CheckerPose: Progressive Dense Keypoint Localization for Object Pose Estimation with Graph Neural Network

Estimating the 6-DoF pose of a rigid object from a single RGB image is a crucial yet challenging task. Recent studies have shown the great potential of dense correspondence-based solutions, yet improvements are still needed to reach practical deployment. In this paper, we propose a novel pose estimation algorithm named CheckerPose, which improves on three main aspects. Firstly, CheckerPose densely samples 3D keypoints from the surface of the 3D object and finds their 2D correspondences progressively in the 2D image. Compared to previous solutions that conduct dense sampling in the image space, our strategy enables the correspondence searching in a 2D grid (i.e., pixel coordinate). Secondly, for our 3D-to-2D correspondence, we design a compact binary code representation for 2D image locations. This representation not only allows for progressive correspondence refinement but also converts the correspondence regression to a more efficient classification problem. Thirdly, we adopt a graph neural network to explicitly model the interactions among the sampled 3D keypoints, further boosting the reliability and accuracy of the correspondences. Together, these novel components make our CheckerPose a strong pose estimation algorithm. When evaluated on the popular Linemod, Linemod-O, and YCB-V object pose estimation benchmarks, CheckerPose clearly boosts the accuracy of correspondence-based methods and achieves state-of-the-art performances

Modeling Deep Learning Based Privacy Attacks on Physical Mail

Mail privacy protection aims to prevent unauthorized access to hidden content within an envelope since normal paper envelopes are not as safe as we think. In this paper, for the first time, we show that with a well designed deep learning model, the hidden content may be largely recovered without opening the envelope. We start by modeling deep learning-based privacy attacks on physical mail content as learning the mapping from the camera-captured envelope front face image to the hidden content, then we explicitly model the mapping as a combination of perspective transformation, image dehazing and denoising using a deep convolutional neural network, named Neural-STE (See-Through-Envelope). We show experimentally that hidden content details, such as texture and image structure, can be clearly recovered. Finally, our formulation and model allow us to design envelopes that can counter deep learning-based privacy attacks on physical mail.Comment: Source code: https://github.com/BingyaoHuang/Neural-ST

A Novel Rough Set Model in Generalized Single Valued Neutrosophic Approximation Spaces and Its Application

In this paper, we extend the rough set model on two different universes in intuitionistic fuzzy approximation spaces to a single-valued neutrosophic environment

Perception of The Leadership Behaviour on Job Satisfaction Among Registered Nurses

There are many factors, and one of the factors influencing job satisfaction is leadership behavior. The purpose of this study is to determine the association between socio-demographic and the leadership behavior of nurse managers on job satisfaction based on the perception of registered nurses in a selected private hospital, Malaysia. A crosssectional descriptive study involving 161 registered nurses using convenient sampling with self-administered questionnaires and using Leadership Behaviour Description Questionnaire (LBDQ) and Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ). There was no significant correlation between socio-demographic data and job satisfaction with the Pearson correlation of (r < 0.3, p > 0.05). However, the result showed that there was statistically significant between leadership behaviour and job satisfaction with (p < 0.05, r = 0.572, p = 0.000 and r = 0.531, p = 0.022). Leadership behavior serves as an important aspect in nursing to determine job satisfaction and address nurse shortage issues in the future. Hence, staff development and monitor the leadership behavior among the staff to provide them a piece of measurable concept pertaining to leadership behavior at least to let them understand their progress to becoming an effective leader

Tetra­aqua­bis­(2-methyl-1H-benzimidazolium-1,3-diacetato-κO)cobalt(II) tetra­hydrate

In the title compound, [Co(C12H11N2O4)2(H2O)4]·4H2O, the CoII atom lies on an inversion center and is octa­hedrally coordinated by six O atoms from four water mol­ecules and two monodentate zwitterionic 2-methyl­benzimidazolium-1,3-diacetate ligands. An intra­molecular O—H⋯O hydrogen bond occurs. In the crystal, inter­molecular O—H⋯O hydrogen bonds link the mol­ecules into a three-dimensional network. π–π inter­actions between the imidazole and benzene rings [centroid–centroid distance = 3.9031 (17) Å] consolidate the crystal packing

Penghujahan saintifik pelajar melalui pembinaan hujah bertulis dalam pengajaran dan pembelajaran berintegrasikan penghujahan

