites. This DOE vitrification demonstration project has successfully progressed through the first two phases. Phase 1 consisted of pilot scale testing with surrogate wastes and the conceptual design of a process plant operating at a generic DOE site. The objective of Phase 2, which is scheduled to be completed the end of FY 95, is to develop a definitive process plant design for the treatment of wastes at amore » specific DOE facility. During Phase 2, a site specific design was developed for the processing of LLW soils and muds containing TSCA organics and RCRA metal contaminants. Phase 3 will consist of a full scale demonstration at the DOE gaseous diffusion plant located in Paducah, KY. Several DOE sites were evaluated for potential application of the technology. Paducah was selected for the demonstration program because of their urgent waste remediation needs as well as their strong management and cost sharing financial support for the project. During Phase 2, the basic nitrification process design was modified to meet the specific needs of the new waste streams available at Paducah. The system design developed for Paducah has significantly enhanced the processing capabilities of the Vortec vitrification process. The overall system design now includes the capability to shred entire drums and drum packs containing mud, concrete, plastics and PCB`s as well as bulk waste materials. This enhanced processing capability will substantially expand the total DOE waste remediation applications of the technology.« less

Automated information system for analysis and prediction of production situations in blast furnace plant

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lavrov, V. V.; Spirin, N. A.

2016-09-01

Advances in modern science and technology are inherently connected with the development, implementation, and widespread use of computer systems based on mathematical modeling. Algorithms and computer systems are gaining practical significance solving a range of process tasks in metallurgy of MES-level (Manufacturing Execution Systems - systems controlling industrial process) of modern automated information systems at the largest iron and steel enterprises in Russia. This fact determines the necessity to develop information-modeling systems based on mathematical models that will take into account the physics of the process, the basics of heat and mass exchange, the laws of energy conservation, and also the peculiarities of the impact of technological and standard characteristics of raw materials on the manufacturing process data. Special attention in this set of operations for metallurgic production is devoted to blast-furnace production, as it consumes the greatest amount of energy, up to 50% of the fuel used in ferrous metallurgy. The paper deals with the requirements, structure and architecture of BF Process Engineer's Automated Workstation (AWS), a computer decision support system of MES Level implemented in the ICS of the Blast Furnace Plant at Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works. It presents a brief description of main model subsystems as well as assumptions made in the process of mathematical modelling. Application of the developed system allows the engineering and process staff to analyze online production situations in the blast furnace plant, to solve a number of process tasks related to control of heat, gas dynamics and slag conditions of blast-furnace smelting as well as to calculate the optimal composition of blast-furnace slag, which eventually results in increasing technical and economic performance of blast-furnace production.

Soil Oxidation-Reduction in Wetlands and Its Impact on Plant Functioning

PubMed Central

Pezeshki, S. R.; DeLaune, R. D.

2012-01-01

Soil flooding in wetlands is accompanied by changes in soil physical and chemical characteristics. These changes include the lowering of soil redox potential (Eh) leading to increasing demand for oxygen within the soil profile as well as production of soil phytotoxins that are by-products of soil reduction and thus, imposing potentially severe stress on plant roots. Various methods are utilized for quantifying plant responses to reducing soil conditions that include measurement of radial oxygen transport, plant enzymatic responses, and assessment of anatomical/morphological changes. However, the chemical properties and reducing nature of soil environment in which plant roots are grown, including oxygen demand, and other associated processes that occur in wetland soils, pose a challenge to evaluation and comparison of plant responses that are reported in the literature. This review emphasizes soil-plant interactions in wetlands, drawing attention to the importance of quantifying the intensity and capacity of soil reduction for proper evaluation of wetland plant responses, particularly at the process and whole-plant levels. Furthermore, while root oxygen-deficiency may partially account for plant stress responses, the importance of soil phytotoxins, produced as by-products of low soil Eh conditions, is discussed and the need for development of methods to allow differentiation of plant responses to reduced or anaerobic soil conditions vs. soil phytotoxins is emphasized. PMID:24832223

PROCESS DEVELOPMENT QUARTERLY REPORT. II. PILOT PLANT WORK

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kuhlman, N. ed.

1957-05-01

Progress is reported on the gross solubility of U in digestions of Mallinokrodt feed materials, studies of variables affecting U purity in a TBP hexane extraction cycle, low-acid flowsheet for TBP--hexane extraction process based on a 440 g U/liter in lM HNO/sub 3/ digest liquor, hacking studies in the pilot plant pumperdecanter system, recovery of U from residues from the dingot process, lowering the H level in dingot metal, forging of dingot bar stock, dingot extrusion, fubrication of UO/sub 2/ fuel elements, and the determination of H content of derby and ingot metal. (W.L.H.)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zitney, S.E.

This paper highlights the use of the CAPE-OPEN (CO) standard interfaces in the Advanced Process Engineering Co-Simulator (APECS) developed at the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL). The APECS system uses the CO unit operation, thermodynamic, and reaction interfaces to provide its plug-and-play co-simulation capabilities, including the integration of process simulation with computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation. APECS also relies heavily on the use of a CO COM/CORBA bridge for running process/CFD co-simulations on multiple operating systems. For process optimization in the face of multiple and some time conflicting objectives, APECS offers stochastic modeling and multi-objective optimization capabilities developed to complymore » with the CO software standard. At NETL, system analysts are applying APECS to a wide variety of advanced power generation systems, ranging from small fuel cell systems to commercial-scale power plants including the coal-fired, gasification-based FutureGen power and hydrogen production plant.« less

Yield model development project implementation plan

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ambroziak, R. A.

1982-01-01

Tasks remaining to be completed are summarized for the following major project elements: (1) evaluation of crop yield models; (2) crop yield model research and development; (3) data acquisition processing, and storage; (4) related yield research: defining spectral and/or remote sensing data requirements; developing input for driving and testing crop growth/yield models; real time testing of wheat plant process models) and (5) project management and support.

Serendipitous solution to the problem of culturing Arabidopsis plants in sealed containers for spaceflights of long duration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brown, A. H.; Odowd, P.; Loercher, L.; Kuniewicz, R.; Dahl, A. O.

1979-01-01

The Arabidopsis thaliana plant species is tested to determine how a higher plant will develop from seed to maturity when deprived of all gravitational information that it might use to control its growth. Experimental results show that Arabidopsis seedlings can develop to maturity by means of a light-dependent but CO2-independent metabolism that feeds on organic compounds derived from the culture medium. This process is identified as photoassimilation. The ability of a higher plant to nourish itself by photoassimilation and thereby to survive in a heremetically sealed chamber of small dimensions is more than a biochemical curiosity. It allows the botanical investigator to design a culture system convenient for space-flight applications, which ensures isolation of each test plant from the gaseous environment of the spacecraft.

Remote Sensing of Parasitic Nematodes in Plants

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lawrence, Gary W.; King, Roger; Kelley, Amber T.; Vickery, John

2007-01-01

A method and apparatus for remote sensing of parasitic nematodes in plants, now undergoing development, is based on measurement of visible and infrared spectral reflectances of fields where the plants are growing. Initial development efforts have been concentrated on detecting reniform nematodes (Rotylenchulus reniformis) in cotton plants, because of the economic importance of cotton crops. The apparatus includes a hand-held spectroradiometer. The readings taken by the radiometer are processed to extract spectral reflectances at sixteen wavelengths between 451 and 949 nm that, taken together, have been found to be indicative of the presence of Rotylenchulus reniformis. The intensities of the spectral reflectances are used to estimate the population density of the nematodes in an area from which readings were taken.

Neural classifier in the estimation process of maturity of selected varieties of apples

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boniecki, P.; Piekarska-Boniecka, H.; Koszela, K.; Zaborowicz, M.; Przybył, K.; Wojcieszak, D.; Zbytek, Z.; Ludwiczak, A.; Przybylak, A.; Lewicki, A.

2015-07-01

This paper seeks to present methods of neural image analysis aimed at estimating the maturity state of selected varieties of apples which are popular in Poland. An identification of the degree of maturity of selected varieties of apples has been conducted on the basis of information encoded in graphical form, presented in the digital photos. The above process involves the application of the BBCH scale, used to determine the maturity of apples. The aforementioned scale is widely used in the EU and has been developed for many species of monocotyledonous plants and dicotyledonous plants. It is also worth noticing that the given scale enables detailed determinations of development stage of a given plant. The purpose of this work is to identify maturity level of selected varieties of apples, which is supported by the use of image analysis methods and classification techniques represented by artificial neural networks. The analysis of graphical representative features based on image analysis method enabled the assessment of the maturity of apples. For the utilitarian purpose the "JabVis 1.1" neural IT system was created, in accordance with requirements of the software engineering dedicated to support the decision-making processes occurring in broadly understood production process and processing of apples.

SITE DEMONSTRATION BULLETIN - ENHANCED IN-SITU BIOREMEDIATION PROCESS, EARTH TECH, INC.

EPA Science Inventory

The USEPA conducted an evaluation of the Enhanced In-situ Bioremediation process, a biostimulation technology developed by the USDOE at the Westinghouse Savannah River Plant site in Aiken, SC. DOE has licensed the process to Earth Tech, Inc. The evaluation described in this bulle...

Pollen and ovule development in Arabidopsis thaliana under spaceflight conditions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kuang, A.; Musgrave, M. E.; Matthews, S. W.; Cummins, D. B.; Tucker, S. C.

1995-01-01

The development of pollen and ovules in Arabidopsis thaliana on the space shuttle 'Endeavour' (STS-54) was investigated. Plants were grown on nutrient agar for 14 days prior to loading into closed plant growth chambers that received light and temperature control inside the Plant Growth Unit flight hardware on the shuttle middeck. After 6 days in spaceflight the plants were retrieved and immediately dissected and processed for light and electron microscope observation. Reproductive development aborted at an early stage. Pistils were collapsed and ovules inside were seen to he empty. No viable pollen was observed from STS-54 plants; young microspores were deformed and empty. At a late stage, the cytoplasm of the pollen contracted and became disorganized, but the pollen wall developed and the exine appeared normal. The tapetum in the flight flowers degenerated at early stages. Ovules from STS-54 flight plants stopped growing and the integuments and nucellus collapsed and degenerated. The megasporocytes appeared abnormal and rarely underwent meiosis. Apparently they enlarged, or occasionally produced a dyad or tetrad, to assume the form of a female gametophyte with the single nucleus located in an egglike cell that lacks a cell wall. Synergids, polar nuclei, and antipodals were not observed. The results demonstrate the types of lesions occurring in plant reproductive material under spaceflight conditions.

