• Title/Summary/Keyword: Genetic stability

Search Result 393, Processing Time 0.029 seconds

Numerical Verification of Hybrid Optimization Technique for Finite Element Model Updating (유한요소모델개선을 위한 하이브리드 최적화기법의 수치해석 검증)

  • Jung, Dae-Sung;Kim, Chul-Young
    • Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
    • /
    • v.10 no.6 s.52
    • /
    • pp.19-28
    • /
    • 2006
  • Most conventional model updating methods must use mathematical objective function with experimental modal matrices and analytical system matrices or must use information about the gradient or higher derivatives of modal properties with respect to each updating parameter. Therefore, most conventional methods are not appropriate for complex structural system such as bridge structures due to stability problem in inverse analysis with ill-conditions. Sometimes, moreover, the updated model may have no physical meaning. In this paper, a new FE model updating method based on a hybrid optimization technique using genetic algorithm (GA) and Holder-Mead simplex method (NMS) is proposed. The performance of hybrid optimization technique on the nonlinear problem is demonstrated by the Goldstein-Price function with three local minima and one global minimum. The influence of the objective function is evaluated by the case study of a simulated 10-dof spring-mass model. Through simulated case studies, finally, the objective function is proposed to update mass as well as stiffness at the same time. And so, the proposed hybrid optimization technique is proved to be an efficient method for FE model updating.

Design of Crooked Wire Antennas for UHF Band RFID Reader (UHF 대역 RFID 리더용 Crooked Wire 안테나 설계)

  • Choo Jae-Yul;Choo Ho-Sung;Park Ik-Mo;Oh Yi-Sok
    • The Journal of Korean Institute of Electromagnetic Engineering and Science
    • /
    • v.16 no.5 s.96
    • /
    • pp.472-481
    • /
    • 2005
  • This paper reports the design of RFID reader antennas working in UHF band. The reader antennas were designed using a Pareto Genetic Algorithm(Pareto GA). Antennas were optimized to have circular polarization(CP) with less than 3 dB axial ratio, impedance matching with less than VSWR=2 within the frequency range of UHF, an adequate readable range, a restricted size(kr<2.22) considering the practical condition. After Pareto GA optimization, we selected and built the most suitable antenna design and compared the measured results to the simulations. Operating principle of the antenna was explained by investigating the amplitude and the phase of the induced current on the antenna body. We also researched the stability of the antenna with respect to the manufacturing error and studied the critical design parameters by applying the random error method on the antenna bent points.

Investments on Pro-poor Development Projects on Goats: Ensuring Success for Improved Livelihoods

  • Devendra, C.
    • Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
    • /
    • v.26 no.1
    • /
    • pp.1-18
    • /
    • 2013
  • The elements that determine the success of development projects on goats and the prerequisites for ensuring this are discussed in the context of the bewildering diversity of goat genetic resources, production systems, multifunctionality, and opportunities for responding to constraints for productivity enhancement. Key determinants for the success of pro-poor projects are the imperatives of realistic project design, resolution of priorities and positive impacts to increase investments and spur agricultural growth, and appropriate policy. Throughout the developing world, there exist 97% of the total world population of 921 million goats across all agroecological zones (AEZs), including 570 breeds and 64% share of the breeds. They occupy a very important biological and socioeconomic niche in farming systems making significant multifunctional contributions especially to food, nutrition and financial security, stability of farm households, and survival of the poor in the rural areas. Definitions are given of successful and failed projects. The analyses highlighted in successful projects the value of strong participatory efforts with farmers and climate change. Climate change effects on goats are inevitable and are mediated through heat stress, type of AEZ, water availability, quantity and quality of the available feed resources and type of production system. Within the prevailing production systems, improved integrated tree crops - ruminant systems are underestimated and are an important pathway to enhance C sequestration. Key development strategies and opportunities for research and development (R and D) are enormous, and include inter alia defining a policy framework, resolution of priority constraints using systems perspectives and community-based participatory activities, application of yield-enhancing technologies, intensification, scaling up, and impacts. The priority for development concerns the rainfed areas with large concentrations of ruminants in which goats, with a capacity to cope with heat tolerance, can be the entry point for development. Networks and networking are very important for the diffusion of information and can add value to R and D. Well formulated projects with clear priority setting and participatory R and D ensure success and the realisation of food security, improved livelihoods and self-reliance in the future.

