Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Proposal Distributed Planning for Large Teams

In many domains, teams of hundreds of agents must cooperatively plan to perform tasks in a complex, uncertain environment. Naively, this requires that each agent take into account every teammates’ state, observation, and choice of action when making decisions about its own actions. This results in a huge joint policy space over which it is computationally intractable to find solutions. In certain problems, however, searching this complete space may not be necessary. Specifically, there are problems in which individual agents usually act independently, but have a few combinations of states and actions in which they share a non-factorable transition, reward, or observation function with one or more teammates. This thesis focuses on exploiting this structure, along with two other properties that are often present in these cases, to greatly improve planning efficiency. First, while there are a large number of possible interactions between agents, the number of interactions that actually occur in a particular solution instance is often quite small. It is therefore possible to disregard many irrelevant combinations of interactions by dynamically handling only those that arise during the planning process. Second, in the case of intelligent agents, computational power itself is often distributed across the team. Thus, distributed approaches have access to computational resources that grow linearly with team size, making it easier to scale to very large teams. Taking advantage of these properties, we propose DIMS, a framework in which agents plan iteratively and concurrently over independent local models which are then shaped by the expected observations, movements and rewards of their teammates. By dynamically discovering relevant interactions and distributing computation, planning efficiency is greatly improved, allowing joint solutions to be computed for teams into the hundreds of agents. Initial experiments have been conducted in a simplified urban search and rescue domain. These experiments demonstrate the promise of the approach. To complete the thesis work, we will extend these experiments to urban search and rescue planning and a humanitarian convoy planning task. In each domain, a low-fidelity, large scale model and a high-fidelity, real-time physical simulation model are constructed. Empirical results over these four conditions verify the solution quality, scalability and practicality of the framework.
Exploring consensus in 21st century projections of climatically suitable areas for African vertebrates

Africa is predicted to be highly vulnerable to 21st century climatic changes. Assessing the impacts of these changes on Africa's biodiversity is, however, plagued by uncertainties, and markedly different results can be obtained from alternative bioclimatic envelope models or future climate projections. Using an ensemble forecasting framework, we examine projections of future shifts in climatic suitability, and their methodological uncertainties, for over 2500 species of mammals, birds, amphibians and snakes in sub‐Saharan Africa. To summarize a priori the variability in the ensemble of 17 general circulation models, we introduce a consensus methodology that combines co‐varying models. Thus, we quantify and map the relative contribution to uncertainty of seven bioclimatic envelope models, three multi‐model climate projections and three emissions scenarios, and explore the resulting variability in species turnover estimates. We show that bioclimatic envelope models contribute most to variability, particularly in projected novel climatic conditions over Sahelian and southern Saharan Africa. To summarize agreements among projections from the bioclimatic envelope models we compare five consensus methodologies, which generally increase or retain projection accuracy and provide consistent estimates of species turnover. Variability from emissions scenarios increases towards late‐century and affects southern regions of high species turnover centred in arid Namibia. Twofold differences in median species turnover across the study area emerge among alternative climate projections and emissions scenarios. Our ensemble of projections underscores the potential bias when using a single algorithm or climate projection for Africa, and provides a cautious first approximation of the potential exposure of sub‐Saharan African vertebrates to climatic changes. The future use and further development of bioclimatic envelope modelling will hinge on the interpretation of results in the light of methodological as well as biological uncertainties. Here, we provide a framework to address methodological uncertainties and contextualize results.
Autoimmune syndrome after induction of neonatal tolerance to alloantigens. CD4+ T cells from the tolerant host activate autoreactive F1 B cells.

The induction of transplantation tolerance to H-2b alloantigens in BALB/c (H-2d) mice by neonatal injection of (C57BL/6 x BALB/c)F1 spleen cells, produces an autoimmune lupus-like syndrome due to an activation of persisting F1 donor B cells. This syndrome is characterized by hypergammaglobulinaemia, high levels of anti-DNA antibodies, as well as by circulating immune complexes and glomerular deposits of Ig. The role of host T cells in this model was investigated by using athymic BALB/c nu/nu mice as recipients of normal (C57BL/6 x BALB.Igb)F1 spleen cells. In these "tolerized" BALB/c nu/nu mice, there was a persistence of F1 donor B cells but none of the autoimmune features were expressed, conversely to tolerized BALB/c nu/+ littermates. The injection of CD4+CD8- T lymphocytes from adult normal BALB/c mice in 3-wk-old tolerized BALB/c nu/nu mice triggered the appearance of all the autoimmune findings observed in euthymic tolerant mice. The autoantibodies were produced by persisting F1 donor B cells as shown by allotype analysis. More strikingly, a similar triggering of the autoimmune syndrome, including high titers of anti-DNA IgG antibodies and circulating immune complexes, was observed after injection of CD4+CD8- T cells from 2-wk-old tolerant BALB/c mice into "tolerized" BALB/c nu/nu mice. The anti-ssDNA antibodies were shown to bear only the Ighb allotype, indicating their exclusive origin from F1 donor B cells. These results imply that CD4+ T cells from the tolerant mice are necessary for the activation of autoreactive F1 B cells and for the development of the autoimmune syndrome occurring in this model. They also suggest that, although there is a marked depletion of H-2b-specific alloreactive CTL precursors in those neonatally tolerized mice, this state of tolerance can be associated with the persistence of H-2b-specific alloreactive CD4+ cells.
Rapid Upregulation of α7 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors by Tyrosine Dephosphorylation

