Constrained Optimal Querying: Huffman Coding and Beyond

Huffman coding is well known to be useful in certain decision problems involving minimizing the average number of (freely chosen) queries to determine an unknown random variable. However, in problems where the queries are more constrained, the original Huffman coding no longer works. In this paper, we proposed a general model to describe such problems and two code schemes: one is Huffman-based, and the other called GBSC (Greedy Binary Separation Coding). We proved the optimality of GBSC by induction on a binary decision tree, telling us that GBSC is at least as good as Shannon coding. We then compared the two algorithms based on these two codes, by testing them with two problems: DNA detection and 1-player Battleship, and found both to be decent approximating algorithms, with Huffman-based algorithm giving an expected length 1.1 times the true optimal in DNA detection problem, and GBSC yielding an average number of queries 1.4 times the theoretical optimal in 1-player Battleship

Networked Multiagent Safe Reinforcement Learning for Low-carbon Demand Management in Distribution Network

This paper proposes a multiagent based bi-level operation framework for the low-carbon demand management in distribution networks considering the carbon emission allowance on the demand side. In the upper level, the aggregate load agents optimize the control signals for various types of loads to maximize the profits; in the lower level, the distribution network operator makes optimal dispatching decisions to minimize the operational costs and calculates the distribution locational marginal price and carbon intensity. The distributed flexible load agent has only incomplete information of the distribution network and cooperates with other agents using networked communication. Finally, the problem is formulated into a networked multi-agent constrained Markov decision process, which is solved using a safe reinforcement learning algorithm called consensus multi-agent constrained policy optimization considering the carbon emission allowance for each agent. Case studies with the IEEE 33-bus and 123-bus distribution network systems demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach, in terms of satisfying the carbon emission constraint on demand side, ensuring the safe operation of the distribution network and preserving privacy of both sides.Comment: Submitted to IEEE Transactions on Sustainable Energ

Cooperative Open-ended Learning Framework for Zero-shot Coordination

Zero-shot coordination in cooperative artificial intelligence (AI) remains a significant challenge, which means effectively coordinating with a wide range of unseen partners. Previous algorithms have attempted to address this challenge by optimizing fixed objectives within a population to improve strategy or behaviour diversity. However, these approaches can result in a loss of learning and an inability to cooperate with certain strategies within the population, known as cooperative incompatibility. To address this issue, we propose the Cooperative Open-ended LEarning (COLE) framework, which constructs open-ended objectives in cooperative games with two players from the perspective of graph theory to assess and identify the cooperative ability of each strategy. We further specify the framework and propose a practical algorithm that leverages knowledge from game theory and graph theory. Furthermore, an analysis of the learning process of the algorithm shows that it can efficiently overcome cooperative incompatibility. The experimental results in the Overcooked game environment demonstrate that our method outperforms current state-of-the-art methods when coordinating with different-level partners. Our demo is available at https://sites.google.com/view/cole-2023.Comment: 15 pages with 9 pages main bod

Transcriptome analysis of <em>Marsupenaeus japonicus</em> hepatopancreas during WSSV persistent infection

