bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Stability of Implants Placed in Augmented Posterior Mandible after Alveolar Osteotomy Using Resorbable Nonceramic Hydroxyapatite or Intraoral Autogenous Bone: 12‐Month Follow‐Up
Authors: Dottore Alexandre M. , Kawakami Paulo Y. , Bechara Karen , Rodrigues Jose Augusto , Cassoni Alessandra , Figueiredo Luciene C. , Piattelli Adriano , Shibli Jamil Awad
Published: November 2012

Purpose

This prospective, controlled split‐mouth study evaluated the stability of dental implants placed in the augmented mandibular areas with alveolar segmental “sandwich” osteotomies using nonceramic hydroxyapatite (ncHA) or autogenous bone.

Material and Methods

This study included 11 bilaterally partially edentulous mandibular patients in a split‐mouth design. Alveolar augmentation osteotomies were performed bilaterally with interpositional ncHA graft (test group) or interpositional intraoral autogenous bone graft (control group). After 6 months of healing, four implants (two implants in each side) were placed in each patient. Forty‐four implants were inserted and loaded after 6‐month healing period. At 1‐year follow‐up, radiographic, prosthetic, and resonance frequency analysis parameters were assessed. Success criteria included absence of pain, sensitivity, suppuration, and implant mobility; absence of continuous peri‐implant radiolucency; and distance between the implant shoulder and the first visible bone contact (DIB) < 2 mm.

Results

After a 1‐year loading period, the overall implant survival rate was 95.45%, with two implant losses (one of each group). Among the surviving implants (42 out of 44), two did not fulfill the success criteria; therefore, the implant success was 90.90%. DIB was 0.71 ± 0.70 and 0.84 ± 0.72 mm for ncHA and autogenous bone grafts, respectively (p > .05). Implant stability measurements were similar between the groups during the 12‐month follow‐up (p > .05).

Conclusion

Within the limits of this study, the implants placed either in sites augmented with ncHA or autogenous bone seem to represent a safe and successful procedure, at least, after 12‐month follow‐up.
Cerebrospinal fluid CD19+ B‐cell expansion in N‐methyl‐D‐aspartate receptor encephalitis
Authors: DALE RUSSELL C , PILLAI SEKHAR , BRILOT FABIENNE
Published: November 2012

There is increasing interest in the role of autoantibodies in acquired autoimmune central nervous system disorders. N‐methyl‐d‐aspartate receptor (NMDAR) encephalitis is an autoimmune encephalitis defined by the presence of autoantibodies that bind to the NMDAR. Although there is evidence of NMDAR antibody pathogenicity, it is unclear which treatment results in the best outcome. We measured the proportion of B‐cells in the cerebrospinal fluid of two children with NMDAR encephalitis (a 6‐year‐old male and a 4‐year‐old female), one in the acute phase and one in the relapsing phase. The proportion of CD19+ B‐cells in both children was greater than 10%, significantly higher than seen in non‐inflammatory neurological disorders (<1%). This finding supports the use of drugs, such as rituximab, that deplete B‐cells in severe or refractory cases of NMDAR encephalitis, and lends further support to the humoral autoimmune hypothesis in NMDAR encephalitis.
Clinical utility of serum reproductive hormones for the early diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy in the first trimester
Authors: Feng Chun , Chen Zheng‐Yun , Zhang Jing , Xu Hong , Zhang Xin‐Mei , Huang Xiu‐Feng
Published: November 2012

Aim:  A tubal ectopic pregnancy (EP) in the first trimester remains a major life‐threatening complication for the mother. We aim to determine whether serum reproductive hormones may be clinically useful in the early identification of a tubal EP.

Methods:  A total of 109 age‐matched patients with a serum β‐human chorionic gonadotropin (β‐hCG) concentration <2000 IU/L were enrolled, including 68 patients with a tubal EP, 22 with a viable intrauterine pregnancy (vIUP) and 19 with a non‐viable intrauterine pregnancy (nIUP). Serum was collected during the first trimester of pregnancy and assayed for β‐hCG, follicle‐stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), testosterone (TE), progesterone (P), estradiol (E2) and prolactin (PRL) by using automated electrochemiluminescence immunoassays.

Results:  Patients with an EP had significantly lower levels of daily β‐hCG variation (Δβ‐hCG/day), P and E2, and significantly higher levels of LH and FSH than IUP patients (P < 0.05). As an EP diagnostic marker, progesterone demonstrated a sensitivity of 100% at the cutoff of 86.01 nmol/L. The combination of E2 with Δβ‐hCG/day reached a specificity of 100% for EP evaluation. To identify non‐viable pregnancies (including EPs and nIUPs), progesterone demonstrated a sensitivity of 95.40% and a specificity of 90.91% at the cutoff of 63.2 nmol/L; the diagnostic power of the receiver operating curve was 0.9702.

