bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Gradient-domain processing within a texture atlas
Authors: Prada Fabián , Kazhdan Misha , Chuang Ming , Hoppe Hugues
Published: July 2018

Processing signals on surfaces often involves resampling the signal over the vertices of a dense mesh and applying mesh-based filtering operators. We present a framework to process a signal directly in a texture atlas domain. The benefits are twofold: avoiding resampling degradation and exploiting the regularity of the texture image grid. The main challenges are to preserve continuity across atlas chart boundaries and to adapt differential operators to the non-uniform parameterization. We introduce a novel function space and multigrid solver that jointly enable robust, interactive, and geometry-aware signal processing. We demonstrate our approach using several applications including smoothing and sharpening, multiview stitching, geodesic distance computation, and line integral convolution.
Perception-aware modeling and fabrication of digital drawing tools
Authors: Piovarči Michal , Levin David I. W. , Kaufman Danny M. , Didyk Piotr
Published: July 2018

Digital drawing is becoming a favorite technique for many artists. It allows for quick swaps between different materials, reverting changes, and applying selective modifications to finished artwork. These features enable artists to be more efficient and creative. A significant disadvantage of digital drawing is poor haptic feedback. Artists are usually limited to one surface and a few different stylus nibs, and while they try to find a combination that suits their needs, this is typically challenging. In this work, we address this problem and propose a method for designing, evaluating, and optimizing different stylus designs. We begin with collecting a representative set of traditional drawing tools. We measure their physical properties and conduct a user experiment to build a perceptual space that encodes perceptually-relevant attributes of drawing materials. The space is optimized to both explain our experimental data and correlate it with measurable physical properties. To embed new drawing tool designs into the space without conducting additional experiments and measurements, we propose a new, data-driven simulation technique for characterizing stylus-surface interaction. We finally leverage the perceptual space, our simulation, and recent advancements in multi-material 3D printing to demonstrate the application of our system in the design of new digital drawing tools that mimic traditional drawing materials.
Progressive parameterizations
Authors: Liu Ligang , Ye Chunyang , Ni Ruiqi , Fu Xiao-Ming
Published: July 2018

We propose a novel approach, called
Progressive Parameterizations
, to compute foldover-free parameterizations with low isometric distortion on disk topology meshes. Instead of using the input mesh as a reference to define the objective function, we introduce a progressive reference that contains bounded distortion to the parameterized mesh and is as close as possible to the input mesh. After optimizing the bounded distortion energy between the progressive reference and the parameterized mesh, the parameterized mesh easily approaches the progressive reference, thereby also coming close to the input. By iteratively generating the progressive reference and optimizing the bounded distortion energy to update the parameterized mesh, our algorithm achieves high-quality parameterizations with strong practical reliability and high efficiency. We have demonstrated that our algorithm succeeds on a massive test data set containing over 20712 complex disk topology meshes. Compared to the state-of-the-art methods, our method has achieved higher computational efficiency and practical reliability.
Neural best-buddies
Authors: Aberman Kfir , Liao Jing , Shi Mingyi , Lischinski Dani , Chen Baoquan , Cohen-Or Daniel
Published: July 2018

Correspondence between images is a fundamental problem in computer vision, with a variety of graphics applications. This paper presents a novel method for
sparse cross-domain correspondence.
Our method is designed for pairs of images where the main objects of interest may belong to different semantic categories and differ drastically in shape and appearance, yet still contain semantically related or geometrically similar parts. Our approach operates on hierarchies of deep features, extracted from the input images by a pre-trained CNN. Specifically, starting from the coarsest layer in both hierarchies, we search for Neural Best Buddies (NBB): pairs of neurons that are mutual nearest neighbors. The key idea is then to percolate NBBs through the hierarchy, while narrowing down the search regions at each level and retaining only NBBs with significant activations. Furthermore, in order to overcome differences in appearance, each pair of search regions is transformed into a common appearance.

We evaluate our method via a user study, in addition to comparisons with alternative correspondence approaches. The usefulness of our method is demonstrated using a variety of graphics applications, including cross-domain image alignment, creation of hybrid images, automatic image morphing, and more.
End-to-end optimization of optics and image processing for achromatic extended depth of field and super-resolution imaging
Authors: Sitzmann Vincent , Diamond Steven , Peng Yifan , Dun Xiong , Boyd Stephen , Heidrich Wolfgang , Heide Felix , Wetzstein Gordon
Published: July 2018

In typical cameras the optical system is designed first; once it is fixed, the parameters in the image processing algorithm are tuned to get good image reproduction. In contrast to this sequential design approach, we consider joint optimization of an optical system (for example, the physical shape of the lens) together with the parameters of the reconstruction algorithm. We build a fully-differentiable simulation model that maps the true source image to the reconstructed one. The model includes diffractive light propagation, depth and wavelength-dependent effects, noise and nonlinearities, and the image post-processing. We jointly optimize the optical parameters and the image processing algorithm parameters so as to minimize the deviation between the true and reconstructed image, over a large set of images. We implement our joint optimization method using autodifferentiation to efficiently compute parameter gradients in a stochastic optimization algorithm. We demonstrate the efficacy of this approach by applying it to achromatic extended depth of field and snapshot super-resolution imaging.
Singularity-constrained octahedral fields for hexahedral meshing
Authors: Liu Heng , Zhang Paul , Chien Edward , Solomon Justin , Bommes David
Published: July 2018

