LLukas22/scidocs huggingface dataset:
Shape Modeling with Front Propagation: A Level Set Approach

Shape modeling is an important constituent of computer vision as well as computer graphics research. Shape models aid the tasks of object representation and recognition. This paper presents a new approach to shape modeling which retains some of the attractive features of existing methods, and overcomes some of their limitations. Our techniques can be applied to model arbitrarily complex shapes, which include shapes with significant protrusions, and to situations where no a priori assumption about the object's topology is made. A single instance of our model, when presented with an image having more than one object of interest, has the ability to split freely to represent each object. This method is based on the ideas developed by Osher and Sethian to model propagating solid/liquid interfaces with curvature-dependent speeds. The interface (front) is a closed, nonintersecting, hypersurface flowing along its gradient field with constant speed or a speed that depends on the curvature. It is moved by solving a "Hamilton-Jacobi" type equation written for a function in which the interface is a particular level set. A speed term synthesized from the image is used to stop the interface in the vicinity of object boundaries. The resulting equation of motion is solved by employing entropy-satisfying upwind finite difference schemes. We present a variety of ways of computing evolving front, including narrow bands, reinitializations, and different stopping criteria. The efficacy of the scheme is demonstrated with numerical experiments on some synthesized images and some low contrast medical images. * 1 Supported in part by the Applied Mathematical Sciences Subprogram of the Office of Energy Research, U.S. Dept. of Energy under Contract DE-ACD3-76SD00098 and by the NSF ARPA under grant DMS-8919074. 2 Supported in part by NSF grant ECS-9210648.
Did Securitization Affect the Cost of Corporate Debt

This paper investigates whether the securitization of corporate bank loans had an impact on the price of corporate debt. Our results suggest that loans that are subsequently securitized are associated with a lower spread of 10-17 basis points relative to loans that are not subsequently securitized. To identify the particular role of securitization, we employ a difference in difference approach and consider loan characteristics that are associated with securitization such as the payoff structure and the identity of the originating bank. Spreads on “securitization-friendly” Term Loan B facilities relative to either Term Loan A facilities or revolvers decline with the 2004-2007 Securitization Boom. This decline is driven almost completely by loans originated by banks active in CLO origination. The results are consistent with the view that securitization caused a reduction in the cost of capital. * Contact information: Taylor Nadauld, Department of Finance, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah: email: taylor.nadauld@byu.edu; Michael S. Weisbach, Department of Finance, Fisher College of Business, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, email: weisbach.2@osu.edu. We would like to thank Murillo Campello, Isil Erel, and participants in seminars at Brigham Young University and Ohio State University for helpful suggestions.
Magnetic resonance imaging parameters for assessing risk of recurrent hamstring injuries in elite athletes.

BACKGROUND
Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging has established its usefulness in diagnosing hamstring muscle strain and identifying features correlating with the duration of rehabilitation in athletes; however, data are currently lacking that may predict which imaging parameters may be predictive of a repeat strain.


PURPOSE
This study was conducted to identify whether any MR imaging-identifiable parameters are predictive of athletes at risk of sustaining a recurrent hamstring strain in the same playing season.


STUDY DESIGN
Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.


METHODS
Forty-one players of the Australian Football League who sustained a hamstring injury underwent MR examination within 3 days of injury between February and August 2002. The imaging parameters measured were the length of injury, cross-sectional area, the specific muscle involved, and the location of the injury within the muscle-tendon unit. Players who suffered a repeat injury during the same season were reimaged, and baseline and repeat injury measurements were compared. Comparison was also made between this group and those who sustained a single strain.


RESULTS
Forty-one players sustained hamstring strains that were positive on MR imaging, with 31 injured once and 10 suffering a second injury. The mean length of hamstring muscle injury for the isolated group was 83.4 mm, compared with 98.7 mm for the reinjury group (P = .35). In the reinjury group, the second strain was also of greater length than the original (mean, 107.5 mm; P = .07). Ninety percent of players sustaining a repeat injury demonstrated an injury length greater than 60 mm, compared with only 58% in the single strain group (P = .01). Only 7% of players (1 of 14) with a strain <60 mm suffered a repeat injury. Of the 27 players sustaining a hamstring strain >60 mm, 33% (9 of 27) suffered a repeat injury. Of all the parameters assessed, only a history of anterior cruciate ligament sprain was a statistically significant predictor for suffering a second strain during the same season of competition.


CONCLUSION
A history of anterior cruciate ligament injury was the only statistically significant risk factor for a recurrent hamstring strain in our study. Of the imaging parameters, the MR length of a strain had the strongest correlation association with a repeat hamstring strain and therefore may assist in identifying which athletes are more likely to suffer further reinjury.
Cognitive training for Hong Kong Chinese with schizophrenia in vocational rehabilitation.

