Comparison of multiobjective optimization methods applied to urban drainage adaptation problems

 This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from American Society of Civil Engineers via the DOI in this recordThis article compares three multiobjective evolutionary algorithms (MOEAs) with application to the urban drainage system (UDS) adaptation of a capital city in North China. Particularly, we consider the well-known NSGA-II, the built-in solver in the MATLAB Global Optimization Toolbox (MLOT), and a newly-developed hybrid MOEA called GALAXY. Avariety of parameter combinations of each MOEA is systemically applied to examine their impacts on optimization efficiency. Results suggest that the traditional MOEAs suffer from severe parameterization issues. For NSGA-II, the distribution indexes of crossover and mutation operators were found to have dominant impacts, while the probabilities of the two operators played a secondary role. For MLOT, the two-point and the scattered crossover operators accompanied by the adaptive-feasible mutation operator gained the best Pareto fronts, provided the crossover fraction is set to lower values. In contrast, GALAXY was the most robust and easy-to-use tool among the three MOEAs, owing to its elimination of various associated parameters of searching operators for substantially alleviating the parameterization issues. This study contributes to the literature by showing how to improve the robustness of identifying optimal solutions through better selection of operators and associated parameter settings for real-world UDS applications.National Natural Science Foundation of ChinaPublic Welfare Research and Ability Construction Project of Guangdong Province, ChinaScience and Technology Program of Guangzhou, ChinaWater Conservancy Science and Technology Innovation Project of Guangdong Province, Chin

γ-MYN: a new algorithm for estimating Ka and Ks with consideration of variable substitution rates

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Over the past two decades, there have been several approximate methods that adopt different mutation models and used for estimating nonsynonymous and synonymous substitution rates (Ka and Ks) based on protein-coding sequences across species or even different evolutionary lineages. Among them, MYN method (a Modified version of Yang-Nielsen method) considers three major dynamic features of evolving DNA sequences–bias in transition/transversion rate, nucleotide frequency, and unequal transitional substitution but leaves out another important feature: unequal substitution rates among different sites or nucleotide positions.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We incorporated a new feature for analyzing evolving DNA sequences–unequal substitution rates among different sites–into MYN method, and proposed a modified version, namely <it>γ </it>(gamma)-MYN, based on an assumption that the evolutionary rate at each site follows a mode of <it>γ</it>-distribution. We applied <it>γ</it>-MYN to analyze the key estimator of selective pressure ω (Ka/Ks) and other relevant parameters in comparison to two other related methods, YN and MYN, and found that neglecting the variation of substitution rates among different sites may lead to biased estimations of ω. Our new method appears to have minimal deviations when relevant parameters vary within normal ranges defined by empirical data.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our results indicate that unequal substitution rates among different sites have variable influences on ω under different evolutionary rates while both transition/transversion rate ratio and unequal nucleotide frequencies affect Ka and Ks thus selective pressure ω.</p> <p>Reviewers</p> <p>This paper was reviewed by Kateryna Makova, David A. Liberles (nominated by David H Ardell), Zhaolei Zhang (nominated by Mark Gerstein), and Shamil Sunyaev.</p

Study on the Confidence and Reliability of the Mean Seismic Probability Risk Model

The mean seismic probability risk model has widely been used in seismic design and safety evaluation of critical infrastructures. In this paper, the confidence levels analysis and error equations derivation of the mean seismic probability risk model are conducted. It has been found that the confidence levels and error values of the mean seismic probability risk model are changed for different sites and that the confidence levels are low and the error values are large for most sites. Meanwhile, the confidence levels of ASCE/SEI 43-05 design parameters are analyzed and the error equation of achieved performance probabilities based on ASCE/SEI 43-05 is also obtained. It is found that the confidence levels for design results obtained using ASCE/SEI 43-05 criteria are not high, which are less than 95%, while the high confidence level of the uniform risk could not be achieved using ASCE/SEI 43-05 criteria and the error values between risk model with target confidence level and mean risk model using ASCE/SEI 43-05 criteria are large for some sites. It is suggested that the seismic risk model considering high confidence levels instead of the mean seismic probability risk model should be used in the future

Inhibition of autophagy enhances SMI-4a-induced growth inhibition and apoptosis of melanoma cells

Purpose: To investigate the exact role of the proviral integration site for Moloney  murine leukemia virus-1 (PIM-1) on autophagy as well as the underlying molecular  mechanisms in melanoma.Methods: mRNA expression levels in A375 and G361 human melanoma cell lines were measured using reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Enzyme-linked immunosorbent (ELISA) and western blotting assays were applied to determine protein expression levels, while cell viability was evaluated using Cell Counting Kit 8 and colony formation assay. Flow cytometric analysis and caspase 3/7 activity assay were used to assess apoptosis.Results: The results show that pharmacological inhibition of PIM-1 with its potent inhibitor (SMI-4a) suppressed cell viability and induced apoptosis in melanoma cell lines A375 and G361. SMI-4a also induced autophagy through inhibition of the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) axis in melanoma cells. Furthermore, chloroquine, an inhibitor of autophagy, potentiated the SMI-4a-induced inhibition of tumour growth and promotion of  apoptosis in melanoma cells in vitro and in vivo.Conclusions: These results suggest that SMI-4a induces protective autophagy via PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway in melanoma cells. Thus, a combination of SMI-4a and an inhibitor of autophagy might be a novel approach to melanoma therapy.Keywords: Apoptosis, Autophagy, Cell viability, Melanoma, PIM-1, SMI-4

Dimethano­lbis[N′-(3-pyridylmethyl­ene)benzohydrazide]sodium(I) iodide

The molecule of the title compound, [Na(C13H11N3O)2(CH3OH)2]I, is non-planar, with the Na atom chelated by the O atoms and the N atoms of two N′-(3-pyridylmethyl­ene)benzohydrazide ligands and both O atoms of two methanol ligands. The asymmetric unit consists of one half-mol­ecule. The Na atom is located on a crystallographic centre of inversion. The six-coordinate Na atom adopts a distorted octa­hedral coordination. In the crystal structure, inter­molecular N—H⋯I and O—H⋯N hydrogen bonds link the mol­ecules into a two-dimensional network