LLukas22/scidocs huggingface dataset:
SkinnerDB: Regret-Bounded Query Evaluation via Reinforcement Learning

Robust query optimization becomes illusory in the presence of correlated predicates or user-defined functions. Occasionally, the query optimizer will choose join orders whose execution time is by many orders of magnitude higher than necessary. We present SkinnerDB, a novel database management system that is designed from the ground up for reliable optimization and robust performance. SkinnerDB implements several adaptive query processing strategies based on reinforcement learning. We divide the execution of a query into small time periods in which different join orders are executed. Thereby, we converge to optimal join orders with regret bounds, meaning that the expected difference between actual execution time and time for an optimal join order is bounded. To the best of our knowledge, our execution strategies are the first to provide comparable formal guarantees. SkinnerDB can be used as a layer on top of any existing database management system. We use optimizer hints to force existing systems to try out different join orders, carefully restricting execution time per join order and data batch via timeouts. We choose timeouts according to an iterative scheme that balances execution time over different timeouts to guarantee bounded regret. Alternatively, SkinnerDB can be used as a standalone, featuring an execution engine that is tailored to the requirements of join order learning. In particular, we use a specialized multi-way join algorithm and a concise tuple representation to facilitate fast switches between join orders. In our demonstration, we let participants experiment with different query types and databases. We visualize the learning process and compare against baselines. PVLDB Reference Format: Immanuel Trummer, Samuel Moseley, Deepak Maram, Saehan Jo, Joseph Antonakakis. SkinnerDB: Regret-Bounded Query Evaluation via Reinforcement Learning. PVLDB, 11 (12): 2074 2077, 2018. DOI: https://doi.org/10.14778/3229863.3236263 This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercialNoDerivatives 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/. For any use beyond those covered by this license, obtain permission by emailing info@vldb.org. Proceedings of the VLDB Endowment, Vol. 11, No. 12 Copyright 2018 VLDB Endowment 2150-8097/18/8. DOI: https://doi.org/10.14778/3229863.3236263
Virtual Dunhuang Art Cave: A Cave within a CAVE

Virtual Reality can present historical places in a three-dimensional and interactive way, giving visitors a photorealistic impression of objects. Not only existing scenarios can be shown, but VR can also be used to rebuild scenarios that were damaged or destroyed a long time ago, giving new life to the cultural heritage. We used Virtual Reality to present the Mogao Grottos in Dunhuang. This cave site is one of the most important cultural and religious places by the ancient Silk Road. The presentation is to give visitors the impression of visiting the cave site and provide information about the caves, paintings and statues in an interesting way. To achieve this, we developed a new, intuitive interaction paradigm, which enables the user to explore the caves. To give observers a photorealistic impression of the caves and to create a feeling of immersion, innovative rendering techniques were integrated. The resulting presentation combines Virtual Reality and archaeology to give tourists a realistic experience of this cave site and to support scientists in their research work.
Tone recognition in Mandarin using focus

Native speakers of Mandarin produce and perceive tones in ways that depend on the focus with which each word is produced [1]. This paper gives one approach to improving tone recognition algorithms using focus, by training different support vector machines on syllables conditional on their position with respect to the focused word in a sentence. In a four-way tone classification task on focus-labelled laboratory Mandarin speech data collected by Xu [2], error rates improve from 15.2% without using focus to 8.7% when using focus. Using the fact that tones on syllables in focused words are especially easy to recognize, we propose a tone recognition algorithm that makes use of focus without requiring focus labels in either training or test set. The algorithm has an error rate of 9.8% on this data set.
Simple robust road lane detection algorithm

Lane detection plays an important role in intelligent vehicle systems. Therefore, this paper presents a robust road lane marker detection algorithm to detect the left and right lane markers. The algorithm consists of optimization of Canny edge detection and Hough Transform. The system captures images from a front viewing vision sensor placed facing the road behind the windscreen as input. Then a series of image processing is applied to generate the road model. Canny edge detection performs features recognition then followed by Hough Transform lane generation. The algorithm detects visible left and right lane markers on the road based on real-time video processing.
Randomised trial of a computer-generated tailored written education package for patients following stroke.

BACKGROUND
The ideal method of providing stroke patients with information has not been established.


OBJECTIVES
To evaluate the effectiveness of providing stroke patients with computer-generated tailored written information.


DESIGN
Randomised controlled trial with blinded assessor.


SETTING
Acute stroke unit.


PARTICIPANTS
138 stroke patients.