Despite high practical demand, algorithmic hexahedral meshing with guarantees on robustness and quality remains unsolved. A promising direction follows the idea of integer-grid maps, which pull back the Cartesian hexahedral grid formed by integer isoplanes from a parametric domain to a surface-conforming hexahedral mesh of the input object. Since directly optimizing for a high-quality integer-grid map is mathematically challenging, the construction is usually split into two steps: (1) generation of a surface-aligned octahedral field and (2) generation of an integer-grid map that best aligns to the octahedral field. The main robustness issue stems from the fact that smooth octahedral fields frequently exhibit singularity graphs that are not appropriate for hexahedral meshing and induce heavily degenerate integer-grid maps. The first contribution of this work is an enumeration of all local configurations that exist in hex meshes with bounded edge valence, and a generalization of the Hopf-Poincaré formula to octahedral fields, leading to necessary local and global conditions for the hex-meshability of an octahedral field in terms of its singularity graph. The second contribution is a novel algorithm to generate octahedral fields with prescribed hex-meshable singularity graphs, which requires the solution of a large nonlinear mixed-integer algebraic system. This algorithm is an important step toward robust automatic hexahedral meshing since it enables the generation of a hex-meshable octahedral field.
Headon
Authors: Thies Justus , Zollhöfer Michael , Theobalt Christian , Stamminger Marc , Niessner Matthias
Published: July 2018

We propose HeadOn, the first real-time source-to-target reenactment approach for complete human portrait videos that enables transfer of torso and head motion, face expression, and eye gaze. Given a short RGB-D video of the target actor, we automatically construct a personalized geometry proxy that embeds a parametric head, eye, and kinematic torso model. A novel realtime reenactment algorithm employs this proxy to photo-realistically map the captured motion from the source actor to the target actor. On top of the coarse geometric proxy, we propose a video-based rendering technique that composites the modified target portrait video via view- and pose-dependent texturing, and creates photo-realistic imagery of the target actor under novel torso and head poses, facial expressions, and gaze directions. To this end, we propose a robust tracking of the face and torso of the source actor. We extensively evaluate our approach and show significant improvements in enabling much greater flexibility in creating realistic reenacted output videos.
Multi-scale simulation of nonlinear thin-shell sound with wave turbulence
Authors: Cirio Gabriel , Qu Ante , Drettakis George , Grinspun Eitan , Zheng Changxi
Published: July 2018

Thin shells --- solids that are thin in one dimension compared to the other two --- often emit rich nonlinear sounds when struck. Strong excitations can even cause chaotic thin-shell vibrations, producing sounds whose energy spectrum diffuses from low to high frequencies over time --- a phenomenon known as wave turbulence. It is all these nonlinearities that grant shells such as cymbals and gongs their characteristic "glinting" sound. Yet, simulation models that efficiently capture these sound effects remain elusive.

We propose a physically based, multi-scale reduced simulation method to synthesize nonlinear thin-shell sounds. We first split nonlinear vibrations into two scales, with a small low-frequency part simulated in a fully nonlinear way, and a high-frequency part containing many more modes approximated through time-varying linearization. This allows us to capture interesting nonlinearities in the shells' deformation, tens of times faster than previous approaches. Furthermore, we propose a method that enriches simulated sounds with wave turbulent sound details through a phenomenological diffusion model in the frequency domain, and thereby sidestep the expensive simulation of chaotic high-frequency dynamics. We show several examples of our simulations, illustrating the efficiency and realism of our model.
Deep exemplar-based colorization
Authors: He Mingming , Chen Dongdong , Liao Jing , Sander Pedro V. , Yuan Lu
Published: July 2018

We propose the first deep learning approach for exemplar-based local colorization. Given a reference color image, our convolutional neural network directly maps a grayscale image to an output colorized image. Rather than using hand-crafted rules as in traditional exemplar-based methods, our end-to-end colorization network learns how to
select, propagate
, and
predict
colors from the large-scale data. The approach performs robustly and generalizes well even when using reference images that are unrelated to the input grayscale image. More importantly, as opposed to other learning-based colorization methods, our network allows the user to achieve customizable results by simply feeding different references. In order to further reduce manual effort in selecting the references, the system automatically recommends references with our proposed image retrieval algorithm, which considers both semantic and luminance information. The colorization can be performed fully automatically by simply picking the top reference suggestion. Our approach is validated through a user study and favorable quantitative comparisons to the-state-of-the-art methods. Furthermore, our approach can be naturally extended to video colorization. Our code and models are freely available for public use.
Scale-aware black-and-white abstraction of 3D shapes
Authors: Lin You-En , Yang Yong-Liang , Chu Hung-Kuo
Published: July 2018