Insights into evolution and speciation in the red alga Bostrychia: 15 years of research

  • Zuccarello, Giuseppe C.;West, John A.
    • ALGAE
    • /
    • v.26 no.1
    • /
    • pp.21-32
    • /
    • 2011
  • Studies of the red algal genus Bostrychia over the last 15 years have made it a model system for many evolutionary processes within red algal species. The combination of newly developed, or first employed methods, in red algal species studies has made Bostrychia a pioneer genus in intraspecific studies. Bostrychia was the first genus in which a mitochondrial marker was used for intraspecific red algal phylogeny, and the first for which a 3-genome phylogeny was undertaken. The genus was the first red alga used to genetically show maternal plastid and mitochondria inheritance, and also to show correlation between cryptic species (genetically divergent intraspecific lineages) and reproductive incompatibility. The chemotaxonomic use, and physiological function of osmolytes, has also been extensively studied in Bostrychia. Our continuous studies of Bostrychia also highlight important aspects in algal species studies. Our worldwide sampling, and resampling in certain areas, show that intensive sampling is needed to accurately assess the genetic diversity and therefore phylogeographic history of algal species, with increased sampling altering evolutionary hypotheses. Our studies have also shown that long-term morphological character stability (stasis) and character convergence can only be correctly assessed with wide geographic sampling of morphological species. While reproductive incompatibility of divergent lineages supports the biological species nature of these lineages, reproductive incompatibility is also seen between isolates with little genetic divergence. It seems that reproductive incompatibility may evolve quickly in red algae and the unique early stages of fertilization (e.g., gametes covered by walls, active movement of spermatium nuclei to the distant egg nucleus), also well investigated in Bostrychia,. may be key to our understanding of this process.

Whole Genome Association Study to Detect Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms for Behavior in Sapsaree Dog (Canis familiaris)

  • Ha, J.H.;Alama, M.;Lee, D.H.;Kim, J.J.
    • Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
    • /
    • v.28 no.7
    • /
    • pp.936-942
    • /
    • 2015
  • The purpose of this study was to characterize genetic architecture of behavior patterns in Sapsaree dogs. The breed population (n=8,256) has been constructed since 1990 over 12 generations and managed at the Sapsaree Breeding Research Institute, Gyeongsan, Korea. Seven behavioral traits were investigated for 882 individuals. The traits were classified as a quantitative or a categorical group, and heritabilities ($h^2$) and variance components were estimated under the Animal model using ASREML 2.0 software program. In general, the $h^2$ estimates of the traits ranged between 0.00 and 0.16. Strong genetic ($r_G$) and phenotypic ($r_P$) correlations were observed between nerve stability, affability and adaptability, i.e. 0.9 to 0.94 and 0.46 to 0.68, respectively. To detect significant single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) for the behavioral traits, a total of 134 and 60 samples were genotyped using the Illumina 22K CanineSNP20 and 170K CanineHD bead chips, respectively. Two datasets comprising 60 (Sap60) and 183 (Sap183) samples were analyzed, respectively, of which the latter was based on the SNPs that were embedded on both the 22K and 170K chips. To perform genome-wide association analysis, each SNP was considered with the residuals of each phenotype that were adjusted for sex and year of birth as fixed effects. A least squares based single marker regression analysis was followed by a stepwise regression procedure for the significant SNPs (p<0.01), to determine a best set of SNPs for each trait. A total of 41 SNPs were detected with the Sap183 samples for the behavior traits. The significant SNPs need to be verified using other samples, so as to be utilized to improve behavior traits via marker-assisted selection in the Sapsaree population.

Genetic Variant in CLPTM1L Confers Reduced Risk of Lung Cancer: a Replication Study in Chinese and a Meta-analysis

