Hybrid Operator and Strengthened Diversity Improving for Multimodal Multi-Objective Optimization

Multimodal multi-objective optimization problems(MMOPs)contain multiple equivalent Pareto subsets(PSs)corresponding to a single Pareto front(PF),resulting in difficulty in maintaining promising diversities in both objective and decision spaces to find these PSs.Widely used to solve MMOPs,evolutionary algorithms mainly consist of evolutionary operators that generate new solutions and fitness evaluations of the solutions.To enhance performance in solving MMOPs,this paper proposes a multimodal multi-objective optimization evolutionary algorithm based on a hybrid operator and strengthened diversity improving.Specifically,a hybrid operator mechanism is devised to ensure the exploration of the decision space in the early stage and approximation to the optima in the latter stage.Moreover,an elitist-assisted differential evolution mechanism is designed for the early exploration stage.In addition,a new fitness function is proposed and used in environmental and mating selections to simultaneously evaluate diversities for PF and PSs.Experimental studies on 11 widely used benchmark instances from a test suite verify the superiority or at least competitiveness of the proposed methods compared to five state-of-the-art algorithms tailored for MMOPs.

Generation of male-sterile soybean lines with the CRISPR/Cas9 system

Soybean [Glycine max(L.) Merr.] provides a rich source of plant protein and oil worldwide. The commercial use of transgenic technology in soybean has become a classical example of the application of biotechnology to crop improvement. Although genetically modified soybeans have achieved commercial success,hybrid soybean breeding is also a potential way to increase soybean yield. Soybean cytoplasmic malesterile(CMS) lines have been used in three-line hybrid breeding systems, but their application to exploiting soybean heterosis has been limited by rare germplasm resource of sterile lines. The generation of various genetic diversity male-sterile soybean lines will help to overcome the shortcoming. In this study,we used targeted editing of AMS homologs in soybean by CRISPR/Cas9 technology for the first time to generate stable male-sterile lines. Targeted editing of GmAMS1 resulted in a male-sterile phenotype,while editing of GmAMS2 failed to produce male-sterile lines. GmAMS1 functions not only in the formation of the pollen wall but also in the controlling the degradation of the soybean tapetum.CRISPR/Cas9 technology could be used to rapidly produce stable male-sterile lines, providing new sterile-line materials for soybean hybrid breeding systems.

Channel Stability Analysis by One-Way Fluid Structure Interaction: A Case Study in China

Channel engineering stability with underground goafs is a complex three-dimensional problem, especially when considering channel leakage, and is influenced by a number of processes, such as seepage, fluid structure interaction (FSI), modeling, and selection of geological mechanical parameters. In this study, stability finite element analysis by one-way FSI was performed by establishing an integrated 3D engineering geological model. The extended Fourier amplitude sensitivity test was used to quantitatively assess the first-order and total sensitivities of the engineering model to critical geological mechanical parameters. Results illustrate that the channel engineering deformation is under a reasonable range and the elastic modulus is the highest total sensitivity parameter for the channel tilt and curvature at 0.7395 and 0.7525, respectively. Moreover, the most observable coupling effects for the curvature and horizontal strain are cohesion (0.1933) and density (0.7410), respectively. © 2017, Tianjin University and Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany.

A critical role of PvFtsH2 in the degradation of photodamaged D1 protein in common bean

Light is required for initiating chloroplast biogenesis and photosynthesis;however,the photosystem II reaction center(PSII RC)can be photodamaged.In this study,we characterized pvsl1,a seedling-lethal mutant of Phaseolus vulgaris.This mutant showed lethality when exposed to sunlight irradiation and a yellow-green leaf phenotype when grown in a growth chamber under low-light conditions.We developed 124 insertion/deletion(INDEL)markers based on resequencing data of Dalong1 and PI60234,two local Chinese common bean cultivars,for genetic mapping.We identified Phvul.002G190900,which encodes the PvFtsH2 protein,as the candidate gene for this pvsl1 mutation through fine-mapping and functional analysis.A single-base deletion occurred in the coding region of Phvul.002G190900 in the pvsl1 mutant,resulting in a frameshift mutation and a truncated protein lacking the Zn^(2+)metalloprotease domain.Suppressed expression of Phvul.002G190900 at the transcriptional level was detected,while no change in the subcellular localization signal was observed.The seedlings of pvsl1 exhibited hypersensitivity to photoinhibition stress.In the pvsl1 mutant,abnormal accumulation of the D1 protein indicated a failure to rapidly degrade damaged D1 protein in the PSII RC.The results of this study demonstrated that PvFtsH2 is critically required for survival and maintaining photosynthetic activity by degrading photodamaged PSII RC D1 protein in common bean.

