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Pod shattering can lead to devastating yield loss of soybean and has been a negatively selected trait in soybean domestication and breeding. Nevertheless, a significant portion of soybean cultivars are still pod shattering-susceptible, limiting their regional and climatic adaptabilities. Here we performed genetic diagnosis on the shattering-susceptible trait of a national registered cultivar, Huachun6 (HC6), and found that HC6 carries the susceptible genotype of a candidate Pod dehiscence 1 (PDH1) gene, which exists in a significant portion of soybean cultivars. We next performed genome editing on PDH1 gene by clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9). In T2 progenies, several transgene-free lines with pdh1 mutations were characterized without affecting major agronomic traits. The pdh1 mutation significantly improved the pod shattering resistance which is associated with aberrant lignin distribution in inner sclerenchyma. Our work demonstrated that precision breeding by genome editing on PDH1 holds great potential for precisely improving pod shattering resistance and adaptability of soybean cultivars.

Halogen-substituted donor/acceptor materials are widely regarded as a promising strategy toward improved power-conversion efficiencies (PCEs) in polymer solar cells (PSCs). A chlorinated polymer donor, PClBTA-PS, and its non-chlorinated analogue, PBTA-PS, are synthesized. The PClBTA-PS-based devices show significant enhancements in terms of open-circuit voltage (

This study introduces a distributed secondary control method-based adaptive pinning control for inverter-based distributed generations (DGs) in an isolated microgrid (MG) structure with frequency and voltage compensation and power sharing. Without MG centre controller or energy management system, local DGs’ controllers have no global information of the whole communication network, which is the second smallest eigenvalue of the Laplacian matrix. In practice, the large coupling weight gains are mostly selected. However, a sufficient large coupling weight may cause instability. It is difficult to choose the coupling weight in the fully distributed complex network. To solve the above problems, the authors investigate a pinning control for synchronisation using the local adaptive pinning algorithm on coupling weight gains. The proposed method has the advantage that the consensus controller design is independent of the Laplacian matrix associated with the communication network. And the collective dynamics of the communication network can be adjusted to steady states without global information. However, the adaptive pinning control scheme is not suitable for the multi-disturbance situation, which will accumulate the coupling weight and even cause integral saturation. Therefore, an improved strategy is proposed to adapt to the load changing conditions for islanded MGs.

Asymmetric molecule strategy is considered an effective method to achieve high power conversion efficiency (PCE) of polymer solar cells (PSCs). In this paper, nine oligomers are designed by combining three new electron-deficient units (unitA)—n1, n2, and n3—and three electron-donating units (unitD)—D, E, and F—with their π-conjugation area extended. The relationships between symmetric/asymmetric molecule structure and the performance of the oligomers are investigated using the density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent density functional theory (TD–DFT) calculations. The results indicate that asymmetry molecule PEn2 has the minimum dihedral angle in the angle between two planes of unitD and unitA among all the molecules, which exhibited the advantages of asymmetric structures in molecular stacking. The relationship of the values of ionization potentials (IP) and electron affinities (EA) along with the unitD/unitA π-extend are revealed. The calculated reorganization energy results also demonstrate that the asymmetric molecules PDn2 and PEn2 could better charge the extraction of the PSCs than other molecules for their lower reorganization energy of 0.180 eV and 0.181 eV, respectively.

