Using the ACS Approach to Solve Continuous Mathematical Problems in Engineering

Ant colony system (ACS) has been widely applied for solving discrete domain problems in recent years. In particular, they are efficient and effective in finding nearly optimal solutions to discrete search spaces. Because of the restriction of ant-based algorithms, when the solution space of a problem to be solved is continuous, it is not so appropriate to use the original ACS to solve it. However, engineering mathematics in the real applications are always applied in the continuous domain. This paper thus proposes an extended ACS approach based on binary-coding to provide a standard process for solving problems with continuous variables. It first encodes solution space for continuous domain into a discrete binary-coding space (searching map), and a modified ACS can be applied to find the solution. Each selected edge in a complete path represents a part of a candidate solution. Different from the previous ant-based algorithms for continuous domain, the proposed binary coding ACS (BCACS) could retain the original operators and keep the benefits and characteristics of the traditional ACS. Besides, the proposed approach is easy to implement and could be applied in different kinds of problems in addition to mathematical problems. Several constrained functions are also evaluated to demonstrate the performance of the proposed algorithm

Liquid Metal-Based Multifunctional Micropipette for 4D Single Cell Manipulation.

A novel manufacturing approach to fabricate liquid metal-based, multifunctional microcapillary pipettes able to provide electrodes with high electrical conductivity for high-frequency electrical stimulation and measurement is proposed. 4D single cell manipulation is realized by applying multifrequency, multiamplitude, and multiphase electrical signals to the microelectrodes near the pipette tip to create 3D dielectrophoretic trap and 1D electrorotation, simultaneously. Functions such as single cell trapping, patterning, transfer, and rotation are accomplished. Cell viability and multiday proliferation characterization has confirmed the biocompatibility of this approach. This is a simple, low-cost, and fast fabrication process that requires no cleanroom and photolithography step to manufacture 3D microelectrodes and microchannels for easy access to a wide user base for broad applications

Group A Streptococcus Subcutaneous Infection-Induced Central Nervous System Inflammation Is Attenuated by Blocking Peripheral TNF

Group A streptococcus (GAS) infection causes a strong inflammatory response associated with cytokine storms, leading to multiorgan failure, which is characterized as streptococcal toxic shock syndrome. However, little is known about GAS subcutaneous infection-mediated brain inflammation. Therefore, we used a bioluminescent GAS strain and reporter mice carrying firefly luciferase under transcriptional control of the nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) promoter to concurrently monitor the host immune response and bacterial burden in a single mouse. Notably, in addition to the subcutaneous inoculation locus at the back of mice, we detected strong luminescence signals from NF-κB activation and increased inflammatory cytokine production in the brain, implying the existence of central nervous system inflammation after GAS subcutaneous infection. The inflamed brain exhibited an increased expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase components and greater microglial activation and blood–brain barrier (BBB) disruption. Furthermore, Fluoro-Jade C positive cells increased in the brain, indicating that neurons underwent degeneration. Peripheral tumor necrosis factor (TNF), which contributes to pathology in brain injury, was elevated in the circulation, and the expression of its receptor was also increased in the inflamed brain. Blockage of peripheral TNF effectively reduced brain inflammation and injury, thereby preventing BBB disruption and improving survival. Our study provides new insights into GAS-induced central nervous system inflammation, such as encephalopathy, which can be attenuated by circulating TNF blockage

Ganho de produtividade e complexo de proteína‑polissacarídeos em Agaricus blazei

The objective of this work was to assess the productivity and polysaccharide‑protein complex content of Agaricus blazei on rice straw medium, in comparison to conventional sawdust, using four casing soils. The A. blazei strain used was BCRC36814T, purchased from the Food Industry Research and Development Institute, Hsin‑Chu, Taiwan. The two media were evaluated as to A. blazei productivity, harvesting time, and production costs. The experimental design used was a randomized complete block, with four replicates. Three local casing soils – Typic Paleudult (CCe), Typic Udorthent (Tq) and Oxyaquic Paleudult (TSp) – were compared to imported peat soil (PS, Saprists, Histosols), used as the control. The productivity of A. blazei using Tq and TSp soil was significantly higher. The TSp casing treatment resulted in earlier harvest by at least14 to 27 days, when compared to the other treatments. The polysaccharide content in CCe (13.2%) and Tqsoils (13.2%) did not differ significantly from the PS (13.4%) and TSp (10.6%) treatments. Local casing soilsdecreased the production costs of A. blazei cultivation. Composted rice straw can substitute sawdust as the culture medium for A. blazei production with increased yield.O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a produtividade e o conteúdo do complexo proteínapolissacarídeosde Agaricus blazei em meio de palha de arroz, em comparação ao de serragem, tendo-se utilizado quatro tipos de solo como camadas de cobertura. Utilizou-se a linhagem BCRC36814T de A. blazei, procedente do Food Industry Research and Development Institute, Hsin‑Chu, Taiwan. Os dois meios foram avaliados quanto à produtividade, ao tempo de colheita e aos custos de produção de A. blazei. Utilizou-se o delineamento de blocos ao acaso, com quatro repetições. As camadas de cobertura foram compostas por três solos locais – Argissolo Vermelho‑Amarelo distrófico (CCe), Neossolo Litólico distrófico (Tq) e Oxyaquic Paleudult (TSp) –, comparados a solo turfoso importado (PS, Saprists, Organossolos Háplicos), utilizado como controle. A produtividade de A. blazei com Tq e TSp foi significativamente maior. O tratamento com TSp resultou em colheita antecipada de 14 a 27 dias, em comparação aos outros tratamentos. O conteúdo de polissacarídeos em CCe (13,2%) e Tq (13,2%) não diferiu significativamente do em PS (13,4%) e TSp (10,6%). Os custos de produção foram reduzidos com uso das camadas de cobertura locais. O composto de palha de arroz pode substituir a serragem como meio para o cultivo de A. blazei, com aumento de produtividade

