Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Redox‐Based Ion‐Gating Reservoir, Utilizing Double Reservoir States in Drain and Gate Nonlinear Responses

Herein, physical reservoir computing with a redox‐based ion‐gating reservoir (redox‐IGR) comprising LixWO3 thin film and lithium‐ion conducting glass ceramic (LICGC) is demonstrated. The subject redox‐IGR successfully solves a second‐order nonlinear dynamic equation by utilizing voltage pulse driven ion‐gating in a LixWO3 channel to enable reservoir computing. Under the normal conditions, in which only the drain current (ID) is used for the reservoir states, the lowest prediction error is 8.15 × 10−4. Performance is enhanced by the addition of IG to the reservoir states, resulting in a significant lowering of the prediction error to 5.39 × 10−4, which is noticeably lower than other types of physical reservoirs (memristors and spin torque oscillators) reported to date. A second‐order nonlinear autoregressive moving average (NARMA2) task, a typical benchmark of reservoir computing, is also performed with the IGR and good performance is achieved, with a normalized mean square error (NMSE) of 0.163. A short‐term memory task is performed to investigate an enhancement mechanism resulting from the IG addition. An increase in memory capacity, from 2.35 without IG to 3.57 with IG, is observed in the forgetting curves, indicating that enhancement of both high dimensionality and memory capacity is attributed to the origin of the performance improvement.
Computational and Data Requirements for Learning Generic Properties of Simulation-Based Games

Empirical game-theoretic analysis (EGTA) is primarily focused on learning the equilibria of simulation-based games. Recent approaches have tackled this problem by learning a uniform approximation of the game’s utilities, and then applying precision-recall theorems: i.e., all equilibria of the true game are approximate equilibria in the estimated game, and vice-versa. In this work, we generalize this approach to all game properties that are well behaved (i.e., Lipschitz continuous in utilities), including regret (which deﬁnes Nash and correlated equilibria), adversarial values, and power-mean and Gini social welfare. Further, we introduce a novel algorithm—progressive sampling with pruning (PSP)—for learning a uniform approximation and thus any well-behaved property of a game, which prunes strategy proﬁles once the corresponding players’ utilities are well-estimated, and we analyze its data and query complexities in terms of the a priori unknown utility variances. We experiment with our algorithm extensively, showing that 1) the number of queries that PSP saves is highly sensitive to the utility variance distribution, and 2) PSP consistently outperforms theoretical upper bounds, achieving signiﬁcantly lower query complexities than natural baselines. We conclude with experiments that uncover some of the remaining diﬃculties with learning properties of simulation-based games, in spite of recent advances in statistical EGTA methodology, including those developed herein.
Joint Optimization of Ranking and Calibration with Contextualized Hybrid Model

Despite the development of ranking optimization techniques, pointwise loss remains the dominating approach for click-through rate prediction. It can be attributed to the calibration ability of the pointwise loss since the prediction can be viewed as the click probability. In practice, a CTR prediction model is also commonly assessed with the ranking ability. To optimize the ranking ability, ranking loss (e.g., pairwise or listwise loss) can be adopted as they usually achieve better rankings than pointwise loss. Previous studies have experimented with a direct combination of the two losses to obtain the benefit from both losses and observed an improved performance. However, previous studies break the meaning of output logit as the click-through rate, which may lead to sub-optimal solutions. To address this issue, we propose an approach that can Jointly optimize the Ranking and Calibration abilities (JRC for short). JRC improves the ranking ability by contrasting the logit value for the sample with different labels and constrains the predicted probability to be a function of the logit subtraction. We further show that JRC consolidates the interpretation of logits, where the logits model the joint distribution. With such an interpretation, we prove that JRC approximately optimizes the contextualized hybrid discriminative-generative objective. Experiments on public and industrial datasets and online A/B testing show that our approach improves both ranking and calibration abilities. Since May 2022, JRC has been deployed on the display advertising platform of Alibaba and has obtained significant performance improvements.
The Effect of Environment on Galaxy Spiral Arms, Bars, Concentration, and Quenching

For a sample of 4378 nearby spiral and S0 galaxies, Yu & Ho used Fourier analysis of Sloan Digital Sky Survey images to show that the strengths of the spiral arms and the pitch angles of the arms are inversely correlated with central concentration. In the current study, we search for trends in the Yu & Ho spiral arm parameters with environment and specific star formation rate (sSFR). When comparing galaxies with similar concentrations, we do not find a significant difference in the arm strengths or pitch angles of spiral galaxies in clusters compared to field galaxies. When differences in concentration are taken into account, we also find no significant difference in the parameter f3 for cluster spirals compared to field spirals, where f3 is the normalized m = 3 Fourier amplitude. When concentration is held fixed, both arm strength and pitch angle are correlated with sSFR, but f3 is not. These relations support the suggestion by Davis et al. of a “fundamental plane” of spiral structure involving pitch angle, bulge stellar mass, and gas surface density. We discuss these results in terms of theories of spiral arm production and quenching in galaxies. To aid comparison with earlier studies based on Galaxy Zoo, we explore how the Yu & Ho parameters relate to similar parameters measured by Galaxy Zoo (i.e., f3 versus the number of arms, pitch angle versus winding parameter, and concentration versus bulge class).
DDX7: Differentiable FM Synthesis of Musical Instrument Sounds

