Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Zero-shot stitching in Reinforcement Learning using Relative Representations

In this paper we investigate the use of a recent method called "relative representations" to enable zero-shot model stitching in visual RL between encoders and policies trained on the CarRacing environment, which does not require additional training. Our experiments show that the relative representation framework can be effectively applied to the RL realm to obtain compositionality and therefore zero-shot stitching across agents with multiple variation factors: i) random seed for the training; ii) environment style (background color); iii) training algorithm used (PPO and DDQN)
MODELLING THE ASYMMETRIC EFFECT OF MACROECONOMIC VARIABLES ON SOUTH AFRICA'S MONEY SUPPLY

The management of the money supply holds significant importance as it enables the central bank to effectively exert control over inflationary pressures within the economy. An excessive expansion of the money supply has the potential to result in demand-pull inflation. The objective of this study is to examine the unequal influence of macroeconomic factors on money supply in South Africa, utilising a yearly dataset covering the period from 1971 to 2020. The parameters were estimated in this study using the NARDL bounds cointegration technique. The findings of the study provided empirical evidence supporting the existence of a sustained correlation between the money supply and various macroeconomic indicators. The findings suggest a linear association between GDP and money supply, as the latter exhibits a response solely to negative values of GDP. Consequently, a decline in GDP results in a reduction in the money supply. Moreover, it is worth noting that interest rates exhibit a non-linear impact on the money supply. An increase in interest rates results in a decrease in the money supply
Analysis of suspended sediment concentration and discharge relations to identify particle origins in small agricultural watersheds

The relationship between suspended sediment concentration (SSC) and discharge often is highly variable in headwater streams, which highlights the temporal changes in particle origin and availability in small catchments. This paper analyses this variability to identify suspended sediment (SS) origins in two small agricultural catchments in northwestern France. Turbidity and discharge were monitored at high frequencies at the outlets. Annual and monthly SS fluxes were very different in the two streams. At the flood scale, various methods were tested to trace sediment origins and to quantify their specific fluxes: SSC-discharge pattern interpretation, SS flux modelling, temporal variations in specific turbidity (turbidity/ SSC ratio), or phosphorus content. The high SS fluxes in one stream mainly were due to the mobilisation of instream sediment or to bank erosion. SS fluxes in the other stream mainly were due to slope erosion caused by intensive farming; however, input to this stream was limited because of naturally-occurring tree-lined banks.
Associations of Long-term Particulate Matter and Ozone Air Pollution Exposures with Pulmonary Function: Does Excess Weight Increase Risk of Enhanced Decrements?

xiii CHAPTER I Ozone Exposure, Cardiopulmonary Health, and Obesity: A Substantive Review . 1 Summary . 1 Background and Motivation for Research . 3 Ozone Exposures, Obesity and Cardiopulmonary Health . 6 Methods . 11 Results . 12 Discussion . 20 Conclusions . 27 Tables. 28 CHAPTER II Associations of Long-term Particulate Matter and Ozone Air Pollution Exposures with Pulmonary Function in the CARDIA Study . 35
JNNP240366 1112..1118

Background Our understanding of the natural history of idiopathic Parkinson’s disease (PD) remains limited. In the era of potential disease modifying therapies, there is an urgent need for studies assessing the natural evolution of treated PD from onset so that relevant outcome measures can be identified for clinical trials. No previous studies have charted progression in unselected patients followed from the point of diagnosis. Methods A representative cohort of 132 PD patients was followed from diagnosis for up to 7.9 years (mean 5.2 years). Comprehensive clinical and neuropsychological evaluations were performed every 18 months. Disease progression was evaluated using well validated clinical measures (motor progression and development of dyskinesia on the Unified PD Rating Scale and HoehneYahr scale, dementia onset according to DSM-IV criteria). Multi-level linear modelling was used to chart the nature and rate of progression in parkinsonian symptoms and signs over time. The prognostic importance of baseline demogr‘aphic, clinical and genetic variables was evaluated using survival
An ‘Integrated’ Framework for the Comparative Analysis of the Territorial Innovation Dynamics of Developed and Emerging Countries

