LLukas22/scidocs huggingface dataset:
A Review of Offline Signature Verification Techniques

Among various biometric modalities, signature verification remains one of the most widely used methods to authenticate the identity of an individual. Signature verification, the most important component of behavioral biometrics, has attracted significant research attention over the last three decades. Despite extensive research, the problem still remains open to research due to the variety of challenges it offers. The high intra-class variations in signatures resulting from different physical or mental states of the signer, the differences that appear with aging and the visual similarity in case of skilled forgeries etc. are only a few of the challenges to name. This paper is intended to provide a review of the recent advancements in offline signature verification with a discussion on different types of forgeries, the features that have been investigated for this problem and the classifiers employed. The pros and cons of notable recent contributions to this problem have also been presented along with a discussion of potential future research directions on this subject.
Suicides by sharp force: typical and atypical features

A total of 65 consecutive cases of suicide by sharp force were investigated by evaluating the autopsy and prosecution department records. Suicides constituted 17% of all fatalities from sharp force autopsied between 1967 and 1996. Young males and persons with a psychiatric history predominated among the persons who chose this “hard” method of suicide. The most common implements used were knives (62%) and razor blades (15%). Cutting injuries in isolation were present in 26, stab injuries in isolation in 24 and a combination of both in 15 fatalities. The number of injuries per case varied from 1 to 37 but 1/3 showed one injury. More than 85% of the cutting injuries were located at the wrist, elbow crease or neck whereas 79% of the stab injuries involved the ventral aspect of the trunk. Perforation of clothing was present in ¶16 (52%) out of 31 stab injuries to the trunk. Injuries to more than one body region were observed in 34 (52%) cases. Tentative marks were present in 50 (77%) fatalities and the number varied from 1 to 60 per case. Superficial incisions of the fingers were found in 15% with razor blades constituting the weapon in half of these cases. Deviations from these typical patterns occurred not infrequently. The utter determination of the victim to carry it through or the use of unusual weapons resulted in a few bizarre cases which are outlined briefly.
Removal of impulse noise from color image

This paper presents a vector median filter that includes a new mechanism for the detection of impulses in color images prior to further processing operations. The proposed filter has been tested for images corrupted by two sided fixed impulse noise model. If the central vector pixel in a kernel is found to be corrupted, it is replaced by the vector median of the kernel, else it is kept unchanged. Since the detection mechanism uses absolute deviation values, the computational complexity is reduced. The experimental results show a better performance of the proposed algorithm in lesser execution time as compared to a number of existing schemes for restoring color images corrupted by impulse noise.
C-Peptide replacement therapy and sensory nerve function in type 1 diabetic neuropathy.

OBJECTIVE
C-peptide replacement in animals results in amelioration of diabetes-induced functional and structural abnormalities in peripheral nerves. The present study was undertaken to examine whether C-peptide administration to patients with type 1 diabetes and peripheral neuropathy improves sensory nerve function.


RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS
This was an exploratory, double-blinded, randomized, and placebo-controlled study with three study groups that was carried out at five centers in Sweden. C-peptide was given as a replacement dose (1.5 mg/day, divided into four subcutaneous doses) or a dose three times higher (4.5 mg/day) during 6 months. Neurological examination and neurophysiological measurements were performed before and after 6 months of treatment with C-peptide or placebo.


RESULTS
The age of the 139 patients who completed the protocol was 44.2 +/- 0.6 (mean +/- SE) years and their duration of diabetes was 30.6 +/- 0.8 years. Clinical neurological impairment (NIA) (score >7 points) of the lower extremities was present in 86% of the patients at baseline. Sensory nerve conduction velocity (SCV) was 2.6 +/- 0.08 SD below body height-corrected normal values at baseline and improved similarly within the two C-peptide groups (P < 0.007). The number of patients responding with a SCV peak potential improvement >1.0 m/s was greater in C-peptide-treated patients than in those receiving placebo (P < 0.03). In the least severely affected patients (SCV < 2.5 SD below normal at baseline, n = 70) SCV improved by 1.0 m/s (P < 0.014 vs. placebo). NIA score and vibration perception both improved within the C-peptide-treated groups (P < 0.011 and P < 0.002). A1C levels (7.6 +/- 0.1% at baseline) decreased slightly but similarly in C-peptide-and placebo-treated patients during the study.


