bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
TRIPS: Trilinear Point Splatting for Real‐Time Radiance Field Rendering
Authors: Franke Linus , Rückert Darius , Fink Laura , Stamminger Marc 
Published: April 2024

AbstractPoint‐based radiance field rendering has demonstrated impressive results for novel view synthesis, offering a compelling blend of rendering quality and computational efficiency. However, also latest approaches in this domain are not without their shortcomings. 3D Gaussian Splatting [KKLD23] struggles when tasked with rendering highly detailed scenes, due to blurring and cloudy artifacts. On the other hand, ADOP [RFS22] can accommodate crisper images, but the neural reconstruction network decreases performance, it grapples with temporal instability and it is unable to effectively address large gaps in the point cloud. In this paper, we present TRIPS (Trilinear Point Splatting), an approach that combines ideas from both Gaussian Splatting and ADOP. The fundamental concept behind our novel technique involves rasterizing points into a screen‐space image pyramid, with the selection of the pyramid layer determined by the projected point size. This approach allows rendering arbitrarily large points using a single trilinear write. A lightweight neural network is then used to reconstruct a hole‐free image including detail beyond splat resolution. Importantly, our render pipeline is entirely differentiable, allowing for automatic optimization of both point sizes and positions.Our evaluation demonstrate that TRIPS surpasses existing state‐of‐the‐art methods in terms of rendering quality while maintaining a real‐time frame rate of 60 frames per second on readily available hardware. This performance extends to challenging scenarios, such as scenes featuring intricate geometry, expansive landscapes, and auto‐exposed footage. The project page is located at:https://lfranke.github.io/trips
BallMerge: High‐quality Fast Surface Reconstruction via Voronoi Balls
Authors: Parakkat Amal Dev , Ohrhallinger Stefan , Eisemann Elmar , Memari Pooran 
Published: April 2024

AbstractWe introduce a Delaunay‐based algorithm for reconstructing the underlying surface of a given set of unstructured points in 3D. The implementation is very simple, and it is designed to work in a parameter‐free manner. The solution builds upon the fact that in the continuous case, a closed surface separates the set of maximal empty balls (medial balls) into an interior and exterior. Based on discrete input samples, our reconstructed surface consists of the interface between Voronoi balls, which approximate the interior and exterior medial balls. An initial set of Voronoi balls is iteratively processed, merging Voronoi‐ball pairs if they fulfil an overlapping error criterion. Our complete open‐source reconstruction pipeline performs up to two quick linear‐time passes on the Delaunay complex to output the surface, making it an order of magnitude faster than the state of the art while being competitive in memory usage and often superior in quality. We propose two variants (local and global), which are carefully designed to target two different reconstruction scenarios for watertight surfaces from accurate or noisy samples, as well as real‐world scanned data sets, exhibiting noise, outliers, and large areas of missing data. The results of the global variant are, by definition, watertight, suitable for numerical analysis and various applications (e.g., 3D printing). Compared to classical Delaunay‐based reconstruction techniques, our method is highly stable and robust to noise and outliers, evidenced via various experiments, including on real‐world data with challenges such as scan shadows, outliers, and noise, even without additional preprocessing.
TailorMe: Self‐Supervised Learning of an Anatomically Constrained Volumetric Human Shape Model
Authors: Wenninger S. , Kemper F. , Schwanecke U. , Botsch M. 
Published: April 2024

AbstractHuman shape spaces have been extensively studied, as they are a core element of human shape and pose inference tasks. Classic methods for creating a human shape model register a surface template mesh to a database of 3D scans and use dimensionality reduction techniques, such as Principal Component Analysis, to learn a compact representation. While these shape models enable global shape modifications by correlating anthropometric measurements with the learned subspace, they only provide limitedlocalizedshape control. We instead register a volumetric anatomical template, consisting of skeleton bones and soft tissue, to the surface scans of the CAESAR database. We further enlarge our training data to the full Cartesian product of all skeletons and all soft tissues using physically plausible volumetric deformation transfer. This data is then used to learn an anatomically constrained volumetric human shape model in a self‐supervised fashion. The resultingTailorMemodel enables shape sampling, localized shape manipulation, and fast inference from given surface scans.
Snow and Ice Animation Methods in Computer Graphics
Authors: Goswami Prashant 
Published: April 2024