Conclusions:  A combination of Δβ‐hCG/day, P and E2 may help distinguish EPs and nIUPs from vIUPs, facilitating earlier diagnosis and the timely implementation of medical treatment to prevent tubal rupture.
Spontaneous uterine rupture in a primigravid woman in the early third trimester attributed to adenomyosis: A case report and review of the literature
Authors: Nikolaou Marinos , Kourea Helen P. , Antonopoulos Kostas , Geronatsiou Katerina , Adonakis George , Decavalas George
Published: November 2012

We report a rare case of spontaneous uterine rupture of an unscarred uterus caused by adenomyosis in the early third trimester. A 33‐year‐old primigravid woman was referred to our department because of severe acute abdominal pain and signs and symptoms of hemorrhagic shock. Ultrasound exanimation performed at admission revealed a living, intrauterine fetus of 28 weeks gestational age with reduced amniotic fluid and presence of free peritoneal fluid. The fetal heart rate was non‐reassuring with variable decelerations and severe fetal bradycardia. Emergency cesarean section revealed massive hemoperitoneum and complete rupture in the uterine fundus. Subtotal peripartum hysterectomy with conservation of adnexae was performed. Histological examination revealed adenomyosis at the site of uterine rupture.
The Inverse Scattering Transform for the Defocusing Nonlinear Schrödinger Equations with Nonzero Boundary Conditions
Authors: Demontis F. , Prinari B. , van der Mee C. , Vitale F.
Published: November 2012

A rigorous theory of the inverse scattering transform for the defocusing nonlinear Schrödinger equation with nonvanishing boundary values as is presented. The direct problem is shown to be well posed for potentials q such that , for which analyticity properties of eigenfunctions and scattering data are established. The inverse scattering problem is formulated and solved both via Marchenko integral equations, and as a Riemann‐Hilbert problem in terms of a suitable uniform variable. The asymptotic behavior of the scattering data is determined and shown to ensure the linear system solving the inverse problem is well defined. Finally, the triplet method is developed as a tool to obtain explicit multisoliton solutions by solving the Marchenko integral equation via separation of variables.
Classical Christian Theism and the Criterion of Particularity
Authors: Duby Steven J.
Published: November 2012

This article acknowledges the importance of doing theology proper under the guidance of special revelation and its particular conception of God and argues, against a common contemporary outlook, that the classical Christian theism of Aquinas and the Reformed tradition resonates with the criterion of particularity. To make this case, three features of classical Christian theism (the inference from creatio ex nihilo to the actuality of God, God's freedom from being in a genus and the tendency to treat the divine essence and attributes largely before the treatment of the Trinity) are examined and found to comport formally and materially with the rule of Christian particularity.
Respiratory and sleep disorders in female children with atypical Rett syndrome caused by mutations in the CDKL5 gene
Authors: HAGEBEUK EVELINE E O , VAN DEN BOSSCHE RENILDE A S , DE WEERD AL W
Published: November 2012

Aim  In female children with drug‐resistant seizures and developmental delay from birth, atypical Rett syndrome caused by mutations in the CDKL5 gene should be considered. Several clinical features resemble classic Rett syndrome. Respiratory and sleep abnormalities are frequently present in Rett syndrome, whereas little is known in patients with CDKL5 mutations.

Method  In four genetically confirmed female patients with CDKL5 mutations (age range 2–15y), the presence of breathing and sleep abnormalities was evaluated using the validated Sleep Disturbance Scale for Children and polysomnography (PSG).

Results  The Sleep Disturbance Scale for Children indicated disorders of initiating and maintaining sleep, daytime somnolence, and sleep breathing disorders. In one patient, PSG showed central apnoeas during sleep: her total apnoea–hypopnoea index (AHI) was 4.9, of which the central AHI was 3.4/h. When awake, central apnoeas were present in two of the four female children (central AHI 28/h and 41/h respectively), all preceded by hyperventilation. PSG showed low rapid eye movement (REM) sleep (9.7–18.3%), frequent awakenings, and low sleep efficiency (range 59–78%).

Interpretation  Episodic hyperventilation followed by central apnoeas was present while awake in two of four patients. This may indicate failure of brainstem respiratory centres. In addition, low REM sleep, frequent arousals (not caused by apnoeas/seizures), and low sleep efficiency were present. Similar to Rett syndrome, in patients with CDKL5 mutations PSG seems warranted to evaluate breathing and sleep disturbances.
Single trial ERP reading based on parallel factor analysis
Authors: Vanderperren Katrien , Mijović Bogdan , Novitskiy Nikolay , Vanrumste Bart , Stiers Peter , Van den Bergh Bea R. H. , Lagae Lieven , Sunaert Stefan , Wagemans Johan , Van Huffel Sabine , De Vos Maarten
Published: November 2012

The extraction of task‐related single trial ERP features has recently gained much interest, in particular in simultaneous EEG‐fMRI applications. In this study, a specific decomposition known as parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC) was used, in order to retrieve the task‐related activity from the raw signals. Using visual detection task data, acquired in normal circumstances and simultaneously with fMRI, differences between distinct task‐related conditions can be captured in the trial signatures of specific PARAFAC components when applied to ERP data arranged in Channels × Time × Trials arrays, but the signatures did not correlate with the fMRI data. Despite the need for parameter tuning and careful preprocessing, the approach is shown to be successful, especially when prior knowledge about the expected ERPs is incorporated.
Movements and diving behavior of internesting green turtles along Pacific Costa Rica
Authors: BLANCO Gabriela S. , MORREALE Stephen J. , SEMINOFF Jeffrey A. , PALADINO Frank V. , PIEDRA Rotney , SPOTILA James R.
Published: November 2012

