LLukas22/scidocs huggingface dataset:
User-Assisted Ink-Bleed Reduction

This paper presents a novel user-assisted approach to reduce ink-bleed interference found in old manuscripts. The problem is addressed by first having the user provide simple examples of foreground ink, ink-bleed, and the manuscript's background. From this small amount of user-labeled data, likelihoods of each pixel being foreground, ink-bleed, or background are computed and used as the data costs of a dual-layer Markov random field (MRF) that simultaneously labels all pixels in both the front and back sides of the manuscript. This user-assisted approach produces better results than existing algorithms without the need for extensive parameter tuning or prior assumptions about the ink-bleed intensity characteristics. Our overall application framework is discussed along with details of the features used in the data costs, a comparison between K-nearest neighbor and support vector machine for likelihood estimation, the dual-layer MRF formulation with associated inter- and intra-layer costs, and a comparison of our approach against other ink-bleed reduction algorithms.
High-resolution crosswell imaging of a West Texas carbonate reservoir; Part 1, Project summary and interpretation

A carbon dioxide flood pilot is being conducted in a section of Chevron’s McElroy field in Crane County, west Texas. Prior to CO 2 injection, two high-frequency crosswell seismic profiles were recorded to investigate the use of seismic profiling for high-resolution reservoir delineation and CO 2 monitoring. These preinjection profiles provide the baseline for timelapse monitoring. Profile #1 was recorded between an injector well and an offset observation well at a nominal well-to-well distance of 184 ft (56 m). Profile #2 was recorded between a producing well and the observation well at a nominal distance of 600 ft (183 m). The combination of traveltime tomography and stacked CDP reflection amplitudes demonstrates how highfrequency crosswell seismic data can be used to image both large and small scale heterogeneity between wells: Transmission traveltime tomography is used to image the large scale velocity variations; CDP reflection imaging is then used to image smaller scale impedance heterogeneities. The resolution capability of crosswell data is clearly illustrated by an image of the Grayburg-San Andres angular unconformity, seen in both the P-wave and S-wave velocity tomograms and the reflection images. In addition to the imaging study, cores from an observation well were analyzed to support interpretation of the crosswell images and assess the feasibility of monitoring changes in CO 2 saturation. The results of this integrated study demonstrate (1) the use of crosswell seismic profiling to produce a high-resolution reservoir delineation and (2) the possibility for successful monitoring of CO 2 in carbonate reservoirs. The crosswell data were acquired with a piezoelectric source and a multilevel hydrophone array. Both profiles, nearly 80 000 seismic traces, were recorded in approximately 80 hours using a new acquisition technique of shooting on-the-fly. This paper presents the overall project summary and interpretation of the results from the near-offset profile.
Abstract State Machines 1988-1998: Commented ASM Bibliography

An annotated bibliography of papers which deal with or use Abstract State Machines (ASMs), as of January 1998.
Neural network construction using grammatical evolution

A method which is based on grammatical evolution is presented in this paper for the construction of artificial neural networks (ANNs). The method is capable to construct ANNs with an arbitrary number of hidden levels or even recurrent neural networks. The efficiency of the method is tested on a series of classification and regression problems and the results are compared against traditional neural networks
Colistin nephrotoxicity increases with age.

BACKGROUND
Colistin (COL) has become the backbone of the treatment of infections due to extensively drug-resistant (XDR) Gram-negative bacteria. The most common restriction to its use is acute kidney injury (AKI).


METHODS
We conducted a retrospective cohort study to evaluate risk factors for new-onset AKI in patients receiving COL. The cohort consisted of 198 adults admitted to 9 referral hospitals between January 2010 and October 2012 and treated with intravenous COL for ≥ 72 h. Patients with no pre-existing kidney dysfunction were compared in terms of risk factors and outcomes of AKI graded according to the RIFLE criteria. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify associated risk factors.


