Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Strategic best-response learning in multiagent systems

We present a novel and uniform formulation of the problem of reinforcement learning against bounded memory adaptive adversaries in repeated games, and the methodologies to accomplish learning in this novel framework. First we delineate a novel strategic definition of best response that optimises rewards over multiple steps, as opposed to the notion of tactical best response in game theory. We show that the problem of learning a strategic best response reduces to that of learning an optimal policy in a Markov Decision Process (MDP). We deal with both finite and infinite horizon versions of this problem. We adapt an existing Monte Carlo based algorithm for learning optimal policies in such MDPs over finite horizon, in polynomial time. We show that this new efficient algorithm can obtain higher average rewards than a previously known efficient algorithm against some opponents in the contract game. Though this improvement comes at the cost of increased domain knowledge, simple experiments in the Prisoner's Dilemma, and coordination games show that even when no extra domain knowledge (besides that an upper bound on the opponent's memory size is known) is assumed, the error can still be small. We also experiment with a general infinite-horizon learner (using function-approximation to tackle the complexity of history space) against a greedy bounded memory opponent and show that while it can create and exploit opportunities of mutual cooperation in the Prisoner's Dilemma game, it is cautious enough to ensure minimax payoffs in the Rock–Scissors–Paper game.
A Formal Framework for Improving Object-Oriented Software Testing *

(a) Method-level (or unit) testing refers to the internal testing of an individual method in a class. Existing testing techniques for conventional programming languages [10-11] are fully applicable to method-level testing. (b) Methods and attributes make up a class. Class-level (or intra-class) testing refers to the testing of interactions among the components of an individual class. (c) Cooperating classes of objects make up a cluster. Cluster-level (or inter-class) testing refers to the testing of interactions among objects. (d) Clusters make up a system. System-level testing is concerned with the external inputs and outputs visible to the users of a system. ________________________________________________________________ * This project is supported in part by a grant of the Research Grants Council and a CRCG grant of the University of Hong Kong.
[A recent trend in methamphetamine-induced neurotoxicity].

The neurotoxic damage caused by methamphetamine (METH) is characterized by nerve terminal destruction and/or degeneration of the dopaminergic and serotonergic systems in striatum and hippocampus. It has been hypothesized that intraneural dopamine (DA) redistribution from synaptic vesicles to cytoplasmic compartments produced by METH is an important factor for its neurotoxicity. The METH-induced redistribution of DA is thought to occur after an increased production of DA-based reactive oxygen species (ROS) (e.g., oxygen radicals and hydroxyl radicals) by auto-oxidation or enzymatic degradation, and METH-induced ROS produces an oxidative stress and depletion of energy stores. Furthermore, the glutamatergic system and nitric oxide (NO) may also contribute to METH-induced neurotoxicity. Recently, studies using several knockout strains of mice lacking the DA transporter, the monoamine vesicle transporter-2, c-fos, or neuronal NO synthase confirm a possible role of these factors in METH-induced neurotoxicity. Moreover, it has been proposed that METH causes the apoptosis and activation of cell-death-related genes. For example, METH-induced neurotoxicity is reduced in bcl-2-over expressing neural cell and p53 knockout mice and also induces the activation of caspase 3. Therefore in this review, we discuss the relationship between ROS formation, oxidative stress, and apoptosis in METH-induced neurotoxicity.
The counter‐propagating Rossby‐wave perspective on baroclinic instability. I: Mathematical basis

