Direct alignment methods are increasingly used to align large language models (LLMs) with human preferences. However, many real-world alignment problems involve multiple conflicting objectives, where naive aggregation of preferences can lead to unstable training and poor trade-offs. In particular, weighted loss methods may fail to identify update directions that simultaneously improve all objectives, and existing multi-objective approaches often rely on explicit reward models, introducing additional complexity and distorting user-specified preferences. The contributions of this paper are two-fold. First, we propose a eward-free lignment framework for onflicted bjectives (RACO) that directly leverages pairwise preference data and resolves gradient conflicts via a novel clipped variant of conflict-averse gradient descent. We provide convergence guarantees to Pareto-critical points that respect user-specified objective weights, and further show that clipping can strictly improve convergence rate in the two-objective setting. Second, we improve our method using some heuristics and conduct experiments to demonstrate the compatibility of the proposed framework for LLM alignment. Both qualitative and quantitative evaluations on multi-objective summarization and safety alignment tasks across multiple LLM families (Qwen 3, Llama 3, Gemma 3) show that our method consistently achieves better Pareto trade-offs compared to existing multi-objective alignment baselines.

BACKGROUND:There are currently no validated clinical biomarkers of postacute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC). OBJECTIVE:To investigate clinical laboratory markers of SARS-CoV-2 and PASC. DESIGN:Propensity score-weighted linear regression models were fitted to evaluate differences in mean laboratory measures by prior infection and PASC index (≥12 vs. 0). (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT05172024). SETTING:83 enrolling sites. PARTICIPANTS:RECOVER-Adult cohort participants with or without SARS-CoV-2 infection with a study visit and laboratory measures 6 months after the index date (or at enrollment if >6 months after the index date). Participants were excluded if the 6-month visit occurred within 30 days of reinfection. MEASUREMENTS:Participants completed questionnaires and standard clinical laboratory tests. RESULTS:Among 10 094 participants, 8746 had prior SARS-CoV-2 infection, 1348 were uninfected, 1880 had a PASC index of 12 or higher, and 3351 had a PASC index of zero. After propensity score adjustment, participants with prior infection had a lower mean platelet count (265.9 × 109 cells/L [95% CI, 264.5 to 267.4 × 109 cells/L]) than participants without known prior infection (275.2 × 109 cells/L [CI, 268.5 to 282.0 × 109 cells/L]), as well as higher mean hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) level (5.58% [CI, 5.56% to 5.60%] vs. 5.46% [CI, 5.40% to 5.51%]) and urinary albumin-creatinine ratio (81.9 mg/g [CI, 67.5 to 96.2 mg/g] vs. 43.0 mg/g [CI, 25.4 to 60.6 mg/g]), although differences were of modest clinical significance. The difference in HbA1c levels was attenuated after participants with preexisting diabetes were excluded. Among participants with prior infection, no meaningful differences in mean laboratory values were found between those with a PASC index of 12 or higher and those with a PASC index of zero. LIMITATION:Whether differences in laboratory markers represent consequences of or risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 infection could not be determined. CONCLUSION:Overall, no evidence was found that any of the 25 routine clinical laboratory values assessed in this study could serve as a clinically useful biomarker of PASC. PRIMARY FUNDING SOURCE:National Institutes of Health.

About 40% of the firms that go public on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange voluntarily include earnings forecasts in their prospectuses. These forecasts are on average biased downwards by 8% compared to the realized earnings. We hypothesize that the underwriter, in order to increase IPO underpricing and obtain private benefits, pressure managers to low-ball earnings forecasts in the prospectuses. We examine the effect of underwriting commission rate, reputation, and IPO trading commissions on the earnings forecast bias in the prospectuses. We find that underwriting commission rate is negatively associated with the forecast bias. Using the 90-day post-IPO trading volume as a proxy for future trading commissions and profits generated from institutional investors and aftermarket trading activities in general, we document that trading commissions are positively associated with the forecast bias. Further analysis shows that underpricing is positively associated with the forecast bias, but the effect of the forecast bias on underpricing disappears after controlling for the underwriter's trading commission. Overall, these results are consistent with predictions based on the agency theories of underwriter by Baron (1982) and Loughran and Ritter (2002).