Using satellite transmitters, we determined the internesting movements, spatial ecology and diving behavior of East Pacific green turtles (Chelonia mydas) nesting on Nombre de Jesús and Zapotillal beaches along the Pacific coast of northwestern Costa Rica. Kernel density analysis indicated that turtles spent most of their time in a particularly small area in the vicinity of the nesting beaches (50% utilization distribution was an area of 3 km2). Minimum daily distance traveled during a 12 day internesting period was 4.6 ± 3.5 km. Dives were short and primarily occupied the upper 10 m of the water column. Turtles spent most of their time resting at the surface and conducting U‐dives (ranging from 60 to 81% of the total tracking time involved in those activities). Turtles showed a strong diel pattern, U‐dives mainly took place during the day and turtles spent a large amount of time resting at the surface at night. The lack of long‐distance movements demonstrated that this area was heavily utilized by turtles during the nesting season and, therefore, was a crucial location for conservation of this highly endangered green turtle population. The unique behavior of these turtles in resting at the surface at night might make them particularly vulnerable to fishing activities near the nesting beaches.
Dynamic Microenvironments: The Fourth Dimension
Authors: Tibbitt Mark W. , Anseth Kristi S.
Published: November 2012

Four-dimensional cell matrices that recapitulate tissue and organ function will aid in the translation of cell-based therapies.
Analysis of Immunoparalysis
Authors: Calfee Carolyn S.
Published: November 2012

An experimental model of human sepsis provides opportunities to test the in vivo effects of immunomodulatory interventions.
Delayed sciatic nerve palsy following resurfacing hip arthroplasty caused by metal debris
Authors: Kayani Babar , Rahman Jeeshan , Hanna Sammy A , Cannon Stephen R , Aston William J , Miles Jonathan
Published: November 2012

The rapid rise in the incidence of failed metal-on-metal hip articulations in recent years has led to many patients requiring complex revision surgery. These failed metal prostheses may produce local metallic debris, which promotes both local and systemic adverse effects. We report an unusual case of failed metal-on-metal resurfacing hip arthroplasty presenting with ipsilateral buttock pain and foot drop 6 months after surgery. After thorough investigations, the metal-on-metal bearing was revised to a metal-on-polyethylene total hip replacement. This resulted in marked improvement in the systemic symptoms, inflammatory marke and metal ion levels postoperatively. However, neither clinical nor neurophysiological sciatic nerve recovery followed. The patient eventually required tendon transfer surgery for her persistent foot drop.
FNA diagnosis of malignant melanoma-recurrent and metastatic disease
Authors: Alam Kiran , Jain Anshu , Aziz Meher , Misra Aroonima
Published: November 2012

We present a case of a 60-year-old woman with multiple right axillary swellings. Patient had a history of lump with pigmentation over back for which she was operated upon. There was also a nodule over resected scar on back. A final diagnosis of malignant melanoma (recurrent and metastatic to axillary lymph nodes) was rendered with the help of fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC). Malignant melanomas are the most lethal of cancers of the skin and are notorious for the great variability of cytological presentation. We discuss the role of FNAC in early diagnosis and prognostication of recurrent and metastatic disease.
Successful laparoscopic investigation and resection of solitary colonic metastasis from breast cancer (with video)
Authors: Maekawa Hisatsugu , Fujikawa Takahisa , Tanaka Akira
Published: November 2012

Metastasis to gastrointestinal tract from breast cancer is an uncommon situation. We report a case of a 52-year-old woman who had a mastectomy for solid-tubular carcinoma of the breast 16 years ago and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy for metastatic ovarian tumours 5 years ago, was incidentally found to have colonic metastatic tumour detected by positron emission tomography/CT (PET/CT) during follow-up. After identifying a definite location of the tumour in the ascending colon under laparoscopic investigation, laparoscopy-assisted partial colectomy was successfully performed. Histopathology of the resected specimen showed it to be metastasis from solid-tubular carcinoma of the breast. We should be aware that breast cancer can metastasise to the gastrointestinal tract even after the long interval from initial therapy. An index of high suspicion and detailed assessment is mandatory to make a correct diagnosis and following less invasive surgical treatment.
DRESS syndrome and thrombotic thrombocytopaenic purpura: are they related?
Authors: Sandouk Zahrae , Alirhayim Zaid , Khoulani Dania , Hassan Syed
Published: November 2012

A middle-aged man diagnosed with a drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptom (DRESS) syndrome, secondary to phenytoin use, subsequently developed thrombotic thrombocytopaenic purpura. The patient improved with steroids and plasmapheresis. Their diagnosis can be challenging, and an early recognition and treatment are critical owing to their high mortality rates. Both diseases are thought to be of an autoimmune origin, and a potential relationship between them led to the consideration of the DRESS syndrome as an aetiology for thrombotic thrombocytopaenic purpura in this case. We concluded that two possibilities exist: some type of antibody developed during the clinical presentation of DRESS syndrome and subsequently resulted in an inhibition of a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with a thrombospondin type-1 motif, member 13 (ADAMTS13) leading to thrombotic thrombocytopaenic purpura, or perhaps this patient's autoimmune predisposition to thrombotic thrombocytopaenic purpura contributed to the drug reaction.
Abnormal amounts of intracellular calcium regulatory proteins in SHRSP.Z-Leprfa/IzmDmcr rats with metabolic syndrome and cardiac dysfunction
Authors: Kagota Satomi , Maruyama Kana , Tada Yukari , Wakuda Hirokazu , Nakamura Kazuki , Kunitomo Masaru , Shinozuka Kazumasa
Published: November 2012

