Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Model-based reinforcement learning for biological sequence design

The ability to design biological structures such as DNA or proteins would have considerable medical and industrial impact. Doing so presents a challenging black-box optimization problem characterized by the large-batch, low round setting due to the need for labor-intensive wet lab evaluations. In response, we propose using reinforcement learning (RL) based on proximal-policy optimization (PPO) for biological sequence design. RL provides a flexible framework for optimization generative sequence models to achieve specific criteria, such as diversity among the high-quality sequences discovered. We propose a model-based variant of PPO, DyNA-PPO, to improve sample efficiency, where the policy for a new round is trained offline using a simulator fit on functional measurements from prior rounds. To accommodate the growing number of observations across rounds, the simulator model is automatically selected at each round from a pool of diverse models of varying capacity. On the tasks of designing DNA transcription factor binding sites, designing antimicrobial proteins, and optimizing the energy of Ising models based on protein structure, we find that DyNA-PPO performs significantly better than existing methods in settings in which modeling is feasible, while still not performing worse in situations in which a reliable model cannot be learned.
Electrophilic oxygen on defect-rich carbon nanotubes for selective oxidation of cyclohexane

Defect-rich carbon nanotubes (CNTs) for cyclohexane oxidation were systematically investigated. Abundant defects on the CNT surface generated by annealing treatment show an exceptional capability to generate electrophilic oxygen in air. These electrophilic species were verified as the ‘promoters’ for the oxidation of cyclohexane, significantly enhancing the reaction conversion.
Combining Branch History and Value History For Improved Value Prediction

Context-based value predictors use either control-flow context or data context to predict values. Those based on control-flow context use branch histories to remember past values, but these predictors require lengthy histories or complex hardware to make accurate predictions. Those based on data context use a history of past values to predict a broader class of values, but such predictors require long training times, and they are complex due to speculative value histories. We observe that the combination of branch and value history provides better predictability than the use of each history separately because the combination can predict values in control-dependent sequences of values. Furthermore, the combination improves training time by enabling accurate predictions to be made with shorter history, and it simplifies hardware design by reducing aliasing in back-to-back instructions, thus eliminating the need for speculative value histories. Based on these observations, we propose a new unlimited budget value predictor, Heterogeneous-Context Value Predictor (HCVP), that when hybridized with E-Stride, achieves a geometric mean IPC of 3.88 (39.6% speedup over baseline) on the 135 public traces, as compared to 3.81 (37.2% speedup over baseline) for the current leader of the Championship Value Prediction.
Randomized E(cid:14)cient Algorithms for Compressed Strings: the Finger-Print Approach

Denote by LZ(w) the coded form of a string w produced by Lempel-Ziv encoding algorithm. We consider several classical algorithmic problems for texts in the compressed setting. The (cid:12)rst of them is the equality-testing: given LZ(w) and integers i;j;k test the equality: w[i:::i + k] = w[j :::j + k]. We give a simple and e(cid:14)cient randomized algorithm for this problem using the (cid:12)nger-printing idea. The equality testing is reduced to the equivalence of certain context-free grammars generating single strings. The equality-testing is the bottleneck in other algorithms for compressed texts. We relate the time complexity of several classical problems for texts to the complexity Eq(n) of equality-testing. Assume n = jLZ(T)j, m = jLZ(P)j and U = jTj. Then we can compute the compressed representations of the sets of occurrences of P in T, periods of T, palindromes of T, and squares of T respectively in times O(nlog 2 U (cid:1) Eq(m) + n 2 log U), O(nlog 2 U (cid:1) Eq(n) + n 2 log U), O(nlog 2 U (cid:1) Eq(n) + n 2 log U) and O(n 2 log 3 U (cid:1) Eq(n) + n 3 log 2 U), where Eq(n) = O(nlog log n). The randomization improves considerably upon the known deterministic algorithms ([7] and [8]).
Competition in the Financial Advisory Market: Robo versus Traditional Advisors

We propose first a static and then a dynamic infinite-horizon model of the financial advisory market and show how to compute equilibrium solutions. Unregulated, market features are likely to result in high levels of concentration and a small number of dominant firms, with the speed of convergence towards dominance increased by the reinforcing interactions between firm size and profitability. Our goal is to provide regulators and market participants with a framework and tool kit that offers insights into how firm behavior in the financial advisory market may evolve as new digital technologies emerge and new entrants disrupt the market.
The Mechanical Effects Influencing on the Design of RF MEMS Switches

