Bi-objective Optimization of RCPSP under Time-of-use Electricity Tariffs

Lihua He,Yajun Zhang 대한토목학회 2022 KSCE JOURNAL OF CIVIL ENGINEERING Vol.26 No.12

In recent years, to alleviate the peak load of the power grid, many countries have implemented time-of-use (TOU) electricity tariffs. When both manpower and equipment are needed to perform project activities, wage and electricity costs become the main components of the total project cost. High-power activities can be implemented during off-peak periods to reduce energy costs and peak demand for electricity. Labor shift differential payments will increase wage costs for off-peak labor overtime. This paper proposes a bi-objective mixed-integer nonlinear programming model for resource-constrained project scheduling problems under TOU. Machine-level decisions are made to minimize total project cost and completion time. This model has an enormous solution space when there are many tasks and long durations, especially when the time granularity is small, which is not conducive to an accurate solution. Therefore, an improved NSGA-II algorithm is presented to effectively solve the model. The results show that the proposed model and algorithm can effectively reduce the total project cost and construction period while reducing peak power demand.

Vagococcus zengguangii sp. nov., isolated from yak faeces

Ge Yajun,Jin Dong,Lai Xin-He,Yang Jing,Lu Shan,Huang Ying,Zheng Han,Zhang Xiaoyan,Xu Jianguo 한국미생물학회 2021 The journal of microbiology Vol.59 No.1

Two unknown Gram-stain-positive, catalase- and oxidasenegative, non-motile, and coccus-shaped bacteria, designated MN-17T and MN-09, were isolated from yaks faeces (Bos grunniens) in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau of China. 16S rRNA gene sequence-based comparative analyses revealed that the two strains were grouped within the genus Vagococcus, displaying the highest similarity with Vagococcus xieshaowenii CGMCC 1.16436T (98.6%) and Vagococcus elongatus CCUG 51432T (96.4%). Both strains grew optimally at 37°C and pH 7.0 in the presence of 0.5% (w/v) NaCl. The complete genome of MN-17T comprises 2,085 putative genes with a total of 2,190,262 bp and an average G + C content of 36.7 mol%. The major fatty acids were C16:0 (31.2%), C14:0 (28.5%), and C18:1ω9c (13.0%); the predominant respiratory quinone was MK-7 (68.8%); the peptidoglycan type was A4α(L-Lys-DAsp); and the major polar lipid was diphosphatidylglycerol. Together, these supported the affiliation of strain MN-17T to the genus Vagococcus. In silico DNA-DNA hybridization and the average nucleotide identity values between MN-17T and all recognized species in the genus were 21.6–26.1% and 70.7–83.0%, respectively. MN-17T produced acid from D-cellobiose, D-fructose, glycerol, D-glucose, N-acetyl-glucosamine, gentiobiose, D-mannose, D-maltose, D-ribose, Dsaccharose, salicin, D-trehalose, and D-xylose. These results distinguished MN-17T and MN-09 from closely related species in Vagococcus. Thus, we propose that strains MN-17T and MN-09 represent a novel species in the genus Vagococcus, with the name Vagococcus zengguangii sp. The type strain is MN-17T (= CGMCC 1.16726T = GDMCC 1.1589T = JCM 33478T).

Rapid Detection of Lily mottle virus and Arabis mosaic virus Infecting Lily (Lilium spp.) Using Reverse Transcription Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification

Yubao Zhang,Yajun Wang,Zhongkui Xie,Ruoyu Wang,Zhihong Guo,Yuhui He 한국식물병리학회 2020 Plant Pathology Journal Vol.36 No.2

