Progressive Learning without Forgetting

Learning from changing tasks and sequential experience without forgetting the obtained knowledge is a challenging problem for artificial neural networks. In this work, we focus on two challenging problems in the paradigm of Continual Learning (CL) without involving any old data: (i) the accumulation of catastrophic forgetting caused by the gradually fading knowledge space from which the model learns the previous knowledge; (ii) the uncontrolled tug-of-war dynamics to balance the stability and plasticity during the learning of new tasks. In order to tackle these problems, we present Progressive Learning without Forgetting (PLwF) and a credit assignment regime in the optimizer. PLwF densely introduces model functions from previous tasks to construct a knowledge space such that it contains the most reliable knowledge on each task and the distribution information of different tasks, while credit assignment controls the tug-of-war dynamics by removing gradient conflict through projection. Extensive ablative experiments demonstrate the effectiveness of PLwF and credit assignment. In comparison with other CL methods, we report notably better results even without relying on any raw data

GETMusic: Generating Any Music Tracks with a Unified Representation and Diffusion Framework

Symbolic music generation aims to create musical notes, which can help users compose music, such as generating target instrument tracks based on provided source tracks. In practical scenarios where there's a predefined ensemble of tracks and various composition needs, an efficient and effective generative model that can generate any target tracks based on the other tracks becomes crucial. However, previous efforts have fallen short in addressing this necessity due to limitations in their music representations and models. In this paper, we introduce a framework known as GETMusic, with ``GET'' standing for ``GEnerate music Tracks.'' This framework encompasses a novel music representation ``GETScore'' and a diffusion model ``GETDiff.'' GETScore represents musical notes as tokens and organizes tokens in a 2D structure, with tracks stacked vertically and progressing horizontally over time. At a training step, each track of a music piece is randomly selected as either the target or source. The training involves two processes: In the forward process, target tracks are corrupted by masking their tokens, while source tracks remain as the ground truth; in the denoising process, GETDiff is trained to predict the masked target tokens conditioning on the source tracks. Our proposed representation, coupled with the non-autoregressive generative model, empowers GETMusic to generate music with any arbitrary source-target track combinations. Our experiments demonstrate that the versatile GETMusic outperforms prior works proposed for certain specific composition tasks.Comment: 13 pages, 4 figure

Probing the Effect of Bulky Lesion-Induced Replication Fork Conformational Heterogeneity Using 4-Aminobiphenyl-Modified DNA

Bulky organic carcinogens are activated in vivo and subsequently react with nucleobases of cellular DNA to produce adducts. Some of these DNA adducts exist in multiple conformations that are slowly interconverted to one another. Different conformations have been implicated in different mutagenic and repair outcomes. However, studies on the conformation-specific inhibition of replication, which is more relevant to cell survival, are scarce, presumably due to the structural dynamics of DNA lesions at the replication fork. It is difficult to capture the exact nature of replication inhibition by existing end-point assays, which usually detect either the ensemble of consequences of all the conformers or the culmination of all cellular behaviors, such as mutagenicity or survival rate. We previously reported very unusual sequence-dependent conformational heterogeneities involving FABP-modified DNA under different sequence contexts (TG1*G2T [67%B:33%S] and TG1G2*T [100%B], G*, N-(2′-deoxyguanosin-8-yl)-4′-fluoro-4-aminobiphenyl) (Cai et al. Nucleic Acids Research, 46, 6356–6370 (2018)). In the present study, we attempted to correlate the in vitro inhibition of polymerase activity to different conformations from a single FABP-modified DNA lesion. We utilized a combination of surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and HPLC-based steady-state kinetics to reveal the differences in terms of binding affinity and inhibition with polymerase between these two conformers (67%B:33%S and 100%B)

