Search

In this paper, an optimal planning strategy is proposed for EV charging stations by considering travel demand based on non‐cooperative game theory. In the proposed methodology, a realistic and stochastic charging demand distribution was obtained with the travel chain of an EV and the associated probability density function. Based on the charging demand of EV owners and a multi‐operator scenario, a two‐stage effective and practical charging station planning model was established. The first stage of the planning model optimized the location of charging stations to decrease the total deadhead mileage of the EVs with the cooperation of the charging station operators. In the second stage, the operators were committed to increasing their economic benefits by developing a charging station capacity strategy in the framework of the non‐cooperative game. Furthermore, the combination of an adaptive mutation particle swarm optimization algorithm (AMPSO) and approximate Nash equilibrium had a better effect in reducing the difficulty of solving the game model and obtaining an optimal planning strategy. Finally, the results of the case study demonstrated the effectiveness of the proposed methodology for improving the charging experience of the EV owners and achieving a balance of benefits among multiple charging station operators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lesion mimic mutants resembling the hypersensitive response without pathogen attack are an ideal material to understand programmed cell death, the defence response, and the cross‐talk between defence response and development in plants. In this study, mic, a lesion mimic mutant from cultivar Yunyin treated with ethyl methanesulphonate (EMS), was screened. By map‐based cloning, a short‐chain alcohol dehydrogenase/reductase with an atypical active site HxxxK was isolated and designated as SDR7‐6. It functions as a homomultimer in rice and is localized at the endoplasmic reticulum. The lesion mimic phenotype of the mutant is light‐dependent. The mutant displayed an increased resistance response to bacterial blight, but reduced resistance to rice blast disease. The mutant and knockout lines showed increased reactive oxygen species, jasmonic acid content, antioxidant enzyme activity, and expression of pathogenicity‐related genes, while chlorophyll content was significantly reduced. The knockout lines showed significant reduction in grain size, seed setting rate, 1000‐grain weight, grain weight per plant, panicle length, and plant height. SDR7‐6 is a new lesion mimic gene that encodes a short‐chain alcohol dehydrogenase with atypical catalytic site. Disruption of SDR7‐6 led to cell death and had adverse effects on multiple agricultural characters. SDR7‐6 may act at the interface of the two defence pathways of bacterial blight and rice blast disease in rice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary Although thousands of genes have been identified or cloned in rice (Oryza sativa) in the last two decades, the majority of them have only been separately characterized in specific varieties or single‐gene modified backgrounds, thus limiting their practical application. We developed an optimized multiplex genome editing (MGE) toolbox that can efficiently assemble and stably express up to twelve sgRNA targets in a single plant expression vector. In this study, we established the MGE‐based Rapid Directional Improvement (MRDI) strategy for directional improvement of complex agronomic traits in one small‐scale rice transformation. This approach provides a rapid and practical procedure, encompassing sgRNA assembly, transgene‐free screening and the creation of promising germplasm, by combining the precision of gene editing with phenotype‐based field breeding. The MRDI strategy was used to generate the full diversity of twelve main agronomic genes in rice cultivar FXZ for the directional improvement of its growth duration and plant architecture. After applying the MRDI to FXZ, ideal plants with the desired traits of early heading date reduced plant height, and more effective panicles were generated without compromising yield, blast resistance and grain quality. Furthermore, the results of whole‐genome sequencing (WGS), including the analysis of structural variations (SVs) and single nucleotide variations (SNVs) in the MGE plants, confirmed the high specificity and low frequency of unwanted mutations associated with this strategy. The MRDI breeding strategy would be a robust approach for exploring and applying crucial agronomic genes, as well as for generating novel elite germplasm in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]