It is shown that Bretherton's view of baroclinic instability as the interaction of two counter‐propagating Rossby waves (CRWs) can be extended to a general zonal flow and to a general dynamical system based on material conservation of potential vorticity (PV). The two CRWs have zero tilt with both altitude and latitude and are constructed from a pair of growing and decaying normal modes. One CRW has generally large amplitude in regions of positive meridional PV gradient and propagates westwards relative to the flow in such regions. Conversely, the other CRW has large amplitude in regions of negative PV gradient and propagates eastward relative to the zonal flow there. Two methods of construction are described. In the first, more heuristic, method a ‘home‐base’ is chosen for each CRW and the other CRW is defined to have zero PV there. Consideration of the PV equation at the two home‐bases gives ‘CRW equations’ quantifying the evolution of the amplitudes and phases of both CRWs. They involve only three coefficients describing the mutual interaction of the waves and their self‐propagation speeds. These coefficients relate to PV anomalies formed by meridional fluid displacements and the wind induced by these anomalies at the home‐bases. In the second method, the CRWs are defined by orthogonality constraints with respect to wave activity and energy growth, avoiding the subjective choice of home‐bases. Using these constraints, the same form of CRW equations are obtained from global integrals of the PV equation, but the three coefficients are global integrals that are not so readily described by ‘PV‐thinking’ arguments. Each CRW could not continue to exist alone, but together they can describe the time development of any flow whose initial conditions can be described by the pair of growing and decaying normal modes, including the possibility of a super‐modal growth rate for a short period. A phase‐locking configuration (and normal‐mode growth) is possible only if the PV gradient takes opposite signs and the mean zonal wind and the PV gradient are positively correlated in the two distinct regions where the wave activity of each CRW is concentrated. These are easily interpreted local versions of the integral conditions for instability given by Charney and Stern and by Fjørtoft. Copyright © 2004 Royal Meteorological Society
A locus for autosomal recessive achromatopsia on human chromosome 8q

Autosomal recessive achromatopsia is a rare disorder characterized by total absent color vision, nystagmus, photophobia, and visual impairment, frequently leading to ‘legal blindness’. The primary defect is at the photoreceptor level, with retinal cones being absent or defective. The first locus for this disorder was mapped to chromosome 2q11. Here, we confirm the genetic mapping of a locus discovered in our studies of a kindred with Irish ancestry, but no known consanguinity, in which 5 of 12 children are affected. We have mapped the locus in this disorder in this family to chromosome 8q. Available data now narrow the region containing the putative gene to 1.2 cM.
[Cultivation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in cell culture].

The method of the cultivation of M . tuberculosis in cell subcultures was tested. Five consecutive passages of 2 M. tuberculosis strains were carried out with similar inoculation and cultivation conditions. Mycobacterial cells preserved their morphological characteristics in the course of all passages. The method of M. tuberculosis cultivation in subcultured cells made it possible to study of the physiology of M. tuberculosis under conditions, most approximated to the natural tuberculosis infection in humans.
Population genetics of concurrent selection with albendazole and ivermectin or diethylcarbamazine on the possible spread of albendazole resistance in Wuchereria bancrofti

The Global Program for the Elimination of Lymphatic Filariasis (GPELF) intends to achieve its aims through yearly mass treatments with albendazole (ABZ) combined with ivermectin (IVM) or diethylcarbamazine (DEC). The use of ABZ and IVM separately to combat parasites of veterinary importance has, on many occasions, resulted in widespread drug resistance. In order to help predict the spread of potential ABZ resistance alleles through a population of Wuchereria bancrofti, we have developed a mathematical model that incorporates population genetics into EPIFIL, a model which examines the transmission dynamics of the parasite. Our model considers the effect of the combined treatments on the frequency of a recessive allele, which confers ABZ resistance. The model predicts that after 10 yearly treatments with ALB and DEC, 85% coverage and an initial resistance allele frequency of 5%, the frequency of the resistance genotype will increase from 0·25 to 12·7%. If non-random mating is assumed, the initial genotype frequency will be 2·34% and will increase to 62·7%. ABZ and IVM combination treatment may lead to weaker selection for this genotype. Treatment coverage, initial allele frequencies and number of treatments also affect the rate of selection.
Ursolic acid increases energy expenditure through enhancing free fatty acid uptake and β-oxidation via an UCP3/AMPK-dependent pathway in skeletal muscle.

