Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Taxim: An Example-based Simulation Model for GelSight Tactile Sensors

Simulation is widely used in robotics for system verification and large-scale data collection. However, simulating sensors, including tactile sensors, has been a long-standing challenge. In this paper, we propose Taxim, a realistic and high-speed simulation model for a vision-based tactile sensor, GelSight. A GelSight sensor uses a piece of soft elastomer as the medium of contact and embeds optical structures to capture the deformation of the elastomer, which infers the geometry and forces applied at the contact surface. We propose an example-based method for simulating GelSight: we simulate the optical response to the deformation with a polynomial look-up table. This table maps the deformed geometries to pixel intensity sampled by the embedded camera. In order to simulate the surface markers' motion that is caused by the surface stretch of the elastomer, we apply the linear displacement relationship and the superposition principle. The simulation model is calibrated with less than 100 data points from a real sensor. The example-based approach enables the model to easily migrate to other GelSight sensors or its variations. To the best of our knowledge, our simulation framework is the first to incorporate marker motion field simulation that derives from elastomer deformation together with the optical simulation, creating a comprehensive and computationally efficient tactile simulation framework. Experiments reveal that our optical simulation has the lowest pixel-wise intensity errors compared to prior work and can run online with CPU computing. Our code and supplementary materials are open-sourced at https://github.com/CMURoboTouch/Taxim.
'1e0a': A Computational Approach to Rhythm Training

We present a computational assessment system that promotes the learning of basic rhythmic patterns. The system is capable of generating multiple rhythmic patterns with increasing complexity within various cycle lengths. For a generated rhythm pattern the performance assessment of the learner is carried out through the statistical deviations calculated from the onset detection and temporal assessment of a learner’s performance. This is compared with the generated pattern, and their performance accuracy forms the feedback to the learner. The system proceeds to generate a new pattern of increased complexity when performance assessment results are within certain error bounds. The system thus mimics a learner-teacher relationship as the learner progresses in their feedback-based learning. The choice of progression within a cycle for each pattern is determined by a predefined complexity metric. This metric is based on a coded element model for the perceptual processing of sequential stimuli. The model earlier proposed for a sequence of tones and non-tones, is now used for onsets and silences. This system is developed into a webbased application and provides accessibility for learning purposes. Analysis of the performance assessments shows that the complexity metric is indicative of the perceptual processing of rhythm patterns and can be used for rhythm learning.
Ensemble Fine-tuned mBERT for Translation Quality Estimation

Quality Estimation (QE) is an important component of the machine translation workflow as it assesses the quality of the translated output without consulting reference translations. In this paper, we discuss our submission to the WMT 2021 QE Shared Task. We participate in Task 2 sentence-level sub-task that challenge participants to predict the HTER score for sentence-level post-editing effort. Our proposed system is an ensemble of multilingual BERT (mBERT)-based regression models, which are generated by fine-tuning on different input settings. It demonstrates comparable performance with respect to the Pearson’s correlation, and beat the baseline system in MAE/ RMSE for several language pairs. In addition, we adapt our system for the zero-shot setting by exploiting target language-relevant language pairs and pseudo-reference translations.
Persistent Incisional Pain after Noncardiac Surgery: An International Prospective Cohort Study

Background: The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence, characteristics, impact, and risk factors associated with persistent incisional pain. The hypothesis was that patient demographics and perioperative interventions are associated with persistent pain. Methods: This was a secondary analysis of an international prospective cohort study from 2012 to 2014. This study included patients who were 45 yr of age or older who underwent major inpatient noncardiac surgery. Data were collected perioperatively and at 1 yr after surgery to assess for the development of persistent incisional pain (pain present around incision at 1 yr after surgery). Results: Among 14,831 patients, 495 (3.3%; 95% CI, 3.1 to 3.6) reported persistent incisional pain at 1 yr, with an average pain intensity of 3.6 ± 2.5 (0 to 10 numeric rating scale), with 35% and 14% reporting moderate and severe pain intensities, respectively. More than half of patients with persistent pain reported needing analgesic medications, and 85% reported interference with daily activities (denominator = 495 in the above proportions). Risk factors for persistent pain included female sex (P = 0.007), Asian ethnicity (P < 0.001), surgery for fracture (P < 0.001), history of chronic pain (P < 0.001), coronary artery disease (P < 0.001), history of tobacco use (P = 0.048), postoperative patient-controlled analgesia (P < 0.001), postoperative continuous nerve block (P = 0.010), insulin initiation within 24 h of surgery (P < 0.001), and withholding nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medication or cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors on the day of surgery (P = 0.029 and P < 0.001, respectively). Older age (P < 0.001), endoscopic surgery (P = 0.005), and South Asian (P < 0.001), Native American/Australian (P = 0.004), and Latin/Hispanic ethnicities (P < 0.001) were associated with a lower risk of persistent pain. Conclusions: Persistent incisional pain is a common complication of inpatient noncardiac surgery, occurring in approximately 1 in 30 adults. It results in significant morbidity, interferes with daily living, and is associated with persistent analgesic consumption. Certain demographics, ethnicities, and perioperative practices are associated with increased risk of persistent pain. Incisional pain persisting for up to 1 yr after major noncardiac surgery was assessed prospectively in a cohort of more than 14,000 patients. Persistent incisional pain was identified in 3.3% of the patients, with nearly half reporting moderate to severe pain. Several risk factors, including female sex, history of chronic pain, coronary heart disease, and others, were identified.
Differentially private methods for managing model uncertainty in linear regression models