Background Hypoxia‐inducible factors (HIFs) have been evaluated in various cancers and diseases. However, the specific role of hypoxia‐inducible factor 3 alpha (HIF3A) in non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains controversial. Materials and Methods We investigated HIF3A mRNA expression in the plasma and tumor tissues of patients with NSCLC and explored its clinical significance. Plasma samples from 103 cases of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) and 96 cases of lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC), and tumor‐adjacent normal tissues from 58 LUAD and 62 LUSC cases were retrospectively evaluated at the No.8 People's Hospital of Qing Dao. HIF3A expression was explored using RT‐qPCR. The clinical significance of HIF3A was evaluated in the plasma and tumor tissues using the receiver operating curve (ROC) and the area under the curve (AUC). Results Hypoxia‐inducible factor 3 alpha expression was notably downregulated in the plasma or tumor tissues of patients with LUAD and LUSC, compared with the healthy control group or adjacent normal tissues. Furthermore, HIF3A expression had a significant positive correlation in the plasma and tumor tissues of LUAD and LUSC patients. Meanwhile, the ROC‐AUCs achieved a significantly higher range, from 0.84 to 0.93, with the plasma or tumor tissues of NSCLC patients. Thus, HIF3A expression was not only correlated with plasma and tumor tissues, but also showed potential significance in NSCLC. Conclusion Hypoxia‐inducible factor 3 alpha is aberrantly detectable in NSCLC patients in the plasma and tumor tissues. HIF3A may be involved in hypoxic responses during the development and occurrence of NSCLC., Bioinformatics‐based differential signature scores analysis in box plots by using GEPIA2 tool. The signature score is calculated by the mean value of log2 (TPM +1) of each gene in HIF3A signature gene set. The red box indicates the tumor samples while the gray one represents the normal adjacent tissues. The HIF3A signature score level in NSCLC is significantly lower than normal tissues.

Summary The output of genetic mutant screenings in soya bean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] has been limited by its paleopolypoid genome. CRISPR‐Cas9 can generate multiplex mutants in crops with complex genomes. Nevertheless, the transformation efficiency of soya bean remains low and, hence, remains the major obstacle in the application of CRISPR‐Cas9 as a mutant screening tool. Here, we report a pooled CRISPR‐Cas9 platform to generate soya bean multiplex mutagenesis populations. We optimized the key steps in the screening protocol, including vector construction, sgRNA assessment, pooled transformation, sgRNA identification and gene editing verification. We constructed 70 CRISPR‐Cas9 vectors to target 102 candidate genes and their paralogs which were subjected to pooled transformation in 16 batches. A population consisting of 407 T0 lines was obtained containing all sgRNAs at an average mutagenesis frequency of 59.2%, including 35.6% lines carrying multiplex mutations. The mutation frequency in the T1 progeny could be increased further despite obtaining a transgenic chimera. In this population, we characterized gmric1/gmric2 double mutants with increased nodule numbers and gmrdn1‐1/1‐2/1‐3 triple mutant lines with decreased nodulation. Our study provides an advanced strategy for the generation of a targeted multiplex mutant population to overcome the gene redundancy problem in soya bean as well as in other major crops.

Multiple nearby isolated microgrids (MGs) can be interconnected to become multi-MGs (MMGs) and meet larger bulk power demands, thus improving reliability/security of MMGs and reducing the power supply investment costs. However, a multi-layer control structure and complex communication network are inevitable, which increase communication delays and complicate the control structure. To solve this problem, this article introduces a distributed secondary control (DSC) based on cluster consensus of inhibitory coupling with a power limit scheme. Compared with an inter-cluster communication coupling structure, the communication channels of the proposed scheme are minimised to simplify network topology, decrease the communication delays and control dimensions. The proposed control strategy reaches multi-valued consensus states for accurate active/reactive power sharing in different MGs. Furthermore, active/reactive power overloading in a MG cluster is discussed under an inhibitory coupling configuration. Based on the power limit scheme, each distributed generator (DG) of the overloaded MG is controlled to generate power within the rated power range for high local autonomy. In addition, an adaptive virtual impedance control is introduced to decrease voltage deviations between DGs. The analytical results are verified by a simulation in MATLAB/Simulink.

Tedious adjustment of the weighting factor restricts the wide application of conventional model predictive torque control (MPTC) for induction motors (IMs) in practice. To solve this problem, this study introduces a new variable R (reactive torque) to control the flux of IM, which is the dual of torque T , with radial orientation and in relation to reactive power. Then, a novel MPTC strategy based on variable R and torque T is proposed and named RT-MPC. Compared with conventional MPTC, RT-MPC uses a pair of variables with the same dimensions and time scales instead of the torque and flux amplitude in MPTC. This approach eliminates the weighting factor of the cost function, unifies the time scales of control variables, and avoids prediction of rotor flux at the ( k + 2) instant. Simulation and experimental results show that RT-MPC can avoid the weighting factor, reduce switching frequency, and reduce control complexity. RT-MPC can also maintain excellent dynamic and steady-state performance similar to conventional MPTC. Hence, the proposed method is expected to be more practical.