Metabolic syndrome is known to increase the risk of abnormal cardiac structure and function, which are considered to contribute to increased incidence of cardiovascular disease and mortality. We previously demonstrated that ventricular hypertrophy and diastolic dysfunction occur in SHRSP.Z-Leprfa/IzmDmcr (SHRSP fatty) rats with metabolic syndrome. The aim of this study was to investigate the possible mechanisms underlying abnormal heart function in SHRSP fatty rats. The amount of sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase (SERCA) 2a, phospholamban (PLB) protein, and Ser16-phosphorylated PLB was decreased in cardiomyocytes from SHRSP fatty rats compared with those from control Wistar–Kyoto rats at 18 weeks of age, and the PLB-to-SERCA2a ratio was increased. Left ventricular developed pressure was unchanged, and coronary flow rate and maximum rate of left ventricular pressure decline (−dP/dt) was decreased in SHRSP fatty rats. Treatment with telmisartan reversed the abnormalities of PLB amount, coronary flow rate, and −dP/dt in SHRSP fatty rats. These results indicate that abnormal amounts of intracellular Ca2+ regulatory proteins in cardiomyocytes, leading to reduced intracellular Ca2+ reuptake into the sarcoplasmic reticulum, may play a role in the diastolic dysfunction in SHRSP fatty rats and that these effects are partially related to decreased coronary circulation. Telmisartan may be beneficial in protecting against disturbances in cardiac function associated with metabolic syndrome.
Nestling corticosterone response to microclimate in an altricial bird
Authors: Fairhurst Graham D. , Treen Gillian D. , Clark Robert G. , Bortolotti Gary R.
Published: November 2012

Although altricial young are dependent on their parents during early life, they must respond to environmental variation to maintain homeostasis. The hormone corticosterone (CORT) may be an important link between environment and phenotype during early life; however, no previous study has experimentally assessed the sensitivity of CORT to nest microclimate in altricial birds beginning to thermoregulate. We tested the hypothesis that microclimate influences CORT by cross-fostering nestling Tree Swallows (Tachycineta bicolor (Vieillot, 1808)) between thicker-walled “aspen” nest boxes and thinner-walled “plywood” nest boxes. Quantification of CORT in nestling feathers allowed us to consider hormone secreted over days, rather than instantaneously from blood samples. In agreement with our hypothesis, we detected significant positive relationships between feather CORT and increased temperature variability and maximum, but not minimum, nest box temperatures. This could reflect the energetic challenge of warmer temperatures or positive developmental effects on the nestling hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis. Feather CORT was significantly lower in chicks hatched in aspen nest boxes compared with plywood ones, but cross-fostering did not influence nestling CORT. This suggests that the influence of natal nest box environment on feather CORT was likely greater than the influence of the foster nest box environment. The relationships we detected highlight the sensitivity of feather CORT to environmental variation and contribute insight into nestling responses to environmental change.
Genital coupling and copulatory wounding inDrosophila teissieri(Diptera: Drosophilidae)
Authors: Kamimura Yoshitaka , Mitsumoto Hiroyuki
Published: November 2012

We report genital coupling of Drosophila teissieri Tsacas, 1971, a member of the Drosophila melanogaster species subgroup. The species subgroup consists of nine described species including the model organism Drosophila melanogaster Meigen, 1830. Despite numerous studies on the biology of this group, our understanding of the evolutionary significance of the diversity in their genital structures is limited. This study provides evidence that (i) during the copulation, which lasts 41.1 min, a paired male genital part (dorsal branches of the basal processes of the aedeagus) open after being inserted into the female reproductive tract, (ii) female D. teissieri have a pair of pockets on the dorsal side of their genitalia that receive bifurcated spines of the male genitalia (ventral branches of the basal processes of the aedeagus), and (iii) male genital parts, especially unique strong spines of the cerci, cause multiple copulatory wounds on membranous areas of the female genitalia. Within the established phylogeny of the D. melanogaster species subgroup, we discuss possible functions of and evolutionary transitions in these genital structures.
Motion-guided mechanical toy modeling
Authors: Zhu Lifeng , Xu Weiwei , Snyder John , Liu Yang , Wang Guoping , Guo Baining
Published: November 2012

We introduce a new method to synthesize mechanical toys solely from the motion of their features. The designer specifies the geometry and a time-varying rotation and translation of each rigid feature component. Our algorithm automatically generates a mechanism assembly located in a box below the feature base that produces the specified motion. Parts in the assembly are selected from a parameterized set including belt-pulleys, gears, crank-sliders, quick-returns, and various cams (snail, ellipse, and double-ellipse). Positions and parameters for these parts are optimized to generate the specified motion, minimize a simple measure of complexity, and yield a well-distributed layout of parts over the driving axes. Our solution uses a special initialization procedure followed by simulated annealing to efficiently search the complex configuration space for an optimal assembly.
Recursive interlocking puzzles
Authors: Song Peng , Fu Chi-Wing , Cohen-Or Daniel
Published: November 2012

Interlocking puzzles are very challenging geometric problems with the fascinating property that once we solve one by putting together the puzzle pieces, the puzzle pieces interlock with one another, preventing the assembly from falling apart. Though interlocking puzzles have been known for hundreds of years, very little is known about the governing mechanics. Thus, designing new interlocking geometries is basically accomplished with extensive manual effort or expensive exhaustive search with computers.