Flat design is a modern style of graphics design that minimizes the number of design attributes required to convey 3D shapes. This approach suits design contexts requiring simplicity and efficiency, such as mobile computing devices. This `less-is-more' design inspiration has posed significant challenges in practice since it selects from a restricted range of design elements (e.g., color and resolution) to represent complex shapes. In this work, we investigate a means of computationally generating a specialized 2D flat representation - image formed by black-and-white patches - from 3D shapes. We present a novel framework that automatically abstracts 3D man-made shapes into 2D binary images at multiple scales. Based on a set of identified design principles related to the inference of geometry and structure, our framework jointly analyzes the input 3D shape and its counterpart 2D representation, followed by executing a carefully devised layout optimization algorithm. The robustness and effectiveness of our method are demonstrated by testing it on a wide variety of man-made shapes and comparing the results with baseline methods via a pilot user study. We further present two practical applications that are likely to benefit from our work.
Metamolds
Authors: Alderighi Thomas , Malomo Luigi , Giorgi Daniela , Pietroni Nico , Bickel Bernd , Cignoni Paolo
Published: July 2018

We propose a new method for fabricating digital objects through reusable silicone molds. Molds are generated by casting liquid silicone into custom 3D printed containers called
metamolds.
Metamolds automatically define the cuts that are needed to extract the cast object from the silicone mold. The shape of metamolds is designed through a novel segmentation technique, which takes into account both geometric and topological constraints involved in the process of mold casting. Our technique is simple, does not require changing the shape or topology of the input objects, and only requires of-the-shelf materials and technologies. We successfully tested our method on a set of challenging examples with complex shapes and rich geometric detail.
Scene-aware audio for 360° videos
Authors: Li Dingzeyu , Langlois Timothy R. , Zheng Changxi
Published: July 2018

Although 360° cameras ease the capture of panoramic footage, it remains challenging to add realistic 360° audio that blends into the captured scene and is synchronized with the camera motion. We present a method for adding scene-aware spatial audio to 360° videos in typical indoor scenes, using only a conventional mono-channel microphone and a speaker. We observe that the late reverberation of a room's impulse response is usually diffuse spatially and directionally. Exploiting this fact, we propose a method that synthesizes the directional impulse response between any source and listening locations by combining a synthesized early reverberation part and a measured late reverberation tail. The early reverberation is simulated using a geometric acoustic simulation and then enhanced using a frequency modulation method to capture room resonances. The late reverberation is extracted from a recorded impulse response, with a carefully chosen time duration that separates out the late reverberation from the early reverberation. In our validations, we show that our synthesized spatial audio matches closely with recordings using ambisonic microphones. Lastly, we demonstrate the strength of our method in several applications.
Faceshop
Authors: Portenier Tiziano , Hu Qiyang , Szabó Attila , Bigdeli Siavash Arjomand , Favaro Paolo , Zwicker Matthias
Published: July 2018

We present a novel system for sketch-based face image editing, enabling users to edit images intuitively by sketching a few strokes on a region of interest. Our interface features tools to express a desired image manipulation by providing both geometry and color constraints as user-drawn strokes. As an alternative to the direct user input, our proposed system naturally supports a copy-paste mode, which allows users to edit a given image region by using parts of another exemplar image without the need of hand-drawn sketching at all. The proposed interface runs in real-time and facilitates an interactive and iterative workflow to quickly express the intended edits. Our system is based on a novel sketch domain and a convolutional neural network trained end-to-end to automatically learn to render image regions corresponding to the input strokes. To achieve high quality and semantically consistent results we train our neural network on two simultaneous tasks, namely image completion and image translation. To the best of our knowledge, we are the first to combine these two tasks in a unified framework for interactive image editing. Our results show that the proposed sketch domain, network architecture, and training procedure generalize well to real user input and enable high quality synthesis results without additional post-processing.
Scanner
Authors: Poms Alex , Crichton Will , Hanrahan Pat , Fatahalian Kayvon
Published: July 2018

A growing number of visual computing applications depend on the analysis of large video collections. The challenge is that scaling applications to operate on these datasets requires efficient systems for pixel data access and parallel processing across large numbers of machines. Few programmers have the capability to operate efficiently at these scales, limiting the field's ability to explore new applications that leverage big video data. In response, we have created Scanner, a system for productive and efficient video analysis at scale. Scanner organizes video collections as tables in a data store optimized for sampling frames from compressed video, and executes pixel processing computations, expressed as dataflow graphs, on these frames. Scanner schedules video analysis applications expressed using these abstractions onto heterogeneous throughput computing hardware, such as multi-core CPUs, GPUs, and media processing ASICs, for high-throughput pixel processing. We demonstrate the productivity of Scanner by authoring a variety of video processing applications including the synthesis of stereo VR video streams from multi-camera rigs, markerless 3D human pose reconstruction from video, and data-mining big video datasets such as hundreds of feature-length films or over 70,000 hours of TV news. These applications achieve near-expert performance on a single machine and scale efficiently to hundreds of machines, enabling formerly long-running big video data analysis tasks to be carried out in minutes to hours.
Fabricating reflectors for displaying multiple images
Authors: Sakurai Kaisei , Dobashi Yoshinori , Iwasaki Kei , Nishita Tomoyuki
Published: July 2018