Radio-frequency switches manufactured by microelectromechanical systems technology are now widely used in aerospace systems and other mobile installations for various purposes. In these operating conditions, these devices are often exposed to intense mechanical environmental influences that have a strong impact on their operation. These negative effects can lead to unwanted short-circuit or open-circuit in the radio-frequency transmission line or to irreversible damage to structural elements. Such a violation in the operation of radio-frequency microelectromechanical switches leads to errors and improper functioning of the electronic equipment in which they are integrated. Thus, this review is devoted to the analysis of the origin of these negative intense mechanical effects of the environment, their classification, and analysis, as well as a review of methods to reduce or prevent their negative impact on the design of radio-frequency microelectromechanical switches.
Titanium and Chromium Determination in Feedstuffs Using ICP-AES Technique

The present study represents the determination of Ti and Cr in dry animal feeds using wet acid digestion and inductively coupled plasma–atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES), in order to use these metals as digestibility markers. A radiofrequency power of 1350 W and a nebulizer argon flow of 0.8 L/min was selected. The limits of detection were between 11.4 and 16.1 μg/g for titanium and between 10.7 and 38.2 μg/g for chromium. The recovery values for the aqueous solutions were 89.5–103.9% (titanium) and 85.3–104.2% (chromium), with relative standard deviations (RSD%) under 2.1% and standard errors under 2.32%, demonstrating that the method offered good accuracy and repeatability. Six different samples of commercially available feedstuffs (two cat foods, two dog foods, and two poultry foods) were analyzed and the levels of investigated metals were found to be in the ranges of 0.10 g/kg and <LOD for chromium and titanium, respectively (dog foods); 0.10–0.18 g/kg, 0.70 g/kg for chromium and titanium, respectively (cat foods); and 0.07 g/kg, 0.82–1.35 g/kg for chromium and titanium, respectively (poultry foods).
Antifouling Napyradiomycins from Marine-Derived Actinomycetes Streptomyces aculeolatus †

The undesired attachment of micro and macroorganisms on water-immersed surfaces, known as marine biofouling, results in severe prevention and maintenance costs (billions €/year) for aquaculture, shipping and other industries that rely on coastal and off-shore infrastructures. To date, there are no sustainable, cost-effective and environmentally safe solutions to address this challenging phenomenon. Therefore, we investigated the antifouling activity of napyradiomycin derivatives that were isolated from actinomycetes from ocean sediments collected off the Madeira Archipelago. Our results revealed that napyradiomycins inhibited ≥80% of the marine biofilm-forming bacteria assayed, as well as the settlement of Mytilus galloprovincialis larvae (EC50 < 5 µg/ml and LC50/EC50 >15), without viability impairment. In silico prediction of toxicity end points are of the same order of magnitude of standard approved drugs and biocides. Altogether, napyradiomycins disclosed bioactivity against marine micro and macrofouling organisms, and non-toxic effects towards the studied species, displaying potential to be used in the development of antifouling products.
Optimal Inflation Rate for Nepal

This paper estimates the optimal inflation rate in Nepal based on the data of the period 1978– 2016. The novelty of the analysis is that it probes possible nonlinearity of the hypothesized impact of inflation on economic growth using alternative specifications. The results suggest that there exists a threshold effect of inflation. The Ordinary Least Squares method estimates the turning point of inflation to be 6.25 percent while that of the Hansen (2000) method shows the threshold level to be 6.40 percent. The maximum impact on growth associated with the turning point, and at the mean levels of other explanatory variables is quite high at 4.59 percent. The results suggest that Nepal should adopt an inflation target range around the computed optimal inflation rate to lower the inflation expectation and enhance economic growth.
Two Novel Modifications to Semi-Markov Smooth Mobility Models

Mobile ad-hoc Network (MANET) plays a crucial role in modern wireless communication. In order to support realistic and accurate protocol simulations, a proper mobility model is desired. In this report we have shown several notable models proposed in the past few years; analysis of the pros and cons of these models are provided. We carefully have analyzed the SMS (Semi-Markov Smooth) mobility model and give out two modifications to this model: (a) Preference to Low Density Areas, and (b) Restricted Weighted Gauss-Markov Mobility Model, which may find a broad set of applications in campus mobile ad-hoc network design.
A 28–30 GHz CMOS Reflection-Type Phase Shifter With Full 360° Phase Shift Range

This brief presents a millimeter-wave passive reflection-type phase shifter (RTPS) capable of producing a 360° phase shift range with low insertion loss (IL) in 28–30 GHz range. The circuit consists of a 90° Lange coupler and two multi-resonance loads where a switched inductor and CMOS varactors are employed. As opposed to previously reported RTPS requiring multiple control voltages, the proposed reflective load requires only one control voltage for the varactors which results in simplicity and reduced dc power consumption of the control blocks. Fabricated in 65 nm CMOC process, this RTPS achieves a measured average insertion loss of 9.5 dB at 29 GHz while consuming zero dc power. The RTPS occupies only 388 <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\times $ </tex-math></inline-formula> 615 <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\mu \text{m}^{2}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> of chip area.
Anthropometric Markers as a Paradigm for Obesity Risk Assessment