α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) modulate network activity in the CNS. Thus, functional regulation of α7 nAChRs could influence the flow of information through various brain nuclei. It is hypothesized here that these receptors are amenable to modulation by tyrosine phosphorylation. In both Xenopus oocytes and rat hippocampal interneurons, brief exposure to a broad-spectrum protein tyrosine kinase inhibitor, genistein, specifically and reversibly potentiated α7 nAChR-mediated responses, whereas a protein tyrosine phosphatase inhibitor, pervanadate, caused depression. Potentiation was associated with an increased expression of surface α7 subunits and was not accompanied by detectable changes in receptor open probability, implying that the increased function results from an increased number of α7 nAChRs. Soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein receptor-mediated exocytosis was shown to be a plausible mechanism for the rapid delivery of additional α7 nAChRs to the plasma membrane. Direct phosphorylation/dephosphorylation of α7 subunits was unlikely because mutation of all three cytoplasmic tyrosine residues did not prevent the genistein-mediated facilitation. Overall, these data are consistent with the hypothesis that the number of functional cell surface α7 nAChRs is controlled indirectly via processes involving tyrosine phosphorylation.
Studies of the local immune response to pyelonephritis in the rabbit.

The presence of antibody-forming cells in kidney, spleen, bone marrow, and thymus of animals with pyelonephritis was determined with a modified procedure for hemolysis in gel. Antibody-forming cells in the kidney were confined to areas with histological evidence of pyelonephritis. Antibody also accumulated in the renal pelvis. Although conventional agglutination procedures did not demonstrate the presence of urinary antibody, both IgM and IgG antibody to bacteria could be found in the urine during renal infection when a biological amplification system was used. In contrast to previous studies with the rabbit model, the present studies have found IgM to be the predominant antibody synthesized in both the spleen and the pyelonephritic kidney. Maintenance of levels of antibody in serum during chronic pyelonephritis in the rabbit did not depend on continued synthesis of antibody within the kidney or spleen. Removal of the antigenic stimulus by nephrectomy of the pyelonephritic kidney likewise did not affect subsequent levels of circulating antibody. Although antibody has been found in the urine of patients and animals with pyelonephritis [1-3], it has not been clearly established whether urinary antibody is derived from antibody in serum or, more significantly, from local synthesis within the kidney itself. The capacity of the kidney to synthesize antibody was first suggested by Cotran [4], who used fluorescent-antibody techniques to demonstrate antibody-forming cells in the kidney of animals with pyelonephritis. These experiments were extended by Lehmann et al. [5], who demonstrated increased synthesis of immunoglobulins by the kidney in rabbits with experimental renal infections. Subsequent studies have described a protracted local immune response that persisted after the general immune response had subsided in both rabbits and rats [6, 7]. If such locally synthesized
Repair of Lateral Ligament of Ankle

When indications point to the need for repair of the lateral ligament of the ankle, the following simplified technique for primary or late repair is offered. It has been reported previously in Foot & Ankle but, upon repeated request, it is now produced in "Technique Tips. " Surgery is carried out under a blanket of antibiotic medication. " I use Kefsol 1 g i.m. one-half hr preoperatively and 1 g i.v. every 6 hr for 48 to 72 hr postoperative y. Throughout the surgery, the assistant frequently 'Irrigates the wound with a mixture of 50,000 units of bacitracin and 500,000 units of polymyxin B sulfate dissolved in 200 cc of sterile water. Anesthesia is usually spinal and a thigh tourniquet is used.
Internet Access : Regulatory Levers for a Knowledge Economy

