Can people identify original and manipulated photos of real-world scenes?

Advances in digital technology mean that the creation of visually compelling photographic fakes is growing at an incredible speed. The prevalence of manipulated photos in our everyday lives invites an important, yet largely unanswered, question: Can people detect photo forgeries? Previous research using simple computer-generated stimuli suggests people are poor at detecting geometrical inconsistencies within a scene. We do not know, however, whether such limitations also apply to real-world scenes that contain common properties that the human visual system is attuned to processing. In two experiments we asked people to detect and locate manipulations within images of real-world scenes. Subjects demonstrated a limited ability to detect original and manipulated images. Furthermore, across both experiments, even when subjects correctly detected manipulated images, they were often unable to locate the manipulation. People’s ability to detect manipulated images was positively correlated with the extent of disruption to the underlying structure of the pixels in the photo. We also explored whether manipulation type and individual differences were associated with people’s ability to identify manipulations. Taken together, our findings show, for the first time, that people have poor ability to identify whether a real-world image is original or has been manipulated. The results have implications for professionals working with digital images in legal, media, and other domains

AI-synthesized faces are indistinguishable from real faces and more trustworthy

Artificial intelligence (AI)–synthesized text, audio, image, and video are being weaponized for the purposes of nonconsensual intimate imagery, financial fraud, and disinformation campaigns. Our evaluation of the photorealism of AI-synthesized faces indicates that synthesis engines have passed through the uncanny valley and are capable of creating faces that are indistinguishable—and more trustworthy—than real faces

Investigating age-related differences in ability to distinguish between original and manipulated images

Manipulated images can have serious and persistent ramifications across many domains: They have undermined trust in political campaigns, incited fear and violence, and fostered dangerous global movements. Despite growing concern about the power of manipulated images to influence people’s beliefs and behavior, few studies have examined whether people can detect manipulations and the psychological processes underpinning this task. We asked 5,291 older adults, 5,291 middle-aged adults, and 5,291 young adults to detect and locate manipulations within images of real-world scenes. To determine whether a simple intervention could improve people’s ability to detect manipulations, some participants viewed a short video which described the five common manipulation techniques used in the present study. Overall, participants demonstrated a limited ability to distinguish between original and manipulated images. Older adults were less accurate in detecting and locating manipulations than younger and middle-aged adults, and the effect of age varied by manipulation type. The video intervention improved performance marginally. Participants were often overconfident in their decisions, despite having limited ability to detect manipulations. Older adults were more likely than younger and middle-aged adults to report checking for shadow/lighting inconsistencies, a strategy that was not associated with improved discriminability, and less likely to report using other strategies (e.g., photometric inconsistencies) that were associated with improved discriminability. Differences in strategy use might help to account for the age differences in accuracy. Further research is needed to advance our understanding of the psychological mechanisms underlying image manipulation detection and the myriad factors that may enhance or impair performance

Detecting morphed passport photos : a training and individual differences approach

Our reliance on face photos for identity verification is at odds with extensive research which shows that matching pairs of unfamiliar faces is highly prone to error. This process can therefore be exploited by identity fraudsters seeking to deceive ID checkers (e.g. using a stolen passport which contains an image of similar looking individual to deceive border control officials). In this study we build on previous work which sought to quantify the threat posed by a relatively new type of fraud - morphed passport photos. Participants were initially unaware of the presence of morphs in a series of face photo arrays, and were simply asked to detect which images they thought had been digitally manipulated (i.e. “images that didn’t look quite right”). All participants then received basic information on morph fraud and rudimentary guidance on how to detect such images, followed by a morph detection training task (Training Group, N = 40), or a non-face control task (Guidance Group, N = 40). Participants also completed a post-guidance/training morph detection task, and the Models Face Matching Test (MFMT). Our findings show that baseline morph detection rates were poor, that morph detection training significantly improved the identification of these images over and above basic guidance, and accuracy on the mismatch condition of the MFMT correlated with morph detection ability. The results are discussed in relation to potential counter-measures for morph-based identity fraud

Personality Dysfunction Manifest in Words : Understanding Personality Pathology Using Computational Language Analysis

Personality disorders (PDs) are some of the most prevalent and high-risk mental health conditions, and yet remain poorly understood. Today, the development of new technologies means that there are advanced tools that can be used to improve our understanding and treatment of PD. One promising tool – indeed, the focus of this thesis – is computational language analysis. By looking at patterns in how people with personality pathology use words, it is possible to gain access into their constellation of thinking, feelings, and behaviours. To date, however, there has been little research at the intersection of verbal behaviour and personality pathology. Accordingly, the central goal of this thesis is to demonstrate how PD can be better understood through the analysis of natural language. This thesis presents three research articles, comprising four empirical studies, that each leverage computational language analysis to better understand personality pathology. Each paper focuses on a distinct core feature of PD, while incorporating language analysis methods: Paper 1 (Study 1) focuses on interpersonal dysfunction; Paper 2 (Studies 2 and 3) focuses on emotion dysregulation; and Paper 3 (Study 4) focuses on behavioural dysregulation (i.e., engagement in suicidality and deliberate self-harm). Findings from this research have generated better understanding of fundamental features of PD, including insight into characterising dimensions of social dysfunction (Paper 1), maladaptive emotion processes that may contribute to emotion dysregulation (Paper 2), and psychosocial dynamics relating to suicidality and deliberate self-harm (Paper 3) in PD. Such theoretical knowledge subsequently has important implications for clinical practice, particularly regarding the potential to inform psychological therapy. More broadly, this research highlights how language can provide implicit and unobtrusive insight into the personality and psychological processes that underlie personality pathology at a large-scale, using an individualised, naturalistic approach

