Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Language Support for Mobile Agents

Mobile agents are code-containing objects that may be transmitted between communicating participants in a distributed system. As opposed to systems that only allow the exchange of nonexecutable data, systems incorporating mobile agents can achieve significant gains in performance and functionality. A programming language for mobile agents must be able to express their construction, transmission, receipt, and subsequent execution. Its implementation must handle architectural heterogeneity between communicating machines and provide sufficient performance for applications based on agents. In addition to these essential properties, an agent language may support desirable properties such as high-level abstractions for code manipulation and the ability to access resources on remote execution sites. We designed and implemented an agent programming language that satisfies the essential properties and a number of desirable ones. A key feature of our language is the use of strong static typing for remote resource access. Agents may be linked dynamically to resources on remote sites, and this linking is always guaranteed to be type safe. We provide this guarantee without requiring that all components of an agent-based system be compiled together. Our language also includes several features to improve the performance of mobile agents. Before an agent is transmitted, it is trimmed of values that are expected to be available on the recipient, thus shrinking transmissions. Agents may be interpreted or compiled depending on the application and the relative performance trade-offs. When compilation is used, it is done lazily: Each component of an agent is only compiled as it is needed. Furthermore, machine-specific representations for an agent can be transmitted with machine-independent ones, opening the possibility for recipients to skip compilation or interpretation altogether. To evaluate our language and to explore the potential of mobile agents, we developed a programming framework for agents. Several applications were implemented by other programmers within this framework using our language. Their work served to validate our design and our choice of agent language properties. We also analyzed the performance of our language on these applications and several synthetic benchmarks. The analysis shows that the features we incorporated into the implementation significantly improve performance.
Measuring frailty using self-report and test-based health measures.

BACKGROUND previously, frailty indices were constructed using mostly subjective health measures. The reporting error in this type of measure can have implications on the robustness of frailty findings. OBJECTIVE to examine whether frailty assessment differs when we construct frailty indices using solely self-reported or test-based health measures. DESIGN secondary analysis of data from The Irish LongituDinal study on Ageing (TILDA). SUBJECTS AND METHODS 4,961 Irish residents (mean age: 61.9 ± 8.4; 54.2% women) over the age of 50 years who underwent a health assessment were included in this analysis. We constructed three frailty indices using 33 self-reported health measures (SRFI), 33 test-based health measures (TBFI) and all 66 measures combined (CFI). The 2-year follow-up outcomes examined were all-cause mortality, disability, hospitalisation and falls. RESULTS all three indices had a right-skewed distribution, an upper limit to frailty, a non-linear increase with age, and had a dose-response relationship with adverse outcomes. Levels of frailty were lower when self-reported items were used (SRFI: 0.12 ± 0.09; TBFI: 0.17 ± 0.15; CFI: 0.14 ± 0.13). Men had slightly higher frailty index scores than women when test-based measures were used (men: 0.17 ± 0.09; women: 0.16 ± 0.10). CFI had the strongest prediction for risk of adverse outcomes (ROC: 0.64-0.81), and age was not a significant predictor when it was included in the regression model. CONCLUSIONS except for sex differences, characteristics of frailty are similar regardless of whether self-reported or test-based measures are used exclusively to construct a frailty index. Where available, self-reported and test-based measures should be combined when trying to identify levels of frailty.
Low rates of DNA fragmentation in selected motile human spermatozoa assessed by the TUNEL assay.

BACKGROUND In this study we present the physiological changes observed in ejaculated spermatozoa of normospermic men after exposure to hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) or gamma irradiation. METHODS Motility changes as well as membrane and DNA-damage were determined in spermatozoa after incubation with 25 micromol/l of H(2)O(2) during increasing intervals of time (0--60 min and after 24 h) or after irradiation of cells using alpha rays. Annexin V-binding in combination with propidium iodide was used for the assessment of membrane changes after each incubation time. TdT-mediated-dUTP nick-end labelling (TUNEL) was used to evaluate DNA damage. RESULTS After 1 h incubation of the spermatozoa with H(2)O(2), almost all cells were positive for Annexin-V, while no significantly increase in TUNEL positivity was observed. TUNEL results were significantly higher 24 h after incubation with H(2)O(2) (10--16.3%, P = 0.03). In the control group (cumulus cells), an increase in the percentage of TUNEL positive cells was observed after 15 min of incubation with H(2)O(2) and showed a five-fold increase after 24 h (from 8.1-72.1%, P < 0.001). TUNEL positive cells after alpha irradiation increased with the doses and post-irradiation time (from 10.8--47.2%). Interestingly, when only motile spermatozoa from irradiated samples were analysed, only 0.5% were TUNEL positive. CONCLUSION Motility may be a relevant physiological marker for DNA-intact sperm after exposure of spermatozoa to H(2)O(2) and alpha irradiation.
Hydrophobicity and Helicity Regulate the Antifungal Activity of 14-Helical β-Peptides

