Bee Bread Ameliorates Vascular Inflammation and Impaired Vasorelaxation in Obesity-Induced Vascular Damage Rat Model: The Role of eNOS/NO/cGMP-Signaling Pathway

Obesity and hyperlipidemia are major risk factors for developing vascular diseases. Bee bread (BB) has been reported to exhibit some biological actions, including anti-obesity and anti-hyperlipidemic. This study aims to investigate whether bee bread can ameliorate vascular inflammation and impaired vasorelaxation activity through eNOS/NO/cGMP pathway in obese rats. Forty male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups (n = 10/group), namely: control (normal group), obese rats (OB group), obese rats treated with bee bread (0.5 g/kg/day, OB/BB group) and obese rats treated with orlistat (10 mg/kg/day, OB/OR group). The latter three groups were given a high-fat diet (HFD) for 6 weeks to induced obesity before being administered with their respective treatments for another 6 weeks. After 12 weeks of the total experimental period, rats in the OB group demonstrated significantly higher Lee obesity index, lipid profile (total cholesterol, triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein), aortic proinflammatory markers (tumor necrosis factor-α, nuclear factor-κβ), aortic structural damage and impairment in vasorelaxation response to acetylcholine (ACh). Bee bread significantly ameliorated the obesity-induced vascular damage manifested by improvements in the lipid profile, aortic inflammatory markers, and the impaired vasorelaxation activity by significantly enhancing nitric oxide release, promoting endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) and cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) immunoexpression. These findings suggest that the administration of bee bread ameliorates the impaired vasorelaxation response to ACh by improving eNOS/NO/cGMP-signaling pathway in obese rats, suggesting its vascular therapeutic role.     

Developmental and Reproductive Effects of Iron Oxide Nanoparticles in Arabidopsis thaliana

Increasing use of iron oxide nanoparticles in medicine and environmental remediation has led to concerns regarding exposure of these nanoparticles to the public. However, limited studies are available to evaluate their effects on the environment, in particular on plants and food crops. Here, we investigated the effects of positive (PC) and negative (NC) charged iron oxide (Fe₂O₃) nanoparticles (IONPs) on the physiology and reproductive capacity of Arabidopsis thaliana at concentrations of 3 and 25 mg/L. The 3 mg/L treated plants did not show evident effects on seeding and root length. However, the 25 mg/L treatment resulted in reduced seedling (positive-20% and negative-3.6%) and root (positive-48% and negative-negligible) length. Interestingly, treatment with polyethylenimine (PEI; IONP-PC coating) also resulted in reduced root length (39%) but no change was observed with polyacrylic acid (PAA; IONP-NC coating) treatment alone. However, treatment with IONPs at 3 mg/L did lead to an almost 5% increase in aborted pollen, a 2%–6% reduction in pollen viability and up to an 11% reduction in seed yield depending on the number of treatments. Interestingly, the treated plants did not show any observable phenotypic changes in overall size or general plant structure, indicating that environmental nanoparticle contamination could go dangerously unnoticed.     

基于粒子群优化和支持向量机的花粉浓度预测模型

为了提高花粉浓度预报的准确率，解决现有花粉浓度预报准确率不高的问题，提出了一种基于粒子群优化（PSO）算法和支持向量机（SVM）的花粉浓度预报模型。首先，综合考虑气温、气温日较差、相对湿度、降水量、风力、日照时数等多种气象要素，选择与花粉浓度相关性较强的气象要素构成特征向量；其次，利用特征向量与花粉浓度数据建立SVM预测模型，并使用PSO算法找出最优参数；然后利用最优参数优化花粉浓度预测模型；最后，使用优化后的模型对花粉未来24 h浓度进行预测，并与未优化的SVM、多元线性回归法（MLR）、反向神经网络（BPNN）作对比。此外使用优化后的模型对某市南郊观象台和密云两个站点进行逐日花粉浓度预测。实验结果表明，相比其他预报方法，所提方法能有效提高花粉浓度未来24 h预测精度，并具有较高的泛化能力。     

