LLukas22/scidocs huggingface dataset:
Robust Estimation of Albedo for Illumination-Invariant Matching and Shape Recovery

We present a nonstationary stochastic filtering framework for the task of albedo estimation from a single image. There are several approaches in the literature for albedo estimation, but few include the errors in estimates of surface normals and light source direction to improve the albedo estimate. The proposed approach effectively utilizes the error statistics of surface normals and illumination direction for robust estimation of albedo, for images illuminated by single and multiple light sources. The albedo estimate obtained is subsequently used to generate albedo-free normalized images for recovering the shape of an object. Traditional shape-from-shading (SFS) approaches often assume constant/piecewise constant albedo and known light source direction to recover the underlying shape. Using the estimated albedo, the general problem of estimating the shape of an object with varying albedo map and unknown illumination source is reduced to one that can be handled by traditional SFS approaches. Experimental results are provided to show the effectiveness of the approach and its application to illumination-invariant matching and shape recovery. The estimated albedo maps are compared with the ground truth. The maps are used as illumination-invariant signatures for the task of face recognition across illumination variations. The recognition results obtained compare well with the current state-of-the-art approaches. Impressive shape recovery results are obtained using images downloaded from the Web with little control over imaging conditions. The recovered shapes are also used to synthesize novel views under novel illumination conditions.
Ultra-Fine Entity Typing

We introduce a new entity typing task: given a sentence with an entity mention, the goal is to predict a set of free-form phrases (e.g. skyscraper, songwriter, or criminal) that describe appropriate types for the target entity. This formulation allows us to use a new type of distant supervision at large scale: head words, which indicate the type of the noun phrases they appear in. We show that these ultra-fine types can be crowd-sourced, and introduce new evaluation sets that are much more diverse and fine-grained than existing benchmarks. We present a model that can predict open types, and is trained using a multitask objective that pools our new head-word supervision with prior supervision from entity linking. Experimental results demonstrate that our model is effective in predicting entity types at varying granularity; it achieves state of the art performance on an existing fine-grained entity typing benchmark, and sets baselines for our newly-introduced datasets.1
Early dispersal of modern humans in Europe and implications for Neanderthal behaviour

The appearance of anatomically modern humans in Europe and the nature of the transition from the Middle to Upper Palaeolithic are matters of intense debate. Most researchers accept that before the arrival of anatomically modern humans, Neanderthals had adopted several ‘transitional’ technocomplexes. Two of these, the Uluzzian of southern Europe and the Châtelperronian of western Europe, are key to current interpretations regarding the timing of arrival of anatomically modern humans in the region and their potential interaction with Neanderthal populations. They are also central to current debates regarding the cognitive abilities of Neanderthals and the reasons behind their extinction. However, the actual fossil evidence associated with these assemblages is scant and fragmentary, and recent work has questioned the attribution of the Châtelperronian to Neanderthals on the basis of taphonomic mixing and lithic analysis. Here we reanalyse the deciduous molars from the Grotta del Cavallo (southern Italy), associated with the Uluzzian and originally classified as Neanderthal. Using two independent morphometric methods based on microtomographic data, we show that the Cavallo specimens can be attributed to anatomically modern humans. The secure context of the teeth provides crucial evidence that the makers of the Uluzzian technocomplex were therefore not Neanderthals. In addition, new chronometric data for the Uluzzian layers of Grotta del Cavallo obtained from associated shell beads and included within a Bayesian age model show that the teeth must date to ∼45,000–43,000 calendar years before present. The Cavallo human remains are therefore the oldest known European anatomically modern humans, confirming a rapid dispersal of modern humans across the continent before the Aurignacian and the disappearance of Neanderthals.
I Would Like To..., I Shouldn't..., I Wish I...: Exploring Behavior-Change Goals for Social Networking Sites