AbstractSnow and ice animation methods are becoming increasingly popular in the field of computer graphics (CG). The applications of snow and ice in CG are varied, ranging from generating realistic background landscapes to avalanches and physical interaction with objects in movies, games, etc. Over the past two decades, several methods have been proposed to capture the time‐evolving physical appearance or simulation of snow and ice using different models at different scales. This state‐of‐the‐art report aims to identify existing animation methods in the field, provide an up‐to‐date summary of the research in CG, and identify gaps for promising future work. Furthermore, we also attempt to identify the primarily related work done on snow and ice in some other disciplines, such as civil or mechanical engineering, and draw a parallel with the similarities and differences in CG.
Research and practice priorities in pilonidal sinus disease: a consensus from the PITSTOP study
Authors: Lee Matthew J. , Lee Ellen , Bradburn Mike , Hind Daniel , Strong Emily B. , Din Farhat , Wysocki Arkadiusz P. , Lund Jon , Moffatt Christine , Morton Jonathan , Senapati Asha , Jones Helen , Brown Steven R. ,   the PITSTOP Management Group and the PITSTOP Validators
Published: April 2024

AbstractAimPilonidal sinus disease is a common condition treated by colorectal surgeons. There is a lack of literature in the field to guide optimal management of this condition. As part of the PITSTOP study, we aimed to identify policy and research priorities to provide direction to the field.MethodPatients and surgeons were invited to participate. A ‘So what, now what’ exercise was conducted, informed by data from PITSTOP. This generated statements for research and practice priorities. A three‐round online Delphi study was conducted, ranking statements based on policy and research separately. Statements were rated 1 (not important) to 9 (important). Statements that were rated 7–9 by more than 70% of participants were entered into the consensus meeting. Personalized voting feedback was shown between rounds. A face‐to‐face meeting was held to discuss statements, and participants were asked to rank statements using a weighted choice vote.ResultsTwenty‐two people participated in the focus group, generating 14 research and 19 policy statements. Statements were voted on by 56 participants in round 1, 53 in round 2 and 51 in round 3. A total of 15 policy statements and 19 research statements were discussed in the consensus round. Key policy statements addressed treatment strategies and intensity, surgeon training opportunities, need for classification and the impact of treatment on return to work. Research recommendations included design of future trials, methodology considerations and research questions.ConclusionThis study has identified research and policy priorities in pilonidal sinus disease which are relevant to patients and clinicians. These should inform practice and future research.
Dissecting the surgeon's personality: cross‐cultural comparisons in Western Europe
Authors: Sier V. Q. , Bisset C. N. , Tesselaar D. A. J. , Schmitz R. F. , Schepers A. , Moug S. J. , van der Vorst J. R. ,   SUPER and Plato Project Collaborators
Published: April 2024

AbstractAimThe surgeon's personality contributes to variation in surgical decision‐making. Previous work on surgeon personality has largely been reserved to Anglo‐Saxon studies, with limited international comparisons. In this work we built upon recent work on gastrointestinal surgeon personality and aimed to detect international variations.MethodGastrointestinal surgeons from the UK and the Netherlands were invited to participate in validated personality assessments (44‐item, 60‐item Big Five Inventory; BFI). These encompass personality using five domains (open‐mindedness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness and negative emotionality) with three subtraits each. Mean differences in domain factors were calculated between surgeon and nonsurgeon populations from normative data using independent‐samples t‐tests, adjusted for multiple testing. The items from the 44‐item and 60‐item BFI were compared between UK and Dutch surgeons and classified accordingly: identical (n = 16), analogous (n = 3), comparable (n = 12).ResultsUK (n = 78, 61.5% male) and Dutch (n = 280, 65% male) gastrointestinal surgeons had marked differences in the domains of open‐mindedness, extraversion and agreeableness compared with national normative datasets. Moreover, although surgeons had similar levels of emotional stability, country of work influenced differences in specific BFI items. For example, Netherlands‐based surgeons scored highly on questions related to sociability and organization versus UK‐based surgeons who scored highly on creative imagination (p < 0.0001).ConclusionIn a first cross‐cultural setting, we identified country‐specific personality differences in gastrointestinal surgeon cohorts across domain and facet levels. Given the variation between Dutch and UK surgeons, understanding country‐specific data could be useful in guiding personality research in healthcare. Furthermore, we advocate that future work adopts consensus usage of the five factor model.
Causal influence of gut microbiota on small cell lung cancer: a Mendelian randomization study
Authors: Yang Wenjing , Fan Xinxia , Li Wangshu , Chen Yan 
Published: April 2024