METHODS
Patients were randomised to receive either computer-generated tailored written information about stroke or generic written information while in hospital. Three months following discharge, a blinded assessor evaluated the outcomes of knowledge about stroke, self-efficacy (Self-Efficacy to Perform Self-Management Behaviours Scale), anxiety and depression (Hospital Anxiety and Depression (HAD) Scale), perceived health status (COOP charts), satisfaction with content and presentation of the written information received (separate 10-point visual analogue scale for content and presentation), and desire for additional information.


RESULTS
Complete data were obtained for 133 (96.4%) patients. Patients in the intervention group were significantly more satisfied with the content (difference on a 10-point visual analogue scale was 1, 95% confidence interval 0.4 to 1.7, P = 0.003) and presentation (difference on a 10-point visual analogue scale was 1.2, 95% confidence interval 0.6 to 1.9, P < 0.001). Significantly, fewer patients in the intervention group desired additional information about stroke at follow-up than patients in the control group (4.5% versus 32.8%; P < 0.001). Anxiety change scores improved slightly more in favour of the control group (1.4 difference on the HAD subscale, 95% confidence interval 0.2 to 2.8, P = 0.03). No significant differences between the groups were observed for any of the other outcome measures.


INTERPRETATION
Providing stroke patients with computer-generated tailored written information improved satisfaction with the information that was received and was more effective in meeting patients' informational needs than non-tailored information, but had no effect on knowledge about stroke, self-efficacy, depression, or perceived health status.
Multicentre observational study of adults with asthma exacerbations: who are the frequent users of the emergency department in Japan?

OBJECTIVES
Emergency department (ED) visits for asthma exacerbation reflect a failure of longitudinal asthma management. However, little is known about the characteristics of patients with frequent ED visits (≥2 visits in a 1-year period). We aimed to characterise the adult patients who frequently presented to the ED for asthma exacerbation in Japan.


DESIGN
A multicentre chart review study of 23 EDs across Japan.


PARTICIPANTS
Adults aged 18-54 years who presented to the ED with asthma exacerbation from 2009 to 2011.


OUTCOME MEASURES
Frequency of ED visits for asthma exacerbation in a 1-year period, including the index ED visit.


RESULTS
Of the 1002 eligible patients, 218 (22%) had frequent ED visits, accounting for 48% of total ED visits for asthma exacerbation in the 1-year period. Specifically, 12% had 2 ED visits and 10% had ≥3 visits. In these patients, guideline-recommended chronic management was suboptimal. For example, among patients with ≥3 ED visits, only 63% were treated with inhaled corticosteroids and 49% were current smokers. In a multinomial logistic regression model, markers of chronic asthma severity (history of hospitalisation for asthma and use of inhaled corticosteroids) were significantly associated with a higher frequency of ED visits (both p<0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
This multicentre study in Japan demonstrated that many patients are frequent ED users for asthma exacerbation. We also found that their asthma control management is suboptimal, most likely contributing to worse chronic severity and more frequent ED visits. Further dissemination and adoption of evidence-based guidelines are required to reduce asthma morbidity in this high-risk population.
Morphometric and cytogenetic characteristics of testicular germ cells and Sertoli cell secretory function in men with non-mosaic Klinefelter's syndrome.

BACKGROUND
Klinefelter's syndrome is the most frequent chromosomal abnormality in infertile men. In this study, the chromosomes of round spermatids and spermatogonia/primary spermatocytes from men with non-mosaic Klinefelter's syndrome were examined, together with the Sertoli cell secretory function and sperm morphometry.


METHODS
Twenty-four men with non-mosaic Klinefelter's syndrome and nine men with obstructive azoospermia underwent therapeutic testicular biopsy. When spermatozoa in the final filtrate were present, they were processed for sperm morphometry or ICSI. Sperm morphometry was evaluated by the maximal length and width of the sperm head, the length of the midpiece and the ratio of the acrosomal region to the total surface area of the head. When round spermatids were present, they were processed for fluorescent in-situ hybridization (FISH). FISH was also applied to fragments of seminiferous tubules. Sertoli cell secretory function was measured by the amount of androgen binding protein (ABP) secreted in vitro.


RESULTS
More than 93% of the evaluated round spermatids were normal. The proportions of 24,XY and of 24,XX round spermatids to the total number were significantly larger in men with Klinefelter's syndrome than in obstructed azoospermic men. Men with Klinefelter's syndrome who had spermatozoa in their testicular tissue (n = 12) were positive for both 46,XY and 47,XXY spermatogonia in their seminiferous tubules. In contrast, men with Klinefelter's syndrome without spermatozoa in their testicular tissue (n = 12) were positive for 47,XXY spermatogonia but negative for 46,XY spermatogonia in their seminiferous tubules. ABP profiles were significantly smaller in men with Klinefelter's syndrome who were negative for spermatozoa compared with men who were positive. Four pregnancies were achieved and five healthy babies were born.