This paper discusses recent developments in the literature on local and regional innovative performance in order to show how an 'integrated' conceptual framework based on the cross-fertilisation of different theories can serve as a foundation for the comparative analysis of territorial innovation dynamics in both developed and developing countries. The paper outlines a conceptual framework to explain the differences between innovation systems and their geography by drawing on elements of endogenous growth, new economic geography and regional innovation systems. This framework forms the basis of the subsequent analysis of the differences in innovative capacity between the European Union, the Unites States – as the leader system to be challenged – and China and India as emerging competitors for international technological leadership. The systematic analysis of a large body of empirical literature shows important differences between the spatial patterning of 'emerging' (China and India) and 'mature' (EU and US) innovation systems. (This abstract was borrowed from another version of this item.)
Robust virtual implementation with incomplete information: Towards a reinterpretation of the Wilson doctrine

We consider robust virtual implementation, where robustness is the requirement that implementation succeed in all type spaces consistent with a given payoff type space as well as with a given space of first-order beliefs about the other agents\' payoff types. This last bit, which constitutes our reinterpretation of the Wilson doctrine, allows us to obtain very permissive results. Our first result is that generically, if there are at least three alternatives, any incentive compatible social choice function is robustly virtually implementable in iteratively undominated strategies. Further, we characterize robust virtual implementation in iteratively undominated strategies by means of incentive compatibility and measurability. Our characterization is independent of the presence of monetary transfers or assumptions alike, made in previous studies. Our work also clarifies the measurability condition in connection to the generic diversity of preferences used in our first result.
Social capital, rules, and institutions: A cross-country investigation

Research on the institutional foundations of economic development emphasizes either rulebound systems of exchange or informal bonds between individuals and within small groups. This corresponds to a classical division in social science, between the forces of society and those of community. This cleavage largely ignores their interactions, which are likely to shape the institutions that underpin economic development in decisive ways. This paper operationalises and tests how the interaction of the forces of community (or social capital) and society (or rules) impact three types of institutions: those involved in problem solving, those that shape microeconomic efficiency and those that influence social policy, across fiftyeight countries. We find that both community and society are important determinants across all institutional domains, and are in many cases mutually reinforcing, but that different specific aspects of community and society are most relevant to different institutional domains. Instrumental associationalism, whether formal or informal, and a robust rules environment are the most important determinants of positive institutional outcomes.
Catching Up in Total Factor Productivity through the Business Cycle : Evidence from Spanish Manufacturing Surveys

Spain has recently experienced more than a decade of price stability and economic growth however now is showing one of the most significant slowdowns in economic activity of the EU economies. There is a general consensus that this slowdown in economic activity is particularly important in Spain due to the low level and low rates of growth experienced by total factor productivity (TFP) during more than a decade. Among the key policy elements that could enhance TFP of manufacturing firms in Spain we find those related to human capital, foreign direct investment, and process innovations. We evaluate the effect of recessions on the productivity growth of firms with different level of productivity. We present evidence on the dynamic of firm’s TFP through the business cycle allowing for a differentiated behavior for technological leaders and followers. We observe lower persistence and faster convergence in TFP during recessions and, higher persistence and non convergence in TFP during expansions. These empirical findings are consistent with the predictions obtained from the technological diffusion literature and from the fact that firm’s innovation is pro-cyclical. These conclusions are obtained from a microeconometric analysis of surveys of Spanish manufacturing firms (ESEE) from 1991 to year 2005. JEL Classification: C23, C52, D24, L16, L60
Determinants, Nutritional Support and Constraints of Crossbred Cattle Adoption: A Case Study of Dairying in Assam #

While studies show that cattle crossbreeding has important role for dairy development, the adoption of crossbred cattle and diffusion of artificial insemination (AI) is found to be at a nascent stage in Assam resulting in the fact that he state has continued to remain as a milk deficit state. Using techniques such as Probit regression, Propensity Score Matching (PSM) and Rank Based Quotient (RBQ) for cross-section data of 245 smallholder dairy farmers distributed in 3 representative districts of Assam, the study examines the constraints of adoption of crossbred cattle along with its contribution to nutritional security in the state. The study finds that factors such as herd-size, knowledge about AI, membership of dairy cooperative society, being beneficiary of government dairy development schemes and milk price significantly influence adoption of crossbred cattle. Furthermore, adoption of crossbred cattle has significant influence on nutritional gain of the people by way of increase in net dairy income/milch animal/day along with enhanced milk and meat consumption. Hence, working on adoption constraints such as higher requirement of feed and fodder by crossbred cattle, higher requirement of care by these animals, difficulty in getting green fodder etc. as perceived by the farmers would incentivize their adoption of the new technology. Overall, the findings of the study advocate for expansion of extension services, strengthening of dairy cooperative society (DCS) network and raising milk price towards diffusion of crossbred cattle.
Distributive politics and decentralisation in Chile and Peru