In this paper, we revisit the notion of interlocking in greater depth, and devise a formal method of the interlocking mechanics. From this, we can develop a constructive approach for devising new interlocking geometries that directly guarantees the validity of the interlocking instead of exhaustively testing it. In particular, we focus on an interesting subclass of interlocking puzzles that are recursive in the sense that the assembly of puzzle pieces can remain an interlocking puzzle also after sequential removal of pieces; there is only one specific sequence of assembling, or disassembling, such a puzzle. Our proposed method can allow efficient generation of recursive interlocking geometries of various complexities, and by further realizing it with LEGO bricks, we can enable the hand-built creation of custom puzzle games.
3D-printing of non-assembly, articulated models
Authors: Calì Jacques , Calian Dan A. , Amati Cristina , Kleinberger Rebecca , Steed Anthony , Kautz Jan , Weyrich Tim
Published: November 2012

Additive manufacturing (3D printing) is commonly used to produce physical models for a wide variety of applications, from archaeology to design. While static models are directly supported, it is desirable to also be able to print models with functional articulations, such as a hand with joints and knuckles, without the need for manual assembly of joint components. Apart from having to address limitations inherent to the printing process, this poses a particular challenge for articulated models that should be posable: to allow the model to hold a pose, joints need to exhibit internal friction to withstand gravity, without their parts fusing during 3D printing. This has not been possible with previous printable joint designs. In this paper, we propose a method for converting 3D models into printable, functional, non-assembly models with internal friction. To this end, we have designed an intuitive work-flow that takes an appropriately rigged 3D model, automatically fits novel 3D-printable and posable joints, and provides an interface for specifying rotational constraints. We show a number of results for different articulated models, demonstrating the effectiveness of our method.
Manifold preserving edit propagation
Authors: Chen Xiaowu , Zou Dongqing , Zhao Qinping , Tan Ping
Published: November 2012

We propose a novel edit propagation algorithm for interactive image and video manipulations. Our approach uses the locally linear embedding (LLE) to represent each pixel as a linear combination of its neighbors in a feature space. While previous methods require similar pixels to have similar results, we seek to maintain the manifold structure formed by all pixels in the feature space. Specifically, we require each pixel to be the same linear combination of its neighbors in the result. Compared with previous methods, our proposed algorithm is more robust to color blending in the input data. Furthermore, since every pixel is only related to a few nearest neighbors, our algorithm easily achieves good runtime efficiency. We demonstrate our manifold preserving edit propagation on various applications.
Sparse PDF maps for non-linear multi-resolution image operations
Authors: Hadwiger Markus , Sicat Ronell , Beyer Johanna , Krüger Jens , Möller Torsten
Published: November 2012

We introduce a new type of multi-resolution image pyramid for high-resolution images called
sparse pdf maps
(sPDF-maps). Each pyramid level consists of a sparse encoding of continuous probability density functions (pdfs) of pixel neighborhoods in the original image. The encoded pdfs enable the accurate computation of non-linear image operations directly in any pyramid level with proper pre-filtering for anti-aliasing, without accessing higher or lower resolutions. The sparsity of sPDF-maps makes them feasible for gigapixel images, while enabling direct evaluation of a variety of non-linear operators from the same representation. We illustrate this versatility for antialiased color mapping,
O
(
n
) local Laplacian filters, smoothed local histogram filters (e.g., median or mode filters), and bilateral filters.
DressUp!
Authors: Yu Lap-Fai , Yeung Sai-Kit , Terzopoulos Demetri , Chan Tony F.
Published: November 2012

We present an automatic optimization approach to outfit synthesis. Given the hair color, eye color, and skin color of the input body, plus a wardrobe of clothing items, our outfit synthesis system suggests a set of outfits subject to a particular dress code. We introduce a probabilistic framework for modeling and applying dress codes that exploits a Bayesian network trained on example images of real-world outfits. Suitable outfits are then obtained by optimizing a cost function that guides the selection of clothing items to maximize the color compatibility and dress code suitability. We demonstrate our approach on the four most common dress codes:Casual, Sportswear, Business-Casual, andBusiness. A perceptual study validated on multiple resultant outfits demonstrates the efficacy of our framework.
Acquiring 3D indoor environments with variability and repetition
Authors: Kim Young Min , Mitra Niloy J. , Yan Dong-Ming , Guibas Leonidas
Published: November 2012