FM Synthesis is a well-known algorithm used to generate complex timbre from a compact set of design primitives. Typically featuring a MIDI interface, it is usually impractical to control it from an audio source. On the other hand, Differentiable Digital Signal Processing (DDSP) has enabled nuanced audio rendering by Deep Neural Networks (DNNs) that learn to control differentiable synthesis layers from arbitrary sound inputs. The training process involves a corpus of audio for supervision, and spectral reconstruction loss functions. Such functions, while being great to match spectral amplitudes, present a lack of pitch direction which can hinder the joint optimization of the parameters of FM synthesizers. In this paper, we take steps towards enabling continuous control of a well-established FM synthesis architecture from an audio input. Firstly, we discuss a set of design constraints that ease spectral optimization of a differentiable FM synthesizer via a standard reconstruction loss. Next, we present Differentiable DX7 (DDX7), a lightweight architecture for neural FM resynthesis of musical instrument sounds in terms of a compact set of parameters. We train the model on instrument samples extracted from the URMP dataset, and quantitatively demonstrate its comparable audio quality against selected benchmarks.
Results of a search for the h c ( 1 P 1 ) state of charmonium in the η c γ and J/ψπ 0 decay modes

We report evidence for the h{sub c} state of charmonium in its {eta}{sub c}{gamma} decay mode and lack of evidence in the J/{psi}{pi}{sup 0} mode. We studied these channels in pp annihilations near the center of gravity of the {sup 3}P{sub J} states, where the h{sub c} was reported in the J/{psi}{pi}{sup 0} mode by E760, our previous experiment, at 3526.2{+-}0.15{+-}0.2 MeV, with {gamma}{sub R}{<=}1 MeV. We observe an event excess in the {eta}{sub c}{gamma} mode near 3526 MeV. Testing the null hypothesis of a linearly varying background cross section against the alternate hypothesis that includes a resonance near 3526 MeV, we reject the null hypothesis with P{approx}0.001. The resonance mass is 3525.8{+-}0.2{+-}0.2 MeV and the resonance width {<=}1 MeV. We estimate 10.0{+-}3.5<{gamma}{sub pp}B{sub {eta}{sub c}}{sub {gamma}}<12.0{+-}4.5 eV, corresponding to fixed values 0.5<{gamma}{sub R}<1.0 MeV. We find no event excess within the search region in the J/{psi}{pi}{sup 0} mode.
Stability, survival, and patient satisfaction with CAD/CAM versus conventional multistranded fixed retainers in orthodontic patients: a 6-month follow-up of a two-centre randomized controlled clinical trial

Summary Objectives The primary aim of this two-arm parallel two-centre randomized controlled trial was to compare computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) versus conventional multistranded fixed retainers (FRs) in terms of stability over 6 months. Secondary outcomes were failure rates and patient satisfaction. Methods Patients were randomized to CAD/CAM or conventional FRs in both arches, in 1:1 ratio and blocks of four. Allocation concealment was secured by using sequentially numbered envelopes. Patients were blinded. Retainers were bonded at the end of orthodontic treatment (T0), and patients were recalled after 1 (T1), 3 (T3), and 6 (T6) months. First-time retainer failures were recorded and digital impressions were taken. Arch widths and lengths, as well as Little’s Irregularity Index (LII), were measured. Additionally, patients answered satisfaction questionnaires. Linear mixed models were applied for measurements and patient satisfaction. Survival analyses were estimated with Kaplan-Meier curves, along with Cox-regression modelling. Results One hundred and eighty-one patients were randomized (98 in Centre 1, and 83 in Centre 2): Ninety in the CAD/CAM group and 91 in the conventional group. Three subjects dropped out at baseline, as they did not attend any of the follow-up appointments.168 patients attended the T6 visit. There were no significant differences in arch dimensions between T0 and T6, whilst the LII was different only in the CAD/CAM group (mean difference: 0.2 mm; 95% confidence interval: 0.1 to 0.4; P < 0.001). Within 6 months, 39 upper retainers (19 out of 88 CAD/CAM and 20 out of 90 conventional retainers) and 52 lower retainers failed (26 out of 88 CAD/CAM and 26 out of 90 conventional retainers), with no significant difference between the survival of both types of retainers (hazard ratios conventional to CAD/CAM: upper arch: 0.99 [P =0.99], lower arch: 0.93 [P = 0.80]). There were no significant changes in patient satisfaction between the groups. No harms were observed. Conclusions There were no clinically significant differences in LII, arch widths and lengths between CAD/CAM and conventional retainers after 6 months. There was no difference in failures and in patient satisfaction between both types of FRs. Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04389879.
Assessment of Exercise-Associated Gastrointestinal Perturbations in Research and Practical Settings: Methodological Concerns and Recommendations for Best Practice.