Despite benefits and uses of social networking sites (SNSs) users are not always satisfied with their behaviors on the sites. These desires for behavior change both provide insight into users' perceptions of how SNSs impact their lives (positively or negatively) and can inform tools for helping users achieve desired behavior changes. We use a 604-participant online survey to explore SNS users' behavior-change goals for Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. While some participants want to reduce site use, others want to improve their use or increase a range of behaviors. These desired changes differ by SNS, and, for Twitter, by participants' levels of site use. Participants also expect a range of benefits from these goals, including increased time, contact with others, intrinsic benefits, better security/privacy, and improved self presentation. Based on these results we provide insights both into how participants perceive different SNSs, as well as potential designs for behavior-change mechanisms to target SNS behaviors.
Digital Storytelling and Computer Game Design

This workshop uses a combination of short lecture and hands on practice to introduce digital storytelling and computer game design and the multitude of skills needed to successfully design digital stories and computer games. Working examples are taken from two current projects at Indiana University: Lost Highways and Rock-Paper-Scissors in Lizard Land.
Understanding Innovation in Education Using Activity Theory

The purpose of this study was to describe how four teachers in four different cities in Missouri implemented a constructivist-based learning environment (CBLE) that included an innovation cluster that paired an emerging online technology with a unit design framework. The motivating question for the study originated from prior research on teacher reform efforts including the adoption of technology innovations in the classroom, new theories of constructivist-based learning and the principles of professional development for educators implementing reform. Using a multiple case study research method, the researchers collected and analyzed data to (1) identify how effectively each of the teachers implemented the CBLE unit based on their goals for adopting the innovations while participating in online collaborative professional development and (2) identify cross-case issues that arose as the teachers implemented the unit. Conclusions in the study suggest that the teachers implemented innovation into their classrooms with varied levels of effectiveness based on their initial goals for the reform process. Aspects that influenced the effectiveness of their unit and the implementation of the innovation included (1) the teacher’s ability to benefit from online collaborative professional development forums, (2) the teacher’s problem-solving strategies for resolving conflict issues related to their local school environment, and (3) their prior conceptions about teaching and learning and their compatibility with the reform instructional pedagogy.
Digital microfluidics using soft lithography.

Although microfluidic chips have demonstrated basic functionality for single applications, performing varied and complex experiments on a single device is still technically challenging. While many groups have implemented control software to drive the pumps, valves, and electrodes used to manipulate fluids in microfluidic devices, a new level of programmability is needed for end users to orchestrate their own unique experiments on a given device. This paper presents an approach for programmable and scalable control of discrete fluid samples in a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microfluidic system using multiphase flows. An immiscible fluid phase is utilized to separate aqueous samples from one another, and a novel "microfluidic latch" is used to precisely align a sample after it has been transported a long distance through the flow channels. To demonstrate the scalability of the approach, this paper introduces a "general-purpose" microfluidic chip containing a rotary mixer and addressable storage cells. The system is general purpose in that all operations on the chip operate in terms of unit-sized aqueous samples; using the underlying mechanisms for sample transport and storage, additional sensors and actuators can be integrated in a scalable manner. A novel high-level software library allows users to specify experiments in terms of variables (i.e., fluids) and operations (i.e., mixes) without the need for detailed knowledge about the underlying device architecture. This research represents a first step to provide a programmable interface to the microfluidic realm, with the aim of enabling a new level of scalability and flexibility for lab-on-a-chip experiments.
In Vitro – In Vivo Correlation : Importance of Dissolution in IVIVC

Introduction Correlations between in vitro and in vivo data (IVIVC) are often used during pharmaceutical development in order to reduce development time and optimize the formulation. A good correlation is a tool for predicting in vivo results based on in vitro data. IVIVC allows dosage form optimization with the fewest possible trials in man,fixes dissolution acceptance criteria,and can be used as a surrogate for further bioequivalence studies; it is also recommended by regulatory authorities (1–5). Many studies reported in the late ’70s and early ’80s established the basic concept of IVIVC (6). Various definitions of in vitro–in vivo correlation have been proposed by the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP), the USP working group (7),and regulatory authorities such as the FDA or EMEA (2–5). The FDA (2) defines IVIVC as “a predictive mathematical model describing the relationship between an in vitro property of an extended release dosage form (usually the rate or extent of drug dissolution or release) and a relevant in vivo response,e.g.,plasma drug concentration or amount of drug absorbed.” As stressed in this definition, IVIVC is more an in vitro–in vivo relationship than a strict correlation. It should be kept in mind that a relationship does not imply a causality link between the in vitro data, in our case,and the in vivo data. Bases on the type of data used to establish the relationship, three main levels are defined by the FDA:
Cervical pedicle screw insertion using a gutter entry point at the transitional area between the lateral mass and lamina