CONCLUSIONS
C-peptide treatment for 6 months improves sensory nerve function in early-stage type 1 diabetic neuropathy.
Research on OPC UA security

OPC Unified architectures (OPC UA) is a new software interface specification and application framework based on web service for plant automation systems which communicate with each other over the internet. The security issue holds the key to its development for technology feature based on web service. In this paper, the OPC UA security issues are discussed from the two views of network environment security and communication security in OPC UA applications. The network security deployment solution based on distributed firewall was proposed to ensure the host of OPC UA server and client against the different attacks. Sequentially the improved OPC UA security model based on the existing model was presented. A security strategy management module was added into the model, by configuring the module, the security characteristic of OPC UA applications system can adapt to the different security level. At last the information model of the security model is designed. By the above means, the OPC UA communication security and communication efficiency can be balanced better, and it provides the guideline for the development of OPC UA server and the OPC UA applications.
Estimation of P[Y<X] for Weibull distributions

This paper deals with the estimation of R=P[Y<X] when X, and Y are two independent Weibull distributions with different scale parameters, but having the same shape parameter. The maximum likelihood estimator, and the approximate maximum likelihood estimator of R are proposed. We obtain the asymptotic distribution of the maximum likelihood estimator of R. Based on the asymptotic distribution, the confidence interval of R can be obtained. We also propose two bootstrap confidence intervals. We consider the Bayesian estimate of R, and propose the corresponding credible interval for R. Monte Carlo simulations are performed to compare the different proposed methods. Analysis of a real data set has also been presented for illustrative purposes.
Visual guidance modulates hemispheric asymmetries during an interlimb coordination task

The cerebral hemispheres of humans exhibit functional asymmetries. It is generally thought that the left hemisphere contributes to higher order planning of demanding motor tasks, while the right hemisphere plays an important role in processing visual or proprioceptive stimuli and controls spatial attention. Few studies have directly investigated which aspects of motor control increase the involvement of right-lateralized areas. We used fMRI to examine hemispheric lateralization during unilateral motor coordination of the wrist and ankle performed either with the left or right body side, and either with or without visual guidance. Visual guidance was provided such that the spatial position of a cursor directly informed subjects about the mode and quality of the coordination pattern. Activation was only considered lateralized for a specific condition if it was significantly stronger in one hemisphere than the other, independent of which body side performed the task. We found that task performance with visual guidance mainly engaged a right-lateralized occipital-temporoparietal network and the inferior frontal gyrus, a circuit known to integrate visual and proprioceptive information to guide movements in space. Importantly, this lateralized activation was only observed when visual guidance was provided, but not when movements were performed without visual guidance or when subjects passively watched a similar visual stimulus without moving their limbs. We argue that the functional lateralization of right visuomotor areas was a direct consequence of performing this motor task in the presence of visual guidance, i.e., visuospatial information was integrated with somatosensory guidance to produce well coordinated hand-foot movements.
Pb-Isotopic tracing of metal-pollution sources in the Ribeira Valley, Southeastern Brazil

An attempt was made to trace the sources of metal pollution in the Ribeira de Iguape River, Southeastern Brazil, by using the lead isotopic compositions of stream sediments in comparison with the isotopic signatures of the Mesoproterozoic Pb-Zn-Ag ores in the region. The isotopic compositions of the stream sediments (1.06<206Pb/207Pb<1.11) are within the range of the lead compositions of Panelas-type deposits (1.07<206Pb/207Pb<1.10) but lower than those of sediments located upstream of mining areas (206Pb/207Pb=1.16). It is clearly indicated that the ore production in the filonar hydrothermal Panelas-type deposits was responsible for the elevated metal concentrations in the sediments found throughout the basin of the Ribeira de Iguape river, including its estuary. The environmental impact due to the mining of smaller stratiform Perau-type deposits and metallurgical processing of imported ore concentrates originated from younger ore deposits must have been very subordinated in the river.
A randomized, controlled trial of sequential bilateral repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation for treatment-resistant depression.

