Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Analysis of the Impact of Randomization of Search-Control Parameters in Monte-Carlo Tree Search

Monte-Carlo Tree Search (MCTS) has been applied successfully in many domains, including games. However, its performance is not uniform on all domains, and it also depends on how parameters that control the search are set. Parameter values that are optimal for a task might be sub-optimal for another. In a domain that tackles many games with different characteristics, like general game playing (GGP), selecting appropriate parameter settings is not a trivial task. Games are unknown to the player, thus, finding optimal parameters for a given game in advance is not feasible. Previous work has looked into tuning parameter values online, while the game is being played, showing some promising results. This tuning approach looks for optimal parameter values, balancing exploitation of values that performed well so far in the search and exploration of less sampled values. Continuously changing parameter values while performing the search, combined also with exploration of multiple values, introduces some randomization in the process. In addition, previous research indicates that adding randomization to certain components of MCTS might increase the diversification of the search and improve the performance. Therefore, this article investigates the effect of randomly selecting values for MCTS search-control parameters online among predefined sets of reasonable values. For the GGP domain, this article evaluates four different online parameter randomization strategies by comparing them with other methods to set parameter values: online parameter tuning, offline parameter tuning and sub-optimal parameter choices. Results on a set of 14 heterogeneous abstract games show that randomizing parameter values before each simulation has a positive effect on the search in some of the tested games, with respect to using fixed offline-tuned parameters. Moreover, results show a clear distinction between games for which online parameter tuning works best and games for which online randomization works best. In addition, the overall performance of online parameter randomization is closer to the one of online parameter turning than the one of sub-optimal parameter values, showing that online randomization is a reasonable parameter selection strategy. When analyzing the structure of the search trees generated by agents that use the different parameters selection strategies, it is clear that randomization causes MCTS to become more explorative, which is helpful for alignment games that present many winning paths in their trees. Online parameter tuning, instead, seems more suitable for games that present narrow winning paths and many losing paths.
Determination the Aetiological Pattern of Head Injury in the Region

1 Assistant Professor (Forensic Medicine), Ashiyan Medical College, Dhaka, Bangladesh 2 Assistant Professor, Dept. of Forensic Medicine, Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmad Medical College, Gazipur, Bangladesh 3 Assistant Professor, Department Of Forensic Medicine, Shaheed Monsur Ali Medical College, Dhaka, Bangladesh 4 Assistant Professor, Department Of Forensic Medicine, Dhaka National Medical College, Dhaka, Bangladesh 5 Lecturer, Department Of Forensic Medicine, Sheikh Hasina medical college, Tangail, Bangladesh 6 Assistant Professor, Department Of Forensic Medicine, Jahurul Islam Medical College, Kishoreganj, Bangladesh 7 General Practitioner, Hazi Md. Alfaj Uddin Diagnostic Centre, Kanchan, Rupgonj, Narayanganj, Bangladesh
Modeling Annular Flow Behavior for Gas Wells

In this paper a mechanistic model is developed for the prediction of annular two-phase flow behavior in gas wells. The model can predict annular flow characteristics, such as liquid film thickness, gas void fraction, and pressure gradient. It was evaluated against a data bank of 75 wells for which the pressure drop between the bottom of the well and the wellhead was available. The model was also compared with data from two wells with measured pressure profiles. Model predictions are in agreement with these data and superior to most commonly used correlations.
Cyclic tests of four two‐story narrow steel plate shear walls—Part 1: Analytical studies and specimen design