Conflict minerals from the Democratic Republic of the Congo—Tin processing plants, a critical part of the tin supply chain

USGS Publications Warehouse

Anderson, Charles

2015-03-24

Post-beneficiation processing plants (generally called smelters and refineries) for 3TG mineral ores and concentrates were identified by company and industry association representatives as being a link in the 3TG mineral supply chain through which these minerals can be traced to their source of origin (mine). The determination of the source of origin is critical to the development of a complete and transparent conflict-free mineral supply chain. Tungsten processing plants were the subject of the first fact sheet in this series published by the USGS NMIC in August 2014. Background information about historical conditions and multinational stakeholders’ voluntary due diligence guidance for minerals from conflict-affected and high-risk areas was presented in the tungsten fact sheet. Tantalum processing plants were the subject of the second fact sheet in this series published by the USGS NMIC in December 2014. This fact sheet, the third in the series about 3TG minerals, focuses on the tin supply chain by listing selected processors that produced tin materials commercially worldwide during 2013–14. It does not provide any information regarding the sources of the material processed in these facilities.

Coal gasification systems engineering and analysis. Appendix B: Medium B+U gas design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1980-01-01

A four module, 20,000 TPD, based on KT coal gasification technology was designed. The plant processes Kentucky No. 9 coal with provisions for up to five percent North Alabama coal. Medium BTU gas with heat content of 305 BTU/SCF and not more than 200 ppm sulfur is the primary plant product. Sulfur is recovered for scale as prilled sulfur. Ash disposal is on site. The plant is designed for zero water discharge. Trade studies provided the basis for not using boiler produced steam to drive prime movers. Thus process derived steam in excess of process requirements in superheated for power use in prime movers. Electricity from the TVA grid is used to supply the balance of the plant prime mover power requirements. A study of the effect of mine mouth coal cleaning showed that coal cleaning is not an economically preferred route. The design procedure involved defining available processes to meet the requirements of each system, technical/economic trade studies to select the preferred processes, and engineering design and flow sheet development for each module. Cost studies assumed a staggered construction schedule for the four modules beginning spring 1981 and a 90% on stream factor.

Safety and reliability analysis in a polyvinyl chloride batch process using dynamic simulator-case study: Loss of containment incident.

PubMed

Rizal, Datu; Tani, Shinichi; Nishiyama, Kimitoshi; Suzuki, Kazuhiko

2006-10-11

In this paper, a novel methodology in batch plant safety and reliability analysis is proposed using a dynamic simulator. A batch process involving several safety objects (e.g. sensors, controller, valves, etc.) is activated during the operational stage. The performance of the safety objects is evaluated by the dynamic simulation and a fault propagation model is generated. By using the fault propagation model, an improved fault tree analysis (FTA) method using switching signal mode (SSM) is developed for estimating the probability of failures. The timely dependent failures can be considered as unavailability of safety objects that can cause the accidents in a plant. Finally, the rank of safety object is formulated as performance index (PI) and can be estimated using the importance measures. PI shows the prioritization of safety objects that should be investigated for safety improvement program in the plants. The output of this method can be used for optimal policy in safety object improvement and maintenance. The dynamic simulator was constructed using Visual Modeler (VM, the plant simulator, developed by Omega Simulation Corp., Japan). A case study is focused on the loss of containment (LOC) incident at polyvinyl chloride (PVC) batch process which is consumed the hazardous material, vinyl chloride monomer (VCM).

Pahoa geothermal industrial park. Engineering and economic analysis for direct applications of geothermal energy in an industrial park at Pahoa, Hawaii

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Moreau, J.W.

1980-12-01

This engineering and economic study evaluated the potential for developing a geothermal industrial park in the Puna District near Pahoa on the Island of Hawaii. Direct heat industrial applications were analyzed from a marketing, engineering, economic, environmental, and sociological standpoint to determine the most viable industries for the park. An extensive literature search produced 31 existing processes currently using geothermal heat. An additional list was compiled indicating industrial processes that require heat that could be provided by geothermal energy. From this information, 17 possible processes were selected for consideration. Careful scrutiny and analysis of these 17 processes revealed three thatmore » justified detailed economic workups. The three processes chosen for detailed analysis were: an ethanol plant using bagasse and wood as feedstock; a cattle feed mill using sugar cane leaf trash as feedstock; and a papaya processing facility providing both fresh and processed fruit. In addition, a research facility to assess and develop other processes was treated as a concept. Consideration was given to the impediments to development, the engineering process requirements and the governmental support for each process. The study describes the geothermal well site chosen, the pipeline to transmit the hydrothermal fluid, and the infrastructure required for the industrial park. A conceptual development plan for the ethanol plant, the feedmill and the papaya processing facility was prepared. The study concluded that a direct heat industrial park in Pahoa, Hawaii, involves considerable risks.« less

Wetland eco-engineering: measuring and modeling feedbacks of oxidation processes between plants and clay-rich material

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saaltink, Rémon; Dekker, Stefan C.; Griffioen, Jasper; Wassen, Martin J.

2016-09-01

Interest is growing in using soft sediment as a foundation in eco-engineering projects. Wetland construction in the Dutch lake Markermeer is an example: here, dredging some of the clay-rich lake-bed sediment and using it to construct wetland will soon begin. Natural processes will be utilized during and after construction to accelerate ecosystem development. Knowing that plants can eco-engineer their environment via positive or negative biogeochemical plant-soil feedbacks, we conducted a 6-month greenhouse experiment to identify the key biogeochemical processes in the mud when Phragmites australis is used as an eco-engineering species. We applied inverse biogeochemical modeling to link observed changes in pore water composition to biogeochemical processes. Two months after transplantation we observed reduced plant growth and shriveling and yellowing of foliage. The N : P ratios of the plant tissue were low, and these were affected not by hampered uptake of N but by enhanced uptake of P. Subsequent analyses revealed high Fe concentrations in the leaves and roots. Sulfate concentrations rose drastically in our experiment due to pyrite oxidation; as reduction of sulfate will decouple Fe-P in reducing conditions, we argue that plant-induced iron toxicity hampered plant growth, forming a negative feedback loop, while simultaneously there was a positive feedback loop, as iron toxicity promotes P mobilization as a result of reduced conditions through root death, thereby stimulating plant growth and regeneration. Given these two feedback mechanisms, we propose the use of Fe-tolerant species rather than species that thrive in N-limited conditions. The results presented in this study demonstrate the importance of studying the biogeochemical properties of the situated sediment and the feedback mechanisms between plant and soil prior to finalizing the design of the eco-engineering project.

In Planta Processing and Glycosylation of a Nematode CLAVATA3/ENDOSPERM SURROUNDING REGION-Like Effector and Its Interaction with a Host CLAVATA2-Like Receptor to Promote Parasitism1[OPEN

PubMed Central

Chen, Shiyan; Lang, Ping; Chronis, Demosthenis; Zhang, Sheng; De Jong, Walter S.; Mitchum, Melissa G.

2015-01-01

Like other biotrophic plant pathogens, plant-parasitic nematodes secrete effector proteins into host cells to facilitate infection. Effector proteins that mimic plant CLAVATA3/ENDOSPERM SURROUNDING REGION-related (CLE) proteins have been identified in several cyst nematodes, including the potato cyst nematode (PCN); however, the mechanistic details of this cross-kingdom mimicry are poorly understood. Plant CLEs are posttranslationally modified and proteolytically processed to function as bioactive ligands critical to various aspects of plant development. Using ectopic expression coupled with nanoliquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry analysis, we show that the in planta mature form of proGrCLE1, a multidomain CLE effector secreted by PCN during infection, is a 12-amino acid arabinosylated glycopeptide (named GrCLE1-1Hyp4,7g) with striking structural similarity to mature plant CLE peptides. This glycopeptide is more resistant to hydrolytic degradation and binds with higher affinity to a CLAVATA2-like receptor (StCLV2) from potato (Solanum tuberosum) than its nonglycosylated forms. We further show that StCLV2 is highly up-regulated at nematode infection sites and that transgenic potatoes with reduced StCLV2 expression are less susceptible to PCN infection, indicating that interference of the CLV2-mediated signaling pathway confers nematode resistance in crop plants. These results strongly suggest that phytonematodes have evolved to utilize host cellular posttranslational modification and processing machinery for the activation of CLE effectors following secretion into plant cells and highlight the significance of arabinosylation in regulating nematode CLE effector activity. Our finding also provides evidence that multidomain CLEs are modified and processed similarly to single-domain CLEs, adding new insight into CLE maturation in plants. PMID:25416475

System Evaluation and Life-Cycle Cost Analysis of a Commercial-Scale High-Temperature Electrolysis Hydrogen Production Plant

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Edwin A. Harvego; James E. O'Brien; Michael G. McKellar

2012-11-01

Results of a system evaluation and lifecycle cost analysis are presented for a commercial-scale high-temperature electrolysis (HTE) central hydrogen production plant. The plant design relies on grid electricity to power the electrolysis process and system components, and industrial natural gas to provide process heat. The HYSYS process analysis software was used to evaluate the reference central plant design capable of producing 50,000 kg/day of hydrogen. The HYSYS software performs mass and energy balances across all components to allow optimization of the design using a detailed process flow sheet and realistic operating conditions specified by the analyst. The lifecycle cost analysismore » was performed using the H2A analysis methodology developed by the Department of Energy (DOE) Hydrogen Program. This methodology utilizes Microsoft Excel spreadsheet analysis tools that require detailed plant performance information (obtained from HYSYS), along with financial and cost information to calculate lifecycle costs. The results of the lifecycle analyses indicate that for a 10% internal rate of return, a large central commercial-scale hydrogen production plant can produce 50,000 kg/day of hydrogen at an average cost of $2.68/kg. When the cost of carbon sequestration is taken into account, the average cost of hydrogen production increases by $0.40/kg to $3.08/kg.« less

Plant hormone signaling during development: insights from computational models.