The purpose of this study was to describe a free-hand pedicle screw insertion technique and to evaluate the accuracy of pedicle screw placement and validity of pedicle screw fixation in patients with subaxial cervical spine injuries. We retrospectively reviewed 32 consecutive patients with subaxial cervical spine injuries who underwent posterior cervical fixation using our cervical pedicle screw (CPS) insertion technique. We also assessed the clinical and radiological outcomes and the accuracy of pedicle screw placement. The mean preoperative kyphosis was 4.0°, which was corrected to −5.2° after the operation, and the mean kyphosis angle was −4.4° at the final follow-up. The mean preoperative disc height ratio was 81.9%, and it improved to 105.4% after the operation, which was maintained until the final follow-up measurement of 103.4%. Bony union was achieved, and there were no instrumentation failures in any patient. Overall, 127 pedicle screws were inserted, of which 112 (88.1%) were classified as grade 1 (exact intrapedicular screw positioning), 10 (7.8%) as grade 2 (perforation <50% of the screw diameter), and 5 (3.9%) as grade 3 (perforation more than 50% of the screw diameter). In our technique, a gutter is created using a high-speed burr at the transitional area between the lateral mass and lamina similar to the procedure in double-door laminoplasty to identify an entry point for CPS insertion. It is easy for general spine surgeons to identify a CPS insertion entry point using our technique.
Prospective cohort study of ultrasound-ultrasound and ultrasound-MR enterography agreement in the evaluation of pediatric small bowel Crohn disease

There is a paucity of published literature describing ultrasound (US)-US and US-MR enterography (MRE) inter-radiologist agreement in pediatric small bowel Crohn disease. To prospectively assess US-US and US-MRE inter-radiologist agreement in pediatric small bowel Crohn disease. Institutional Review Board approval and informed consent/assent were obtained for this HIPAA-compliant prospective cohort study of children with newly diagnosed distal small bowel Crohn disease (July 2012 to December 2014). Enrolled subjects (n = 29) underwent two small bowel US examinations performed by blinded independent radiologists both before and at multiple time points after initiation of medical therapy (231 unique US examinations, in total); 134 US examinations were associated with concurrent MRE. The MRE examination was interpreted by a third blinded radiologist. The following was documented on each examination: involved length of ileum (cm); maximum bowel wall thickness (mm); amount of bowel wall and mesenteric Doppler signal, and presence of stricture, penetrating disease and/or abscess. Inter-radiologist agreement was assessed with single-measure, three-way, mixed-model intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC) and prevalence-adjusted, bias-adjusted kappa statistics (κ). Numbers in brackets are 95% confidence intervals. Ultrasound-US agreement was moderate for involved length (ICC: 0.41 [0.35-0.49]); substantial for maximum bowel wall thickness (ICC: 0.67 [0.64-0.70]); moderate for bowel wall Doppler signal (ICC: 0.53 [0.48-0.59]); slight for mesenteric Doppler signal (ICC: 0.25 [0.18-0.42]), and moderate to almost perfect for stricture (κ: 0.54), penetrating disease (κ: 0.80), and abscess (κ: 0.96). US-MRE agreement was moderate for involved length (ICC: 0.42 [0.37-0.49]); substantial for maximum bowel wall thickness (ICC: 0.66 [0.65-0.69]), and substantial to almost perfect for stricture (κ: 0.61), penetrating disease (κ: 0.72) and abscess (κ: 0.88). Ultrasound-US agreement was similar to US-MRE agreement for assessing pediatric small bowel Crohn disease. Discrepancies in US-US and US-MRE reporting question the utility of US as an accurate, reproducible radiologic biomarker for assessing response to medical therapy and disease-related complications.
Studies of African States and the State of African Studies