This study consists of two parts. In this two‐part research, four two‐story narrow steel plate shear walls (SPSWs) were cyclically tested at the Taiwan National Center for Research on Earthquake Engineering in 2007. This paper, Part 1, proposes a capacity design method for the first‐story boundary column of the SPSW to ensure that the plastic hinges form at the column bottom ends when the SPSW develops the plastic mechanism. The design method was developed based on the superposition method considering the frame sway action and the panel force effects of the SPSW. Restrained steel plate shear wall (R‐SPSW) studied herein adopts pairs of the horizontal restrainers sandwiching over both sides of the infill panels and connected to the boundary columns. Analytical studies on four SPSW example designs using nonlinear finite element (FE) models and the simplified strip models confirm that the restrainers could also effectively reduce the column force demands and allow the infill panel to stretch more uniformly. In addition, the FE analytical studies verify the effectiveness of the proposed column capacity design method and the seismic design recommendations for the restrainer. This paper introduces the designs of the four narrow SPSW specimens, presenting the selections of the boundary beams and columns, the designs of the beam‐to‐column connections and the construction details of the restrainers. The experimental results, key observations and the design implications are reported in the companion paper. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Evaluation of Therapeutic Treatments to Manage Oak Bacterial Leaf Scorch

Bacterial leaf scorch is a very serious tree disease, especially for oaks in Kentucky, U.S. landscapes. From 2003 to 2007, several potentially therapeutic disease management treatments were tried on diseased pin oaks (Quercus palustris) growing in golf course, street tree, and horse farm environments. Treatments included root flare soil drenches of paclobutrazol, adjuvant-assisted basal trunk applications of anti-microbial compounds, and springtime root flare injections of oxytetracycline. Paclobutrazol drenches caused expected growth regulator effects but did not consistently reduce bacterial leaf scorch of golf course and street trees. Antibiotics applied directly to trunks of infected trees with an adjuvant had no effect on levels of bacterial leaf scorch. Compared to untreated trees, springtime root flare injections of oxytetracycline reduced scorch levels and delayed by about two weeks, the time of appearance of late summer scorch symptoms. Injections done three weeks after full expansion of first leaves provided better results than injections done earlier or later in the spring. Therapeutic treatments do not provide a cure for trees infected with bacterial leaf scorch, but may prolong tree life.
Design and analysis of space-time block and trellis coding schemes for single-band UWB communications systems

Ultra Wide-Band (UWB) technology has recently attracted much research interest due to its appealing features in short-range mobile communications. These features include high-data rates, low power consumption, multiple-access communications and precise positioning capabilities. Space-Time Coding (STC) techniques, such as block coding and trellis coding, are known to be simple and practical ways to increase both the spectral efficiency and the capacity in wireless communications. The the- sis aims at designing robust and efficient space-time coding schemes well adapted to single-band UWB signalling. Thus, this work incorporates a fine analysis of a stan- dard Single Input Single Output (SISO) single-band UWB system, scrutinising every important aspect of this system including transceiver structure, channel modelling, multiple-access techniques and detection process. Research also leads to the deriva- tion of a novel closed-form approximation for the average probability of bit-error for single-band UWB systems. This in-depth study highlights drawbacks inherent to UWB systems such as time-jitter effects or rake-receiver complexity and proposes schemes that benefit from spatial diversity to mitigate these problems. Thus, the thesis concentrates on the design of new multiple-antenna space-time coding systems tailored for UWB communications. As a result, this work derives and generates gen- eralised full-rate space-time block codes based on orthogonal pulses to capture both spatial and multipath diversities. Space-time trellis coded modulation is then revis- ited to further improve the spectral efficiency limit and to deliver the high-data rates promised by UWB technology. A new version of space-time trellis coding is developed for the peculiar UWB signalling structure. Finally, thanks to a novel closed-form ap- proximation, a theoretical comparison is undertaken between any SISO-UWB system and the multiple-antenna UWB systems proposed in this thesis. The results clearly underline the impact of STC on a single-band UWB system in terms of enhanced robustness against timing-jitter effects, higher spectral efficiency and capacity im- provement. These advantages are finally confirmed through the numerical evaluation of the error-rate performance.
Reducing the use of resources in medium-sized Swedish construction enterprises: production managers’ views

