nils-herrmann/clean_scirepeval huggingface dataset:
A Greedy Part Assignment Algorithm for Real-Time Multi-person 2D Pose Estimation

Human pose-estimation in a multi-person image involves detection of various body parts and grouping them into individual person clusters. While the former task is challenging due to mutual occlusions, the combinatorial complexity of the latter task is very high. We propose a greedy part assignment algorithm that exploits the inherent structure of the human body to lower the complexity of the graphical model, compared to any of the prior published works. This is accomplished by (i) reducing the number of part-candidates using the estimated number of people in the image, (ii) doing a greedy sequential assignment of partclasses, following the kinematic chain from head to ankle (iii) doing a greedy assignment of parts in each part-class set, to person-clusters (iv) limiting the candidate person clusters to the most proximal clusters using human anthropometric data and (v) using only a specific subset of pre-assigned parts for establishing pairwise structural constraints. We show that, these steps sparsify the bodyparts relationship graph and reduces the algorithm's complexity to be linear in the number of candidates of any single part-class. We also propose a method for spawning person-clusters from any unassigned significant body part to make the algorithm robust to occlusions. We show that, our proposed part-assignment algorithm, despite using a sub-optimal pre-trained DNN model, achieves state of the art results on both MPII and WAF pose datasets, demonstrating the robustness of our approach.
Efficient Batched Oblivious PRF with Applications to Private Set Intersection

We describe a lightweight protocol for oblivious evaluation of a pseudorandom function (OPRF) in the presence of semihonest adversaries. In an OPRF protocol a receiver has an input r; the sender gets output s and the receiver gets output F(s; r), where F is a pseudorandom function and s is a random seed. Our protocol uses a novel adaptation of 1-out-of-2 OT-extension protocols, and is particularly efficient when used to generate a large batch of OPRF instances. The cost to realize m OPRF instances is roughly the cost to realize 3:5m instances of standard 1-out-of-2 OTs (using state-of-the-art OT extension). We explore in detail our protocol's application to semihonest secure private set intersection (PSI). The fastest state-of- the-art PSI protocol (Pinkas et al., Usenix 2015) is based on efficient OT extension. We observe that our OPRF can be used to remove their PSI protocol's dependence on the bit-length of the parties' items. We implemented both PSI protocol variants and found ours to be 3.1{3.6 faster than Pinkas et al. for PSI of 128-bit strings and sufficiently large sets. Concretely, ours requires only 3.8 seconds to securely compute the intersection of 220-size sets, regardless of the bitlength of the items. For very large sets, our protocol is only 4:3 slower than the insecure naive hashing approach for PSI.
Annotating Characters in Literary Corpora: A Scheme, the CHARLES Tool, and an Annotated Novel

Characters form the focus of various studies of literary works, including social network analysis, archetype induction, and plot comparison. The recent rise in the computational modelling of literary works has produced a proportional rise in the demand for character-annotated literary corpora. However, automatically identifying characters is an open problem and there is low availability of literary texts with manually labelled characters. To address the latter problem, this work presents three contributions: (1) a comprehensive scheme for manually resolving mentions to characters in texts. (2) A novel collaborative annotation tool, CHARLES (CHAracter Resolution Label-Entry System) for character annotation and similiar cross-document tagging tasks. (3) The character annotations resulting from a pilot study on the novel Pride and Prejudice, demonstrating the scheme and tool facilitate the efficient production of high-quality annotations. We expect this work to motivate the further production of annotated literary corpora to help meet the demand of the community.
Using restricted transactional memory to build a scalable in-memory database

The recent availability of Intel Haswell processors marks the transition of hardware transactional memory from research toys to mainstream reality. DBX is an in-memory database that uses Intel's restricted transactional memory (RTM) to achieve high performance and good scalability across multi-core machines. The main limitation (and also key to practicality) of RTM is its constrained working set size: an RTM region that reads or writes too much data will always be aborted. The design of DBX addresses this challenge in several ways. First, DBX builds a database transaction layer on top of an underlying shared-memory store. The two layers use separate RTM regions to synchronize shared memory access. Second, DBX uses optimistic concurrency control to separate transaction execution from its commit. Only the commit stage uses RTM for synchronization. As a result, the working set of the RTMs used scales with the meta-data of reads and writes in a database transaction as opposed to the amount of data read/written. Our evaluation using TPC-C workload mix shows that DBX achieves 506,817 transactions per second on a 4-core machine.
From Usability to Playability: Introduction to Player-Centred Video Game Development Process