Systemic sclerosis is a rare connective tissue disease; and interstitial lung disease (SSc–ILD) is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. There are no clinical, radiologic features, nor biomarkers that identify the specific time when patients are at risk for progression at which the benefits from treatment outweigh the risks. Our study aimed to identify blood protein biomarkers associated with progression of interstitial lung disease in patients with SSc–ILD using an unbiased, high-throughput approach. We classified SSc–ILD as progressive or stable based on change in forced vital capacity over 12 months or less. We profiled serum proteins by quantitative mass spectrometry and analyzed the association between protein levels and progression of SSc–ILD via logistic regression. The proteins associated with at a p value of < 0.1 were queried in the ingenuity pathway analysis (IPA) software to identify interaction networks, signaling, and metabolic pathways. Through principal component analysis, the relationship between the top 10 principal components and progression was evaluated. Unsupervised hierarchical clustering with heatmapping was done to define unique groups. The cohort consisted of 72 patients, 32 with progressive SSc–ILD and 40 with stable disease with similar baseline characteristics. Of a total of 794 proteins, 29 were associated with disease progression. After adjusting for multiple testing, these associations did not remain significant. IPA identified five upstream regulators that targeted proteins associated with progression, as well as a canonical pathway with a higher signal in the progression group. Principal component analysis showed that the ten components with the highest Eigenvalues represented 41% of the variability of the sample. Unsupervised clustering analysis revealed no significant heterogeneity between the subjects. We identified 29 proteins associated with progressive SSc–ILD. While these associations did not remain significant after accounting for multiple testing, some of these proteins are part of pathways relevant to autoimmunity and fibrogenesis. Limitations included a small sample size and a proportion of immunosuppressant use in the cohort, which could have altered the expression of inflammatory and immunologic proteins. Future directions include a targeted evaluation of these proteins in another SSc–ILD cohort or application of this study design to a treatment naïve population.

The effects of the aging process on the kappa-carbide precipitation behavior and thus on the mechanical properties of an Fe-30.5Mn-8Al-1.0C lightweight austenitic steel were exper-imentally studied. The morphology of intragranular kappa-carbide precipitation evolved from spherical to cuboidal and then to rectangular with increasing aging temperature and time, and intergranular kappa-carbides precipitate in the high-temperature-aged steels and exhibit lath-like and lamellar morphologies. For steels with intragranular kappa-carbide precipitation, the yield strength becomes significantly improved with the persisting aging owing to the enhanced dislocation shearing strengthening via kappa-carbide growth, and the increase in yield strength exceeded the contribution of work hardening. Intergranular precipitation in higher-temperature-aged steel has a negative effect on the strength and ductility; it partly counteracts the strength increase due to intragranular precipitation. In summary, the studied steel aged at 550 C-degrees for 1-2 h exhibited a better strength-ductility match.(c) 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] seed protein inheritance has been extensively studied; however, genetics of high-protein "BARC-7" soybean are still unknown. In this study, we used 250 F2-derived lines from each of two soybean populations for quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping. UA 5814HP, with high-protein content, tracing to BARC-7 as maternal grandfather, was a common parent. Field experiments were conducted using a randomized complete block design with one replication across four environments. Seed protein and oil were quantified using near-infrared (NIR) instrument. Genetic linkage maps were constructed using the Infinium Soy6KSNP Beadchips. QTL analysis was performed using a composite interval mapping method. QTL for protein and oil were identified on chromosomes 6, 13, and 20. The known major QTL on chromosome 20 was not detected, but a novel QTL further downstream on chromosome 20 (only detected in population two) had high-protein alleles inherited from BARC-7-derived parent. Fine mapping efforts are currently ongoing for confirmation of these results.

The splitting of the quenching and partitioning of quenching - tempering & partitioning (Q-T&P) process permits us to investigate the as-quenched and partitioned states of the novel δ-quenching & partitioning (δ-QP) steel, separately. Both quenched and partitioned steels consisted of ferrite and martensite/austenite islands. After tempering at 350 °C, C and Mn partitioned into the austenite during partitioning. Besides, the films comprised of martensitic-based dislocation sub-structures were formed, and these were enriched with all solutes including Al. The deformation behavior of δ-QP steels was significantly adjusted by partitioning treatment. The fracture strain was improved by 38% after partitioning step. The higher tensile strength was attributed to the strengthened ferrite and more efficient transformation induced plasticity (TRIP) effect. The unpinned dislocations slipping in ferrite of partitioned steel induced an obvious recovery of work hardening rate. Meanwhile, the improved deformation uniformity and martensite ductility contributed to the higher ductility. Based on such an analysis of microstructure-property relationship, it is conducive to develop high-grade δ-QP steels and give some guidelines on the optimal design of low-density alloy system.

1. Introduction High strength steels continue to be developed for automotive applications to increase safety and reduce lightweight by downgauging [1,2]. In addition, reducing density is another solution for the lightweight of automotive components [3,4]. Aluminum addition could effectively reduce the density of steels, since it has a low atomic mass and invokes a lattice expansion [5].

