Pollution and Genetic Structure of North American Populations of the Common Dandelion (Taraxacum Officinale)

Assessing the genetic structure of natural populations differentially impacted by anthropogenic contaminants can be a useful tool for evaluating the population genetic consequences of exposure to pollution. In this study, measures of genetic diversity at variable-number-tandem-repeat loci in six dandelion populations (3 urban and 3 rural) showed patterns that may have been influenced by exposure to environmental contaminants. Mean genetic similarity among individuals within a population was significantly and positively correlated with increasing levels of airborne particulate matter ( 10 m, PM₁₀) and soil concentrations of four metals (Cd, Fe, Ni and Pb). In addition, mean genetic similarity was always significantly higher at the urban sites compared to rural sites. There was a significant negative correlation between the number of genotypes at a site and increasing amounts of PM₁₀, concentrations of five soil metals (Cd, Cu, Fe, Ni and Pb), leaf tissue levels of Fe and a significant positive correlation between the extent of clonality at a site and levels of PM₁₀ and soil concentrations of five metals (Cd, Cu, Fe, Ni and Pb). Although, this study does not directly establish a causal link between the specific contaminants detected at the study sites and differences in genetic diversity, our data are consistent with the hypothesis that pollution-induced selection has contributed in some fashion to the lower genetic diversity found at the urban sites.     

基于遗传神经网络的入侵检测研究

入侵检测技术是计算机网络信息安全检测的重要手段之一,入侵检测作为一种动态的安全防护技术,提供了对内部攻击、外部攻击和误操作的实时保护,在网络系统受到危害之前拦截和响应入侵。对计算机网络数据进行特征提取,提出了采用遗传算法和神经网络相结合入侵检测技术。遗传算法具有计算简单、优化效果好的特点。利用遗传算法来避免BP算法的局部极小点,从而达到均方根误差全局最小点,也解决了BP算法的收敛慢的问题;同时也解决了单独利用GA往往不能在短时间内寻找到接近最优解的这一问题。通过计算机实验验证了入侵检测的效果,提高了识别率,使得误报率和漏报率降低。     

基于层次分析法—模糊综合评价(AHP-FCE)模型优化矿井通风系统的研究

矿井通风系统是一个复杂的非线性系统,具有随机性、模糊性和不确定性特征。应用层次分析法(AHP)和模糊综合评价(FCE)的基本理论建立的AHPFCE模型,可以全面考虑矿井通风系统的各种因素,既能体现评价过程的模糊性,又能尽量减少个人主观臆断带来的弊端,使优选的方案更符合实际,评价结果更可靠。应用加速遗传算法检验和修正判断矩阵的一致性,具有搜索效率高、计算时间短、求解精度高、计算结果稳定、适用性强等特点,是一种全局优化方法。采用AHPFCE方法确定权重,具有较强的逻辑性、实用性和系统性,并能准确地得出各评价指标的权系数,使计算结果更客观和稳定。实例计算结果表明:AHPFCE方法简便和通用,不仅能指导生产实际,而且为类似的方案优化工作提供了一种新的思路和方法。     

Genetic Engineering and the Integrity of Animals

Genetic engineering evokes a number of objections that are not directed at the negative effects the technique might have on the health and welfare of the modified animals. The concept of animal integrity is often invoked to articulate these kind of objections. Moreover, in reaction to the advent of genetic engineering, the concept has been extended from the level of the individual animal to the level of the genome and of the species. However, the concept of animal integrity was not developed in the context of genetic engineering. Given this external origin, the aim of this paper is to critically examine the assumption that the concept of integrity, including its extensions to the level of the genome and the species, is suitable to articulate and justify moral objections more specifically directed at the genetic engineering of animals.     

DECISION SUPPORT FOR ALLOCATION OF WATERSHED POLLUTION LOAD USING GREY FUZZY MULTIOBJECTIVE PROGRAMMING1

ABSTRACT: This paper uses the grey fuzzy multiobjective programming to aid in decision making for the allocation of waste load in a river system under versatile uncertainties and risks. It differs from previous studies by considering a multicriteria objective function with combined grey and fuzzy messages under a cost benefit analysis framework. Such analysis technically integrates the prior information of water quality models, water quality standards, wastewater treatment costs, and potential benefits gained via in‐stream water quality improvement. While fuzzy sets are characterized based on semantic and cognitive vagueness in decision making, grey numbers can delineate measurement errors in data collection. By employing three distinct set theoretic fuzzy operators, the synergy of grey and fuzzy implications may smoothly characterize the prescribed management complexity. With the aid of genetic algorithm in the solution procedure, the modeling outputs contribute to the development of an effective waste load allocation and reduction scheme for tributaries in this subwatershed located in the lower Tseng‐Wen River Basin, South Taiwan. Research findings indicate that the inclusion of three fuzzy set theoretic operators in decision analysis may delineate different tradeoffs in decision making due to varying changes, transformations, and movements of waste load in association with land use pattern within the watershed.     

