Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Best Arm Identification with Safety Constraints

The best arm identification problem in the multi-armed bandit setting is an excellent model of many real-world decision-making problems, yet it fails to capture the fact that in the real-world, safety constraints often must be met while learning. In this work we study the question of best-arm identification in safety-critical settings, where the goal of the agent is to find the best safe option out of many, while exploring in a way that guarantees certain, initially unknown safety constraints are met. We first analyze this problem in the setting where the reward and safety constraint takes a linear structure, and show nearly matching upper and lower bounds. We then analyze a much more general version of the problem where we only assume the reward and safety constraint can be modeled by monotonic functions, and propose an algorithm in this setting which is guaranteed to learn safely. We conclude with experimental results demonstrating the effectiveness of our approaches in scenarios such as safely identifying the best drug out of many in order to treat an illness.
Computation of extension spaces for the path algebra of type $\tilde A(n-1,1)$ using planar curves

Q is a quiver of type Ã(n − 1, 1) if its graph is of affine type Ãn−1 and if its arrows have a certain orientation. We develop a bijection between the set of indecomposable kQ-modules whose dimension vectors are positive real roots of the root system associated to Q and a certain set of planar curves. We prove that the number of self-intersections of the curve which corresponds to the module M is equal to the dimension of Ext1kQ(M,M). We also prove that, for many pairs of modules (M,N), the number of intersections between the corresponding two curves is equal to the dimension of Ext1C(M,N), where C is the cluster category of kQ-mod.
Distributed Evaluation of Graph Queries using Recursive Relational Algebra

We present a system called Dist-$\mu$-RA for the distributed evaluation of recursive graph queries. Dist-$\mu$-RA builds on the recursive relational algebra and extends it with evaluation plans suited for the distributed setting. The goal is to offer expressivity for high-level queries while providing efficiency at scale and reducing communication costs. Experimental results on both real and synthetic graphs show the effectiveness of the proposed approach compared to existing systems.
Mask rule check using priority information of mask patterns

Association of Super-Advanced Electronics Technologies (ASET) has started a project called "Mask Design, Drawing and Inspection Technology (MaskD2I)" with the sponsorship from The New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) since 2006. SIINT has joined the MaskD2I project and we have been developing MRC software considering DFM information for more effective data verification. By converting design level information called as "Design Intent" to the priority information of mask manufacturing data called as "Mask Data Rank (MDR)", the MRC process based on the importance of reticle patterns is possible. Our main purpose is to build a novel data checking flow with the priority information of mask patterns extracted from the design intent. In this paper, we address the effectiveness of MRC technologies which have been widely applied in many mask data fields. Then we present the current status of the new MRC development, its experimental results so far and the future outlook using further Design Aware Manufacturing (DAM) information.
Non-Intrusive Binaural Speech Intelligibility Prediction From Discrete Latent Representations

Non-intrusive speech intelligibility (SI) prediction from binaural signals is useful in many applications. However, most existing signal-based measures are designed to be applied to single-channel signals. Measures specifically designed to take into account the binaural properties of the signal are often intrusive – characterised by requiring access to a clean speech signal – and typically rely on combining both channels into a single-channel signal before making predictions. This letter proposes a non-intrusive SI measure that computes features from a binaural input signal using a combination of vector quantization (VQ) and contrastive predictive coding (CPC) methods. vector quantized contrastive predictive coding (VQ-CPC) feature extraction does not rely on any model of the auditory system and is instead trained to maximise the mutual information between the input signal and output features. The computed VQ-CPC features are input to a predicting function parameterized by a neural network. Two predicting functions are considered in this letter. Both feature extractor and predicting functions are trained on simulated binaural signals with isotropic noise. They are tested on simulated signals with isotropic and real noise. For all signals, the ground truth scores are the (intrusive) deterministic binaural short-time objective intelligibility (STOI). Results are presented in terms of correlations and mean-squared error (MSE) and demonstrate that VQ-CPC features are able to capture information relevant to modelling SI and outperform all the considered benchmarks – even when evaluating on data comprising of different noise field types.
Diet Quality and the Number of Comorbidities Are Associated with General Health Among Older Female Cancer Survivors

