Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
No-Regret Reinforcement Learning with Heavy-Tailed Rewards

Reinforcement learning algorithms typically assume rewards to be sampled from light-tailed distributions, such as Gaussian or bounded. However, a wide variety of real-world systems generate rewards that follow heavy-tailed distributions. We consider such scenarios in the setting of undiscounted reinforcement learning. By constructing a lower bound, we show that the difficulty of learning heavy-tailed rewards asymptotically dominates the difficulty of learning transition probabilities. Leveraging techniques from robust mean estimation, we propose Heavy-UCRL2 and Heavy-Q-Learning, and show that they achieve near-optimal regret bounds in this setting. Our algorithms also naturally generalize to deep reinforcement learning applications; we instantiate Heavy-DQN as an example of this. We demonstrate that all of our algorithms outperform baselines on both synthetic MDPs and standard RL benchmarks.
FERMI: Fair Empirical Risk Minimization via Exponential Rényi Mutual Information

Despite the success of large-scale empirical risk minimization (ERM) at achieving high accuracy across a variety of machine learning tasks, fair ERM is hindered by the incompatibility of fairness constraints with stochastic optimization. In this paper, we propose the fair empirical risk minimization via exponential Rényi mutual information (FERMI) framework. FERMI is built on a stochastic estimator for exponential Rényi mutual information (ERMI), an information divergence measuring the degree of the dependence of predictions on sensitive attributes. Theoretically, we show that ERMI upper bounds existing popular fairness violation metrics, thus controlling ERMI provides guarantees on other commonly used violations, such as L ∞ . We derive an unbiased estimator for ERMI, which we use to derive the FERMI algorithm. We prove that FERMI converges for demographic parity, equalized odds, and equal opportunity notions of fairness in stochastic optimization. Empirically, we show that FERMI is amenable to large-scale problems with multiple (non-binary) sensitive attributes and non-binary targets. Extensive experiments show that FERMI achieves the most favorable tradeoffs between fairness violation and test accuracy across all tested setups compared with state-of-the-art baselines for demographic parity, equalized odds, equal opportunity. These beneﬁts are especially signiﬁcant for non-binary classiﬁcation with large sensitive sets and small batch sizes, showcasing the effectiveness of the FERMI objective and the developed stochastic algorithm for solving it.
Experimental and numerical evidence of intensified non-linearity at the microscale: The lipid coated acoustic bubble

non-linearity at the micro and nano scale: The lipid coated acoustic bubble AJ. SOJAHROOD a,b *,H. HAGHIa,b, T.M. PORTERc R. KARSHAFIANa,bMICHAEL C. KOLIOS a,b a Department of Physics, Ryerson University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. b Institute for Biomedical Engineering and Science Technology, A Partnership Between Ryerson University and St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto, Canada. c Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Texas, USA
Erratum: Caroli formula in near-field heat transfer between parallel graphene sheets [PHYSICAL REVIEW B 96, 155437 (2017)]

This erratum aims to correct 1) the wrong expressions, 2) some typographical errors, 3) some erroneous points made in discussion of the disparity of heat flux ratios between our full RPA model and the local conductivity model, and 4) the lower bound of the characteristic distance scale comparable to the graphene thermal length, appearing in the original paper [1], which might confuse or mislead readers. Collectively, they don’t change the key physics we sought to present. In the following, whenever we say the/ our original paper, it refers to Ref. [1]. First, we would like to correct wrong expressions:
Study of a Partial Least-squares Regression Model for Rare Earth Element Determination by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry

A partial least-squares regression (PLSR) model was developed for rare earth element (REE) determination by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), in order to correct interferences from REE oxides, hydroxides and isobaric spectral overlap. The total variance was explained by a 14 factor PLSR model. The square error of prediction was less than 0.005 and the oxide/hydroxide/isobaric interferences were almost completely removed. It was found that Nd, Sm, Gd, Dy and Yb played a more significant role in the model than the other REEs because they possess multiple isotopes which require repeated calibration. REE concentrations could be accurately predicted despite barium interference, even in samples with high ratios of Ba to REE, when the weights of certain isotopes in the model were set below 0.1. The PLSR model was compared with the normal calibration method (NCM) and the Gauss elimination method (GEM). The results indicated that the PLSR model was more accurate than the NCM and exhibited greater flexibility than the GEM.
Strapdown Inertial Navigation System Initial Alignment Based on Group of Double Direct Spatial Isometries