Large-scale acquisition of exterior urban environments is by now a well-established technology, supporting many applications in search, navigation, and commerce. The same is, however, not the case for indoor environments, where access is often restricted and the spaces are cluttered. Further, such environments typically contain a high density of repeated objects (e.g., tables, chairs, monitors, etc.) in regular or non-regular arrangements with significant pose variations and articulations. In this paper, we exploit the special structure of indoor environments to accelerate their 3D acquisition and recognition with a low-end handheld scanner. Our approach runs in two phases: (i) a learning phase wherein we acquire 3D models of frequently occurring objects and capture their variability modes from only a few scans, and (ii) a recognition phase wherein from a single scan of a new area, we identify previously seen objects but in different poses and locations at an average recognition time of 200ms/model. We evaluate the robustness and limits of the proposed recognition system using a range of synthetic and real world scans under challenging settings.
Structure extraction from texture via relative total variation
Authors: Xu Li , Yan Qiong , Xia Yang , Jia Jiaya
Published: November 2012

It is ubiquitous that meaningful structures are formed by or appear over textured surfaces. Extracting them under the complication of texture patterns, which could be regular, near-regular, or irregular, is very challenging, but of great practical importance. We propose new inherent variation and relative total variation measures, which capture the essential difference of these two types of visual forms, and develop an efficient optimization system to extract main structures. The new variation measures are validated on millions of sample patches. Our approach finds a number of new applications to manipulate, render, and reuse the immense number of "structure with texture" images and drawings that were traditionally difficult to be edited properly.
Lazy selection
Authors: Xu Pengfei , Fu Hongbo , Au Oscar Kin-Chung , Tai Chiew-Lan
Published: November 2012

This paper presents
Lazy Selection
, a scribble-based tool for quick selection of one or more desired shape elements by roughly stroking through the elements. Our algorithm automatically refines the selection and reveals the user's intention. To give the user maximum flexibility but least ambiguity, our technique first extracts selection candidates from the scribble-covered elements by examining the underlying patterns and then ranks them based on their location and shape with respect to the user-sketched scribble. Such a design makes our tool tolerant to imprecise input systems and applicable to touch systems without suffering from the fat finger problem. A preliminary evaluation shows that compared to the standard click and lasso selection tools, which are the most commonly used, our technique provides significant improvements in efficiency and flexibility for many selection scenarios.
New measurements reveal weaknesses of image quality metrics in evaluating graphics artifacts
Authors: Čadík Martin , Herzog Robert , Mantiuk Rafał , Myszkowski Karol , Seidel Hans-Peter
Published: November 2012

Reliable detection of global illumination and rendering artifacts in the form of localized distortion maps is important for many graphics applications. Although many quality metrics have been developed for this task, they are often tuned for compression/transmission artifacts and have not been evaluated in the context of synthetic CG-images. In this work, we run two experiments where observers use a brush-painting interface to directly mark image regions with noticeable/objectionable distortions in the presence/absence of a high-quality reference image, respectively. The collected data shows a relatively high correlation between the with-reference and no-reference observer markings. Also, our demanding per-pixel image-quality datasets reveal weaknesses of both simple (PSNR, MSE, sCIE-Lab) and advanced (SSIM, MS-SSIM, HDR-VDP-2) quality metrics. The most problematic are excessive sensitivity to brightness and contrast changes, the calibration for near visibility-threshold distortions, lack of discrimination between plausible/implausible illumination, and poor spatial localization of distortions for multi-scale metrics. We believe that our datasets have further potential in improving existing quality metrics, but also in analyzing the saliency of rendering distortions, and investigating visual equivalence given our with- and no-reference data.
Large-scale fluid simulation using velocity-vorticity domain decomposition
Authors: Golas Abhinav , Narain Rahul , Sewall Jason , Krajcevski Pavel , Dubey Pradeep , Lin Ming
Published: November 2012

Simulating fluids in large-scale scenes with appreciable quality using state-of-the-art methods can lead to high memory and compute requirements. Since memory requirements are proportional to the product of domain dimensions, simulation performance is limited by memory access, as solvers for elliptic problems are not compute-bound on modern systems. This is a significant concern for large-scale scenes. To reduce the memory footprint and memory/compute ratio, vortex singularity bases can be used. Though they form a compact bases for incompressible vector fields, robust and efficient modeling of nonrigid obstacles and free-surfaces can be challenging with these methods.

We propose a hybrid domain decomposition approach that couples Eulerian velocity-based simulations with vortex singularity simulations. Our formulation reduces memory footprint by using smaller Eulerian domains with compact vortex bases, thereby improving the memory/compute ratio, and simulation performance by more than 1000x for single phase flows as well as significant improvements for free-surface scenes. Coupling these two heterogeneous methods also affords flexibility in using the most appropriate method for modeling different scene features, as well as allowing robust interaction of vortex methods with free-surfaces and nonrigid obstacles.
Staggered meshless solid-fluid coupling
Authors: He Xiaowei , Liu Ning , Wang Guoping , Zhang Fengjun , Li Sheng , Shao Songdong , Wang Hongan
Published: November 2012