Key Messages 1. A randomised controlled trial was conducted to determine the effectiveness of a computerised, errorless, learning-based, training programme to enhance schizophrenic patients’ cognitive functions and vocational outcomes. 2. A total of 80 Chinese with schizophrenia were randomly assigned to a 4-week, computerassisted, errorless-learning (CAEL) group, a therapistadministered (TA) group, or a control group. 3. Participants were assessed pretest, post-test, and at the 3-month follow-up. Cognitive, emotional, and vocational outcomes were measured using standardised validated instruments. 4. Participants in the CAEL and TA groups performed better than controls with respect to certain aspects of neurocognition. The CAEL group also had better selfefficacy (social skills and personal appearance) in work training and positive affect than the control group. The effectiveness of the intervention in the TA and CAEL groups was not similar. Vocational outcome after training was best predicted by both cognitive and emotional factors. 5. Combined use of an errorless learning and a computerised approach may be effective in enhancing the cognitive functioning and thus vocational outcome of Chinese patients with schizophrenia.
Self-reported financial burden and satisfaction with care among patients with cancer.

BACKGROUND
Health care-related costs and satisfaction are compelling targets for quality improvement in cancer care delivery; however, little is known about how financial burden affects patient satisfaction.


METHODS
This was an observational, cross-sectional, survey-based study assessing patient-reported financial burden (FB). Eligible patients were ≥ 21 years with solid tumor malignancy and were receiving chemotherapy or hormonal therapy for ≥ 1 month. The Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire Short-Form assessed patient satisfaction with health care. Subjective FB related to cancer treatment was measured on a 5-point Likert scale.


RESULTS
Of 174 participants (32% response rate), 47% reported significant/catastrophic FB. Participants reported highest satisfaction with interpersonal manner and lowest satisfaction with financial aspects of care. In adjusted analysis, high FB was negatively associated with general satisfaction (coefficient: -.29), satisfaction with technical quality (coefficient: -.26), and satisfaction with financial aspects of care (coefficient: -.62). Older age was associated with higher scores in all satisfaction subscales except patient-physician communication and financial aspects. Annual household income of <$20,000 was associated with lower satisfaction scores in all subscales except time spent with doctor. High FB was not associated with patient satisfaction scores for accessibility and convenience, communication, interpersonal manner, or time spent with doctor.


CONCLUSION
FB is a potentially modifiable correlate of poor satisfaction with cancer care including general satisfaction and satisfaction with the technical quality of care. Addressing cancer-associated FB may lead to improved satisfaction, which in turn can influence adherence, outcomes, and quality of life.
Beyond Bitcoin: The Rise of Blockchain World

Bitcoin—a cryptocurrency built on blockchain technology—was the first currency not controlled by a single entity.1 Initially known to a few nerds and criminals,2 bitcoin is now involved in hundreds of thousands of transactions daily. Bitcoin has achieved values of more than US$15,000 per coin (at the end of 2017), and this rising value has attracted attention. For some, bitcoin is digital fool’s gold. For others, its underlying blockchain technology heralds the dawn of a new digital era. Both views could be right. The fortunes of cryptocurrencies don’t define blockchain. Indeed, the biggest effects of blockchain might lie beyond bitcoin, cryptocurrencies, or even the economy. Of course, the technical questions about blockchain have not all been answered. We still struggle to overcome the high levels of processing intensity and energy use. These questions will no doubt be confronted over time. If the technology fails, the future of blockchain will be different. In this article, I’ll assume technical challenges will be solved, and although I’ll cover some technical issues, these aren’t the main focus of this paper. In a 2015 article, “The Trust Machine,” it was argued that the biggest effects of blockchain are on trust.1 The article referred to public trust in economic institutions, that is, that such organizations and intermediaries will act as expected. When they don’t, trust deteriorates. Trust in economic institutions hasn’t recovered from the recession of 2008.3 Technology can exacerbate distrust: online trades with distant counterparties can make it hard to settle disputes face to face. Trusted intermediaries can be hard to find, and that’s where blockchain can play a part. Permanent record-keeping that can be sequentially updated but not erased creates visible footprints of all activities conducted on the chain. This reduces the uncertainty of alternative facts or truths, thus creating the “trust machine” The Economist describes. As trust changes, so too does governance.4 Vitalik Buterin of the Ethereum blockchain platform calls blockchain “a magic computer” to which anyone can upload self-executing programs.5 All states of every Beyond Bitcoin: The Rise of Blockchain World
Designing the input vector to ANN-based models for short-term load forecast in electricity distribution systems