OBJECTIVE
High-frequency left-side repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) and low-frequency stimulation to the right prefrontal cortex have both been shown to have antidepressant effects, but doubts remain about the magnitude of previously demonstrated treatment effects. The authors evaluated sequentially combined high-frequency left-side rTMS and low-frequency rTMS to the right prefrontal cortex for treatment-resistant depression.


METHOD
The authors conducted a 6-week double-blind, randomized, sham-controlled trial in 50 patients with treatment-resistant depression. Three trains of low-frequency rTMS to the right prefrontal cortex of 140 seconds' duration at 1 Hz were applied daily, followed immediately by 15 trains of 5 seconds' duration of high-frequency left-side rTMS at 10 Hz. Sham stimulation was applied with the coil angled at 45 degrees from the scalp, resting on the side of one wing of the coil. The primary outcome variable was the score on the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale.


RESULTS
There was a significantly greater response to active than sham stimulation at 2 weeks and across the full duration of the study. A significant proportion of the study group receiving active treatment met response (11 of 25 [44%]) or remission (nine of 25 [36%]) criteria by study end compared to the sham stimulation group (two of 25 [8%] and none of 25 respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
Sequentially applying both high-frequency left-side rTMS and low-frequency rTMS to the right prefrontal cortex, has substantial treatment efficacy in patients with treatment-resistant major depression. The treatment response accumulates to a clinically meaningful level over 4 to 6 weeks of active treatment.
Mid-level Visual Element Discovery as Discriminative Mode Seeking

Recent work on mid-level visual representations aims to capture information at the level of complexity higher than typical “visual words”, but lower than full-blown semantic objects. Several approaches [5, 6, 12, 23] have been proposed to discover mid-level visual elements, that are both 1) representative, i.e., frequently occurring within a visual dataset, and 2) visually discriminative. However, the current approaches are rather ad hoc and difficult to analyze and evaluate. In this work, we pose visual element discovery as discriminative mode seeking, drawing connections to the the well-known and well-studied mean-shift algorithm [2, 1, 4, 8]. Given a weakly-labeled image collection, our method discovers visually-coherent patch clusters that are maximally discriminative with respect to the labels. One advantage of our formulation is that it requires only a single pass through the data. We also propose the Purity-Coverage plot as a principled way of experimentally analyzing and evaluating different visual discovery approaches, and compare our method against prior work on the Paris Street View dataset of [5]. We also evaluate our method on the task of scene classification, demonstrating state-of-the-art performance on the MIT Scene-67 dataset.
Dynamic comparison between Daan real-time PCR and Cobas TaqMan for quantification of HBV DNA levels in patients with CHB

BACKGROUND
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA levels are crucial for managing chronic hepatitis B (CHB). It was unclear whether Daan real-time polymerase chain reaction test (Daan test) or COBAS TaqMan HBV DNA Test (Cobas TaqMan) was superior in measuring different HBV DNA levels in clinical specimens.


METHODS
We enrolled 67 treatment-naïve, HBV surface antigen-positive CHB patients (high baseline viral levels) who received either lamivudine/adefovir or entecavir. Serum samples were tested at baseline and treatment week 24 using the Daan test and Cobas TaqMan.