Background: Patients with underlying medical conditions have a greater risk of developing severe COVID-19. Unlike vaccine-derived immunity which develops over time, administration of neutralizing monoclonal antibodies is an immediate, passive humoral immunotherapy, with the potential to reduce disease progression, emergency room visits, hospitalizations, and death. Methods: In this phase 3 portion of the BLAZE-1 trial, a high-risk ambulatory cohort of 1035 patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 were randomly assigned 1:1 to receive a single intravenous infusion of a neutralizing monoclonal antibody combination treatment consisting of 2800mg bamlanivimab+2800mg etesevimab together, or placebo, within 3 days of laboratory diagnosis. The primary outcome was overall patient clinical status, measured by the proportion of patients who experienced COVID-19-related hospitalization or death by any cause by Day 29. Results: 1035 patients were randomized and infused (mean age [SD];53.8 years [16.8], female (52%)). A 70% reduction in COVID-19-related hospitalization and death by any cause by Day 29 was observed in patients who received the bamlanivimab+etesevimab combination treatment (11/518 arm total) compared to those who received placebo (36/517 arm total) (Δ[95% CI]=-4.8[-7.4,-2.3])(p=0.0004). No deaths were observed among patients who received the combination treatment, 10 deaths were reported in the placebo group, at least 8 designated COVID-19-related. A significantly greater reduction in log10(viral load) from baseline at Day 7 was observed amongst patients who received bamlanivimab+etesevimab compared to placebo (Δ[95% CI]=-1.20[-1.46,-0.94])(p<0.00000001). The median time to sustained symptom resolution was shorter for those who received the combination treatment (days [95% CI]=8[7.0,8.0]) compared to those who received placebo (days [95% CI]=9[8.0,10.0])(p=0.007). Similar rates of adverse events were observed between placebo (60/517,11.6%) and combination treatment groups (69/518,13.3%). Conclusion: 2800mg bamlanivimab+2800mg etesevimab neutralizing monoclonal antibody combination therapy significantly reduced COVID-19- related hospitalizations and deaths amongst high-risk ambulatory patients and accelerated the decline in viral load and disease symptoms over time. This study confirms that early intervention with bamlanivimab + etesevimab greatly improves the clinical outcomes for high-risk ambulatory patients, and links reduction in nasopharyngeal viral load to clinically meaningful benefits.

Quenching and flash-partitioning (Q&FP) concept is proposed based upon carbon diffusion associated with the martensitic transformation. For the Si-added steel having an elevated martensite start (M-s) temperature, carbon can diffuse rapidly from martensite laths into their adjacent austenite within only a few seconds during the martensitic transformation, to replace carbides precipitation by auto-tempering in the Si-free steel. Elevating M-s in alloy design based on the Q&FP concept enables the stabilization of retained austenite during press hardening. The transformation-induced plasticity effect of retained austenite films improved the total elongation of press-hardened steel to 10.5% combining with 1660 MPa tensile strength. (C) 2019 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The conventional (non-genetically modified) soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] germplasm line R11-7999 (Reg. no. GP-436, PI691646) was released by the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station in 2018 because of its high seed protein content and high yield potential. R11-7999 is an F-4 selection from the cross between the Tennessee cultivar '5002T' and the Arkansas advanced breeding line R00-2097. Trial testing results of over 30 environments in Arkansas and other southern states shows that R11-7999 is well adapted and exhibits high yield performance. R11-7999 has a relative maturity of 5.7, determinate growth habit, purple flowers, tawny pubescence, and a tan pod wall at maturity. Seed of R11-7999 has yellow cotyledons with dull yellow seed coat and brown and black hilum. It is resistant to stem canker and moderately resistant to frogeye leaf spot. R11-7999 has a seed protein content of 439 g kg(-1) (dry weight), which combined with the seed oil (202 g kg(-1)) content produces 50.7% protein in the meal fraction. The high yield and high protein content of R11-7999 will make it a valuable cultivar for animal feed and protein isolate.

I study the aggregate impact of mergers on productivity and markups growth for a sample of 16 European economies. Instrumented with staggered antitrust policy changes and predetermined firm-size distributions, a three-percentage-point increase in an industry’s merger rate causes a one-percentage-point increase in annual productivity growth. The effect on an industry’s markups growth is statistically indistinguishable from zero. I use deal-level data to explore the firm-level mechanism. Relative to peer firms, an acquired firm experiences faster Hicks-neutral productivity growth and rising market share, suggesting the quantitatively important channel is scale economies. Markups growth is also higher among acquired firms, but the impact is offset in the aggregate by decreases in peer-firm markups growth. ∗University of Chicago Booth School of Business. Email: peter_chen@chicagobooth.edu. I am grateful to Brent Neiman, Eric Zwick, Steve Kaplan, Amir Sufi and Chad Syverson for their continued guidance. This research was graciously funded by the Fama-Miller Research Grant and the Stigler Center Bradley Fellowship. I thank Klakow Akepanidtawon, Greg Buchak, Gurshuram Bhue, Perter (Anhua) Chen, Mihir Gandhi, James Traina, Xun Xu, Xiao Zhang, and all other seminar participants for their comments and support. Finally, I thank my better half for wrestling with the three munchkins while I sit in front of a computer in an air conditioned room.