The present trend to electricity market restructuring increases the need for reliable short-term load forecast (STLF) algorithms, in order to assist electric utilities in activities such as planning, operating and controlling electric energy systems. Methodologies such as artificial neural networks (ANN) have been widely used in the next hour load forecast horizon with satisfactory results. However, this type of approach has had some shortcomings. Usually, the input vector (IV) is defined in a arbitrary way, mainly based on experience, on engineering judgment criteria and on concern about the ANN dimension, always taking into consideration the apparent correlations within the available endogenous and exogenous data. In this paper, a proposal is made of an approach to define the IV composition, with the main focus on reducing the influence of trial-and-error and common sense judgments, which usually are not based on sufficient evidence of comparative advantages over previous alternatives. The proposal includes the assessment of the strictly necessary instances of the endogenous variable, both from the point of view of the contiguous values prior to the forecast to be made, and of the past values representing the trend of consumption at homologous time intervals of the past. It also assesses the influence of exogenous variables, again limiting its presence at the IV to the indispensible minimum. A comparison is made with two alternative IV structures previously proposed in the literature, also applied to the distribution sector. The paper is supported by a real case study at the distribution sector.
An O (log2 k )-Competitive Algorithm for Metric Bipartite Matching

We consider the online metric matching problem. In this prob lem, we are given a graph with edge weights satisfying the triangl e inequality, andk vertices that are designated as the right side of the matchin g. Over time up tok requests arrive at an arbitrary subset of vertices in the gra ph and each vertex must be matched to a right side vertex immediately upon arrival. A vertex cannot be rematched to another vertex once it is matched. The goal is to minimize the total weight of the matching. We give aO(log k) competitive randomized algorithm for the problem. This improves upon the best known guarantee of O(log k) due to Meyerson, Nanavati and Poplawski [19]. It is well known that no deterministic al gorithm can have a competitive less than 2k − 1, and that no randomized algorithm can have a competitive ratio of less than l k.
$RFI$ mitigation methods in radio astronomy

Various methods of radio frequency interference (RFI) mitigation methods at radio astronomy telescopes are being considered. Special attention is given to real-time processing algorithms. Computer simulations and observational results are used to describe the applicability of these methods. Best results can be achieved when the RFI mitigation procedures are adapted to the particular radio telescope, the type of observations, and the peculiarities of the RFI environment. A combination of different linear and non-linear methods in the temporal and frequency domains, with and without the use of reference antennas, may give considerable suppression of strong RFI.
Anatomy of Ag/Hafnia-Based Selectors with 1010 Nonlinearity.

A novel Ag/oxide-based threshold switching device with attractive features including ≈1010 nonlinearity is developed. High-resolution transmission electron microscopic analysis of the nanoscale crosspoint device suggests that elongation of an Ag nanoparticle under voltage bias followed by spontaneous reformation of a more spherical shape after power off is responsible for the observed threshold switching.
Theory of mind and moral cognition: exploring the connections

It is widely recognized that people sometimes use theory-of-mind judgments in moral cognition. A series of recent studies shows that the connection can also work in the opposite direction: moral judgments can sometimes be used in theory-of-mind cognition. Thus, there appear to be cases in which people's moral judgments actually serve as input to the process underlying their application of theory-of-mind concepts.
Making friends on the fly: Cooperating with new teammates

Robots are being deployed in an increasing variety of environments for longer periods of time. As the number of robots grows, they will increasingly need to interact with other robots. Additionally, the number of companies and research laboratories producing these robots is increasing, leading to the situation where these robots may not share a common communication or coordination protocol. While standards for coordination and communication may be created, we expect that robots will need to additionally reason intelligently about their teammates with limited information. This problem motivates the area of ad hoc teamwork in which an agent may potentially cooperate with a variety of teammates in order to achieve a shared goal. This article focuses on a limited version of the ad hoc teamwork problem in which an agent knows the environmental dynamics and has had past experiences with other teammates, though these experiences may not be representative of the current teammates. To tackle this problem, this article introduces a new general-purpose algorithm, PLASTIC, that reuses knowledge learned from previous teammates or provided by experts to quickly adapt to new teammates. This algorithm is instantiated in two forms: 1) PLASTIC–Model – which builds models of previous teammates’ behaviors and plans behaviors online using these models and 2) PLASTIC–Policy – which learns policies for cooperating with previous teammates and selects among these policies online. We evaluate PLASTIC on two benchmark tasks: the pursuit domain and robot soccer in the RoboCup 2D simulation domain. Recognizing that a key requirement of ad hoc teamwork is adaptability to previously unseen agents, the tests use more than 40 previously unknown teams on the first task and 7 previously unknown teams on the second. While PLASTIC assumes that there is some degree of similarity between the current and past teammates’ behaviors, no steps are taken in the experimental setup to make sure this assumption holds. The teammates ✩This article contains material from 4 prior conference papers [11–14]. Email addresses: sam@cogitai.com (Samuel Barrett), rosenfa@jct.ac.il (Avi Rosenfeld), sarit@cs.biu.ac.il (Sarit Kraus), pstone@cs.utexas.edu (Peter Stone) 1This work was performed while Samuel Barrett was a graduate student at the University of Texas at Austin. 2Corresponding author. Preprint submitted to Elsevier October 30, 2016 To appear in http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.artint.2016.10.005 Artificial Intelligence (AIJ)
A Method of Logic-Based Smart Contracts for Blockchain System