:  e paper presents evidence that decentralisation increases partisan inﬂuence in the allocation of non-programmatic resources.  e model employs a panel data and ﬁxed e ﬀ ects analysis using data corresponding to intergovernmental transfers from the national level, passing through the regional level and earmarked for investment for local governments in Chile (2008-2018) and Peru (2004 - 2013).  e results indicate political inﬂuence on the distribution of resources.  e distribution of resources is used tactically in both countries in presidential election years.  e implementation of laws increasing political decentralisation in Chile and Peru increased the political bias in resource distribution.  e results have policy implications and provide a comparative perspective on the development of ﬁscal institutions in both countries. In a continental scenario, in which Latin American countries are undergoing a strong decentralisation process, it is suggested to advance in reforms that increase transparency, accountability and citizen participation. In addition, it is advisable to limit non-programmatic allocations and provide stability in the distribution of public resources.
How does individual quality and mate attractiveness affect courtship and mating behaviour?

Courtship and mating are costly and as a result, organisms are faced with trade-off decisions between the costs and benefits which arise from them. Individuals use information on their own quality and the attractiveness of their potential mate to determine whether to court and mate, and if so how much energy to invest in these activities. An individual’s quality can affect its ability to perform sexual activities and determine the energy the individual is able to invest in such activities. Organisms assess one another on their relative attractiveness, which allows them to determine the relative benefits they will receive from courting and mating with them. How quality and attractiveness affects the decisions which organisms face when presented with a courtship or mating opportunity is not fully known. This study altered the quality and attractiveness of Drosophila melanogaster , through the manipulation of nutrient levels in their diets, to investigate how this would affect the decisions and energy investments that they made towards courtship and mating behaviours. Results showed that courtship latency was unaffected by differing levels of quality and attractiveness, while courtship frequency was affected. No results were provided for how mating behaviours were affected by quality and attractiveness. This study concludes that an organisms level of attractiveness is the combination of various traits which can each have different influences on courtship behaviour, leading to different trade-off decisions being faced. An individual’s attractiveness is also relative to the quality of their potential mate.
Gauge Theory and Low-Dimensional Topology: Progress and Interaction

We consider the canonical contact structures on links of rational surface singularities with reduced fundamental cycle. These singularities can be characterized by their resolution graphs: the graph is a tree, and the weight of each vertex is no greater than its negative valency. The contact links are given by the boundaries of the corresponding plumbings. In a joint work with L. Starkston, we have previously shown that if the weight of each vertex in the graph is at most − 5, the contact structure has a unique symplectic filling (up to symplectic deformation and blow-up); the proof was based on a symplectic analog of de Jong and van Straten’s description of smoothings of these singularities. Here, we give a short self-contained proof of the uniqueness of fillings, via analysis of positive monodromy factorizations for planar open books supporting these contact structures.
The Effect of Leucine Supplementation on Mitochondrial The Effect of Leucine Supplementation on Mitochondrial Biogenesis and Mitochondrial Protein Synthesis in Rats Fed a Biogenesis and Mitochondrial Protein Synthesis in Rats Fed a High-Fat Diet High-Fat Diet

This study aims to illuminate interaction between leucine supplementation and mitochondrial proteins concerned with synthesis and biogenesis. We hypothesized that supplementation with leucine will attenuate the weight gain of the high fat diet in comparison with the normal chow group, by enhancing mitochondrial biogenesis and content. We conducted a laboratory experiment using Western Blotting techniques to determine protein expression. Proteins of interest in this study include PGC-1α, COX-IV, TUFM, TFAM, and mtIF2. The findings from the research show a main effect of an increase in the expression of PGC-1 α in high fat diets. There was no difference in the expression of COX-IV with regard to either leucine supplementation or diet. There was a main effect of an increase in the expression of TUFM in high fat diets. A main effect of an increase in mtIF2 was seen in NC groups when compared with HF diet groups. The findings of this study support the current model that high fat diets cause dysregulation of mitochondria in that PGC-1 α protein content was upregulated and yet COX-IV protein content was unchanged.
Complex Oxides for Computing Beyond von Neumann