CONCLUSIONS
This study suggests that few 46,XXY spermatogonia undergo meiosis with an XX pairing and a Y univalent type of pairing. Hyperhaploid round spermatids (24,XY and 24,XX) may be produced by meiosis of 47,XXY spermatogonia. Men with Klinefelter's syndrome who are negative for testicular spermatozoa have a greater degree of Sertoli cell secretory dysfunction compared with men with Klinefelter's syndrome who are positive for spermatozoa. There are several defects in sperm morphometry with functional significance in men with Klinefelter's syndrome.
Now They're Cooking

It's a common saying these days that “it's all about who you know.” For jobs and other exciting opportunities, networking and building relationships is paramount. The IEEE and Women in Engineering strongly support networking among members and, similarly, the aptly-named Women in Engineering program at the University of Delaware (not officially affiliated with the IEEE) is working hard to do so as well.
Customer Perceived Value , Satisfaction , and Loyalty : The Role of Switching Costs

It is a marketplace reality that marketing managers sometimes inflict switching costs on their customers, to inhibit them from defecting to new suppliers. In a competitive setting, such as the Internet market, where competition may be only one click away, has the potential of switching costs as an exit barrier and a binding ingredient of customer loyalty become altered? To address that issue, this article examines the moderating effects of switching costs on customer loyalty through both satisfaction and perceived-value measures. The results, evoked from a Web-based survey of online service users, indicate that companies that strive for customer loyalty should focus primarily on satisfaction and perceived value. The moderating effects of switching costs on the association of customer loyalty and customer satisfaction and perceived value are significant only when the level of customer satisfaction or perceived value is above average. In light of the major findings, the article sets forth strategic implications for customer loyalty in the setting of electronic commerce. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. In the consumer marketing community, customer loyalty has long been regarded as an important goal (Reichheld & Schefter, 2000). Both marketing academics and professionals have attempted to uncover the most prominent antecedents of customer loyalty. Numerous studies have Psychology & Marketing, Vol. 21(10):799–822 (October 2004) Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com) © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. DOI: 10.1002/mar.20030
Pathobiology of focal segmental glomerulosclerosis: new developments.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW
Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) is a major cause of nephrotic syndrome and renal failure. All forms of FSGS share podocyte injury and depletion as central mediators. This review focuses on new insights into pathogenesis from study of extrinsic toxins in experimental models, permeability factors in human disease, and novel genetic causes.


RECENT FINDINGS
Experimental toxin models have advanced our understanding of the threshold and dynamics of podocyte injury. Following initial podocyte depletion, spreading fields of podocyte injury through secondary mediators appear to be important in generating the segmental pathologic lesions. Proliferating glomerular epithelial cells are common in FSGS, although there are conflicting views about their identity. Evidence suggests potential contributions by mature parietal epithelial cells, facultative stem cells and podocytes. A number of novel candidate permeability factors that affect podocyte function and motility have been discovered in human FSGS and related podocytopathy minimal change disease. Exome capture has identified new monogenic causes of familial FSGS. Apolipoprotein L-1 (APOL1) is expressed in podocytes, and the prevalence of APOL1 risk alleles in patients of African descent with primary FSGS and HIV-associated nephropathy is high, implicating potential podocyte effects.


SUMMARY
FSGS is caused by a complex interplay of inherent genetic susceptibilities and external injurious factors acting on podocytes. Critical levels of podocyte stress eventuate in podocyte depletion, segmental glomerular scarring, and glomerular epithelial cell hyperplasia.
Current methods and advances in forecasting of wind power generation

Wind power generation differs from conventional thermal generation due to the stochastic nature of wind. Thus wind power forecasting plays a key role in dealing with the challenges of balancing supply and demand in any electricity system, given the uncertainty associated with the wind farm power output. Accurate wind power forecasting reduces the need for additional balancing energy and reserve power to integrate wind power. Wind power forecasting tools enable better dispatch, scheduling and unit commitment of thermal generators, hydro plant and energy storage plant and more competitive market trading as wind power ramps up and down on the grid. This paper presents an in-depth review of the current methods and advances in wind power forecasting and prediction. Firstly, numerical wind prediction methods from global to local scales, ensemble forecasting, upscaling and downscaling processes are discussed. Next the statistical and machine learning approach methods are detailed. Then the techniques used for benchmarking and uncertainty analysis of forecasts are overviewed, and the performance of various approaches over different forecast time horizons is examined. Finally, current research activities, challenges and potential future developments are appraised. 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Foot health education provision for people with rheumatoid arthritis–an online survey of UK podiatrists’ perceptions

BACKGROUND
Patient education supports general disease self-management and in relation to foot problems, it is recommended as a key intervention for people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Further, it is known what the foot health educational (FHE) needs are in relation to their experiences of foot problems. Podiatrists are the key health professionals who provide the management of RA-related foot pathology and this includes the delivery of FHE. However, we do not know what is currently provided and what podiatrists' perceptions are of this intervention. It is possible that there is a difference between what is provided and what patients need in order to maximise their foot health benefits and hence this may contribute to the persistence of foot problems and symptoms. This study primarily aims to define what UK podiatrists' perceptions of FHE are in relation to; what is delivered, how it is delivered, and the timing of its delivery, in the context of its' accessibility. The secondary aim is to identify any influence of the participants' gender, age and duration of professional qualification on their responses.