New Psychological Insights into Unethical Counterfeit Consumption

Consumer demand for counterfeit luxury brands is often viewed as “unethical”, but the demand is also robust and growing. The aim of this exploratory research, which employs in-depth interviews, is two-fold: 1) to identify the psychological and emotional insights that both drive and result from the consumption of higher involvement counterfeit goods and 2) to uncover the coping strategies related to unethical counterfeit consumption. This research reveals new psychological motivations (e.g., “thrill of the hunt”, being part of a “secret society” and genuine interest) underlying counterfeit consumption and the associated emotional outcomes (e.g., embarrassment, shame and positive hedonic gains). This research is also one of the few studies to identify cognitive moral logics by disclosing the neutralization techniques (specifically, denial of responsibility and appealing to higher loyalties) that consumers adopt to cope with the cognitive dissonance associated with debatable counterfeit consumption. The paper contributes to scholarly, managerial and policy conversations

Organic room-temperature phosphorescence from halogen-bonded organic frameworks: hidden electronic effects in rigidified chromophores

Development of purely organic materials displaying room-temperature phosphorescence (RTP) will expand the toolbox of inorganic phosphors for imaging, sensing or display applications. While molecular solids were found to suppress non-radiative energy dissipation and make the RTP process kinetically favourable, such an effect should be enhanced by the presence of multivalent directional non-covalent interactions. Here we report phosphorescence of a series of fast triplet-forming tetraethyl naphthalene-1,4,5,8-tetracarboxylates. Various numbers of bromo substituents were introduced to modulate intermolecular halogen-bonding interactions. Bright RTP with quantum yields up to 20% was observed when the molecule is surrounded by a Br⋯O halogen-bonded network. Spectroscopic and computational analyses revealed that judicious heavy-atom positioning suppresses non-radiative relaxation and enhances intersystem crossing at the same time. The latter effect was found to be facilitated by the orbital angular momentum change, in addition to the conventional heavy-atom effect. Our results suggest the potential of multivalent non-covalent interactions for excited-state conformation and electronic control

UK consumers’ perceived risk of buying products from emerging economies : a moderated mediation model

While considerable research has been conducted on consumer attitude towards foreign products, most of these studies focuses on the attitude of products from Western developed countries. Our study intends to investigate the effects of consumers’ national identification and culture sensitivity on their perceived risk of buying products from Eastern developing countries. Especially, this study advances the literature by identifying the mediation effect of consumer ethnocentrism and the moderating effect of consumer value consciousness. Taking China and India as focal emerging economies, the consumer survey (n=308) in the UK produced the following results. First, UK consumers’ national identification is positively related to their perceived risk of buying eastern products through consumer ethnocentrism, whilst their cultural sensitivity has a negative relationship. Second, the effect of consumer ethnocentrism on the perceived risk of buying eastern products is moderated by consumer value consciousness. Third, value consciousness also attenuates the indirect relationships between national identification / cultural sensitivity and perceived risk via consumer ethnocentrism

Interaction between output efficiency and environmental efficiency:evidence from the textile industry in Jiangsu Province, China

Environmental efficiency improvement has played a crucial role in the theory and practice of stimulating clean production. This paper analyzes the interaction between environmental efficiency and output efficiency, particularly whether they reinforce each other or compete with each other, on the basis of a data set of 137 firms in the textile industry in China's Jiangsu Province. In the first stage, generalized data envelopment analysis is applied to calculate efficiency measures of energy, waste water, waste gas, soot, and output efficiency taking capital, labor, water, and energy as inputs, industrial output value as desirable output, and waste water discharges, waste gas and soot emissions as undesirable outputs. In the second stage analysis, a structural equation model with latent variables is applied to analyze the interaction between the latent variable environmental efficiency, measured by the four observed environmental indicators, and output efficiency, taking also into account the endogenous variable profit. The main outcomes of the structural equation model are the following. Firstly, environmental efficiency negatively impacts on profit while profit positively impacts on environmental efficiency. In a similar vein, output efficiency is found to depress profit while profit increases output efficiency. Thirdly, environmental efficiency has a positive impact on output efficiency while there is no effect of output efficiency on environmental efficiency. Fourthly, taxes impair a firm's output efficiency. From the findings it follows that a swap of general taxes for an energy tax is likely to improve both output efficiency and energy efficiency. The latter outcome implies a win win situation which will facilitate the further implementation and adoption of environmental policy. Finally, the paper illustrates the applicability of structural equation modeling in efficiency analysis. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Joining S100 proteins and migration:for better or for worse, in sickness and in health

