LLukas22/scidocs huggingface dataset:
RECOVERING INTRINSIC SCENE CHARACTERISTICS FROM IMAGES

We suggest that an appropriate role of early visual processing is to describe a scene in terms of intrinsic (vertical) characteristics-such as range, orientation, reflectance, and incident illumination-of the surface element visible at each point in the image. Support for this idea comes from three sources: the obvious utility of intrinsic characteristics for higher-level scene analysis; the apparent ability of humans to determine these characteristics, regardless of viewing conditions or familiarity with the scene; and a theoretical argument that such a description is obtainable, by a noncognitive and nonpurposive process, at least, for simple scene domains. The central problem in recovering intrinsic scene characteristics is that the information is confounded in the original light-intensity image: a single intensity value encodes all the characteristics of the corresponding scene point. Recovery depends on exploiting constraints, derived from assumptions about the nature of the scene and the physics of the imaging process. I INTRODUCTION Despite corsiderable progress in recent years, our understanding of the principles underlying visual perception remains primitive. Attempts to construct computer models for the interpretation of arbitrary scenes have resulted in such poor performance, limited range of abilities, and inflexibility that, were it not for the human existence proof, we might have been tempted long ago to conclude that high-performance, general-purpose vision is impossible. On the other hand, attempts to unravel the mystery of human vision, have resulted in a limited understanding of the elementary neurophysiology, and a wealth of phenomenological observations of the total system, but not, as yet, in a cohesive model of how the system functions. The time is right for those in both fields to take a broader view: those in computer vision might do well to look harder at the phenomenology of human vision for clues that might indicate fundamental inadequacies of current aproaches; these concerned with human vision might gain insights by thinking more about what information is sought, and how it might be obtained, from a computational point of view. This position has been strongly advocated for some time by Horn [18-20] and Marr [26-29] at MIT. Current scene analysis systems often use pictorial features, such as regions of uniform intensity, or step charges in intensity, as an initial level of description and then jump directly to descriptions at the level of complete objects. The limitations of this approach are well known [4]: first, region-growing and edge-finding programs are unreliable in extracting the …
Extending constructive operational set theory by impredicative principles

We study constructive set theories, which deal with (partial) operations applying both to sets and operations themselves. Our starting point is a fully explicit, finitely axiomatized system ESTE of constructive sets and operations, which was shown in 10 to be as strong as PA. In this paper we consider extensions with operations, which internally represent description operators, unbounded set quantifiers and local fixed point operators. We investigate the proof theoretic strength of the resulting systems, which turn out to be (except for the description operator) impredicative (being comparable with full second-order arithmetic and the second-order μ–calculus over arithmetic). © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim
Phishing for user security awareness

User security education and training is one of the most important aspects of an organizations security posture. Using security exercises to reinforce this aspect is frequently done by education and industry alike; however these exercises usually enlist willing participants. We have taken the concept of using an exercise and modified it in application to evaluate a users propensity to respond to email phishing attacks in an unannounced test. This paper describes the considerations in establishing and the process used to create and implement an evaluation of one aspect of our user information assurance education program. The evaluation takes the form of a exercise, where we send out a phishing styled email record the responses. Published by Elsevier Ltd.
A context clustering technique for average voice model in HMM-based speech synthesis

This paper describes a new technique for constructing a decision tree used for clustering average voice model, i.e., speaker independent speech units. In the technique, we first train speaker dependent models using multi-speaker speech database, and then construct a speaker independent decision tree for context clustering common to these speaker dependent models. When a node of the decision tree is split, only the context related questions which can split the node for all speaker dependent models is adopted. Consequently, all nodes of the decision tree have all speakers’ training data. From the result of the paired comparison test, we show that the average voice model trained using the proposed technique can synthesize more natural sounding speech than the conventional average voice model.
Psychometric profiles and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis function in men with chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome.