Sandra T. Barnes, Patrons and Power: Creating a Political Community in Metropolitan Lagos, Manchester University Press for the International African Institute, 1986, pp.261. $128.00 (cloth). Patrick Chabal (ed.), Political Domination in Africa: Reflections on the Limits of Power, Cambridge University Press, 1986, pp.211. $33.50 (paper). Preston King, An African Winter, Harmondsworth, Penguin, 1986, pp.249. $9.95 (paper). John Sender and Sheila Smith, The Development of Capitalism in Africa, London, Methuen, 1986, pp.177. $27.95 (paper). Robert Williams, Political Corruption in Africa, Aldershot, Gower, 1987, pp.145. £18.50 (cloth).
Pneumothorax in cystic fibrosis: prevalence and outcomes in Scotland.

BACKGROUND
Pneumothorax is a feared complication of cystic fibrosis. With improved survival into adult life the incidence of pneumothorax is expected to increase. The optimal management of these patients is unclear.


METHODS
Case review of patients from the three Scottish adult CF centres.


RESULTS
A total of 22 episodes of pneumothorax occurred in 20 patients over a 12year period. 2 patients died as a result of the pneumothorax. 16 pneumothoraces were treated by insertion of an intercostal drain and 8 by observation. 8 patients suffered a prolonged air leak. 5 patients were treated with pleurodesis. Pneumothorax was associated with a small decline in lung function which persisted for at least 1year.


CONCLUSION
Pneumothorax can present a challenge to treat in adult CF. However successful outcomes can be achieved even in cases of prolonged air leaks. Current national guidelines help in selecting optimal pleural interventions.
Average Distance in a General Class of Scale-Free Networks with Underlying Geometry

In Chung-Lu random graphs, a classic model for real-world networks, each vertex is equipped with a weight drawn from a power-law distribution (for which we fix an exponent 2 < β < 3), and two vertices form an edge independently with probability proportional to the product of their weights. Modern, more realistic variants of this model also equip each vertex with a random position in a specific underlying geometry, which is typically Euclidean, such as the unit square, circle, or torus. The edge probability of two vertices then depends, say, inversely polynomial on their distance. We show that specific choices, such as the underlying geometry being Euclidean or the dependence on the distance being inversely polynomial, do not significantly influence the average distance, by studying a generic augmented version of Chung-Lu random graphs. Specifically, we analyze a model where the edge probability of two vertices can depend arbitrarily on their positions, as long as the marginal probability of forming an edge (for two vertices with fixed weights, one fixed position, and one random position) is as in Chung-Lu random graphs, i.e., proportional to the product of their weights. The resulting class contains Chung-Lu random graphs, hyperbolic random graphs, and geometric inhomogeneous random graphs as special cases. Our main result is that this general model has the same average distance as Chung-Lu random graphs, up to a factor 1+ o(1). The proof also yields that our model has a giant component and polylogarithmic diameter with high probability. Max-Planck-Institute for Informatics, Saarbrücken, Germany, kbringma@mpi-inf.mpg.de Institute of Theoretical Computer Science, ETH Zurich, Switzerland, rkeusch@inf.ethz.ch Institute of Theoretical Computer Science, ETH Zurich, Switzerland, lenglerj@inf.ethz.ch
Antihyperglycemic and antioxidant activities of alcoholic extract of Commiphora mukul gum resin in streptozotocin induced diabetic rats.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES
The present study investigated the effect of Commiphora mukul ethanol extract gum resin (CMEEt) on streptozotocin (STZ) induced diabetic rats by measuring fasting blood glucose, plasma insulin, plasma lipid profile, atherogenic index, hepatic lipid peroxidation (LPO), protein oxidation (PO) and activities of enzymatic antioxidants.