What construction firms do—and do not do—to reduce the use of resources in construction projects is explored by adopting production managers’ views of their firms’ onsite activities. A literature review and empirical data are combined; 15 production managers have been asked how they perceived their company’s compliance with 31 recommendations to reduce the use of resources. The managers perceived their firms to primarily focus on identifying their customers’ real needs, stimulating employees to undertake further education, and striving for long-term customer–supplier relationships. In contrast, they perceived that less attention was directed to making use of all of the week’s hours, to supporting their main suppliers in their development, and planning feedback and training after project completion. The use of resources is examined by focusing on the perceived low priority given to gathering information and knowledge, as well as to reducing time and the need for long-term relationships with customers in contrast to short-term relationships with suppliers. The managers adopted a project-specific approach mainly to the use of material resources. A more holistic view of resources could enable the development of novel solutions in construction.
Therapeutic potential of macrophage colony-stimulating factor (CSF1) in chronic liver disease

Resident and recruited macrophages control the development and proliferation of the liver. We showed previously in multiple species that treatment with a macrophage colony stimulating factor (CSF1)-Fc fusion protein initiated hepatocyte proliferation and promoted repair in models of acute hepatic injury in mice. Here we investigated the impact of CSF1-Fc on resolution of advanced fibrosis and liver regeneration, utilizing a non-resolving toxin-induced model of chronic liver injury and fibrosis in C57BL/6J mice. Co-administration of CSF1-Fc with exposure to thioacetamide (TAA) exacerbated inflammation consistent with monocyte contributions to initiation of pathology. After removal of TAA, either acute or chronic CSF1-Fc treatment promoted liver growth, prevented progression and promoted resolution of fibrosis. Acute CSF1-Fc treatment was also anti-fibrotic and pro-regenerative in a model of partial hepatectomy in mice with established fibrosis. The beneficial impacts of CSF1-Fc treatment were associated with monocyte-macrophage recruitment and increased expression of remodeling enzymes and growth factors. These studies indicate that CSF1-dependent macrophages contribute to both initiation and resolution of fibrotic injury and that CSF1-Fc has therapeutic potential in human liver disease. Summary statement Macrophages contribute to both progression and resolution of chronic tissue injury and fibrogenesis. Administration of a macrophage growth factor promoted liver regeneration and resolution of advanced liver fibrosis in mice.
Early Glycemic Control Assessment Based on Consensus CGM Metrics*

Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) has revolutionized the world of diabetes and transformed the approach to diabetes care. In this context, an expert panel has reached consensus on clinical targets for CGM data interpretation based on eight CGM metrics. At least 70% of 14 consecutive CGM days (referred to as a period) are recommended to assess glycemic control based on the metrics. In clinical practice less CGM data may be available. Therefore, the primary aim of this study is to explore the ability to recover the consensus metrics utilizing less than 14 days of CGM data (intra-period). As a secondary aim, we investigate the recovery considering two consecutive periods (inter-period). The analyses are based on real-world CGM data from 484 diabetes users (4726 periods) acquired from the Cornerstones4Care® Powered by Glooko app. Using up to 14 accumulated days, the consensus metrics are calculated for each user and period, and compared to the fully 14 accumulated intra- and inter-period days. Relatively low deviations were observed for time in range (TIR) and average based metrics when using less than 14 days, however, we observed large deviations in metrics characterizing infrequent events such as time below range (TBR). Furthermore, the consensus metrics obtained in two consecutive 14 day periods have clear discrepancies (inter-period). Recovering consensus metrics using less than 14 days might still be valuable in terms of interpreting CGM data in certain clinical contexts. However, caution should be taken if treatment decisions would be made with less than 14 days of data on critical metrics such as TBR, since the metrics characterizing infrequent events deviate substantially when less data are available. Substantial deviation is also seen when comparing across two consecutive periods, which means that care should be taken not to over-generalize consensus metric based glycemic control conclusions from one period to subsequent periods.
THE ONE TRILLION EURO DIGITAL CURRENCY: How to issue a digital euro without threatening monetary policy transmission and financial stability?