Artificial bee colony based algorithm for maximum power point tracking (MPPT) for PV systems operating under partial shaded conditions

Artificial bee colony (ABC) algorithm has several characteristics that make it more attractive than other bio-inspired methods. Particularly, it is simple, it uses fewer control parameters and its convergence is independent of the initial conditions. In this paper, a novel artificial bee colony based maximum power point tracking algorithm (MPPT) is proposed. The developed algorithm, does not allow only overcoming the common drawback of the conventional MPPT methods, but it gives a simple and a robust MPPT scheme. A co-simulation methodology, combining Matlab/Simulink™ and Cadence/Pspice™, is used to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method and compare its performance, under dynamic weather conditions, with that of the Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) based MPPT algorithm. Moreover, a laboratory setup has been realized and used to experimentally validate the proposed ABC-based MPPT algorithm. Simulation and experimental results have shown the satisfactory performance of the proposed approach.     

一种空间信息网络缓存决策策略

针对空间信息网络（space information network,SIN）中卫星节点缓存容量有限,且卫星高速移动使得星间链路时变,导致地面用户内容访问延迟增大的问题,提出一种基于人工蜂群算法的空间信息网络缓存决策策略（satellite improved artificial bee colony,SIABC）。首先根据低轨卫星节点链路切换的周期性和可预知性,建立网络分区模型,对空间信息网络的卫星节点进行分区,在此基础上,建立区域节点协作缓存模型,使得整个网络区域内的卫星节点有选择性地缓存不同流行度的内容,同时兼顾区域内节点的协作缓存,从而流行度高的内容缓存在网络边缘。仿真结果表明,与现有缓存机制相比,该缓存策略能够明显提高内容的平均缓存命中率,并显著降低用户的内容访问时延。     

Mathematical model and discrete artificial Bee Colony algorithm for distributed integrated process planning and scheduling

With the development of the globalization of economy and manufacturing industry, distributed manufacturing mode has become a hot topic in current production research. In the context of distributed manufacturing, one job has different process routes in different workshops because of heterogeneous manufacturing resources and manufacturing environments in each factory. Considering the heterogeneous process planning problems and shop scheduling problems simultaneously can take advantage of the characteristics of distributed factories to finish the processing task well. Thus, a novel network-based mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) model is established for distributed integrated process planning and scheduling problem (DIPPS). The paper designs a new encoding method based on the process network and its OR-nodes, and then proposes a discrete artificial bee colony algorithm (DABC) to solve the DIPPS problem. The proposed DABC can guarantee the feasibility of individuals via specially-designed mapping and switching operations, so that the process precedence constraints contained by the network graph can be satisfied in the entire procedure of the DABC algorithm. Finally, the proposed MILP model is verified and the proposed DABC is tested through some open benchmarks. By comparing with other powerful reported algorithms and obtaining new better solutions, the experiment results prove the effectiveness of the proposed model and DABC algorithm successfully.     

Cytological Observations and Bulked-Segregant Analysis Coupled Global Genome Sequencing Reveal Two Genes Associated with Pollen Fertility in Tetraploid Rice