In this work, we propose differentially private methods for hypothesis testing, model averaging, and model selection for normal linear models. We consider Bayesian methods based on mixtures of $g$-priors and non-Bayesian methods based on likelihood-ratio statistics and information criteria. The procedures are asymptotically consistent and straightforward to implement with existing software. We focus on practical issues such as adjusting critical values so that hypothesis tests have adequate type I error rates and quantifying the uncertainty introduced by the privacy-ensuring mechanisms.
Rethinking Immersive Virtual Reality and Empathy

In this position paper, we aim to spark more discussions surrounding the use of empathy as the intended outcome ofmany studies on immersive virtual reality experiences. As a construct, empathy hasmany signicant aws that may lead to unintended and negative outcomes, going against our original goal of employing these technologies for the betterment of society. We highlight the possible advantages of designing for rational compassion instead, and propose alternative research directions and outcome measurements for immersive virtual reality that urgently warrant our attention.
Consumer Perception Towards Online Marketing

E-Commerce can be defined as the process of transferring goods and services between a buyer and a seller using the internet as a medium of trade. Every year, a new digital trend emerges, and marketers must remain on top of the developments in order to readily embrace new technologies and stay ahead of the competition. Search by voice, Smarter graph, Micro motions, Marketing in virtual reality, more stories, more live videos artificial intelligence, machine learning Email marketing that is based on engagement Detailed lead profiling Push notification from Brower, Personalization of content. The objective of the study is to study the theoretical framework of consumer perception towards online marketing, analyses the effectiveness of online marketing among the rural consumers of Karnataka and analyses the performance of online market and examine the various opportunities and threats. Selection of the Field is Karnataka has divided according to geographical and demographical has six parts like Mysore Region, Costal Region, Bombay Region, Hyderabad Region, Central Region and BBMP. Sample Design is for the study total of 1500 sample size has been selected from all six divisions and each division will get the sample size of 250. Judgmental sampling method has been used. Tools used for data analysis is the Primary data collected from 1500 respondents were coded, classified and analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS Version 20). The tools used for analysis of primary data were descriptive statistics like arithmetic mean, standard.
Predicting the Accuracy for Telemarketing Process in Banks Using Data Mining

Managing and analyzing the data that generates from routine business operations is one of the biggest challenges for the banking industry. Banks play a significant role in the growth of the economy as well as provide numerous financial services to the customers. In those services, telemarketing is a common business strategy applies in the bank to offer and promote new products and services to its customers. This type of campaign produces very large dataset, proper analysis of those data can support the bank in planning future strategies. Therefore, this study proposed a data mining approach, to analyze and predict using the telemarketing campaign dataset. The dataset was prepared based on the pieces of evidence collected from the customers, during the live call session organized by the bank. To implement the proposed model, we selected the real dataset generated during the telemarketing process. Logistic Regression, Decision Tree, and Multilayer Perceptron were part of conducted experiments. The cross-validation strategy applied for measuring and comparing the performances of each algorithm. The result suggested that logistic regression provides the best accuracy among the three models, recorded as 91.48%. The research is helpful for the banking industry, where the model can be used to predict the success of telemarketing calls and understand the patterns within the dataset. Moreover, the decision-makers can use the model for defining their future strategies to run the telemarketing process efficiently.
A three-antigen Plasmodium falciparum DNA prime—Adenovirus boost malaria vaccine regimen is superior to a two-antigen regimen and protects against controlled human malaria infection in healthy malaria-naïve adults