Penghujahan saintifik merupakan matlamat utama pendidikan sains masa kini dan diberi penekanan utama memandangkan kebolehannya dalam memupuk pembinaan pengetahuan saintifik pelajar. Kajian ini bertujuan mengkaji penguasaan dan skema penghujahan saintifik pelajar dalam pembinaan hujah saintifik selepas tamat sesi pengajaran berintegrasikan penghujahan berdasarkan kerangka Berland dan McNeil. Seramai 176 pelajar tingkatan empat aliran sains dari lima buah sekolah menengah terlibat dalam kajian ini. Data kajian dikumpul dengan menggunakan instrumen Ujian Penghujahan Saintifik Terbuka (UPSB) dan Temubual Separa Berstruktur Pelajar (TSBP). Data daripada hujah bertulis pelajar dianalisis dengan menggunakan sistem perisian SPSS Version 19.0 serta teknik analisis kandungan bagi menghuraikan secara mendalam penguasaan dan skema penghujahan pelajar. Dapatan kajian menunjukkan terdapat perbezaan signifikan antara hujah saintifik dengan hujah tidak saintifik yang dibina oleh pelajar. Pelajar aliran sains berupaya membentuk hujah saintifik dengan konsep sains yang tepat. Walaubagaimana pun, kebanyakan hujah saintifik yang dibentuk adalah hujah mudah pada aras makroskopik. Ini menunjukkan pelajar mempunyai pengetahuan terhadap fenomena yang dikaji tetapi tidak berupaya memberikan hubungan antara ketiga-tiga aras perwakilan iaitu makroskopik, sub mikroskoipk dan persimbolan bagi konsep yang terlibat. Sementara itu, skema penghujahan saintifik yang kerap dijumpai dalam kalangan pelajar adalah skema mudah yang terdiri daripada elemen dakwaan, bukti dan alasan ringkas pada aras makroskopik serta kekurangan elemen penyangkal berkaitan hujah alternatif. Justeru, guru sains seharusnya merancang pengajaran supaya berpusatkan pelajar serta menekankan aktiviti-aktiviti yang berteraskan penghujahan saintifik. Pendedahan dan pengalaman kemahiran penghujahan saintifik yang diperolehi dapat meningkatkan penguasaan penghujahan saintifik pelajar sekaligus meningkatkan pemahaman pengetahuan kandungan sains pelajar

The Mind-Body Connection: Exploring the Defining Characteristics of Two Aging Phenotypes

Introduction: Built on the theory of mind-body connection, there has been a growing interest in phenotypes combining physical frailty and cognitive decline. Two examples are motoric cognitive risk syndrome (MCR) and cognitive frailty (CF). MCR, defined by co-presentation of slow gait and subjective cognitive complaint without dementia or mobility disability, is considered a “pre-dementia syndrome.” CF, defined as having both physical frailty and cognitive impairment in the absence of dementia, is posited to be caused by physical frailty. Although both MCR and CF have been associated with dementia risk, the relationship between the two is unknown. We aimed to (1) assess the concordance between the two, and (2) describe the characteristics of those with MCR or CF or both. By doing so, we hope to move beyond risk prediction towards a better understanding of heterogeneity in cognitive decline. Methods: The analysis uses baseline data (year 2011) from the National Health and Aging Trend Study. Frailty was measured by the physical frailty phenotype. Cognitive impairment was based on self/proxy report of dementia and cognitive performance tests. We first estimated the prevalence of 3 groups: having MCR only, having CF only and having both MCR and CF. Next, we examined the associations between group membership and demographic/health characteristics using multinomial logistic regression. Results: Of the 6,212 eligible subjects, 304 had MCR only, 410 were CF only, and 115 had both. While 21.9% of those with CF had MCR, 27.5% of those with MCR had CF. Those who had both were more likely to be Blacks and Hispanics, in a lower socioeconomic status. The CF only group had a stronger association with comorbidity burden than MCR only. Health characteristics were more similar between the CF only group and the both group. The differences between the MCR only and the CF only were mostly due to the exclusion of mobility disability in the case of MCR. Conclusions: There are noteworthy areas of discordance between MCR and CF. The exact etiology of their differences remains undetermined and it is unclear if these syndromes are measuring the same underlying process at different stages of advancement or entirely different pathological processes of cognitive decline