Simulating solid-fluid coupling with the classical meshless methods is an difficult issue due to the lack of the Kronecker delta property of the shape functions when enforcing the essential boundary conditions. In this work, we present a novel staggered meshless method to overcome this problem. We create a set of staggered particles from the original particles in each time step by mapping the mass and momentum onto these staggered particles, aiming to stagger the velocity field from the pressure field. Based on this arrangement, an new approximate projection method is proposed to enforce divergence-free on the fluid velocity with compatible boundary conditions. In the simulations, the method handles the fluid and solid in a unified meshless manner and generalizes the formulations for computing the viscous and pressure forces. To enhance the robustness of the algorithm, we further propose a new framework to handle the degeneration case in the solid-fluid coupling, which guarantees stability of the simulation. The proposed method offers the benefit that various slip boundary conditions can be easily implemented. Besides, explicit collision handling for the fluid and solid is avoided. The method is easy to implement and can be extended from the standard SPH algorithm in a straightforward manner. The paper also illustrates both one-way and two-way couplings of the fluids and rigid bodies using several test cases in two and three dimensions.
Speculative parallel asynchronous contact mechanics
Authors: Ainsley Samantha , Vouga Etienne , Grinspun Eitan , Tamstorf Rasmus
Published: November 2012

We extend the Asynchronous Contact Mechanics algorithm [Harmon et al. 2009] and improve its performance by two orders of magnitude, using only optimizations that do not compromise ACM's three guarantees of safety, progress, and correctness. The key to this speedup is replacing ACM's timid, forward-looking mechanism for detecting collisions---locating and rescheduling separating plane kinetic data structures---with an optimistic speculative method inspired by Mirtich's rigid body Time Warp algorithm [2000]. Time warp allows us to perform collision detection over a window of time containing many of ACM's asynchronous trajectory changes; in this way we cull away large intervals as being collision free. Moreover, by replacing force processing intermingled with KDS rescheduling by windows of pure processing followed by collision detection, we transform an algorithm that is very difficult to parallelize into one that is embarrassingly parallel.
Adaptive anisotropic remeshing for cloth simulation
Authors: Narain Rahul , Samii Armin , O'Brien James F.
Published: November 2012

We present a technique for cloth simulation that dynamically refines and coarsens triangle meshes so that they automatically conform to the geometric and dynamic detail of the simulated cloth. Our technique produces anisotropic meshes that adapt to surface curvature and velocity gradients, allowing efficient modeling of wrinkles and waves. By anticipating buckling and wrinkle formation, our technique preserves fine-scale dynamic behavior. Our algorithm for adaptive anisotropic remeshing is simple to implement, takes up only a small fraction of the total simulation time, and provides substantial computational speedup without compromising the fidelity of the simulation. We also introduce a novel technique for strain limiting by posing it as a nonlinear optimization problem. This formulation works for arbitrary non-uniform and anisotropic meshes, and converges more rapidly than existing solvers based on Jacobi or Gauss-Seidel iterations.
Motion graphs++
Authors: Min Jianyuan , Chai Jinxiang
Published: November 2012

This paper introduces a new generative statistical model that allows for human motion analysis and synthesis at both semantic and kinematic levels. Our key idea is to decouple complex variations of human movements into
finite structural variations
and
continuous style variations
and encode them with a concatenation of morphable functional models. This allows us to model not only a rich repertoire of behaviors but also an infinite number of style variations within the same action. Our models are appealing for motion analysis and synthesis because they are
highly structured, contact aware
, and
semantic embedding
. We have constructed a compact generative motion model from a huge and heterogeneous motion database (about two hours mocap data and more than 15 different actions). We have demonstrated the power and effectiveness of our models by exploring a wide variety of applications, ranging from automatic motion segmentation, recognition, and annotation, and online/offline motion synthesis at both kinematics and behavior levels to semantic motion editing. We show the superiority of our model by comparing it with alternative methods.
Terrain runner
Authors: Liu Libin , Yin KangKang , van de Panne Michiel , Guo Baining
Published: November 2012

In this paper we learn the skills required by real-time physics-based avatars to perform parkour-style fast terrain crossing using a mix of running, jumping, speed-vaulting, and drop-rolling. We begin with a single motion capture example of each skill and then learn reduced-order linear feedback control laws that provide robust execution of the motions during forward dynamic simulation. We then parameterize each skill with respect to the environment, such as the height of obstacles, or with respect to the task parameters, such as running speed and direction. We employ a continuation process to achieve the required parameterization of the motions and their affine feedback laws. The continuation method uses a predictor-corrector method based on radial basis functions. Lastly, we build control laws specific to the sequential composition of different skills, so that the simulated character can robustly transition to obstacle clearing maneuvers from running whenever obstacles are encountered. The learned transition skills work in tandem with a simple online step-based planning algorithm, and together they robustly guide the character to achieve a state that is well-suited for the chosen obstacle-clearing motion.
Synthesis of concurrent object manipulation tasks
Authors: Bai Yunfei , Siu Kristin , Liu C. Karen
Published: November 2012