A great deal of attention has been devoted to the fabrication of reflectors that can display different color images when viewed from different directions not only in industry but also for the arts. Although such reflectors have previously been successfully fabricated, the number of images displayed has been limited to two or they suffer from ghosting artifacts where mixed images appear. Furthermore, the previous methods need special hardware and/or materials to fabricate the reflectors. Thus, those techniques are not suitable for printing reflectors on everyday personal objects made of different materials, such as name cards, letter sheets, envelopes, and plastic cases. To overcome these limitations, we propose a method for fabricating reflectors using a standard ultraviolet printer (UV printer). UV printer can render a specified 2D color pattern on an arbitrary material and by overprinting the printed pattern can be raised, that is, the printed pattern becomes a microstructure having color and height. We propose using these micro structures to formulate a method for designing spatially varying reflections that can display different target images when viewed from different directions. The microstructure is calculated by minimizing an objective function that measures the differences between the intensities of the light reflected from the reflector and that of the target image. We show several fabricated reflectors to demonstrate the usefulness of the proposed method.
Lightweight Monitoring of Distributed Streams
Authors: Lazerson Arnon , Keren Daniel , Schuster Assaf
Published: July 2018

As data becomes dynamic, large, and distributed, there is increasing demand for what have become known asdistributed stream algorithms. Since continuously collecting the data to a central server and processing it there is infeasible, a common approach is to definelocalconditions at the distributed nodes, such that—as long as they are maintained—some desirableglobalcondition holds.

Previous methods derived local conditions focusing on communication efficiency. While proving very useful for reducing the communication volume, these local conditions often suffer from heavy computational burden at the nodes. The computational complexity of the local conditions affects both the runtime and the energy consumption. These are especially critical for resource-limited devices like smartphones and sensor nodes. Such devices are becoming more ubiquitous due to the recent trend toward smart cities and the Internet of Things. To accommodate for high data rates and limited resources of these devices, it is crucial that the local conditions be quickly and efficiently evaluated.

Here we propose a novel approach, designated CB (for Convex/Concave Bounds). CB defines local conditions using suitably chosen convex and concave functions. Lightweight and simple, these local conditions can be rapidly checked on the fly. CB’s superiority over the state-of-the-art is demonstrated in its reduced runtime and power consumption, by up to six orders of magnitude in some cases. As an added bonus, CB also reduced communication overhead in all the tested application scenarios.
Graduality from embedding-projection pairs
Authors: New Max S. , Ahmed Amal
Published: July 2018

Gradually typed languages allow statically typed and dynamically typed code to interact while maintaining benefits of both styles. The key to reasoning about these mixed programs is Siek-Vitousek-Cimini-Boyland’s (dynamic) gradual guarantee, which says that giving components of a program more precise types only adds runtime type checking, and does not otherwise change behavior. In this paper, we give a semantic reformulation of the gradual guarantee called
graduality
. We change the name to promote the analogy that graduality is to gradual typing what parametricity is to polymorphism. Each gives a local-to-global, syntactic-to-semantic reasoning principle that is formulated in terms of a kind of observational approximation.

Utilizing the analogy, we develop a novel logical relation for proving graduality. We show that
embedding-projection pairs (ep pairs)
are to graduality what relations are to parametricity. We argue that casts between two types where one is “more dynamic” (less precise) than the other necessarily form an ep pair, and we use this to cleanly prove the graduality cases for casts from the ep-pair property. To construct ep pairs, we give an analysis of the
type dynamism
relation—also known as type precision or naïve subtyping—that interprets the rules for type dynamism as compositional constructions on ep pairs, analogous to the coercion interpretation of subtyping.
Equivalences for free: univalent parametricity for effective transport
Authors: Tabareau Nicolas , Tanter Éric , Sozeau Matthieu
Published: July 2018

Homotopy Type Theory promises a unification of the concepts of equality and equivalence in Type Theory, through the introduction of the univalence principle. However, existing proof assistants based on type theory treat this principle as an axiom, and it is not yet clear how to extend them to handle univalence internally. In this paper, we propose a construction grounded on a univalent version of parametricity to bring the benefits of univalence to the programmer and prover, that can be used on top of existing type theories. In particular, univalent parametricity strengthens parametricity to ensure preservation of type equivalences. We present a lightweight framework implemented in the Coq proof assistant that allows the user to transparently transfer definitions and theorems for a type to an equivalent one, as if they were equal. Our approach handles both type and term dependency. We study how to maximize the effectiveness of these transports in terms of computational behavior, and identify a fragment useful for certified programming on which univalent transport is guaranteed to be effective. This work paves the way to easier-to-use environments for certified programming by supporting seamless programming and proving modulo equivalences.
An education-based approach to aid in the prevention of cyberbullying
Authors: Cohen R. , Mathiarasu N. , Aarif R. , Ansari S. , Fraser D. , Hegde M. , Henderson J. , Kajic I. , Khan A. , Liao Z. , Mancisidor A. , Nagpal S. , Pham A. , Saini A. , Shen J. , Singh H. , Tavares C. , Thandra S.
Published: July 2018

