Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A reputation-oriented reinforcement learning approach for agents in electronic marketplaces

The problem of how to design personal, intelligent agents for e-commerce applications is a subject of increasing interest from both the academic and industrial research communities. In our research, we consider the agent environment as an open marketplace which is populated with economic agents (buyers and sellers), freely entering or leaving the market. The problem we are addressing is how best to model the electronic marketplace, and what kinds of learning strategies should be provided, in order to improve the performance of buyers and sellers in electronic exchanges. Our strategy is to introduce a reputation-oriented reinforcement learning algorithm for buyers and sellers. We take into account the fact that multiple sellers may offer the same good with different qualities. In our approach, buyers learn to maximize their expected value of goods and to avoid the risk of purchasing low quality goods by dynamically maintaining sets of reputable sellers. Sellers learn to maximize their expected profits by adjusting product prices and by optionally altering the quality of their goods. In our buying algorithm, a buyer b uses an expected value function f b , where f b (g, p,s) represents buyer b’s expected value of buying good g at price p from seller s. Buyer b maintains reputation ratings for sellers, and chooses among its set of reputable sellers S b
Analysis and Scheduling of a Battery-Less Mixed-Criticality System with Energy Uncertainty

We consider a battery-less real-time embedded system equipped with an energy harvester. It scavenges energy from an environmental resource according to some stochastic patterns. The success of jobs is threatened in the case of energy shortage, which might be due to lack of harvested energy, losses originated from the super-capacitor self-discharge, as well as power consumption of executed tasks. The periodic real-time tasks of the system follow a dual-criticality model. In addition, each task has a minimum required success ratio that needs to be satisfied in steady state. We analytically evaluate the behavior of such a system in terms of its energy-related success ratio for a given schedule. Based on these results, we propose a scheduling algorithm that satisfies both temporal and success-ratio constraints of the jobs, while respecting task criticalities and corresponding system modes. The accuracy of the analytical method as well as its dependence on the numerical computations and other model assumptions are extensively discussed through comparison with simulation results. Also, the efficacy of the proposed scheduling algorithm is studied through comparison to some existing non-mixed- and mixed-criticality scheduling algorithms.
THE ECOSYSTEM HEALTH METAPHOR IN SCIENCE AND POLICY

Ecosystem health' is an increasingly common metaphor in the langauge of science and policy. Given the prominence of both the ecosystem and health concepts within geography, this paper examines the meanings generated by the adoption of the metaphor for scientific research and for environmental policy on the North American Great Lakes. ‘Ecosystem' can be characterized as an entity, an abstract concept, or a perspective. As perspective, ecosystem shares many features of postmodern science, emphasizing complexity and holism and calling for the inclusion of human beings in our considerations of nature. The ecosystem health metaphor is politically powerful in its ability to evoke action and concern for the environment with an appeal to the universal experiences of human ill-health. The organismic ecosystem health metaphor provides a new, relevant way of thinking about the natural world. In policy discourse, however, metaphor can be problematic in that there is potential for the author or speaker to hide behind the nonliteral language. Moreover, the acceptance of the ecosystem health metaphor which can draw upon widely held beliefs and norms implies that other ways of knowing the world are necessarily omitted. We highlight some of these issues in a case study of a policy document prepared by the Ecological Committee of the Great Lakes International Joint Commission. To continue to know how to study nature in new ways, metaphors must be encouraged, but their meanings must also be widely explored
Genes involved in convergent evolution of eusociality in bees