Objective: We aimed to investigate the associations between diet quality, general health, and comorbidities among older female cancer survivors. Methods: Participants (n = 171) completed one-time surveys to assess health-related quality of life (RAND-36), diet quality (Healthy Eating Index (HEI-2015)), and number of comorbidities. Additional demographic and clinical variables were collected. Descriptive statistics, analysis of covariance, correlations, and linear regressions were utilized. Results: A positive correlation was found between HEI-2015 and general health subscale scores (r = .26, p = .002). A negative correlation was found between the number of comorbidities and general health (r = −.21, p = .02). Being white (β = −.24, p = .02) and having fewer comorbidities (β = −.22, p = .04) were significantly associated with higher general health. Being unmarried (β = .24, p = .02) and having higher education (β = .32, p = .002) were significantly associated with higher HEI-2015 scores. Discussion: Healthcare providers should seek guidance from registered dietitian nutritionists for nutritional education to promote optimal nutritional status, thus contributing to improved general health among this growing population.
A Ku-band MMIC PLL frequency synthesizer

A Ku-band PLL (phase-locked-loop) frequency synthesizer has been developed in a very compact configuration, incorporating two novel monolithic GaAs chips: an MMIC (monolithic microwave integrated circuit) and an LSI circuit. The MMIC includes a Ku-band VCO (voltage-controlled oscillator), a dual-output buffer amplifier, a balun, and a dynamic/static prescaler. A very small chip size has been realized by a uniplanar configuration. The LSI chip includes a dual-modulus prescaler, programmable counters, and a phase/frequency comparator. The proposed synthesizer exhibits a tuning range broader than 1 GHz and a phase noise of about -70 dBc/Hz at 1 kHz offset from the carrier. Since the proposed synthesizer is both compact and rugged, it should contribute to the development of very small digital-tuning microwave transmitters and receivers that could be applied in radio communication equipment. <<ETX>>
The ophthalmic surgical backlog associated with the COVID-19 pandemic: a population-based and microsimulation modelling study

Background: Jurisdictions worldwide ramped down ophthalmic surgeries to mitigate the effects of COVID-19, creating a global surgical backlog. We sought to predict the long-term impact of COVID-19 on the timely delivery of non-emergent ophthalmology sub-specialty surgical care in Ontario. Methods: This is a microsimulation modelling study. We used provincial population-based administrative data from the Wait Time Information System database in Ontario for January 2019 to May 2021 and facility-level data for March 2018 to May 2021 to estimate the backlog size and wait times associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. For the postpandemic recovery phase, we estimated the resources required to clear the backlog of patients accumulated on the wait-list during the pandemic. Outcomes were accrued over a time horizon of 3 years. Results: A total of 56 923 patients were on the wait-list in the province of Ontario awaiting non-emergency ophthalmic surgery as of Mar. 15, 2020. The number of non-emergency surgeries performed in the province decreased by 97% in May 2020 and by 80% in May 2021 compared with the same months in 2019. By 2 years and 3 years since the start of the pandemic, the overall estimated number of patients awaiting surgery grew by 129% and 150%, respectively. The estimated mean wait time for patients for all subspecialty surgeries increased to 282 (standard deviation [SD] 91) days in March 2023 compared with 94 (SD 97) days in 2019. The provincial monthly additional resources required to clear the backlog by March 2023 was estimated to be a 34% escalation from the prepandemic volumes (4626 additional surgeries). Interpretation: The estimates from this microsimulation modelling study suggest that the magnitude of the ophthalmic surgical backlog from the COVID-19 pandemic has important implications for the recovery phase. This model can be adapted to other jurisdictions to assist with recovery planning for vision-saving surgeries.
The effect of coffee and whitening systems on surface roughness and gloss of CAD/CAM lithium disilicate glass cermaics