AbstractBackgroundPrevious studies have hinted at a significant link between lung cancer and the gut microbiome, yet their causal relationship remains to be elucidated.MethodsGWAS data for small cell lung cancer (SCLC) was extracted from the FinnGen consortium, comprising 179 cases and 218 613 controls. Genetic variation data for 211 gut microbiota were obtained as instrumental variables from MiBioGen. Mendelian randomization (MR) was employed to determine the causal relationship between the two, with inverse variance weighting (IVW) being the primary method for causal analysis. The MR results were validated through several sensitivity analyses.ResultsThe study identified a protective effect against SCLC for the genus Eubacterium ruminantium group (OR = 0.413, 95% CI: 0.223–0.767, p = 0.00513), genus Barnesiella (OR = 0.208, 95% CI: 0.0640–0.678, p = 0.00919), family Lachnospiraceae (OR = 0.319, 95% CI: 0.107–0.948, p = 0.03979), and genus Butyricimonas (OR = 0.376, 95% CI: 0.144–0.984, p = 0.04634). Conversely, genus Intestinibacter (OR = 3.214, 95% CI: 1.303–7.926, p = 0.01125), genus Eubacterium oxidoreducens group (OR = 3.391, 95% CI: 1.215–9.467, p = 0.01973), genus Bilophila (OR = 3.547, 95% CI: 1.106–11.371, p = 0.03315), and order Bacillales (OR = 1.860, 95% CI: 1.034–3.347, p = 0.03842) were found to potentially promote the onset of SCLC.ConclusionWe identified potential causal relationships between certain gut microbiota and SCLC, offering new insights into microbiome‐mediated mechanisms of SCLC pathogenesis, resistance, mutations, and more.
Public health efforts to prevent expansion of alcohol retail availability in neighbourhoods with factors associated with high rates of alcohol‐related harms: A case report
Authors: Hutchinson Melissa , Swirski Alexandra , Giesbrecht Norman 
Published: April 2024

AbstractThis commentary illustrates a recent case study within Ontario, Canada, in which the application of sociodemographic and health data was used by public health to support a legal case to oppose a retail licence application to consume liquor at a corner store located within a neighbourhood that has experienced low socio‐economic factors, including low income, high unemployment and low educational attainment levels. Communities in a similar situation may draw from this situation to prevent expansion of alcohol retail availability in neighbourhoods that have low socio‐economic status populations and high unemployment and other factors associated with high rates of alcohol‐related harms.
Game changer: Cloud‐based classroom interactions powered by Google Sheets
Authors: Edirisinghe Gihan S. , Trindade Maria A. M. , Luo Lan 
Published: April 2024

AbstractThe COVID‐19 pandemic forced instruction into remote formats, rendering active learning efforts in business classrooms infeasible. In response, we adopt a novel model for interactive classroom activities by hosting classroom games on Google Sheets, the free and widely used cloud‐based spreadsheet application. First developed for a synchronous Zoom class during the COVID‐19 pandemic, this approach was integrated into face‐to‐face courses in two countries. Due to its instructional flexibility, minimal need for resources, and tendency for student acceptance, using Google Sheets for classroom interaction has far‐reaching educational applications beyond the pandemic era. To illustrate this approach, we introduce three operations and supply chain management activities created on Google Sheets: the Virtual Assembly Line (VAL) activity, the Just‐in‐time Game, and the Dice Game. An in‐depth examination of implementing these activities in the classroom offers practical insights into the benefits of utilizing cloud‐based classroom games in teaching. Furthermore, a comparison of test results between students who played the game and a control group showed significantly improved learning outcomes. We also discuss how this approach could foster active learning adoption in environments traditionally less conducive to such practices, such as remote instruction and large enrollment classes.
Follow the leader? The long‐run interaction between public and private sector wage growth in the UK
Authors: Dolton Peter , Hantzsche Arno 
Published: April 2024

