Multimodal 3D Object Detection from Simulated Pretraining

The need for simulated data in autonomous driving applications has become increasingly important, both for validation of pretrained models and for training new models. In order for these models to generalize to real-world applications, it is critical that the underlying dataset contains a variety of driving scenarios and that simulated sensor readings closely mimics real-world sensors. We present the Carla Automated Dataset Extraction Tool (CADET), a novel tool for generating training data from the CARLA simulator to be used in autonomous driving research. The tool is able to export high-quality, synchronized LIDAR and camera data with object annotations, and offers configuration to accurately reflect a real-life sensor array. Furthermore, we use this tool to generate a dataset consisting of 10 000 samples and use this dataset in order to train the 3D object detection network AVOD-FPN, with finetuning on the KITTI dataset in order to evaluate the potential for effective pretraining. We also present two novel LIDAR feature map configurations in Bird's Eye View for use with AVOD-FPN that can be easily modified. These configurations are tested on the KITTI and CADET datasets in order to evaluate their performance as well as the usability of the simulated dataset for pretraining. Although insufficient to fully replace the use of real world data, and generally not able to exceed the performance of systems fully trained on real data, our results indicate that simulated data can considerably reduce the amount of training on real data required to achieve satisfactory levels of accuracy.Comment: 12 pages, part of proceedings for the NAIS 2019 symposiu

GAIT Technology for Human Recognition using CNN

Gait is a distinctive biometric characteristic that can be detected from a distance; as a result, it has several uses in social security, forensic identification, and crime prevention. Existing gait identification techniques use a gait template, which makes it difficult to keep temporal information, or a gait sequence, which maintains pointless sequential limitations and loses the ability to portray a gait. Our technique, which is based on this deep set viewpoint, is immune to frame permutations and can seamlessly combine frames from many videos that were taken in various contexts, such as diversified watching, angles, various outfits, or various situations for transporting something. According to experiments, our single-model strategy obtains an average rank-1 accuracy of 96.1% on the CASIA-B gait dataset and an accuracy of 87.9% on the OU-MVLP gait dataset when used under typical walking conditions. Our model also demonstrates a great degree of robustness under numerous challenging circumstances. When carrying bags and wearing a coat while walking, it obtains accuracy on the CASIA-B of 90.8% and 70.3%, respectively, greatly surpassing the best approach currently in use. Additionally, the suggested method achieves a satisfactory level of accuracy even when there are few frames available in the test samples; for instance, it achieves 85.0% on the CASIA-B even with only 7 frames

A Study on the Benefits of Sustainable Management Practices and its Association with Talent Retention in Star Category Hotels

Sustainable management encompasses ideas from sustainability and synthesizes them with the concepts of management. This paper focuses on studying the benefits related to sustainable management practices that are adopted and followed in the hotel industry with specific reference to Star Category Hotels of Pune Region and its association with retention of the talented employees in the organisation.The study had reviewed the practices adopted by star category hotels and its association with retaining the talented bunch of employees. The research design for these factors is then explained further, which is supported by a Chi-Square test as a tool of data interpretation. A structured questionnaire was circulated amongst the managerial level employees in star hotels of the Pune region and responses were collected. The study had revealed that employees do believe that parameters covered under the benefits of the talent retention are mutually beneficial for the organisation as well as the employees

Consumption of Family Takaful affected by Microeconomic Factors: A Case Study of Islamic insurance Takaful in Pakistan

This study empirically verifies the link between macroeconomic variables (i.e. income per capita, savings, inflation, stock and index) with the demand for Family Takaful in the context of Pakistan using time-series data from 2006 to 2016 of Pak-Qatar Family Takaful Company and Dawood Family Takaful Company. It was concluded from this study that per capita income is a strong forecaster of Family Takaful demand in Pakistan, while other macro-economic factors such as KSE composite index has significant and positive relationship with Takaful demand in Pakistan. The other three variables i.e. saving, interest rate and inflation are having insignificant relationship with Family Takaful demand in Pakistan

Modeling scattered intensity from microspheres in evanescent field

The technique of single particle Total Internal Reflection Microscopy (TIRM) has been used to study the scattering intensity from levitated microspheres. TIRM can be used to monitor the separation between microscopic spheres immersed in liquid (water in our case) and a surface with nm resolution. In the technique, microspheres scatter light when the evanescent waves are incident upon them. The intensity of the scattered light is directly related to the height above the surface and allows determination of the height. From the separation distance histograms, the interaction between the microsphere and interface may be characterized with a force resolution in the range of 0.01 picoNewtons. Such a system can be applied to the measurement of biomolecular interactions biomolecules attached to the microsphere and the surface. The intensity and scattering pattern of this light has been modeled using a modified Mie theory which accounts for the evanescent nature of the incident light. Diffusing Colloidal Probe Microscopy (DCPM) is an extension of the TIRM technique that simultaneously monitors multiple microsphere probes. The use of multiple probes introduces the issue of probe polydispersity. When measured at the surface, a variation in scattered light intensity of nearly one order of magnitude has been observed from a purchased microsphere sample. Thus the polydisperse collection of microspheres adds significant complexity to the scattered light signal. It is hypothesized that the dependence of the total scattered light intensity on microsphere size accounts for the scattered intensity distribution in a polydisperse microsphere sample. Understanding this variation in the scattered light with microsphere size will allow improved characterization of the microsphere/surface separation. Additionally, larger microspheres have the ability to resonantly confine light and produce spectrally narrow Whispering Gallery Modes (WGMs). It is hypothesized that WGMs may be excited in microspheres with the DCPM system. These modes may be used as a refractometric biosensor with high sensitivity to local refractive index changes on the surface of the microsphere. This research involves modeling scattered intensity distributions for polydispersed collections of microspheres based on modified Mie theory. The theoretical results are compared to experimentally obtained results and found to qualitatively explain the scattered light intensity distribution in a multiple probe DCPM system. This is an important result suggesting that microsphere size variation plays a major role in determining the distribution of scattered intensity in multiple microsphere probe systems. This work also suggests that it may be possible to excite such WGMs in a DCPM system. The introduction of WGMs would enable refractometric biosensing in such evanescent mode systems

