Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Value-Function Approximations for Partially Observable Markov Decision Processes

Partially observable Markov decision processes (POMDPs) provide an elegant mathematical framework for modeling complex decision and planning problems in stochastic domains in which states of the system are observable only indirectly, via a set of imperfect or noisy observations. The modeling advantage of POMDPs, however, comes at a price -- exact methods for solving them are computationally very expensive and thus applicable in practice only to very simple problems. We focus on efficient approximation (heuristic) methods that attempt to alleviate the computational problem and trade off accuracy for speed. We have two objectives here. First, we survey various approximation methods, analyze their properties and relations and provide some new insights into their differences. Second, we present a number of new approximation methods and novel refinements of existing techniques. The theoretical results are supported by experiments on a problem from the agent navigation domain.
Effect of Average and Cyclic Shear Stress on Undrained Cyclic Behavior of Marine Silty Sand

Offshore wind turbine foundations are subjected to wind, current and wave loadings. Hence, both static and cyclic behaviors of foundation`s soil are important for the design of offshore wind turbine foundation. Undrained cyclic behaviors of soils depend upon the number of loading cycles, vertical effective stress, cyclic shear strain, relative density, and the combination of cyclic and average shear stresses. In order to evaluate the effect of average and cyclic shear stresses on the undrained cyclic behavior of marine silty sand, cyclic direct simple shear (CDSS) tests are performed with relative density of 85%, vertical effective stress of 200 and 300 kPa, and failure criteria of either 15% double amplitude cyclic shear strain () or permanent shear strain (). The results are presented in the form of design graphs or contour diagrams. The undrained cyclic behavior of marine silty sand is found to be dependent on cyclic and average shear stresses and/or the combination of both shear stresses. It is found that when significant average shear stress exists the permanent or progressive shear strain is the govering failure criteria instead of cyclic shear strain.
Forms of organic C and P extracted from tropical soils as assessed by liquid-state 13C- and 31P-NMR spectroscopy

Transformation of soil organic phosphorus (SOP) is linked with the transformation of soil organic carbon (SOC). Yet, it is uncertain to which SOC structures the cycling of SOP is related, especially in tropical environments. To clarify this issue, we determined the vertical distribution of extractable C and P chemical structures in 4 soil profiles using solution 13C- and 31P-nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy after extraction with 0.1 M NaOH/0.4 M NaF (1 : 1). Soils were from a cabbage cultivation with annual burning of weeds, a Pinus reforestation, a secondary forest, and a primary forest in northern Thailand. For all profiles, signals due to O-alkyl and carbonyl C dominated the 13C-NMR spectra (up to 50 and 22% of total spectral area, respectively). The proportions of alkyl and aryl C decreased, whereas carbonyl and O-alkyl C increased with soil depth. Sharp resonances at 135 and 177 ppm appeared in spectra of subsoil horizons. They indicated mellitic acid, an end-product of the oxidation of charred plant residues. The SOP forms comprised mainly orthophosphate diesters in the organic layer of the forests, whereas in the mineral horizons orthophosphate monoesters dominated the chemical composition of extractable SOP. The relationships between SOC and SOP forms in the organic floor layers of the forests were clearly different from those in the mineral soil horizons, indicating changed SOM dynamics upon contact with soil minerals. In the forest mineral soils, significant correlations between monoester-P and O-alkyl C (R = 0.84, P < 0.001) were found. Diester-P, teichoic acids, and phosphonates were positively correlated with aromatic C and negatively with O-alkyl C. At the same time, teichoic acids and phosphonates were positively correlated with short range-ordered Al and Fe oxide phases. These findings can be explained through an increasing microbial decay of aryl C and diester-P compounds that may be less effectively stabilised at lower depths.
Olfactory receptor phylogeny reveals conserved channels for sex pheromone and host plant signals in tortricid moths