  • Luo, Xia;Lamsal, Laxmi Pangeni;Xu, Wen-Juan;Lu, Jie;Lu, Yan-Jun;Shen, Ying;Guan, Qing
    • Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
    • /
    • v.15 no.21
    • /
    • pp.9241-9247
    • /
    • 2014
  • Background: Rs31489 in the cleft lip and palate transmembrane1-like gene (CLPTM1L) has been identified to be associated with lung cancer through genome-wide association studies (GWAS). However, some recent replication studies yielded inconclusive results. Thus, we undertook this study to investigate the precise effect of rs31489 on lung cancer susceptibility. Materials and Methods: A hospital-based case-control study in 1,673 Chinese subjects (611 individuals with lung cancer and 1,062 controls) and a meta-analysis among 32,199 subjects (16,364 cases and 15,835 controls) were performed in this study. Results: In our case-control study, rs31489 was inversely associated with lung cancer (AC versus CC: OR=0.68, 95%CI=0.52-0.88; additive model: OR=0.68, 95%CI=0.54-0.85; dominant model: OR=0.65, 95%CI =0.51-0.84). Stratification analysis by smoking status showed a significant association and strong genetic effect in non-smokers but not in smokers. Our meta-analysis further confirmed the association, although with significant heterogeneity contributed by study design and source of controls, as shown by stratified analysis. Sensitive and cumulative analyses both indicated robust stability of our results. In addition, there was no observable publication bias in our meta-analysis. Conclusions: Overall, the findings from our replication study and meta-analysis demonstrated that CLPTM1L gene rs31489 is significantly associated with lung cancer.

Effects of Several Herbal Medicines on Alkaline Phosphatase Activity in Human Fetal Osteoblasts (수종의 생약제제가 human fetal osteoblasts의 염기성 인산분해 효소 활성에 미치는 영향)

  • Lee, Myoung-Ku;Choi, Hee-In;You, Hyung-Keun;Shin, Hyung-Shik
    • Journal of Periodontal and Implant Science
    • /
    • v.33 no.1
    • /
    • pp.49-60
    • /
    • 2003
  • Several growth factors and polypeptides are not commonly yet used for regenerators of bone tissue or alveolar bone because of the insufficiency of studies on their side effects, genetic engineering for mass production and stability for clinical application. Recently, many herbal medicines, which have advantage of less side effects and possibility of long-term use, have been studied for their capacity and effects of anti-bacterial, antiinflammatory and regenerative potential of periodontal tissues. Morindae Radix, Cibotium Barometz (L.), Albizziae Cortex, Cistandhis Herba have been traditionally used as medicines for treatment of bone disease in Eastern medicine. The objective of the present study is to examine the ability of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity of human fetal osteoblast (hFOB1) when several natural medicines were supplemented. hFOB1 were cultured with Dulbecuo's Modified Eagle's Medium Nutrient Mixture F-12 HAM ( DMEM/F-12 1:1 Mixture, Sigma, USA) and negative control, dexamethasone (positive control), and each natural medicines for 3 days. And then ALP activity was measured by spectrophotometer for enzyme activity and Alizarin red S staining for morphometry. Among the natural medicines of this study, Morindae Radix, Cibotium Barometz (L.) and Cistanchis Herba induced higher activity of ALP synthesis than negative controls in all experimental group. Albizziae Cortex showed mild increases than negative control group. According to measurement of positively stained area, all of the natural medicines of this study increased compared to negative control. Especially, Cibotium Barometz (L.) and Cistanchis Herba showed statistical significance compared to negative control (p<0.05). These results indicate that Morindae Radix, Cibotium Barometz (L.), Albizziae Cortex, Cistandhis Herba have an inducing ability of ALP synthesis on osteoblast.

Caenorhabditis elegans: A Model System for Anti-Cancer Drug Discovery and Therapeutic Target Identification

  • Kobet, Robert A.;Pan, Xiaoping;Zhang, Baohong;Pak, Stephen C.;Asch, Adam S.;Lee, Myon-Hee
    • Biomolecules & Therapeutics
    • /
    • v.22 no.5
    • /
    • pp.371-383
    • /
    • 2014
  • The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) offers a unique opportunity for biological and basic medical researches due to its genetic tractability and well-defined developmental lineage. It also provides an exceptional model for genetic, molecular, and cellular analysis of human disease-related genes. Recently, C. elegans has been used as an ideal model for the identification and functional analysis of drugs (or small-molecules) in vivo. In this review, we describe conserved oncogenic signaling pathways (Wnt, Notch, and Ras) and their potential roles in the development of cancer stem cells. During C. elegans germline development, these signaling pathways regulate multiple cellular processes such as germline stem cell niche specification, germline stem cell maintenance, and germ cell fate specification. Therefore, the aberrant regulations of these signaling pathways can cause either loss of germline stem cells or overproliferation of a specific cell type, resulting in sterility. This sterility phenotype allows us to identify drugs that can modulate the oncogenic signaling pathways directly or indirectly through a high-throughput screening. Current in vivo or in vitro screening methods are largely focused on the specific core signaling components. However, this phenotype-based screening will identify drugs that possibly target upstream or downstream of core signaling pathways as well as exclude toxic effects. Although phenotype-based drug screening is ideal, the identification of drug targets is a major challenge. We here introduce a new technique, called Drug Affinity Responsive Target Stability (DARTS). This innovative method is able to identify the target of the identified drug. Importantly, signaling pathways and their regulators in C. elegans are highly conserved in most vertebrates, including humans. Therefore, C. elegans will provide a great opportunity to identify therapeutic drugs and their targets, as well as to understand mechanisms underlying the formation of cancer.