PubMed

Oliva, Marina; Farcot, Etienne; Vernoux, Teva

2013-02-01

Recent years have seen an impressive increase in our knowledge of the topology of plant hormone signaling networks. The complexity of these topologies has motivated the development of models for several hormones to aid understanding of how signaling networks process hormonal inputs. Such work has generated essential insights into the mechanisms of hormone perception and of regulation of cellular responses such as transcription in response to hormones. In addition, modeling approaches have contributed significantly to exploring how spatio-temporal regulation of hormone signaling contributes to plant growth and patterning. New tools have also been developed to obtain quantitative information on hormone distribution during development and to test model predictions, opening the way for quantitative understanding of the developmental roles of hormones. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Advanced Plant Habitat

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-11-17

A test unit, or prototype, of NASA's Advanced Plant Habitat (APH) was delivered to the Space Station Processing Facility at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The APH is the largest plant chamber built for the agency. Oscar Monje, a scientist on the Engineering Services Contract, prepares the base of the APH for engineering development tests to see how the science will integrate with the various systems of the plant habitat. The APH will have about 180 sensors and fourt times the light output of Veggie. The APH will be delivered to the International Space Station in March 2017.

Feasibility Study on the Use of On-line Multivariate Statistical Process Control for Safeguards Applications in Natural Uranium Conversion Plants

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ladd-Lively, Jennifer L

2014-01-01

The objective of this work was to determine the feasibility of using on-line multivariate statistical process control (MSPC) for safeguards applications in natural uranium conversion plants. Multivariate statistical process control is commonly used throughout industry for the detection of faults. For safeguards applications in uranium conversion plants, faults could include the diversion of intermediate products such as uranium dioxide, uranium tetrafluoride, and uranium hexafluoride. This study was limited to a 100 metric ton of uranium (MTU) per year natural uranium conversion plant (NUCP) using the wet solvent extraction method for the purification of uranium ore concentrate. A key component inmore » the multivariate statistical methodology is the Principal Component Analysis (PCA) approach for the analysis of data, development of the base case model, and evaluation of future operations. The PCA approach was implemented through the use of singular value decomposition of the data matrix where the data matrix represents normal operation of the plant. Component mole balances were used to model each of the process units in the NUCP. However, this approach could be applied to any data set. The monitoring framework developed in this research could be used to determine whether or not a diversion of material has occurred at an NUCP as part of an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards system. This approach can be used to identify the key monitoring locations, as well as locations where monitoring is unimportant. Detection limits at the key monitoring locations can also be established using this technique. Several faulty scenarios were developed to test the monitoring framework after the base case or normal operating conditions of the PCA model were established. In all of the scenarios, the monitoring framework was able to detect the fault. Overall this study was successful at meeting the stated objective.« less

The role of mitochondria in plant development and stress tolerance.

PubMed

Liberatore, Katie L; Dukowic-Schulze, Stefanie; Miller, Marisa E; Chen, Changbin; Kianian, Shahryar F

2016-11-01

Eukaryotic cells require orchestrated communication between nuclear and organellar genomes, perturbations in which are linked to stress response and disease in both animals and plants. In addition to mitochondria, which are found across eukaryotes, plant cells contain a second organelle, the plastid. Signaling both among the organelles (cytoplasmic) and between the cytoplasm and the nucleus (i.e. nuclear-cytoplasmic interactions (NCI)) is essential for proper cellular function. A deeper understanding of NCI and its impact on development, stress response, and long-term health is needed in both animal and plant systems. Here we focus on the role of plant mitochondria in development and stress response. We compare and contrast features of plant and animal mitochondrial genomes (mtDNA), particularly highlighting the large and highly dynamic nature of plant mtDNA. Plant-based tools are powerful, yet underutilized, resources for enhancing our fundamental understanding of NCI. These tools also have great potential for improving crop production. Across taxa, mitochondria are most abundant in cells that have high energy or nutrient demands as well as at key developmental time points. Although plant mitochondria act as integrators of signals involved in both development and stress response pathways, little is known about plant mtDNA diversity and its impact on these processes. In humans, there are strong correlations between particular mitotypes (and mtDNA mutations) and developmental differences (or disease). We propose that future work in plants should focus on defining mitotypes more carefully and investigating their functional implications as well as improving techniques to facilitate this research. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Plant vegetative and animal cytoplasmic actins share functional competence for spatial development with protists.

PubMed

Kandasamy, Muthugapatti K; McKinney, Elizabeth C; Roy, Eileen; Meagher, Richard B

2012-05-01

Actin is an essential multifunctional protein encoded by two distinct ancient classes of genes in animals (cytoplasmic and muscle) and plants (vegetative and reproductive). The prevailing view is that each class of actin variants is functionally distinct. However, we propose that the vegetative plant and cytoplasmic animal variants have conserved functional competence for spatial development inherited from an ancestral protist actin sequence. To test this idea, we ectopically expressed animal and protist actins in Arabidopsis thaliana double vegetative actin mutants that are dramatically altered in cell and organ morphologies. We found that expression of cytoplasmic actins from humans and even a highly divergent invertebrate Ciona intestinalis qualitatively and quantitatively suppressed the root cell polarity and organ defects of act8 act7 mutants and moderately suppressed the root-hairless phenotype of act2 act8 mutants. By contrast, human muscle actins were unable to support prominently any aspect of plant development. Furthermore, actins from three protists representing Choanozoa, Archamoeba, and green algae efficiently suppressed all the phenotypes of both the plant mutants. Remarkably, these data imply that actin's competence to carry out a complex suite of processes essential for multicellular development was already fully developed in single-celled protists and evolved nonprogressively from protists to plants and animals.

Plant Vegetative and Animal Cytoplasmic Actins Share Functional Competence for Spatial Development with Protists[W][OA

PubMed Central

Kandasamy, Muthugapatti K.; McKinney, Elizabeth C.; Roy, Eileen; Meagher, Richard B.

2012-01-01

Actin is an essential multifunctional protein encoded by two distinct ancient classes of genes in animals (cytoplasmic and muscle) and plants (vegetative and reproductive). The prevailing view is that each class of actin variants is functionally distinct. However, we propose that the vegetative plant and cytoplasmic animal variants have conserved functional competence for spatial development inherited from an ancestral protist actin sequence. To test this idea, we ectopically expressed animal and protist actins in Arabidopsis thaliana double vegetative actin mutants that are dramatically altered in cell and organ morphologies. We found that expression of cytoplasmic actins from humans and even a highly divergent invertebrate Ciona intestinalis qualitatively and quantitatively suppressed the root cell polarity and organ defects of act8 act7 mutants and moderately suppressed the root-hairless phenotype of act2 act8 mutants. By contrast, human muscle actins were unable to support prominently any aspect of plant development. Furthermore, actins from three protists representing Choanozoa, Archamoeba, and green algae efficiently suppressed all the phenotypes of both the plant mutants. Remarkably, these data imply that actin’s competence to carry out a complex suite of processes essential for multicellular development was already fully developed in single-celled protists and evolved nonprogressively from protists to plants and animals. PMID:22589468

Workplace Literacy Programs: Variations of Approach and Limits of Impact.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mikulecky, Larry

Six workplace literacy programs were evaluated for impact upon learners, learners' families, and learners' productivity. Site 1 was an automotive plant where learners were involved in technical preparation, the General Educational Development program, and English as a Second Language (ESL). Site 2 was a wood-processing plant with a communication…

Molecular analysis of the Na+/H+ exchanger gene family and its role in salt stress in Medicago truncatula

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

High salinity in irrigation water is detrimental to plant growth and productivity. Plants develop various mechanisms and strategies to cope with salinity. One important mechanism is keeping the cytosolic Na+ concentration low by sequestering Na+ in vacuoles, a process facilitated by Na+/H+ exchanger...

Water quality and irrigation [Chapter 10

Treesearch

Thomas D. Landis; Kim M. Wilkinson

2009-01-01

Water is the single most important biological factor affecting plant growth and health. Water is essential for almost every plant process: photosynthesis, nutrient transport, and cell expansion and development. In fact, 80 to 90 percent of a seedling's weight is made up of water. Therefore, irrigation management is the most critical aspect of nursery operations....

Design and Assessment of an Associate Degree-Level Plant Operations Technical Education Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Selwitz, Jason Lawrence

2017-01-01

Research was undertaken to develop and evaluate an associate degree-level technical education program in Plant Operations oriented towards training students in applied science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) skills and knowledge relevant to a spectrum of processing industries. This work focuses on four aspects of the curriculum…

Leaf proteome characterization in the context of physiological and morphological changes in response to copper stress in sorghum

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Copper (Cu) is an essential micronutrient required for the growth and development of plants. However, at elevated concentrations in soil, copper is very toxic to plant cells due to its inhibitory effects against many physiological and biochemical processes. In spite of its potential physiological an...