We investigate the effects of NASD Rule 2711 on analysts' conflict of interest in corporate financing activities. Specifically, we examine the relations (1) between analysts' guidance in earnings forecasts and recommendations and corporate external financing and (2) between external financing and future stock returns during the 1994–2010 period. We find a positive relation of analysts' guidance in earnings forecasts and recommendations (especially long-term growth forecast and recommendations) and corporate financing activities, but the relation is weaker in the post-Rule period than in the pre-Rule period. We also find a negative relation between corporate external financing and future stock returns, but the relation is weaker in the post-Rule period. Moreover, the changes of these relations after the implementation of the Rule are greater for firms with greater conflicts of interest. Our empirical results suggest that Rule 2711 has reduced the extent of analysts' conflicts of interest in corporate financing activities.

The split quenching and partitioning (S-QP) process allows researchers to investigate microstructure and properties separately, i.e., before and after partitioning. After the partitioning process, the yield strength increases by approximately 300 MPa in the ferrite-bearing δ-quenching and partitioning (δ-QP) steel. We propose that carbon trapping in dislocations at the ferrite grain boundaries during partitioning process is responsible for the yield strength enhancement of ferrite. Combined transmission electron microscopy and 3D atom probe tomography observations demonstrate carbon atoms segregating in dislocations. The mechanisms for the high yield strength of ferrite presented QP steels are clarified for the first time in this research.

The sectoral composition of global saving changed dramatically during the last three decades. Whereas in the early 1980s most of global investment was funded by household saving, nowadays nearly two-thirds of global investment is funded by corporate saving. This shift in the sectoral composition of saving was not accompanied by changes in the sectoral composition of investment, implying an improvement in the corporate net lending position. We characterize the behavior of corporate saving using both national income accounts and firm-level data and clarify its relationship with the global decline in labor share, the accumulation of corporate cash stocks, and the greater propensity for equity buybacks. We develop a general equilibrium model with product and capital market imperfections to explore quantitatively the determination of the flow of funds across sectors. Changes including declines in the real interest rate, the price of investment, and corporate income taxes generate increases in corporate profits and shifts in the supply of sectoral saving that are of similar magnitude to those observed in the data. Peter Chen University of Chicago peter.cw.chen@gmail.com Loukas Karabarbounis University of Minnesota Department of Economics Hanson Hall Minneapolis, MN 55455 and NBER loukas@umn.edu Brent Neiman University of Chicago Booth School of Business 5807 South Woodlawn Avenue Chicago, IL 60637 and NBER brent.neiman@chicagobooth.edu

Introduction: Recombinant von Willebrand factor (rVWF) has demonstrated hemostatic efficacy and safety when used for on-demand treatment and for control of bleeding episodes in the surgical setting in patients with severe von Willebrand disease (VWD). rVWF is administered without recombinant FVIII (rFVIII) if an immediate rise in FVIII coagulant activity (FVIII:C) is not necessary or if baseline FVIII:C is sufficient to ensure hemostasis (≥40-100 IU/dL). In the elective surgical setting, rVWF may be given alone prior to surgery to raise endogenous FVIII:C. We analyzed prospective clinical trial data to better inform dosing decisions related to treatment and the pharmacodynamic effect of administering rVWF on endogenous FVIII:C.

The SiCN film, which has the same crystal structure as 3C-SiC verified by X-ray diffraction and Raman scattering, has been formed on Si (111) substrate by constant-source diffusion using a chemical vapor deposition system. Via X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, the film has been identified as the mixture of elemental Si and SiC1−xNx alloy, with the SiC1−xNx content decreases from 87.4% to 17.9% and the mole fraction x increases from 0.17 to 0.21, as the depth extends from the near surface to the interface. The measured composition distribution can be well explained by the constant-source diffusion model, confirms that the formation mechanism of the SiCN film is the diffusion of C and N into the Si substrate. This provides a new method for fabricating crystalline SiCN thin films.

The Appendix consists of five sections. Section 1 describes the national accounts and firmlevel data used in the paper. Section 2 supplements our analysis in the main text on firm characteristics and saving. Section 3 shows the robustness of our findings to an adjustment of the definition of corporate saving that excludes the value of equity buybacks net of issuances from corporate saving. Section 4 provides further detail on the role of multinational activity in aggregate and firm-level saving. Finally, Section 5 includes additional results, presents robustness checks, and discusses some of the details of the model.