The introduction of a general-purpose central bank digital currency (CBDC) carries the risk of bank disintermediation, potentially jeopardizing financial stability and monetary policy transmission through the bank lending channel. By adapting the theoretical framework of Dutkowsky and VanHoose (2018b, 2020) to the euro area, this study clarifies the conditions under which a digital euro could be introduced on a large scale without leading to bank disintermediation or a credit crunch. First, the central bank would need to set up proper mechanisms to manage the volume and the user cost of CBDC in circulation. Second, since some bank deposits will be converted into CBDC, the central bank should continue to facilitate access to its long-term lending facilities in order to provide banks with an alternative funding source at an equivalent cost. Depending on its design, a digital euro could improve bank profitability by absorbing large amounts of idle (and expensive) excess reserves without penalizing lending. A digital euro could also improve banks’ competitive position relative to non-bank lenders and encourage bank digitalization. JEL Classification: E41, E42, E51, E52, E58, G21
Results of Fixation of Oblique and Spiral Fractures of Metacarpals and Phalanges of the Hand by Interfragmentary Mini Screws

Background: Surgical treatment is preferred in metacarpal and phalangeal fractures in general can be treated surgically with K-wires, screws or hand plates. Lag screws are the implant of choice for this type of fractures. The aim of this work is to evaluate the outcome of fixation of oblique and spiral fractures of phalanges and metacarpals of the hand by interfragmentary mini screws. Patients and methods: Eighteen oblique and spiral fractures were included in this study with 6 metacarpals and 12 phalangeal fractures. Eight spiral and 10 oblique fractures were followed up for 15 to 31 weeks. Gender distributed as seven females and 11 males with Patients’ mean age of 35 (range 19 51) years old. In range of motion, functional and radiological results of treatment of oblique and spiral metacarpal and phalangeal fractures by open reduction and internal fixation using interfragmentary mini screws were evaluated. Results: In our study, the mean value of TAM score for both metacarpals and phalanges at the end of follow up (mean 23.1 weeks) was 87% ± 11.6. Final range of motion assessment revealed three (16.7%) fair, two (11.1%) good and thirteen (72.2%) excellent results. There was statistically insignificant difference between the side of the affected hand with phalangeal and metacarpal fractures and end results of final follow up. Conclusion: Oblique and spiral hand fractures have special characters. They are the result of torsional forces and can cause rotational mal-alignment. Interfragmentary mini Lag screws fixation represents a very good method for dealing with such rotationally unstable fractures.
TAXI! Do Mutual Funds Pursue and Exploit Information on Local Companies?

We use New York City taxi trips to identify mutual fund managers who directly gather information from local firms. Only those funds in NYC that visit local companies via taxi overweight local firms in their portfolios, and firm visits are associated with superior investment performance. Local firm visits are elevated prior to earnings announcements, and mutual fund trades that occur in the same quarter as a taxi visit predict subsequent earnings surprises. The results are generally stronger when fund managers and firm executives share educational connections. These patterns support a conclusion that funds’ local bias and investing performance are related to their efforts and ability to actively gather information.
Challenges in assessing the grid sensitivity of hydro-turbine CFD simulations

Despite the great progress made over the last 20 years, making reliable predictions with CFD is still a challenge. In fact the hydraulic machinery community rarely relies entirely on numerical simulations to provide final designs. The core of the problem lies with the estimation of the solution accuracy. Grid convergence studies are a useful way to check for grid independence and can provide some insight into the actual solution accuracy. However, conducting such studies for complex, detached flows involves many challenges among which: creating progressively refined grids and comparing with measurement results. This paper investigates this problem through the practical example of the BulbT experimental setup for which multiple CFD runs were conducted.
Simulation of organics in the atmosphere: evaluation of EMACv2.54 with the Mainz Organic Mechanism (MOM) coupled to the ORACLE (v1.0) submodel