White Spot Syndrome Virus (WSSV) can cause a large-scale death of cultured shrimp and significant damage to the shrimp farming industry. Marsupenaeus japonicus is one of the world's most important economically farmed shrimp. This study found that some M. japonicus survived the spontaneous outbreak of WSSV. Surprisingly, these virus-carrying shrimp showed no apparent illnesses or outbreaks of white spot disease in the subsequent cultivation, and their body size was substantially smaller than healthy shrimp, indicating a long-term fight between the host and the virus. To investigate this interesting phenomenon, we analyzed the transcriptomes of healthy shrimp and survived shrimp through the RNA-Seq platform, attempting to reveal the underlying molecular mechanism of the struggle between M. japonicus and WSSV. Transcriptional analysis showed that a total of 37,815 unigenes were assembled, with an average length of 1,193.34 bp and N50 of 2,049 bp. In the KEGG pathway, enrichment analysis of DEGs pathways related to immunity, biosynthesis, and growth metabolism was enriched, including pentose phosphate pathway, glycerophospholipid metabolism, fatty acid biosynthesis, Wnt signaling pathway, biosynthesis of amino acids, ascorbate, and aldarate metabolism. Our data showed a delicate balance between M. japonicus and WSSV infection: On the one hand, WSSV infection can cause host metabolism and biosynthesis disorders in the host, and the virus consumes a portion of the material and energy required for shrimp average growth and reproduction. If WSSV infection persisted for a long time, then the growth rate of M. japonicus decreased. On the other hand, the host can regulate immune defense to resist subsequent viral infection. This study reveals the underlying molecular mechanism of a long-term battle of M. japonicus against WSSV infection, providing novel insights for preventing WSSV persistent infection in M. japonicus and other farmed shrimp species

Inhibition of autophagy by 3-MA enhances IL-24-induced apoptosis in human oral squamous cell carcinoma cells

Abstract Background Interleukin-24(IL-24), also referred to as melanoma differentiation-associated gene-7(mda-7), is a unique member of the IL-10 gene family, which displays nearly ubiquitous cancer-specific toxicity. The most notable feature of IL-24 is selectively induced growth suppression and apoptosis in various cancer cells, with no harmful effects toward normal cells. Autophagy is a self-protective mechanism in many kinds of tumor cells that respond to anticancer treatment. It is reported that autophagy inhibition could enhance the effects of many kinds of anticancer treatments, including gene therapy. However, whether IL-24 is effective to treat oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCC) and if autophagy inhibition could improve the anticancer effect of IL-24 towards OSCC is has not been detected. Methods MTT assays were carried out to determine the cell proliferation; Transfection was used to gene transfer; Western Blot was performed to detect the protein level of LC3II, P62, Beclin 1, Cleaved caspase-3, β-Tubulin and β-actin; Apoptosis rates and cell cycle alteration were analyzed using flow cytometry; Autophagy induction was confirmed by MDC staining, GFP-LC3 staining and transmission electron microscopy. Amount of IL-24 in the culture medium was quantified by ELISA. Apoptosis in vivo was analyzed by TUNEL assay. HE staining was used to observe the morphology of the samples. Results In the present study, we proved that IL-24 have a novel anticancer effect towards KB cells and that autophagy inhibition could improve the anticancer effect of IL-24. IL-24 treated cells showed autophagy characteristics and autophagy inhibition by 3-methyladenine (3-MA) significantly enhanced IL-24-induced apoptosis. Similar results were obtained in the KB cells xenograft tumor model. Conclusions These results suggest that the combination of autophagy inhibitors and IL-24 based on the AdLTR2EF1α-mediated gene transfer could be a promising way to cure OSCC.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/113230/1/13046_2015_Article_211.pd

The effect of water temperature on the pathogenicity of decapod iridescent virus 1 (DIV1) in Litopenaeus vannamei

Decapod iridescent virus 1 (DIV1) has caused huge losses to the shrimp breeding industry in recent years as a new shrimp virus. In this study, white leg shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei, were cultured at different temperatures (26 ± 1 °C and 32 ± 1 °C) and the same salinity, then infected with DIV1 by intramuscular injection to determine the effects of water temperature on viral infection. The DIV1 copy counts in the gills, hepatopancreas, pleopods, intestines, and muscles of L. vannamei were measured in samples collected at 6, 12, and 24 h post-infection (hpi), and the survival rate of L. vannamei was assessed every 6 h after infection. At 96 hpi, the survival rates of L. vannamei in the high (32 ± 1 ℃) and standard (26 ± 1 ℃) water temperature groups were 2.22% and 4.44%, respectively. The peak time of mortality in the high-water temperature group was 6 h earlier than in the standard water temperature group. After 24 hours of DIV1 infection, the DIV1 copy counts in the standard water temperature treatment group were significantly higher than those in the high-water temperature treatment group. The tissues with the highest virus copy counts in the standard and high-temperature groups were the intestines (2.9×1011 copies/g) and muscles (7.0×108 copies/g). The effect of temperature on the pathogenicity of DIV1 differs from that of other previously studied viruses, such as white spot syndrome virus, Taura syndrome virus, and infectious hypodermal and hematopoietic necrosis virus, because the high-water temperature did not mitigate the damage caused by DIV1 infection