METHOD
An online survey of UK HCPC registered podiatrists was used to capture quantitative data in relation to the perceived; aims, content, methods and effectiveness, timing and barriers to FHE provision to people with RA. Data was analysed to assess significant associations between the participant responses and their gender, age and duration of professional qualification. Free text comments were analysed using thematic analysis.


RESULTS
43 podiatrists across the UK completed the survey. The majority of participants stated that, they provided FHE and agreed with its overall aims. The most common methods of delivery that were perceived to be most effective were: verbal, written and website based information. The best times at which to deliver FHE were thought to be at the point of diagnosis of RA and at any available opportunity of health care delivery. The majority of participants thought they had enough knowledge and access to information resources to effectively deliver FHE, but half of the participants felt that consultation duration limited their ability to do so. Gender and duration of professional qualification influenced participants' perceptions of FHE.


CONCLUSION
The importance and content of FHE for people with RA has been defined, but time limitations are seen to restrict its delivery. The development of an education needs analysis tool to facilitate efficient identification of patients FHE needs could enable timely and tailored delivery of FHE to people with RA.
Language style matching in writing: synchrony in essays, correspondence, and poetry.

Each relationship has its own personality. Almost immediately after a social interaction begins, verbal and nonverbal behaviors become synchronized. Even in asocial contexts, individuals tend to produce utterances that match the grammatical structure of sentences they have recently heard or read. Three projects explore language style matching (LSM) in everyday writing tasks and professional writing. LSM is the relative use of 9 function word categories (e.g., articles, personal pronouns) between any 2 texts. In the first project, 2 samples totaling 1,744 college students answered 4 essay questions written in very different styles. Students automatically matched the language style of the target questions. Overall, the LSM metric was internally consistent and reliable across writing tasks. Women, participants of higher socioeconomic status, and students who earned higher test grades matched with targets more than others did. In the second project, 74 participants completed cliffhanger excerpts from popular fiction. Judges' ratings of excerpt-response similarity were related to content matching but not function word matching, as indexed by LSM. Further, participants were not able to intentionally increase style or content matching. In the final project, an archival study tracked the professional writing and personal correspondence of 3 pairs of famous writers across their relationships. Language matching in poetry and letters reflected fluctuations in the relationships of 3 couples: Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung, Elizabeth Barrett and Robert Browning, and Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes. Implications for using LSM as an implicit marker of social engagement and influence are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved).
An object-based mapping algorithm to control wearable robotic extra-fingers

One of the new targets of wearable robots is not to enhance the lift strength far above human capability by wearing a bulky robot, but to support human capability within its range by wearing lightweight and compact robots. A new approach regarding robotic extra-fingers is presented here. In particular, an object-based mapping algorithm is proposed to control the robotic extra-fingers by interpreting the whole or a part of the hand motion in grasping and manipulation tasks. As a case study, the model and control of an additional robotic finger is presented. The robotic finger has been placed on the wrist opposite to the hand palm. This solution enlarges the hand workspace, increasing the grasp capability of the user. The proposed mapping algorithm do not require the human operator to activate explicit commands. Rather, the motion of the extra-fingers is connected to the human hand so that the user can perceive the robotic fingers as an extension of his body.
Ambient Networks – Research for Communication Networks Beyond 3 G

The Ambient Networks project addresses the creation of innovative network solutions for mobile and wireless systems beyond 3G. They will enable scalable and affordable wireless networking while providing rich and easy to use communication services for all. The work is geared towards increasing competition and cooperation in an environment populated by a multitude of user devices, wireless technologies, network operators and business actors. Ambient Networks offers a fundamentally new vision based on the dynamic composition of networks to avoid adding to the growing patchwork of extensions to existing architectures. This will provide access to any network, including mobile personal networks, through instant establishment of inter-network agreements. The project adopts the design paradigm of horizontally structured mobile systems that offer common control functions to a wide range of different applications and air interface technologies. Such a radical change requires the definition of new interfaces and a multitude of standards in key areas of future mediaand context-aware, multidomain mobile networks.