Eusociality has arisen independently at least 11 times in insects. Despite this convergence, there are striking differences among eusocial lifestyles, ranging from species living in small colonies with overt conflict over reproduction to species in which colonies contain hundreds of thousands of highly specialized sterile workers produced by one or a few queens. Although the evolution of eusociality has been intensively studied, the genetic changes involved in the evolution of eusociality are relatively unknown. We examined patterns of molecular evolution across three independent origins of eusociality by sequencing transcriptomes of nine socially diverse bee species and combining these data with genome sequence from the honey bee Apis mellifera to generate orthologous sequence alignments for 3,647 genes. We found a shared set of 212 genes with a molecular signature of accelerated evolution across all eusocial lineages studied, as well as unique sets of 173 and 218 genes with a signature of accelerated evolution specific to either highly or primitively eusocial lineages, respectively. These results demonstrate that convergent evolution can involve a mosaic pattern of molecular changes in both shared and lineage-specific sets of genes. Genes involved in signal transduction, gland development, and carbohydrate metabolism are among the most prominent rapidly evolving genes in eusocial lineages. These findings provide a starting point for linking specific genetic changes to the evolution of eusociality.
Stroke and coronary heart disease in mild hypertension: risk factors and the value of treatment

Further analyses of the Medical Research Council's trial of drug treatment of mild hypertension were carried out to provide more detailed information on the benefits associated with treatment in various subgroups. The four main considerations in establishing a rational treatment policy were, firstly, the significant reduction in the stroke rate with active treatment; secondly, the absence of a significant overall treatment effect on myocardial infarction; thirdly, the knowledge that of 100 untreated men in the highest risk group (those aged 55-64 with high systolic pressure at entry who smoked), five would be expected to suffer a stroke and 10 a coronary event within five years; and, fourthly, the cost, in clinical and financial terms, of prolonged treatment. In the high risk group of 100 men treatment with bendrofluazide would result in the prevention of three or four of the five strokes but would have little effect on the expected numbers of myocardial infarctions. Treatment with propranolol in non-smoking men in the highest age and blood pressure categories would lead to a reduction in the number having strokes from three to one or two and might possibly reduce the number experiencing myocardial infarction from seven to four. Smokers treated with propranolol would not be expected to benefit. In women avoiding smoking was particularly important. The considerations for preventing stroke were similar to those in men, but no clear guideline was possible on the effect of lowering blood pressure for preventing myocardial infarction in women. Drug treatment reduces the attack rate of certain events in mild hypertension but should not be prescribed routinely for all patients with the disorder.
Polarity of helper T cell subsets represents disease nature and clinical course of experimental autoimmune myocarditis in rats

The mechanisms of progression, remission and relapse of myocarditis remain unclear. To clarify these mechanisms, we focused on T helper‐1 (Th1)/T helper‐2 (Th2) subsets balance of peripheral lymphocytes and serum cytokine levels during disease progression in rats with experimental autoimmune myocarditis (EAM). Lewis rats were immunized with cardiac myosin on day 0. Blood samples were collected on days 0, 7, 15, 18, 21, 28, 35, 42, 49 and 56 following immunization. We examined percentages of interferon (IFN)‐γ and/or interleukin (IL)‐4 producing cells in stimulated peripheral CD4‐positive lymphocytes using flow cytometry analysis. Serum IFN‐γ, IL‐2, IL‐6 and IL‐10 levels were measured by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The percentage of Th1/Th2 subsets in EAM on days 0, 15, 28 and 56 were 2·5 ± 0·5/0·5 ± 0·1%, 19·4 ± 3·2/1·6 ± 0·3%, 2·0 ± 0·5/22·1 ± 5·7% and 3·0 ± 0·4/1·7 ± 0·3%, respectively. Serum levels of Th1 cytokines, IFN‐γ and IL‐2 significantly increased in the acute phase (from day 15–18) and immediately decreased in the early recovery phase. On the other hand, serum levels of Th2 cytokine, IL‐10 significantly increased in the early recovery phase (from day 24–30). These results suggest that induction of acute myocarditis might be associated with systemic Th1 dominance, while recovery is related to systemic Th2 polarity. Thus, analysis of Th1/Th2 balance in peripheral T cells may be useful in disease monitoring in patients with myocarditis and postmyocarditic dilated cardiomyopathy.
A Formal Model for Dynamic Computation