While video games have traditionally been considered simple entertainment devices, nowadays they occupy a privileged position in the leisure and entertainment market, representing the fastest-growing industry globally. We regard the video game as a special type of interactive system whose principal aim is to provide the player with fun and entertainment. In this paper we will analyse how, in Video Games context, Usability alone is not sufficient to achieve the optimum Player Experience. It needs broadening and deepening, to embrace further attributes and properties that identify and describe the Player Experience. We present our proposed means of defining Playability. We also introduce the notion of Facets of Playability. Each facet will allow us to characterize the Playability easily, and associate them with the different elements of a video game. To guarantee the optimal Player Experience, Playability needs to be assessed throughout the entire video game development process, taking a Player-Centred Video Game Design approach.
New Mothers and Media Use: Associations Between Blogging, Social Networking, and Maternal Well-Being

Drawing on Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory and prior empirical research, the current study examines the way that blogging and social networking may impact feelings of connection and social support, which in turn could impact maternal well-being (e.g., marital functioning, parenting stress, and depression). One hundred and fifty-seven new mothers reported on their media use and various well-being variables. On average, mothers were 27 years old (SD = 5.15) and infants were 7.90 months old (SD = 5.21). All mothers had access to the Internet in their home. New mothers spent approximately 3 hours on the computer each day, with most of this time spent on the Internet. Findings suggested that frequency of blogging predicted feelings of connection to extended family and friends which then predicted perceptions of social support. This in turn predicted maternal well-being, as measured by marital satisfaction, couple conflict, parenting stress, and depression. In sum, blogging may improve new mothers’ well-being, as they feel more connected to the world outside their home through the Internet.
A NOVEL APPROACH TO THE DESIGN OF DUAL-BAND POWER DIVIDER WITH VARIABLE POWER DIVIDING RATIO BASED ON COUPLED-LINES

This paper presents an approach to the design of a novel dual-band power divider with variable power dividing ratio. To achieve dual-band operation, a novel dual-band quarter-wave length transformer based on coupled-lines is proposed, which is used to replace the quarter-wave length transformer in Wilkinson power divider. The proposed dual-band power divider features a simple compact planar structure with wide bandwidth performance for small frequency ratio. Closed-form design equations with one degree of design freedom are derived using evenand odd-mode analysis and transmission line theory. For verification purpose, power dividers operating at 2.4/3.8 GHz with dividing ratios of 2 : 1 and 1 : 1 are designed, simulated and measured. The simulated and measured results are in good agreement.
SPECTRE: A Fast and Scalable Cryptocurrency Protocol

A growing body of research on Bitcoin and other permissionless cryptocurrencies that utilize Nakamoto’s blockchain has shown that they do not easily scale to process a high throughput of transactions, or to quickly approve individual transactions; blocks must be kept small, and their creation rates must be kept low in order to allow nodes to reach consensus securely. As of today, Bitcoin processes a mere 3-7 transactions per second, and transaction confirmation takes at least several minutes. We present SPECTRE, a new protocol for the consensus core of crypto-currencies that remains secure even under high throughput and fast confirmation times. At any throughput, SPECTRE is resilient to attackers with up to 50% of the computational power (up until the limit defined by network congestion and bandwidth constraints). SPECTRE can operate at high block creation rates, which implies that its transactions confirm in mere seconds (limited mostly by the round-trip-time in the network). Key to SPECTRE’s achievements is the fact that it satisfies weaker properties than classic consensus requires. In the conventional paradigm, the order between any two transactions must be decided and agreed upon by all non-corrupt nodes. In contrast, SPECTRE only satisfies this with respect to transactions performed by honest users. We observe that in the context of money, two conflicting payments that are published concurrently could only have been created by a dishonest user, hence we can afford to delay the acceptance of such transactions without harming the usability of the system. Our framework formalizes this weaker set of requirements for a crypto-currency’s distributed ledger. We then provide a formal proof that SPECTRE satisfies these requirements.
Predicting the Optimal Spacing of Study: A Multiscale Context Model of Memory

When individuals learn facts (e.g., foreign language vocabulary) over multiple study sessions, the temporal spacing of study has a significant impact on memory retention. Behavioral experiments have shown a nonmonotonic relationship between spacing and retention: short or long intervals between study sessions yield lower cued-recall accuracy than intermediate intervals. Appropriate spacing of study can double retention on educationally relevant time scales. We introduce a Multiscale Context Model (MCM) that is able to predict the influence of a particular study schedule on retention for specific material. MCM’s prediction is based on empirical data characterizing forgetting of the material following a single study session. MCM is a synthesis of two existing memory models (Staddon, Chelaru, & Higa, 2002; Raaijmakers, 2003). On the surface, these models are unrelated and incompatible, but we show they share a core feature that allows them to be integrated. MCM can determine study schedules that maximize the durability of learning, and has implications for education and training. MCM can be cast either as a neural network with inputs that fluctuate over time, or as a cascade of leaky integrators. MCM is intriguingly similar to a Bayesian multiscale model of memory (Kording, Tenenbaum, & Shadmehr, 2007), yet MCM is better able to account for human declarative memory.
Sensorless Sensing with WiFi