SCOPE Ursolic acid (UA) is a triterpenoid compound with multifold biological functions. Our previous studies have reported that UA protects against high-fat diet-induced obesity and improves insulin resistance (IR). However, the potential mechanisms are still undefined. Free fatty acid (FFA) metabolism in skeletal muscle plays a central role in obesity and IR. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the effect and the potential mechanisms of UA on skeletal muscle FFA metabolism. METHODS AND RESULTS In diet-induced obese rats, 0.5% UA supplementation for 6 weeks markedly reduced body weight, increased energy expenditure, decreased FFA level in serum and skeletal muscle and triglyceride content in skeletal muscle. In vitro, the data provided directly evidence that UA significantly increased fluorescently labeled FFA uptake and (3) H-labeled palmitic acid β-oxidation. UA-activated AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and downstream targets were involved in the increase of FFA catabolism. Moreover, upregulated uncoupling protein 3 (UCP3) by UA contributed to AMPK activation via elevating adenosine monophosphate/adenosine triphosphate ratio. CONCLUSION UA increases FFA burning through enhancing skeletal muscle FFA uptake and β-oxidation via an UCP3/AMPK-dependent pathway, which provides a novel perspective on the biological function of UA against obesity and IR.
Broadband FDTD analysis of Fermi antenna with narrow width substrate

It is desired to develop a receiving element suitable for a millimeter wave passive imaging array. The tapered slot antenna (TSA) meets the demands of such applications. TSA is well known as a thin structure which is of low weight, easy to fabricate and broadband. S. Sugawara et al. have proposed a TSA called "Fermi antenna" which has a taper profile of the Fermi-Dirac function and a corrugation on the side of the substrate (see MTT-S Int. Micro. Symp., vol.2, p.959-62, 1997). They found experimentally that the E-plane and the H-plane patterns of Fermi antenna are almost equal and they have low side lobe levels. However, the frequency characteristics of the Fermi antenna have not been investigated and the mechanism of the operation of the antenna has not been clarified. We present a broadband FDTD analysis of the Fermi antenna for millimeter wave imaging. The frequency characteristics are investigated to obtain the operating principles. The axially symmetric E-plane and H-plane patterns are obtained in the case of a Fermi antenna with a narrow substrate. Experimental investigation confirms that the radiation patterns obtained by numerical analysis almost agree with the measurements.
Factors influencing the extent of biohydrogenation of linoleic acid by rumen micro-organisms in vitro.

The major factors influencing the extent of biohydrogenation of linoleic acid have been investigated by a series of in vitro incubations. Two distinct patterns of biohydrogenation were obtained; one in which biohydrogenation was complete and 18:0 was the major end-product and one in which trans-11 octadecenoic acid was the major end-product. The major factor affecting the pattern of hydrogenation was the initial concentration of 18:2 used; at concentrations less than 1.0 mg/ml of rumen contents 18:0 was the major end-product of hydrogenation, at concentrations of 1.0 mg/ml of rumen contents or greater the major end-product of hydrogenation was the trans-11 monoenoic acid. That the availability of hydrogen played an important role in the extent to which 18:2 was hydrogenated was investigated by the addition of sucrose either at the start of incubation or continuously throughout the 6-h period of incubation. Addition of sucrose throughout the incubation increased the extent of conversion of 18:2 to 18:0. Extending the duration of incubation to 10 h had no effect on the amount of 18:0 produced. Evidence is presented to suggest that large amounts of 18:2 prevent hydrogenation of 18:1 to 18:0 by irreversible inhibition rather than by simply competing for hydrogen.
Exponential decay of scattering coefficients

The scattering transform is a deep representation, defined as a cascade of wavelet transforms followed by the application of a complex modulus. In her PhD, the author showed that, under some conditions on the wavelets, the norm of the scattering coefficients at a given layer only depends on the values of the signal outside a frequency band whose size is exponential in the depth of the layer. We give here a succinct presentation of this result, and slightly generalize it by removing one of the assumptions on the wavelets (namely the weak analyticity condition).
Molecular basis for immune complex recognition: a comparison of Fc-receptor structures.