Neo-tetraploid rice with high fertility is a useful germplasm for polyploid rice breeding, which was developed from the crossing of different autotetraploid rice lines. However, little information is available on the molecular mechanism underlying the fertility of neo-tetraploid rice. Here, two contrasting populations of tetraploid rice, including one with high fertility (hereafter referred to as JG) and another with low fertility (hereafter referred to as JD), were generated by crossing Huaduo 3 (H3), a high fertility neo-tetraploid rice that was developed by crossing Jackson-4x with 96025-4x, and Huajingxian74-4x (T452), a low fertility autotetraploid rice parent. Cytological, global genome sequencing-based bulked-segregant (BSA-seq) and CRISPR/Cas9 technology were employed to study the genes associated with pollen fertility in neo-tetraploid rice. The embryo sacs of JG and JD lines were normal; however, pollen fertility was low in JD, which led to scarce fertilization and low seed setting. Cytological observations displayed low pollen fertility (25.1%) and approximately 31.3 and 27.2% chromosome lagging at metaphase I and II, and 28.8 and 24.8% chromosome straggling at anaphase I and II in JD, respectively. BSA-seq of F_2–3 generations and RNA-seq of F₄ generation detected a common fragment, i.e., 18,915,234–19,500,000, at chromosome 7, which was comprised of 78 genes associated with fertility. Among 78 genes, 9 genes had been known to be involved in meiosis and pollen development. Two mutants ny1 (LOC_Os07g32406) and ny2 (LOC_Os07g32040) were generated by CRISPR/Cas9 knockout in neo-tetraploid rice, and which exhibited low pollen fertility and abnormal chromosome behavior. Our study revealed that two unknown genes, LOC_Os07g32406 (NY1) and LOC_Os07g32040 (NY2) play an important role in pollen development of neo-tetraploid rice and provides a new perspective about the genetic mechanisms of fertility in polyploid rice.     

基于改进的人工蜂群算法的微电网储能系统容量优化配置

由于风光能源具有间歇性和波动性的特点,对电网的电能质量造成了不良影响,因此提出了一种微电网的储能容量优化配置方法。首先,建立以用户用电费用最低、储能能量损失最小及风光能源的波动性最小为目标的微电网系统模型;然后,提出了一种改进的人工蜂群算法求解模型,通过不同的算法对无储能、单储能及混合储能3种储能方案模型进行求解分析;最后,采用熵权法找出适用于微电网的最佳储能方案。实验结果表明,改进的人工蜂群算法能够求解微电网模型且不易陷入局部最优,并通过熵权法得出了蓄电池和超级电容的组合适合作为微电网储能系统的结论。     

基于数据融合的ABC-SVM社区疾病预测方法

针对现有社区医疗服务中的疾病预测方法存在数据利用率低、疾病分析类型单一、自动化程度差、疾病预测效果不理想等不足,提出在物联网大数据环境下可用于社区医疗的健康数据融合及疾病预测方法. 通过主成分分析(PCA)和聚类分析对社区中居民的生理指标数据进行特征提取;结合人工蜂群(ABC)算法构造支持向量机(SVM)非线性分类器对数据进行特征级融合分析并预测潜在疾病. 实验结果表明,所提方法的疾病识别准确率达到93.10%,相较于传统SVM方法和BP神经网络方法分别提高17.24% 和72.41%. 该方法能够在提高数据利用率、降低计算资源消耗的前提下有效识别多种潜在疾病,可实现疾病早发现、早预防、早治疗;可广泛应用于社区健康管理、老年社区监护甚至临床医疗.     

面向配电网电压暂降治理的线路改造优化模型

线路改造是在电网侧进行电压暂降治理的主要方式之一。为了经济、合理地确定线路的改造位置和治理方式,建立了面向配电网电压暂降治理的线路改造优化模型。针对断路器重合闸和熔断器配合保护的配电网,考虑故障位置、故障类型等因素,讨论分析了10种典型的保护动作配合方式,评估了配电网电压暂降持续时间。结合传统电压暂降幅值的计算方法,计算线路改造治理方案的成本及效果。考虑用户电压暂降耐受能力,建立了用户生产中断次数评估模型。定义了电压暂降总支出,以总支出最小为目标,计及技术约束、经济约束、治理范围约束和风险域约束,建立了面向配电网电压暂降治理的线路改造优化模型,并基于人工蜂群算法进行模型求解。以IEEE 33节点系统为算例,考虑治理投资成本充足和不足2种场景,通过仿真验证了所提方法的正确性和实用性。