Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Local verification of global proofs

In this work we study the cost of local and global proofs on distributed verification. In this setting the nodes of a distributed system are provided with a nondeterministic proof for the correctness of the state of the system, and the nodes need to verify this proof by looking at only their local neighborhood in the system. Previous works have studied the model where each node is given its own, possibly unique, part of the proof as input. The cost of a proof is the maximum size of an individual label. We compare this model to a model where each node has access to the same global proof, and the cost is the size of this global proof. It is easy to see that a global proof can always include all of the local proofs, and every local proof can be a copy of the global proof. We show that there exists properties that exhibit these relative proof sizes, and also properties that are somewhere in between. In addition, we introduce a new lower bound technique and use it to prove a tight lower bound on the complexity of reversing distributed decision and establish a link between communication complexity and distributed proof complexity.
The Impact of Social Engagement on Customer Profitability - Insights from a Direct Banking Institution's Online Customer Network

The digital transformation leads to an enormous change in the customer-firm relationship. Recently launched firm-sponsored online customer networks enable customers to actively interact with the company and other customers in form of social engagement activities like asking and answering questions or receiving feedback. Despite the increasing importance of online customer networks, existing literature still lacks an in-depth understanding of the impact of social engagement on customer profitability based on real-world data regarding both customers’ social engagement activities and customers’ profitability. Our paper therefore aims at providing insights about the relationship between different forms of customers’ social engagement and customers’ profitability based on an extensive dataset of a German direct banking institution’s online customer network. We found, for example, that – in contrast to posting answers – raising questions in the online customer network is associated with significantly higher profitability of the respective customers. Our study leads to interesting results exceeding existing research and helping practitioners to manage online customer networks more effectively and to focus on and foster particularly promising forms of customers’ social engagement.
Reclassifying Anaphylaxis to Neuromuscular Blocking Agents Based on the Presumed Patho-Mechanism: IgE-Mediated, Pharmacological Adverse Reaction or “Innate Hypersensitivity”?

Approximately 60% of perioperative anaphylactic reactions are thought to be immunoglobulin IgE mediated, whereas 40% are thought to be non-IgE mediated hypersensitivity reactions (both considered non-dose-related type B adverse drug reactions). In both cases, symptoms are elicited by mast cell degranulation. Also, pharmacological reactions to drugs (type A, dose-related) may sometimes mimic symptoms triggered by mast cell degranulation. In case of hypotension, bronchospasm, or urticarial rash due to mast cell degranulation, identification of the responsible mechanism is complicated. However, determination of the type of the underlying adverse drug reaction is of paramount interest for the decision of whether the culprit drug may be re-administered. Neuromuscular blocking agents (NMBA) are among the most frequent cause of perioperative anaphylaxis. Recently, it has been shown that NMBA may activate mast cells independently from IgE antibodies via the human Mas-related G-protein-coupled receptor member X2 (MRGPRX2). In light of this new insight into the patho-mechanism of pseudo-allergic adverse drug reactions, in which as drug-receptor interaction results in anaphylaxis like symptoms, we critically reviewed the literature on NMBA-induced perioperative anaphylaxis. We challenge the dogma that NMBA mainly cause IgE-mediated anaphylaxis via an IgE-mediated mechanism, which is based on studies that consider positive skin test to be specific for IgE-mediated hypersensitivity. Finally, we discuss the question whether MRGPRX2 mediated pseudo-allergic reactions should be re-classified as type A adverse reactions.
Benthic injury dose–response models for polychlorinated biphenyl–contaminated sediment using equilibrium partitioning