RESULTS
A total of 198 patients met the inclusion criteria, of whom 167 had no pre-existing kidney dysfunction; the mean patient age was 58.77 (± 18.98) y. Bloodstream infections (34.8%) and ventilator-associated pneumonia (32.3%) were the 2 most common indications for COL use. New-onset AKI developed in 46.1% of the patients, graded as risk (10%), injury (15%), and failure (21%). Patients with high Charlson co-morbidity index (CCI) scores (p = 0.001) and comparatively low initial glomerular filtration rate (GFR) estimations (p < 0.001) were more likely to develop AKI, but older age (p = 0.001; odds ratio 5.199, 95% confidence interval 2.684-10.072) was the major predictor in the multivariate analysis. In-hospital recovery from AKI occurred in 58.1%, within a median of 7 days.


CONCLUSIONS
COL-induced nephrotoxicity occurred significantly more often in patients older than 60 y of age and was related to low initial GFR estimations and high CCI scores, which were basically determined by age.
Effect of an unstable shoe construction on lower extremity gait characteristics.

BACKGROUND
To compare kinematics, kinetics and muscle activity during standing and walking for healthy subjects using an unstable test shoe (Masai Barefoot Technology, MBT) and a stable control shoe.


METHODS
Eight subjects volunteered for this study. During quiet standing, center of pressure excursion and muscle activity were determined. During walking, lower extremity kinematics, kinetics, and muscle electromyographic (EMG) signals were determined. Data were collected for the two shoe conditions after a 2week accommodation period. Statistics included repeated measures ANOVAs (alpha = 0.05) and post hoc tests where appropriate.


FINDINGS
During quiet standing, the center of pressure excursion was significantly and substantially greater in the unstable compared to the control shoe. Electromyographic intensity increased in the unstable test shoe for all tested muscles, but only significantly for the tibialis anterior. During locomotion, kinematics were similar in the two shoe conditions except for the initial plantar-dorsiflexion, which showed a significant more dorsiflexed position during the first half of stance in the unstable test shoe compared to the stable control shoe. The angular impulses did not show any significant differences between the two shoe conditions for all three joints but some trends towards a reduction for the knee and hip joint. There were no significant differences in electromyographic activities between the control and the unstable shoe. However, several muscles showed some trends.


INTERPRETATION
The unstable shoe produced changes and trends in kinematic, kinetic and electromyographic characteristics that seemed to be advantageous for the locomotor system. Further studies should investigate muscle strength, dynamic stability, pain reduction for arthritic knees and injury prevention for high performance athletes when using the unstable shoes.
A simplified simultaneous X/Ka-band feed-system design

A variation on an existing antenna feed system for use on simultaneous X/Ka-band satellite ground terminals is presented. The modified design retains the important functionality of the existing feed system, using a simplified approach that aims to significantly reduce the weight and the cost of manufacture.
Performance evaluation for introducing statistical process control to the liquid crystal display industry

Statistical process control (SPC) is a powerful technique for monitoring, managing, analyzing and improving process performance by statistical methods. Unfortunately, LCD industry cannot control key factors in the application process, and do not invest adequately in resources. Therefore, the performance matrix is adopted to locate those objective items outside the appropriate performance zones (APZ). Fuzzy measures are then applied to locate relations and weighted values for all objective items outside the APZ. Finally, objective items outside the APZ are transformed to overall performance values when implementing the SPC system using the Choquet integral method. A larger performance value for a strategy in the implemented SPC system indicates an improvement in priority. Hence, this study presents a complete assessment model to help manufacturers identify objectives and strategies for improving the process of introducing SPC. r 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Exchanging Faces in Images

Pasting somebody’s face into an existing image with traditional photo retouching and digital image processing tools has only been possible if both images show the face from the same viewpoint and with the same illumination. However, this is rarely the case for given pairs of images. We present a system that exchanges faces across large differences in viewpoint and illumination. It is based on an algorithm that estimates 3D shape and texture along with all relevant scene parameters, such as pose and lighting, from single images. Manual interaction is reduced to clicking on a set of about 7 feature points, and marking the hairline in the target image. The system can be used for image processing, virtual try-on of hairstyles, and face recognition. By separating face identity from imaging conditions, our approach provides an abstract representation of images and a novel, high-level tool for image manipulation.
Diagnostic evaluation of the erectile function domain of the International Index of Erectile Function.