PURPOSE
Abnormal regulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and diurnal cortisol rhythms are associated with several pain and chronic inflammatory conditions. Chronic stress may have a role in the disorder of chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome related to initiation or exacerbation of the syndrome. We tested the hypothesis that men with chronic pelvic pain syndrome have associated disturbances in psychosocial profiles and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis function.


MATERIALS AND METHODS
A total of 45 men with chronic pelvic pain syndrome and 20 age matched, asymptomatic controls completed psychometric self-report questionnaires including the Type A personality test, Perceived Stress Scale, Beck Anxiety Inventory and Brief Symptom Inventory for distress from physical symptoms. Saliva samples were collected on 2 consecutive days at 9 specific times with strict reference to time of morning awakening for evaluation of free cortisol, reflecting secretory activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. We quantified cortisol variations as the 2-day average slope of the awakening cortisol response and the subsequent diurnal levels.


RESULTS
Men with chronic pelvic pain syndrome had more perceived stress and anxiety than controls (p <0.001). Brief Symptom Index scores were significantly increased in all scales (somatization, obsessive/compulsive behavior, depression, anxiety, hostility, interpersonal sensitivity, phobic anxiety, paranoid ideation, psychoticism) for chronic pelvic pain syndrome, and Global Severity Index rank for chronic pelvic pain syndrome was 93rd vs 48th percentile for controls (p <0.0001). Men with chronic pelvic pain syndrome had significantly increased awakening cortisol responses, mean slope of 0.85 vs 0.59 for controls (p <0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Men with chronic pelvic pain syndrome scored exceedingly high on all psychosocial variables and showed evidence of dysfunctional hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis function reflected in augmented awakening cortisol responses. Observations suggest variables in biopsychosocial interaction that suggest opportunities for neurophysiological study of relationships of stress and chronic pelvic pain syndrome.
Antinociceptive, anti-inflammatory, and antipyretic properties of an aqueous extract of Dicranopteris linearis leaves in experimental animal models

This study was performed out to establish the antinociceptive, anti-inflammatory, and antipyretic properties of an aqueous extract of Dicranopteris linearis leaves in experimental animals. The antinociceptive activity was measured using the abdominal constriction, hot plate, and formalin tests. The anti-inflammatory and antipyretic activities were measured using the carrageenan-induced paw edema and brewer’s yeast-induced pyrexia tests, respectively. The extract, obtained after 72 h soaking of the air-dried leaves in distilled water and then prepared in the doses of 13.2, 66.0, 132.0, and 660.0 mg/kg, was administered subcutaneously 30 min before subjecting the animals to the assays mentioned above. Generally, the extract, at all doses used, was found to have significant (P < 0.05) concentration-independent antinociceptive, anti-inflammatory, and anti-pyretic activity. In conclusion, the aqueous extract of D. linearis has antinociceptive, anti-inflammatory, and antipyretic activity, supporting previous claims of its traditional use by the Malays to treat various ailments, particularly fever.
Helicobacter Pylori Infection and Serum Pepsinogen I Concentration in Peptic Ulcer Patients: Effect of Bacterial Eradication

OBJECTIVES
In order to test the hypothesis that H. pylori infections in the gastric antrum increase pepsinogen I release, fasting serum pepsinogen I concentrations were compared in peptic ulcer patients with and without H. pylori infection. A randomized prospective study was performed to determine whether the increased serum pepsinogen I concentrations associated with H. pylori infection respond to treatment that eradicates H. pylori.


METHODS
Fasting serum pepsinogen I concentrations were measured by RIA in 736 patients with endoscopically and histologically confirmed benign peptic ulcer with and without H. pylori infection. Out of 511 patients with H. pylori infection, 110 patients (group 1) were randomly selected and were treated with metronidazole and tripotassium dicitrato bismuthate combined with ranitidine and antacid, and 97 patients (group 2) were treated only with ranitidine and antacid. The third group, 54 patients free of H. pylori infection, was designed to evaluate the influence of H2-receptor antagonist and antacid on the change of pepsinogen I. Fasting pepsinogen I concentration and H. pylori status were compared before and after the treatment.