The search for mates and food is mediated by volatile chemicals. Insects sense food odorants and sex pheromones through odorant receptors (ORs) and pheromone receptors (PRs), which are expressed in olfactory sensory neurons. Investigating the receptive range of these receptors instructs the identiﬁcation of behaviourally relevant chemicals. Studying orthologous receptors and their ligands across taxa aﬀords insights into the role of chemical communication in reproductive isolation and phylogenetic divergence. The female sex pheromone of green budworm moth Hedya nubiferana (Lepidoptera, Totricidae) is a blend of two unsaturated acetates, only a blend of both elicits male attraction. Females also produce codlemone, which is the sex pheromone of another tortricid, codling moth Cydia pomonella. Codlemone also attracts green budworm moth males. Concomitantly, green budworm and codling moth males are attracted to the food plant volatile pear ester. A congruent behavioural response to the same pheromone and plant volatile in two tortricid species suggests co-occurrence of dedicated odorant receptors. In codling moth, one PR is tuned to both compounds, the sex pheromone codlemone and the plant volatile pear ester. Our phylogenetic analysis ﬁnds that green budworm moth expresses an orthologous PR gene. Shared ancestry, and high levels of amino acid identity and sequence similarity, in codling and green budworm moth PRs oﬀers an explanation for parallel attraction of both species to the same compounds. A conserved olfactory channel for a sex pheromone and host plant volatile substantiates the alliance of social and habitat signals in insect chemical communication. Field attraction assays conﬁrm that in silico investigations of odorant receptors aﬀord powerful predictions for an eﬃcient identiﬁcation of behaviour-modifying semiochemicals, for an improved understanding of the mechanisms of host plant attraction in insect herbivores and for the further development of sustainable insect control.
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This article examines within-person consistency in personality expression across situations as an individual difference variable that is distinct from the typically studied personality trait level. The focus of the study is the manner in which personality consistency (a conceptualization of personality strength) influences the choice and interpretation of situations and, ultimately, the enactment of organizational citizenship behavior. We conducted an experience sampling study of 167 employees over 10 workdays. At each survey, participants reported their conscientious-ness, agreeableness, situation perceptions, and organizational citizenship behavior. Results demonstrated that even after controlling for the linear and quadratic effects of personality trait level (and several other variables): (1) personality consistency increased within-person consistency in organizational citizenship behavior across situations and (2) this relationship was partially mediated by perceived consistency of situational strength and trait-relevant situational content. More broadly, the findings show that individual differences in personality are not restricted solely to the personality trait level. Rather, within-person consistency in personality Acknowledgments: Authors Jennifer P. Green and Reeshad S. Dalal contributed equally. The authors thank Saman-tha J. Holland and Michelle B. Green for their assistance with data collection.
Orthorhombic media: Modeling elastic wave behavior in a vertically fractured earth

Vertical fractures and horizontal fine layering combine to form a long, wavelength equivalent orthorhombic medium. Such media constitute a subset of the set of all orthorhombic media. Orthorhombic elastic symmetry is the lowest symmetry for which the slowness surface (the solution of the Christoffel equation) is bicubic rather sextic. Various properties of orthorhombic media, such as the number and location of conical points and longitudinal directions, may be derived from the slowness surface or, because of its bicubic character, the squared slowness surface, which is a cubic surface. From the occurrence and angular orientation of some of these distinctive features, conclusions can be drawn with respect to the properties of the medium and to the parameters of the assumed underlying causes of the anisotropy. The estimation of these more subtle properties gains greater importance with the proliferation of multiazimuthal seismic surveys and the ability to drill along ever more complicated 3‐D well trajectories.
System-friendly wind power How advanced wind turbine design can increase the economic value of electricity generated through wind power

– Previous studies find that the economic value of electricity (USD/MWh) generated by wind power drops with increasing market share. Different measures can help mitigate the value drop, including electricity storage, flexible conventional plants, expansion of transmission, and demand response. This study assesses another option: a change in design of wind power plants. “Advanced” wind turbines that are higher and have a larger rotor compared to rated capacity (lower specific rating) generate electricity more constantly than “classical” turbines. Recent years have witnessed a significant shift towards such advanced technology. Our model-based analysis for Northwestern Europe shows that such design can substantially increase the spot market value of generated electricity. At a 30% penetration rate, the value of one MWh of electricity generated from a fleet of advanced turbines is estimated to be 15% higher than the value of one MWh from classical turbines. The additional value is large, whether compared to wind generation costs, to the value drop, or to the effect of alternative measures such as electricity storage. Extensive sensitivity tests indicate that this finding is remarkably robust. The increase in bulk power value is not the only advantage of advanced turbines: additional benefits might come from reduced costs for power grids and balancing services. To fully realize this potential, power markets and support policies need to be appropriately designed and signal scarcity investors.
Towards a benchmark dataset for the digital humanities

Applications of ontologymatching such as ontology engineering, information sharing or query answering are of growing importance in the field of Digital Humanities (DH). To gain knowledge about suitable ontology matching tools for DH research, a successful evaluation of these is crucial. Unfortunately, there exist no reference alignment datasets that address DH specific requirements such as support of multiple (historic) languages, domain specific terms and an easily applicable data format. Therefore, we propose the creation of a dataset as base for a future DH OAEI track which uses knowledge bases and expert surveys as reference alignment sources. Using surveys leads to a graduated scale of term similarity and association, which makes advanced evaluation metrics possible.
Potential Effects of Elevated Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide (CO 2 ) on Coastal Wetlands

Carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) concentration in the atmosphere has steadily increased from 280 parts per million (ppm) in preindustrial times to 381 ppm today and is predicted by some models to double within the next century. Some of the important pathways whereby changes in atmospheric CO 2 may impact coastal wetlands include changes in temperature, rainfall, and hurricane intensity (fig. 1). Increases in CO 2 can contribute to global warming, which may (1) accelerate sea-level rise through melting of polar ice fields and steric expansion of oceans, (2) alter rainfall patterns and salinity regimes, and (3) change the intensity and frequency of tropical storms and hurricanes. Sea-level rise combined with changes in storm activity may affect erosion and sedimentation rates and patterns in coastal wetlands and maintenance of soil elevations. Feedback loops between plant growth and hydroedaphic conditions also contribute to maintenance of marsh elevations through accumulation of organic matter. Although increasing CO 2 concentration may contribute to global warming and climate changes, it may also have a direct impact on plant growth and development by stimulating photosynthesis or improving water use efficiency. Scientists with the U.S. Geological Survey are examining responses of wetland plants to elevated CO 2 concentration and other factors. This research will lead to a better understanding of future changes in marsh species composition, successional rates and patterns, ecological functioning, and vulnerability to sea-level rise and other global change factors.
First-order estimate of the planktic foraminifer biomass in the modern ocean

Abstract. Planktic foraminifera are heterotrophic mesozooplankton of global marine abundance. The position of planktic foraminifers in the marine food web is different compared to other protozoans and ranges above the base of heterotrophic consumers. Being secondary producers with an omnivorous diet, which ranges from algae to small metazoans, planktic foraminifers are not limited to a single food source, and are assumed to occur at a balanced abundance displaying the overall marine biological productivity at a regional scale. With a new non-destructive protocol developed from the bicinchoninic acid (BCA) method and nano-photospectrometry, we have analysed the protein-biomass, along with test size and weight, of 754 individual planktic foraminifers from 21 different species and morphotypes. From additional CHN analysis, it can be assumed that protein-biomass equals carbon-biomass. Accordingly, the average individual planktic foraminifer protein- and carbon-biomass amounts to 0.845 μg. Samples include symbiont bearing and symbiont-barren species from the sea surface down to 2500 m water depth. Conversion factors between individual biomass and assemblage-biomass are calculated for test sizes between 72 and 845 μm (minimum test diameter). Assemblage-biomass data presented here include 1128 sites and water depth intervals. The regional coverage of data includes the North Atlantic, Arabian Sea, Red Sea, and Caribbean as well as literature data from the eastern and western North Pacific, and covers a wide range of oligotrophic to eutrophic waters over six orders of magnitude of planktic-foraminifer assemblage-biomass (PFAB). A first order estimate of the average global planktic foraminifer biomass production (>125 μm) ranges from 8.2–32.7 Tg C yr−1 (i.e. 0.008–0.033 Gt C yr−1), and might be more than three times as high including neanic and juvenile individuals adding up to 25–100 Tg C yr−1. However, this is a first estimate of regional PFAB extrapolated to the global scale, and future estimates based on larger data sets might considerably deviate from the one presented here. This paper is supported by, and a contribution to the Marine Ecosystem Data project (MAREDAT). Data are available from http://www.pangaea. de ( http://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.777386 ).
Aerodynamic roughness of fixed sandy beds

The nature of interactions between surface winds and sand surfaces that can be characterized by aerodynamic roughness length has important implications for aeolian sediment transport. Here we report the wind tunnel results of systematic tests of the aerodynamic roughness lengths of different sized fixed sand beds at different free-stream wind velocities. The results suggest that there are complex variations of aerodynamic roughness length. Wind is an active factor in determining the aerodynamic roughness length of fixed sand beds. The so-called 1/30 law in aeolian research proposed by Bagnold more than a half century ago for sand surfaces is found to suffer some limitations. Some multivariate models relating aerodynamic roughness length and other factors are provided. The differences between the aerodynamic roughness of fixed and mobile beds are discussed, and it is implied that mobile surfaces adapt to the wind by changing roughness. The similarities between aerodynamic roughness and hydraulic roughness are compared. Aerodynamic roughness is divided into aerodynamically smooth, transitional, and completely rough regimes.
Ecophylogenetics Reveals the Evolutionary Associations between Mammals and their 2

27" A tantalizing hypothesis posits that mammals coevolved with their gut microbiota. Unfortunately, 28" the limited resolution of microbial taxonomy hinders the exploration of this hypothesis and 29" specifically challenges the discovery of gut microbes that are linked to mammalian evolution. To 30" address this, we developed a novel approach that groups microbes into new, more meaningful 31" taxonomic units based on their common ancestry and ecological redundancy. Treating 32" mammalian lineages as different ecosystems, we quantified the distribution of these microbial 33" taxa across mammals. Our analysis discovered monophyletic clades of gut bacteria that are 34" unexpectedly prevalent, or conserved, across all mammals, as well as conserved clades that 35" are exclusive to particular mammalian lineages. These clades often manifest phylogenetic 36" patterns indicating that they are subject to selection. Lineage-specific changes in clade 37" conservation, including a human-accelerated loss of conserved clades, suggest that mammalian 38" evolution associates with a change in the selective regimes that act on gut microbiota. 39" Collectively, these results point to the existence of microbes that possess traits that facilitate 40" their dispersion or survival in the mammalian gut, possibly because they are subject to host 41" selection. Ultimately, our analysis clarifies the relationship between the diversification of the gut 42" microbiome and mammalian evolutionary history. 43"
The Ischia debris avalanche: first clear submarine evidence in the Mediterranean of a volcanic island prehistorical collapse