The study goal was to develop a sediment polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) dose–response model based on benthic invertebrate effects to PCBs. The authors used an equilibrium partitioning (EqP) approach to generate predicted PCB sediment effect concentrations (largely Aroclor 1254) associated with a gradient of toxic effects in benthic organisms from effects observed in aquatic toxicity studies. The present study differs from all other EqP collective sediment investigations in that the authors examined a common dose–response gradient of effects for PCBs rather than a single, protective value. The authors reviewed the chronic aquatic toxicity literature to identify measured aqueous PCB concentrations and associated benthic invertebrate effects. The authors control‐normalized the aquatic toxic effect data and expressed results from various studies as a common metric, percent injury. Then, they calculated organic carbon–normalized sediment PCB concentrations (mg/kg organic carbon) from the aqueous PCB toxicity data set using EqP theory based on the US Environmental Protection Agency's (EPIWEB 4.1) derivation of the water–organic carbon partition coefficient (KOC). Lastly, the authors constructed a nonlinear dose–response numerical model for these synoptic sediment PCB concentrations and biological effects: Y = 100/1 + 10([logEC50–logX] × [Hill slope]) (EC50 = median effective concentration). These models were used to generate “look‐up” tables reporting percent injury in benthic biota for a range of Aroclor‐specific sediment concentrations. For example, the model using the EPIWEB KOC estimate predicts mean benthic injury of 23.3%, 46.0%, 70.6%, 87.1%, and 95% for hypothetical sediment concentrations of 1 mg/kg, 2 mg/kg, 4 mg/kg, 8 mg/kg, and 16 mg/kg dry weight of Aroclor 1254, respectively (at 1% organic carbon). The authors recommend the model presented for screening but suggest, when possible, determining a site‐specific KOC that, along with the tables and equations, allows users to create their own protective dose–response sediment concentration. Environ Toxicol Chem 2017;36:1311–1329. © 2016 SETAC
Repulsion Loss: Detecting Pedestrians in a Crowd

Detecting individual pedestrians in a crowd remains a challenging problem since the pedestrians often gather together and occlude each other in real-world scenarios. In this paper, we first explore how a state-of-the-art pedestrian detector is harmed by crowd occlusion via experimentation, providing insights into the crowd occlusion problem. Then, we propose a novel bounding box regression loss specifically designed for crowd scenes, termed repulsion loss. This loss is driven by two motivations: the attraction by target, and the repulsion by other surrounding objects. The repulsion term prevents the proposal from shifting to surrounding objects thus leading to more crowd-robust localization. Our detector trained by repulsion loss outperforms the state-of-the-art methods with a significant improvement in occlusion cases.
The Ideal Cage Position for Achieving Both Indirect Neural Decompression and Segmental Angle Restoration in Lateral Lumbar Interbody Fusion (LLIF)

Study Design: A prospective radiographic analysis. Objective: To assess the ideal cage position for lateral lumbar interbody fusion (LLIF) together. Summary of Background Data: Achieving both indirect decompression and restoration of the segmental angle (SA) appear to be contrary to one another because the anteriorly located cage might be advantageous for restoring the SA, and posteriorly located cage might be favorable for achieving the indirect decompression effect. Little has been known about the significance of cage position in LLIF. Methods: Forty-one patients who underwent LLIF followed by percutaneous pedicle screw fixation for 94 levels were evaluated. Postoperative plain radiographs and magnetic resonance images were obtained 3 days after surgery. The cage position was determined by the anterior, middle, and posterior portions. The anterior and posterior disk heights, SA, cross-sectional area of the thecal sac (CSA), and the foraminal area (FA) were compared according to the cage position. Results: The cage was placed in the anterior area for 31 levels and middle for 63 levels. The cage height was 13.0±1.3 degrees. The increases in anterior disk height and SA were significantly greater in the anterior group (9.1 mm, 6.1 degrees) than those of the middle group (6.7 mm, 2.4 degrees). Posterior disk height increased by a mean of 4.5 mm, but its change did not differ according to the cage position. CSA and FA increased by 36.5% and 69.6%, respectively. There were no significant differences in the CSA and FA increases with respect to the cage position. Regression analysis showed that the increase of SA was affected by cage position, but the increase ratios of CSA and FA were not affected. Conclusions: The cage position within the anterior 1/3 of disk space is better for achieving the restoration of the SA without compromising the indirect neural decompression, if the height of cage is large enough.
Numerical Analysis of Palpation in vivo Using Tactile Sensor Composed of Organic Ferroelectrics