Background: Quantification of obesity/adiposity is feasible with different anthropometric characteristics along with the bioelectrical impedance analysis techniques. Recent advancements are now witnessing development of further computations derived from previously established measures to gauge obesity. Objective: Main aim of our study was to evaluate the association of anthropometric determinants of obesity with body compositional adiposity variables, and thus identifying the best marker among them emerging out as the probable predictor for compositional adiposity. Participants and Setting: 550 female participants within the age of 18 to 23 years were enrolled under this study attending graduation course at University of Delhi. Ethical clearance was received from the institutional head. Informed written consent was taken from every participant. Design: All the body measurements were recorded by trained staff using standard techniques. Derived measurements were calculated further. Analysis: Data, hence, gathered was undertaken for descriptive and infer-ential statistical analysis with SPSS 20.0. Variables Measured and Results: WHR over-estimated the count for those at risk compared to waist circumference and WHtR. Skeletal muscle fat associated negatively with all anthropometric adiposity indicators. BMI, BAI, WHtR and waist circumference related closely with all body composition cum obesity markers compared to WHR, CI and ABSI. BAI overrated the risk for fat determining body composition parameters the most followed by BMI. ABSI revealed an underestimated risk for augmenting fat content in body, compared to other markers. Conclusion and Implications: It is difficult to establish with compliance as to which of the measures used in the study could better predict the perils of obesity but it could be ascertained that some of the newly verified anthropometric adiposity indicators could be administered for determining clinical situations after further validation.
Learning Vehicle Cooperative Lane-changing Behavior from Observed Trajectories in the NGSIM Dataset

Lane-changing intention prediction has long been a hot topic in autonomous driving scenarios. However, none of the existing literature has taken both the vehicle’s trajectory history and neighbor information into consideration when making the predictions. We propose a socially-aware LSTM algorithm in real world scenarios to solve this intention prediction problem, taking advantage of both vehicle past trajectories and their neighbor’s current states. Simulation results show that these two components can lead not only to higher accuracy, but also to lower lane-changing prediction time, which plays an important role in potentially improving the autonomous vehicle’s overall performance. Keywords—LSTM, social, lane-change intention.
The Effects of Perceived Leader Narcissism on Employee Proactive Behavior: Examining the Moderating Roles of LMX Quality and Leader Identification

The purpose of this quantitative field study is to examine the relationship between perceived leader narcissism and employee proactive behavior, incorporating leader–member exchange (LMX) quality and leader identification as moderators. Within the social identity theory framework, implicit leadership and social categorization theories are used as the underpinning basis for our hypothesized three-way interaction moderation model. The research sample consisted of 90 groups (including 326 employees and 90 leaders) from different companies in China. Results indicate that there is a three-way interaction effect between perceived leader narcissism, LMX quality, and leader identification, which negatively influences employee proactive behavior. Specifically, when LMX quality and leader identification are both at a high level, the negative relationship between perceived leader narcissism and employee proactive behavior is most salient. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
Choice Simplification: A Theory of Mental Budgeting and Naive Diversification*

We develop a theory of how an agent makes basic multiproduct consumption decisions in the presence of taste, consumption opportunity, and price shocks that are costly to attend to. We establish that the agent often simplifies her choices by restricting attention to a few important considerations, which depend on the decision at hand and affect her consumption patterns in specific ways. If the agent’s problem is to choose the consumption levels of many goods with different degrees of substitutability, then she may create mental budgets for more substitutable products (e.g., entertainment). In some situations, it is optimal to specify budgets in terms of consumption quantities, but when most products have an abundance of substitutes, specifying budgets in terms of nominal spending tends to be optimal. If the goods are complements, in contrast, then the agent may—consistent with naive diversification—choose a fixed, unconsidered mix of products. And if the agent’s problem is to choose one of multiple products to fulfill a given consumption need (e.g., for gasoline or a bed), then it is often optimal for her to allocate a fixed sum for the need. JEL Codes: D01, D11, D14
Megakaryocytes promote bone formation through coupling osteogenesis with angiogenesis by secreting TGF-β1