The areal footprint of memristive devices is a key consideration in material-based computing and for their applications in large-scale architectures. In ionic material relying on filamentary switching mechanisms, nanoscale control of the filament crucial to resistive switching in miniaturised devices, is a roadblock to their successful implementation in such architectures. Areal switching mechansims have the potential to be more readily scalable while reducing the power. This chapter explores the effect of areal downscaling of Schottky devices, with radial dimension varying between 100 μ m - 800 nm. A reliable device fabrication method is developed that allows for minimal device-to-device variability so that the effect of area can be isolated. Using device designs that exploit additional electric field effects at the device edges, an unexpected enhancement in the resistance window when reducing device area is found. The microscopic nature of the switching is studied using scanning transmission electron microscopy on interfaces in the virgin state of the device and after switching to high and low resistance states. An interfacial layer is observed whose physical extent is influenced by the applied electric field, highlighting the role of oxygen vacancy trap migration to memristive switching and augmented by a generalised device modelling that captures the kinetics of the switching process.
Eﬀicient Neural Networks for Tiny Machine Learning: A Comprehensive Review

The field of Tiny Machine Learning (TinyML) has gained significant attention due to its potential to enable intelligent applications on resource-constrained devices. This review provides an in-depth analysis of the advancements in efficient neural networks and the deployment of deep learning models on ultra-low power microcontrollers (MCUs) for TinyML applications. It begins by introducing neural networks and discussing their architectures and resource requirements. It then explores MEMS-based applications on ultra-low power MCUs, highlighting their potential for enabling TinyML on resource-constrained devices. The core of the review centres on efficient neural networks for TinyML. It covers techniques such as model compression, quantization, and low-rank factorization, which optimize neural network architectures for minimal resource utilization on MCUs. The paper then delves into the deployment of deep learning models on ultra-low power MCUs, addressing challenges such as limited computational capabilities and memory resources. Techniques like model pruning, hardware acceleration, and algorithm-architecture co-design are discussed as strategies to enable efficient deployment. Lastly, the review provides an overview of current limitations in the field, including the trade-off between model complexity and resource constraints. Overall, this review paper presents a comprehensive analysis of efficient neural networks and deployment strategies for TinyML on ultra-low-power MCUs. It identifies future research directions for unlocking the full potential of TinyML applications on resource-constrained devices.
Investigation of physiological changes in the affected Quercus brantii stand by oak charcoal disease

The purpose of this work was to monitor the effects of the environmental factors include temperature, precipitation and sun radiation on some physiological aspects of Q. brantii trees in the forest stand involved with the oak charcoal disease during a growing season. We designed a systematic random sampling and all trees were examined for disease status. Our result showed that 70.96% of the trees with different intensities are affected by the charcoal disease. Accordingly, values of predawn leaf water potential (PWP), midday leaf water potential (MWP) and chlorophyll variables showed significant difference in classes of oak charcoal disease. Linear regression analysis showed that the values of PWP, MWP and chlorophyll are changing at the high temperature. Mean of canker length are 20.5 cm and 51.7 cm in class 2 and 3 respectively and there is a great relation between PWP value and canker length (r2 = 0.914). Canker length also has a linear relation with MWP values (r2 = 0.627). Drought stress affected the physiological functions of oak trees and considerably reduced their defense potential against pathogen agents.
U-Mo covariation in marine shales of Wufeng—Longmaxi Formations in Sichuan Basin, China and its implication for identification of watermass restriction

Redox conditions and degree of watermass restriction in a sedimentary basin can be inferred from enrichment and depletion of trace elements in sediments. Based on uranium(U) and molybdenum(Mo) concentration of Wufeng—Longmaxi marine shales, the degree of watermass restriction in Sichuan basin during late Ordovician—early Silurian period was evaluated. The average Mo/TOC ratios of Longmaxi Formation shales under anoxic environment is 15, which is similar to the ratios of moderately restricted basins. U and Mo enrichment factors tend to increase at more reducing redox conditions, but the tendency toward high Mo/U ratios can be offset by low aqueous Mo concentrations, which would lead to constant Mo/U ratios being around two times of the ratios for sea water. These observations indicate that sedimentation during early Longmaxi period occurred under moderately restricted conditions. In contrast, the average Mo/TOC ratios of Wufeng Formation shales are 4.7, which is close to the ratios for extremely restricted Black Sea, while the U and Mo enrichment factors are low in relation to those for Longmaxi Formation shales. A lack of trend toward higher Mo/U ratio with increasing enrichment factors under anoxic environment, and Mo/U ratios being lower than that of normal sea water suggest that the sedimentation during Wufeng period was under strongly restricted conditions, which would lead to slow deep-water renewal rates, resulting in an anoxic environment which is favorable for the preservation of organic matter. As a result, it can be said that the anoxic environment caused by sea level rising resulted in the moderately restricted Longmaxi Formation and subsequent accumulation of organic matter.