Internet access depends on four critical players: First, providers of telecommunications infrastructure (bandwidth capacity) for international access to the global Internet backbone. Second, providers of national long-distance telecommunications transmission capacity (such as leased lines) to connect Internet service providers (ISPs) with one another and with international connectivity nodes. Third, providers of local loop access (narrowband and analogue, such as traditional copper wire connections, or broadband and digital, such as digital subscriber lines [DSL], cable television modems, and fixed wireless service). Fourth, ISPs, which provide Internet services to customers using these layers of networks. Expanding Internet access requires cooperative behavior by these players, and regulators have a key role in ensuring such behavior. A regulatory strategy for doing so focuses on promoting the telecommunications infrastructure, enabling viable ISPs, ensuring efficient pricing, maintaining appropriate service quality, supporting diffusion in remote areas, and ensuring legal certainty for electronic transactions. Promoting the telecommunications Infrastructure - competition is key. So regulators should take a permissive approach to licensing multiple financially sound providers (owners and resellers) of telecommunications infrastructure for international connectivity, alternative national long distance networks, and local loop access. To ensure competition in the ISP market, regulators should require no formal licensing for ISPs; simple registration should suffice.
Wages, Employer Size-Wage Premia and Employment Structure: Their Relationship to Advanced-Technology Usage at U.S. Manufacturing Establishments

We study wages, size-wage premia and the employment structure (measured as the fraction of production workers in an establishment) and their relationship to the extent of advanced-technology usage at U.S, manufacturing plants. We begin by sketching a model of technology adoption based on Lucas (1978) that provides a framework for interpreting the data analysis. We then study a new Census Bureau survey of technology use at manufacturing plants. Workers in establishments that are classified as the most technology intensive earn a premium of 16 percent as compared to those in plants that are the least premium earned by workers in all but the very largest plants. The inclusion of the technology classification variables in standard wage regressions reduced the size-wage premia by as much as 60 percent for some size categories.
Organisational change in small and medium sized enterprises - a regional study

The viability of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) (defined as having 20 to 200 employees for this research) is vital to economic stability and growth in the Regional District of the Central Okanagan (RDCO). An important factor in the survival and growth of these enterprises is their ability to implement effective organisational change. This research has been defined by the research objective, to examine the nature of organisational change experienced by SMEs in the RDCO and considers research questions in relation to the prevalence of organisational change practices, the types of strategic changes and the external and internal factors influencing organisational change as well as changes in the structure of the work force. The objectives pursued with the introduction of change initiatives, and the extent to which the objectives were achieved was also considered. The impact of selected demographic variables (size, presence of a human resources manager and existence of planning) on the introduction of organisational change practices and strategic changes was analysed and presented. The ability of regional SMEs to meet the economic expectations placed upon them and their uniqueness compared with large organisations was investigated. Examination of the relevance of existing models of organisational change to SMEs leads to the development and presentation of a new conceptual framework. Information analysed quantitatively was obtained from a questionnaire distributed by e-mail or regular mail to approximately 400 businesses and that to be analysed qualitatively from in-depth interviews and a focus group involving a smaller sample of these same organisations. SMEs in the RDCO are experiencing changes in management, changes in products and services, changes in equipment and technology as well as work force growth and the restructuring of work practices. Objectives sought by the introduction of these changes include improving labour productivity, reducing labour costs, increasing competitiveness, as well as improvements in internal communications, decision making, business processes, and customer service. The majority of SMEs report that they achieved these objectives to a major or minor extent. The perspectives of managers and/or owners in SMEs relative to their first hand experiences and their reflections on organisational change are presented. The uniqueness of SMEs, the relevance of regional context and the pace and scope of change are considered. Insightful commentary has been summarized and a number of interesting themes emerge. The proposed new model for Organisational Change in SMEs has been refined and validated.
Arctic browning: extreme events and trends reversing arctic greening

NOAA’s recent assessment of Arctic greenness has reported a remarkable finding: the Arctic is browning (Epstein et al., 2015). Whilst a clear greening trend has been apparent for most of the satellite record’s 33 year history (indicating an increase in biomass and productivity), there is now an overall decline in greenness from 2011 to 2014. If this is a new direction of travel for arctic vegetation, rather than just a temporary departure from long-term greening, this has major implications for not only our understanding of the future of arctic vegetation, but also arctic carbon, nutrient and water cycling, surface energy balance and permafrost degradation, and therefore feedback to climate, all of which are strongly influenced by vegetation composition, productivity and biomass. The urgency in understanding what is happening here is clear. Most models predict arctic greening; to what extent are they wrong, and why? Arctic greening has rightly received much attention. Satellite and observational data have consistently confirmed an increase in vegetation cover and productivity in many regions (Xu et al., 2013) caused most notably by the expansion of large stature deciduous shrubs (Myers-Smith et al., 2015). Likewise, field simulation experiments provide strong evidence that greening is driven by warming (Elmendorf et al., 2012). However, the magnitude of the recent browning is large and cannot be ignored. For both the Eurasian Arctic and the Arctic as a whole, Epstein et al. report the 2014 maxNDVI (greenness) to be below the 33-year average. To find lower values than 2014, you have to go back to 1996 for the whole Arctic and to 1993 for the Eurasian Arctic. However, while browning is the overall trend, there is considerable regional variation and the Arctic is not browning everywhere. These findings raise important questions that represent priority challenges, including (1) what is driving the browning? (2) is browning the new trajectory or only a temporary reversal of greening? and (3) what arctic regions and vegeta-
The Mitotic Spindle: A Self-Made Machine