Survival and immune response of white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei following single and concurrent infections with WSSV and Vibrio parahaemolyticus

The survival and immune responses of Litopenaeus vannamei were evaluated during white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) or Vibrio parahaemolyticus single and concurrent infections. The mortality, WSSV load, activities of 4 immune enzymes: acid phosphatase (ACP), alkaline phosphatase (AKP), peroxidase (POD) and superoxide dismutase (SOD), and the transcription of Evolutionarily Conserved Signaling Intermediate in Toll pathways of L.vannamei (LvECSIT) were quantified at 0, 3, 6, 12, 24, 48, 72 and 96 h post-infection (pi). The results showed: (i) the cumulative mortality of the co-infection group (WSSV and V. Parahaemolyticus 83%) was significantly lower than the WSSV infection group (97%) (P < 0.05) at 96 hpi; (ii) copies of WSSV in the co-infection group were significantly lower than that of the single infection group from 24 to 96 hpi (P < 0.05); (iii) ACP, AKP,POD and SOD activity in the gills of the co-infection group was higher than that of the WSSV group at12, 48 and 96 hpi (P < 0.05).The expression of LvECSIT mRNA in the co-infection group was significantly higher than in the WSSV infection group from 12 to 72 hpi (P < 0.05).The results indicate that proliferation of WSSV is inhibited by V.parahaemolyticus infection. In addition, infection with WSSV alone causes a significant reduction in some immune responses of shrimp than co-infection with WSSV and V.parahaemolyticus occurs at 26 °C. Third, LvECSIT, an essential member of TLR signaling pathway might play a crucial role in shrimp defense against WSSV – Vibrio co-infection

Metagenomic Analysis of Bacterial Communities and Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Penaeus monodon Biofloc-Based Aquaculture Environments

Biofloc technology (BFT) is one of the most promising technologies in global aquaculture for the purpose of improving water quality, waste treatment, and disease prevention in intensive aquaculture systems. However, characterization of the microbial species and antibiotic resistance potentially present in biofloc-based aquaculture environments is needed. In this study, we used high-throughput sequencing technology to comprehensively compare the bacterial communities in mariculture ponds of Penaeus monodon (P. monodon), by testing of water, biofloc, and intestine of P. monodon. Operational taxonomic units (OTUs) cluster analysis showed that the nine samples tested divided into 45 phyla and 457 genera. Proteobacteria was the dominant bacteria in water, biofloc and prawn intestine. In biofloc and intestine, the Ruegeria (2.23–6.31%) genus represented the largest proportion of bacteria, with Marivita (14.01–20.94%) the largest group in water. Microbial functional annotation revealed that in all the samples, genes encoding metabolism were predominant. The antibiotic resistance gene annotation showed the highest absolute abundance of patB, adeF, OXA-243, and Brucella_suis_mprF from Proteobacteria. PatB (11.33–15.01%), adeF (15.79–18.16%), OXA-243 (35.65%), and Brucella_suis_mprF (10.03%) showed the highest absolute abundance of antibiotic resistance genes in water, biofloc, and intestines, respectively. These findings may greatly increase our understanding of the characteristics of the microbiota of shrimp biofloc-based aquaculture systems and the complex interactions among shrimp, ambient microflora, and environmental variables. It provides a reference basis for policy on breeding, environmental safety, and maintaining food safety in the production of P. monodon