14-bp Insertion/Deletion Polymorphism of the HLA-G gene in Breast Cancer among Women from North Western Iran

  • Haghi, Mehdi;Feizi, Mohammad Ali Hosseinpour;Sadeghizadeh, Majid;Lotfi, Abbas Sahebghadam
    • Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
    • /
    • v.16 no.14
    • /
    • pp.6155-6158
    • /
    • 2015
  • Background: The human leukocyte antigen-G (HLA-G) gene is highly expressed in cancer pathologies and is one strategy used by tumor cells to escape immune surveillance. A 14-bp insertion/deletion (InDel) polymorphism of the HLA-G gene has been suggested to be associated with HLA-G mRNA stability and the expression of HLA-G. The aim of present study was to assess any genetic association between this polymorphism and breast cancer among Iranian-Azeri women. Materials and Methods: In this study 227 women affected with breast cancer, in addition to 255 age-sex and ethnically matched healthy individuals as the control group, participated. Genotyping was performed using polymerase chain reaction and electrophoresis assays. The data were compiled according to the genotype and allele frequencies, compared using the Chi-square test. Statistical significance was set at P<0.05. Results: In this case-control study, no significant difference was found between the case and control groups at allelic and genotype levels, although there is a slightly higher allele frequency of HLA-G 14bp deletion in breast cancer affected group. However,when the stage I subgroup was compared with stage II plus stage III subgroup of affected breast cancer, a significant difference was seen with the 14 bp deletion allele frequency. The stage II-III subgroup patients had higher frequency of deletion allele (57.4% vs 45.8%) than stage I cases (${\chi}^2=4.16$, p-value=0.041). Conclusions: Our data support a possible action of HLA-G 14bp InDel polymorphism as a potential genetic risk factor for progression of breast cancer. This finding highlights the necessity of future studies of this gene to establish the exact role of HLA-G in progression steps of breast cancer.

Genome re-sequencing to identify single nucleotide polymorphism markers for muscle color traits in broiler chickens

  • Kong, H.R.;Anthony, N.B.;Rowland, K.C.;Khatri, B.;Kong, B.C.
    • Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
    • /
    • v.31 no.1
    • /
    • pp.13-18
    • /
    • 2018
  • Objective: Meat quality including muscle color in chickens is an important trait and continuous selective pressures for fast growth and high yield have negatively impacted this trait. This study was conducted to investigate genetic variations responsible for regulating muscle color. Methods: Whole genome re-sequencing analysis using Illumina HiSeq paired end read method was performed with pooled DNA samples isolated from two broiler chicken lines divergently selected for muscle color (high muscle color [HMC] and low muscle color [LMC]) along with their random bred control line (RAN). Sequencing read data was aligned to the chicken reference genome sequence for Red Jungle Fowl (Galgal4) using reference based genome alignment with NGen program of the Lasergene software package. The potential causal single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) showing non-synonymous changes in coding DNA sequence regions were chosen in each line. Bioinformatic analyses to interpret functions of genes retaining SNPs were performed using the ingenuity pathways analysis (IPA). Results: Millions of SNPs were identified and totally 2,884 SNPs (1,307 for HMC and 1,577 for LMC) showing >75% SNP rates could induce non-synonymous mutations in amino acid sequences. Of those, SNPs showing over 10 read depths yielded 15 more reliable SNPs including 1 for HMC and 14 for LMC. The IPA analyses suggested that meat color in chickens appeared to be associated with chromosomal DNA stability, the functions of ubiquitylation (UBC) and quality and quantity of various subtypes of collagens. Conclusion: In this study, various potential genetic markers showing amino acid changes were identified in differential meat color lines, that can be used for further animal selection strategy.