Candida albicans is one of the most prevalent fungal pathogens, causing both mucosal candidiasis and invasive candidemia. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), part of the human innate immune system, have been shown to exhibit antifungal activity but have not been effective as pharmaceuticals because of low activity and selectivity in physiologically relevant environments. Nevertheless, studies on α-peptide AMPs have revealed key features that can be designed into more stable structures, such as the 14-helix of β-peptide-based oligomers. Here, we report on the ways in which two of those features, hydrophobicity and helicity, govern the activity and selectivity of 14-helical β-peptides against C. albicans and human red blood cells. Our results reveal both antifungal activity and hemolysis to correlate to hydrophobicity, with intermediate levels of hydrophobicity leading to high antifungal activity and high selectivity toward C. albicans. Helical structure-forming propensity further influenced this window of selective antifungal activity, with more stable helical structures eliciting specificity for C. albicans over a broader range of hydrophobicity. Our findings also reveal cooperativity between hydrophobicity and helicity in regulating antifungal activity and specificity. The results of this study provide critical insight into the ways in which hydrophobicity and helicity govern the activity and specificity of AMPs and identify criteria that may be useful for the design of potent and selective antifungal agents.
Students’ use of cell phones in class for off-task behaviors: the indirect impact of instructors’ teaching behaviors through boredom and students’ attitudes

ABSTRACT This study was conducted to determine how various teaching behaviors influence students’ emotional and cognitive experiences in class, and how these experiences relate to students’ use of cell phones while considering contextual factors that might influence this outcome. Two hundred and seventy-four students responded to questions regarding their instructors’ teaching behaviors, their experiences of boredom in class, and their attitudes toward using cell phones for off-task activities. Results indicated that, after controlling for students’ general cell phone involvement and course policies regarding cell phone use in class, students’ decisions to engage with their cell phones during course lessons were influenced by their attitudes toward using these devices. Importantly, our results indicated that students’ attitudes regarding using their cell phones for off-task activities in class were a function of their instructors’ teaching behaviors and the experiences of boredom these behaviors produced.
Down regulation of protein kinase C in neuronal cells: effects on neurotransmitter release

We investigated the effects of phorbol esters on protein kinase C (PKC) activity and on neurotransmitter release from cultured neuronal cells. Both differentiated and undifferentiated PC12 pheochromocytoma cells contained high levels of protein PKC. Under normal conditions all the enzyme activity was found in the cytoplasm. Addition of the phorbol esters phorbol 12-myristate-13-acetate (TPA) or phorbol 12,13- dibutyrate (PDBu) caused a rapid translocation of PKC from the cytoplasm to the particulate fraction. Continued culture of cells with these phorbol esters resulted in the decline of total PKC activity. After 10–20 hr of culture, both membrane and cytoplasmic PKC activity had declined to background levels. cAMP-dependent and Ca2+/calmodulin- dependent protein kinase activities were only slightly affected by chronic phorbol ester treatment. Addition of active phorbol esters to PC12 cells produced an enhancement of the depolarization-induced release of 3H-norepinephrine. Following chronic phorbol ester treatment, the ability of these substances to enhance evoked catecholamine release was lost. Furthermore, depolarizing stimuli released considerably less 3H-norepinephrine than in control untreated cells. Phorbol esters also enhanced depolarization-induced 3H- norepinephrine release from primary cultures of rat sympathetic neurons. Chronic treatment of these neurons with phorbol esters also resulted in the loss of their ability to enhance transmitter release and in a large reduction in the extent of depolarization-evoked transmitter release. Chronic phorbol ester treatment also resulted in the disappearance of PKC from sympathetic neurons, but had little effect on cAMP-dependent or Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent kinase activities. These results demonstrate that PKC-deficient neurons can be prepared. The data also demonstrate that depolarization-induced neurotransmitter release is mediated by both protein kinase C-dependent and independent pathways.
Facial Mechanosensory Influence on Forelimb Movement in Newborn Opossums, Monodelphis domestica