OBJECTIVES
To evaluate the erectile function (EF) domain of the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) as a diagnostic tool to discriminate between men with and without erectile dysfunction (ED) and to develop a clinically meaningful gradient of severity for ED.


METHODS
One thousand one hundred fifty-one men (1035 with and 116 without ED) who reported attempting sexual activity were evaluated using data from four clinical trials of sildenafil citrate (Viagra) and two control samples. The statistical program Classification and Regression Trees was used to determine optimal cutoff scores on the EF domain (range 6 to 30) to distinguish between men with and without ED and to determine levels of ED severity on the EF domain using the IIEF item on sexual intercourse satisfaction.


RESULTS
For a 0.5 prevalence rate of ED, the optimal cutoff score was 25, with men scoring less than or equal to 25 classified as having ED and those scoring above 25 as not having ED (sensitivity 0.97, specificity 0.88). Sensitivity analyses revealed a robust statistical solution that was well supported with different assumed prevalence rates and several cross-validations. The severity of ED was classified into five categories: no ED (EF score 26 to 30), mild (EF score 22 to 25), mild to moderate (EF score 17 to 21), moderate (EF score 11 to 16), and severe (EF score 6 to 10). Substantial agreement was shown between these predicted and "true" classes (weighted kappa 0.80).


CONCLUSIONS
The EF domain possesses favorable statistical properties as a diagnostic tool, not only in distinguishing between men with and without ED, but also in classifying levels of ED severity. Clinical validation with self-rated assessments of ED severity is warranted.
«The Quantum Mechanics» in the Model of 4D Matter

The quantum mechanics takes the significant place in the contemporary physics. It has many achievements in the development of our knowledge in the field of micro-world. There is the trial to penitence it on macro world [1]. With that in many ways such knowledge has the formal character that lowers the cognitive value of this theory that is so nus different as compared with the classical physics. Below the endeavor to give the alternative description of the notions of quantum mechanics is undertaken.
Metal-insulator-metal RF bypass capacitor using niobium oxide (Nb/sub 2/O/sub 5/) with HfO/sub 2//Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/ barriers

A high capacitance density (C/sub density/) metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitor with niobium pentoxide (Nb/sub 2/O/sub 5/) whose k value is higher than 40, is developed for integrated RF bypass or decoupling capacitor application. Nb/sub 2/O/sub 5/ MIM with HfO/sub 2//Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/ barriers delivers a high C/sub density/ of >17 fF//spl mu/m/sup 2/ with excellent RF properties, while maintaining comparable leakage current and reliability properties with other high-k dielectrics. The capacitance from the dielectric is shown to be stable up to 20 GHz, and resonant frequency of 4.2 GHz and Q of 50 (at 1 GHz) is demonstrated when the capacitor is integrated using Cu-BEOL process.
Influences of lexical tone and pitch on word recognition in bilingual infants

Infants' abilities to discriminate native and non-native phonemes have been extensively investigated in monolingual learners, demonstrating a transition from language-general to language-specific sensitivities over the first year after birth. However, these studies have mostly been limited to the study of vowels and consonants in monolingual learners. There is relatively little research on other types of phonetic segments, such as lexical tone, even though tone languages are very well represented across languages of the world. The goal of the present study is to investigate how Mandarin Chinese-English bilingual learners contend with non-phonemic pitch variation in English spoken word recognition. This is contrasted with their treatment of phonemic changes in lexical tone in Mandarin spoken word recognition. The experimental design was cross-sectional and three age-groups were sampled (7.5months, 9months and 11months). Results demonstrated limited generalization abilities at 7.5months, where infants only recognized words in English when matched in pitch and words in Mandarin that were matched in tone. At 9months, infants recognized words in Mandarin Chinese that matched in tone, but also falsely recognized words that contrasted in tone. At this age, infants also recognized English words whether they were matched or mismatched in pitch. By 11months, infants correctly recognized pitch-matched and - mismatched words in English but only recognized tonal matches in Mandarin Chinese.
Efficacy of dioic acid compared with hydroquinone in the treatment of melasma.

