Design of a Multiobjective Reverse Logistics Network Considering the Cost and Service Level

Reverse logistics, which is induced by various forms of used products and materials, has received growing attention throughout this decade. In a highly competitive environment, the service level is an important criterion for reverse logistics network design. However, most previous studies about product returns only focused on the total cost of the reverse logistics and neglected the service level. To help a manufacturer of electronic products provide quality postsale repair service for their consumer, this paper proposes a multiobjective reverse logistics network optimisation model that considers the objectives of the cost, the total tardiness of the cycle time, and the coverage of customer zones. The Nondominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm II (NSGA-II) is employed for solving this multiobjective optimisation model. To evaluate the performance of NSGA-II, a genetic algorithm based on weighted sum approach and Multiobjective Simulated Annealing (MOSA) are also applied. The performance of these three heuristic algorithms is compared using numerical examples. The computational results show that NSGA-II outperforms MOSA and the genetic algorithm based on weighted sum approach. Furthermore, the key parameters of the model are tested, and some conclusions are drawn

Identification of SNPs and Candidate Genes Associated With Salt Tolerance at the Seedling Stage in Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.)

Salt tolerance in cotton is highly imperative for improvement in the response to decreasing farmland and soil salinization. However, little is known about the genetic basis underlying salt tolerance in cotton, especially the seedling stage. In this study, we evaluated two salt-tolerance-related traits of a natural population comprising 713 upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) accessions worldwide at the seedling stage and performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) to identify marker-trait associations under salt stress using the Illumina Infinium CottonSNP63K array. A total of 23 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that represented seven genomic regions on chromosomes A01, A10, D02, D08, D09, D10, and D11 were significantly associated with the two salt-tolerance-related traits, relative survival rate (RSR) and salt tolerance level (STL). Of these, the two SNPs i46598Gh and i47388Gh on D09 were simultaneously associated with the two traits. Based on all loci, we screened 280 possible candidate genes showing different expression levels under salt stress. Most of these genes were involved in transcription factors, transporters and enzymes and were previously reported as being involved in plant salt tolerance, such as NAC, MYB, NXH, WD40, CDPK, LEA, and CIPK. We further validated six putative candidate genes by qRT-PCR and found a differential expression level between salt-tolerant and salt-sensitive varieties. Our findings provide valuable information for enhancing the understanding of complicated mechanisms of salt tolerance in G. hirsutum seedlings and cotton salt tolerance breeding by molecular marker-assisted selection

Effects of extreme drought on plant nutrient uptake and resorption in rhizomatous vs bunch grass dominated grasslands

Both the dominance and the mass ratio hypotheses predict that plant internal nutrient cycling in ecosystems is determined by the dominant species within plant communities. We tested this hypothesis under conditions of extreme drought by assessing plant nutrient (N, P and K) uptake and resorption in response to experimentally imposed precipitation reductions in two semiarid grasslands of northern China. These two communities shared similar environmental conditions, but had different dominant species-one was dominated by a rhizomatous grass (Leymus chinensis) and the other by a bunchgrass (Stipa grandis). Results showed that responses of N to drought differed between the two communities with drought decreasing green leaf N concentration and resorption in the community dominated by the rhizomatous grass, but not in the bunchgrass-dominated community. In contrast, negative effects of drought on green leaf P and K concentrations and their resorption efficiencies were consistent across the two communities. Additionally, in each community, the effects of extreme drought on soil N, P and K supply did not change synchronously with that on green leaf N, P and K concentrations, and senesced leaf N, P and K concentrations showed no response to extreme drought. Consistent with the dominance/mass ratio hypothesis, our findings suggest that differences in dominant species and their growth form (i.e., rhizomatous vs bunch grass) play an important nutrient-specific role in mediating plant internal nutrient cycling across communities within a single region

Peach allergen Pru p 1 content is generally low in fruit but with large variation in different varieties