The task of strapdown inertial navigation system (SINS) initial alignment is to calculate the attitude transformation matrix from body frame to navigation frame. In this paper, such attitude transformation matrix is divided into two parts through introducing the initial inertially fixed navigation frame as inertial frame. The attitude changes of the navigation frame corresponding to the defined inertial frame can be exactly calculated with known velocity and position provided by GNSS. The attitude from body frame to the defined inertial frame is estimated based on the SINS mechanization in inertial frame. The attitude, velocity and position in inertial frame are formulated together as element of the group of double direct spatial isometries (). It is proven that the group state model in inertial frame satisfies a particular “group affine” property and the corresponding error model satisfies a “log-linear” autonomous differential equation on the Lie algebra. Based on such striking property, the attitude from body frame to the defined inertial frame can be estimated based on the linear error model with even extreme large misalignments. Two different error state vectors are extracted based on right and left matrix multiplications and the detailed linear state-space models are derived based on the right and left errors for SINS mechanization in inertial frame. With the derived linear state-space models, the explicit initial alignment procedures have been presented. Extensive simulation and field tests indicate that the initial alignment based on the left error model can perform quite well within a wide range of initial attitude errors, although the used filter is still a type of linear Kalman filter. This method is promising in practical products abandoning the traditional coarse alignment stage.
Relativistic Outflows from a GRMHD Mean-field Disk Dynamo

In this work, we present simulations of thin accretion disks around black holes, in order to investigate a mean-field disk dynamo, using our resistive GRMHD code, which is able to produce a large-scale magnetic flux. We consider a weak seed field in an initially thin disk, a background (turbulent) magnetic diffusivity, and the dynamo action itself. A standard quenching mechanism is applied to mitigate an otherwise exponential increase in the magnetic field. Comparison simulations of an initial Fishbone–Moncrief torus suggest that reconnection may provide another quenching mechanism. The dynamo-generated magnetic flux expands from the disk interior into the disk corona, becomes advected by disk accretion, and fills the axial region of the domain. The dynamo leads to an initially rapid increase in magnetic energy and flux, while for later evolutionary stages the growth stabilizes. Accretion toward the black hole depends strongly on the type of magnetic-field structure that develops. The radial field component supports extraction of angular momentum, and thus accretion. It also sets the conditions for launching a disk wind, initially from the inner disk area. When a strong field engulfs the disk, strong winds are launched, predominantly driven by the pressure gradient of the toroidal field. For rotating black holes, we identify a Poynting flux-dominated jet, driven by the Blandford–Znajek mechanism. This axial Poynting flux is advected from the disk, and therefore accumulates at the expense of the flux carried by the disk wind, which is itself regenerated by the disk dynamo.
Levels of supplementation for grazing pregnant beef cows during the dry season

ABSTRACT - The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of different levels of multiple supplement supply on the nutritional characteristics and productive performance of pregnant cows grazing on Brachiaria decumbens Stapf. during the dry season. The experimental area was composed of four 3.0 ha paddocks with availability of potentially digestible dry matter of 2,582 kg/ha. Twenty-eight crossbred pregnant cows with predominance of Zebu breed at body weight of 446±12 kg were utilized in a completely randomized experimental design. Treatments consisted of mineral supplement (control treatment) and supply of multiple supplement at 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 kg/animal/day with 300 g crude protein (CP)/kg of dry matter (DM). There was quadratic effect of multiple supplementation levels on daily weight gain and a linear increase for ﬁnalbodyconditionscore. The intakes of DM, organic matter (OM) and total digestible nutrients presented no effect with levels of multiple supplement. The coefﬁcientsofapparentdigestibilityofDMandOMhadcubiceffectwithmultiplesupplementationlevels. Therewasno effect of levels of multiple supplementation on the microbial nitrogen ﬂowandefﬁciency,butthemicrobialnitrogenﬂowin relation to nitrogen intake showed decreasing linear proﬁle. Thesupplyof1.0kgofmultiplesupplementoptimizestheperformance of grazing cows during the dry season.Key Words: multiple supplement, nutritional parameters, weight gain
Comparisons of One to Three Monthly Injections of Aflibercept for Diabetic Macular Edema by Practical Protocol