In this paper, we outline a multi-faceted technological approach for addressing the problem of cyberbullying, focussing on actions which can be taken within educational institutions, for students in elementary and secondary schools. Our proposals include a specific program to introduce in schools, one that will engage students to discourage cyberbullying. This is accompanied by a few distinct approaches for analyzing data within online social networks, which may help to identify potential victims and bullies, resulting in additional insights for students. We discuss as well other parties who can partner with educational institutions in curtailing cyberbullying, notably ones who can assist in providing safer social networking environments. We conclude with a reflection on the responsibility of all individuals, learning from student years through to adulthood, inspired by lessons revealed from our reflections on this important topic.
Controlling queuing delays for real-time communication
Authors: Carlucci Gaetano , De Cicco Luca , Mascolo Saverio
Published: July 2018

Real-time media communication requires not only congestion control, but also minimization of queuing delays to provide interactivity. In this work we consider the case of real-time communication between web browsers (WebRTC) and we focus on the interplay of an end-to-end delay-based congestion control algorithm, i.e. the Google congestion control (GCC), with two delay-based AQM algorithms, namely CoDel and PIE, and two flow queuing schedulers, i.e. SFQ and Fq_Codel. Experimental investigations show that, when only GCC flows are considered, the end-to-end algorithm is able to contain queuing delays without AQMs. Moreover the interplay of GCC flows with PIE or CoDel leads to higher packet losses with respect to the case of a DropTail queue. In the presence of concurrent TCP traffic, PIE and CoDel reduce the queuing delays with respect to DropTail at the cost of increased packet losses. In this scenario flow queuing schedulers offer a better solution.
Investigation of the Air Pollution Event in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region in December 2016 Using WRF-Chem
Authors: Wang Dongdong , Jiang Baolin , Li Fangzhou , Lin Wenshi
Published: July 2018

The online coupled weather research and forecasting model with chemistry (WRF-Chem) was used to investigate an air pollution event during December 2016 in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei urban agglomeration. Evaluation indicates that WRF-Chem captured the main weather conditions and pollutant distribution in this event. The primary meteorological drivers of air pollution formation were stationary atmospheric flows in both vertical and horizontal directions. High relative humidity and a strong temperature inversion accelerated event formation. In the shallow temperature inversion layer, aerosol particles were strongly confined near the surface, producing high surface contaminant concentrations. In addition, based on a normal experiment, three sensitivity experiments were constructed by adding hypothetical terrain (HT) of 400, 300, and 200 meters, over the region 115°E, 38.8°N to 117.54°E, 38.8°N. The results indicate that pollutants were diffused and transported below 400 meters, and the pollutant amounts concentrated south of the HT because of the HT blocking effect. Nevertheless, because there were less total contaminants north of the HT in the normal run, there was a slight decrease in pollutants north of the HT. There were some increases in pollution north of the HT because of local emissions, which were obstructed by the HT. The higher the HT, the stronger the blocking effect.
Consumer-Oriented Product Development: The Conceptualization of Novel Food Products Based on Spirulina (Arthrospira platensis) and Resulting Consumer Expectations
Authors: Grahl Stephanie , Strack Micha , Weinrich Ramona , Mörlein Daniel
Published: July 2018

The world population is steadily growing and the demand for protein increases along with it, yet our planetary resources are finite. Spirulina (Arthrospira platensis) is an underutilized protein source suitable for human nutrition, and little is known about the use of spirulina as a food and the associated consumer opinion. New product development (NPD) requires early and active participation of consumers for the success of new products; therefore, a mixed method approach was applied to conceptualize (sensory profiling of spirulina extrudates and expert interviews) and then evaluate consumer’s willingness to try (consumer survey) three innovative products: pasta filled with spirulina, maki-sushi filled with spirulina, and spirulina jerky. To evaluate the consumer orientation towards novel, spirulina-based products, 1035 consumers from three countries (GER,n=348; FR,n=337; NL,n=350) were surveyed regarding their hedonic opinion about these concepts. A photo of each product was systematically accompanied by a benefit description covering health, sustainability, or innovation. Each consumer sequentially evaluated three combinations thereof (Latin square design). A multilevel model was used to analyze consumers’ responses regarding novelty, interest, overall liking, and expected flavor liking. Overall, spirulina-filled pasta was identified as the most preferred product. Mediation analysis revealed that this could be partly explained by familiarity with products in that category (i.e., pasta more than sushi and jerky). In conclusion, all spirulina product concepts would work equally well, if pasta, sushi, and jerky were similarly familiar to the target consumer population. All tested benefits were equally accepted with each product, with the exception that spirulina jerky would have to be marketed as being innovative. Country differences can be neglected.
Subcutaneous Emphysema Caused by an Extraperitoneal Diverticulum Perforation: Description of Two Rare Cases and Review of the Literature
Authors: Kuhn Gael , Lekeufack Jean Bruno , Chilcott Michael , Mbaidjol Zacharia
Published: July 2018