Can WiFi signals be used for sensing purpose? The growing PHY layer capabilities of WiFi has made it possible to reuse WiFi signals for both communication and sensing. Sensing via WiFi would enable remote sensing without wearable sensors, simultaneous perception and data transmission without extra communication infrastructure, and contactless sensing in privacy-preserving mode. Due to the popularity of WiFi devices and the ubiquitous deployment of WiFi networks, WiFi-based sensing networks, if fully connected, would potentially rank as one of the world’s largest wireless sensor networks. Yet the concept of wireless and sensorless sensing is not the simple combination of WiFi and radar. It seeks breakthroughs from dedicated radar systems, and aims to balance between low cost and high accuracy, to meet the rising demand for pervasive environment perception in everyday life. Despite increasing research interest, wireless sensing is still in its infancy. Through introductions on basic principles and working prototypes, we review the feasibilities and limitations of wireless, sensorless, and contactless sensing via WiFi. We envision this article as a brief primer on wireless sensing for interested readers to explore this open and largely unexplored field and create next-generation wireless and mobile computing applications.
Detection of NPK nutrients of soil using Fiber Optic Sensor *

Measurement of N (nitrogen), P (phosphorus) and K ( potassium) contents of soil is necessary to decide how much extra contents of these nutrients are to b e added in the soil to increase crop fertility. Thi s improves the quality of the soil which in turn yields a good qua lity crop. In the present work fiber optic based c olor sensor has been developed to determine N, P, and K values in t he soil sample. Here colorimetric measurement of aq ueous solution of soil has been carried out. The color se nsor is based on the principle of absorption of col or by solution. It helps in determining the N, P, K amounts as high, m edium, low, or none. The sensor probe along with p roper signal conditioning circuits is built to detect the defici ent component of the soil. It is useful in dispensi ng only required amount of fertilizers in the soil.
A Novel Multilevel Inverter Based on Switched DC Sources

This paper presents a multilevel inverter that has been conceptualized to reduce component count, particularly for a large number of output levels. It comprises floating input dc sources alternately connected in opposite polarities with one another through power switches. Each input dc level appears in the stepped load voltage either individually or in additive combinations with other input levels. This approach results in reduced number of power switches as compared to classical topologies. The working principle of the proposed topology is demonstrated with the help of a single-phase five-level inverter. The topology is investigated through simulations and validated experimentally on a laboratory prototype. An exhaustive comparison of the proposed topology is made against the classical cascaded H-bridge topology.
Causal discovery with continuous additive noise models

We consider the problem of learning causal directed acyclic graphs from an observational joint distribution. One can use these graphs to predict the outcome of interventional experiments, from which data are often not available. We show that if the observational distribution follows a structural equation model with an additive noise structure, the directed acyclic graph becomes identifiable from the distribution under mild conditions. This constitutes an interesting alternative to traditional methods that assume faithfulness and identify only the Markov equivalence class of the graph, thus leaving some edges undirected. We provide practical algorithms for finitely many samples, RESIT (regression with subsequent independence test) and two methods based on an independence score. We prove that RESIT is correct in the population setting and provide an empirical evaluation.
Automatic Sentiment Analysis for Unstructured Data

Now-a-days Big Data have been created lot of buzz in technology world. Sentiment Analysis or opinion mining is very important application of ‘Big Data’. Sentiment analysis is used for knowing voice or response of crowd for products, services, organizations, individuals, movie reviews, issues, events, news etc... In this paper we are going to discuss about exiting methods, approaches to do sentimental analysis for unstructured data which reside on web. Currently, Sentiment Analysis concentrates for subjective statements or on subjectivity and overlook objective statements which carry sentiment(s). So, we propose new approach classify and handle subjective as well as objective statements for sentimental analysis.  Sentiment Analysis, Text Mining, Machine learning, Natural Language Processing, Big Data
Fast burst images denoising

This paper presents a fast denoising method that produces a clean image from a burst of noisy images. We accelerate alignment of the images by introducing a lightweight camera motion representation called homography flow. The aligned images are then fused to create a denoised output with rapid per-pixel operations in temporal and spatial domains. To handle scene motion during the capture, a mechanism of selecting consistent pixels for temporal fusion is proposed to "synthesize" a clean, ghost-free image, which can largely reduce the computation of tracking motion between frames. Combined with these efficient solutions, our method runs several orders of magnitude faster than previous work, while the denoising quality is comparable. A smartphone prototype demonstrates that our method is practical and works well on a large variety of real examples.
Low-Profile Wideband Monopolar UHF Antennas for Integration Onto Vehicles and Helmets