Strenuous exercise is synonymous with disturbing gastrointestinal integrity and function, subsequently prompting systemic immune responses and exercise-associated gastrointestinal symptoms, a condition established as "exercise-induced gastrointestinal syndrome. " When exercise stress and aligned exacerbation factors (i.e., extrinsic and intrinsic) are of substantial magnitude, these exercise-associated gastrointestinal perturbations can cause performance decrements and health implications of clinical significance. This potentially explains the exponential growth in exploratory, mechanistic, and interventional research in exercise gastroenterology to understand, accurately measure and interpret, and prevent or attenuate the performance debilitating and health consequences of exercise-induced gastrointestinal syndrome. Considering the recent advancement in exercise gastroenterology research, it has been highlighted that published literature in the area is consistently affected by substantial experimental limitations that may affect the accuracy of translating study outcomes into practical application/s and/or design of future research. This perspective methodological review attempts to highlight these concerns and provides guidance to improve the validity, reliability, and robustness of the next generation of exercise gastroenterology research. These methodological concerns include participant screening and description, exertional and exertional heat stress load, dietary control, hydration status, food and fluid provisions, circadian variation, biological sex differences, comprehensive assessment of established markers of exercise-induced gastrointestinal syndrome, validity of gastrointestinal symptoms assessment tool, and data reporting and presentation. Standardized experimental procedures are needed for the accurate interpretation of research findings, avoiding misinterpreted (e.g., pathological relevance of response magnitude) and overstated conclusions (e.g., clinical and practical relevance of intervention research outcomes), which will support more accurate translation into safe practice guidelines.
Multispecies biofilm behavior and host interaction support the association of Tannerella serpentiformis with periodontal health

Abstract The recently identified bacterium Tannerella serpentiformis is the closest phylogenetic relative of Tannerella forsythia, whose presence in oral biofilms is associated with periodontitis. Conversely, T. serpentiformis is considered health‐associated. This discrepancy was investigated in a comparative study of the two Tannerella species. The biofilm behavior was analyzed upon their addition and of Porphyromonas gingivalis—each bacterium separately or in combinations—to an in vitro five‐species oral model biofilm. Biofilm composition and architecture was analyzed quantitatively using real‐time PCR and qualitatively by fluorescence in situ hybridization/confocal laser scanning microscopy, and by scanning electron microscopy. The presence of T. serpentiformis led to a decrease of the total cell number of biofilm bacteria, while P. gingivalis was growth‐promoting. This effect was mitigated by T. serpentiformis when added to the biofilm together with P. gingivalis. Notably, T. serpentiformis outcompeted T. forsythia numbers when the two species were simultaneously added to the biofilm compared to biofilms containing T. forsythia alone. Tannerella serpentiformis appeared evenly distributed throughout the multispecies biofilm, while T. forsythia was surface‐located. Adhesion and invasion assays revealed that T. serpentiformis was significantly less effective in invading human gingival epithelial cells than T. forsythia. Furthermore, compared to T. forsythia, a higher immunostimulatory potential of human gingival fibroblasts and macrophages was revealed for T. serpentiformis, based on mRNA expression levels of the inflammatory mediators interleukin 6 (IL‐6), IL‐8, monocyte chemoattractant protein‐1 and tumor necrosis factor α, and production of the corresponding proteins. Collectively, these data support the potential of T. serpentiformis to interfere with biological processes relevant to the establishment of periodontitis.
Prognostic impact of complex karyotype on post‐transplant outcomes of myelofibrosis

Chromosomal abnormalities in the role of prognostic factor for transplant patients with myelofibrosis (MF) are not fully investigated. Regarding complex karyotype (CK), we retrospectively analyzed 241 patients with primary and secondary MF who received a first allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). Based on an unfavorable karyotype in the Dynamic International Prognostic Scoring System, we compared the outcomes in 3 groups: favorable karyotype, unfavorable karyotype including CK (unfavorable‐CK(+)), and unfavorable karyotype not including CK (unfavorable‐CK(–)). Overall survival was significantly shorter in the unfavorable‐CK(+) group (hazard ratio (HR) 2.49, 95% CI: 1.46–4.24, P < 0.001), whereas there was no difference between the unfavorable‐CK(–) group and the favorable group (HR 0.57, 95% CI: 0.20–1.59, P = 0.28). In addition, a significantly higher proportion of patients in the unfavorable‐CK(+) group did not achieve complete remission after HCT (P = 0.007). The cumulative incidence of disease progression was significantly higher in the unfavorable‐CK(+) group (HR 2.5, 95% CI 1.6–3.92, P < 0.001), whereas that in the unfavorable‐CK(–) group was comparable to that in the favorable group (HR 0.49, 95% CI 0.12–1.94, P = 0.31). Further investigations will be needed to clarify the impact of CK on transplant outcomes in MF.
Estimating SARS-CoV-2 variant fitness and the impact of interventions in England using statistical and geo-spatial agent-based models