Background: Pru p 1 is a major allergen in peach and nectarine, and the different content in varieties may affect the degree of allergic reactions. This study aimed to quantify Pru p 1 levels in representative peach varieties and select hypoallergenic Pru p 1 varieties. Methods: To obtain monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies, mice and rabbits, respectively, were immunized with recombinant Pru p 1.01 and Pru p 1.02. The Pru p 1 levels in fruits from 83 representative peach varieties was quantified by sandwich enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (sELISA). nPru p 1 was obtained through specific monoclonal antibody affinity purification and confirmed by Western blot and mass spectrometry. The variable Pru p 1 content of selected varieties was evaluated by Western blot and the expression level of encoding Pru p 1 genes by quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Results: A sELISA method with monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies was built for quantifying Pru p 1 levels in peach. Pru p 1 was mainly concentrated in the peel (0.20–73.44 μg/g, fresh weight), being very low in the pulp (0.05–9.62 μg/g) and not detected in wild peach. For the 78 peach and nectarine varieties, Pru p 1 content varied widely from 0.12 to 6.45 μg/g in whole fruit. We verified that natural Pru p 1 is composed of 1.01 and 1.02 isoallergens, and the Pru p 1 expression level and Pru p 1 band intensity in the immunoblots were in agreement with protein quantity determined by ELISA for some tested varieties. In some cases, the reduced levels of Pru p 1 did not coincide with low Pru p 3 in the same variety in whole fruit, while some ancient wild peach and nectarines contained low levels of both allergens, and late‐ripening yellow flesh varieties were usually highly allergenic. Conclusion: Pru p 1 content is generally low in peach compared to Pru p 3. Several hypoallergenic Pru p 1 and Pru p 3 varieties, “Zi Xue Tao,” “Wu Yue Xian,” and “May Fire,” were identified, which could be useful in trials for peach allergy patients.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Surgical intervention combined with weight-bearing walking training improves neurological recoveries in 320 patients with clinically complete spinal cord injury: a prospective self-controlled study

Although a large number of trials in the SCI field have been conducted, few proven gains have been realized for patients. In the present study, we determined the efficacy of a novel combination treatment involving surgical intervention and long-term weight-bearing walking training in spinal cord injury (SCI) subjects clinically diagnosed as complete or American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale (AIS) Class A (AIS-A). A total of 320 clinically complete SCI subjects (271 male and 49 female), aged 16-60 years, received early (≤ 7 days, n = 201) or delayed (8-30 days, n = 119) surgical interventions to reduce intraspinal or intramedullary pressure. Fifteen days post-surgery, all subjects received a weight-bearing walking training with the "Kunming Locomotion Training Program (KLTP)" for a duration of 6 months. The neurological deficit and recovery were assessed using the AIS scale and a 10-point Kunming Locomotor Scale (KLS). We found that surgical intervention significantly improved AIS scores measured at 15 days post-surgery as compared to the pre-surgery baseline scores. Significant improvement of AIS scores was detected at 3 and 6 months and the KLS further showed significant improvements between all pair-wise comparisons of time points of 15 days, 3 or 6 months indicating continued improvement in walking scores during the 6-month period. In conclusion, combining surgical intervention within 1 month post-injury and weight-bearing locomotor training promoted continued and statistically significant neurological recoveries in subjects with clinically complete SCI, which generally shows little clinical recovery within the first year after injury and most are permanently disabled. This study was approved by the Science and Research Committee of Kunming General Hospital of PLA and Kunming Tongren Hospital, China and registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (Identifier: NCT04034108) on July 26, 2019

Cassava genome from a wild ancestor to cultivated varieties

Cassava is a major tropical food crop in the Euphorbiaceae family that has high carbohydrate production potential and adaptability to diverse environments. Here we present the draft genome sequences of a wild ancestor and a domesticated variety of cassava and comparative analyses with a partial inbred line. We identify 1,584 and 1,678 gene models specific to the wild and domesticated varieties, respectively, and discover high heterozygosity and millions of single-nucleotide variations. Our analyses reveal that genes involved in photosynthesis, starch accumulation and abiotic stresses have been positively selected, whereas those involved in cell wall biosynthesis and secondary metabolism, including cyanogenic glucoside formation, have been negatively selected in the cultivated varieties, reflecting the result of natural selection and domestication. Differences in microRNA genes and retrotransposon regulation could partly explain an increased carbon flux towards starch accumulation and reduced cyanogenic glucoside accumulation in domesticated cassava. These results may contribute to genetic improvement of cassava through better understanding of its biology