Objectives: To investigate the effects of a coffee beverage and two whitening systems on the surface roughness and gloss of glazed Lithium Disilicate Glass-Ceramics (LDGC) for computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) systems. Methods: Sixty-eight LDGC disks (12 × 10 × 2 mm) were prepared from blocks of CAD/CAM systems (IPS e.max CAD ceramic). Baseline measurements for surface roughness (Ra) and gloss (GU) were taken using a 3-D optical profilometer and a glossmeter, respectively; then specimens were randomized into four groups (n = 17). All specimens were immersed in a coffee solution (24 h × 12 days) then subjected to two whitening systems. G1-negative control (kept moist × 7 days); G2-positive control (brushed with distilled water, 200 g/load, 2 min twice daily × 7 days); G3-whitening toothpaste (Colgate optic white; relative dentin abrasivity (RDA) = 100, 200 g/load, 2 min twice daily × 7 days); and G4-simulated at-home bleaching protocol (Opalescence,15% carbamide peroxide (CP), 6 h/day × 7 days). The study outcomes were measured at baseline and after the treatments. Data were analyzed using paired T-test and one-way ANOVA (α = 0.05). Results: The mean surface roughness significantly increased (p ⩽ 0.002) for all groups after the designated treatment protocols. Among groups, the mean surface roughness of G2 and G3 were significantly higher (p ⩽ 0.001) (Ra: 0.51 and 0.57 μm, respectively) compared to the control group (Ra: 0.23 μm), and were not significantly different from G4 (Ra: 0.46 μm). Surface gloss decreased with no significant change within or among groups after treatment. Conclusion: All glazed LDGC had a significant increase in surface roughness after being subjected to simulated 1 year of coffee drinking and whitening systems (15% CP and whitening toothpaste), and the greatest change was associated with brushing (simulating 8 months). However, coffee beverages and whitening systems had no significant effect on the surface gloss.
Draft Genome Sequence of Fusarium equiseti K3, a Fungal Species Isolated from Hexachlorocyclohexane-Contaminated Soil

We present the draft genome sequence of Fusarium equiseti strain K3, a fungus isolated from a hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH)-contaminated soil (Kitengela, Kenya). The 37.88-Mb draft genome sequence consists of 206 contigs, 12,311 predicted protein-coding sequences, and 261 tRNA sequences. ABSTRACT We present the draft genome sequence of Fusarium equiseti strain K3, a fungus isolated from a hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH)-contaminated soil (Kitengela, Kenya). The 37.88-Mb draft genome sequence consists of 206 contigs, 12,311 predicted protein-coding sequences, and 261 tRNA sequences. This genome sequence contributes to our understanding of fungal-bacterial interactions during hexachlorocyclohexane degradation.
Ripeness Determination of ‘Solo’ Papaya (Carica papaya L.) by Impact Force

An impact force probe was fabricated and tested on ‘Solo’ papaya fruit at five different stages of ripeness. The probe derived force characteristics were related to fruit ripeness, firmness, and yellowing. The magnitude of the first peak of the impact force response was found to correlate with fruit firmness and inversely correlated with ripeness with correlation coefficients r = 0.894 and –0.809, respectively. Impact testing did not hasten fruit ripening and was found to be more sensitive at determining firmness of ripe fruit compared to penetrometer firmness or color measurement. However, the probe could not separate immature from mature green fruit. Fruit mass and irregularity of fruit shape did not significantly affect either the impact response or penetrometer firmness. Therefore, the impact force probe was capable of grading fruit into different stages of ripeness.
Smooth muscle ATP-sensitive potassium channels mediate migraine-relevant hypersensitivity in mouse models