The Lily mottle virus (LMoV) impedes the growth and quality of lily crops in Lanzhou, China. Recently Arabis mosaic virus (ArMV) has been detected in LMoV- infected plants in this region, causing plant stunting as well as severe foliar symptoms, and likely posing a threat to lily production. Consequently, there is a need to develop simple, sensitive, and reliable detection methods for these two viruses to prevent them from spreading. Reverse transcription (RT) loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assays have been de- veloped to detect LMoV and ArMV using two primer pairs that match six conserved sequences of LMoV and ArMV coat proteins, respectively. RT-LAMP assay results were visually assessed in reaction tubes using green fluorescence and gel electrophoresis. Our assays successfully detected both LMoV and ArMV in lily plants without the occurrence of viral cross-reactivity from other lily viruses. Optimal conditions for LAMP reactions were 65°C and 60°C for 60 min for LMoV and ArMV, respectively. Detection sensitivity for both RT-LAMP assays was a hundredfold greater than that of our comparative RT-polymerase chain reaction as- says. We have also found this relatively rapid, target specific and sensitive method can also be used for samples collected in the field and may be especially useful in regions with limited or no laboratory facilities.

Rapid and Sensitive Detection of Lettuce Necrotic Yellows Virus and Cucumber Mosaic Virus Infecting Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) by Reverse Transcription Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification

Yubao Zhang,Zhongkui Xie,John D Fletcher,Yajun Wang,Ruoyu Wang,Zhihong Guo,Yuhui He 한국식물병리학회 2020 Plant Pathology Journal Vol.36 No.1

Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) is damaging to the growth and quality of lettuce crops in Lanzhou, China. Recently, however, for the first time an isolate of lettuce necrotic yellows virus (LNYV) has been detected in lettuce crops in China, and there is concern that this virus may also pose a threat to lettuce production in China. Consequently, there is a need to develop a rapid and efficient detection method to accurately identify LNYV and CMV infections and help limit their spread. Reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) assays were developed to detect the nucleoprotein (N) and coat protein (CP) genes of LNYV and CMV, respectively. RT-LAMP amplification products were visually assessed in reaction tubes separately using green fluorescence and gel electrophoresis. The assays successfully detected both viruses in infected plants without cross reactivity recorded from either CMV or LNYV or four other related plant viruses. Optimum LAMP reactions were conducted in betaine-free media with 6 mM Mg2+ at 65°C for LNYV and 60°C for 60 min for CMV, respectively. The detection limit was 3.5 pg/ml and 20 fg/ml using RT-LAMP for LNYV and CMV plasmids, respectively. Detection sensitivity for both RT-LAMP assays was greater by a factor of 100 compared to the conventional reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction assays. This rapid, specific, and sensitive technique should be more widely applied due to its low cost and minimal equipment requirements.

Telerobotic Spinal Surgery Based on 5G Network: The First 12 Cases

Wei Tian,Mingxing Fan,Cheng Zeng,Yajun Liu,Da He,Qi Zhang 대한척추신경외과학회 2020 Neurospine Vol.17 No.1

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy and feasibility of 5th generation wireless systems (5G) telerobotic spinal surgery in our first 12 cases. Methods: A total of 12 patients (5 males, 7 females; age, 23–71 years) with spinal disorders (4 thoracolumbar fractures, 6 lumbar spondylolisthesis, 2 lumbar stenosis) were treated with 5G telerobotic spinal surgery. Sixty-two pedicle screws were implanted. Results: All patients had substantial relief from their symptoms. Screw placements were classified using Gertzbein-Robbins criteria. There were 59 grade A, 3 grade B. Mean operation time was 142.5±46.7 minutes. Mean guiding wire insertion time was 41.3±9.8 minutes. The deviation between the planned and actual positions was 0.76±0.49 mm. No intraoperative adverse event was found. Conclusion: 5G remote robot-assisted spinal surgery is accurate and reliable. We conclude that 5G telerobotic spinal surgery is both efficacious and feasible for the management of spinal diseases with safety.