Carbapenem-Resistant Bacteria Recovered from Faeces of Dairy Cattle in the High Plains Region of the USA

OBJECTIVE:A study was conducted to recover carbapenem-resistant bacteria from the faeces of dairy cattle and identify the underlying genetic mechanisms associated with reduced phenotypic susceptibility to carbapenems. METHODS:One hundred and fifty-nine faecal samples from dairy cattle were screened for carbapenem-resistant bacteria. Phenotypic screening was conducted on two media containing ertapenem. The isolates from the screening step were characterised via disk diffusion, Modified Hodge, and Carba NP assays. Carbapenem-resistant bacteria and carbapenemase-producing isolates were subjected to Gram staining and biochemical testing to include Gram-negative bacilli. Whole genome sequencing was performed on bacteria that exhibited either a carbapenemase-producing phenotype or were not susceptible to ertapenem and were presumptively Enterobacteriaceae. RESULTS:Of 323 isolates collected from the screening media, 28 were selected for WGS; 21 of which were based on a carbapenemase-producing phenotype and 7 were presumptively Enterobacteriaceae and not susceptible to ertapenem. Based on analysis of WGS data, isolates included: 3 Escherichia coli harbouring blaCMY-2 and truncated ompF genes; 8 Aeromonas harbouring blacphA-like genes; 1 Acinetobacter baumannii harbouring a novel blaOXA gene (blaOXA-497); and 6 Pseudomonas with conserved domains of various carbapenemase-producing genes. CONCLUSIONS:Carbapenem resistant bacteria appear to be rare in cattle. Nonetheless, carbapenem-resistant bacteria were detected across various genera and were found to harbour a variety of mechanisms conferring reduced susceptibility. The development and dissemination of carbapenem-resistant bacteria in livestock would have grave implications for therapeutic treatment options in human medicine; thus, continued monitoring of carbapenem susceptibility among enteric bacteria of livestock is warranted

Exercise attenuates cardiotoxicity of anthracycline chemotherapy measured by global longitudinal strain [Letter]

[Extract] Anthracycline-based chemotherapy (AC) is a common treatment for patients with breast cancer and has been associated with a dramatic improvement in breast cancer survivorship. Among patients with early-stage breast cancer, cardiovascular diseases represent the most common cause of mortality, and there is a growing emphasis on strategies for minimizing the toxic effects of breast cancer treatments on the cardiovascular system (1)

Exercise attenuates cardiotoxicity of anthracycline chemotherapy measured by global longitudinal strain [Letter]

[Extract] Anthracycline-based chemotherapy (AC) is a common treatment for patients with breast cancer and has been associated with a dramatic improvement in breast cancer survivorship. Among patients with early-stage breast cancer, cardiovascular diseases represent the most common cause of mortality, and there is a growing emphasis on strategies for minimizing the toxic effects of breast cancer treatments on the cardiovascular system (1)

ILC2-modulated T cell-to-MDSC balance is associated with bladder cancer recurrence.

Non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) is a highly recurrent tumor despite intravesical immunotherapy instillation with the bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine. In a prospective longitudinal study, we took advantage of BCG instillations, which increase local immune infiltration, to characterize immune cell populations in the urine of patients with NMIBC as a surrogate for the bladder tumor microenvironment. We observed an infiltration of neutrophils, T cells, monocytic myeloid-derived suppressor cells (M-MDSCs), and group 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2). Notably, patients with a T cell-to-MDSC ratio of less than 1 showed dramatically lower recurrence-free survival than did patients with a ratio of greater than 1. Analysis of early and later time points indicated that this patient dichotomy existed prior to BCG treatment. ILC2 frequency was associated with detectable IL-13 in the urine and correlated with the level of recruited M-MDSCs, which highly expressed IL-13 receptor α1. In vitro, ILC2 were increased and potently expressed IL-13 in the presence of BCG or tumor cells. IL-13 induced the preferential recruitment and suppressive function of monocytes. Thus, the T cell-to-MDSC balance, associated with a skewing toward type 2 immunity, may predict bladder tumor recurrence and influence the mortality of patients with muscle-invasive cancer. Moreover, these results underline the ILC2/IL-13 axis as a targetable pathway to curtail the M-MDSC compartment and improve bladder cancer treatment

A randomized controlled trial of Promoting Physical Activity in Regional and Remote Cancer Survivors (PPARCS).

Background Physical activity (PA) is important for cancer survivors. Trials of remotely delivered interventions are needed to assist in reaching under-served non-metropolitan cancer survivors. The objective of this study was to ascertain whether wearable technology, coupled with health coaching was effective in increasing PA in breast and colorectal cancer survivors living in regional and remote areas in Australia. Methods Cancer survivors from 5 states were randomized to intervention and control arms. Intervention participants were given a Fitbit Charge 2 and received up to 6 telephone health coaching sessions. Control participants received PA print materials. Accelerometer assessments at baseline and 12 weeks measured moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA), light PA, and sedentary behavior. Results Eighty-seven participants were recruited (age = 63 ± 11 years; 74 (85%) female). There was a significant net improvement in MVPA of 50 min/week, favoring the intervention group (95% confidence interval (95%CI): 13.6–86.1, p = 0.007). There was also a net increase in MVPA bouts of 39.5 min/week (95%CI: 11.9–67.1, p = 0.005), favoring the intervention group. Both groups improved light PA and sedentary behavior, but there were no between-group differences. Conclusion This is the first study to demonstrate that, when compared to standard practice (i.e., PA education), a wearable technology intervention coupled with distance-based health coaching, improves MVPA in non-metropolitan cancer survivors. The results display promise for the use of scalable interventions using smart wearable technology in conjunction with phone-based health coaching to foster increased PA in geographically disadvantaged cancer survivors