Is rotator cuff repair worthwhile in patients with co-morbidities?

Background: Rotator cuff tears are a common source of shoulder pain. The incidence increases with age and is most frequently due to degeneration of the tendon, rather than injury. This study is done to see whether in patients having established rotator cuff tears with co-morbidities like hypertension diabetes, epilepsy, etc. a surgical repair is worthwhile or whether it is better to leave such patients alone in order to give them a better quality of life.Methods: A total of 35 patients with co-morbidities, treated by a single surgeon of which 8 by open method, 19 with arthroscopic assisted mini open rotator cuff repair and 8 entire arthroscopically were evaluated retrospectively. Small tears (<1 cm), medium tears (1-3 cm); large tears (3-5 cm) were addressed by the same surgical procedure using bone tunnels, suture anchors, or a combination of both. The patients were evaluated by history, examination, pain scores and constant scores.Results: As compared to patients with no co-morbidities, these patients took longer time for healing especially diabetics. Despite that 27 patients had excellent pain relief, 5 good and 3 poor pain relief. Constant scores improved in all patients.Conclusion: Patients with co-morbidities take longer time to heal, yet the final outcome which is attained and relief of pain and relief in the form of activities of daily living that we could offer the patients makes the surgery worthwhile. It is well worth operating on patients with co-morbidities and a rotator cuff tear, giving them a better pain free life and better activities of daily living.

A study on Inclination of People towards Super Foods to Sustain Good Health during Pandemic

At present, Super foods is promoted by most of the countries in the world aiming at sustainable health to fight the Covid 19 pandemic. This is a additional nutrient supplement taken in the natural form by Identifying the Highly Nutritious Ingredients This research intents to show various factors affecting the growth in consumption of Super foods and spreading its awareness due to experiences better health benefits. This inclusion in the diet helps in Sustaining, environment, reducing carbon footprints, uplifting the individuals Health and eventually improving local economy by promoting Indian affordable locally grown Nutritious Ingredients which can be consumed as Super foods. This Research is descriptive form of Qualitative research and the Analysis of received data is done by Implementation Value added method, the respondents were selected from various age groups to identify the awareness of the concept and impact of super food intake daily within in the different age group for Covid 19 pandemic. The Sampling technique undertaken is stratified sampling and random sampling also the data is collected. Through specially carved questionnaire and distributed to 100 respondents and then the secondary data was gathered to support the findings through articles and newsletters. &nbsp; The findings are listed in the Manuscript but inclusion of these Super foods should be a habit for sustaining good health and better lifestyle

Accuracy, Sensitivity and Specificity of Oral Brush Cytology in the Diagnosis of Oral Epithelial Lesions

Background: Oral Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is highly prevalent in Pakistan than the rest of the world. Five-year survival rate is 80% if SCC is diagnosed at an early stage. The survival rate declines to 20% if diagnosed at a later stage. The objective of the present study was to find out the usefulness of oral brush cytology in detecting oral lesions. Material and Methods: In the present prospective observational study, 88 samples were collected from Maxillofacial Surgery Out-Patient Department (OPD), Liaquat University Hospital and ISRA University Hospital from July 2015 to December 2015. After taking written informed consent, oral brush cytology was performed and stained with standard Papanicolaou (PAP) staining protocol. The biopsy of the patients was performed by standard protocols of oral biopsy and specimen preserved in 10% buffered formalin. Cross tabulation between diagnosis of brush cytology and biopsy of same patients was done and accuracy, sensitivity and specificity were calculated. Results: According to the distribution of patients on brush cytology, 59.1% patients were diagnosed with malignant tumors, whereas 17.1% had benign tumors. On biopsy of the same patients, squamous cell carcinoma was confirmed in 72.7% and benign tumors were found in 17% of the patients. Comparison of brush cytology with biopsy of same patients revealed no significant difference. Accuracy, sensitivity and specificity of brush cytology of the oral cavity for detection of malignant tumor were calculated as 86.36%, 81.25% and 100% respectively. Whereas accuracy, sensitivity and specificity of brush cytology of the oral cavity for detection of benign and inflammatory conditions were 100%. Conclusion: Oral brush cytology has good accuracy, sensitivity and specificity for detection of oral epithelial lesions and can be useful in early detection of oral cancer as well as other lesions. Moreover, as an easy-to-do, painless and non-invasive procedure, it can be a good screening method for detection of oral lesions