Abstract: Described herein are example systems and operations for enhancing response prediction and bidding decision making. A feature recommendation controller may include a factorization machine that generates a set of combinations of contextual and advertiser features yielding high expected response rates. A bidding controller may implement a multi-arm bandit system that uses Thompson sampling to select an optimal one of the feature combinations that corresponds to a highest expected response rate. The bidding controller may compare the corresponding highest expected response rate with a threshold response rate associated with a pacing rate to determine whether to place a bid for a received ad request.

Abstract: Briefly, embodiments of methods and/or systems of generating preference indices for contiguous portions of digital images are disclosed. For one embodiment, as an example, parameters of a neural network may be developed to generate object labels for digital images. The developed parameters may be transferred to a neural network utilized to generate signal sample value levels corresponding to preference indices for contiguous portions of digital images.

Abstract: The technologies described herein serve contextually relevant advertisements under a guaranteed advertisement campaign. A publisher retrieves a guaranteed advertisement campaign related to a webpage available for serving an advertisement, and identifies a set of advertisements relating to the guaranteed advertisement campaign. Advertisement selecting circuitry of the publisher determines whether an advertisement that is contextually relevant to content published at the webpage is present in the set of advertisements. If there is no contextually relevant advertisement in the set of advertisements, the advertisement selecting circuitry selects an alternative advertisement from the set of advertisements that minimizes an under-delivery risk related to the guaranteed advertisement campaign. If there is a contextually relevant advertisement in the set of advertisements, the advertisement selecting circuitry selects the contextually relevant advertisement.

Abstract: A similarity search may be performed on the image of a person, using visual characteristics and information that is known about the person. The search identifies images of other persons that are similar in appearance to the person in the image.

Abstract: Users may consume and/or share information through various types of content items. For example, user may post a family photo through a social network, create a running blog through a microblogging service, etc. Because users may be overwhelmed by the amount of available content items, it may be advantageous to recommend content items, such as blogs to follow, to users. Accordingly, inductive matrix completion is used to evaluate user interactions with content items (e.g., a user following a blog), content item features (e.g., text and/or images of a blog is evaluated to identify a topic of the blog), and/or user features (e.g., a user liking or reblogging a blog, user demographics, user interests, etc.) to determine whether to recommend a content item to a user. Additionally, graph proximity is used to recommend content items based upon weights of edges connecting user nodes to content item nodes within a directed graph.

Abstract: An embodiment provides for enabling retrieval of a collection of captured images that form at least a portion of a library of images. For each image in the collection, a captured image may be analyzed to recognize information from image data contained in the captured image, and an index may be generated, where the index data is based on the recognized information. Using the index, functionality such as search and retrieval is enabled. Various recognition techniques, including those that use the face, clothing, apparel, and combinations of characteristics may be utilized. Recognition may be performed on, among other things, persons and text carried on objects.

Abstract: A computer system implementing a method for ad realization prediction may be configured to receive a plurality of target realization factors associated with a target ad display opportunity; determine a reference realization probability score of the target ad display opportunity based on a global reference realization probability distribution associated with an ad display realization probability decision tree; using the reference realization probability score, determine an ad realization probability score of the target ad display opportunity according to a piecewise calibrated realization probability function; and return the ad realization probability score.

Abstract: Briefly, embodiments of methods and/or systems of generating preference indices for contiguous portions of digital images are disclosed. For one embodiment, as an example, parameters of a neural network may be developed to generate object labels for digital images. The developed parameters may be transferred to a neural network utilized to generate signal sample value levels corresponding to preference indices for contiguous portions of digital images.

Abstract: Described herein are techniques and systems for online ad campaign pacing. The techniques described herein use budget allocation along with the estimations of bids and response rates. With use of budget allocation, the techniques can use budget pacing to enhance impressions and maximize desired responses, such as desired click-through rates. These techniques focus on enhancing pacing and performance of ad campaigns, such as enhancing performance across distinct and/or unified online ad marketplaces. These techniques are especially useful in the context of a demand-side platform (DSP). In some examples, the techniques assume that impression supply is much larger than advertiser demand for impressions of their ads, so such techniques focus on selecting high performing inventory of ad space. Yet, with such a focus, a smooth or consistent delivery of ads over time is used.