We present a formal model for de ning and reasoning about agent systems. An agent is an autonomous software entity, who cooperates with other agents in carrying out delegated tasks. Agent systems are \dynamic" in two senses: (1) agents are created and destroyed as computation proceeds, and (2) agents change \location. " Our model extends the I/O automaton model of [3] to provide for both kinds of dynamism. We provide explicit \create" and \destroy" operations, and we model mobility by allowing an agent to dynamically change its external interface. The overall goal is to develop formal languages and underlying mathematical models to serve as a foundation for \agent-style" distributed computation.
Intercultural teaching in higher education

In this paper I examine the difference between a multicultural curriculum and an intercultural one. I argue that such a distinction is important because it helps teachers in universities and colleges to move beyond the canon debate and its politics, and focus on the more fundamental task of fostering intercultural thinking. I assert here that interculturalism in teaching is not about covering multiple cultures; rather it is about working through a dialogue between cultures. A dialogue, of course, requires minimally a party of two. Once that requirement is satisfied, in my view the focus should then be on the dialogue itself rather than on the multiplicity of voices for the sake of inclusivity.
A Novel 8-Color Flow Cytometry Panel to Study Activation, Maturation and Senescence of CD4 and CD8 T Lymphocytes in HIV-Infected Individuals at Different Stages of Disease

Multicolor flow cytometry allows to study the markers differentially expressed during maturation, activation, function and senescence on immune cells. Despite the availability of reagents and technology, scarce agreement has been gained regarding phenotypic markers of HIV disease progression other than CD4 T-cell count. In this work, we present a novel high-throughput global analysis of CD4 and CD8 T-lymphocyte profiles by standardized 8-color combinations of antibodies aimed at analyzing HIV disease course progression. For this purpose, two tubes with lyophilized reagent cocktails (CD4-and CD8-specific tubes) were designed to compare the immunological characteristics of HIV-infected persons (37 “high CD4” HAART-treated and 32 “low CD4” naïve or failed-treatment patients) with healthy donors (HD). In particular, T-cell activation (CD25, CD38, CD69), differentiation (CD45RA, CCR7), apoptosis (CD95) and immune suppression profiles (CD25highCD127-) in HIV+ patients were compared with HD. Statistical analysis was performed by identifying the parameters associated with disease progression, namely markers that were found to be significantly different between groups with high CD4 counts (including HD) and low CD4 counts (restricted to HIV patients) but not between the HD and the “high CD4” group. This set of markers, including those identifying different maturation and senescence subtypes of CD4 and CD8 T cells, was found to be associated with therapy failure, and it is in fact evaluated in an ongoing study aimed to verify its prognostic value. This robust assay was found feasible on a semi-routine scale for HIV-infected persons, and allows for broader clinical studies aimed at defining markers associated with treatment outcome, possibly having a high impact on the clinical management of HIV disease.
Mechanisms of Carrier Transport Induced by a Microswimmer Bath

It was shown that a wedgelike microparticle (referred to as “carrier”) exhibits a directed translational motion along the wedge cusp if it is exposed to a bath of microswimmers. Here we model this effect in detail by resolving the microswimmers explicitly using interaction models with different degrees of mutual alignment. Using computer simulations we study the impact of these interactions on the transport efficiency of a V-shaped carrier. We show that the transport mechanism itself strongly depends on the degree of alignment embodied in the modeling of the individual swimmer dynamics. For weak alignment, optimal carrier transport occurs in the turbulent microswimmer state and is induced by swirl depletion inside the carrier. For strong aligning interactions, optimal transport occurs already in the dilute regime and is mediated by a polar cloud of swimmers in the carrier wake pushing the wedge-particle forward. We also demonstrate that the optimal shape of the carrier leading to maximal transport speed depends on the kind of interaction model used.
Fitness Landscapes: An Alternative Theory for the Dominance of Mutation