Measuring Biotechnology Employees’ Ethical Attitudes towards a Controversial Transgenic Cattle Project: The Ethical Valence Matrix

What is the relationship between biotechnology employees’ beliefs about the moral outcomes of a controversial transgenic research project and their attitudes of acceptance towards the project? To answer this question, employees (n=466) of a New Zealand company, AgResearch Ltd., were surveyed regarding a project to create transgenic cattle containing a synthetic copy of the human myelin basic protein gene (hMBP). Although diversity existed amongst employees’ attitudes of acceptance, they were generally: in favor of the project, believed that it should be allowed to proceed to completion, and that it is acceptable to use transgenic cattle to produce medicines for humans. These three items were aggregated to form a project acceptance score. Scales were developed to measure respondents’ beliefs about the moral outcomes of the project for identified stakeholders in terms of the four principles of common morality (benefit, non-harm, justice, and autonomy). These data were statistically aggregated into an Ethical Valence Matrix for the project. The respondents’ project Ethical Valence Scores correlated significantly with their project acceptance scores (r=0.64, p<0.001), accounting for 41% of the variance in respondents’ acceptance attitudes. Of the four principles, non-harm had the strongest correlation with attitude to the project (r=0.59), followed by benefit and justice (both r=0.54), then autonomy (r=0.44). These results indicate that beliefs about the moral outcomes of a research project, in terms of the four principles approach, are strongly related to, and may be significant determinants of, attitudes to the research project. This suggests that, for employees of a biotechnology organization, ethical reasoning could be a central mechanism for the evaluation of the acceptability of a project. We propose that the Ethical Valence Matrix may be used as a tool to measure ethical attitudes towards controversial issues, providing a metric for comparison of perceived ethical consequences for multiple stakeholder groups and for the evaluation and comparison of the ethical consequences of competing alternative issues or projects. The tool could be used to measure both public and special interest groups’ ethical attitudes and results used for the development of socially responsible policy or by science organizations as a democratizing decision aid to selection amongst projects competing for scarce research funds.     

OPTIMIZATION PROCEDURE FOR COST EFFECTIVE BMP PLACEMENT AT A WATERSHED SCALE1

ABSTRACT: A combinatorial optimization procedure for best management practice (BMP) placement at the watershed level facilitates selection of cost effective BMP scenarios to control non point source (NFS) pollution. A genetic algorithm (GA) was selected from among several optimization heuristics. The GA combines an optimization component written in the C++ language with spatially variable NFS pollution prediction and economic analysis components written within the Arc View geographic information system. The procedure is modular in design, allowing for component modifications while maintaining the basic conceptual framework. An objective function was developed to lexicographically optimize pollution reduction followed by cost increase. Scenario cost effectiveness is then calculated for scenario comparisons. The NPS pollutant fitness score allows for evaluation of multiple pollutants, based on prioritization of each pollutant. The economic component considers farm level public and private costs, cost distribution, and land area requirements. Development of a sediment transport function, used with the Universal Soil Loss Equation, allows the optimization procedure to run within a reasonable timeframe. The procedure identifies multiple near optimal solutions, providing an indication of which fields have a more critical impact on overall cost effectiveness and flexibility in the final solution selected for implementation. The procedure was demonstrated for a 1,014‐ha watershed in the Ridge and Valley physiographic region of Virginia.     

预测低温冷害的门限回归模型

提出用门限回归模型（TR）来描述低温灾害指标变量在灾害状况与非灾害状况的突变性。研制了TR建模的一套简便通用的方案，用笔者改进的遗传算法可同时优化门限值和回归系数，从而解决了TR建模过程所涉及的大量复杂寻优工作这一问题，为TR模型的广泛应用提供了有效工具。实例的计算结果说明了其可行性和有效性。该方案具有通用性，在各种自然灾害时序预测中具有广泛的实用价值。     

GENETIC PROGRAMMING: A NEW PARADIGM IN RAINFALL RUNOFF MODELING1

ABSTRACT: Genetic Programming (GP) is a domain‐independent evolutionary programming technique that evolves computer programs to solve, or approximately solve, problems. To verify GP's capability, a simple example with known relation in the area of symbolic regression, is considered first. GP is then utilized as a flow forecasting tool. A catchment in Singapore with a drainage area of about 6 km² is considered in this study. Six storms of different intensities and durations are used to train GP and then verify the trained GP. Analysis of the GP induced rainfall and runoff relationship shows that the cause and effect relationship between rainfall and runoff is consistent with the hydrologic process. The result shows that the runoff prediction accuracy of symbolic regression based models, measured in terms of root mean square error and correlation coefficient, is reasonably high. Thus, GP induced rainfall runoff relationships can be a viable alternative to traditional rainfall runoff models.     

A Social Contract for Biotechnology: Shared Visions for Risky Technologies?

Future technological developmentsconcerning food, agriculture, and theenvironment face a gulf of social legitimationfrom a skeptical public and media, in the wakeof the crises of BSE, GM food, and foot andmouth disease in the UK (House of Lords, 2000). Keyethical issues were ignored by the bioindustry,regulators, and the Government, leaving alegacy of distrust. The paper examinesagricultural biotechnology in terms of a socialcontract, whose conditions would have to be fulfilled togain acceptance of novel applications. Variouscurrent and future GM applications areevaluated against these conditions. Successwould depend critically on how far a sharedvision can be found with the public. Tore-establish trust, significant changes areidentified in the planning and pursuit ofbiotechnology.