Primary liver cancer organoids and their application to research and therapy

Primary liver cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide. To create advanced treatments for primary liver cancer, studies have utilized models such as 2D cell culture and in vivo animal models. Recent developments in cancer organoids have created the possibility for 3D in vitro cultures that recapitulates the cancer cell structure and operation as well as the tumor microenvironment (TME) . However, before organoids can be directly translated to clinical use, tissue processing and culture medium must be standardized with unified protocols to decrease variability in results. Herein, we present the wide variety of published methodologies used to derive liver cancer organoids from patient tumor tissues. Additionally, we summarize validation methodologies for organoids in terms of marker expression levels with immunohistochemistry as well as the presence of mutations and variants through RNA-sequencing. Primary liver cancer organoids have exciting applications allowing for faster drug testing at a larger scale. Primary liver cancer organoids also assisit in uncovering new mechanisms. Through the coculture of different immune cells and cancer organoids, organoids are now better able to recapitulate the liver cancer TME. In addition, it further aids in the investigation of drug development and drug resistance. Lastly, we posit that the usage of liver cancer organoids in animal models provides researchers a methodology to overcome the current limitations of culture systems.

Effect of seawater salinity on the synthesis of zeolite from coal fly ash

A novel method for the synthesis of zeolite was developed in this paper. The synthesis was carried out by hydrothermal activation after alkali fusion and coal fly ash （CFA） was used as raw material with seawater of different salinities. Seawater salinity was varied from 32 to 88 for zeolite crystallization during the hydrothermal process. The results show that seawater salinity plays an important role in zeolite synthesis with CFA during hydrothermal treatment. The products were a mixture of NaX zeolite and hydroxysodalite; seawater salinity more strongly affected the crystallization than the type and chemical composition of the zeolites. The yield of CFA transformed into zeolite gradually rose with the increase in salinity, reaching a transformation rate of 48%--62% as the salinity increased from 32 to 88, respectively. The proposed method allows for the efficient disposal of by-products; therefore, the application of seawater in zeolite synthesis presents promising economic and ecological benefits.

QNE1 is a key flowering regulator determining the length of the vegetative period in soybean cultivars

The soybean E1 gene is a major regulator that plays an important role in flowering time and maturity.However,it remains unclear how cultivars carrying the dominant E1 allele adapt to the higher latitudinal areas of northern China.We mapped the novel quantitative trait locus QNE1(QTL near E1) for flowering time to the region proximal to E1 on chromosome 6 in two mapping populations.Positional cloning revealed Glyma.06G204300,encoding a TCP-type transcription factor,as a strong candidate gene for QNE1.Association analysis further confirmed that functional single nucleotide polymorphisms(SNPs) at nucleotides 686 and 1,063 in the coding region of Glyma.06G204300 were significantly associated with flowering time.The protein encoded by the candidate gene is localized primarily to the nucleus.Furthermore,soybean and Brassica napus plants overexpressing Glyma.06G204300 exhibited early flowering.We conclude that despite their similar effects on flowering time,QNE1 and E4 may control flowering time through different regulatory mechanisms,based on expression studies and weighted gene co-expression network analysis of flowering time-related genes.Deciphering the molecular basis of QNE1 control of flowering time enriches our knowledge of flowering gene networks in soybean and will facilitate breeding soybean cultivars with broader latitudinal adaptation.

Identification of Metallic Trace Particles of Injuring Fe-Mn Steel Hammer from Body Trauma

We describe an effective method for extracting metallic trace particles from injured tissue.As a validation test,we used scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry with the INCAFeature software package to analyze metallic trace particles deposited by different Fe-Mn steel hammers.Our results demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed method.Based on the proposed method,an effective index is suggested for evaluating elemental composition.This index can be used for determining the nature and composition of residue metallic particles,which is likely to be of importance to forensic pathologists.