The mitotic spindle is a highly dynamic molecular machine composed of tubulin, motors, and other molecules. It assembles around the chromosomes and distributes the duplicated genome to the daughter cells during mitosis. The biochemical and physical principles that govern the assembly of this machine are still unclear. However, accumulated discoveries indicate that chromosomes play a key role. Apparently, they generate a local cytoplasmic state that supports the nucleation and growth of microtubules. Then soluble and chromosome-associated molecular motors sort them into a bipolar array. The emerging picture is that spindle assembly is governed by a combination of modular principles and that their relative contribution may vary in different cell types and in various organisms.
Il modello a rete: fondamenti teoricie problematiche gestionali (The Network Model: Theoretical Foundations and Management Issues)

The work focuses on the evolution of the legal structure of the credit guarantee institutions subsequent to the new regulatory framework. It proposes a third way with respect to two configurations supervised intermediary (Confidi 107 and guarantee bank); the establishment of a network of credit guarantee institutions. In this perspective, the chapter develops reflections (by no means exhaustive, given the complexity of the subject) about the theoretical foundations of the network model; the characteristics and content of the main constituents of the credit guarantee institutions network; the main lines along which runs the main business process the network, its terms of economy and capital levels needed to sustain and develop it.
A closed form design method for recursive 3-D cone filters

A closed form design method for recursive 3-D cone filters is presented. The filters are realized by concrete passive 3-D wave digital filter (WDF) structures leading to the associated desirable properties of multidimensional WDF. The proposed method is accomplished analytically without the need for time consuming numerical optimization techniques. In contrast to previously reported methods, which are based on cascading 2-D or 3-D fan or wedge shaped filters the proposed method establishes nonseparable transfer functions which offer an excellent approximation to the required circular symmetry. <<ETX>>
Comment on “Remeasuring the Double Helix”

Mathew-Fenn et al. (Reports, 17 October 2008, p. 446) reported unexpected distance fluctuations in short end-labeled DNA constructs and interpreted them as evidence for cooperative DNA stretching modes. We show that when accounting for a subtle linker leverage effect, their data can be understood within standard noncooperative DNA elasticity.
Fine Mapping and Characterization of the L-Polymerase-Binding Domain of the Respiratory Syncytial Virus Phosphoprotein

ABSTRACT The minimum requirement for an active RNA-dependent RNA polymerase of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a complex made of two viral proteins, the polymerase large protein (L) and the phosphoprotein (P). Here we have investigated the domain on P that is responsible for this critical P-L interaction. By use of recombinant proteins and serial deletions, an L binding site was mapped in the C-terminal region of P, just upstream of the N-RNA binding site. The role of this molecular recognition element of about 30 amino acid residues in the L-P interaction and RNA polymerase activity was evaluated in cellula using an RSV minigenome system and site-directed mutagenesis. The results highlighted the critical role of hydrophobic residues located in this region. IMPORTANCE Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the leading cause of lower respiratory tract illness in infants. Since no vaccine and no good antivirals against RSV are available, it is essential to better understand how the viral machinery functions in order to develop new antiviral strategies. Like all negative-strand RNA viruses, RSV codes for its own machinery to replicate and transcribe its genome. The core of this machinery is composed of two proteins, the phosphoprotein (P) and the large protein (L). Here, using recombinant proteins, we have mapped and characterized the P domain responsible for this L-P interaction and the formation of an active L-P complex. These findings extend our understanding of the mechanism of action of RSV RNA polymerase and allow us to define a new target for the development of drugs against RSV.
Capital Requirements and Credit Rationing

This paper analyzes the trade-off between financial stability and credit rationing that arises when increasing capital requirements. It extends the Stiglitz-Weiss model of credit rationing to allow for bank default. Bank capital structure then matters for lending incentives. With default and rationing endogenous, optimal capital requirements can be analyzed. Introducing bank financiers, the paper also shows that uninsured funding raises the sensitivity of rationing to capital requirements. In a world with much wholesale finance, capital requirements have a stronger impact on the real economy. But wholesale finance also amplifies capital requirements' effect on default rates.
Corporate Pension Policy and the Value of Pbgc Insurance

This paper derives the value of PBGC pension insurance under two scenarios of interest. The first allows for voluntary plan termination, which appears to be legal under current statutes. In the second scenario, termination is prohibited unless the firm is bankrupt. Optimal pension funding strategy under each scenario is examined. Finally,empirical estimates of PBGC liabilities are calculated. These show that a small number of funds account for a large fraction of total prospective PBGC liabilities, that those total liabilities greatly exceed current PBGC reserves for plan terminations, and that PBGC liabilities could be substantially reduced by the prohibition of voluntary termination.