Integrating planning and design optimization for thermal power generation in developing economies: Designs for Vietnam

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pham, John Dinh Chuong

In the twenty first century, global warming and climate change have become environmental issues worldwide. There is a need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from thermal power plants through improved efficiency. This need is shared by both developed and developing countries. It is particularly important in rapidly developing economies (for example, Vietnam, South Korea, and China) where there is very significant need to increase generation capacity. This thesis addresses improving thermal power plant efficiency through an improved planning process that emphasizes integrated design. With the integration of planning and design considerations of key components in thermal electrical generation, along with the selection of appropriate up-to-date technologies, greater efficiency and reduction of emissions could be achieved. The major barriers to the integration of overall power plant optimization are the practice of individual island tendering packages, and the lack of coordinating efforts between major original equipment manufacturers (OEM). This thesis assesses both operational and design aspects of thermal power plants to identify opportunities for energy saving and the associated reduction of CO2 emissions. To demonstrate the potential of the integrated planning design approach, three advanced thermal power plants, using anthracite coal, oil and gas as their respective fuel, were developed as a case study. The three plant formulations and simulations were performed with the cooperation of several leading companies in the power industry including Babcock & Wilcox, Siemens KWU, Siemens-Westinghouse Power Corporation, Hitachi, Alstom Air Preheater, TLT-Covent, and ABB Flakt. The first plant is a conventional W-Flame anthracite coal-fired unit for base load operation. The second is a supercritical oil-fired plant with advanced steam condition, for two shifting and cycling operations. The third plant is a gas-fired combined cycle unit employing a modern steam-cooled gas turbine and a three-pressure heat recovery steam generator with reheat, for base load and load following operations. The oil-fired and gas-fired plants showed excellent gross thermal efficiency, 49.6 and 59.4 percent, respectively. Regarding the anthracite plant, based on a traditional subcritical pressure steam cycle, the unit gross efficiency was calculated at 42.3 percent. These efficiency values represent an increase of over 2 percent compared to the comparable plant class, operating today. This 2 percent efficiency gained translates into approximately 35,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas reduction, and a saving of 16,000 tonnes of coal, per year (based on 300MWe coal-fired plant). The positive results from the three simulations have demonstrated that by integrating planning and design optimization, significant gain of efficiency in thermal power plants is possible. This establishes the need for improved planning processes. It starts with a pre-planning process, before project tendering, to identify applicable operational issues and design features to enhance efficiency and reduce emissions. It should also include a pre-contract period to provide an opportunity for all OEM finalists to consolidate and fine-tune their designs for compatibility with those of others to achieve optimal performance. The inclusion of a period for final consolidation and integrated design enables the original goals of greater overall plant efficiency and greenhouse gas emissions reduction to be achieved beyond those available from current planning and contracting procedures.

South Carolina Wins the Prize.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baldwin, Fred

1992-01-01

Discusses factors involved in locating new BMW car-manufacturing plant in South Carolina. Discusses state's business environment, transportation, and education system. Describes development process, site selection, and implications for economic development. Describes importance of state's labor-force development via regional technical colleges and…

Cellulose microfibril deposition: coordinated activity at the plant plasma membrane.

PubMed

Lindeboom, J; Mulder, B M; Vos, J W; Ketelaar, T; Emons, A M C

2008-08-01

Plant cell wall production is a membrane-bound process. Cell walls are composed of cellulose microfibrils, embedded inside a matrix of other polysaccharides and glycoproteins. The cell wall matrix is extruded into the existing cell wall by exocytosis. This same process also inserts the cellulose synthase complexes into the plasma membrane. These complexes, the nanomachines that produce the cellulose microfibrils, move inside the plasma membrane leaving the cellulose microfibrils in their wake. Cellulose microfibril angle is an important determinant of cell development and of tissue properties and as such relevant for the industrial use of plant material. Here, we provide an integrated view of the events taking place in the not more than 100 nm deep area in and around the plasma membrane, correlating recent results provided by the distinct field of plant cell biology. We discuss the coordinated activities of exocytosis, endocytosis, and movement of cellulose synthase complexes while producing cellulose microfibrils and the link of these processes to the cortical microtubules.

Development of ECT/UT inspection system for bottom mounted instrumentation nozzle of PWR reactor vessels

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tanaka, H.; Fukui, S.; Iwahashi, Y.

1994-12-31

The development of inspection technique and tool for Bottom Mounted Instrument (BMI) nozzle of PWR plant was performed for countermeasure of leakage accident at incore instrument nozzle of Hamaoka-1 (BWR). MHI achieved the following development, of which object was PWR Plant R/V: (1) development of ECT/UT Multi-sensored Probe; (2) development of Inspection System (3) development of Data Processing System. The Inspection System had been functionally tested using full scale mock-up. As the result of the functional test, this system was confirmed to be very effective, and assumed to be hopeful for the actual application on site.

Determining the potential productivity of food crops in controlled environments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bugbee, Bruce

1992-01-01

The quest to determine the maximum potential productivity of food crops is greatly benefitted by crop growth models. Many models have been developed to analyze and predict crop growth in the field, but it is difficult to predict biological responses to stress conditions. Crop growth models for the optimal environments of a Controlled Environment Life Support System (CELSS) can be highly predictive. This paper discusses the application of a crop growth model to CELSS; the model is used to evaluate factors limiting growth. The model separately evaluates the following four physiological processes: absorption of PPF by photosynthetic tissue, carbon fixation (photosynthesis), carbon use (respiration), and carbon partitioning (harvest index). These constituent processes determine potentially achievable productivity. An analysis of each process suggests that low harvest index is the factor most limiting to yield. PPF absorption by plant canopies and respiration efficiency are also of major importance. Research concerning productivity in a CELSS should emphasize: (1) the development of gas exchange techniques to continuously monitor plant growth rates and (2) environmental techniques to reduce plant height in communities.

The Role of Nitrogen-Fixing Symbionts in Primary Succession on the Juneau Icefield

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walker-Andrews, T.; Cooley, S.; Veitz, M.; White, C.

2017-12-01

The glaciers of the Juneau icefield will likely continue to retreat in the coming years, leaving behind a rocky landscape. As this land is exposed, colonizing organisms will begin the process of primary succession and soil formation. As student researchers with the Juneau Icefield Research Program, we are studying the relationship between abundance and diversity of nitrogen-fixing symbionts on the Juneau Icefield and the rate of primary succession and soil development on recently deglaciated areas. We will survey three representative plots in a variety of vegetation zones at various sample sites; collecting data on soil profiles, as well as abundance and diversity of plants and lichens. We expect to find a positive correlation between the diversity of plants and lichens­- especially of nitrogen-fixing symbionts - and the level of soil development. The data will improve understanding of plant diversity on the Juneau Icefield and how the processes of primary succession transform the new environment. This work will contribute to on-going research on the process of primary succession on the Juneau Icefield.

Sucrose and invertases, a part of the plant defense response to the biotic stresses

PubMed Central

Tauzin, Alexandra S.; Giardina, Thierry

2014-01-01

Sucrose is the main form of assimilated carbon which is produced during photosynthesis and then transported from source to sink tissues via the phloem. This disaccharide is known to have important roles as signaling molecule and it is involved in many metabolic processes in plants. Essential for plant growth and development, sucrose is engaged in plant defense by activating plant immune responses against pathogens. During infection, pathogens reallocate the plant sugars for their own needs forcing the plants to modify their sugar content and triggering their defense responses. Among enzymes that hydrolyze sucrose and alter carbohydrate partitioning, invertases have been reported to be affected during plant-pathogen interactions. Recent highlights on the role of invertases in the establishment of plant defense responses suggest a more complex regulation of sugar signaling in plant-pathogen interaction. PMID:25002866

Coal liquefaction processes and development requirements analysis for synthetic fuels production

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1980-01-01

Focus of the study is on: (1) developing a technical and programmatic data base on direct and indirect liquefaction processes which have potential for commercialization during the 1980's and beyond, and (2) performing analyses to assess technology readiness and development trends, development requirements, commercial plant costs, and projected synthetic fuel costs. Numerous data sources and references were used as the basis for the analysis results and information presented.

Abiotic processes are insufficient for fertile island development: A 10-year artificial shrub experiment in a desert grassland

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The relative importance of biotic and abiotic processes in the development of “fertile islands” in dryland systems has rarely been investigated. Here we approached this question by using artificial shrubs, which exclude plant litter production and soil nutrient uptake, but retain the functions of tr...

DEVELOPMENT OF A CHEMICAL PROCESS MODELING ENVIRONMENT BASED ON CAPE-OPEN INTERFACE STANDARDS AND THE MICROSOFT .NET FRAMEWORK

EPA Science Inventory

Chemical process simulation has long been used as a design tool in the development of chemical plants, and has long been considered a means to evaluate different design options. With the advent of large scale computer networks and interface models for program components, it is po...

Sediment infilling and wetland formation dynamics in an active crevasse splay of the Mississippi River delta

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cahoon, Donald R.; White, David A.; Lynch, James C.

2011-01-01

Crevasse splay environments provide a mesocosm for evaluating wetland formation and maintenance processes on a decadal time scale. Site elevation, water levels, vertical accretion, elevation change, shallow subsidence, and plant biomass were measured at five habitats along an elevation gradient to evaluate wetland formation and development in Brant Pass Splay; an active crevasse splay of the Balize delta of the Mississippi River. The processes of vertical development (vertical accretion, elevation change, and shallow subsidence) were measured with the surface elevation table–marker horizon method. There were three distinct stages to the accrual of elevation capital and wetland formation in the splay: sediment infilling, vegetative colonization, and development of a mature wetland community. Accretion, elevation gain, and shallow subsidence all decreased by an order of magnitude from the open water (lowest elevation) to the forest (highest elevation) habitats. Vegetative colonization occurred within the first growing season following emergence of the mud surface. An explosively high rate of below-ground production quickly stabilized the loosely consolidated sub-aerial sediments. After emergent vegetation colonization, vertical development slowed and maintenance of marsh elevation was driven both by sediment trapping by the vegetation and accumulation of plant organic matter in the soil. Continued vertical development and survival of the marsh then depended on the health and productivity of the plant community. The process of delta wetland formation is both complex and nonlinear. Determining the dynamics of wetland formation will help in understanding the processes driving the past building of the delta and in developing models for restoring degraded wetlands in the Mississippi River delta and other deltas around the world.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Flanigan, Tom; Pybus, Craig; Roy, Sonya

This report summarizes the results of the Pre-Front End Engineering Design (pre-FEED) phase of a proposed advanced oxy-combustion power generation plant to repower the existing 200 MWe Unit 4 at Ameren Energy Resources’ (AER) Meredosia Power Plant. AER has formed an alliance with Air Liquide Process and Construction, Inc. (ALPC) and Babcock & Wilcox Power Generation Group (B&W PGG) for the design, construction, and testing of the facility, and has contracted with URS Corporation (URS) for preliminary design and Owner’s engineering services. The Project employs oxy-combustion technology – combustion of coal with nearly pure oxygen and recycled flue gas (insteadmore » of air) – to capture approximately 90% of the flue gas CO2 for transport and sequestration by another Project. Plant capacity and configuration has been developed based on the B&W PGG-ALPC cool recycle process firing high-sulfur bituminous coal fuel, assuming baseload plant operation to maximize existing steam turbine capability, with limited consideration for plant redundancy and performance optimization in order to keep plant costs as low as practical. Activities and preliminary results from the pre-FEED phase addressed in this report include the following: Overall plant thermal performance; Equipment sizing and system configuration; Plant operation and control philosophy; Plant emissions and effluents; CO 2 production and recovery characteristics; Project cost estimate and economic evaluation; Integrated project engineering and construction schedule; Project risk and opportunity assessment; Development of Project permitting strategy and requirements During the Phase 2 of the Project, additional design details will be developed and the Phase 1 work products updated to support actual construction and operation of the facility in Phase 3. Additional information will be provided early in Phase 2 to support Ameren-Environmental in finalizing the appropriate permitting strategies and permit applications. Additional performance and reliability enhancements will also be evaluated in Phase 2 to try to improve overall project economics.« less

Reliability analysis of a wastewater treatment plant using fault tree analysis and Monte Carlo simulation.

