Distilling Deep RL Models Into Interpretable Neuro-Fuzzy Systems

Deep Reinforcement Learning uses a deep neural network to encode a policy, which achieves very good performance in a wide range of applications but is widely regarded as a black box model. A more interpretable alternative to deep networks is given by neuro-fuzzy controllers. Unfortunately, neuro-fuzzy controllers often need a large number of rules to solve relatively simple tasks, making them difficult to interpret. In this work, we present an algorithm to distill the policy from a deep Q-network into a compact neuro-fuzzy controller. This allows us to train compact neuro-fuzzy controllers through distillation to solve tasks that they are unable to solve directly, combining the flexibility of deep reinforcement learning and the interpretability of compact rule bases. We demonstrate the algorithm on three well-known environments from OpenAI Gym, where we nearly match the performance of a DQN agent using only 2 to 6 fuzzy rules

ConTra v3 : a tool to identify transcription factor binding sites across species, update 2017

Transcription factors are important gene regulators with distinctive roles in development, cell signaling and cell cycling, and they have been associated with many diseases. The ConTra v3 web server allows easy visualization and exploration of predicted transcription factor binding sites (TFBSs) in any genomic region surrounding coding or non-coding genes. In this updated version, with a completely re-implemented user interface using latest web technologies, users can choose from nine reference organisms ranging from human to yeast. ConTra v3 can analyze promoter regions, 5'-UTRs, 3'-UTRs and introns or any other genomic region of interest. Thousands of position weight matrices are available to choose from for detecting specific binding sites. Besides this visualization option, additional new exploration functionality is added to the tool that will automatically detect TFBSs having at the same time the highest regulatory potential, the highest conservation scores of the genomic regions covered by the predicted TFBSs and strongest co-localizations with genomic regions exhibiting regulatory activity. The ConTra v3 web server is freely available at http://bioit2.irc.ugent.be/contra/v3

A20 deficiency in myeloid cells protects mice from diet-induced obesity and insulin resistance due to increased fatty acid metabolism

Obesity-induced inflammation is a major driving force in the development of insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes (T2D), and related metabolic disorders. During obesity, macrophages accumulate in the visceral adipose tissue, creating a low-grade inflammatory environment. Nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kappa B) signaling is a central coordinator of inflammatory responses and is tightly regulated by the anti-inflammatory protein A20. Here, we find that myeloid-specific A20-deficient mice are protected from diet-induced obesity and insulin resistance despite an inflammatory environment in their metabolic tissues. Macrophages lacking A20 show impaired mitochondrial respiratory function and metabolize more palmitate both in vitro and in vivo. We hypothesize that A20-deficient macrophages rely more on palmitate oxidation and metabolize the fat present in the diet, resulting in a lean phenotype and protection from metabolic disease. These findings reveal a role for A20 in regulating macrophage immunometabolism

Imag(in)ed diversity in a small nation: Constructing ethnic minorities in Dutch cinema

This thesis investigates how non-Western ethnic minorities have been represented in Dutch cinema mainly during the last two decades. While it has been argued that national cinema contributes to the imagination of a cohesive national identity, migration and the resulting ethnic diversity in contemporary societies urges us to rethink the role of cinema in the construction of national identities. Whereas migration and minorities are often seen as a threat to the unity of a bounded and homogeneous nation, I argue that national cinemas can contribute to the imagination of a culturally diverse society. In debates about national cinemas, small nations like the Netherlands have largely been neglected. My original contribution to the field is the argument that even the cinema of a small nation like the Netherlands can represent cultural diversity. Not only because of its small size but also because it is one of the first European countries that developed multicultural policies, the Netherlands forms an interesting case to study the representation of ethnic minorities, particularly in times of reviving nationalism. A crucial research question is whether this increased attention to cultural diversity debunks or confirms prevailing stereotypes about the ethnic Other(s). Ethnic minorities are not just a demographic given but also a construct of government policies. For this reason, I examine how Dutch media and integration policies have influenced the representation of ethnic minorities in television and cinema. In order to analyse how diversity is imagined in the Netherlands, I focus on the cinematic representation of the largest minority groups as identified by the Dutch ethnic minorities policies: the Moroccans, the Turks, the Surinamese and the Antilleans. Besides policy efforts to represent ethnic minorities in the media, I claim that the representation of ethnic minorities in Dutch cinema is also a market-driven phenomenon. Even if the Dutch film industry engaged in the production of films targeting ethnic minority audiences, I argue that directors with an ethnic minority background can introduce a more personal perspective on ethnic minorities in the Netherlands. Finally, through historical dramas about (post)colonial migrants I will demonstrate how Dutch filmmakers reimagine the colonial past of the nation. Highlighting the increased attention paid to ethnic minorities in Dutch cinema, I conclude that even in a small nation like the Netherlands the cinematic imagination is not limited to a homogeneous and bounded nation but can also produce a multicultural and transnational world cinema<br/