Sector or flank collapse with related debris avalanches is increasingly recognized as a relatively common volcanic behaviour, in particular, for large, hot‐spot related oceanic islands. Here, we report the case of a catastrophic collapse that occurred at Ischia volcanic island in prehistorical times and was driven by the volcano‐tectonic uplift of Mt Epomeo, the major relief of the island. The collapse left a subaerial to submarine horseshoe scar on the southern flank of the island and generated a debris avalanche incorporating thousands of giant blocks dispersed as far as 50 km from the island. During the emplacement, part of the debris avalanche evolved into a debris flow covering an area of 250–300 km2. This constitutes the first, clear evidence of a submarine debris avalanche in the Mediterranean Sea. The major collapse was followed, and probably also preceded, by recurrent, less catastrophic terrestrial and underwater failures. Two other undersea hummocky deposits are found north and west of the island and might tentatively be correlated to the major southern collapse. Such volcanic behaviour, previously unknown for Ischia Volcano, has likely triggered tsunami waves over the entire Bay of Naples raising the question of their impact on prehistorical/historical communities.
Aeolian processes on the terrestrial planets

Aeolian dune fields have been described on Earth, Mars, Venus, and Titan. The amount and fidelity of data being returned from orbiting spacecraft and landers have enabled a new era in aeolian studies. This progress report presents an overview of the latest planetary geomorphic studies characterizing aeolian processes on extraterrestrial surfaces. Our understanding of aeolian processes on other planetary surfaces comes largely from Earth analog studies, along with wind tunnel experiments and theoretical modeling. However, an important difference is that unlike terrestrial dunes most dunes on Venus and Mars are composed primarily of basaltic particles. Additional research is needed to understand how basaltic particles weather both physically and chemically so that it will be possible to apply traditional sedimentological concepts, such as sediment maturity, to understanding aeolian processes on Venus and Mars. It may also be possible to characterize sediment maturity and provenance through remote sensing data once we have a better understanding of basaltic sediments. Although there have been a variety of dune forms identified on the surfaces of the other terrestrial planets, the only dune form found on all of them is linear dunes. Even though linear dunes are the most common dune forms on Earth, we currently have a poor understanding as to how they are formed, and additional work is needed to understand these features.
α-Synuclein pathology and mitochondrial dysfunction

The formation of oligomers and aggregates of overexpressed or mutant α-synuclein play a role in the degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in Parkinson’s disease by causing dysfunction of mitochondria, reflected in their disturbed mobility and production of ROS. The mode of action and mechanisms underlying this mitochondrial impairment is still unclear. We have induced stable expression of wild-type, A30P or A53T α-synuclein in neuronally differentiated SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells and studied anterograde and retrograde mitochondrial trafficking in this cell model for Parkinson’s disease. In contrast to wild-type and A30P, A53T α-synuclein significantly inhibited mitochondrial trafficking, at first retrogradely and in a later stage anterogradely. Accordingly, A53T α-synuclein also caused the highest increase in ROS production in the dysmobilized mitochondria in comparison to wild-type or A30P α-synuclein. Treatment with NAP, the 8 amino acid peptide identified as the active component of activity-dependent neuroprotective protein (ADNP), completely annihilated the adverse effects of A53T on mitochondrial dynamics. Our results reveal that A53T α-synuclein (oligomers or aggregates) leads to the inhibition of mitochondrial trafficking, which can be rescued by NAP, suggesting the involvement of microtubule disruption in the pathophysiology of Parkinson’s disease
Sorting out cholesterol metabolism

Purpose of review Long-term exposure to elevated concentrations of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol increases the risk of cardiovascular events. The main player in clearing LDL cholesterol is the LDL receptor (LDLR) trafficking pathway, however, our fundamental knowledge about the mechanisms regulating this pathway is still incomplete. Recent findings The LDLR pathway is very complex and involves multiple proteins. Endocytosis is regulated by two different adaptor proteins, i.e. autosomal recessive hypercholesterolemia (ARH) and disabled-2 (Dab2). The proteolysis of LDLR is regulated by inducible degrader of the LDL receptor (IDOL) and proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PSCK9). However, only a few proteins have been identified that provide insights into endosomal sorting and recycling of LDLR.