The onset of colon diverticular disease is a frequent event, with a prevalence that increases with age. Amongst possible complications, free peritoneal perforation with abscess formation may occur. We herein describe two rare presentations of an extraperitoneal sigmoid diverticulum perforation. Our first patient, an 89-year-old female with no signs of distress, developed a subcutaneous abscess and emphysema in an incisional hernia following an appendectomy through a McBurney incision. The second patient, an 82-year-old female, was in general distress at the time of her admission and had a more advanced infection following the occurrence of a sigmoid perforation in a hernial sac. Complicated diverticulitis has a known course and evolution, but with an extraperitoneal presentation, this etiology is not expected. A computed tomography (CT) scan should be completed if the patient is hemodynamically stable, and wide debridement should be performed. Subcutaneous emphysema with an acute abdomen may be a sign of sigmoid perforation. Clinicians should keep this etiology in mind, regardless of the initial presentation.
Partial Hepatectomy-Induced Upregulation of miR-1907 Accelerates Liver Regeneration by Activation Autophagy
Authors: Lu Tianfei , Hao Jun , Shen Chuan , Gu Guangxiang , Zhang Jianjun , Xu Ning
Published: July 2018

Liver regeneration after partial hepatectomy (PH) is a highly orchestrated biological process in which synchronized hepatocyte proliferation is induced after massive liver mass loss. Hepatocyte proliferation could be regulated by multiple signals, such as miRNAs and autophagy, but underlying mechanism remains unclear. Here a functional miRNA during liver regeneration was identified and its underlying mechanism was delineated in vitro and in vivo. We found that miR-1907 was highly upregulated during liver regeneration after 2/3 PH at various timepoints. The level of miR-1907 was also increased in normal liver cell line treated with HGF at different concentrations. Functionally, miR-1907 enhanced hepatocyte proliferation in vitro and in vivo, and the liver/body weight ratio in miR-1907-overexpressed mice was significantly higher in comparison to the control mice after 2/3 PH. Forced expression of miR-1907 promoted autophagy activation of hepatocyte. Importantly, autophagy inhibition significantly attenuated miR-1907-induced hepatocyte proliferation and the liver/body weight ratio. Finally, GSK3β, a suppressor of autophagy signaling, was identified as the direct target gene of miR-1907. Taken together, miR-1907 accelerates hepatocyte proliferation during liver regeneration by activating autophagy; thus pharmacological intervention regulating miR-1907/autophagy axis may be therapeutically beneficial in liver transplantation and liver failure by inducing liver regeneration.
An Efficient Stream Data Processing Model for Multiuser Cryptographic Service
Authors: Li Li , Li Fenghua , Shi Guozhen , Geng Kui
Published: July 2018

In view of the demand for high-concurrency massive data encryption and decryption application services in the security field, this paper proposes a dual-channel pipeline parallel data processing model (DPP) according to the characteristics of cryptographic operations and realized cryptographic operations of cross-data streams with different service requirements in a multiuser environment. By encapsulating cryptographic operation requirements in job packages, the input data flow is divided by the dual-channel mechanism and job packages parallel scheduling, which ensures the synchronization between the processing of the dependent job packages and parallel packages and hides the processing of the independent job package in the processing of the dependent job package. Prototyping experiments prove that this model can realize the correct and rapid processing of multiservice cross-data streams. Increasing the pipeline depth and improving the processing performance in each stage of the pipeline are the key to improving the system performance.
Induction of Expression of CD271 and CD34 in Mesenchymal Stromal Cells Cultured as Spheroids
Authors: Bellagamba Bruno Corrêa , Grudzinski Patrícia Bencke , Ely Pedro Bins , Nader Paulo de Jesus Hartmann , Nardi Nance Beyer , da Silva Meirelles Lindolfo
Published: July 2018

Cultured mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) are cells that can be used for tissue engineering or cell therapies owing to their multipotency and ability to secrete immunomodulatory and trophic molecules. Several studies suggest that MSCs can become pericytes when cocultured with endothelial cells (ECs) but failed to use pericyte markers not already expressed by MSCs. We hypothesized ECs could instruct MSCs to express the molecules CD271 or CD34, which are expressed by pericytes in situ but not by MSCs. CD271 is a marker of especial interest because it is associated with multipotency, a characteristic that wanes in MSCs as they are culture expanded. Consequently, surface expression of CD271 and CD34 was detected in roughly half of the MSCs cocultured with ECs as spheroids in the presence of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1). Conversely, expression of CD271 and CD34 was detected in a similar proportion of MSCs cultured under these conditions without ECs, and expression of these markers was low or absent when no IGF-1 was added. These findings indicate that specific culture conditions including IGF-1 can endow cultured MSCs with expression of CD271 and CD34, which may enhance the multipotency of these cells when they are used for therapeutic purposes.
Oropharyngeal CSF Leak Secondary to Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion
Authors: Weinheimer Wyatt J. , Rowley Justin G. , Otto Randal , Floyd John , Chen Philip G.
Published: July 2018