Tactile sensors using organic ferroelectrics are promising from the viewpoint of palpation because poly(vinylidene fluoride) [PVDF] tactile sensors have already been developed to evaluate living tissue. Moreover, vinylidene fluoride (VDF) oligomer is a new substance with a smaller number of VDF units than PVDF. As the piezoelectric coefficient of VDF oligomer is great and its film is thin and uniform, it is suitable for preparation of thinner film tactile sensor. On the other hand, in our previous study, we also developed a computer-based surgical simulator to simulate a catheter and guidewire in blood vessels of the brain. In this study, we investigated the palpation in vivo by the tactile sensor composed of organic ferroelectrics using our catheter/guidewire simulator. Using this simulator, the output of the sensor attached on the guidewire tip was calculated when the proximal part of the guidewire model was pushed and pulled. We used the blood vessel model where the friction coefficient or the stiffness was changed partially assuming that these changes occur by a disease. When the friction coefficient between the guidewire and the vessel was large, the sensor outputs became large. When the stiffness of the vessel was small, the sensor outputs became small.
Effectiveness of a physical activity program on weight, physical fitness, occupational stress, job satisfaction and quality of life of overweight employees in high-tech industries: a randomized controlled study

Introduction. This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of a physical activity (PA) program on weight control, physical fitness, occupational stress, job satisfaction and quality of life of overweight and sedentary employees in high-tech industries. Methods. Participants in the intervention group (n = 37) were instructed to carry out a PA program at moderate intensity for 60 min/session, 3 sessions/week for 12 weeks. Those in the control group (n = 38) received no PA program and were asked to continue their routine lifestyle. Evaluations were performed at baseline and at the end of the intervention. Results of structured questionnaires and blood biochemistry tests and evaluations of physical fitness were analyzed. Results. The PA program effectively reduced the number of risk factors for metabolic syndrome and body fat percentage, and improved physical fitness such as flexibility, muscular strength and endurance and cardiorespiratory endurance. The intervention also significantly decreased levels of serum triglyceride, total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Significant positive effects on work control, interpersonal relationships at work, global job satisfaction and quality of life were also demonstrated. Conclusion. This study showed that a PA program can be helpful in improving physical, physiological and psychological outcomes for overweight and sedentary employees in high-tech industries.
Soil ecotoxicology in Latin America: Current research and perspectives

Soils from some Latin American countries support the highest biodiversity levels on the planet and simultaneously have some of the most serious environmental impacts attributed to both historical and current agricultural practices and industrial activities. Soil contamination has resulted from intensive use of pesticides, extensive mining and other industrial activities, and uncontrolled management of waste within inappropriate regulatory frameworks. The present study presents an overview of the scientific research on soil ecotoxicology conducted in Latin America, summarizing the recent advances and highlighting the needs for further refinements in this research field. Most of the contributions to the scientific literature have been from Brazil. The most investigated issue is the ecotoxicity of pesticides and earthworms, which were the organisms most frequently used as test species. Needs identified by Latin American researchers include methods and procedures for: 1) identifying and collecting natural soils to be used as reference test‐substrates in tests, 2) identifying and discerning the range of sensitivities of native test species to soil contaminants, 3) developing environmental guidelines applicable to tropical/subtropical conditions, and 4) developing methods and procedures for higher tier testing for full development and implementation of environmental risk assessment schemes. The protection of Latin American soils, including provision of goods and services, is currently framed in legislation and other regulations, but implementation requires significant improvement and additional training programs. Environ Toxicol Chem 2017;36:1795–1810. © 2017 SETAC
The airway smooth muscle CCR3/CCL11 axis is inhibited by mast cells