Recently, blockchain systems have attracted intensive attentions from academia, industrial circles and governments, which make smart contract a hit since it is an important research topic for blockchain system. We propose a logic-based smart contract model Logic-SC for blockchain system based on semantics and syntax of Active-U-Datalog with some temporal extensions. Logic-SC model owns a triggering mechanism by temporal active rules, which can satisfy the expressiveness and flexibility of the smart contracts for blockchain system. The paper introduces the rules, structure of contracts and implementation of the model. Finally, an application is exampled to show the effectiveness of the model.
A Miniaturized Hilbert Inverted-F Antenna for Wireless Sensor Network Applications

Miniaturized inverted-F antennas (IFAs) are proposed for wireless sensor network applications in the 2.45 GHz band. By employing Hilbert geometry, an overall size reduction of 77% was achieved compared to the conventional rectangular patch antenna. The proposed antenna can be easily built in a miniaturized wireless sensor network (WSN). According to the design rules presented in this paper, antennas can be simulated rapidly. An experimental prototype of the miniature antenna was fabricated on a 1.6-mm-thick FR4 substrate. The bandwidth of this antenna less than 10 dB is 220 MHz (2.32-2.54 GHz) and the percentage of the bandwidth is 9.1%. The peak gain is 1.4 dBi. The measurement results indicate that the antenna shows good performance.
Accuracy and precision of a novel non-invasive core thermometer.

BACKGROUND
Accurate measurement of core temperature is a standard component of perioperative and intensive care patient management. However, core temperature measurements are difficult to obtain in awake patients. A new non-invasive thermometer has been developed, combining two sensors separated by a known thermal resistance ('double-sensor' thermometer). We thus evaluated the accuracy of the double-sensor thermometer compared with a distal oesophageal thermometer to determine if the double-sensor thermometer is a suitable substitute.


METHODS
In perioperative and intensive care patient populations (n=68 total), double-sensor measurements were compared with measurements from a distal oesophageal thermometer using Bland-Altman analysis and Lin's concordance correlation coefficient (CCC).


RESULTS
Overall, 1287 measurement pairs were obtained at 5 min intervals. Ninety-eight per cent of all double-sensor values were within +/-0.5 degrees C of oesophageal temperature. The mean bias between the methods was -0.08 degrees C; the limits of agreement were -0.66 degrees C to 0.50 degrees C. Sensitivity and specificity for detection of fever were 0.86 and 0.97, respectively. Sensitivity and specificity for detection of hypothermia were 0.77 and 0.93, respectively. Lin's CCC was 0.93.


CONCLUSIONS
The new double-sensor thermometer is sufficiently accurate to be considered an alternative to distal oesophageal core temperature measurement, and may be particularly useful in patients undergoing regional anaesthesia.
Validation of the Spanish Version of the COPD-Q Questionnaire on COPD Knowledge.

RATIONALE
Although recognition of the importance of educating chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients has grown in recent years, their understanding of this disease is not being measured due to a lack of specific instruments. The aim of this study was to validate the COPD-Q questionnaire, a 13-item instrument for determining COPD knowledge.


METHODS
The COPD-Q was translated and backtranslated, and subsequently submitted to logic and content validation by a group of COPD experts and 8 COPD patients. Reliability was studied in an independent group of 59 patients with severe COPD seen in the pulmonology ward or clinics of 6 hospitals in Spain (Andalusia, Baleares, Castilla-La Mancha, Galicia and Madrid). This sample was also used for other internal and external validations.


RESULTS
The mean age of the group was approximately 70 years and their health awareness was low-to-medium. The number of correct answers was 8.3 (standard deviation: 1.9), median 8, range 3-13. Floor and ceiling effects were 0% and 1.5%, respectively. Internal consistency of the questionnaire was good (Cronbach's alpha=0.85) and reliability was also high, with a kappa coefficient >0.6 for all items and an intraclass correlation efficient of 0.84 for the total score.


CONCLUSION
The 13-item COPD-Q is a valid, applicable and reliable instrument for determining patients' knowledge of COPD.