MiniZero: Comparative Analysis of AlphaZero and MuZero on Go, Othello, and Atari Games

This paper presents MiniZero, a zero-knowledge learning framework that supports four state-of-the-art algorithms, including AlphaZero, MuZero, Gumbel AlphaZero, and Gumbel MuZero. While these algorithms have demonstrated super-human performance in many games, it remains unclear which among them is most suitable or efficient for specific tasks. Through MiniZero, we systematically evaluate the performance of each algorithm in two board games, 9x9 Go and 8x8 Othello, as well as 57 Atari games. For two board games, using more simulations generally results in higher performance. However, the choice of AlphaZero and MuZero may differ based on game properties. For Atari games, both MuZero and Gumbel MuZero are worth considering. Since each game has unique characteristics, different algorithms and simulations yield varying results. In addition, we introduce an approach, called progressive simulation, which progressively increases the simulation budget during training to allocate computation more efficiently. Our empirical results demonstrate that progressive simulation achieves significantly superior performance in two board games. By making our framework and trained models publicly available, this paper contributes a benchmark for future research on zero-knowledge learning algorithms, assisting researchers in algorithm selection and comparison against these zero-knowledge learning baselines. Our code and data are available at https://rlg.iis.sinica.edu.tw/papers/minizero.Comment: Submitted to IEEE Transactions on Games, under revie

Sex difference in the associations among obesity-related indices with incidence of diabetes mellitus in a large Taiwanese population follow-up study

BackgroundObesity is a major risk factor for diabetes mellitus (DM), which is in turn a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases such as coronary artery disease and stroke. As few studies have investigated sex differences in the association between obesity and incidence of DM, the aim of this longitudinal study was to explore this issue in a large group of Taiwanese participants.MethodsA total of 24,346 participants were enrolled in this study, of whom 8,334 (mean age, 50.6 ± 11.0 years) were male and 16,012 (mean age, 50.5 ± 10.1 years) were female. The following obesity-related indices were studied: body mass index, waist-to-height ratio, waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), body roundness index, conicity index (CI), body adiposity index, abdominal volume index, lipid accumulation product (LAP), and visceral adiposity index (VAI).ResultsThe analysis showed significant associations between all of these indices with incidence of DM (all p < 0.001). In the male participants, the strongest predictors for incidence of DM were LAP (AUC = 0.692), WHtR (AUC = 0.684), and WHR (AUC = 0.683). In the female participants, the strongest predictors were LAP (AUC = 0.744), WHtR (AUC = 0.710) and VAI (AUC = 0.710), followed by BRI (AUC = 0.708).ConclusionStrong associations were found between the studied obesity-related indices and incidence of DM, and sex differences were found. Hence, to better control DM, reducing body weight may be beneficial in addition to lifestyle modifications, diet control, and pharmacological interventions

Association Between Platelet Count and Components of Metabolic Syndrome in Geriatric Taiwanese Women

SummaryBackgroundThe growing elderly population in Taiwan, as in many other countries, has resulted in increased importance of the metabolic syndrome (MetS). Although it has been reported in different age groups, the relationship between platelets and MetS remains unknown in geriatric patients.Patients and MethodsWe enrolled 1460 women >65 years old. Women with a known history of diabetes, hyperlipidemia or hypertension or those taking medication for these conditions were all excluded. The women were further divided into quartiles arbitrarily according to platelet count (PC) (PC1–PC4, lowest to highest accordingly).ResultsAmong the MetS components, body mass index (BMI), total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and log transformation triglyceride (Log TG) were all significantly higher in the PC4 group (p < 0.05), and they were also positively correlated with PC. However, in multiple regression, BMI became nonsignificant. Both LDL-C and Log TG were the only two factors that remained positively and independently correlated with PC. Compared to PC1, all the other three groups had significantly higher odds ratios for having MetS (2.013, 1.473–2.751; 1.486, 1.081–2.042; 1.537, 1.117–2.114; odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals for PC4, PC3 and PC2, respectively).ConclusionElderly women with MetS had higher PC. Among the five components, TG was positively correlated with PC. There was a positive correlation between PC and LDL-C but not high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. The importance of both lipids might be re-evaluated in the future in older women