Deleterious mutations tend to be recessive. Several theories, notably those of Fisher (based on selection) and Wright (based on metabolism), have been put forward to explain this pattern. Despite a long-lasting debate, the matter remains unresolved. This debate has focused on the average dominance of mutations. However, we also know very little about the distribution of dominance coefficients among mutations, and about its variation across environments. In this article we present a new approach to predicting this distribution. Our approach is based on a phenotypic fitness landscape model. First, we show that under a very broad range of conditions (and environments), the average dominance of mutation of small effects should be approximately one-quarter as long as adaptation of organisms to their environment can be well described by stabilizing selection on an arbitrary set of phenotypic traits. Second, the theory allows predicting the whole distribution of dominance coefficients among mutants. Because it provides quantitative rather than qualitative predictions, this theory can be directly compared to data. We found that its prediction on mean dominance (average dominance close to 0.25) agreed well with the data, based on a meta-analysis of dominance data for mildly deleterious mutations. However, a simple landscape model does not account for the dominance of mutations of large effects and we provide possible extension of the theory for this class of mutations. Because dominance is a central parameter for evolutionary theory, and because these predictions are quantitative, they set the stage for a wide range of applications and further empirical tests.
Ovarian clear cell adenocarcinoma producing alpha-fetoprotein: case report.

BACKGROUND Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) is a useful tumor marker for germ cell tumors of the ovary and is valuable for both diagnosis and follow-up. However, it is very rare for an epithelial ovarian carcinoma to secrete AFP. CASE We report a case of a 63-year-old woman with a ovarian clear cell carcinoma with serous component of less than 10%. Both histological components were producing AFP as demonstrated by immunohistochemistry. After surgery and chemotherapy, AFP decreased to normal range. The patient also had elevated CA-125 levels but the tumor was negative for CA-125 which suggested the increased CA-125 might have been due to the associated ascites. CONCLUSION Ovarian clear cell type carcinomas rarely secrete only AFP and it might be the single marker that could be used in follow-up.
Role of Melatonin in the Regulation of Human Circadian Rhythms and Sleep

The circadian rhythm of pineal melatonin is the best marker of internal time under low ambient light levels. The endogenous melatonin rhythm exhibits a close association with the endogenous circadian component of the sleep propensity rhythm. This has led to the idea that melatonin is an internal sleep ‘facilitator’ in humans, and therefore useful in the treatment of insomnia and the readjustment of circadian rhythms. There is evidence that administration of melatonin is able: (i) to induce sleep when the homeostatic drive to sleep is insufficient; (ii) to inhibit the drive for wakefulness emanating from the circadian pacemaker; and (iii) induce phase shifts in the circadian clock such that the circadian phase of increased sleep propensity occurs at a new, desired time. Therefore, exogenous melatonin can act as soporific agent, a chronohypnotic, and/or a chronobiotic. We describe the role of melatonin in the regulation of sleep, and the use of exogenous melatonin to treat sleep or circadian rhythm disorders.
Class specific rheumatoid factors and antiphospholipid syndrome in systemic lupus erythematosus

The relationship of rheumatoid factors (RF) with antiphospholipid syndrome (aPLS) and anticardiolipin antibodies (aCL) has rarely been investigated in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). We found IgM-RF, IgG-RF, IgA-RF, IgM-aCL, IgG-aCL, IgA-aCL, respectively, in 35.4%, 35.4%, 33.8%, 23.1%, 23.1%, 20.0% of 65 SLE patients. Class specific RFs were negatively associated (P < 0.05) with IgG-aCL. The frequency of definite or probable aPLS according to Alarcon-Segovia classification criteria was significantly (P < 0.05) different (8.7% vs 30.9%) in patients with or without IgG-RF. Among the other clinical features of SLE, we found that patients with IgG-RF, compared to patients lacking this autoantibody, showed a lower frequency (P < 0.05) of serositis (21.7% vs 52.4%) and hematologic (52.2% vs 80.9%) disorders. The levels of IgG-RF and IgM-RF negatively correlated with the number of ARA criteria (P < 0.05) but not with the indices of diseases activity or damage. Our study shows that in SLE the presence of RFs are not markers of severity of the disease, but the negative association between IgG-RF and IgG-aCL suggests a distinct role of these autoantibodies in the pathology of SLE, whereas the presence of IgG isotype may identify a subset of SLE patients having a lower risk to develop some clinical manifestations such as aPLS.
Targeting Ligand-Induced Binding Sites on GPIIb/IIIa via Single-Chain Antibody Allows Effective Anticoagulation Without Bleeding Time Prolongation