We present a case of an oropharyngeal cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) fistula in a patient that presented with headache, rhinorrhea, and pneumocephalus years after an anterior cervical discectomy and fusion. Imaging suggested a defect in the fovea ethmoidalis, but endoscopic surgery revealed the defect in the oropharynx. A second procedure was performed to remove the spinal hardware and repair the leak. This case is not only unique in the literature but also highlights the importance of maintaining a broad differential diagnosis to include rare complications and shows that despite dramatic improvements in imaging, locating CSF leaks still presents a challenge.
Long-Term Results of Deep Brain Stimulation of the Mamillotegmental Fasciculus in Chronic Cluster Headache
Authors: Seijo-Fernandez Fernando , Saiz Antonio , Santamarta Elena , Nader Lydia , Alvarez-Vega Marco Antonio , Lozano Beatriz , Seijo Elisa , Barcia Juan A.
Published: July 2018

Background: Deep brain stimulation (DBS) and the proper target for chronic cluster headache (CCH) are still subjects of controversy. Objectives: We present our long-term results of analysis of the target and its structural connectivity. Methods: Fifteen patients with drug-resistant CCH underwent DBS in coordinates 4 mm lateral to the III ventricular wall and 2 mm behind and 5 mm below the intercommissural point. The clinical parameters recorded were the number of weekly attacks, pain intensity, and duration of the headache. Structural connectivity was studied using 3-T MR diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Results: All of our patients improved from a mean of 39 attacks/week to 2; pain intensity decreased from 9 to 3 out of 10, and the mean cephalalgia duration decreased from 53 to 8 min. The mean stereotactic coordinates of the effective contact location were 6.1 mm lateral to the midcommissural point and 1.2 mm behind and 4.0 mm below the intercommissural point. DTI analysis showed that this target was connected to tracts and nuclei of the posterior mesencephalic tegmentum, specifically the dorsal longitudinal and mamillotegmental fasciculi. Conclusions: Our data showed DBS to be a safe and useful procedure for the treatment of drug-resistant CCH; the rate of improvement was higher than those found in other series. Although these are promising results, larger series targeting those fasciculi with a longer follow-up are needed.
Personalisierte Medizin bei Asthma und chronisch-obstruktiver Lungenerkrankung
Authors: Heaney Liam G. , McGarvey Lorcan P.A.
Published: July 2018

Asthma und chronisch-obstruktive Lungenerkrankung (COPD) sind weit verbreitete Erkrankungen, und trotz der jüngsten Fortschritte und der vielen verfügbaren Therapien und Interventionen besteht weiterhin ein hohes Maß an ungedecktem klinischem Bedarf. In den letzten Jahren ist klar geworden, dass beide Entitäten einerseits in sich hochgradig heterogen sind und andererseits untereinander signifikante Überschneidungen bei vielen der klinischen und entzündlichen Merkmale aufweisen. Parallel dazu sind heute sowohl für Asthma als auch für COPD aussagekräftige klinische und immunologische Biomarker bekannt, die Aufschluss über die Prognose und das zu erwartende Therapieansprechen geben. Diese Biomarker ermöglichen sowohl eine bessere zielgerichtete Auswahl bestehender Therapieoptionen als auch die Identifizierung geeigneter Kandidaten für die neuartigen Therapien, die jetzt verfügbar werden. Biomarker werden auch die Identifizierung neuer therapeutischer Zielstrukturen für die zukünftige Entwicklung erleichtern. Eine präzisionsmedizinische Versorgung von Patientinnen und Patienten mit Atemwegserkrankungen ist jetzt möglich, dies ist ein zentraler Baustein für die personalisierte Medizin bei Asthma und COPD. Übersetzung aus Respiration 2017;93:153-161 (DOI: 10.1159/000455395)
Sarkoidose: eine weitere sinnvolle Indikation für eine pneumologische Rehabilitation?
Authors: Spielmanns Marc
Published: July 2018

Background: Real-world data on the effects of a multicomponent pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) for patients with sarcoidosis are scarce. Objective: To describe characteristics of patients with sarcoidosis referred for a 3-week inpatient PR, to assess the effects of PR on their quality of life (QoL) and clinical outcomes, and to investigate whether there are specific subgroups who particularly benefit from PR. Methods: Using a prospective multicentre study design, data regarding 6-min walking distance (6MWD), QoL (Saint George's Respiratory Questionnaire, SGRQ), and the secondary outcomes of dyspnoea and psychological burden (fatigue, anxiety, and depression) were collected. Results: We included 296 patients in the study (average age 49.1 ± 9.7 years, 47% female, average vital capacity 3.5 ± 1.0 L [87.0 ± 20.6 predicted]). The 6MWD improved by the end of the rehabilitation by 39.8 m on average (p < 0.0001; standardised response mean, SRM = 0.61), SGRQ showed significant improvements in all 3 domains, and the total score (p < 0.001) improved by 5.69-8.28 points (SRM 0.46-0.62). For the secondary outcomes, significant improvement (p < 0.001) was seen for all measured parameters, e.g., dyspnoea (modified Medical Research Council Scale, mMRC), fatigue (Fatigue Assessment Scale [FAS]; SRM = -0.71), anxiety and depression (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale [HADS]; SRM -0.58/-0.38), and generic QoL (measured by the SF-36 scales of physical and mental health; SRM 0.31/0.55). Conclusions: Our results provide the first documented evidence that PR is a promising complementary therapy option for sarcoidosis patients who remain subjectively symptomatic despite optimised outpatient medical treatment.
Epistemic Ecology: An Artwork of Gigapixel Imagery and Ideas
Authors: Ao Mengxing , Xu Ying-Qing
Published: July 2018