The opossum, Monodelphis domestica, is born very immature but crawls, unaided, with its forelimbs (FL) from the mother's birth canal to a nipple where it attaches to pursue its development. What sensory cues guide the newborn to the nipple and trigger its attachment to it? Previous experiments showed that low intensity electrical stimulation of the trigeminal ganglion induces FL movement in in vitro preparations and that trigeminal innervation of the facial skin is well developed in the newborn. The skin does not contain Vater-Pacini or Meissner touch corpuscles at this age, but it contains cells which appear to be Merkel cells (MC). We sought to determine if touch perceived by MC could exert an influence on FL movements. Application of the fluorescent dye AM1-43, which labels sensory cells such as MC, revealed the presence of a large number of labeled cells in the facial epidermis, especially in the snout skin, in newborn opossums. Moreover, calibrated pressure applied to the snout induced bilateral and simultaneous electromyographic responses of the triceps muscle in in vitro preparations of the neuraxis and FL from newborn. These responses increase with stimulation intensity and tend to decrease over time. Removing the facial skin nearly abolished these responses. Metabotropic glutamate 1 receptors being involved in MC neurotransmission, an antagonist of these receptors was applied to the bath, which decreased the EMG responses in a reversible manner. Likewise, bath application of the purinergic type 2 receptors, used by AM1-43 to penetrate sensory cells, also decreased the triceps EMG responses. The combined results support a strong influence of facial mechanosensation on FL movement in newborn opossums, and suggest that this influence could be exerted via MC.
Genomic resources in mungbean for future breeding programs

Among the legume family, mungbean (Vigna radiata) has become one of the important crops in Asia, showing a steady increase in global production. It provides a good source of protein and contains most notably folate and iron. Beyond the nutritional value of mungbean, certain features make it a well-suited model organism among legume plants because of its small genome size, short life-cycle, self-pollinating, and close genetic relationship to other legumes. In the past, there have been several efforts to develop molecular markers and linkage maps associated with agronomic traits for the genetic improvement of mungbean and, ultimately, breeding for cultivar development to increase the average yields of mungbean. The recent release of a reference genome of the cultivated mungbean (V. radiata var. radiata VC1973A) and an additional de novo sequencing of a wild relative mungbean (V. radiata var. sublobata) has provided a framework for mungbean genetic and genome research, that can further be used for genome-wide association and functional studies to identify genes related to specific agronomic traits. Moreover, the diverse gene pool of wild mungbean comprises valuable genetic resources of beneficial genes that may be helpful in widening the genetic diversity of cultivated mungbean. This review paper covers the research progress on molecular and genomics approaches and the current status of breeding programs that have developed to move toward the ultimate goal of mungbean improvement.
Effect of Modified Formula Radix Hedysari on the Amplification Effect during Peripheral Nerve Regeneration

Many studies have demonstrated a compensatory amplification phenomenon during nerve regeneration. When a relatively fine nerve is used as a donor to connect to a distal nerve after transection, the donor nerve regenerates more collaterals than its own fibers, which extend to the distal stump, grow into distal endoneurial tubes, and finally reach and dominate the target organs. This is known as the amplification phenomenon. In this study, we investigated the amplification phenomenon in rats treated with Modified Formula Radix Hedysari (MFRH) as adjuvant therapy for 12 weeks. The rats were divided into three groups at random (six animals in each group). In the model group and the treatment group, the proximal common peroneal nerve was used as a donor nerve to connect to the distal tibial nerve. Rats in the normal group did not undergo surgery. After surgery, the treatment group was administered MFRH as systemic therapy, while the model group and the normal group were not given treatment. The results demonstrated that the nerve conduction velocity, the fiber diameter, the axon diameter, the number of regenerating nerve fibers, and the amplification ratio were better in the treatment group than in the model group, suggesting that MFRH promoted the nerve amplification effect.
Improving PILCO with Bayesian Neural Network Dynamics Models

Model-based reinforcement learning (RL) allows an agent to discover good policies with a small number of trials by generalising observed transitions. Data efficiency can be further improved with a probabilistic model of the agent’s ignorance about the world, allowing it to choose actions under uncertainty. Bayesian modelling offers tools for this task, with PILCO [1] being a prominent example, achieving state-of-theart data efficiency on low dimensional RL benchmarks. But PILCO relies on Gaussian processes (GPs), which prohibits its applicability to problems that require a larger number of trials to be solved. Further, PILCO does not consider temporal correlation in model uncertainty between successive state transitions, which results in PILCO underestimating state uncertainty at future time steps [2]. In this paper we extend PILCO’s framework to use Bayesian deep dynamics models with approximate variational inference, allowing PILCO to scale linearly with number of trials and observation space dimensionality. Using particle methods we sample dynamics function realisations, and obtain lower cumulative cost than PILCO. We give insights into the modelling assumptions made in PILCO, and show that moment matching is a crucial simplifying assumption made by the model. Our implementation can leverage GPU architectures, offering faster running time than PILCO, and will allow structured observation spaces to be modelled (images or higher dimensional inputs) in the future.
Selling to Strategic Consumers When Product Value Is Uncertain: The Value of Matching Supply and Demand