We introduce a physics-based method to synthesize concurrent object manipulation using a variety of manipulation strategies provided by different body parts, such as grasping objects with the hands, carrying objects on the shoulders, or pushing objects with the elbows or the torso. We design dynamic controllers to physically simulate upper-body manipulation and integrate it with procedurally generated locomotion and hand grasping motion. The output of the algorithm is a continuous animation of the character manipulating multiple objects and environment features concurrently at various locations in a constrained environment. To capture how humans deftly exploit different properties of body parts and objects for multitasking, we need to solve challenging planning and execution problems. We introduce a graph structure, a
manipulation graph
, to describe how each object can be manipulated using different strategies. The problem of manipulation planning can then be transformed to a standard graph traversal. To achieve the manipulation plan, our control algorithm optimally schedules and executes multiple tasks based on the dynamic space of the tasks and the state of the character. We introduce a "task consistency" metric to measure the physical feasibility of multitasking. Furthermore, we exploit the redundancy of control space to improve the character's ability to multitask. As a result, the character will try its best to achieve the current tasks while adjusting its motion continuously to improve the multitasking consistency for future tasks.
Structural optimization of 3D masonry buildings
Authors: Whiting Emily , Shin Hijung , Wang Robert , Ochsendorf John , Durand Frédo
Published: November 2012

In the design of buildings, structural analysis is traditionally performed after the aesthetic design has been determined and has little influence on the overall form. In contrast, this paper presents an approach to guide the form towards a shape that is more structurally sound. Our work is centered on the study of how variations of the geometry might improve structural stability. We define a new measure of structural soundness for masonry buildings as well as cables, and derive its closed-form derivative with respect to the displacement of all the vertices describing the geometry. We start with a gradient descent tool which displaces each vertex along the gradient. We then introduce displacement operators, imposing constraints such as the preservation of orientation or thickness; or setting additional objectives such as volume minimization.
Depth-presorted triangle lists
Authors: Chen Ge , Sander Pedro V. , Nehab Diego , Yang Lei , Hu Liang
Published: November 2012

We present a novel approach for real-time rendering of static 3D models front-to-back or back-to-front relative to any viewpoint outside its bounding volume. The approach renders depth-sorted triangles using a single draw-call. At run-time, we replace the traditional
sorting
strategy of existing algorithms with a faster triangle
selection
strategy. The selection process operates on an extended sequence of triangles annotated by test planes, created by our off-line preprocessing stage. Based on these test planes, a simple run-time procedure uses the given viewpoint to select a subsequence of triangles for rasterization. Selected subsequences are statically presorted by depth and contain each input triangle exactly once. Our method runs on legacy hardware and renders depth-sorted static models significantly faster than previous approaches. We conclude demonstrating the real-time rendering of order-independent transparency effects.
Softshell
Authors: Steinberger Markus , Kainz Bernhard , Kerbl Bernhard , Hauswiesner Stefan , Kenzel Michael , Schmalstieg Dieter
Published: November 2012

In this paper we present Softshell, a novel execution model for devices composed of multiple processing cores operating in a single instruction, multiple data fashion, such as graphics processing units (GPUs). The Softshell model is intuitive and more flexible than the kernel-based adaption of the stream processing model, which is currently the dominant model for general purpose GPU computation. Using the Softshell model, algorithms with a relatively low local degree of parallelism can execute efficiently on massively parallel architectures. Softshell has the following distinct advantages: (
1
) work can be dynamically issued directly on the device, eliminating the need for synchronization with an external source,
i.e
., the CPU; (
2
) its three-tier dynamic scheduler supports arbitrary scheduling strategies, including dynamic priorities and real-time scheduling; and (
3
) the user can influence, pause, and cancel work already submitted for parallel execution. The Softshell processing model thus brings capabilities to GPU architectures that were previously only known from operating-system designs and reserved for CPU programming. As a proof of our claims, we present a publicly available implementation of the Softshell processing model realized on top of CUDA. The benchmarks of this implementation demonstrate that our processing model is easy to use and also performs substantially better than the state-of-the-art kernel-based processing model for problems that have been difficult to parallelize in the past.
High-quality curve rendering using line sampled visibility
Authors: Barringer Rasmus , Gribel Carl Johan , Akenine-Möller Tomas
Published: November 2012

Computing accurate visibility for thin primitives, such as hair strands, fur, grass, at all scales remains difficult or expensive. To that end, we present an efficient visibility algorithm based on spatial line sampling, and a novel intersection algorithm between line sample planes and Bézier splines with varying thickness. Our algorithm produces accurate visibility both when the projected width of the curve is a tiny fraction of a pixel, and when the projected width is tens of pixels. In addition, we present a rapid resolve procedure that computes final visibility. Using an optimized implementation running on graphics processors, we can render tens of thousands long hair strands with noise-free visibility at near-interactive rates.
Axis-aligned filtering for interactive sampled soft shadows
Authors: Mehta Soham Uday , Wang Brandon , Ramamoorthi Ravi
Published: November 2012

We develop a simple and efficient method for soft shadows from planar area light sources, based on explicit occlusion calculation by raytracing, followed by adaptive image-space filtering. Since the method is based on Monte Carlo sampling, it is accurate. Since the filtering is in image-space, it adds minimal overhead and can be performed at real-time frame rates. We obtain interactive speeds, using the Optix GPU raytracing framework. Our technical approach derives from recent work on frequency analysis and sheared pixel-light filtering for offline soft shadows. While sample counts can be reduced dramatically, the sheared filtering step is slow, adding minutes of overhead. We develop the theoretical analysis to instead consider
axis-aligned
filtering, deriving the sampling rates and filter sizes. We also show how the filter size can be reduced as the number of samples increases, ensuring a consistent result that converges to ground truth as in standard Monte Carlo rendering.