Gigapixel imaging provides a new perspective from which to explore the world from micro to macro. In this work, we created an aesthetically oriented gigapixel image named Epistemic Ecology. It combines ocean creatures with handicrafts and visualized abstract theories, showing a different way to see our world at the visceral level, the behavioral level and the reflective level. It provides a different perspective to extend possibilities of interacting, understanding and using big data.
Colored Strip Patterns and Front-Back Symmetry in Warp-Faced Pre-Columbian Textiles
Authors: Phillips Anthony
Published: July 2018

Among the textiles made by pre-Columbian weavers in Peru are double-faced warp-faced bands, with two or more differently colored yarns in each warp location, where figures woven on one face appear, by warp substitution, in a different color on the other. Andean weavers reconciled this difference with the aesthetic concern that the two faces be as similar as possible by exploiting the symmetries of colored strip patterns.
Utinam Avum Tuum Meminisses! Threats and Allusions in the First Philippic
Authors: Zarecki Jonathan P.
Published: July 2018

In sections 34-35 of the First Philippic, Cicero makes a powerful threat against Antony by engaging in allusive role-play that makes dual use of Marcus Antonius orator as an exemplum. Cicero first declares himself Antonius to Antony’s Cinna, thus acknowledging the limitations of rhetoric in the face of violence and indicating that he is prepared to accept a martyr’s role. Second, Cicero invites conflation of himself with Marius/Cinna and Antony to his grandfather Antonius, thereby declaring that Cicero had decided to oppose Antony and work towards Antony’s destruction. This role-play represents not only a powerful warning to Antony, but also a sign of Cicero’s change in attitude towards Antony, an attitudinal change reinforced by Cicero’s wordplay on reversio. The allusive threats in sections 34-35 also indicate that Cicero had decided by no later than 2 September 44, and not with the dissemination of the Second Philippic, that there would be no reconciliation between himself and Antony.
Violent Christians, the Nigerian Public Square, and the Utility of Jesus’ Forgiveness Sayings for Tackling Religious Violence
Authors: Ezigbo Victor I.
Published: July 2018

This article explores the questions: Is Jesus’ teaching on forgiveness compatible with Nigerian Christians’ strategies of preemptive violence or counter-violent responses in light of harms done to them by people of other faiths? Are there some Christological reasons that might motivate Nigerian Christians to refrain from using violence as the only effective means available to them to protect Christian communities against attacks from people of other faiths? To answer these questions, I will focus on three main issues. Firstly, I will discuss the theological rhetoric of some pastors that are shaping Christian discourse on Christian-Muslim and Christian-traditional religion relations. Secondly, I will discuss the idea of ‘disciple’ and ‘non-disciple’ dialectics in Jesus’ thought vis-à-vis how his followers are to live in relation to his non-followers. Finally, I will also discuss Jesus’ teaching on forgiveness, highlighting some of its theological implications for tackling religious violence that are rooted in some Nigerian Christians’ anxieties about other religious faiths.
Jesuit Culture in Poland and Lithuania, 1564–1773
Authors: Fordoński Krzysztof , Urbański Piotr
Published: July 2018

The presence of the Society of Jesus in the culture of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in the period 1564–1773 was certainly one of the most important elements in the process of building the religious, cultural, and political identity of this multinational and multiconfessional state, one of the largest in Europe at the time. The authors sketch the most important trends in research on this subject matter and present the leading authors and their studies. They point out the recent departure from the historiography produced within the Society and the remnants of earlier, largely apologetic writings, towards the “hermeneutic turn” taking place at the moment. They explain their decisions concerning the contents of the present issue of
JJS
, aimed at filling gaps in the knowledge of English-speaking scholars caused by the fact that the majority of studies concerning the activities of Jesuits in the Commonwealth are published in Polish and Lithuanian.
Building and Maintaining Strategic Agility: An Agenda and Framework for Executive IT leaders
Authors: Morton Josh , Stacey Patrick , Mohn Matthias
Published: July 2018

While much literature on strategic agility has focused on strategic flexibility and adaption at organizational levels, there is a need to provide specific guidance at lower, more discrete levels of analysis. This article focuses on the context of a particular professional group, executive information technology (IT) leaders, who have received attention in recent years for their evolving strategic role at the forefront of firms. It identifies and illustrates a number of practices these actors demonstrate in building and maintaining strategic agility, and it concludes by conceptualizing these practices in an agenda and framework for managers.