Background Opening of KATP channels by systemic levcromakalim treatment triggers attacks in migraine patients and hypersensitivity to von Frey stimulation in a mouse model. Blocking of these channels is effective in several preclinical migraine models. It is unknown in what tissue and cell type KATP-induced migraine attacks are initiated and which KATP channel subtype is targeted. Methods In mouse models, we administered levcromakalim intracerebroventricularly, intraperitoneally and intraplantarily and compared the nociceptive responses by von Frey and hotplate tests. Mice with a conditional loss-of-function mutation in the smooth muscle KATP channel subunit Kir6.1 were given levcromakalim and GTN and examined with von Frey filaments. Arteries were tested for their ability to dilate ex vivo. mRNA expression, western blotting and immunohistochemical stainings were made to identify relevant target tissue for migraine induced by KATP channel opening. Results Systemic administration of levcromakalim induced hypersensitivity but central and local administration provided antinociception respectively no effect. The Kir6.1 smooth muscle knockout mouse was protected from both GTN and levcromakalim induced hypersensitivity, and their arteries had impaired dilatory response to the latter. mRNA and protein expression studies showed that trigeminal ganglia did not have significant KATP channel expression of any subtype, whereas brain arteries and dura mater primarily expressed the Kir6.1 + SUR2B subtype. Conclusion Hypersensitivity provoked by GTN and levcromakalim in mice is dependent on functional smooth muscle KATP channels of extracerebral origin. These results suggest a vascular contribution to hypersensitivity induced by migraine triggers.
Simulated vector transmission differentially influences dynamics of two viral variants of deformed wing virus in honey bees (Apis mellifera)

Understanding how vectors alter the interactions between viruses and their hosts is a fundamental question in virology and disease ecology. In honey bees, transmission of deformed wing virus (DWV) by parasitic Varroa mites has been associated with elevated disease and host mortality, and Varroa transmission has been hypothesized to lead to increased viral titres or select for more virulent variants. Here, we mimicked Varroa transmission by serially passaging a mixed population of two DWV variants, A and B, by injection through in vitro reared honey bee pupae and tracking these viral populations through five passages. The DWV-A and DWV-B variant proportions shifted dynamically through passaging, with DWV-B outcompeting DWV-A after one passage, but levels of both variants becoming equivalent by Passage 5. Sequencing analysis revealed a dominant, recombinant DWV-B strain (DWV-A derived 5′ IRES region with the rest of the genome DWV-B), with low nucleotide diversity that decreased through passaging. DWV-A populations had higher nucleotide diversity compared to DWV-B, but this also decreased through passaging. Selection signatures were found across functional regions of the DWV-A and DWV-B genomes, including amino acid mutations in the putative capsid protein region. Simulated vector transmission differentially impacted two closely related viral variants which could influence viral interactions with the host, demonstrating surprising plasticity in vector-host-viral dynamics.
Cost effective realization of nanoscaled interdigitated electrodes

Nanoscaled interdigitated electrodes (IDEs) are being developed for the realization of miniaturized and highly-sensitive affinity biosensors. Until now, nanoscaled IDEs have been realized on silicon wafers using deep UV lithography or e-beam patterning. However, for many applications in the biochemical field there is a strong need for cheap and/or disposable sensor devices. Therefore, a new, cost effective fabrication method for nanoscaled IDEs, which can also be applied on cheap, micro-moulded plastic substrates, has been developed. The method is based on the directionality of a vacuum evaporation process and omits expensive lithography steps completely. The feasibility of this electrode deposition technique has been proven by realizing IDEs on silicon substrates. Future work is focused on the realization of IDEs on injection moulded plastic substrates.
Single-cell RNA Sequencing Reveals How the Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Shapes Cellular Differentiation Potency in the Mouse Colon

Our mouse single-cell RNA sequencing analyses provide new evidence of the molecular function of Ahr in modulating colonic stemness and cell–cell communication in vivo. From a cancer prevention perspective, Ahr should be considered a therapeutic target to recalibrate remodeling of the intestinal stem cell niche Despite recent progress recognizing the importance of aryl hydrocarbon receptor (Ahr)-dependent signaling in suppressing colon tumorigenesis, its role in regulating colonic crypt homeostasis remains unclear. To assess the effects of Ahr on intestinal epithelial cell heterogeneity and functional phenotypes, we utilized single-cell transcriptomics and advanced analytic strategies to generate a high-quality atlas for colonic intestinal crypts from wild-type and intestinal-specific Ahr knockout mice. Here we observed the promotive effects of Ahr deletion on Foxm1-regulated genes in crypt-associated canonical epithelial cell types and subtypes of goblet cells and deep crypt–secretory cells. We also show that intestinal Ahr deletion elevated single-cell entropy (a measure of differentiation potency or cell stemness) and RNA velocity length (a measure of the rate of cell differentiation) in noncycling and cycling Lgr5+ stem cells. In general, intercellular signaling cross-talk via soluble and membrane-bound factors was perturbed in Ahr-null colonocytes. Taken together, our single-cell RNA sequencing analyses provide new evidence of the molecular function of Ahr in modulating putative stem cell driver genes, cell potency lineage decisions, and cell–cell communication in vivo. Prevention Relevance: Our mouse single-cell RNA sequencing analyses provide new evidence of the molecular function of Ahr in modulating colonic stemness and cell–cell communication in vivo. From a cancer prevention perspective, Ahr should be considered a therapeutic target to recalibrate remodeling of the intestinal stem cell niche.
Tunable stiffness in fish robotics: mechanisms and advantages