A 2-40 Gb/s PAM4/NRZ Dual-mode Wireline Transmitter with 4:1 MUX in 65-nm CMOS

Fangxu Lv,Xuqiang Zheng,Feng Zhao,Jianye Wang,Ziqiang Wang,Shuai Yuan,Yajun He,Chun Zhang,Zhihua Wang 대한전자공학회 2018 Journal of semiconductor technology and science Vol.18 No.2

This paper presents a 2-40 Gb/s dual-mode wireline transmitter supporting the four-level pulse amplitude modulation (PAM4) and non-return-tozero (NRZ) modulation with a multiplexer (MUX)-based two-tap feed-forward equalizer (FFE). An edgeacceleration technique is proposed for the 4:1 MUX to increase the bandwidth. By utilizing a dedicated cascode current source, the output swing can achieve 900 mV with a level deviation of only 0.12% for PAM4. Fabricated in a 65-nm CMOS process, the transmitter consumes 117 mW and 89 mW at 40 Gb/s in PAM4 and NRZ at 1.2 V supply.

Evaluation and validation of reference genes for SYBR Green qRT-PCR normalization in Sesamia inferens (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

Yanhui Lu,Xu-Song Zheng,Qi Liang,Hong-Xing Xu,Yajun Yang,Junce Tian,Xiaochan He,Zhong-Xian Lu 한국응용곤충학회 2015 Journal of Asia-Pacific Entomology Vol.18 No.4

The pink stemborer, Sesamia inferens (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), has gradually become amajor threat to rice production in Asian rice growth area. Using reverse-transcription quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) to investigate gene expression of S. inferens under different conditions is a popular technique. However, numerous studies demonstrate that the experimental conditions affect the stability of reference genes. Thus, it is necessary to normalize qRT-PCR data under a specific condition using a stable reference gene as an internal control. In the present study, five algorithms (Delta Ctmethod, Bestkeeper, geNorm,Normfinder, and RefFinder) and seven candidate reference genes were evaluated to find out the most suitable reference genes under different biotic and abiotic conditions including different tissues and developmental stages, exposure to insecticides, different rice varieties, and different diets. Our results showed that the more stable series of reference genes were as follows: GAPDH, RPL10, and RPS3 for different tissues;GAPDH and RPS3 for developmental stages; RPS3 and EF1 for larval insecticide exposure; RPS3 and RPL10 for larvae reared on different rice varieties; RPS3 and ACTB for larvae fed on different diets. Hence, a combination of the best sets of reference genes for normalization of expression analysis will increase the accuracy and reliability of qRT-PCR data in S. inferens. In addition, these results establish the basis for selection of reference genes in other lepidopterous insect species.

Rhein lysinate decreases inflammation and adipose infiltration in KK/HlJ diabetic mice with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

Jie Wei,Yong-Zhan Zhen,Ju Cui,Fa-Lin He,Tao Shen,Gang Hu,Xiao-Hong Ren,Yajun Lin 대한약학회 2016 Archives of Pharmacal Research Vol.39 No.7

The objective of this study was to investigate the protective effects of rhein lysinate (RHL) on the liver. Mice were divided into four groups: C57BL/J control, the KK/HlJ diabetic model, and 25 and 50 mg/kg/day RHLtreated KK/HlJ groups. The KK/HlJ diabetic mouse model was made by injecting STZ and feeding mice diabetic food. At 16 weeks, mice were sacrificed and their livers were harvested. The results indicated that compared with the C57BL/J control group, the body weights, liver weights and liver weight-to-body weight ratio were increased in KK/HlJ diabetic mice; however, these values were decreased following treatment with RHL. Compared with the C57BL/J control, KK/HlJ diabetic mice had a significantly lower level of SOD and GSH-px in their livers, but had a significantly higher level of MDA. However, these effects were ameliorated by RHL. Hepatic adipose infiltration was observed in KK/HlJ mice, but not in C57BL/J mice. RHL decreased the incidence of hepatic adipose infiltration and significantly decreased the expression of TNF-a, IL-6, NF-jB, SREBP-1c, and Fas, as well as the phosphorylation of NF-jB in the liver. In conclusion, RHL can improve hepatic function by decreasing hepatic adipose infiltration and the expression of inflammatory factors.