BACKGROUND
Melasma is a common disorder of pigmentation characterized by relatively symmetric, brown or gray-brown patches on sun-exposed facial areas. Hydroquinone, the most effective agent in melasma, is known to irritate the skin, and so new alternatives in the treatment of melasma are required. We sought to assess the clinical response of a new depigmenting agent in melasma.


METHODS
Ninety-six Mexican female patients with melasma were enrolled in this open, comparative, 12-week study. The patients received 1% dioic acid cream (twice daily) or 2% hydroquinone cream (twice daily).


RESULTS
There was a significant difference in the Melasma Area Severity Index (MASI) scores from baseline to the end of the study using treatment with dioic acid (baseline, 14.52 3.4; after 12 weeks of treatment, 6.05 +/- 1.2; P = 0.001) and hydroquinone (baseline, 15.22 +/- 2.4; after 12 weeks of treatment, 6.34 +/- 1.3; P = 0.001); however, there were no significant differences between treatments (baseline, P = 0.311; after 12 weeks of treatment, P = 0.287). The side-effects were similar with both medications; however, pruritus was more common in patients using hydroquinone.


CONCLUSIONS
Dioic acid is an effective and highly tolerated skin product, although further controlled, blind, multicenter studies are required to support these results.
Prospective Study of the Quality of Colonoscopies Performed by Primary Care Physicians: The Alberta Primary Care Endoscopy (APC-Endo) Study

BACKGROUND
The quality of colonoscopies performed by primary care physicians (PCPs) is unknown.


OBJECTIVE
To determine whether PCP colonoscopists achieve colonoscopy quality benchmarks, and patient satisfaction with having their colonoscopy performed by a primary care physician.


DESIGN
Prospective multi-center, multi-physician observational study. Colonoscopic quality data collection occurred via completion of case report forms and pathological confirmation of lesions. Patient satisfaction was captured by a telephone survey.


SETTING
Thirteen rural and suburban hospitals in Alberta, Canada.


MEASUREMENTS
Proportion of successful cecal intubations, average number of adenomas detected per colonoscopy, proportion of patients with at least one adenoma, and serious adverse event rates; patient satisfaction with their wait time and procedure, as well as willingness to have a repeat colonoscopy performed by their primary care endoscopist.


RESULTS
In the two-month study period, 10 study physicians performed 577 colonoscopies. The overall adjusted proportion of successful cecal intubations was 96.5% (95% CI 94.6-97.8), and all physicians achieved the adjusted cecal intubation target of ≥90%. The average number of ademonas detected per colonoscopy was 0.62 (95% CI 0.5-0.74). 46.4% (95% CI 38.5-54.3) of males and 30.2% (95% CI 22.3-38.2) of females ≥50 years of age having their first colonoscopy, had at least one adenoma. Four serious adverse events occurred (three post polypectomy bleeds and one perforation) and 99.3% of patients were willing to have a repeat colonoscopy performed by their primary care colonoscopist.


LIMITATIONS
Two-month study length and non-universal participation by Alberta primary care endoscopists.