AbstractWith one‐fifth of the UK labour force employed in the public sector, public sector pay and its interaction with private sector pay is an important driver of the macroeconomy. Using new data on sector‐level earnings and sector–industry‐level pay settlements, this paper addresses the fundamental question of which sector leads and which follows in terms of earnings determination. We find that in the long run, public sector wages adjust to wages set in the private sector, maintaining a consistent relationship. We further find that there can be significant wage spillovers from the public sector to the private sector in the short run. These tend to be more pronounced for private sector industries that are domestically facing, characterized by low worker bargaining power, or reliant on public sector inputs. This paper's findings have important implications for macroeconomic policy that aims to balance inflationary forces and fiscal funding pressures.
Knowledge of undergraduate and postgraduate dental students about managing traumatic dental injuries based on the 2020 International Association of Dental Traumatology guidelines: A online survey of 10 dental schools from 10 countries
Authors: Nagendrababu Venkateshbabu , Gopinath Vellore Kannan , Arias Ana , Setzer Frank C. , Kazandag Meric Karapinar , Kishen Anil , Mannocci Francesco , Shetty Raghavendra M. , Narasimhan Srinivasan , Ode Wataru , Ravindran Sushmita , Suresh Nandini , Tsesis Igor , Yu Victoria , Abbott Paul V. 
Published: April 2024

AbstractBackground/AimThe knowledge of dental students about managing traumatic dental injuries (TDIs) may not be uniform, depending on global location and dental education. The aim of this study was to evaluate the level of knowledge of undergraduate and postgraduate students specializing in endodontics and pediatric dentistry at 10 dental schools in 10 countries about the 2020 International Association of Dental Traumatology (IADT) guidelines regarding the management of TDIs.Materials & MethodsA previously published questionnaire was used in the current survey. It was an online survey with 12 questions regarding the management of TDIs and some additional questions regarding sociodemographic and professional profiles of the participants were added. The survey was distributed to final‐year undergraduate students and postgraduate students in pediatric dentistry and endodontics from 10 dental schools. Simple frequency distributions and descriptive statistics were predominantly used to describe the data. Differences in the median percentage scores among the student categories were assessed using the Kruskal–Wallis test followed by Dwass–Steel–Critchlow–Fligner pairwise comparisons.ResultsA total of 347 undergraduates, 126 postgraduates in endodontics, and 72 postgraduates in pediatric dentistry from 10 dental schools participated in this survey. The postgraduates had a significantly higher percentage score for correct responses compared with the undergraduates. No significant difference was observed between the endodontic and pediatric dentistry postgraduates.ConclusionThe knowledge possessed by undergraduate and postgraduate students concerning the IADT‐recommended management of TDIs varied across the globe and some aspects were found to be deficient. This study emphasizes the critical importance of reassessing the teaching and learning activities pertaining to the management of TDIs.
African time travellers: What can we learn from 500 years of written accounts?
Authors: Kerby Edward , Moradi Alexander , Odendaal Hanjo 
Published: April 2024