Objective—Therapeutic anticoagulation is widely used, but limitations in efficacy and bleeding complications cause an ongoing search for new agents. However, with new agents developed it seems to be an inherent problem that increased efficiency is accompanied by an increase in bleeding complications. We investigate whether targeting of anticoagulants to activated platelets provides a means to overcome this association of potency and bleeding. Methods and Results—Ligand-induced binding sites (LIBS) on fibrinogen/fibrin-binding GPIIb/IIIa represent an abundant clot-specific target. We cloned an anti-LIBS single-chain antibody (scFvanti-LIBS) and genetically fused it with a potent, direct factor Xa (fXa) inhibitor, tick anticoagulant peptide (TAP). Specific antibody binding of fusion molecule scFvanti-LIBS-TAP was proven in flow cytometry; anti-fXa activity was demonstrated in chromogenic assays. In vivo anticoagulative efficiency was determined by Doppler-flow in a ferric chloride–induced carotid artery thrombosis model in mice. ScFvanti-LIBS-TAP prolonged occlusion time comparable to enoxaparine, recombinant TAP, and nontargeted mutant-scFv-TAP. ScFvanti-LIBS-TAP revealed antithrombotic effects at low doses at which the nontargeted mutant-scFv-TAP failed. In contrast to the other anticoagulants tested, bleeding times were not prolonged by scFvanti-LIBS-TAP. Conclusions—The novel clot-targeting approach of anticoagulants via single-chain antibody directed against a LIBS-epitope on GPIIb/IIIa promises effective anticoagulation with reduced bleeding risk.
Axonal regeneration contributes to repair of injured brainstem-spinal neurons in embryonic chick

Recent results have demonstrated complete anatomical and functional repair of descending brainstem-spinal projections in chicken embryos that underwent thoracic spinal cord transection prior to embryonic day 13 (E13) of the 21 d developmental period. To determine to what extent axonal regeneration was contributing to this repair process, we conducted experiments using a double retrograde tract-tracing protocol. On E8-E13, the upper lumbar spinal cord was injected with the first fluorescent tracing dye to label those brainstem-spinal neurons projecting to the lumbar cord at that time. One to two days later (on E10-E15), the upper to mid-thoracic spinal cord was completely transected. After an additional 7-8 d, a different second fluorescent tracing dye was injected into the lumbar cord at least 5 mm caudal to the site of transection. Finally, 2 d later on E19 to postnatal day 4, the CNS was fixed and sectioned. Brainstem and spinal cord tissue sections were then viewed with epifluorescence microscopy. In comparison to nontrasected control animals, our findings indicated that there were relatively normal numbers of double-labeled brainstem-spinal neurons after a transection prior to E13, whereas the number of double- labeled and second-labeled brainstem-spinal neurons decreases after an E13-E15 transection. In addition, at each subsequent stage of development from E10 to E12, there was a greater number of double- labeled brainstem-spinal neurons (indicating regeneration of previously severed axons) than cell bodies labeled with the second fluorescent tracer alone (indicating subsequent development of late brainstem- spinal projections). Assessment of voluntary open-field locomotion (hatchling chicks) and/or brainstem-evoked locomotion (embryonic or hatchling) indicated that functional recovery of animals transected prior to E13 was indistinguishable from that observed in control chicks (sham operated or unoperated). Taken together, these data suggest that regeneration of previously axotomized fibers contributes to the observed anatomical and functional recovery after an embryonic spinal cord transection.