The purpose of this study was to compare the efficacies of one initial intravitreal injection of aflibercept followed by a pro re nata (PRN; 1+PRN) regimen to those of three consecutive monthly injections followed by the PRN (3+PRN) regimen for diabetic macular edema (DME) with practical protocols. The medical records of 95 eyes of 71 cases that were diagnosed with DME and had received intravitreal aflibercept (IVA) injections were reviewed. Fifty-seven eyes had received IVA with the 1+PRN regimen, and 38 eyes had received IVA with the 3+PRN regimen. The best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and the central macular thickness (CMT) were measured at the baseline and at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after the IVA. The mean number of injections of the 1+PRN group was 2.9 ± 1.7, which was significantly fewer than that of the 3+PRN group at 4.6 ± 1.4 (P < 0.001). The change of the mean BCVA before and after the IVA at 12 months of the 3+PRN group was −0.14 ± 0.17 logMAR units which was significantly better than that of the 1+PRN group of −0.045 ± 0.25 logMAR units (P = 0.02). The change of the CMT before and after the IVA at 6 months of the 3+PRN group was −141.3 ± 152.4 μm which was significantly more than that of the 1+PRN group at −86.1 ± 117.8 μm (P = 0.013). Although the mean number of injections was more than that in the 1+PRN regimen, the 3+PRN regimen had better visual outcomes at 12 months. In a practical protocol, we recommend the 3+PRN regimen for patients with DME (IRB#3541).
Comprehensive analysis of AHL gene family and their expression under drought stress and ABA treatment in Populus trichocarpa

The AT-hook motif nuclear-localized (AHL) family is a plant transcription factor family, which plays an important role in growth and development and stress responses. We identified and analyzed 37 AHL genes in poplar (Populus trichocarpa). Phylogenetic analysis classified the PtrAHL members into three subfamilies based on their conserved domain. All PtrAHL paralogous pairs evolved under purifying selection. The promoter analysis revealed the presence of stress-related and phytohormone-related cis-elements of the PtrAHL genes. Our analysis of the tissue-specific expression pattern of PtrAHL genes indicated their significance in tissue and organ development. Network-based prediction suggested that PtrAHL genes may interact with histone deacetylases (HDAC) and participate in the development of organs, such as roots. Drought negatively impacts plant growth and development. ABA is produced under osmotic stress condition, and it takes an important part in the stress response and tolerance of plants. Real-time quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR) showed that PtrAHL genes were induced by drought stress and ABA treatment. These insights into the expression of PtrAHL genes under stress provide a basis for PtrAHL gene functional analysis. Our study will help develop new breeding strategies to improve drought tolerance in poplar.
Morpheme Position Coding in Reading Development as Explored With a Letter Search Task

Suffixes have been shown to be recognized as units of processing in visual word recognition and their identification has been argued to be position-specific in skilled adult readers: in lexical decision tasks suffixes are automatically identified at word endings, but not at word beginnings. The present study set out to investigate whether position-specific coding can be detected with a letter search task and whether children already code suffixes as position-specific units. A preregistered experiment was conducted in Italian in which 3rd-graders, 5th-graders, and adults had to detect a target letter that was either contained in the suffix of a pseudoword (e.g., S in flagish) or in a non-suffix control (e.g., S in flagosh). To investigate sensitivity to position, letters also had to be detected in suffixes and non-suffixes placed in reversed position, that is in the beginning of pseudowords (e.g., S in ishflag vs. oshflag). Results suggested position-specific processing differences between suffixes and non-suffixes that develop throughout reading development. However, some effects were weak and only partially compatible with the hypotheses. Therefore, a second experiment was conducted. The effects of position-specific suffix identification could not be replicated. A combined analysis additionally using a Bayesian approach indicated no processing differences between suffixes and non-suffixes in our task. We discuss potential interpretations and the possibility of letter search being unsuited to investigate morpheme processing. We connect our example of failed self-replication to the current discussion about the replication crisis in psychology and the lesson psycholinguistics can learn.
Taxonomic revision of grass frogs (Ptychadenidae, Ptychadena) endemic to the Ethiopian highlands