Abstract. An updated and expanded representation of organics in the chemistry general circulation model EMAC (ECHAM5/MESSy for Atmospheric Chemistry) has been evaluated. First, the comprehensive Mainz Organic Mechanism (MOM) in the submodel MECCA (Module Efficiently Calculating the Chemistry of the Atmosphere) was activated with explicit degradation of organic species up to five carbon atoms and a simplified mechanism for larger molecules. Second, the ORACLE submodel (version 1.0) considers now condensation on aerosols for all organics in the mechanism. Parameterizations for aerosol yields are used only for the lumped species that are not included in the explicit mechanism. The simultaneous usage of MOM and ORACLE allows an efficient estimation, not only of the chemical degradation of the simulated volatile organic compounds, but also of the contribution of organics to the growth and fate of (organic) aerosol, with a complexity of the mechanism largely increased compared to EMAC simulations with more simplified chemistry. The model evaluation presented here reveals that the OH concentration is well reproduced globally, while significant biases for observed oxygenated organics are present. We also investigate the general properties of the aerosols and their composition, showing that the more sophisticated and process-oriented secondary aerosol formation does not degrade the good agreement of previous model configurations with observations at the surface, allowing further research in the field of gas-aerosol interactions.
Electrodes Adaptive Model in Estimating the Depth of Motor Unit: A Motor Unit Action Potential Based Approach

High-density surface electromyography (EMG) has been proposed to overcome the lower selectivity with respect to needle EMG and to provide information on a wide area over the considered muscle. Motor units decomposed from surface EMG signal of different depths differ in the distribution of action potentials detected in the skin surface. We propose a noninvasive model for estimating the depth of motor unit. We find that the depth of motor unit is linearly related to the Gaussian RMS width fitted by data points extracted from motor unit action potential. Simulated and experimental signals are used to evaluate the model performance. The correlation coefficient between reference depth and estimated depth is 0.92 ± 0.01 for simulated motor unit action potentials. Due to the symmetric nature of our model, no significant decrease is detected during the electrode selection procedure. We further checked the estimation results from decomposed motor units, the correlation coefficient between reference depth and estimated depth is 0.82 ± 0.07. For experimental signals, high discrimination of estimated depth vector is detected across gestures among trials. These results show the potential for a straightforward assessment of depth of motor units inside muscles. We discuss the potential of a non-invasive way for the location of decomposed motor units.
Chemotypes of turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) essential oil from four different states of Brazil

Turmeric or curcuma (Curcuma longa L.) is a Zingiberaceae whose essential oil and coloring pigments obtained from the rhizome have been widely used in the food industry and medicine. This study aimed to extract and identify the chemical compounds found in C. longa essential oil from rhizomes collected in six different locations of Brazil. The oil extraction was carried out by hydrodistillation technique, using a Clevenger- type apparatus. The chemical constituents were identified by Gas Chromatography coupled to Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). The principal component analysis (PCA) and the hierarchical cluster analysis (cluster)were done for the obtained data; and the composition of the studied accesses was verified. Three groups of chemotypes were obtained: group I was formed by the accesses of Campo Grande / Indígena-MS, Mara Rosa-GO, Campo Grande-MS and Perobal-PR, and had Ar-turmerone as its main compound; group II, formed by the access of Santa Tereza do Oeste-PR, presented α-costol and α-Phellandrene as the predominant compounds; and group III, the access of Holambra-SP, differed from the others regarding its essential oil chemical composition whose main agents were Curlone, Zingiberene, β-sesquiphellandrene, Humulene epoxide II, cis-α-trans-Bergamotol. The predominant chemical class in all accesses was hydrocarbon sesquiterpenes (Santa Tereza do Oeste-PR and Holambra-SP) and oxygenated sesquiterpenes (the others). This study evidenced the formation of three chemotypes