Once antigen is opsonised by IgG it is removed from the circulation by Fcgamma-receptor expressing cells. Fcgamma-receptors are type I transmembrane molecules that carry extracellular parts consisting of two or three immunoglobulin domains. Previously solved structures of Fc-receptors reveal that the N-terminal two Ig-like domains are arranged in a steep angle forming a heart-shaped structure. The crystal structure of the FcgammaRIII/hIgG1-Fc-fragment demonstrated that the Fc-fragment is recognised through loops of the C-terminal receptor domain of the FcgammaRIII. As the overall structure of the FcRs and their Ig ligands are very similar we modelled the Ig complexes with FcgammaRI, FcgammaRII and FcepsilonRIalpha based on the FcgammaRIII/hIgG1-Fc-fragment structure. The obtained models are consistent with the observed biochemical data and may explain the observed specificity and affinities.
Variation in receptor status between primary and metastatic breast cancer

Steroid hormone receptors for oestradiol (ER) and progesterone (PR) have been measured sequentially in primary and metastatic breast cancer to determine whether receptor status remains concordant in individual patients. Serial receptor measurements from the same tumor site showed a change from receptor‐positive to receptor‐negative tissue with time in some patients. Receptors were measured in primary tumor and later metastatic disease or tumor of the contralateral breast in 28 patients. Concordant results were found in 46% of cases. Six of nine patients with ER‐positive primary tumors developed ER‐negative metastases and four of five PR‐positive primary tumors were associated with PR‐negative secondary deposits. Nine of 19 patients with ER‐negative primary tumors later had ER‐positive metastases, and three of 15 PR‐negative primary tumors were associated with PR‐positive secondary deposits. Possible false‐negative ER measurements (ER‐, PR+) in primary tumors, and interval treatment with chemotherapy or hormonal manipulation between biopsies may have contributed to these changes in receptor status. Six patients changing from receptor‐negative primary tumors to receptor‐positive metastases underwent hormonal therapy of metastatic disease, and four had objective responses to treatment. Care should be taken when using receptor measurements from primary breast tumors to help decide treatment for later metastatic disease.
Virtual Manufacturing and Virtual Spaces

This article presents news problems linked to the increasing use of virtual spaces in the building of new types of manufacturing what is currently called Virtual Manufacturing (VM). VM has many consequences in the activity of industrial companies whatever be size, economic sector or geographical area. Particular attention is paid on virtual spaces, manufacturing and collaboration, skills matrix and manufacturability, the CAD and Virtual Prototyping case and, finally, the virtual partnerships or enterprise as a new type of organization.
The obesity paradox as it relates to survival and hypertension in dialysis patients.

Sir, Narkiewicz’s [1] recent editorial on obesity and hypertension in the journal was timely and of interest. I have two comments and two questions. The study by Fleischmann et al. [2] and all subsequent studies have shown that obesity is only associated with better survival on haemodialysis, rather than causal to enhanced survival. This distinction is critical. The second comment is that the original and several subsequent works have demonstrated that obese patients tend to have better nutritional parameters [2,3], suggesting that better nutrition is probably the proximate mechanism for better survival rather than obesity per se. Indeed, Narkiewicz [1] is correct in pointing out that data so far does not support any better survival in obese patients on peritoneal dialysis. The curious question, therefore, has to be why. The answer may unlock the mystery-mechanism of obesity survival. Is it the high caloric intake imposed by peritoneal dialysis, and following the same line of thinking, can high caloric intake by lean patients on haemodialysis afford better survival? The second question, since there is a paradoxical association between obesity and survival in dialysis patients, is there any data to suggest that obesity is indeed associated with hypertension in patients on haemodialysis? Our study suggests that obese patients on haemodialysis may paradoxically have less severe hypertension than their lean counterparts [4].
PERIPHERAL ADRENERGIC SYSTEM AND HYPERTENSION