Abstract Frogs of the genus Ptychadena that inhabit the Ethiopian highlands serve as a model system to understand biogeography, diversification, and adaptations to high elevations. Despite recent studies focusing on the systematics of this group, the taxonomy of the Ptychadena neumanni species complex remains only partially resolved, owing largely to the morphological resemblance of its members. Here, the taxonomy of this historically problematic group of frogs is revised by integrating morphological and molecular analyses on both century-old type specimens and more recently collected material. Based on these multiple lines of evidence, the P. neumanni species complex is shown to be more speciose than previously thought and four new species are described. With the aim of clarifying and stabilizing the taxonomy of the group, six species are also re-described and morphological and acoustic identification keys are provided. This study also establishes species distribution maps and reveals important differences in range size between the members of the P. neumanni complex, calling for adapted conservation measures across the Ethiopian highlands.
Effect of Growth Regulators on In Vitro Micropropagation of Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) Gudiene and Belete Varieties from Ethiopia

Aim Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is one of the important crops in Ethiopia which has a crucial role in nutritional security, poverty alleviation, and income generation. The aim of the present investigation is to develop an efficient in vitro propagation protocol for Belete and Gudiene potato varieties by using lateral bud as explants. Materials and Methods Shoot initiation was achieved by inoculating buds on full-strength MS Murashige and Skoog medium (MS) fortified with variable concentrations of BAP and NAA. Basal MS was used as control throughout the experiment. Results Results of our study showed that best shoot initiation was obtained on MS medium supplemented with 1.5 mg/l BAP + 3.0 mg/l NAA for Gudiene variety, whereas 1.0 mg/l BAP and 2.0 mg/l NAA produced more shoots in Belete variety. The initiated shoots increased two- to three-fold upon subculture on the MS medium fortified with varying concentrations of BAP and Kinetin. The highest numbers of multiple shoots were obtained in the MS medium containing 2.5 mg/l Kinetin. The combined effect of BAP and Kinetin did not produce any additional positive effect for shoot multiplication. Rooting percentage and number of roots/shoot were found best on the MS medium fortified with 1.0 mg/l IBA + 0.5 IAA. Conclusions The variety Gudiene was found best for shoot initiation and root formation, while Belete variety proved its superiority for multiple shoot formation. A total number of 82.66% of plantlets were acclimatized under field conditions. This work indicates the practical applicability of plant tissue culture using lateral bud as explants is effective for micropropagation of potato in vitro.
Effect of Surface Modification on the Properties of Polypropylene Matrix Reinforced with Coir Fibre and Yam Peel Particulate

Polypropylene composites reinforced with coir fibre and yam peel particulate were produced using compression moulding machine. Treated and untreated coir fibres were used; 1.5 M NaOH was used for the treated coir fibres. Yam peel was grouped into two, treated and untreated; the treated was modified using 1 M solution of NaOH and HCl in the proportion of 30% and 70%, respectively. The yam peel which was sun-dried for 14 days was pulverized and sieved to −45 µm. Samples were developed using treated and untreated reinforcements (TCF/YPP and UCF/YPP) at constant coir fibre proportion (15%) and varied amount of yam peel particulate (2, 4, 6, and 8 wt.%). The hybrid composite samples developed were probed for mechanical properties and thermal and wear behaviour. The level of particles agglomeration at the fibre-matrix interface was examined using scanning electron microscope. The results show that sample reinforced with treated 4 wt. % coir fibre and yam peel particulate had optimum mechanical properties. However, the thermal conductivity of composite samples increased with fibre addition. All composite samples developed had better resistance to abrasion when compared to the control sample.
Quantile-dependent expressivity of serum C-reactive protein concentrations in family sets