Abstract: An embodiment provides for enabling retrieval of a collection of captured images that form at least a portion of a library of images. For each image in the collection, a captured image may be analyzed to recognize information from image data contained in the captured image, and an index may be generated, where the index data is based on the recognized information. Using the index, functionality such as search and retrieval is enabled. Various recognition techniques, including those that use the face, clothing, apparel, and combinations of characteristics may be utilized. Recognition may be performed on, among other things, persons and text carried on objects.

Abstract: Described herein are techniques and systems for online ad campaign tuning using proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controllers, such as proportional (P) controllers and proportional-integral (PI) controllers. Also, described herein are techniques and systems for shortening a learning/tuning phase of a PID controller used for optimizing an online ad campaign.

Abstract: Systems for manifold learning for matting are disclosed, with methods and processes for making and using the same. The embodiments disclosed herein provide a closed form solution for solving the matting problem by a manifold learning technique, Local Linear Embedding. The transition from foreground to background is characterized by color and texture variations, which should be captured in the alpha map. This intuition implies that neighborhood relationship in the feature space should be preserved in the alpha map. By applying Local Linear Embedding using the disclosed embodiments, the local image variations can be preserved in the embedded manifold, which is the resulting alpha map. Without any strong assumption, such as color line model, the disclosed embodiments can be easily extended to incorporate other features beyond RGB color features, such as gradient and texture information.

Abstract: An embodiment provides for enabling retrieval of a collection of captured images that form at least a portion of a library of images. For each image in the collection, a captured image may be analyzed to recognize information from image data contained in the captured image, and an index may be generated, where the index data is based on the recognized information. Using the index, functionality such as search and retrieval is enabled. Various recognition techniques, including those that use the face, clothing, apparel, and combinations of characteristics may be utilized. Recognition may be performed on, among other things, persons and text carried on objects.

Abstract: Embodiments described herein facilitate or enhance the implementation of image recognition processes which can perform recognition on images to identify objects and/or faces by class or by people.

Abstract: Techniques and mechanisms described herein facilitate the performance metric based placement of bids. According to various embodiments, a first threshold value for bid placement may be identified. The first threshold value may designate a first threshold performance metric level for advertising opportunity bid requests received during a designated time period. An estimated performance metric may be determined for a designated advertising opportunity bid request received during the designated time period. A bid placement message may be transmitted via a communications interface when the estimated performance metric is greater than the first threshold value. The bid request may identify the designated advertising opportunity bid request and a bid placement value.

Abstract: Techniques and mechanisms described herein facilitate efficient budget pacing. According to various embodiments, a plurality of advertising request opportunities may be received at a communications interface during a time interval divided into a plurality of time periods. The time periods may include a designated time period, and a pacing rate for the designated time period may be determined. Each of the advertising request opportunities may be capable of being purchased to present a respective online advertisement. The pacing rate may designate a portion of the advertising request opportunities received during the designated time period on which to bid. One or more instructions may be transmitted to place a plurality of bids on selected ones of the advertising request opportunities received during the designated time period in accordance with the pacing rate.

Abstract: A similarity search may be performed on the image of a person, using visual characteristics and information that is known about the person. The search identifies images of other persons that are similar in appearance to the person in the image.

Abstract: An embodiment provides for enabling retrieval of a collection of captured images that form at least a portion of a library of images. For each image in the collection, a captured image may be analyzed to recognize information from image data contained in the captured image, and an index may be generated, where the index data is based on the recognized information. Using the index, functionality such as search and retrieval is enabled. Various recognition techniques, including those that use the face, clothing, apparel, and combinations of characteristics may be utilized. Recognition may be performed on, among other things, persons and text carried on objects.

Abstract: An embodiment provides for enabling retrieval of a collection of captured images that form at least a portion of a library of images. For each image in the collection, a captured image may be analyzed to recognize information from image data contained in the captured image, and an index may be generated, where the index data is based on the recognized information. Using the index, functionality such as search and retrieval is enabled. Various recognition techniques, including those that use the face, clothing, apparel, and combinations of characteristics may be utilized. Recognition may be performed on, among other things, persons and text carried on objects.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for reducing an allergic response and treating or preventing an allergic disease, comprising administering a subject in need thereof a therapeutically effective amount of the active ingredient for the treatment or the prevention of allergic diseases, wherein the active ingredient is glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate Dehydrogenase (G3PDH) or the functional variant or fragment thereof. The G3PDH can be isolated from Lactobacillus gasseri PM-A0005 (deposited under Budapest Treaty in the China Center for Type Culture Collection (CCTCC) with Deposit No: M 207039), as well as extract, fraction, and sub-fraction thereof.