Phosphoglycerate kinase (PGK) is a highly conserved reversible enzyme that participates in both glycolysis and photosynthesis. In Arabidopsis thaliana, one cytosolic PGK (PGKc) and two plastidial PGKs (PGKp) are known. It remains debatable whether the two PGKp isozymes are functionally redundant or specialized in plastidial carbon metabolism and fixation. Here, using a pooled clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9) strategy, we found that plants with single mutations in pgkp1 or pgkp2 were not significantly affected, whereas a pgkp1pgkp2 double mutation was lethal due to retarded carbon fixation, suggesting that PGKp isozymes play redundant functional roles. Metabolomic analysis demonstrated that the sugar-deficient pgkp1pgkp2 double mutation was partially complemented by exogenous sugar, although respiration intermediates were not rescued. Chloroplast development was defective in pgkp1pgkp2, due to a deficiency in glycolysis-dependent galactoglycerolipid biosynthesis. Ectopic expression of a plastid targeting PGKc did not reverse the pgkp1pgkp2 double-mutant phenotypes. Therefore, PGKp1 and PGKp2 play redundant roles in carbon fixation and metabolism, whereas the molecular function of PGKc is more divergent. Our study demonstrated the functional conservation and divergence of glycolytic enzymes.

Hanxing coal mine area is a typical karst high-water deposit. With further exploration of under-group coal seams, various threats of water disasters came. Coal water disasters can be divided into five types through comprehensive study on geological and hydro-geological conditions of the coal mine area. The five kinds of water disasters are surfer water disaster, coal roof aquifer water disaster, coal floor high-pressure Ordovician karst water disaster, goaf water disaster and karst collapse column water disaster. For all types of water disasters, corresponding water control measures were proposed and these water control measures are of great theoretical and realistic significance to the mine safety and high-level decision in Hanxing coal mine area.

As a universal energy generation pathway utilizing carbon metabolism, glycolysis plays an important housekeeping role in all organisms. Pollen tubes expand rapidly via a mechanism of polarized growth, known as tip growth, to deliver sperm for fertilization. Here, we report a novel and surprising role of glycolysis in the regulation of growth polarity in Arabidopsis pollen tubes via impingement of Rho GTPase-dependent signaling. We identified a cytosolic phosphoglycerate kinase (pgkc-1) mutant with accelerated pollen germination and compromised pollen tube growth polarity. pgkc-1 mutation greatly diminished apical exocytic vesicular distribution of REN1 RopGAP (Rop GTPase activating protein), leading to ROP1 hyper-activation at the apical plasma membrane. Consequently, pgkc-1 pollen tubes contained higher amounts of exocytic vesicles and actin microfilaments in the apical region, and showed reduced sensitivity to Brefeldin A and Latrunculin B, respectively. While inhibition of mitochondrial respiration could not explain the pgkc-1 phenotype, the glycolytic activity is indeed required for PGKc function in pollen tubes. Moreover, the pgkc-1 pollen tube phenotype was mimicked by the inhibition of another glycolytic enzyme. These findings highlight an unconventional regulatory function for a housekeeping metabolic pathway in the spatial control of a fundamental cellular process., Author summary Glycolysis, which breaks down glucose to produce energy, has long been considered a “housekeeping” pathway in living cells, i.e., it helps maintain basic cellular functions. Here, we found that the glycolysis pathway plays an unconventional regulatory role in cell polarity, i.e., the intrinsic asymmetry in the shape, structure, and organization of cellular components. Mutation in the gene encoding the glycolytic enzyme cytosolic phosphoglycerate kinase (PGKc) leads to swollen and shorter pollen tubes in Arabidopsis thaliana, which is associated with the over-activation of Rho GTPase—a master regulator of cell polarity. Our results suggest that this phenomenon is caused by a specific regulatory role of cytosolic glycolysis rather than the global energy supply or moonlighting functions of glycolytic enzymes that modulate pollen tube growth polarity. Our findings shed light on the diverse biological roles of glycolysis in plants beyond simple “housekeeping” functions.