Sponge City Construction and Urban Economic Sustainable Development: An Ecological Philosophical Perspective

The Party’s 14th Five-Year-Plan and the 2035 Visionary Goals point out that green and sustainable development is the direction of China’s road in the present age, and provide a theoretical basis for further improvement of ecological civilization. “Sponge city” is a new type of urban construction idea in China; moving from pilot to vigorous implementation at present, it is an important element of China’s promotion of green development and development of ecological civilization. At present, a number of sponge city pilot projects have been built in China, and evaluation of their effects is already a matter of urgency. The overall planning of China’s current policies in sponge city construction and the specific analyses conducted by experts from both subjective and objective aspects have not been able to completely fill the gap in this regard, thus making it particularly urgent to conduct in-depth studies. Based on this, this paper discusses the performance assessment of sponge cities in China on the basis of the prediction and analysis of the development trend of sponge cities in China. In the performance assessment system, the correctness and timeliness of the index system should be considered in terms of practical effects; in the city performance assessment, the ideas of new city development such as low-carbon cities and smart cities should be combined to build a comprehensive and multi-perspective intelligent assessment system, so as to provide a strong boost to promote the development of city construction and its evaluative research. Firstly, a system-dynamic model is applied to sort out and combine its internal operation mechanism, and a set of evaluation systems based on the ecological philosophical perspective of the sponge city and urban sustainable development performance is established. Second, to improve the accuracy of the research results, parallelism tests and robustness analysis were conducted on this performance index evaluation system. The study’s results show that sponge city construction has achieved good results in sustainable urban development and has contributed to future development

Effects of nitrogen addition and drought on the relationship between nitrogen- and water-use efficiency in a temperate grassland

Abstract Background Nitrogen- and water-use efficiency (NUE and WUE) reflect the capacity of plants to take up and utilize resources in the environments. Although N deposition and drought are known to affect plant growth and persistence, it remains elusive how plants adjust NUE, WUE and their relationship to adapt to the concurrent N deposition and drought under the context of global change. We conducted a field experiment in a temperate grassland in Inner Mongolia, in which N addition (10 g m– 2 yr−1), drought (reduced 66% precipitation during growing season) and their combination were manipulated, and we explored the responses of both instantaneous (NUEINST and WUEINST) and long-term (NUELT and WUELT) WUE and NUE for six common plant species (Leymus chinensis, Stipa baicalensis, Thermopsis lanceolata, Potentilla bifurca, Thalictrum squarrosum, Klasea centauroide). Results Across all the six species, NUEINST decreased and WUEINST increased with both N addition and drought; NUELT decreased with both N addition and drought, while WUELT decreased with N addition and increased with drought. A significant interactive effect between N addition and drought was detected, in that, drought weakened the negative effect of N addition on WUELT and NUELT, and N addition weakened the negative effect of drought on NUELT, but enhanced the positive effect of drought on WUELT. As a consequence, drought caused a trade-off between NUE and WUE, and N addition brought forth positive correlation between NUE and WUE. Meanwhile, the relationship between NUE and WUE varied among the species of different functional groups. Conclusions Our study demonstrated that NUE, WUE and their relationship play an important role in determining their responses and adaptability to changes in soil nitrogen and water availability induced by N deposition and drought. Our results shed light on the antagonistic, synergetic and neutral effects between nitrogen deposition and drought on resource use efficiency, and further clarified the different adaptability among species of different functional groups, which will conduce to a comprehensive understanding on the role of NUE and WUE in plant persistence and coexistence in grassland ecosystems