The SARS-CoV-2 epidemic has been extended by the evolution of more transmissible viral variants. In autumn 2020, the B.1. 177 lineage became the dominant variant in England, before being replaced by the B.1. 1.7 (Alpha) lineage in late 2020, with the sweep occurring at different times in each region. This period coincided with a large number of non-pharmaceutical interventions (e.g. lockdowns) to control the epidemic, making it difficult to estimate the relative transmissibility of variants. In this paper, we model the spatial spread of these variants in England using a meta-population agent-based model which correctly characterizes the regional variation in cases and distribution of variants. As a test of robustness, we additionally estimated the relative transmissibility of multiple variants using a statistical model based on the renewal equation, which simultaneously estimates the effective reproduction number R. Relative to earlier variants, the transmissibility of B.1. 177 is estimated to have increased by 1.14 (1.12–1.16) and that of Alpha by 1.71 (1.65–1.77). The vaccination programme starting in December 2020 is also modelled. Counterfactual simulations demonstrate that the vaccination programme was essential for reopening in March 2021, and that if the January lockdown had started one month earlier, up to 30 k (24 k–38 k) deaths could have been prevented. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Technical challenges of modelling real-life epidemics and examples of overcoming these’.
Research in Economics Socio-economic and environmental factors in the global spread of COVID-19 outbreak

COVID-19 is a virus with a very fast spread rate in the world. Therefore, knowledge of factors that may explain such spread is paramount. The main objective of this research was to analyze the determinants of the virus spread worldwide. Unlike previous studies that were limited to traditional factors, this research extends the analysis to government measures (quarantine, containment, and response budget) against the spread of the virus. Thus, an econometric model relating the variable of interest to a number of variables was carried out using the Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) and the Two Steps Least Squares (2SLS) methods on a sample of 163 countries. The main ﬁndings indicate that economic factors such as the level of development, the degree of trade openness and the response budget to the COVID-19 pandemic, have a positive effect on the spread of the virus. With regard to social factors, the population density and conﬁnement are major causes of the spread of the virus. Finally, temperature contributes to reduce the spread of the virus. These ﬁndings are robust to the estimation technique and to the measurement of the spread of the virus considered. In the light to these ﬁndings, implications for economic policies have been drawn. Venice.
Italian Research Assessment VQR: Framework, Achievements and Controversies

Research assessment is an important basis for university funding and a solid pillar of the national innovation system. The Italian research assessment VQR has been reformed rapidly with outstanding achievements and representative controversies, thus showing its significant research value. In this paper, on the basis of studying the VQR's framework, we summarize its achievements and controversies. VQR has stimulated university competition, assisted higher education accountability, and improved research management mechanisms. However, it has also encountered controversies in methods, indicators, algorithms, and submission procedures, etc. Based on the detailed research and discussion on VQR, this paper can provide experience for the evolution and development trend of world research assessment.
Investigating Factors Affecting ESL Students in Translation in Higher Education

Many language students find it difficult to translate English texts into another language as required since many books are now written in English language, so researches have examined some major factors that influence students’ translating process. A mixed method of quantitative and qualitative approach was employed to examine ESL students’ perception on grammar, vocabulary and prior knowledge factors in their translation. The participants were 116 English language students in online translation classes at a private university, under the employment of a 5-point Likert scale questionnaire and a semi-structured interview to gain deep understanding into factors affecting them in translation and possible solutions to achieve the best translation. The results revealed that vocabulary was the most influential factor. Prior knowledge was the second consideration as medical knowledge was most contributed while grammar was not significantly appreciated by the participants. It is to suggest that ESL students should learn a wide range of vocabulary and teachers should provide a good input of vocabulary to help students perform better in translation. Also, gaining more knowledge in different fields of study such as medical, technological and cultural knowledge was more considerable.
Reversal Modes in Magnetic Nanowires

The aim of this thesis is to explain phenomena in the reversal of the magnetisation in magnetic nanowires by analysing the underlying fundamental equations. In numerical simulations two different reversal modes have been found: the transverse mode occurring in very thin wires and the vortex mode occuring for thicker wires. We study the two modes analytically and investigate the reasons why they occur.