Background A DNA-prime/human adenovirus serotype 5 (HuAd5) boost vaccine encoding Plasmodium falciparum (Pf) circumsporozoite protein (PfCSP) and Pf apical membrane antigen-1 (PfAMA1), elicited protection in 4/15 (27%) of subjects against controlled human malaria infection (CHMI) that was statistically associated with CD8+ T cell responses. Subjects with high level pre-existing immunity to HuAd5 were not protected, suggesting an adverse effect on vaccine efficacy (VE). We replaced HuAd5 with chimpanzee adenovirus 63 (ChAd63), and repeated the study, assessing both the two-antigen (CSP, AMA1 = CA) vaccine, and a novel three-antigen (CSP, AMA1, ME-TRAP = CAT) vaccine that included a third pre-erythrocytic stage antigen [malaria multiple epitopes (ME) fused to the Pf thrombospondin-related adhesive protein (TRAP)] to potentially enhance protection. Methodology This was an open label, randomized Phase 1 trial, assessing safety, tolerability, and VE against CHMI in healthy, malaria naïve adults. Forty subjects (20 each group) were to receive three monthly CA or CAT DNA priming immunizations, followed by corresponding ChAd63 boost four months later. Four weeks after the boost, immunized subjects and 12 infectivity controls underwent CHMI by mosquito bite using the Pf3D7 strain. VE was assessed by determining the differences in time to parasitemia as detected by thick blood smears up to 28-days post CHMI and utilizing the log rank test, and by calculating the risk ratio of each treatment group and subtracting from 1, with significance calculated by the Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel method. Results In both groups, systemic adverse events (AEs) were significantly higher after the ChAd63 boost than DNA immunizations. Eleven of 12 infectivity controls developed parasitemia (mean 11.7 days). In the CA group, 15 of 16 (93.8%) immunized subjects developed parasitemia (mean 12.0 days). In the CAT group, 11 of 16 (63.8%) immunized subjects developed parasitemia (mean 13.0 days), indicating significant protection by log rank test compared to infectivity controls (p = 0.0406) and the CA group (p = 0.0229). VE (1 minus the risk ratio) in the CAT group was 25% compared to -2% in the CA group. The CA and CAT vaccines induced robust humoral (ELISA antibodies against CSP, AMA1 and TRAP, and IFA responses against sporozoites and Pf3D7 blood stages), and cellular responses (IFN-γ FluoroSpot responses to CSP, AMA1 and TRAP) that were not associated with protection. Conclusions This study demonstrated that the ChAd63 CAT vaccine exhibited significant protective efficacy, and confirmed protection was afforded by adding a third antigen (T) to a two-antigen (CA) formulation to achieve increased VE. Although the ChAd63-CAT vaccine was associated with increased frequencies of systemic AEs compared to the CA vaccine and, historically, compared to the HuAd5 vectored malaria vaccine encoding CSP and AMA1, they were transient and associated with increased vector dosing.
Association of bilateral lower limb coordination while standing with body sway control and aging

Abstract Purpose Coordinated movements of both lower limbs may be a clinically important indicator of motor control during quiet standing. From a neurological point of view, it is known that extensive coupling of muscles must be coordinated an upright posture. However, movement coordination between the lower limbs is the final motor output, is unknown. In this study, we focussed on the ground reaction force (GRF) vector and clarified the time and frequency characteristics of the force vectors of both lower limbs. Materials and methods A total of 16 healthy young adults and 18 healthy older adults participated and placed each bare foot on one of two force plates to measure the GRF vectors (i.e., anteroposterior, mediolateral, and vertical) of each lower limb and determine the centre of mass (COM) acceleration in the anteroposterior direction (COMacc). Characteristics of the coordination of both lower limbs during movements were analysed using coherence analysis and cross-correlation function analysis (CCF). Results The coherence levels of the force vectors of both lower limbs were higher in all three directions and significantly increased in the older adults. CCF analysis showed that the force vectors of both lower limbs were negatively correlated at the zero-time lag. Moreover, a weak correlation was observed between COMacc and coherence values. Conclusions The assessment of bilateral lower limb connectivity using force vectors can be used as an evaluation method to reflect changes in the ability to control bipedal standing during ageing.
Persistence Cycles for Visual Exploration of Persistent Homology

Persistent homology is a fundamental tool in topological data analysis used for the most diverse applications. Information captured by persistent homology is commonly visualized using scatter plots representations. Despite being widely adopted, such a visualization technique limits user understanding and is prone to misinterpretation. This article proposes a new approach for the efficient computation of persistence cycles, a geometric representation of the features captured by persistent homology. We illustrate the importance of rendering persistence cycles when analyzing scalar fields, and we discuss the advantages that our approach provides compared to other techniques in topology-based visualization. We provide an efficient implementation of our approach based on discrete Morse theory, as a new module for the Topology Toolkit. We show that our implementation has comparable performance with respect to state-of-the-art toolboxes while providing a better framework for visually analyzing persistent homology information.
Polyisoprenylated benzophenones and xanthones from the pericarp of Garcinia planchonii Pierre