Background “Quantile-dependent expressivity” occurs when the effect size of a genetic variant depends upon whether the phenotype (e.g., C-reactive protein, CRP) is high or low relative to its distribution. We have previously shown that the heritabilities (h2) of coffee and alcohol consumption, postprandial lipemia, lipoproteins, leptin, adiponectin, adiposity, and pulmonary function are quantile-specific. Whether CRP heritability is quantile-specific is currently unknown. Methods Serum CRP concentrations from 2,036 sibships and 6,144 offspring-parent pairs were analyzed from the Framingham Heart Study. Quantile-specific heritability from full-sib (βFS, h2 ={(1 + 8rspouseβFS)0.5 − 1}/(2rspouse)) and offspring-parent regression slopes (βOP, h2 = 2βOP/(1 + rspouse)) were estimated robustly by quantile regression with nonparametric significance determined from 1,000 bootstrap samples. Results Quantile-specific h2 (±SE) increased with increasing percentiles of the offspring’s age- and sex-adjusted CRP distribution when estimated from βOP (Ptrend = 0.0004): 0.02 ± 0.01 at the 10th, 0.04 ± 0.01 at the 25th, 0.10 ± 0.02 at the 50th, 0.20 ± 0.05 at the 75th, and 0.33 ± 0.10 at the 90th percentile, and when estimated from βFS (Ptrend = 0.0008): 0.03±0.01 at the 10th, 0.06 ± 0.02 at the 25th, 0.14 ± 0.03 at the 50th, 0.24 ± 0.05 at the 75th, and 0.53 ± 0.21 at the 90th percentile. Conclusion Heritability of serum CRP concentration is quantile-specific, which may explain or contribute to the inflated CRP differences between CRP (rs1130864, rs1205, rs1800947, rs2794521, rs3091244), FGB (rs1800787), IL-6 (rs1800795, rs1800796), IL6R (rs8192284), TNF-α (rs1800629) and APOE genotypes following CABG surgery, stroke, TIA, curative esophagectomy, intensive periodontal therapy, or acute exercise; during acute coronary syndrome or Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia; or in patients with chronic rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, peripheral arterial disease, ankylosing spondylitis, obesity or inflammatory bowel disease or who smoke.
Analysis of Differentially Expressed Genes in the Dentate Gyrus and Anterior Cingulate Cortex in a Mouse Model of Depression

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a prevalent, chronic, and relapse-prone psychiatric disease. However, the intermediate molecules resulting from stress and neurological impairment in different brain regions are still unclear. To clarify the pathological changes in the dentate gyrus (DG) and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) regions of the MDD brain, which are the most closely related to the disease, we investigated the published microarray profile dataset GSE84183 to identify unpredictable chronic mild stress- (UCMS-) induced differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the DG and ACC regions. Based on the DEG data, functional annotation, protein-protein interaction, and transcription factor (TF) analyses were performed. In this study, 1071 DEGs (679 upregulated and 392 downregulated) and 410 DEGs (222 upregulated and 188 downregulated) were identified in DG and ACC, respectively. The pathways and GO terms enriched by the DEGs in the DG, such as cell adhesion, proteolysis, ion transport, transmembrane transport, chemical synaptic transmission, immune system processes, response to lipopolysaccharide, and nervous system development, may reveal the molecular mechanism of MDD. However, the DEGs in the ACC involved metabolic processes, proteolysis, visual learning, DNA methylation, innate immune responses, cell migration, and circadian rhythm. Sixteen hub genes in the DG (Fn1, Col1a1, Anxa1, Penk, Ptgs2, Cdh1, Timp1, Vim, Rpl30, Rps21, Dntt, Ptk2b, Jun, Avp, Slit1, and Sema5a) were identified. Eight hub genes in the ACC (Prkcg, Grin1, Syngap1, Rrp9, Grwd1, Pik3r1, Hnrnpc, and Prpf40a) were identified. In addition, eleven TFs (Chd2, Zmiz1, Myb, Etv4, Rela, Tcf4, Tcf12, Chd1, Mef2a, Ubtf, and Mxi1) were predicted to regulate more than two of these hub genes. The expression levels of ten randomly selected hub genes that were specifically differentially expressed in the MDD-like animal model were verified in the corresponding regions in the human brain. These hub genes and TFs may be regarded as potential targets for future MDD treatment strategies, thus aiding in the development of new therapeutic approaches to MDD.