PubMed

Taheriyoun, Masoud; Moradinejad, Saber

2015-01-01

The reliability of a wastewater treatment plant is a critical issue when the effluent is reused or discharged to water resources. Main factors affecting the performance of the wastewater treatment plant are the variation of the influent, inherent variability in the treatment processes, deficiencies in design, mechanical equipment, and operational failures. Thus, meeting the established reuse/discharge criteria requires assessment of plant reliability. Among many techniques developed in system reliability analysis, fault tree analysis (FTA) is one of the popular and efficient methods. FTA is a top down, deductive failure analysis in which an undesired state of a system is analyzed. In this study, the problem of reliability was studied on Tehran West Town wastewater treatment plant. This plant is a conventional activated sludge process, and the effluent is reused in landscape irrigation. The fault tree diagram was established with the violation of allowable effluent BOD as the top event in the diagram, and the deficiencies of the system were identified based on the developed model. Some basic events are operator's mistake, physical damage, and design problems. The analytical method is minimal cut sets (based on numerical probability) and Monte Carlo simulation. Basic event probabilities were calculated according to available data and experts' opinions. The results showed that human factors, especially human error had a great effect on top event occurrence. The mechanical, climate, and sewer system factors were in subsequent tier. Literature shows applying FTA has been seldom used in the past wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) risk analysis studies. Thus, the developed FTA model in this study considerably improves the insight into causal failure analysis of a WWTP. It provides an efficient tool for WWTP operators and decision makers to achieve the standard limits in wastewater reuse and discharge to the environment.

The Central Role of PhEIN2 in Ethylene Responses throughout Plant Development in Petunia1

PubMed Central

Shibuya, Kenichi; Barry, Kristin G.; Ciardi, Joseph A.; Loucas, Holly M.; Underwood, Beverly A.; Nourizadeh, Saeid; Ecker, Joseph R.; Klee, Harry J.; Clark, David G.

2004-01-01

The plant hormone ethylene regulates many aspects of growth and development. Loss-of-function mutations in ETHYLENE INSENSITIVE2 (EIN2) result in ethylene insensitivity in Arabidopsis, indicating an essential role of EIN2 in ethylene signaling. However, little is known about the role of EIN2 in species other than Arabidopsis. To gain a better understanding of EIN2, a petunia (Petunia × hybrida cv Mitchell Diploid [MD]) homolog of the Arabidopsis EIN2 gene (PhEIN2) was isolated, and the role of PhEIN2 was analyzed in a wide range of plant responses to ethylene, many that do not occur in Arabidopsis. PhEIN2 mRNA was present at varying levels in tissues examined, and the PhEIN2 expression decreased after ethylene treatment in petals. These results indicate that expression of PhEIN2 mRNA is spatially and temporally regulated in petunia during plant development. Transgenic petunia plants with reduced PhEIN2 expression were compared to wild-type MD and ethylene-insensitive petunia plants expressing the Arabidopsis etr1-1 gene for several physiological processes. Both PhEIN2 and etr1-1 transgenic plants exhibited significant delays in flower senescence and fruit ripening, inhibited adventitious root and seedling root hair formation, premature death, and increased hypocotyl length in seedling ethylene response assays compared to MD. Moderate or strong levels of reduction in ethylene sensitivity were achieved with expression of both etr1-1 and PhEIN2 transgenes, as measured by downstream expression of PhEIL1. These results demonstrate that PhEIN2 mediates ethylene signals in a wide range of physiological processes and also indicate the central role of EIN2 in ethylene signal transduction. PMID:15466231

Comparing the performance of coupled soil-vegetation-atmosphere models at two contrasting field sites in South-West Germany

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gayler, S.; Wöhling, T.; Priesack, E.; Wizemann, H.-D.; Wulfmeyer, V.; Ingwersen, J.; Streck, T.

2012-04-01

The soil moisture, the energy balance at the land surface and the state of the lower atmosphere are closely linked by complex feedback processes. The vegetation acts as the interface between soil and atmosphere and plays an important role in this coupled system. Consequently, a consistent description of the fluxes of water, energy and carbon is a prerequisite for analyzing many problems in soil-, plant- and atmospheric research. To better understand the complex interplay of the involved processes, many numerical and physics-based soil-plant-atmosphere simulation models were developed during the last decades. As these models have been developed for different purposes, the degree of complexity in describing individual feedback processes can vary considerably. In models designed to predict soil moisture, for example, plants are often sufficiently represented by a simple sink term. If these models are calibrated, sometimes only one state variable and the corresponding calibration data type is used, e.g. soil water contents or pressure heads. In this case, vegetation properties and feedbacks between soil moisture, plant growth and stomatal conductivity are neglected to a large extent. Some crop models, in turn, pay little attention to modeling soil water transport. In a coupled soil-vegetation-atmosphere model, however, the interface between soil and atmosphere has to be consistent in all directions. As different data types such as soil moisture, leaf area development and evapotranspiration may contain contrasting information about the system under consideration, the fitting of such a model to a single data type may result in a poor agreement to another data type. The trade-off between the fittings to different data types can thereby be caused by structural inadequacies in the model or by errors in input and calibration data. In our study, we compare the Community Land Model CLM (version 3.5, offline mode) with different agricultural crop models to analyze the adequacy of their structural complexity on two winter wheat research fields under different climate in South-West Germany. We investigate the ability of the models to simultaneously fit measured soil water contents, leaf area development and actual evapotranspiration rates from eddy-covariance measurements. The calibration of the models is performed in a multi-criteria context using three objective functions, which describe the discrepancy between measurements and simulations of the three data types. We use the AMALGAM evolutionary search algorithm to simultaneously estimate the most important plant and soil hydraulic parameters. The results show that the trade-off in fitting soil moisture, leaf area development and evapotranspiration can be quite large for those models that represent plant processes by simple concepts. However, these trade-offs are smaller for the more mechanistic plant growth models, so that it can be expected that these optimized mechanistic models will provide the basis for improved simulations of land-surface-atmosphere feedback processes.

EARTH TECH INC.'S ENHANCED IN-SITU BIOREMEDIATION PROCESS; INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY EVALUATION REPORT

EPA Science Inventory

The USEPA conducted an evaluation of the Enhanced In-situ Bioremediation process, a biostimulation technology developed by the USDOE at the Westinghouse Savannah River Plant site in Aiken, SC. DOE has licensed the process to Earth Tech, Inc. The evaluation described in this bulle...

In silico mining and PCR-based approaches to transcription factor discovery in non-model plants: gene discovery of the WRKY transcription factors in conifers.

PubMed

Liu, Jun-Jun; Xiang, Yu

2011-01-01

WRKY transcription factors are key regulators of numerous biological processes in plant growth and development, as well as plant responses to abiotic and biotic stresses. Research on biological functions of plant WRKY genes has focused in the past on model plant species or species with largely characterized transcriptomes. However, a variety of non-model plants, such as forest conifers, are essential as feed, biofuel, and wood or for sustainable ecosystems. Identification of WRKY genes in these non-model plants is equally important for understanding the evolutionary and function-adaptive processes of this transcription factor family. Because of limited genomic information, the rarity of regulatory gene mRNAs in transcriptomes, and the sequence divergence to model organism genes, identification of transcription factors in non-model plants using methods similar to those generally used for model plants is difficult. This chapter describes a gene family discovery strategy for identification of WRKY transcription factors in conifers by a combination of in silico-based prediction and PCR-based experimental approaches. Compared to traditional cDNA library screening or EST sequencing at transcriptome scales, this integrated gene discovery strategy provides fast, simple, reliable, and specific methods to unveil the WRKY gene family at both genome and transcriptome levels in non-model plants.

Hormone balance and abiotic stress tolerance in crop plants.

PubMed

Peleg, Zvi; Blumwald, Eduardo

2011-06-01

Plant hormones play central roles in the ability of plants to adapt to changing environments, by mediating growth, development, nutrient allocation, and source/sink transitions. Although ABA is the most studied stress-responsive hormone, the role of cytokinins, brassinosteroids, and auxins during environmental stress is emerging. Recent evidence indicated that plant hormones are involved in multiple processes. Cross-talk between the different plant hormones results in synergetic or antagonic interactions that play crucial roles in response of plants to abiotic stress. The characterization of the molecular mechanisms regulating hormone synthesis, signaling, and action are facilitating the modification of hormone biosynthetic pathways for the generation of transgenic crop plants with enhanced abiotic stress tolerance. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Regulation of potassium transport and signaling in plants.