RESULTS
In the 67-baseline samples, the HBV DNA levels with the Cobas TaqMan (7.90 ± 0.73 log10 IU/mL) were significantly greater than those of the Daan test (7.11 ± 0.44 log10 IU/mL; P < 0.001). Of the 67 24-week samples (low viral levels), the Cobas TaqMan detected 59 (88.1%; 8 undetected); the Daan test detected 33 (49.3%; 34 undetected; P < 0.001). The Cobas TaqMan detected HBV DNA in 26 of 34 samples undetectable by the Daan test (range, 1.4-3.7 log10 IU/mL) or 38% of samples (26/67). The reductions in viral load after 24 weeks of oral antiviral treatment in the 33 samples that were positive for both the Daan test and the Cobas TaqMan test were significantly different (3.59 ± 1.11 log10 IU/mL versus 4.87 ± 1.58 log10 IU/mL, respectively; P = 0.001). Spearman correlation analysis showed positive correlation between results from two tests (rp = 0.602,P<0.001). The HBV genotypes and the anti-viral treatment did not affect the measurements of the HBV DNA by the Daan assay and the Cobas Taqman assay.


CONCLUSION
The Cobas Taqman was more sensitive at low viral loads than the Daan test and the change from complete to partial virological response could affect clinical decisions. The Cobas Taqman may be more appropriate for detection of HBV DNA levels.
Information Technology and Corporate Strategy: A Research Perspective

The use of information technology (IT) as a competitive weapon has become a popular cliché; but there is still a marked lack of understanding of the issues that determine the influence of information technology on a particular organization and the processes that will allow a smooth coordination of technology and corporate strategy. This article surveys the major efforts to arrive at a relevant framework and attempts to integrate them in a more comprehensive viewpoint. The focus then turns to the major research issues in understanding the impact of information technology on competitive strategy. Copyright © 1986 Yannis Bakos and Michael Treacy
The Nature of Redemption: Post-Humanity, Post-Romanticism and the Messianic

This article enacts a critical engagement with Romantic tendencies in 
theological analyses of nature before moving on to assess the transformation 
of conceptions of life in the light of its codification and digitalisation. 
The piece concludes with a theological-political rejoinder predicated on the 
nature of messianic expectation.
Being Happy, Healthy and Whole Watching Movies That Affect Our Emotions

This paper discusses the power of emotions in our health, happiness and wholeness, and the emotional impact of movies. It presents iFelt, an interactive video application to classify, access, explore and visualize movies based on their emotional properties and impact.
Disposing of Excess Vaccines After the Withdrawal of Oral Polio Vaccine

Until recently, waste management for national immunization programs was limited to sharps waste, empty vaccine vials, or vaccines that had expired or were no longer usable. However, because wild-type 2 poliovirus has been eradicated, the World Health Organization's (WHO's) Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization deemed that all countries must simultaneously cease use of the type 2 oral polio vaccine and recommended that all countries and territories using oral polio vaccine (OPV) "switch" from trivalent OPV (tOPV; types 1, 2, and 3 polioviruses) to bivalent OPV (bOPV; types 1 and 3 polioviruses) during a 2-week period in April 2016. Use of tOPV after the switch would risk outbreaks of paralysis related to type 2-circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus (cVDPV2). To minimize risk of vaccine-derived polio countries using OPV were asked to dispose of all usable, unexpired tOPV after the switch to bOPV. In this paper, we review the rationale for tOPV disposal and describe the global guidelines provided to countries for the safe and appropriate disposal of tOPV. These guidelines gave countries flexibility in implementing this important task within the confines of their national regulations, capacities, and resources. Steps for appropriate disposal of tOPV included removal of all tOPV vials from the cold chain, placement in appropriate bags or containers, and disposal using a recommended approach (ie, autoclaving, boiling, chemical inactivation, incineration, or encapsulation) followed by burial or transportation to a designated waste facility. This experience with disposal of tOPV highlights the adaptability of national immunization programs to new procedures, and identifies gaps in waste management policies and strategies with regard to disposal of unused vaccines. The experience also provides a framework for future policies and for developing programmatic guidance for the ultimate disposal of all OPV after the eradication of polio.
Qualitative and Quantitative Research Paradigms in Business Research: A Philosophical Reflection