We address the value of quick response production practices when selling to a forward-looking consumer population with uncertain, heterogeneous valuations for a product. Consumers have the option of purchasing the product early, before its value has been learned, or delaying the purchase decision until a time at which valuation uncertainty has been resolved. Whereas individual consumer valuations are uncertain ex ante, the market size is uncertain to the firm. The firm may either commit to a single production run at a low unit cost prior to learning demand, or commit to a quick response strategy that allows additional production after learning additional demand information. We find that the value of quick response is generally lower with strategic (forward-looking) customers than with nonstrategic (myopic) customers in this setting. Indeed, it is possible for a quick response strategy to decrease the profit of the firm, though whether this occurs depends on various characteristics of the market; specifically, we identify conditions under which quick response increases profit (when prices are increasing, when dissatisfied consumers can return the product at a cost to the firm) and conditions under which quick response may decrease profit (when prices are constant or when consumer returns are not allowed). This paper was accepted by Martin Lariviere, operations and supply chain management.
Upper bounds and duality relations of the linear deterministic sum capacity for cellular systems

The MAC-BC duality of information theory and wireless communications is an intriguing concept for efficient algorithm design. However, no concept is known so far for the important cellular channel. To make progress on this front, we consider in this paper the linear deterministic cellular channel. In particular, we prove duality of a network with two interfering MACs in each cell and a network with two interfering BCs in each cell. The operational region is confined to the weak interference regime. First, achievable schemes as well as upper bounds will be provided. These bounds are the same for both channels. We will show, that for specific cases the upper bound corresponds to the achievable scheme and hence establishing a duality relationship between them.
The Performance of Enhanced Liver Fibrosis (ELF) Test for the Staging of Liver Fibrosis: A Meta-Analysis

Background The enhanced liver fibrosis test (ELF) has been shown to accurately predict significant liver fibrosis in several liver diseases. Aims To perform a meta-analysis to assess the performance of the ELF test for the assessment of liver fibrosis. Study Electronic and manual searches were performed to identify studies of the ELF test. After methodological quality assessment and data extraction, pooled estimates of the sensitivity, specificity, area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC), positive likelihood ratio (PLR), negative likelihood ratio (NLR), diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) and summary receiver operating characteristics (sROC) were assessed systematically. The extent of heterogeneity and reasons for it were assessed. Results Nine studies were identified for analysis. The pooled sensitivity, specificity, positive LR, negative LR, and DOR values of ELF test, for assessment of significant liver fibrosis, were 83% (95% CI = 0.80–0.86), 73% (95% CI = 0.69–0.77), 4.00 (95% CI = 2.50–6.39), 0.24 (95% CI = 0.17–0.34), and 16.10 (95% CI = 8.27–31.34), respectively; and, for evaluation of severe liver fibrosis, were 78% (95% CI = 0.74–0.81), 76% (95% CI = 0.73–0.78), 4.39 (95% CI = 2.76–6.97), 0.27 (95% CI = 0.16–0.46), and 16.01 (95% CI: 7.15–35.82), respectively; and, for estimation of cirrhosis, were 80% (95% CI = 0.75–0.85), 71% (95% CI = 0.68–0.74), 3.13 (95% CI = 2.01–4.87), 0.29 (95% CI = 0.19–0.44), and 14.09 (95% CI: 5.43–36.59), respectively. Conclusions The ELF test shows good performance and considerable diagnostic value for the prediction of histological fibrosis stage.
Learning to Predict Problematic Situations in a Spoken Dialogue System: Experiments with How May I Help You?

Current spoken dialogue systems are deficient in their strategies for preventing, identifying and repairing problems that arise in the conversation. This paper reports results on learning to automatically identify and predict problematic human-computer dialogues in a corpus of 4774 dialogues collected with the How May I Help You spoken dialogue system. Our expectation is that the ability to predict problematic dialogues will allow the system's dialogue manager to modify its behavior to repair problems, and even perhaps, to prevent them. We train a problematic dialogue classifier using automatically-obtainable features that can identify problematic dialogues significantly better (23%) than the baseline. A classifier trained with only automatic features from the first exchange in the dialogue can predict problematic dialogues 7% more accurately than the baseline, and one trained with automatic features from the first two exchanges can perform 14% better than the baseline.