RESULTS
Patients infected by H. pylori (gastric ulcer 208, duodenal ulcer 303; total 511) had significantly higher fasting serum pepsinogen I concentrations than H. pylori negative patients (gastric ulcer 110, duodenal ulcer 115; total 225). Mean pepsinogen I level of the former was 124.3 +/- 46.9 and that of the latter was 77.9 +/- 25.8 ng/ml. (p < 0.0001). The difference in serum pepsinogen I concentrations according to the location of ulcer crater was significant only in non-infected subjects e.g., mean pepsinogen I level H. pylori-negative gastric ulcer was significantly lower than that of H. pylori-negative duodenal ulcer patients. H. pylori was eradicated in all the patients who had received antibacterial therapy for 4 weeks and serum pepsinogen I concentrations were significantly decreased from 129.8 +/- 43.0 to 82.4 +/- 24.0 ng/ml after eradication of the organism. (p < 0.0001) In contrast, H. pylori-positive patients who had not received antibacterial therapy were still infected at the completion of the study and there was no significant change in the serum pepsinogen I concentrations after the treatment (120.8 +/- 40.9 vs 126.3 +/- 40.4 ng/ml). (p > 0.57) None of the patients who were initially H. pylori-negative has been reinfected during the period of the study and their serum pepsinogen I concentrations were not changed. (pre-treatment value 75.1 +/- 8.0; post-treatment value 77.3 +/- 24.5 mg/ml) (p < 0.75) Four-to six-week therapy of H2-receptor antagonist and antacid did not exert any influence on serum pepsinogen I concentrations.


CONCLUSIONS
On the basis of our results, we have confirmed that the chronic infection of H. pylori of gastric antrum in peptic ulcer patients causes increased pepsinogen I release into the circulation, and eradication of the organism results in significant fall in serum pepsinogen I concentrations.
Effect of atorvastatin on pancreatic Beta-cell function and insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients: a randomized pilot study.

OBJECTIVE
Statins are commonly used for the management of dyslipidemia in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients. We hypothesized that atorvastatin could modulate the beta-cell function by altering the levels of proapoptotic and antiapoptotic lipoproteins and could also have an effect on insulin resistance. The aim of the present pilot study was to assess the effect of atorvastatin 10 mg on pancreatic beta-cell function and insulin resistance in patients with hyperlipidemia and type 2 diabetes by using the homeostasis model assessment-2 (HOMA2) index.


METHODS
Fifty-one type 2 diabetes patients receiving oral antidiabetes drugs, not taking statins, with baseline low-density lipoprotein cholesterol between 2.6 mmol/L and 4.1 mmol/L were included. Forty-three patients (21 in placebo group and 22 in atorvastatin group) completed the study and were taken up for final analysis. Fasting blood samples were obtained at baseline and at 12 weeks to determine levels of blood glucose, lipid profile, insulin, C-peptide and glycosylated hemoglobin (A1C).


RESULTS
Atorvastatin nonsignificantly increased fasting serum insulin (+14.29%, p=0.18), accompanied by marginal nonsignificant increases in fasting plasma glucose and A1C. There was a decrease in HOMA2 percent beta-cell function (-2.9%, p=0.72) and increase in HOMA2 insulin resistance (+14%, p=0.16) in the atorvastatin group as compared with baseline, but the difference was not statistically significant.


CONCLUSIONS
Atorvastatin in the dose used failed to produce significant change in pancreatic beta-cell function and insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes patients as assessed by the HOMA2 index. The possible explanations include absence of lipotoxicity at prevailing levels of dyslipidemia at baseline or inadequacy of statin dose used in the study. (Clinical Trials Registry-India: CTRI/2008/091/000099).
Weight bias among professionals treating eating disorders: attitudes about treatment and perceived patient outcomes.

OBJECTIVE
This study aimed to assess weight bias among professionals who specialize in treating eating disorders and identify to what extent their weight biases are associated with attitudes about treating obese patients.