A novel design of a low-profile wideband monopolar antenna is proposed with integration examples for vehicles and helmets. Initially, a monopolar antenna size is reduced by adding four symmetrical tapered slots on an edge-shorted patch. The antenna is first designed to be integrated onto a large flat ground plane that is applicable for vehicular installation. This design is later adapted for integration onto a helmet with a finite-curved ground plane, where the helmet material is included as part of the design. This study shows that a curved ground plane improves the radiation patterns at broadside and further reduces the antenna height. Both vehicle and helmet antennas have been optimized to operate in a wide frequency range from about 800-2300 MHz. These antennas radiate in a monopole-like pattern with vertical polarization and high radiation efficiency that makes them suitable for transmission applications. Good agreement between simulation and measurement is obtained, which ultimately validates the proposed design technique.
Fine-tuning CNN Image Retrieval with No Human Annotation

Image descriptors based on activations of Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) have become dominant in image retrieval due to their discriminative power, compactness of representation, and search efficiency. Training of CNNs, either from scratch or fine-tuning, requires a large amount of annotated data, where a high quality of annotation is often crucial. In this work, we propose to fine-tune CNNs for image retrieval on a large collection of unordered images in a fully automated manner. Reconstructed 3D models obtained by the state-of-the-art retrieval and structure-from-motion methods guide the selection of the training data. We show that both hard-positive and hard-negative examples, selected by exploiting the geometry and the camera positions available from the 3D models, enhance the performance of particular-object retrieval. CNN descriptor whitening discriminatively learned from the same training data outperforms commonly used PCA whitening. We propose a novel trainable Generalized-Mean (GeM) pooling layer that generalizes max and average pooling and show that it boosts retrieval performance. Applying the proposed method to the VGG network achieves state-of-the-art performance on the standard benchmarks: Oxford Buildings, Paris, and Holidays datasets.
Summarizing court decisions

In the field of law there is an absolute need for summarizing the texts of court decisions in order to make the content of the cases easily accessible for legal professionals. During the SALOMON and MOSAIC projects we investigated the summarization and retrieval of legal cases. This article presents some of the main findings while integrating the research results of experiments on legal document summarization by other research groups. In addition, we propose novel avenues of research for automatic text summarization, which we currently exploit when summarizing court decisions in the ACILA project. Techniques for automated concept learning and argument recognition are here the most challenging.
Drawbridge: software-defined DDoS-resistant traffic engineering

End hosts in today's Internet have the best knowledge of the type of traffic they should receive, but they play no active role in traffic engineering. Traffic engineering is conducted by ISPs, which unfortunately are blind to specific user needs. End hosts are therefore subject to unwanted traffic, particularly from Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks. This research proposes a new system called DrawBridge to address this traffic engineering dilemma. By realizing the potential of software-defined networking (SDN), in this research we investigate a solution that enables end hosts to use their knowledge of desired traffic to improve traffic engineering during DDoS attacks.
Look, Imagine and Match: Improving Textual-Visual Cross-Modal Retrieval with Generative Models

Textual-visual cross-modal retrieval has been a hot research topic in both computer vision and natural language processing communities. Learning appropriate representations for multi-modal data is crucial for the cross-modal retrieval performance. Unlike existing image-text retrieval approaches that embed image-text pairs as single feature vectors in a common representational space, we propose to incorporate generative processes into the cross-modal feature embedding, through which we are able to learn not only the global abstract features but also the local grounded features. Extensive experiments show that our framework can well match images and sentences with complex content, and achieve the state-of-the-art cross-modal retrieval results on MSCOCO dataset.
Functional variants in the B-cell gene BANK1 are associated with systemic lupus erythematosus

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a prototypical autoimmune disease characterized by production of autoantibodies and complex genetic inheritance. In a genome-wide scan using 85,042 SNPs, we identified an association between SLE and a nonsynonymous substitution (rs10516487, R61H) in the B-cell scaffold protein with ankyrin repeats gene, BANK1. We replicated the association in four independent case-control sets (combined P = 3.7 × 10−10; OR = 1.38). We analyzed BANK1 cDNA and found two isoforms, one full-length and the other alternatively spliced and lacking exon 2 (Δ2), encoding a protein without a putative IP3R-binding domain. The transcripts were differentially expressed depending on a branch point–site SNP, rs17266594, in strong linkage disequilibrium (LD) with rs10516487. A third associated variant was found in the ankyrin domain (rs3733197, A383T). Our findings implicate BANK1 as a susceptibility gene for SLE, with variants affecting regulatory sites and key functional domains. The disease-associated variants could contribute to sustained B cell–receptor signaling and B-cell hyperactivity characteristic of this disease.