CONCLUSIONS
Primary care physician colonoscopists can achieve quality benchmarks in colonoscopy. Training additional primary care physicians in endoscopy may improve patient access and decrease endoscopic wait times, especially in rural settings.
Optimizing charging station locations for urban taxi providers

Electric vehicles are gaining importance and help to reduce dependency on oil, increase energy efficiency of transportation, reduce carbon emissions and noise, and avoid tail pipe emissions. Because of short driving distances, high mileages, and intermediate waiting times, fossil-fuelled taxi vehicles are ideal candidates for being replaced by battery electric vehicles (BEVs). Moreover, taxis as BEVs would increase visibility of electric mobility and therefore encourage others to purchase an electric vehicle. Prior to replacing conventional taxis with BEVs, a suitable charging infrastructure has to be established. This infrastructure, which is a prerequisite for the use of BEVs in practice, consists of a sufficiently dense network of charging stations taking into account the lower driving ranges of BEVs. In this case study we propose a decision support system for placing charging stations to satisfy the charging demand of electric taxi vehicles. Operational taxi data from about 800 vehicles is used to identify and estimate the charging demand for electric taxis based on frequent origins and destinations of trips. Next, a variant of the maximal covering location problem is formulated and solved, aiming at satisfying as much charging demand as possible with a limited number of charging stations. Already existing fast charging locations are considered in the optimization problem. In this work, we focus on finding regions in which charging stations should be placed, rather than exact locations. The exact location within an area is identified in a post-optimization phase (e.g., by authorities), where environmental conditions are considered, e.g., the capacity of the power network, availability of space, and legal issues. Our approach is implemented in the city of Vienna, Austria, in the course of an applied research project conducted in 2014. Local authorities, power network operators, representatives of taxi driver guilds as well as a radio taxi provider participated in the project and identified exact locations for charging stations based on our decision support system. ∗Corresponding author Email addresses: johannes.asamer@ait.ac.at (Johannes Asamer), martin.reinthaler@ait.ac.at (Martin Reinthaler), mario.ruthmair@univie.ac.at (Mario Ruthmair), markus.straub@ait.ac.at (Markus Straub), jakob.puchinger@centralesupelec.fr (Jakob Puchinger) Preprint submitted to Elsevier November 6, 2015
Quasi-star-free Languages on Infinite Words

Quasi-star-free languages were first introduced and studied by Barrington, Compton, Straubing and Therien within the context of circuit complexity in 1992, and their connections with propositional linear temporal logic were established by Esik and Ito recently. While these results are all for finite words, in this paper we consider the languages on infinite words.
Renal and hormonal effects of systemic nitric oxide inhibition in patients with congestive heart failure and in healthy control subjects.

BACKGROUND
The significance of basal renal nitric oxide (NO) availability in the regulation of renal perfusion and sodium excretion in human congestive heart failure (CHF) has not been described previously.


METHODS AND RESULTS
We studied the effects of acute systemic NO synthesis inhibition with N(G)-monomethyl-L-arginine (L-NMMA) in 12 patients with CHF and 10 healthy control subjects (CON) in a randomized placebo-controlled study. Effect parameters were renal plasma flow (RPF), renal vascular resistance (RVR), glomerular filtration rate (GFR), urine sodium excretion and plasma levels of vasoactive hormones. L-NMMA was associated with a significant decrease in RPF (CON-LNMMA: -13 ± 3% [P = .014]; CHF-LNMMA: -17 ± 7% [P = .017]) and a profound increase in RVR in both CHF and CON (CON-LNMMA: +26 ± 6% [P = .009]; CHF-LNMMA: +37 ± 70% [P = .005]). Significant decreases in sodium excretion were found in both CHF-LNMMA and CON-LNMMA. Relative changes from baseline were not statistically different between CHF-LNMMA and CON-LNMMA. After L-NMMA, RPF values correlated inversely with plasma aldosterone in CHF-LNMMA (P = .01). L-NMMA induced an increase in A-type natriuretic peptide (ANP) only in CHF-LNMMA (+18 ± 8%; P = .035), which correlated significantly with basal ANP levels (P = .034).


CONCLUSIONS
There was no difference in the renal response to L-NMMA in CHF vs CON, suggesting that the impact of NO on renal perfusion and sodium excretion is maintained in stable CHF. We suggest that NO influences the release of ANP during high levels of atrial stretch in CHF.