Rationale: The hematopoietic system and skeletal system have a close relationship, and megakaryocytes (MKs) may be involved in maintaining bone homeostasis. However, the exact role and underlying mechanism of MKs in bone formation during steady-state and stress conditions are still unclear. Methods: We first evaluated the bone phenotype with MKs deficiency in bone marrow by using c-Mpl-deficient mice and MKs-conditionally deleted mice. Then, osteoblasts (OBs) proliferation and differentiation and CD31hiEmcnhi tube formation were assessed. The expression of growth factors related to bone formation in MKs was detected by RNA-sequencing and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs). Mice with specific depletion of TGF-β1 in MKs were used to further verify the effect of MKs on osteogenesis and angiogenesis. Finally, MKs treatment of irradiation-induced bone injury was tested in a mouse model. Results: We found that MKs deficiency significantly impaired bone formation. Further investigations revealed that MKs could promote OBs proliferation and differentiation, as well as CD31hiEmcnhi vessels formation, by secreting high levels of TGF-β1. Consistent with these findings, mice with specific depletion of TGF-β1 in MKs displayed significantly decreased bone mass and strength. Importantly, treatment with MKs or thrombopoietin (TPO) substantially attenuated radioactive bone injury in mice by directly or indirectly increasing the level of TGF-β1 in bone marrow. MKs-derived TGF-β1 was also involved in suppressing apoptosis and promoting DNA damage repair in OBs after irradiation exposure. Conclusions: Our findings demonstrate that MKs contribute to bone formation through coupling osteogenesis with angiogenesis by secreting TGF-β1, which may offer a potential therapeutic strategy for the treatment of irradiation-induced osteoporosis.
Simulating gauge theories on Lefschetz Thimbles

Lefschetz thimbles have been proposed recently as a possible solution to the complex action problem (sign problem) in Monte Carlo simulations. Here we discuss pure abelian gauge theory with a complex coupling $\beta$ and apply the concept of Generalized Lefschetz thimbles. We propose to simulate the theory on the union of the tangential manifolds to the thimbles. We construct a local Metropolis-type algorithm, that is constrained to a specific tangential manifold. We also discuss how, starting from this result, successive subleading tangential manifolds can be taken into account via a reweighting approach. We demonstrate the algorithm on $U(1)$ gauge theory in 1+1 dimensions and investigate the residual sign problem.
Design of Multiple Wearable Robotic Extra Fingers for Human Hand Augmentation

Augmenting the human hand with robotic extra fingers is a cutting-edge research topic and has many potential applications, in particular as a compensatory and rehabilitation tool for patients with upper limb impairments. Devices composed of two extra fingers are preferred with respect to single finger devices when reliable grasps, resistance to external disturbances, and higher payloads are required. Underactuation and compliance are design choices that can reduce the device complexity and weight, maintaining the adaptability to different grasped objects. When only one motor is adopted to actuate multiple fingers, a differential mechanism is necessary to decouple finger movements and distribute forces. In this paper, the main features of a wearable device composed of two robotic extra fingers are described and analyzed in terms of kinematics, statics, and mechanical resistance. Each finger is composed of modular phalanges and is actuated with a single tendon. Interphalangeal joints include a passive elastic element that allows restoring the initial reference configuration when the tendon is released. The stiffness of each passive element can be customized in the manufacturing process and can be chosen according to a desired closure movement of the fingers. Another key aspect of the device is the differential system connecting the actuator to the fingers.
On the Noise-Resilience of OMP with BASC-Based Low Coherence Sensing Matrices

In Compressed Sensing (CS), measurements of a sparse vector are obtained by applying a sensing matrix. With the means of CS, it is possible to reconstruct the sparse vector from a small number of such measurements. In order to provide reliable reconstruction also for less sparse vectors, sensing matrices are desired to be of low coherence. Motivated by this requirement, it was recently shown that low coherence sensing matrices can be obtained by Best Antipodal Spherical Codes (BASC) [1]. In this paper, the noise-resilience of the Orthogonal Matching Pursuit (OMP) used in combination with low coherence BASC-based sensing matrices is investigated.
1 Multicut and its Linear Programming Relaxations

A stronger version of the Unique Games Conjecture demonstrates that there does not exist an O(log log n) approximation unless P = NP. It is currently an open problem to design an approximation algorithm that matches the lower bound. For these notes, we will present a 4 ln(k + 1)-approximation algorithm due to Garg, Vazirani, and Yannakakis. The algorithm first performs a linear programming relaxation, then rounds the solution using a procedure known as ball-growing which is applicable as the LP relaxation benefits from certain metric properties. Let us first construct a easily interpretable LP relaxation whose metric properties are not immediately evident.
www.econstor.eu Fiscal Stimulus: A Neoclassical Perspective

Can a large-scale deficit spending program speed up recovery after recession? To answer that question we calibrate a standard neoclassical growth model with US data and assume that an exogenous shock has driven aggregate output far below steady-state level. We calibrate the model such that a permanent increase of government expenditure is effective in raising output. We then show that a “fiscal stimulus”, i.e. a temporary increase of government expenditure is not only ineffective but detrimental. Even before the spending program expires, aggregate output is lower than it could be without fiscal stimulus. We show the generality of this result w.r. t. size and persistence of the shock, size of the government spending multiplier, and the scale and duration of the stimulus program. Using a phase diagram we provide the economic intuition for our unpleasant finding and explain why, generally, private capital stock reaches its lowest level when a deficit spending program expires. We also show how an accompanying temporary cut of capital income taxes helps to prevent the negative repercussion of deficit spending on economic recovery.