Adversarial Attacks on Classifiers for Eye-based User Modelling

An ever-growing body of work has demonstrated the rich information content available in eye movements for user modelling, e.g. for predicting users' activities, cognitive processes, or even personality traits. We show that state-of-the-art classifiers for eye-based user modelling are highly vulnerable to adversarial examples: small artificial perturbations in gaze input that can dramatically change a classifier's predictions. We generate these adversarial examples using the Fast Gradient Sign Method (FGSM) that linearises the gradient to find suitable perturbations. On the sample task of eye-based document type recognition we study the success of different adversarial attack scenarios: with and without knowledge about classifier gradients (white-box vs. black-box) as well as with and without targeting the attack to a specific class, In addition, we demonstrate the feasibility of defending against adversarial attacks by adding adversarial examples to a classifier's training data.Comment: 9 pages, 7 figure

Design, Manufacturing, and Characterization of Thin, Core-Free, Rolled Dielectric Elastomer Actuators

In this work, we develop a coreless rolled dielectric elastomer actuator (CORDEA) to be used as artificial muscles in soft robotic structures. The new CORDEA concept is based on a 50 µm silicone film with screen-printed electrodes made of carbon black suspended in polydimethylsiloxane. Two printed silicone films are stacked together and then tightly rolled in a spiral-like structure. Readily available off-the-shelf components are used to implement both electrical and mechanical contacts. A novel manufacturing process is developed to enable the production of rolled actuators without a hollow core, with a focus on simplicity and reliability. In this way, actuator systems with high energy density can be effectively achieved. After presenting the design, an experimental evaluation of the CORDEA electromechanical behavior is performed. Finally, actuator experiments in which the CORDEA is pre-loaded with a mass load and subsequently subject to cycling voltage are illustrated, and the resulting performance is discussed

Streptococcus agalactiae clones infecting humans were selected and fixed through the extensive use of tetracycline

Streptococcus agalactiae (Group B Streptococcus, GBS) is a commensal of the digestive and genitourinary tracts of humans that emerged as the leading cause of bacterial neonatal infections in Europe and North America during the 1960s. Due to the lack of epidemiological and genomic data, the reasons for this emergence are unknown. Here we show by comparative genome analysis and phylogenetic reconstruction of 229 isolates that the rise of human GBS infections corresponds to the selection and worldwide dissemination of only a few clones. The parallel expansion of the clones is preceded by the insertion of integrative and conjugative elements conferring tetracycline resistance (TcR). Thus, we propose that the use of tetracycline from 1948 onwards led in humans to the complete replacement of a diverse GBS population by only few TcR clones particularly well adapted to their host, causing the observed emergence of GBS diseases in neonates. \ua9 2014 Macmillan Publishers Limited. All rights reserved

The German National Pandemic Cohort Network (NAPKON): rationale, study design and baseline characteristics

Schons M, Pilgram L, Reese J-P, et al. The German National Pandemic Cohort Network (NAPKON): rationale, study design and baseline characteristics. European Journal of Epidemiology . 2022.The German government initiated the Network University Medicine (NUM) in early 2020 to improve national research activities on the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic. To this end, 36 German Academic Medical Centers started to collaborate on 13 projects, with the largest being the National Pandemic Cohort Network (NAPKON). The NAPKON's goal is creating the most comprehensive Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) cohort in Germany. Within NAPKON, adult and pediatric patients are observed in three complementary cohort platforms (Cross-Sectoral, High-Resolution and Population-Based) from the initial infection until up to three years of follow-up. Study procedures comprise comprehensive clinical and imaging diagnostics, quality-of-life assessment, patient-reported outcomes and biosampling. The three cohort platforms build on four infrastructure core units (Interaction, Biosampling, Epidemiology, and Integration) and collaborations with NUM projects. Key components of the data capture, regulatory, and data privacy are based on the German Centre for Cardiovascular Research. By April 01, 2022, 34 university and 40 non-university hospitals have enrolled 5298 patients with local data quality reviews performed on 4727 (89%). 47% were female, the median age was 52 (IQR 36-62-) and 50 pediatric cases were included. 44% of patients were hospitalized, 15% admitted to an intensive care unit, and 12% of patients deceased while enrolled. 8845 visits with biosampling in 4349 patients were conducted by April 03, 2022. In this overview article, we summarize NAPKON's design, relevant milestones including first study population characteristics, and outline the potential of NAPKON for German and international research activities.Trial registration https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04768998 . https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04747366 . https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04679584. © 2022. The Author(s)

Siegen Symposium for Geomeasurement Technology - Current and future challenges : from the four-eyes principle to AI

Die klimabedingt zu erwartende Zunahme von Extremwetterereignissen stellt die bebaute Umwelt vor erhebliche Herausforderungen und erfordert die Entwicklung geeigneter Anpassungsstrategien. Der Geomesstechnik kommt dabei eine besondere Bedeutung zu, denn verknüpft mit der mathematisch-mechanischen Modellbildung liefert sie die Grundlage für die Bewertung möglicher geomechanischer Risiken und für die daraus abzuleitenden Planungsmaßnahmen. In diesem Symposium werden die aktuellen Entwicklungen, die Möglichkeiten und Grenzen der Geomesstechnik in einem interdisziplinären und thematisch breit angelegten Kontext ausgelotet.The expected increase in extreme weather events due to climate change poses considerable challenges to the built environment and requires the development of suitable adaptation strategies. Geomeasurement technology is of particular importance in this context, because linked with mathematical-mechanical modeling it provides the basis for the assessment of possible geomechanical risks and for the planning measures to be derived from them. In this symposium, the current developments, the possibilities and limits of geomeasurement technology will be explored in an interdisciplinary and thematically broad context