PubMed

Wang, Yi; Wu, Wei-Hua

2017-10-01

As an essential macronutrient, potassium (K + ) plays crucial roles in diverse physiological processes during plant growth and development. The K + concentration in soils is relatively low and fluctuating. Plants are able to perceive external K + changes and generate chemical and physical signals in plant cells. The signals can be transducted across the plasma membrane and into the cytosol, and eventually regulates the downstream targets, particularly K + channels and transporters. As a result, K + homeostasis in plant cells is modulated, which facilitates plant adaptation to K + deficient conditions. This minireview focuses on the latest research progress in the diverse functions of K + channels and transporters as well as their regulatory mechanisms in plant response to low-K + stress. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Metals production

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beck, Theodore S.

1992-01-01

Existing procedures for design of electrochemical plants can be used for design of lunar processes taking into consideration the differences in environmental conditions. These differences include: 1/6 Earth gravity, high vacuum, solar electrical and heat source, space radiation heat sink, long days and nights, and different availability and economics of materials, energy, and labor. Techniques have already been developed for operation of relatively small scale hydrogen-oxygen fuel cell systems used in the U.S. lunar landing program. Design and operation of lunar aqueous electrolytic process plants appears to be within the state-of-the-art. Finding or developing compatible materials for construction and designing of fused-magma metal winning cells will present a real engineering challenge.

How does the multifaceted plant hormone salicylic acid combat disease in plants and are similar mechanisms utilized in humans?

PubMed

Dempsey, D'Maris Amick; Klessig, Daniel F

2017-03-23

Salicylic acid (SA) is an important plant hormone that regulates many aspects of plant growth and development, as well as resistance to (a)biotic stress. Efforts to identify SA effector proteins have revealed that SA binds to and alters the activity of multiple plant proteins-this represents a shift from the paradigm that hormones mediate their functions via one or a few receptors. SA and its derivatives also have multiple targets in animals; some of these proteins, like their plant counterparts, are associated with pathological processes. Together, these findings suggest that SA exerts its defense-associated effects in both kingdoms via a large number of targets.

Rhizosphere chemical dialogues: plant-microbe interactions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Badri, D.V.; van der Lelie, D.; Weir, T. L.

2009-12-01

Every organism on earth relies on associations with its neighbors to sustain life. For example, plants form associations with neighboring plants, microflora, and microfauna, while humans maintain symbiotic associations with intestinal microbial flora, which is indispensable for nutrient assimilation and development of the innate immune system. Most of these associations are facilitated by chemical cues exchanged between the host and the symbionts. In the rhizosphere, which includes plant roots and the surrounding area of soil influenced by the roots, plants exude chemicals to effectively communicate with their neighboring soil organisms. Here we review the current literature pertaining to the chemicalmore » communication that exists between plants and microorganisms and the biological processes they sustain.« less

A comparison of high-throughput techniques for assaying circadian rhythms in plants.

PubMed

Tindall, Andrew J; Waller, Jade; Greenwood, Mark; Gould, Peter D; Hartwell, James; Hall, Anthony

2015-01-01

Over the last two decades, the development of high-throughput techniques has enabled us to probe the plant circadian clock, a key coordinator of vital biological processes, in ways previously impossible. With the circadian clock increasingly implicated in key fitness and signalling pathways, this has opened up new avenues for understanding plant development and signalling. Our tool-kit has been constantly improving through continual development and novel techniques that increase throughput, reduce costs and allow higher resolution on the cellular and subcellular levels. With circadian assays becoming more accessible and relevant than ever to researchers, in this paper we offer a review of the techniques currently available before considering the horizons in circadian investigation at ever higher throughputs and resolutions.

Plant Phenotyping using Probabilistic Topic Models: Uncovering the Hyperspectral Language of Plants

PubMed Central

Wahabzada, Mirwaes; Mahlein, Anne-Katrin; Bauckhage, Christian; Steiner, Ulrike; Oerke, Erich-Christian; Kersting, Kristian

2016-01-01

Modern phenotyping and plant disease detection methods, based on optical sensors and information technology, provide promising approaches to plant research and precision farming. In particular, hyperspectral imaging have been found to reveal physiological and structural characteristics in plants and to allow for tracking physiological dynamics due to environmental effects. In this work, we present an approach to plant phenotyping that integrates non-invasive sensors, computer vision, as well as data mining techniques and allows for monitoring how plants respond to stress. To uncover latent hyperspectral characteristics of diseased plants reliably and in an easy-to-understand way, we “wordify” the hyperspectral images, i.e., we turn the images into a corpus of text documents. Then, we apply probabilistic topic models, a well-established natural language processing technique that identifies content and topics of documents. Based on recent regularized topic models, we demonstrate that one can track automatically the development of three foliar diseases of barley. We also present a visualization of the topics that provides plant scientists an intuitive tool for hyperspectral imaging. In short, our analysis and visualization of characteristic topics found during symptom development and disease progress reveal the hyperspectral language of plant diseases. PMID:26957018

Development of Conceptual Design Support Tool Founded on Formalization of Conceptual Design Process for Regenerative Life Support Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miyajima, Hiroyuki; Yuhara, Naohiro

Regenerative Life Support Systems (RLSS), which maintain human lives by recycling substances essential for living, are comprised of humans, plants, and material circulation systems. The plants supply food to the humans or reproduce water and gases by photosynthesis, while the material circulation systems recycle physicochemically and circulate substances disposed by humans and plants. RLSS attracts attention since manned space activities have been shifted from previous short trips to long-term stay activities as such base as a space station, a lunar base, and a Mars base. The present typical space base is the International Space Station (ISS), a manned experimental base for prolonged stays, where RLSS recycles only water and air. In order to accommodate prolonged and extended manned activity in future space bases, developing RLSS that implements food production and regeneration of resources at once using plants is expected. The configuration of RLSS should be designed to suit its own duty, for which design requirements for RLSS with an unprecedented configuration may arise. Accordingly, it is necessary to establish a conceptual design method for generalized RLSS. It is difficult, however, to systematize the design process by analyzing previous design because there are only a few ground-experimental facilities, namely CEEF (Closed Ecology Experiment Facilities) of Japan, BIO-Plex (Bioregenerative Planetary Life Support Systems Test Complex) of the U.S., and BIOS3 of Russia. Thus a conceptual design method which doesn’t rely on previous design examples is required for generalized RLSS from the above reasons. This study formalizes a conceptual design process, and develops a conceptual design support tool for RLSS based on this design process.

Accounting strategy of tritium inventory in the heavy water detritiation pilot plant from ICIT Rm. Valcea

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bidica, N.; Stefanescu, I.; Cristescu, I.

2008-07-15

In this paper we present a methodology for determination of tritium inventory in a tritium removal facility. The method proposed is based on the developing of computing models for accountancy of the mobile tritium inventory in the separation processes, of the stored tritium and of the trapped tritium inventory in the structure of the process system components. The configuration of the detritiation process is a combination of isotope catalytic exchange between water and hydrogen (LPCE) and the cryogenic distillation of hydrogen isotopes (CD). The computing model for tritium inventory in the LPCE process and the CD process will be developedmore » basing on mass transfer coefficients in catalytic isotope exchange reactions and in dual-phase system (liquid-vapour) of hydrogen isotopes distillation process. Accounting of tritium inventory stored in metallic hydride will be based on in-bed calorimetry. Estimation of the trapped tritium inventory can be made by subtraction of the mobile and stored tritium inventories from the global tritium inventory of the plant area. Determinations of the global tritium inventory of the plant area will be made on a regular basis by measuring any tritium quantity entering or leaving the plant area. This methodology is intended to be applied to the Heavy Water Detritiation Pilot Plant from ICIT Rm. Valcea (Romania) and to the Cernavoda Tritium Removal Facility (which will be built in the next 5-7 years). (authors)« less

Technique for rapid establishment of American lotus in remediation efforts

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ryon, M. G.; Jett, R. T.; McCracken, M. K.

A technique for increasing the establishment rate of American lotus (Nelumbo lutea) and simplifying planting was developed as part of a pond remediation project. Lotus propagation techniques typically require scarification of the seed, germination in heated water, and planting in nursery containers. Then mature (~ 1 yr) nursery-grown stock is transferred to planting site or scarified seed are broadcast applied. Mature plants should grow more quickly, but can be sensitive to handling, require more time to plant, and cost more. Scarified seeds are easier to plant and inexpensive, but have a lag time in growth, can fail to germinate, andmore » can be difficult to site precisely. We developed an intermediate technique using small burlap bags that makes planting easier, provides greater germination success, and avoids lag time in growth. Data on survival and growth from experiments using mature stock, scarified seeds, and bag lotus demonstrate that bag lotus grow rapidly in a variety of conditions, have a high survival rate, can be processed and planted easily and quickly, and are very suitable for a variety of remediation projects« less

An approach to developing an integrated pyroprocessing simulator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Hyo Jik; Ko, Won Il; Choi, Sung Yeol; Kim, Sung Ki; Kim, In Tae; Lee, Han Soo

2014-02-01

Pyroprocessing has been studied for a decade as one of the promising fuel recycling options in Korea. We have built a pyroprocessing integrated inactive demonstration facility (PRIDE) to assess the feasibility of integrated pyroprocessing technology and scale-up issues of the processing equipment. Even though such facility cannot be replaced with a real integrated facility using spent nuclear fuel (SF), many insights can be obtained in terms of the world's largest integrated pyroprocessing operation. In order to complement or overcome such limited test-based research, a pyroprocessing Modelling and simulation study began in 2011. The Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) suggested a Modelling architecture for the development of a multi-purpose pyroprocessing simulator consisting of three-tiered models: unit process, operation, and plant-level-model. The unit process model can be addressed using governing equations or empirical equations as a continuous system (CS). In contrast, the operation model describes the operational behaviors as a discrete event system (DES). The plant-level model is an integrated model of the unit process and an operation model with various analysis modules. An interface with different systems, the incorporation of different codes, a process-centered database design, and a dynamic material flow are discussed as necessary components for building a framework of the plant-level model. As a sample model that contains methods decoding the above engineering issues was thoroughly reviewed, the architecture for building the plant-level-model was verified. By analyzing a process and operation-combined model, we showed that the suggested approach is effective for comprehensively understanding an integrated dynamic material flow. This paper addressed the current status of the pyroprocessing Modelling and simulation activity at KAERI, and also predicted its path forward.