METHODS
Wistar albino rats were divided into 4 groups, normal control group, CM-treated control group, diabetic control group and CM-treated diabetic group. For induction of diabetes, STZ was administered at a dose of 55mg/kg body weight, meanwhile CM-treated groups were administered CMEEt at a dose of 200mg/kg body weight for 60 days. Body weight, plasma glucose and insulin levels were determined in different experimental days, after end of the experimental period the plasma lipid profile and antioxidant enzymes were determined in hepatic tissue.


RESULTS
Increase in plasma glucose, total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), very low density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-C), hepatic LPO and PO levels with decrease in plasma high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), insulin, hepatic reduced glutathione (GSH) content and activities of antioxidant enzymes namely, glutathione peroxidase (GPX), glutathione reductase (GR), glutathione-S-transferase (GST), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) were the salient features observed in diabetic rats. On the other hand, oral administration of CMEEt at a dose of 200mg/kg for 60 days resulted in the prevention of above mentioned abnormalities.


CONCLUSION
The results suggest that CMEEt could be beneficial in the treatment of diabetes, characterized by atherogenous lipoprotein profile, aggravated antioxidant status and impaired glucose metabolism and in their prevention.
Functional MRI in healthy subjects during acupuncture: different effects of needle rotation in real and false acupoints

The cerebral activation pattern due to acupuncture is not completely understood. Although the effect of acupuncture on cerebral haemodynamics has been studied, no previous report has focused on different puncture and stimulation methods. We used functional MRI (fMRI) in 15 healthy subjects to investigate cortical activation during stimulation of two real acupoints (Liv3 and G40) and one sham point, needled in a random and, for the subjects, blinded order employing rotating and non-rotating methods, using a blocked paradigm on a 1.5 tesla imager. Compared to the non-rotating stimulation method, during rotating stimulation of the real acupoints, we observed an increase in activation in both secondary somatosensory cortical areas, frontal areas, the right side of the thalamus and the left side of the cerebellum; no such effects of the needling technique were seen while stimulating the sham point. The observation that rotating the needle strengthened the effects of acupuncture only at real acupoints suggests that, as claimed in Chinese traditional medicine, stimulation of these acupoints has a specific effect on cortical neuronal activity, absent with sham acupoints. These specific cerebral activation patterns might explain the therapeutic effects of acupuncture in certain subjects.
High-sensitivity C-reactive protein, statin therapy, and risks of atrial fibrillation: an exploratory analysis of the JUPITER trial.

AIMS
Increasing evidence supports a role for inflammation in promoting atrial fibrillation (AF) and statins have anti-inflammatory effects that may be relevant for the prevention of AF. However, studies of statin therapy and incident AF have yielded mixed results and not focused on individuals with an underlying pro-inflammatory response. We studied whether high-sensitivity C-reactive protein is associated with incident AF and whether treatment with rosuvastatin is associated with a lower incidence of AF compared with placebo.


METHODS AND RESULTS
We randomized men and women with LDL cholesterol <130 mg/dL and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein ≥2 mg/L to receive either rosuvastatin 20 mg daily or placebo. Atrial fibrillation was determined from treatment-blind adverse event reports. Among 17 120 participants without prior history of arrhythmia, each increasing tertile of baseline high-sensitivity C-reactive protein was associated with a 36% increase in the risk of developing AF (95% CI: 1.16-1.60; P-trend < 0.01). Allocation to rosuvastatin when compared with placebo was associated with a 27% reduction in the relative risk of developing AF during the trial period; specifically, AF was reported among 138 participants in the placebo group and 100 in the rosuvastatin group (incidence rate 0.78 vs. 0.56/100 person-years, HR: 0.73, 95% CI: 0.56-0.94, P = 0.01). The exclusion of participants who developed a major cardiovascular event prior to the report of AF yielded similar results.


CONCLUSION
Within the JUPITER trial cohort of individuals selected for underlying inflammation, increasing levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein were associated with an increased risk of incident AF and random allocation to rosuvastatin significantly reduced that risk.