Hypertension is a condition where adrenergic responsiveness, sympathetic activity and adrenoceptors are somewhat altered. Many techniques are available to assess human sympathetic nervous system activity. They each present limitations and disadvantages. Characterization and subdivision of the α and β-adrenoceptors, according to their localization and answer to different agonists, was facilitated in recent years by the extensive use of pharmacological and molecular biology techniques. Some adrenoceptor studies were conducted on animal models, human tissues and peripheral blood cells to assess their changes in various forms and stages of hypertension. Our group has pointed out that α1-adrenergic receptors expressed by human peripheral blood lymphocytes underwent changes of density in essential hypertensives, compared to normotensive control subjects. The importance of these findings could provide an assessment of α1-peripheral receptors with possible future clinical implications in the pathophysiology and treatment of hypertension.
Minimum emitter charging time for heterojunction bipolar transistors

The minimum emitter charging time for heterojunction bipolar transistors with a single n+ doped emitter layer was derived on the basis of transmission formalism. The obtained minimum charging time is almost equal to that from charge-control analysis using TCAD software. Since the calculation time based on our theory is very short, the process of emitter design is significantly simplified
Tectone, a New Antihyperglycemic Anthraquinone from Tectona grandis Leaves

A new anthraquinone (3,8-dihydroxy-2-methyl anthraquinone), named tectone (1), along with fourteen known compounds (2-15) comprised of five terpenoids (2-5, 15), four flavonoids (6-9), three flavone glycosides (10-12), and two phenolic glycosides (13-14) were isolated from the chloroform and n-butanol fractions of the ethanol extract of Tectona grandis leaves. Attempts were made to synthesize compound 1. This resulted in the synthesis of three additional anthraquinones (16-18), out of which compound 16 is new. The structures of all compounds were established by spectral analysis. The isolated and synthesized compounds were evaluated for their antihyperglycemic activity. Compounds 1, 2, 4 and 14 showed significant antihyperglycemic activity in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats at a dose of 100 mg/kg body weight, which is comparable to the standard drug metformin.
No Mental Life after Brain Death: The Argument from the Neural Localization of Mental Functions

The paper samples the large body of neuroscientific evidence suggesting that each mental function takes place within specific neural structures. For instance, vision appears to occur in the visual cortex, motor control in the motor cortex, spatial memory in the hippocampus, and cognitive control in the prefrontal cortex. Evidence comes from neuroanatomy, neurophysiology, neurochemistry, brain stimulation, neuroimaging, lesion studies, and behavioral genetics. If mental functions take place within neural structures, mental functions cannot survive brain death. Therefore, there is no mental life after brain death. We will argue that the mind is located in the brain in such a way that there is no mental life after brain death. A fortiori, there is no mental life after the body decays. Our conclusion is overwhelmingly supported by neuroscience. Before we can present samples of the evidence, some preliminaries are in order. First, whether there is an afterlife is an empirical question, which we can attempt to answer on empirical grounds to the best of our ability. We will rely on empirical evidence. Believers in the afterlife often discuss empirical evidence too, but sometimes they also appear to engage in wishful thinking. Many people wish to survive their bodily death. But wishing doesn’t make it so. Wishful thinking is an understandable human proclivity that nevertheless has no role to play in determining how things are. Because of this, we establish from the outset that whenever we encounter a conjecture about the afterlife that is completely unsupported by empirical evidence, we may dismiss it as wishful thinking: No Wishful Thinking Principle: Empirically unsupported conjectures about empirical questions need not be taken seriously. The No Wishful Thinking Principle rules out two kinds of conjecture. First, there are conjectures that are empirically testable but for which there is currently no evidence whatsoever. Examples from other areas of inquiry include the hypotheses that there are unicorns and fairies. Second, there are conjectures that are not empirically testable even in principle. Examples include the hypothesis that the universe was created five minutes ago complete with memories, fossil records, etc. and the hypothesis that we all live in a perfect computer simulation (like the movie The Matrix, except that each of us is just a piece of software with no physical body). Sometimes it is difficult to determine whether an empirically unsupported conjecture about the afterlife is empirically testable in principle. It may depend on whether divine actions must follow accepted physical principles and whether divine actions are physically detectable.