AbstractIn this paper we study 500 years of African economic history using traveller accounts. We systematically collected 2464 unique documents, of which 855 pass language and rigorous data quality requirements. Our final corpus of texts contains more than 230 000 pages. Analysing such a corpus is an insurmountable task for traditional historians and would probably take a lifetime's work. Applying modern day computational linguistic techniques such as a structural topic model approach (STM) in combination with domain knowledge of African economic history, we analyse how first‐hand accounts (topics) evolve across space and time. Apart from obvious accounts of climate, geography, and zoology, we find topics around imperialism, diplomacy, conflict, trade/commerce, health/medicine, evangelization, and many more topics of interest to scholarship. We illustrate how this novel database and text analysis can be employed in three applications (1) What views are introduced by travellers as a result of their occupational background? (2) Did the adoption of quinine as treatment and prophylaxis against malaria facilitate European expansion into Africa? (3) When and how did the diffusion of New World crops alter the African economic landscape?
The expression of compassion in leadership in intercultural organizational situations: The case of Japanese leaders in India
Authors: Ashta Ashok , Stokes Peter , Hughes Paul , Tarba Shlomo , Dekel‐Dachs Ofer , Rodgers Peter 
Published: April 2024

AbstractIn this paper, we examine the role played by compassion in leadership in intercultural situations. Focusing on the growing and important economic context of Indo‐Japanese business, we develop a model that identifies contingent factors that affect Japanese leaders' expressions of compassion in intercultural organizational contexts. We engage with the spiritual capital construct and analyse leaders' lived experiences leading to a novel extension of the well‐established Nested Spheres Model of Culture. By adopting an inductivist and social constructivist approach, semistructured interviews with Japanese business leaders operating in India are employed to generate data. The empirical data show how changes in time and place cause deeply embedded cultural values (such as compassion) to surface and become more explicit in leadership. The study also underlines the need to explore the wider spatial, temporal, and economic contingencies that affect both the dynamics of compassion in “intercultural” business situations and spiritual leadership in intercultural contexts.
So different and yet so alike: A comparative analysis of firms' connectedness in the stock and corporate bond markets
Authors: Beaupain Renaud , Heck Stephanie 
Published: April 2024

AbstractWe study firms' return and volatility connectedness in the stock and corporate bond markets. Our approach to capturing firm‐specific return and volatility time series in the corporate bond market is based on a repeat‐sales index at the firm level. Measuring the pairwise connectedness of firms, we show that the two markets share similar dynamics in the connectedness of their firms. Firms tend to cluster within their own sectors and ties between firms in the corporate bond market are proportionally weaker. Financial firms play a critical role in the propagation of shocks, but this role differs markedly in the two markets.
Revealing the pathogenesis of keloids based on the status: Active vs inactive
Authors: Oh Sejin , Yeo Eunhye , Shim Joonho , Noh Hyungrye , Park Jihye , Lee Kyeong‐Tae , Kim Seok‐Hyung , Lee Dongyoun , Lee Jong Hee 
Published: April 2024

AbstractRecently, the pathomechanisms of keloids have been extensively researched using transcriptomic analysis, but most studies did not consider the activity of keloids. We aimed to profile the transcriptomics of keloids according to their clinical activity and location within the keloid lesion, compared with normal and mature scars. Tissue samples were collected (keloid based on its activity (active and inactive), mature scar from keloid patients and normal scar (NS) from non‐keloid patients). To reduce possible bias, all keloids assessed in this study had no treatment history and their location was limited to the upper chest or back. Multiomics assessment was performed by using single‐cell RNA sequencing and multiplex immunofluorescence. Increased mesenchymal fibroblasts (FBs) was the main feature in keloid patients. Noticeably, the proportion of pro‐inflammatory FBs was significantly increased in active keloids compared to inactive ones. To explore the nature of proinflammatory FBs, trajectory analysis was conducted and CCN family associated with mechanical stretch exhibited higher expression in active keloids. For vascular endothelial cells (VECs), the proportion of tip and immature cells increased in keloids compared to NS, especially at the periphery of active keloids. Also, keloid VECs highly expressed genes with characteristics of mesenchymal activation compared to NS, especially those from the active keloid center. Multiomics analysis demonstrated the distinct expression profile of active keloids. Clinically, these findings may provide the future appropriate directions for development of treatment modalities of keloids. Prevention of keloids could be possible by the suppression of mesenchymal activation between FBs and VECs and modulation of proinflammatory FBs may be the key to the control of active keloids.