Background: Airway smooth muscle hyperplasia is a feature of asthma, and increases with disease severity. CCR3‐mediated recruitment of airway smooth muscle progenitors towards the airway smooth muscle bundle has been proposed as one possible mechanism involved in airway smooth muscle hyperplasia. Mast cells are microlocalized to the airway smooth muscle bundle and whether mast cells influence CCR3‐mediated migration is uncertain.
Cooling Laying Hens by Intermittent Partial Surface Spraying

This study investigated the efficacy of intermittent partial surface sprinkling to cool caged layers at 20, 38, and 56 weeks of age. Ten birds were used per age group with two birds per paired trial (Experiment, Expt, and Control, Ctrl) that were subjected to an acute heat exposure of 40.0 ± 0.5°C air temperature, 45 ± 3% RH, and air velocity of 0.15 to 0.20 m/s for a maximum of 8 h. The Expt birds were sprinkled with water mist (8 mL/sprinkling session) on the head and appendages at 15-min intervals from the time when panting was observed; whereas, the Ctrl birds received no sprinkling. Continuous measurement of the rectal temperature and periodic thermographical measurement of the surface temperature of the birds were performed. The intermittent partial surface sprinkling had the following merits as compared with the control: lower body temperature rise (4.3 vs 5.7°C; P < 0.05), higher lethal heat load threshold (10.0 vs 6.6°C-h, P < 0.05), longer survival time (145 to > 480 vs 92 to 266 min), and reduced mortality (20 to 60% vs 100%). The maximum reduction in surface temperature of the head and appendages due to the sprinkling averaged 2.2°C. Under the present environmental conditions (i.e., 40°C, 45% RH, and 0.15 to 0.20 m/s), sprinkling once every 5 to 6 min would provide adequate cooling to prevent the surface temperature from rising. The concept of body heat load (β) seems to provide an effective measurement of heat tolerance of the birds under different cooling schemes.
Understanding Conceptual Schemas: Exploring the Role of Application and IS Domain Knowledge

Although information systems (IS) problem solving involves knowledge of both the IS and application domains, little attention has been paid to the role of application domain knowledge. In this study, which is set in the context of conceptual modeling, we examine the effects of both IS and application domain knowledge on different types of schema understanding tasks: syntactic and semantic comprehension tasks and schema-based problem-solving tasks. Our thesis was that while IS domain knowledge is important in solving all such tasks, the role of application domain knowledge is contingent upon the type of understanding task under investigation. We use the theory of cognitive fit to establish theoretical differences in the role of application domain knowledge among the different types of schema understanding tasks. We hypothesize that application domain knowledge does not influence the solution of syntactic and semantic comprehension tasks for which cognitive fit exists, but does influence the solution of schema-based problem-solving tasks for which cognitive fit does not exist. To assess performance on different types of conceptual schema understanding tasks, we conducted a laboratory experiment in which participants with high- and low-IS domain knowledge responded to two equivalent conceptual schemas that represented high and low levels of application knowledge (familiar and unfamiliar application domains). As expected, we found that IS domain knowledge is important in the solution of all types of conceptual schema understanding tasks in both familiar and unfamiliar applications domains, and that the effect of application domain knowledge is contingent on task type. Our findings for the EER model were similar to those for the ER model. Given the differential effects of application domain knowledge on different types of tasks, this study highlights the importance of considering more than one application domain in designing future studies on conceptual modeling.
Characterization and role of an elastomeric interphase on carbon fibers reinforcing an epoxy matrix

Oxidized carbon fibers were coated using an on-line filament winding process with an elastomeric adduct crosslinkable and compatible with an epoxy matrix. The coating and modifications of the epoxy network were studied by dynamic mechanical measurements. Assuming that apparent activation energies of the secondary relaxation βe of the epoxy network and main relaxation αa of adduct are very different, it is possible at low frequencies to separate the two peaks. The composite material can be described as a three phase system: an epoxy network as matrix, carbon fibers, and a soft interlayer. The mechanical behavior of unidirectional composite materials studied by impact and bending tests is strongly dependent on the presence and the thickness of the coating at the carbon fiber surface.
Biochemical Regulatory Features of Activation-Induced Cytidine Deaminase Remain Conserved from Lampreys to Humans