One of the emerging themes of fish-inspired robotics is flexibility. Adding flexibility to the body, joints, or fins of fish-inspired robots can significantly improve thrust and/or efficiency during locomotion. However, the optimal stiffness depends on variables such as swimming speed, so there is no one ‘best’ stiffness that maximizes efficiency in all conditions. Fish are thought to solve this problem by using muscular activity to tune their body and fin stiffness in real-time. Inspired by fish, some recent robots sport polymer actuators, adjustable leaf springs, or artificial tendons that tune stiffness mechanically. Models and water channel tests are providing a theoretical framework for stiffness-tuning strategies that devices can implement. The strategies can be thought of as analogous to car transmissions, which allow users to improve efficiency by tuning gear ratio with driving speed. We provide an overview of the latest discoveries about (1) the propulsive benefits of flexibility, particularly tunable flexibility, and (2) the mechanisms and strategies that fish and fish-inspired robots use to tune stiffness while swimming.
Coccidial oocyst release: once a day or all day long? Tropical bird hosts shed new light on the adaptive significance of diurnal periodicity in parasite output

Abstract Abstract Many parasites spend part of their life cycle as infectious forms released from an infected host in the external environment, where they may encounter and infect new hosts. The emergence of infectious life stages often occurs once a day to minimize mortality in adverse environments. In bird hosts, intestinal parasites such as coccidia are generally released with feces in the late afternoon. This dynamic is adaptive since it allows avoiding desiccation and ultraviolet (UV) radiation, thus reducing mortality of oocysts in the environment until transmission to the next host. If this circadian rhythm is the result of natural selection to increase oocyst survival, we may hypothesize that oocysts will appear in feces at different times depending on the environment where hosts live. Particularly, in an environment where UV radiation and desiccation are very low, we may expect oocyst circadian release to disappear since the main selective pressure would be relaxed. We sampled different species of birds in tropical and temperate forests in spring and investigated coccidian oocyst output. A strong circadian variation in the prevalence of hosts shedding coccidian oocyst was detected for species caught in the temperate forest with an increase in prevalence in the late afternoon, whereas prevalence of birds shedding oocysts was constant over the course of the day for most species sampled in the tropical rain forest. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that oocysts’ circadian output is maintained by natural selection to increase oocyst survival. We discuss the adaptive significance of diurnal periodicity in parasite output.
Increased Agrobacterium‐mediated transformation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae after deletion of the yeast ADA2 gene

Agrobacterium tumefaciens is the causative agent of crown gall disease and is widely used as a vector to create transgenic plants. Under laboratory conditions, the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae and other yeasts and fungi can also be transformed, and Agrobacterium‐mediated transformation (AMT) is now considered the method of choice for genetic transformation of many fungi. Unlike plants, in S. cerevisiae, T‐DNA is integrated preferentially by homologous recombination and integration by non‐homologous recombination is very inefficient. Here we report that upon deletion of ADA2, encoding a component of the ADA and SAGA transcriptional adaptor/histone acetyltransferase complexes, the efficiency of AMT significantly increased regardless of whether integration of T‐DNA was mediated by homologous or non‐homologous recombination. This correlates with an increase in double‐strand DNA breaks, the putative entry sites for T‐DNA, in the genome of the ada2Δ deletion mutant, as visualized by the number of Rad52‐GFP foci. Our observations may be useful to enhance the transformation of species that are difficult to transform.