METHOD
Participants were 329 professionals treating eating disorders, recruited through professional organizations that specialize in eating disorders. Participants completed anonymous, online self-report questionnaires, assessing their explicit weight bias, perceived causes of obesity, attitudes toward treating obese patients, perceptions of treatment compliance and success of obese patients, and perceptions of weight bias among other practitioners.


RESULTS
Negative weight stereotypes were present among some professionals treating eating disorders. Although professionals felt confident (289; 88%) and prepared (276; 84%) to provide treatment to obese patients, the majority (184; 56%) had observed other professionals in their field making negative comments about obese patients, 42% (138) believed that practitioners who treat eating disorders often have negative stereotypes about obese patients, 35% (115) indicated that practitioners feel uncomfortable caring for obese patients, and 29% (95) reported that their colleagues have negative attitudes toward obese patients. Compared to professionals with less weight bias, professionals with stronger weight bias were more likely to attribute obesity to behavioral causes, expressed more negative attitudes and frustrations about treating obese patients, and perceived poorer treatment outcomes for these patients.


DISCUSSION
Similar to other health disciplines, professionals treating eating disorders are not immune to weight bias. This has important implications for provision of clinical treatment with obese individuals and efforts to reduce weight bias in the eating disorders field.
The effects of group improvisational music therapy on depression in adolescents and adults with substance abuse

The effect of group improvisational music therapy on depression in adolescents and adults with substance abuse was investigated. It was hypothesized that group improvisational music therapy would relieve depressive symptoms. Twenty-four Spanish-speaking patients receiving treatment for substance abuse at Fundación José Felix Ribas (FJFR) in Mérida-Venezuela participated in the study. Participants completed the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD) before being randomly assigned to experimental or control groups, each consisting of three cohort groups recruited over a nine-month period. The experimental group received 12 group improvisation sessions over a three-month period, along with the standard treatment program provided at the facility, and the control group received only the standard treatment program. Post-test measures were completed at the end of each three-month treatment cycle. Differences between the groups (pre-test–post-test scores) were calculated (Mann–Whitney U Test). Results showed that both groups were equally matched on all pre-test measures. As for post-test measures, significant differences were found between the groups on HRSD but not the BDI. The experimental group was significantly less depressed after treatment than the control group, as measured by the HRSD. Improvisational music therapy led to statistically significant greater improvements in psychologist-rated depression (HRSD) when compared with the regular treatment program alone; improvisational music therapy had a clinically significant effect. Among limitations of the study were: a small sample size and the absence of a depression assessment tool for substance abuse.
Optimized Congestion Management Protocol for Healthcare Wireless Sensor Networks

The application of Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) in healthcare is dominant and fast growing. In healthcare WSN applications (HWSNs) such as medical emergencies, the network may encounter an unpredictable load which leads to congestion. Congestion problem which is common in any data network including WSN, leads to packet loss, increasing endto-end delay and excessive energy consumption due to retransmission. In modern wireless biomedical sensor networks, increasing these two parameters for the packets that carry EKG signals may even result in the death of the patient. Furthermore, when congestion occurs, because of the packet loss, packet retransmission increases accordingly. The retransmission directly affects the lifetime of the nodes. In this paper, an Optimized Congestion management protocol is proposed for HWSNs when the patients are stationary. This protocol consists of two stages. In the first stage, a novel Active Queue Management (AQM) scheme is proposed to avoid congestion and provide quality of service (QoS). This scheme uses separate virtual queues on a single physical queue to store the input packets from each child node based on importance and priority of the source’s traffic. If the incoming packet is accepted, in the second stage, three mechanisms are used to control congestion. The proposed protocol detects congestion by a three-state machine and virtual queue status; it adjusts the child’s sending rate by an optimization function. We compare our proposed protocol with CCF, PCCP and backpressure algorithms using the OPNET simulator. Simulation results show that the proposed protocol is more efficient than CCF, PCCP and backpressure algorithms in terms of packet loss, energy efficiency, end-to-end delay and fairness. A. A. Rezaee (B) · A. M. Rahmani Department of Computer Engineering, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran e-mail: aa.rezaee@srbiau.ac.ir A. M. Rahmani e-mail: Rahmani@srbiau.ac.ir M. H. Yaghmaee Department of Computer Engineering, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran e-mail: hyaghmae@ferdowsi.um.ac.ir
A randomized controlled trial comparing the AccuVein AV 400 device to standard insertion technique for peripheral intravenous cannulation by experienced nurse anesthetists in obese patients undergoing elective surgery