Abstract Two new polyisoprenylated benzophenones, planchoniones A (1) and B (2), together with two known benzophenones (3, 4) and six known xanthones (5-10), were isolated from an ethyl acetate extract of the pericarp of Garcinia planchonii Pierre. Their structures were established using spectroscopic methods, mainly 1D and 2D NMR. The four benzophenones were evaluated for their cytotoxicity against MCF-7 human breast cancer cells, and showed almost no activity. Meanwhile, compounds 5-10 were investigated for their inhibitory effects towards α-glucosidase, and γ-mangostin (5) exhibited the most remarkable effect with IC50 value of 15.3 ± 0.9 µM (compared with acarbose, IC50 = 224.9 ± 3.6 µM). Graphical Abstract
Efficacy and safety of dissimilar acupuncture intervention time-points in treating stroke: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND Impairment of motor function and activities of daily living is very common in post-stroke patients. Acupuncture has been used in stroke for a long time. Although growing evidence supports the beneficial effects of acupuncture, there is still no clear conclusion on the optimal intervention time-point for acupuncture in stroke. Thus, we tried to assess the efficacy and safety of dissimilar acupuncture intervention time-points by network meta-analysis (NMA). METHODS A retrieval was performed in several databases from beginning to October 2020. We only enrolled randomized controlled trials (RCTs) testing acupuncture for stroke, and the outcome indicators measured were Fugl-Meyer assessment (FMA) score, Barthel Index (BI), and adverse events. RESULTS Thirty-eight trials involving 3,836 participants were included in this NMA, the vast majority of which had a low or unclear risk of selection bias, detection bias, reporting bias, attrition bias, but had a high risk of performance bias. The results showed as following: (I) acupuncture treatment (Acu) is significantly more effective than non-acupuncture treatment (Non-Acu) with a good safety. (II) In terms of FMA, acupuncture within 48 h post-stroke (Acu I) was superior to acupuncture within 2-15 d post-stroke (Acu II) [standard mean difference (SMD): 7.17; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.11 to 13.22], acupuncture within 16-30 d post-stroke (Acu III) (SMD: 20.73; 95% CI, 13.68 to 27.78), acupuncture within 1 month to half a year post-stroke (Acu IV) (SMD: 26.95; 95% CI, 14.88 to 39.02). As for BI, Acu I was the optimal timepoint, comparing with Acu III (SMD: 15.18; 95% CI, 8.97 to 21.39) and Acu IV (SMD: 22.88; 95% CI, 11.07 to 34.69). (III) Results of ranking indicated that Acu was better than Non-Acu at a similar stage in improving FMA and BI, while Acu I was the optimal intervention time-point, followed by Acu II. CONCLUSIONS Although the credibility of our conclusions is low, our NMA indicates that acupuncture can be beneficial for stroke survivors with good safety. In terms of improvement in FMA score and BI, the soon use of acupuncture the better the efficacy. The optimal acupuncture intervention time-point for stroke is within 48 h post-stroke, and the significant validity period lasts until 15 days after onset.
Fast and nonuniform dynamics of perisaccadic vision in the central fovea

Significance Humans shift their gaze more frequently than their heart beats. These rapid eye movements (saccades) enable high visual acuity by redirecting the tiny high-resolution region of the retina (the foveola). But in doing so, they abruptly sweep the image across receptors, raising questions on how the visual system achieves stable percepts. It is well established that visual sensitivity is transiently attenuated during saccades. However, little is known about the time course of foveal vision despite its disproportionate importance, as technical challenges have so far prevented study of how saccades affect the foveola. Here we show that saccades modulate this region in a nonuniform manner, providing stronger and faster changes at its very center, a locus with higher sensitivity. Humans use rapid eye movements (saccades) to inspect stimuli with the foveola, the region of the retina where receptors are most densely packed. It is well established that visual sensitivity is generally attenuated during these movements, a phenomenon known as saccadic suppression. This effect is commonly studied with large, often peripheral, stimuli presented during instructed saccades. However, little is known about how saccades modulate the foveola and how the resulting dynamics unfold during natural visual exploration. Here we measured the foveal dynamics of saccadic suppression in a naturalistic high-acuity task, a task designed after primates’ social grooming, which—like most explorations of fine patterns—primarily elicits minute saccades (microsaccades). Leveraging on recent advances in gaze-contingent display control, we were able to systematically map the perisaccadic time course of sensitivity across the foveola. We show that contrast sensitivity is not uniform across this region and that both the extent and dynamics of saccadic suppression vary within the foveola. Suppression is stronger and faster in the most central portion, where sensitivity is generally higher and selectively rebounds at the onset of a new fixation. These results shed light on the modulations experienced by foveal vision during the saccade-fixation cycle and explain some of the benefits of microsaccades.