This paper attempts to discuss quantitative and qualitative research methodologies within the broad field of business research. In the light of looking for possible similarities and differences between the two approaches, the study gives an overview of the historical development of both methods, the paradigms and interpretative frameworks, discusses major advantages and limitations and look at the new trend that combines both quantitative and qualitative data in a single research project in an effort to reconcile both methods. The main intention of this paper is not to extend the current and long-lasting debate regarding qualitative versus quantitative research, rather to describe and reflect on the philosophical stance guiding the two research methodologies from ontological, epistemological and methodological perspectives. The essence of this study is to enable professionals with little or no previous experience of the various research methodologies and falling in to the trap that one research is better than the other, gain a basic understanding of qualitative and quantitative research. The study concludes that, in addition to quantitative and qualitative research, mixed research also offers an exciting mode of conducting business research.
Population-Based External Validation of the Updated 2012 Partin Tables in Contemporary North American Prostate Cancer Patients.

OBJECTIVE
To externally validate the updated 2012 Partin Tables in contemporary North American patients treated with radical prostatectomy (RP) for localized prostate cancer (PCa) at community institutions.


MATERIALS AND METHODS
We examined records of 25,254 patients treated with RP and pelvic lymph node dissection (PLND) between 2010 and 2013, within the surveillance, epidemiology, and end results database. The ROC derived AUC assessed discriminant properties of the updated 2012 Partin Tables of organ confined disease (OC), extracapsular extension (ECE), seminal vesical invasion (SVI), and lymph node invasion (LNI). Calibration plots focused on calibration between predicted and observed rates.


RESULTS
Proportions of OC, ECE, SVI, and LNI at RP were 69.8%, 18.4%, 7.4%, and 4.4%, respectively. Accuracy for prediction of OC, ECE, SVI, and LNI was 70.4%, 59.9%, 72.9%, and 77.1%, respectively. In subgroup analyses in patients with nodal yield >10, accuracy for LNI prediction was 76.0%. Subgroup analyses in elderly patients and in African American patients revealed decreased accuracy for prediction of all four endpoints. Last but not least, SVI and LNI calibration plots showed excellent agreement, versus good agreement for OC (maximum underestimation of 10%) and poor agreement for ECE (maximum overestimation of 12%).


CONCLUSION
Taken together, the updated 2012 Partin Tables can be unequivocally endorsed for prediction of OC, SVI, and LNI in community-based patients with localized PCa. Conversely, ECE predictions failed to reach the minimum accuracy requirements of 70%. Prostate 77:105-113, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Basic Concepts of Expert System Shells and an Efficient Model for Knowledge Acquisition

An Expert System is an intelligent computer program that employs knowledge and inference procedures to solve problems that are considered difficult enough to require significant human expertise for their solutions [12]. Since the implementation of the first expert systems (the DENDRAL, MYCIN, Dipmeter Advisor, XCON, to mention but a few.) in the early 1970s, and the successes that followed, coupled with the advantages that humankind benefited from these early expert systems and their successors; one would expect that four decades later, there would have been a boom in the use of expert systems to perform more specialized tasks in different specific domains and application areas. The reasons for this could stem, asides other non-intrinsically-technical factors (such as financial implication, cultural and religious beliefs and restrictions surrounding the implementation of Expert Systems especially in third-world African Countries), either from a lack of adequate knowledge of the existence of Expert System Shells and/or the facilities, utilities and tools they provide that make the development of new expert systems sort of a “pretty easy endeavour”. This paper lays emphasis on the basic concept of Expert System Shells with the aim of highlighting their basic usage and creating some form of in-depth generic exposé into some of the component facilities and utilities they provide; proposing a more efficient model for Knowledge Acquisition – which would make the Knowledge Acquisition Bottleneck of developing Expert Systems a thing of no more concern – as well as highlight the functions performed by Expert System Shells, in a bid to emphasize their reusability across different other specific application areas either within or outside the same domain.