An approach to developing an integrated pyroprocessing simulator

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lee, Hyo Jik; Ko, Won Il; Choi, Sung Yeol

Pyroprocessing has been studied for a decade as one of the promising fuel recycling options in Korea. We have built a pyroprocessing integrated inactive demonstration facility (PRIDE) to assess the feasibility of integrated pyroprocessing technology and scale-up issues of the processing equipment. Even though such facility cannot be replaced with a real integrated facility using spent nuclear fuel (SF), many insights can be obtained in terms of the world's largest integrated pyroprocessing operation. In order to complement or overcome such limited test-based research, a pyroprocessing Modelling and simulation study began in 2011. The Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) suggestedmore » a Modelling architecture for the development of a multi-purpose pyroprocessing simulator consisting of three-tiered models: unit process, operation, and plant-level-model. The unit process model can be addressed using governing equations or empirical equations as a continuous system (CS). In contrast, the operation model describes the operational behaviors as a discrete event system (DES). The plant-level model is an integrated model of the unit process and an operation model with various analysis modules. An interface with different systems, the incorporation of different codes, a process-centered database design, and a dynamic material flow are discussed as necessary components for building a framework of the plant-level model. As a sample model that contains methods decoding the above engineering issues was thoroughly reviewed, the architecture for building the plant-level-model was verified. By analyzing a process and operation-combined model, we showed that the suggested approach is effective for comprehensively understanding an integrated dynamic material flow. This paper addressed the current status of the pyroprocessing Modelling and simulation activity at KAERI, and also predicted its path forward.« less

Conserved and novel responses to cytokinin treatments during flower and fruit development in Brassica napus and Arabidopsis thaliana.

PubMed

Zuñiga-Mayo, Victor M; Baños-Bayardo, Cesar R; Díaz-Ramírez, David; Marsch-Martínez, Nayelli; de Folter, Stefan

2018-05-01

Hormones are an important component in the regulatory networks guiding plant development. Cytokinins are involved in different physiological and developmental processes in plants. In the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, cytokinin application during gynoecium development produces conspicuous phenotypes. On the other hand, Brassica napus, also known as canola, is a crop plant belonging to the Brassicaceae family, as A. thaliana. This makes B. napus a good candidate to study whether the cytokinin responses observed in A. thaliana are conserved in the same plant family. Here, we observed that cytokinin treatment in B. napus affects different traits of flower and fruit development. It increases ovule and seed number, affects stamen filament elongation and anther maturation, and causes a conspicuous overgrowth of tissue in petals and gynoecia. Furthermore, cytokinin recovers replum development in both wild type B. napus and in the A. thaliana rpl ntt double mutant, in which no replum is visible. These results indicate both conserved and novel responses to cytokinin in B. napus. Moreover, in this species, some cytokinin-induced phenotypes are inherited to the next, untreated generation, suggesting that cytokinins may trigger epigenetic modifications.

Transcriptomic analysis of flower development in tea (Camellia sinensis (L.)).

PubMed

Liu, Feng; Wang, Yu; Ding, Zhaotang; Zhao, Lei; Xiao, Jun; Wang, Linjun; Ding, Shibo

2017-10-05

Flowering is a critical and complicated process in plant development, involving interactions of numerous endogenous and environmental factors, but little is known about the complex network regulating flower development in tea plants. In this study, de novo transcriptome assembly and gene expression analysis using Illumina sequencing technology were performed. Transcriptomic analysis assembles gene-related information involved in reproductive growth of C. sinensis. Gene Ontology (GO) analysis of the annotated unigenes revealed that the majority of sequenced genes were associated with metabolic and cellular processes, cell and cell parts, catalytic activity and binding. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis indicated that metabolic pathways, biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, and plant hormone signal transduction were enriched among the DEGs. Furthermore, 207 flowering-associated unigenes were identified from our database. Some transcription factors, such as WRKY, ERF, bHLH, MYB and MADS-box were shown to be up-regulated in floral transition, which might play the role of progression of flowering. Furthermore, 14 genes were selected for confirmation of expression levels using quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). The comprehensive transcriptomic analysis presents fundamental information on the genes and pathways which are involved in flower development in C. sinensis. Our data also provided a useful database for further research of tea and other species of plants. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Identification of ARF and AUX/IAA gene families in Rafflesia cantleyi

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elias, Nur Atiqah Mohd; Goh, Hoe-Han; Isa, Nurulhikma Md; Wan, Kiew-Lian

2016-11-01

Rafflesia is a unique plant that produces the largest flowers in the world. It has a short blooming period of 6 to 7 days. Due to its rarity and limited accessibility, little is known about the growth and developmental process in the Rafflesia plant. In all plant species, auxin is the key hormone that is involved in growth and development. The auxin signal transduction involves members of the ARF transcription factor and AUX/IAA regulator families, which activate or inhibit the regulation of auxin response genes, thereby control the developmental process in plants. To gain a better understanding of molecular regulations in the Rafflesia plant development during flowering, members of the ARF and AUX/IAA gene families were identified from the transcriptome data of flower blooming stages in Rafflesia cantleyi. Based on Rafflesia unique transcripts (UTs) against the Arabidopsis TAIR database using BLASTX search, a total of nine UTs were identified as ARF transcription factors, while another seven UTs were identified as AUX/IAA regulators. These genes were found to be expressed in all three R. cantleyi flower stages i.e. days 1 (F1), 3 (F2), and 5 (F3). Gene expression analysis identified three genes that are differentially expressed in stage F1 vs. F2 i.e. IAA4 is upregulated while IAA8 and ARF3 are downregulated. These genes may be involved in the activation and/or inhibition of the auxin signal transduction pathway. Further analysis of these genes may unravel their function in the phenotypic development of the Rafflesia plant.

Demonstration of a tool for automatic learning and re-use of knowledge in the activated sludge process.

PubMed

Comas, J; Rodríguez-Roda, I; Poch, M; Gernaey, K V; Rosen, C; Jeppsson, U

2006-01-01

Wastewater treatment plant operators encounter complex operational problems related to the activated sludge process and usually respond to these by applying their own intuition and by taking advantage of what they have learnt from past experiences of similar problems. However, previous process experiences are not easy to integrate in numerical control, and new tools must be developed to enable re-use of plant operating experience. The aim of this paper is to investigate the usefulness of a case-based reasoning (CBR) approach to apply learning and re-use of knowledge gained during past incidents to confront actual complex problems through the IWA/COST Benchmark protocol. A case study shows that the proposed CBR system achieves a significant improvement of the benchmark plant performance when facing a high-flow event disturbance.

Pinellas Plant Environmental Baseline Report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

The Pinellas Plant has been part of the Department of Energy`s (DOE) nuclear weapons complex since the plant opened in 1957. In March 1995, the DOE sold the Pinellas Plant to the Pinellas County Industry Council (PCIC). DOE has leased back a large portion of the plant site to facilitate transition to alternate use and safe shutdown. The current mission is to achieve a safe transition of the facility from defense production and prepare the site for alternative uses as a community resource for economic development. Toward that effort, the Pinellas Plant Environmental Baseline Report (EBR) discusses the current andmore » past environmental conditions of the plant site. Information for the EBR is obtained from plant records. Historical process and chemical usage information for each area is reviewed during area characterizations.« less

Estimating drought induced tree mortality in the Amazon rainforest: A simulation study with a focus on plant hydraulic processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Papastefanou, P.; Fleischer, K.; Hickler, T.; Grams, T.; Lapola, D.; Quesada, C. A.; Zang, C.; Rammig, A.

2017-12-01

The Amazon basin was recently hit by severe drought events that were unprecedented in their severity and spatial extent, e.g. during 2005, 2010 and 2015/2016. Significant amounts of biomass were lost, turning large parts of the rainforest from a carbon sink into a carbon source. It is assumed that drought-induced tree mortality from hydraulic failure played an important role during these events and may become more frequent in the Amazon region in the future. Many state-of-the-art dynamic vegetation models do not include plant hydraulic processes and fail to reproduce observed rainforest responses to drought events, such as e.g. increased tree mortality. We address this research gap by developing a simple plant-hydraulic module for the dynamic vegetation model LPJ-GUESS. This plant-hydraulic module uses leaf water potential and cavitation as baseline processes to simulate tree mortality under drought stress. Furthermore, we introduce different plant strategies in the model, which describe e.g. differences in the stomatal regulation under drought stress. To parameterize and evaluate our hydraulic module, we use a set of available observational data from the Amazon region. We apply our model to the Amazon Basin and highlight similarities and differences across other measured and predicted drought responses, e.g. extrapolated observations and data derived from satellite measurements. Our results highlight the importance of including plant hydraulic processes in dynamic vegetation models to correctly predict vegetation dynamics under drought stress and show major differences on the vegetation dynamics depending on the selected plant strategies. We also identify gaps in process understanding of the triggering factors, the extent and the consequences of drought responses that hampers our ability to predict potential impact of future drought events on the Amazon rainforest.