Introduction: Obesity is a predictive factor for difficulty in peripheral intravenous insertion. The AccuVein AV400 device was developed to assist in peripheral vein identification and venipuncture. It can identify peripheral veins lying 10 mm subcutaneously using near infrared laser light. Objective was to evaluate the efficacy of the AccuVein AV400 device in improving the first-time success rate of peripheral intravenous cannulation in obese patients. Method: Seventy-two patients with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 kg/m2 or more were randomized into two groups; the AV400 group (using the AccuVein AV400 device for peripheral venous insertion) and a standard group (using the naked eye and/or palpation for peripheral venous insertion). The providers were three experienced nurse anesthetists. An observer recorded the number of attempts to successful cannulation and the time between tourniquet application and successful cannulation. Failure was defined as when more than four cannulation attempts were done in either technique. Result: The BMIs of the two groups were comparable [33.7 ± 4.6 kg/m2 in the AV400 group and 34.0 ± 4.6 kg/m2 in the standard group; (p = 0.77)]. There was no significant difference in the first-attempt success rate between the AV400 group (52.8%) and the standard group (58.3%) (p = 0.81). The time to success was 41.5 (17.5 62.5) seconds (95% CI, 36.1 115.8) using the AV400 device and 77 (27 120) seconds (95% CI, 57.3 214.3) with the standard technique (p = 0.12). Discussion Although the AccuVein AV400 improved visualization of the peripheral veins, we found no statistically and Conclusion: significant difference in first-attempt success rates between standard cannulation and the use of the AccuVein AV400 device in unselected obese patients.
Deep wound infections after spinal fusion in children with cerebral palsy: a prospective cohort study.

STUDY DESIGN
Prospective cohort.


OBJECTIVE
To (1) calculate the rate of deep wound infection in children with cerebral palsy (CP) after spinal fusion surgery; (2) identify factors (patient, laboratory, and surgical) associated with deep wound infection development; and (3) report causative organisms.


SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA
Wound infection after spine fusion for CP is more common than after spine fusion for most other diagnoses.


METHODS
We prospectively gathered data on 204 consecutive pediatric patients with CP who underwent surgery at 7 institutions. Univariate and multivariate regression analysis was performed to analyze patient, laboratory, and surgical characteristics to identify factors that were significantly associated with infection development. Statistical significance was set at a value of P less than 0.05.


RESULTS
Deep wound infection developed in 13 (6.4%) children. The mean time to infection development was 34.2 ± 60.2 days. On univariate analysis, older age, larger curve size, presence of gastrostomy/gastrojejunostomy tube, higher preoperative serum white blood cell count, and longer operative time were significantly associated with deep wound infection. On multivariate analysis, only the presence of a gastrostomy/gastrojejunostomy tube remained significant (1.9-fold risk of deep wound infection compared with patients without tubes). Escherichia coli was the most common organism cultured from the wound sites (5 patients). Other infective agents were: Pseudomonas aeruginosa (2), methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (1), Proteus mirabilis (1), and polymicrobial organisms (4).


CONCLUSION
Deep wound infection occurred in 6.4% of children with CP after spinal fusion. The presence of a gastrostomy/gastrojejunostomy tube was a significant predictor of infection. Gram-negative organisms were the most common causative agents. Surgeons should be cognizant of these factors when treating children with CP and may consider Gram-negative antibiotic prophylaxis.