ABSTRACT Activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) is a genome-mutating enzyme that initiates class switch recombination and somatic hypermutation of antibodies in jawed vertebrates. We previously described the biochemical properties of human AID and found that it is an unusual enzyme in that it exhibits binding affinities for its substrate DNA and catalytic rates several orders of magnitude higher and lower, respectively, than a typical enzyme. Recently, we solved the functional structure of AID and demonstrated that these properties are due to nonspecific DNA binding on its surface, along with a catalytic pocket that predominantly assumes a closed conformation. Here we investigated the biochemical properties of AID from a sea lamprey, nurse shark, tetraodon, and coelacanth: representative species chosen because their lineages diverged at the earliest critical junctures in evolution of adaptive immunity. We found that these earliest-diverged AID orthologs are active cytidine deaminases that exhibit unique substrate specificities and thermosensitivities. Significant amino acid sequence divergence among these AID orthologs is predicted to manifest as notable structural differences. However, despite major differences in sequence specificities, thermosensitivities, and structural features, all orthologs share the unusually high DNA binding affinities and low catalytic rates. This absolute conservation is evidence for biological significance of these unique biochemical properties.
Colloidal Crystallization in 2D for Short-Ranged Attractions: A Descriptive Overview

With the aid of 2D computer simulations, the whole colloidal crystallization process for particles interacting with a short-ranged attractive potential is described, emphazising the visualization of the different subprocesses at the particle level. Starting with a supercooled homogeneous fluid, the system undergoes a metastable fluid-fluid phase separation. Afterwards, crystallite nucleation is observed and we describe the obtainment of the critical crystallite size and other relevant quantities for nucleation. After the crystal formation, we notice the shrinking and eventual disappearance of the smaller crystals, which are close to larger ones; a manifestation of Ostwald ripening. When two growing crystal grains impinge on each other, the formation of grain boundaries is found; it is appreciated how a grain boundary moves, back and forth, not only on a perpendicular direction to the boundary, but with a rotation and a deformation. Subsequently, after the healing of the two extremes of the boundary, the two grains end up as a single imperfect grain that contains a number of complex dislocations. If these dislocations are close to the boundary with the fluid, they leave the crystal to make it more perfect. Otherwise, they migrate randomly inside the grain until they get close enough to the boundary to leave the grain. This last process of healing, trapping and getting rid of complex dislocations occurs preferentially for low-angle grain boundaries. If the angle between the symmetry axes of the two grains is not low, we end up with a polycrystal made of several touching crystal grains.
DOOR 2.0: presenting operons and their functions through dynamic and integrated views

We have recently developed a new version of the DOOR operon database, DOOR 2.0, which is available online at http://csbl.bmb. uga.edu/DOOR/ and will be updated on a regular basis. DOOR 2.0 contains genome-scale operons for 2072 prokaryotes with complete genomes, three times the number of genomes covered in the previous version published in 2009. DOOR 2.0 has a number of new features, compared with its previous version, including (i) more than 250 000 transcription units, experimentally validated or computationally predicted based on RNA-seq data, providing a dynamic functional view of the underlying operons; (ii) an integrated operon-centric data resource that provides not only operons for each covered genome but also their functional and regulatory information such as their cis-regulatory binding sites for transcription initiation and termination, gene expression levels estimated based on RNA-seq data and conservation information across multiple genomes; (iii) a high-performance web service for online operon prediction on user-provided genomic sequences; (iv) an intuitive genome browser to support visualization of user-selected data; and (v) a keyword-based Google-like search engine for finding the needed information intuitively and rapidly in this database.