Allelochemical Stress Can Trigger Oxidative Damage in Receptor Plants

PubMed Central

Lara-Núñez, Aurora; Anaya, Ana Luisa

2007-01-01

Plants can interact with other plants through the release of chemical compounds or allelochemicals. These compounds released by donor plants influence germination, growth, development, and establishment of receptor plants; having an important role on the pattern of vegetation, i.e as invasive strategy, and on crop productivity. This phytotoxic or negative effect of the released allelochemicals (allelochemical stress) is caused by modifying or altering diverse metabolic processes, having many molecular targets in the receptor plants. Recently, using an aggressive and allelopathic plant Sicyos deppei as the donor plant, and Lycopersicon esculentum as the receptor plant, we showed that the allelochemicals released by S. deppei caused oxidative damage through an increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS) and activation or modification of antioxidant enzymes. Based on this study, we proposed that oxidative stress is one of the mechanisms, among others, by which an allelopathic plant causes phytotoxicity to other plants. PMID:19704677

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Thomas, Kenneth; Oxstrand, Johanna

The Digital Architecture effort is a part of the Department of Energy (DOE) sponsored Light-Water Reactor Sustainability (LWRS) Program conducted at Idaho National Laboratory (INL). The LWRS program is performed in close collaboration with industry research and development (R&D) programs that provides the technical foundations for licensing and managing the long-term, safe, and economical operation of current nuclear power plants (NPPs). One of the primary missions of the LWRS program is to help the U.S. nuclear industry adopt new technologies and engineering solutions that facilitate the continued safe operation of the plants and extension of the current operating licenses. Therefore,more » a major objective of the LWRS program is the development of a seamless digital environment for plant operations and support by integrating information from plant systems with plant processes for nuclear workers through an array of interconnected technologies. In order to get the most benefits of the advanced technology suggested by the different research activities in the LWRS program, the nuclear utilities need a digital architecture in place to support the technology. A digital architecture can be defined as a collection of information technology (IT) capabilities needed to support and integrate a wide-spectrum of real-time digital capabilities for nuclear power plant performance improvements. It is not hard to imagine that many processes within the plant can be largely improved from both a system and human performance perspective by utilizing a plant wide (or near plant wide) wireless network. For example, a plant wide wireless network allows for real time plant status information to easily be accessed in the control room, field workers’ computer-based procedures can be updated based on the real time plant status, and status on ongoing procedures can be incorporated into smart schedules in the outage command center to allow for more accurate planning of critical tasks. The goal of the digital architecture project is to provide a long-term strategy to integrate plant systems, plant processes, and plant workers. This include technologies to improve nuclear worker efficiency and human performance; to offset a range of plant surveillance and testing activities with new on-line monitoring technologies; improve command, control, and collaboration in settings such as outage control centers and work execution centers; and finally to improve operator performance with new operator aid technologies for the control room. The requirements identified through the activities in the Digital Architecture project will be used to estimate the amount of traffic on the network and hence estimating the minimal bandwidth needed.« less

Impacts of flare emissions from an ethylene plant shutdown to regional air quality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Ziyuan; Wang, Sujing; Xu, Qiang; Ho, Thomas

2016-08-01

Critical operations of chemical process industry (CPI) plants such as ethylene plant shutdowns could emit a huge amount of VOCs and NOx, which may result in localized and transient ozone pollution events. In this paper, a general methodology for studying dynamic ozone impacts associated with flare emissions from ethylene plant shutdowns has been developed. This multi-scale simulation study integrates process knowledge of plant shutdown emissions in terms of flow rate and speciation together with regional air-quality modeling to quantitatively investigate the sensitivity of ground-level ozone change due to an ethylene plant shutdown. The study shows the maximum hourly ozone increments can vary significantly by different plant locations and temporal factors including background ozone data and solar radiation intensity. It helps provide a cost-effective air-quality control strategy for industries by choosing the optimal starting time of plant shutdown operations in terms of minimizing the induced ozone impact (reduced from 34.1 ppb to 1.2 ppb in the performed case studies). This study provides valuable technical supports for both CPI and environmental policy makers on cost-effective air-quality controls in the future.

Monitoring and control technologies for bioregenerative life support systems/CELSS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Knott, William M.; Sager, John C.

1991-01-01

The development of a controlled Ecological Life Support System (CELSS) will require NASA to develop innovative monitoring and control technologies to operate the different components of the system. Primary effort over the past three to four years has been directed toward the development of technologies to operate a biomass production module. Computer hardware and software required to operate, collect, and summarize environmental data for a large plant growth chamber facility were developed and refined. Sensors and controls required to collect information on such physical parameters as relative humidity, temperature, irradiance, pressure, and gases in the atmosphere; and PH, dissolved oxygen, fluid flow rates, and electrical conductivity in the nutrient solutions are being developed and tested. Technologies required to produce high artificial irradiance for plant growth and those required to collect and transport natural light into a plant growth chamber are also being evaluated. Significant effort was directed towards the development and testing of a membrane nutrient delivery system required to manipulate, seed, and harvest crops, and to determine plant health prior to stress impacting plant productivity are also being researched. Tissue culture technologies are being developed for use in management and propagation of crop plants. Though previous efforts have focussed on development of technologies required to operate a biomass production module for a CELSS, current efforts are expanding to include technologies required to operate modules such as food preparation, biomass processing, and resource (waste) recovery which are integral parts of the CELSS.

Feasibilities of a Coal-Biomass to Liquids Plant in Southern West Virginia

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bhattacharyya, Debangsu; DVallance, David; Henthorn, Greg

This project has generated comprehensive and realistic results of feasibilities for a coal-biomass to liquids (CBTL) plant in southern West Virginia; and evaluated the sensitivity of the analyses to various anticipated scenarios and parametric uncertainties. Specifically the project has addressed economic feasibility, technical feasibility, market feasibility, and financial feasibility. In the economic feasibility study, a multi-objective siting model was developed and was then used to identify and rank the suitable facility sites. Spatial models were also developed to assess the biomass and coal feedstock availabilities and economics. Environmental impact analysis was conducted mainly to assess life cycle analysis and greenhousemore » gas emission. Uncertainty and sensitivity analysis were also investigated in this study. Sensitivity analyses on required selling price (RSP) and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of CBTL fuels were conducted according to feedstock availability and price, biomass to coal mix ratio, conversion rate, internal rate of return (IRR), capital cost, operational and maintenance cost. The study of siting and capacity showed that feedstock mixed ratio limited the CBTL production. The price of coal had a more dominant effect on RSP than that of biomass. Different mix ratios in the feedstock and conversion rates led to RSP ranging from $104.3 - $157.9/bbl. LCA results indicated that GHG emissions ranged from 80.62 kg CO 2 eq to 101.46 kg CO2 eq/1,000 MJ of liquid fuel at various biomass to coal mix ratios and conversion rates if carbon capture and storage (CCS) was applied. Most of water and fossil energy were consumed in conversion process. Compared to petroleum-derived-liquid fuels, the reduction in GHG emissions could be between -2.7% and 16.2% with CBTL substitution. As for the technical study, three approaches of coal and biomass to liquids, direct, indirect and hybrid, were considered in the analysis. The process models including conceptual design, process modeling and process validation were developed and validated for different cases. Equipment design and capital costs were investigated on capital coast estimation and economical model validation. Material and energy balances and techno-economic analysis on base case were conducted for evaluation of projects. Also, sensitives studies of direct and indirect approaches were both used to evaluate the CBTL plant economic performance. In this study, techno-economic analysis were conducted in Aspen Process Economic Analyzer (APEA) environment for indirect, direct, and hybrid CBTL plants with CCS based on high fidelity process models developed in Aspen Plus and Excel. The process thermal efficiency ranges from 45% to 67%. The break-even oil price ranges from $86.1 to $100.6 per barrel for small scale (10000 bbl/day) CBTL plants and from $65.3 to $80.5 per barrel for large scale (50000 bbl/day) CBTL plants. Increasing biomass/coal ratio from 8/92 to 20/80 would increase the break-even oil price of indirect CBTL plant by $3/bbl and decrease the break-even oil price of direct CBTL plant by about $1/bbl. The order of carbon capture penalty is direct > indirect > hybrid. The order of capital investment is hybrid (with or without shale gas utilization) > direct (without shale gas utilization) > indirect > direct (with shale gas utilization). The order of thermal efficiency is direct > hybrid > indirect. The order of break-even oil price is hybrid (without shale gas utilization) > direct (without shale gas utilization) > hybrid (with shale gas utilization) > indirect > direct (with shale gas utilization).« less

Experience from start-ups of the first ANITA Mox plants.

PubMed

Christensson, M; Ekström, S; Andersson Chan, A; Le Vaillant, E; Lemaire, R

2013-01-01

ANITA™ Mox is a new one-stage deammonification Moving-Bed Biofilm Reactor (MBBR) developed for partial nitrification to nitrite and autotrophic N-removal from N-rich effluents. This deammonification process offers many advantages such as dramatically reduced oxygen requirements, no chemical oxygen demand requirement, lower sludge production, no pre-treatment or requirement of chemicals and thereby being an energy and cost efficient nitrogen removal process. An innovative seeding strategy, the 'BioFarm concept', has been developed in order to decrease the start-up time of new ANITA Mox installations. New ANITA Mox installations are started with typically 3-15% of the added carriers being from the 'BioFarm', with already established anammox biofilm, the rest being new carriers. The first ANITA Mox plant, started up in 2010 at Sjölunda wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) in Malmö, Sweden, proved this seeding concept, reaching an ammonium removal rate of 1.2 kgN/m³ d and approximately 90% ammonia removal within 4 months from start-up. This first ANITA Mox plant is also the BioFarm used for forthcoming installations. Typical features of this first installation were low energy consumption, 1.5 kW/NH4-N-removed, low N₂O emissions, <1% of the reduced nitrogen and a very stable and robust process towards variations in loads and process conditions. The second ANITA Mox plant, started up at Sundets WWTP in Växjö, Sweden, reached full capacity with more than 90% ammonia removal within 2 months from start-up. By applying a nitrogen loading strategy to the reactor that matches the capacity of the seeding carriers, more than 80% nitrogen removal could be obtained throughout the start-up period.

Advanced Plant Habitat - Packing and Planting Seeds

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-02-15

Inside a laboratory at the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a scientist inserts Apogee wheat seeds into the science carrier, or base, of the Advanced Plant Habitat (APH). A growing substrate called arcillite was packed down in the base and coverings were secured on top of the base. Developed by NASA and ORBITEC of Madison, Wisconsin, the APH is the largest plant chamber built for the agency. It is a fully automated plant growth facility that will be used to conduct bioscience research on the International Space Station. The APH will be delivered to the space station aboard future Commercial Resupply Services missions.