The vast diversity of S100 proteins has demonstrated a multitude of biological correlations with cell growth, cell differentiation and cell survival in numerous physiological and pathological conditions in all cells of the body. This review summarises some of the reported regulatory functions of S100 proteins (namely S100A1, S100A2, S100A4, S100A6, S100A7, S100A8/S100A9, S100A10, S100A11, S100A12, S100B and S100P) on cellular migration and invasion, established in both culture and animal model systems and the possible mechanisms that have been proposed to be responsible. These mechanisms involve intracellular events and components of the cytoskeletal organisation (actin/myosin filaments, intermediate filaments and microtubules) as well as extracellular signalling at different cell surface receptors (RAGE and integrins). Finally, we shall attempt to demonstrate how aberrant expression of the S100 proteins may lead to pathological events and human disorders and furthermore provide a rationale to possibly explain why the expression of some of the S100 proteins (mainly S100A4 and S100P) has led to conflicting results on motility, depending on the cells used. © 2013 Springer Basel

Bone-remodeling mechanism regulating by osteoprotegerin

オステオプロテゲリン(OPG)は、骨(オステオ)を護る(プロテクトする)という意味から命名されたサイトカインである。OPGは、破骨細胞分化因子であるRANKL分子のデコイ受容体として破骨細胞の分化と骨吸収機能を抑制する。骨組織においては、骨芽細胞および骨細胞がOPGの産生細胞であるが、近年、骨のリモデリングを制御する因子としてOPGが生体内において重要な役割を果たすことを示す実験結果が蓄積されてきた

A drilling data-constrained seismic mapping method for intermediate-mafic volcanic facies

Based on 112.5 km2 of 3-D seismic data and data of 8 prospecting wells drilled volcanic rocks in the 3rd member of the Paleogene Shahejie Formation in Hongxing area of the Eastern Sag of the Liaohe Depression, Bohai Bay Basin, three levels of volcanic interfaces (stage→edifice→lithofacies) of the intermediate-mafic volcanic formation are identified to reveal favorable prospecting facies through comprehensive studies on geology, well logging and seismic data in single well and multiple wells following the seismic volcano stratigraphy principle. According to stage interfaces, three volcanic stages were identified in the 3rd member of Shahejie Formation. One or more volcanic edifice-seismic facies were identified in each volcanic stage and volcanic facies-seismic facies were identified in each volcanic edifice-seismic facies. Based on single well points, we described volcanic edifices on well-tie seismic sections; identified volcanic bodies by extracting coherent seismic attribute (superimposed volcanic edifices) taking the volcanic stages as the units; then identified volcanic edifices and volcanic lithofacies by extracting waveform classification properties. Volcanic facies mapping were completed by constituting the relationship between the volcanic facies and the seismic facies in drilling wells, seismic cross sections and mappings. There are two types of plane volcanic facies sequences in the intermediate-mafic volcanic facies of this study area: volcanic conduit facies→extrusive facies (→explosive facies)→effusive facies→volcanic sedimentary facies, volcanic conduit facies (→explosive facies)→effusive facies→volcanic sedimentary facies. Among them, the near crater assemblage (volcanic conduit, extrusive and explosive facies) has better hydrocarbon shows and is the most favorable target of hydrocarbon exploration. Key words: intermediate-mafic volcanic rock, volcanic facies, seismic facies, volcanic stratigraphy, volcanic stage, Liaohe Depressio